False Finder

by Mia Hoddell

  Lying on his front, in the middle of another king size bed was Kirby. His eyes and his mouth were fixed in hard lines as he observed her. In front of him was a laptop, the screen had been partly folded down so he could peer over to see who had just entered.

  “What are you doing in my room?” he spat, emphasising the word ‘you’ and making his disgust for her clear. It was like Cora was a common skivvy with the way he looked down his nose at her and hurled his words with such venom. He was definitely Rogan’s son.

  Cora did not find herself even slightly offended. In fact the feeling was mutual, so after recovering from the initial shock of being caught, she started turning back towards the door.

  “Where do you think you’re going now?” he asked indignantly as if it was his right to know her business.

  “I just came into your room accidentally, I thought this was mine.” The lie rolled off her tongue as easily as every other lie she had told for the past ten years of her life. Her pulse remained steady, her eyes remained fixed on Kirby’s and her hands remained by her side. She didn’t swallow nervously and she didn’t break out into a sweat. For Cora, lying came naturally.

  What she didn’t expect was for Kirby to doubt her and call her bluff.

  “Yeah right and I’m the King of England. What are you really doing? I thought you weren’t allowed out of your room and if you don’t tell me, I’ll call my dad right now to tell him what’s going on.” Kirby smiled like his threat had already beaten her.

  What he didn’t account for was Cora’s ability.

  “You’re lying. You aren’t going to call Rogan so don’t pretend to be something you’re not,” Cora said in a bored tone as she leaned back against the door, paying more attention to the clouds filling the sky out of his window than the man in front of her.

  When she looked up, Kirby’s mouth was moving but no words were coming out. It was like someone had hit the mute button when watching the television. His mouth just kept moving until Cora arched an eyebrow and he realised how stupid he must have looked.

  “Dad said you were good but I didn’t realise it was an ability that never switched off.”

  It didn’t fail to escape her notice that every time Kirby mentioned Rogan, he balled his hand into a fist, clenching and relaxing it three times. She didn’t know what was going on between the two of them but at that point it didn’t matter. To her, if he hated Rogan, it made him useful.

  “What’ve you got against Rogan?” she asked abruptly.

  “None of your business,” he hurled back a in a flash of her asking.

  “How old are you?” she asked again, trying to change tactics, but instead he looked at her suspiciously. Cora could see the consideration on his face as he thought about lying, but having called him on it once already, he admitted the truth with a resounded sigh.

  “Twenty-one”

  “Bit old for a fight with Daddy, aren’t you?” Cora sneered, trying to test whether he would help her or not.

  “It’s none of your business what happens between us.” His determination not to reveal anything was becoming annoying and Cora was about to say so when he continued. “You don’t belong here. You should leave.”

  The comment took her aback. That was the last thing she expected the son of Rogan Carvelli to say to her, especially when she had been hunted for so long.

  “Don’t worry, I’m trying.” It was a long shot and Cora was tired of beating around the bush. Anyway, she had never been one to not speak her mind.

  “When you planning on leaving?” he asked curiously, sitting up a little straighter on his bed as if it were important information.

  “And why would I tell you that? So you can go running off to Rogan the first second I step a foot out of this room? I don’t think so. I’ll take the chances on my own.”

  “Why would I go running to him? I don’t want you here and if you go my life gets a whole lot easier. It’s a win win situation for me.” Kirby was now walking towards Cora, a predatory look in his eyes.

  As he spoke, Cora tested the words but nothing he said was proving to be false.

  “So you want to help me?” she asked, making sure the question was closed and a direct answer was unavoidable.

  “That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

  Cora gave a frustrated sigh. Only a Carvelli could turn a yes or no question around and throw it back at her when they were both after the same goal.

  “Just give me a yes or no,” Cora demanded, her voice tense as she emphasised her words slowly. Her patience was wearing thin as she sensed she had little time left. She assumed people must have noticed the door by now and had therefore reported back to Rogan.

  “Yes.” He sounded as exasperated as her but Cora didn’t understand why. It was Kirby who was not being upfront, not her, and he was the one causing all the friction.

  Testing his words, she heard enough truth in them to determine that he was worth taking the risk on. There was something in his voice he was guarding from his previous answers but nothing had been a lie, so unfolding her arms and pushing herself off the wall she stood in front of him.

  “That wasn’t so hard was it?” she said sarcastically.

  Kirby stared at her in contempt once more, reminding her of Rogan. His attitude had been repellent every time he had come across Cora, so it came as no shock to her. However, what she didn’t understand was why all the hatred that oozed out of him was directed towards her. He wasn’t the first person to have a passionate dislike of her so shrugging it off, she ignored his demeanour and pressed on before he could say anything back.

  “So what’s the plan? I can’t use the front door and I’ve just checked all the rooms, except the one next to this. Can you even get me out?” This time it was Cora’s turn eye Kirby suspiciously. He didn’t seem like the type to openly disobey Rogan’s orders, but then again, he had burst into the office with not a care in the world.

