Page 81 of Found

"I've never lied to you, Phinneas," the priest said. "I'm not now. Drop the gun and let her go."

"You have no other option," Sin said. "Let her go and I'll put my gun away."

Phinneas was starting to falter, she could feel it in him, the fear and doubt. These men killed people for a living. He was afraid. He pushed her forward and she landed with a thud on her knees. Gabriel ran to her, covering her with his body. A single gunshot rang out and she looked back as Phinneas fell to the ground.

"Fuck," she heard Sin shout out as Carmichael and Wraith appeared out of the mist.

"What happened?" Carmichael asked.

"He shot himself," Sin said, stunned.

"Sokolov disappeared in the fog. There's no sign of him or Imogen. He must have gone through the cemetery and left," Wraith explained. "The car park was empty."

"I've got her," Sin said to Gabriel as they changed places. He had picked Charlie's sweater up off the ground and helped her pull it over her head, the blood from where Ivan had sliced her, now drying in streaks down her back. "I've got you." He pulled her into his arms. "You're safe." She tried to turn her head, but Sin stopped her. "Don't look. I don't want you looking."

"Get her out of here," Gabriel said, standing up. "We'll take care of this. You can take Phinneas' car." He looked over to where William still stood on Ivan's chest, growling. "William, stand down." The dog barked one more time then got off the man's chest.

"What will you do with him?" Sin asked, pointing toward Ivan.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure his working days are over," Carmichael said.

"Please," the man started to beg.

"Think of it as early retirement," Carmichael added. "You won't miss your fingers."

Gabriel handed Sin the car keys. "I'll keep William with me. Be back at the Tower tomorrow morning, Alex will want to be briefed."

"We will." He picked her up.

"I can walk," she said. "You can put me down."

"We're doing things on my terms from now on, lass," Sin said firmly.

* * *

Sin helped her into the car, then got in himself, starting it up. The fog was still thick and dense, obscuring visibility. Charlotte sat next to him, quiet and despondent.

"Darling, I need to ask you some questions. We couldn't find Imogen. Did Sokolov have her?

She looked out the window, and he was worried for a minute she wouldn't answer him. "No," she said softly.

"We'll find her." He put his hand on her leg. "Don't worry; we'll find her."

"He never had her." Her voice was shaking. She didn't offer further explanation.

"What do you mean, he never had her?" he asked carefully.

She was silent for a few minutes. "It was all in my head. Sokolov said he implanted the memory in me. He said I gave him the idea." She glanced at him. "I know what I saw, though. He had her."

"Sokolov is a very manipulative man. It's how he controls people," Sin said.

"This is all my fault. All of it. If I hadn't been so weak." She shook her head. "I should have remembered it right."

"This isn't your fault," he said. "You were tortured, your body was in a state of stress. He took advantage of the pain you were in. False memories are more common than you realize."

"How do I know he isn't lying about this?" she said, turning into herself. "I can't trust my own mind anymore." He felt as if she was disappearing on him.

"We'll figure it out, darling. I promise." Sin continued into the dense mist, the silent weight of it enwrapping the car until it too became invisible. He had never worried about anyone before. He had never cared enough, and the feeling scared him. It was no longer just him in this world. She was a part of him now, and he would do anything to protect her. No matter what the cost.