The duty officer told her they had caught some of those responsible, but Michael was still missing.
‘What time do you finish?’ Elliot asks now, bringing her mind back to him and the fun they’d had the night before.
Beth looks at her watch. ‘I can leave soon. But I need to deal with this one problem first,’ she says.
‘Dinner?’ he says.
‘Sounds good,’ Beth says.
Never would she have let Callum distract her from a work issue, and Beth marks the difference. Maybe she did work too hard? Perhaps she was entitled to some downtime?
‘I’ll text you when and where,’ Elliot says.
Beth says goodbye and then hangs up. She tries Ray’s phone again before calling it a night.
‘Beth,’ Ray says, answering at last. ‘I’ve just authorised a team to get over to Mia’s house.’
‘So you think she’s in real danger?’
‘Whoever went after Michael meant business,’ Ray says. ‘I’m glad you heard from him. At least he isn’t in enemy hands. But if he calls again, you have to persuade him to come in.’
‘I will. I should go to Mia’s too,’ Beth says. ‘Someone from the team—’
‘Leon and I are already on the way. We’ll handle this so don’t worry. I’ll keep you in the loop,’ Ray says.
‘Okay,’ says Beth and for once she is relieved.
Just then, Elliot texts to say to meet him at an Italian restaurant. She looks at her watch, and realises she just has time to go home and change. Turning her phone to mute, she locks up the office. Mia will be fine; Ray and Leon will make sure. The boys are with their dad and she has the evening to herself. Pushing Mia and Michael from her mind Beth thinks instead of the night ahead. She can’t think of a better way to spend it than with Elliot.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Mia
‘I actually got back into my jeans today,’ Mia says as her husband, Ben, arrives home that evening.
‘Wow! Babe! Look at you!’ Ben says. He kisses her and holds her, letting his hands stray on the tight denim over her bottom. ‘Very nice too.’
Mia pushes him away, laughing. ‘Go and get your daughter. She’s in her pram in the back garden.’
Ben passes through the house and into the kitchen. At the back door he finds Freya’s pram, a flynet over it to protect the baby from being bothered by insects. He looks down at his tiny little girl, then, removing the net, picks her up and brings her inside.
‘I opened a beer for you,’ Mia says. ‘It’s on the coffee table.’
‘Really? What are we celebrating?’ Ben asks.
‘Do we need a reason?’ They look at each other. Ben kisses her on the lips. They cuddle, the baby between them. But Ben’s expression tells Mia that he’d like some time alone with his wife.
‘Save that thought for later,’ Mia says. ‘Now, go and relax, dinner won’t be long and this little girl will need her feed too before she’ll settle.’
Ben moves away reluctantly and Freya gives a little groan as though she too objects to the parting.
‘Hey sweetie-pie,’ Ben coos to her. ‘Come and talk to Daddy.’
He takes the baby into the living room and, securing her in the crook of his arm, he reaches for the remote control and turns on the television.
Mia and Ben live just outside London on the outskirts of Cambridge. Their little cottage is surrounded by a few acres of farmland. They’d bought the house a few years earlier when it was a rundown, neglected former rental property. Renovations had taken up the first few years of their marriage, and just before Mia had fallen pregnant the year before, they had reached a point where almost everything was done. That was when they discovered the final bedroom had to become a nursery.
Though currently on maternity leave, Mia works in human resources for a large export firm, and she loves her job. Until Freya came along, she hadn’t imagined that she’d want to just be at home and spend her time as a full-time mother.
How wonderful life is, Mia thinks. She couldn’t have imagined what a wonderful father Ben would be. He’d taken paternity leave the first two weeks, and as Mia’d had to have a C-section, she’d really needed him home in those early days. When Ben had to return to work, it was hard on him not spending time with them both every day, but they’d got into a good routine, and it still felt that they shared the care of their daughter.
Every evening was lovely. Ben’s return home was always wonderful as he took control of Freya while Mia made dinner. She can hear him now, chatting to their daughter as she switches on the oven and puts the tuna pasta bake she’s made inside for its final cook. Half an hour and they’ll be able to sit together and eat.
