TENDER BETRAYAL (Mystery Romance): The TENDER Series ~ Book 3

by H. Y. Hanna

  “We’d need the police or some other government agency involved, in order to track him down,” said Julia despairingly.

  “There are other ways to get information,” said Toran. “I have a feeling my friend, Dieter Wolfe, can help…”

  He punched in his friend’s number and was grateful as always for Dieter’s ability to accept things at face value, without asking questions. Dieter made no comment as Toran tersely related the situation and simply said: “So you need to find his location?”

  “I thought maybe you’d have some contacts,” said Toran. “Perhaps someone at the telecom network who’d be able to locate him using triangulation of the signal—”

  “No need,” said Dieter. “I have access to a StingRay device. I should be able to locate him quickly once it’s activated. Do you have his number?”

  “No,” said Toran regretfully. “I imagine you can find that out fairly easily and quickly just by accessing some databases, or even his contact details online, assuming that he uses the same phone for work and personal use.”

  “I’ll check,” said Dieter. “I’ll get back to you.” He hung up.

  Toran hung up as well.

  Julia looked at him anxiously. “Well?”

  “We have to wait,” said Toran, putting his mobile down and trying to resist the urge to start pacing the room again. He knew that Dieter would do everything he could. Still, he couldn’t quite stop the images crowding his mind—images of Leah bound and gagged somewhere, Leah being tortured, Leah screaming in pain…

  He shook his head and tried to divert his thoughts elsewhere. He wondered briefly why Dieter would have a StingRay device. They were used to track people’s movements, intercept conversations and text messages, and monitor data from cell phones. As far as he knew, only law enforcement agencies normally owned and used them. Once again, Toran wondered about his friend’s background.

  His phone rang suddenly, causing Julia to jump. Toran snatched it up. “Yes?”

  “He’s on the move,” said Dieter. “Heading north on the Bukit Timah Expressway.”

  “I’m on the way,” said Toran, heading out the door. Julia rushed after him. Once in his car, he handed the phone to Julia.

  “Stay on the line. Let me know what Dieter says about their location,” he said, revving the engine.

  Toran drove like a maniac, breaking every speed limit on the way and not caring. They reached the start of the Bukit Timah Expressway within minutes and then he really floored the accelerator.

  “Where is he?” he asked, throwing a glance at Julia.

  She checked with Dieter on the phone, then said, “They’re just getting off the Expressway. Dieter thinks they might be heading for Kranji Reservoir.” She swallowed. “You know the locals think Kranji is haunted? In the olden days, there used to be pirates that lay in wait inside the Sungei Buloh swamps nearby… and it’s also the place where Japanese soldiers who tried to invade Singapore during the Second World War were burned to death by a huge fire bomb.” Julia shivered. “The Chinese believe that if a person dies in water, their souls can’t leave that place unless they can take the life of another to replace them—so they say that Kranji is haunted by the spirits of those Japanese soldiers and the innocent people killed by pirates. Nobody wants to go there at night, when the spirits emerge looking for ‘substitutes’ to join them.” She turned scared eyes on him. “It would be a good place to get rid of a body.”

  Toran felt the sour taste of fear rise in his throat. He pressed harder on the accelerator, even though he knew that the car was already going at top speed. They came off the exit onto Kranji Way, which led to the dam, and the Audi’s tyres squealed as Toran swerved recklessly around the curves of the road.

  Then they saw the dam, with its tidal towers above the giant floodgates which controlled the water level in the reservoir. The road went across the dam, and they both saw the dark car parked beside the tidal towers. Toran brought the Audi to a screeching halt next to the other car and flung himself out before the engine had stopped. He ran up to the chain-link barrier that prevented pedestrians from accessing the area above the floodgates and around the towers.

  “Look!” said Julia, coming up behind him and pointing to the metal gate within the fence.

  It was slightly ajar and on the ground lay the remains of a padlock that had been dealt with by a bolt cutter. Toran shoved the gate open and ran into the restricted area, his stomach clenching in fear. Would he be too late?

