by Clare Revell
He slid his fingers under the desk and found the key stuck to the underside. That was as reliable as keeping the spare door key under a flower pot, and a woman keeping all her valuables in the knicker drawer. Sally always had, and he knew his sister did too. Of course if the women knew that every man knew this, they’d find a different hiding place. He freed the key from the blu-tac holding it in place and unlocked the drawers. The first contained pens and pencils and a few odds and ends. The second contained files. His fingers roamed the folders, not sure what he was looking for. Then he paused, his heart growing cold. Liam Page—why would he have a file on me?
Liam pulled it out and read.
Vince knew who he was.
There were photos of him and Sally, some taken here.
“Oh Lord God, protect us,” he whispered. He put the file back and pulled out another labeled Manu.
Vince was cleaning up the loose ends, just like Patrick said, he realized in horror as he read, but why? What was so important that people like Sally and Manu had to die?
He slid Manu’s file away and another caught his eye—Liberaté. He opened it, his eyes widening. So that was it. Laying the file on the table, he took the pen camera Patrick had given him and ran it over the papers. For the first time he regretted leaving the gun at home.
Just as he reached the last sheet, footsteps echoed outside.
Liam shoved the file back in the drawer and took a sheet of paper from the notepad, scribbling on it quickly.
The door rattled and Liam dived under the desk, shoving the pen back into his pocket. He pulled in tight as Vince’s voice filled it. “And this is my office.”
“Cozy.” Jacqui sounded bored. Her light steps covered the room and he heard the photo frames moving. “Vince—you kept the one of us?”
“Of course I did. And the one of us with my parents. They loved you like a daughter. Why don’t you sit at the desk and get a feel for it?”
“All right.” Her tone indicated she was unsure, but the chair scraped back a little and creaked, before her perfume wafted over him.
Liam froze, his breathing echoing in the tiny space. Something kicked him, and he bit his tongue in an effort not to cry out. He glanced up, his gaze meeting Jacqui’s. Then she looked up. “Nice desk. Although it’s a little big and ornate for here, don’t you think?”
“Maybe we put it in your office…or we can get you something similar.”
“That’s a little presumptuous, Vince. I haven’t said yes yet.”
“You will.” His voice was nearer now. “Shall we move on?”
“All right.” Jacqui’s foot brushed up Liam’s arm for a moment as she stood.
He caught her shoe, shoving the paper inside it, praying she’d either think nothing of it, or she’d only move it when she was alone.
“It’s almost time for lunch anyway. And I should go and check on Liam. He said half an hour, and it’s been more than that. I imagine he fell asleep.” Her foot touched Liam’s arm again then she moved back around the desk.
“Leave him to sleep. I can get the cook to save him some lunch.”
“Oh…all right. If you’re sure it’s no trouble.”
“Yes, I’m sure. It will be my pleasure.” Vince’s voice retreated across the room. “Then I have something special planned.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
The footsteps left the room and echoed down the wooden boards outside. The pounding of his heart gradually slowed, and he wiped his damp palms on his trousers. After a moment or two longer, he slid out and headed to the door. He walked onto the verandah as nonchalantly as he could manage.
“What are you doing in there?” Terry’s voice made him jump.
“I was looking for Jacqui. She was with Vince, and I thought he might know where she is.”
“He’s not here.”
“I can see that. I’ll go and see if she’s at lunch.”
“You do that. And stay away from the offices.”
Liam headed down the steps and across to the ruins, aware that Terry was right behind him. Halfway across the quad, a hand gripped his arm, spinning him around. “Simeon has already given me the good news about the wedding. Is this a best man to ex-boyfriend friendly warning chat? Afraid I might object and stop it going ahead?”
Terry looked at him, his eyes glittering. “You were here.”
Liam nodded. There was no point denying it—especially as he now remembered where he had seen Terry before. “Yes, I was. So were you. I remember you, now.”
