by KERRY BARNES
Zara suddenly hurried back to the office and rifled through her bag. There inside a black case was Torvic’s mobile. She could have kicked herself for not doing this earlier, and yet with Liam going missing, it had knocked them all out of kilter.
She rushed back to find Mike still interrogating Jackie. ‘Mike, we have all his contacts on here.’
‘Don’t look at me. I can’t even use me own. You, Lou, you’re better at technology than me. See what you can find. Tell his associates that we have a present for him.’ Mike looked at Jackie and grinned.
‘Oh no, please, Mike. He’ll fucking torture me …’
‘I know, I know, babe, but shit happens, eh?’
‘You bastards! You fucking cruel bastards!’
‘Me cruel? Huh, that’s a joke. You put Ricky’s life at risk helping Torvic escape, because even your pea-sized brain should’ve worked out that he’d be gunning for Ricky, just to torture me.’
Jackie knew then that she couldn’t get anything past Mike. He could see right through her. He always had and always would. She racked her brains, thinking of something that would save her now. And, for once in her life, she found herself able to think clearly, probably because her life was on the line.
‘Wait! I know. He did make a call. He used my phone,’ she said, quickly, hoping her little plan would work.
‘Where is it?’ demanded Mike.
To his surprise, she pulled it from her back pocket, along with her car keys. Snatching them both from her, Mike glanced at Zara and frowned.
Zara felt awkward because it should have been the first thing she ought to have checked. She didn’t respond with an excuse, merely glaring back, almost daring Mike to show her up in front of Jackie.
To her delight, Mike’s frown turned into a smile. ‘It’s your call, Boss. What shall we do now?’
Zara watched the confused expression on Jackie’s face, and, for a moment, she drank it in, feeling good about herself.
‘Why didn’t you just call Mike?’
Jackie rolled her eyes. ‘’Cos I don’t have his number, do I?’
‘I’m gonna check the number on her phone against Torvic’s, to see if there’s a name.’
Mike winked. ‘Sounds like a plan. Right, come on. Let’s leave the scum locked up for now.’
* * *
Jackie looked to the floor; it was her attempt at pretending to appear shameful. As soon as Zara bolted the door shut, Jackie looked up and smiled. She may have had the jitters about Torvic, but she’d learned a lot from hearing all of his ramblings. She hoped she could be successful in taking a leaf out of his book. Next up, she surveyed her surroundings. With relief, she spotted a bathroom and went inside to have a pee.
* * *
Zara wasted no time in tapping the number into Torvic’s phone, relieved he didn’t have a password. A name came up instantly as ‘Eric’. She stared, aghast, and showed the screen to Mike.
‘No way! It must be another Eric. That call wasn’t to my brother, surely? I mean, he helped us capture Torvic. Well, at least he was there. If he was pally with the bastard, then he would’ve tipped him off.’
Zara scrolled down her own contacts list. Sure enough, it was definitely Eric’s number.
‘Mike, your brother didn’t know what I was up to. I just asked him to meet me at the hangar. Lance took over at that point, so Eric wasn’t prewarned that I was setting up Torvic.’
Mike ran his hands through his hair; it was a habit of his when he was stressed about something. ‘No, there’s some mistake. I don’t get it. Eric was working with Lance … No, I’m sorry. No way would Eric do this. I know we had our differences, but, Christ, he knows how evil Torvic is. It’s not in Eric’s DNA to go against his family.’
‘Okay, then, so why would Torvic call Eric?’
Mike wanted to defend Eric because the thought that he could be wrapped up with Torvic in any way was unthinkable. Zara’s question irritated him: after all, Eric was his brother, his own flesh and blood.
After a moment of thought, Mike said, ‘To find out where he was, to track us down, I s’pose. I really dunno.’
‘That’s it, Mike. Exactly. We don’t fucking know, so we’d best find out.’
Zara dialled Eric’s number on Torvic’s phone and let it ring. There was no answer. ‘Mike, call your brother from your phone.’
Mike, now agitated, did as Zara asked. Within two rings, Eric answered.
