Harper's Fortune

by F. C. Clark

  ‘You’re wrong – and I’m furious with you. He may also not be able to help. I can only imagine his delight when you met – he’s got one over on me again.’

  ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, Luke, I saw him for ten minutes and drank one cup of coffee – I didn’t shag him.’

  He stands from his chair and slips his black blazer over his white shirt, collecting up paperwork and slipping it into his briefcase.

  ‘Luke, I love you. I wouldn’t hurt you.’

  He stops to look at me. ‘You have. Right now, I can’t forgive you. I need some distance from you.’

  My heart almost stops. ‘What do you mean, distance?’ I move towards him, but he brushes past me. ‘Luke, please don’t leave like this… I’m so sorry.’

  He stops in his tracks. Fuck, I’ve really hurt him.

  ‘I need some time.’

  ‘Are you coming home?’

  ‘I have a late meeting.’

  ‘That’s not what I asked.’

  ‘That is all I can offer you.’ He pushes open the door and he leaves. My body crumples to the chair and my tears begin to flow uncontrollably.

  Back at home, there is no room left in the fridge, so I readjust the plastic food boxes, making space for my homemade chicken curry. The last few hours have been unbearable. All I want to do is cry, but instead I have cooked. Lamb stew, shepherd’s pie, lasagne and chicken curry. These dishes have also overflowed to Jerry’s fridge and to a very reluctant Max. I have no appetite to speak of, just nausea in the pit of my stomach.

  ‘Kate.’ I turn to see Max.

  I offer him a blank expression.

  ‘Do you need anything? It’s six o’clock.’

  ‘No.’ I walk past him and head towards the staircase. He catches up with me.

  ‘You need to give him time.’

  Once again I remain silent.

  It’s ten o’clock, but Luke hasn’t returned home. I walk into the kitchen and boil the kettle, knowing I need to drink, and perhaps eat, something.

  Eleven o’clock arrives and I am still alone in the palace. My head and heart feels exhausted. How can I rest without talking to him? My only option is to leave him a note.

  To the love of my life,

  I am sorry for meeting him, and I would never hurt you. You are my world. I knew that from the moment I met you. Please don’t ignore me, and please let me show you how much I love you, today and forever.

  Love, your extremely regretful wife x

  I place the note on his desk, knowing if he comes home this will be his first port of call.

  I lie awake, my eyes burning. It’s midnight and Luke is still AWOL. I make one last attempt to communicate with him – a text.

  Dear Luke,

  I know you’re pissed off, but I need you. Please come home and keep me warm. x.

  I hit send and place my phone on the bed. I roll onto my side, knowing I should sleep. My phone bleeps, and I grab it. Caller ID: boss. At last!

  X

  One solitary kiss. No words or explanation for why he isn’t home.

  The next morning, my eyes open and my hands skim the empty space next to me. I’m positive Luke never came home. I feel the day stretching out emptily in front of me.

  Washed and showered, dressed in skinny jeans, Converse and Luke’s navy Abercrombie hoodie, I try to eat breakfast, but can’t. Restless, I wander into Luke’s office. The note has gone! He did come home! Feeling lethargic, and now a little pissed off that he’s behaving so bloody ridiculously, I decide to call him. I hit send.

  ‘Yes.’ Wow – I wasn’t expecting him to answer.

  ‘Hi.’ He may have answered, but I have no idea what to say now.

  ‘Kate, do you want something?’ His tone is abrupt.

  ‘Only you.’ Honesty is all I have.

  ‘I’m busy.’

  What? ‘Right. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you, then.’ I hit end and throw my phone on the desk.

  I sit back in his chair. Fuck – I feel like crap. My mood changes from remorseful to angry. He needs to get over it; my intentions were honourable. I know, if the roles were reversed, I would accept what he had done. I look around the room feeling twitchy. I need to be busy. I open Luke’s office drawer and notice a set of keys with a tag: Sandbanks. Hmm, now there’s a thought. After all, he wanted distance.

  I pack. Soon, my rucksack sits on the desk and a small food bag waits on the floor. All I need is for Max to disappear – but not in my car. If he knows of my plans he will join me – not much of a hide and seek challenge with my sidekick in tow!

  I dial Barney.

  ‘Hello, my gorgeous girlie.’

  I smile. ‘Hello, light of my life – you sound puffed out. What are you up to?’

  ‘Dancing – what did you think I was doing? You and your one-track mind. Jesus, Mrs Sutton, you’re a little slut.’

  ‘You’re always on the job.’

  ‘To be fair, I was earlier, but I won’t go in to that. Hang on a minute, babe.’ He returns, not so breathless. ‘I couldn’t hear myself think, let alone speak… What’s up?’

  ‘I need a bizarre favour.’

  ‘Ooh, that sounds exciting.’

  ‘Luke and I have… Well, we’ve had a disagreement.’

  ‘Already? Jesus, you need some therapy, girl.’

  ‘No, I need some space. That’s why I need you. I’m going to send Max to the studio. I need you to give him a box with my name on it. I’m going to tell him to take it to my office for Valerie.’

