Chloe felt euphoric. The anxiety and fear of being caught created a cocktail of chemicals in her body. A combination that exploded into elation when she knew she'd got away with it. The invitations were stashed safely in her bag. They knew that Vaughn Morton was involved. How could she have thought she ever needed MI6? Chances were that they were miles behind them, trudging through paperwork to make any moves. While they were wasting time, Alex and Chloe were changing things, getting closer and closer to the answers. For once, everything was going right.
They were laughing as they walked home. Chloe told Alex about the strange abundance of art and the friendly cat, which he found very amusing. It was still light outside when they rounded the corner to Alex's street in Chelsea, the air as heavy and humid as ever. The boy fiddled with his keyring before placing the right one in the lock. Just as he was about to twist the handle, Chloe stopped him.
"Look," she said, "there's a light on."
"Shit."
It was hard to tell in the relative daylight, but there was a slight glow coming from the drawn living room curtains.
The pair backed away from the door, ducking behind the windowsill.
"There's no chance that's Jack, right?" Chloe whispered.
"No. I just spoke to her on the phone this morning. She's still in America."
"Then we have an intruder."
Chloe pulled the stun guns from her bag and gave one to Alex.
"Let's do this quietly. We don't need to bring the whole neighbourhood outside."
"Alright. Follow my lead," said Alex.
But as he began to sneak towards the door, Chloe's phone rang, making them both jump out of their skins
"I do hope you weren't planning to use that on me?" Mrs Jones said, "We already know who good you are at sneaking around, no need to demonstrate. Come inside."
The front door swung open, revealing Blun's deputy standing inside.
"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Alex exclaimed.
Jones only stood aside and beckoned them to enter.
The woman sat on the sofa with easy grace and gestured for them to join. She eyed the white noise machine on the table with grudging respect.
"What are you doing here?" Alex repeated.
"I think we both have things to discuss."
"We've got nothing to say to you."
Chloe was searching for something to say. The desire to scream at the woman weighed equal with the desire to hug her. For the moment, she didn't trust herself to say the right thing. Jones' grey eyes seemed to pierce right through her. She was impassive and professional, wearing her black suit and thick-rimmed glasses. There was nothing in her appearance or tone to suggest this was a personal visit.
"That is also acceptable. Though I must ask that you listen to what I have to say."
"Why should we?"
"Let's listen," Chloe said with a soft voice, "I want to hear her out."
Alex relented, sitting back in his chair.
"Thank you, Chloe. I will try to keep this brief, "she began, "the truth is that we have had agents watching you. I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise. Kyra made it difficult with this little thing," she gestured to the white noise machine, "but tracking your movements is a lot easier. We know you went to Morton & Co's head offices. We also know you went to A block of flats. The Tideway, I believe. What we don't know is why. I suspect you found some lead relating to the kidnappings. Is this true?"
"Are there cameras in the house?" said Chloe, outright ignoring the question.
Jones pursed her lips, "there are no cameras. Only field agents."
"And recording devices, presumably," said Alex with disdain, "otherwise the noise machine wouldn't have been a problem."
"Yes. There are listening devices. But I promise there are no cameras."
"How comforting."
"I seem to remember asking you a question, Chloe," Jones prompted.
"And I remember ignoring it," she sneered, "I don't need to tell you anything."
"What were you doing at the apartments last night?"
"I've already given you my answer."
Jones sighed and took off her glasses. She took out a cloth and rubbed away the smudges. Her eyes looked smaller without them and the fine lines around them more prominent.
"Allow me to try again," she said. There was a new softness in her voice. Fatigue or emotion, Chloe couldn't tell, "as you have probably guessed, we have been doing our own investigation into the case, as you have."
"And you want to know what we know. We get it," Alex spat.
"No, more than that. The more we uncover, the more dangerous things are becoming. There are forces at play here that your scope of reference can't grasp. A pair of teenagers aren't sufficient to handle the risk- let alone the consequences."
"The consequences of what? Beating you to the bad guy?"
"This isn't a game!" Chloe was silenced immediately. She couldn't remember the last time Jone had shouted at her, "there is no prize for getting there first. There is no value in competition when peoples' lives are hanging in the balance!"
"So-what?" Chloe's ego refused to let her back down, "You want us to just give up? Fork over everything we know? You've already proven not to be trustworthy. Spying on us, keeping secrets- come to think of it, when are you going to tell Kyra that her parents aren't coming back?"
"That is a very complicated issue. You know how sensitive Kyra is."
"This is the cycle," Chloe laughed dryly, "lies upon lies until the people you thought you were protecting from the truth, turn on you. I agree. We can't waste time. There's no point in competing. So leave us be and just watch us run circles around you."
