Page 85 of Poisoned Pawn
“My money is on Lev. But Carter keeps his cards close to his chest. There are things he isn’t telling us. Like I’m guessing you didn’t know his real name or what happened to his family?”
It’s not an accusation just a statement of fact—a true one. “I did know about his sister. Nothing important or any details about what happened to them just that he has one” I pause a moment as I replay Carter’s words to me earlier.
My sister Erica. They are easy because she’s my sister.
“What is it?” Roxy asks.
“I think Carter’s sister, Erica, is still alive.” I explain what Carter said earlier, using present tense when he was talking about her. “If she’s alive, it’s a good motivator for him to protect her at any cost.”
“Maybe. But I’m not sure it helps with figuring out what we are dealing with right now. Carter said that Rook used to be a Shadow. Whatever happened between Carter and Rook and Lennox, there’s no way that guy doesn’t have a hand in this somewhere down the line, it was enough for Rook to want revenge. It’s at the top of the list for motivation. Trust me on that.”
I drain the rest of my tea, hugging the cup in my hands as I think about anything else Carter might have said that could give a clue to what’s going on. But Roxy was right. He doesn’t give much away.
Roxy and I go over what I know about my now dead boss and the money laundering. It’s not much, and I’m pissed at myself for not realising it sooner. Roxy suggests that maybe Perry was skimming money and that’s why Lev had him taken out. I mean it makes sense, but it seems flimsy if Perry and Lev were in on the deal together with Mark Swanson. And although it’s a possible reason someone was hired to kill me, I don’t think it’s the whole reason. There has to be more to it. Perry never bought me in on whatever he and Mark were up to, and I might have been delivering the money to the dry cleaners but that doesn’t mean I knew what was going on.
The rumble of an engine outside stops our conversation followed by footsteps and hushed voices out in the hall as Zak and Carter come in.
“I’m telling you I don’t like it, Carter. It’s too orchestrated. You need to tell us what the fuck happened between you and Rook. And where Lennox and Pavel fit into all this. Star and getting to Aidan are…”
His words trail off as they enter the room and see Roxy and I sitting on the sofa still cradling our cups.
My eyes skip over them both, checking they are both in once piece, then they fall on Carter.
“Don’t stop on our account,” I say, getting up and taking Roxy’s cup. “You want another?” I ask.
“No, got any beers?”
I look to Carter and Zak, but they already have the fridge open and are pulling out four beers.
“Make that five,” comes Maddox’s sleep laced growl as he walks into the room.
“This a private party?” Frankie asks as he enters too. “Let’s make it an even six, shall we.” He takes the cups from my hands, placing them in the sink as Carter hands me a beer. Zak passes one to Frankie and Maddox, then carries one over to Roxy.
Maddox and Zak take the spaces either side of Roxy while Frankie takes the only armchair. Carter drops down onto the small end of the sectional, dragging me with him so I end up in his lap.
Carter and Zak tell us where they’ve been and what they learnt from Akim and Carter’s friend Shep. Carter is explaining what Sketch told him about Rook, but it’s a jumbled mess and aside from it being clear Rook wants revenge on Carter, nothing else makes a lot of sense.
“He mentioned chess, which fits with what I know about Rook. I already suspect Gambit and Rook are one and the same. That means Rook and the 51s are working together. And the only thing I can think Sketch meant when he mentioned poisoned is the poisoned—”
“Poisoned Pawn variation,” Maddox jumps in and finishes for him.
Carter looks over at Maddox, giving him a nod. “It’s an opening chess play that appears to put the opponent at an advantage by sacrificing an undefended pawn. But the pawn is bait used to expose the opponent. But I don’t see it. Who the fuck is the pawn?”
“In his message to you at Koda’s he referred to Star as a pawn.” Zak says, then shakes his head. “But I don’t think that’s it. He obviously sees her as pawn in whatever game he’s playing, but he said she was unexpected so never part of his original plan. ‘Cause let’s be honest, this guy has been planning this for years.”
“I think maybe it’s time you told us the whole story of what went down between you and Rook,” Roxy tells him.
Carter doesn’t look too enthused by the idea, but I can see that he agrees with her. He and Frankie share a look, which I’m guessing means Frankie already knows this story. Frankie nods, then with a sigh, Carter begins.
“Lennox bought Rook in about six years ago, and he moved up the ranks fast. Like with all Shadows your past stays your past. You don’t share details of who you were or how you came to be a Shadow, so don’t think you’ll get any answers about who Rook really is or was. He became Lennox’s go to snipper, but he also got real fucking cocky with it. His ego pissed off a lot of other Shadows. Being a Shadow is a lonely fucking career, if you can call it that, but Rook and I stayed friends as much as doing what we do allows.
“Then about four years ago he met a girl, Luna, after a job. Luna was the daughter of a 51 Squad member who had been taken out the year before. But relationships are a big no no for Shadows, and Lennox is strict about that, so Rook kept it secret. Six months later Pavel hired a Shadow to take down a member of the 51s, but Luna was caught in the crossfire. Rook went fucking ballistic, shot up several of Pavel’s businesses. Lennox had him excommunicated as a way to calm tension between Pavel and the Shadows.” He pauses to take a mouthful of his beer. “Rook’s revenge was to take out Harrison, Lennox’s second. The move was the nail in Rook’s coffin. I’d approached Lennox about getting out, something that normally doesn’t happen unless you’re in a fucking wooden box, but my entry into the Shadows wasn’t via the usual route and I’d paid my debt several times fucking over. Lennox ordered his termination, but he wanted me to do it as my final job as a Shadow.”
“That’s fucked up, man,” Zak says, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, his beer bottle swinging between his fingers.
“My whole fucking life has been fucked up. I wanted out. And I was fucking pissed. Harrison had been good to me.” Carter’s eyes flick to Frankie, and the move draws the attention of the others too.
“Harrison was my brother,” Frankie states, stunning us all.