Demons

by Beth Abbott

  “She’s not in work.” Cerys murmured.

  “What did you say?” Evan looked at the woman, wondering why she had a half-grin on her face.

  “I said she’s not in work.” Cerys smiled at him. “Or at least, if she is, she drove fifteen miles out of her way, only to get the bus or train back to Birmingham.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Cerys.” Robbie grabbed her arm and shook it. “Stop talking in your drunken riddles. None of us have the patience for it.”

  “I’m saying, baby brother, that Megan wouldn’t have driven all the way out here, only to get public transport back to Birmingham.” She shrugged. “Besides, Megan’s manners are too good to do a disappearing act without letting you know about it first.”

  “Cerys, how do you know she drove all the way out to the stadium?” Evan asked, trying to keep his voice calm and measured.

  “I know because I know Megan’s car registration plate, and that little unicorn sticker she has on the back of her car.” Cerys shrugged again. “It’s parked in the carpark across from the stadium gates. I saw it when my ride dropped me off an hour ago.”

  “Are you sure it was Megan’s car?” Evan was ready to take off at a sprint.

  “Absolutely.” Cerys nodded. “How many other grey Fiat’s do you think there are with MEG in the registration, and a unicorn sticker in the window?”

  “There’s a window on the second-floor landing of the south stairs that looks out over the gate and the carpark.” Logan pointed out. “It’s less than a minute away.”

  Evan darted for the door with Logan and Robbie in close pursuit.

  “It’s in the middle of the front row.” Cerys called after them.

  Evan raced to the closest staircase and headed up to the second floor.

  Sure enough, the window looked straight out over the gate, and beyond it to the carpark.

  “Can you see it?” Robbie strained to see past him.

  “There’s a car that looks like it, but we’re too far away to read the license plate.” Evan growled.

  “Here…!” Robbie shoved his phone over Evan’s shoulder. “Put it flat to the glass before you take the picture. It’ll stop there being any reflection, and it’ll keep it steady so there’s no blurring.”

  Evan did exactly as Robbie instructed, tapping the screen a couple of times to take a few pictures.

  He handed it back to Robbie to retrieve the photos from the gallery.

  As Robbie called up the first photo, Evan stared at the screen.

  “Zoom in.” Logan instructed, ignoring the fact that Robbie was already doing just that.

  “Look!” Robbie pointed. “MEG! Cerys is right. That’s Megan’s car. Why has it been out there for an hour and she’s not here? What the hell is going on?”

  “I don’t know.” Evan admitted. “But we need to speak to Matt about this. He might have some ideas. Wait here.”

  Evan jogged back to the function room and made a beeline for his boss, who was talking on the phone.

  As they approached him, Matt ended the call, and Evan was sure he heard the man growl.

  “Boss, we’ve got a bit of a problem.” Evan began. “Can you come with me?”

  Matt frowned, but he followed Evan back to where Logan and Robbie were waiting.

  “Megan’s missing!” Evan announced.

  “She’s not the only one.” Matt growled.

  “What?” Evan stopped short. “Who else is missing?”

  “My wife!” Matt was obviously unhappy. “That was Claire on the phone, letting me know that Suzy hasn’t shown up for work yet.”

  “Isn’t that a cause for concern?” Logan frowned, watching his boss rubbing his temple as though he had a raging migraine.

  “Suzy and I had a rather frank exchange of views this morning in the car on the way over.” Matt admitted. “Which ended up with Suzy getting out of the car and stomping off to get the train back to Birmingham. If I had to guess, she’s ticking off every one of her favourite boutiques and shopping haunts, in an attempt to run up my credit card, just to piss me off.”

  “So, she’s not really missing then?” Evan checked.

  “My wife was born and raised in Birmingham. She couldn’t get lost here even if she tried.” Matt shrugged. “She’ll find her way home when she thinks I’m ready to grovel.”

  “How long does that normally take?” Logan grinned.