"Chloe, Alex, please," Jones' countenance was twisted with concern, "enough of this. You think you're doing the right thing, but you're only foolishly putting yourselves in danger. Come back to MI6. Apologise to Blunt, I know he'll accept you. We can work together to find who's responsible for all of this."
"We're doing just fine on our own," Alex said, "we don't need you."
"None of you deserves our apology," Chloe got to her feet, "I want you to leave. Now."
Jones stood slowly, smoothing down her suit, "you maybe not believe me, but I know how you feel. You want to stand up for something you believe in. I felt the same when I campaigned for Blunt not to use you two in Point Blanc. I also understand that I cannot change your minds. All I ask is that you be careful, for my sake. I… I couldn't bear it."
A strange expression passed over the woman's face. She turned away and left before the emotion overcame her. Chloe tried to remain stoic, but her fists were shaking. Jones' car drove away into the night.
The girl collapsed on the sofa. Emotionally and physically exhausted. Alex pulled her head onto his shoulder. Chloe was beginning to grow tired of being unable to trust her feelings. Before, it had seemed so easy to know right from wrong, to be able to feel any emotion and not doubt herself. Now, she couldn't reconcile being happy to see Jones at the same time as resenting her.
"Well, that was insightful," Alex said.
"Nothing has changed," Chloe stared ahead blankly, "we keep going. This had to have been some veiled threat. They just want to eliminate a wild card, not have us back."
"Maybe that's part of it, but I think Jones was being genuine. I think she misses you."
Chloe bit her lip. She wanted to believe that, but holding onto that hope felt dangerous. As if she was walking into a trap.
"What do you want to do?" she asked him, "if this has changed things for you, I'll understand."
"No. I'm with you. Always will be."
"Thank you," Chloe hugged him, "Anyway, I have something to show you," she pulled the invitations from her bag, "they're for a masquerade being hosted by Vaughn. It looks like there are some high profile, wealthy people going."
"And Vaughn himself presumably. We can finally get a look at him. But a pair of teenagers are going to stick out like a sore thumb."
"I think the masquerade theme will help with that," she said, "everyone will be wearing a mask."
"And we'll need formal-wear," he grinned, "I know you'll enjoy that part of it."
Chloe chuckled, "you know me so well. We may be going undercover, but we'll be the best looking couple there."
"Something has me worried though," he said, "infiltrating a party seems all well and good, but we have no idea what the purpose of it is. We're pretty certain at this point that Vaughn is behind the kidnappings, and if you hadn't noticed, you're right in the demographic he's been abducting. What if this thing is just a cover to profile new girls?"
"It's a possibility," she admitted, "but there will be tons of people around. High profile people that the public will notice if they go missing at a party. I think it's probably a networking thing for Vaughn. A bunch of rich people meeting other rich people. That's usually what exclusive parties are like. MI6 used to hold them between departments. It was just an excuse to forge alliances and partnerships. I doubt this will be any different. Besides, I've got you to look out for me."
He ruffled her hair, "of course you do."
After much tossing and turning, Chloe left the bed. Sleep wouldn't come tonight. She peeled Alex's arm away and tip-toed downstairs. The invitations were spread out on the table. If she couldn't sleep, she may as well do something productive.
Ian's old office was left unlocked. MI6 had cleared of important documents after his death, but all Chloe needed was a fountain pen and some blue ink. She found them in a well-organised drawer. It felt wrong to work at the man's desk, so she took her tools into the lounge. Nicole was clearly skilled in calligraphy. Her letters were elegant and perfectly formed, spirals and flourishes accenting the work at every opportunity. With some scrap paper, Chloe sketched the outline of her fake invitations. Her handwriting had never been too good, but attempting calligraphy made it look even worse. This would take some effort to perfect.
Alex trudged downstairs later that morning. Chloe usually woke him up, but today he'd slept in. He had been confused at the cold, empty space next to him. The girl was hunched over the table, paper ripped up and thrown everywhere.
"What are you doing…?"
"I've done it," she whispered, "finally…"
She held up two delicately written invitations, fake identities and all. Her hands were covered in blue ink and there was a large smudge on her cheek.
"You look like you've stabbed a smurf."
She ignored him, "come look."
Alex inspected her work, "impressive. They look original. Did this take you all night?"
Chloe peered at him. Her eyes were bloodshot, skin pallid. She'd begun to grow tired after a few hours of work, but stopping had felt too much like giving up.
"All night."
"Chloe, you need to sleep."
"I couldn't."
Alex sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "I'll get the clothes today. You sleep."
