The Monster In Us

17- get OUt of there

"Fuck no, it doesn't. Just tell him that you won't do it anymore. The Berardis will tear you to shreds and you know that. What the hell are you thinking?" He wonders hysterically.

"I'm thinking that this is the job that my father gave me. And it hasn't been so bad, I really don't think they even have a clue about who I am, I'm pretty good at this double agent thing," I assure him but it's really hard to comfort him when his exact thoughts are also going through my mind, and have been, this whole time. "And maybe they won't kill me if they find me. My father seems so sure that they won't so maybe he knows something that we don't."

"He only told you that so that you'd go along with his stupid plan," He insists.

"He'd kill you if he heard you talking against him like this, you know," I inform Coleman, hoping that he knows that and that he isn't around anybody or any device that could make this conversation known.

"I know," Coleman sighs. "But you're important, you know? You can't just walk into a lion's cage and expect the lion not to bite. Even if your father is telling you that it's tame. You really trust that?"

"No," I admit. "But it's too late to go back now."

"No it's not. Get the fuck out of there," He says, sounding almost hysterical and worried.

"I'll be okay," I assure him but again, I don't really believe that myself. "I promise. I'll be home before you know it."

"What are you working on with Dante Berardi?" He asks me, obviously unhappy about this but he knows that he doesn't really have a say in what's going to happen.

"It's... complicated," I mutter. I know that I can tell Coleman what's really going on with Dante because I trust him, I know that he won't go to my father or anybody else.

"Vera," He says in a disapproving tone. "You have to at least tell me what's going on. I can help."

"I don't want you getting involved," I tell him.

"I swear to god, I will come over there, Vera," Coleman threatens me. "And I'll get us both killed. Tell me how I can help."

"Okay," I say quickly, knowing that he probably means that and I really don't need him coming all the way over here just because he's very stubborn. "I'm going into their security right now at work, that hack that you sent last week got them to trust me because they're desperate so I'm in their system. I'm not sure how long that'll last but when I get in, I'm going to get you in too on your end so that you can look around too. I'll hide any trace that you are in there so I'm hoping that you can maintain access to their system even after I'm done."

"When is that happening?"

"I don't know, sometime this week. I'll keep you posted though, alright?"

"Are you sure?"

"I absolutely promise," I assure him. "Everything is going to be fine."

"And what does Dante Berardi have to do with this plan of yours?" He comes back to that and I roll my eyes. He obviously can't see me or my sassy eye roll but it's a habit with him.

"I told you. It's complicated," I remind him persistently. "It's just a whole other rabbit hole that you don't need to be a part of, please just leave it at that."

"Are you trying to assassinate him or something?" Coleman doesn't let it go.

"No," I say shortly, putting my face in my hands to try and ease the growing headache there. I know that he's only so interested because he cares about me and he's worried but I really wish that he'd just drop it.