  The lighting was poor here and he strained his eyes to see. There was a narrow metal gangway that ran between the towers, above the black waters of the channel, which surged and foamed in choppy waves, as a strong wind blew in from the sea. Then he saw the figures on the gangway.

  “Leah!” he shouted, vaulting over a metal rail and running out onto the gangway. The figures glanced at him, but didn’t pause in what they were doing. They were two men and one of them was dragging a limp form in his arms.

  Leah.

  Toran’s heart lurched as he saw her lifeless body. Then he saw a weak movement of her head and he found that he could breathe again. She looked like she had been drugged or knocked unconscious recently: her eyes were glazed, and she could hardly stand up by herself.

  The man holding her—a young thug with a shaved head—shoved her towards the railing, obviously with the intent of pushing her over. In the state she was in, Leah would be unable to swim and would surely drown.

  “Put her down!” cried Toran, charging at them.

  The other man turned around and Toran recognised Leah’s driver. Ah Song said something sharply to the young thug, who shoved Leah into the old man’s arms. Then he smiled malevolently and came forward to meet Toran.

  CHAPTER 33

  Punch. Jab. Kick.

  Toran barely had time to react before the thug was on him.

  He blocked, swerved, and returned with a vicious uppercut that sent the other man reeling.

  But only for a moment. His opponent lunged at him again and Toran swung his fists up into position, his training taking over. This was not the nicely choreographed acrobatics of Hollywood movies or the showy faked violence of MMA and other combat sports. No, this was the “real” thing—dirty, ugly street fighting with one intent: to disable and destroy as soon as possible. Toran’s experience and training in hand-to-hand combat during his time as a war correspondent clicked into gear, guiding his moves without thought. React with cold precision. Strike with lethal force. Injure and incapacitate your opponent as soon as possible.

  “Unngh!”

  The young thug punched. Toran dodged, pivoted, then jabbed. The thug grunted in pain, whirling around and landing an elbow strike against the side of Toran’s head. Toran blocked it just in time, grabbing the other man’s wrist and throwing his weight forwards. Even as a boy, his biggest strength had always been the speed of his reflexes and Toran used that to his advantage now.

  Block. Hook. Side-kick. Spin.

  They were a blur of motion as Toran whipped back, lunged forward, spinning, twisting, and slamming his opponent’s body against the railings.

  Then he heard Julia scream.

  He jerked his head around. Julia was on one side of the gangway, which was too narrow to allow her to get past him and the thug. On the other side, he was horrified to see Ah Song struggling with Leah as the old driver tried to push her over the railing. She was fighting him feebly, but it was obvious that she had very little strength to defend herself.

  “Let her go!” screamed Julia, rushing forwards.

  She pushed past Toran and the thug, who swore viciously and lashed out, punching Julia in the abdomen before Toran could stop him. She cried out and doubled over, clutching the railing. Toran yanked the man away from her and smashed his elbow into the young thug’s face, sending him reeling backwards.

  He turned to see that Julia had pulled herself upright again and was staggering painfully towards Ah Song and Leah. But before Toran could do more, he felt himself
grabbed from behind and then an arm went around his throat in a stranglehold.

  “Aaagh! Guunggh!”

  Toran twisted, trying to throw the man’s weight away from him and loosen his hold. From the corner of his eye, he saw Julia launch herself on Ah Song, screaming and scratching him with her nails. The old man released his hold on Leah who sagged over the railing, almost falling over.

  “Leah!” shouted Toran, his heart jumping in his chest.

  The fear in his voice must have got through to her because she seemed to rouse momentarily and pull herself up, staggering backwards onto the safety of the gangway. But the moment’s distraction had cost Toran and he felt a punch to his solar plexus which knocked the wind out of him. He crashed backwards, the metal rail of the gangway smacking into his spine.

  Then he saw the cold glint of metal as the thug came at him again.

