“Well, you coming over and introducing yourself isn't likely to help matters now, is it?” Bill retorted.
“It is if we pretend she's family. No one will look at her twice then,” Maud explained.
Bill snorted, but it was clear he was impressed with his wife's logic.
“So, love. How are you getting on with that awful boss of yours? Are you still working at the library?” Maud asked Beth, her volume increasing again to make sure the people around them heard.
Chase watched the group of teenagers, as the one who hadn't been taking photos made “told you so” gestures to the other, clearly disappointed, girls. After a couple of minutes fiddling with their phones, deleting those photos, he hoped, the three of them left.
When Maud finally reached the end of her story about her neighbor Gladys who always won the best garden award, but then of course she would when she sneaked out at night to use the hose on the lawn, despite the ban, she paused for breath, and Chase leapt into the silence, asking if the couple could spare the time to sit with them for a little longer. After all this would be the perfect cover for them to stay here until the Commander arrived. Maud happily agreed. Despite their bickering it was clear that Bill worshiped his wife and would let her have anything she wanted.
It seemed that Beth's popularity wasn't only a problem in terms of keeping her hidden, but it could actually help them. He'd never have dreamed of using it like this, but it certainly opened up a whole avenue of possibilities. Chase was just thankful that this lovely couple weren’t part of the anti-Great Britain Air movement that seemed to be growing after the recent air crash.
Chapter Eighteen
Relaxing as she chatted to Maud, Beth occasionally tried without success to draw Bill into the conversation. Their pride in their enormous family was delightful. It seemed great-niece Charlie and her boyfriend Pete were in fact real people and part of an extended family that included seventeen great-nieces and -nephews.
Chase ordered another round of tea and slices of cake for them all, Maud gesturing that they couldn't possibly while her husband shushed her and requested a giant slab of Black Forest gateau.
Once the last crumbs had been cleared from her plate, Beth glanced up at the sound of Chase coughing. He jerked his head in the direction of the coffee shop he had been watching.
A wave of panic hit her at the gesture. Chatting to Maud and Bill she’d managed to push their situation to the back of her mind, but the anxiety for her family came rushing back as she realized how close she could be to seeing them again.
Taking in the silent communication, Bill rose from his seat awkwardly.
“Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I hope you work out whatever's going on and get home soon. Our prayers are with your family,” he said, careful not to say her name.
“Yes, dear. You be careful. I don't think you have to worry with this young man to watch over you though. It's nice to see such a lovely young couple who are so well suited.”
Beth spluttered, not sure how to respond. Heat flooded her face, no doubt followed by a beet red blush as she tried frantically to avoid looking at Chase. She didn’t need reminding that a short while ago, at this very table, she'd hinted to him that they could be more than friends. His just staring at her awkwardly before changing the subject was as clear a rejection as any words.
Maud gently patted Beth's cheek before hooking her arm through her husband’s and walking into the crowds.
“Right,” Beth said, squaring her shoulders and forcing herself to look him in the eye. She was the future head of Great Britain Air and was more than capable of getting on with things despite a little embarrassment. “Let’s go and meet Jack.”
Chase led her towards the coffee shop but swerved to the right at the last minute.
“Can you go in there for a few minutes?” he asked.
“I don't need the bathroom,” Beth said.
“I know, but it will give me an excuse to stand here and have a good look around. I just want to be sure the Commander is on his own before we approach.”
Nodding her agreement, Beth pushed through the door with the skirted stick figure drawn on it.
Beth saw the moment Jack spotted Chase. His eyes, tight with tension, loosened just a fraction, the relief clear. His gaze glanced across her as he took in the arm Chase had casually slung across her shoulder, and he looked back at Chase frowning, before doing an almost comedic double take as he realized who she was.
As they reached Jack she moved out from Chase’s side and wrapped her arms around him. His familiar bulk was a comfort as he pulled her close, squeezing for a second before pulling back and cupping her face in his gnarled hands to inspect her fully.
“Don't you look different,” he said, as he finished studying her. “Good field craft, Maddox.”
“It was all Beth's idea and work, sir,” Chase said.
Beth's heart swelled that he had given her the full credit. So many people would have simply taken the compliment. Chase had only known her a few days, but already he realized how important it was to her for people see her as competent.
Jack raised a bushy eyebrow at Chase's casual use of the name only her family knew, and Beth realized it was a silent rebuke between commander and trooper.
“I hope it's okay, Jack, but I thought it made sense to ask Chase to call me that. The alternative might have been a bit obvious given the circumstances.” She beamed at Jack, knowing he'd find it hard to disagree. Jack looked at her, his eyes assessing, as if he could see every thought in her head, something which Beth sincerely hoped he wasn't actually capable of. That really would be embarrassing.
Nodding his head, he gestured that they should all sit, before sending Chase to get a drink for them all. Not that she knew how she would manage another cup of tea. She already felt like she was drowning in the stuff.
As soon as Chase had walked away, Jack turned back to face Beth.
“Are you sure you're okay?”
“I'm fine, I promise. What about my dad and Anne?”
