The Trust (The Downlode Heroes Book 2)

by Mikey Campling

  “Sure, Scarlett? Where do you want me to go?”

  Sanjay’s earpiece goes quiet, and she bites her lower lip. Has she spoken out of turn? Maybe she should take a chance and mention the hexagonal building she spotted—it might convince Scarlett that everything is normal. But if she’s got that detail wrong, talking about it now will blow her cover completely.

  A notification flashes up on Sanjay’s UI:

  WARNING: TRACKING ATTEMPT DETECTED

  Sanjay forces her voice to remain level. “Scarlett? Can you hear me OK? Is there a glitch in the comms?” She takes a step forward, straining her ears for any hint of a reply. But when the message in her UI changes, she freezes, her heart lurching in her chest.

  THREAT: ENEMY WEAPONS LOCKED - TAKE EVASIVE ACTION

  Sanjay swallows hard, but her training kicks in. She pulls up her inventory and runs through her options. Select electronic countermeasures, she thinks. Deploy. A new message flashes up on her UI:

  COUNTERMEASURES DEPLOYED

  And immediately, there’s a click in her earpiece. “Marcus, what are you doing?”

  “I…someone got a lock on me. If that’s your idea of a joke, Scarlett, I don’t appreciate it.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! Have you forgotten how—” She breaks off abruptly, and when she speaks again, her voice has lost its self-assurance. “Marcus, is something wrong? Are you under duress? Did someone force you to come here today?”

  Sanjay forces a dry laugh. “No way. I just need to talk with you. And when I saw the weapons lock, I reacted. I wasn’t thinking.”

  There’s a hiss in her earpiece as if Scarlett just let out a pent up breath. “Well, you’d better start thinking, and fast. We have a lot to talk about, and we can’t do anything while you’ve got your countermeasures on. So turn them off and get ready for transfer.”

  “OK. Sure. Sorry about that. It won’t happen again.” Sanjay turns off her countermeasures and tries to stay calm as a slew of messages scrolls up her UI:

  ENEMY WEAPONS LOCKED - TAKE EVASIVE ACTION

  MULTIPLE THREATS - DEPLOY COUNTERMEASURES

  ENEMY WEAPONS INBOUND - IMPACT IN 5 SECONDS

  The seconds tick down in her UI, and her pulse pounds in her ears, faster and faster. I walked into this, she tells herself. I could log off, walk away. But she can’t do that. Not after everything she’s been through. Not now. And then her UI is changing, growing darker. She turns her head, but her field of view has frozen, locked into place. The ground shifts. She’s sinking, falling down through the jungle floor. The earth has been pulled from beneath her feet. She reaches out to grab hold of a dangling vine, but her hand passes straight through the thick stem. “What?” she mumbles. “What’s happening?” And her words are whisked away, the sound swallowed up by a terrible, aching emptiness. A wall of impenetrable darkness rushes in on her, smothering her in its choking folds. And Sanjay screws her eyes shut tight. This is the end. She’s finished. Helpless. And when a shock of icy numbness washes over her, it’s almost a relief.

  “Finally, you got here.” Scarlett’s voice runs through Sanjay’s body like a hollow-point round through a hunk of meat. Her eyes flash open and she stares wildly around her, taking in the sterile white walls, the black tiled floor. And everywhere, the glaring dazzle of bright, white light.

  Sanjay wheels around, searching for the source of the voice. Across the room, a woman stands, clad in black combat gear, her arms folded across her chest.

  “Scarlett?” Sanjay says, and her voice is hoarse with astonishment. The woman is savagely beautiful: her deep green eyes are sharp as splintered glass, her clear-cut cheekbones sculpted from pure ebony, and her proud lips drawn tight in a hard line. This must be Scarlett, it can be no one else. I’ve finally found her, Sanjay thinks, but she can think of nothing to say; she can only stand still, blinking rapidly, her mouth dry and her mind clouded with apprehension.

  Scarlett frowns in disappointment and shakes her head, her long red hair swaying over her shoulders. “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with you, Marcus, and after the crap I’ve been dealing with for the last few days, I really don’t care.” She adjusts her stance, squaring her shoulders, and a glint of anger flashes in her eyes. “You’d better have some good news for me, Marcus, or I swear to God, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Sanjay holds up her hand, her fingers spread wide, and for a split-second, it reassures her to see Rhombus’s broad hand, Rhombus’s blunt fingernails. But she can’t afford to be distracted by her own disguise. She has to focus. She has to think like Marcus. She has to be Marcus.

