SECRETS AND SPIES

Chapter Twenty-Five

Edward

I'm bundled out the office leaving Bella alone with James, Laurent, and two other guys which makes me sick with worry. I've no alternative but to trust that Bella knows what she's doing. Whatever happens to me next, I mustn't do anything stupid that could risk my life or hers, or let on that I'm not pissed with her.

As I'm pushed along a dimly lit corridor I try to memorize my surroundings in case we get an opportunity to escape. There's nothing to see other than closed doors, a gap in the wall which I presume is another corridor, and what looks like a kitchen at the far end. I'm steered into a shabbily furnished room where I'm ordered to sit on a hideously patterned sofa that looks as if it's come straight out of a 1970s bargain catalog.

Everything about this property is cheap which is evidence that James isn't the successful businessman I imagined him to be, so desperation for money is more than likely the motive behind what has happened to dad. To answer my own assumptions, my 'internal monologue parrot' returns and chatters condescendingly into my ear.

'Of course it's about money, Edward? Isn't everything about money?'

I answer the parrot - 'money was always low on dad's list of priorities, so you're wrong on this one, Polly.'

I'm not physically restrained in any way but the young guy who's been ordered to watch me has a gun in a shoulder holster. Whatever happens to me, I'm not going to try to escape without Bella being as there's no way I'm leaving her here on her own. If James believes she's not bothered what happens to me, there's a chance he'll not take her gun off her. I can't see that happening though. He won't risk Bella going back to civilization until whatever he's got planned for me is concluded.

There's nothing to do, no TV to watch, no magazines to read, not that I'm in the mood to concentrate on anything at the moment. I open one of the bottles of water on the coffee table and take a drink. As soon as the fluid touches my tongue I gag. The 'water' is warm and leaves a metallic taste in my mouth. Compared to the cool nectar that flows from the mountains, it's a crime to describe this liquid as water at all.

I sit back and consider my situation. I'm in a heavily guarded villa in a locked room with a man with a gun and no idea what the hell is going on, but I'm actually feeling quite calm which is weird. My first thought is they've put a drug in the water, although the plastic top was sealed when I broke it. I suppose they could've injected something into the bottle but that's a fanciful notion. I'm not in the middle of a James Bond film. This is real life with real people. There's nothing mysterious or glamorous about abductions and criminal extortion, which is what this is.

I suppose I'm resigned to the fact that there's nothing I can do to alter my situation which is possibly the reason why I'm calm. I'm in the hands of the Gods, or Bella, or James Hunter, or the CIA, or whoever is pulling James's strings. More important though, does being here mean I'm any closer to finding out what happened to dad? That's all I really want to know.

James wanted me here, and the only plausible reason for this is that dad must still be alive either here or somewhere else, and he's not cooperating. Today is Saturday, June 15th. Dad was last seen on Tuesday, May 28th. I know dad can be belligerent at times, but managing to stall whoever's holding him for eighteen days doesn't seem plausible. I get that putting a figure on how much dad's knowledge is worth is impossible, so I can only think that the promise of millions of dollars in profit is what has been keeping dad alive all this time.

Until there were guns pointing at me, I hadn't allowed myself to truly believe he was still alive. The 'lychee' email could've been sent by whoever had abducted him, and because there was no absolute proof, I've only allowed myself to hope it was from him. I am ready to believe he's still alive now, and if he is, my main concern is that he hasn't been experimented on by these bastards. The thought that he may be wired up to a computer or has had a device implanted in his brain sickens me. How I'll cope with seeing him again will depend on what state he's in? If James or whoever's got him has hurt one hair on his head, if I get the opportunity to kill them before Bella's cavalry gets here I'll grab the chance with both hands, despite what Bella said about me being a good guy.

I've been going over what Bella said to James. She lied so convincingly about Yorkie that I'm confident James was taken in. Christ, I was taken in at first. What's Bella's plan though? I keep asking myself that as I have to presume she's got one. She was in the restroom for a long time. I'm guessing she was making calls, but who to? She said she knew people to contact for help when the time was right and it wouldn't be through calling 911.

