I had expected many things tonight.
A drink.
A new follower.
Perhaps another property acquisition.
Maybe even a surprise birthday party on a day it wasn't my birthday.
I had not expected betrayal. Or maybe I did.
Life truly was full of little surprises.
I leaned back in my seat while Alexandria drove.
The city lights streaked past the window.
"He took physical copies?" I asked.
"Several."
"And digital?"
"Most likely."
"Oh dear."
Alexandria glanced at me.
"You're taking this surprisingly well."
I looked at her.
"Queen."
"Yes?"
"I've been bored out of my mind."
She immediately frowned.
"No."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"Oh, absolutely yes."
"Joe."
I smile at her.
"We finally have a problem."
"We have a crisis."
"Tomato, grapefruit."
"Those are two completely different words."
"Language is subjective."
"No it isn't."
I waved a hand dismissively.
"Minor details."
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"You don't understand."
"No, I do."
I folded my hands.
"He knows where the money comes from."
"Yes."
"He knows who donated."
"Yes, again."
"He knows where the money goes."
"Correct."
"He knows about the offshore accounts."
"Correctamundo."
"He knows about the warehouse."
"Sí."
I look out the window.
"This is wonderful."
Alexandria nearly slammed on the brakes.
"Wonderful?!"
I feigned being startled.
Ah, yes. Alexandria's favorite hobby: managing problems that hadn't happened yet.
She continued to stare at me sternly. Isn't that just cute?
"Do you know how long it's been since someone tried to ruin my life?"
She stared at me.
I stared back in silence.
"...Is that your response?"
"I'm excited."
"You need therapy."
"I've tried."
"You need to try several times."
I smiled.
"You know how those things usually go." I relax back in the seat.
She made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a prayer.
I looked back out the window.
"So."
"So?"
"Who is our little runaway?"
Alexandria took a deep breath.
"Thomas Miller."
I blinked.
"Aw."
"What?"
"Well, that's disappointing." I sigh crossing my arms.
"You remember him?"
"I like Thomas."
"You like everyone."
"No, I manipulate everyone. I liked Thomas."
That got her attention.
Thomas had been with us for six years.
A quiet man.
Excellent with numbers.
Terrible at parties. Could not drink at all.
I had once convinced him to dance.
It had looked painful.
It was like watching a puppet with one string cut off, still flailing and trying to move around.
Yeah, it was not pretty.
"He has a wife," Alexandria said.
"And two daughters."
"You remember?"
"I remember everyone."
That wasn't entirely true.
I remembered useful people, and the people I find the most fun.
Thomas had been one of the useful.
Which meant this betrayal hurt ever so slightly.
Almost enough to matter.
"What happened?" I asked.
"He emptied his office this afternoon."
"And no one noticed?"
"He was an accountant."
"...Fair."
Silence.
I tapped my fingers against my leg.
"Why did he leave?"
"We don't know."
"Oh, I think we do."
Alexandria glanced at me.
I smiled.
"People only leave for three reasons."
I raised one finger.
"They're afraid."
A second.
"They're angry."
A third.
"Or they've finally grown a conscience."
"And which one is it?"
I looked out the window.
"That's the fun part."
I smiled.
"We get to find out."
Alexandria looked physically pained.
"Can you please stop treating this like a game?"
I looked at her.
Then at the passing lights.
Then back at her.
"...Everything is a game."
She didn't answer.
I wasn't sure if that was because she disagreed or because she was worried I meant it.
I did.
My phone rang.
Not even looking at my phone, my lips curl into my widest grin.
I answered.
"Pastor Joe!" a nervous voice said.
"Good evening, Daniel."
Alexandria groaned.
"How did you know it was him?"
"He calls like he's apologizing for existing."
Daniel cleared his throat.
"I've been thinking."
"Excellent. Thinking is important."
"About your offer."
I smiled.
"Yes?"
"I'd... like to accept."
I smiled wider.
"Wonderful."
"And... I was wondering if I could come to your church this Sunday."
I looked at Alexandria and point to my phone, mouthing to her."
"Oh my god, he wants to come to the church?"
She rolled her eyes at my fake antics.
"Of course you can."
The man sounded relieved.
"Thank you."
"Think nothing of it."
I hung up.
Alexandria kept driving.
"You planned that."
"I absolutely did."
"Someone betrayed us and you still recruited a new member."
I folded my hands.
"What can I say?"
"You genuinely frighten me."
I chuckled.
Then my phone rang again.
Different number.
I answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
I frowned.
Then a voice spoke.
Quiet.
Nervous.
"...Joe?"
I sat up.
"Thomas."
Alexandria immediately looked over.
"I... I need to talk to you."
I smiled.
There it was.
The game.
"I was hoping you'd call."
Silence.
"I made copies."
"I assumed."
"If anything happens to me—"
"Thomas."
He stopped.
I smiled softly.
"Why don't we talk in person?"
The line went silent.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Come now."
I leaned forward.
"We're friends."
"No... I don't think we are."
Interesting.
That one actually stung.
Just a little.
"Tomorrow," he finally said.
"One meeting."
"Wonderful."
"And come alone."
I glanced at Alexandria.
She was already shaking her head.
I smiled.
"Of course."
The call ended.
The car became quiet.
Then:
"You're not going alone."
"I absolutely am."
"He might go to the police."
"Probably."
"He might have evidence."
