Chapter 62
Chapter Sixty-Two
THREE WEEKS EARLIER
I peered up at the imposing glass edifice, its facade reflecting the surrounding skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. Was this the right place? I double-checked the address on the business card clutched in my gloved hand and cross-referenced it with the Maps app and the number etched above the building’s revolving door. The biting air made me shiver as I stood on the pavement, mustering my resolve. This had to be it. Time to go in.
I hitched my bag higher on my shoulder and stepped through the revolving door into the lobby. The sheer scale of the place was overwhelming. Men and women dressed in corporate attire strode purposefully across the vast floor. I lingered just inside the entrance, struggling to get my bearings. The business card said Avenex Holdings was on level ten, but a row of steel security gates cut off the way to the bank of lifts. I needed a visitor pass.
I approached the wide, arched desk positioned in front of a backdrop of wooden panels. Two workers manned the desk, typing away on computers. I stepped up to the male receptionist on the right. “Excuse me. I have an appointment on level ten with Alan Dixon from Avenex Holdings.”
The man flicked his eyes over me. “ID, please.”
I fumbled in my bag for my New Zealand driver’s licence and handed it over. The man typed my details into the computer, then took my photo with a small webcam mounted to his monitor. Moments later, a plastic visitor badge printed out. He attached it to a lanyard and passed it over along with my licence. “Wear this at all times. It will get you through the gates to the lifts and grant access to level ten.” His bored tone made it clear he issued hundreds of these passes each day.
“Thank you.”
I slipped the lanyard over my head, the badge dangling across my chest. Now properly credentialed, I headed for the gates, nerves rising with each step.
Another security check awaited me on the tenth floor. A guard inspected my pass and ID before nodding me through. I supposed these big financial institutions had to take their security seriously. London was a different world compared to Auckland.
“Please take a seat, Amelia. Alan will be with you shortly,” the blonde woman at reception said.
I settled onto a couch along the wall, clutching my bag in my lap. My knee bounced with excess adrenaline as I scanned the waiting area—all gleaming surfaces and minimalist sophistication.
I had no idea what to expect with this meeting. Neil had given me Alan Dixon’s business card and told me to contact him as soon as I arrived in London. To arrange a job interview, he said, but I knew that had to be a cover for something else. What, I did not know. Alan had revealed little on the phone.
Minutes later, a man strode towards me, hand extended. Recognition stirred, but I couldn’t quite grasp where I had seen him before. He looked to be in his early sixties, with grey hair, a neatly groomed beard, and black-framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His tailored suit was reminiscent of Neil’s impeccable style, and he possessed a gentlemanly air, with ambiguous features which were somehow menacing and benevolent in equal measure. “Amelia, how lovely to see you again!”
I shook his proffered hand, still struggling to place him. “Mr. Dixon, I’m so sorry. I recognise you, but I don’t quite remember?—”
“Understandable. We met briefly in Singapore.”
It suddenly clicked. “Oh, of course! At the shareholder meeting.”
I retraced my memory. Avenex was one of the largest shareholders in Zelthia after the chairman. Neil had introduced me to Alan Dixon, along with several other important people.
“That’s right.” Dixon’s eyes crinkled behind his glasses. “I must say, you handled yourself admirably that day, stepping in for Neil’s presentation on such short notice.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“You made it here okay?”
“Yes. Now I know why everyone raves about the public transit here.”
“It’s a convenient system. I’m glad you were able to figure it out. Shall we?” He gestured towards the frosted glass door through which he had emerged.
Since Neil had asked me to meet with Dixon, that meant I could trust him, right? Either way, it was too late to back out now.
Dixon unlocked the door with his access card, and I followed him inside. Five smartly dressed employees populated the open-plan office within, but we bypassed them to enter a private inner room. As we stepped inside, a young woman glanced up from her seat at the table within. She had an oval-shaped face framed by long dark hair tied back in a low ponytail. An air of quiet capability surrounded her, along with a poise that struck me as almost military. She looked different from the other employees here. Who was she?
Dixon secured the door behind us with a resounding click. “Take a seat.”
I lowered myself onto a chair as Dixon rounded the table to sit beside the unknown woman.
“I’ll get right to business, Amelia,” Dixon said, lacing his fingers on the table top. “Neil has informed me of certain… developments between you two, and the implications those developments may have for your safety. He arranged this meeting so I could oversee your security during your time here and facilitate contact between you.”
Neil had set this all up so Dixon could take care of me in London?
“I think I understand. So, you’re working with Neil?”
Dixon inclined his head. “For some time now. Our sights have been set on problematic figures at the helm of Zelthia. Daniel Ling chief among them.” He shifted in his seat. “With the chairman’s recent passing, the will reading is imminent. Neil believes he is named as a beneficiary. We can expect Daniel to fight to maintain complete control over the company.”
