Dangerous Games - Gold

by Adele Huxley

  “Yeah. I kinda do.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes, a hundred different things going unsaid between them. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was for everything, not only for roping him into all this, but for lying to him from the very start. He, of all people she’d known in her short life, could’ve been great for her. If she lost him now before ever finding out for sure, it might break her.

  He nodded once and turned away.

  Claire shot her arm out like a mother protecting her kid during a hard brake in the car. “Wait. There.” She nodded to the distant, right corner of the compound.

  Penny had to squint to make out the details of what she’d noticed. Two men were walking together. No, three. “Wait…” she breathed. “That’s a woman between them?”

  Their strides made it difficult to distinguish, but the bare legs, skirt, and high heels of the woman between them were more obvious as they turned. Penny almost didn’t notice. Her eyes were pinned to the hood concealing the woman’s head. Her hands were bound behind her back, a man holding her by the elbow. She wasn’t an athlete, not dressed like that. She was someone important, maybe someone who'd tried to help.

  “They’re almost out of range,” Claire warned. “Best to wait for them to go inside.”

  Something shifted inside Penny. She felt it clear as day, like the way a bone can click in and out of position in a joint. There was no way in hell she was going to sit in the freezing cold while God-knows-what happened to that poor woman. Especially when she realized they were leading her to the same shed they’d taken her and Phoenix to.

  “You have to go. Now,” she said frantically to Phoenix.

  Claire repositioned herself in readiness. She stood and balanced her rifle arm’s elbow against her waist, steadied her breathing, and scanned the area with a constant back and forth sweep.

  Phoenix paused long enough to kiss her fully before sprinting off in an awkward crouch.

  Penny held her breath as they watched him run straight for the barn. The loose boards weren’t obvious at such a distance, but she hoped he’d be able to zero in on it at top speed. There was no movement from any circling guards, which made her equal parts thankful and nervous.

  Where are they? What are they doing?

  Phoenix slid to a stop at the barn wall. With frantic movements, he pawed at the boards, flying across them with worrying anxiety. He had to be making so much noise. It was the first time she considered that maybe someone could’ve fixed the gap from within. The guy who’d been shot after them might’ve tipped off the guards to their escape route.

  How stupid can we be?

  Claire’s hand tightened on her shoulder. It was only then she realized she was leaning further out, as if wanting to run to his rescue.

  With a shaky tone, Penny tried to voice her worries. “What if the—”

  She swallowed the rest of her thought as two boards swung to the side and Phoenix dove into the dark confines beyond. She braced herself for shouts, gunfire, something to indicate they'd caught him.

  Claire lowered the rifle and straightened. The movement snapped Penny out of her daze. Phoenix was safe.

  “I guess now we wait,” she said as she got comfortable.

  Long moments of silence stretched between them. The cold seeped in but her mind raced. Penny felt torn in three directions; toward the barn, toward the shed, and away from everything.

  “I hope he’s okay,” she said, more to break the quiet than anything else.

  Claire looked at her with genuine curiosity. Her freckles stood out more with her hair hidden in the dark, knit hat. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

  Penny swallowed a lump of frustration and irritation. “I don’t know.”

  “You’re so pisanthrobic.”

  “What the hell did you say?”

  Claire squatted down, balancing the rifle along her knees. “It means you’re afraid of trusting people.”

  Penny couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Real astute observation.” She focused on the side of the barn, willing Phoenix along with good thoughts. But Claire’s comment bugged her. It tumbled around like an irritating rock in a shoe. “You go through what I’ve been through and not come out with trust issues.”

  “Maybe.”

  She rounded on her, speaking in a harsh whisper. “You just shot the guy you’ve been seeing, and you’re talking to me about trust issues? He lied to you every moment you were together. That doesn’t get under your skin?”

  Claire seemed to think this over and replied calmly. “He posed a threat. His betrayal doesn’t taint anyone else. His lies don’t make you or Phoenix or any of the others less trustworthy, right?”

  “I suppose not,” Penny responded. If years of professional therapy hadn’t solved her issues, a five minute conversation in the snow was about to.

  “People will let you down. You’re going to get hurt. You lied to Phoenix over and over. Should he trust you?”

  “Probably not.”

  “But he does. And that says more about him than it does you.” Claire shifted slightly but never took her eyes off the horizon. “You can always earn back trust, no matter how badly it’s broken. But it takes concerted action.”

  She had no idea how long the next silence lasted between them, but it was thick with thought. There wasn’t a lot she could do to help Phoenix now. He was safe enough inside that barn, especially with the others. But that woman she’d seen, hooded and restrained… she definitely wasn’t. Maybe her desire to help was out of guilt. She thought maybe at the root of everything is a bit of guilt, but in any case, she knew she had to act.

  “I need your help,” she said to Claire as she stood.

  * * *

  Penny tried not to question her own sanity as she circled around the compound, darting between patches of trees. It was like she thought she was a genuine spy, not a hired normal person who could blend into a crowd. She could ignore a lot, but seeing that woman being dragged into the shed was one thing too far. She couldn’t hide from that. Besides, it would be a matter of minutes before Phoenix triggered the SOS. If she could act before then, it might save that woman a few moments of agony.

