Five Tobias

Ten Years Ago

The bright red maple trees were a stark contrast against the vast blue sky. Even with the sun beaming down on us, the autumn air was crisp, with just enough breeze to blow dried leaves off their branches, where they fell like confetti to the ground. I trained my sight on the rustic cedar barn in the middle of our property, which was situated in the center of an apple orchard located in the middle of nowhere. I waited for the gray sliding doors to open, where I hoped my life, my heart, and my future was standing.

At first, I wasn't sold on the idea of getting married during fall, but as I glanced around the acres of land covered with vivid fallen leaves and inhaled the scent of apple and pine, I couldn't picture a more perfect season to declare the promise of forever to the only person I'd ever loved. I wanted to skip forward to her being mine, while willing the precious moments to slow so I could savor every detail. This lifetime wouldn't be enough for all the love I had inside.

In the end, I focused on the present.

My knees weakened, causing my entire body to sway when I laid eyes on my soon-to-be-wife, Aurora, the moment the doors opened. She was a vision in a long, light brown dress that matched my rust-colored suit.

"I got you," my best man and best friend, Oliver, said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to steady me. "Breathe."

I did as I was told and sucked in a lungful of cool October air. "Thanks, man. She never fails to take my breath away."

"Are you okay, son?" Aurora's father, who was officiating the wedding, asked.

"I am, sir," I answered.

He nodded. A smile graced his face as he watched his daughter walk down the aisle.

The crowd of three stood. Erika, Oliver's wife, and their two children were our only witnesses. Truthfully, that was all we needed. Good thing, because that was all we had. As an orphan, I never fit in with anyone. I'd been searching for a sense of belonging until I met Aurora two years ago. How could I be so lucky?

"Is this what it feels like being in love with someone? Sharing a part of you?" I directed my attention back to Oliver, who had his eyes glued to his beautiful wife and kids.

"It gets better. Wait till you start a family." He nodded toward his own family. "Every day is like a holiday."

Family. That word was surreal. I never knew how it felt to have one. I grew up in an orphanage until a family adopted me when I was almost ten years old. I'd waited every day for a family to pick me, but the joy I felt when a couple brought me to their home was short-lived. I'd thought my life would change then, for the better. I was so wrong.

I rubbed the tightness in my chest and redirected my thoughts to my future with Aurora.

Oliver squeezed my shoulder, understanding what my words failed to express. "This is your and Aurora's moment now," he whispered.

And I would cherish this moment for the rest of my life.

***

"This is the second-best day of my life," Aurora whispered in my ear as we entered one of the white villas with a blue roof that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea off the cliffs of Santorini.

"Second-best day, huh?" I asked, pulling her against my body. "What was the first?" I raised an eyebrow, my sight never leaving her brown eyes.

"Meeting you," she answered. "I love you." She planted a soft kiss on my lips, before walking backward toward the opposite side of the room, slowly untying her floral sarong and letting it slide down her flawless tan skin, exposing her bright red bikini.

I strode toward her, grabbing her waist. My lips found hers and I poured my love for her into a kiss. "I love you too," I breathed.

"We better get this honeymoon started then, since I only have you all to myself for three days." Aurora faked a frown, but the pain it brought my heart was nothing compared to the genuine guilt of lying to her about my work. She couldn't know what I did for a living. It was for her safety. As far as she knew, I was a medical equipment salesman, selling million-dollar machines and devices to hospitals worldwide. "Care to join me in the shower, Mr. Ryker?" Her sultry smile was a magnet, and I was metal too weak to resist the pull.

"Absolutely, Mrs. Ryker," I replied. I set my guilt aside and cherished whatever little time we had where I didn't have to worry about an assignment. Tonight, I was a husband and not an assassin.

***

Present Day

The chronicles of my fallen loved ones were etched on my skin, their lives honored with every stroke of ink. Each word told a story, every pattern symbolized a tragedy. Time would try to make me forget by deteriorating their memory, but whenever I glanced down at my ink-covered arms, their legacy remained. There was a saying that time healed all wounds. How much time would that be? Why did my heart still feel like breaking into pieces whenever I thought of my late wife? The rage brewing inside me colored my miserable world red. Fill your heart with revenge, I reminded myself. It was the only way to survive. I voided my heart of everything but wrath for my enemies.

The loud vroom of Archer's bike cut through the wind noise from speeding at eighty miles per hour—the only speed I liked to drive. After the low-key weeks we'd had, I needed the surge of adrenaline. I glanced in the Mustang's side-view mirror and found Archer and Heath about to overtake my place on the two-way stretch of highway. We were the only souls for miles at this wee hour of the morning. We'd been driving for twelve hours straight since we left Maine, only stopping for a quick bite and a piss. And, quite frankly, I could use a break. Apparently, I wasn't the only one, because moments later, Heath, who was riding behind Archer, signaled to the right before pulling over to the side of the road.

I veered onto the shoulder off the interstate, the tires skidding and causing a plume of dust. "What's up?" I asked the lovebirds when I got out of the car. I tilted my head sideways, releasing the tension that had gathered around my neck. I didn't know if it was from driving or my concern about Oliver and his family.

Not knowing what we were up against, we'd asked Zero, one of the finest hackers on the planet, to dig up any useful information she could find about the cult in Wyoming and their leader named Orcus. He was a ruthless man and a master manipulator, according to Oliver. "That guy wants me dead," Oliver once told me over the phone.

I didn't doubt Zero's skills, but after hours of radio silence, my worry was beginning to consume me, and I hated the feeling of helplessness.

