Niall (Vigilance 2)

“Why are you helping us?” Niall asked. “And how do we know, since Dalton is an accomplished thief, that you aren’t the one who searched our room earlier this week?”

“Malachi searched the room. Compton suspected you were the one who had taken his key. Compton’s been wary of you from the beginning. He never bought your coming back to the fold story.”

Marco nodded. “Who are you working for?”

“No one but myself. I didn’t set out to investigate anyone, but when I found out what Arlington was involved in, I acted like I wanted in so I could find a way to stop them.

“You didn’t contact the authorities or—”

He snorted. “What are the police going to do against these men? They’re never going to get caught in a regular investigation. They could only be taken out by someone like Vigilance.”

Niall’s eyes went wide. “How do you know about Vigilance?”

“I know a lot of things.”

“How?” Niall didn’t want to let that go.

“We don’t have time to go into that.” He pulled out a USB drive from his pocket. “Take this. It has more information—names, locations, other cities where they’ve set up contacts. Put it together with what I’m sure you already have, and I think it’s enough to end this.”

Niall frowned. “If you had all this, why haven’t you used it before?”

“I finished compiling it this week. I didn’t use it, because while I’m someone who wants to see justice, I’m not a fighter. I’m also a terrible shot. I couldn’t bag a deer if it was standing right in front of me.”

“Neither could I,” Dalton said. “But that’s because they’re cute. I could shoot one of these bastards in a second, but I can’t take them all out on my own. We needed help. Someone like you. That’s why we started a rumor about this trip, knowing if you were listening, it would get back to you.”

Niall’s eyes widened. “I wondered how we found out so easily.”

“We needed the help.”

“If we leave, won’t the others guess that you helped us?” I asked.

Dalton shook his head. “They think we’re dumb as stumps, and if they do figure out our roles, we have options.”

Niall frowned. “What options?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Walsh said. “We have a boat. It’s hidden in a cove on the east side of the island.”

“I know it,” Niall said.

“There’s plenty of gas to get you to St. Croix.”

I nodded. “A friend has contacts in Christiansted.”

“Lucien Marchesi?” Walsh asked.

“How did you—”

Walsh waved his hand. “Never mind. Just get going.” He gave Niall the USB and the key to the boat.

“If we find out this is some kind of double cross—”

Dalton interrupted Niall. “We wouldn’t need anything this elaborate. We could just wait for Compton to kill you.”

“You could wait for him to try,” I said.

“He’s ruthless, and he’ll use any weapon he needs.”

I glanced at Niall. “Are we leaving?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll call the Marchesis.” Fortunately, Lucien was where he could answer my call. I gave the briefest explanation I could to let him know what we needed.

“Lucien’s on it, and he’ll contact X,” I said when I ended the call. Niall had stuffed some necessities into each of our backpacks while I was on the phone. I took a few seconds to mourn the loss of the blue Speedo and the rest of Niall’s new wardrobe.

As I changed into clothes more suited for escaping the island, someone knocked on the door.

“Go,” Walsh waved toward the balcony. “We’ll cover for you.”

We climbed over the balcony, each carrying a backpack. We slung them onto our shoulders and made our way down the tree. When we reach the ground, I heard Walsh arguing with Compton saying they were there to search the room because what Compton had found was so minimal, anyone could have done better.

Compton sounded shocked to hear Walsh speak to him that way, but we couldn’t stay to hear more.

Niall grabbed my hand and tugged me in the direction we’d gone the night before. Once we were away from the house, he let go of me and increased his pace. When we reached the steps, I was far more winded than he was, but I was holding my own.

We heard pursuers gaining on us as we crossed the beach. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Orly, Compton, and Malachi, who now wore black cargo pants and a black t-shirt instead of his regular sequins and was carrying a huge rifle. He fired on us before we could reach the cover of the outcropping of rocks.

“Faster,” Niall yelled. I pushed myself, but the second shot hit my shoulder. I stumbled and fell.

Niall glanced back. “Fuck. Marco? Are you hit?”

“I… It’s not bad.” It hurt like fuck, but I wasn’t bleeding enough for it to have hit an artery, and I could move my arm so hopefully nothing vital was damaged.