The sound of low snarling made me freeze, and extremely slowly, I rolled onto my back. The dog had stopped just in front of me. It was sizing me up, crouching low to the ground, making sure I offered no threat. Saliva dangled from its jaws when it bared its impressive teeth, and the glint of delight in its eyes had me sagging in defeat. There was no way I would be able to fight the thing off. It knew it too.
Then it pounced.
In the split-second it took to leap off its hind legs, my life flashed before my eyes once again.
An ear-splitting pop engulfed the silence before it yelped and dropped to the ground by my side. A circular cavity in the middle of its forehead provided an outlet for its blood to drain away and pool on the ground beside me.
I gawped wide-eyed at the perfectly sited bullet hole bang central between its eyes.
“How the fuck?” I stuttered as I scrambled to my feet. Staring at Nessa who was bent double trying to settle her raging breaths, I shook my head in disbelief. “How the hell did you hit a moving target with that much precision?” My breathing was as ragged as hers, my voice a mere squeak with the pressure on my lungs.
“He knew,” she mumbled quietly. “He banked on me being an expert shooter! Fuck!” She stood up and looked to the sky. “Fuck you! Always one step ahead, huh. You bastard!”
“What?”
She gazed up at me as if she’d only just realised I was there and shook her head. “We need to move.”
“Nessa!”
“Not now, Caelan! We need to get to Carolyn!”
“Later!” I pointed a finger at her.
However, she merely rolled her eyes and picked up my torch. “Whatever.”
She didn’t wait for my reply, and about turned and set off into a run.
00:08
‘With the rich I am blue.
With the poor I am red.
With the amphibian I am cold,
But with the dog I am hot instead.
What am I?’
“What the hell?”
Carolyn’s terror was evident when we finally reached the centre of the maze. She frantically looked up at the presently quiet beehive. I prayed they would remain subdued.
“I won’t let them hurt you, baby,” Nessa promised her as she placed her palms flat onto the plastic prison. “I promise.”
“Gimme a hand, Nessa!” I urged as I reread the riddle.
The iPad lit up and a keyboard appeared, this time a word needed to halt the countdown instead of the usual numerical answer.
Nessa, seemingly getting a grip on her emotions, nodded, and focused on the riddle. “That doesn’t make any sense!” She scowled hard, annoyance getting the better of her as she read it out loud, repeatedly.
00:04
“God damn it!” She yanked at her hair.
“Money?” I guessed as I typed it into the keypad.
“What does hot money have to do with dogs?” Nessa grumbled at me.
“I don’t know! I’m just trying here!”
00:02
The line reset, indicating it was the wrong answer.
Carolyn was staring at us with wide eyes, scared and anxious, but just as the timer clicked to one minute she shouted, “Blood!”
Both Nessa and I stared at her in stunned surprise.
“Blood!” she repeated with a frantic nod of her head. “Please, try it!”
“Of course!”
00:01
My hands shook as I typed in the word. The timer froze, and I caught Nessa when her legs gave way.
“It’s okay,” I breathed in her ear when she clung to me and sobbed. “She’s safe.”
I looked at Carolyn and smiled. “Clever girl!”
She was sobbing herself, relief taking over her emotions, but she managed a smile and nodded.
“Well done,” the GM spoke through the iPad. “Now, you may leave. Your sister will be cared for, Dr Griffiths.”
“Please,” Nessa begged as she took the iPad from me. “Please, let me hold her.”
“You may leave now.”
“Just a minute. Please!”
Her urgent pleas made my chest tight and I slipped an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, babe.”
Nessa shrugged me off and went to Carolyn. Resting her forehead on the glass, she blew her sister a kiss. “I love you, baby. I’ll see you soon. Okay?”
I narrowed my eyes when I heard her faintly whispering something. Carolyn’s eyes dropped to Nessa’s mouth before she lowered them, downcast, and shook her head.
“Come on, before we piss him off. The sooner she’s out of that thing, the better.”
Realising I was right, Nessa finally nodded and placed her fingers to her mouth before blowing a final kiss to her sister.
“I love you, Ness!” Carolyn sobbed as I guided her sister away. “Save Mum, please.”
“I will!” Nessa promised with a firm nod of her head. “I promise.”
And on shaky legs, we both left Carolyn behind.
Day 5
19:35
Nessa was quiet as she prepared some supper. I left her to her thoughts as I sat quietly on the chair watching her cook. Something was troubling her, yet I doubted she would open up to me. However, as was the case with Dr Vanessa Griffiths, she surprised me at every turn.
Placing a plate of chicken and rice on the table in front of me, she sat down and stared at her portion for a long time before she looked up at me and frowned. “He knows too much, Caelan.”
Swallowing the piece of chicken that I had been chewing, I took a sip of beer and contemplated her statement. “About you?”
She nodded, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “Yeah.”
“Such as?”
Leaning back in her chair, giving up on her food, she decided alcohol was to be her fuel for the night and drained her glass of wine before topping it up from the bottle. “Why do you think he chose Trinity House?”
