SECRETS AND SPIES
Chapter Thirteen
For the first few seconds of consciousness before opening my eyes I wonder where the hell I am. The smell of damp earth, a dull ache in my back and a sharp pain in my left hip is the first indication I'm not in my comfortable bed in my cozy cabin on the mountain. The events of the previous night come back in a flash which explains why I've been obliged to sleep in a musty-smelling hobbit-sized shack on an unforgiving forest floor, although admittedly cuddled up to the girl who's been my constant fantasy for the past few weeks.
I need to pee, but not sure whether venturing outside the cabin is allowed yet. Bella is asleep and I don't want to wake her only nature is definitely calling.
Before rolling away from her warm body, I take the opportunity to really look at Bella, even though the tiny amount of sunlight sneaking through cracks in the log walls only illuminates one side of her face. There is still enough light for me to look closely at her for the first time since she walked into my office in May so I take full advantage.
She really is stunningly beautiful. Her skin, which is always devoid of make-up, is flawless except for a few freckles across her nose. Her dark brown eyelashes are long and thick and as I examine them, I can see minute flutters under her eyelids indicating she's dreaming. Her soft pale-pink lips are slightly open which tempts me to kiss them. I resist though as I'm relishing this special moment of one-sided intimacy. I make do with gently stroking her luxurious hair which is spread over the rolled-up sleeping bag, allowing strands of her chestnut curls to flow through my fingers like water, marveling how soft and silky it feels.
Our kissing session is still fresh in my mind and I smile at the memory, allowing myself a satisfied smirk at how inappropriate we were. Maybe we both needed a release of tension because we'd escaped from evil bandits in SUVs and mysterious drones circling above us. We could've been discovered and dragged out of the hideout to be taken to god-knows-where. So what did we do? We snogged.
I've no idea what time it is as my cell is turned off but daylight indicates it must be later than 6 am. I carefully remove the thin blanket covering my legs and shuffle away from Bella while trying not to touch the blanket covering the majority of her body. As I attempt to roll away from her and clamber onto my hands and knees, Bella sighs and opens her eyes.
"Sorry," I whisper. "Need to pee."
She smiles at me and nods her head then puts her hand over her mouth and yawns.
"Put the coffee on, honey," she jokes.
"Yeah yeah," I respond then crawl towards the makeshift door, catching my knee on a stone on the way. I can't stop myself from yelping with pain.
"Shhh!" Bella giggles as she rolls onto her back then raises her head to witness my discomfort.
I'm tempted to jump on Bella and give her something to really 'Shush' me for, but instead, prioritize my bodily functions and continue crawling towards the doorway.
After pulling the drape to one side, I nervously stick my head outside the cabin and take a deep breath of fresh air. Instantly the coldness stings my throat and nostrils. It's like being slapped in the face. Once my eyes have got used to the dappled light pouring through the constantly moving gaps in the canopy, the first thing I spot is the tarp-covered hummock where Bella's dirt bike is still lying on its side, concealed and undisturbed.
Before leaving the safety of our hideout I stop a moment to take in the sylvan setting the shack inhabits. Dawn in the forest is indescribably beautiful. The air itself is green and golden and sparkles with life. It's easy to pick out the distinctive aromas of spruce and pine mingled with rich, damp earth warming rapidly in the morning sun. The trees are full of chirruping birds and the undergrowth rustles with unseen wildlife. If I get through the situation I'm in unscathed, I'll definitely spend another night here but with a comfy bedroll next time.
I stay absolutely still in order to listen out for any sounds that shouldn't be in the woodland at this time of the morning, like heavy-booted mercenaries stomping through the undergrowth or the snap of a firearm having its safety catch removed. When my untrained ears are satisfied we're alone, I crawl away from the shack, gingerly stand on my wobbly legs and brush dust and forest debris from the knees of my pants before moving towards some bushes.
