Contents 5 страница

Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as just sitting down and turning the system on. The PC lit up when I hit the power button, but the screen only got as far as displaying a blinking cursor on a black background, and no amount of resetting or playing with the cables would fix it.

I'd seen Sebastian power up his laptop before, and at some point during the process he always swiped his thumb across the little biometric scanner that hung off the side. This PC had one too, sitting on the desk next to the keyboard. Perhaps the system wouldn't start without the right person in the chair.

Part of me wanted to swipe it myself just to see what would happen. I even got as far as poising my thumb over the pad, but then a voice from the doorway interrupted me.

" I wouldn't do that, if I were you. "

I jolted back in my chair. It was Trey. I hadn't seen him since the night I arrived. Apparently he wasn't part of the inner council, so he wasn't holed up here with the rest of them.

" Sorry, " I said.

" It's alright. No harm done. You're just lucky I found you when I did. A word of warning, though. Anything that needs a thumbprint you should probably stay away from. "

In spite of my embarrassment, my curiosity was now peaked. " Why? "

He smiled. " If you don't have the right authentication, the whole system will shut down until someone comes and checks it out. I figure you could probably do without that attention. "

Well, that answered that question. " Right. Thanks for the warning. "

He stared at me for a few seconds, and I felt my skin begin to prickle. It was another of those awkward moments where we were both aware I knew something I shouldn't, but we weren't discussing it. He didn't look concerned at all, but it still made me uncomfortable.

" So, what brings you here anyway? I didn't expect to see you around these parts, " I said, trying desperately to fill the silence.

He shrugged and gave a conspiratorial eye roll. " Thomas needed something. You know how it is; the bosses call and we come a-running. Any idea where he is? "

" Actually yeah, I think I saw him chatting to Marcus in the kitchen, before. "

Trey's expression darkened a little. Perhaps he and Marcus weren't on the best terms. " Alright, thanks. " His smile returned. " Stay out of trouble, hey? "

I gave a little laugh. " I'll do my best. "

In spite of how awkward I'd felt, it was nice to have an interaction with Sebastian's colleague that didn't involve any death stares. It made me feel like perhaps there was hope yet on that front.

But, the next day, Sebastian came to me with some news, and that theory promptly went to shit.

" We're leaving, " he said.

I rocked back in surprise. " We are? Does that mean it's all over? "

He grimaced. " Unfortunately, no. Several of the council members simply feel like it would be better if you stayed elsewhere until we finish sorting this out. " The words came out through gritted teeth. I got the sense it had been another long and bitter argument.

So, I was being exiled. On one hand, it was actually a bit of a relief. I was sick of being trapped here, constantly feeling like the awkward relative nobody actually wants around. But, on the other hand, the danger outside these walls was very real.

" I thought it wasn't safe out there, " I said carefully.

He sighed. " It's not. But don't worry, they're not sending you home. I talked them into a compromise. This isn't the only secure facility Alpha owns. We've got several other places, scattered around the city, so we're going to move to one of the empty ones. It won't be as heavily guarded as this place, but it has all the same security measures. We'll be just as safe as we are now. "

" Okay, " I said, although there was a slight tremble in my voice. What other response could I give? There didn't seem to be any point arguing.

He gazed at me for a few seconds before lowering himself onto the bed next to me and taking my hand in his. " Hey, it'll be okay. Trust me. I'm coming too, and I'd die before I let anything happen to you. "

I nodded. " I know. I just hate feeling so damn powerless, you know? I'm just a pawn, being shuffled around the board; only it's not a game, it's my bloody life. "

" I know, " he replied, offering me a sad little smile. " I know. "

The next day, we left. There was no fanfare. Nobody even said goodbye. I guess that was to be expected.

We were met outside by two hulking rent-a-suits, who Sebastian introduced as Tony and Aaron. They were apparently going to be our daytime security team.

He was coming with me now to help me settle in, but he'd have to commute back to the main house every day to continue working on the crisis.

After about thirty minutes, we pulled up in front of a small but modern looking house on a quiet, leafy street. At first glance it appeared utterly normal, but the biometric scanner on the front door and the bars over the windows hinted that this was something more than an average residence.

" They're bulletproof, " he said, following my gaze. " The doors too. " Reaching out, he thumbed the touch pad by the front door, and the lock clicked open. " Nobody is getting in here without the proper authorisation. And to even try, they have to deal with Tony and Aaron first. The whole house will be under round the clock surveillance. "

Some of the tension I'd been carrying around inside me dissipated. The place certainly seemed as secure as he'd claimed.

