Contents 10 страница

" Sorry, " said Anton.

Sebastian brought his hand up to cover his mouth and stared into space for several seconds.

" I don't suppose we could just call him? See if you recognise the voice? " I asked.

" Maybe, " Sebastian replied. " But then we give away our hand. And he might not answer at all. You said you guys used text messages? "

Anton nodded.

" Then yeah, a call will probably just scare him off. "

And then I had an idea. " What does your client know? " I asked Anton. " Did you tell him we got away? "

Anton looked surprised for a moment, but he recovered quickly. " He knows. We had to go in and clean up your mess. " He didn't sound even slightly upset about the two men we'd killed. He might as well have been discussing spilt juice. " He was not pleased, although we assured him we were doing everything we could to find you. "

" Can you organise another meet? " I continued. " You said he still owes you half on completion of the contract, right? So tell him you've taken us out and you want the rest of your money. "

Anton licked his lips. " This is not part of our deal. I would be exposing myself for you. "

But Sebastian was nodding now, a hint of a smile on his face. " Fifteen million, " he said. " And five more when we have him. Plus you get to keep whatever money he brings. "

Anton's eyes widened a fraction. I could practically feel his sense of greed and self-preservation squaring off inside him. He got to his feet, and for one brief terrifying second, I thought he'd changed his mind, but then he extended his hand. " You have a deal. "

The tension drained out of Sebastian's face, and he reached up and shook. " I'll have my guy drop the money off. " He glanced at the two men behind us. " We'll need to borrow a few of your men. "

Anton nodded. " I expected as much. Go with these two. They'll make the necessary arrangements. It's been good doing business with you. "

Sebastian stared at him for several seconds, before inclining his head ever so slightly and turning towards the door.

I followed, doing my best not to break into a grin. Somehow, we'd pulled it off. The light at the end of the tunnel had suddenly grown that little bit brighter.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sebastian

The meet was set for early evening, in an old warehouse in Macdonaldtown, on the outskirts of Sydney. The location couldn't have been more of a movie stereotype if it tried. Cracked windows, rusted girders, piles of industrial detritus littering the floor. It certainly was empty, though. The roads nearby were completely devoid of people or cars. Movie stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.

At this point, things were basically out of our hands. Sophia and I sat in the back seat of Anton's car, waiting for the trap to be sprung. Whoever was on the other end of the phone didn't seem to suspect anything. Their text message just sounded relieved. If everything went to plan, in a little while, we'd have our traitor in custody.

I looked over to Sophia, who was staring out the window. She'd handled herself well with Anton. Part of me had wanted to burst out laughing when she'd threatened him, but I'd restrained myself, and somehow we'd bluffed our way through it. We made a good team. She saw the things I missed and she wasn't afraid to speak up when she did.

She glanced up and caught me looking, and a smile lit her face. " Show time, soon. " That smile was like a drug to me now. It was my reason to get up each morning. And every time I saw it, I wanted just a little more. When this was all over, I was going to make it my mission to put that smile there as often as possible.

I nodded.

She gazed at me for several seconds, a question poised on her lips. " Do you think this will be the end of it all? " she asked.

I exhaled slowly. I didn't want the dampen the mood of the victory we were about to win here. " I'm honestly not sure, " I replied. " Whoever the traitor is, they have a lot of questions to answer. Once we know his motives, and who he's working with, we can plan our next move. "

Her shoulders slumped a little, but she tried to remain stoic. " That makes sense. "

" Hey, " I said, reaching out to brush her cheek with one knuckle. " This is a big step forward. With any luck, they'll crack quickly and tell us everything we need to know. I suspect you'll be back burning the midnight oil at work and getting tanked with Ruth and Lou again in no time. "

The smile returned. " I have missed excessive quantities of wine. "

" You're allowed to drink more than a glass or two with me, you know. "

" And be that embarrassing drunk with the begrudgingly tolerant boyfriend? I don't think so. "

" So maybe I'll have more than one or two as well. "

She raised an eyebrow. " I didn't realise you did messy drunk. "

" I haven't for a few years. But I'm willing to make an exception for you. "

She laughed. " That might just be the most romantic offer you've ever made me. It's settled then. When this is all over, we will drink to excess! "

" Deal, " I replied.

Another minute passed. " You know, something about this still doesn't sit quite right with me, " she said.

" In what way? "

" Well, when you rescued me, you fought your way through a whole house of guards, right? "

I nodded.

