Mercy (The Night Man Chronicles Book 3) by Brett Battles (ebook reader with built in dictionary txt) 📕

“The boys’ note?” I ask, pointing at the table.

Jar nods.

That’s why she hasn’t called everyone she knows, looking for her sons.

As soon as Evan enters the room, I say, “How’s Sawyer?”

“He seems to be sleeping well. The mattress seems to be helping. Thank you.”

I motion to the chair he used before. “Have a seat. We have something we need to discuss.”

His eyes narrow warily.

“Don’t worry,” I say. “It’s nothing bad. We want to talk about helping you.”

“Helping? How?” He sounds as if he doesn’t believe it’s possible.

“By making your father never be a problem for you again.”

He huffs a laugh. “Right. Like that’s ever going to happen.”

“This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done something like this.”

His expression is still guarded, but also curious now.

“Have a seat,” I say again.

Chapter Twenty-Three

My phone sits on the table in front of Evan. I’ve changed the settings so that our call will not be identified by a number but only by his first name.

“Ready?” I ask.

He doesn’t move.

“Evan?”

He blinks, looks at me, and nods.

“We can run through it again if you want,” Jar says. We’ve practiced the call several times, going over potential directions it might take.

“No,” he says. “Let’s…let’s just get it over with.”

I’ve input the number already so I hit CALL and tap the speakerphone function.

I look at Jar. She’s sitting on the other side of the table, looking at her open laptop. Neither Evan nor I can see her screen, but I know she’s watching the feed from Evan’s house.

Before the call can ring a second time, Jar glances at me and nods. Kate has picked up her phone.

A click, then, “Evan? Oh, my God. Evan, are you there?”

Evan wets his lips but doesn’t say anything.

“Hello?” his mom says. “Can you hear me? Evan?”

The sound of his mother’s voice has paralyzed him. I touch his arm. He blinks, takes a breath, and says, “I’m here.”

“Thank God! Are you all right? Is Sawyer all right?”

“We’re both fine.”

“Where are you?”

He glances at me and I nod. We knew this would be one of the first questions.

“Somewhere safe.”

“Tell me where and I’ll come and get you.”

“I…I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t? Is someone keeping you there?” With her last question comes a ratcheting up of her panic. “Are you in danger?”

“No, nothing like that. I just mean I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”

“What do you mean? I need to know where you are, right now.”

I can see that defying his mother is taking every ounce of will Evan has, and he’s on the verge of cracking. I crouch down to his level, silently convey to him that he’s doing great, and encourage him to stick to the plan.

“Mom, I’m just letting you know that we are okay, and that you don’t need to worry about us.”

“You tell me where you are right now!” She, too, is on the verge of cracking.

“We’re okay. I promise. Sawyer…Sawyer was scared last night. He-he kept thinking something was going to happen to us.”

Kate says nothing. While I can’t see the video feed, I imagine she looks shocked, maybe even horrified by what he revealed.

“I had to get him somewhere safe, that’s all.”

Everything Evan has said is true. The only thing he’s left out is that he was also scared something would happen to them.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Kate whispers. “My poor boy.”

“He’s okay, Mom. He feels better. He’s actually sleeping now.”

A breath from the other end of the line. Then another. “I-I…I’m glad to hear that.” She is on the backside of her adrenaline rush, her voice calmer, tired. “As soon as he wakes up, I want you to come home.”

Evan and I share another look.

He closes his eyes for a moment before saying, “I think it would be better if we wait until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“You don’t understand. Sawyer was really scared last night. It would be better if we give him a little more time.”

“Honey, I don’t think that’s—”

“Mom, please. It was bad last night.” He pauses. “Sawyer and I both need a little more time.”

“Oh.” A beat of silence. “Evan, I’m sorry. You know he didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just the—”

“Stop. Please. Don’t make excuses for him.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t say anything.

“We’ll come back tomorrow, probably in the evening,” Evan says. “Just tell…Dad that Sawyer was invited to a sleepover, and that you sent me along to make sure he was okay.”

Evan told me they had done that before.

“It’s a weeknight,” she said. “No one does sleepovers during the week.”

“Say it was a group project, and the other kid’s parents thought it would be easier if everyone stayed the night.” Evan’s doing a great job of sticking to our script.

“I…I guess. It could work. But he’s going to want to know whose house you’re at.”

“Choose someone he doesn’t know.”

Silence again, Kate thinking things over.

“You’ll be back by tomorrow evening?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“You need to tell me where you are, though. I won’t do this unless—”

“No. You need to trust me, Mom. We’re safe. I promise.”

What he’s leaving unsaid, though I’m sure they’re both thinking it, is that it’s better she doesn’t know where her boys are. That way, she can’t be forced to reveal their location to Chuckie.

The pause that follows is the longest yet. “I do trust you, honey. All right. You’re responsible for Sawyer. You can’t let anything happen to him.”

“I won’t.”

“He…he’s lucky to have you as his brother.”

The words take Evan by surprise. Praise, I’m guessing, is not something he’s used to receiving.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he says, a hint of tears in his voice.

“I love you. And tell Sawyer I love him, too.”

“I will. I love you, too. Bye.”

He disconnects the call before she says anything else. Then, without a word, he gets out of his chair and walks quickly toward the back of the house. A moment later, we hear the bathroom door close.

Jar turns her computer screen toward me.

Kate is standing in the dining room, crying.