Fallen Angel

by Bev Dulson

  ‘Get me out of these ropes, now Max.’

  ‘I’d love to.’

  ‘You fuckin’ dickhead, I saved your life once, remember, how about you return the favour.’

  ‘As much as you annoy the hell out of me, I don’t think I’d actually kill you.’

  ‘So, why the hell have you got me tied up here? If you’ve done anything to Magenta, I swear to god, I’ll fuckin’ knock your block off.’

  ‘Hunter, please calm down before you go full Hulk on me, I am in the same situation as you.’

  ‘What?’ Hunter screwed his eyes up trying to make out where Max was, he appeared to be sitting on a chair, he was very still, no hand movements. ‘You’re tied up too?’

  ‘It would appear so.’

  ‘How? Did Jax get to you too?’

  ‘No, someone got to me, I’m over here.’

  Another voice from the corner of the room.

  ‘What the fuck is going on?’

  ‘No idea my friend, I came to New York to try and cause some more trouble for Magenta, but I didn’t get further than the brownstone when someone knocked me out. Next thing, I wake up in the basement tied up and Jax is down here too tied up against one of the beams.’

  ‘So we’re in the basement of the brownstone? Did you see who knocked you out? Has anyone been down here?’

  ‘Yes, we’re in the brownstone, but that’s all I can tell you, no idea why we’re here or who put us here.’

  ‘You must’ve seen them, have they been down here?’

  ‘Only at night with water and stuff, it’s been too dark to see who they are. It’s certainly a strange turn of events.’

  Hunter took a moment to process the information, who on earth would lock him, Max and Jax up together? He’d never even met Jax and up until the stolen songs, had never even heard his name. What the hell was all this about? He knew from the feel of his back against the beam that the gun concealed in his waistband had been removed, he suspected the same was probably true about the one at his ankle who ever this was wasn’t messing around. Well neither was he, these knots might come from a professional hand, but he’d be able to loosen them, it’d take time, but seemed like he had a lot of that on his hands right about now. Being locked up in a basement with Max Maxwell was not something he wanted to endure for a minute longer than he had to, besides, he couldn’t be sure that Mags was safe, he needed to get back to her.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

  Trine hadn’t wanted to leave Magenta, but her friend had told her to get some sleep. She’d shared a cab with Johnny and that bloody Romeo back to the hotel. Logan had arranged for extra security there too. He had tried to get them all to stay at his place, but Johnny said he needed space. She could understand that, sometimes taking a step away from a situation gave you clarity. That being said, she would’ve stayed with Mags if she’d asked her too. They pulled up outside the Knickerbocker.

  ‘Night cap?’

  She looked at her watch, it was 2am, she knew sleep was a long way off, a glass of something might just relax her enough to sleep.

  ‘Go on then, Jon boy.’

  He led her up to his suite, Romeo leading the way to intercept any potential dangers. He checked the suite, then gave it the all clear. ‘I’ll leave you to it sir, but I won’t be far away.’

  Trine shivered. ‘Is it just me, or does that sound more threatening than reassuring that he’s close by?’

  He shrugged himself out of his black leather jacket. ‘Nah, it’s not just you. I’ll be glad when this is all over.’

  ‘I’ll be glad when Hunter’s back safe.’

  ‘Like I said before, he can handle himself, I’d be more worried about the person stupid enough to take him, I wouldn’t wanna get on the wrong side of Hunter.’

  ‘You just wind him up instead.’

  Johnny was pouring himself a whisky, he lifted up a bottle of wine and pointed it in her direction, she nodded. ‘That’s just banter,’ he replied, passing her a glass of wine.

  ‘So, you really think he’s been taken, not just had an accident?’

  ‘Logan checked with all the hospitals, no sign of him or any John Doe’s. There’s been too many weird things going on, it seems obvious to me that someone has him.’

  She took a big gulp of wine, swallowing hard. ‘I just hope to God that you’re right and the person behind this comes off worse.’