If she's contrived a situation to get me here to prove James is connected to dad's disappearance, how is she going to do this without taking a huge risk with mine and her own safety? I can't get my head around why she didn't just ask Yorkie to arrange for the villa to be checked over by the police. Bringing me here serves no purpose unless there are other people involved and there's some bigger plan to flush them into the open. Her plan, or the plan of whoever it is she's reporting to, must be to catch everyone involved at once. If that's the case, the cavalry will not charge over the hill until the whole gang shows up. This might be too late if they don't do it soon which makes me wonder again whether rescuing me and dad is their number one priority now.

So who is this mythical cavalry? The CIA? The FBI? Her biker friends? Have the Men in Black followed her from Colorado to California so they can lurk in the trees waiting for her signal to burst out 'all guns blazing' and rescue us?

I'd swallowed without question the story she fed me about being into dirt bikes, but then I've swallowed practically everything she's said without question. When I think about it, who are these biker friends of hers who appeared out of nowhere? They were up for taking risks for a girl they hadn't known long, and for a guy they'd never met. They were well organized and professional. They had walkie-talkie type radios and military night vision goggles. They …

Oh …

Holy shit, Edward, you're such a gullible fool.

Bella

Watching Edward being taken away leaves me sick with anxiety and not just because of what James or one of his thugs might do to him. I'm gutted when I imagine what Edward must think of me now. There was pure hatred in his eyes and words, which was the reaction I was aiming for to be fair. I could see James was convinced. Making him believe I'd lured him here under false pretenses and for money was my prime objective. My only hope now is that when all this is over that Edward accepts my explanation of why I did what I did. If I get the opportunity, I'll tell him I had no alternative but to follow the Colonel's orders which were against my better judgment.

I know the Colonel implied national security is on the line here but he's broken a hundred and one civil laws getting this far. I guess no military ones though. Carlisle and Edward are civilians and this fact should have been taken into consideration which is what is making me so angry. If this goes wrong and we end up losing one or both of them, I don't know how I'm going to hold my tongue at the inquiry in the future, if there is an inquiry. Knowing how the military works, I probably wouldn't be called to give evidence anyway.

The sticky situation I have to deal with now is that James knows I would never become involved with anything illegal, or that I would knowingly put Edward or anybody else in a dangerous situation. This means what I do and say to James between now and when the Colonel sends his team in to rescue us will determine whether either of us and Carlisle gets out of this alive. To be blunt, if the Colonel doesn't hurry up, our chances of survival are somewhere between slim and non-existent.

Acting on the Colonel's orders, I'd called James from the gas station restroom to give him the opportunity to entice us to the villa. It was important I made it difficult for him to convince me to come. If I'd complied without question, James would instantly have smelled a rat. Being chased by Victoria, twice, and being shot at by Laurent, is not conducive to a good working relationship so I had that to work with. I was still reeling from the car chase along Highway One, and the bullet missing Edward by inches, so I didn't need to put on an act when James picked up. He got my anger with both barrels.

"What the hell's going on, James? I could've been fucking killed out there. Did you send Victoria and Laurent after me and Edward?"

"Yes, because I need you both at my place, urgently."

"Laurent fired two shots at our car? One of them could've killed Edward."

"Apparently you fired first, Bella. Laurent wasn't going to shoot at you - he just wanted you to pull over. When you decided to do a Bonnie Parker impersonation, it was self-preservation after that."

"Laurent had a rifle in his hand, James. Pulling over to ask why he was pointing it at us I considered would not be a good idea as Laurent and I have unresolved issues. Anyway, what's wrong with sending a formal invitation for dinner? You've got my phone number."

"You're not answering your phone, Bella. Also, I couldn't take the chance you'd refuse."

(Shit, I left my other phone in Colorado. I shouldn't be using this one. Shit shit! Regroup, Bella.)

"I lost that phone at Denver airport, and you're damn right I'd refuse if Laurent's there. He's an asshole, James. It amazes me you can't see through him. Anyway, what's so important that you want to see us urgently?"

"The people I suspect were behind the car fire are on a mission to abduct Edward. They need him to force Carlisle to work for them. He's a sitting duck out there on the streets."

"That's bullshit, James. Carlisle's dead, or are you trying to gloss over the fact that you fucked up."

"I've a good reason to believe he isn't dead, Bella."

I pretend to gasp here which I hope convinces him this is news to me.

