by Maggie Nash
He moved closer to her and framed her face with his hands, preventing her escape. He covered her mouth in a fierce, burning kiss that was over almost before it began. “I know what I’m doing, Beth. I’ll be in and out of the building before you know it.”
The street was dark and deserted, but Daniel didn’t want to take any chances, so he inched his way toward the government building in the shadows to avoid being detected. Almost at the front entrance, he hung back momentarily to retrieve an instrument from the backpack. He attached the small box to the bottom of the door and pressed a button. A red light flashed, beeped and changed to green. The lock clicked as the alarms and locking mechanism disengaged. Sometimes he loved the gadgets that came with his job!
He found the lobby empty. From his research that afternoon, he knew it was the security guards’ change of shift. He had five minutes tops to get through the foyer and up to Peter Wilson’s office. One last scan of the area and he pushed the fire door open and slipped through. He peeled a pre-cut piece of tape from his wrist and placed it over the sensors on the jamb, silently closing it before moving to the fire escape. He repeated the process again and made his way up the stairs to the third floor.
So far so good.
His luck continued when he found the corridor deserted as he exited the stairwell. He proceeded down the hall silently, stopping halfway when the sound of talking reached him. He ducked into the office on his left side and closed the door.
He held his breath as the two security guards made their rounds. Lucky for him they weren’t thorough, choosing not to search the room he was hiding in. He checked his watch. Time was something he didn’t have, so as soon as their voices receded, he continued down the corridor to the office he knew from floor plans to be the one Peter Wilson had used. He locked the door behind him and quickly found the cubicle. It was clean. Not one file or scrap of paper remained, let alone the computer terminal. Fuck! Of course it would be clean. The files he’d hacked into were on the department intranet. Thank God for slack IT departments. But damn, where else could the physical files be? Destroyed? He hoped not. He left the room and headed back to the stairwell.
* * * *
Beth stared at her watch again. Damn, it had been only five minutes since the last time she’d checked. Daniel still had twenty minutes to go. She pulled her jacket closer across her chest and shivered. He’d better be okay, the idiot. She knew they had to do this, but the temptation to run away to a desert island and leave this all behind them was a pretty damned good option about now. She peered at her watch again. Bummer, not even a minute. Crossing her arms, she willed some warmth into her chilled body. The street where she’d parked continued to be deserted and the road shimmered with water. Since it hadn’t rained all week, it probably came from a street cleaner’s truck. The night was clear, but the stars were hard to pick out through the glow from the city lights. She could only imagine where they were as she scanned at the night sky to stop herself checking her watch again.
The door of the car wrenched open and a hood came down over her head, blocking her vision. Holy shit! She attempted to pull it off as gloved hands grabbed her own and she heard the zip of tape being unrolled, felt it wrapped tightly around her wrists in front of her.
“What are you doing? Let me go!”
Her assailant remained silent, but she caught a whiff of expensive aftershave as strong arms yanked her to her feet and pulled her a short distance away. Her assailant pushed her forward and she stumbled, hitting her shins against something hard before falling forward into what felt like the back of a van or a utility truck. Before she had a chance to right herself, a door slammed behind her and the engine started. She slipped across the floor with the momentum of the van as it screeched along the street.
Oh God! Calm down and think. She had to get away, but from whom? Who was this guy and how the hell did he find her?
“Who are you?”
No answer. The van swerved around a corner and she slid toward the front of the van, banging her head against the seat.
“What? Too much of a coward to show your face?”
She heard a chuckle from the front seat. She’d heard that laugh before. Oh no…it couldn’t be…
* * * *
Daniel rifled through the archive boxes in the storage room of the building’s basement. It was sheer luck he’d found it. Checking the computer database had turned up nothing. He figured that staff were slow catching up on work everywhere, and took a chance that boxes for archiving would be in a holding area waiting their turn. He’d lucked out. The box in front of him contained the personal effects of Peter Wilson. On the surface it had appeared to be a load of junk, but a framed photo had revealed some ripped pages hidden behind the picture. He hadn’t had a good look at them yet. They could wait until he finished checking everything else. He glanced at his watch. Shit, he had less than ten minutes before Beth was supposed to leave without him. He’d better get a move on. Skimming the papers he’d placed on the desk, he saw something that made the hairs on his neck stand up—two names and a nickname—Brian Hamilton, John Addison and ‘The Irishman’.
