The Most Dangerous Game (Harry Styles AU)

72

-Harry

"That was the proof we needed right?"

The weight of the simple question fills the silence in the car as it travels up Flushing Ave towards Corona. I look over, seeing Arthur grip the steering wheel firmly as he weaves the old BMW through the sparse late night traffic.

"Dad." Everly speaks up again from the backseat, "Was that the proof we needed?"

"Once I can link the victims in that container to Carter, along with both your statements. Then yes.. I think we'll have the definitive proof we need to bring everything I have to the FBI. It's just WHO we can bring it to.." Arthur's voice fades off, his brow creasing in thought.

"The woman who brought me in, Margo, she could help us."

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy." Arthur shakes his head, "Carter has people everywhere. In every aspect of law enforcement, every bureau in New York. We have to move very carefully or whatever I turn in will just disappear."

"Has that happened before?" I ask tentatively.

"More then once." He confirms, "That's why I've been in hiding these past months. He has someone on the inside, and my guess is it's someone at the top."

"Do we really stand a chance then?"

"Carter is getting desperate. Before he's always made calculated decisions. Every move was so precise. That's why it's been so difficult to piece together the evidence I needed. But now it's different, he seems to be making decisions rashly, not thinking them through to the end before he acts. That means he's making mistakes. If he's making mistakes, then yes, we have a chance."

I exhale deeply, feeling a bit of a relief wash over me. We have a chance.

I glance back at Everly as the car takes a left turn. She still looks pale after what she witnessed back at Red Hook, her eyes staring out the window though not focusing on anything. We left so quickly after I took out the guard, afraid we'd alerted someone else of our presence, that I'd had no idea what she'd seen until we reached Arthur's car a few blocks away.

The thought of it makes me sick. Coach's body having been just discarded so carelessly. Most likely to be dumped in the ocean off the coast, along with Maya's and the other innocent people's bodies in that container. No doubt they were all innocent. Just another victim of Aiden Carter's fucking game. They deserved better. They need justice.

I reach between Arthur and I's seats into the backseat so my hand can rest gently on Everly's knee.

"Hey." I say softly, "You alright?"

Her gaze sifts from the window to me, her eyes glossed over. A light smile forces it way upon her face, "Yeah... yes."

"We'll get him Everly. He'll pay for what he did to them."

She nods, looking away from me and back out the window. "Yeah.. he'll pay."

I start to open my mouth to assure her more that she needs to hold on to some hope, but a muttered curse from Arthur stops me.

I look forward just in time to see 3 masked men on the street 150 yards in front of the car, all holding rifles.

I brace myself against the console as Arthur slams on the brakes, skidding the car to a halt in the middle of the otherwise empty intersection.

"He knows." Everly breathes out.

All my senses heighten as I find my gun that fell to the floorboard, my fingers gripping it firmly as I see Arthur readying his own weapon.