Page 66 of Wicked Nightmare

"Sorry, buddy," I said, dousing the tub in industrial-strength cleaner. "Gotta erase your final resting place. No hard feelings, right?"

As I scrubbed, I thought about his role in all of this. It was clear he was some kind of information holder, but to what degree was anyone's guess. His laptop would have answers. But first, I needed his fingerprint.

Fishing out his dismembered hand from the bag, I carefully pressed his thumb onto a piece of tape. Later I'd do a silicon mold if needed, but turning off the password would work once I was in. "There we go. Your final contribution to society, pal." I chuckled. "At least this might replace the memory of you jacking off on granny. Probably not, but it is a nice thought, isn't it, friend?"

Just as I finished my deep clean, I heard the front door open. Lakey's voice rang out, "Honey, I'm home! Did you take care of our little problem?"

I surveyed the spotless bathroom. "Baby, you have no idea. I'll push him down the garbage chute just before dawn." Rummaging around in the freezer, I grabbed a pie and set it in the fridge. Didn't know what kind it was, but food was food.

You eat it and shit it out.

I settled into the worn leather chair, Skeeter's laptop balanced on my thighs. The soft glow of the screen lit my face as my fingers moved across the keys. The tape fingerprint sat on the table beside me, just in case.

"Alright, you piece of shit," I said to the screen, "let's see what secrets you're hiding."

I navigated through mundane files. Porn, shitty music, the usual crap. But then something caught my eye. A folder labeled "Chimichunga_X" sat on the desktop, practically begging to be opened. I mean, with a name like that, it's gotta be something good.

I double-clicked, only to be greeted by a password prompt.

"Fuck me. Of course it's encrypted."

I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. I cracked my knuckles. "Game on, asshole."

I dove into the dark web, searching for decryption tools. My eyes burned from the screen's glare, but I couldn't stop. Hours ticked by. I barely noticed Lakey coming in and out, doing her thing before tossing a sandwich my way with a concerned look. I grunted in acknowledgment, too focused to eat.

Finally, the folder unlocked. I clicked through file after file, each one revealing more about Chimera.

"Holy shit," I said. "Lakey, baby! Get in here. You're gonna want to see this."

She came in, barefoot, hair still wet, tiny droplets falling onto the floor. "What's got you all worked up?"

I gestured to the screen. "Well, our favorite beady bastard? Turns out he was sitting on a goldmine. He was way more important to Chimera than he let on."

She leaned over my shoulder. I clicked open a file labeled "Operatives" and a map popped up, dotted with red pins.

"Well, fuck me sideways," she said, scanning the screen. "Are those...?"

"Chimera agents," I finished. "And look here, baby. There's one just a few blocks away."

"Oh, Cam. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

I leaned back. "You bet your sweet ass I am. We're gonna pay our neighbor a little visit."

This was our chance to get ahead, to finally have the upper hand against Chimera, but we'd need to play this smart.

"Listen, babe," I said, grabbing her hand. "This is gonna be tricky. We can't go in guns blazing. We need finesse, charm..."

"And a dash of psychopathy?"

I shoved the laptop off me and pulled her onto my lap. "Exactly. You up for a little roleplay, darlin'?"

She straddled me. "Always. What did you have in mind?"

As I outlined the plan, I could feel us clicking into gear. This was what we lived for. Tracking, hunting, the dance on the edge of danger. It felt good. Not the jittery, itchy good that came from killing marks. Something steadier. Something with a direction.

A mission that felt like I had a purpose, even if that purpose was slow murdering assholes who tortured women and children.

Something that actually made sense for once in my goddamn life. Half of me was proud. I'd wanted to be a cop when I was young, so young I hadn't yet realized the state of corrupt decay within the forces. Before I gutted a man for hurting my girl. Now, I was glad I'd never had the chance. These types in prison? With more money than they knew what to do with? Always get off. Always.