The party had broken up not long after Rosie’s unscheduled appearance. The last part had been taken up with people fussing over Serena on the sofa, soothing her and fetching glasses of water and commiserating. On the other side of the room Nina was ticking Greg off in a furious undertone, accusing him of wrecking her party, while I simultaneously told Nina to get a life, and if that was the worst that ever happened to Serena she was a very lucky woman. Nina started doing that thing of closing her eyes when talking to me as if to shut out my viewpoint, which never fails to irritate. Archie came over and said the party hadn’t been spoiled, that no bones had been broken and it had provided an interesting finale to the evening. Before we left I overheard Nina tell Mike that Greg had learning difficulties and was a cross we had to bear. I glared at her. Luckily Greg didn’t hear as he’d gone to get changed for the walk home.
The snowmobiles zoomed past us on our journey back. We waved. As Greg and I approached Bézier, we could see Mike’s people milling about on the balcony in the cold light of a gibbous moon. Something was up. It seemed unlikely they’d caught Morgan, or noticed a small spare component had gone missing. Probably some unrelated matter. We went inside and Greg lit the tea lights while I fed the stove and put water to heat for coffee.
I was pouring boiling water into mugs when there was a noise on the balcony. I looked up as Mike slid open the door and came inside without asking. Hong, Eddie and Big Mac followed, closing the door behind them. None of them were smiling, and men that size need to smile or they look menacing. Mike’s cordiality too had been left behind at the Barbican; his face was cold and hard. He walked straight up to me.
“Someone’s been in my flat while we were out tonight.”
My heart began to beat fast. “Well, it wasn’t me or Greg. We were with you at Nina’s all evening.”
“I don’t think for a moment it was you or Greg. I know who it was. Morgan.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I’m beginning to think you’ve got an obsession with that man. What makes you think anyone’s been in your flat?”
“Because I’m not stupid. In particular, I’m smarter than Morgan. I don’t keep my brain in my muscles. I put a light dusting of ash on the floor and a black thread across the doorway so I’d know if someone called.”
“Even so, and even if it was Morgan, which I doubt, I don’t see what it has to do with me.”
“Let me enlighten you, then. I think you told him we’d be out tonight. I believe you know where he is. I thought so three days ago and I’m certain now.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Nor do I,” said Greg.
Mike ignored him. He came close to me, and stopped with his face inches from mine. His eyes were black-flecked amber in his dark honey-coloured skin. I could feel his warm breath on my face as he said, “You know where Morgan is, and it’s not far from here. You’re going to take me there.”
I maintained a bold front. First rule when dealing with a bully, don’t show fear. “Wishful thinking. Just because you want a lead on him doesn’t mean I’ve got one.”
He stared at me for a moment longer, and turned to Greg. “Greg, go outside with Eddie and Hong.”
Greg said, “I haven’t had my coffee yet. I’ll wait.”
“This won’t take long. You can wait outside.”
“You go home. I’ll see you later,” I said. Better for it to be just me if things were going to get nasty. Greg picked up his jacket and scarf.
“You won’t need those,” said Mike.
“No, I will, it’s cold.”
Mike turned to Hong and Eddie. “Take him outside where we can see him and don’t let him run off. Mac will relieve one of you in ten minutes, if you’re still out there.”
Hong and Eddie put on their hats and jackets and gloves and forcibly escorted Greg, wearing only his cardigan over his trousers, outside. A blast of icy air and powdery snow came in as they closed the glass door. They stood a few paces either side of Greg, a short distance away beyond the balcony. He was saying something but they ignored him. He looked at me and called my name, though I couldn’t hear him through the double glazing, then moved towards me. They shoved him back; he lost his footing and fell. He picked himself up and looked from one to the other, not fully understanding, and put his hand protectively over the pocket that held Rosie.
“Let him back in!”
“When you tell me where Morgan is.”
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know. Get Greg back in here and let’s discuss it calmly. Then maybe I can help.”
“The only help I need from you is Morgan’s whereabouts.”
“I’m not telling you anything while Greg’s out there!”
