Double Cross: A gripping political thriller (The Cadre Book 3)

by Stephen Edger

  ‘They’re eight hours ahead so, it’s just coming up to four in the afternoon in England.’

  Dylan looked concerned.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Aaron asked.

  ‘I have a bad feeling.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘Connor. I mean, he said he was going to confront The Chairman, but I didn’t actually believe he would do it; he wasn’t the sort. I’m just wondering what would have happened if he had confronted him. They were willing to hire someone to kill the Prime Minister, they wouldn’t bat an eyelid to kill some punk working for the bank.’

  ‘Does he have any family you could contact? You know, like family or friends? Somebody must be able to confirm if he’s okay.’

  ‘He lives with his parents. They were on a cruise when I left London, but they’d be back by now. I’ll try their home number again when we’ve bought those phones.’

  They paid the bill at the counter and headed to an outdoor wear shop where they bought hiking boots, torches, all-weather jackets and thermals. They then headed to a phone shop and picked up a couple of over-the-counter smart phones, before finally heading to a department store to pick up khakis, fleece tops and socks. They headed back to the diner to change and ordered some sandwiches to take with them.

  ‘What’s the plan of action?’ Dylan asked, when they were back in the booth they’d been in earlier.

  ‘I think we need to get Stateside. These people will find us wherever we go, I just think the American authorities will ask a few more questions if our dead bodies show up.’

  ‘And from there?’

  ‘We head back to Florida, see if we can retrace Maria’s steps, from the moment she left the ship. If it means we have to hire a private eye to help, then that’s what we’ll do. We need someone who understands how things work.’

  ‘What about Las Iguanas? What if she’s there or on her way there?’

  ‘Listen Dylan, I’m sorry to be the one to say this, but I just don’t think she’ll show up there. Our best chance of finding her is to retrace her steps. Our sandwiches will be ready in a minute; see if you can get hold of your friend while I pay the bill.’

  Aaron left the booth and headed for the counter, leaving Dylan alone. There were only three other people in the diner, and they were all sitting at the counter. Dylan dialled both numbers again, but had the same result. Fearing the worst, he loaded up the internet on the phone and connected to the diner’s slow, but free Wi-Fi network. He typed Connor’s name into a search engine and skim-read the headlines. He wasn’t prepared for the first story he read:

  Couple’s Suicide Pact on Loveboat Cruise.

  He opened the story and began to read:

  A retired couple from London ended their fortnight Caribbean cruise with a lethal cocktail of prescription medication. John and Caroline Price, both 62 and from North West London, are believed to have left a letter addressed to their only son, Connor, explaining the reason for the pact. It is alleged that Mr Price was suffering with pancreatic cancer and only had months left to live. The pair, who booked the cruise to celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary, swallowed Mr Price’s two month supply of cancer medication before lying down in bed together and passing away quietly. The bodies were discovered by worried cabin crew who became concerned when the couple did not appear for breakfast with the Captain. Police in Miami, where the boat docked, are not treating the deaths as suspicious.

  Dylan reread the article, dumbfounded.

  ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost,’ Aaron said when he returned to the table. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘They’re dead…Connor’s parents…they’re dead. They committed suicide apparently.’

  Dylan passed the phone over so that Aaron could read the story. ‘This says he had cancer. Is that true? Did you know?’

  ‘It’s news to me. I mean, I hadn’t seen him in years, but Connor never mentioned it when I last spoke to him. I’m sure he would have said something.’

  ‘You think this is them as well?’

  ‘Sure. Why not?’

  ‘Do you realise how much effort they would have had to go to? I mean, it’s not just sneaking on board the ship and forcing the pills down their throats, they’d also have to hack into the guy’s medical records to plant the cancer story. Did Connor’s parents know anything about The Cadre?’

  ‘I don’t know. I suppose it’s possible Connor told them, but, even if he hadn’t, would The Cadre take the chance. Every time someone gets close to exposing the truth they wind up dead. These are some serious fucking people, Aaron!’