‘All right, Bro? Any news?’ Eric sounded very upbeat.
Mike paused while he placed him on loudspeaker. ‘No, Eric, not yet. Did you get Mum and Dad off okay?’
‘Yeah, they’re going to the Lake District or somewhere like that. Have you heard from Terrence yet? Did he take the youngsters to a safe place?’
Mike’s eyes narrowed. ‘No, I haven’t heard anything. Where are you?’
‘Er, me? I’m just on me way home to grab a few bits. Where are you? I can meet up in an hour or so, if ya like?’
‘I’m going to the lock-up,’ replied Mike, in a monotone voice.
‘What for? Is Zara with you?’
Mike looked at Zara, his eyes wide and his face taut. She knew he was struggling to keep his voice on an even keel. ‘Yeah, she is.’
‘Good.’ His voice sounded worried. ‘I think Torvic will go for her, ya know. Keep her safe, and I’ll meet you there. Is there anything else you need me to do, Mike?’
‘Nah, just meet us there. My house ain’t a safe place to be right now, and we need to organize a plan to take that bastard down.’
Zara nodded, encouraging Mike to make his efforts sound convincing.
‘Righto, mate. See ya there.’
As Mike ended the call, he shook his head. ‘I dunno. He wanted to know a lot, especially about where the kids and you were, but he didn’t sound anything other than genuine.’
Lou sparked up the end of his cigarette and blew a large plume of smoke into the air. ‘Well, we’ll soon find out, Mike. So, let’s get off and meet ’im there.’
The lock-up and events from the past made Mike shudder. The place was his torture chamber; it was full of memories he wanted to forget. Yet, it was the first place that came to him. But could he really torture answers out of his own brother?
A nervous sweat peppered his brow as he thought about the past and what he may have to do now. Eric had always been by his side, passing the tools or being the lookout. He thought back to the old days, when they were just two brothers, close in age, and similar too in appearance and moral values. Shit! Had that bond between them really snapped? The tears in his eyes welled up when he recalled the conversation in the hangar after they’d captured Torvic. Eric apologized to him and Zara for his behaviour and he seemed so genuine. He couldn’t blame his brother for loving Zara, as that was just an emotion, but to side with Torvic? That was another matter. He knew that as much as he was a family man, he was also a ruthless bastard and meeting Eric face-to-face would be a test as to how merciless he could really be.
‘Let’s get going. Lou, you follow me in Jackie’s car. It’ll be the heap of junk parked on the lane near the entrance. If that Torvic turns up here, he won’t have reason to believe that she’s down in the basement.’
‘I’ll wait here, Mike, with Jackie, just in case,’ said Zara.
Pulling Zara into his arms, he hugged her tight. ‘I would rather you were somewhere safe. I don’t want that bastard getting his hands on you.’
‘Mike, listen. I’m safe here. I’ll wait in the basement. There’s only one way in, and if he chooses to walk down those stairs, I’ll blow his ugly head off.’
Mike pulled away and looked at her face. Those eyes that drew him in formed a lump that lodged in his throat. ‘Please, babe, make sure you kill him. Don’t ask questions, just shoot him.’
‘I will. And I promise you, I’ll be careful. You be careful as well because this has to be a set-up.’
‘I know the lock-up and its location better than anyone. I’ll be one st
ep ahead, and if Eric is behind this, then I will kill him.’
Zara watched as the sadness crept over Mike’s face. She knew that it would be the hardest thing for him to do – to murder his own brother.
* * *
Shelley looked out of her hotel window at the building site all around her and tutted. Her father could have booked her into a five-star place. ‘Fucking dump,’ she mumbled under her breath. She sat on the bed with the sulks and tutted as the mattress sank beneath her. ‘Fucking skinflint.’
Just as she was unpacking, a knock at the door pulled her head out of the suitcase. ‘Who is it!’ she snapped.
‘Colin.’ The voice was strong and brusque.
Surprised, she opened the door. ‘Oh, I didn’t think you were coming to Spain.’