  ‘Have you lost your bloody marbles?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘OK, you want me to give Max an empty box with your name on it… Can I ask why?’

  ‘I need him out of the house so I can drive to Sandbanks. He won’t let me go by myself, and I want to go alone.’

  ‘Are you sure about this? If Luke is pissed off at you, he’ll go mad that you’re alone.’

  ‘I’ll be at Sandbanks. What can go wrong?’

  He takes a deep breath. ‘I guess.’

  ‘Besides, you know where I am.’

  ‘Great, land me in the fucking quicksand. OK. I’ve got this.’

  ‘Thanks, babe; catch up soon.’

  ‘Yeah. Drive carefully.’

  ‘Barney has the box ready for you to collect. It’s got samples of fabric he got from a friend, and Valerie needs them today. I really don’t want to go out.’

  ‘Does it have to be done today?’ He frowns.

  ‘Only if it’s not too much trouble. With everything else going on, I forgot.’ Bloody hell, my acting skills have improved – sort of!

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘Thanks, Max.’

  I lean against Luke’s office window, waiting for Max to depart – hopefully in the Range Rover, not my car.

  Within five minutes the Range Rover drives past the window and heads towards the security gate. My plan is working. Quickly, I grab my bags and keys for Sandbanks, and move to my car. I push the start button and the engine roars. I search through the sat-nav memory. As I predicted, my incredibly methodical husband has stored the address – how thoughtful of him.

  The traffic leaving London is fairly quiet, thank God. I have roughly an hour and a half, maybe slightly longer, before Max realises I’m missing. This will give me an advantage. The car detects the Bluetooth on my phone and our wedding song, ‘Scream’, starts to play through the sound system. Tears stream down my cheeks.

  I look at the sat-nav. Fifty miles to go. Fifty long, lonely miles. Then the car phone rings, shattering my thoughts. Caller ID: Max. I can only imagine how pissed off he is. After another ten minutes, the car phone rings again. Caller ID: boss. I guess they know I’m missing. Let’s see if Mr 007 Wannabe can track me. Find me, Luke.

  At last I pull up to the gate o
f the house. I input the security code and drive down the gravel driveway. I open the front door and deactivate the alarm. It feels strange to be here without Luke. The last time we were here, he asked me to marry him. How things have changed.

  After unpacking my bags and making a cup of tea, I check my phone. Fifteen missed calls, and five texts.

  Text one. Where are you?

  Sandbanks.

  Text two. Max thinks you sent him on a wild-goose chase. Where are you?

  Absolutely. Well done, Max.

  Text three. Are you trying to make a point? I’m now fucking pissed off. Where are you?

  Yes I am trying to make a point.

  Text four. Answer your fucking phone. At least have the decency to let me know you’re alive.

  I’m definitely breathing.

  Text five. When I find you, your arse will be fucking sorry. Where the hell are you?

  Now, how shall I respond to such a romantic gesture?

  Yes, I am alive. As I recall, you wanted distance and an obedient wife. Bingo – you have both. If you want to find me, I’m sure you can track me.

  Love you forever, although I don’t know if you feel the same.

  I hit send and place my phone on the kitchen worktop. I have no intention of communicating any further with him unless it’s face to face.

  I switch on the new lamps in the kitchen. They look amazing and so too does the kitchen – coastal meets colonial. It actually looks like the room I imagined. I stop and pour a glass of white wine and eat a sandwich.

  I check my phone: no calls or messages. My instinct tells me Luke is on his way; the feeling sends a shockwave through me.

  The sound of the intercom buzzer startles me. Christ, he drove quickly. I stop to think. He can’t drive that quickly… And why buzz? He knows the code!

  I push the button. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Kate… thank God.’

  I’m confused. It’s a female voice, not Luke.

  ‘Who is this?’

  ‘Alexis.’ There is a small silence before the revelation hits me.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Kate, let me in.’

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  ‘We don’t have much time… This is serious. Please, I’m not bullshitting you.’

  My finger presses the button to open the gate. I lean against the wall, replaying her words in my mind. A cold burst of air washes over my body. The sound of banging startles me. I look at the glass panels on each side of the door. Fuck – it is her, and not a dream. I reluctantly open the door, and she barges through and shuts it behind her, shooting the deadbolts.

  ‘OK, this is weird. What the hell are you doing here? I’m still fucking mad at you for kissing Luke.’

  She pulls my arm, guiding me to the lounge. She moves to the windows, looking out towards the beach. She seems nervous.

  ‘Alexis!’

  She turns to face me. Her complexion is deathly white.

  ‘What are you doing here? How the hell did you know I was here?’

  ‘You need to listen to me…’ She takes a deep breath. ‘I had to go to B&C this afternoon to collect some paperwork. I walked past my father’s office, and he was talking to two men I’ve never seen before. Even though they were smartly dressed, I felt uneasy about them for some reason, and hung back to listen. Kate, I don’t know how to tell you…’

  ‘What? Spit it out! You’re scaring the shit out of me.’