"Most likely."
"He might be setting a trap."
"I'm running out of synonyms."
She looked at me like I had lost my mind.
I chuckle.
Because tomorrow promised something I hadn't felt in years.
Uncertainty.
I looked up at the stars.
Somewhere out there, a larger game was beginning.
I didn't know it yet.
But I could feel it.
A strange excitement.
A shiver in my bones.
I smiled.
"He's setting up a party just for me."
----
By the time we arrived back at the warehouse, it was nearly midnight.
The building was empty.
Everyone had gone home.
Well, almost everyone.
Three guards stood by the entrance.
Two secretaries were still organizing paperwork.
And somewhere in the building, I could hear someone crying.
Normal Tuesday activities.
I stepped out of the car.
Alexandria followed close behind.
"You still aren't going."
"I still absolutely am."
She closed the car door with enough force to suggest she wished it were my skull.
So hurtful right?
"Joe."
"Queen."
"This isn't funny."
I stopped and turned toward her.
"No."
I smiled.
"It's hilarious."
She stared at me.
I stared back.
"Thomas is a bean counter."
"He is an accountant."
"Same thing."
"He stole evidence."
"Allegedly."
"He admitted it!"
"Allegedly."
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
I just cherish our back-and-forth arguments, it was like we were a not so happily married couple with two kids, a dog, and divorce papers.
"If he's calling you, that means he's scared."
"Yes, I am aware of that fact." I crumble a ball of paper and shoot it into the trash can. It probably wasn't important.
"Scared people are dangerous." She said, her voice even more stern as she ignored my antics.
"So are accountants apparently."
She looked seconds away from strangling me.
I patted her shoulder.
"There, there."
She slapped my hand away.
"You're insufferable."
"I've been told I have charm."
"No, you have something. I don't think it's charm."
I grinned.
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Everything's a compliment if you lower your standards."
She made another sound that resembled a prayer. She seems to make that sound a lot around me. I don't know why, though.
We walked inside.
The warehouse was dark.
The giant symbol painted across the floor looked different at night.
Bigger.
Hungrier.
I liked it.
The best parties always happened during the night.
I climbed onto the stage and sat on the edge.
Alexandria looked offended.
"Why are you sitting there?"
"I like the view."
"It's an empty warehouse."
"Exactly."
It was a space ready to be filled with something. Something of my design at any time.
Whether that be cult members, a space for a kids' birthday party, or cows. It was a board where I could place my pieces anywhere I wanted.
I continued to sit in silence staring into the space.
She eventually joined me.
For several minutes neither of us spoke.
Then—
"Why did he leave?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"Thomas."
She looked out over the empty room.
"You usually know why people do things."
I leaned back on my hands.
"I do."
"So?"
I thought about it.
About Thomas.
Quiet.
Timid.
Always carrying photos of his family.
Always staying late.
Always double-checking numbers.
I frowned.
"That's annoying."
"What is?"
"I don't know."
She looked at me.
"You don't know?"
"No."
The words felt strange.
I almost never said them.
I didn't like saying them.
Thomas had left, and I didn't know why.
That bothered me.
A lot.
I looked up at the ceiling.
"Maybe he grew a conscience."
Alexandria chucle.
I slowly turned toward her.
"You can do that?"
"I can."
"Terrifying." I audibly shiver.
She rolled her eyes.
"He isn't the conscience type."
"No."
"He cried when we cut the youth budget."
I remembered.
"He did cry."
"He also apologized for crying."
"He did do that."
Silence.
Then it hit me.
I sat upright.
"Oh."
Alexandria narrowed her eyes.
"Oh?"
"I know why he left."
"You do?"
I smiled.
"He isn't scared for himself."
"What?"
I hopped off the stage.
"He has two daughters."
"So?"
"So somebody found out."
Her expression slowly changed.
"The books."
I nodded.
"The money."
I nodded again.
"The offshore accounts."
I nodded even harder, my head becoming a blur.
"And now he thinks his family is in danger."
I spread my arms.
"Ta-da. Confetti!"
She frowned.
"But we weren't going to hurt his family."
"No." Maybe...
I smiled.
"But does he know that?"
Silence.
"...I guess not."
I shoved my hands into my pockets.
"People do funny things when they're afraid."
I looked toward the symbol on the floor.
"They run."
I looked toward the warehouse doors.
"They hide."
I looked back at Alexandria.
"And occasionally…"
I smiled.
"They become heroes."
She didn't like that smile.
I could tell.
"Joe."
"Yes?"
"If Thomas goes public…"
"We'll have a problem." My smile creeps further.
"An enormous problem."
I smiled wider.
"I know."
"You are entirely too happy about this."
"Do you know what the worst thing in the world is?" I look up almost solemnly.
She crossed her arms.
"What?"
"Boredom."
Silence.
I looked around the empty warehouse.
The stage.
The banners.
The chairs.
Everything I'd built.
It had all become so predictable. It wasn't a stagnant world but stagnant people in my eyes.
Every conversation.
Every meeting.
Every new recruit.
I knew exactly what everyone would say before they said it.
I knew exactly how every story ended.
Then Thomas left.
Suddenly…
I didn't.
I grinned.
"I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen tomorrow."
Alexandria looked horrified.
I looked ecstatic.
Somewhere very, very far away…
A certain god smiled.
Because one of his potential pieces had finally become interesting.