Page 82 of Redemption
I yank open the door, and the three of us climb into the back, slam the door, and cruise toward the highway.
Mission accomplished.
Chapter Forty-Four
Mount
Once again, I find myself driving a vehicle with someone blindfolded in the back.
Soon, I tell myself, this will be a thing of the past.
But today, it can’t be helped.
Joy drove the fire truck into a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of town, where Marco, J, and I hopped out. J laughed when I tossed her the hood and opened the rear door of a sedan for her.
“If this is what it takes, then so be it. I’m just happy to see you, boss,” she said with a genuine gleam in her eyes and a grateful expression that reminded me of the little girl I’d once known.
Maybe my plan isn’t quite as crazy as I thought. Breaking out a mental patient—who had tried to kill my wife—from the institution where I paid to have her kept seemed insane, but so far, so good.
The drive to the safe house was long and circuitous, as always, but this time, it was done in silence, as Marco and I agreed before we set off to liberate J. Thankfully, there wasn’t a single tail. No one knew I paid for J’s care at the estate—it was all done through various entities and fake names. However, it will be interesting when the message finally comes through that she’s gone. I wonder how long it will take for them to notice her absence and then to notify me. Either way, the countdown to that eventuality is on.
With the garage door of the safe house closing behind us, I shut off the ignition, and a sense of peace settles over me.
Step one: done.
Step two: figure out what the hell I’ve unleashed with step one.
I honestly wasn’t sure what condition we’d find J in, but so far, strangely enough, she seems pretty normal. Then again, I’d had no idea she was homicidal while working for me, so … maybe I’m not the best judge when it comes to her. Soon, we’ll all know the truth for certain.
Marco glances at me as he reaches for the door handle, and I nod.
“All good. Let’s head inside.”
I climb out my door as he exits the vehicle.
Now, for the wild card.
I open the back door and remove the moving blanket covering J. She pops up into a sitting position and immediately yanks the hood from her head.
“I can’t even complain about the hood. It feels so damn good to be free!”
Her smile is pure and innocent, but it only lasts until her gaze flicks to the man who looks exactly like me. Her lower lip wobbles as her mouth hangs open. Her eyes widen, like she’s having a religious experience.
J’s lips make shapes, like she’s attempting to speak, but no sound comes out.
Before she loses it, I start explaining. “This is my brother. He’s my identical twin. You can call him Mr. Mount.”
“Two Mounts,” she whispers as she looks back to me. “Are you sure? Because I didn’t really know if I was crazy before … but now … two of you? Like, how is that even possible?”
“An unexpected twist of fate. One that turned out to be lucky for all of us.”
“An identical twin.” She breathes the words almost reverently. “Two of you. It’s unreal.”
“I thought so too,” I reply with a quick smile. “Let’s go inside. We’ve got a lot to talk about in a short period of time.”
Instantly, J perks up. “It’s time to take out DuFort, isn’t it? He’s all over the news. He’s become a problem, requiring a solution.”
Even with her homicidal tendencies, I can’t help but feel a wash of familiarity and nostalgia at her words. J could always practically read my mind. Like V, much of our communication was wordless, but incredibly effective.
