Kelvin reached down to retrieve his camera. He began snapping away, taking the model at different angles. “I’ll get these processed. I can take it off your hands if you like.”
Brad nodded his agreement. “Thanks, Kel.”
“Not a problem.” He swung the camera around his neck and moved to pick it up.
Alicia found she couldn’t drag her eyes away. The image was burned into her brain, even when it was back inside the box she could still see it as clearly as if it were still on the desk.
“We should get to the hospital,” Brad said, laying a hand gently on her arm. The contact left a trail of heat.
“Yes, we probably should.” She shook her head a little to clear it and turned with a smile to Kelvin. “It was good to meet you.”
“It was a pleasure to meet you too, Alicia.”
Brad gave him a nod as he moved to open the door for her. “I’ll catch up with you a little later.”
When they got outside, he motioned her towards a jeep parked on their right. “You’re about to meet another member of the team. Justin is, among other things, a security driver and excellent at losing a tail. His skills will come in handy if we encounter any press camped on the perimeter.”
She had to hand it to them. They ran a very smooth operation. “They’ll be at the hospital anyway, but I suppose you knew that.”
“I factored it in. There’s a private entrance, not completely secure, but enough to keep most of them out.” He looked to the young man behind the wheel. “Hi, Justin.”
He was fresh-faced and eager, and had the whole hero worship thing going. She recognised the look he gave Brad. “What’s up, BM.”
Alicia suppressed a smile, trying to decide if the abbreviation was Brad’s initials or short for ‘big man’, she suspected it was the latter.
“I preferred it when you called me sir,” Brad muttered, opening the door for her.
“You don’t mean that.” Justin looked at Alicia through the mirror. “Hello, Miss Gladstone. I’m a big fan of your work.”
“Thanks, Justin. I appreciate that.”
Brad waited until she was secure before signalling to the car behind them. He heard the engine gun to life as he climbed in next to Justin. He met Alicia’s eyes in the rear view mirror briefly. It was enough to settle the nerves that had been fluttering in her stomach.
Brad’s own stomach was a mass of tangled knots. If he had been uneasy before, it was nothing compared to how he was feeling now. To distract himself he listened to Alicia and Justin’s casual banter. The kid had a way with people. It was one of the many things he admired about Justin - everyone was a friend until they proved themselves an enemy.
***
As soon as Brad walked into Jack Murphy’s hospital room, it all fell into place. That he hadn’t figured it out before was just more proof he was off his game. Of course Jack was Alicia’s brother. He swallowed down the irritation at not being informed; he was more annoyed that he hadn’t pieced it together himself.
He watched as Alicia tried to find a way to hug Jack without hurting something. She settled on laying her forehead against the bandages that covered his.
“You look a little better,” she said, moving to take his hand.
“Say that again and my body might listen.”
Brad couldn’t help smiling. He’d been there before; when every part of his body ached so much he’d felt trapped inside a broken machine. Maybe that wasn’t exactly how Jack felt, but it was close enough.
Alicia pulled a funny face as she repeated her line. “You look a little better.” He was incapable of retaliating in his present condition. “This is Brad Morgan.” Alicia flicked her hand in his direction as though she’d just made him appear.
“Ah, the marine,” Jack said smiling.
“Ex-marine.” He held out a hand. “It’s good to meet you.”
“You too.”
Brad turned to Alicia with a brief nod. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”
Jack stopped him before he’d made a step towards the door. “No, please, join us. If you don’t, Al will pretend everything’s all right and I’ll never know the truth.”
“I tell you the important stuff.”
“Sit…please.” Jack motioned to a chair.
Brad looked at it doubtfully; not sure it was strong enough to take his weight. “Maybe I’ll just stand.”
He looked from Brad to the chair and back again, making a modest effort to get a chuckle past his sore ribs. “Probably a wise choice.” His expression was mischievous when he turned to Alicia. “I tried the same thing on Josh earlier. He wouldn’t play ball either.”
“I think it’s time it went back to the classroom where it belongs,” she said dryly.
“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
“Imagine what would’ve happened if Brad got stuck in that chair.” She had to bite her lip when the image of it flashed in her head.
Brad found it amusing too, though he tried for a straight face.
“Now you’re just being cruel.” Jack gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. “But enough fun and games, tell me what’s happening.”
“Not a great deal.” She squirmed under his direct stare. “Okay, okay. I might have received another threat.”
Jack’s eyes instantly clouded with worry. “What kind of threat?”
She paused for a moment, contemplating how much to say.
“May I?” Brad held his smart phone in the air.
“That was quick.” She shrugged and dipped her head in consent. “It looks worse than it is,” she said to Jack as Brad showed him photos of her macabre gift.
“What happens now?” Jack asked, squinting to make the image clearer. His headache was getting worse but he wasn’t about to tell Alicia that.
“Alicia has twenty-four hour protection until we find this guy. I’d also like to assign my team to your protection.”
He looked surprised. “Is that necessary?”