The two guards stationed themselves outside, leaving the entire house to Sebastian and I. It was nice to finally feel like we had our own space again. Despite its size, the main house had, at times, felt cramped, and the pervasive air of concern and hostility had made it a less than pleasant living environment.

Sebastian produced some takeaway food from somewhere and we ate it sprawled out in front of the television, mocking the terribleness of the reality shows that seemed to dominate every network. It wasn't a particularly interesting evening by most standards, but I found myself laughing harder than I had in weeks. Leaving the Alpha headquarters had lifted a weight from my shoulders that I hadn't even realised I was carrying.

After dinner, Sebastian disappeared into the back of the house for a minute and returned carrying a box.

" I have something for you, " he said, his tone once again serious.

" Oh? "

He opened the container to reveal a petite silver gun. My breath caught in my throat. " I want you to have this, " he said, removing it and holding it out to me.

" Sebastian, I don't know the first thing about guns. " Just the idea of having something so deadly in my hands filled me with an uneasy energy.

" I know. I'm not expecting you to go take out our enemies all by yourself. In truth, I doubt that you'll ever have to use it. I meant what I said about this place being secure. This is just a precaution, nothing more. " He reached out with his free hand and cupped my chin, his thumb grazing my cheek with the utmost tenderness. " I can't be with you all the time, and the thought of not being here to protect you myself... please, it would make me feel better. "

The concern in his eyes was enough to allay my hesitation. Gingerly, I reached out and took the weapon from him. It's cliché, but it was surprisingly heavy. The metal felt cold against my skin.

" This is the safety, " he said, indicating near the trigger. " Don't switch that off unless you mean it. The gun carries thirteen rounds and is already loaded. "

Closing my hands more tightly around the grip, I raised it slowly in front of me. I didn't have any illusions about my ability to actually hit anything, but I did feel a certain sense of comfort with that weight between my fingers.

" Okay. " Holding death in my hand, I suddenly felt the need to make a joke. " You know, I'm pretty sure none of my friend's partners have ever given them a lethal weapon before. I'm surely the luckiest girl in the whole world. "

The tension eased on his face. " I'm glad I could be your first. "

" So, what else is there to do around this place? " I asked, setting the weapon aside. " You know, besides play with my new firearm. "

" Not a whole lot. " He grinned wickedly and slid closer, looping his hands under my legs and lifting them over his lap until I lay cradled in his arms. " Although I have a few ideas about how we can take advantage of our newfound privacy. "

" Oh? And what might those be? " I replied as sweetly as possible.

He leaned in to brush a soft kiss across my cheek. " Well, I thought perhaps I'd see how many different rooms I could fuck you in. "

" I think I'd like that very much, " I replied, already feeling my pulse quicken.

Suffice it to say that there were no rooms left unchristened by the time we finally collapsed into bed.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sophia

For a little while, the novelty of being somewhere fresh buoyed my mood. I explored the new house, and spent many hours pottering around with a glass of wine and a book. But soon enough, my frustration returned. Each morning, Sebastian would kiss me on the head and then disappear through the bedroom door, not returning until well after sundown. In many ways, he had little more freedom than me, but at least he had a mission. I, on the other hand, was left to simply float around, entirely without purpose.

I tried engaging the security guards in a little banter, but it quickly became apparently that all of the steroids must have burned their fun glands into oblivion. They were about as friendly as a pair of rocks, and even less interesting; I quickly abandoned all hope of alleviating my boredom through conversation.

At my request, Sebastian had brought me a laptop, so I turned to surfing job hunting websites online. I knew it was masochistic to taunt myself like that, but I couldn't help it. After a decade of thinking about nothing but my career, I couldn't just switch off that part of my brain. To be honest, I wasn't sure there were many other parts anymore. It turned out there were several positions going at top tier firms, including one at Little Bell's biggest rival. Any one of them would have been perfect for me, and I knew I stood a good chance if I decided to apply.

I stared at the screen for a while, before closing the laptop and setting it purposefully aside. Well, there you go. Who knows, maybe they'll still be available in a few weeks and all this will have blown over.

But as I lay in bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd found. Getting back to work was exactly what I needed. With all day to myself, I couldn't help but dwell on my situation. Being unemployed and trapped in a house, with mysterious forces plotting God knows what all around me, was hardly a recipe for inner peace.