She’s humming as she pours herself a glass of water. No wine for her until after Freya’s feed. Then she picks up the glass and goes to join Ben in the living room.
‘What’s that?’ she says. ‘Outside.’
A loud droning sound can be heard outside, growing louder.
‘Someone calling by?’ says Ben. ‘Sounds like a motorbike.’
Mia looks out of the window as the bike pulls up in front of the house. She watches as two people, a man and a woman, get off and begin to remove their helmets.
‘It’s Michael,’ she says.
‘Really? That’s a surprise,’ says Ben.
‘That’s strange, he never turns up uninvited,’ Mia says. Ben notices the change of tone, the strangeness in her voice as she says this. ‘Wonder what’s going on?’
‘Only one way to find out,’ Ben says.
Mia goes into the hallway and opens the front door. She smiles at Michael as he approaches, but Michael is frowning and he looks worried.
‘Hey, what’s up?’ she says.
‘Mia, you’ve got to pack a bag. We’re getting you out of here.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Mia says.
‘You’re in danger. You have to listen to me. All of you need to come with me right now!’
Michael stops approaching. His eyes are looking beyond her.
Mia turns. Ben is standing at the end of the hall. He’s holding Freya in one hand and a gun in the other.
‘Ben?’ she says.
‘You shouldn’t have come here, Mike,’ Ben says.
‘Mia – walk out to me, slowly,’ Michael says.
‘What’s going on? Ben, why are you…? Where did you get that?’ Mia says.
She’s trembling and in shock as she flounders in the doorway between Ben and Michael.
‘Ben, I don’t want to hurt you,’ says Michael. ‘I’m taking Mia and Freya. You can go back to your handlers, or you can come with us. You see, I don’t blame you for this. I know what their conditioning does to people.’
‘I’m sorry, Michael, I can’t let you take my family. You see they are safe with me. You’re the traitor. You’re the poison. I can’t let you contaminate them,’ Ben says.
Mia walks back towards Ben. ‘You’re scaring me, Ben. Give me my little girl.’
‘Get behind me,’ Ben says.
‘Stop it!’ Mia says. ‘He’s my brother!’
‘How long have you worked for them?’ Michael asks.
‘You shouldn’t have come here,’ Ben says. ‘You’ve endangered us all.’
Mia reaches Ben. ‘Give me Freya,’ she says again.
He meets her eyes and Mia has never seen such coldness in them before. She’s scared.
‘Give me my baby, right now!’ she says.
His eyes flick back to Michael and she senses a shift as Ben weighs up his chances while holding the baby.
‘Please…’ she says. She’s crying and confused. ‘Let me take her out of this…’
Freya begins to sob then as though she feels her mother’s distress. Ben holds her out and lets Mia take her, but his eyes remain on Michael.
‘Stand behind me. I won’t let anything happen to either of you,’ he says again. ‘You’ll go away if you know what’s best for you, Michael. Because you know I won’t let you take the
m.’
Mia backs away behind Ben. The kitchen is behind her, the garden beyond. Her first instinct is to run out the back and take Freya to safety and figure this all out later. She’s torn between her brother and her husband. She thought she knew them both, but now she knows that something is seriously wrong with one or both of them.
She reaches the back door and comes face to face with Neva.
Neva presses her fingers against her lips. Mia steps back, surprised and confused. She sees the gun in Neva’s hand. She pulls Freya close to her chest with trembling hands.
Neva points to the back door and indicates that Mia should leave. Mia looks at Ben, then back at Neva. She’s terrified and disorientated. The bottom has just fallen out of her world. But she needs to protect her child at all costs. She hurries outside and places Freya back into the safety of her pram, then she turns around just in time to see Neva sneaking up on Ben. The woman swings the gun at him and all Mia can do is scream a warning.
Ben turns and receives a glancing blow from Neva’s gun. Ben’s gun fires and Neva ducks. There’s a splutter of splinters as the bullet buries itself in the kitchen door frame.
Mia runs back inside towards the fight. She sees Neva take her husband down with practised ease, and Michael running inside.
