James (Teumessian Trilogy Book 2) (17 page)

Chapter

30

President Warren had gone about his day in peace once he sent James and his team away. The day drew on till night and Warren continued with his work. Signing papers, sending emails, and such, nothing of major importance. He had sent his staff home for the night. He always worked late. They thought nothing of it. He knew he would have a visitor tonight, and he didn’t want to be interrupted. As he expected, at the stroke of ten, he could just feel her presence in the room. “I know you are here. You don’t have to play hide and seek with me.”

“You know I prefer the shadows,” the woman replied.

“Seriously, stop this shit. You can’t stay hidden for long, so you might as well not sit in the corner of the office like I don’t know where you are.”

“We made a deal, that was all. My business outside of that is none of yours.”

“Yes, the fuck it is! I know it was you who paid Ming to have James protected. What, couldn’t handle it yourself?” Warren said, standing up and walking to the front of his desk, staring at the corner of the room. The corner was covered in the shadows, but he knew she was standing there.

“Watch your tone with me. I could kill you right now without thinking twice.”

“Oh, really? Who would protect sweet precious James then? You? You need me just as much as I need you, so drop the attitude. You were supposed to keep me in the loop. Instead, you involve yourself with Ming’s girls and jeopardize my position. I am supposed to hand him over to Sergei.”

“You won’t do that.”

“No, I won’t, but that means we need to move and fast before he realizes I’m not playing ball anymore.”

“Fine, I know my part. Have you done yours?”

“The dominos are in place for you to knock down. Don’t forget about my lovely bride.”

“How do you want me to make it look?”

“Kidnapping turned to murder. You know who to pin it on. At the end of the day, I do not understand why you hide when we talk. I know who you are. I recognize your voice. It hasn’t changed. You know who I am and I know who you are. We still need the last piece of the puzzle to get our plan to work. We need Franklin on our side.”

She stood in silence in the shadows. She had figured he had forgotten her, but she shook herself out of it. “We will get him to join us. He will see that with us is his only chance to protect his people. He doesn’t agree with what Sergei has planned.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t hold the reins, you know that. If we want Great Britain to side with us…”

“We have to take out his boss.”

“Well, I will leave that to you. It’s what you're best at,” Warren said with a sneer.

“We both have talents. Your jealousy is appreciated. I get James and his team. They stay with me.”

“Well, have fun getting him. I sent him off to Boston, his uncle is dying. Finnegan will tell James everything he needs to know to lead him to you.”

“The rest of the team?”

“The other two I’m sending to Soldat. You can pick them up there.”

“Then I will take care of your bride on my way out.”

“Fine with me,” Warren said, waving his hand and sitting back into his chair. Warren looked around the room as he leaned back into his chair. She was gone. He knew his ‘bride’ or Ming’s agent would be dispatched tonight. He had to prepare himself for the public attention it would bring him and how he would handle it. Warren waited for ten minutes, then got up and went up to his bedroom. He opened the door and, as expected, she was gone. A single lamp knocked over by the bed was the only evidence his ally was in the room. He gently placed it back on the table. He would report her missing in the morning. He would tell them he had figured she was in another room when he went to bed. That would give his ally enough time to dispose of the body. Everything was going according to plan. He had a powerful ally and they would put a stop to Sergei’s plan by any means necessary. He had done his part. James was trained and safe. Now it was her turn.

Chapter

31

James arrived back in Boston by the following afternoon. He rushed to get back to Uncle Finn’s home. James pulled up to the house, the memory of the first time he was brought there still fresh in his mind like it had just happened the day before. James shook his head to get it out of his mind. He was hurt that Uncle Finn hadn’t told him he was so sick. James exited the car and made his way to the front door. He gently knocked on the door.

Robby answered the door, “James, he is waiting for you.” Robby had tears in his eyes.