" You know, I'm going a little crazy here, " I said the next day, when we were sitting in the lounge room after dinner.

He shot me a sympathetic look. " I know it's rough. Hopefully we'll have something soon. In the meantime, try to relax and enjoy the time off. "

" Have you seen me try to relax? " I replied. " It's a train wreck. Yesterday I actually rearranged every book in the study by author name, just to feel like I'd actually achieved something for the day. "

He laughed.

" Incidentally, you have an awful lot of cook books from the fifties in there. Anyway, relaxation isn't my M. O, " I continued. " I need to be out there, getting my life back on track. The longer I wait to find another job, the harder it's going to be. I get that the situation is dangerous, but I want something to come back to when it's all over. "

He stared at me for several seconds, a strange smile playing on his lips.

" What? " I asked, realising that something wasn't right. He shouldn't have been smiling.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, before standing up and walking over to his desk. " I was going to wait until after all of this was sorted out, but I guess there's no harm in showing you now. "

" Showing me what? " I asked, feeling a rush of excitement.

He returned holding a small stack of paper.

" This, " he said. " I know you have a thing about people helping you, but hopefully you can make an exception in this case. "

With some trepidation I began to read, but before I'd made it more than half a page I found myself grinning like an idiot. " Oh my God, " I said. " Where did you get these? "

" A friend of a friend, " he replied nonchalantly.

" Well your friend struck gold, " I said, flipping through several more pages. " My God, the partners are going to flip when they see this. "

In my hands, I held a printout of a chain of emails that stretched back over several years. Sebastian and I were no strangers to a bit of written flirtation, but these took the idea of sexting to a whole new level. We're talking bad eighties porno script, and judging by the phrasing, it was just a prelude to what the couple were actually doing in the bedroom.

The email addresses weren't instantly familiar — they looked like personal accounts — but the signatures were.

Alan Beatie and Jennifer Smart.

" I thought you'd be pleased, " Sebastian replied.

That was the understatement of the century. A long term relationship between an associate and her superior was already enough to land them in serious trouble, but this went a step further. Interspersed between the racier messages were numerous requests for favours and plenty of signs of preferential treatment. Judging by the dates, their arrangement had started before Jennifer was even promoted. It didn't take a genius to see how the other partners would view that. It felt like Christmas come early.

And then I spotted the coup de grace. " Holy shit. " I held up one specific line for him to read. " Did you see this? "

He grinned and nodded.

Thank you for finally dealing with that little bitch Sophia. I'm sure I can think of a few creative ways to reward you; )

It was morbidly gratifying to finally see her talk about me the way I always suspected she did. The prim, sweet girl that roamed our office building was nowhere in sight, here. These emails were Jennifer unfiltered, and it showed exactly what a nasty piece of work she really was. Although my name came up most frequently, she seemed to have a grudge against almost everyone who posed even a vague threat to her advancement up the ladder. For a brief moment, I actually felt bad for her, for being so insecure, but that was quickly crushed under a torrent of glorious satisfaction at knowing she was finally going to get what she deserved.

" I knew they couldn't have had a decent reason for firing you. "

I nodded, still mesmerised by the words in front of me. " You think it'll be enough to get my job back? "

" Definitely. These make it pretty clear that there was more to your dismissal than the quality of your work. "

I realised I was grinning like an idiot. " I'll go first thing tomorrow, " I said, already playing the confrontation through in my head.

His expression dropped a fraction. " I'd rather you wait until we've dealt with our other problem. It's still dangerous out there. "

For a second, I thought I'd misheard. " You seriously expect me to sit on this? Why give it to me at all? "

He shrugged uncomfortably. " You seemed upset. I thought it might make you feel better knowing you can wander back into Little Bell when this is all over. "

" And what am I meant to do in the meantime? Keep twiddling my thumbs around here? Look, I'm not downplaying the risk. I know it's not safe, but the truth is, we have no idea how long this is going to take. Sure, it could be a week, but it could be a month, or two, or six. Who's to say they're even going to show their faces again, without an opportunity? " I closed my eyes briefly, trying to rein in my emotions. I felt like a hormonal teenage girl again, flitting from jubilant to angry to upset in the blink of an eye. " I need something Sebastian. Being stuck here is killing me — pardon the pun. Surely we can find a way to make it work? You go to and from work every day and you're still in one piece. "

