Chapter 43

Maybe I felt myself being lifted and I know someone was touching my shoulder, I think I was shouting and maybe lashing out. I knew I was in an absolute panic but after that I had no memories of what had happened.

I woke up feeling very happy and almost giggled to myself with that thought. I felt no pain at all, though when I tried to move my arm it didn't want to do as I wanted. That had me giggling again and I tried to open my eyes, no they weren't cooperating either, so I lay still and let my mind float. I'm sure that was a mistake because all I could think about was Ranger. His hands as he gently caressed my face and the feel of him next to me. That feeling made me relax and I'm sure I fell to sleep with a smile on my face.

I hurt, I ached, and my head felt like shit. Why did I have to wake up feeling like this? Then it hit me, had those men got me, had Desilva been injured or even killed? Or was he in on it all the time, had I made huge mistake to trust him? I didn't want to know but knew that I would have to face wherever I was sooner rather than later. Though it was tempting to just let myself drift off back to sleep.

Instead, I made the effort to open my eyes, pleased that I wasn't blinded by bright light. As I blinked to try and focus at what I was looking at, I could only see a ceiling and it seemed so far away. I heard a rustle close to me so slowly turned my head watching as a figure came into view. The image surprised me because I was looking up at the face of a woman looking down at me. She smiled as she took hold of my wrist for a few minutes.

"How are you feeling?

I couldn't work out who she was and why she was asking that. I mean if I hadn't been well then she didn't look like a nurse and come to think of it the view behind her certainly didn't look like a hospital room.

"Where?"

Was all I managed to get out before she smiled down at me and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're at my home. You badly bruised your shoulder so it may be painful for a while"

"Oh"

I couldn't work out why I would be in a strange house with this woman. Was this where Desilva had brought me? But why here? Then my mind went back to my original concerns, mainly was I safe here?

"Tony brought you here, we thought it was the safest place and it meant that I could treat your shoulder"

Tony, who the hell was Tony? Then it came to me, Desilva's first name was Antony, so was this his girlfriend's house or just a friend that he had?

"You need to take some painkillers so let me help you to sit up"

I felt her arm go behind my back as she gently pulled me forward and moved some pillows behind me. In front of me were a couple of tablets and a glass of water so I took them from her hands and swallowed the tablets down with the water. It gave me a chance to really look around at where I was and I was sure that I was staring at what I was seeing. The room was large with a delicate print on the walls and pale drapes at a window. I was sure that it seemed to be day light outside from the light that they allowed through which meant that I'd been here overnight.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly 5 o'clock. I had to give you something to relax you so that I could look at your shoulder, I thought at first that maybe you'd dislocated it, but it seems you didn't react too well to that medication, so I had to knock you out"

I knew all too well what some drugs did to me, especially certain painkillers that were strong. I felt embarrassed at how I might have reacted and the trouble I might have caused.

"Sorry"

Seemed the least that I could say.

"Don't be, I'm used to it. As long as you're feeling better now"

I nodded my head at her, taking a longer look at her features. She was a pretty woman with straight dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her face was devoid of makeup but to be honest she didn't any, hell I was envious of her long lashes that framed honey colored eyes set against a sightly darker skin tone than mine. It made me wonder how much of a mess I looked and subconsciously brought my free hand up to my head to try and smooth down my riotous curls. That's when I noticed that I was wearing a satin top that had buttons down the front and short sleeves.

"Who are you?"

Just came out as I realized I was laid in a bed in her house in clothes that definitely weren't mine.

"Freya and don't worry. I treated you and made sure that you were suitably clothed. Though I was a bit worried that there was deeper damage from a previous injury when I looked at your shoulder"

That would have been from when I was shot in Cambodia and Maia had treated me, though I was sure that it was healed up and it hadn't given me any problems. I watched as Freya stood up and straightened the covers on the bed. She was wearing denim hipster jeans and a deep burgundy T-shirt showing that she had a slim figure.

