Ladyfish

by Andrea Bramhall

  “That you were investigating money laundering at Sterling Enterprises.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Not really. What happened to him?”

  “He was shot. We’ve traced the call logs of the phone box he was in. It was less than a minute after he hung up from speaking to Oz. His death was quick. Three bullet wounds all center mass. It was professional.”

  Finn swallowed convulsively and wrapped her arms around herself again. Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Prichard turned his attention back to Oz.

  “After speaking with you earlier, we checked Mr. Green’s flat. There were no listening devices, but there had been a very obvious break-in. All electronic devices, computer, laptop, mobile phones, were missing. The place is a mess. We suspect that they removed any such devices at the same time. We suspect it was Sterling’s operation that had them planted. What else was discussed during the conversation that Sterling would have heard?”

  “He’ll know that Pete was planning to betray him to you. That Finn isn’t planning to return to the UK, and that we are involved.”

  “Romantically?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is this a new discovery for your father?”

  “Yes. He wanted Pete and me to marry.”

  “Was he aware of Mr. Green’s preferences?”

  “Yes. It didn’t matter.”

  “I see.” Pritchard signaled to someone out of the view of the camera. A figure moved into the shadows of the shot and handed Pritchard a file. “We do know that Sterling is still in the country and has not filed any flight plan for his private jet, nor has he booked any tickets on commercial flights. Where will you both be for me to contact you again?”

  “I’ve made it possible for them to stay on the base for the duration,” Charlie said.

  “No place safer, Admiral. Very good.”

  “What are we expecting the duration to be, Agent Pritchard?” Finn asked

  He looked at Finn. “A very good question. I’m afraid we’re still trying to get evidence together to prosecute your father. With Mr. Green out of the picture, and your father now alerted to our interest in him, that will be more difficult.”

  “Is that your way of telling me you have no idea?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. We’re working as quickly as we can, given that Sterling is aware we’re watching him. Is there anything you can think of, Ms. Sterling, any person your father might confide in? Someone we could contact for information?”

  Finn thought for a moment and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Agent Prichard. I wasn’t really involved in my father’s life or businesses. I’ve never seen him close to anyone.”

  Prichard nodded. “Our records show you didn’t spend much time with him. But if you think of anyone, please let us know.”

  “What do you know about the biological weapons?” Charlie asked.

  “I’m not at liberty to say, Admiral. But if you have information, I’d like to hear it.” Charlie turned to Oz and motioned for them to leave. She took Finn’s hand and led her from the room.

  “Ah, not in front of the civilians?”

  Oz nodded. “Something like that, baby.”

  “So we just wait?”

  “It won’t take long.” The door opened two minutes later and Charlie stepped out. He motioned them to follow him and led them through the maze to an office, his name stenciled on the door.

  “Would you girls like a drink? I’ve got water here. I can get coffee brought in or…” He opened one of the drawers in his desk and waved a bottle of Jack Daniels at them. They both agreed and waited as he poured three shots and raised his in salute.

  “To Pete.” They repeated the toast and Oz and Charlie stared as Finn tossed back the whiskey and slammed the glass back down on the desk.

  “So what are they doing about my dad?”

  “They aren’t going to do any damn thing at the moment. We know more about the biological weapons than they do. With what they do have, they can’t do a damn thing. He is, and I quote, looking into the matter further. In other words, he’ll take the information I’ve given him and decide what to do next.”

  “So what are we doing?” She looked at Oz. “We can’t hide on the base indefinitely.”

  “I’ve got my source looking into the bio stuff further,” Charlie said. “If we can get more intelligence on that angle, then Pritchard will have to move on it, or the CIA will.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Finn’s brow furrowed.

  “No, it’s not likely to be a good outcome. Give me a couple of weeks. I’ll get you set up with some housing on base, and I can get your boat authorized to dock here if you want to keep diving. It will keep you occupied while we’re digging.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Charlie. I need my laptop and some other stuff off the boat. Can you get them clearance to dock today?”

  “No problem. Just get me the name of the boat and make sure any passengers they have stay on the boat when they dock.”

  “Will do.”

  Finn watched them organize the business, the boats, and her dive training from the base in a few short sentences. “Oz, surely this isn’t really necessary.”

  “I’m probably being paranoid, but I’d rather be cautious.” Oz stepped close to her and placed a gentle kiss against her brow. “I’d also prefer it if you stayed here while I go to the house. I’ll pick up anything you want me to get for you.”

  “Oz, that’s rid—” Finn put her hands to Oz’s chest and pushed her back.

  “I think she’s right to be cautious, Finn. Your father has long arms, and it only takes a phone call to the right person…” Charlie left the rest unsaid. Finn looked from one to the other.

  “You really think my dad would kill me?” she whispered.

  Their sidelong glances answered her question.

  “That answers that, then.” She pushed a hand into her hair and eased out of Oz’s embrace. She needed a bit of distance, a bit of control. Everybody was taking over, making decisions. No one asked what she wanted, and it didn’t seem to matter anyway. “And where exactly do you want me to wait?”

