Chapter 35

“I’m sorry, Sis. About everything.” Hayden spoke quietly as we exited the cab. I hadn’t allowed my emotions to rule all this while, but for the moment, I spared some for my brother. After all, we were here to trade Hayden’s freedom for Jeremy’s life.

“I should be the one who is sorry. If it weren’t for me, you would be free from the FBI, not waiting to have the contract nulled.” I replied apologetically, but that was all I allowed myself. If I allowed more emotions than apology for Hayden, then I would break down with despair, hatred and sorrow.

“If it weren’t for you, I would still be with Rainer Clarke, unable to see a possibility of ever coming out free. You’ve opened my eyes again, Hays. You’ve let me feel the con world again, even while as a CI.”

“At a cost.” I cut off quickly. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate Hayden’s gratitude to me, but it was true that the cost had been too high. I had lost Dorian, and I was going to lose Jeremy. If I didn’t play this one out right… then I would lose everything –everyone I held dear.

“Mum and Dad always taught us that life is a gamble, Hays. You need to lose something to gain something. I’m really sorry for what happened to Dorian, and I want nothing more than Jeremy to be saved. We lost this round, but we need to draw out before we get hurt further.” Hayden tried to make things better, but it wasn’t. It remained a fact that I’d lost. For the first time, I’d lost against Tyler Yule.

I failed. But he was right. We needed to pull out before the damage got worse.

“We’ll survive. And I’m going to make Tyler Yule pay. Maybe not today, but eventually. If it doesn’t work today, then I’ll make sure it works some other day. Tyler’s looking for war here, where I am supposed to reign Queen. He’s not going to like pissing me off. He’s not going to like harming everyone I care about.”

“Hays.” My brother stopped me with a hand on my arm, making me aware that I had been already moving towards Warehouse 7 unconsciously. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’m willing to stay back in the FBI for a few more years. I’m willing to back out, and go back quietly. But you need to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid. If things don’t work out right today, you’re not going to compromise yourself. Just take Jeremy, and nurse him back to health, alright? We’ll discuss everything else later.”

“Right.”

“Hays.” Hayden’s hand on mine stopped me from going further, and the difference in our strength could be seen as he held on tight to me. “Promise me.”

“I promise. Jeremy first.” I said, eyes straight ahead of me. I wasn’t lying. I wanted Jeremy safe. It was my first priority. But no one said I couldn’t have a second priority.

“We do this together. No matter what; as Seyfrieds.”

“As Seyfrieds.” I agreed, and it was finally enough for my little brother as he let me off, following after me. We didn’t know what would meet us in the warehouse, but we were ready for anything. From Tyler to FBI, we were ready. As long as Jeremy was there, or nearby, we were ready.

The door to Warehouse 7 was old and rickety, but with some struggling, Hayden and I got the rusty thing going. The warehouse was as empty as expected, but a light shone singularly on the figure sitting on the chair, bound and alone.

Hayden lurched forwards, but I stopped him, still scanning the surrounding. The warehouse seemed empty, but in the darkness, I couldn’t say for sure. We waited for a few seconds, but no one came to receive us. We were going on the assumption that Tyler wasn’t about to have either of us dead –because there was a rule against The Circle members killing each other –but it was a dangerous assumption to make.

Cautiously, both Hayden and I made carefully towards the figure tied to the chair, almost unable to believe the man we saw there. His breathing was shallow, and dried blood trickled from his temple. In all, he looked to be in one piece, but barely, as sweat decorated his forehead and his skin. Unconscious, he was unaware of our presence, but we didn’t need his consciousness to know that he was still alive.

Still keeping a careful look of the surrounding, Hayden untied our cancer-ridden friend from the chair, checking his vitals while I scanned wildly around. Tyler must have planned something out for us, but what?

The door clicked open again, and the rusty door opened. Someone slipped in, but stopped without so much taking a second step in, eyes wide with shock.

“Anna? What are you doing here?” Rainer Clarke asked, clear blue eyes filled with confusion as he stepped closer to the circle of light.

“Getting Jeremy.” I replied emotionless, gesturing to my brother, who was loading the unconscious man on his back. “What are you doing here?”

“Someone called me on my cell. He said that Hayley was here meeting her brother. I needed to check if it was true. After what Hayden said in the office, I had suspicions. Pretty frankly, he sounded like he was ready to defect.” Rainer Clarke admitted honestly, and my brother made an irritated noise in the back of his throat, passing a glare.

