“Because you murdered him,” Earnest announces as he pushes into the room.
“I didn’t kill him!He had a heart attack!”
“Brought on by you.”He takes off his coat and sets it aside, then rolls up his sleeves.Bradley and Leo come in behind him, though they remain near the door.“Go ahead, Katelyn, finish the story.Might as well tell your buddy here who he’s dying for.”
I don’t want to speak, though.Don’t want to relive that horrific moment.
“Go on,” Earnest orders.“Tell him how you drove my brother to complete madness.How you tortured him into his death.”
“I didn’t do that!He found me!He tracked me!”I scream, tears blurring my vision.“He could have just left us alone!”
“Breathe, Katelyn.You’re okay,” Sawyer says.
I close my eyes, drawing in breath after breath and trying to calm myself.
“I suppose the why doesn’t really matter anymore since I buried him,” Earnest snaps.“It certainly doesn’t change the outcome, does it?”He closes the distance and stops right in front of Sawyer.“Where is Thomas?”he asks me.
“Somewhere you’ll never touch him,” I growl.No matter what he does to me, I won’t tell him.
Earnest smirks, rears his fist back, and slams it into Sawyer’s face.His head whips back, and as he leans forward again, he moves his jaw from side to side.
“No!Stop!”I stare in horror as he shakes his fist.Sawyer spits some blood out, and it splatters to the tile floor.
“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Sawyer quips.“Maybe let muscles over there have a turn.He looks like he enjoys having a good time.Don’t ya, big guy?”
“You’ve got a big mouth,” Earnest snaps.
“I’ve been told it’s one of my best features.”Sawyer grins.“Just know that whatever damage you do to me will be done to you—tenfold when Garrison gets here.”
Earnest laughs.“You think I’m afraid of your friend?I looked him up.Guy is a counselor for kids.I think I’ll take my chances.”He turns to me.“Let’s try this again, Katelyn.Where is Thomas?”
Sawyer smiles widely, then laughs, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.“You really have no idea what you’ve done, do you?”
Earnest, almost bored, turns to Sawyer.“And what exactly have I done?”
“Do you even know who we are?”When Earnest doesn’t respond, Sawyer shifts forward in his seat, movements slowed by pain.Still, his expression remains neutral.Unbothered.
“I know you used to be in the military,” Earnest says.“Navy, right?Again, not worried.”
Sawyer laughs.“You should be.”
“And why is that?You’re no longer enlisted.My contact said your file isn’t even all that impressive.”
“It’s because it’s so impressive that you have to have the highest of clearances to even access the real records.”
Earnest glances over his shoulder.“Guy has an ego on him, doesn’t he?”
“I can fix it, boss.Just let me know,” Leo offers.
But Sawyer hasn’t shifted his gaze from Earnest.“You want to know why I’m not worried, Katelyn?That’s because everyone on our team has their own special skill.You know, like a team of superheroes.”His grin spreads as he glances over at me, then turns back to Earnest.“Tank can tear you apart with his bare hands.Cowboy can stop your heart before you even realize you’re at risk.Cap?”Sawyer glances over at me, “You haven’t met him yet, but I imagine you’ll be meeting him soon.”He looks back at Earnest, who has crossed his arms.“Cap has a gift for making people tell the truth—even when they swear they won’t.”He leans forward now, just slightly, his eyes never straying from Earnest’s face.
“Me?I notice things.I listen.I remember.Information is power after all.Kind of like how I know your pal there has a weak knee.Left side, right?”he asks.“One hit and—” Sawyer clicks his tongue.“Boss man here has so many weak spots he’s basically a liability with a pulse.”
Earnest scoffs.“That supposed to scare me?”
Sawyer exhales on a quiet laugh.“No.Not me.After all, I’m a bit tied up at the moment.But do you want to know what your biggest mistake was?”
“I imagine you’re going to tell me.”Earnest deadpans.