  “There’s a house here on the base for you both. I can take you over there now or you can wait with me while Oz goes to get your things.”

  “I shouldn’t be much more than an hour. Two tops. Can you lend me your car, Uncle Charlie?”

  “Of course.”

  “No offense, Charlie, but I really think I’d like to be alone for a while,” Finn said quietly, feeling like she could drop to her knees any second.

  “None taken, darlin’. Should I show you to the house?”

  Oz took Finn’s hand and she gently pulled it away, not acknowledging the flash of hurt in her eyes.

  “It’s only a one-bed house, but it should be enough for the time being. It’s only temporary, after all.” He pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door. A dank odor permeated the air as they stepped inside. The living space and kitchenette were small, and the furniture, a small table with a single chair against a dingy wall, a dirty beige couch with a multitude of stains on the cushions, and a rug of indeterminate color, made the space seem like something from a bad vacation movie. Not a place to live while they hunted her psychotic father.

  Finn wandered into the bedroom. The mattress was bare on the bed frame. There were no curtains, and the light shining through the grimy glass highlighted the dust in the air. The walls were the same dying magnolia color throughout. She went into the bathroom. Toilet, sink, shower, all uniform white and functional, all surprisingly clean.

  “I’m sorry, Finn.”

  “Charlie. Stop. Don’t say you’re sorry. There’s nothing wrong here that a little air and a pair of curtains can’t sort out. Thank you for your help.” She turned to Oz. “You ready for the list I’m going to give you?”

  “Will I need a pen and paper?”

  “Probably. My camera. Everything I need is in the case. My laptop and the books on the desk in my room.
If you take the curtains from my room and bring those, they should fit the windows in the bedroom. I don’t think Emmy will mind, but you might want to ask her first. The bedding from there should be fine for in here too.”

  “Of course it is. What clothes do you want me to get you?”

  “Shorts, T-shirts, underwear, jeans, just the usual stuff. My suitcase is in the closet.” She turned to Charlie. “Is there somewhere on base that I can get some food?”

  “I’ll take care of it, baby.” Oz said.

  “Sweetheart, I can do it. It’ll give me something to do while you’re away.”

  “I’ll take you to the store once Oz leaves.” Charlie said as he handed over his car keys.

  “Thank you, Charlie.”

  Oz left quickly and Charlie led Finn to the commissary. She was quiet as she filled her basket, not paying attention to what she was taking off the shelves. She was grateful that Charlie seemed content to let her be; she couldn’t take any more bad news. Her head felt like it was going to explode as questions pummeled her with no answers in sight. The few answers she did have terrified her.

  The pain of Pete’s death felt like it was crushing her, stopping her from breathing and making her dizzy. The possibility her father was responsible was a thought she couldn’t bear. She didn’t want to accept that the man who had fathered her was capable of killing her best friend. She didn’t want it to be true, but already the reality of the situation, the reality of the man, was becoming clearer to her. He would stop at nothing. He didn’t care who he hurt or who he killed. If they were in his way, they were a target.

  She began to see exactly what Oz had meant when she said that she was in danger. Finn realized that her lack of involvement in her father’s illicit dealings was not a safety net, because she knew far too much to be outside of his control. She knew too much about the development of the bacteria, and if it was intended as a weapon, her knowledge could lead to a cure for it, making it far less valuable on the black market. Slowly, as though she were watching a film, everything became clear.

  At thirty, she received full access to her trust and was independently wealthy of her father, so he couldn’t control her financially anymore. Marrying her off to someone he felt he controlled was another level of control, another jailer that she would have to break away from before she could think for herself. He didn’t know Pete had never wanted that kind of control over her. She realized that anyone around her who wasn’t in his control faced the same risk that Pete had. And we didn’t even know it. Not again. I won’t be the reason anyone else gets hurt. I can’t do that to Oz.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Honey, I’m home.” Oz walked into the house, her fists full of trash bags, backpacks over her back, Finn’s camera and laptop cases over her shoulders. Finn walked out of the kitchen area and kissed her, taking some of the bags from her. “I missed you.” They kissed again and Oz pulled her closer to her. The whole time she had been gone she had been worried about Finn’s frame of mind. She had looked so small and fragile when Oz had left the base, and it broke her heart to know there wasn’t anything she could do to fix it.

  “I missed you too. I’ve made dinner. It just needs to go in the oven. Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah, but I think we should get some of this sorted first.” Oz pointed to the bags. Maybe if they got some of their own stuff in the house, it wouldn’t seem so awful. Maybe it wouldn’t feel like Finn had put some distance between them. “Then we can sit down and relax.”

  “Okay.”

  Together they put the house in order, slowly making it more homey. Herbs and sauce, along with open windows, helped dissipate the musty smell. They worked in silence, and with every minute, Oz felt more panic churning in her stomach. They’d left a beach house and moved to an ugly base house. Finn was quiet, clearly lost in her own thoughts and pain, and Oz couldn’t figure out how to make anything better.

  “Dinner’s almost ready. Charlie found another chair earlier, so I thought we could sit at the table.”

