Liam entered a command into the computer and ordered the drone to zoom in on the man as he opened the boot door up. The high definition picture panned in closer and a full facial shot of Hector Degiorgio filled his screen just before he leaned into the Tourneo, his upper body disappearing for a long moment. As he stood back up, he dragged something heavily out.
Not something.
Someone.
Behind him, the communication receiver flared into life with a long, ringing sound from an unidentifiable source, but one which he quickly took a guess at.
“Oh crap!” Sophie exclaimed distantly, surprisingly clear above the din of braying bells.
“This ain’t good!” proclaimed Liam, standing, his attention tug-of-warring between the images on the VDU and the drama playing out on the radio. “THIS AIN’T GOOD AT ALL!!”
She was gagged and her hands and feet were bound, but it was undoubtedly the girl whom Sophie had been coerced into stealing the diamond over. With matching blonde hair that hung loose and untidily to her shoulders, Meredith bore a little resemblance to Sophie. A deep purple bruise to the side of her head looked ugly and sore and her wide eyes conveyed nothing but unparalleled fear.
“Okay little girl... I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’ll be safe soon.” Liam knew Meredith couldn’t hear him. He spoke more to pacify himself. Agitated, he watched Hector manhandle the girl up and over one shoulder, awkwardly slam the van’s boot door closed and then carry her around to one of the dusty-grey doors. One handed, he unlocked it, used a foot to kick it open forcefully and stooped in, closing the door, and the spying Liam, behind him.
Liam reached his mobile phone and fast-dialled a number. Brayden answered on the second ring and Liam didn’t wait to be acknowledged.
“I have identified the driver of the Ford Tourneo,” he started. “It’s Hector Degiorgio. He drove the vehicle to a house north of the city.” Liam paused for breath. “He has the girl − Meredith − with him. She’s bound and a bit beat-up, but other than that, she’s alive.”
“Sounds great,” Brayden sounded distracted. He confirmed almost as much: “I’m a little busy at the moment Liam, but send me the location.” Brayden hadn’t received any word from Sophie since the alarms had begun jangling and concern accompanied his voice. “Take the lead on this and get on over there. Be discreet and do not engage. I’ll be in contact with you as soon as I can.”
“Okay bossman,” said Liam, the merest hint of mockery in his voice was lost as Brayden had already disconnected. Returning his phone to a pocket, the MI6 field agent sat back down at the surveillance desk and picked up the phone. He dialled, punching in numbers starting with the prefix ‘020’, the code for London.
“Big Mac,” the analyst replied.
“Mac, listen up. I’m heading out into the field... can you take up monitoring the drone footage?”
“Sure.”
“Let me know if you see anything I might need to know. If that van moves, have that drone follow it.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Sophie
“Congratulations...” Dominic said gleefully. “We have a winner!”
“Okay... I’ve got what you want,” Sophie replied. “Where do you want to do the exchange?”
“Meet me at St Andrews Square Gardens at 6:00 p.m. I’ll be waiting by the Melville Monument. Come alone.” Not waiting for refusal, clarification or additional questioning, Dominic disconnected and the car fell eerily silent.
“You don’t have to do this,” said Brayden. “We know where your sister is being held. Just give me a wink and I’ll have the field teams go in...”
It was tempting but Sophie shook her head. “No, there’s too much at stake. I have my brothers also to think about.” In the rear-view mirror, Sophie could see Brayden’s contemplative look. “What’s to happen to them if we go about this all wrong?”
Brayden sighed. He knew she had a valid point. “Okay, we’ll do it your way.” He glanced at the clock glowing on the car’s dashboard. “What shall we do now? We’ve nearly an hour to kill?”
“Food,” replied Sophie. The hunger hadn’t abated any from earlier when she’d met with Dominic at KFC; since then she had gone on to lay out three security guards and steal a diamond. “I’m starving. Plus, I need somewhere to go for a pee...”
“How charming,” muttered Brayden.
Six o’clock arrived without any fanfare or the toll of a church bell (St. Stephen’s Church stopped ringing in the hour sometime during 2014 after the council received a handful of noise complaints).
Dominic was standing in front of the imposing Melville Monument that dominated the centre of St. Andrews Square, its fluted column commemorating the life of Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville. Despite checking his watch every couple of minutes, he felt relaxed and appeared to be waiting patiently when Sophie arrived. She melted into view having been invisible, sizing up the area and checking out the man undiscerned from close range for more than a couple of minutes.
“Good evening,” he greeted upon seeing Sophie approach from the corner of one eye. He turned slowly and grinned warmly, as though he were regarding an old friend.
“For you, maybe,” Sophie replied, bitingly. She walked to within a couple of feet of Dominic and stopped at arm’s length, but easily within striking distance.
“Did you bring my diamond?”
“Did you bring MY sister?” Sophie volleyed back.
Dominic smiled sardonically. “I can do this tango all night...” he replied. “First, rid yourself of the hidden mic I know you have and remove the earpiece.”
Reluctantly, Sophie plucked out the small in-the-ear device and tossed it to the ground. It bounced off the path, disappearing within wet grass. She then unpinned a small metal badge that was attached to the collar of her coat. Reluctantly, she flicked it away.
