Page 107 of The Square

And now we can. Because Alec is here.

There’s the usual production of going over the perimeter of the map. We collect all the intel we got from yesterday’s venture and collate it into something cohesive. And there’s a lot of talk about sneaking and stealth. We’ll have weapons, of course. But this time there’ll be no distraction. We are going in quietly, completing the mission now called Kill Lars, and exiting without fanfare.

“And then Bob’s your uncle,” says Russell, “that’ll be that.”

Of course, it’ll never happen that way. Too many variables, too many people, too much acreage on that fucking plot of land.

But we all feel better once it’s decided.

Two teams. There’s a fair bit of loud protests and arguing over this part but in the end it will be me, Charlie, and Brenden on Team Danny and Eliza, Russell, Alec, and Christine on Team Alec.

Russell tried to stick Christine with me but Alec squashed that idea before it even fully materialized.

“I need Christine with me,” Alec said. And his tone left no more room for discussion.

And for a split second I wonder… does he want to confront them both together? Get some answers from Lars and Christine before he takes his brother’s life for betraying him?

Because that would be counterproductive in my opinion.

But Alec hears my question, even though I never said it out loud, and looks at Christine to shake his head.

That’s our little secret language for:

Alec: It’s over now, Christine. I just need you by my side when the shit goes down.

Christine: I know that, asshole. It was Danny’s stupid question, not mine.

Eliza sighs in the wake of this and Russell says, “Stop fuckin’ doing that.”

And then everyone, including us, looks at him like he’s lost his mind.

I think that’s why Russell and I get along. He hears my secret language. Not Alec’s or Christine’s. Just mine, for some reason.

This is what links us. Like it or not, the Watsons are here to stay. It just took us all the better part of five years to understand that point.

We spend the next several hours preparing and then, just a few minutes past midnight, we get in two separate vehicles and make the long drive up to complete Mission: Kill Lars.