“Are you kidding? Yes please. I actually really need this document checked over. Just spelling and grammar and such, but it's taking me ages and I have to get on with arranging the catering. The document needs to go out in an hour. Do you think you can handle that?”
The desperation in his eyes was obvious. This was almost too perfect an opportunity to be true. I jumped on the chance.
“Of course. No problem. Where shall I sit?”
“Brilliant. You take my computer as it's all here. I just started, so carry on from where I left off, please.”
He stood up and sat down at the desk opposite, leaving me to it. Completely trusting me.
The document was an absolute goldmine. It contained all the information I needed. The venue, date and time of the event were all there. I was absolutely sure Zaphire would be at the meeting as if I knew Rick at all, he'd want to make the most of her capture one way or another. Plus it was more or less alluded to in the document. Now all I needed to do was get the information over to Zack.
I sensed trouble. Daniel's scent rapidly became stronger, and it stank. He was furious and worried at the same time. I was expecting a Zack-like telling off and braced myself, but Daniel's anger presented very differently. There was silence but his eyes spoke a thousand words, and none of them were particularly nice.
“Hi Mark, I have to talk to Eliza. Do you mind if I take her with me?”
He didn't look at me but solely addressed Mark, who looked a little bemused but was really none the wiser of Daniel's foreboding mood.
“Yeah of course, Daniel. She was just helping me out a bit. Thanks Eliza. Did you get it done?” he asked hopefully. I nodded, saved my work and hastily stood up to follow Daniel, who was already by the door, waiting for me. I held my head high. I needed to give the illusion that I didn't think I'd done anything wrong.
“What is it Daniel?” I asked pretending I wasn't aware of any issue. “Why do I feel these tense vibes coming from you?” again, simulating innocence. He ignored my questions and instead opened a door to a small room and expecting me to go in. He pointed to a comfy chair for me to sit down and sat himself down on the opposite chair. Leaning back as if relaxed but arms crossed.
“What are we doing here Daniel? I don't understand. Has something happened? Is Zaphy okay?” I tried anything to make him believe I really didn't think I did anything wrong.
“You know full well that you're not supposed to access computers. What were you thinking?” His voice betrayed a little of his state of mind, but was still calm as anything.
“Is that what you're worried about?” I countered. “It wasn't for my personal use. I was just helping Mark edit some files. I was bored so it kept me busy for a while.”
“Mark should have known better than to ask you. We were all told not to give you any access,” Daniel grumbled and carried on.
“I shall have to report this to Rick and see if he wants to ask you any more questions. I won't be able to tell if you are telling the truth, but he will.”
That wasn't good. I had to stop him doing that. I could try and spin the truth for my father a little bit but if he were to ask me direct questions, he would know I was hiding something. We could shield and cloak as much as we wanted but the familial bond was much tougher to deceive than just another Sensorian.
“You don't want to bother Rick with this. He has his hands full organising the upcoming meeting and I promise I was just helping out Mark. You can ask Irena or another Sensorian to check me out if you really feel it's necessary?” I suggested, hoping he would drop it. I wanted to concentrate on finding a way to get in touch with Zack, rather than spending energy and time on deceiving other Sensorians. On top of that, I might not succeed in lying to them. What was it with people just walking in at the wrong time! I would have been out of that room not ten minutes later and no one would have been any the wiser.
“You've put me in a horrible position Eliza. I like you and I do believe you. But I still think I should mention it to someone. I think you're right not to get Rick involved, so I'll get Irena to come and meet us,” he decided.
Bollocks. I really could do without this but it was going to happen, so I needed to prepare myself quickly for the impending interrogation. I started visualising to relax. Nothing more convincing than a steady heartbeat. I didn't have long though as unfortunately Irena was just in the vicinity and promised to be there in a few minutes and sure enough there was a knock on the door already.
“Hi Irena. Sorry to bother you with this but I hope it will reassure Daniel to have you corroborate my story,” I smiled whilst taking the lead. I was determined not to look the victim or guilty. She smiled back. Thank goodness I gained her respect dealing with Zaphire before. It would definitely work to my advantage.