  The man had pulled out a switchblade and was now stabbing at Toran with vicious force. Toran jerked sideways and pivoted away, dodging the slice of the blade just in time. He thrust his leg out and hooked the other man’s ankle, throwing him off balance, while at the same time twisting and grabbing the hand that held the knife. They struggled for a moment, muscles bulging, harsh breaths matching each other’s, as Toran strained to hold the knife away from him whilst the thug pushed the blade towards his body.

  His foot slipped suddenly and they smacked against the side of the railing, causing the whole gangway to shake from the force of the impact.

  The thug wrenched his hand free and Toran felt the sharp sting of pain as the blade caught him in the ribs, but before the man could turn the hilt and plunge it into his body, Toran caught the man’s hand again in a death grip and wedged it against the rail, then brought his knee up in a brutal strike, smashing it hard against the other man’s wrist.

  The thug gave a cry of pain and his fingers went nerveless, dropping the knife onto the gangway with a clatter. Toran dropped down and grabbed the knife, then whirled and plunged it into the man’s chest.

  They stood frozen like that for a moment, as Toran saw the man’s eyeballs bulge and then roll up into his head. There was a gurgle from his throat, then he sagged against Toran and crumpled to the floor.

  Toran let go of the knife and shoved the body away. He looked up towards the other side of the gangway. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

  “Leah!” he cried, his heart exploding with fear.

  Ah Song had somehow shaken Julia off and flung her across the gangway, where she lay in a dazed heap. He was now back on Leah, forcing her backwards over the rail. She was flailing her arms, desperately trying to grasp hold of something to stop herself tipping over backwards, but there was nothing for her to hold onto. Any moment now, her centre of gravity would shift over the rail and topple her into the water.

  “Leah!” cried Toran again, rushing towards her.

  His voice seemed to galvanise her. She jerked up suddenly and grabbed hold of Ah Song’s shoulders, wrestling with him as he continued trying to push her over. They rolled over, twisted, and fought as the two of them struggled against the railing.

  Then suddenly, the metal railing gave way.

  There was a blur of motion, a flailing of limbs, and Toran saw arms and legs cartwheeling as a body went over the side. There was the thud of something smacking against the side of the gangway, then a resounding splash as something hit the water.

  He arrived just in time to grab Leah around the waist as she teetered over the edge, nearly following Ah Song into the water. He yanked her back and pulled her close to him.

  “I’ve got you,” said Toran, holding her tight.

  Leah could barely speak. She clutched the front of his shirt and buried her face into his chest. Her whole body was shaking as if she had a raging fever. Toran realised that he was shaking as well, as he thought about how close he had come to losing her. He brushed his lips against her forehead, pulling her even closer. He felt her arms slide around his waist as she slowly relaxed against him.

  Then she jerked back. “What about—” She tried to look over his shoulder, her eyes wide with fear.

  “He’s dead,” said Toran.

  “Oh Toran…” Leah’s lips trembled. “I thought… I really thought…”

  “It’s okay,” said Toran, pulling her close again. “You’re safe now.”

  Then he bent his head and kissed her. He drank in the sweet taste of her, stroked her hair, caressed her face—not wanting to stop touching her, to reassure himself that she was here, that she was alive, that she was with him… Then they heard a soft moan next to them.

  “Julia!” gasped Leah.

  She broke away from Toran and ran over to her friend. Slowly, she helped Julia into a sitting position as Toran crouched down next them.

  “Julia? Are you okay?” asked Leah.

  The Singaporean girl was deathly white and she grimaced in pain. She gasped suddenly, clutching her abdomen. Toran noticed a streak of blood along her bare thigh.

  “Leah…” Julia grabbed Leah’s hand, her eyes wide and scared. “I think I’m losing the baby…”

  CHAPTER 34

  They found Ah Song’s body the next morning, washed up on the banks of the channel that led from Kranji Dam out to the sea. He had drowned, probably as a result of a head injury that had knocked him unconscious. Forensics found traces of metallic paint on the side of his skull and deduced that he had smacked his head against the side of the gangway when he flipped over and fell into the water. Of course, many preferred another explanation when they heard the news. Soon the whispers and rumours were flying around Singapore. The spirits of Kranji Reservoir had claimed another victim.

