Suicide Mission (Guarded Secrets #1)

26: "Won't you be coming with me?"

We escaped just in time, because as the cartel members rushed toward the building we had been in, we were ducking into the shadows to make our way out of the compound. Tessa had expertly led me through the building, and provided us with the perfect opportunity to slip out of the building unnoticed when she unloaded her weapon in the room we had escaped from. She said that her actions had caused more attention than she intended, but it would work out better in the long run. Everyone was heading in the direction of where her shots had originated from, and that meant there was less chance of them running into a cartel member while escaping.

"Maybe your friends finally came once we made it out of here," she mused as she led me between buildings and through the compound until we were close to the edge. The fence was within sight, but to get there we had to go through a large open space. Instead of racing toward it while the compound was distracted, she pulled me into another alleyway between buildings. I watched as she removed a panel from one of the building's sides and jumped in. She reached her hand back out to pull me in before sealing us inside. "We will be safe here for a while, I would escape here when I was little and wanted some alone time," Tessa explained as she sealed us in.

"How is this even here?" I asked, confused and suddenly claustrophobic in the small confined area. I couldn't hold my arms out fully extended in any direction and it felt as if Tessa and I were constantly hugging each other from our proximity.

"My father built it for me," she said, sorrow deep in her voice. "He did it so I could have an escape."

 "I'm sorry about him by the way," I said in a poor attempt to offer her solace in this hard time. I knew nothing I, or anyone else for that matter, said wouldn't make a difference to her now. She had lost her father and now she was working with someone she had been ready to kill. Her mind must be a windstorm of confusion as she tried to figure out what to do and how to act, but so far she was doing well minus some irrational moments.

"It's fine, unfortunately I have learned it's the nature of our business. Now, let's talk about this deal and hopefully get us both out of here alive," she started. I was about to speak, to tell her that we could do this once we were out of the compound, when she continued. "I will tell you who killed your family and where to find him, and you give me a place at the agency."

"I can't give you a place. You already know that, and the guy you saw can't do it either. He isn't in charge of this team," I paused momentarily, allowing the information to take hold before I added, "but I can send you to someone who can."

While I couldn't see Tessa's face in the dark space, I could feel her tense and hear her breathing pick up. "I will take whatever I can get at the moment," Tessa said nervously. There was an edge in her voice that told me that she didn't trust her childhood hiding spot. She was suddenly extremely uneasy, and I couldn't blame her, we had been seconds from death at all times tonight, but why now? What was making her anxious at this moment?

"What's wrong, Tessa?"

"Are you sure they will take me?" Her voice cracked with fear. "They know I sent men after their people, and I am a part of this group. What if they don't take me? Will they kill me?"

I hesitated momentarily, "I don't think they will kill you, but I honestly don't know. You did kill their friends, but with the information you have it will probably outweigh that. You'll need something to offer once you meet them."

"Won't you be coming with me?"

"I won't be," I said strongly. "Once you give me the information I need, I'm leaving. I'm going straight for him and I won't come back until he's gone for good. You'll have to go without me, and I will have to trust you in that you won't tell them where I went. It's on you to prove to them that you're worth giving a shot to, and if all else fails, say you know where to find me and that will make you worth the risk, even if I'm dead by the time they find me, they'll want to find me."