Giving her my full attention, I placed down my fork and regarded her. “I take it by your reaction it has some significance to you.”
We both watched as she swirled her wine around in her glass for a while. Appearing to be struggling as to why she was questioning the Game Master’s choice of venue, she sighed but allowed me into her head a little. “My husband proposed to me at the central fountain.”
“It could be purely coincidental, babe.”
“No.” Her firm gaze fixed on me as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “He knew I was an expert marksman. He also knew I was shit with a lockpick.”
The hairs on the nape of my neck prickled as she drew my attention.
“Are you telling me that all those factors are just coincidence? No. Impossible, Caelan.” She drained her glass and refilled once more. “There are… other things that I can’t discuss yet, but he knows.”
“And how much of this information on you is restricted to just you?”
“Well,” she scoffed. “Obviously not private enough.”
Standing up, I walked over to the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of Jack – yes, another one. Pouring us both a drink, I handed her one and clicked my tongue in thought. “Okay, let’s look at the facts. Your husband’s proposal, that’s a simple one. Maybe the GM was visiting Trinity House that day.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on.”
“It is plausible, Ness.”
“And my skill with a firearm?”
“Maybe that’s it. Maybe you shot someone close to him, and now he’s seeking his revenge.”
Taking a cigarette from the pack on the table, she lit it and blew out the smoke slowly. “Maybe.”
“And, besides, it was me who should have had the gun. Maybe this is on me.”
Opening the kitchen door, she shivered when the cold air hit her bare arms. Taking another drag, she blew the smoke into the dark night. “The cemetery.” Her body shuddered as she looked up to the black sky. “My husband is buried there.”
“So is Noah, my
brother.”
She nodded but didn’t look at me.
“So okay, we’re following this train of thought. That each game is personal to you. How, then, is the kidney connected to you?”
Sighing, exasperated, she turned to me and rested her back on the door frame. “I’m a doctor. I’ve done several transplants.”
Nodding, I got up and walked over to her. Taking the cigarette from her fingers, I drew on it and welcomed the hit of nicotine. “Are there any patients that didn’t survive the operation?”
She shook her head. “No. Not under my knife, anyway.”
“And the water puzzle?”
She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t figure that one out either.”
Her troubled gaze softened when I slid an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin was soft and cool under my touch, and although her eyes shimmered with sadness and exhaustion, she smiled softly and nestled her cheek into my palm. I didn’t look too deep into her reaction at my caress, she was hurting and needed contact from another human being.
“I think you’re just looking too hard, babe,” I said softly. “Believe me, I’ve done it too. But until we get all eight codes, I know he won’t allow us to figure it out. We’re playing a game he’s set the rules by. He’s a clever man, a calculated bastard, and he won’t give you his identity until he’s ready.”
Relenting, she nodded and took the cigarette back from me. Blowing the smoke out of the door, she handed it to me, then picked up the bottle of wine and her glass. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna have a bath and then turn in.”
“Sure.”
She held my gaze for a short moment before smiling and heading out of the door.
Sitting at the table, I fired up the laptop and checked my emails. Although Nessa and I weren’t permitted to have contact with anyone personal to us, that didn’t mean I couldn’t do a bit of what I did best. Investigating.
Day 6
13:15
Nessa
Caelan looked at me with what I can only describe as a mix of puppy dog pleading eyes and a fierce ‘I’m going to kill you slowly’ glare. “Seriously, babe?” he growled quietly through clenched teeth. “You can’t leave me… with these nice gentlemen.”
Looking at the floor to hide my amusement, I rolled my tongue against the back of my teeth and blew out a quiet breath before facing him again. “I’ve made them promise that they won’t hurt you, baby. Be a big brave boy.”
Widening his eyes, sceptical of my assurance, Caelan scoffed and then looked to his left where a grizzly Taylor Williamson towered above him with a glare that could scare even the most powerful of men. Standing to Caelan’s right was Dennis Green, AKA Scar Face. His nickname, assigned because of the long deep scar that ran down the left side of his face, had always tickled me, so original – not! But Dennis wasn’t known for his intellect, only his brawn, and that’s why he was one of Frank’s most menacing heavies. Dennis was also notorious for his penchant for Chinese torture techniques.
“I still don’t understand why you had to bring me along?” Caelan grumbled as he took the bottle of San Miguel he’d ordered and drank half the contents in a single swig.
“Because,” I spoke low so not to be overheard. “If the GM decides game six is on, then we need to be together. We can’t afford to waste precious minutes finding a meeting point.”
Sighing, he lit a cigarette and pulled a half-full ashtray towards him. The King and County didn’t follow any smoking laws – gangsters made their own rules, and although Caelan was a law enforcer, even he wasn’t so stupid as to pick a fight with these guys over an anti-smoking policy. Plus, I supposed he was grateful for their disregard for the law when he drew in a long drag of nicotine and blew out the calming smoke. “I guess so,” he said, agreeing with a nod.