After relieving myself. I kick my slippers off so I can run up and down on the spot and do some star jumps while observing what had been our home for the night. Now I can see the shack in the daylight it's evidently been here for a while so hadn't been built by Bella and her gang specifically as a hideout. She said the bikers 'prepared it', but my guess is they knew it was here and showed her on the same night one of them was behind my cabin. I still have a hundred questions I want to ask her, but first I need to digest the information she divulged to me last night. Even though she answered all my questions, I won't be satisfied until I'm sure she's told me everything she knows about James Hunter. At the moment it's fifty-fifty he could be involved with dad's disappearance.
Despite Bella's story, I'm not convinced dad hired a bodyguard for me or for himself. This guy, James Hunter, whoever he is, has more than likely been hired by one of the Titans for reasons still to be discovered. He could be involved with dad's death, or is it now his abduction? If he's innocent on that score, his 'Titan' could be pissed with him that dad has been murdered or spirited away before they've had a chance to get their hands on him and his work?
There's so much to get my head around to make sense of. The timelines are all wrong for a start. Bella started at The Yard four weeks ago but was recruited about two weeks before that, so Hunter had been actively involved for six weeks, yet dad only wrote the note three weeks ago? So for three weeks Hunter and dad knew that we were both in some sort of danger, but dad never warned me? Bullshit! Total bullshit. I need to speak to James Hunter, but not until I've done what I need to do in San Francisco. It's time I got some straight answers from Yorkie.
So, my major dilemma now is whether to trust Bella with the knowledge that I've got email evidence dad may still be alive and is trying to contact me, or to keep that knowledge secret for the time being. I feel guilty about this as she was free with her own information last night. But dad's warning about not trusting anyone is still forefront in my decision-making process, and once I cross that line and tell her about the one-word message there'll be no going back.
The word 'lychees' is such a random word it can't be a coincidence, which means dad somehow has access to a computer - if he's still alive of course. But these garbled messages don't make sense. If he's able to send emails, why are they 99% gobbledygook? I need time to think this through but doubt whether I'll be able to give it much thought until I'm in San Francisco, that's if I can get back to the cabin, which I'll then have to break in to, and then get to work without being accosted. If I get time today I'll retrieve as many of the emails as possible from the junk folder to see whether there are any other hidden messages there. Jesus! If I've missed something I'll kick myself.
I can hear Bella moving around in the shack so drop down onto my knees in front of the entrance. Even as I'm mentally shelving the puzzle around the word lychees for another time, a Eureka moment happens and I freeze on the spot. A possible answer begins to reveal itself in a horrific vision as I recall what dad was working on before he was taken.
My hand clamps over my mouth as I feel physically sick. My stomach heaves and I have to keep swallowing to stop myself from throwing up. Luckily I've had nothing to eat for the last nine hours so all I taste in my throat is bile. An image of dad has appeared in my minds-eye which is more than likely what is happening to him. The consequences if I'm right are too horrible to contemplate. Instinctively I curl forward into a fetal position, my eyes tightly shut and my hands over my head.
"No no no," I say over in my head as the dreadful possibility that dad's brain is being experimented on becomes more and more plausible.
If he's still alive, it could be that whoever abducted him has forced his secrets out of him and is using him as the guinea pig rather than a poor soul they've dragged off the street. If they've wired him into their computer system, it's possible he's been surreptitiously messaging me to alert me that he's still alive, even though in his note he told me not to look for him. This means if he's changed his mind about being rescued, he could be urging me to find him before he either gives up more of what he knows or succumbs to whatever torture they're inflicting on him.
And then I start thinking logically. Dad's office is just that – an office, not a workshop. He had no equipment capable of building an electronic chip or any other contraption able to be attached to a brain. Everything dad invented was on paper or on a computer disc, ready to be passed over to whoever won the deal to manufacture it. This means if he is physically attached to a computer, whoever has him must have the means to build a prototype, and that means first-level technology. Silicon Valley is one of the few places on earth where this would be accessible, but as far as I know, no-one even the slightest bit criminal would have access to this type of equipment. Why bother to do things illegally, when trillions of dollars are able to be earned legally in one of the most lucrative businesses on earth.