He gazed around the sparse room, straightened his cufflinks, and sighed. ‘I’m putting a lot on the line for this. I mean a fucking lot, and I wanted to be here myself in case anything goes wrong.’ His eyes nervously twitched, which often happened when he was angry or uptight.
‘You said you would get the best. I mean, is my son in danger?’
Colin waved his hands in dismissal. ‘Not your son, you bloody fool. I mean my fucking liberty or my life.’
‘So, he’s okay, is he? I mean, I haven’t heard a word, no calls, nothing.’
Colin swept his hands across his neatly combed back hair and stretched his neck. ‘You’re not the least bit interested in what happens next, are ya? As long as your precious son is okay!’
‘Dad, come on. Of course I am. I do care, you know.’
He waved his hands more furiously this time. ‘No, you don’t, and please stop insulting my intelligence because I can see right through you like a sheet of glass. Anyway’ – he tutted – ‘it’s all sorted.’
‘And no repercussions, Dad? I mean, no one will link him to any of this, will they?’
Colin shook his head. ‘No, nor to me. Everything has been carefully planned and executed my end, but, mark my words, Shelley. If anything does come back to bite me on the arse, then it will only have come from you or your son, so be warned. Any comebacks and I won’t worry which one of you was responsible. I’ll have both graves dug and both of you done away with.’
Shelley’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She couldn’t imagine her father ever making a threat like that to her, his only daughter – his only child.
‘I swear, I’ll not breathe a word. Neither will Lucas. He ain’t the type to go around shouting his mouth off. You would like him. He’s a lot like you.’
‘What? First, no, I wouldn’t like him. Second, no, he’s not like me. And third, he’d better fucking not shout his mouth off. Once this is all over, he must act like nothing has happened, or, I promise you, I’ll kill him myself.’
With his chin jutting forward and the twitch in his eyes even more prominent, Shelley knew she needed to shut up or pacify him. However, when her father was angry, it would take a double dose of an elephant tranquillizer to calm him down.
‘Thanks for the room, Dad. I appreciate it,’ she said, trying to soften him.
‘Oh yeah? Don’t act like you’re grateful.’ He looked around. ‘This is a shit pit, no mistake, but, funnily enough, it’s one of my shit pits that by next year will be a five-star hotel.’
Shelley listened, imagining herself being part of all this. Her husband was loaded but his wealth was nothing compared to her father, and she bit her lip in frustration. How long would her father live? Would there ever be enough time to get back into his good books? Probably not, she decided.
‘You know, Dad, Spain would be good for Lucas and me. We could start a new life, leave the past behind. Perhaps—’
She didn’t get the rest of the words out of her mouth before he snapped at her with a high-pitched laugh. ‘Don’t even go there. Like I said, I can see right through you. As if I would ever let you anywhere near my business. I may not be on this earth for long, but one thing is for sure: none of my fortune will be left to you. You’ll not receive a stinking bean. Got it, Shelley?’
‘I don’t want your money. I want my father back, that’s all.’ She tried to sound hurt but even that was hard, and yes, he was right: she couldn’t pull the wool over his eyes.
‘Yeah, ’course you do. Well, it ain’t fucking happening. I’ll call you in the morning when everything is done and dusted. Then, you can see your precious son. And, by the way, he isn’t anything like me, so cut out the crap.’
‘What? You’ve actually seen him?’
Colin scoffed. ‘Yeah, I did. What an ugly bastard he is and all.’
Those words set her teeth on edge; she’d heard them too many times. ‘Well, that’s as may be, but, like I said, he is a lot like you.’
Colin examined himself in the mirror directly above the bed, smoothed his hair again, looked at his daughter, and winked. ‘Yeah, right, sure he is. Anyway, you’ll get a call when it’s time to leave. You won’t see me ever again.’
As the door slammed shut, she sat back on the bed, and in frustration, she punched her fists into the mattress. ‘You bastard!’
* * *
Liam coughed and tried to swallow, but he couldn’t. Something was stopping him. His eyes once again felt as though he had lead weights pressing on his lids. He could hear voices that started off as mumblings, but then, as his awareness came back, he recognized the sounds. One was from a woman; her voice was soft, and the other was from a man, which resembled that of a schoolteacher – posh and sharp.