Freya is crying louder now, an almost hysterical sobbing that Mia can’t bear to hear.
‘What is happening?’ she yells. She feels like she’s losing her mind as she sees her brother grabbing her husband up off the floor. Michael and Neva pull Ben into the kitchen. They throw him down onto one of the kitchen chairs and, before Mia can object, Neva cable-ties Ben’s arms behind his back.
‘Mia, run!’ Ben says.
‘It’s okay,’ Michael tells her. He stows his gun now that Ben has been disarmed.
‘I don’t understand,’ Mia sobs.
‘We haven’t got much time,’ Michael says. ‘Neva, take Mia, get some essentials for her and the baby. Mia, listen to me… It’s too much to explain but you’ve got to trust me.’
‘Don’t trust him,’ Ben says. ‘He’s a sleeper agent. He works for a corporation called the Network. He’s been activated again. I’d sworn I’d protect you… I’m sorry,’ Ben says. ‘Please, Mike, if there’s anything of you left in there. Don’t do this. Don’t take them. You know what they’ll do to Freya.’
‘You treacherous bastard. Me? Give them to the Network? They came after me yesterday. I’m here to take them to safety. Don’t try to confuse her with your lies,’ Michael says.
‘Will someone tell me what is fucking going on?’ Mia screams.
They all fall silent.
‘I’m MI6,’ Ben says. ‘A few years ago, as part of an investigation, I discovered you and Michael were somehow involved. Though until Mike was triggered, I didn’t know the extent of it.’
‘Liar,’ says Michael. He raises his fist to strike Ben. ‘I’ll get the truth from you.’
‘Check my pocket…’ Ben says. ‘It’ll show you I’m telling the truth. Then you have to listen to me, Mia.’
Chapter Forty
Michael
‘Don’t try anything,’ I say to Ben, removing my gun once more from its holster. ‘I will shoot you.’
‘Please,’ Mia says. ‘There’s no need for that…’
Mia reaches into Ben’s jacket pocket and pulls out his wallet. Neva takes it from her and rifles through. Inside is an identity badge. It says his name and shows he works for MI6.
‘What the…?’ says Mia.
‘Darling. You know now. But I couldn’t tell you. I really do work for MI6.’
Mia slumps down into one of the other kitchen chairs, then turns and looks around with dull, glazed eyes. ‘I don’t understand any of this.’
‘Start talking,’ I say.
Ben looks at me. I leave him tied up. He watches me, his expression wary.
‘I’d been on the Network’s tail for a while. I knew you were somehow connected to Beech,’ Ben explains.
‘Archive only discovered what was going on six months ago. Are you telling me you married my sister to spy on us?’
Mia presses her hand over her mouth as she tries to stifle her sobs.
‘Mia. I love you. You know that,’ Ben says to her. She doesn’t answer as she shakes her head in confusion.
‘Please. Tell me what this means.’ She looks at me and I feel my heart breaking for her.
‘You better keep talking,’ I say to Ben. ‘You have a lot of explaining to do.’
‘I was going after your parents. Your dad was dirty, everything about the cases he let slip through his fingers told me that,’ Ben explains to Mia. ‘Then as time went on, I began to notice more weird things. Beech came up on our radar, and then I realised he was your godfather. I didn’t think you and Mike knew anything, innocent of your parents’ deeds, but I knew they were connected to whatever Beech was doing.’
I tell her the truth about the man she thought was our Uncle Andrew – how he was our real father. I explain we aren’t twins, but were born on the same day to different surrogate mothers. She stares at me with wide frightened eyes.
‘When I got into trouble with Archive it’s because I’d discovered the truth.’
‘You married me…’ Mia says to Ben. ‘We have a child. Was that all a lie?’
‘No, darling. I meant it all. I fell in love with you. That’s why I married you. You know that, right? I love you, Mia. But I was investigating Beech all this time. That all ended when MI5 broke Beech’s hold and Michael learned the truth. It was a relief, because I thought I’d never have to be the one to expose him and your parents. I thought it had freed us until Michael turned up today.’