"If you feel up to it, we're having dinner just after 6 downstairs. It would be good for you to get up and eat"

Yeah, I did feel hungry, but I'd need to tidy myself up and maybe try to get washed and then dressed. As if reading my mind Freya picked up some clothes from a chair by the bed and placed them at the bottom of the bed.

"I brought these for you to wear but you need to keep your arm in the sling for the next few days. There's a lot of swelling and bruising that needs time to heal. The bathroom is just through that door. When you're ready just come downstairs"

I watched as Freya left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. The pain meds must have been kicking in because my shoulder didn't hurt as much, and the headache was receding. I very carefully pulled the covers from me and slowly swung my legs over the edge of the bed before attempting to stand. I'm sure that my head swooned a bit but after a few minutes seemed to find its equilibrium, enough for me stand up anyway. The carpet under my feet was thick and soft and I felt warm even with the thin set of pajamas on.

I made my way over to the door that Freya had pointed out and walked into the bathroom. It was enormous with a feel of antiquity to it that came from the claw foot white tub and the large ornate sink. The only thing that seemed modern was the semi circular shower cubicle. There were some towels on a rail, and I debated whether or not I could shower on my own and decided that I really needed to have a go. Taking the sling from my arm did cause my shoulder to ache but once I had undressed, I held my arm against my chest as I stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

It felt so good to feel the hot water cascading down onto my head and down my body. A quick glance showed me that there was some shampoo and shower gel, so I used my good arm to lather up my hair and to use the sponge to wash myself. Once rinsed of all the soap I turned off the water and draped the large towel over my shoulders. I decided to return to the bedroom and sit on the chair to dry myself before attempting to dress.

The clothes that Freya had left were lose. Baggy cotton trousers with an elastic waist that if I wore on my hips were long enough, showing that Freya must have been smaller than me. I had a white vest that went underneath a wrap around top that had batwings instead of sleeves. I had to say that Freya had been thoughtful with what would be comfortable and what would fit. I put the sling back on grateful for the relief I felt in my shoulder now that it was supported again.

I decided to forgo anything on my feet, especially as I couldn't find anything, and opened the main door out of the bedroom. I found myself in a wide hallway that had several doors before coming to a large staircase that swept in an arc down to the lower floor. All I could think was that this was what money could buy. Did I like it, yeah, it was beautiful but not my style, it didn't have the atmosphere that a home should have. Stepping from the last step I could see where the front door was but turned as I heard voices coming from the opposite direction.

I didn't want to just barge in so waited at the bottom of the staircase. It wasn't long before a woman came through and walked past me to go through a door down the hallway. I'd say she was quite a bit older than me, with her hair mainly grey and in a short bob style, but what had me curious was she was dressed in a uniform. A pale cream tunic with a collar over pale cream trousers and what looked to be white trainers. As she'd left the door open, I walked through to find Freya setting down a large bowl onto a small dining table. As I walked in, she looked up and smiled at me.

"You look a lot better. You have more color in your cheeks"

I smiled back and then just stood there before plucking up the courage to speak.

"Do you need any help?"

"No. It's all done but thank you. Tony is bringing through the rest"

I was thankful for that because I had no idea what I'd have done if she'd assigned me a task in the kitchen. As I stood there my hand was finger combing my wet hair hoping that it wouldn't dry into a mass of curls. Freya started to watch me which me feel very self conscious.

"I always wanted curly hair"

I looked up as Freya said that knowing that I'd always wanted straight hair.

"It's difficult to control, so no, your straight hair is much better"

Those few words seemed to have broken the ice between us and I found that I liked this woman, she seemed so down to earth and natural. Tony came into the room at that moment and placed some bread on the table and then pulled out a chair looking at me.

"Stephanie"

I went and sat down and watched as Freya and Tony sat opposite me. It was strange really because I expected a much larger table for a house like this and looking across the room from where I was sat, I could see that the other half was set out as a lounge area with couches facing each other across a coffee table. It gave an intimate area so out of character to the rest of the house. Freya removed the lid from the bowl and used a large serving spoon to careful fill my bowl with food. I had to say that it smelt wonderful.

