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Chapter 18

Friday, 5:45 PM


Special Agent Pendergast swallowed heavily at the sight of the head. He turned on his heel, facing Margo.

“Margo, we must get you out of here.”

He moved to Margo quickly, taking her arm. She pulled away, just as quick, scooting away as far from him as possible on the couch, her eyes wide with terror. “No, Pendergast!” she whispered, staring at him with an expression of terror and hurt.“No. I can’t leave. If I do... He’ll find me. He’ll find me, and... and he’ll kill me.” Margo brought her arms back around her legs, sobbing quietly. “He’ll kill me, Pendergast. He promised.”

Pendergast closed his eyes as Margo put her head in her lap and breathed in deep before opening them again. His eyes flicked to the television, knowing right away the tape was gone. Sighing heavily, he looked back to Margo, who had begun rocking back and forth, clutching her legs for dear life. Pendergast reached down and took her arm again.

“Margo, we can not stay here. He killed Wren and police will be here soon. That is the way the security system works.”

“I don’t care, I can’t leave here...”

“Margo, we must leave now,” Pendergast replied firmly. He kneeled down to her eye level as she looked up, watery brown eyes meeting fiery pale blue. “When the police get here, not only will they make you move using any means possible, but they will ask you what happened.”

Margo’s eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. She swallowed hard and let Pendergast pull her from the couch. He led her from the room, shielded, and through the library slowly. Margo only got a glimpse of Wren’s body before Pendergast ushered her through the door.

As they were coming to the door, Pendergast stopped Margo suddenly. He looked worried.

“Margo, I...” He frowned slightly, opening and closing his mouth once, lost for words. Finally he swallowed hard, muttering something unintelligible to Margo’s numb ears and placed his suit jacket upon her shoulders. “You’ll be okay...” he murmured before leading her out the door.

The cold wind didn’t touch Margo, who was currently preoccupied with trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life to notice the chilly weather. With a tenderness that was comforting, Pendergast led her across the parking lot and sat her in the back seat of his Wraith. Margo barely noticed the cold bite of the leather and the lack of company. Pendergast was standing outside, calmly conversing to the unknown entity on the other end of his cell phone.

A few moments later Pendergast slid into the back seat next to Margo, starting the vehicle before falling back into the seat. Margo looked over at him, taking in the sight of the tired agent. His right shoulder was bleeding still, and his face was slightly flushed. Frowning worriedly, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes, relaxing slightly.

Margo’s eyes filled with tears again, and, unable to fight them any longer, she let them fall. Pendergast was the only thing she had left in the world. Bill was on honeymoon, Vincent (though they had never really been all that close) was in Canada, and her parents and now Cambrian were all dead. With a miserable sob, she threw her arms around Pendergast, who froze instantly before gradually relaxing. Tenitavely he put him arms around her, trying to give her a little bit of comfort and security as she sobbed helplessly into his chest, clutching his shirt as if letting go meant his disappearance and her to slip into a world much darker and harsher, an abyss she would never escape.

“Shhh...” Pendergast whispered softly. “Margo, it’s okay... You’ll be okay... I will forever be here for you...”

Had Margo been in any other situation with any other person, she would have taken this to be a vow of undying love. However, here, in the Wraith with Pendergast, that single proclamation meant only comfort and support, the one thing that would get her back up onto her feet. She found the effect of his words calming, her sobs slowly subsiding into blissful sleep, her head against his chest.

Margo knew that this peaceful reprieve from life would soon be broken by police sirens, and she came to regret that it had ended so soon. Margo would have been very grateful, however, had she known that her one moment of peace from the world around her could have been - and almost was - broken by the man who had been standing outside the passenger door, watching the two with a maniacal smile upon his face.

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