I feel helpless and alone again, like the moment after discovering dad's house had been ransacked, and even more so after I left Jenks' office when I realized I couldn't trust or confide in anyone. The burden of finding out what happened to dad landed squarely on my shoulders at that specific moment. That weight has never felt as heavy as it does now.
I have to get straight in my head what I need to do first. Much will depend on whether we can get back to the cabin and then to The Yard without being caught by whoever was chasing us last night. Will Bella stay with me, or will she drop me back at the cabin before racing back to work so she can stroll in as though nothing has happened? If I manage to get through the day without incident, will these bastards follow me to the airport and then onwards to San Francisco?
Crawling in on my hands and knees I'm hoping that my face doesn't give away too much. Bella has her back to me and is searching through her jacket pockets before calling out in triumph. She spins around and tosses something towards me which I catch in mid-air.
"Chewing gum?" I question.
"Morning breath, Edward. If you're going to be sitting behind me on the bike, I'd prefer it if your mouth didn't smell like Mitzi's."
"Nothing wrong with Mitzi's breath, unless she's just eaten," I growl.
"Hmmm," Bella replies and grins, then shoves the gum in her mouth. "Going out to find somewhere to pee. Don't come outside for a while."
As she crawls past me she looks at my face. "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine," I lie. "I'll tidy up. Don't be long, honey, and don't frighten any bears."
"Yeah yeah," she replies as she scrambles through the opening.
I roll up the blankets and sleeping bags and tuck them into the canvas bag. Bella has left out some water and cookies so after disposing of the chewing gum, I eat two of the cookies and have a drink. Bella's biking jacket is on the floor so I pick it up to brush the dust off it. As I shake it I notice it's heavy, even for leather. I guess that her gun is in one of the inside pockets and I'm tempted to take a look. I don't, because I'll be embarrassed if she catches me if I don't hear her coming back in.
After a few more minutes Bella crawls halfway into the shack and smiles when she sees everything returned to its place. She reaches in, grabs her jacket then shuffles backward outside.
"We'd better get going," she says as I crawl out behind her.
"Okay," I reply as I stand up, "But there's something I want to do first."
"What's tha…..," she says as I get hold of her and plant a kiss on her lips.
"Just tasting your morning breath; you don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all," she replies and kisses me back, "but that's enough for now. We've got to be careful. They may still be out there, so keep your eyes and ears open."
"Yes ma'am," I respond and salute her.
We haul the tarp away from the bike and hide it in the shack. The bike is easy to lift and rolling it through the trees is a breeze compared to finding our way up here in the dark last night.
As we approach the treeline, Bella signals for me to stop. She creeps forward while I hang onto the bike. Crouched behind a clump of bracken she watches the landscape searching for any signs of movement. When she considers it safe to proceed she beckons me to move forward. I'll admit to feeling nervous as we break cover and keep a careful watch on the horizon as she springs onto the bike. As I climb on behind her the noise of the engine shatters the silence, causing all animal life in the vicinity to scatter. As Bella steers the bike skilfully over the bumpy terrain, the sky fills with startled birds.
The journey across rough ground to get to what can loosely be described as a track entails an uncomfortable few minutes of being twisted and jolted every few seconds. Once we're on flat ground, Bella picks up speed and within seconds we're flying. By now I'm confident enough to settle into my seat and make the most of having my arms wrapped around her as we speed through the glorious landscape. The lake is on our right now so I know roughly where we are. Recalling last night's journey in the dark, we've got to this spot much quicker than I remember. A few minutes later I can see the cabin in the distance and the Shogun outside, which is a relief as I thought the trackers may have stolen it.