A sudden panic ripped through him as his recollection returned. He tried again to move his arms, but they were still clamped to the bed. The smell was distinctive, and then he remembered his mother in the kitchen overdoing the bleach and the disinfectant. He could hear rhythmic bleeping sounds and the whoosh of a pump. However, he couldn’t fathom where he was or what the hell was going on.
Then the pain hit him. From his chest down, he was hurting; it was a burning, a deep agonizing ache. For a moment, he thought his captors had cut him in half, and, in a flash, he began to sweat. He tried to scream out in fear, but something in his throat was stopping him. His eyes opened, and the bright light that was there before had now gone; it was just a vast silver dish-like structure, hanging above his head. The room was dim. He expected to find himself in some empty run-down warehouse or lock-up, but the plastered walls and the small room suggested otherwise. Closing his eyes again, as the waves of tiredness washed over him, he heard that sharp voice again.
‘Leave him. He’ll bleed out eventually.’
Christ, what’s happening to me? What the hell are they doing? Liam fretted to himself.
Once the door slammed shut, he could hear another voice inside the room. It was the woman’s again.
‘Dear God. Please, help me.’
It wasn’t a cry for help that came from her. She was praying.
Liam opened his eyes and looked straight at her. Dressed in green scrubs, with just her sweet round face showing, Liam realized that she was either a surgeon or a nurse. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, he saw the shock and panic written across her face.
She gasped. ‘Oh shit, this wasn’t supposed to happen.’
She quickly looked at the door and then back at Liam.
‘Oh my God.’ Her eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for something.
Liam watched as she scrambled to the other side of the bed and fiddled with his arm. He looked down and saw a cannula. She was injecting him with something. Her eyes displayed terror.
‘I can’t do this.’
Liam wondered who she was talking to.
‘God, if you’re listening, please help me. I can’t let him die.’
Those words were bittersweet; he was going to die anyway, but this nurse, whoever she was, was attempting to save his life. A sudden feeling of comfort softened his muscles and relaxed his terrified thoughts. His eyes were heavy again, but he was still awake. The nurse untied his arm, and in one swift movem
ent, she pushed him onto his side. Then the pain hit him. Whatever the nurse was doing, it felt like hell on earth. He tried to scream, and yet nothing but a muffled groan came from his mouth.
‘Please, please be quiet. You must.’
For a second, the pain subsided, and she was face-to-face with him. Slowly, she removed the tube that had been put into his throat, and whispered, ‘Please don’t scream or they will kill you. Please.’ Her eyes turned down at the sides, and a crinkle across her nose showed she was afraid.
He wanted to gag, and started to panic, but she spoke again. ‘Please don’t move. I need to sew you up. I know it will hurt, but, trust me, I will get you out of here. Just do as I say.’
Liam swallowed hard, feeling the freedom and yet also the dry soreness at the back of his throat. He nodded, his eyes glistening. The nurse stroked his cheek as a tear left her eye and trickled down her face.
He could feel her pushing and poking around. Everything from amputation to experimental surgery ran through Liam’s mind, but he was too weak to fight; he had to put his trust in the nurse.
The stinging and burning wore him out. Desperate to cry, as every nerve was on fire, he bit his bottom lip, making it bleed. Tears filled his pillow; and no matter how much he tried to hold them back, his eyes just constantly filled with water. The pain was unbearable and all he wanted was his dad. It was as if he was a six-year-old kid again. He’d had appendicitis and his dad was there hugging him as he cried with the pain. He had been so afraid of the operation but his father’s words of comfort seemed to have made everything okay at the time. Not this time, though. He was powerless, completely at the mercy of this young woman, who, it appeared, was rooting for him. It seemed like hours before the nurse finished. Exhausted and in agony, relief came when she finally stopped and turned him over onto his back. She’d been crying too; he could see the red rings around her pretty green eyes.
A rustling outside the room forced the nurse to act quickly. She pulled a sheet over his entire body. ‘Be quiet and don’t move,’ she whispered, as the door swung open.