by Sofia Grey
Daisy froze. Was this good news?
Tanner listened intently, then yelled for Darcy to bring a map. Still with the phone pressed to his ear, he opened the map to show the Kapiti Coast and traced a road with his finger.
“Are you hurt?” He listened intently. “We’ll be there in forty minutes. Sit tight.” He disconnected and sent Darcy to fetch Aiden.
Everyone waited in silence. Daisy’s stomach churned. Please let this be good news.
“Okay,” said Tanner. “That stroke of luck we wanted? We got it. That was Jean-Luc on the phone. He escaped and needs to be picked up from Waikanae. That’s just south of Otaki. I don’t have any other details yet, but as of last night, Jordan, Nick, and Juli were all fine.” He waited a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. “Jean-Luc will be able to tell us where they’re being held, and maybe even confirm why. This is a major breakthrough.”
Kate was holding hands with Lara. “I’m not celebrating yet,” she said. “Not until they’re here and safe. But it’s a step in the right direction.”
Within minutes, Tanner and his team had driven away in a flurry of squealing tyres, leaving the group to talk over this latest news. There wasn’t much to say. Again, all they could do was sit and wait.
*
Yanni placed the tray on the coffee table, and then took a seat sat at the other end of the sofa. “How’s the migraine? I wish you’d said earlier.” He paused, but when she didn’t speak, he carried on. “This is a local tea blend. Chamomile with manuka leaf. It’ll help you relax, and that’ll help with the headache.”
He poured the steaming, fragrant liquid into both cups, and pushed one toward her. “Try it.”
Juli stayed silent, but her mind was racing. She wanted to make him her friend. She didn’t have to trust him or believe anything that came out of his mouth, but she could make conversation.
She picked up the cup and inhaled the perfume. “Smells nice. I’ve not come across manuka leaf before.”
“It’s a native plant. They use it for firewood, but the pollen is gathered for manuka honey, and the leaves are used in tea. It’s an interesting blend, don’t you think?” He sipped the tea, and smiled over the top of the cup. “We need to talk, Juli. May I call you Juli?” She nodded. “Lay our cards on the table, so to speak.”
She tried the hot tea. It was good and the perfect temperature. “Okay.”
“How is your migraine? Did the painkillers work?”
“Yes, thank you. It’s not so bad at the moment.”
“Good. Believe me, I’ve no wish to cause you pain. I’m an admirer of your work, and it’s good to meet you in person. I can’t believe I assumed you were a guy. No mention of you I found, though, ever specified a gender or showed a photograph. Is that intentional?”
She drank more tea and bought some time to reply. “Yes, you’re right. I prefer the anonymity.”
“That’s why I can’t find you on social media. You see the lengths I have to go to, to engineer a conversation with you?”
An image of Jean-Luc bleeding at her feet flashed through her mind. Her hand shook, and she placed the cup on the table before she spilled it over herself. “Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“Yeah. Maybe it was in bad taste.”
“Jean-Luc was my friend. Why did you have to kill him? He was trying to look after me.”
Yanni sighed and sat forward, angling himself to face her. “You’ve been set up. Did you know Jordan Merrill was trying to use you as a decoy? To take the fall for the data leak?”
“What?” What the hell was he trying to say now? “They found the hacker. That’s old news.”
“The information leak last year—which was a hell of a lot worse than he’s trying to make out—culminated in certain documents being acquired by the Middle East.”
She stared, mute.
“The U.S. agencies think Merrill has been selling to Syrian contacts, using the data leak as a cover. And I’m afraid he’s been implicating you, since some of the designs were yours.”
Her usual lie-detecting skills had deserted her. She’d swear he was telling the truth, but this had to be another set of lies. “Do you have any proof?”
“Yes.” He gazed into her eyes. “I have emails I can show you.”
No. He was spinning a fantasy. “If they were my designs that got leaked, that doesn’t mean it was deliberate. And I’m sorry, but I can’t believe Jordan would sell his own products on the black market. That’s what you mean, isn’t it?”