  ‘My father planted the bomb at your house – Luke’s house. It was him who tried to kill Luke!’

  I want to collapse, but try to be strong.

  ‘Kate, I had nothing to do with this.’ Her eyes are empty and lost. ‘You know how I feel about Luke; I would never hurt him.’

  Fuck. I believe her. She loves Luke.

  ‘I shouldn’t have kissed him. I apologise. I was drunk.’

  ‘Jesus, this is madness. I need to call him.’

  ‘We don’t have time! The men I was telling you about are on their way here.’

  ‘Here? How did they know where I was?’

  ‘I don’t know; they must have been following you. I overheard them talk about Sandbanks, and I put two and two together and called your housekeeper. I told her I had a delivery for Sandbanks, and she gave me the address. Kate, they’re after you. My father has something planned for you – I don’t know what. I’m sorry.’

  I rush to the kitchen, grab my phone and ring Luke. My hands shake and panic is closing around my throat.

  ‘I am so fucking pissed off at you…’

  ‘Luke.’ I nervously say.

  ‘Baby, what is it?’

  ‘Listen very carefully; I don’t know how much time I have. Alexis is here at Sandbanks. She overheard Philip talking to some men, and it was him that planted the bomb at the palace. Luke, he tried to kill you! And he’s on his way here now – he wants me.’

  Silence follows my words.

  ‘How long before they get to you?’

  I stand next to Alexis. Bizarrely, she slides her hand into mine. I grip it firmly. ‘She doesn’t know – but they know I’m here. Luke, I don’t know what to do.’

  ‘I’m on my way, but I won’t get to you in time.’ His voice is dry with fear.

  A sudden noise from the front door makes me jump. Suddenly it bursts open. I look behind me and scream. There are four men, dressed in black, on the decking.

  ‘Run, Alexis – quick, upstairs.’ Holding the phone to my ear, we charge upstairs. ‘The bathroom.’ We rush into the room and lock the door, knowing it will not hold off the burly intruders for long.

  ‘Luke, it’s too late – they’re here.’ Tears roll down my cheeks, and my heart pounds with fear. ‘I love you, Luke Sutton – until the end. Please remember how much I love you.’ I can barely speak through my sobs.

  ‘I love you too, baby.’ His voice cracks. ‘You have your watch?’

  I nod. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then I will find you. Do whatever they ask, Kate. Stay alive. I promise I’ll find you.’

  The next second, the bathroom door is forced open. My phone hits the floor as four beefy men dressed in black come towards us. I hit out, over and over again, but they are too strong for me. One of them slaps my face, then grabs my arms and holds them behind my back, and another places a piece of fabric over my nose and mouth…

  The world goes dark.

  Russia

  FIFTY MILES EAST OF

  ST PETERSBURG

  Ivor moves closer to his captive, who is tied to a chair and has blood smeared across his face. He grips his chin. The man winces and opens his eyes. Unluckily for him, Ivor’s team had been watching some of Chekhol’s gang.

  ‘Petrov, I will ask you again. Think very carefully before you answer. I will kill you if you lie – do you understand?’

  The injured man nods.

  ‘Good.’ Ivor slaps him hard across the face, almost knocking the chair over. ‘I know you work for Chekhol. I also know that you have information about his plans.’

  Reluctantly, he nods again.

  ‘Where are they going to take her?’

  ‘Sss…’ He tries to speak, blood running from his mouth. ‘Sinyavino.’ He whispers. ‘Exchange.’

  Ivor Varizin turns to one of his employees, who is waiting silently, and clicks his fingers. The black-dressed man walks towards him.

  ‘Take him downstairs.’

  The employee nods. He unties the man from the chair, roughly pulls him to his feet and drags him out of the room.

  Ivor moves to a makeshift office next door, where other members of staff are waiting for him.

  ‘We know that Chekhol is involved; they have paid a high price for Katarina. At least she will be kept alive until the transaction has been made. This gives us some time.’


  One man hands Ivor a photo.

  ‘This is the person delivering her to Chekhol.’

  ‘Yes, sir. Philip Cooper.’

  ‘I recognise the name.’

  ‘The men are ready to move, sir.’

  Another employee lays a map on the desk and begins to circle locations. ‘We move to this point now; I have a team working north. There will be no exit; Chekhol’s men will be surrounded.’

  Ivor downs a glass of vodka and runs his hands through his thick hair.

  ‘Very good – you need to go over the plan again. This must run smoothly. If anything happens to my daughter…’ He inhales deeply and tries to compose himself.

  ‘Boss, we will get her.’

  He places his hand on the man’s shoulder. ‘Good. I trust you. Now tell me, where is her husband?’

  ‘An airfield just outside London.’

  ‘And his team?’

  ‘We still have no way of tracking them, but I am sure we will meet them at some point.’

  ‘Good. If we do, then we must work together – understood? Our war is with Chekhol, not their private military unit. He will get my daughter back, I know he will. I see the way he looks at her. He loves her.’ Ivor rubs his forehead. ‘Katenka, please help your baby,’ he mutters under his breath.