by Sofia Grey
“No. Call Lucky. Jean-Luc.” It was a struggle to keep his eyes open. “She thinks he’s dead.”
“Don’t go to sleep, Jack. Stay with me.”
Tanner was busy, ripping the pants leg open and tying something around Jack’s thigh. “Don’t you dare black out on me, O’Donnell. Talk to me.”
It sounded as though he was yelling from the other end of a long corridor.
“Lucky,” Jack murmured again, as the blackness wrapped around him.
*
The bang was louder than Juli expected. An acrid smell filled her nostrils, and the gun threatened to leap out of her slippery hands. It flew up in the air, and she tried to hold onto it while tumbling sideways, knocked off balance by Tanner.
Strong hands tore the weapon out of her grasp.
She smacked hard into the wet concrete. Every molecule of air flew out of her lungs.
Jack lay on the ground, blood pumping out of his thigh.
She did that.
Dear God. She shot him.
The bullet was supposed to go into the grass, not into him.
Someone grabbed both her wrists and held them high.
If she was vulnerable before, it was game over now.
Tanner knelt beside Jack, talking to him in an urgent voice, and another guy hunkered down at their side. She recognised him. Wasn’t he at Jordan’s house?
“What the hell did you do that for?” The guy holding Juli looked appalled.
Her teeth chattered with a combination of fear and cold, but she tried to speak anyway. “Let me talk to the police.”
Another voice broke in, his crisp Queen’s English familiar. He was at Jordan’s too. “Jean-Luc is alive and well. He’s in Christchurch at the moment, with Alex and Sylvie. Did you really think Jack killed him?”
His name was Aiden. She recalled it in a flash. He nodded to the guy holding her, and her wrists were released.
She huddled on the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. “I want to speak to the police. Please hand me over to the police.”
“Hey.” Aiden crouched beside her. “Would you like to speak to Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc was dead. What kind of trick was this? “I saw him—Jack—shoot Jean-Luc. I was there.”
Aiden dialled a number on his phone. Spoke into it. Behind him, they were still working on Jack. He appeared to be unconscious.
Aiden held the phone to Juli’s ear.
“Hello?” She could only manage a whisper.
“Juli? Is that you? Thank Christ you’re okay.”
It sounded like Jean-Luc. It could still be a trick. She racked her brains and came up with the perfect test. “If you really are Jean-Luc, what did you say to me at the conference, when I told you I was involved with Jack?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Mon coeur est cassé.”
How could this be? What had she done? “I thought Jack killed you.”
“It wasn’t for real. Jack infiltrated Yanni’s group, and he had to make it look realistic. He helped me escape so we could arrange to rescue you all.”
Oh no. Dear God, no.
Her mouth no longer worked. Breathing was impossible. Her heart felt as though it weighed a couple of tons in her chest.
Sweet baby Jesus. She shot Jack.
And he was innocent.
*
Somebody slapped Jack’s face. He forced his eyes open, puzzled.
Tanner stared down at him, anger and shock on his face. “I told you, O’Donnell, stay awake.”
“Where is she?”
“D’you mean Juli?” Blood was smeared down Tanner’s cheek. Was that Jack’s?
“Uh huh.”
“Crazy Juli that just shot you? Aiden’s got her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Doesn’t appear to be bleeding, unlike you, buddy. I need to move your leg. It might hurt.”
Jack grunted, waited as the world swam out of focus, and then snapped back again. “Juli.”
She stared at him from a sitting position on the floor. Her face shone with tears that she wiped away with the back of her hand.
Next thing, she was by his side. “Jack. I’m sorry. So sorry. I watched you shoot Jean-Luc. Yanni said you were going to kill me, but Jean-Luc is fine, and I did this and—”
He’d not seen her so out of control before. He wanted to chuckle, but he was in too much pain. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Juli. I thought you knew that.”
She ducked her head, then looked at him again. “I didn’t know who I could trust. I should have believed you.” It came out a whisper.
She shuffled closer and cradled his head, her wet hair falling across his face. Why was he so cold? Of course—it was pouring down rain. His brain struggled to work at anything over half-speed, but he knew what he wanted to do. Even as Tanner patched him up—fuck knew how badly he was hurt—Jack focused on one thing.
He tilted his face, strained to reach upwards, and finally met Juli’s lips.
*
Not only did Charlie refuse to take Daisy’s calls, but his phone now also appeared to be switched off. She’d sent a flurry of texts, but had no reply. Panic spiralled. What had he done? Where was he?
When Sylvie called to say he was back and that his phone was broken, the relief made Daisy weak at the knees. She had to sit in the nearest chair and get herself under control.
“Thank you,” she whispered into the phone. “I was so worried.”
“Me too.” Sylvie sounded odd. “I have to go. We’re on stage in a minute. See you later.”
Sylvie made no reference to the news from earlier. Did she know it was true?
There were more visitors to the house. Jon and Anita with their little daughter Mindy were friends and close neighbours of Jordan and Kate at their Rhosneigr home. They’d set off once they received the news about Jordan’s supposed death.
Daisy knew them slightly, and it was touching to see their highly emotional reunion, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Charlie.