" So why did they hire out the killing this time around? Why not use their own people? "

" That's been bothering me too, " I replied. " So much of this still makes no sense. Obviously they had their reasons. Maybe we hurt them worse than we thought when we raided that house? "

" Maybe, " she replied, although she didn't sound convinced.

" We'll have some answers soon. "

" I know, " she said.

At that moment, another car appeared at the gate. It was one of the fleet of black Alpha BMWs. I felt something heavy settle in my stomach. Behind those doors was one of my brothers. A man I would have trusted with my life. A man who had betrayed me. I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

Through the tinted glass window I watched as the car pulled slowly into the empty lot and stopped about thirty meters away. Iman was standing off to one side, flanked by two of Anton's thugs. He was doing a good job of playing the part. He looked impatient, perhaps even a little bored. Just a guy on another routine pickup.

For a few moments, nothing happened; then the back door opened and out stepped a man.

Ewan.

Something hot surged in my chest. Until that moment, I think part of me had still refused to accept it. A tiny voice in the back of my head, arguing that there was some other explanation for the way those assassins had surprised us; a hacked security system, or a building flaw we didn't spot. But seeing Ewan there, delivering payment for our deaths, meant that I couldn't lie to myself anymore. The group had been compromised.

It made me feel so damn stupid. I'd always believed the group rhetoric, those wonderful tenants that spoke of using power for the greater good, but now I realised how naive that was. The Alpha Group wasn't some last bastion of nobility. We were as susceptible to greed and self-interest as anyone. I still didn't understand what would possess Ewan to do these things, but I was going to do everything in my power to find out. He would pay for the pain he'd caused.

I looked to Sophia. She had every right to be wearing an 'I told you so' expression, but she seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Instead, she just shot me a sympathetic smile and reached out to squeeze my knee.

Two Alpha security personnel followed Ewan out of the car, but after a few seconds of hushed conversation, they stayed in place while Ewan began to stride purposefully over the dust towards us. I wondered if the guards had turned on us too, or if they were just doing their job and simply had no idea of the traitorous deal going on right under their noses. I suspected the latter. In our line of work, you naturally see a lot of strange things, and they were taught not to ask questions. Besides, Ewan had kept them purposefully out of earshot. If he had nothing to hide, he'd have brought them in with him. They were probably just here to stop Iman and his men trying anything shady. Only a fool wouldn't tread carefully around Anton Silva.

It felt like it took Ewan forever to cross the empty yard. The animal inside me was raring to simply charge out of the car and let loose with all my rage, until he was just a bloody wreck on the ground, but I knew I needed to hold back. The situation could get messy in a heartbeat, if not handled carefully, and we needed Ewan alive if we wanted any chance of ending this.

When he was a few feet away from Anton's men, he stopped. In his hand he held a plain black briefcase that no doubt contained the rest of Anton's money. " You had me worried, " he said. I had the window down ever so slightly, so we could hear everything clearly. " When they escaped the house I thought we'd lost our shot. "

Iman smirked. " We find them. Or rather, they find us. "

Ewan's eyes narrowed, but before he could react, all three of Anton's men had guns trained on him. The Alpha guys were good. In a split second they were both charging forward and reaching inside their jackets, but they froze as two more thugs emerged from the shadows behind them with weapons raised.

" What is this? " Ewan asked, but there already was a sense of understanding in his voice.

I nodded to Sophia, and we both reached for our door handles. I was expecting fear, but all I saw in his eyes when they fell on us was surprise, followed by resignation. The anger inside me flared. I didn't want him to be okay with what was coming. I wanted him to feel the same terror Sophia had, when he'd taken her from her house. That raw hopelessness of knowing that there was nothing left for him, beyond pain and death.

" This is you, getting what you deserve, " I growled, and before I could stop myself, I clocked him with an enormous uppercut that lifted his body from the ground. I was on top of him, moments later, my fists a blur in front of me, my vision clouded red. There were people yelling behind me, but they were muted and distant. All that mattered was Ewan and the pain I wanted him to feel.

It wasn't until Sophia grabbed my face and yanked my gaze up to hers that the rest of the world came back into focus. " Sebastian, stop! You're killing him! "

I looked down at the crumpled form below me. Ewan's face was a mask of blood and dirt. His hair was matted and his breathing shallow. He wasn't moving.

I closed my eyes and flung myself to my feet. I'd never lost control like that before. It was frightening. And scarier still, it had felt good. I wanted someone to blame for everything that had happened, someone that wasn't myself. And now that someone had finally presented himself, I could finally unleash some of the guilt that was devouring me from the inside. " I'm okay, " I said. " I'm okay. "

The adrenaline was already fading from my veins. My skin felt hot and my lungs burned. I'd hit him with everything I had.