"That's totally mad, but if you've got a good reason and evidence to prove that Carlisle's alive and Edward's in danger, why aren't you telling the police what you know. And where have you got this information from?

"Bella," he replies in a condescending tone of voice. "I thought you were the smart one here. You've lost your touch if you haven't taken the time to analyze the situation Edward is in, which is unlike you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remind me, who's lied consistently to Edward from day one? Who's refused an investigation into Carlisle's death? Who was outside Edward's house trying to arrest him less than an hour ago? Law enforcement agencies acting for our government, that's who."

"Why would the police or the government be doing this?" I shriek hoping no-one is in the next stall. "They don't need to murder their own citizens, or if you say Carlisle's alive, abduct them without telling their family. That's what arrest warrants are for."

"I'm not implying the police have abducted Carlisle, Bella. I've heard from my sources in the military that a foreign tech company has him. I do know how the CIA found out who Carlisle was working with before he disappeared, but I'm not getting involved any more than I am already. When this all comes out in Court, I'm not taking the rap for any of it."

"Okay, that's fair, but what would the police want from Edward anyway?"

"The CIA suspects Edward could be a player and that he's let this other tech company know what his dad invented. This is a high stakes game we've been caught up in, Bella."

"That's pure guesswork, and also crap. Edward would never sell his father's work for money. I'm not saying you're entirely wrong because I agree the police are definitely covering something up. Edward knows they suspect him but he doesn't trust you either. He's positive you or someone you're involved with is responsible for his father's death."

"Why would he think that?"

"Why! Because you didn't inform the police or anyone else you'd been hired to protect him and his father, which you fucked up royally. That alone seems mightily suspicious to him. Plus I told him you knew about his basement, which means he thinks you're responsible for cleaning that out, and his dad's study on the day of the funeral. He also suspects you shot one of his colleagues as well so he's not going to come to your door willingly, James, especially after being shot at by Laurent. He still doesn't trust me a hundred percent so he's never going to trust you."

"Then you'll have to get him here somehow, Bella. I'll text you the address. I'll add a bonus to your paycheck if you do this today. If Carlisle is alive and we keep Edward safe for him, my agency will do very well out of this."

"Is that all you think about, James, money?"

"Ha! Be truthful, Bella. Money's the only reason you're working for me. I know your mom's situation. Once she's recovered I'll never see you again. Now, are you bringing him here or not?"

"Yes, but I don't like it, and you're absolutely right, James, you'll never see me again after today. This is our last job together. Don't ever call me. I'll find the money for mom some other way."

I'd hung up then, hoping and praying I'd convinced James that I believed he was still wanting to protect Edward. The anger in my voice was genuine though and when I saw Laurent and Victoria standing with James I wanted to blast all of them off the face of the earth for what they'd put Edward and his father through.

Before leaving the restroom I sent a text to the Colonel to say Hunter knew we were on our way to the house in Emerald Lake Hills. I waited for an acknowledgment but nothing came back. I couldn't stay in the restroom any longer or Edward would have been suspicious - if he wasn't suspicious already. I just hope Yorkie has carried out the instructions I slipped to him with the candy. Jesus! I hate keeping Edward in the dark.

While I'm waiting for James to finish talking to Laurent and Drew who have their backs to me, I think back to the James Hunter I trained with. He'd been a tough, dedicated soldier with an impeccable service record. He could be impulsive. He definitely wasn't stupid, which means I've got to presume he suspects I've worked out what's going on, especially as a cop brought us here.

I've been trying to invent a plausible explanation for Yorkie's involvement but it's been impossible to think with everything going on around me. I'll have to make it up as I go along. If James doesn't believe what comes out of my mouth the chances of me getting out of here without Edward are pretty slim, not that I'd leave him here on his own. Edward's prospects would be dire if there's a shoot-out. When the Colonel arrives I'll need to be in the same room as Edward to protect him. If he's in a locked room somewhere in this building it'll be impossible.

The Colonel ordered me to get Edward here which is what I've done. I've got to rely on him now to rescue us, but he told me he's waiting for the main man to appear before he moves which only increases our danger. It's got to be tonight, so my job is to provoke James into being impulsive again. This will be dangerous, especially as my gun is in my backpack and out of reach. My only weapons, therefore, are words.