Feeling bad, I pulled a ten-pound note from my purse and handed it to the barman. “Get him a double Jack, no ice.”
When Caelan was about to argue that maybe he would need to drive for the next game, I shook my head. “I’m insured for any car. I’ll drive.” Giving him a smile, I reached up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. I wasn’t even sure why I did it, but it seemed instinctive. “I’m sorry, Caelan. Frank said it was urgent, and to be honest, we need him onside right now. We have enough enemies. If it weren’t important, I wouldn’t be here either.”
“Go. Go.” He waved me off, and I made my way towards the back of the pub where Frank waited for me. I couldn’t help but snort when I heard Caelan say, “So, either of you guys know how to play dominoes?” Although I’d given Caelan my word that Taylor or Dennis, his ‘company’ while I dealt with Frank, wouldn’t touch him, I wasn’t so sure Caelan’s sarcasm would be appreciated by London’s most formidable men.
“Ness!” Frank smiled and pulled out a chair for me, tucking it under as I sat down.
The old tap room of the pub had been converted into Frank’s own personal ‘office’. Many decisions were made in this room, and as I sat at the large round table, a shiver made its way around my body.
“Still hard, eh?” he asked softly.
“Hmm, a little.”
He reached behind him and opened a drawer. Taking a rolled joint, he lit it and took a hard draw before offering it to me.
Shaking my head but thanking him, he nodded and leaned back into his chair. Peering at me to gauge my reaction, he announced, “He wants to see you.”
Closing my eyes in dismay, I clicked my tongue and slumped back into my chair. “I told you. No.”
“This isn’t going to work otherwise, Ness. It has to be part of the deal.”
“No. Our deal is between us, Frank. Whatever association you have with him after that is your choice.”
“You think I’ll get what I want if you won’t speak to him? We both know he won’t accept this if he doesn’t get you back.”
My mouth was so dry I was struggling to form words. As if Frank was aware, he got up from his chair and walked over to the side where he picked up a bottle of vodka and poured us both a shot.
“As much as you deny it, Missy, it, he, is always going to be there. You can’t erase blood.”
Blood.
My heartbeat quickened, and with a shaky hand I lifted the glass to my mouth and downed the contents. I wasn’t going to accept, knowing I would probably be driving later, but I figured one wouldn’t take me over the limit, even if Frank’s portions were a little on the large size.
“You okay?” Frank asked when he noticed my hands trembling.
I nodded, unable to answer him verbally as the alcohol heated my chest.
“Look.” He regarded me as he ran his thumb over his lips. “I have no idea what the hell is going on with you… and the pig currently drinking at my bar. But you know, I’m here. I have your back, Ness. Always have, always will.”
I smiled, appreciating his concern. “I don’t even know what the hell is going on either, to be honest, Frank. But thank you.”
He shrugged when I didn’t confide in him further, and I stood up. “I have to go.”
He nodded and grabbed a pen and a slip of paper. Scribbling something down, he folded the paper over and then passed it to me.
Opening it up, my stomach sank, and regret soared when I read the words.
“I trust you, Ness, but that doesn’t mean I’m a stupid cunt. Make sure you’re there.”
Anger flared, and I narrowed my eyes. “You know me better than that, Frank. If I make a promise, then I keep it. You of all people should know that!”
Quirking an eyebrow at my tone, he, thankfully, decided to overlook my rudeness. “I know you’re under a great deal of stress, and because we go way back, I’ll ignore your lack of respect. This time. You don’t have many concessions left, though. So I suggest you tread carefully.”
I didn’t need Frank as an enemy, at least not until I’d finished playing this stupid game, so I nodded and allowed him his win. For now.
Caelan looked pale w
hen Frank and I returned to the bar area. The atmosphere was thick with testosterone, and I rubbed my temples as I felt a headache fester in the depths of my skull. Fucking men and their need to show who was bigger and better. I could have taken Frank on in that back room, and he knew it too, but sometimes it took more strength to step back and allow the rain to pass without summoning a storm.
Jumping up when he saw me, Caelan grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and hurried to the front door. “I swear if you had been much longer, Taylor’s blood would have been redecorating the upholstery.”
Frank smirked at me when I rolled my eyes, but as he leaned into to me to place a kiss to my cheek, he whispered, “Make contact with him, Nessa. For both our sakes. I want him there.”
For a moment I forgot about games and the crazy man forcing us to play. I even forgot the fact that my family would only live if Caelan and I solved a string of silly riddles, or that in four weeks my life would change forever. Because the prospect of seeing him again after so long scared me more than Frank and the Game Master put together ever could.
Day 6
16:10
Caelan
‘Start game six, perhaps we should
because it’s deep within Brackley Wood.
The light of a fire will be your only guide
to where the next clue does reside.
There you’ll find directives for the spot
you’ll need to take aim for the perfect shot.’
I glanced to Nessa. Maybe she was right after all, and this prick did know too much. He’d trusted Nessa to take out the dog, and he was now bringing her proficiency with a gun into the game that would save Jenny, my ex-wife.
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