“No, you’re right.” I stepped forwards, keeping a hand on Hayden to keep him back.

If Tyler thought Rainer Clarke was going to do me in, then he was wrong. I was ready to give up everything –and this was something Tyler didn’t yet understand.

There was one big difference between Tyler and me. While both of us were members on The Circle, I was the one with emotions. I was the one with ties, and the one with a heart. But I am also the one who is willing to give up things when I’m in a dire need. I am willing to give up hard work to make sure the ones I want to protect are safe.

Even if it means harming others.

“Rainer Clarke, you need to understand one thing.” I stepped right up to him, and before he could react, I removed his gun from his holster. Seyfrieds never liked guns, but it never meant that I didn’t know how to use one, or point one at someone.

Almost immediately, the trust turned into intense suspicion, as fear flooded into his eyes. He had already been shot once by Dorian –he knew exactly how painful it would feel if I were to pull the trigger again. I had no intention to, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t scare him.

“Why are you doing this, Annabel?” He demanded, raising both hands cautiously to show that he wasn’t reaching for any additional weapons –which I knew he didn’t have. If he wanted the gun back, he would have to fight me for it.

“Tyler Yule is using you against me. He thinks I’m weak to you, to anyone who has made my brother’s life bearable here in New York City. I am thankful, but beyond that, I am desperate now. I am willing to let go of my life here, if Jeremy and Hayden are safe.”

“I don’t understand you.” He stated, but I shook my head. I understood what the narrowing of his blue eyes meant.

“You understand exactly what I am saying, Agent Clarke.”

“But why?”

“I want to get my brother out of the FBI. It started easy, but New York’s been treating me badly. And now… All I want is for Jeremy and Hayden to be safe and sound. I don’t care about anything else.”

“Then why do you pull me in? You know what you’ve done to me, Hayley.”

“I needed to turn eyes away from Dorian, and other… helpers. I wanted to know what is on the inside of someone who has treated Hayden so well. I wanted to repay you.”

“Standing here and talking things out like cultivated individuals is pretty good, but I’m carrying a man on my back, so can you step on with it?” Hayden complained from far behind, and Rainer’s eyes flickered to his CI.

“Were you part of it?” The question was directed at my brother.

“You think? I had to put up with the fact that I was ‘in love’ with my sister. There’s no hard feelings here, Rainer. I’m just not cut out forever as a CI. I just took the easiest choice to make when I had them, and I’m taking my choice now. Once a con, forever a con, Rainer. I need to go back.”

Rainer frowned, but there was a sense of resignation in his eyes. “I expected more from you.”

“I swear, for the years I worked with you, I tried my best to keep conning to the littlest. You really mean a lot to me as a friend, Rainer. But not enough to stop me from conning. I hope you understand that no matter what, Hayden Seyfried is a conman above a friend.”

Rainer crossed his arms, looking between me and my brother. “Then is Hayden Seyfried a brother above a conman?”

Hesitation.

“I am a brother before a conman. I am a son before a conman. Before I was a con, I was Hayley’s brother. Now, I am still her brother.”

“And you?” Rainer asked, eyes on me.

“I am Jeremy’s friend now. Now, I have no time to deal with you, Rainer. Jeremy hasn’t upset the law and he needs medical attention. If we are to continue this conversation, I will gladly, honestly, do it after I’m sure Jeremy is safe.” I gestured for him to move to the side with the gun, motioning for Hayden to move his ass.

“Seyfrieds don’t use guns, Hayley.”

I shrugged, watching as Rainer shuffled to the side. “I generally don’t. But in dire situations like this, I need to.”

“You can’t run from this.”

“You’ll be surprised at how fast a Seyfried can run.” I promised, making sure that Hayden was out the door.

Whatever plans to run I had was ruined quickly by the sight of a backtracking Hayden, at gunpoint.

“Tyler.” I greeted, turning the gun on the more dangerous enemy. I still wasn’t sure what was holding Rainer here now, but I was banking on the familiarity between us to keep safe. If anything, I was banking on Rainer reeling from shock to do anything against me.

“Hayley, I thought I told you I didn’t like naughty kids?” The man grinned infuriatingly, still holding my brother at gunpoint, unafraid. There was still a rule that stopped me from pulling the trigger at him –but he didn’t know that I was ready to give up even that now to make sure my brother and Jeremy was safe.

“Where is Dorian’s body?”

