AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She laughed. "I won't be there long. I've made a lot of friends. Friends who want to see me free."
I shook my head. "You're alone. You’ve burned every bridge you've ever had. What's it like knowing that no one would even want to try and rescue you?" I turned my back on her.
The woman who had tortured me for weeks now didn't matter anymore. What mattered was getting my sister back, with or without her help. I just hoped time hadn’t running out.
39
Tabatha
I was exhausted after the confrontation with Gennifer, and the flight from Corsica back to London did not help. It didn't matter if we were in the fancy Rogues jet or not. I ached.
By the time I reached my bungalow and tossed my go bag on the couch, all I wanted was a long soak. Unfortunately, the bungalow only had a shower.
You could go back up to Gabe's.
What a joke that was. He could never relinquish control. It just wasn't part of his makeup. And as long as he was Ops Command, that would be his purview.
And there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do about it.
I would be completely at his mercy, and I would resent him for it. Because on the surface, he'd be protecting me, wanting to keep the woman he loved safe. But it would fester and make it so we didn't trust each other. And that wasn't the basis for any kind of relationship. We wouldn't survive that. Hell, we wouldn't survive it the way it was.
I started shucking off clothes as I headed to the tiny modern bathroom. The bungalows were well appointed and had been modernized, but they were all still small.
Or maybe you're just accustomed to being in Gabe's massive room at the manor or that beautiful glass-encased house in Hampshire. Just get in the shower. Focus on where you are now. That's how you're going to get through this.
It didn't matter that my heart was breaking. I still had a job to do, a sister to save. I had no idea how I was going to do any of it. But I had to get through it somehow.
My phone rang, and I groaned. I wanted to ignore it. Honestly, I did. But I knew better. When that phone rang, you answered. That was the only rule. I jogged to grab it wearing nothing but my tank and my knickers. "Hello."
"That was ill-played of you. Now, your sister is in even more danger."
My stomach went into freefall. "Who is this?" As I spoke, I picked up the landline and tapped in a code to let switchboard know I needed a tap and trace on my mobile.
I used to think the codes we had to remember were bullshit. But low and behold, they came in handy.
"I’m the person who has your sister."
My brain wanted to let go of the tethers to reality, to spin and shut down, but I had been too well trained. I grabbed a notebook and tried to make note of any sounds I heard in the background that might be a clue.
“You’re a bad liar.”
“On the contrary,” he chuckled. “I’m a pretty good one.”
“What do you want?”
“We’re going to try this again, Agent Smith. This time, you will follow the rules.”
“I just want my sister.” And this wanker’s head on a pike. "What do I need to do to make that happen?"
"Well, what you'll do is bring me something I want, and I’ll give you something you want."
"Whatever you want, I’ll bring it. But you should know, I'm not doing anything illegal or hurting anyone. Sorry, but you're going to have to murder people all by your lonesome."
"I don't want something so pedantic as murder. I want something valuable. Power."
"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe focus on some visualization, you know, hold your shoulders back when you walk. That'll help. Fake it till you make it."
I could tell from his clipped tone he did not appreciate me mocking him. "Relax, I just want you to deliver a person. Something I know you can do."