My mind spun, struggling to absorb all the implications. “Neil is… I thought Veronica…”
“Neil and the chairman had a special relationship. Neil was his protégé, superior to Daniel in every way, apart from blood.”
“What about Veronica?”
“Neil and Veronica are united in their cause. His share is as good as hers.”
“Is Neil going to be okay?”
“I should think so. It would look very suspicious if he suddenly died or disappeared at this point. Daniel wouldn’t be stupid enough. No, the person who is in the most danger right now is you .”
I recoiled. Neil had warned me I could be in danger, but Dixon’s words still came as a shock.
“I’m afraid Daniel either knows, or has guessed, that you are Neil’s weak point.” Alan’s eyes drilled into mine. “Neil thought you would be safe here, but he was wrong. An inside source has informed me that Daniel knows your whereabouts, and he intends to use you as a means of leverage against Neil. If Daniel’s thugs capture you, he could coerce Neil into relinquishing his stake. You are now an active target.”
My mouth went dry. This was the kind of danger Neil had warned me about, the reason he was so adamant we couldn’t be together. My tongue prodded the inside of my numb lips, urging words to form, but none came. A cold sweat bloomed across my neck.
“I know this is a lot to take in,” Dixon said.
“What should I do?”
“Neil would advise you to vanish. Go underground until the danger passes. I could assist you with that.”
I pictured an existence in hiding, paralysed by powerlessness, while my dream trip passed me by. How long would I need to stay in hiding? Weeks, months, years?
“But I have an alternative proposition,” Alan continued. “One I believe you are uniquely poised to assist with, if you’ll lend your courage.”
I hitched in a sharp breath. My next words emerged faintly. “I’m listening.”
Dixon motioned to the unknown woman who had been so silent I had almost forgotten she was present. “Do you recognise her?” Dixon asked me.
I looked the woman up and down, searching for clues. “No. Should I?”
“Not exactly, but she has been with you since you arrived in London.”
“What do you mean?”
“She has been keeping a lookout for threats. While I don’t expect Daniel to strike so soon, we can’t be too careful.”
“I had no idea.”
“Her name is Hannah Frank.”
My neurons fired, making connections. “But that’s the name of my friend I’m going to stay with…”
Hannah inclined her head.
“…You’re going to impersonate my friend?” I asked.
“Bingo,” Dixon said. “I want you to stay with this Hannah, not your friend, and she will be your bodyguard.”
“And I won’t have to go into hiding?”
“If it all works out.”
“What about the real Hannah? Will I have to tell her I can’t stay with her anymore?”
“I’m afraid so. We have a story prepared that you can use as cover.”
I bit my lip. I hated to stand up my friend, but it seemed deception was part of this cloak-and-dagger game. “Okay. I think I get it. But what’s the catch?”
Dixon leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table. His eyes locked onto mine. “You will be bait.”
I started. “Bait?”
“We put you out there, let Daniel’s agents catch your scent. When they inevitably strike, we’ll be waiting to intercept them.”
Out there? Out where?
The fake Hannah took over explaining, her voice as cool and smooth as glass. “We would set you up in a safe house. You’d continue your travels as planned—within reason—while I accompanied you as protection detail under the cover of being your friend. Behind the scenes, my team would monitor you at all times. You would, ostensibly, serve as bait to draw out Daniel’s men, but the moment things get hairy, I’ll extract you.”
I tried to unscramble this information in my frazzled brain. If I had it right, they wanted to dangle me in front of the enemy to lure them out. “It sounds dangerous.”
“There’s no denying that,” Dixon said. “But it’s potentially very high reward. If Daniel takes the bait, we will be able to build a stronger criminal case against him, adding to the file of evidence we already have, ready to release at the most advantageous moment.”
His unflinching confidence made me shiver. This wasn’t just speculation. Dixon fully expected me to be targeted and attacked. My head reeled. “Does Neil know about this… bait tactic?”
Dixon grimaced. “No. He doesn’t know anything about any of this. And he cannot find out. He would never allow us to put you at risk, despite the potential upsides.”
“So I’d be going behind Neil’s back.”
“Indeed.”
“And the other option is hiding?”
Dixon nodded. “It’s your choice, Amelia. So, which will it be?”
I sucked a thin breath through my constricting throat. The blood roared in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. I could practically feel Daniel’s spidery hands closing around my neck, his rancid breath hot on my cheek…
I jerked back to the present moment. Dixon watched me closely, awaiting my response while my heart ricocheted in my chest. I could play it safe, or I could be brave. Hide away, or help. Was I willing to gamble with my own life in order to help Neil’s cause?
But I had already made this decision when I accepted the dangers of loving Neil. I wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in this fight, not languish on the sidelines. This was my opportunity to act. Neil wouldn’t approve, but I was done with seeking other people’s approval, including Neil’s. For once, I was going to do the thing that I felt was the right thing to do.
I steeled my nerves and met Dixon’s gaze. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your bait.”