“You brought Hayden, I gave you Jeremy. You show me the contract; I show you Dorian.” There was no inch of fear in that voice as Tyler remained proud –proud and confident that he had me wrapped around his finger now.

“You called Rainer here.” I stated, gesturing over to the silent man. “You want more than the contract broken.”

“Of course. I want Rainer to know your face. When you come back again, under another name and alias, he’ll know how to keep you away from your brother. It works in my favor; really. Nothing more than another precaution I take to make sure that Hayden never comes out into the con world ever again. No hard feelings.” Tyler breezed, as if it wasn’t my brother’s life he was gambling with. Hayden, for his part, seemed controlled –knowing that he was a trigger away from a certain death. Fearful eyes of my brother’s darted between Tyler and me, and this was probably the first time I saw the fear obvious in Hayden’s eyes.

The first time since I came back that my brother truly relied on me for protection and support.

“You can push me down, Tyler.” I stepped closer to make sure he felt the threat of my gun. If he thought a Seyfried wouldn’t shoot, then he was sorely wrong. “But you can never stop me from achieving what I want.”

“How coincidental.” He only smirked in reply, never showing any signs of weakness or fear. “You cannot stop me from achieving what I want too. I want Hayden out of this, and I will achieve it.”

I bit my bottom lip, but he was pushing me to draw my hand. I hadn’t wanted to do this, but…

I took the document from my pocket, unfolded it and held it up for Tyler to scan through. Three signatures, and it needed one more to be official. But before it could be made official, it was going to be torn apart. There was no point in faking this document to Tyler, for he would know if it was a forgery. Besides, he had known that I wouldn’t have enough time to make a good forgery when he called. That son-of-a-bitch had it all planned out, and it would have worked… unless I didn’t have other weapons against him.

“Bring it over, darling girl, and I’ll give the call for my people to bring Dorian. I’ll leave you to deal with Rainer too. I suspect he has more to say to you.” Tyler instructed, and when Tyler instructed, there was no way I could disobey him without him pulling the trigger.

Hayden’s eyes widened with realization and fear, before resignation flooded the clear eyes of my brother’s. Even Rainer looked a little shocked at my surrender, but I kept my face adamantly emotionless.

There I stood, one step away from him, one hand holding a gun, one hand holding the contract that spoke of my victory, as well as my downfall. Tyler drew out a lighter with his free hand, and there was no asking what he was about to do as he clicked a small flame.

“Before you do anything that seals our deal, Tyler, I want you to think.” I spoke at the last moment, watching as the hand holding the lighter hesitate with just inches left to the waiting paper. “I want you to think of what you did to get on The Circle, and what you did to stay on The Circle. I haven’t been on the seat as long as you, but I know.”

Tyler set a small smile, as if confident that I knew nothing and that I was buying time. “You know nothing, Hayley Seyfried. Do you think I will fall for your lousy trick? I am Tyler Yule, and I’ll be damned if I fall prey to your psychological traps.”

I shook my head, finally letting a vicious smile take my face. “You don’t have to fall to my traps, Tyler. You don’t know it, but your traps are caving in right now, in the moment we speak.”

“I don’t have to believe you and your petty, last-minute lies, darling. I know when someone is buying for time, and I’m quite offended that you would try buying time so uselessly like this. Where was the ‘amazing Hayley Seyfried’ that swore to take me on when she ascended her seat?”

“She never existed. You might not know this, but I was never strong or amazing before I took the seat. I became strong thanks to you; because I needed to improve to wage war against you. And thanks to you, I am strong now. I don’t need this contract to tell me that I’m not. I don’t need you killing my darling student to tell me that I’m weak. Dorian wouldn’t want me to be weak.”

For a moment there, Tyler seemed rocked off his axis. Realization must have hit through him that I knew something about his dirty secret, as his hand moved a little further from the contract, his flame flickering and slowly spluttering out.

“You know something.”

“I know what happened with Jed Dal. I know what you did to him and his wife. I know what you did to Ashton Reinsfield.” With every name, Tyler’s face seemed guiltier than before. A con man shouldn’t lose his bearings so quickly, but this was Tyler’s downfall. He has never failed; has never seen the moment when every of his tightest secret come to light.

People like him, who has been basking in the glory of success for too long, don’t know how to survive failure when it comes in like a tsunami.

“Y-You don’t…”

I lowered the gun as Tyler did, but kept my finger over the trigger just in case he decided to do something reckless and desperate.