As we approach the path I notice the cabin door is open which in one respect is good as it saves me from having to break in. I definitely remember Bella closing the door with a bang last night so I'm expecting the trackers to have turned the place over. Bella bounces the bike as far up the slope as possible and I'm off the bike before she cuts the engine. Without pausing to check for intruders I burst into the cabin expecting to see carnage. The first thing I notice is my laptop has gone, but apart from this annoyance, the room is as I left it. Even the keys to the cabin and the Shogun are on the counter untouched. I check the lock on the door which looks undamaged, which proves these guys are professionals like the ones who broke into dad's house. Bella comes in behind me but doesn't say anything.
"They've taken my laptop but that's all as far as I can see."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so. Anyway, you go. I'll shower, shave and pack for San Francisco. I'll see you at the office and we won't mention what happened, okay?"
"Sure," Bella replies and grins. "I'll set off but if they're out there I'll come back. Just keep your eyes on the road when you're driving. If you see them, don't stop. Ram them hard if you must but keep moving. If you're on the highway sound the horn – they'll soon back off. Okay?"
"Okay," I agree while trying to look brave.
Bella smiles reassuringly, walks towards me, and slides her arms around my waist. "You're doing great," she says as if she can read my thoughts.
"I don't feel particularly great," I say as I hug her. "You're so much more ... accomplished than me."
"Edward, I've been through some of the best training in the world to make me this 'accomplished'. You're a regular guy, brought up in a very sheltered environment in a first-world city. You're behaving exactly as I expected and hoped you'd behave. The last thing I need in this sort of situation is to have to deal with a guy who thinks he's Bruce Willis. There's absolutely no trace of misogyny in that clever brain of yours so you've let me lead which was the right thing to do. That makes you strong in my eyes. You're way ahead of most other guys I have to deal with."
"Are you saying that to make me feel better?"
"Absolutely not. I'm still staggered you had the balls to stay out here on your own. That took mental strength, not physical strength. I would've thought twice about doing that"
"You accused me of being stupid."
Bella laughs. "It was stupid, but it still took courage."
She pulls me down for a kiss after which she detaches herself from my embrace. "Be careful," she whispers then turns and leaves the cabin, giving me a wink and a wave as she walks out the door. As she's climbing on the bike I feel confident she genuinely cares for my safety and is on my side, and for the first time since I read dad's note I feel an enormous sense of relief because there's someone eminently more capable than I am who can help me find out what happened to him.
I get cleaned up and finish packing. I'm in two minds whether to go to San Francisco or not as so much has happened here, but finding out who dad's dentist is and then whether he or she had been contacted by the police will certainly go some way to finding out whether Yorkie and his boss are involved in a conspiracy.
It's another beautiful summer morning and I would normally enjoy the drive to the city. Instead of relishing the view though, I'm constantly on the lookout for SUVs coming at me from every direction. Luckily the landscape I'm driving through is treeless which means I can see a long way ahead although I'm still nervous despite the pep talk from Bella. Dad's pistol is on the seat next to me even though it would be useless in a firefight as it's only loaded with blanks. I'm counting on any prospective attackers not realizing this of course.
I attempt to relax and think about the next few hours and what I need to do before flying off for a few days. My number one priority is to talk to Jake about his outburst yesterday and find out what was behind it. Jake apologized on the call, only there had been too much vitriol in the words he used while Emmett was hauling him into his vehicle to be ignored or forgiven. They'd come from somewhere, so I need to know if there's an underlying reason for the resentment Jake spouted out. If there weren't over twenty years of history between us I would have sacked him on the spot. But Jake has been a loyal and trusted friend and employee for all this time and that has to count for something. Jake deserves the opportunity to put his case and I need to listen to his explanation.
Once I'm on the highway I relax as I'm surrounded by vehicles heading towards the city. I stay alert though, checking the mirrors every thirty seconds, although I'm guessing my adversaries won't try anything stupid when there's a possibility other drivers could record it on their dash-cams. The radio is tuned to a rock station so I change it and listen to some classical music for a change, hoping a gentle symphony will put me in a good frame of mind for my confrontation with Jake.
