- Text Size +

JUSTIN

 

Brian was waiting for me as the information was downloading on what the CIA had. One of the programmers whispered that until today it was rare they ever got a completed file. I was reading the information the FBI had on me, and correcting things they didn’t quite get right. Hell, they suspected me, so I figured I’d fill in the blanks. They were trusting me, and in turn I helped them by adding my accounts, to make it easier on them. Brian must have been watching me as the information on those accounts started coming in because he sat down, looking at the information.

 

“Why didn’t you just quit?” He asks, looking at the balance on one of my accounts.

 

“Julian still trusted me, and I wanted access the legal way.” I said, instead of giving him the whole truth.

 

“You didn’t need the job to have access.” He tells me.

 

“It’s… how I felt secure… Knowing it was there meant I’d be okay.” I tell him.

 

“When would it have been enough?” He asks.

 

I looked at the amounts, trying to see it through other people's eyes. But I wasn’t like those people. They had families. People who, if they needed them, would be there. When I started these accounts I knew that I had to take care of myself, because there wouldn’t be anyone there when I fell.

 

“In my head there’s never enough.” I tell him honestly.

 

Brian pulls me towards him, resting his head next to mine before whispering. “I did the same thing growing up, but I need you to listen to me. No matter where our lives take us, I’ll always make sure you’re okay.” 

 

“I’ll do the same for you.” I whisper to him.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but did you want to listen in on Kip?” Ben asks.

 

 

BRIAN

 

What Justin had done shouldn’t have surprised me. He told me he’d been alone all his life. As alone as he could be with people wanting his mind, but that was all they wanted from him. He’d never had the one advantage I’d had... Deb. She made sure I knew I had somewhere to go if I ever needed it. It did strange things to me, the idea that he would take care of me. I’d never really had someone that was just mine, and knew he’d never get away from me.

 

Ben waited a few feet away to lead us to the observation room. Caraway wanted Justin out of sight from Kip Thomas. Apparently Kip was more than willing to spill his guts, and Caraway had seen how Gardner reacted to Justin. We were all puzzled at Gardner thinking Justin had something that would nail them all. Justin called Ted to see if there was anything in the financials. But like before, they were clean. It was why all of us hoped Kip would have some answers. I looked into the room. The guy was staring straight ahead, hugging himself, but looking relieved to be there. Caraway and Hill walked into the room, with Ben following behind them. Kip’s eyes landed on Ben, and he seemed to shrink at seeing Ben. Any relief was gone in that moment.

 

“I thought you wanted me to help.” Kip tells them, trying get up.

 

“We only need to ask you a few questions.” Caraway tells him.

 

“I don’t really know anything… Sorry to waste your time.” Kip says, trying to get to the door.

 

“He knows Ben from working with Julian.” Justin whispers to me.

 

“He’s trying to help us nail Julian and the others.” Hill tells Kip.

 

“Julian can’t touch you again.” Ben tells him.

 

“You don’t understand what he’ll do to me! What he’ll do to anyone, if he thinks we’ve turned on him!” Kip tells them.

 

“Kip we’ve seen what he did to you. We’re going to make sure you never have to deal with it again.” Ben tells him.

 

“No one can stop him… unless he gets what he wants.” Kip tells them.

 

“He won’t have a choice when he’s facing charges.” Hall tells Kip.

 

“All I did was change a few numbers on accounts, which in the end he’ll tell you he didn’t authorize. It’s why he hired me. Because he knew if anyone looked into me they’d see what I did in the past. I thought I could play him, but he proved me wrong.” Kip tells them.

 

“In the past?” Caraway asks.

 

“I’d been helping myself to money no one would have missed. I planned to put it back after investing it, but I miscalculated and my boss started an internal audit. Then some hacker gave the information to the police, along with all my information. I thought Julian showing up was an answer to my prayer. But instead, it was the start of my nightmares. You want to nail Julian? All you need is that fucker, Taylor. Apparently he has everything you need. At least that’s how Julian made it sound.” Kip tells him.

 

Justin moved away from me, and headed to the door. He was angry when he slammed his way into the interrogation room.

 

“There’s no record of you being arrested.” Hill says, looking through the paperwork, then at Justin when he slammed the door.

 

Justin read the information Hill was looking at, before speaking again. I could see for a second he felt guilty, but managed to let what all of us were telling him sink in. “I really never paid attention to who did the crime. It didn’t matter, because in the end, you did it. If I’m remembering this correctly, the money you were stealing was raised to help families of the policemen who died in the line of duty. People who needed it more than you.” Justin tells him.

 

“I hated you the minute Julian told me it was you that caused everything in my life to go to shit. Was it all a game to you? Turning people’s lives to shit, then laughing as we become slaves for Julian to use at his whim.” Kip tells him.

 

“I had nothing to do with Julian noticing you. For me, it was the fact that you took money raised to help people during the worst time in their life. What happened with Julian had nothing to do with me. That part of my life wasn’t something I thought Julian knew anything about.” Justin says, angry.