  ‘Let’s suppose for a moment that it isn’t just a coincidence; that means that your friend is likely to…’

  ‘Be dead as well,’ Dylan finished. ‘I know. This is all my fault.’

  ‘How do you figure that?’

  ‘I’m the reason Connor became mixed up in this. I conned him into driving me to a drug exchange. If he hadn’t given me a lift that night, the people who hired me to kill Dreyfuss would never have known about him. I’m responsible, Aaron. I’m the reason Connor and his parents are dead and I’m the reason that Maria is missing.’

  ‘Listen to me, Dylan. You can’t blame yourself for the actions of The Cadre. You didn’t force the pills down their throats; someone else did. Those same people are probably holding your girlfriend hostage until they can get their hands on you; and when they do, they’ll probably kill you both too. You only have one choice here: fight! We need to get back at them and expose them for the bastards they truly are. They killed my uncle and my cousin too, don’t forget. When I joined The Navy I swore an oath to protect the British people from the enemy. That the enemy lives on our own shores changes nothing.’

  ‘What happened to your cousin?’

  ‘My Uncle Troy’s eldest son, Harry, was looking into Parvon Trading when he was murdered by the same bastard who planted the bomb on my bus. So I owe them for two deaths. I’m not going to sit back and allow them to do it again. We need to work together Dylan. It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. There will be time to grieve, and contemplate your role in what’s happened, later. In the meantime, I’m going to phone my younger cousin, Toby and check that he’s okay. Go and splash some water on your face and get ready. We have a long drive ahead of us.’

  13

  Aaron stepped out of the mall, the cool breeze on his face felt refreshing. He made a mental note to buy some sunglasses before they set off on their journey. Although he could see his own breath, the sun’s rays reflecting off the wet tarmac were making him squint. He pulled out the mobile and dialled the number he had committed to memory. His cousin Toby answered on the third ring.

  ‘Hello?’ the youngster said.

  ‘Toby, it’s Aaron, how you doing?’

  ‘Aaron, it’s great to hear from you. This isn’t your usual number.’

  ‘No, buddy, I lost that phone, so I got myself a new one.’

  ‘Yeah? What did you get? Another iPhone?’

  Aaron turned the phone over in his hands before returning it to his ear. ‘I’m not even sure what this is; just something cheap until I get back.’

  ‘Oh, you’re not home yet then,’ Toby said, the disappointed tone all too clear.

  ‘No, not yet, buddy,’ Aaron said, trying to sound as jolly as possible. ‘How’s school? I wasn’t sure you’d be finished for the day yet.’

  ‘It was sports afternoon, but the rugby pitch was frozen, so they made us do cross-country instead and then sent us home early.’

  ‘I used to love cross-country.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m pretty good at it; I usually finish in the top five or six runners.’

  ‘Yeah? That’s great, Tobes. Are Janet and Rob taking good care of you?’

  ‘They’re my Godparents. I’m pretty sure they’re legally obliged to take care of me.’

  ‘That’s not what I meant, Toby. I mean, are you having a good time at their house? It must be great having a pool you can use at any time.’


  ‘Yeah the pool is nice, and the house is big, but I miss my friends.’

  ‘I’m sure you do, Tobes. I know you weren’t keen to move to Chelmsford, but we didn’t really have another choice. You’ve been there for three months now, you must be making friends.’

  ‘Yeah, there’s a couple of guys who are pretty cool.’

  ‘What about the girls? Any of them caught your eye yet?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Toby said sheepishly.

  ‘Oh yeah? What’s her name?’

  ‘There’s this one girl, Becky, who’s pretty cool. We’ve hung out a few times. She’s in my drama group.’

  ‘You’ll have to introduce me when I come and visit.’

  ‘You’re coming to visit?’ he interrupted excitedly. ‘When?’

  ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down. Not yet. I have a few things still to take care of, but once I’m done, I’m coming back to stay.’

  ‘And we can be a family again? Janet and Rob are nice enough, but I sometimes feel like I’m imposing. Their kids have grown up and started their own families. I’m sure the last thing they want to do is babysit me.’