Here goes then …

"James, you and I need to talk."

James stops speaking to Drew and turns to look at me. His eyes are unfriendly which tells me a lot about my predicament.

"I can't think what you have to say to me, Bella. You've kept your part of the deal. We'll be protecting Edward from now on."

"Again, James." I say in my most assertive voice. "You and I need to talk. On our own. Clear the room."

James' eyebrows fly up in surprise at my tone. He's angry I can tell, probably because he's not used to being given orders by an ex-subordinate in front of his current subordinates. He smiles, but it's a false smile. I know he's only playing with me.

"Out!" he orders and waves his hands at Laurent who looks furious. Laurent mouths 'bitch' at me as he leaves. I'm tempted to give him a one-fingered salute but resist. Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to crow over his demise very soon.

Not waiting to be offered a seat I take one anyway because my knees feel weak. When the door is closed James sits on the opposite side of the desk and lights a cheroot. I don't wait for him to speak. I go straight in with some made-up 'facts'.

"You've been careless, James."

James stiffens and I know I've shocked him. He takes a long drag and blows a smoke ring. I can tell he's trying his best not to look bothered but he is.

"In what way, Bella?"

"The police have had Carlisle's house under surveillance since the car fire, which sort of fits in with your conspiracy theory. My guess is they've used an arrest warrant as a way of taking Edward into protective custody and not because they think he's a player as you suggested. They know people are after him which is why there were guns on show. A bit OTT I suppose. They knew I was with him as well, and as they know I'm working for you they'll be presuming I've gone over to the dark side."

I give James the opportunity to respond to my accusation but he remains silent puffing on his cheroot. I continue.

"I'm also guessing they asked Edward to let slip that his father had a basement, which I innocently passed on to you. They witnessed Laurent, and I presume Drew, raiding an empty room and let them get away with it. They wanted to see where he led them and he led them here. Laurent's sloppy, James. He made mistakes when he was in the Caribbean which is why he was caught so easily."

James interrupts angrily then. "How do you know all this?"

"Detective Yorkie told Edward and me in the car on the way here, and after I called you. He's my number one fan he admitted. Apparently, I'm some sort of superstar in his precinct. They've got a picture of me in my swimsuit on their pinboard. Yorkie witnessed the Napa Valley raid and still believes I'm a good guy which is why he rescued us from the house. Either that or he's scared of me. I said I'd contact him when we got back to the city so if he doesn't get my call soon he'll start ringing alarm bells in the SFPD."

James shuffles in his seat and his face has definitely gone a few shades paler. I carry on.

"SFPD are working on the assumption you've taken advantage of Carlisle's murder and stolen the contents of his study which you're now trying to sell to the highest bidder."

"Really! That's interesting. Anything else I should know?"

"Not really, James. I've only told you this because we go back a long way. I just want my money, nothing else. My mom has a mountain of medical bills so give me what you owe me and I'll walk away and say nothing. What you do with Edward is your business. I don't want to be dragged into anything illegal. The less I know the better."

"So you're not the slightest bit interested why I want Edward here?"

I pretend to give this some thought even though I know what I'm going to say. I'm crossing another line now where I'm leading him down a different but plausible track. I know he's not going to let me walk out of here so I've nothing to lose. Here goes.

"James, if you took advantage after Carlisle was murdered because you weren't getting paid, I'm really not interested. If this is what happened, I'm presuming you have a buyer lined up for Carlisle's papers who is insisting Edward verifies it's his dad's stuff. I don't know how cooperative Edward's going to be, because he's pissed with you at the moment but that's your problem."

James goes to say something but I carry on.

"Can I give you some friendly advice, James? You probably didn't notice when I said the word murder rather than suicide when I referred to Carlisle's death. When the police come to question you, which I'm sure will happen tonight along with a warrant to search this place, that sort of mistake will land you in jail. I'm not planning on being dragged down with you if they want to pin something on you. You're on your own."

James stares at me and then his face hardens. He flicks his cheroot onto the ashtray and points his finger at me. His response is not what I hoped for but probably what I expected.

"Bringing Edward here means you've already chosen to be involved in my supposed criminality. What bothers me though is the Bella Swan I thought I knew would never, ever, turn a blind eye to anything illegal, so what's changed.

