In Too Deep(61)

The rest of the takedowns were along similar lines, each target being crushed utterly and completely. It took me most of the time before school re-opened, and by the time Sunday night rolled around, I was exhausted. I'd been sitting in front of Albertine for fourteen hours a day for the past few days, barely taking the time to eat, shower, and sometimes sleep.

It was nine o'clock Sunday night when Melina came up behind me, rubbing my shoulders. "Come on," she said softly in my ear. "You've done enough, and you have to get some rest before school tomorrow."

I nodded, weary. There wasn't a lot left to do, just some of the minor players who were secondary in Pinzetti's action. My eyes were watering uncontrollably, and I reminded myself for the tenth time that day that I was going to get one of those anti-glare screens for myself. "You're right, of course. All right, let me double check this last guy and then I'll shut it down for the night."

"Good," Melina said. "Because I have massage oil and soft music ready for you. No sex tonight, just relaxation."

I smiled, placing my hand over hers and rubbing the back of her hand tenderly. "You know just what to say," I said before kissing her hand. "But my stomach says we need to have some food first. I know it's a little late for just dinner, but what about coming with me to the store for some ice cream? Or maybe the fixings for a small sundae?"

"I can do that," Melina replied. "But only if I get to drive. Your eyes are shot right now."

I nodded, holding hands with her as we walked out of the house and got into her car. It felt strange, riding in the lower slung car as opposed to my truck, but Melina was more confident in it. As she drove, I did everything I could to think of something other than the work I'd been doing for the past few days. "So what are you going to tell Jay tomorrow?"

Melina bit her lower lip, an expression I'd seen whenever she was conflicted about something. "I still don't know," she finally admitted. "What if all this doesn’t work out as planned?”  It was a concept that she and I had discussed multiple times over the past few days, during the short periods I'd taken to rest. Melina had a point, concerned about being tied down when our lives consisted of potentially being constantly mobile. It was a concern I'd shared. After all, being a teacher and coach meant that I had commitments greater than just Albertine. "I understand," I finally said. We pulled into the parking lot, and I forced a smile on my face. "So what flavor ice cream do you want for your sundae?"





* * *



I was getting out of the shower the next morning, Melina snoring softly in bed still, looking adorable in the morning light. She could still sleep for another few hours, but I’d gotten up before five in the morning in order to be at school earlier than usual. I just felt the need to be there before anyone else, in order to be prepared for what would undoubtedly be an emotional day.

I was slightly startled when my phone rang, and I hit the button quickly before it could wake Melina up. "Hello?"

"Hello, Cam. It's been a long time since we talked face to face."

It was true. It had been a long time, over three years since I'd heard the voice, but it wasn't one that I'd forgotten. "Senpai. You know it's five thirty in the morning here.”

"That's what you get for living in the Mountain Time Zone," Senpai chuckled in my ear. "It's seven thirty by my body's clock."

"What do you want?" I asked. I noted that he said his body's clock, not his own clock. He may not have been on the East Coast. "Working for your masters to deliver another message for me? Or are you trying to distract me while the people you work with send another gunman to try and kill me?"

"Pinzetti was a rabid dog, and you've sent quite a message in attacking his handlers," Senpai said. "You've sent quite a few people into a panic too. By the way, my higher ups had a laugh at some of the ways you did it."

"I wanted to make sure that the message was received properly by all involved. But you didn't call me just to make small talk. What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice low. Unfortunately, that meant that I had to keep my phone pressed against my ear, which made getting dressed difficult. Instead of the pullover shirt that I'd laid out the night before, I grabbed a button up shirt from the closet, working one arm at a time into the sleeves before grabbing my pants.

"Cam, a lot of the remaining players in the game are scared, and your message, your actions have put them on guard. They didn't really believe what all you can do until the past few days."

"I warned them, didn't I?" I replied. "But you're still not answering my question.”

"I need to speak to you, face to face," He said. "I understand you've got work, but what about this weekend? Saturday night?"

I thought about it for a second. "We can do that."

He noted my use of we. "She's that deeply involved with you? That's a dangerous tactic, Cam."

"I thought about the pros and cons of it before I even made my decision. But yes, she’s involved. She deserves to know everything.”

"All right. Saturday night. I'll message you the details."

He hung up his end of the call without even a goodbye, and I set it down on my dresser. I looked at myself in the mirror, then glanced at the alarm clock. I had a few minutes and had enough time to change my shirt back to what I had originally planned. I went over to the still sleeping form of Melina in bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then I went out to the kitchen, where I wrote out a quick note to her on a little whiteboard that we used mostly for grocery lists, and finished getting ready for work.