  ‘Tobes, you’re nearly sixteen; they’re not babysitting you. Besides, they promised your dad that they’d watch over you in the event that anything ever happened to him. They’re your legal guardians for now, and I’m sure they love having you around.’

  ‘Will you be back by my birthday? It’s only two months away.’

  ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Toby. I’ll do my best to be there.’

  ‘You promise?’

  Aaron’s eyes were starting to fill. ‘Yep,’ he managed, as a single tear rolled down his cheek. ‘You’ve been so brave since…I’m so proud of you, Toby. I know it hasn’t been easy. I wish…’

  ‘It’s okay, Aaron, I understand. Just come home soon, please?

  ‘I will, I will.’

  ‘Where are you anyway?’

  ‘Uh…’ Aaron began, not sure how much he should say, in the likelihood that the call was being monitored. ‘In Mexico, believe it or not,’ he said, deciding that they knew where he was anyway.

  ‘Mexico? No way. What are you doing there?’

  ‘I’ll explain everything once I’m home.’

  ‘But I don’t understand. What’s so important in Mexico?’

  ‘It’s hard to explain, Toby. All I can say is it’s really important and something I have to do. It will all make sense once I’m back, but in the meantime, I need you to trust me.’

  ‘Whatever, man…I better go; Rob’s taking us out for pizza tonight.’

  ‘Oh yeah? Sounds good. Is it a special occasion?’

  ‘He’s got some voucher or something I think. Which reminds me, some woman phoned here, asking for you.’

  ‘Woman? What woman?’

  ‘I can’t remember what her name was. Hold on, I wrote it down…’

  There was a pause on the line whilst Toby hunted for the scrap of paper in his room. Aaron waited nervously.

  ‘Here it is…her name was Victoria and she wanted you to call her back.’

  ‘Did she say anything else? Did she say what it was about?’

  ‘Nope, just asked you to call her. She left a number you can reach her on.’

  Toby read out the number as Aaron punched it into his phone and saved the new contact.

  ‘Who is she? Is she hot?’ Toby teased.

  ‘She’s just a friend,’ Aaron fired back dismissively. ‘I’ll call you again soon. I love you, Toby.’

  Aaron pushed the phone back into his pocket and began to pace. The last time he’d spoken to Victoria, she’d warned him that a contract had been placed on his head. He’d told her to watch her own back too. He could still remember how good she’d smelt when he’d met her at Troy’s funeral. Her long legs and flowing hair had seemed so out of place amongst the other stiff suits mourning. He had been instantly attracted to her, but had quashed any thoughts of romance the moment she’d revealed that she was in fact Troy’s girlfriend; at least, she had been. He had to hand it to his uncle, he’d had good taste.

  She’d contacted him a month after the bus incident to tell him she’d heard what had happened to him, and to check that he was okay. Over the next hour they had talked about Troy’s activities in the days leading up to his death. She’d told him that she knew very little and had been expecting him to return to their flat on the morning he was pronounced dead. She had said that he’d been away on business for three weeks before he died. She’d added that this wasn’t unusual, and she’d had no reason to be alarmed until the police had contacted her.

  Victoria was born and raised in Bacoli, on the coast near Naples, but had studied at university in England. When they had spoken at the funeral, she had told him how she had been introduced to Troy at a party and, despite the age gap between them, he had swept her off her feet. She had never really pondered the future until Troy’s death; they had just been happy living each day as it came. When Aaron had told her that he felt obliged to learn more about Troy’s death, she had told him it was a bad idea. She had said that the people Troy had been working for were not the kind who would be happy with someone sniffing around their plans.

  He had listened to her warnings carefully, but had proceeded nonetheless. She had seemed to accept his decision and had provided him with access to all of Troy’s belongings. The fact that she had reached out to Toby to pass on a message didn’t feel right. He knew that Dylan would be starting to wonder what was taking so long, but he knew he needed to check that she was safe.

