Free Fall by MJ Eason Read Free Book Online

I could force him to look me in the eye, I believed I might be able to reach him. The young man he’d once been was still in there somewhere.
    What he said next stopped me cold in my tracks.
    “You’re on the wrong side of this thing, Rainie. You’re fighting the wrong enemy and you can’t win. What you are doing is destined to fail. Walk away before it costs you your life. You think you know what’s happening. You have no idea what the truth really is.”
    I didn’t understand what he meant by this but there was no denying Justin’s fear. His eyes constantly searched the darkness around us, looking for something, or someone. My brother was afraid for his life.
    “Justin, what are you trying to tell me? Help me understand what you mean. What are you afraid of? What happened to you? Where have you been all these years? Justin, tell me—”
    I didn’t finish because Justin was no longer listening to me. Something caught his attention off in the distance. He was ready to flee.
    “Wait, Justin. Don’t go. Let me come with you. I can help you.”
    “No!” For a moment, his eyes met mine. The emptiness in them was hard to take.
    Something drew his attention from me once more. “Don’t try to follow me and don’t try to contact me again. Stay out of this. Leave while you still have the choice. And don’t trust anyone—not even the people closest to you.”
    Without another word, Justin disappeared into the shadows. I went after him, weapon drawn, but he was nowhere to be seen. I’m not sure how long I spent searching the darkness, hoping Justin would return to dispel all of my doubts. It was well after midnight when I finally gave up and went home to my apartment, but my night had only just begun.

Chapter 4
    I unlocked the door to the sound of a ringing phone. Even before I answered the call, I guessed it would be Roc. The flashing red light on my answering machine told me this was not the first time he’d tried to reach me tonight.
    “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
    “Where have you been? I’ve been texting you for a while. I was almost ready to call out the team to search for you. What the hell’s up with you, Rainie?”
    “Nothing…nothing. I just needed to think.”
    “You needed to think? About what?”
    “About nothing…about everything. I don’t know. Look, I’m sorry I worried you, Roc, but I’m okay, really, and it’s late and I’m tired and I have to be up early tomorrow.” At this out-and-out lie, I crossed my fingers and said a silent prayer for forgiveness. But I just couldn’t face the inevitable with Roc tonight.
    “Rainie, don’t hang up on me.”
    “I’m not…but I don’t want to talk about this right now Roc, so…good-night.” At this point, I did hang up on the man who had been there for me through so many bad moments in my life.
    I was stunned, ecstatic, frightened. Restless. All these emotions crowded in as I went back over every little detail of my first face-to-face meeting with my brother in over twenty years.
    Surprisingly, there were tears as well. I hadn’t cried since my parents’ deaths. I wasn’t sure what to do next, but I’d have to do something soon.
    Surely, the very fact Justin was back in my life after all these years meant something. A sign that it was time for me to take a new direction in life.
    I glanced down at my hand that still held the phone and realized I was trembling. Tonight had shaken me beyond what I wanted to admit.
    I made coffee, more to give myself something to do with my hands, and hopefully stop them from trembling, than anything else. My mind worked overtime. I certainly didn’t need any more added stimulation. I’d been working off sheer adrenaline for hours as it was.
    “My brother is my enemy,” I said aloud, barely registering that I’d spoken at all. “But how can that be possible?” Against my will, I remembered all the terrible details The Agency had uncovered about Jeremiah Silvers. One fact stood out above them