  ‘Me too, Scouse, me too,’ he wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close. ‘You don’t need to be alone tonight if you don’t want to. For safety reasons, I think we need to stick together.’

  She took a breath, breathing in Fucking Fabulous, since when did that smell become so fucking comforting? ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I need more Whisky, c’mon, think this will be a long night.’

  Magenta was in bed, not sleeping, she knew she wouldn’t. She’d only come to bed under the duress of the others saying she needed to rest and she couldn’t bear Juke giving her tummy looks. She’d needed to escape them all, she knew they meant well, they weren’t just her friends but the closest thing to family she had. She’d never mended those bridges that had been broken in her family when she’d married Max, she was too proud to admit she’d been wrong and too stubborn to make the first move. It was something she felt sad about so she didn’t dwell on it, but in moments like this when she felt scared and vulnerable she just wanted her mam. Not that having her ma around would bring Hunter back any quicker. She was lying on his side of the bed, the smell of his aftershave bringing her some comfort. It took her back years to another hotel, The Adelphi in Liverpool, to the morning after…they’d spent the most amazing night together and in the morning he’d gone. Left a note on her pillow, he was moving to America. She’d sobbed her broken heart out, her head on his pillow, the smell of Fahrenheit confusing her senses and her brain making her think he was still there. She’d even bought a bottle after he left her, putting it on her pillow for months afterwards. She had never gotten over him leaving her like that and when he reappeared in her life under his new identity of Hunter Cole, she’d wanted to hate him for breaking her heart, but her heart over ruled her head and she’d fallen for him all over again. That’s how she knew he wouldn’t just walk out on her not again, he knew what it had done to her the first time, this seemed worse though at least then she knew where he was, knew he was safe, this time she had no idea where he was or how to get to him. If there was one thing she did know about him, it was that he would never give up and she knew that he had the same faith in her, she’d never give up either. She pulled the pillow closer, it wasn’t Fahrenheit anymore that invaded her senses, it was Hugo Boss, she closed her eyes, remembering the last time she smelt it properly, they were kissing at the event, then he’d left to find Jax. She was worried how long he’d been gone, then Logan told her she had to give the speech, she felt nervous without Hunter being close by, but she should’ve felt safe, why hadn’t she felt safe? There was something niggling at her brain, but her tired, stressed out, worried head couldn’t reach for it. She needed to sleep, she couldn’t save the man she loved if she had no energy. She fell into a fitful sleep full of dreams, mixed up memories and scary premonitions leading her to wake up just as tired as she’d been when she fell asleep. The book, she had to re-read his book, she’d been sure the answer was in there, or at least something to start from. He’d been sent a copy with the chapters missing that covered the incident with Sergeant Travis. That was as good as place as any to start and she knew exactly where to get a copy.

  Tango was on the laptop, sitting at the island in the kitchen, a steaming cup of black coffee next to him. He seemed to be the only one up.

  ‘Morning, I’d ask if you slept well, but I’d just be insulting you.’

  She shrugged. ‘Any further news?’

  He shook his head as he lifted his cup to his mouth. ‘I’ve been looking at CCTV around the hotel, but there’s nothing I can get a proper image from, it’s either too far away or not clear eno
ugh. There is a car that appears to be circling the block the hotel is on so I’ve given the licence plate to NYPD, could be something, could be nothing but it’s worth a try.’

  ‘Thanks, I appreciate you trying to help. Have you still got the copy of Hunter’s book?’

  He frowned. ‘Yeah, why?’

  ‘Could I borrow it?’

  ‘Course,’ he rifled around in the laptop bag next to him and pulled it out passing it to her. ‘I meant to ask, the name on the book, Jason Lomax…’

  She took the book from him, absentmindedly running her fingers across the gold embossed lettering of his name. ‘It’s err, just a pen name.’

  Tango nodded. ‘Ah right, s’pose that’s a common thing isn’t it?’

  She shrugged again. ‘Probably as common as bodyguards not using their real name.’

