I jumped to my feet, and Wesley followed. My tongue felt like sandpaper as I tried to speak. “Y-yo-you’re wh-what?”
“Sit and I will tell you everything. I have answers to all your questions. It’s not what you think.”
What you thought you knew was only what they wanted you to know.
I sat ramrod straight on the edge of the couch. Wesley unbuttoned his vest and loosened his tie. I’d never seen him this rattled before. “My father and my father’s father and his father and so forth were Alchemists. It’s something I was born into; it’s part of my heritage.”
I stood again, horrified. “The witch trials? Innocent people were killed.”
Wesley solemnly nodded. “Yes, that was an unfortunate series of circumstances. One that formed the Truth-seekers, who try to expose us. But that can never happen.”
What he was saying wasn’t making sense. “Why?”
“Because we keep the world from imploding. The Alchemists are all over the world. We’re members of every branch of government, business leaders across America, and involved with any other influential group you can think of.” Wesley paused, giving me a second to catch my breath. “What you uncovered doesn’t even scratch the surface.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Wesley gestured to the couch, and I sat again. “For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t assassinated. Alchemists saved him so that he would be able to share important intel in order to ensure the North retained their victory. The South was close to pulling a coup over on the North and taking back control. General Lee only surrendered when he had not been able to acquire the territory in Pennsylvania he wanted. We had a mole in the army that allowed us to get ahead of him. If Lee had gotten the resources he needed, I’m not sure where our country would be. The Alchemists were able to stop it.”
His story wasn’t matching what the letters had led me to believe. “But everything I found paints the Alchemists as evil.”
“Tell me about any organization in this world that’s perfect. Any significantly sized company has employees who are corrupt. At the end of the day, it’s whether or not we can tip the scales and do enough good while we weed out the bad.”
I massaged my temples while Wesley stood and made his way over to his bar. Part of the story made sense, but so much of it did not. “What about the Truth-seekers?”
“They’re good, too. Sometimes, historically, they’ve been misguided by the actions of our bad apples.”
“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
“You don’t. I have no tangible proof that I can offer you. I’m risking my life by telling you what I am because you’re that important to me. I’m asking you to trust me as your lifelong friend.”
I let out a big sigh as I thought about everything he was saying. I wanted to trust Wesley, but needed to know more. “But what about Quinn? And the man she grew up knowing was her father?”
“He was an Alchemist who had to be dealt with. He chose greed and to use his power for his own self gain. Robert Collins joined the Alchemists for our ideals. Unfortunately, he got involved with the corrupt group. That drove him to become a Truth-seeker.” Wesley poured himself a drink and offered me one. I shook my head. For this, I needed a clear head.
My head spun. “What about Thomas Hutchinson? Did the Alchemists kill him?”
“Yes. He was not a good man, but he was also ready to expose the corruption. They intercepted him before he could expose everything.”
“How do you know this?”
Wesley tilted his glass and looked at the amber liquid. “We keep very detailed books of our history. There are receipts and correspondence written by our predecessors that corroborate all this. I understand without proof it might be unbelievable.”
“Wesley, I don’t know what to think. Why would Grandpa be involved in this? Was he a Truth-seeker?”
“No, your Grandpa didn’t leave you that coin. And the letter you found in your house was planted. We found that letter long ago in Peggy’s house. One of our corporations tried to buy the house, but Peggy wanted to sell it to your grandpa.”
“Wait… if Grandpa didn’t leave me the letter, who did?”