Chapter 13

Grace was sitting at the kitchen table when Cassidy came flying downstairs and ran to the bathroom, promptly getting sick.

Grace got up and walked over to the bathroom door. “Cassidy? You alright?”

“Yeah,” Cassidy called back, flushing the toilet and grabbing her phone from her pocket. She called Garrett.

“Yeah?” Garrett answered, knowing it was Cass.

Hearing her sister dial the phone, Grace stayed at the door to listen.

“I just threw up,” Cassidy told Garrett. “For the third time this week.”

“Again? Why did you eat what she gave you if you knew what was going to happen?”

“Because if I don’t, she’d know something was wrong. Honest to God, Garrett, my mother is going to kill me.”

From what Grace could hear, which was only Cassidy’s half of the conversation, there was only one possible conclusion. Grace went back to the table to wait.

“For God’s sake Cassidy! The woman’s trying to poison you, don’t eat at your house!”

Cassidy sighed. “I know… I know. I’m going to let you go for now… but we can talk about this later. You just told me to keep you posted, so I am.”

“I know…come over if you want, and my mom will make you something that doesn’t contain arsenic if you’re hungry. Love you.” Garrett hung up his phone.

Cassidy brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom.

“You’re pregnant aren’t you?” Grace asked her when she came into the kitchen.

Cassidy blinked. But Grace didn’t know… and maybe it’d be better… “Yeah. Yeah, I am… don’t tell Mom?”

“Don’t worry. I won’t…but Cassidy you’re not even eighteen yet!”

“Yeah. Listen, I’m… gonna go visit Garrett, we sorta need to talk about this, okay? I promise I’ll talk to you later if you want. I’m gonna be here tonight.”

“Okay. I’ll be around.” Grace replied.

~*~*~*~

Clearly, Emily was drunk. “What’s the matter with you lately?” She yelled at Grace.

“Nothing, you’re drunk, mom.” Grace answered.

“Don’t be a little wiseass. Moping and bitchy all the time, what’s wrong with you, you pregnant or something?” Emily demanded, words slurring slightly.

“No mom, I’m not like your other daughter.” Grace muttered, immediately realizing what she said and clapping a hand over her mouth.

Emily’s eyes narrowed.

~*~*~*~

Cassidy smiled a little bit as Garrett pulled into the driveway.

“Happy Eighteenth, go get your stuff,” he told her with a grin.

She laughed. Still in her graduation cap & gown, Cassidy got out of the car and headed inside. She packed the last of her things; it wasn’t much, just an old stuffed bear from ages past and a few other clothes. With bag in hand, she changed and headed downstairs.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Emily demanded, coming towards her. “You think just because you got knocked up I’d let you leave? Don’t you remember what I said’d happen if you got knocked up?” Emily pulled out her gun and aimed at Cassidy.

Grace had said something. And now her mother stood there with a pistol pointed between her eyes, just as Cassidy knew would happen… stop thinking. No time. She pulled out her own gun and fired three shots, not even looking to see what she’d hit as she ran like hell for the door. The bear fell from the top of the bag, landing on the floor, but Cassidy didn’t even notice as she dove into the car.

“What happened?” Garrett asked.

“I nearly got shot. Let’s go.”

Garrett pulled out of the driveway and after breaking every speed limit sign they saw, got them home. “Inside.” He ordered.

~*~*~*~

Grace pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. Something was wrong, the front door was wide open, yet the house was dark. She and Dylan climbed the front steps slowly so Grace could get a better look inside.

And that's when she noticed it. The foot, unmoving on the floor.

"Grace??" Dylan asked questioningly.

"Dylan, go play in the driveway." Grace told her little brother.

"But it's dark out!"

Grace flicked on the light. "I'm going to find mom." She positioned herself so he couldn't see inside. "There, stay where I can see you."

He obeyed, playing in the driveway where it was well-lit.

Grace stepped inside carefully, gun drawn. As she approached the body on the floor, a numbing feeling set in. She recognized the body, face down in a pool of blood. It was their mother. Grace backed away from it and stepped on something soft that shouldn't have been lying in the middle of the living room floor.

She looked down and saw the teddy bear Cassidy had given to her on her ninth birthday.

She looked from the bear to her mother's body and realized something. Cassidy wasn't here. She went back to her sister's room and saw most of her stuff was gone. She grabbed her cell phone and called Bryce Callahan as she went back outside.

"Yeah?" Bryce demanded.

"I have a situation." Grace told him.

"Oh?"

"Mom's dead, Cassidy's gone."

"Excuse me?"

"Cassidy has left, and mom is dead."

"I'll be there in a moment."

Grace sat on the front step, closing the door behind her.

After a moment, Bryce arrived. "Pack up. Now."

Grace went into the house and returned a few minutes later with suitcases filled with clothes of hers and Dylan’s. "They were already packed."

"Good. Get in the car, we're leaving."

"Where are we going?" Grace asked.

"We're bringing Dylan to your aunt's. You'll be staying with me."

"Oh." was all Grace said.

"You'll want to mind my wife."

"Just keep what your perverted son away from me; lord knows what he'll try once I'm living in your house."

"You keep away from him."

"Yeah, because that's exactly what I'm stupid and messed up enough to do, go screw my half-brother." Grace retorted sarcastically.

He shrugged. "Your mother would be screwed up enough to have done it."

"Well I'm not."

"Good."

"Now that I actually know he's my half-brother." she added.

"Don't start in on that."

"Just make sure he stays away unless you want a new addition to the hunting room wall."

"If you kill my son I will be certain you die painfully."

Gavin drove off like a madman, headed back to his father's home. Only one thing made sense... it had to be true... sick though it was.

Nathan looked up when Gavin entered the room. "I thought I told you to tail him."

"I did tail him. And I've discovered something interesting."

"What's that?"

Grace simply stared out the window the rest of the way.

Eventually, of course, they arrived.

"Grace is Bryce Callahan's daughter."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Grace admitted to me that her mother had had an affair... and he wouldn't be taking her in, plus the secret meetings..."

"Get me solid proof and tell Cassidy I want to talk to her." Nathan ordered.

Gavin nodded and left the room.

"This it?" Grace asked, getting out of the car.

"Yes. Come on, you're upstairs."

"Okay." Grace moved to get her bags.

Cassidy entered the office a moment later.

"Leave those be, they'll be handled."

"Cassidy, close the door." Nathan told her. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Grace followed her father tiredly into the house.

Cassidy complied. "What's wrong?" She asked immediately.

"This one is yours." Bryce pushed open the door. "Pleasant sleep."

"I need you to tell me everything you know about Callahan and the IMF."

"Thanks." Grace muttered looking around the room. She collapsed onto the bed and quickly fell asleep.

Cassidy began with the infrastructure, through missions she knew of and listing names. She handed him several files she had taken from her father's old room. "I have more upstairs."

"Good. I'll look at them later. I need you to tell me if you know anything that we can use to bring Callahan down with."

Cassidy paused, as if trying to think. "No... no, I don't."

"Are you sure? Your parents seemed pretty close with him, are you sure there isn't anything at all? Any sordid affairs or anything like that?"

"Not that I know of."

Nathan watched her for a second. "Alright. But if you think of anything...don't hesitate to tell me."

Cassidy nodded. "Don't worry, I won't."

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