“I know what you did to Neal.”

“I did nothing!” Tyler shouted, as if refusing to listen.

“You did everything.” A new voice spoke, and we turned to see Neal wheeling himself with effort into the warehouse. “You called me on the airplane seven years ago, remember? I got down to things, Tyler. I know it was you who ordered the bomb planted.”

“I wanted to show Hayley what it was like to pit against me!” He shouted, turning the gun quickly to the newcomer, my ex-boyfriend. Hayden inched quickly behind me with Jeremy on his back, and we watched cautiously as Neal wheeled himself into the light, earning a gasp from the silent FBI Agent.

“Rain?” Neal asked with a confused expression hung upon his face. “What are you doing here?”

“I called him here! Your brother needs to see this woman that he’s been supporting! He needs to understand that Hayden should never be allowed out in the con world!” Tyler seemed desperate and close to losing it, and it was all I could to keep wary of the almost-unhinged man.

“You are the one that should be unallowed in the con world. You broke the first rule of The Circle twice, Tyler. It doesn’t signify yourself as the King of Cons. It signifies your cowardice.” I said severely, but he only laughed like a maniac, finally turning the gun to me, both fingers on the trigger now as if to reinforce to himself that he was really going to shoot.

“They had it coming! They were so supportive of you; it was like you’d bewitched them immediately! Jed couldn’t see the threat that you were to The Circle! He wanted to pull me out, and he had it coming! Dal deserves it!”

“Not his wife, Tyler. May didn’t deserve killing, and yet you did, knowing that it would wage wars between the Dal and Lorrens.”

“The Lorrens were getting on my nerves, supporting you like you were their goddess! They were blind; and it was better off with them gone.”

“But you missed Elxa. You missed Jon.”

Tyler laughed low, the evil victorious laughter that only a true villain could accomplish.

“But I didn’t miss Ashton Reinsfield. Oh, that poor moment when I ran over him and heard the crush of his bones against pavement!”

I clenched my fists, doing my best to prevent myself from throwing a punch over. Ashton had been the youngest of us all back then, only a child, but a genius nevertheless. Ashton had the uncanny ability to make people heed his words with simply only eye-contact, and he thought with a true mind of a con.

“He was so young, and yet you took such dire actions against him… Another member on The Circle that paid the price because you couldn’t accept the fact that I am on The Circle.”

“And you shouldn’t be! You don’t deserve a spot on The Circle. You are weak, useless and constantly hiding behind your men! Why do you think it is so easy to get to you? Because you’ve so many men you hide behind! Neal, Dorian, Hayden, Jeremy. Do you want to add Rainer on that list?” Tyler spared the man in question a quick look, then crazy eyes turned to me. It was easy to see that Tyler was tipping past the point of sanity.

“You don’t understand.” I offered with a small smile. I don’t know if this is considered a success, but I know this is killing Tyler on the inside –to have him know that he was wrong all this while. “I don’t hide behind them. Instead, I let them protect me. When the time comes, I give up all I have to protect them. This is not weakness. This is strength.”

“A con is nothing if she has emotions! That’s why you fell from grace when I destroyed Neal! You are stupid to feel for Dorian and Jeremy again, knowing what happened to Neal!”

“No.” I shook my head, smiling gently. Anytime now. “I am strong because I feel. No con is strong is he or she doesn’t feel. No one can con if he or she doesn’t feel emotions. Yes, destroying Neal like this destroyed me. But I came back twice-fold strong. You may destroy Dorian, but you will never destroy the part of him that’s in my heart. Likewise with Hayden and Jeremy.”

“Lies! You are weak, and you come up with excuses! You will pay!” Tyler declared, and the conviction flashed in his eyes. In a single moment, tension escalated and time seemed to slow. I did my best to duck, but before anything, I heard a loud gunshot that echoed through the walls of the empty warehouse.

Someone screamed, and the sound of metal clattering on the floor could be heard. I opened the eyes I wasn’t aware was closed, to a sight I was never so happy to see.

The remaining members of The Circle stepped in through the door, individually with their looks of disgust as they stared. Amongst the small group of five men, two of them had eyes blazing with anger and hatred as they glared down at the injured man.

“We have to thank you, Hayley Seyfried, for letting us see this side of Tyler that we’ve never seen.” One of them, Myriam Elliot, spoke humbly in his deep voice, tipping his hat in a gesture of gratitude.