Despite turning up much later than usual, The Yard's gates are still locked when I pull up in front of them, which is when I remember the others stayed at Rosalie's parent's ranch overnight. After I drive through and park, I risk leaving the gates open to let the others drive through and I'll admit to feeling nervous doing this.
After disabling the alarms and getting the coffee on, I don't have long to wait before loud country music emanating from Emmett's Chevy and howls from a delighted Mitzi break the silence. Mitzi tears into the office wagging her tail furiously when she sees me.
"Jasper's detoured to pick up Jake," Emmett shouts as he walks in the building.
"Right," I reply as I cuddle Mitzi, after which she trots over to her cushion and crashes, which indicates she's probably been up since dawn running wild with the other dogs on the ranch.
A few minutes later Jasper and Alice's jeep arrives. Jake is in the back and I can hear Alice encouraging Jake to "get it over with," which means he's obviously worried about the conversation which has to take place.
Jake eventually appears at the office door looking as though he hasn't slept all night.
"Edward …."
"Jake, go and get coffee first then come in and close the door, okay?"
"Okay Boss," he replies and makes his way to the kitchen.
At this point, Bella strolls in, still without the rust bucket.
"How d'ya get here so quick," I whisper.
"Cab," she replies. "Is Jake in yet?"
"He's making coffee; can you make yourself scarce?"
"Sure," she grins. "Don't be too hard on him, Edward."
"That depends on what his excuse is," I respond with a shrug.
Bella turns to leave and almost collides with Jake coming through the door holding two coffee cups.
"Hi Jake," Bella says brightly as though nothing untoward has occurred.
"Bella, can you stop for a minute," Jake responds as he puts the cups down. His hands cover his face and I'm not sure whether he's crying, but he draws a deep breath and launches into an apology.
"Bella, I'm truly sorry for pestering you over the past month," he begins. Bella puts her hands up as if to say 'no problem', but he shakes his head.
"No, Bella. It's not okay. I behaved like a Neanderthal. I wouldn't blame you if you never spoke to me again. If Edward doesn't kick me out like I deserve, I hope we can still be friends."
Bella smiles at him and puts her hand on his arm and gives it a friendly pat.
"That's fine by me, Jake. I'm happy to be your friend as long as you've got a good explanation for what happened yesterday. Okay?"
Jake nods his head and I notice his eyes follow her as she leaves the office and then he closes the door quietly behind her.
Jake moves the coffees to my desk and takes a seat in Bella's chair. His face is flushed, his hands clasped together, possibly to stop them shaking. He coughs and swallows several times before he starts.
"I don't know where to start, Ed, apart from saying sorry for yesterday. I'd like to be able to say I don't know what came over me and blame it all on being drugged, which I was, but it wasn't just that."
"What was it then," I respond. I was expecting Jake to use drink and drugs as his sole excuse, which means there's a back-story here. Is Jake about to admit to being in the pay of one of these Titans? If so, how the hell am I going to deal with it? I feel sick at the thought.
Jake takes a drink of his coffee which is too hot. He shakes his head to take the burn away then swallows several times before speaking.
"I've known you for more than twenty years, Ed. You've been a great friend to me; probably my best friend. I know I'd be nobody without you. This job has given me so much; security, status, friendships, I could go on and on, so I'm disgusted with myself for yesterday."
"So what …" I interrupt.
"No … don't stop me, Ed. I need to say what I've gotta say."
Jake runs his hands over his face and I can tell he's distressed. What he says next though is not what I'm expecting.
"I've always been jealous of you," he begins. "I've done my best to hide it but …"
"Why the fuck are you jealous of me," I interrupt.