"I told you I don't want to know, James."

"I won't believe that for one minute. Anway, Laurent isn't the only one who's been sloppy. Your biker friends who've been hanging around Edward's mountain for instance."

"What about them?" I ask but I know what he's going to say.

"They're military personnel."

"I know they are. I asked you for help when Edward was threatened in the cabin but you didn't want to know. I couldn't watch Edward 24/7 so I called on some friends for assistance. They were on leave so they came over from my old unit. How did you know about them anyway?"

"Never mind how I know. So they're old friends from your unit. Do you expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe, James. I'm telling you the truth. You paid me to protect Edward. I was protecting him the best way I could."

"You're talking crap, Bella. There's no way at least ten agents would be on leave at the same time. There's something going on here but I haven't got time to figure out what."

James leans back in his chair with an expression on his face I remember from my time in the training unit. It's a smug, 'I'll always have the upper hand over you guys,' look. Bastard.

"Bella, you and I will be parting company soon. Not tomorrow, or next week, but tonight. You're going on a trip with your boyfriend and some friends of mine, and, just like you said earlier, what they do with you is their business. I don't want to be dragged into anything illegal. The less I know the better."

I don't like the sound of this so I have to play my trump card. Thank God the Colonel dropped a little gem into our conversation during the last phone call. This could backfire, but somehow I think not.

"You're in over your head, aren't you, James?" I say in as calm and measured voice as I can manage.

"No, Bella. You are," James hisses. "You should've stayed in Colorado instead of poking your pretty nose into where it isn't wanted. Military training gave you an insight into what an ugly world we live in. It's only got worse since you were invalided out. There's shit going on at the moment that would send you back to the funny farm in the blink of an eye."

"And you're totally caught up in it, aren't you? I hiss back. He smiles, still thinking he knows it all, but he doesn't. This is where I get personal and I'm going to hit him where it hurts most – at whatever smidgeon of conscience he has left and in his wallet.

"For fuck sake, James, what have you got yourself into? You were the good guy once. Okay, you were an asshole, but you taught me to be strong, to be ready for anything, and, most importantly, to protect and serve our nation. Where's the patriotic James Hunter gone? Where's the man I used to look up to and respect, even though I went to bed at night hating every bone in his body? And, James, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Where has Command Sergeant Major Hunter gone? He was a man who took pride in his appearance; always the smartest, always the fittest. When did you last have a haircut, a manicure or a proper shave? You're a mess, James."

James is swallowing hard, but I haven't finished yet because the Colonel's Royal Flush is about to be thrown on the table.

"It's Laurent, isn't it? He's taken you down this path to ruin. You don't have to tell me if I'm right, James, but my guess is he's been feeding ideas into your head about how to increase your wealth, which actually means his wealth. He doesn't care what happens to you because he'll be long-gone before the Feds come knocking. He'll retire to an island in the sun while you're banged up in jail for the next twenty years. He double-crossed those drug dealers in the Caribbean, remember? He'll do the same to you."

"Bullshit!"

"No, James, it's not bullshit. For instance, did you know that half a million dollars hit his bank account in the Caymen Islands four weeks ago?

James is already on his feet, no doubt preparing to defend Laurent. His mouth is open ready to say something but nothing comes out. Instead, I watch his face disintegrate as it finally hits home that Laurent has screwed him over. I stand up and walk over to the desk, leaning towards him so I can look him straight in the eye.

"James, your face has confirmed to me that he's double-crossed you, but there may still be a way for you to avoid spending the rest of your life behind bars. But you'll have to be straight with me, starting with, what the fuck have you done?"

So do you think James is going to come clean with Bella, or stick to his guns and carry on until the bitter end? He only has two options and they both look bad for him. Edward is doing some serious thinking and I would say he's way ahead of Bella now. He's come to the conclusion that rescuing him and his dad has become less important to 'the cavalry', whoever they are, than catching Hunter and whoever is financing him. If that's true, the Colonel is playing fast and loose with Edward, Carlisle and Bella's lives.

Bella is provoking James to act impulsively. He's more likely to make a mistake which is what she's counting on. Scary times. Next chapter, even scarier!

Joan xx