To Life Being Full (Book Three of The Unmatched Records)

Arrow ~ The Devil's Greatest Trick ~ Part Three

Everyone's all accounted for, but then everything falls apart. Both teams have their eyes on the same person, and the devil's greatest trick is convincing the world he didn't exist.

Enjoy the end of "The Devil's Greatest Trick!"

***

"Quite a brave young fellow you have here, Mr. Queen," Cayden remarked. "Brave . . . and foolish. Much like his father."

"William?!" Alex's surprised voice came from behind Cayden.

"What're you doing here?" Laurel protested.

"None of your concern, Ms. Danvers, or yours, Ms. Lance," Cayden turned. "Ah, and the rest of our guests have arrived."

Oliver nodded in acknowledgment to the other two groups, their prisoners between them. "These three freaks say that you think one of us killed your boy?" Diaz pointed between Alex, James, and J'onn.

"In point of fact, Mr. Diaz, I know that one of you killed my boy," Cayden confirmed. "I intend to find out who."

"You believe people in masks over people you do business with?" Anatoli scoffed.

"I'm with the Russian," Diaz nodded.

"Oliver has proven time and time again he would do anything to save those he cares about," Talia threw him a dirty look. "Just look at who he got for Lian Yu."

"And you know how that ended up," Malcolm gave her a dirty look right back. "Or you could ask Adrian Chase." He blinked in mock surprise. "Oh . . . but you can't. Because he's dead."

Talia glared at him but didn't respond. "I don't trust anyone's word," Cayden interrupted, drawing attention back to him. "I put my faith in data, information. Ones and zeroes never lie." He held out his tablet, showing it to everyone. "Here's digital proof that one of you has betrayed me." He took a deep breath. "Only two of you in this room know what it feels like to lose a son." Malcolm immediately tensed, and Evelyn winced as his grip on her arm tightened. The archer quickly released her, clenching his bow tighter instead. Similarly, Slade was just on edge, though he didn't release his grip on Anatoli's arm at all. Kara gave them concerned looks, shifting from foot to foot, ready to get over there as quickly as she could if she needed to. "A piece of yourself, gone. It's like a phantom limb. No, it's worse than that . . . it's like a piece of your soul lost as if it had never been there. Lost – no, stop," he shook his head, turning away to gather himself for a second. "I keep reminding myself that I have not lost my son. He's been taken from me."

"Hey," Diaz leaned forward. "You're losing it! Your grief is making you crazy."

James reached out and put a firm hand on Diaz's shoulder, pushing him back. The others all braced themselves to reach for weapons as Cayden held up his hand, revealing the trigger for the thermobaric bomb behind him. "What if it has?" Cayden didn't deny it.

"Just look at him," Dig hissed. "He wants to kill everyone in this room."

"Just be ready to move," Oliver whispered back.

"Someone distract him," Querl's quiet voice came over the comms. "I need to get to the bomb."

"Who killed your boy?" Diaz snorted. "Why don't you ask your pretty little songbird over there." Evelyn's gaze whipped to Diaz as he smirked at her. "She's the one who took out your little traitor problem."

"I agree," a cold voice said, and everyone turned around to see Dinah stalk into the room, her eyes locked on Evelyn, who shrank back at the sight of her, Rene and Curtis sheepishly following. "You want your killer? There she is."