36. Dangerous Waters

Chapter Thirty-Six

Mercedes, Number One

Roanoke City, Strike County

Wolfie wanted to check on how arrangements for the next day’s racing events were coming before going back to Tenth County, so Mercedes had to hang around and wait since he had rode up with Number Two. Wolfie had dropped him off at the alley at the end of Eagle Street behind the city hospital. Eagle Street was one of the longest ones in Skelemere. Mercedes had asked that Wolfie end the Numbers event on December 21 on Eagle Street for that reason. The end of the race would be a few miles down from the hospital.

Mercedes was walking towards that point now. Law enforcement had cleared out of the area so Mercedes was walking alone in the silent darkness of the night. Dawn was not far off. He drew further away from the hospital alleyway. Wolfie had to plan out which of the side streets off of Eagle that the Numbers would escape down after crossing the finish line. Each one had to go down a different street so that they could split up and evade the cops a lot easier. Law enforcement would no doubt be hanging around the race.

After walking for a few more blocks, Mercedes pulled out his pack of cigarettes and took one in his teeth. He was lighting it up when the stoplight a few blocks ahead of him turned red on Eagle Street. An engine purred as a car turned left onto Eagle Street. Mercedes halted in his tracks as a silver Chevy Cruze came towards him. It was a stupid thought, considering that silver Chevy Cruzes were a dime a dozen.

But as the Cruze approached him on the opposite side of the street, it slowed down and stopped. Mercedes stopped too and turned as Corey rolled down the driver’s side window. Mercedes glanced towards his left before crossing to stand on the yellow line next to the window.

“What are you doing here?” Mercedes asked. He blew smoke into Corey’s face.

“I thought you might be hanging around where that race started earlier tonight,” Corey said. “Those were out of towners. The roadblock broke them up, but neither were caught. One was driving a state trooper’s car.”

“If that’s all you want, I’m leaving,” Mercedes said. “I thought I was clear before when we spoke. I can’t trust you. I don’t want to see you.”

“That’s why you stopped to talk to me,” Corey said. “You want to see me as much as I want to see you.”

“I’m sorry,” Mercedes said. “But I choose my job over you.”

“Ouch,” Corey said.

“Yeah, it hurts,” Mercedes said. He puffed more smoke into Corey’s face. “Why are you here?”

“Skelemere PD put out a distress signal for the holidays,” Corey said. “They are short staffed due to vacations, medical leave, and whatnot. A certain cousin of mine once invited me to come to Lupine for some winter events, so I put in to lend them a hand.”

“That offer was revoked the last time we spoke,” Mercedes said. He finished his cigarette but left the butt in his lips.

“I don’t recall,” Corey said. “It didn’t happen like that. But, hey, since you’re here—”

“No,” Mercedes said. “I’m actually heading back to Tenth for tonight’s events. You should go back to your hotel room. Alone.”

“Mercedes,” Corey said. “Can’t we talk about this more?”

Mercedes shook his head. “Will you tell me the truth?” he asked.

“I already told you why I lied,” Corey said. “My job.”

“I know,” Mercedes said.

“What would you think if I asked you to give up being a street racer to be with me?” Corey asked.

“You know that isn’t the same situation,” Mercedes said. “You can stop being a cop at any time. I can’t stop being FBI’s most wanted.”

Corey was silent for a moment. The only sound to be heard was the purr of his engine idling. It was late enough in the night, or perhaps early enough in the morning, that they were the only two people around. “The Reporter was in on that race,” Corey said. “I didn’t know he was around other counties as well. I haven’t seen him in Strike since that night I spoke to you about him.”

“And?” Mercedes asked.

“You still don’t know anything about this guy?” Corey asked. He nodded towards the butt in Mercedes’ lips. “You need a new one?”

Mercedes shook his head. “I’m good,” he said. “And, no, I don’t know anything about the Reporter. I haven’t investigated the issue since we last talked. Unlike you, I don’t care.”

“You should,” Corey said. “I think there’s a shark circling ever closer to you. If you don’t watch out, you’ll be in serious danger.”