“Satisfied?” she spat.
“Almost… arms up.” Dominic stepped closer to Sophie and started to frisk her down, his hands feeling for any signs of weapons or other strange protuberances, lingering a little too long at various places about her body. Absently, he felt the hard shape of the diamond buried deep inside Sophie’s coat. For a moment, he thought about reaching inside her coat and taking it; swiftly, he dismissed the idea as foolhardy, and stepped away once the inspection was over. He’d seen first-hand what she was capable of, even if he did have Meredith to bargain with.
“I bet you enjoyed that.”
Dominic ignored the comment but the twinkle in his eyes confirmed that he did. “Okay, Sophie... this way!”
A look of concern flashed up on Sophie’s face.
“Don’t be alarmed. I’m going to take you somewhere... safe; somewhere we can exchange gifts and part... as friends.”
Sophie harrumphed at the suggestion.
Dominic once again ignored her. “I just need to make sure that you are alone first and that we are not being followed. If not, well... my colleagues have their orders. You might remember them from your grandfather’s New Year’s Eve dinner party. They are taking great care of the children. Meredith AND the boys. They have their instructions; if they fail to hear from me at a certain time... well, let’s just say... you’ll have a shorter Christmas shopping list next time round.”
The metallic grey Mercedes SL Coupe Torino almost looked black where it was parked towards the western end of George Street, the entrance to Edinburgh’s Hard Rock Cafe just a car-length in front of it. Through the large plate windows either side of the door, Sophie could see diners seated all around the bar restaurant franchise. Guns and Roses provided the soundtrack to the moment and could be heard pumping from wall-mounted speakers within: Sweet Child O’ Mine played, Axel Rose giving the chorus his all.
Dominic unlocked the car with a button press on the key he held. “Get in.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow sparingly at the man’s choice of car. “I guess crime DOES pay,” she said quietly to herself, hooking open the passenger side door and climbing in. The fragrance of car showroom newness assailed her nose, which wasn’t unpleasant. The company on the other hand… “How far? I don’t think I can last for too long. I’d hate to be sick in your nice flashy car.”
“I don’t recall you suffering travel sickness during our travels between California and Nevada and back...”
“Yea, well, for most of those journeys I didn’t have to carpool with YOU, did I?” She buckled up her seatbelt.
“Touché.”
Dominic reversed out of the parking space and drove down George Street and away from the city centre; they proceeded in silence. Taking a detour up along dimly lit roads and around short, narrow streets that were devoid of any traffic, the man soon determined that there were no obvious signs of cars following and set his sights on the course that would lead them to the location where the exchange was to take place.
Eight minutes later the Mercedes entered an even narrower road than any travelled before, which turned out to be a cul-de-sac. Dominic slowly manoeuvred towards the end, parking up behind a Ford Tourneo van. Bringing the vehicle to a halt, he turned the engine off.
“Home sweet home,” said Dominic, releasing his seatbelt and opening the car door.
Stepping out, Sophie quickly assessed the area and the building which Dominic was heading towards. The row of terraced houses looked Victorian and in dire need of modernisation. Even with little light she could see the windows and doors were old, with paintwork reminiscent to something she imagined originated in the 1960s.
Dominic stopped at the front door of the second house along the row, a smudge of dull brightness glowing through a crack of curtain at its window. “What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to see sister dear?”
Sophie quickened around the metallic-grey car, stopping at Dominic’s back as he unlocked the front door and stepped in.
Hesitantly, Sophie followed him into the house, closing the door behind her.
“Go through to the living room... it isn’t much. Take a seat.” Dominic directed Sophie with an outstretched hand. He pointed into the first room along the short hallway and the young woman did as she was bidden, Dominic standing aside to allow her entrance.
It was like leaping back in time. A retro floor lamp with a brown woven wool shade stood in the corner splashing nicotine-stained light around the room. There wasn’t any carpet, just bare floorboards with a dirty old rug sprawled out across the centre of the room. A tan-brown vinyl three-seat sofa and two matching armchairs were placed around an old black-and-white wooden-boxed glass tube television. Upon the top was a photo frame with an old wedding picture once belonging to the home’s original occupant. A bookcase set within an alcove alongside a chimneybreast was filled from top to bottom with dusty old books deprived of their jackets, all hardbacks printed in the early 1900s. Except for a couple of Charles Dickens, Sophie didn’t recognise any of the authors or book titles.
“Would you like something to drink? Tea?”
A feeling of déjà vu settled on Sophie before she recalled Dominic had said the exact same thing to her earlier that day at KFC. “No... Thanks. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Suit yourself. First... let’s see the diamond.”
Sophie unzipped her blue coat as though getting comfortable before casually reaching inside. The diamond was secured within an internal breast pocket. Filling her fist, she pulled the yellow stone free and produced it palm-outwards. Even in the dim light, the diamond sparkled majestically. “There... you’ve seen it,” she said. “Now go get my sister.”