  As they caught their breath behind a thick bush, Claire scoped out the area. She spoke while adjusting the sights on her rifle. “I’m better off staying here.”

  Penny nodded. “Okay, cool. So what’s the plan? Pop a few shots off into the window?”

  “There’s a civilian in there, right?” she frowned.

  “Good point. Then what? Anything else might draw the attention of other guards.”

  Claire raised the rifle to her shoulder and squinted an eye to check the distances. “Then I guess one of us has to go knock on the door and get them out, one by one.”

  “Are you fucking serious?”

  “This was your idea,” she shrugged.

  “And I suppose that means I’m the one going,” Penny balked.

  “Dunno. Is your aim better than mine?”

  Penny knew she was right, but the fear gripped any logical part of her brain like a vice. She had to face it bravely, like Phoenix had. At first, she’d thought he was one of the most selfish people she’d ever met. Partying, drinking, setting things on fire all the time. But over and over he threw himself between her and harm’s way. She couldn’t return the favor to him directly, but she could put herself out there to save someone else.

  After a few deep breaths, it was now or never. Penny paused. “And please don’t—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I won’t shoot you either. Not even a little.” Penny smiled grimly. As she crawled away, she could’ve sworn she heard Claire finish with, “Jeez. You shoot one person…”

  With as much speed and agility as she could muster, she sprinted toward the small shed. It was obvious why they'd chosen the location. It was remote, set apart from the rest of the compound, and protected at the back. It’d been constructed a few yards away from a large wall of rock. If her sense of geography was accurate, the r
oad curled along the top, so many feet up.

  She made it to the edge of the building unnoticed. As she tried to quietly catch her breath, she feared the raspy draw of her lungs would alert everyone inside. With a quick glance back to the bush, Claire gave her a thumbs up. She was safe. For now.

  The sound of conversation made her jump. As she drew closer, keeping her ear next to the wall, she realized they were speaking without the use of the voice modulators. However, they were using that weird language, which made eavesdropping pointless. As far as she could guess, there were three, possibly four men inside.

  There was a loud bang and everyone went silent.

  “Quit it with that shit,” a woman’s voice hissed.

  Penny’s chest tightened. She braced herself for an impact as if she were the one about to be beaten. It wasn’t until the woman spoke again did she realize she’d actually clenched her eyes shut as well.

  “You know I don’t speak that bullshit.”

  Her eyes flew open in shock. American? She’s American. Penny couldn’t help but love the courage it took to throw sass in the face of those kidnappers. She’d tried to do the same but crumbled into a sniveling mess the moment the hood appeared. A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she realized she wasn’t saving some damsel in distress. She was about to help a complete badass escape.

  Penny inched along the wall, picking her steps carefully. Muffled voices didn’t carry through the wall, however it didn’t sound like the woman had been attacked yet. The scuffing feet against the floorboards did indicated they were all on the move toward the rear. That was where she and Phoenix had been held.

  With a quick glance back, she realized if she moved any further, she’d be out of Claire’s sight. She might even expose her position. It was a calculated decision, but she moved anyway.

  “What have you figured out so far?” the woman asked.

  Penny froze. The woman was just on the opposite side of the wall, mere inches away.

  A man cleared his throat. “Well, ma’am, it’s been difficult to—”

  “You’ve brought in every single person in that barn and you still don’t know who has it?” she barked.

  The power dynamic in the conversation made every emotion and thought hiccup. The woman wasn’t in trouble. By the sounds of it, the men were. She wasn’t being kidnapped… they’d moved her in such a way that if anyone were watching, they wouldn’t know who she was.

  Holy shit…

  Another voice spoke up. “We did exactly what you asked. No one gave us the signal.”

  “Then try again,” she replied with barely restrained disgust.

  “And what about the ones we’ve had to… dispose of?”

  The woman scoffed as if it were an absurd concern. “We’ll disappear them the same as the others. It’s imperative you find that agent and retrieve the USB. They weren’t meant to be here. The fate of all of this relies on you finding that goddamn memory stick.”

  With a sinking realization, Penny remembered Charlie lounging on the back seat of the bus. They hadn’t searched him, hadn’t thought to. God, I’m terrible at this job.

  It was impossible to make out the entire mumbled conversation. Penny’s frayed nerves caused her to jump when someone clapped their hands together once. The mutterings went silent.

  “Ms. Morton. What would you have us do? Walk in and ask each one if they are the spy?” a man with a deep voice chuckled disrespectfully.

  “I suppose I would tell you to stop asking so politely.” The lack of emotion in her voice sent a chill down Penny’s back. “And don’t use my fucking name.”

  Penny’s ears rang with shock. Ms. Morton… as in, Michel Landry’s assistant? As in, his right hand woman at the Unity Games?

  Rachel Morton cleared her throat. “Worst case scenario, if you can’t locate the USB, the charges are in place. Do what you have to.”

  The man with the deep voice mumbled a response. Echos in other voices followed, all repeating the same phrase.