This was the time he needed love and support the most. She had to figure out how to be there for him, without it tearing her apart inside.
*
Juli watched the paramedics load Jack into a rescue helicopter. Her thoughts and emotions were a tangled mess. She didn’t know what to think. Common sense, intuition, and logic had fled the scene. Gut instinct took over in the absence of anything more sensible.
She loved Jack.
There was a possibility she’d killed him. The amount of blood he lost was terrifying, but the moment they kissed cemented that love into her brain.
She looked down at her trembling hands. They had a smear of Jack’s blood on them. Nausea rose in her throat, and she blinked hard. She couldn’t throw up. Not here, in front of everyone.
Where was Yanni? He must have escaped. Was he watching from the undergrowth?
The multiple deceptions made her feel sick. Everyone had been playing mind games with her.
The helicopter took off, and her heart went with it. If Jack didn’t make it, she didn’t know what she’d do.
Aiden helped her stand, frowning when he realised she couldn’t walk. He supported her as she hobbled to the bus shelter and sat on the bench again. “May I take a look at your ankle?” he asked.
She nodded.
With careful hands, he pushed up her trouser leg and tugged down her sock. “Just a sprain, I think. I’ll see if Tanner can strap it up for you.”
Tanner rapidly bandaged her ankle to give her some support. He worked silently, and she cringed under his fierce gaze. The blood on his hands came from Jack, his friend.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know who to believe.”
“Believe this—you must tell us where to find Yanni.” It was a bald statement.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“He may have fucked with your head, but with or without your help, we’re going after him. It’ll be better for you if you help us.”
The
anger in his voice made her flinch.
She was relieved when Aiden joined them again. “Come into the car with us, Juli. We can debrief there.”
*
Charlie had never struggled with a gig as hard as he did with this. Christchurch took every last bit of emotional energy he had. He was still reeling from the story in the news and had no idea if AJ had seen it yet. Was Daisy telling the truth when she said she didn’t leak it? Who else could have?
He watched AJ and Sylvie like a hawk, stepping up and keeping the performance going when they needed it. Somehow, he held it together. This wasn’t his role. AJ was the leader in every way, but if Charlie could help his oldest friend—his half-brother—this once, he’d give it all he had. And more.
They staggered off stage just after ten. They’d limped through the performance and managed the usual encores, but now he wanted to drop where he stood.
Sylvie headed straight for Lucky, to get an update.
There was no news of Callum.
Charlie wanted to put his fist through the stack of Marshall speakers. Where the fuck did Joni go?
“There is some news,” said Lucky. “Juli Pascal has been found safe and well, but Jack was injured. He’s undergoing emergency surgery at the moment. I’ll update everyone when I have more news.”
“What about Tanner and Aiden?” asked AJ.
“They’re fine. Jack was only one hurt.”
Frankie hovered. “Your plane is waiting, and the car’s outside.” Charlie nodded. They’d chartered a private jet to take them back to Wellington tonight. They all wanted to get there as soon as possible, apart from Mick who was continuing to stay in Christchurch.
Charlie summoned the energy to say goodbye to the Invercargill guys and sign their CDs. He thanked them again for their help and promised to keep in touch. He meant it too.
The mayor’s daughters weren’t there, and he was truly grateful for that. He didn’t need another reminder of the colossal fuckup he was.
Now they just needed to get the hell out of Christchurch.
*
Juli sat in the back of the car, with Aiden on one side and a hostile Tanner on the other. Another familiar guy, Darcy, sat in the front with a stranger. They all focused on Aiden, who spoke patiently to her, as though talking to an idiot.
“We know from what Jordan and Nick told us, that Yanni was working on some kind of earthquake machine, based on a design of yours.”
“It’s not my design,” she interrupted. “It was Tesla’s invention. Yanni wanted to modify it, to use some technology I’d been working on.”
“Okay. But in your opinion—since you seem to know the most about the design—how dangerous is it? Can he make it work?”
She shivered. Though the car heater warmed the air, her clothes were saturated. “He claims it worked last year, that he set off the series of Southland quakes. And he plans to set it off again tonight.”
They all stared at her now. Aiden’s gaze was piercing in its intensity. “Tonight? Do you know where?”
“He was vague. All I know is somewhere in the city centre, as close to one of the major fault lines as possible. He plans to set it off at midnight. It’s a timed demonstration, to show someone it can be done.” She had to stop. Her teeth were chattering too hard.
Aiden handed her his jacket, and she snuggled into it.
“He told me the impact would be minimal,” she continued. “The houses here are built to withstand earthquakes. The Southland quakes did hardly any damage.”
The stranger in the front of the car made a horrified noise. “The reason there was hardly any damage down south is because no bugger lives there.” His accent suggested he was a local. “A series of similar sized tremors here could level Wellington and most of the surrounding area. Jesus Christ. Wellington straddles a major fault line. He could go anywhere.”
“Think, Juli,” Aiden urged. “Did he give you any clues at all?”
“No. He just said as close to the fault line as he could get. Last time he used a cell phone to detonate it, but he’s rigged this one to a timer, to go off at midnight. He planned for us to be miles away when it actually went off.”
