Colin

It was well past midnight and yet I didn't feel an ounce of fatigue. Rowan had offered me some coffee to help keep me alert but I declined. I was on edge enough already without needing to add caffeine to my system.

The drop off was to take place in a park n' fly just down the road from the airport. Rowan was able to acquire a black hoodie and shades, similar to what Sandy wore the day of the fire alarm. We hoped it was sufficient to trick Kinesman long enough to allow me to get close. We even borrowed Sandy's car for me to drive in. All in all, it should be a solid plan, but so many things had gone wrong before that it cast a shadow of doubt. Kinesman always seemed to have an ace tucked up his sleeve.

At least if things did go wrong, Sandy and her family would be far away and Alicia would have gotten a hold of the planted evidence. Alicia...I knew I was right not to tell her where I would be. Knowing her she would be over in a second if she thought it would help. I revealed my hand a little in asking her to pray for me. But I couldn't help giving her some inclination on where I stood in my new found faith, just in case things went...awry.

Time was short, so as soon as everything was ready, I jumped into Sandy's car and drove to the parking lot. My nerves were on edge, leaving a dull ache in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I should have let Rowan do his thing in capturing Kinesman but I couldn't risk him getting away again. Plus, when he realizes my identity, I might get him to talk, distracting him long enough for Rowan to make the arrest. It wasn't foolproof, but it was the best we had.

The parking lot came into view. It was lit up by a series of streetlights, though at this time of night, not many cars occupied the spaces. Sandy said Kinesman would be waiting at the far end, away from prying eyes.

I pulled into a spot and got out. Stuffing my hands into the front pocket, I hunched my shoulders to make my figure seem as small as possible. The sweater was several sizes too big, to help hide my masculine figure, but my height could give me away.

I began to walk towards the corner of the parking lot. So far, I couldn't see anyone though the sunglasses weren't helping.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down Sandy."

I stopped. Turning my head towards the voice, a man stepped out of the shadows.

If Sandy's appearance had degraded over all this time, I would say Kinesman's had only gotten better. His hair was slicked back as usual, but he wore a gray three-piece suit and black shoes that shined. I had the sudden urge to strangle him for what he had put Sandy through.

"Did Colin give you any trouble? I'm sure he was more than willing to pass off his software to save Miss Hannigan."

I pulled back my hood while taking off the sunglasses. "I thought I would bring it myself Patrick. Take out the middle man."

Kinesman stared hard at me, showing no emotion except for the tic in his jaw and the tightening of his eyes. "You must think yourself very clever, don't you Evans?"

"It was about time someone beat you at your own game."

A smirk broke out followed by a mirthless laugh. "You think you've beat me? Oh no Evans. I plan very much on walking away."

"And how do you expect to do that? You're completely surrounded." I was stretching the truth, but he didn't need to know that.

"You have nothing on me Evans. Sure, you arrest me now but it won't be long till I'm a free man again."

I tried to keep my face impassive, not letting him see that his words were shaking me to the core. "I'm sure Sandy would be more than willing to testify against you in court. Especially after the hell you've put her through. Not to mention bugging my office and the planted evidence."

Kinesman's smirk only grew. "Sounds like hearsay to me. And Sandy bugged your office and planted the evidence. Seems like you have more of a case against her."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Kinesman could be bluffing, but the more he talked the more I realized our case wasn't as solid as it looked. This snake was as slippery as they came. But what could I do? Nothing, except capture him now and pray that he didn't see the light of day again.

+++

Alicia

It was times like these I wished I had my own car. The Uber driver took his sweet time getting me to the park n' fly. I should've paid extra and upgraded to the Mustang. But at least this way I would be more covert.

Sandy had been hesitant about giving me the location. She was afraid of sending me into a dangerous situation. She knew all too well what Kinesman was capable of. I assured her that I was only going to support Colin and wasn't going to put myself in harms way. Okay, that last part may have been a slight fib. I definitely didn't want to put myself in harms way, but I would if it meant it would help Colin.

As the city lights went by, I nibbled on my nail and contemplated Colin's words and actions over the last few days. My heart swelled at the possibility that he had become a Christian. I tried to tamper it down, it could only be wishful thinking on my part. But there was definitely something going on there. And once this was all over, I planned on having a nice long talk with Colin.

The faded sign for the park n' fly came into view. I tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Pull over here. I'll walk the rest of the way." He didn't even raise an eyebrow.

Once the Uber had driven away, I crept along the perimeter through grass and bush. I was very glad I left the heels back home. Although it was dark, the lot was actually quite bright, lit up by multiple street lights. I was going to have to tread carefully if I didn't want to get caught. Sandy had something about the far corner, so I guess that's where I was going.

I was able to find a sort of path that was more grass than bush. Every stick I stepped on or broke made me freeze, fearing that I had drawn attention to myself. After a few minutes, I spied two figures standing apart. That must be Colin and Kinesman. I made my way over, demanding my heart to slow down, fearing they would hear how fast it was beating. Dropping to my hands and knees, I shuffled closer to the pavement. Their words started to become clearer.

"You have nothing on me Evans..."

Oh yeah, that was Kinesman. I would recognize that smug tone anywhere. It didn't sound like things were going well though. Peeking through, I zoomed in on Colin's face. He appeared tense, his lips so close together they had disappeared. But it was his eyes that gave away his true feelings. He was scared. Scared that Kinesman was right.

"Seems like you have more of a case against her."

This was definitely not going well. Of course Kinesman would keep his hands clean from all the dirty work. So how did we get them dirty? I had an idea but Colin was not going to like it. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket. After tapping on a few things, I shoved it back in, stood up and walked into the light.