“They’re okay. They took some serious injuries, but they're stable.”
“Then why the news report saying they wouldn't…” Beth's voice trailed off, her question not complete. She couldn't make herself form the words, as if by saying it she would somehow make it true.
“It seems that because we have a closed ward some of the hospital staff have been speculating. The nurse who spoke to the press has been suspended. On the plus side, it gave me the opportunity to set up this meeting.”
“So they'll be okay? Really be okay?” Beth asked anxiously.
“Yes. It'll take a while for them to recover, and they will likely have some long term challenges, but the doctors are as sure as they can be that they're both going to pull through.”
Relief washed over Beth. If Jack had been blithely telling her all was absolutely fine she'd have found it difficult to believe him. But the fact he wasn't sugar-coating things allowed her to accept he was telling the truth.
“Now. How have things been with Maddox?”
“He's done a good job, Jack.”
“He's behaved himself?” Jack asked.
“His behavior has been exemplary,” Beth assured the Commander. “He made me feel safe,” she added when Jack just kept looking at her.
Fortunately, Chase returned, preventing any further discussion.
“So what now?” Chase asked as he placed a tray with three mugs on the table. Beth sighed at the sight. She'd already had two cups of tea in the other café. If she drank this as well she'd be peeing for days.
“We still don't have all the information we need. The man we captured at the church has confirmed what we already suspected. The anti-Great Britain Air movement won’t be satisfied with just destroying the company. They are planning to kill Beth, Anne, and their father. Something about retribution for those who lost relatives in the crash.”
“But why not her mum, aunt and uncle as well if they want to eradicate the
family?”
“We don't know for sure. We suspect the man we have only knows part of the plan. After the first twenty-four hours of interrogation he's certainly not been sharing anything new with us. Working theory is it’s just about taking out the people who could lead the company. From what our prisoner has said, it seems that there was a back-up plan to use the new airliner launch if the wedding failed, but he doesn't have any details. He only knows it exists at all because he overheard his leader talking when he was being briefed for his part in the wedding. Likely he hasn't even realized it is a plan. He only mentioned that the leader had said the words ‘airliner launch’. We think it's likely that would be a target for the family though.”
“But other airlines have had crashes over the years. Why are they targeting us?” Beth asked, frowning at Jack. She hadn’t really thought about it before, but now they were discussing the people behind the attack on her family she realized it didn’t make sense. She wasn’t trying to justify what had happened. There was no justification for the tragedies that had taken so many lives. Yet, the reaction seemed extreme when she considered how many of their competitors had had incidents over the years without this type of backlash.
“I don’t know,” Jack said simply. “But we will figure it all out.”
“So where does this leave Beth, sir?” Chase asked.
“The truth is we don't have enough information to find these people yet, and until we do we can't guarantee her safety,” Jack replied, his weary tone testament to just how exhausted he was.
Addressing Beth he said, “We need you and Trooper Maddox to stay under the radar for a while longer.”
“How much longer?” Beth asked.
“I can't say. We hope not for long, but I can't make any promises.”
“So it could be months, or even longer if these people go to ground?” Chase said.
Beth looked back and forth between the men, her mind spinning. Jack frowned at Chase, his reluctance to respond to the question giving Beth all the answer she needed.
She sat back, quietly thinking and tuned out the men as they made plans to keep her hidden and safe. In this digital age staying hidden was clearly incredibly difficult. She didn't want to go back into hiding. Oh, she understood why the two men sitting with her felt it was the best option, but she needed to see her family. Needed to talk to them, hug them, reassure herself they really were going to be okay. Over the years she’d spent time away from them. She was an adult, after all, and the reality was that they often spent weeks apart thanks to their high levels of travel. But, Beth realized, she'd never gone a day without speaking to one of her parents or her sister. The longing to be with them tugged at her. There was no way she could go back into hiding indefinitely without seeing them.
Beth's musings stopped her short. What was the matter with her? This situation was bigger than she was. There were far more important things at stake than what she wanted. Whether her family and the company survived this depended on what happened next. What she did next could mean the difference between her family surviving or not, between protecting thousands of people’s livelihoods or throwing it all away. How much of the future was in her hands? She didn’t know, but she did know she had to be better, had to focus on that greater good.
Without really thinking it through, Beth interrupted the men's planning.
“No,” she said.
“Pardon?” Jack said. His deep brow furrowed as he stopped speaking to Chase mid-sentence and looked at Beth questioningly.
“I'm not going back into hiding,” she said quietly.
“Yes, you are!” Chase exclaimed.
“I have decided that I am not,” Beth said firmly, clearly enunciating her words. She needed to make sure they took her seriously on this.
“What the hell do you mean you've decided you're not?” Chase hissed at her.
“I am the heir to Great Britain Air. One day I will be responsible for every person who is a part of that great company. I will show those people that their leaders are brave and resolute. That we will stand up for them.”
“And put yourself in the firing line at the same time? Not a chance.”
Beth turned more fully in her chair so she was facing Chase properly.
“I know you mean well, but you have both,” she indicated between Chase and Jack with her hand, “acknowledged that we may never track these people down.”