"But-"
"You've had about 5 hours over the past two days, am I right? You have to take care of yourself, Chloe."
"Fine. I'm trusting you not to pick something too awful. And no yellow. I look washed out in yellow."
"Definitely no yellow," he agreed, " how about something short and red with lots of skin?"
"Only if we're matching," she laughed, "although you'd probably pull it off. No, we need something fancy. You're easy, you can just buy a suit, but the dress code for me says 'ball gown'. Here's what I had in mind."
She pulled out her phone and showed him a few pictures.
"Awesome. Got it," he said, "now. Sleep. I'll be back soon."
Chloe was shaken awake and not without difficulty. There was drool drying on one side of her face.
"I'm back. How do you feel?"
"Worse than before I went to sleep," she grumbled. Being woken from a deep slumber was always painful.
She noticed the bags he'd left in the kitchen. They were from one of the expensive Mainstreet boutiques that only rich women frequented. Alex made her a cool drink. It was midday and the sun was high in the sky. The heat penetrated inside the house like a miasma. She noticed the sweat on her skin, feeling tired and sticky and gross. In one quick action, Chloe drank the whole glass.
"I'm going to take a quick shower but I can't wait to see what you got."
After cooling down in the stream, Chloe went back downstairs. She found Alex dressed to the nines in a smart blue suit. How had he managed to find one that fit so well? He had found a red pocket square to match the tie and wore a matching blue vest underneath the jacket. Because the suit was such a good fit, Alex's physique was obvious as the shirt stretched over his chest. He had styled his hair in that purposefully messy way that suited him so well. Chloe's breath caught in her throat. Alex turned from side to side, smug. He knew how good he looked.
"So?"
"If I'm being honest, you're the most beautiful person I've ever met."
Alex's smugness disappeared against his blush. She approached the boy, looping her fingers through his belt.
"You can't call a guy beautiful," he argued, "call me handsome."
"Alright, you're not handsome," she insisted, "you're sexy."
Their lips were almost touching. Chloe couldn't often make him blush, but when she did, she savoured it. Their mouths pressed together. She could smell that new clothes scent on him. Before things got out of hand, she pulled away.
"Let's see what you got for me then."
Alex cleared his throat and retrieved the bags. Inside was a black dress. The arms and bodice were black lace, the skirt was layers of skin mesh that came down to her calves. The neckline showed off her shoulders and collarbone.
"This is perfect!" she exclaimed, "I'm impressed. I think I've been rubbing off on you."
"You look gorgeous," he said smiling and twirled her around. He pecked her lips.
"Thanks. Did you get masks?"
"Yep. Take a look."
There was one for each of them as well as a spare. Alex claimed his. It was black with blue embroidery. Hers was black with white patterns. They tried them on. Not very comfortable, but they did the job of hiding their features.
"That's that sorted," she said, "what's our story if anyone asks?"
"Something simple. We're just family friends of Vaughn."
"Do you think people are going to talk to us? I don't think we'll have much in common with the rest of the guests."
"I think we should make an effort to socialize. We'll stick out otherwise."
"That's true," she agreed.
"The other problem is Yassen."
"I know. I have a feeling he'll be there."
"Hopefully we'll be dressed up enough that he won't recognise us."
"It would be best to avoid him completely. That man is too perceptive."
Alex removed his jacket. It was too hot to wear so many layers.
"I have to admit," she said, "I'm a little afraid. He has no reason not to kill us now. Happy birthday, by the way."
"Thanks, babe. But you don't need to worry, I won't let him get close enough to hurt you."
"You're sweet, but I'm still bringing my tranquiliser."
Alex laughed, "it's always good to have a back-up. But seriously, if things look bad we leave. We do no one any good dead."
"Then we're all in agreement," she said, "I'll call a driver. We should go."
In the car, Chloe nervously fiddled with her nails. They were walking into the lion's den, Vaughn's own private London residence. Most districts in London were full of small houses tightly packed together. As they drove further, the buildings got bigger and the space between them even further. They rounded a corner and came to a wrought-iron gate, which slid aside noiselessly and let them in. The car crushed over the white gravel. Either side of the road was perfectly maintained grass and shrubs. Chloe hadn't realised anywhere like this existed in London. The busy streets and noisy traffic seemed miles away. It reminded her of the Friends' estate, which made her wonder if there were any hidden rooms like David Friend had.
