“I guess I really don’t have much of a choice. Especially since Creagan’s holding hostage the case files I need,” I admit.
Dad looks at me questioningly. “What do you mean? Which case files?”
“I want to look at the full files about Greg’s death,” I tell him. “I have some of the information and some pictures Eric was able to get me. But Creagan hasn’t wanted me involved in the investigation, so I don’t have all the details.”
“Why do you want them?” Dad asks. ”Has he changed his mind and is going to let you investigate?”
“I don’t think so,” I say. “He should, but he’s still insisting I’m too close to it. But I need to see the actual pictures. I need the medical examiner’s report and evidence collected on the beach.”
“You’ve figured something out,” Dad observes.
“Maybe,” I say, letting out a breath. “I’m not sure what it is yet. It feels as if there are connections that are right there, right at the tips of my fingers. I just have to figure them out.”
Five
“Do you still think Greg’s death has connections with The Order?” Dad asks.
“I think the thread is there,” I nod. “You said that nobody you spoke to in any of the other chapters had ever heard of him?”
“No,” Dad says. “None of them has ever heard his name. At least, that’s what they say.”
“Do you trust them?” I ask.
“I do,” Dad says. “The men I interacted with in those chapters were straightforward. They had nothing to hide. As soon as I confirmed my membership, they brought me in, and nothing was held back. It wasn’t as though they made me aware of rituals or special meetings that I wasn’t allowed access to or anything. And from what you told me about that chapter in Harlan, they wanted people to participate in the killings. They wanted the power. At some point during my time with the other chapters, if they had connections, I would have been made aware of this other side. And for the most part, I had no indication something like that was going on.”
“What do you mean, ‘for the most part?’” I ask.
“It’s not that there was anything specifically said or done. There were just a couple of men in one particular chapter who weren’t as forthcoming as everybody else. They were a little more standoffish and seemed very entitled. They felt more important than the other people who were there. That seems more like a character flaw than an indication that they might have been a part of something else,” he explains.
“But you aren’t completely convinced of that,” I say. “I can see it in your eyes.”
“It might have been something else. I can’t say for certain it’s not. I’m still working on them. I focused on gaining their trust and getting closer to them. It didn’t open them up completely, but that was actually my point. I wanted to see if they would pursue me. So, as soon as it felt as if I was starting to crack the surface and make headway with them, I left the chapter. I made sure they knew how to get in touch with me and suggested I might not be finding everything I wanted in that particular chapter. I didn’t come right out and say I wanted something else, but I left the breadcrumbs.”
“Have you heard from them?” I ask.
“I didn’t for the first couple of weeks after I left, but one of them actually reached out to me earlier today. It was nothing of note, just saying it was good to meet me and they were checking in. But that’s a stab. Putting out feelers. So, I’m going to continue down that path and see if it comes up with anything,” he tells me.
I’m doing my best not to be frustrated. I know how difficult undercover work can be. It’s not so easy as just walking into a situation and thinking everything’s going to fall at your feet. My father has been doing everything he can to help. I just hate that I haven’t found the answers yet. I feel that by now, I should have been able to connect the dots. I should have been able to hunt these men down. But I haven’t.
“I guess I can’t hope that they’ll send you a postcard inviting you to a party to meet their friend the Dragon,” I crack.
Dad lets out a short laugh and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
“I just don’t understand how they’re linked. That’s what brings Greg into it. He was so invested in not letting Lydia investigate the Dragon further. He knew how dangerous that man was. And he thought just as I did that the Dragon was dead. He believed Darren Blackwell died while serving his prison term. If he needed something else, why didn’t he tell me where to find Darren? Or what Darren has been doing over the last several years?
”And where do the paths of The Order and The Dragon intersect? When Dean and I were standing there in that temple and they were three seconds from killing me, Dean pulled out the name “Dragon” from information Lydia sent to us. I didn’t even know what was going on.”
“And they clearly knew who he was talking about,” Dad says.
I nod. “They were terrified. None of them said anything specific, but it was obvious they were very afraid and weren’t going to do anything that could possibly cross him. But why? Why would they make that association? What do they owe him? And they disappeared at right about the same time. I can’t help but think that’s related.”
“We are getting there,” Dad says. “You’re chipping away at it. You’ll find your way.”
Before I can answer, my phone rings on the table in