  “Apartigita ni estas kune.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” the American complained. “Let’s get moving. I have three swaps to make before I have to be back in the Village. And I’m guessing you’re all going to want to find somewhere else to be after this.”

  The evil laughter sent another chill down her spine.

  Penny couldn’t risk lingering any longer. She repeated the phrase in her head over and over, holding onto it. It wasn’t as though she had a clear sense of purpose or direction. All she knew was conditions for the people inside that barn were about to go downhill quickly. And the only person she really cared about other than herself was now trapped with them.

  Penny sprinted back to the bush where Claire stood watch. She didn’t wait to catch her breath before she repeated the phrase she’d last heard.

  “Apartigita ni estas kune,” she panted.

  Claire’s forehead crinkled. “Say it again.”

  “Apartigita ni estas kune,” Penny replied, feeling like it didn’t come out sounding the same. “What does it mean?”

  The troubled look didn’t leave Claire’s face. “Something like… apart we are together. Separated? Something like that.”

  Penny swallowed the bile rising in her throat and quickly explained what she’d heard inside the cabin.

  “What do you want to do then?” Claire asked as she stroked her rifle. “I can’t take out the whole compound.”

  “We need to get back into that barn.”

  Chapter 23

  After a short squabble back and forth, Penny accepted Claire wouldn't return to the barn. She rattled on about sniper tactics, positioning, and triangulating with Rhett if she could find him. Like a countdown in her head, Penny could feel the precious minutes ticking away. In the end, she figured running into the barn with protective fire cover would be better anyway.

  Before she left, she fished out a piece of paper and a pen. “This is a contact at the Consulate in Milan. If I don’t get out of this, for whatever reason, can you let them know?” A lump of emotion inexplicably formed in her throat. “They’ll tell my family.”

  Claire accepted the paper with little ceremony. She poised the rifle on her hip and nodded when the coast was clear.

  Following Phoenix’s path made reentering easy. She plunged into the darkness and immediately bowled into a pair of legs. Her low angle and speed knocked them just right at the back of the knee. A heavy weight slammed onto Penny’s rear, flattening her to the floor and knocking the wind from her lungs.

  She rolled onto her back and desperately sucked air into her chest as the figure was swiftly lifted to their feet. Only vague silhouettes were visible to her unadjusted sight. Despite her screaming lungs and pounding heart, she climbed to a standing position.

  Instantly, she could feel the mood in the barn was different. As the figures around her came into focus, she could sense their animosity. They mumbled to each other in low voices. They didn’t press her against the wall but they didn’t exactly let her pass either.

  “Can you just…” she whispered as she tried to shoulder through.

  “It’s one of them,” someone muttered.

  The hairs on her neck stood on end. “I have to get through and…”

  A tall man stepped in her way. “Maybe I call the guards.”

  Her heart thudded against her ribs. She froze. She didn’t have time for any of this. Of all the ways she’d considered she’d get caught, being thrown to the guards by the very people she was trying to save hadn’t been one of them.

  Penny’s coping mechanism to any situation was anger and sarcasm. She felt it rise in her throat and before she unleashed a verbal assault on anyone who dared to stand in her way, Phoenix appeared.

  “Come with me,” he whispered as he thrust his body between two sets of shoulders. “Where’s Claire?”

  “Not here.” Without a second thought, Penny slapped her hand in his and allowed him to pull her through. They paused at the opening.

/>   “Did you get to the button?” she asked, clutching at his arm. He felt amazing, warm and firm and very much alive under her touch.

  He peered around the corner and jumped back, pressing against the wall. The muttering from the group behind them trickled from to the front. She stared into the mass, her eyes now adjusted to the light. She wanted to remember these faces so she could personally collect their apologies later.

  “Things have changed a little in here,” she whispered.

  “Watching one of your own die does that to a group,” he replied.

  He craned his neck around the corner again and sprang into action. With a hard pull, he yanked her out into the open and plunged into their pen once again. The people in this group parted for them as they passed.

  “I didn’t tell them about Charlie,” he whispered in her ear as they pushed their way through to the others.

  “I’ll say he’s with Claire,” she replied quickly. “How did you know I was over there?”

  Phoenix ran one hand through his shaggy black hair. “Pure dumb luck. I heard someone run by the wall, saw your coat through the cracks.”

  “What have you told the—” She didn’t get a chance to finish her question before the others descended on them.

  Rebel, Hadley, Hunter, and Miah formed a small arc around them. They stood quietly, as if staring at a ghost. Penny was beginning to understand the deep bonds that formed in high-stress situations transcended language. It was a lesson she would’ve preferred to never have learned.

  Miah broke rank first, stepping forward to pull her into a quick hug. “Glad you made it back.” The others mumbled in agreement.

  “Claire stayed with Charlie?” Phoenix asked her deliberately.

  “Uh, yeah. Yeah,” Penny replied more confidently. “She wanted me to say ‘she’s got eyes on us,’ or something.”

  Penny was desperate to get Phoenix alone, but she wasn’t sure what he’d told everyone. Did they know she was a spy? Did he tell them about the sat phone or the SOS button? It was an agonizing conversation.

  “So, uh… things are a lot more tense,” she prodded.