The evening hadn't grown dark just yet and the sunset illuminated the whitewashed walls of the mansion in a warm orange hue. The architecture was Georgian, with two chimneys and a hipped roof. Guests had already arrived in limousines and fast cars in bright colours. Chloe could recognise a few of the guests entering the house, celebrities and politicians, many of them. Vaughn's reach certainly extended far it seemed. The driver came to a stop and looked over at his shoulder at them expectantly. Chloe handed him a large note and thanked him. Before she could open the door, Alex caught her arm and smiled. He then jumped out and came over to her side to open the door for her. The girl chuckled as he held out his hand for her.
"My lady," he said, inclining his head slightly.
"Shut up, Alex," she laughed.
Arm in arm, they approached the security guard on the door. He was dressed in a black and white suit with a wire coming out from his left ear.
"Invitations," he said and presented his palm.
Chloe handed them over.
"John Rutter and Irene Mayhew?"
"That's us."
He squinted at them. Chloe gripped Alex's arm.
"Go on through."
She held her breath until they were inside the main hall, waiting for the man to come after them. When there was no tap on her shoulder, she allowed herself a smile.
"First step over," Alex said, "now for the hard part."
Chloe couldn't help but be stunned by the interior. The floors were polished white stone. Two curved staircases leading to another floor looking like something out of Buckingham Palace. A gigantic mirror hung to her left, the size of a swimming pool and framed in gold. Inside its reflection, dozens of glamorous party guests chatted and sipped champagne. Everyone was moving towards another room through a pair of wide-open double doors. There was live classical music playing from inside and Chloe could smell food. They shuffled into the ballroom, none of the other guests had a reason to rush. There was a small orchestra playing on a raised podium complete with a conductor in a tailcoat. A bar was serving drinks and waiters were circulating with trays on delicate looking foods. The noise was overwhelming. A hundred conversations were trying to be heard over the amplified music.
"Let's start by getting a drink," Chloe suggested.
She asked the barwoman for something non-alcoholic and received two glasses of lemonade. There was a slice of lime on the brim of the glass. Sipping their cool drinks, the pair entered the crowd.
"I'm completely out of my depth," Chloe murmured next to Alex's ear, "should we talk to someone? How am I even supposed to start a conversation?"
"Leave it to me."
Chloe watched him wink behind the mask. After scanning the faces in the crowd for a moment, Alex began to walk backwards.
"What on earth-?" Chloe hissed.
Alex's shoulder bumped against a young woman, who turned around to see who had almost caused her to spill her cocktail.
"Excuse you!" she huffed.
It was hard to tell her age, but the woman was astonishingly pretty. Honey blonde hair was pulled up into a bun while a sleek black dress hugged her hips.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry," Alex began, laying on the charm like icing, "I wasn't-"
He stopped as his mouth fell open.
"Fiona?"
The girl blinked, then threw her head back and laughed. Behind Alex, Chloe gave Fiona a desperate look. The group of friends she was with were silent in their confusion. Fiona sighed.
"And I thought this was going to be a dull evening," she grinned, showing pearl white teeth, "why don't you introduce yourselves?"
Chloe let out her held breath. Fiona had got the gist of things remarkably quickly.
"I'm John," said Alex, "this is my girlfriend, Irene."
"That's right. John and Irene," Fiona looked about to burst out laughing, "friends form Eaton, isn't that right?"
"Right. So how did you all find yourselves here?" Alex asked conversationally.
"Daddy's friends with the host. Obviously," Fiona said and her group laughed. Chloe was unbelievably relieved to find that Rafe was not among them, "these guys have tagged along as my plus fives. Why are you here?" she probed.
"Rich parents get you places," Chloe said with a nervous laugh.
"I see you're still good enough to eat," Fiona said to Alex, ignoring Chloe entirely, "there's rarely a man that doesn't look better in a suit and tie, but I must say you clean up delightfully."
"Play nice, Fi," said a brunette to her left, "he's taken."
"Such a pity," she pouted her bottom lip.
"Are your father and mother here too?" Chloe was determined for Fiona Friend not to ignore her entirely.
"No, thank God. Too busy. Vaughn likes me more anyway."
Chloe felt a chill rise through her.
"I see," she replied, "I'm really glad we bumped into each other, as a matter of fact. Do you think we could talk somewhere? I'm dying to catch up."
Fiona rolled her eyes, "I suppose I could give you a few minutes."
But as the three of them were about to walk away, the music came to an end and a voice began speaking through an amplifier.
"Welcome, distinguished guests!"