Brad saw the look that passed between Jack and Alicia and felt the guilt trying to burn a hole in his common sense. The last thing he needed was to apologise and embarrass them both.
“Yes. Call it a gut instinct, but I have a feeling you’re both connected to this.”
“Who will you assign?” Alicia asked. She didn’t doubt his judgement for a second.
“Kelvin, mostly.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Jack looked from one to the other. “Don’t I get a say in this?”
“As long as the answer is yes you can say as much as you want!”
Jack’s eye roll was followed by a raspy chuckle. Because Alicia was watching his expression, she caught the flutter of pain.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, it’s just a headache.”
She ran a hand gently over his bandages. “You need rest. The stress isn’t helping.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’ll get some shut eye when you head back.”
“Okay, but why don’t I lighten the mood anyway.” She pulled out her own phone. “I took some pictures for you this morning.”
“I saw one of them on Twitter.”
Alicia smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, honey. You know I like to tweet. I did save the best for you.” She couldn’t hide the smirk at Brad’s expression. “Don’t worry. I’m following Sarah’s instructions on how to stay safe. I don’t tweet anything about my schedule.”
“Speaking of which, where is the lovely red-headed vixen?” Jack asked, never taking his eyes from the screen.
“Busy as always. She’s spending some time with Greg this evening - a little father and daughter time.”
“Is he still texting every five minutes?”
She took the phone back and slipped it into her pocket. “Maybe every ten.”
“Have you met him yet?” Jack asked Brad, trying to involve him in the conversation.
“I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“How about Josh Burton?”
“Briefly when I arrived this morning.”
“They’re as thick as thieves.” Jack motioned to Alicia. “I’m surprised he hasn’t persuaded Stuart to give her a role in the movie.”
Alicia shook her head. “As far as I know he had another project lined up. It would’ve been fun though.”
“He’ll still find a way to keep his eye on you. He was pretty worried when he stopped by.”
“He’s concerned about you, too.”
“I know.”
Jack closed his eyes for a moment, relieved that the headache wasn’t getting any worse. They snapped back open again when he heard the theme tune belting out of Brad’s mobile phone. “Hey, I love this song.”
“Sorry, I’ll take that outside.” Brad already had the phone to his ear. “Morgan.”
Is this a good time?” Susannah asked.
He glanced at Alicia and Jack before closing the door. “Yeah, what’ve you got for me?”
“I got the background on Murphy.”
“I think I discovered some of it on my own. What did you get?”
Brad looked for the men from Abe’s team. They had been assigned to his detail for the duration. When he was satisfied they were in position, he tuned in to Susannah again.
“It took a few hours to unravel but I discovered Jack Murphy is adopted.”
“Yes, that’s what I figured. He’s Alicia’s brother, right?”
“Damn, do you always have to steal my thunder?
“Nobody can do that, Suez.”
“How did you know?” Her voice was slightly mollified by the compliment.
“I knew as soon as I saw him. Until then I’d forgotten Helen had a son too. I’m losing my edge.”
He heard the sigh, could picture the expression on her face. “Cut yourself a little slack, honey. You know now. How do you want to proceed?”
“I think we have to look more closely into their past. See if anything fits.”
“But you don’t believe it’s about them, do you?”
He smiled; she knew him well. “I just know Helen’s involved somehow. Can you do a little more digging?”
“Sure, I’ll get on it. There isn’t anything sinister in Jack’s immediate background.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, he’s a good kid. Work your magic, Suez.”
“Magic has nothing to do with it. It’s skill, plain and simple.” He could hear the smile in her voice.
“Yeah, you got skills. Be good.”
He closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket before returning to Jack’s room. “Sorry about that,” he said.
“Not at all.” Jack waved his apology away. “We were just talking script, nothing exciting.”
“Speaking of which,” Alicia said, glancing at the clock. “We’d better head back before I give Stuart an ulcer. You know how he is about his schedule.”
“Come back soon. I feel like I’m stuck in a fish bowl here and I don’t know what’s going on.”
Alicia huffed, not buying it. “I’m sure you have spies to feed you the information.”
Jack’s grin turned up a notch when Becky poked her head around the door.
“Hi sweetheart,” she said conjuring a white box from behind her back. “I brought you some goodies.”
“Score!” Jack said, though is eyes never left his wife’s face, even when she placed the box beside him.
Becky leant to kiss him soundly on the mouth, lingering only a moment before turning to Alicia.
“How’re you, hon?”
“I’m good, and the first day is going really well. Add in the fact that Jack’s on the mend and all is right in my world.”
“Not quite,” Becky said, looking pointedly over Alicia’s shoulder.
“I’m Brad Morgan. It’s good to meet you,” he said, taking that as his cue.
“Rebecca Murphy. I’m glad to me you too.”
“We were actually just about to head back, but I’ll call you later.” Alicia planted a kiss on Jack’s cheek, gently as though her touch might burn.