"Because of your parents, Ed," Jake replies raising his voice. "Your parents were fucking perfect. Your mom was an angel. She was so kind to me. And your dad … well, he was just fucking awesome. He spoke to me respectfully, not like I was some rough kid hanging around his son, which I was to be fair."
I go to say something but Jake puts his hand up to stop me.
"Compared to your life, I was being dragged up by my pa. My life was a nightmare compared to yours and even though I had other friends with two parents and what anyone else would describe as a normal life, your family were just the best."
"I know," I agree.
"No … you didn't. You didn't fucking know," Jake practically spits. "You used to yell at your mom when she stopped you doing stuff and your pa. You had no fucking idea how lucky you were. You complained about your school. You complained about living in San Francisco in a fucking mansion compared to what I was living in. You complained that the car you got when you were sixteen wasn't fucking fast enough. But what pissed me most of all was that you were so fucking sorry for yourself when your mom died, like it never happened to anyone else. My mom died when I was three. I can't remember her at all, and guess what? My Pa blamed me for her death. Have you any idea what that felt like?"
I shake my head. "I didn't know he blamed you."
"Yeah well, my brother and I were fighting in the back of the car when he crashed it. Mom and my big brother were killed outright. I survived because I was strapped in a kid's seat. Pa always blamed me for the crash which left him disabled, but my neighbor told me at his funeral he was drunk at the wheel. The only reason he wasn't jailed was there was no-one to look after me. She said when mom was around he was always drunk until he had the accident. If I'd known this when he was alive I wouldn't have had to live with seventeen years of guilt, so I'm still fucking bitter about this."
"I'm so sorry," I respond and I genuinely am.
"Not your fault and I never talked about it, so no apology necessary. Anyway, I was stoked when you came to live here and you still wanted to know me. I know college changes people but you seemed to be the same Ed as before. I thought you'd have a rough time starting a business here, but no … contracts began coming your way and your business took off."
"I worked hard, Jake," I growled.
"I know you did. So do other guys around here and they don't make it, only they don't have the contacts you have … or should I say the contacts your dad put your way. Look, I'm don't have a problem because you took advantage of what was being offered. I'm just saying you got a golden ticket and the path was so much easier for you."
"Do you resent me for that?" I ask.
Jake doesn't answer straight away so he's obviously thinking how to respond.
"No, I've never resented you for anything as you've been generous and you've spread your luck. As I said I was only jealous of you, or should I say envious; it doesn't sound as bitter. All the years I've known you I've never allowed envy to get the better of me until …"
"Until what?" I interrupt again.
"Until Bella turned up. I really like her, Ed … I, I, I more than like her, but as soon as she set eyes on you it's obvious who she wanted. The golden boy gets the girl every time. This time it fucking hurt. It really did. And when those assholes started plying me with drinks; spiked drinks as well, it all came out."
"What came out?"
"Resentment because you still have no idea how lucky you are, how privileged you've been, how everything seems to fall in your lap. Even your father dying made you a fucking millionaire."
"I'd give it all back for one more day with him, Jake."
"I know you would." Jake laughs grimly then carries on, his voice shaking with emotion.
"D'ya know, the best day of my life was when my Pa died. I was free at last. Can you imagine that? When he passed I tried to think of anything he'd done for me out of kindness, and I couldn't think of one fucking thing. I was twenty years old, Ed, and my father had done fuck-all to help me."
Jake is genuinely distressed now and I truly don't know how to handle the situation. He's pouring his soul out, probably for the first time in his life. Years of built-up envy had exploded out of him when those assholes drugged him and wound him up. I could imagine the conversation in the bar, but I'll let Jake relate it.
"So what happened last night?" Can you remember?"
"Only parts of it. There were three guys. They followed me to the bar and one of them said they remembered me from school. They called the right school but I couldn't remember this guy's face."
"What was his name?"
"Steve. Common name, so I suppose I could've forgotten him. I was hardly ever there."
I can't help smiling at Jake's admission as I knew this to be true.