A man of about forty-five was standing on the podium. Behind him, the band had lowered their instruments to watch. His hair was thick and gelled back, his features bold and defined. The guests seemed to know the man and cheered, raising their glasses and clapping, "let me introduce myself. My name is Vaughn Morton, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to this humble event," Chloe and Alex shared a glance. This was the man, "It has always been a mission of mine to help those less fortunate than myself. For that reason, I hold these events to raise money for causes I think are worth attention. In these difficult times, we face the increasing threat of climate change every day, those who feel it the most being the most vulnerable in our societies. That is why I respectfully ask that, those of you who are able, donate as much as you can to the Cool Earth fund tonight," Vaughn raised his glass and smiled widely, "but I think that's enough talking for now. Eat, drink and make merry. The world won't end just yet."
The crowd cheered him off the podium and he disappeared into a mass of bodies. The orchestra had started back up again, and the party guests were organising themselves into rows. It seemed others were just as confused, backing away into the sidelines. Before Chloe could react similarly, a tall man took her hand. He raised both above their heads and turned her in a full circle. His other hand lay flat against the small of her back. Chloe couldn't see his face because of his mask, nor could she get a word in before her partner was exchanged for another. She spotted Alex being swung around by Fiona. The way she pressed her body into his made Chloe's skin crawl. The orchestra was playing a dramatic waltzing melody, laden with warbling violins and cellos. Chloe stumbled over her feet more than once, not knowing the steps. Alex was faring even worse, trying to dance at the same time as fending off his partner. After another few attempts, she had the moves memorized, neither had she forgotten their purpose. The mask made it easy to look right past her partner and into the crowd to search for Vaughn.
Her partner spun her a final time and she was brought face to face with another man. Wearing a black mask with a beak instead of a nose, was Vaughn. The girl could recognise his curly salt and pepper hair. His lips pulled into a smile and he presented his hand to her. Chloe bowed as she'd seen the other women do and took it.
"That's a beautiful mask," she began. She had to say something.
"Thank you, my dear," he looked her up and down. Chloe felt a chill run through her, "I'm afraid I don't recognise you with yours. What might your name be?"
"Irene," she said.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."
"Thank you, sir. I'm flattered, though I think there are many women here tonight that outshine me."
The song ended and the crowds dispersed. The band started up with another waltz, slower and softer. Vaughn inclined his head politely before he moved away. Chloe knew she couldn't let him get away.
"Another dance?" she requested, tugging on his jacket sleeve.
Vaughn patted her hand, "apologies my dear, but I should show my face to my other guests. Another time."
She let him go. Alex and Fiona appeared behind her, a little out of breath from dancing.
"Was that-"
"Vaughn," she said.
"Did he say anything?" he asked
"Nothing important."
"I'm so jealous," Fiona huffed, "I would kill to get that close to him."
Alex leaned in close to her ear, "I think it's time we took a look around, don't you?"
"I think you should tell me what's going on," Fiona crossed her arms, "what were you going to tell me before?"
Alex and Chloe shared a glance.
"Maybe we should go somewhere a little quieter."
To their surprise, the upper levels of the mansion were not inaccessible to the party-goers. Many people were milling about in the hallways. Some staggered into the dozens of bedrooms, too drunk and in need of a sobering rest. Others chatted in intimate circles to get away from the loud music and voices downstairs. Fiona had followed them all the way there, her curiosity for what Chloe had wanted to tell her, as well as her instinct for fun outweighing her desire to party. In an empty corridor, Chloe told Fiona the truth.
"We can't tell you everything, but I feel obligated to warn you about Vaughn."
"Vaughn? Why?"
"I just said that I can't tell you why," Chloe said, exacerbated, "please believe me why I say that he's dangerous. Do not under any situation be alone with him."
Fiona gasped, "he's the one who's been kidnapping girls, isn't he!"
Alex slumped against the wall and groaned. Chloe felt like throwing herself from a balcony.
"I suppose I walked into that one," she admitted, "just stay away from him and you'll be fine."
"Needless to say, don't tell anyone about us being here or about Vaughn. Not your friends, not your parents, no one. Understand? This isn't a game. People could get hurt or killed if you say the wrong thing."
"I understand," Fiona said seriously, "and I won't, but on one condition."
"You don't get to make up conditions!" Chloe grit her teeth to stop herself from shouting.
"I'll keep my mouth shut just like last time if you let me help you."
"What do you think we're here to do? How do you expect to help us?"
"Well, I don't know that yet, obviously," the blonde heiress said spitefully, "Just take me with you and we'll see how it goes. Deal?"
Unable to see a way out without jeopardising their mission, Chloe relented.
"Fine. Just don't get in our way."
In uncomfortable silence, the trio walked the halls of the second and third floor without really knowing what they were searching for.
"I don't think we'll find anything here," Chloe realised and whispered to Alex "or he wouldn't let anyone upstairs."
