Chapter 20 #2
He went to another drawer, but was still between her and the door. She sat at a desk across the other side of the room. The window next to her was fixed in place, with no way of opening it.
She took the sheets Johann handed her and slowly perused each one. What other questions could she ask?
“Would you be willing to sacrifice a couple of units to create a village green?”
Johann frowned. “The design has already been approved.”
“Oh. It seems so sad for all of Aunt Maggie’s garden to disappear,” she said. “It was such an important part of my childhood.”
He puffed out his chest. “This is not a negotiation, Miss McGinnis.” He stormed back to the cabinets, drew out another document, and picked up the knife. “You don’t understand. If you don’t sign this, I’m dead. They’ll kill me and my family.” He waved around the knife.
Fear skittered through her and she held up a hand of placation. “Who will?”
Johann hesitated.
This was his vulnerability. “Johann, I don’t want to put your family in danger, but I need you to explain what’s going on.”
Johann thrust the document at her and then stepped back. “I fucked up.”
Chelsea glanced down at the paperwork. A contract of sale for Lilydale. She shifted in the seat, ready to defend herself with the wireless keyboard on the desk if necessary. “How?”
“I was so sure Maggie would sell. She was ancient and should have been relieved for me to make her such a generous offer for her land so she could retire in peace.”
Chelsea struggled not to show her scorn. She swallowed and said, “Aunt Maggie loved her place.”
“I promised my bosses it was in the bag. For the past year I’ve been pretending the company owns the land. All the designs are done and we’ve already sold a dozen properties.”
He really was in deep.
“I thought your mother would be glad to get rid of it, but no, she had to send you here.”
Chelsea shifted a little further away from him. “Do your bosses know what you’ve done now?”
He shook his head. “They can’t. If the authorities find out and bring attention to their legitimate business, I’m dead.”
It made sense if the construction company was owned by organised crime.
Johann turned to her, eyes begging. “Please, you have to sign it. You have to save me and my family.”
She kept her voice low, sympathetic. “I can’t sign it. Lilydale belongs to my mother.” Didn’t he realise the contract would never stand up in court if he coerced her signature?
“Ezra told me she’d transferred the property to you,” Johann growled, raising the knife.
Chelsea shrank back. “She might have. She was going to, but I didn’t think it would go through so quickly.” Her eyes didn’t stray from the knife, but she wanted one question answered. “How is Ezra involved?”
“I met him at a conference. When I discovered his connection with Lilydale, I thought he’d be able to convince your mother to sell.”
“Did he say she would?”
Johann shook his head. “Said it wasn’t up to him.” His disgust was clear.
A sliver of relief filled Chelsea. She would have hated to discover Ezra was more involved. It would have devastated her mother.
“Don’t put a date on it. That way if she hasn’t signed it over, we can put the correct date on later.”
Right. He wouldn’t let a little technicality like that stop him. She picked up the contract. “May I read it?”
“No!” he yelled. “You will sign it. You’ve caused me enough trouble as it is.”
Chelsea shrank back as he towered over her, fear making it hard to breathe. She needed space from him. “Could I have a pen?” She gestured to the one on a desk across the room. “And another glass of water? My head is spinning.”
If she spilled water on the contract, he’d have to print another copy.
And maybe give Ethan an opportunity to get to her.
Because she didn’t know what Johann would do to her after the contract was signed.
***
Ethan jogged the kilometre from the car to the development with his team and they split into two groups. One would go through the front door, and the other would monitor the back in case Johann somehow fled.
Ethan would like to see him try.
Heath crouched at the corner of the building and gestured for them to move into position.
Dobby was watching the bush side, and Ethan was following Rhys and Noah into the building.
It galled him not to go in first, but Rhys had argued if he went in last, he’d have the job of securing the hostage, which meant he would get to Chelsea first.
He agreed.
He crept under the nearest window and used his mirror to peer inside. Chelsea sat at a table on the opposite side of the building to him and Johann stood over her, brandishing a knife.
He wished he had a gun. Johann was too close, and no matter how fast they were, Chelsea would be in a vulnerable position if they burst in now.
He needed Johann to be across the room.
What were the chances?
Ethan used hand signals to tell the others what was happening. They ducked past him and took position by the metal steps leading to the door.
Ethan followed them and placed his hand on Rhys’s shoulder, who had his on Noah’s. He raised the mirror again and spotted Johann moving towards the door.
Chelsea was out of his range.