"They bought me a drink and asked me what I was doing now. I said I was a landscape gardener which they pretended to be impressed with. They asked me where I worked, all friendly-like, so I told them."
"I presume one of them said they knew me?"
"Yep. One of the guys said you'd done some work for his family's business. Said you charged mega-bucks but got cheap labor to do the job. I said you paid me well, but they started going on about how you were getting rich off my back, and then whatever drug they spiked my drink with kicked in."
"Were they suggesting stuff to you?"
"I honestly can't remember exactly what they said, but they did know about your dad dying, and I think I remember them asking me what I knew about his work. I genuinely don't remember anything after that. I went to the bar straight from here so hadn't eaten anything. I guess I went under real quick."
"How did you get home?"
"No idea … I woke up outside the door to my apartment so they must've dumped me there."
"So they knew where you live?"
"Yeah, or the barman told them. It's no biggy - I can see the bar from my apartment."
"How do you feel now?"
"Okay. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol and I've eaten proper food for a change. I'm tired, my sleep pattern's all wrong, but apart from worrying that you're going to fire me, I'm feeling dandy."
"Dandy?" I laugh.
"Yeah, dandy; my gran used to say that; fine and dandy."
I smile as I recall my grandparents coming out with old-fashioned sayings. I can't remember any of them other than, 'the things you see when you ain't got a gun', which is what grandpa used to say when he saw something or somebody he didn't approve of.
"So, are you going to fire me?" Jake asks. He's looking at the floor now and not smiling.
"What would you do in my shoes?" I reply.
Jake shakes his head. "I'm never likely to be in your shoes, so no point asking me."
"No, I'm not going to fire you, but you need to get your act together, Jake. You've been drinking too much and too often lately. That's got to stop. If I smell alcohol on your breath in the morning or at any time during working hours again, that's it, understand?"
Jake nods. "Yes, Boss."
"Okay, so next week, clean slate. I won't refer to what happened again but don't let me down. The others heard what you said so you need to go talk to them. We're a team, Jake, even though I'm the boss, so we've got to be honest with one another."
Jake stands up and leans over the desk holding out his hand to shake.
"I won't let you down, Ed. Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I'm doubly grateful to you now."
I stand up to shake his hand but instead walk around the desk to give him a manly hug.
"Jake, I'm going to San Francisco tonight to sort shit out. While I'm gone, be careful of who you talk to and be wary when you're out. There're people around here that haven't got my best interests at heart."
"How are you getting to the airport?" Jake asks.
"Cab."
"I'll drive you in the Shogun and then bring it back here and pick my bike up. You can tell me what's been going on while we're on the road."
"Great idea," I say. "Leave at three?"
Jake gives me the thumbs up and wanders out the door, closing it behind him.
I slump in my chair feeling a genuine release of tension now the Jake situation is resolved. Jake was speaking the truth; I'd known him too long to believe otherwise. There's no doubt in my mind that Jake is not working for the other side. He'd been truly anxious and distressed when he was talking and that's proof enough for me he wasn't spinning a yarn.
My hand automatically moves towards my pack of cigarettes as I feel the need for a hit of nicotine. I stop my hand mid-movement. Instead of heading for the door for a smoke, almost without thinking I sling the pack into the trash bin.
"I can do a clean slate too," I announce out loud. "Today is the first day of being smoke-free, dad. At least I can do that for you."
So Jake's in the clear, which is good really. One less problem for Edward to resolve - twenty years of friendship counts for something. He knows it was Bella who told James about the basement, so he's got a good reason now to believe no-one in his company is working against him.
His laptop has gone. Let's hope it had switched itself off before they grabbed it and saw the 'lychees' email on the screen. Who has got it though? Is it James, or someone else?
Next chapter, Edward leaves Colorado behind. San Francisco is where he needs to be to take the investigation further. Do you think Bella will follow him there? (Of course she will - she's his bodyguard!)
Joan x