  He held his hands up. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to give you a hard time, wrong time to ask,’ he stood up, grabbing his jacket. ‘I’m heading down to have a word with the cops, see if I can hurry them up on that licence plate, at least I’ll feel like I’m doing something useful.’

  She watched him go, as the door closed behind him, the noise jolted something in her mind. He wasn’t supposed to leave her, he was supposed to stay by her side. That’s what was niggling at her last night, when she was thinking back to being on stage, no Hunter and no Tango, he’d gone off in search of Jax too, but that was what the extra security was for, they were supposed to deal with him if he turned up, not Tango, he was supposed to stay by her side and protect her, he was the bloody bodyguard after all. She thought back to after she’d fainted. Tango said he’d last seen Hunter twenty minutes previously and then he apologised for not being there when she fainted. At the time she’d brushed it off, but where had he been? What had he been doing for twenty minutes, it had gone out over comms that she’d been moved to the medical room, he should’ve come straight up, but he didn’t and there was something else, he’d said the search for Jax had been a wild goose chase, but now he was adamant that Jax had taken Hunter. Something didn’t sit right or was she just being suspicious after what happened with Erika? Tango had uncovered Erika’s misdemeanours which had in-turn cleared her name, he’d been helping Hunter with the letters and packages involving his book, maybe she was looking too deeply into things. Hunter’s first instinct had been to go after Jax so why wouldn’t Tango do the same?

  She flopped down on the sofa, despite the early morning sunshine streaming through the windows, she pulled the soft velour blanket over her, she needed as much comfort around her as possible, she was about to read his words. She turned to the first page, the dedication, For my one and only Mags, love ya, la. Her eyes misted over, blurring the words.

  ‘C’mon, girl.’ She chastised herself, she would be no use whatsoever if she turned into a gibbering wreck, she was scouse, she was tough. She flicked through the pages, scanning them quickly until she got to the chapters she was looking for, the one where the Army sergeant attacks the girl and then the hero saves the day, which ultimately leads to his down fall. In the book, the sergeant ends up going to prison. In real life Jason, as that’s who he was back then, killed Sergeant Travis, it was an accidental killing in self defence, but Jason had ended up in prison, not before Travis’ name was dragged through the mud in the press. Jason’s prison sentence was the beginning of him becoming Hunter. It would seem he was too good at his job for him to languish in jail. He was freed, but not in the normal channels. Government officials gave him a choice, he could stay in his cell or he could work for the Government as a secret assassin, taking out threats to the US. It was an operation so secret that if he was ever discovered the Government would deny all knowledge. He took them up on their offer and his place in prison was taken by a homeless man, who became ‘Jason Lomax’, he was moved to another prison, records, ID changed so the switch was never picked up. New records and backstory were created for Hunter and off he went, killing the bad guys. Eventually, not trusting the Government, he went freelance on the proviso that he would never reveal his past. When the contract had been taken out on her, that’s what bought him back into her life, not to kill her, but to save her. Which he’d done and they’d lived a fairly quiet life ever since, well as much as a rock star could live quietly. It had helped that performing had taken a back seat and song writing had become her passion. They’d been pictured together but nobody had ever put together the handsome Hunter Cole with Jason Lomax and maybe that was another reason she’d kept her family at bay, he did still bear a similar resemblance to the teenage boy who used to have scouse at her house or watch Top of the Pops on her sofa, but the man he’d grown into looked different enough to not raise suspicion, but her mam would only have to meet him in the flesh and talk to him to know straight away, that was a risk she couldn’t take. She thought about the other people who knew, Trine, she knew some of the story, not all of it and Dean, all he knew was that he had changed his name, not the reasons why. Would he do something like this? He was back in England…Wasn’t he?

  She picked up her phone and called Trine. ‘Hey T, it’s me. No, no news yet, just had a funny thought, Dean is still in England isn’t he?’