Yeah, and I think he’s called Taboo, Mercedes thought. “I’ll be careful,” he said. “Thanks for your concern.” Mercedes pulled the butt out of his teeth and tossed it into Corey’s open window. Then he turned away and began walking up the sidewalk in the direction he had been going to begin with.

“Mer—Rye!” Corey called after him. “Do you want to get some dinner with me? For real, this time?”

Mercedes paused. “Corey,” he said. “We can’t do this.”

“Yeah, we can,” Corey said. “So long as no one finds out.”

“With the feds circling around, you’ll always be putting yourself at risk if you keep seeing me,” Mercedes said.

“Worse,” Corey said. “I’ll put you at risk.” He paused and turned to stare out the front of his car. “I should go.”

“Yeah, you should,” Mercedes said. His lungs were burning with the desire to smoke. His heart was hurting with the desire to be with Corey. His brain was swelling with the conviction that Corey would always choose his job over anything meaningful with Mercedes.

“Can I see you later?” Corey asked.

“Probably not,” Mercedes said. “Unless you want to quit.”

“I can’t.”

“I know.” Mercedes turned back around and started down the sidewalk again. A few moments later, Mercedes heard the Cruze continuing down the street. He glanced over his shoulder and watched until Corey turned off of Eagle Street.

It had been a few hours since Taboo’s challenge ended and Wolfie had dropped him off. Mercedes continued up the street thinking that his faithful Number Two was bound to be on his way back by then. It was a little chilly, and Mercedes was tired of wandering. Maybe that was just the drained feeling Corey had left in his heart. Seeing Corey and knowing that nothing would ever come of it was starting to do that to him. He thought again that it might be worthwhile to start seriously dating again. Dating anyone who wasn’t Corey Curse. Still, Mercedes wasn’t comfortable with that. Not with his name on the most wanted list, and certainly not with Taboo circling around.

The throaty engine sound of a WRX STI came up the street towards Mercedes so he stopped and turned around. Wolfie’s red car pulled up to the curb a few feet back. He was one of the only racers Mercedes knew who was brazen enough to keep the same license plate on his car. As Mercedes approached, he could see the plate clearly between the headlights and how it spelled out the word Beta on Raymond’s wilderness style license plate.

Mercedes climbed into the passenger seat. “Ready to go back to Tenth?” he asked. The memorial races were probably well over by this point.

Instead of driving forward, Wolfie lifted his hand off of the gear shifter. He turned his face towards Mercedes, profile eerily illuminated by the redness of the dash lights and dim Psypher screen. The man’s nose twitched as he looked silently at Mercedes.

“We don’t have to,” Mercedes said. “If there’s something else you’d like to finish here.”

Wolfie brought his free hand across the space between them to rest his palm on Mercedes’ chest. “Why do I smell him on you?”

Mercedes had known Wolfie for ten years, so the comment wasn’t immediately off putting. He was well aware of Wolfie’s bizarre mannerisms. But the question felt like a personal stab of a dagger right under Mercedes’ rib cage. His initial inclination was to tell Wolfie not to fish and to mind his own business. Mercedes knew better, though. The other man didn’t mean any harm by the question. “He pulled up in a civilian car while I was walking here,” Mercedes said, turning his own face away. The pressure from Wolfie’s hand increased on his chest. “We were just saying goodbye.” Again.

Wolfie’s fingers dug in like claws. “He is not a man you can trust,” Wolfie said. “Or he would have quit the task force by now.”

“I know,” Mercedes said. Having this conversation with Wolfie was always different than when he had it with Charm. With Wolfie, it was more personal. “But—”

“No,” Wolfie said. “You must keep yourself safe.”

It would’ve been easy to argue with Wolfie about Corey. Being with Corey, in his arms, made Mercedes feel safe. He still wanted to trust Corey despite everything. He still held out hope that maybe Corey was that much closer to quitting his job in order to be with him. Why else did he come back into Mercedes’ life now?

Unless Charm was right.

Instead of arguing, Mercedes nodded and said, “Let’s go back to Lonephalt.”