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“What have you done?” I scream again, and Ava comes up beside me, gripping my arm and squeezing.
“You need to find him, but if I’m going to tell you where, you need to get something for me,” he goes on.
“I don’t need to do anything for you!” I yell. “You’ve ruined my life.”
“Do you want Jagger alive?” he growls.
I close my eyes. I need to stay calm. If I’m going to do this, I need to stay calm.
“Yes.” I answer simply.
“In your old dressing table, the one you had as a child, there is information. If you bust open the bottom, you’ll find it.”
God damn him.
“What information?”
“It doesn’t matter. Go and get it. Right now.”
I put the phone on speaker and turn, running into my room. I toss the old dresser over, even though it’s my favorite, and things go flying. Jenny and Ava follow me, asking what’s going on, but I ignore them. I use my foot to kick, over and over, until the base of it just falls off. Weak. Resecured in a way that could only happen if someone was in a hurry. How did I miss that? I lean down and pull the timber away. Inside there are papers in a plastic wrap. I pull them out and quickly read over them. It’s just a bunch of co-ordinates.
That’s it?
“What is this?” I demand.
“It’s co-ordinates to an island where the biggest drug deals this side of the world happen. It is some of the most hidden information and if it gets into the wrong hands, things will turn very bad.”
God, I feel sick.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Bring it to me.”
“Why?”
“If the cops find you with that it’s going to be very bad for you. If Jagger gets hold of it, it’ll be very dangerous. I’m the only person who can have it, Willow. I need it and I need it now.”
This is blackmail. My own father is using me.
“I don’t know...”
“If you love him. You’ll bring me that. Then I’ll tell you how to find him before he gets his life taken from him. The choice is yours. Bring those to me on the corner of South and Martin in twenty minutes. Come alone.”
“Fine.”
I hang up the phone and stand, running into the office. Ava and Jenny run after me.
“What’s happening?” Ava demands.
“Dammit, Willow, who was that?” Jenny asks.
“Jagger is in trouble. I need to find him,” I answer, ruffling around.
Jenny shakes her head. “How?”
“I don’t know yet. I need to do something first. Then I’m going to find him. You two stay here.”
“Fuck no,” Ava shakes her head.
“Ava,” I say, grabbing her shoulders. “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Please, if you care about me, you’ll stay here.”
“Willow,” she goes to argue, but I pull away.
I throw the papers into the photocopier and photocopy them. This information is crucial and there is no way in hell that I’m giving my father it back without copying it first. He might think he has one up on me, but he’s about to find out he’s very wrong.
“Wrap these in plastic,” I say, handing them to Jenny. “Hide them so good nobody will ever find them.”
“What are they?”
“Just do as I say.”
I pull on my shoes and some dark shades, and then I shove the papers into my handbag and rush to the front door. I pick up the gun and put it down my pants.
“Willow,” Ava calls, running after me. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
“You don’t get a choice,” I say, glancing at her. “Just please, stay here. If I don’t come back, call the police.”
“Willow,” she yells.
I hug her and Jenny, then I turn and rush out the front door to the sounds of their yelling.
I have to do this.
I have to.
I SEE MY FATHER AS soon as I step out of the cab, he’s standing off the footpath near an old, abandoned building, alone. His eyes move to me the moment I get out and when the cab driver is gone, he steps towards me, glancing around. He’s showing no emotion, no sign of the love he once felt for me. He was my hero and now he’s looking at me like he’s never even heard my name.
My heart breaks a little.
“Let’s save any chit chat,” I say before he gets the chance to speak. “You wanted the information, you got it. Now tell me where Jagger is.”
I thrust the papers at him, and he looks down, flicking through them before tucking them into his jacket and looking at me.
“You won’t find him.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry, Willow.”
What is going on?
What’s happening?
He closes his eyes and sighs. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but I really had no other choice. I didn’t tell Jagger where to find Manchez, I told him that Manchez had taken Maggie and if he wanted her back, where to find her. I set him up. I had no option. As soon as he arrives there, he’ll die.”