“So, what is the problem Daniel? How can I help you?” she asked, curious to know what the issue was. When Daniel explained she looked a bit dubious and my heart rate just rose a little, gaining her attention.
“What files were you editing Eliza?” she asked, holding my gaze. I knew where this was going and there was nothing I could do about it. Mark would be able to give the answer to that question so I answered truthfully. This wasn't going my way.
“So you know where and when the meeting is,” she concluded and I just nodded.
“Thanks for informing us Daniel. And Eliza, I believe you didn't do anything else but edit the files, but you weren't supposed to know that information. Though Rick is beginning to trust you, he's not willing to test that trust yet. You will have to be under constant observation from now on until the meeting,” she decided.
“Irena, please, is that really necessary?” I pleaded. “You can trust me. How many times do I have to prove myself? No one needs to waste their time babysitting me,” I sighed.
“I'm sorry Eliza. I do trust you but you have to understand it's our duty to make sure nothing gets in the way of Rick's plans. He's just cautious. And I'm sure Daniel will be happy to oblige,” she said with a cheeky twinkle in her eye.
Shit. How on earth was I going to contact Zack now?
CHAPTER 40
Zack
“Look who joined us,” a voice boomed from the computer screen followed by a sarcastic laugh.
“We were waiting for you, Zacharya. We couldn't start without Markus' prodigy, could we now,” the voice continued.
Bollocks. It was Rick of course. Fucking mocking both Markus and me. I saw Laura and Frank had joined the video conference as well and both looked shocked. The screen didn't show Rick. Instead it was the bruised face of my sister staring helplessly at us. Her mouth gagged, and wearing noise cancelling head phones. She looked scared but still her eyes shone with resilience. She was coping. For now. Rick removed her headphones, but left the gag in.
“Hey, my sweet. Don't worry. We will sort this out,” Markus said, ignoring Rick's sneers. “We're all here now, Rick. Why don't you tell us what this all means?”
Markus' calm voice belied the inner turmoil I sensed. But he was putting up a good show for the camera.
“I'll admit that I hadn't planned on using Zaphire as a tool to realise what I need, but Eliza gave us this opportunity and it was too good to miss. It will help my cause greatly and much more quickly than I could have hoped for, so I'm not apologising for it,” Rick stated bluntly.
I cringed on hearing Eliza's name.
“I'm not asking you to apologise. Just tell me what you want,” Markus interrupted brusquely.
“Don't get your knickers in a twist, I was getting to that,” Rick smirked. “My request is to have full access to your compound and have a meeting with all Sensorians. You'll let me show them the future society I envisage and give them the choice to join me, without any repercussions for me nor all the people who choose to follow me. I don't think that's too much to ask in return for your daughter.”
“What will happen to her if we don't comply?” Markus questioned icily, stalling any decision that had to be made. Zaphy's eyes wen
t wide. She didn't want to hear this.
“You can't seriously...,” I butted in but was hushed up by a stern look and a growl. The atmosphere was unbearably tense. It fucking hurt.
“She will live the rest of her life in a dark cellar deprived of all her senses. You will never find her and she will die alone.”
Markus averted his eyes from the screen.
“We might have to take that risk. But before that would happen, we'd hunt down your arse and sit it in our court room. And you will not get out of there without a death sentence. Hand her back now and I will give you amnesty. Turn yourself in and reform. You could be an asset to us once more.”
Sweat poured out of every single pore I owned. Everyone's heart pounded fast and loud and the stench of stress was stifling. I had to get out of that room but my feet were stuck and my legs were lead. I wasn't going anywhere.
“Interesting offer Markus. But you forget that I hold all the cards. I'm not giving up my vision to end up working with you again. If you won't let me talk to your community now, it won't be long before I have another opportunity. I'm in no rush; I'm stronger than ever, especially with my daughter by my side. I'll give you an hour to decide, but say goodbye to Zaphire now. You won't see her again, unless you honour my request.”