“I can wait. We’ll see how you feel in thirty minutes, shall we? With this wind and a temperature of what, minus five I’d say, frostbite isn’t going to take long. Half an hour out there and Greg can say goodbye to his fingers and nose. Are you going to sit here and watch it happen when a few words from you could save him?”
For a moment I felt sick, then anger flared through me.
“You evil bastard.”
I lashed out at his face. He flinched away, but the punch connected. As I flung myself at him and grabbed his throat Big Mac leaped towards us. Huge hands gripped me from behind and hauled me off. I kicked and struggled until Mac got hold of my arms and bent one up my back, and pain immobilized me.
Coughing, Mike got himself a glass of water and drank it, then came and stared at me. Oddly, there was admiration in his eyes, and speculation. “You’ve got more courage than most of the women I’ve met, and I’ve met quite a few. You’re nice looking, too.” He ran a finger down my cheek and neck. I strained away from him. He said reprovingly, “You should make the best of yourself every day, not go around dressed like a tomboy.”
“I couldn’t care less what you think, and I don’t want your advice.”
He ignored this, pursuing his own line of thought. “I wonder why you’re covering up for Morgan? Perhaps you think he’ll take you south. If he says that, he’s stringing you along. He won’t keep his word. You don’t know him very well. But on reflection that may be in his favour.” He sneered. “You just see the bulging muscles and the handsome face, you have no idea how devious, sneaking, greedy and disloyal he is. He’d sell his own grandmother, and pull out her gold fillings first.”
“I’m surprised you worked with him for two years, then.”
“He’s good at covering his tracks. That’s how he imposes on people. You’re making a big mistake. I suggest you reconsider.”
“Bring Greg in.”
“For an intelligent woman you’re being stupid.” He pushed a stray bit of fringe from my eyes to get a better look at me. I hated being held there, unable to get away, while he patronized me and worse, touched me. I hated being in his power.
I spat in his face.
Not something I’d done before, or ever expected to do. There was a pause. He didn’t move. I couldn’t read his expression. Only my anger stopped me being very frightened indeed about what would happen next.
He wiped my saliva off and slowly licked his finger, eyes never leaving mine, creeping me out. “You have a lovely face, Tori. It’s a shame to risk it. A waste. But you give me no choice.” He spoke abruptly to Big Mac. “Take her outside with him, then come back here. Tell them to keep her there till she’s ready to say where Morgan is.”
Mac frog-marched me through the door, pushed me towards Greg and went back in. Greg looked pleased to see me, then worried. The air was very cold, and the light wind penetrated my thick sweater and velvet top with no trouble at all. I wrapped my arms round my shivering body, hands in my arm pits.
“Why is Mike making us stand out here? I’m cold. I’m worried Rosie will get cold.”
I muttered, “He thinks if we get cold enough I’ll tell him where Morgan is.”
“But you don’t know where Morgan is.”
I said nothing. I tried to put my fear to one side
and think. Of course, I could tell Mike he was hiding somewhere he wasn’t, say Centre Point. If I did, he’d probably let Greg go. But he’d take me with him because he wouldn’t trust me to tell him the truth, and when he found I’d been lying the consequences for me would not be good. He was mad and strange and fancied me, a bad combination when I was in his power. Or I could betray Morgan, take Mike to the real place in the Gherkin, and watch while his three cage fighters beat Morgan up or worse, because I could not imagine Morgan simply handing over the gold and telling where the ACE was. And even if he did, they’d still beat him up. But at least Greg would be out of it. His teeth were chattering already. Soon mine were too. I tried heating my hands on my neck, and cupping my nose to warm it.
The two men watched us impassively from several metres off, one each side; for the first few minutes Mike strolled around in my flat picking things up and putting them down again, glancing through the window from time to time, then he went and sat with Mac at the kitchen counter, talking, relaxed. I saw him laugh. My nose, ears and fingers were beginning to hurt from the cold, competing with the ache in my sore knuckles and arm. Fear came over me in dark waves, rising higher, driving out rational thought. I remembered photographs I’d seen of Everest climbers who’d suffered frostbite; I hadn’t understood why they would risk something so terrible for the sake of saying they’d climbed to the highest point on earth. I imagined my nose and fingers freezing, going black; I imagined being crippled and disfigured for life. I was not brave enough to face that. I was going to have to tell him.
