care any more.
He left the diner and continued on his journey, planning what he was going to do. He stopped at a small town on the way and found a little general store where he bought what he needed and hid it in the back of the car. Then he followed the long, winding road out into the wilds.
The hotel loomed up in front of him as he parked the Honda near the entrance. He stepped out, got his things from the car and buttoned up the long overcoat he was wearing, then walked briskly up the steps to the glass doors. Punched the security code into the panel on the wall, waited for the click and pushed through the door.
The familiar, detested smell of the place hit him as he strode through the dingy corridors. There didn’t seem to be anyone around. He checked his watch, sweat breaking out on his brow. His heart was thumping rapidly.
He made his way quickly up to the top floor, to Zoe’s door. The same big man in the dark suit was standing there as usual, eyeing him as he approached.
‘What’s with the heavy coat, doc?’
‘Got a chill,’ Joshua said. He sniffed for effect.
‘You’re sweating.’
‘Maybe coming down with flu. Can you let me in?’
‘You’re not scheduled to see her,’ the agent said.
‘I just realised,’ Joshua stammered, ‘I left my BlackBerry in there.’
‘No signal up here anyway, doc.’
‘Sure. But I need it. It’s got important stuff on it.’
‘Careless,’ the agent said.
‘I know. I’m sorry.’
‘One minute,’ the agent said. ‘No longer.’
‘Thanks.’ Joshua smiled weakly and pushed through the door. It shut behind him and he heard the click of the lock.
Zoe had been sleeping. She sat upright in the bed, eyes wide at the sight of him standing there with his hair a mess, not in his normal white coat.
‘I’m not supposed to be here,’ he whispered. ‘Do as I say and don’t ask any questions. I’m getting you out of here.’
The agent was thinking about his coffee break when he heard the commotion from inside the room. He cocked his head and listened for a moment, then unlocked the door and burst inside.
The girl was lying on the floor beside the bed. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was shaking violently. The guard stared down at her.
The doctor was kneeling on the floor next to her. He glanced up in alarm. ‘She’s sick. Really sick.’
‘What the hell happened?’ the agent asked, horrified.
‘Some kind of episode,’ the doctor said. ‘She woke up when I walked in and the next thing I know, she’s convulsing. Wait here – I’ve got some medication in the car.’ He jumped up and headed towards the door.
‘What do I do?’
‘Do nothing. Don’t touch her. Just stay with her.’
The agent stood and stared at her. Her whole body was shaking, rigid. Her hair was wet. She was foaming at the mouth. His mind was suddenly full of what they’d do to him for letting her get sick on his watch. Thank Christ for the doctor.
That was his final thought.
Joshua had stepped out of the room. He’d quickly unbuttoned the overcoat and drawn out the baseball bat that had been thrust through his belt, the handle trapped under his armpit. He strode back into the room, holding the bat in both hands. His mouth was dry. He’d been a reasonable ball player in college. The thought of smashing a bat into a man’s head made him cringe, but he’d no choice. He swung hard and felt the horrible thud vibrate down the shaft. The agent crumpled to the floor, face down.
Zoe scrabbled to her feet, spitting foam and undissolved pieces of Alka-Seltzer. She stared down in horror at the spreadeagled body of the agent.
‘Hurry,’ Joshua whispered. He dropped the bat. Took off the overcoat and wrapped it around her slender shoulders. Seizing her arm, he led her out of the room and locked the door behind them.
Zoe was glancing frantically this way and that as he guided her down the corridor and towards the backstairs that nobody ever seemed to use. She was weak from captivity and lack of exercise, and breathing hard as they ran down the stairs. He kept a tight grip on her arm. His own heart was hammering frantically.
Next landing down, he glanced furtively out of the fire doors and saw that the corridor ahead was deserted. He jerked her arm and they ran on. She stumbled, and he helped her to her feet.
‘Slow down,’ she wheezed.
‘I can’t. We’ve got to get out. It’s not far now.’
A door opened to one side, and suddenly Joshua found himself face to face with the female agent, Fiorante. They both stopped dead, eyes locked.
But the woman didn’t move. Didn’t say anything.
Something told him to keep running. He pressed on quickly, dragging Zoe behind him.
‘She saw us.’ Her voice was panicky.
He didn’t reply. The entrance foyer was just up ahead. He was running hard now.
Ten yards to the entrance foyer. Five.
His hand was on the cold steel handle of the front door.
Then a voice cut through the empty building.
‘Just where is it you think you’re going, Doctor?’
Joshua whirled around. Jones was standing a few yards up the corridor. Beside him was the Fiorante woman. Two more agents were running up behind, pistols drawn.
Joshua yanked his car key from his coat and pressed it into Zoe’s hand. ‘Blue Honda,’ he panted. ‘Just go. Get out of here. Now.’ He knew they wouldn’t shoot her. He didn’t care about himself, not any more.
Jones stepped forward, his gun held loosely at his side.
Zoe hesitated.
‘Go!’ Joshua yelled at her.
‘There’s nowhere to run, Zoe,’ Jones said calmly as he walked up closer. He was smiling. ‘It’s a wilderness out there. You’re safer here with us.’
Zoe stood frozen in the doorway. She stared helplessly at Joshua, and then at the agents. The woman agent wouldn’t meet her eye.
Then Jones took three more steps and she screamed as his strong fingers gripped her wrist and yanked her hard away from the entrance. He flung her into the hands of the two other men. She fought and kicked, but she was weak. They held her by the arms as Jones turned towards Joshua Greenberg.
‘Don’t hurt him,’ she pleaded. ‘Don’t -’
As the two agents dragged her back up the corridor, she heard the shot and threw her head back over her shoulder to see the blood splatter up the glass door and the doctor slump to the ground at Jones’s feet.
She screamed all the way back up to her room.
Chapter Thirty-Four
It was just after 1.30 p.m. when Ben left Cleaver’s house and slipped away through the crowd. A few minor competitions were still in progress, but with the main event over the throng was thinning out. He spotted Miss Vale near the marquee, talking to reporters.
She didn’t notice Ben as he made his way quietly back towards the parking field. He felt bad about slipping