  Oz sat down as Finn put the baking sheet into the sink and came back with a bowl of salad and a bottle of wine. Finn’s voice trembled slightly, and tension stretched between them like a rubber band stretched too tight.

  “This is wonderful.” She caught Finn’s hand and kissed it. “Just like you.”

  Finn smiled sadly. “Oz, we need to talk.”

  Oz’s stomach lurched. “Those have got to be the most feared words in any relationship. Baby, I know this place isn’t great, but it’s temporary.”

  “It’s not that, darling—”

  “Oh.” Oz’s voice was flat as she racked her brain for another problem. “Does being on the base make you think about my past? About what I’ve done?” She felt the bile rising in her throat, anger and guilt playing an equal part.

  “Oz, it’s nothing like that. It’s about me.”

  “It’s not me, it’s you? That is such crap, Finn.” Oz frowned, desperation and panic combining into an angry parcel.

  “Oz, will you let me speak? Please?”

  Oz pressed her lips together and sat quietly, folding and unfolding a napkin, shredding it into pieces.

  “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done. You and your family. I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough. But I don’t want to put you all in danger any more. I think it might be best if I went back to England and faced my dad. That’s the only way you can be safe.”

  She doesn’t want me. She wants to go. I don’t know how I’ve done it, but I’ve fucked it up already. She thinks she’d be better off without me.

  “You can’t go. Finn, he’s going to hurt you. I’m sure of it. Please don’t—”

  “I don’t think he will. If he thinks he doesn’t have anything to fear from me, he’ll leave me alone.”

  “I’ve known men like him before. Everything I’ve learned about him tells me he doesn’t care that he’s your father. All he cares about is himself! If you go to him, you’re making it easy for him. Do you want to end up like Pete?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Then don’t go.”

  “I have to.”

  “No, you don’t. Stay. Here, with me. I’ll protect you—”

  “If he’s the man you say he is, you can’t protect me from him.”

  “Yes, I can. I will.”

  “I have to go, Oz. Don’t you see?”

  “See what? That you’re choosing to leave me?”

  “That I’m trying to protect you!”

  “Me? I don’t need protection. He’s not after me.”

  “Pete didn’t think he did either.”

  Oz leaned forward, desperately wanting to touch her but afraid something would break inside her if Finn rejected her. “What happened to Pete was not your fault.”

  “No? Because from where I’m standing, the only reason he was involved in any of this mess is because he was my friend.”

  “It was your father’s fault, not yours.”

  “He was my best friend. He was the only one who was always there for me. Now he’s dead, and it’s all my fault.”

  “Finn—”

  “No. I won’t risk it again. I won’t let anything happen to anyone else.”

  “Finn, you can’t stop him.”

  “I can stop him hurting you. If I’m not with you, he has no reason to hurt you.”

  “I’ll take the chance.”

  “I won’t. Don’t you see? I can’t. I’ve lost everyone. Everyone I ever cared about is gone. He’s taken my mother and Pete. I won’t let that happen to you too.”

  “So you’re just going to give up? Walk out on me, on us?”

  “That’s not what I’m doing.”

  “Isn’t it? It sure looks like it to me.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Then make me understand, Finn. Explain it so that I can understand why you’re okay about walking out of here and straight back to the
life you were desperate to escape.” Her hands were shaking as she clenched and unclenched them at her sides. “When you came here you were certain you were never going back. That your father wasn’t going to be a part of your life anymore. You dreamed of living your own life, making your own choices.”

  “This is my choice.”

  “Is it? Because I don’t think this is a choice you’re making. I think it’s a reaction.” She took a chance and took Finn’s hands in her own. “I think you’re in shock and that you’ll see what a bad idea this is when—”

  Finn ripped her hands away. “Don’t, Oz. Don’t patronize me.”

  “I’m not trying to patronize you. I want you to stay. I need you to stay here so I can protect you. I need to look after you, Finn. I can’t do that if you’re not here.”

  “I told you, I’m going back to London. I’m going to see my father and I’m going to stop anyone else getting hurt.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “What?” Finn whirled around, her eyes blazing in her anger. “What did you say? You can’t let me? And what exactly are you going to do? Lock me in? Are you going to put bars on the window so I can’t climb out?” She pushed against Oz’s chest, pushing her away. “I won’t let you hold me here.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to think about this calmly and rationally before you do something we’ll both regret.”

  “I think it’s too late for that, don’t you?”

  “Finn—”

  “Just stop. I’m going back to London. End of story.”

  Oz felt like an abyss had opened beneath her feet and was swallowing her whole. Finn had walked into her life with her oversized clothes, cute accent, and beautiful eyes, and Oz had let herself believe in the possibilities. She had let herself believe she was worthy of being with someone like Finn. She had let Finn’s innocence soothe her demons, and her joy at all the simple wonders she had seen had brought Oz so much pleasure. She had wanted so desperately for it all to be real, for it to last, that she had forgotten that she didn’t belong here. It was time to let go of the fantasy, the dream, and let Finn go her own way.