  Scarlett moves closer, her eyes narrowed. Does she suspect something? “There’s a problem,” Sanjay blurts out. “It’s not my fault. Your plan didn’t work.”

  Scarlett stops in her tracks. “What? What happened? Did you screw it up?”

  “No. It’s Sanjay. She won’t play ball. She wants AGILE—the full mod. And she won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Is that all?” Scarlett laughs. “So what? We were always going to give it to her. That’s fine. I’ll hook you up with the mod then you go and see her. And you’d better do it quick. Things are getting difficult.”

  Sanjay blinks rapidly. “You’ll give me the mod? I mean, for Sanjay?”

  “Sure. Why not?” Scarlett hesitates, thinking. And her smile fades. “Wait. Did she get into the Beta Program? She did get in didn’t she?”

  Sanjay fingers her weapon nervously. “No. It’s Sue Derrick. She’s being a pain in the ass. She won’t let Sanjay in.”

  “For Christ’s sake!” Scarlett growls. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place? Goddammit! You were meant to fix this, Marcus. What the hell went wrong?”

  Sanjay moves her lips soundlessly. “I don’t know. Sanjay did well when she tried out. But Derrick said it was too good to be true. She wasn’t convinced.”

  “Well, you need to make that problem go away before…” Scarlett lets her voice trail off. “You called her Derrick. You never called her that before. It was always Sue. I thought you two had something going on.”

  “No way,” Sanjay says quickly. “No. it didn’t work out. And anyway—”

  “And you said did well.” Scarlett steps closer, her eyes locked on Sanjay’s. “You didn’t say did good. Why is that, Marcus?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been in this goddamned country too long. It just slipped out.” She breaks eye contact and steps back, scanning the room, searching for an exit, some cover, anything. But the room is empty and doorless. And hexagonal. I knew it. But knowing where she is on the map won’t help her now, and Scarlett is getting suspicious. I need to throw her off the scent before it’s too late, she thinks. I have to say something—anything. She faces Scarlett and says, “She’s onto us! Sue knows something’s going on. She could blow everything. We should get rid of her.”

  Scarlett’s hand flies to her chest. “Are you being serious? That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. I don’t care what Sue Derrick thinks. She’s no threat. Unless…you haven’t told her anything have you?”

  “No! Of course I haven’t. She’s just acting weird. She must suspect something, or she’d have let Sanjay join the program, and—”

  “Please, spare me your sob story,” Scarlett interrupts. “If Sue Derrick wants to throw her weight about, so what? It doesn’t matter. She can’t know anything, or she’d have gone squealing to someone by now and I’d have heard about it. Just give Sanjay the damned mod and tell Sue what to do. She’s got to let Sanjay try out in the Beta Program. The mod will give our girl the edge, and by the time Sue notices anything it’ll be too late.” She pauses, her hands on her hips, and draws herself up to her full height. “Can you do that, Marcus? Can you handle it?”

  Sanjay nods slowly. “Sure. I can do it. Just give me the mod. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Scarlett hesitates, her lips pursed. “All right. Stand by to accept the mod. But just like last time, don’t try and u
se it yourself. I’ve keyed it to Sanjay’s avatar, and if you mess with it, I’ll know about it. All right?”

  “No problem. You can rely on me.”

  “I doubt that. I doubt it very much indeed. But you’re all I’ve got, so you’ll have to do.” She frowns, and when her eyes lose focus, a message appears in Sanjay’s UI:

  ACCEPT MOD?

  Accept, Sanjay thinks. And she watches Scarlett carefully as the transfer begins. For a heartbeat, Scarlett’s lips twitch as if she’s just seen something she doesn’t like, and Sanjay stares at her in alarm. What if Scarlett got a warning in her UI? What if the system tells her she’s transferring the mod to the wrong person? The avatar hack is good, but is it good enough to fool someone like Scarlett?

  But Scarlett gives her a fleeting smile. “There. You got it?”

  Sanjay checks her UI. “Yeah. I got it. I’ll give it to Sanjay. And I’ll get her on the program. No sweat.”