“Do you now? And what else do you remember?”
“I thought I recognized you in the restaurant, but I’ve only just placed you. You led the assault on this place. You shouted the orders. You killed my wife.”
“You’re a smart man, even if you did survive. It’s just a shame you left the restaurant when you did.”
Liam stiffened. “I’m sorry?”
“If that man hadn’t interfered, you’d be dead. It’s like you have nine lives or something.”
“I don’t understand…”
“Vince knows who you are. He doesn’t want you messing up his plans. He’s dealing with the woman. Once she marries him tomorrow night, then she’ll keep quiet. She won’t be given a choice. And I get the pleasure of dealing with you and completing our unfinished business.”
“I thought Vince was—” Blinding pain filled every part of Liam’s body as something hard connected with the base of his skull. He dropped to his knees, gasping in pain. He blinked, trying to clear the double vision.
He had to find Jacqui. She wasn’t safe here. Lord, please...
Another blow sent him to the ground, cutting off conscious thought, and he knew no more.
18
Jacqui ate her lunch and tried to ignore the fact that Vince sat too close, intruding on her personal space.
What was Liam doing hiding under Vince’s desk? He must have been looking for something when they walked in. Hopefully, she’d get a chance to talk to him before long.
Terry came in and spoke quietly to Vince, handing him two pieces of paper.
She didn’t catch what he said, but judging from the dark frown that settled on Vince’s face, it wasn’t good news. He glared at the paper so hard Jacqui wouldn’t have been surprised to see flames leaping from it.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
Vince looked up. “Just business. And this one is for you. Liam sends his apologies. He wanted to go shopping, so one of the men drove him to the local market. He said to tell you he’d see you at dinner.” He handed her the note, not bothering to apologize for having read it first.
Jacqui glanced at the paper. It wasn’t Liam’s writing, but probably one of the guards on the gate. “Oh, all right.” Perhaps that’s what he was trying to tell her earlier. But somehow she doubted it. Things were starting to add up, and she didn’t like where it was headed at all. “I’m going to get dessert. Be right back.” She pushed her chair back and stood. She really didn’t want to be alone with Vince, but she no longer had a choice did she? Vince had seen to that.
What was that code phrase again? Why didn’t I pay proper attention to all this? Think girl. Liam mentioned it at the airport. It was something to do with chicken and dumplings. God, please help me remember…
She stood in line and picked up one of the pieces of fruit. She turned it over in her hands, inspecting it.
The cook smiled at her. “It’s a marula. A little like an orange, but it has a stone in the middle. You’ll like it.”
“Thank you. And thank you for lunch, it was wonderful. I was wondering if chicken and dumplings were on the menu for tonight.”
“What kind of dumplings did you want?”
“Ummm…” What kind were they? Panic filled her, her mind going totally blank.
A hand touched her shoulder, sliding down her arm and covering her hand. “Are you chatting up my new cook?”
“I complimented him on his cooking
,” she said looking at Vince. “And I also asked if Liam had been in for lunch before he so thoughtlessly abandoned me for the rest of the day.” She turned her gaze back to the cook. “I came to breakfast with him. Bit taller than Vince, he’s got brown hair, beard, very pale as we haven’t been here long.”
“I remember him. I haven’t seen him yet this meal, memsahib. But if I do, I’ll be sure to tell him you’re looking for him,” the cook replied.
“Thank you.” She prayed he’d got the message and would pass it on, even if she couldn’t remember what flavor dumplings she should have asked for.
Vince smiled at her, his touch on her hand raising the hair on the back of her neck. “How about we take a Rover and go out and see the lions just north of here?”
“Lions?” How appropriate—he looks like one closing in for the kill himself.
“Pride Rock is only an hour from here. We could be there and back before dark. You could take some photos and show Liam what he missed out on.”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll go back and get my camera.”
Vince kissed her hand, his lingering touch making her want another shower. “Don’t be long. I’m missing you already.”
