AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirty-Four
Baxter
“Grandfather? What’s with the security? This isn’t the usual way you contact me, even when you need a secure line.” I pace around one of my safe houses, agitated. I came here to prepare for a job, a simple extermination of a traitor within The Order. No need to torture information out of the guy, the board already has everything they need, and although they could easily send someone else to do it, I was closest and available.
Which would have been fine, until my grandfather text me a link to a secure server and then called me. Which means something is up. And it’s serious.
“Listen, son, I don’t have much time,” he says urgently, immediately putting me on edge. “You need to know that I’ve been working undercover for decades within The Order. Cordelia was my mark.”
“I don’t understand…”
“When I was first inducted to The Order, they were monitoring several wealthy, high profile families. Once Cordelia’s husband died, under very suspicious circumstances, I was sent there to watch over her. Part of my cover was to strike up a relationship with her in order to get close and gain her trust.”
“So you didn’t cheat on my grandmother?”
“Your grandmother knew what my work entailed.”
“Eventually, a plot to kill off the Deighton family line was uncovered. I was told to keep it hidden from Cordelia and to help her daughter escape. She was dating a nice young lad back then and I didn’t have a lot of time or options. I helped them run away together and get married, helping the boyfriend set up a business and survive. I had to stay close to Cordelia, but when they had twins, I kept the grandchildren hidden and tried to ensure everyone within the family stayed estranged for their protection.”
“Okay, where is this going?”
“I didn’t know why they were so important, just that I had to protect them but not tip off Cordelia. I was younger and more naïve back then, happy to just do as I was told. I didn’t ask questions until much later, when board members started disappearing and turning up dead. I started to wonder if the two things could be connected somehow, but I had no way of finding out. The Order guards its secrets like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”
“Over the decades, Cordelia’s behaviours became more erratic and nonsensical. I started to suspect that she was actually the one trying to kill off the Deighton line and that she may have married into the family as a ruse.”
“It was confirmed recently. I think Cordelia became suspicious of me once you told me Nix was my granddaughter. She probably suspected my loyalties might shift, so she bugged my house. I had no idea until recently. I met with an Order colleague who accidentally mentioned Lizzie, which I think tipped off Cordelia all those months ago into believing she was still alive. I think she launched the lawsuits against Raven to keep her busy while she hunted for Lizzie herself.”
“I don’t think she found her, but she must have found enough to confirm she was alive because she changed her will shortly after. I don’t know why she’d do that if she was planning to kill them all, or why she would wait so long. I kept the mother well hidden but once the girls made contact with Cordelia off their own back, she could have struck then. I don’t know why she’d wait, or why she’d suddenly be unravelling now.”
“I can’t work out why The Order would be involved, but I have a feeling that my cover is well and truly about to be blown. She’s so suspicious of me already, and I’m still refusing to give her what she wants – the Branson name. Yesterday she took a call I was unable to trace and disappeared shortly after. She won’t take my calls and I can’t get a handle on her location. I think she’s found Lizzie and is planning to strike. Hence me contacting you. You’re going to have to speak to Amelie directly on this one. I’ve done all I can, and I think the threat is too high now to keep her alive. You need to act quickly on this.”
“Stay safe son, if she has Lizzie she’s coming after your family next.”
The call cuts before I can ask the million questions burning my tongue. I have a feeling why The Order might want to get involved in protecting the Deighton line, but I refuse to acknowledge it.
I pull out the burner phone I’ve had on me since the night we found Lizzie. I quickly type the number of the emergency line I have committed to memory and hit dial. The person at the other end of the line answers on the first ring.
“The Grim Reaper is looking to collect,” I say, then immediately hang up. I crush the phone under the heel of my boot, removing the traceable pieces and dropping the whole lot into a vat of acid I was going to put my victim’s body in. Oh well, there’s plenty of room and it’s not like he’ll be complaining about it.
***
“Amelie?” I say as soon as the call connects on my regular mobile phone. I know I should wait and confirm it’s her, make sure the line is secure, probably go through a load of security checks, but I can’t. The hurried conversation I just had with my grandfather has me far too rattled. “I need help.”
The person on the end of the line – please let it be Amelie – sucks in a sharp breath.
“Help? Or a favour, Batman?”
I breathe a sigh of relief that it is her on the line.
“Whatever it takes.”
“Really? Must be bad.”
“It’s not. Yet. But it will be.”
“What do you need, Baxter? Are you in trouble?” I don’t know if it’s her use of my name or the concern in her tone but I feel the sudden urge to tell someone what’s happening.
“I don’t know what to do. Well, I have an idea, but even I can’t get away with it, and—”
