Curtain Call (The Jewel Project #7)

26. Gloves Off

Unlike their grandmother and Bill, Ron had been poisoned. He'd felt the effects while in his car, drove off the road, then stepped out and died into a ditch.

Alone.

His autopsy report broke Sam to pieces, but it wasn't like it changed anything. Ron was still dead and already buried next to his mother after a brief and painful funeral. It was the least they could do after chasing him out of his house and bringing about his death. As much as Christine insisted it was not their fault, Sam couldn't shake the blame.

It made him want to scream. Made him want to go to the cemetery, sit in front of Skye's grave and ask her to enlighten him, bring some meaning into this mess. Go to Kyle's tombstone and hug it, beg him to come back. Because a part of him was convinced that they wouldn't have dared go this far if Kyle was still alive.

As it was, he had nothing. He closed the report and focused on the screen of his laptop where he'd been trying to identify more about where the last jewel could be. Had the shrine been a decoy and the stone was somewhere else, or was there more that they'd left uncovered? And since the structure had collapsed, should they go back there? He had to make a call and soon, but all the death around him wouldn't let him focus.

Every time he walked into the Agency building he expected something to happen. Every moment he spent in his office, he listened for footsteps, hoping that Harry would come to confirm that it was done, over with, and no one around them would die anymore.

It had been ten days since his grandmother's death. Seven days since Bill died. Three days since they'd buried Ron. At least their mother was still alive.

A door opened down the corridor and Sam straightened in his seat, hoping it was Harry. When the steps headed in the opposite direction, he returned to the screen of his laptop once again, and to the articles and maps he had open. A part of him resented that he couldn't just go to Harry and badger him, but since their last interaction, it was very important not to mess up. He was convinced Harry enjoyed keeping him on edge. He also knew that if he didn't come with and answer soon, Tom and Jimmy might lose their patience and punch him in the face. Sam hoped Harry knew that, too.

Brazil. It has to be in Brazil. That shrine full of warnings in many languages couldn't be there for nothing. Sam's mind returned to the tunnels underneath the structure, filled with traps and water. Could there be more under the water? Could they find one of those air vents and make their way inside in search of alternative paths, even if they'd initially missed it? He saw no other solution.

His phone started vibrating, almost scaring the life out of him. When he glanced at the screen, he frowned. It came with no caller ID. He picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Sam, it's William."

Huh? "Why are you calling me off a burner?" William's line was encrypted so it was supposed to be safe.

"I don't have much time, so please listen. They tried to come for me."

"What?" Sam's blood seemed to freeze in his veins. "Who?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure or I'd tell you. Three cars followed me. I noticed, got out, walked into a convenience store. Armed men came in after me. Knocked two of them out and ran for it. Hotwired a car and am on my way to pick up Dea. We're going underground. The thing is, after what happened to your family, I don't think it's a coincidence. You guys need to disappear, too, and activate code red."