 

“From what Julian told me, it was how you found the people he used.” Kip tells him.

 

“How does you embezzling funds bring you to the conclusion that it’s Justin’s fault?” Hill asks.

 

“Until Taylor found it, Stockwell never noticed the money missing. It was sitting there collecting dust. No one would have figured it out if HE hadn’t practically handed the police everything they needed to arrest me. Do you know what happened? Instead of dealing with the police, Julian came along. He offered me everything, including a way out of what I did. It wasn’t until I tried to push back that I found out it all came with a price. One that he’ll likely teach YOU, now that you’ve betrayed him. Do you know how much I hated you, the golden boy in the ivory tower? No one was allowed near you, no one could say anything against you. Guess that’s over for you now.” Kip tells them.

 

“If you hate me, why are you here?” Justin asks.

 

“To get away from the shit he did to people like me. None of us could compete with the golden boy in Julian’s eyes. All of us had to watch as HE was treated like a prince, while the rest of us were left knowing we had swords hanging over our heads if we did anything Julian didn’t like. I wanted to see you fall. But nothing I say will matter, will it?” Kip tells him.

 

“What makes you think Justin is involved in any of this?” Caraway asks Kip.

 

“Where do you think all of Julian’s slaves came from? We were all the people Justin gave to Julian. Justin might act innocent, naive even, but it’s only to protect Julian and himself.” Kip tells him.

 

“I asked this of Justin once, and I’ll ask you the same. Where is your PROOF?” Hill asks.

 

“Anything I could give you was lost when Julian had me change everything. So I have nothing but my word that Justin was involved up to his eyeballs in everything. I tried to keep the originals as proof, and Julian punished me for daring to hurt his precious little Justin.” Kip tells them.

 

“The originals?” Justin asked.

 

“Yes. The ones that show money being funneled to him.” Kip tells Caraway, pointing to Justin..

 

“Since I have the originals, maybe you could come up with something else.” Justin tells him, smirking as Kip seems to realize he made a mistake.

 

“Are you really here to help with Julian?” Hill asks.

 

“I want that bastard to pay too. But not as much as I want HIM to pay for my life going to shit. And all because he stuck his nose into my life. Why should he have everything, when he ruined others lives the way he did?” Kip tells them, glaring at Justin.

 

“I’ll send you the information on Kip. And while I’m at it, how about I send you the original files Kip thinks implicate me.” Justin tells Hill.

 

“Those files are gone.” Kip corrects Justin.

 

“Actually they aren’t. I still have them.” Justin tells Kip.

 

“How did he ever think you were oblivious to everything?” Kip says to himself.

 

“That seems to be the question of the hour lately.” Ben tells him.

 

“What do you want to know?” Kip asks, no longer caring.

 

“Everything you can give us.” Hill tells him.

 

“From what I overheard, Justin could do that without me.” Kip tells them.

 

“What did you overhear?” Ben asks.

 

“Julian is dealing with the people who thought they were safe behind their agreement with Julian’s father. Julian sent Gardner to give each one of them a message; stay silent and keep the merchandise hidden any way they have to or they’d be hung out to dry on their own. Julian seemed to think he had everything under control, but something changed in the last day.” Kip tells them.

 

“Do you know what changed?” Hill asks.

 

“Julian couldn’t come up with some file that he was using to keep everyone quiet. And for the first time Julian told the thugs who work for him that Justin was no longer off limits.” Kip tells them.

 

“Why would he send them after Justin?” Caraway asks again.

 

“From what it sounds like, Justin has the information Julian needs. Julian used to carry a thumb drive on him everywhere he went. One that he wouldn’t let anyone even touch. I noticed it only because Julian would pull it out and download information on it before he told me to divert the funds to another account. The last time I changed the information he no longer seemed to have it. From what he did say, it sounded like Justin has it, because he told the guys that until they get it back no one could do more than rough Justin up for answers. Hence giving his hired men free rein on getting Justin to give it back.” Kip tells them, looking at Justin.

 

“You think I have it?” Justin asks.

 

“The better question is, why Justin is hiding it from you?” Kip asks Hill.

 

“Because he doesn’t know he has it.” Hill tells Kip.

 

“It can’t be at my house. If it was Julian could have gotten it from there, since I haven’t been there in the last couple of days.” Justin tells Ben.

 

“Julian has access to Justin’s house, so it’s doubtful it’s still there. But we’ve also had the house watched the whole time, so he wouldn’t want to risk being caught there.” Ben tells them.

 

“If you want to search the house, I’ll sign whatever you need. We looked through the boxes we took from there but you can try there too. The boxes are in Brian’s storage room.” Justin tells Hill.

 

“What about me?” Kip asks.

 

“You’ll stay here, and hope nothing implicates you.” Hill told him, walking out and leaving Kip alone.

 

You must login (register) to review.