Trying not to shiver, Jacqui turned. She’d only taken two steps when she heard him right behind her.
“Actually, I’ll come with you. It’ll be quicker. The sooner we leave here, the longer we’ll have there.”
****
Reaching the doors to the rooms, Jacqui stopped outside the one she should be in. “Stay here. Don’t want to give everyone the wrong impression by inviting you into my room. Give me ten minutes or so to wash and change, if that’s all right.”
Vince nodded and leaned back against the railings, crossing one ankle over the other.
Jacqui smiled at him and disappeared inside. She shut the door, quietly locking it behind her.
Liam’s pack sat on the floor when he’d left it.
She rummaged through it. His passport, wallet and plane ticket were still in it. Her stomach twisted and she knew without a doubt that Vince was lying. That just confirmed her worst fears. There was no way he would go out and leave it behind. Even if he was following a lead of some kind, which is what she’d hoped for in the depths of her heart. Jacqui pulled out the documents and wallet.
Lord God, look after Liam. Something must have happened to him. Looking at wildlife is the last thing I want to do, but I have no choice. Keep him safe until I get back. Let him just have wandered somewhere, or simply have forgotten his ID and money when he went out. Keep watch over him, Lord…thank You…
Jacqui searched through his bag for his phone. It was gone. Would he have taken it with him when they went out earlier? Maybe he put it somewhere else, but where? She glanced around the room and tried all the drawers. Nothing. Then she lifted the pillows. There it was. She slid it into her pocket. Grabbing his camera, she slipped quietly through the connecting door and dropped everything onto her bed. She picked up her pack and put it on the bed as well.
From the bottom of her suitcase, she pulled the concealed body wallet she’d picked up in one of the airport shops at Heathrow. Shoving all Liam’s IDs into it, Jacqui strapped it around her waist under a clean shirt. She shouldered the pack and went back the way she’d come.
She stepped out into the sunlight and shut the door. Pulling her shades back over her eyes she gave Vince what she hoped was a convincing smile. “Let’s go on a lion hunt.”
Vince took tight hold of her hand before she could change her mind, his long strides forcing her to walk fast to keep up.
****
Four hours later, Jacqui threw her sun hat and shades on her bed and scrunched her fists into the small of her back. The lions were amazing, and well worth the trip, but the bumpy ride had played havoc with her muscles.
Liam still wasn’t back. One good thing about having to go in and out of ‘his room’ meant she knew he wasn’t there.
Her worry grew. “Where are you, Liam?”
She lay on the bed and closed her eyes, wishing the mattress was firmer. She sighed. Vince had listened to and then dismissed every single one of her ideas for the compound. Whatever he was doing here, wasn’t an orphanage. He wanted no playgrounds or covered areas or roses or any planted areas at all. What he needed was a builder not a landscaper. The link had to be to the mining rights, but what could be worth destroying a mission for?
And what did he want her here for? Not to work, obviously. Was this, as she feared all along, just a ploy to get her back?
She had forgotten what being around Vince was like. How he railroaded people into agreeing with him. And so touchy-feely…he insisted on holding her hand, stroking her hair, setting every nerve on edge with fear as he did so.
Liam, by comparison was the total opposite—easy going and unassuming. His touch set her aflame.
Pulling open her pack, she pulled out her passport, ID and plane ticket. She added them to the concealed bag along with Liam’s. Just in case Vince decided to hold onto them for safe keeping. Without them she couldn’t leave. Something told her that was exactly what Vince had in mind for them both. Any lingering doubts she may have had about Vince’s innocence in whatever was going on had now vanished. She prayed the cook got the message out and that help was on the way. Because she was so far out of her depth she was drowning.
Why she thought she could do this, she had no idea. Because she couldn’t. It was way bigger than both of them, only Liam wasn’t here.