His jaw tightened and he glanced away. " That's true. " He pondered for a while. " I'm sorry. " Sliding closer, he pulled me against him and leaned down to kiss my hair. " I just find the idea of leaving you exposed terrifying. But you're right, this isn't fair on you. How about this: you go in there tomorrow and kick some ass, and once you have your job back, Aaron and Tony will take you to and from the office every day. As long as you don't leave the building, you'll be fine. Several thousand witnesses should be enough to deter anyone from trying anything. "

I found myself grinning once more. " Not to mention building security. You, sir, have a deal. " Snuggling in against his chest, I began reading over the emails again. " God, I can't wait to see her smarmy little face. "

* * * * *

" Hello, Jennifer, " I said in my sweetest voice, as I peeked my head around her door.

For a brief second, shock registered on her face, although it was gone in an instant. " Sophia. What a pleasant surprise. I thought you were still on leave. "

" I was. I just dropped in to deliver something to Mr Bell. "

Her brow furrowed. I think she could tell by my demeanour that something wasn't quite right, but she didn't know what. " That seems... unorthodox. "

" Oh, I know. I wouldn't have bothered him, except I recently came into possession of some information that I knew he'd want to see. "

" Oh? " She sounded uncomfortable, which only made my smile grow. I knew it was petty and childish, but it felt indescribably satisfying to finally be able to toy with her as she had so many times with me.

" Yeah. It's a bit of a scandal, actually. " I leaned in close, as though sharing a secret with a friend. " Apparently, one of the partners has been fooling around with a senior associate. I got a look at the emails they've been sending each other. Some of the things they've been writing... well, graphic doesn't even began to describe them. But the worst part? He's been doing her all kinds of favours around the office. He even gave her a promotion after a weekend away together. Pretty shocking, right? You think your work is what's important, and then you hear about something like this. It's enough to make you sick. "

The expression on her face was priceless. Her eyes were open so wide I thought they might pop out of her head, and her mouth worked soundlessly, as though she might somehow still be able to argue her way out of the situation. She looked like one of those rotating carnival clowns.

For a few seconds I simply stood and enjoyed. " Anyway, as you can imagine, Mr Bell is taking the matter very seriously. The partner is in with him right now I believe, and he should be calling the associate any moment. I can't imagine either of them have much longer with the company. "

In a piece of spectacularly fortunate timing, at that exact moment, Jennifer's phone began to ring.

" Oh, you have a call, " I said. " I'll let you go, then. Just wanted to share the news. Have a nice day. "

I don't know how I did it, but I managed to turn around and leave without letting out a cheer, although internally I was giving myself a million high fives. Even Jennifer herself would have been proud of that performance. It had been as chirpy and fake as any act of hers.

I could have been the bigger woman and let that be the end of it, but after years of torture, the moral high ground was the last thing on my mind. This was my moment and I was going to enjoy the hell out of it. After a brief visit to see what had become of my office, I hunted Elle down and dragged her out into the main foyer to wait with me.

" Oh. My. God, " she said, when I relayed what had happened. " You're my fucking hero. What did she say when you told her? "

" Nothing. She just sat there growing redder and redder, like someone was pumping her full of hot air. "

She laughed. " Christ, I wish I'd been there to see it. That must have been the most satisfying thing in the world. "

" It was pretty amazing, " I replied.

" How the hell did you get access to her email, anyway? "

I shrugged. " I didn't. Some mysterious little bird forwarded them to me. "

" You're kidding, right? "

I shook my head. It was a pretty flimsy lie, but ironically it was more believable than the truth. Oh, yeah, my boyfriend is part of a secret society that hacked Jennifer's email. That would go down a treat. " They just showed up in my inbox the other day. "

She shook her head in disbelief. " Well, apparently you have a fairy godmother looking out for you. "

I couldn't help but grin at the Cinderella reference. " You know, maybe I do. "

At that moment, Jennifer appeared around the corner, escorted by building security. She was the picture of a sudden firing; eyes blank, skin deathly white, possessions clutched listlessly in a cardboard box against her chest. There had been no dancing around the issue with her, no feints involving temporary leave to ease the blow. She'd been summarily let go, and company policy dictated that she had to leave immediately. There was too much sensitive information at stake to allow ex-employees to linger.