Dominic’s fixated eyes seemed to swell inside his head, giving him a Beanie Boo look but without the cuddly cuteness. Blinking, he forced himself to move. Saying nothing, he turned and left Sophie to continue holding the Whisper of Persia and was heard stomping up a flight of stairs that were concealed behind another door a little further down the short hallway.
He hurriedly ascended two stairs at a time.
Muffled talking quickly followed. Sophie identified Dominic, but not the other person. The sound of movement and creaking boards directly above her head, followed swiftly by heavy footfalls as someone descended noisily down the stairs.
Unseen, Meredith’s abductor − Hector Degiorgio, who Sophie would have recognised as the waiter at Grandpa Theo’s New Year’s Eve dinner party − slipped past the living room door and exited the terraced house.
More thumping about upstairs ensued, before Dominic lumbered noisily down the stairs, pushing someone lighter down ahead of him.
At first, Sophie didn’t recognise her sister. Meredith’s wrists were tied together and grey duct tape had been fastened across her mouth, but the thing which seemed to alter her most was the large purple bruise marring one side of her face.
Dominic shoved Meredith heavily into the living room, but halted her from progressing further by holding her tightly by the plastic carpet tie restraining her hands.
“What have you done to her!” demanded Sophie angrily. She stood up and looked about to advance on the man.
“Uh-uh.” Dominic shook his head and raised his right hand to reveal a lethal-looking combat knife. He snaked his arm around the girl’s neck and pressed the knife’s blade close to her throat. “I wouldn’t,” he warned.
Still standing, Sophie calmed herself. “Okay... don’t do anything stupid. She’s just a kid...”
Meredith was crying. Stifled mewing sounds emanated from beneath the tape.
“Now... the Whisper of Persia.”
“Let her go first,” demanded Sophie.
“Toss me the diamond or I will slit her throat!” The look he followed his threat with was cold and menacing.
“Okay... we do this together... on three?”
Dominic smiled. “On three.” He withdrew the knife, the blade disappearing behind Meredith.
“One,” started Sophie.
“Two,” followed Dominic.
“Three!” said in unison. With an underarm throw, Sophie pitched the diamond carefully towards the man who released his grip on Meredith’s restraints, freeing her to run over to Sophie.
Simultaneously, Dominic effortlessly snatched the diamond from thin air with his left hand and launched the combat knife with his right, using an overarm, no-spin throwing technique.
Perfectly balanced, the steel knife arced through the air silently and thumped Meredith hard in the centre of her back before Sophie had chance to comprehend what was happening.
“I’m sorry,” said Dominic. “I just don’t trust you.” He backed out of the room, turned and ran out of the house.
“Nooooooooo!!!” cried Sophie, Meredith falling headfirst into her open embrace. Lowering her carefully to the floor, Sophie quickly ripped the duct tape free. Immediately, a line of blood trickled from the corner of her sister’s mouth.
“Sophie!” Meredith wailed. “It hurts... it hurts!”
Looking over Meredith’s shoulders, Sophie could see the knife jutting out; its blade buried deep, the hilt within gripping distance. A small circle of dark red was increasing in size around the entry point, staining the grey sweatshirt and steadily growing.
“Hold still,” Sophie calmed. She looked around the room for something to stem the blood flow, eyes scanning all over, seeking anything that might work. Finding nothing, she stood up.
“Don’t leave me!” Meredith cried.
“I need something to help... I’ll just be a minute.” Running out of the living room, Sophie made her way down the hallway and entered a room at the end.
The kitchen.
Next to the sink there was a dirty tea towel. Not ideal, but in the absence of anything e
lse, Sophie swept it up and sprinted back to Meredith’s side.
“S-s-soph-ie...” Meredith with shivering. “I-I-I... f-feel... s-s-so c-c-c-cold!”
Sophie placed the tea towel around the protruding blade and applied pressure. “Hold on Meredith... it’ll be okay.”
“I... d-d-don’t w-want t-t-t-to... die...” Meredith sounded weaker, speaking a little softer.
The front door to the house banged open forcefully and a big man lumbered into the hallway.
“SOPHIE!!”
She recognised his gruff voice and felt a small amount of relief. “LIAM! IN HERE!” she hollered desperately.
“Ah, Jeez!” Liam exclaimed immediately on arrival, falling down alongside Sophie and Meredith. He dug out his mobile phone and was dialling ‘999’ before it was even out of his pocket.
“I’ll... s-s-say ‘hi’ t-to m-mum...” Meredith spoke with just barely a whisper now.
“Please don’t...” Sophie sobbed, applying more pressure against the dirty cloth and the wound, careful not to move or disturb the knife.
“I need an ambulance right away,” Liam spoke urgently into the handset. “Knife wound...” he barked. “The victim is ten-years-old... she’s lost a lot of blood... the knife is still in place... hurry.” The operator at the other end asked for name and address details which Liam suitably replied.
“B-B-Bye... S-S-Soph...” Meredith closed her eyes serenely, accepting her fate, almost welcoming death.
“No! Not yet!” Sophie screamed into the girl’s face. “I’m not losing you too!”
Meredith’s eyes flickered open and appeared to shine brightly for a moment.
The Whisper of Persia (The Girl in the Mirror Book 3) Page 35