Page 30 of The Wolf and the Monarch

“Do you think we can just go back there? The job wasn’t even completed. You said it yourself. You were only halfway done with deleting the information before the operation was cancelled. There’s no way they’re going to let us within a click of that building.”

“Dad, come on. You have to ask–”

“No, I won’t do that. The contract was cancelled and they cut ties with us.”

“Mattie. You sound ridiculous right now,” Travis cut in. “We shouldn’t have to ask for permission for something like that.”

“So, what? The four of us are just going to pack up, fly to Pennsylvania, drive for hours to the location for a chance at information?” His gaze shifted between all of them before him. “That’s ridiculous and you know it. Benji would agree.”

“Benji would also agree that we should do everything we can for each other,” Andi quickly threw back at her father. “I don’t understand why you’re being so resistant to this.”

“Because we have other jobs to do, Andi. You have other jobs to do. I’ve given everyone the last few days to ruminate on this but there’s nothing we can do right now,” Matthew sighed and looked towards his brother, “Spence is back. We have one of them. Let’s celebrate that and get back to work.”

“You can’t be serious, Dad…”

He wiped at his eyes and shrugged. “One of us has to be, Andi,” Matthew sighed, “I’m worried about your brother too, but he would understand. We have other people depending on us.”

She didn’t understand his sentiment at all and she didn’t say a word as he turned back around and sat down at his computer like nothing at all had happened. Andi turned her attention back to her uncles, who also seemed perplexed by the whole interaction but neither of them said anything regarding it. They just changed the subject to something that didn’t seem pertinent at all if it wasn’t about figuring out where the fuck Benji was.

It seemed like she was on her own.

She’d figure it out one way or another.

Chapter Sixteen

Benji

Everything was quiet.

Everything was peaceful.

He wasn’t cold. He wasn’t sick. He didn’t hurt. Benji was just existing, watching the sunset on a hill. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was dreaming because it was a familiar spot to him that he hadn’t seen in decades. He used to sit on that hill with Andi when they were kids, making up stories of what their lives would be. That was before they knew about the family business. Andi said she was going to be a doctor and Benji would change his weekly. There was never a repeat.

He was alone on that peaceful hill for quite some time until someone spoke up. “What are we doing?”

Benji turned his head and there sat Sawyer. Where he came from, he didn’t know. But he felt a soft breeze hit him as he sat. He wasn’t upset he was there. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was quite content that he was. The setting sun brought out the myriad of freckles that painted the guy's cheeks. It almost looked like he was shining with them. Benji didn’t quite know how but it was something to marvel at. “We’re just sitting here,” he finally answered.

Sawyer nodded. “It’s nice.”

“It is.”

They were silent for a bit longer before the man spoke up again. “I like sitting here with you.”

“I like it too,” Benji admitted, pulling his knees up to his chest and placing his chin on his knee. “Maybe we can do it more often.”

Sawyer smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, maybe we can.”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe. If we get out of here.”

“Out of where?” He didn’t answer that question. Sawyer just scooted closer and closer to Benji. So close, their arms were touching and his knee was resting against the others. “Sawyer?” Benji asked, reaching one of his hands out to rest on the knee that was touching him.

But Sawyer got there first.

His hand reached behind him and he dragged it up his spine. It was a bizarre touch. It didn’t really feel like Sawyer’s and Benji wasn’t quite sure if he liked it at that moment. Where he touched him began to leave a burn in its wake. He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t budge. It felt like he was glued to the ground. He turned to look at Sawyer once again but the man wasn’t there anymore. He was replaced with a grotesque figure that he had never seen before. It was gangly with spindly arms and legs. Its fingers were sharpened. Its eyes were pools of black. Sawyer had been replaced with a creature from someone’s nightmare.

His nightmare.