  “About eight hours or bedtime, whichever comes first.” Matt smirked. “Anyway, enough of my domestic strife. Who did you say was missing, and what makes you think that?”

  “Megan’s car is parked across the road, in the carpark I told her to use when she visited the stadium, and according to Cerys it’s been there at least an hour, but she hasn’t come into the stadium.” Evan explained. “Nobody has seen anything of her, and I can’t reach her by phone.”

  “Are you sure it was her car in the carpark?” Matt asked, and Robbie held out his phone as evidence.

  “That’s her car. MEG. I’m sure.” Robbie insisted.

  “And she hasn’t sent either of you a message to ask for someone to come down and sign her in?” Matt checked.

  “Not me.” Evan shook his head. “I’ve been trying to call her, but it’s just ringing out to voicemail.”

  “I haven’t checked my messages since we finished training.” Robbie took his phone back. “It’s been on silent since we’ve been in here.”

  He scrolled through his messages until one took his interest.

  Evan literally watched the blood drain from his face.

  Before he could reach out and grab him, Robbie’s knees buckled, and he sank to the floor.

  Evan dropped to his haunches and grabbed the phone from Robbie’s frozen fingers.

  “I have your sister. Tell anyone and she dies. Call the police and she dies. Try and fuck me over and I will rape her before she dies. I’ll be in touch.”

  Evan read the words aloud, as though they were referring to someone other than the woman he’d loved all his adult life.

  Matt took the phone from him and read the message before looking back at his men.

  “We need to get to a quiet room, and we need to get all our people together.” He instructed. “Logan, see if you can get the club owner out of the conference room. He needs to be in the loop. Then get someone down to check out Megan’s car. Make sure it’s locked and hasn’t been tampered with. Nobody else is to be alerted that anything is wrong. Meet us in the small conference room on the ground floor that they use for press briefings.”

  Logan set off to find the owner while Matt and Evan lifted Robbie off the floor.

  “Come on lad.” Matt put his arm around the shell-shocked boy. “We’ll get Megan back, don’t you worry.”

  Evan glanced at his boss, momentarily doubting Matt’s sanity.

  “We’ve been there and done this before.” Matt nodded confidently. “No reason why we won’t do it again.”

  Evan prayed he was right. The alternative… well there really wasn’t one.

  Chapter 40 – Matt

  Matt ended the call to JT, and walked back to the chairs where his team, Robbie and Robbie’s agent and management were sitting around.

  “Ok, my fellow directors and associates will be on their way from London within the hour. We’re also bringing in a friend of ours who is one of the most senior police officers in the country.” Matt explained. “We’re going to move the base of operations from here to our offices in Birmingham, in the hope of keeping this away from the media altogether. I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you all how absolutely vital it is that news of Megan’s kidnapping is kept away from the public eye. We can’t afford to have this turn into a media circus.”

  “Do you think she was abducted from outside the stadium?” The owner asked.

  “It’s very likely.” Matt nodded. “But I’ll need your security camera footage to confirm it.”

  “We have a secure CCTV network. It’s completely isolated f
rom the internet, so it can’t be hacked or tampered with.” The owner nodded. “I can have everything you need downloaded for you or the police to look over.”

  “Do that, please.” Matt agreed. “We have an IT specialist who can go through it frame by frame if necessary.”

  “Do I have to tell Cerys?” Robbie asked. “She’s got the biggest mouth in the country.”

  “We already considered that.” Matt nodded. “We’re gonna move her to a safe house outside of Birmingham. We’ll explain that a credible threat has been made against her. If we can keep her out of the way, just for a few days, we should be able to get everything figured out before she gets stir-crazy.”

  “Don’t bank on it.” Robbie murmured pessimistically.

  “Look, I totally understand how hard this is for you to take in.” Matt took the seat next to the teenager. “But we’ve dealt with kidnappings before, and always got the victims back. That includes members of our own family. Keep faith in what we’re doing, because Megan means as much to us as she does to you.”