“We have to apologize, too, for neglecting to watch over his actions. We used to think his grudge against you was nothing more than petty dislike. We never knew that he had let that grudge grow till something so dangerous.” Another member of The Circle, Orson Scott, continued, wiping the gunshot residue of his pistol before keeping it back in his waist holster. Clear green eyes scanned quickly over the warehouse, took in Rainer for a moment longer, and then turned back to me. “We humbly apologize for letting this go on for too long.”

Whatever words I had ready was broken as one of the glaring man stepped forwards, put both hands on Tyler’s shoulders and pulled the injured man upright. The arm that had been holding the gun was still bleeding profusely, but the man with jet-black hair and the dullest blue eye color pulled Tyler upright, glaring straight into his eyes.

“Listen to me, Tyler Yule.” He said in a voice that meant business, almost a murderous voice. “I can make you kill yourself now with a word, but that is too much a discount. Don’t believe, even for a day, that I will not think about it. But Ashton told me long before he died that our gift should never be used for killing, and I will honor my brother. But from now on, whenever you think about Ashton, you will remember that I am still contemplating whether to kill you or not –regardless of the rules of The Circle.”

The silence of fear seemed to grab the once-confident conman, but before Ashton’s brother could do more, Elliot stepped forwards and lightly turned the young twenty-plus Danaus away.

The man whom I knew as Elxa Dal, Jed and May Dal’s eldest son, stepped forwards, something murderous in his eyes. Still his face showed nothing as he stood in front of Tyler, plain watching.

“I am not Danaus.” He starts off, looking deep into Tyler’s eyes. “But know that I will never forget you. Thanks to you, Jon has no one. Thanks to you, I have no one. I have climbed to where I am now because of Jed, but you should never view me like my father or mother. I am my own man. And trust me when I say I will find the best way to make you pay.”

There was just something in Elxa that always got to me. Even during meetings for The Circle, Elxa’s level of control and amazing ability to stay objective was a major cause for awe. I’d always been aware that he was the most powerful, and yet the most emotionless of us all on The Circle. Still Elxa’s loyalty stayed with us, and I was glad that it was so, for I wouldn’t want to be where Tyler was right now.

The last Circle member said nothing, but walked away without a word.

“We thank you for sending Neal over to explain things to us. We will take actions against Tyler when we return. For now… you may deal with him however you like.” Orson announced, and with a confirming nod, the members of The Circle left as quickly as they came, leaving Tyler cradling his arm, shocked and fearful.

“I… This…. Cannot be!” He exclaimed as the door closed behind the members.

“This is it, Tyler. Everything that you’ve been hiding is out in the open. You shouldn’t have waged a war against me.”

“I still have Dorian’s body!” He declared, as if it was any sort of a hold over me anymore.

“I know where it is, Tyler. I am a con too, don’t you remember?”

“I still have a gun!” He dived forwards for the gun he’d dropped, holding it in his other hand while he pointed the barrel at me. The conviction was clear in his eyes.

“DIE, HAYLEY SEYFRIED!”

A second gunshot sounded, and someone fell. On automatic, my arms wrapped around the body that had fallen into me, falling to the floor when my legs could not keep up the added weight. Somewhere, a clatter of metal signified a drop in the gun to the floor, but I no longer cared.

“Jeremy! How are you feeling?” I called, watching as the almost white face of my childhood friend’s smile back up at me.

“This is the Hayley I want to see. The strong woman… on The Circle. Unafraid, prepared, out to torture, but never to kill. You have men like me around you… Hays, to do the killing for you.”

“Shh… don’t say anything more.” I put a finger on his lip, trying to keep him close to me. This could be one of the last few times I would ever feel his warmth against my skin.

Distantly, I heard Hayden pronounce in a cold voice that Tyler was dead. The bullet had gone clean through. Jeremy had done it.

In the last moment, Jeremy had taken me by surprise, taken the gun from my hand and shot Tyler straight through the heart.

“I’m glad that I’ve done it. There’s no more war for you… Just you, Hayden, and Neal… I’m so sorry about… Dorian… I tried to save him… but they… knocked me out.”

“It’s okay, Jeremy. I’m sure he forgives you somewhere from the heavens.”

“Maybe I’ll meet him there.” Jeremy smiled and closed his eyes.

“Jeremy?” I called, shaking him slightly. “Jeremy!”

There was no response of any sort, and it freaked me out more than it should.

Everything was almost over. But Jeremy was still…

I don’t dare to think.

I just want him to live.