Chapter Twenty-Five

Knowing that Uncle Glen could only buy him some time, Kyle decided that it would be best if he showed himself to Eli now. He'd see him sooner or later, and Kyle wanted to make sure that Eli understood that Kyle had no choice in what he did. So before Glen could respond to Eli's questions, Kyle exhaled and opened the basement door.

"He's right here."

Eli turned to look past Glen and his eyes narrowed. "What's he doing here? Don't you know that the entire Toronto police department is looking for him?" He turned his narrowed eyes towards Glen. "Don't you know what he's done?"

"Yes, Eli, I know," Glen said as he closed the door and locked it, "He told me everything."

"That he burned down Clare's house?"

Glen nodded.

"That he's the person responsible for Clare's current condition?"

Glen looked over to Kyle. "No, he didn't say anything about that."

"There's no proof." Kyle said, knowing that was the one truth he could hold onto.

"Who else could it be!?" Eli snarled. "You're the only one who's been hounding us since I came back into Clare's life!"

"I think you should sit down, Eli." Glen said, clasping the younger man on the shoulder in hope of calming him down. "Kyle wasn't acting alone. This wasn't entirely Kyle's idea."

Eli's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that there's another person in this? That he–" He points to Kyle, "Isn't alone?"

Glen shook his head. "Kyle was just the hired gun."

"To be fair, I never wanted to use a gun on any of the assignments." Kyle murmured. "Scorpion made me carry one, though."

"Scorpion?" Eli repeated. "Who's that?"

"As I said, Eli, I think you should sit down." Glen firmly grasped his shoulder and guided him to the couch, with a slight push, Eli sat down. "We've got a lot of time to cover, and not enough time to do so."

When the rushed story was completed, Eli was shocked. This was almost too much to wrap his mind around. He regarded Glen and Kyle as if they were strangers he was seeing for the first time. What did Helen get herself into when she married into this family? Eli wondered if Helen had any idea. Looking at Glen, he didn't think she suspected. Looking at Kyle, though, he could see that someone in the family was trouble. Kyle was merely the product of it.

"Eli?"

Eli blinked, looking up. "Yes?"

"Do you need time to wrap your mind around everything we told you?"

Yes. "No. There's not enough time. If there were, I'd say yes. Clare is still in danger from this Scorpion, and I can't leave her alone." He looked down again. "I can't let something happen to her."

Seeing the sorrow in Eli's eyes felt like a lance going through Kyle's chest. He had helped bring all this suffering on both Clare and Eli. Prior to all this, Eli was but a man promoting his latest best seller. Now he was a hurt, confused, worried, man.

"You said you think Clare has amnesia?" Kyle said softly, recalling what Eli had mentioned in the rather droned on version of what was supposed to be a short story.

"Yes." Eli replied, not looking at Kyle directly. "She didn't know who I was."

Kyle stood up slowly. "I'll come with you to the hospital. I'll explain more of my plan on the way."

Eli really wanted to protest that idea. Having Kyle come with him would not only endanger Clare, but Kyle himself as well. Despite being initially angry with this person before him, Eli could feel pity for the man. He was misguided from the start with his intentions on 'avenging' Jake, but this Scorpion character took him farther away than perhaps even Eli could've imagined.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Kyle." Eli said slowly, and Glen nodded his approval.

"I really don't care if it's a good idea or not," Kyle retorted, putting his hood back up, "I've got a lot of things to atone for. This will help – Just trust me."

Giving Glen a fleeting glance, Eli began to follow Kyle out to his car, which he unlocked promptly so Kyle could get in quickly. He made his way over to the driver's side and got in, sitting in silence for a moment. "What exactly do you plan on doing?" Eli asked quietly.

"Start the car and head back to the hospital." Kyle said sternly. "I'll detail my plan more thoroughly on the way."

With a helpless shrug, Eli started the car and made his way back onto the road that would lead to the hospital. When they were about half way there, Kyle spoke up at last.

"I'm going to create a diversion." Kyle began, looking out the window. "You're going to sneak in the side while I create a diversion in the main lobby. I do not care if Clare still doesn't know who you are or not: Get her out. Once Scorpion is informed of the scene I made at the hospital, he'll know where I am. He'll come for me. I do not know how long it'll take him to get to me, but he'll be there. You take Clare and go." He looked over at Eli, who was paying attention to the road but paying close attention to everything Kyle was saying. "Hide, if you can. Run if you must. I'm going to try and kill Scorpion."

"Do you really think he'll meet you face to face?" Eli asked, realizing all the terrible flaws in this plan of his. "He's going to try and protect this good cop image he has."

"Of course he is. That's why I'm going to demand to see him or else I'll 'off' an hostage."

Eli's eye widened at the word hostage. "You're going to be taking hostages?"

"I do not envy that part of the plan, but that's the only way I can get Scorpion alone."

Eli was stunned into silence for the remainder of the car ride, which lasted only about ten minutes. He pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and shut the car off.

An agonizing silence followed.

"I—I don't know what to say, Kyle," Eli murmured, "But good luck."

"You, too, Eli."

Kyle got out of the car, marching into the lobby of the hospital with a purpose, lowering the hood of his sweatshirt.

The only thing that Eli could hear as he went around the side of the hospital was a gun shot and Kyle yelling, "EVERYONE GET DOWN ON THE GROUND, DOWN ON THE GROUND!"