The Syndicate

  Gun still outstretched, I turn the corner to the family room. My body tenses and my jaw clenches when I see the girls tied to dining room chairs, mouths duct taped, with Alexandru standing behind them in a black turtleneck. “Damn you, Alexandru.”

  I cannot believe what I’m seeing, but something is very wrong with this picture. Aside from being enraged to see Riley like that, it immediately crosses my mind that Rosie shouldn’t be bound. She’s not part of this. Even if Alexandru wanted to kill Riley, he doesn’t have to involve Rosie.

  I aim between his eyes.

  “Hold it now, golden boy.”

  As he speaks, he exposes a weapon he’s been pointing into the back of Riley’s head. My blood is boiling, slowing my thought process, so I think of the only negotiation I can.

  “Alexandru, you don’t have to do this. I have information. She’s not a threat to us. Just wait until the meeting. Once I tell Henri, he’ll take the hit off her. Just—” he nudges the gun into the back of her head, causing her to release a muffled cry. “Wait!” I growl. “You can wait, damn it! You have another target. Can’t you just do that one first?!”

  He shakes his head slowly, almost pitying me. “Vasile, Vasile, Vasile. Why do you think I’ve waited for you?”

  “I don’t know,” I answer, maintaining aim.

  “Well, see if your overrated brain can fathom this: you are my other target.”

  “What?” I mumble, unable to focus and breathe at the same time.

  “You’re a traitor, Vasi. You’re out. You had your chance.”

  “I’m not a traitor, Dru!” I shake my head, trying to keep my gun steady at the same time. “There’s no way a Reader saw that. No way!”

  “No, Vasi, not a Reader. Henri.”

  I swallow, trying to think. So that’s where the extra name came from? That bastard. I feel like I’m losing control, so I keep explaining.

  “I’m not out. I’ve been trying to see what’s going on. Riley is not a threat to us; she’s a gift. She’s the reason we find all the Hybrids and kill them. Do you know what that means?” I nearly growl.

  Now he starts laughing, mockingly. “You are clueless. Henri doesn’t want to kill them all, you idiot. Then what do you think happens to the Syndicate? What, are we all going to get nine-to-five jobs?”

  “Are you saying Henri wants the Hybrids around?”

  He rolls his eyes. “All right. Enough. I’d love to chat with you, but I’m late. I just couldn’t help giving you the opportunity to come out of your dream before you visited your parents.”

  At that moment Rosie tilts her chair backward, falling to the ground. For a brief second, Alexandru glances her way. Riley mimics Rosie, falling sideways. In that split second, Alexandru loses focus. Without hesitating, I put a bullet in his right temple just as one of his rounds shoots into the carpet beside Riley.

  He immediately falls to the floor as a second round from his gun hits the wall.

  “Damn it!” I shout, running over to him. It’s not supposed to happen like this. Not family. Not this way. We’re brothers, for Christ’s sake.

  How in the hell can I explain this to the Circle? They’ll never believe it. Never believe that Henri would order something like this.

  I cringe, kneeling over Alexandru’s lifeless body, feeling anger and sorrow for him at the same time. It’s not right. None of this. My body mourns this, but the sound of sobs pulls me from my regret, and I quickly return my attention to the girls. I go to Rosie first, because she’s lying on her back, still tied to the chair. I roll her over and start on her ropes.

  My hands fumble with the knot, fingers trembling from nerves and anxiety.

  I can’t get it. I can’t get it. Memories of my mother and father wash over me. “It’s all right, Vasile,” my mom says.

  No it’s not all right. It’s not all right, because I couldn’t untie hers either. I couldn’t get it, and I can’t get Rosie’s. I’m sweating, blinking away the memory. I need to concentrate on this knot, but I can’t get it, because it’s triple knotted, triple looped, like my mom’s knot…it’s like my mom’s knot. It’s like my mom’s knot.

  I jump back. Jesus.

  “Vasi, what’s wrong?” Rosie asks, trying to wriggle free.