Ethan slapped Rhys’s shoulder. In seconds Noah had booted open the door and charged inside. By the time Ethan entered the room, Noah and Rhys had Johann on his stomach, arms behind his back, the knife on the floor out of his reach.
Chelsea rose to her feet with a gasp and he was across the room in three steps, gathering her into his arms. “Are you all right?” He inhaled her hair, the scent calming him.
She clung to him. “I am now.”
She trembled, and Ethan ignored the urge to hit Johann. Chelsea needed him. He stroked Chelsea’s back. “You’re safe. Did he hurt you?”
She placed a hand on the back of her head. “He hit me on the head to knock me out. It’s pretty sore and I’m a little dizzy.”
“Let me look. Rhys, get over here. He’s our medic.”
Dobby replaced Rhys standing over Johann and was telling Connor to bring the cars. Outside, Heath lowered the drone onto the ground.
Rhys smiled at Chelsea. “Glad you’re in one piece. What hurts?”
“My head.” She turned and the matted blood in her hair made Ethan take a step towards Johann. Dobby shook his head.
Heath walked in as if he was visiting a friend. “I called the police. They’ll be here soon.”
Chelsea turned her head. “Mila?”
“With Connor. They’re on their way.” Rhys gently prodded her injury and then examined her eyes. “Doesn’t feel as if your skull is fractured. We’ll take you to get scanned at the hospital to make sure there’s no swelling.”
The two four-wheel drives pulled up and Mila and Connor got out. “I’ll take her now,” Ethan said.
Connor walked in and grinned. “Looks like you didn’t need me.”
“I heard the drone.” Chelsea glanced at Heath, who still had the controller in his hands. “I hoped it was you. I wanted Johann away from me, so I asked for a drink.”
“Clever,” Noah praised.
“Bitch!” Johann spat.
Chelsea ignored him and gestured to the drawings on the table. “Those are his plans for Lilydale.”
Ethan didn’t care. He drew her into his arms again. She was safe.
That was all that mattered.
“Let’s get you to the hospital.”
***
The doctor had finished examining Chelsea before Josh arrived at the hospital to take their statements.
It was just as well, because Ethan wasn’t letting anyone near Chelsea until she’d been given the all-clear.
Her mild concussion meant she had to rest and be woken every couple of hours during the night, but other than that, she was fine.
Ethan had never been so relieved.
“How are you feeling, Chelsea?” Josh asked.
“I’m all right.”
They were waiting for her discharge papers so they could go home.
“Johann?” Ethan asked.
“Arrested and charged with a bunch of crimes. He won’t see the outside of a prison cell in a while.”
Good.
Chelsea pulled out her phone. “I almost forgot. I recorded him talking about Aunt Maggie’s death.” She played back the recording, and Ethan clenched his hands. He almost wished Johann had been harder to take down.
“Send it to me,” Josh said. “Johann’s bosses reached out to me, and they want to speak with you. They deny any knowledge of what he did.”
“How did they know about it?” Ethan demanded.
“Johann’s wife gave my colleague their number. Said someone at work might know where Johann was.”
“I don’t want them knowing Chelsea’s name,” Ethan said.
Josh sighed. “They already do. Sounds as if they know all about Lilydale, but Johann had told them he had a signed contract and works were starting next month.”
“No wonder Johann was so desperate,” Chelsea said. “Did they say what they wanted?”
“To offer condolences and compensation.”
Ethan glanced at Chelsea. Compensation would help revive Lilydale, but was it wise to take money from a company associated with organised crime?
“They can call me,” Chelsea said.
Ethan opened his mouth to protest and Chelsea interrupted. “They already know who I am, Ethan, and the police know they know. There’s no point hiding from it.”
She was right, but he didn’t like it. He nodded.
Ethan held her hand as Josh asked his questions, and by the time the nurse returned with the discharge papers, Chelsea had also spoken with the CEO of the property development firm.
Ethan felt marginally better knowing Josh had heard the whole conversation and the CEO had known Josh was listening.
Josh smiled. “I’ll call you tomorrow with any updates.”
She hugged him. “Thanks.”
Ethan shook his hand. “Come over for a beer when you’re done.”
Josh nodded. “If it’s not too late.”
The guy looked exhausted with dark bags under his eyes. Ethan would make time for him in the next week. But right now, Chelsea was his priority.
He drove her home, and the late afternoon sun reflected off the first-floor windows of Lilydale Cottage.
Chelsea yawned as Ethan opened his door. “We never picked up the plants.”