Shit! Beth was in danger! He pulled out his mobile and called her number. It rang out. Fuck!
He abandoned the box and ran out of the basement and up the stairs to the lobby. He didn’t care if he was seen. He had to get to Beth. Running down the street, he heard the sound of screeching tires where a van turned the corner and drove away at breakneck speed. The door to the car was open and there was no sign of Beth. In seconds he had the car started and followed the direction of the van, but to no avail. He’d lost him already. He pulled over and slammed his fists against the wheel. Fucking hell! Beth was gone and he knew who was behind it. He’d been betrayed by everyone he trusted, and he had no idea where to start looking for her.
* * * *
“Kevin?”
The van swerved and stopped. A hand grabbed the hood and yanked it off. The baseball cap fell away as she shook her head to get her hair out of her eyes. When her vision cleared, Daniel’s childhood friend sneered. Gone were the cheeky grin and the flirty eyes. Instead he leered at her, his eyes staring at her breasts stretched tightly against the T-shirt where the jacket was gaping.
“I can see now what got Daniel all fired up.”
She shivered with revulsion. How in hell had she thought she’d liked this man?
“Why are you doing this? I thought you and Daniel were friends?”
“I’m doing this for the age-old reason, my love. Money. Getting to have some fun with Daniel? Well, that’s a bonus.”
“You must really hate Daniel. What did he ever do to you?”
“Hate? That’s such a strong word. It implies all sorts of emotions I’m sure I don’t have.” He turned away from her and grabbed a bottle of water from the seat next to him, taking a sip.
“So why are you really doing this?” She scanned the interior of van while she kept him talking. There had to be a way to escape.
“It’s all about winning, Beth, my love. For most of my life, I’ve come second to Daniel. He beat me in exams. He beat me in rugby. He even got a higher security level job than me. But this time I’ve outsmarted him. He doesn’t realize it, but I’ve been calling the shots for a while now, and there’s not a thing he can do about it.”
“Who’s paying you? Is it terrorists?”
Kevin snorted and started choking on his drink. He slapped his chest through the coughs until they settled down. “Ah, that’s funny. No, not terrorists, sweetie. Worse than that. But I’ll leave that titbit for when Daniel joins us. I can’t wait to see his face when he finds out who’s behind this.”
Beth shuddered. So much resentment and hate. How had Kevin managed to hide it from Daniel for so long? Daniel would be devastated when he realized it was Kevin all along—another reason to blame himself for what was happening to her. She thought of Lisa and she knew she had to get out of this. Not only for her own sake, but for Daniel’s. It would des
troy him to fail again. She shifted in place and felt something sharp underneath her thigh, pricking her though the material of her jeans. She saw a lump under a rough scrap of old carpet that doubled as a small mat across the back of the van. She needed to keep him talking for longer. “So why did you let us go when we were at your place?”
He laughed. “Oh, that would have been too easy. This way I get to play.”
“What do you mean ‘play’?” She grabbed the edge of the carpet with her foot and inched it over to the side. If she could keep him occupied for a bit longer, she might get to see whatever the object was. It was sharp, so she might be able to use it.
“Ah Beth. I could have killed you both, but this way I get to see Daniel squirm first and to see him realize that this time I’ve outsmarted him. This time I win!” He twisted back to her and she stopped moving. His eyes gleamed and his smile was anything but friendly.
“Enough chit-chat. We have places to be, people to beat.” He turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. I’ll be calling Daniel to join us, so you might want to conserve your strength. Oh wait…what for?” He laughed as he accelerated down the road.
