Thirty-Six Abel

Tobias was an assassin? I didn't know men like him were real. I'd only heard and read about them, seen them in movies, and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would come face-to-face with a cold-blooded killer. Should I be afraid of him? His admission had the opposite effect on me. I felt safer than ever. Call me sick, but I trusted Tobias with my life.

Everything was making sense, but I still had questions. We didn't kill innocent people. Or so we thought, but we were so fucking wrong. What did he mean?

Tobias turned his back to me and started the trek toward the barracks. He probably felt ashamed. His strides were swift and purposeful, like he was putting distance between us. What he revealed about his past didn't matter to me. It didn't change how I felt about him.

The hug I gave him was to let him know how sorry I was for his loss, to let him know that I was there for him. It was my weak attempt to shield him from the overwhelming pain and unimaginable sorrow, even if only momentarily. Though I questioned my ability to truly offer such comfort.

I'd learned more about Tobias in the past few minutes than I had throughout the entire time of knowing him. Guilt gnawed at me; everything I knew about him before was superficial. He was far more complex than the eye candy I'd always seen him as. He deserved more than my wet dreams. He should be cherished. My heart broke when I realized that he was an orphan and lived on the street for years before El Jefe found him. He finally had someone who treated him like a son, but that man ended up dying, like his late wife. The thought of her reminded me that Tobias still hadn't told me if he was gay or bi, but then I realized it didn't matter. Tobias was Tobias and he cared about me. That was the only label I needed to know. Everything else was irrelevant.

Life was unfair. The cards we were dealt were stacked against us. It seemed like fate reveled in its cruelty, handing out misfortunes like they were nothing. I thought The Creed was a fucking disaster, but Tobias's experience was ten times worse. The wind whispered through the trees, a haunting lament echoing the ache in my heart. I couldn't shake the image of young Tobias, alone and abandoned. Helpless and afraid. Cold and hungry.

I jogged to catch up with him. And if it was up to me, I'd never leave his side. "Thanks for telling me," I said. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

"What I told you stays between us," Tobias responded, his sight trained on the path and the walls around us. "For your sake and mine."

"Okay. But can I ask you a question?" I asked, hoping he'd let me. "Just one. I promise." It would be the last question for now, until we had more time.

"I have a feeling that you'll ask even if I say no," he grumbled.

He was right. "Maybe," I said, keeping my pace alongside him.

"Watch your step." Tobias grabbed my bicep, pulling me closer to him.

I glanced behind and saw the branch of a tree jutting out of the narrow pathway. Stepping on that would definitely have hurt.

"Fine," Tobias surrendered but continued walking. "What's your one question?"

"Are you still with The Firm?"

"Not anymore," he replied quickly. "Me and a couple of guys got out when we discovered the truth about them."

I remained silent, hoping Tobias would continue.

He took a deep breath, perhaps to gather his thoughts. Finally, he spoke, his voice steady yet filled with a touch of vulnerability that tugged at my emotions. "We went rogue after we suspected some shady shit. We were given some really fucked-up assignments." He glanced sideways and met my eyes, then continued forward. "And after confirming what we knew about them, we exposed them to the public."

"In what way?"

"We hacked into a local TV station and broadcast the roster of their killings and their connection with the police, the church, and the government. We revealed the whole thing for the world to see."

"Damn!" I exclaimed, trying to wrap my head around the enormity of The Firm's reach and the consequences of such resistance.

"Let's just say they didn't take it kindly and sent their army to get rid of us."

"How did you get away?" I asked, my heart racing. Was Tobias in huge trouble?

"With the help of the others. The same people helping you and your family and friends get out of here."

"What will happen if they find you guys?"

"If they find us …" Tobias began, his voice trailing off. "It won't be pretty. The Firm doesn't take betrayal lightly. They'll stop at nothing to silence us, to erase any trace of our existence."

"Oh shit." With each passing moment, the gravity of Tobias's situation became more apparent. They would be killed if found, and I had no doubt that The Firm was looking for them.

"But we won't let them win," he continued. "We've come too far to turn back now. We'll fight tooth and nail to bring them down, to ensure that no one else suffers at their hands."

"I'll fight with you," I said.

"Not a fucking chance," he said, stopping in his tracks. "I'd die first before I let that happen."

After all this time, he still fucking underestimated me. My nostrils flared. "Why not? Is it because you think I can't do it?"

"It has nothing to do with your ability, because I know you can," Tobias explained. "You can do anything. You're strong. Smart. A little pain in the ass."

"Then what is it?"

Tobias shut his eyes.

"Tell me why!" I deserved to know.

He took a deep breath before meeting my gaze. "Because I won't lose you too. You're one of the best things that has happened in my shitty life, and I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to you." Tobias held my cheeks, caressing them with his thumbs. "That's the truth."

His words rendered me speechless. Tobias cared about me. I opened my mouth to reply but found myself choked with emotion.

His features softened. "We have to go."

Nodding was the best response I could muster.

We hurried toward the barracks where the rest of the trainees were. "Something's wrong here," Tobias said. He extended his arm to my abdomen, stopping my progress. "Where is everybody?" he whispered. He scanned the building and the unmanned gate feet from where we were standing. The door leading into the building was wide open.

Alarm bells rang in my head. "Why is it so quiet?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But something doesn't feel right. Stay close."

Ducking out of sight, we cautiously stepped inside, stopping at every corner, listening for any movement. The silence of the barracks was unnerving. The usual guards patrolling our old room were absent, replaced by a stillness that sent shivers down my spine.

Tobias was on high alert. His fists were balled and his arms were locked and loaded, ready to strike.

We rushed to the guys' bunkroom, eager to tell them about Orcus's plan to have the six of us fight for our lives. I needed to convince them to tell our connection outside to go forward with the escape plan—tomorrow if possible.

"Shit." Tobias's abrupt stop caused me to bump into his back. "They're not here either."

My heart plummeted like a stone in water at the disturbing scene that greeted me. I scanned the room. It was in disarray—unmade beds and scattered belongings everywhere, a stark contrast to the usually tidy and organized space we had to keep. It was clear they had left in a hurry. "They would never leave the room like this," I said.

Without wasting another moment, I dashed toward the bathroom and Tobias searched the bunks, hoping to find some signs of where they might have gone. The bathroom was deserted, the stalls were dry and empty. Panic clawed at the edges of my mind as I struggled to make sense of the situation.

"Did you find anything?" Tobias asked when he joined me.

"No. But this is bad. We need to find them." I rushed to the wall where the secret tile was hidden, Tobias following close behind. I opened the tile, revealing the hidden compartment. "Fuck," I muttered.

"What is it?"

I fished the beat-up phone from the compartment and showed it to Tobias. "They'd never leave without this." I swallowed hard, my stomach churning with unease. Nothing about this made sense, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong—that something terrible had happened to the guys. "Oh god!"

"Let's get out of here." Tobias reached for the phone charger. "I need this," he said, tucking the white cord securely in his pocket.

"We need to find them, Tobias."

"We will," he said. He grabbed my hand and we ran out of the barracks until we were back in the woods.