Cops & Robbers

Chapter Twenty One

Ben couldn't have ratted me out... he had been nothing if not honest with me in all aspects of our relationship. He'd been a good and faithful friend. On the other hand, I'd told him of my intentions. It couldn't have been coincidence that Natasha was sitting in a cell as I contemplated Ben's guilt.

As if summoned by my wary disbelief, Ben’s ringtone filled the loaded silence. Both Jose and Vitor sent me a look of suspicion. Not sure what else I could do aside from ignoring it and potentially causing them to suspect me more, I answered it with a tentative “Hey.”

“I’d ask if this is a bad time, but I don’t really give a rat’s ass.”

I scoffed into the phone, peeved that it was Vincent calling from Ben’s phone.

“What do you want?”

It seemed like eons passed before he finally replied. Throughout his silence I wished that he would just spit it out. But the moment my wish came true, I found myself wishing I could take it back.

“It’s decision time.”

I opened my mouth to ask him what kind of decision I was supposed to be making, but didn’t get the chance to ask. The line went dead. I kept my phone against my cheek even after I realized he hung up on me. Part of me figured that if I didn’t move I could maybe suspend the moment and delay what was obviously inevitable.

Eventually the hand holding my phone dropped to my side as I stared blankly at the carpet. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did it all rest on me?

“Was that your skinny ass cop friend? If it was, you should have told him that I plan to end him for getting my sister arrested.”

Jose’s phone rang, stopping any reply I might’ve given. His features looked troubled as he eyeballed the caller id, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed nervously.

“Que paso?”

He was quiet while the person on the other end talked. I couldn’t decipher the words, but the voice was very much male. A few times throughout the one sided conversation he tried to comment, but the caller was clearly unwilling to give Jose a word in edge wise.

By the time it ended, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

“That was our resident backstabbing district attorney.”

We waited in silence for Jose to elaborate, but he wasn’t exactly forthcoming about the nature of his conversation. After a few seconds of suspense, I could bear it no longer. Vincent’s call was still heavy on my mind.

“Well? What’d the asshole want?”

Jose looked me dead in the eyes and it was like everyone else faded away.

“You.”

I’m not sure exactly why, but I laughed. Maybe it was because I couldn’t figure out how else to react. Maybe it was because part of me had known all along that I would have to make some kind of sacrifice for the greater good. Either way, I couldn’t stop, not even when Daniel said my name. I continued to laugh like a mad woman until Alex wrapped his arms around me protectively.

“Why the hell would we just hand her over? Vitor’s program was installed at both locations and once he removes the right info, that bastard will have his work cut out for him. Who’s to say the physical files we missed will be there long enough for him to make copies?”

I turned away from Alex, curious to know the answer and how it fit into the grand scheme of things.

“He’s suggested a trade.”