She grabbed her towel and wash stuff. She needed a shower. Being that close to Vince made her skin crawl. Making sure she left by the correct door, Jacqui headed across to the showers. By the time she got there, she was limping.
Her shoe had been beyond uncomfortable since before lunch. Locking the shower stall door, she leaned against it and pulled off her shoe. A piece of paper fell out onto the tiled floor. Bending down, Jacqui picked it up and unfolded it. No wonder her shoe hurt. She frowned at it. Liam’s handwriting, but how did it get in her shoe? She looked at the note. One word.
Liberaté.
Jacqui could see Liam under the desk, his fingers touching her foot. He must have slid the note in then. She looked back at it. What did liberaté mean?
Showering quickly before the hot water ran out, she dried off and dressed. This time she slid the note into her bra—the safest place she could think of. Then she headed back to the rooms. Both were in darkness. She’d hoped he’d be back by now.
Going inside, even in the failing light, she could see that both rooms were unoccupied.
Maybe he’s back and gone to dinner without you.
But even as she thought it, she knew it sounded hollow. Something was wrong. Glancing around, her stomach plummeted as she realized that his pack was gone. She ran into the other room. Her pack was on the bed where she’d left it, but her Bible was lying next to it, rather than inside it.
The bad feeling she’d had since lunch grew. Why had they taken Liam’s pack? Who’d gone through her stuff? Why? She’d only been gone a few minutes. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed hard. She headed across the compound to the dining hut. She’d ask Vince outright where Liam had gone.
Vince waved as she came into the room. “Jacqui, over here.”
Jacqui crossed over to him, her eyes searching the room. “Where’s Liam? I can’t find him anywhere. You said he’d be back by dark.”
“He had to leave. There was a family crisis back in London while we were out. Terry offered him use of the company jet, but he insisted on taking a commercial flight, so I pulled a few strings and got him on the last flight tonight. He was sorry he didn’t have time to speak with you before he left, but there wasn’t time. He said to tell you bye, and he’ll see you when you get back.”
Jacqui’s fear bloomed large. God, I’m alone, they’ve taken Liam…please help me…
She schooled her features to remain calm. That was a bare faced lie as Liam couldn’t leave the country without his passpor
t, and she had that, but now wasn’t the time to call him on it. Nor on the fact that her things had been gone through. The less he knew of her plans the better. “Oh. It’s not like him to leave without saying goodbye. I needed to speak to him as well. Maybe I can give him a call tomorrow or something.”
“Perhaps you’ll join me tonight instead. As I said there is something we need to discuss.” He grabbed her hand. “Like why you and Liam changed rooms for starters?”
“Oh, yeah, ummm Liam figured with me being the only woman on the compound and all, it would be safer if no one knew where I was sleeping. I mean you wouldn’t want one of your men deciding to pay me a midnight visit now, would you?”
“A sensible precaution. Remind me to thank him.”
“Yeah, all right, I will. I’ll go get something to eat.”
Eating with Vince was the last thing she wanted, but she needed to eat, and she didn’t wish to arouse his suspicions. Jacqui crossed to the counter and glanced over the selections. Dennis wasn’t behind the counter and she glanced up at the server. “Is Dennis around? He promised me chicken tonight.”
“Dennis fly home. His mother very, very sick.”
“Oh.” Jacqui kept her face blank. She really was alone now. There was no way Dennis would leave, not after she told him Liam had gone missing.
“He no have time to make memsahib chicken. We very sorry. Perhaps tomorrow.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” Deciding on the rice, she picked up a bowl and spoon. She would search for Liam after dinner and get a message to his brother if she could get a signal on the phone. If not, there was bound to be a radio somewhere she could use. Liam had to be somewhere, but she had to get word out in case she vanished, too.
Taking the food back to the table, she sat down, eating quietly. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but had to eat to keep her strength up. Lord God, keep him safe wherever he is. Keep Dennis safe. Keep me safe. Let me get a message out before it’s too late.
