*
She watched him. His expression gave nothing away. There wasn’t one twitch, one slight movement, no indication about who the caller was or what they were saying. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, she was just really beginning to see how intricately woven this web of security was. Section 7 was pulling all the strings, and in different ways, but who was pulling theirs? Friend or foe? She didn’t know whether it was more dangerous to know or not. She continued to look at him as he ended the call and put the phone back into his pocket.
‘Who was it?’ she inquired.
‘Section 7. It was nothing.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘Listen, not everything’s cloak and dagger. It was Section 7. It was nothing. I promise,’ he insisted.
She kept her eyes on him, waiting for an indication that he was being anything but truthful.
He turned in his seat, faced the window. ‘Help Tawanda with the crossword. I’m going to get some sleep.’
*
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth together. He hadn’t lied. It had been Section 7, but the conversation had been far from nothing. They wanted him to pull out. They’d wanted him to be a dummy in this game, use his past reputation to make the set-up look real, but not have him use his expertise to figure out the whole plan. Now that Autumn had made her own decisions, they didn’t want him to be the cheese in the mousetrap, and they were well aware he could be. He was a loose cannon. He’d never toed the official line before, and they knew that. They must also know that he had a plan, and that it wouldn’t follow their exact steps of execution. They wanted Rick O’Toole. If they could take some members of As-Wana, that would be all well and good, but Autumn wouldn’t be their priority. If they lost her, despite the worldwide press attention, it would be a tragic accident, a work of terrorism. They would not be culpable.
He was going nowhere. He’d made her a promise and he was going to protect her with every fiber of his being, no matter what anyone said. It was the right thing to do, the honorable thing. But now the stakes were even higher. If As-Wana didn’t kill him, chances were the British military would.
Twenty-Nine
Autumn stood outside the door to her apartment, the electronic key card in her hand. When they’d arrived at the building, and Smithson, the doorman, had greeted her at the entrance, it had felt unnatural and strange. It had only been a few days, but now she felt no connection with her own home.
‘I’ll go in first,’ Nathan said, taking the card from her shaking hand.
Grateful, she stepped back with Tawanda and let Nathan swipe the card then push open the door.
‘I’ll make you some hot chocolate,’ Tawanda offered as Autumn played with the catch on her purse.
‘I… I don’t think I have any,’ Autumn answered.
‘Then I will go to the supermarket and get some. I don’t need iPhone to do that,’ Tawanda said with a laugh.
*
Nathan began to methodically check every room, left then right, making sure they were clear. He opened up one door, and two faces shot up from under the duvet, scrambling to cover body parts.
‘What the fuck? What the hell are you doing here?’ Juan questioned as he reached to the nightstand for his sunglasses.
‘I could ask you the same question,’ Nathan retorted as he watched Janey fastened a silk robe around her body. ‘This is Autumn’s apartment, isn’t it? I thought she made her feelings about you perfectly clear the other night.’
Juan put his sunglasses on and snaked an arm around Janey’s shoulders.
Nathan shook his head and shouted, ‘You’re a piece of work, aren’t you? You cheat on her with her best friend, and the minute she’s out of the country, you move in.’
‘And what about you, huh? Aren’t you supposed to be her new guy? Some millionaire owner of a software company,’ Juan scoffed with a laugh.
‘Supposed to be?’ Nathan queried, narrowing his eyes at the rapper.
Janey got out of the bed. ‘Juan, just shut up. I told you it was a mistake coming here,’ she said.
‘Yeah, you weren’t wrong about that. Get out,’ Nathan ordered.
‘I know who you are,’ Juan stated with a self-satisfied smile that spread across his face.
‘Juan! I said shut up!’ Janey ordered.
Nathan ripped his gun out of its holster and aimed it at Juan’s head.
‘What the fuck?’ Juan said, his hands in the air.
‘Get out of the bed and get up against the wall,’ Nathan yelled.
‘What? Come on, man, I’m naked,’ Juan protested.
‘Get out of the fucking bed now! And you!’ Nathan pointed the gun at Janey. ‘Get over there with him!’
She let out an exasperated sigh. ‘This is ridiculous.’
She was annoyed, but unafraid, an unusual response for someone who had been threatened with a gun.
‘Mr Nathan!’ Tawanda’s voice called from the hallway.
‘Draw your weapon, Tawanda, and bring Autumn in here,’ Nathan said, his eyes on Juan and Janey.
‘Autumn’s here?’ That was the first sign of shock Janey had shown in her tone.
‘You sound surprised. Where were you expecting her to be?’ Nathan queried.
‘Nowhere, I…’
She stopped talking the second Autumn entered the room.
*
They were both there, in her king-sized bed. Not in Janey’s room, but in hers. Her ex-boyfriend and her ex-best friend, barely clothed, in her bed. The sight of them, and the thought of what they’d been doing, sent bile shooting up into her throat. She held it down, didn’t let the emotion show on her face.
‘So, who’s the brains in this duo, Autumn? Him? Or her?’ Nathan asked as he moved the gun from one person’s head to another.
‘Mr Nathan, put the gun down,’ Tawanda said.
‘What are you doing in my room?’ Autumn asked Janey.
‘Nothing, I was… I thought you were—’
‘Who arranged the van and the men and