“Tori,” Greg whispered, “Can you make them let us go home? I’m cold.”
His face was white and pinched. It doesn’t take long to get frostbite, it’s irreversible and there is no cure; you just watch the flesh mortify. All doctors can do is amputate the dead fingers or toes. I’d have to tell Mike. Morgan would have to look after himself. I’d wait as long as I could bear in hope of a miracle. Maybe Mike was just trying to frighten us, and didn’t intend to leave us here long enough for us to get frostbite. Any minute he’d send one of the men to get us.
Big Mac emerged from my flat as I thought this; but he’d been sent to relieve Hong. We’d been out here ten minutes. I’d been careful not to look in the direction of the Gherkin, but now as Mac talked to Hong something caught my eye against the moonlit snow. A figure was running, arms pumping, straight as an arrow towards us, snow kicking up behind him. He was past halfway, as far as I could judge. Morgan. I looked away, my heart hammering. The later they saw him the better. I moved towards Mac to try to distract him. He told me to stop when I was a few paces away. Eddie watched me, having nothing else to do, stamping his feet.
“Perhaps we could make a deal.” My face was stiff with cold, lips numb, teeth chattering, making speech difficult.
Small eyes looked down at me from under sandy eyebrows, his head a little on one side. “You shouldn’t have gone against Mike. Tell him what he wants to know lassie, okay, then we can all go in. I’ve no wish to go on standing around out here in the cold.”
“Imagine what it’s like for us without jackets.”
“Why d’you not tell him then?”
“Because I don’t know!”
“He reckons you do.”
“I don’t.”
“Then you’ll be out here a while.”
Tedious. I hadn’t had an idea for a deal anyway, I’d been bluffing. I tried something else. “What happened the night Morgan left?”
“What d’you want to know for?”
“I’m curious.”
“Ask him then.”
“He’s not here.”
“So you say.”
I felt a spurt of irritation. “Do you know, this is a really boring conversation? Probably the most boring conversation I’ve had in the last year. You’re a boring man. No wonder Mike never talks to you, just uses you as servile muscle. Does it ever occur to you he’ll screw you one day too?”
“Shut it.”
“When it happens don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I turned and walked over to Eddie. “Are you any more interesting to talk to?”
Mac said, “Dinnae answer her, Eddie.”
Eddie avoided my eyes and said nothing.
“Nope. Even worse. Dumb and Dumber, you two.” I joined Greg, who was now shuddering with cold. “Let’s keep moving, jump around a bit. That’ll warm us up. Copy what I do.”
I started jogging on the spot, beating my hands together, and did some camp 80s type aerobic exercises with plenty of arm movements. Greg mirrored my moves. I felt chilled to the bone and weak. Pretty stupid, too, with the two men watching – but while they were watching us they weren’t noticing Morgan. After a few minutes we stopped, out of breath but no warmer. A covert glance showed Morgan nearer, still running fast towards us through the soft snow. I had an inspiration.
“Hey, Greg, let’s do some Scottish dancing. The Gay Gordons.”
Mac frowned, no doubt wondering if I was taking the piss. I began clapping the beat and humming. Greg joined in; we linked hands side by side, his right to my right, his left to my left, and started the dance, forward then switching backwards, whooping now and then. The men watched us. Next move; I twirled under Greg’s arm for eight beats, and we polka-ed for a notional four bars, with me counting out loud. It wasn’t our best performance, but not bad given we could hardly feel each other’s hands or our own feet any more. We had done all the steps and started over, gasping for breath, when I realized we had lost our audience’s attention. I stopped dancing. They’d spotted Morgan, nearly upon us. He wore a thick black sweater and his face was shining with sweat from the long run.
He slowed to a walk as he reached us, breathing fast. “Mac, Eddie, hi. How’s it going?”