Sophia leaned down to check Ewan's pulse. " He's alive. "

" He's a tough old bastard, " I replied.

" We need to get him somewhere soon, though, and check him out. You did quite a number on him. "

I nodded. " I'll call in the cavalry. "

I walked off towards the corner of the lot, just to put a little distance between Ewan and myself, and pulled out my phone.

" Thomas, I'm going to need a little help here. "

* * * * *

" Doctor says he's alright, " said Thomas, appearing in the doorway. " You certainly did a number on him. "

I grimaced. " That's what Sophia said. "

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to me, pouring himself a scotch from the bottle in front of us. It was about two hours since I'd called him, and we were inside a small Alpha complex in the Inner West, which had a couple of rooms fitted to keep prisoners. Holding people wasn't something we did often — we pulled strings, we didn't arrest people — but we liked to be prepared, nonetheless.

He threw back the entire glass in one sip, wincing with the burn, then shook his head. " I never suspected he could do something like this. I mean, he was a bit of an asshole, sometimes, but still. Not this. "

" I know, " I replied. " Is he talking yet? "

" Not yet. He's awake, but still pretty groggy. It won't be too long, I imagine. " Something in the way he was looking at me told me what was coming next. " You could have called, you know. When you disappeared, we all assumed the worst. "

I hated that I had to have this conversation, but there was no avoiding it. " I know, but at that point I didn't know who to trust. "

A look of hurt crossed his face, and I didn't blame him. He was my friend and he deserved my trust. Then again, I'd thought Ewan deserved it as well. Would I ever be able to fully trust these men again? I wanted to think so, but I suspected there would always be a niggling doubt. I didn't know what to do with that. Maybe I could have lived with it a few years back, but I didn't just have my life to consider anymore. Sophia claimed she was okay with the risks, but that didn't mean I was. I couldn't stand the thought of ever putting her in jeopardy again. She deserved the happiness that came with a normal life, a life of not constantly looking over your shoulder. No matter how hard I tried, I didn't know if I could provide that anymore.

I took the scotch and refilled both our glasses, and we drank in silence for a while. I suspected there would be a lot of this over the coming days. The news of Ewan's betrayal had hit the group hard.

" How's Sophia coping? " Thomas asked eventually.

I felt a ghost of a smile creep onto my face. " She actually seems okay. She's a hell of a lot tougher than she looks. "

" I can believe that. Is she still floating around here? I haven't had a chance to talk to her. "

" No, I sent her back to the main house with Trey. She wanted to stay, but it was obvious how wiped out she was. Besides, there was no reason for her to be here. At this point, it's just a waiting game. " With Ewan in custody, much of the danger had passed, but I wasn't willing to let Sophia go back out into the real world just yet. Now that we knew who the traitor was, she'd be safe in the Alpha house until we could unravel the rest of Ewan's operation. Soon, this whole nightmare would be behind us.

A few minutes later, Marcus walked into the room. " He's awake. "

" Does he have anything to say for himself? " I asked.

" Not yet. He wants to speak to you, Sebastian. Said he won't talk to anyone else. "

It wasn't a good idea. Despite having had a little time to process his betrayal, I still didn't trust myself to be in the same room as him. Just thinking about it turned my blood to lava. But Ewan was a stubborn son of a bitch. If he wanted me there, he'd hold out until it happened.

" Take me to him, " I said with a curt nod.

I followed Marcus into the prison area, and he buzzed me through into Ewan's cell.

He was slouched on the bed in the corner of the room. Thomas and Sophia were right, I really had done a number on him. His face was a mottled collage of purple and yellow. Most of his features were barely recognisable behind the swelling and broken skin. He stared up at me, through his one good eye, still managing to look unafraid.

" So. " My voice could have frozen water.

He sighed heavily. " So. "

" Let's get this over with. You wanted to see me. Well, here I am. "

There was a pause. " I'm sorry, Sebastian. "

He couldn't have surprised me any more if he'd tried. My hands clenched tight and I took two big steps towards him until I was close enough to feel his breath on my skin. " Sorry? That's why you brought me in here? To apologise? I don't want your apologies, Ewan! I want answers! " I realised I was shouting, but I didn't care. I needed some outlet for all the anger seething inside me or it was going to come out through my fists again.