  Leah heard the news as she was being escorted out of the police station the following morning. They had questioned her briefly last night, before releasing her to go to the hospital, and now she had just finished a second round of interviews in which the detectives took her through the events of the previous night again.

  She found Toran waiting for her outside the police headquarters. He was leaning against the side of the entrance pillar, his arms crossed, a brooding expression on his face. He looked remarkably cool and unscathed for someone who had been in a savage fight for his life only hours ago. Aside from a slight bruise on one cheek, he showed no other sign of injury.

  He glanced up as Leah came down the steps and the expression on his face lightened for a moment. Reaching out, he took hold of her hands as she approached him.

  “I thought you’d never get out.”

  “Me too,” said Leah with a tired laugh.

  “Well, at least they’ve got all they need now,” said Toran. “I know Ah Song is dead and they can’t convict him, but they can still denounce him as being responsible for murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, assault—”

  “They’re not going to denounce him,” said Leah.

  Toran stared at her. “Why not?”

  Leah looked down, not meeting his eyes. “Because I told them that he was innocent. I said the thug kidnapped both of us and that Ah Song slipped and fell into the water. It was an accident.”

  “What?” Toran dropped her hand like she had burnt him. “What the hell do you mean? The man is as guilty as sin, both for murdering my parents and for trying to kill you! Why didn’t you tell the police the truth?”

  Leah shook her head. “I… I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?” demanded Toran. “Leah, did you get a knock on the head or something last night? Did you not realise that the man was trying to kill you?”

  “Yes, I know,” said Leah, swallowing uncomfortably. “But I don’t think he was in his right mind. I think he’d ‘lost it’. That wasn’t the Ah Song I knew.”

  “The Ah Song you knew never existed,” said Toran harshly.

  “Oh no, that’s not true!” cried Leah. “He was kind to me—he was a totally different person.”

  Toran swore under his breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I know what I saw with my o
wn eyes and what I saw was a ruthless killer trying to get rid of the one person who could identify him—”

  “I think he was just desperate and scared and acted without thinking,” said Leah. “He talked to me a bit before he knocked me out with the chloroform… He told me the real story behind what happened with your parents. My father did go nuts that night after he saw your mother receive that award on TV and he drank himself into a drunken rage. But he did not actually make a deal with Black Buddha or anyone else to kill your parents. Instead, he was just ranting about how much he wanted your parents to suffer and Ah Song saw his opportunity. He told my father that he would take care of everything. His intention, of course, was to—”

  “Hang on a minute,” said Toran frowning. “I don’t understand—why was your father in a drunken rage in the first place? What are you talking about, this thing that he saw on TV with my mum?”

  Leah hesitated, then quietly told Toran about his mother’s role in Natalie Fisher’s suicide.

  “My mum?” said Toran, jerking back from her. She could see horror and disbelief in his green eyes.

  Leah nodded sadly. “She seemed so lovely, the few times I saw her in school… but I guess she had a different side to her.”

  “I… I can’t believe it,” said Toran tightly. “I knew she liked to tell other people what to do sometimes, but she wouldn’t be that domineering.”

  Leah raised her eyes to his. “It’s hard, isn’t it, when your parents aren’t as perfect as you think? You want to keep on believing the best of them.”

  She tried to keep the accusing tone out of her voice, but she could see from Toran’s expression that he had caught her meaning. Perhaps now he could empathise more with her passionate belief in her father’s innocence.

  After a moment, Leah took a deep breath and continued, “Ah Song’s plan was to severely hurt your parents—then he would go back to my father and pretend that he had simply been carrying out his bidding. If my father didn’t want him reporting it to the police, then my father would have to pay him a large sum of money. It’s the oldest game in the book: blackmail. Extortion.”