  Robbie glanced up at him.

  “She’s my sister.” He pointed out. “What is she to you?”

  “She’s Evan’s ex-wife, and maybe, if he pulls his head out of his ass, his future wife as well.” Matt smirked at Evan. “That makes her part of our family, Robbie. And we’re very protective of our family.”

  Robbie stared at Matt until he was convinced that the Alpha Company director wasn’t just feeding him a line.

  “Come on, pal.” Evan stood up and walked over to Robbie. “Let’s get you back to our offices, so we can set up a forward command post.”

  “How are we gonna get everyone into your office?” Logan asked Matt quietly. “There’s not enough room for us all to fit in.”

  “We also have the floor above the main office, including a large conference room that has been kitted out as an operational hub.” Matt explained as they left the conference room, making their way to the car park. “Hannah set it up to mirror the Hub in London, and all the computer equipment up there is to the same specifications as she uses in the London office.”

  “How many of the directors are coming up?” Logan queried.

  “More than half of them.” Matt shrugged. “Thomas and Tony will stay behind to keep things ticking over, and Marcus is in town, so he’ll stay behind and help on our existing jobs. But JT, Luke, Ellen, Danny, Hannah, Drew, Vicky and Abbey are coming up. Kellen and Hollywood are being called in as well, because they’re not assigned to anything at the moment. I think Kris and Yuri are still back in the States for their Christmas break.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude.” Robbie interrupted. “But what good are your people gonna be when it comes to finding my sister? Shouldn’t we get the police involved?”

  “We have our own police contacts, and we’ll have access to all of their systems.” Matt assured him. “But we also have someone who has access to every security camera in the country that has an internet connection, and every mobile network in the country. She can have a satellite zoom in on twenty square feet of soil almost anywhere on the planet, within two minutes. One Hannah is worth ten thousand cops.”

  Robbie looked up at Evan.

  “I trust you to get her back.” He nodded at him. “If you say this is the best way, then I’ll let you handle it. Just don’t fuck it up.”

  “Evan has as much to lose as you do.” Logan pointed out. “Nobody will be fucking anything up.”

  “Leave Robbie’s car here.” Matt instructed. “It’s out of sight in the underground garage, and we can always have someone drive it back to his house later.”

  “Robbie and Harry can come back with me in my car.” Evan nodded. “If they sit in the back where the windows are tinted, nobody will spot him.”

  “Ok, I’ll meet you back at the office.” Matt nodded.

  As he turned and walked towards his car, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

  Matt pulled it out and frowned as he connected the call.

  “Hey, Carol. Everything Ok?” His mother-in-law rarely called him, so it was probably something about the kids.

  “Hi, Matt. Is Suzy with you?” Carol was as thrifty with her words as Suzy sometimes was.

  “No, Carol. She was making her way back into Birmingham on the train, and then heading to the office.” Matt answered politely.

  “I’ve tried her mobile, and she’s not picking up.” Carol explained. “I’ve also tried the direct-line number she gave me, and someone in the office said she hasn’t got in yet. Shouldn’t she be there by now?”

  Matt sighed.

  “We had a bit of a disagreement on the way to the stadium, when she discovered my old PA was going to be at the meeting this morning.” He admitted. “My guess is that she’s gone shopping and is blowing up my credit card as we speak.”

  “For goodness sake, Matt!” Carol’s voice sounded exasperated. “Why are you wasting time on that woman, risking your marriage in the process? Suzy would do anything for you, and you seem intent on walking all over her. What’s gotten into you?”

  “Look, I don’t know what she’s told you, Carol, but there’s nothing going on between me and Lacey.” Matt insisted. “We’re work colleagues, and she’s been doing a great job. Now that Suzy’s back, I guess you could say this is just a transition period while Suzy gets up to speed.”