She did her best to maintain the veneer of superiority, although the smeared mascara running below her eyes certainly detracted from the effect, and the moment she saw me her expression crumpled. I'd positioned myself perfectly, exactly where she'd stood during my walk of shame. There was nothing sweet about my smile this time. I let loose with everything I had. I even threw in my most sarcastic wave for good measure.

Elle was a little more direct. " Seeya, bitch, " she said, as they swept past and into the lift. Jennifer flinched as if struck.

As the doors closed, Elle drew a deep breath and smiled. " Is it just me, or does the air smell a little sweeter in here all of a sudden? "

I sniffed pointedly. " You know, I think it does. Must be the lack of bullshit. "

She laughed. " So, please tell me this means you're coming back? This place is a bore without you. "

" It will likely be a bore either way. But yeah, I'm back. Apparently they were getting ready to make my leave more permanent this week, so the timing is perfect. I'm still on the books, so we don't even have to do any paperwork. "

Elle clapped. " Awesome. Surely this calls for a celebration? "

I winced, remembering Sebastian's rules. As appealing as an old-school office bender sounded, it wasn't safe. " Let me settle back in and then we'll talk. Okay? "

She looked a little disappointed, but didn't question. " Sure. Well, thanks for inviting me to the show, but I should get back to it. Wrights won't prosecute itself. "

" No problem. Seeya round. "

Once she'd disappeared around the corner, I took a moment just soaking in my surroundings. That might seem like a strange thing to do — I mean, for all its prestige, it was really just an office — but after having given the bulk of the last six years to Little Bell, sometimes it felt more like home than my own house. When Sebastian had handed me those pages, I'd been fairly confident it would be enough to get me back in the door, but I hadn't been certain until now. I was back. At least one part of the nightmare was over.

It didn't take me long to find my feet again. After letting everyone know I was available again, work quickly began to flow in. In just a few hours, I was once again neck deep in case files. Ordinarily that might have had me slightly frazzled, but today, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Surprisingly, Sebastian was waiting for me when we got back. Most days he didn't return until well after dinner.

" I wanted to be here when you got back from your first day, " he said when I asked. He held a bottle of champagne in his hands, and there were two glasses laid out on the bench in front of him.

" Aww, that's very sweet of you, " I said, leaning in for a lingering kiss. " But you didn't have to go to all this trouble. It's not like I got a new job. It's the same one I always had. "

" That doesn't make it any less worth celebrating. " He gave a wolfish grin. " Besides, I felt like champagne. "

I laughed. " Ah, now the truth comes out. "

He poured and then we settled into the couch.

" So, how was it? Everything went well? "

" You could say that. Evil was vanquished, order restored and all that good stuff. "

" I'm glad to hear it. It must feel nice to be back. "

I nodded. " Hell yes it does. I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever been so happy to be so busy in my life. "

" I'm glad. "

" Ernest also dropped a few not so subtle hints about 'recently vacated positions' that might need to be filled. "

His face lit up and he pulled me in for a hug. " Congratulations! That's wonderful. "

" It is, isn't it? "

" I bet you'd have been promoted years ago if not for those two, " he said. " You'll be running that place one day, mark my words. "

" Yeah, then maybe I'll have the credentials to join Alpha myself. "

He gave a wry shake of his head. " You'd seriously want to do that, having seen what you've seen? "

" I don't know. It's not like it hasn't entered my mind. If you ignore all the guns and kidnappings and such, it is pretty cool. " I took a sip of champagne. " Besides, it would certainly solve one of our current predicaments. "

" I suppose it would. "

" How exactly does one join anyway? Joe said he kind of just plucked you out of the army. "

His smile gained a hint of nostalgia. " He told you about that, hey? Yeah, I'm not sure what I would have done if he hadn't found me. I was pretty lost, up until that point. Now I've actually got a purpose.

" As for recruitment, there's no one way. You get people like Thomas, who just work ridiculously hard in their chosen field until we can't help but notice them. He made an absolute killing working for one of the big oil companies, before we found him. And then you've got the guys like Trey, who just get in on their family name. "

" Ooh, trust fund baby, is he? I had no idea. He doesn't seem like that much of a dick. "

Sebastian laughed. " He's fine, most of the time, although to be honest, a bunch of us didn't want to accept his application. We like to recruit people on their merits, not their bloodline, but his dad was a member before him, and he desperately wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. I think it was one of those old money tradition things. Anyway, he pulled some strings and had enough friends that eventually he got his way. Keep that to yourself, though. "