Alex nodded, "he must have a study or something. There had to be a corridor or room we haven't checked."
Fiona's eyes were bright with excitement. She had taken her heels off and was dangling from two fingers.
It wasn't hard to believe that they'd missed something. Each floor was a huge maze of hallways and branching paths like a hotel. If the party guests weren't still there whenever they circled back on themselves, Chloe would have been completely lost. Everything looked the same.
Rounding another corner, the girl realised they'd finally reached somewhere new. In front of them was a single door hung with a sign that read 'Please Do Not Enter'. Chloe's excitement was dashed when she saw the camera placed above the frame. After a bit of awkward gesturing, as if they'd got lost and reached a dead end, the group went back the way they came.
"How are we going to get in?" Chloe said.
"Don't you have some cool gadgets or something?" Fiona asked expectantly, "maybe a laser or a special key?"
"Not this time."
"I hope we don't have to climb again. I'm so sick of climb-"
Chloe cut Alex off by pulling him and Fiona into a bedroom.
"That was him!" she exclaimed.
"Vaughn?"
"Micheal Chapman!"
"Who?"
He had been wearing an ill-fitting blue suit but his hair was fashionably styled. His eyes looked sunken, his skin like candle-wax.
"If he's here then…" Alex considered, "should we talk to him?"
"What would we even say?"
"I think it should just be me. I don't reckon he likes women too much. I'll just ask him about the party, see where it goes."
"Be careful," Chloe begged, "and keep an eye out for-" she suddenly remembered Fiona was crouched beside her, "you know who. We still haven't seen him."
The girl pressed her ear against the door. She caught a glimpse of Micheal leaning against the opposite wall, alone and smoking a cigarette before Alex closed the door. The two girls pressed themselves against the door, straining to hear.
"Who is this guy?" Fiona whispered.
"You don't need to know," was Chloe's vague answer.
"Hey, man," Alex said.
"Hey."
"Can I bum a cig?"
Chloe heard the click of a lighter and a long intake of breath. She had never known Alex to smoke and could only imagine how hard he was trying not to cough.
"Cheers."
"You're alright," said Mike. Then, after a pause, "how'd you get into this event then?"
"It's a friend of a friend type thing. I don't know anyone here."
"Me either. I hate these stuck up rich folks," he said, "sorry if you are one."
"No, I'm with you. Fuck 'em."
"Truth."
"How'd you get in then?"
"Between you and me…" Chloe imagined Micheal leaning in close in the pause that followed, "me and Vaughn have an understanding."
"Now I'm interested. What kind of understanding?"
"I helped him out with something and now he basically owes me. It's pretty sweet."
"Come on," Chloe could hear the grin in his voice, "you have to tell me how you managed that."
"Nah, man. No offence, but I don't know you. It's not something I could tell just anyone."
"Fair enough," Alex's voice was starting to go hoarse, though he was trying to hide it, "can't you at least give me a hint or something?"
Micheal sighed with great exaggeration and took another drag of his cigarette. With a tone that implied he was doing Alex a great favour, he said, "alright. I'll help you out. Just don't blame me when things start getting crazy."
"I won't."
"All I'll say is that you need to talk to Vaughn and ask him about the solar eclipse."
"Is that it?"
"That's it. And don't freak out when he tells you what it's all about. It will end badly for you."
"Whatever you say."
Chloe heard the click of the lighter again and wondered who was lighting another cigarette.
"Shall we go into that room? They have balconies," Chloe saw the doorknob rattle in front of her and the two girls flung themselves backwards, "I don't want to get kicked out for smoking in the hall."
"No! No- I'm pretty sure there's a couple in there right now. I saw them go in. Besides, no one's around. We'll be fine."
There was a dull thud as Mike lent against the wall again, obviously having decided that Alex was right. There was no one around.
"Hey, you have a girlfriend?" Mike asked. His voice was slightly strained. He must have had the cigarette in his teeth.
"Sure."
"That's cool."
"You?"
"I did. Kind of. Just glad that shit's over with now. It was such a drag."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. Anyway, what's your name, man? If you go through with this we'll probably be seeing more of each other."
"John."
"John? Bit young for 'John' aren't you?"
"Take it up with my parents, dude."
"Whatever," Chloe heard him sigh and his clothes rustle, "I'm gonna head off. Nice meeting you."
There was the sound of skin on skin as they shook hands.
"See you."
Alex returned to the bedroom once the man was long gone. As soon as the door was shut, he burst out into a fit of coughing. Chloe took the cigarette end from him as he gulped down water from the tap in the bathroom. There was an ashtray on the dresser which she stubbed it out on. The smell of tobacco was overwhelming and made her sick.