I looked at Zaphire's eyes, full of despair but resilient still, as they shoved a bag over her head and hauled her roughly to her feet and out of sight. Rick had signed off and it was just the distraught faces of Laura and Frank staring at us now. Laura looked straight at Markus, she took only a second to speak.
“I can't let you gamble with Zaphire's life. We have to give him access. Our Sensorian community is not stupid. They will see through his mad ideas and realise it's not the right way forward,” she insisted.
Markus turned away from her, eyes down and shoulders hunched.
“I can't let him blackmail us, honey. However right you may be about our community, we can't give in to him.”
I feared he might say that. Too fucking principled for his own good. I had to get Zaphire out of there at all costs. I had to convince him to let Rick have his meeting.
“Sir, there may be another way.”
I paused to make sure I had his attention. He turned to me and I took his silence as a cue to carry on. He hadn't cut me off.
“What if we let him have his meeting....”
Markus started shaking his head.
“No.” he immediately decided.
But I persevered and jumped in again.
“Please, Sir. Hear me out. We can try and find Zaph, whilst he's here, liberate her and then you can arrest him whilst he's at our premises. It's a risk but it could mean we can capture him and deal with him for good. It must be worth considering, Sir.”
“Zack, the chances of us finding her are close to zero. That's not good odds to gamble with.”
I had to let him into my secret. It was the only way. Fuck. This was going to be hard.
“It might be a lot more than that, Sir.”
“What. Why? What do you know?”
Markus' face was nearly touching mine now. I backed away slightly. Everyone looked at me, slightly confused, but urging me to spill the beans. I was fucking shitting myself.
“Promise you won't freak out or get angry, Sir?” I tried in a feeble attempt to protect myself.
“No promises. Out with it. Now!” Markus looked like he was going to burst. He could hardly contain his emotions, but took a deep breath and remained on right side of the edge. It was my turn to take a deep breath.
“Eliza still works for us. She didn't want anyone to know but me, but she is loyal to us, Markus.”
It was as if I'd dropped a bomb. Markus, Brody, Michael, Vivian, Lois, Laura and Frank all stared at me. Fuck. My stomach churned, my heart raced uncontrollably, but I had to focus. It was crucial I was able to convince them.
“You're delusional if you believe that,” Laura hissed. “She captured Zaphire!” each word dripping with her indignation.
“I don't know why she made that decision, but it must have been an improvisation that when set into motion she couldn't stop. She must have been taken by surprise or something. I tell you, she is determined to convince Rick she's loyal to him, so she can discover all the information we need to close his whole operation down.”
“You kept this from us! Who else knows?” Markus barked, fuming.
“No one knows. Not even Zaphire. It was essential that as few people knew as possible to make this work. But let's not focus on that. She has already given me some vital information about where they are. I'm just waiting for her to make contact again.”
I knew it was wishful thinking but I hoped sincerely they would just overlook my choice to leave them in the dark about our strategy, but the vibes were dark and angry.
Markus blew. Fuck. He flung the remote he was holding through the room, it crashed against the wall and broke into smithereens. In seconds he stood right in front of me and before I knew it he'd punched me full in the face. My nose exploded, my face burned with pain. Another blow connected with my eye. I saw black and wobbled but felt Brody's arms around me, steadying me. Michael and Vivian rushed in between me and Markus, who was still beside himself. Vivian passed me some tissues to stem the bleeding, which I grabbed and stuffed onto my nose. Markus had never lost it like this before. I'd had a few kicks up my backside and a smack now and then when I was younger, but he never punched me before. It hurt and not just physically. This wasn't the man I respected and admired so much. Zaphire's capture must have rattled him much more than he let on.
Despite the pain and shock, I carried on talking. Too fast, stumbling over my words, only just able to get them out.
“I'm sorry I had to do it this way, but it was the only way to keep it real. Focus Markus. Focus on the positive. When Eliza makes contact again we have a real chance of finding Zaphire and set a trap for Rick at the same time. Please, Michael, Laura, you can see this, right?”