"It's a stew or casserole but I've added everything to it including some spices. I thought you'd find it easier to eat"

I have to say that I must have been hungry and really appreciated the meal. It had all sorts in it, from root vegetables to what looked like chicken in a sauce that was creamy and garlicy. I helped myself to some bread to ensure that I wiped up every morsel in my bowl and then sat back feeling full.

"That was amazing Freya, I didn't realize just how hungry I was"

"Good, I like it when people appreciate their food. We'll have some dessert and coffee in the lounge area and then I think we need to have a talk"

I liked the idea of dessert but not so much the need to talk. I should have known it would happen but would need to be on my guard with what I said. I just couldn't work out why it was Freya who'd said we needed to talk and not Desilva. What could Freya know or had Desilva told her something? I'd have to gage carefully what she knew and then shook my head. Hell, she could just mean a talk about my shoulder and how to manage it while it healed.

Freya led me into the lounge area and sat down on one of the couches while I sat down in the couch opposite her. The moment was a bit tense as we waited neither one of us probably knowing what to say. Desilva brought through a tray that had mugs of coffee already in them along with a bowl of sugar and a jug of milk.

As I leaned forward, I'm sure that my eyes lit up at the sight of profiteroles on a plate. I added sugar to my coffee deciding to forgo milk and was quick to pick up a profiterole. It did taste as good as it looked but I stopped at one, my nerves were beginning to play up and to be honest I was waiting for any conversation to start. Freya was the first to finish and sat back with her coffee looking at Desilva who was sat next to her.

"Shall I go first?"

I watched as Desilva nodded his head and sat back, close to Freya, but not touching her. Freya looked to Desilva, almost as though she needed the comfort of him being there in order to start talking.

"Tony and I have known each other for a few years now, I helped him with a medical issue. This is my family home, but I don't live here. I came back to look after my father because he's dying"

"I'm sorry for that"

I said as my Burg manners kicked in but saw the way that Freya just looked at Tony. What was that all about?

"My father and I never really got on, he was away a lot on business, and I was determined to do what I wanted to do. I think he wanted a son, and I was never good enough for him. Unfortunately, my mother couldn't have any more children after me and he didn't see me as a successor for the family business"

I watched as Desilva whispered something in her ear, as though trying to console her, but I had no idea why and to be honest I was wondering why she was telling me her family history.

"My mother died a few years ago, and I discovered that it was her who held the majority of shares in the business. Of course, they went to my father as her husband, but she had set up a trust fund for me that included the rest of the wealth from her family. Father went mad at that, so I asked Tony to find out what he could about the business"

I looked at Desilva as Freya stopped talking and he took on explaining what he found out.

"The company was in trouble, bad decisions and bad management had eaten away any money and it's close to being bankrupt. Freya's father sought out the help of a company called Hisence"

"The company on Lafayette Street?"

As Desilva nodded his head the whole conversation took on a more interesting direction and from the way Freya looked down at her hands before she looked back at me, I had the feeling she was about to add another layer to the story.

"When my father became ill, he was suffering from amyloid angiopathy"

I must have looked totally confused with what she'd said because I had no idea what that was.

"It's an abnormality of the blood vessel walls in the brain that sometimes occurs with aging and high blood pressure. It probably started with small bleeds, but he ignored it or may not have noticed until he was hit with a larger bleed that caused more damage. He was so angry when he realized what that meant. He was seen by a doctor, but the only treatment was medication which he hated even more. It took a stroke and the loss of movement down one side of his body to realize just how severe the problem was. I've taken some time off work to be here with him, even though he hates the idea of that"

"What's the prognosis?"

I asked feeling sympathetic for how Freya had put her life on hold to care for a man who didn't seem to love her.