  Without answering, I burst into the kitchen to get a knife, just like I did four years ago. My heart is ricocheting off of every corner in my chest as I bring the knife back into the room. With shaking hands, I cut both of them loose, but they remain completely still, watching me. I don’t want to scare them, but I can’t help kicking anything I can find. “Damn you!” I shout. “Damn you!”

  I’m pacing the room as Riley sits frozen in her chair.

  Finally, Rosie grabs my shoulders. “Vasi, what’s wrong with you?”

  My shoulders sink and my legs feel weak. “You don’t want to know,” I whisper.

  “Yes I do, Vasi. Now tell me.”

  And just like that, I look my sister in the eyes and tell her what she has a right to know. “Your knots were the same as our parents’ knots. The same, Rosie.”

  She shakes her head. “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “But anyone can tie a knot, right? It doesn’t mean it was him.”

  “It’s the same, Rosie, which is why it makes perfect sense that Mom welcomed him into the house at dinner time. She trusted him.” My mind is so confused. Did Henri plan this all along? Kill my father so he could be leader?

  Thinking about the betrayal sends me kicking over another end table, knocking the lamp off.

  Riley flinches and covers her ears. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she says, leaning over. I realize that I’m only making the situation worse. I walk over and pull her into a hug. She collapses into my chest. “I’m so sorry,” she says.

  “Why are you apologizing?” I pull away and lower my gaze to hers. “This is not your fault. It’s not your fault.”

  Rosie, still in shock, walks over to us. “What now, Vasi? What now? Henri has a hit out on you both, and if Alexandru really is responsible for our parents’ deaths, then no one is safe. No one.”

  She’s right, which is why I have to stop Henri. My first inclination is to wring his neck in a slow, miserable, agonizing death. But if I do that, the rest of the Circle will panic. I’ll have no credibility, ultimately giving them reason to believe I am the traitor. So I have to think here.

  I mechanically gather a trash bag and put Alexandru’s body in it, no longer feeling remorse. Once he’s loaded into the back of my truck, I instruct Rosie to take Riley to the beach house in Maryland. The Syndicate has access to many houses around the world, but this one is ours. Another purchase of my father’s. It will be where I meet them later.

  Initially, neither one of them wants to let me do what I’m about to, but there’s no option here. I cannot run from Henri forever. Not only that, but I refuse to let him feed anyone else his whacked-out fantasies or get away with what he’s done.

  I give both of them a hug, taking the time to kiss Riley before urging them into the car.

  Back inside, I take in what used to be my home. Happy and comfortable, thanks to my mother. And Henri took that from me. I won’t let that slide. So I do something that will rock this American Circle: I call the head of the Romanian operation. If I want Henri to be held accountable for his decisions, then I have to bring in other cells, someone else to ensure that he’s not acting out of selfishness or even self preservation. My choice is the descendant of Vladimir: Serban.

  I make my way to my father’s study and find his belongings. Among them is his Day-Timer with all the Syndicate members’ phone numbers.

  It’s nearly the middle of the night there, but this is an emergency. The phone rings and rings, and eventually I hear a confused and irritated Serban.

  “Alo?”

  “Serban. I’m sorry to wake you, but this is Vasi. Vasi Petrescu.”

  I’ve never spoken directly to Serban before, but remember him visiting with my father many time
s. I only hope that he and my father may have had a bond that will pave the way for me. He greets me with a heavy accent. “Vasi? Yes, what is it?”

  From there I tell him everything I can while he listens in silence. When I’m finished, a long silence continues, and then he says, “Thank you, Vasi. I do not think this information should be ignored. I will call a meeting with all of the Elders and notify Henri tomorrow that no action is to be taken on any human until further notice.”

  This is a huge win, and I should be overjoyed to hear even the slightest bit of support, but I fear Henri will persuade the other leaders when they all meet. Since I’m not a leader, I won’t be invited to attend, and who knows what Henri will say in my absence.

  “Serban?” I ask. He’s older, like Henri, so I feel amateurish, but I continue: “I’m humbly grateful for your attention to this matter, but do you mind if I ask what happens from here? At your meeting, I mean?”