“That's not what we said,” Chase said.
“I know. But it is what you meant,” she replied. “I do appreciate the risk I would be taking. But surely if I return home and we go ahead with the airliner launch we can, um,” she floundered for the right words, “flush them out?”
Chase’s face colored with anger, and she forced herself not to flinch. She needed to prove she was brave enough to see this through, and if she couldn’t even face down his disapproval she had no chance.
“If you think I'm going to let you act as bait,” he began incredulously.
“You overstep yourself, Trooper Maddox,” the Commander interrupted, making Chase’s position in things clear. “Beth, I can see the logic in what you are saying, but have you really thought this through?” Jack said, addressing Beth.
“You can see the logic?” Chase said, clearly not willing to let this go. “Don't tell me you're actually considering her harebrained idea?”
“Maddox,” the Commander said warningly. “I am considering it. Not least because it makes tactical sense.”
“She'll get herself killed.” Chase said flatly.
The Commander gave a considering look from Chase to Beth and back again, taking in the angry set of Chase’s jaw and whatever he could see in her expression. He looked back at Chase.
“You're right, of course,” he conceded. “Beth, in normal circumstances this would be a good plan, but it's too risky.”
“So what, I go into hiding? Possibly never to see my family again? I abandon all those people who work for us? My father hid away last time Great Britain Air had a major crash, and the impact on consumer confidence was so huge the Company almost collapsed. So I go into hiding and what? My father joins me when he’s well enough? People won’t fly with the airline if the owners are in hiding. You are asking me to let the company fall apart and all those people lose their livelihoods? Even if we can come back one day, what will we be coming back to? What message does that send out? That we are cowards. That we'll happily ask people to go above and beyond to make money for the airline but that at the first sign of trouble we will run away, abandoning them to their fate?” Beth paused to suck in a breath. “That is unacceptable.”
“Why did your dad shut himself away?” Chase asked, his expression tight.
“He couldn’t cope with the fact all those people had died. He was so upset he thought about closing the airline. Uncle David even offered to buy him out. He seriously considered it, but in the end he refused.”
Chase stared at her for a beat as though he had more questions about that, but when he spoke he was once again focused on what they were dealing with now.
“What about Oliver?” Chase said. “He’s still around. You don’t need to put yourself at risk.”
“It’s not the same,” she said. “The Taylors are minority owners, and last time when Father shut himself away Uncle David had to deal with everything and try to keep things going. It didn’t work. The press used my father’s absence as an excuse to crucify the Company. We barely survived, and a number of people lost their jobs. We’ve recovered since, but I’m not going to take that chance again. If I don’t do this now I might have to spend the rest of my life hiding, and I won’t do that.’
“Beth, your father will never approve this plan.”
“Then don't tell him. We won't tell any of them.”
“I really don't think I can do that,” Jack said.
“You’ve been assigned to protect the family because of the threat against us and the airline, correct?” She waited for Jack to nod his agreement. “Well, doin
g this will mean you are taking steps to protect the rest of the family. I’ll sign whatever you need me to so you don’t get in trouble if this doesn’t work.” She swallowed hard at the thought it might not work. Whilst determined to get her own way, she really didn't want to die. Squaring her shoulders, she stared at Jack. She just had to make sure it worked.
“Do you really think I'm worried about getting in trouble?” Jack asked, hurt clear in his voice. “I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you, and I’d certainly never be able to face your father.”
“If you agree to this I'll never forgive you, Jack,” Chase said, fury clear in every word.
“Please, Jack,” Beth pleaded, ignoring Chase’s interruption. “You know this is the best opportunity we have. Let me be the leader I am supposed to be.”
Jack nodded at Beth.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Don't thank me yet,” he said. “You might not be so pleased when I explain the conditions.”
“What conditions?” she asked.
“If we do this you'll have to accept additional security.”
“Of course,” said Beth, relieved. “But how do you know who you can trust?”
“Because the additional security will be Trooper Maddox.” Jack moved his eyes to look directly at Chase. “You are not to leave her side until this is all over.”
Chase stared unblinkingly at the Commander before finally nodding his head in agreement.
****
Sitting on the edge of the floral bedspread in the dingy hotel room Chase had paid cash for, thanks to Jack’s generous addition to their funds, Beth sniffed, desperately trying to hide her tears. It wouldn't do to melt down in front of Chase right now, not when she was trying to convince him that she was capable of pulling this off.
Somehow though, hearing her parents’ voices had stripped away her defenses. She felt exposed and vulnerable. Her father’s voice had been weaker than usual. His normally booming, confident tones were muted by the painkillers and lack of use. Only in his mid-fifties, his age and his good fitness level might mean he'd recover more quickly than an older man might, but he still had weeks of bed rest and then months of physio to get over his injuries. Speaking to her mother, Beth had barely been able to get a word in edgeways to ask any questions of her own. From the second her mother had realized who was on the mobile phone that Beth imagined being handed to her by the bodyguard in the small hospital room, she'd unleashed a torrent of questions.
Broken Trust Page 10