“Closer than you think. You can buy and sell anything on the dark web.” Yanni huffed a breath and dragged his fingers through his hair. “I know it’s a lot to take in. You must feel so confused. But Juli, I’m the good guy here. I’d really like you to believe me.” He spoke earnestly.
Did he think she’d buy this bullshit? She wanted to laugh in his face and call him on the story, but at the same time, it didn’t make any sense to annoy him. Getting him on her side was crucial to their leaving unharmed.
“I want to go home. Can you promise me I will? With Jordan and Nick?”
“Yes. Help me get this design working properly, and you’ll all go home. You have my word.” He paused. “But please be careful of Merrill. He’s a dangerous man. You know he employs mercenaries for security? Ex-soldiers usually. That’s not normal behaviour for a corporate boss, is it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Juli felt deathly tired. Every last bit of energy had leached away. She wanted to lie down and sleep, and preferably wake to find this was all a bad dream.
“There is an alternative, Juli. You could come work for me.”
“You must be crazy.”
“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow. You look wiped out. Why don’t you lie down here, while I catch up on my emails? It’s more comfortable than your quarters. Cooler, too. Get some rest, and I’ll wake you for dinner.”
She was tempted.
*
The boat turned up eventually, as Scarab ran out of cigarettes. Just as well. Jack’s patience with him was fast running out.
Two stocky guys of Mediterranean appearance loaded up the crate, handed Scarab a receipt of some sort, and the transaction was complete.
The evening rush hour had gone quiet. Apart from stopping to feed Scarab’s nicotine habit, they had a straight run to the compound and arrived just as dinner was being served.
The little housekeeper—Scarab called her Tish—loaded a tray with hot food as they arrived. She beckoned Scarab to come and take it. “Upstairs.” Her gaze flicked upwards.
Scarab groaned. “We’ve just got back. Can someone else take it?”
The four other guys were already eating. None showed any sign of moving.
“I’ll go,” Jack offered. “Who’s it for?”
“Yanni.” Scarab beamed at him. “He often eats upstairs.”
“Better knock before you go in,” said one of the men. “He’s got company tonight.”
The others laughed.
Jack froze. Did they mean Juli? Was this where she was being held? He steeled himself to stay calm and picked up the tray, loaded with food and cutlery.
“Thanks,” said Scarab, taking his place at the table. “Up the stairs, follow the landing to the end. Don’t be too long, or yours will be cold.” He turned to Merlot and told him about the police encounter earlier. He bought Jack’s story.
Jack mounted the stairs, keeping a close watch for Yanni or any guards he had yet to meet. The landing ran into an open-plan area, with several rooms and a veranda opening along to the sides. Directly in front, he saw the lounge area. It was empty. Or so he first thought.
Juli lay on the sofa, eyes closed. Christ. What happened to her? Jack’s heart raced like an Olympic athlete’s as he tried to move silently into the room. If she’d been hurt, he would make Yanni suffer.
His mouth dry, his tongue useless, he crept closer and placed the tray on a nearby coffee table that held two cups and a teapot.
He peered down at her. Her breathing was slow and regular. She appeared to be asleep. He saw no blood or bruising. No handcuffs. A herbal fragrance clung to her, and she wore men’s clothes.
Jack ached to touch her. The way her hair cascaded over the cushion reminded him painfully of the night they spent together. He looked closer. Was her hair damp? Had she bathed?
“Serenity.” Yanni’s voice startled him.
Fuck. Jack forgot to look out for him. Mistakes like that could be fatal.
“You can leave the food. We’ll talk later about your unexpected encounter at the boatyard.”
Juli stirred. Her eyes flickered open, and her gaze met Jack’s. Recognition and fear flashed in them.
In that millisecond, Jack braced himself to take action. Fuck the operation. He prepared to leap on Yanni and tear him limb from limb with his bare hands, then grab Juli and make a run for it. To hell with the consequences.