  “Of course you won’t have found any. They’re not meant to be found by those who don’t know where they are. That’s why they are called emergency exits. The only emergency you’re going to get here is either a fire or a raid, the second of which is more likely to require secret exits.”

  It didn’t fail to escape Cora’s notice that he avoided her question as he spoke.

  “Can you get me out or not?” she said impatiently.

  “Of course I can.”

  Cora waited for him to elaborate on how he was going to succeed at allowing her to escape but he said nothing else.

  “Care to share your plan?” Her tone was curt, showing off her annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips, her feet shoulder width apart.

  “There are four ‘secret’ exits from this floor. Dad’s ‘Priest holes’ as he calls them are there in case we ever needed to get out quickly and leave no trace of it. He made them blend in to give us time to get away. Like anyone would be stupid enough to attack here though,” he stated while grinning cockily, seemingly enjoying that side of his father. “What he doesn’t know is that they’re also great for sneaking out without him knowing. He placed one in every bedroom.”

  He seemed to be going off on a tangent, and Cora wanted direct information that was concise.

  “Get to the point. Where’s the one in my room?”

  Much to Cora’s surprise, Kirby shrugged, his lips stretching into a straight line.

  “How would I know? I’ve never slept in there.”

  His games were starting to irritate Cora and she was really starting to consider punching him in the face. He may have been older and slightly bigger but unlike everyone else in the Carvelli household, Kirby was a little on the chubby side rather than having a toned, athletic build. Cora thought she would be able to take him but it probably wasn’t the wisest decision if he was the only one who could help her.

  “Kirby…” Cora’s voice was low and tense but he remained unfazed. “Tell me how you are going to get me out.”

  A cruel smile swept across his face.
Kirby knew he was getting to her and he loved it. Just because he wanted her gone, it didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun at her expense first.

  “Just tell me, Kirby! I don’t have the time!”

  “Well, I thought that you could come here and I’ll let you out my door.”

  Cora wanted to bury her face in her palms and groan at his response but she refrained.

  “And how am I meant to get past the two brick walls that guard my door? I may be cocky around Rogan but I know my limits. I would not get past those two.”

  “Oh right…” Kirby’s hand raised to hold his chin as he thought.

  “What about if I come to your room? I have a vague idea of where the escape route might be as I’ve seen what all the others look like but you’ll have to help me look for it. The men shouldn’t question me.” He didn’t speak with much confidence as he said the last sentence but that was all he could come up with.

  Cora knew she had to be back in her room before someone checked on her. She was surprised she had remained undetected for so long, so agreeing she turned to leave.

  “This doesn’t mean I like you Cora…just so you know,” Kirby called out behind her.

  Cora turned her head, looking back over one of her shoulders and giving him a devilish smile. “Right back at you. I also owe you nothing for this. You’re getting what you want and I’m never indebted to anyone.”

  Before he could respond she opened the door and after checking the hallway was clear, she made her way back to her luxury prison cell.

  Chapter 11

  The first thing Cora had done when she made it back—besides breathe a sigh of relief—was start to look for the exit Kirby had mentioned. However, she didn’t know where to begin searching or what she was actually looking for. Her mind flicked to the few books she had read before she gave up on reading and she considered whether there could be some sort of secret lever. Then she wondered whether it was just hidden behind an object in the room, but there was no way she could move the furniture on her own.

  All in all, she didn’t know where to begin and after turning the parts of the room she could get to upside down, she still came up empty-handed. Deciding to give up, waiting for Kirby appeared to be the best option. She didn’t know what was beyond the door, where it would come out and what would be at the other end.

  Walking backwards and forwards frantically, Cora kept her eyes on the clock. She hoped time would pass quickly but, of course, it didn’t.

  * * *

  When Kirby finally knocked on her door, it was not only dark outside but Cora had collapsed on her bed in boredom. If she had paced up and down the length of the room anymore, she would have worn away the carpet. She was nervous, tense, and anxious to get a move on. The longer she stayed the more she felt trapped, and it was not a feeling that Cora was accustomed to…she hated it.

  As the time passed by she felt as if the walls were closing in on her. The guards had poked their heads around the door to check on her when they had returned but other than the maid, who brought her up some food, she had no human contact. It wasn’t that she missed it but without her belongings, Cora had little to keep her from fidgeting and glancing at the time every second.

  At one point she had started playing darts against one of Rogan’s paintings with her cutlery. Well technically it could be classed more as practising her knife throwing technique, but that was an insignificant detail. What was important was that it kept her entertained for at least an hour. The satisfying thud as the knives wedged themselves into the wooden door to bathroom she had hung it off and slight rip of canvas made her smile.

  She didn’t care what Rogan thought when he saw it. The painting was a boring landscape and Cora would be long gone by the time he found out. She smiled to herself at the mental image. However, even that couldn’t hold her attention for long and she resumed meditating on her bed.

  It was about an hour later she heard voices outside her door. Kirby hadn’t actually specified a time, so she couldn’t be mad. Of course she was frustrated and that meant she was going to show it, but she restrained the full-blown outburst that she wanted to exercise because strictly speaking, he wasn’t late.