  Aaron pulled the phone back out of his pocket and dialled the only saved contact.

  ‘Si,’ she answered.

  ‘Victoria, it’s Aaron. Is everything okay? Toby said you’d called him.’

  ‘Si, si, Aaron, thank God. You are okay. When I hadn’t heard from you over the weekend I thought maybe something had happened to you.’

  ‘Something did, but I’m okay now. How is everything at your end? You haven’t noticed any strange men following you?’

  ‘I wish!’ she laughed. ‘No, no strange men have been following me. I am well. Where are you now?’

  ‘Uh, I can’t really talk, Victoria as I don’t have much credit on this phone. Can you call me back?’

  ‘Sure, sure, one moment.’

  The line disconnected, and he patiently waited for her to phone back.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ he said when the line connected.

  ‘It’s okay. You are in Mexico still?’

  ‘Yes, but I think Troy’s friends know I’m here. Someone tried to kill me last night and again this morning. I think that I must be getting closer to finding out what my uncle knew.’

  ‘Be careful, Aaron. I am worried about you.’

  ‘I’ve caught up with another British guy who knows all about the group. He reckons the head of the General Financial banking group is involved somehow. His girlfriend has gone missing, and he’s certain they’re involved in her abduction. I think he can help me get to them.’

  ‘You trust this guy? You are sure he is not one of them?’

  It was a fair question, and one he had been ignoring until now. ‘I trust him, I think. Some of the things he’s told me…they’re trying to kill him too so my enemy’s enemy is my friend, right?’

  ‘If you’re sure…listen, there’s someone I think you need to meet.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘I can’t say on the phone, but I think he can help us find out who hired the man who killed Troy.’

  ‘Who is he? Where did you find him?’

  ‘It’s too dangerous to say on the phone. Tell me, how long would it take you to get to Nevada?’

  ‘Nevada? What the hell is in Nevada?’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘You are? You’re in the States? How long have you been there?’

  ‘I flew in yesterday. Listen, I will explain everything to you once you get here.’

  ‘Get there? How the hell am I supposed to get to Ne
vada?’

  ‘Drive? Fly? It doesn’t matter. I think this could be the big clue you’ve been looking for. You have to come and meet him.’

  ‘Where in Nevada are you?’

  ‘It’s a town called Fallon to the west of the state. Get here as soon as you can, and I promise I will explain everything to you then. Phone me when you’re getting near.’

  With that the line went dead. He was amazed that Victoria had left Italy. When they had spoken about his plan, she had been adamant that she didn’t want to be involved; that it was too dangerous. He’d promised to keep her out of danger, but this move seemed very risky. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, but he knew she was right not to say too much on the telephone. She’d already taken a big enough chance telling him where to meet her.

  He knew Dylan wouldn’t react well to the news; he had promised they would head to Miami, and now he was heading into the desert. He opened the door to the mall and headed back inside. The air was stifling in comparison, but he ignored the clamminess under his arms. Dylan was looking at his phone when Aaron entered.

  ‘Everything okay with your cousin?’ Dylan asked.

  ‘Uh, yeah, yeah, he’s okay. He’s missing me, I think.’

  ‘Are you good to go? Where do you think we should hire a car from?’

  ‘Uh, listen, Dylan, there’s been a change of plan. I’ve just finished speaking to my uncle’s girlfriend; you remember I mentioned her?’

  ‘Sure. Victoria, right?’

  ‘Exactly. She says she’s found someone who can help us prove what The Cadre are up to. She says we should go and meet him now.’

  ‘Okay, where is he?’

  ‘That’s just it: Nevada. She’s adamant that he can help us, so I thought we could drive there first, and then head onto Miami after.’

  ‘Wait! No! You said we needed to retrace Maria’s steps. You said you were going to help me.’

  ‘And I will, as soon as I’ve met this guy in Nevada.’

  ‘Fuck you, Aaron! You want to help, but only once you’ve sorted your own problems. Every minute I waste is a minute Maria is closer to death. She is my priority.’