  She put her phone away after speaking to Trine, her friend was sure Dean was back home, but she was going to double check and get back to her. She picked the book back up again, re-reading the same chapter. There was a paragraph in the book relating to a news article about the sergeant’s arrest, there had been a quote from the Sergeant’s younger brother who promised to clear his brother’s name. Hunter had called him Sergeant Thomas, obviously he would never use his real name, but he kept the same initial.

  She sat up straight, like a bolt of lightning had gone through her. Used the same initial. Tango’s words came back to her…’Just be glad my surname doesn’t begin with a J or you’d be protected by Romeo and Juliet.’ Tango…Travis. Could he be related to Sergeant Travis? What had he told her? He’d mentioned a brother who had been in the army, said he’d been killed in action, but what if he’d been killed by Jason? Was that what this was all about? Revenge? Tango would never have found Hunter without the book and once he had the book, it wouldn’t take too much research to put Jason and Hunter together. She took a deep breath, she needed to think rationally, she needed to find out where Tango had taken Hunter, she couldn’t let him realise she was on to him, if Tango thought no one suspected anything, then Hunter was safe. She had to work out a plan of action.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  The sunlight peaked through the cracks of the boarded up basement windows, finally shedding some light on the situation Hunter found himself in. He could finally see Max and Jax, he knew they’d slept on and off through the night, the snoring had been like Chinese water torture. He hadn’t managed any sleep, his brain had been too wired. He couldn’t make the connection between the letters about his books, the threats made to Magenta and Johnny and the mayhem Max had been causing. He’d filed all the stuff Max had got Jax and Erika to do away in his head, he was sure that wasn’t connected to this, that was just Max being a dickhead and the fact that he and Jax were also in here meant it wasn’t connected. So that left the letters to him about the book and the letters to Mag’s and Johnny.

  The stuff sent to him was hand delivered, including the one back in Liverpool that took time and organisation, patience too. The letters sent to the others were old school, newspaper cut outs that took time, organisation and patience. Shit! It was the same person; they had targeted both of them. The interesting thing was, despite the letters, not an apparent threat had been carried out, everything that had happened to Mag’s had been Max’s doing. So why would you threaten someone then not do anything about it? What are the benefits? The first thing Logan did was beef up security and Tango and Romeo appeared. He thought back to the parcels that had arrived for him at Logan’s apartment, Tango had handed him every single one and he’d just taken them from him, taking his word that the CCTV was out or that a letter had appeared alongside
others. Tango knew he was suspicious of him in the beginning, he needed to get him on side, so what did he do? He uncovered Erika as the person who had stolen the songs and planted the drugs, thereby getting in Hunter’s good books. He tipped his head back against the beam, shit he’d been played from the start and the worse thing was, Tango had done to him exactly what he’d have done if the situation was reversed – find your opponents Achilles heel and exploit it, Magenta was Hunter’s Achilles heel.

  He heard footsteps above him, paused at what must be the door to the basement, he saw Max and Jax stirring at the noise. Heavy booted footsteps coming down the stairs until finally another presence in the room.

  ‘Morning, Tango, don’t suppose you bought any breakfast with you?’

  If Tango seemed surprised at Hunter’s lack of surprise, he didn’t show it. ‘Sorry dude, didn’t pass a Maccy D’s.’

  ‘No problem, Tango…’ he paused. ‘Or, should I call you Travis?’

  That comment did reveal a fleeting look of something across his face. ‘Wow, not just a pretty face, brains as well as brawn. Although maybe not so clever to use your real name on your book. I thought you were still in prison and then I find out you’re not and not only that but you’ve been writing books, dragging my brother’s name in the mud again whilst living a very lovely life with the hottest rock star on the planet giving absolutely zero fucks that you killed my brother. No justice in that is there?’

  ‘Your brother attacked a woman.’

  ‘So you say, no evidence of that, is there? Your word against a dead mans. Even the alleged victim couldn’t be found. Everyone on that army squad knew you hated my brother, this was just a convenient way to get rid of him and if that wasn’t enough, you did it again in your fuckin’ book.’