"You okay?"
"Yeah-" Alex croaked, "but never let me do that again."
"Who gets that het up over one measly cigarette," Fiona scoffed, "you need to get out more."
With his throat somewhat recovered, they sat on the bed to discuss what had just transpired. Fiona paced around in front of them.
"I can only see this going one way," Chloe said, "I've been thinking about it from the beginning."
"I know. And I don't like it."
"Me either, but I don't see how else we're going to find out where the girls are being taken to."
Fiona raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"I can't just hand you over to him!"
"Well, he's not interested in guys so it's not as if you can do it."
"I'm serious, Chloe. He might kill you as soon as he gets his hands on you. Or worse. It's too big a risk."
"Woah- kill? What on earth are you planning?" Fiona's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and excitement.
"Fine. Then let's compromise," she said, "you go and talk to Vaughn tonight. Ask him about the solar eclipse or whatever. Nothing has to happen tonight. We just need information for now."
"I like that plan much better."
"Anything I can do?" Fiona took a step forward.
"No. Thanks a lot and everything, but there is nothing you can do," Alex sighed.
"Scratch that, there is one thing," Chloe said brightly, "you could leave us alone for the rest of the night! That would be extremely helpful."
They descended the wide marble stairs, dodging socialising guests as they went. The atmosphere was slightly more subdued. The event was coming to a close. People were finishing off their last drinks and propping up their more intoxicated friends. Suits had become wrinkled and women hopped from one foot to the other in uncomfortable shoes. Fiona had put her heels back on and took each step with practised grace.
Vaughn was the centre of attention in the ballroom. Having made some quip, his entourage laughed loudly. He had discarded his mask, as had most of the other guests. Wearing one now had the opposite effect as the start of the night. Chloe and Alex stood out from the rest, the only ones interested in maintaining the masquerade. There was nothing they could do about it, the masks had to stay on.
The girl let Alex disappear into the crowd of people.
"Let's at least get a drink together," Fiona suggested with a genuine smile, "I haven't forgotten that we actually got on that night at mine."
"Fine. But no more about Vaughn or helping."
"Yes ma'am."
The bartender gave them a haggard look as he wiped down the counter. He looked newly relieved when all either of them asked for was a glass of water.
"If I remember right," Fiona began, flicking a curl off of her eyes, "you two weren't a thing when you were pretending to be my siblings."
"They say hardship brings people together," said Chloe, "it just kinda happened."
As they spoke, the watch as the boy managed to elbow his way into the centre of the circle around Vaughn. From what Chloe could see, he kept his silence. His mouth only opened to laugh at whatever Vaughn said, waiting for his moment to jump in. Chloe could only imagine what he would say. It was something she always admired about him. Alex always knew what to say.
"I don't blame you for jumping on that."
Chloe frowned at the girl.
"You know, it makes him uncomfortable when you say things like that."
"Last time I checked, he wasn't here," Fiona emphasised her point by looking around her.
"That's not the point. Just back off okay?"
"Jealous much?" Fiona's eyes were mischievous. She lived for this kind of altercation.
"It's not about being jealous. It's about being respectful," Chloe turned away from the girl, "if all you want to do is start an argument, I suggest that you leave now."
As she was watched the boy in question, her attention was caught by a tall, thin woman with long brown hair. She had a thin, pale face that immediately sparked some recognition within her. Then she remembered. It was Eagle from Jones' new specialist team. So MI6 was here. They knew about Vaughn. The girl couldn't tell if Alex and Eagle had noticed each other, they were focussed on their mutual target. Had they been followed or was MI6 further along in their investigation than she had initially thought? Did they even know Alex and Chloe were at the event? It was just like Jones not to give her the full story. But Chloe had to admit, a part of her was comforted by the agent's presence, a kind of safety net. If she was here, it meant she was being monitored and protected. Chloe wouldn't have been surprised to see the other members of the team hidden in the crowd, though Wolf's massive frame would stand out in the swarm of thin, Hollywood bodies.
Chloe jumped when Fiona placed a soft hand on her arm. She hadn't noticed that she was still there, assuming she left after Chloe's words.
"Sorry," from the way Fiona's face twisted, 'sorry' wasn't a word she said often, "I get carried away. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable."
"Yes, you did."
"Okay, I did," she admitted, "but I see that I was wrong now. I'd hate for us to leave on bad terms."
"Bad terms?" Chloe nearly choked her water as she scoffed, "worse than you and your boyfriend nearly killing us in the woods?"
"Sorry about that too," Fiona winced, "not my best moment."