Halfway through the short distance between my car and Archer's bike, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Zero. Thank fuck for that. "What do you got?" I asked, skipping pleasantries.

She chuckled. "Jesus, are y'all like that? How about a ‘hi' or ‘hello'? I'd even take ‘kiss my ass' at this point."

She was right. We were fucking jerks. Oh well, it was too late to change now, but I guessed I could try. "Umm … hello there …?" I said hesitantly. How could two words sound so awkward?

"Was that a question?" she asked, testing my patience. I was about to tell her to fuck off when she continued, "This guy Orcus is clean."

That wasn't good. I was prepared to hear anything but that. "How clean?"

"Too clean," she added. Now we're getting somewhere. In all the years I'd spent with The Firm, I knew that no one or nothing was that clean. "Lucky for you …" Zero trailed off; clicking sounds from her keyboard carried through my cell. "I can spot the tiniest of crumbs from a mile away."

Music to my ear. "Atta girl." Everyone had a history, and nothing buried was gone forever. All you had to do was know how to look at what was just beneath the surface.

"I'll send you an encrypted email, just in case someone's on to us." It was an extra precaution we took, a skill for survival.

"Thanks, Zero."

"You bet. Tell the lovebirds I said hi."

"I will."

"No you won't," she said before disconnecting the call.

She was right.

"Was that Zero?" Archer asked when I reached them.

I nodded while keeping my attention on my phone, refreshing until an email from Zero hit my inbox. I opened it. Hello, fucker! Orcus's mug shot greeted me, accompanied by a list of shit about the creep along with his real name: Samuel Lynch. "Orcus my ass." Somehow, he looked exactly like I imagined he'd be. He had a double chin, graying hair, and wrinkled pale skin. His light brown eyes were dull. The cult's satellite coordinates, screenshots from surveillance feeds, and receipts from a coffee shop that he visited every Monday morning at six o'clock were also included.

"And?" Heath asked.

I showed them my phone instead of answering. They quickly skimmed Zero's message. "Lead the way and we'll be right behind you." Archer pulled his helmet back on and handed the other to Heath before hopping onto his bike.

Hearing from Zero and learning about Orcus's whereabouts provided me with the extra push I needed. I wanted to deal with that motherfucker so we could get a move on with The Firm.

***

"Who's Oliver?" Archer asked, sipping his black coffee. I knew he had questions, and I was surprised it had taken him this long to ask.

I was unsure how much I wanted to share. This was all new to me. I never shared. Keeping everyone at arm's length was safer, so it would be easier to detach when all this was over. Because, sooner or later, this would be over. They would realize that I had nothing to offer and they'd leave, like everyone else in my life had. Being associated with me wasn't worth the hassle. Archer would go his way and I would go mine. And that was if we came out of this war with The Firm alive. That was a big if.

Heath must've sensed my apprehension. He stood. "I need to get a refill," he lied, because his cup was still full.

"No, stay," I insisted, raising my hand. "Please."

"Are you sure?" he asked, glancing between Archer and me.

I appreciated his willingness to give us space, but I needed to trust them the way they trusted me. "Positive."

"Is he family?" Archer tapped Heath's thigh when he sat down. Jealousy for what they had coursed through me once again. He moved his sunglasses to the top of his head and directed his full attention to me.

I mimicked his move by pushing my sunglasses up before I spoke. "He was." Speaking about him in the past tense didn't sit well with me. "He is," I corrected, even though I had no idea if he was dead or alive. "He was my only family for the longest time, until I met Aurora." I ran my left thumb across my ring finger, where I could still feel the weight of a phantom band. "He's my best friend."

"Was Aurora your—"

"Wife," I interrupted, nodding, completing Archer's question. "But she's gone."

Two sets of eyes were on me, waiting for me to continue.

"She was murdered two months after our wedding." I tried to control my face and hide the pain. I needed to remain calm and composed. I tapped my sunglasses back down to act as my shield, closing my eyes as an image of her lifeless body, crumpled in a pool of blood gushing from her lacerated neck, invaded my mind. Her unseeing eyes were wide open. The terror she must've felt before taking her final breath still haunted me. "The cops didn't find the person responsible for her death, and I've spent years searching for a lead, only to end up empty-handed."

"Oh shit." Archer's eyes softened. "Sorry, man."

"It was a long time ago." I didn't want their pity.

After darting a glance around the diner, Heath leaned over the table and whispered, "Do you think The Firm had anything to do with it?"

His question didn't shock me. I'd considered that possibility, but I had no proof. "It has crossed my mind plenty of times. But I haven't been able to find a connection to tie them to her death."

My phone, sitting on the glass table, vibrated with a text from Zero; a welcome interruption. Opening up was a lot harder than I realized, and I'd had enough for today. I unlocked the screen, lifting the device so Archer and Heath could see. I scrolled through images of a tall concrete wall with barbed wire, and shots of the compound from the air with people carrying on with their business. I wondered what had become of Oliver's family. I thought about his lovely wife and kids. Whatever happened to the sweet young kid, Abel, and his adorable feisty sister, Maddy? It was wrong to call him a kid, considering he'd be nineteen or twenty by now.

Archer stabbed a finger at my screen just below the shadow of a tiny fan. "That looks like a helicopter. Can you fly one?"

"Not really," I answered with a frown.

"So what's your plan?" Archer asked.

"I keep going," I answered.

"No, we keep going," Archer insisted, lifting some emotional weight off my shoulders.

I didn't want to burden them with my personal agenda, but I sure could use the help. "You sure?"

"We're in this together." Archer gulped the remainder of his cup then stood.