“No.” She pushed herself to an upright position. “Stay away from me.”
Her fear looked genuine.
She was afraid of Jack.
“It’s okay.” Yanni, stepped between them, talking to Juli. “He’s only bringing our dinner. I promise he won’t do anything to hurt you.”
Jack’s heart shrank. It contracted to a small, hard pebble. Pain needled into his chest, and for a second he couldn’t breathe. Juli feared him but trusted Yanni? How the fuck did that happen?
Yanni gave him a curt nod. “We’ll debrief later.”
Jack knew when he’d been dismissed. A cold, intense rage swept over him, as he made his way downstairs.
He wanted to crawl into a corner and lick his wounds.
He wanted to tear Yanni into tiny pieces.
More than that, he wanted Juli to love him again, even though it looked impossible.
*
Juli was still spooked from waking to find Jack leaning over her. She’d been dreaming about him. The guy she’d been at risk of falling in love with, not the traitorous, bloodthirsty version. Opening her eyes and seeing him there was enough to freak her out.
It felt wrong for Yanni to be the one to calm her. So wrong.
He coaxed her to eat dinner with him—a mild curry—to drink more herbal tea, and to make conversation. She wanted to make him her friend. It didn’t seem too hard. They had a lot in common.
He adored Paris, her father’s original home, and knew Manchester very well. They swapped tales of pubs and clubs, Paris cafés and museums. He turned out to have a love of culture—art in particular—and claimed to have visited the Louvre more than once. If it was all fiction, he was the best liar Juli ever met.
Several times, she forgot who she was talking to. He made her laugh and start to relax in his company.
“You know,” he said, “you remind me so much of my wife.”
His wife? It never occurred to her that he might have a relationship like a normal person. “You’re married?”
“I was, a long time ago.” He seemed miles away, his gaze focused on the darkness outside. “I was captured and tortured. They forced me to watch them do unspeakable things to her. She begged them to kill her. I swore my revenge.” His words trailed away.
Unless she was wrong, that was genuine pain on his face. It didn’t mean the story was true, though.
“What was her name?”
“Ana. I fell in love with her when I was sixteen, a raw teenager. You never forget your first love, right?”
Despite herself, Juli started to feel sorry for him. She had no idea who could be trusted any more. She was alone in a sea of deceit. She had to trust her instincts, and they told her he was telling the truth, at least in part.
“Eh, it was a long time ago.” He sighed, and then turned to face her again. “Who was your first love, Juli? Who stole your heart the first time?”
Forcing herself to concentrate, she thought about his question. “David Ratton. I was ten, maybe a little younger, and he was my best friend’s brother. He gave me a ride on the crossbar of his bike, and I was smitten. When I found out he had a girlfriend, I was gutted.” She smiled at the memory.
Yanni chuckled. “So, it only takes a bike ride to steal your heart?”
“I was only ten. My standards are higher these days.” Wait. Why did she say that? It sounded as though she was flirting.
“What does it take now?”
The moment spun out. She’d never seen eyes so dark before. “Honesty. Kindness. Affection.”
She held his gaze. He petrified and fascinated her in equal measures. He was dangerous, unpredictable, and quite possibly insane. And she was flirting with him.
Yanni took a deep breath, and for one frozen moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he leaned back against the sofa. “You should get some rest. I’ll have someone take you to your quarters.”
The relief made her lightheaded.
*
It was fully dark when Daisy heard the car engine. She sat upright, listening with her head cocked slightly to one side. There was the sound of several doors closing, then the front door opening. Moments later, Lucky entered the lounge, followed by Aiden and Darcy.
Dried blood was crusted down the side of his face and splattered on his crumpled and dirty shirt. He was filthy all over, but his grin was infectious. Sylvie hurried to fetch him some food and water, and everyone gathered around, eager to hear his news. Everyone except Charlie, still dead to the world in his room.