James stepped in and hugged him. Robby was so near and dear to Finn and had always been there for James as well. Robby meant the world to James, but he wanted to get to Uncle Finn now. James rushed up the stairs to Uncle Finn’s bedroom. He ran through the open bedroom door. His eyes locked with Uncle Finn’s. Finn had grown thin, he looked so frail. James rushed to his bed.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick? I would have come home.”

“You are an adult, there's no need for you to worry about an old man,” Finn said with a small smile.

James gripped his hand tight.

“James, I have been keeping things from you since you were a boy. I never wanted you to know everything about your father. I figured it would be better to keep you out of his affairs.” Finn took a deep breath, “But I think it is time to clear my mind and tell you the truth.”

“I know what happened to my father. I remember everything from that time. I never told you because I never wanted you to worry about me.”

Finn shook his head and reached up with his free hand and touched James’s arm. “I always figured you did, but that is not what I mean. I know my brother was not your father.”

James was in shock, “What do you mean he wasn’t my father?”

“I know, at the least, that he wasn’t your biological father. My brother, for all his successes, couldn’t have children. That was why I was so shocked when you were brought to me with him on your birth certificate. I knew it had to be a fake.”

James’s heart was racing, but he wanted to keep it together for Finn’s sake. “Do you know who my real father was?”

“No, and I never wanted to know. You were under my care and you meant the world to me. I didn’t want to know what situation brought you into my brother’s life.” Finn said with a cough.

James nodded.

“There’s more. I went to his home about a year after his death. You used to talk about your train sets all the time and I'd figured I might find them there. I wanted to add them to the set I had gotten you.”

James smiled. He could remember all those days of playing trains with Uncle Finn and it warmed his heart.

“The old set wasn’t there, but what I did find I swore to keep from you. But now I know you have the right to find out who you really are.”

“Who I really am? No matter what, I am a Gold and proud to be one.” James wiped the sweat that was forming on Uncle Finn’s forehead away.

Finn smiled, “And I am so proud of the man you have become. But you need to know this. My brother kept many secrets and when searching through his home, I found a bunker. I don’t know why I went inside, but I did. I found files upon files on programs and people. I don’t know who they were. I didn’t want to know, but I think the bunker may hold information on who your biological parents were.”

James was listening, but his mind was racing, “Who my real parents were?” James couldn’t even focus on that. It was the idea of who his mother was that was taking over his thoughts. Everyone’s obsession with trying to get that from him meant that they must all have known something he didn’t, or at least he thought they did.

“James, James, look at me,” Finn said, shaking James’s arm. “The bunker, I covered it. I burned the house to the ground. I didn’t want anyone to find what I had found, but I marked the spot on the floor. I pray it is still there.” Finn let out a strong cough. “I marked it with pieces of red wood I found after the fire. It was near the back of the house.” Finn gasped for a breath. “I’m sorry I never told you. I’m sorry I kept this from you. I just wanted to protect you.”

“I know, I know,” James reassured him.

“I want you to go, I don’t want you to be here when I pass. It will be better for you.”

“You can’t protect me this time. I am staying with you.”

Finn smiled and looked to the door, Robby was standing there. James waved him into the room. Robby came and sat on the other side of Finn.

“Family to the last,” Finn said, taking Robby’s hand. Biology meant nothing at that moment, to James. This was his family and would always be. They sat there together for the next hour until Finn quietly passed, still holding James and Robby’s hands. Both James and Robby knew the moment he was gone.

Robby looked to James, “He’s right, you need to learn the truth. He wanted you to, deep down, he always did.” Robby wiped tears from his eyes.

James reached over and hugged him as he fought back tears of his own.

“It’s time,” Robby said, trying to smile.

James just nodded. He couldn’t handle seeing Robby in so much pain. James knew he needed time alone.

“I’m just a call away. You need me, you call me,” Robby said, standing up and walking over to James.

James nodded again as he stood up and embraced Robby again.

Robby patted him on the back. “Be safe.”

James smiled as much as he could, “I will.”