As soon as Kevin was busy driving again, Beth resumed her fidgeting to uncover the sharp object. She hoped it was something more than a small rock. She had to get away from this madman. A few more inches and she’d have her prize. She slipped her big toe under the lip of the carpet now and bent her knee, pulling the carpet up with her foot. Shuffling her bottom to the side, she looked down. Glass! She thanked the fates when she spied the jagged piece of broken glass. No wonder it felt sharp. Now if she could only pick it up… The van drove over a bump and she lifted and fell back down. The glass slid across the floor to the other side, out of her reach. Shit!
She threw her body across to the other side where it had fallen, hitting her head on the hard floor and bumping her shoulder on the side wall in the process. Her body would be so black and blue after this. Not that that mattered if she couldn’t get away. She’d be dead if she didn’t succeed.
Kevin turned his head at the ruckus she’d made and chuckled. “Sorry about the rough ride, my love. But I suppose you’re used to the rough treatment with Daniel. Now me? I try to be gentle. Maybe I can show you what I mean, so you can see that Danny boy comes second in that department as well.”
Her face flushed with heat and her stomach lurched in revulsion with the thought of his hands on her body. “I’ll never let you touch me.”
He chuckled. “Aw c’mon. Don’t be like that. I know you weren’t so shy with Danny.”
“Daniel is just protecting me. Nothing else.”
“Yeah right, and I’m the King of Bulgaria. Jesus, Beth, the man’s in love with you. Even I see that.”
Beth’s heart leaped. Was he right? She knew Daniel cared for her, but love? No, Kevin’s just stirring up my emotions. Just playing another of his games. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s helping to keep me safe.”
“Not doing such a good job now, is he?”
“We were doing fine, but you don’t play fair. How did you find me anyway?”
“I never lost you, sweetie. I put a GPS transponder in the car before you dropped me off. I’ve been following you ever since. Great strip show, by the way. Did it make you as hot as it did me?”
Oh God! He’d been with them all the time. Why did he let them go for so long?
“You’re sick!”
“Yeah…ain’t it fun?”
What was the point of arguing with him? With his bent logic, she had no chance of getting anywhere. She closed her eyes and hoped he’d ignore her for the time being. Her hands were now in front of her face and she could see the glass inches away. She slowly lifted her strapped wrists over the shard and manipulated her fingers until she had a grip. She hoped to God that Kevin didn’t turn around again anytime soon. She angling the jagged piece toward the duct tape and started slicing.
* * * *
Daniel angled the car into the driveway and jumped out. He raced up the steps and pressed down hard on the call bell. When no one answered, he picked up the heavy knocker and threw it against the plate, the rusty metal vibrating with the echoing noise. The sound of footsteps stopped him from doing it again and he tensed for what he had to say when the heavy oak door opened.
Disappointment filled him when the housekeeper peered through at him, the safety chain still attached.
“Yes?”
He smiled at her. “I need to see Mr. Addison straight away.”
“He’s not here. He’s still at his Canberra residence.”
“Are you expecting him this weekend?”
“I’m not sure. He’s usually here by now, but he must have been held up. Can I take a message?”
“No, but thanks anyway. I must have been mistaken. I thought we were meant to meet this morning. I’ll check my diary.”
She closed the door and Daniel walked back to his car. He looked up at the upstairs windows. Was that moving curtain a person or just the wind? Not much he could do about it. If Addison was at home, he was avoiding him. He pulled out his mobile and tried Addison’s number. Damn, he still had his phone turned off. Where was he hiding?