He winced when her lips made contact with his skin, surprising a chuckle out of her.
They had a rhythm that was obvious to those who knew them.
Brad excused himself as they finished up so that he could check the team’s position. He was ready and waiting when Alicia came out.
They walked in silence for a while, negotiating the hallways on their way to the meeting point.
Alicia could see his head was in a different place. It fascinated her, the way he zoned out. Regardless of what was going through that attractive head of his, she suspected he was still alert and ready to participate.
“Did you notice that man in the red jumper?” she asked, wanting to test her theory.
Brad looked down at her, one eyebrow raised in question. “There wasn’t a man wearing a red jumper. There was a woman with red shoes who made me wonder if the age old expression about the colour is true.”
He fought with the urge to echo her laughter. He wasn’t sure why she was testing him, or why he felt the need to ace the test. He closed his eyes briefly, conjuring the waiting room they had now passed. When he opened them again he looked directly at her, maintaining eye contact until he’d made his point.
“There were seven people in all. A young couple, who were more interested in each other than what was going on around them. A man in his late fifties reading a journal, the only sane option when surrounded by magazines that cater to one audience. Two women, possibly sisters, who appeared anxious, yet tired of their waiting game. Our lady with the red footwear, and finally a young man of around twenty who looked about to bolt for the nearest exit. That is until he saw you and then all thoughts went out of his head.” I know the feeling.
He felt a twinge of satisfaction when her eyes widened in surprise. “That’s a neat party trick – how’d you do it?”
“It’s about knowing your environment and the risks. I’m trained to observe those things, to have different levels of awareness.”
Alicia considered that for a moment, before sharing what was really on her mind. “Is Kelvin as good as you?”
Brad’s lips curled into a smile. “Better.”
“Then Jack’s in safe hands.”
He chuckled as he opened the emergency exit door. Justin was idling a few yards away and thankfully, he was alone.
“Are you ready?”
Alicia nodded and stepped outside.
***
Paul Meeks watched Alicia emerge from the hospital. She had the bodyguard with her. He was big too. Probably put up a good fight. But he didn’t plan to take her now. He wanted her to suffer first - to know the meaning of fear. Then he would swoop in when she least suspected it.
He’d messed up with Jack Murphy, but he wouldn’t fail again. He’d waited too long, planned too well. He wasn’t perfect, but he was smart and he rarely made mistakes.
He thought of Dr Johnson’s unfortunate little accident. For years, he’d played the good doctor like a cheap musical instrument, telling him everything he wanted to hear until he felt like a hero.
His death was too fast, but necessary. After he’d served his purpose, Paul wanted to play with him a little, show him what it felt like to sit in his office, hour after hour. Johnson didn’t know the meaning of pain. He was an arrogant, pompous asshole, and now he was dead.
Paul blinked the memory away as he looked in the mirror to refocus himself. The disguise was his best yet. He wasn’t a fan of facial hair, but occasionally it was necessary for the disguise. Today he was Norwegian. His favourite part of playing someone else was the selection of glasses he chose to fit each character. He never went anywhere without them. The horn-rimed example he’d donned that morning were perfect.
“It’s time to meet Mr. Baker,” he said aloud, his thick accent filling the car. It would take an expert to distinguish the voice from his own, and he did not intend to be recorded.
Mr Baker was a foul little man - a
s greedy as he was dishonest.
The next part of his plan was going to cost him dearly, but there would be no moral consideration – Mr Baker had no soul. He chose his players well.
He was still smiling about that as he pulled away from the curb and drove to his appointment.
Chapter 8
Alicia flopped into a nameless chair, too tired to move any further. She was finished for the day. Their turnaround was twelve hours – a generous amount of time considering they were behind schedule. Her eyelids fluttered shut, just for a moment. She could sleep anywhere. If she didn’t move she would be sleeping on a deserted set.
Her end of day meeting with Stuart had taken so long everyone had left for the night – almost everyone.
Brad was there, in the shadows. He was back to the silent protector routine, blending into the background – part of the scenery. It might have worked if she wasn’t so acutely aware of his movements. The only time her eyes didn’t seek him out was when the cameras were rolling, and even then the awareness didn’t disappear.
She opened one eye to find him, amused that he was hovering close by. “Come and take a load off. Relax a little.” She smiled when he walked forward. “I know, I know. You’re already relaxed.”
He sat, purely because it felt better than towering over her. They were on the edge of a back lot – it could have been Paris.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Brad turned to look at her. She had her eyes closed again. “If you sit there any longer you’ll fall asleep out here.”
“Very possibly.”
It was several minutes before she spoke again. He began to think she was asleep. But then she surprised him – she had a habit of it.
“When I was a girl I visited many places inside my head.”
The way she was stretching her body as she spoke robbed him of speech – he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Finally, she sat up straight and opened her eyes. “I could be anyone I wanted, go anywhere my heart desired. It didn’t matter that I’d never seen the places I longed to visit, I had my imagination.”
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