"Not good. Another stroke could kill him. That's when he started to insist that he put his affairs in order and that's when I found out that he has an illegitimate son"

There was an edge of anger in her voice as she said that but I was even more confused now, I mean why was she telling me any of this, what was so important that she felt that I had to know?

"But if the business is failing then what does your father have to leave to him?"

"Okay, this is where it gets complicated. Apparently, I have an aunt and uncle that I didn't know existed. My father wasn't born here in the states. He came from Cambodia in 1979, met a wealthy woman and married her. I was born a year later"

Oh shit, I hoped the frown on my face wasn't giving away too much especially as I was trying to work out if Freya's father might be Narong Seang or his brother Seang Dara. That would be a hell of a coincidence.

"He changed his name from Seang Dara to Sean Daraldson, though again I only found that out recently"

Now I was confused, how did the imminent death of Sean Daraldson have any bearing on what was happening? But more importantly why did Freya feel the need to tell me this story.

"Freya, I am so sorry for what you've gone through and are going through but why are you telling me?"

"Because you've got caught up with the fallout from what Daraldson did"

I looked to Desilva as he said that, my mind going into overdrive with what he was implying. Did that mean that Daraldson had masterminded that program? Was he going to sell it to Coleman at Hisence and where did the son fit in?

"Stephanie. Somehow my father found out that his older brother had developed a program that was worth a lot of money. He wanted to sell it or get Hisence to manage sales from it so that this step brother of mine would inherit the wealth and power from it"

"Okay, but how does this affect me?"

Desilva sat forward in his seat, and like any man that I knew, he wiped his hands down his face. A clear indication that he was thinking what to say to me and probably what to leave out.

"This program is very important, meaning that a lot of people are after it. Hisence and government agencies from all over the world will do anything to get their hands on it. It could jeopardize security globally and cause a lot of deaths. Your friend, Manoso was sent by our government to retrieve it but no one knows if he actually found it"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Apparently the people who caught him didn't find it on him"

Okay I was pleased that seemed to be general knowledge because that would take Ranger out of danger, but on the other hand how did Desilva know that he'd been captured?

"Steph there are other reasons that he may not have had it on him"

"Like what?"

Calm down Stephanie, don't sound so defensive or Desilva is going to know that I know more than I'm saying.

"He could have hidden it, passed it over to someone else or posted it somewhere. It could also mean that Manoso wants the program himself, maybe to sell the contents"

I raised my eyebrows at that, hell I'd never consider Ranger to do something like that. I knew that he sometimes worked in areas that could be seen as grey, but he was so anal about doing what was the right thing that he would never do something that was so, so wrong.

"What have I to do with any of this?"

"The fact that you met up with that man Roan, who just happened to work at Hisence, seemed a hell of a coincidence"

"But he was FTA, I had to get him into the station"

"Say I believed that, there are other factors to consider"

I wasn't too sure I liked where this conversation was leading to and let my annoyance come out with how I spoke to him.

"What are you saying?"

"That it's likely that Manoso has the program or knows where it is. You are his weakness. Everyone knows Manoso would do anything for you, even give up the program to ensure you stayed alive"

Oh shit. Was he right? I didn't want him to be right. I didn't want to be responsible for that program getting into the wrong hands and I certainly didn't want Ranger to be put into that position. That meant that I really had to have people assuming that there wasn't any type of relationship between us. Damn Ranger, this was why he had kept me at arms length all this time.

"People are wrong about that. Yeah, he may like me, like a person does a stray cat or a dog but that's all it is. He helps me out when I get into crazy situations, probably because he feels sorry for me. Besides I couldn't see Ranger keeping that program to sell, that's not who he is"

"Then maybe you know where the program is or where he might hide it?"

I shook my head as I put together the words that I needed to say.