He flinched, but his expression remained stoic. " I appreciate that. I'm not going to pretend like that makes it better. All I want is for you to understand; everything I did, I did in the best interests of the group. "

" You don't get to decide what's best for the group. That's not your call alone, " I spat.

" Maybe not, but I didn't see any other way. She's a liability, Sebastian. And now you are too. The way you reacted when she was taken, well, the council can't afford to have that kind of weakness. Especially not with everything else that's happening. So I did what I thought was necessary. "

A trickle of discomfort flowed down my spine. " What do you mean everything else? You're responsible for everything else. "

His eyes widened. " You can't be serious. "

" I'm deadly serious. You just admitted to trying to take both of us out, but you expect me to believe you weren't the one who tried to kidnap Sophia? "

He sat up taller, raising his head as close to mine as possible. " I may have been concerned about you for a while, Sebastian, but I didn't do anything about it until that night with Anton's men in the safe house. And as God is my witness, I fucking certainly had nothing to do with Charlie and Simon. They were my friends. "

His voice was louder now and full of conviction. It made my head spin.

" So if it wasn't you, who was it? "

" I don't know, but they're still out there. "

" You're lying, " I said, but I think it was more for my benefit than his. The certainty in his eyes rippled through me.

He studied me. " Maybe I am. Believe what you like, I guess. It makes little difference to me at this point. " His eyes narrowed. " But when all of this comes crashing down around you, don't say I didn't warn you. "

I stared at him for several seconds, my mind and stomach churning as one. I desperately wanted not to believe him, but what reason did he have to lie? Even if he did convince me, he couldn't think that would earn him clemency. There were no excuses for trying to assassinate a brother. Perhaps he was just messing with me, a last little 'fuck you' for good measure, but if that were the case, he was the best actor in the world. Besides, the sinking feeling in my belly was growing more powerful with every passing second.

The truth was, everything he said made sense. Ewan and I had never seen eye to eye, but his dedication to the group bordered on zealous. Even with what we thought was proof, right in front of us, I still hadn't really been able to see him doing all of this. Add that to the inconsistencies Sophia had raised earlier in the car, and the doubt only grew.

If he was telling the truth then someone else out there wanted to hurt the group. And that meant we were all still in danger.

Including Sophia.

I was out the door before I knew it, my phone already in my hand. She's safe. By now she's probably asleep back in the house with armed guards stationed all around her. But as the phone continued to ring out, a chill rolled through me unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

Ten rings. Twenty.

No answer.

With desperation clutching at my lungs, I hung up and called again. Nothing.

She's not answering because she's passed out. That's all.

I tried Trey's number, but it went straight to voicemail. With my heart beating like a wild drum in my chest, I raced back to find Thomas.

" Who's still at the house? " I asked.

He recoiled as I drew close, like he'd seen something horrifying in my face. " What the hell? What happened? "

" The house, " I repeated, barely even hearing his questions. " Who's there? "

He licked his lips. " Jav should still be I think. "

I was dialling before he even finished his sentence, and within a few rings, Jav picked up.

" Where's Sophia? "

There was a pause. " Sebastian? What do you mean? She's with you, isn't she? "

I closed my eyes and drew a ragged breath. This can't be happening. " She was coming back to the house with Trey, " I said slowly, my voice trembling. " She should have been there an hour ago. "

" Trey hasn't been here since he left to meet you. "

My hand shot out to clutch the wall as the room spun around me. There could have been other explanations, flat tires and empty phone batteries, but I knew that wasn't the case. I could feel the truth of it right down to my bones. They had her. Again. And it was my fault.

All the signs had been there, and I'd ignored them. And now... oh Christ. I had all the power in the world at my hands, and it wasn't enough. I couldn't even protect the one thing I truly loved.

Trey. He was responsible for this. Whatever destructive plan he had for the group, Sophia was somehow involved. And I'd handed her right to him.

Thomas' expression had slipped even further. " What is it, Sebastian? Is Sophia okay? "

But I couldn't respond. I couldn't even breathe. I felt like I was drowning, like the air around me had suddenly thickened into something my body could no longer process.

Last time I'd had a tail on Sophia from the start. I knew where they'd taken her, and I used that purpose and direction to hone my fear into focus. But this time she could be anywhere. The chance of finding her was next to nothing.

I collapsed against the wall and buried my head in my hands. I realised I was sobbing. I wanted to die. I wanted to curl up into a ball so tightly I just disappeared. My mind was racing, desperately searching for any kind of next move, but it was like trying to catch the wind in my hands. I had no clues. No information. No hope.