  “I’m not able to tell you what goes on in the Council, Vasile, but I can tell you that I’ll be looking into your Reader’s visions. We’ll see if any of my Readers validate it.”

  I hang up with him. My emotions are mixed. I have no clue what his Readers will see. It could confirm that Sonya is right, or that I’ve got it all wrong. I can only hope I’m correct.

  Chapter 22

  SOLO

  Pulling into the driveway where Henri awaits, I once again feel the rage that had left me while I was talking to Serban. I want to hurt him, but I tell myself that this has to be done the official way if I want it to permanently change things for the better. Even if it takes everything I have to restrain myself from busting in there and choking him.

  Instead, I take my aggression out on Alexandru. I drag his body out of my truck and dump him by the incinerator. I don’t put him in, because, even though I want to, burning one of my own will never be something I can feel good about—even if he betrayed me in the worst way.

  I quickly make a pit stop by my room and change shirts so I’m wearing black, and then I make my way down the hall. Scouts and Shadows are lined up against the walls on each side of the hallway. I nod like I always do when I’m late, and then make my way into the room.

  A hush immediately falls over the room, and everyone turns my way, wide-eyed. Dani is the first to crack a smile, followed by Andre, then Petric. No surprise. I return a subtle smile before surveying the curious faces of the others and then settling my gaze on Henri’s frozen expression.

  He’s never looked so surprised by my tardiness, so I’m thinking his reaction stems from something else. Maybe the fact that I showed up at all. Why would that surprise him? Oh right. I’m supposed to be dead.

  I clench my jaw and nod before finding my usual seat. Henri greets me with the most false open-armed gesture possible.

  “Well, Vasile. Thank you for joining us.” He looks toward the door. “Now if we only had Alexandru, we would be good to finish up here.”

  Something tells me that he doesn’t need Alexandru to finish up anything. His curiosity stems from the fact that the wrong Guard showed up. I swallow and steady my voice. “He’s in the garage,” I say, pointing casually.

  A small flash of satisfaction crosses Henri’s face.

  It occurs to me that he thinks Alexandru is disposing of a body, and, if it’s not me, then it must be Riley’s. I test him, hoping he doesn’t call my bluff.

  “Do you want me to go get him?” I ask, standing in offering.

  His hand flies up in a holding position. “No. No, that won’t be necessary. We were just finishing up, Vasile.”

  “What did I miss?”

  He looks around, and I do as well. Almost everyone is keeping their gaze away from me, especially Dorina. What did he tell them?

  “Vasile, I’m sorry to say that we have voted to temporarily remove you from your position in this Circle. It has been determined that you are a threat to this operation.”

  I look around. “Who voted? And on what grounds?”

  “Voting is confidential, but rest assured there were enough votes to take this action.”

  I stand. “On what grounds?”

  He looks at me, thinking he has won this battle. “On the grounds that you have gone against the Circle’s orders and have sabotaged another’s assignment, in essence severing the trust between us and you.”

  This is bullcrap and everyone knows it, but it’s already been decided, and by the looks on the Readers’ faces, this needs to come to an end. And not in an all-out fight between me and the Elders here and now. This has to be peaceful, but I won’t let Henri believe he’s won.

  “May I make a statement before I leave?”

  Everyone perks up, curious. Henri looks around, clearly preferring I didn’t, but concedes.

  “Certainly.” Then he plants doubt before I even speak. “We all know you are suffering from mental confusion and post-traumatic stress, so I urge you to speak sensibly and not to jeopardize the hope of your return to the Circle.”

  I roll my eyes and clear my throat. Addressing everyone but Henri, I remind them of the code not to kill a female, and how it is that reason alone that caused me to hesitate on my order. Then I tell them about her ancestry, her mother, and the vision. The Readers look shocked, but in a good way. I finally turn to Henri to see if he will consider the possibility. He doesn’t.

  Instead, he stands. “This is absurd.” He lets out a forced laugh. “You are going to seriously bring a crazy woman’s nonsense into our Circle and pass her off as a Reader? Vasile, I have tolerated and been lenient to your fallacies, but enough is enough. You have lost your way, and I order you to leave this Circle until you can come to your senses.” Or until you can have me killed.