"I had no idea what was going on until you just told me. I have to say that I'm shocked at what you've said"

I was also getting a little worried at being here, I mean who was to say that Freya and Desilva didn't have their eyes on that program as well. Desilva did say it was worth a lot of money so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that. It did make me feel that I wanted to get out of here, though how I would do that I had no idea. Hell, I didn't even know where I was and once again, I had no idea who to trust, except Ranger, but I couldn't be seen to be too close to him. Shit I was in big trouble here.

"Did you follow me to New York?"

I asked, because it made sense now. Desilva and Freya wanted the hard drive as well. It was worth a lot of money and it would ensure that Freya didn't lose out to her new step brother.

"Yes. I actually thought that you might be meeting up with Manoso. I spent hours watching video footage and spotted someone with a bag the same as the one you'd been carrying the day before getting onto a train for the city. I had every hotel and motel checked for any new bookings by a white female of your description"

"Yeah, I headed down south after that"

Wanting to continue the illusion that I'd never left the country. The problem was that having heard what Freya and Desilva had told me there were so many questions I wanted to ask, call me nosy, but how had Freya's father managed to get his hands on that program? Or had it been the older brother who genuinely wanted to get it to a safe place. But why didn't he just destroy it? Or were governments like ours prepared to pay for it as well?

"Stephanie, are you okay?"

I looked up to see Freya watching me and suddenly felt very vulnerable.

"I don't know what to say or what to do. All I did was take in a skip to the police station and of course I know Ranger, we worked together. His company bring in the high bond skips for the same place I work at"

I looked up to the ceiling and blinked quickly, yeah, I could play act at being upset with tears in my eyes. After all I'd had plenty of practice when I got into trouble with my mother when she started shouting at me for something. It had the desired effect because Freya was suddenly sat next to me, holding me to her as though to comfort me. The problem was the tears were very real because the idea of losing what I'd found with Ranger was breaking me apart.

I pulled away from Freya as I wiped my eyes and whispered to her.

"What do I do Freya?"

"You can stay here"

I shook my head at the thought of that. Did that mean that these two would use me to get to Ranger? There was no way I would let that happen.

"No. I need to disappear like I did before"

"You won't be safe"

I looked at Desilva as he said that not able to read anything from his words or his expression. There were no looks between the two of two of them so maybe I'd have time to work out a way to leave here.

"I'm sorry Freya. I'm tired and to be honest I have so much going around in my head"

As I stood up both Desilva and Freya stood with me but as I walked from the room they stayed where they were. How I wish I could listen to their conversation once I'd left.

I made my way back to the room that I was staying in knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep. Instead, I walked over to the window and pulled the drapes to the side in order to look outside. I wasn't too sure what I would see and was almost disappointed that it was too dark to see very far. I didn't know what I'd expected or maybe I'd hoped to see someone who could get me away from here.

Stupid really, as was the idea that the window would provide some magic escape route. No fire escape here to climb down and with my arm out of commission I wouldn't be very safe at trying to climb down. Hell, even with two good arms I wasn't that good at scaling down walls. Stood there only reinforced the idea of escaping though, so maybe when I thought people were asleep, I'd have a look around to see what I could work out.

As I stepped away from the window, I suddenly became aware that I had no shoes so decided to take a look around the room. I must have been wearing some when I was brought here. I found a closet not surprised that there was little in it, only some bedding, but no shoes. In fact, none of the clothes that I'd been wearing could be seen even when I looked through any drawers or on any shelves. I checked under the bed and in the bedside cabinets, but the room was devoid of anything personal, it was a spare bedroom for guests and nothing more.

I pushed the pillows down under the sheets to give the illusion that I was asleep in the bed and then went to the door. I turned off the lights in the bedroom then sank to the floor leaning against the wall. Time seemed to drag by as I sat listening for any noises, but I was suddenly alert at the sound of hushed voices as they passed by my door. I was sure that I heard a door open and close that was quickly followed by the sound of a second door closing. If I'd heard correctly and Freya and Desilva were the only people in the house, then they were both inside their own rooms. Carefully standing up I very slowly turned the handle hoping that it didn't make a noise.