  “Firstly, Matthew, my daughter hasn’t said a word against you. She never has.” Carol really sounded like an angry momma-bear now. “But seeing as I know my own daughter like I know myself, she doesn’t need to. She’s been very unhappy for months, and while we’re discussing it, I might as well point out that Charlie has been equally unhappy, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you’re the reason. I don’t like to believe that there’s anything going on with that woman, but whatever it is that’s behind it, you’re neglecting your family. You need to be sure you know what’s most important in your life, Matt, because if you don’t decide soon, you might find it’s too damn late!”

  Matt disliked being lectured to, but he also recognised his mother-in-law’s right to protect her baby. She was only looking out for Suzy like Suzy looked out for her own kids.

  “Carol, look, I’ve got a situation here that I have to deal with.” He explained. “But I promise you, my priorities haven’t changed in almost twenty years. Suzy is everything to me, and whatever it is that’s stirring shit up, I’ll sort it. You have my word that as soon as I have this situation under control, I’ll fix things with Suzy.”

  He watched the other cars leave the stadium carpark as he waited for Carol’s response.

  “Matt, you’re a good man, and you’ve always been a wonderful husband to my daughter.” Carol acknowledged. “But if there ever comes a day when you hurt my girl so badly that she walks away from you, I swear I’ll have your balls in a jar on my mantelpiece, as a reminder of the man you used to be. Do I make myself clear?”

  So THAT was where Suzy got her spitfire nature from!

  “Crystal clear, mum.” Matt smiled. “I’m heading back to the office now to deal with this situation. I’ll get Suzy to call you when she arrives.”

  “Ok, Matt.” Carol sighed. “Just don’t think you can put this problem with Suzy at the bottom of your priority list, Ok? Sometimes shit happens and the moment passes us by. Deal with it before it’s too late.”

  The line clicked, signalling the end of the call, and Matt climbed into his car.

  Trust Suzy to pick today of all days to bust his balls!

  It was at times like these when he needed her near him, just to get him through the day.

  He called up her number and dialled, waiting for it to click through to voicemail.

  “Ok, Suze, I got the message. I’m an asshole and a dickhead, and I should have been upfront with you. I’m sorry, Ok? Look, call me when you get this. There’s a situation here and I need you. I don’t care how much money you’ve spent to piss me off. Just call me. I fucking love you, y’know?”<
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  Chapter 41 – Evan

  Evan looked around the Hub, as the operations room was now known, and he was surprised at how quickly it had been transformed into a proper forward command post.

  Between them, Matt and Claire had quickly put together a team to get everything set up before they got there, and all they were waiting for now was the arrival of Hannah and the rest of the Alpha Company family, and they would be able to get started on tracking Megan down.

  “They’re here.” Claire’s voice took him by surprise.

  “What?” He wasn’t expecting them for another hour, at least. “How fast were they driving?”

  “Apparently, they weren’t.” Claire grinned. “Vicky was able to source a chopper, and she flew them up here. JT thought it might be useful to have one on standby for the duration.”

  “Where did she land it? On the roof?” Evan wondered.

  “No, there’s a hospital about a mile away with a helicopter pad.” Claire chuckled. “I had cars waiting to pick them up. They’ve just pulled into the carpark.”

  Evan tried to hide his shock, but he couldn’t disguise his relief.

  “Robbie?” He approached the young man sitting quietly at the conference table with his agent, lowering himself into the seat next to him. “The team are here already. The people from London I told you about. They’ll be able to start tracking Megan now.”

  “Start? Really, Evan?” A woman’s voice interrupted him. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the last hour on the chopper? Looking out of the windows at the pretty scenery?”

  Evan turned to see Hannah Simons dropping the bags she carried onto the nearest table.

  “Robbie?” He grinned, standing up to greet the newcomers. “Meet the Alpha Company family.”

  JT stepped into the room followed by the rest of the team, as Hannah approached the young footballer.

  “Hey, sweetie.” She immediately leaned in and gave Robbie a hug. “Don’t worry yourself. We’re here to get your sister back.”