And then, my phone vibrated in my hand. The caller ID listed Sophia's number.

Barely breathing, I swiped the screen, and a picture of her flashed before my eyes. She was bound to a slim wooden chair, her mouth gagged, her eyes wide with fear. The caption simply said, " Come alone. " It didn't give any directions, but it told me all I needed to know. The room in the background was instantly familiar. It was one of the control rooms in the old Alpha headquarters. The place the two of us had first met.

Trey had Sophia, and he wanted me to come for her.

I felt an icy calm descend over me, a sudden sense of clarity that was almost painfully sharp. Despite how stacked the situation looked, he'd made a mistake by inviting me. I didn't know how yet, but I was going to end this tonight. I'd failed Sophia too many times already.

I wouldn't fail her again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sebastian

There was plenty of muscle waiting for me when I arrived at headquarters; at least ten men wearing suits and impassive expressions. No one commented as I approached, they just stood by with their hands on their holsters as the two closest moved in to search me. The gun strapped under my arm was commandeered without even a frown. I hadn't expected to actually get it past them, but I had to try anyway.

I'd nearly called in the cavalry. Thomas had been flipping out trying to work out what was going on, and it would have been so easy to explain the situation and bring the whole team down here with me. But I took Trey's warning seriously. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he got even a sniff of Alpha activity, and I had no idea how far his eyes and ears reached. If he had the right alerts set up, she could be dead before our cars made it a block. I couldn't take that risk.

When the guards were sure I was unarmed, they stepped back and I continued inside. I reached the door that led to Sophia's prison, but I took a moment before opening it to draw a deep breath. I still had no idea how I was going to get us out of this, but I had to remain calm. Blacking out, like I did with Ewan, would get us both killed in a heartbeat. If I wanted Trey and his friends to pay, I had to keep my wits about me. I refused to believe this was the end. After everything Sophia and I had been through, an opportunity would present itself. It had to.

I turned the handle and stepped inside.

Sophia sat towards one side of the room, bound to the chair exactly as she had been in the photo. Her face was puffy and red.

She cried out through her gag when she saw me, a visceral, frightened sound that seemed to echo inside my head. Without even realising what I was doing, I began rushing towards her.

" Uh uh, " Trey said, stepping into view and pressing the barrel of his gun right up against her temple. " That's far enough. "

Sophia seemed to be trying to tell me something. She'd gone quiet, but her eyes flicked continuously between Trey and the door behind me. I had no idea what it meant. It seemed like all the cards were pretty much on the table at this point.

I turned my gaze to Trey. My anger reared like a rabid dog in my chest, but I kept it leashed. Focus.

" You, " I said, my voice sharp enough to cut glass.

He blinked a few times, then gave a shaky little bow. " Me. "

The room was empty, apart from the three of us. Not that it mattered. He was armed and his goons were just a few steps away.

I studied him for several seconds. He mostly looked like himself. His smile held the same playfulness it always had, but there was something dark seething behind his eyes now too, something off. I had no idea how he'd kept that hidden for so long. " Why? " I asked.

He grinned. " That's the million dollar question, isn't it? "

" Million dollar? So it's money you want? "

" Oh, God no, " he replied with a laugh. " Bad choice of phrasing, I guess. No, I may not be worth as much as you, Sebastian, but I'm perfectly comfortable. This is about so much more than that. "

The motive behind the attacks had bothered me constantly. I'd never quite been able to make the pieces fit. " You killed Charlie and Aaron. "

Trey nodded. " Guilty. " He didn't show even the slightest sign of remorse.

" How could you do that? How could you kill your own brothers? We took you in, made you part of the family, and this is how you repay us? "

Trey's expression darkened. " I was never part of the family, Sebastian. I may have the tattoo, but I never had the respect. "

I gave a sour laugh. " Respect? Seriously, that's what this is about? Poor little Trey is feeling under-appreciated? "

His jaw tightened. " Even now, you laugh at me. " He gave the pistol a little shake. " Not wise to mock a man with a gun. "

For a moment, I thought maybe I'd gone too far, but eventually he relaxed.

" You know, my dad used to tell me about you guys, back when I was a kid, " he continued. " I know he wasn't supposed to, but he did. He used to tell me the kinds of things you did, the kind of power you had. I used to dream about the day I'd be a part of that. Then you finally invited me to join, and it was the best day of my life. I finally had a chance to prove myself. I spent the next three years busting my ass for the group, but in the end, you know what I had to show for it? The same shitty jobs and cruel jokes as when I started. "