He drove off, heading toward Balmain. Maybe he could get some answers out of Kevin. He leaned forward, opened the glove box and pulled out the Glock he’d retrieved from his gear. He hadn’t told Beth about the gun. He hadn’t wanted to scare her. Hell, he never wanted to actually use it, but now he didn’t have a choice, not if he was going to get himself and Beth out of this alive. He concentrated on pushing his feelings for her aside so he could work through this like the professional he was, but it wasn’t happening. He was angry and scared for Beth, but he was mainly angry. People he thought he’d known as well as himself were now strangers to him. Was his whole life a lie? And Beth? Her father had been involved in an operation that had gotten him and her mother killed. She must have somehow stumbled onto some information that threatened to expose Addison. He now had no doubt that Addison was behind all of this, and he was going to make damn sure the bastard paid for what he’d done. The problem was, where did he start?
Driving into Balmain’s narrow streets on a Saturday was a difficult prospect. In a suburb where there was a pub on every corner, parking spaces were at a premium, and Kevin’s house was no exception. Opting to take his chances in the rear lane, he pulled up in front of the back entrance. He had walked halfway to the back door when his phone rang.
* * * *
Yes! Her hands were free. The glass had worked its magic and now the duct tape was split up the middle, effectively freeing her. She didn’t dare remove the tape for fear of making a sound that would attract Kevin’s attention. If she was careful and she kept her hands together, he wouldn’t notice right away. She might get lucky and have an opportunity to escape. She was feeling a little more optimistic now. She would get away. She had to.
“You doing all right back there, Beth?”
She jumped and clasped her hands together to hide the cut in the tape.
“Why do you care?”
“Aw, Beth, don’t be like that. You know I actually quite like you. It’s a shame you’re going to die with Daniel. We could have been friends.”
“In your dreams.”
“No, in your dreams, Beth. We could have been so good together. Maybe I’ll show you just how much before I deal with Daniel. He can watch. That would be amusing, don’t you think?”
Bile rose to the back of her throat and she gulped. “It’ll never happen. Daniel will stop you.”
“Oh, I see how it is. You trust him too much. He’s not the hero you think he is and very soon I’ll be able to prove that to you. You’ll be begging me to take you with me after you see what a loser Daniel is. But enough talk. I retrieved your mobile from the car after I escorted you to the van. I presume his number is the only one in the memory. I’m calling him now
. He’ll be with you soon, sweetie.”
* * * *
Daniel pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. “Wyatt.”
“Danny boy…how are ya?”
“What the fuck have you done with Beth?”
“Ah…so you worked it out, then. How’d you know it was me?”
“Cut the crap, Kevin. I was the one who dubbed you The Irishman. Now where is she?”
“Not in the mood for a friendly chat, I see. Oh well, I can understand that. She is a beautiful woman. Very beautiful.”
“If you’ve touched her, I swear I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
“So dramatic, Danny. Don’t worry. She’s safe and untouched—for now.”
Daniel took a deep breath. He had to keep it together until he had a location. “Where are you? I presume you want me to come to you?”
“You’re so perceptive, Daniel. I’ve always admired that about you, but I’m getting tired of this conversation. If you want to see her again, come alone. If you contact anyone, I’ll know, and you can count on that.”
“Okay, you got it. I’ll come alone. Where?”
“Remember Will’s cabin?”
“Where you murdered Will?”
“Danny, I’m shocked! You know I was with Beth when that happened. I can’t take credit for that one, but I confess it was convenient. It managed to divert suspicion from me.”
“What does this all have to do with you anyway, Kevin?”
“Ah, but that would be telling. I’ll save that long story for when you get here. You have thirty minutes or I may have to start the party without you.”
“What party?” Daniel’s heart slammed in his chest when heard laughter over the line.
“You’ll find out.”
The phone line cut out.
Fuck! He checked his watch. It was only eight o’clock in the morning. Another sleepless night had him swaying on his feet, but the adrenaline rush after that conversation with Kevin had certainly woken him up. That and the fact that he was angrier than he’d ever been. He’d better get moving. He didn’t have much time. He slammed the car door shut then slipped the car into reverse before flooring the accelerator, speeding backward down the lane and onto the main street. He had twenty-eight minutes to get somewhere that would normally take forty or fifty. With any luck, the traffic cops would be on their morning tea break.