  “All right. Get to it. I’ll send you back. You can log off once you’re back in the jungle.” She pauses. “But then, you knew that already, didn’t you, Marcus?”

  Sanjay tries for a smile. “Yeah. Of course.”

  Scarlett nods slowly. “I’ll transfer you now. Goodbye, Marcus.”

  “See you around,” Sanjay says. And as the white walls flicker and fade to gray, and the darkness swarms toward her, the last thing Sanjay sees is Scarlett, her green eyes alive with malice, and her hostile gaze unflinching.

  CHAPTER 28

  “YOU’LL SEE NORTHRIDGE HOUSE IN A MOMENT,” Douglas says, and for the first time on the journey, he flashes Hank a warm smile.

  Noah, Seb, Ellen and Georgie lean forward, and Hank strains his eyes, but there’s nothing ahead. Nothing but the narrow gravel track winding through the gloom, and the forbidding hills that pen them in on either side. And then he sees it. The car sweeps around a wide bend, its tires scattering gravel, and Northridge House is suddenly right in front of them, its rugged stone walls standing firm against the desolate darkness, and its tall windows brightly lit.

  “Holy shit!” Georgie whispers. “Sorry. I just never…I never thought I’d be here.”

  “It’s a big, ugly old place,” Douglas says. “But it grows on you.”

  “Ugly?” Ellen says. “It’s awesome!”

  “Glad you think so,” Douglas replies cheerfully. He pulls the Range Rover across a broad gravel courtyard and parks in front of a set of wide stone steps that lead up to the house’s impressive main entrance. He cuts the headlights and the engine, then he slips off his seatbelt. “I’ll have someone take care of your bags. We’ll go straight in, and then I’ll leave you to meet everyone and settle in. All right?”

  “Sure,” Hank says. “Thanks.”

  “Thank you,” Ellen, Noah and Georgie say at the same time.

  “Thanks,” Seb chips in. “See you around.”

  Douglas raises his eyebrows. “You’re all very welcome.” He throws them a smile. “Enjoy this moment—you won’t forget it.” Then, before anyone can say anything else, he climbs down from the car and hurries to open the back door, standing back as Ellen, Georgie, Noah and Seb step carefully from the unfamiliar car. Hank lets himself out. There’s a satisfying clunk as he shuts the heavy car door and the sound echoes in the stillness of the cold evening air.

  “It’s this way,” Douglas calls out, and he sets off up the main steps, with Ellen, Seb, Noah and Georgie following close behind. Hank hurries to catch up with them, but he’s only halfway up the steps when the crunch of tires on gravel makes him turn around. Below him, the rest of the Range Rovers swarm into the courtyard, fanning out in a perfectly choreographed blur of sound and motion, engines growling in a show of restrained power as the cars grind to a halt in rapid succession. And then the night is suddenly full of excited voices and the dull thuds of slamming car doors. Hank watches for a second, his mind awash with the scene. It’s too much, he thinks. This is crazy.

  “Hey, Hank! Come on.” Hank turns back around. Douglas, Noah and the girls have already disappeared inside, but Seb is waiting for him at the top of the stairs. “Come and see this. You won’t believe it.”

  “Too late,” Hank says. “I don’t believe it already.”

  Seb gives him a quizzical look. “What?”

  “Never mind.” Hank shakes his head to dismiss his doubts, then he takes the rest of the steps two at a time. After all, he thinks, how much weirder can it get? But when he joins Seb at the top of the stairs, Hank gasps in amazement. The great wooden doors of Northridge House are thrown open, revealing a wide entrance hall that looks like it could hold every room in Hank’s house. He steps forward, gazing up at the huge crystal chandelier, the massive oil paintings on the walls. A throng of people are milling around, their faces alive with anticipation, and there’s a hushed buzz of polite conversation.

  Seb punches Hank on the shoulder. “We’re not in Kansas anymore, huh?”

  “You can say that again.” Hank fights the urge to turn and run back to the car; if he asks nicely he could probably get Douglas to give him a lift back to the airbase. Or if the jet has already gone, they could go to an airport. Douglas mentioned an airport, didn’t he? But then Seb is grabbing him by the arm, urging him forward. “Wait,” Hank splutters. “Just wait a second.”

  “No way.” Seb propels him into the room. “If you think I’m walking in here on my own, you must be crazy.”