  I look to the other two Elders, Stephan and Valentin. Both are stoic, but I sense doubt in their eyes. They lack Henri’s rage and his urgency to put me out. I stand firm and continue my revelations. “I want you all to know that I didn’t ask for this. This was put upon me, and I don’t know why. But, through all of this, I have learned and maybe even felt it all along that there is great purpose for me, and all of it revolves around this girl. Since meeting her, I’ve felt the power of the future. Felt the good I will do with her. There is no evil in her or me, and I think you all know that. But I will not oppose your decision today. Rather, I’ll leave and allow all of you to think and seek inside your own minds and hearts for the truth.

  “But, know this: I am willing to protect all of you at all costs. And I will, even from afar. If you’d like to reach me for anything, you will find me at my father’s beach house with Riley.”

  I let the small gasps escape before I tell them that she is my wife. And then Henri slaps his hand on the podium and points bitterly at me. “You have just confirmed that you cannot be trusted.”

  I turn to him with satisfaction. “Maybe you should ask your Readers how what I’ve done goes right along with their predictions.”

  “You’re out!” he shouts.

  “That may be true according to you, Henri, but not to Serban.” Henri’s eyes narrow. “He knows what’s going on with me and Riley, and has ordered a Council meeting to determine the next course of action. In the meantime, you are not permitted to harm a single person who isn’t infected.”

  I can almost see the hot air coming from his nostrils. “You have no idea what you’re doing. You’re a little boy!” he shouts.

  “No, Henri, I was a little boy, and now I’m a man. A man who has learned more truth than I want to.” With all attention on me, I pull out one of the knots that was used to tie Rosie and Riley, and I show the Circle. “Like this. I just cut this knot, and another, off of Riley and Rosie, who were a bullet in the head away from being murdered, just like my parents. They’d be dead if it weren’t for me. And this knot.” I hold it up. “This is the exact knot that was used by the intruder who killed my parents. I’d know, because I cut the knots off their wrists myself.”

  I look at the thin rope and then toss it to Henri, who allows it
to fall to the floor, untouched.

  In the silence that follows, I take a moment to contain my built-up anger, and it transforms into a sadness that causes my eyes to glaze over. After a deep breath, I look, vulnerably, at each one of my brothers and sisters and Elders. And then I say, “If you want to know who’s responsible for it, you can find him in the garage. If you want to know how he ended up there, I’ll have copies of my own home-security footage for you to view. It has quite a confession on it.”

  I glance at Henri. He can barely contain his anger, but he knows it’s over. And with those last words, I walk out of the Circle that is no longer my own. I pass silently back through the Scouts and Readers, stop by my room to grab a few things, and get into my truck. It’s 9 p.m., and by midnight I’ll be home in the arms of the one for whom I’ve given up, and gained, everything. The one who will make a difference in the midst of this centuries-old chaos. The one who will make me a better person, a better fighter, and a better leader.

  When I finally pull into the small gated community by the ocean, I see Rosie’s car and feel an immediate sense of relief. They’ve made it, and regardless of what we’ve been through, we’re here together now.

  I grab my bag from the back and shut the car door. I’d only packed the basics on my way out and am unsure if I’ll even be able to grab the rest later, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is my family. Riley and Rosie.

  I’m halfway up the sidewalk when the front door opens and my sister bursts out, hugging me hard enough to remind me of my fading stitches.

  “Oh my gosh! I was so worried. What happened?”

  I hug her for a minute longer so she can see that I’m okay. “I’ll explain later. But it’s fine. For now.” As I’m about to ask where Riley is, I catch a glimpse of her in the doorway. She stands still, her arms crossed, and, although she lacks Rosie’s clear signs of relief, something about her expression draws me comfortably near.

  When we’re standing face to face, she falls into my chest and holds onto me even harder than Rosie did. She doesn’t ask questions or say anything, but our embrace speaks for itself. It feels like an eternity until Rosie passes us and breaks our silence.