Page 93 of Johnny

they’re not on a journey to find secrets. They just want to…”

But I stop and think about that for a moment. Maybe even too long of a moment because Megan

says, “They just want to what?”

And I’m just about to finish my thought when I pull back and say something else. “Conquer. They

are warlords who want to conquer this life and nothing more.”

I pause for her response. But she just stares up at me so I finish with, “I don’t want to be one of

them, Megan. I’m just caught up in something bigger than me. All I want is out.”

She stares into my eyes for a long moment. “You’re not a god.”

“I am not a god.”

“You’re a demigod.”

Which makes me laugh. “Yeah.” I keep hold of her hand but start walking again. “Yeah, that’s what

I am. Gilgamesh, the demigod. Weary from his journey of secrets.”

We walk the rest of the way to the restaurant in silence. And I don’t know what Megan’s thinking

about, but I’m thinking about the Way. How they control things. How they control us. How they

control everything.

And no one even knows it. Not even my contributors back home understand the extent of what

they’re mixed up with. Michael Conner makes me laugh. The Kane family makes me laugh. They all

make me laugh because they have no fucking clue what they’re paying for.

And I would laugh at them. I would laugh at all of them. I would go out to that Kane estate and

laugh my ass off.

But it’s just not funny.

The Way.

What way? Why is it called the Way? Every time I asked my father that question he’d say, “The

way forward, son.” But nothing else.

The way fucking forward? This? Really? This is the future of humanity?

I can’t believe it because I don’t understand it.

I was serious when I told my brothers that I would just kill myself to get out if I thought it would

work. If I didn’t think that the Way would just go after Joey and Jesse when I was gone? Hell, yeah,

I’d kill myself. My life to save two? Sounds like a good deal to me.

But it’s not that simple. It’s just not that simple. This organization is all about the line of