“You were going to go with him?”
Juli heard the note of disgust in Tanner’s voice. She stared down at her hands, twisting them restlessly in her lap. “I told you. I didn’t know who to trust. He said his enemies were hunting him—a man who tortured and murdered his wife, while Yanni was forced to watch.” She gazed up at Aiden. “Did you know that?”
His eyes widened. “No. I didn’t know he’d been married.”
“I don’t know who works for who. I don’t know what to believe any more.”
Tanner snorted. “You sound as though you’re defending him.”
“Enough.” Aiden’s voice was sharp in the close quarters of the car. Tanner subsided, and Aiden spoke to Juli again. “If we stand a ghost of a chance of stopping this device from wrecking the city, we’re going to need your help, Juli.”
“I told you. I don’t know where he’ll put it.”
“But if we do manage to find it, we’ll need your help to defuse it, for lack of a better expression. Like it or not, you’re the only one here who understands how it works.” He paused. “You’re coming with us. We’re going to start looking at maps, to work out where he might be going.”
Juli guessed they were heading into Wellington. The weather hadn’t improved, and the roads were quiet. It didn’t take long before they parked in an underground car park, and she was ushered into a windowless office.
Aiden took a call and stepped away. When he returned, he flashed a brief smile. “I’ve an update on Jack. The bullet missed both his femur and the femoral artery, entering and exiting his thigh. He should make a quick recovery.”
Thank God. Jack would be okay. Juli was giddy with relief. Some of Tanner’s worry lines lifted from his handsome face, and he nodded at Aiden.
Tanner still hated her, though. He couldn’t look at her without scowling, and she got that. She really did.
After poring over maps and diagrams, Aiden’s team split in six different directions. The Wellington fault line was agreed to be the most likely target, but it was huge. It cut through the city centre, along the edge of Wellington Harbour, and then north, to the Hutt Valley, where Yanni left Juli.
The best chance they had—and this was slim to ridiculous—was tracing whichever method of transport he would have stolen. Police were going door to door in the housing estates where Juli ended up, asking people to check if their vehicles were still there.
Based on the assumption that Yanni had secured new transport, he could be anywhere. Since he wanted to plant his device to go off on a timer, he could have already set it and left again.
The police and security services—as many as could be mustered—were searching for Yanni. Finding him and his oscillator had priority over everything else.
Juli described the oscillator as best she could, based on the diagrams she’d seen. An element of guesswork was involved. And now, as the clock ticked relentlessly toward midnight, she asked Aiden if she could go sit with Jack in the hospital. If they gave her a phone, she could stay in contact for any enquiries. She really didn’t see what else she could do.
“You do realise that Wellington could be devastated, if this device works.”
She stared at Aiden, but his face gave nothing away. “Do you really think it will be bad?”
“Have you ever been in an earthquake zone?”
She shook her head.
“There are all sorts of factors to take into consideration, but yes, it could be very bad. As a precaution, I’ve contacted Jordan and told him to get his group away from the city. I can’t get hold of Alex at the moment. They must still be in the air.”
“Would they feel it in Plimmerton? That’s miles away from the city centre.”
Aiden’s voice was as grim as his expression. “The main Southland quake was felt as far north as Hamilton.
That’s not far from Auckland. We can assume that Plimmerton would feel it.”
*
Daisy wasn’t surprised to receive a text from Sylvie, but the message itself was unexpected.
This is Charlie, using Sylvie’s phone. Hi Daisy. I’d really like to talk to you later, if that’s ok. On our way to airport now. Should be back around midnight. C
Her cheeks heated, and she re-read the message. This was as close to an olive branch as she could wish for.
On the other hand, he might be having an attack of conscience, and simply want to apologise for his behaviour. She chewed on her thumbnail and thought hard about how to reply.
Hi. Yes, let’s talk when you get back. Hope you are ok. D x
She agonised about signing it with a kiss, but threw caution to the winds and pressed Send. She’d talk to him soon enough.
She kept herself busy, watching the social media about tonight’s concert. There was a steady stream of tweets and Facebook posts in support of Alex and Sylvie, and expressing gratitude they’d gone ahead with the performance. She wished there was news about Callum, but there was nothing.
Close to eleven, Jordan called everyone together, and Daisy hastened to join them in the lounge. It might be news.
He looked pale and stressed, quite unlike his normal self.
Daisy felt sick. Please don’t let this be more bad news. She couldn’t cope with anything else going wrong.
“I don’t have time to explain,” said Jordan, “but we need to get out of Plimmerton. Right now. I’m getting a plane ready for us at the airport and organising cars. We need to pack up the bare essentials and get out of here within the next ten minutes. All of us.” He glanced around the room.
Daisy stared back, speechless.
He gave them a tight smile. “Let’s go, people. Daisy, could you please help Kate with Poppy? I have calls to make.”
Daisy found her voice. “What about the others? Where are they?”
“They’re still in the air. I’m gonna ask them to wait at the airport for us.”
Nick stood and gazed at Jordan. “Is it the oscillator?” He sounded incredulous.
Jordan gave a small nod. “He’s trying to use it tonight, at midnight.”