Lucky confirmed that Jordan and the others were fine when he last saw them. In reality, this was yesterday. He’d spent most of today scrambling through the native bush and hiding from passing patrols. As dusk fell, he left the bushland onto a narrow street of houses and saw the railway station at Waikanae at the bottom of the hill. It was then a matter of finding a payphone and calling Tanner.
He made it sound easy. Daisy guessed it was anything but. And if Yanni had been happy to execute Lucky, what chance did the others have?
“So what happens next?” Alex asked the question everybody wanted answering.
Aiden gave a small, tight smile. “We go after them. We’ll head down into Wellington now and start rounding up a team. My initial idea is to go in under cover of darkness, but it will have to be tomorrow night. We can’t do anything sooner without major risk of failure.”
He hesitated. “I know that every hour puts them further at risk, but we can’t take the chance of storming the compound tonight, without any preparation. We go tomorrow.”
Instead of going to her room, Daisy went into Charlie’s and slipped under the covers beside him again. She didn’t want to be alone tonight. She tugged the quilt higher, and his eyes flicked open.
“You still here?” His voice was rough.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. We’ve got some catching up to do.” He stretched out to the bedside cabinet, but the condom packet was empty. “There’s some in my bag, babe.”
She climbed out of bed and unzipped his bag. She found clothes and toiletries. “Where? Am I looking in the right place?” She tried not to think about why he would be taking condoms with him for a five-day trip to the UK. Did he hope to get laid while back home?
“Side pocket.” Charlie yawned. “I picked up a new box on the way here. I knew we were running low.”
Thank Christ for that. His words made her absurdly happy. Her gamble had paid off, and Charlie wanted her again. She pushed her fingers into the side pocket, found a cardboard box and eased it out, snagging on a flimsy sheet of paper. As the condoms came clear of the bag, the paper fell to the floor. She picked it up, meaning to shove it back.
The opening lines caught her attention.
Dear Charlie.
By the time you read this, Alice should have told you the truth about your father. However, since she is a lying two-faced bitch, I’ll tell you anyway.
What the hell?
Charlie looked up, saw what she held, and stared at her. The raw pain on his face frigh
tened her.
“Put it down,” he said.
She didn’t react immediately.
“I said, put it down.”
His yell made her jump. She dropped the letter and held out the condoms, but Charlie swept them out of her hand and tossed them to the floor.
He scooped up the sheet of paper and crumpled it in his fist. “Get the fuck out of here, Daisy. ’Cause if you don’t, I’m walking. Do you hear me?”
Daisy had never felt as vulnerable, as standing here naked, with Charlie throwing his toys out of the cot. Her lower lip trembled.
He groaned and tugged her into his arms. “Jeez. I’m sorry. Really.”
“Why did you shout at me? That wasn’t nice.”
He scattered tiny kisses over her hair. “Because I’m an asshole. I am so fucked up, Daisy. Don’t you hate me yet? You should.”
Easy tears pricked at her eyes. He still didn’t understand. “I can’t hate you.” Her voice was choked with emotion. “Don’t you get that?” She almost said I love you but managed to hold the words back. Would he ever be ready to hear that?
FRIDAY 19 JANUARY
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sunlight danced across Charlie’s pillow, to shine onto his face. He felt the warmth on his eyelids. Without opening, they felt gummy and heavy, as though he’d been woken too early.
Something was not right.
He forgot to close the curtains, but there was something else.
Daisy.
She lay fast asleep, tucked beside his body, one hand draped across his thigh. Her breath drifted across his chest. She slept deeply, unaware of the brightness of the room.
He had one arm curled possessively around her shoulders. His fingers tingled with pins and needles, and he eased his arm free, reluctant to disturb her.
He never shared a bed all night.
He stared down at her, mesmerised by the sight of her hair sticking up in wild spikes, her lips moving slightly as she exhaled. She looked even younger than when awake. She could only be... What? Twenty-five? A good ten years younger than him, if not more.
Tendrils of panic nudged at his tired brain. He was stoned last night and a bit drunk. Okay, pretty drunk. But that was no reason to keep her in bed all night.