I caught a glimpse of Laura who stood staring at Markus and me, her hands covering her mouth, eyes full of worry.
At last, Vivian stepped in. She seemed to be in control of her emotions the most and told everyone firmly to calm down and get a grip. Markus shook Michael off him and straightened his suit. He walked up to me and offered his hand. I took it, uncertain of what would come next. His senses were all over the place.
“Sorry Zack. I apologise. I was out of control and shouldn't have done that. That was unforgivable. We'll deal with your insubordination at a more suitable time. But you're right; for now we need to focus on getting Zaphire out. Are you okay to carry on?”
“Yeah. I'm fine, thank you Sir,” I managed to groan, though I felt far from it. I needed some painkillers soon, now the adrenaline had subsided. He'd fucking broken my nose for sure. My eyes were stinging from the tears that were trying to edge their way out. I fought to hold them in. No fucking way was that going to happen. Not in front of Markus of all people.
“How have you had contact with her?”
“She's been texting me, but she had to get hold of someone's phone. I can't contact her. But I know she'll make contact soon. We have to be patient and buy some time. Make Rick wait at least a few days to have his access to our compound,” I urged, albeit woolly mouthed due to the pain.
“It's a hell of a gamble, Zack. I hope, for Zaphy's sake, it pays off. And yours,” Markus added menacingly. “Now, get your arse over to Dr Eccles and get your face seen to.”
I prayed to fuck that phone in my pocket was going to buzz soon.
CHAPTER 41
Eliza
This wasn't good. Stuck in a room with Daniel until tomorrow. I needed to fix this problem but I couldn't think of any solution that wouldn't blow my cover. Maybe this is how far it would go, but I was reluctant to admit to that. When my betrayal was out in the open, I would lose my father and even though ultimately I wanted him stopped, I wasn't ready to let go yet. I wanted some more time with him. But I shouldn
't put my needs before the Sensorians' or Zaphire's. Shit. This was hard. But I knew I had to get a message to Zack, one way or another.
“I ordered us some food to be brought to your room. Hope you like pasta?” Daniel spoke chirpily. He looked a smidgen apologetic, smelled a little guilty but my overriding sensation from him was pleasure. His anger had all but gone. Irena had been right.
“You seem to be enjoying my predicament a little too much, Daniel?” I joked.
I wasn't going to let the opportunity to tease him somewhat pass me by, even though my mind was frantically going round in circles at to what to do. I decided to be patient and have some food first. Let my brain think around the problem for a bit. Something might come to me.
He turned a little red in his cheeks and gave a shy smile.
“No.. er...I just thought you might be hungry,” he stammered .
“Yeah. I am a little peckish. But don't think you're fooling me,” I winked.
“That bloody Sensorian thing,” he sighed, going even more red as he realised he couldn't hide his true feelings. I noticed him regrouping and shaking off his embarrassment. “Fair enough. You know how I feel about you and I thought maybe we can make this bad situation, a little better.”
He sat himself next to me and moved in. Surely he wasn't expecting a kiss! I was saved by a knock on our door as our pasta arrived. I heard him groan a little, but ignored it whilst I jumped up to open the door.
We ate our dinner. I was trying to make small talk, avoiding awkward silences but all the while a plan was forming in my head. It was going to be risky and horrible, but I hoped I could pull it off. I had to wait for the right moment.
I scanned my room for things I could use. Daniel offered to find a film on Netflix to watch. I agreed. I spotted his phone on charge by the bedside. I made myself comfortable on the bed and took my socks off. I waited until the unsuspecting Daniel took his place next to me, a little too close, clearly still hoping to have another go at kissing me. His scent was full of pheromones. It tempted me and I felt bad over what was in store for him. I had to concentrate and took a moment to visualise the sea. I took a deep breath. It had to be done. He didn't suspect a thing.
The Sensorians: Trust Page 15