Mac said, “Mike wants a wee word with you. About the gold.” His voice was unfriendly. “He wasnae happy about that. Nor us. In your place I’d be feart.”
“Mike doesn’t scare me. I’ll talk to him now I’m here.” Mac turned away and went through the patio door into the apartment, presumably to alert Mike. As we followed, Morgan stopped, turned to Eddie and said conversationally, “Who are you most afraid of, Eddie? Me or Mike?”
Eddie laughed. “Mike, no contest.”
Without warning, Morgan head butted him then punched him in the stomach. “Wrong answer.” He kicked Eddie’s feet from under him and he crashed to the snow, blood pouring from his nose. Mike came to the window, peering into the darkness, Mac behind him. I don’t know how much he could see with the candlelight reflecting on the glass.
Morgan looked at me. “Tori, you okay?”
I nodded. “Glad to see you, though.” Greg and I followed him inside.
I was relieved to be out of the cold, even if it meant being back in Mike’s company. He confronted us, Mac on his right, Hong on his left. After what had happened I felt revulsion just looking at him. I hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight between our two groups, because though our numbers were now even, I had no experience and nor did Greg. This had not worried me earlier when I had been fighting mad, but now Greg was safe the urge to throttle Mike had dissipated. Morgan would effectively be on his own. But he looked confident enough.
Mike smiled without warmth. “Let’s conduct this in a civilized manner, shall we?”
“I will if you will.”
Mike turned to Mac. “Where’s Eddie? Tell him to come in.”
As he spoke the balcony door opened slowly and Eddie hobbled over the threshold, blood on his face and running down his neck and jacket, eyes puffy, nose askew and beginning to swell. Mike’s smile vanished and he shot a malevolent look at Morgan. “Eddie, go to the flat.”
Eddie left. The rest of us faced each other warily. My ears and fingers began to thaw and burn in the warmth. My feet were like lumps of ice.
Mike said, “I want the gold. I’m prepared to let you keep your share.”
“That’s big of you. What happened to Red?”
“He’s no longer with u
s.”
“Then my share’s a seventh. And I’ll be dividing it.”
“I want the ACE back.”
“I’ll swap you for the Polaris. I’m not taking the Lynx. And I want a trailer.”
“Okay. You bring the gold and the sled here, and I’ll give you the Polaris.”
Morgan shook his head. “No. You give me the Polaris and both keys, plus trailer, spares and cans of petrol, and I’ll tell you where you can find the ACE and the gold on your way out of here.”
Ice Diaries ~ Lexi Revellian
CHAPTER 14
Red
Mike didn’t argue or bargain. He said he’d think it over and left. I locked the door and hurried to check in the mirror for rigid white patches on my face, signs of frostbite. I prodded my cheeks gingerly, and the flesh sprang back. Nothing. Overcome with shaky relief and gratitude, safe for the moment, nose and fingers intact, I turned to Morgan. “Thank you for coming for us. That was an impressive run.”
“You didn’t tell him where I was. You could have told him and kept out of trouble.” As if it cost him physical effort, he muttered, “That was nice of you. Not many people would have done that. Thanks.”
I don’t think I’d ever heard him say thank you before. Honesty compelled me to put a damper on this pleasant exchange. “Another five minutes and I would have. And it was your fault we needed rescuing.”
Morgan grinned. “Don’t spoil it.”
Because of not worrying Greg, I didn’t add that Mike might give us more trouble in the future. “You know he put ash on the floor and a thread across the door? That’s how he knew you’d been there.”
He scowled. “Fuck. I didn’t see it.”
Greg had got Rosie out to check on her, but she’d been fine, tucked up in his pocket in her own fur coat. He let her investigate the counter and told Morgan about her while I made more coffee. My ears burned painfully as they thawed and no doubt looked like his, scarlet and glowing enough to guide Santa’s sleigh. A hot drink made me feel better. After that Greg went home. I said he could stay the night if he liked, but he wanted to get back to his own place. I told him to lock his door and not let anyone in, and he nodded.
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