  At least he actually showed up, she thought, reminding herself that he didn’t have to help her. Not that she really understood his motives in the first place.

  “My dad’s asked me to check on her,” Kirby said to the men outside Cora’s room, trying to sound as strong and confident as possible. Lying and giving orders was not one of his strengths. It was one of the reasons Rogan doubted him, and at that moment in time he was proving him right.

  “No one goes in or out,” one of the guards replied without looking at Rogan’s son. Instead his gaze remained fixed on the section of wall that was just above Kirby’s head, refusing to look at him.

  “I’m not anyone, and my dad has asked me to check on her,” Kirby said again, his eyes moving everywhere to avoid looking at the men in front of him. Built to intimidate people, their size was doing an effective job with Kirby who lacked everything in the muscle department.

  “Go radio Rogan and ask if the kid’s telling the truth,” the man said, addressing his colleague.

  At his words, Kirby’s heart started to pound, knowing that Rogan would confirm their suspicions. What he didn’t realise though, was that Cora had been listening from the other side of the door since he arrived.

  Hearing what was about to happen, Cora swung the door open, leaning on it as she stood in the middle of the entrance. Her plan seemed to have worked as the man that had started to walk off spun around quickly. Moving back to his post both men faced her with irritated faces—not that they had much effect on Cora.

  “Is there someone here to see me?” she asked, her voice full of fake enthusiasm while smiling sweetly.

  “No, go back inside and shut the door.” The guard gave a curt response and she saw the muscles in his arm tense as if he expected her to make a run for it.

  Instead, she peered to the left, arching her eyebrow and pointing at Kirby.

  “Who’s that then?” she asked innocently.

  “No one,” he replied quickly and Cora sighed at Kirby’s lack of speech. Clearly she was going to have to do it all herself.

  “Really? You’re calling Rogan—your boss’s son—a no one? I’m quite sure that wouldn’t go down too well with the big man downstairs,” she questioned, her tone confident.

  It was another thing she had picked up while on the run from Rogan: it didn’t matter what you were saying, as long as you said it with confidence, authority and stuck to your story people would tend to believe you eventually.

  “I’m sure he would say the same thing,” one of the men said in a bored tone like it was a common thought among everyone.

  At that, Cora noticed Kirby tense, an angry red glow appearing on his face. It was like she could see his blood was boiling. The men still did not move though.

  “I think you’re missing my point. Kirby is Rogan’s son, therefore, that means he outranks you and you have to do as he orders.” Cora emphasised the word while looking deliberately at Kirby, hoping he got her implied message. “You should not have to check up on him and I’m sure Rogan would not be pleased to find you treating him this way as disobeying Kirby’s orders is like disobeying Rogan. You know what happens to people who disobey Rogan, don’t you?” Cora was aware she sounded like Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter but at that moment she didn’t care.

  The men in front of her were not hired for their brains and as they considered what she said, she noticed them glancing at each other. She saw it from the corner of her eye though as most of her attention was fixated on Kirby, trying to communicate with him to speak up.

  “She’s right. If you disobey me, you’re disobeying my father and he doesn’t take well to people ignoring him. If you don’t let me pass, then I will report your incompetence,” Kirby said. It wasn’t the perfect command and it wasn’t as confident as it could have been
but it was enough.

  The men had worried expressions on their faces and slowly they took a step to the left, leaving room for Kirby to enter.

  When he had moved to the centre of the room and Cora had shut the door on the guards she broke her silence. “What the hell was that?” she questioned vehemently in a low voice, not wanting to draw the guard’s attention. Kirby just shrugged.

  “You had better be taking this seriously! It’s my life on the line, not yours, and that little stunt out there nearly cost me my chance to leave. I might add that is also what you want.” Cora paced past him, turning to glare at him as she finished.

  “That ‘little stunt’ as you called it was not a stunt. I’m not good at giving orders. Why do you think I don’t get on with my dad? And not that you’d care, or that it’s any of your business, but it is my life on the line too.” His voice had dropped from shouting to a sinister murmur as he approached Cora. His eyes had a deadly glint in them and he stopped, not even a foot away from her.

  “If you stay, my life is over. If you go, I may get reprimanded but that is nothing compared to what will happen if you’re still around. You think you’re the only one who has something to lose? You couldn’t be further from the truth. This isn’t just about you.”

  “Thought you had a problem being direct?” Cora sneered, manoeuvring herself so that he was no longer trespassing in her personal space. She didn’t want to consider what he had meant but she could see his face fall as the slight rush of anger left him with her comment.

  “I’m no good when challenged. I’m not strong enough. There’s something about you though. You frustrate me.” He collapsed on the corner of her bed, looking at the floor.

  “Oh don’t be self-deprecating, you’re just lazy. You are quite capable of challenging someone, you just did it to me. Now get off your ass and help me. I doubt those two out there will give us long.” Cora was irritated by his instant mood shifts and lack of consistency. All of his words rang true so she knew what he was saying wasn’t some ploy to make her believe him. What she couldn’t figure out was what he had to lose.