‘That doesn’t explain you coming out armed,’ Mia says. ‘You pointed a gun at my brother. You had our daughter in your arms!’
‘I thought he’d been triggered again. That he’d come after you and Freya. I reacted in the way I had to. I was trying to protect you. Ray Martin will confirm what I’ve said,’ Ben says.
‘Ray knew about you?’ I ask.
Ben nods. The wind is taken out of my sails as I feel betrayed once more. My world forever spirals out of control.
‘You can’t trust anyone, Michael,’ Neva says as though she’s reading my thoughts.
‘Who are you?’ Mia asks looking at Neva.
‘She’s a former Network assassin,’ Ben says.
‘Jesus…’ Mia says. ‘You brought an assassin to my home? Put that gun away, Michael.’
I holster my weapon again as Mia walks back outside and returns holding the sobbing baby.
‘It’s fine, baby girl. All is fine,’ she whispers, kissing the tiny creature on the head.
‘It doesn’t change anything,’ I say. ‘I still need to get you away from here. The Network is pulling back all of its assets. You’re no longer safe.’
‘Why would they want me?’ Mia says and I take a breath, wondering just what I can tell her that won’t completely ruin her life.
‘You’re a sleeper too,’ Neva says, making the decision for me. ‘All it will take is the right combination of words and you’ll be doing whatever they tell you to do. But I think only Beech knew what those triggers were for you and Michael. And he’s dead. It’s a silver lining, but it doesn’t mean they won’t pull you in and try to work it out. The baby will be tested until she’s five; they’ll be looking for certain signs of suitability, but it’s more than likely she’d be integrated into one of the Houses.’
With this information delivered, Neva goes off to check the perimeter of the house.
‘What Houses?’ Mia says.
I look at Ben and he shakes his head in warning: she doesn’t need to know that. At least not yet.
Neva’s words ring in my head: You can’t trust anyone. I frown at Ben.
‘Approaching: several army vehicles, and a black SUV,’ Neva says returning to the kitchen. ‘Looks like he was lying after all.’
‘No!’ says Ben. ‘It’s Ray. He ca
lled me just before I got home. It’s a combined MI5 and MI6 response team. Along with local military. They are coming to take us all in.’
‘If you knew he was coming, why didn’t you stall for time?’ I ask. ‘Instead of pulling a gun on me?’
‘I don’t trust you. Okay?’ Ben says. ‘When it comes to Mia and Freya’s safety, I never will.’
‘We need to leave,’ says Neva.
I go and take a look at the approaching vehicles. No sirens blazing – this could be all a trap. But I’m inclined to think it isn’t. It looks like our people.
‘Go before they arrive,’ I say to Neva.
‘Nothing’s changed. You’re still not safe,’ she says. ‘Come with me. Do as we planned.’
‘I need to see this through,’ I say.
Neva blinks. Her face goes cold. ‘Right,’ she says.
She slips away before I can say more, and I feel my chest hurting a little as I know I’ve upset her.
I go to the front door, open it and wait for the cars to turn into Mia and Ben’s huge driveway. My heart is thudding as I see Ray and Leon climb out of the SUV. I kneel down and place my hands behind my head until they reach me.
‘I came to try and protect her. Ben turned a gun on me. He’s now tied up inside,’ I say. ‘He tells me he’s MI6.’
Leon looks surprised by this news, but Ray holds out his hand to me to help me stand.
‘Let’s go and see him, shall we?’ Ray says.
In the kitchen Mia is still holding Freya; Ben remains tied. I’m surprised she hasn’t released him, until I see how my sister looks at the man she once thought she knew.
‘Untie him,’ Ray says. ‘Are you okay?’
Ben nods. ‘Misunderstandings all round,’ he says.
Leon cuts the cable ties. Ben rubs his wrists and then goes to Mia.
‘Don’t touch me,’ she says. ‘You’re a liar.’
‘I’ve never lied about us,’ Ben says.
‘Save this for later, folks. We are moving you,’ Ray says. ‘You’ll have to go into protection.’
‘What does that even mean?’ asks Mia.
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