  Hank stumbles as he steps over the threshold and his feet sink into the thick carpet. He looks around the room, his eyes narrowed against the bright lights. And Angela Rosalyn is walking toward him, her arm extended to shake his hand. “Welcome to Northridge House, Hank. It’s nice to see you in person.”

  “Thanks. Er…you too.” Hank shakes her hand. Angela’s grip is firm, her skin cool to the touch, and her sharp eyes gaze right through him. He looks for Seb, but his friend has melted into the crowd.

  “Take your time,” Angela says. “There’s quite a lot to take in, and you’ve had a long journey, though I trust it was a comfortable one.”

  “I’ll say. I never thought I’d get to ride in a Gulfstream. But this place…” Hank stares around the room. “It’s unbelievable. It’s like a movie set.”

  “In a way, it’s the same sort of thing. Northridge was built to create an impression. And it still does that job today.”

  “How do you mean?” Hank watches the delicate curl of Angela’s lips, but her smile gives nothing away. “Are you saying this place isn’t real?”

  “Oh, the staff use it. The senior staff have apartments here, and there are some offices and that sort of thing. But the house shows a certain face to the world, and that’s the way we like it.” Her expression brightens. “You’ll see what I mean later. In the meantime, please help yourself to refreshments. There’s champagne and some rather nice nibbles. So relax and enjoy yourself. This isn’t a formal thing. I’ll give a little talk in a minute, and later there’s an orientation session. After that you’ll be shown to your room, and you’ll be able to freshen up and make yourself at home.”

  “Thanks, Angela. Sounds good.”

  “Right, well, I’d better circulate. Grab a drink, and I’ll see you tomorrow. But I wouldn’t have too much champagne if I were you. We tend to throw you in the deep end, so you’ll need to keep a clear head.” She gives him a wicked grin. “And by the way, when you get up to your room, you’ll find something that’ll come in handy.”

  Hank hesitates. “Like what, exactly?”

  “I think we’ll keep that for a surprise, don’t you? Let’s call it a welcome gift.”

  “From you?”

  Angela purses her lips for a moment. “From a mutual friend.” She gives him a knowing look as if she’s just made everything perfectly clear. Then, before Hank can say a word, she turns and walks away.

  Hank stands still for a second, watching Angela move through the crowd. She greets everyone with a smile and a handshake and exchanges a few words before moving on. But
she doesn’t stand still for long, and it doesn’t look like she engages anyone in conversation. So why did she talk to me? And what did she mean about a welcome gift? Hank scowls. Because there it is again: he’s been singled out, manipulated, controlled. But why would anyone want to control him? What would be the point? You’re just being paranoid, he tells himself. Angela must’ve seen him standing alone, so she tried to make him feel welcome. And maybe everyone gets the same welcome gift; Angela was just trying to cheer him up by giving him something to look forward to.

  Hank lets go of his scowl and looks around the room with fresh eyes, watching everyone else stand around with drinks in their hands, chatting and smiling as if all this is normal and to be expected. And there’s Seb, standing by a long table and looking uncertainly at the array of plates and dishes ranged across the white tablecloth. Seb folds his arms then changes his mind and reaches toward a plate. But at the last moment, he pulls his hand away and scratches his chin. And Hank smiles to himself. I’m not the only outside his comfort zone, he thinks. I guess we’re all in this together. He crosses the room to stand at Seb’s side. “How’s it going?”

  “Hey, Hank. Sorry—I lost you for a minute there. Some guy came over and shook my hand and dragged me over here. I forget his name, but he seemed all right. He was from the States, too. Milwaukee. Jed—that was his name.” He shrugs. “It’s kind of mind blowing in here, isn’t it? I keep getting the idea a bunch of gray-haired dudes are about to march in and start playing violins and suchlike, and then everyone’s going to line up and do some weird old time dance.”

  Hank laughs. “I don’t think so, Seb. But if they do, just head for the door and keep running. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Beside them, someone clears his throat and Hank turns his head to see a man standing by with a tray of drinks; he’s tall and slim, and he looks more like a young movie star than a waiter.

  “Excuse me, but would you care for a glass of champagne,” he says, and his voice is deep and warm, with a mid-Atlantic accent Hank can’t quite put his finger on. “I’m told it’s very good,” the man goes on, “though I don’t know much about these things myself.”