Chloe just laughed in disbelief.
"Look, I'll forgive you if, one, you keep yourself and your friends away from Vaughn, and two, leave me and Alex alone."
Chloe refused to let herself be affected by Fiona's hurt expression.
"I understand. I'll leave you alone. And I won't tell anyone about this either. You have my word."
"Thank you, Fiona. Now please-" Chloe gestured to where Fiona's friends were waiting for her, "take care of yourself," she added when the girl's bottom lip trembled.
Turning her attention back to Alex, she saw that a few things had changed. Alex had found a foothold into the conversation and was talking and laughing as if he had known the group his whole life. After a beat, he leant forward to Vaughn's ear and whispered something. Chloe couldn't hear what he said, but from Vaughn's reaction, he had got his point across. Having been momentarily thrown off rhythm, Vaughn quickly recovered and said something which made the others laugh. He patted Alex on the shoulder and, excusing himself from the rest, took him aside.
Eagle's face fell into an expression of concentration and thought. Keeping one eye on the pair, she began conversing with other guests to maintain her cover. The man kept Alex in a firm handshake the entire time they spoke. The other hand was on his shoulder. It was a dominating gesture- as if to remind Alex as to who held power. Though he was smiling, Vaughn's eyes were intense. Alex smiled and nodded along and the conversation only lasted a few minutes. After one final hearty handshake and a slap on the back, Vaughn released the boy.
"So?" Chloe whispered when he joined her at the bar.
Alex said nothing. His face was drawn, his brows knitted tightly together. He ordered and quickly drank a glass of ice water. His skin was flushed and slightly sweaty. The girl craned her neck to look for Eagle but she had disappeared.
"A- John?" Chloe corrected herself.
From the corner of her eye, Chloe noticed a huge figure heading straight for them. For a split second, she thought it might be Wolf. On the second glance, she saw it was the security guard that had taken their names at the start of the evening.
"Time to go," Alex said.
But the man was already upon them. He placed a hand the size of a baseball glove on each of their shoulders.
"A moment of your time, if you wouldn't mind."
"C-Certainly," Chloe cursed herself for her fear.
"My name is Sanderson. I'm the head of security for Mr Morton. A colleague informed me that the two of you were seen upstairs."
"There were lots of people upstairs," Alex argued reasonably.
"You were seen in front of Mr Morton's private study. Were the cameras and 'do not enter' signs not sufficient to get the message across?"
The man's thick lips curled into a grimace, "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me."
All of a sudden, Sanderson's massive frame was pushed towards them. Chloe saw Alex reach for his gun without thinking. A feminine voice stopped things from escalating. Fiona had fallen against the guard's back and was making a show of pretending to faint.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "my head! I feel ill. I think I'm going to be sick."
She grabbed onto Anderson's jacket, forcing him to acknowledge her.
"Could you help me up? I feel so weak."
Anderson reluctantly let go of Chloe and Alex and told them to stay put. The girl grinned at Fiona before grabbing Alex and bolting for the exit.
The man shouted after them, but the blonde grabbed his collar and wailed about dark spots in front of her eyes. By the time he stood, the pair had run off into the night.
Back at home, Alex threw his keys in the bowl and sank onto the sofa. His head was in his hands.
"That good, huh?" Chloe said, kneeling in front of him.
She took his hands in her own. He raised his head to look at her.
"He wants to meet you. He wants me to bring you to him. It's a kind of initiation thing, some secret club.
"And the bar for entry is a human offering," said Chloe, "when does he want this to happen?"
"He only said that he'd be in touch."
"And you took his word for it?"
"What else was I supposed to do! I don't like this at all, Chloe. My gut is telling me you shouldn't go."
"It's the only way."
"That's not true. We could go to MI6 with what we know."
Chloe flushed hot with betrayal, "I thought you said you were with me no matter what."
"You know I am. But I'm still going to call a bad idea when I see one."
The girl got up and paced around. They were both right, in a way. Infiltrating the kidnapping ring was the obvious next step to finding the girls, but Alex wasn't wrong that it was a stupid plan. Stifling her pride, she told him about seeing Eagle.
"So they're just as far ahead as us, "Alex said, "all the more reason to join forces."
Chloe resistance was breaking down. The more time passed, the more it was obvious that her pride was getting in the way. All that should have mattered was finding the woman and stopping the abductions, but she had made it about herself. Chloe closed her eyes and sighed, about to agree, when there was a frantic knock on the door. The girl took out her gun as did Alex. They stood at either side of the door. Chloe mouthed a countdown. On one, they took the door off the latch and flung it open. There, breathless and haggard in the dark, was Kyra.