90
I shake my head and smirk as I see her take the bike from the bemused cameraman and gun it into life and over the dune.
Turning to the other monitors I notice Thorun and Sona have obtained their first key and are making for the second lockbox at a run.
Neither seems to have noticed that they’re being watched from above by the twin, and neither is taking any precautions to hide or tread carefully.
It would be smart to backtrack or pick keys in random order, but they’re just working one after the next.
Speed over stealth seems to be their plan.
I can’t help but wonder if this is because they don’t realise there are booby traps here and there, although I’d be surprised if Sona didn’t know.
In our previous conversations she’d shown an in-depth knowledge of past seasons and gameplay.
As for Thorun, she seemed to stumble from one shocking revelation to the next.
As each box is opened coloured fireworks go off overhead, showing all the competitors that someone has taken a key. The colours correspond with their suits, so they also know just who is ahead of them or behind them.
I watch as Silke straps on two handguns.
She’s well behind the two she plans to eliminate, having revealed her plans to me weeks ago, but the guns do give her an advantage.
Sona, Thorun and several others have forgone the idea of weapons, at this early stage at least, and are instead heading straight through the clues.
But since Silke still has a leg in plaster it does stand to reason that she knew she’d be slow, and she knew she’d be a target.
In one sense, her strategy is a strong one if she can make up the time she lost to gain the weapons.
‘Hurry up, Cat.’
In the background Starlen is commenting on much the same thing as I’m noticing, but adding his usual purple prose and bullshit observations about how the contestants really feel about each other.
He wouldn’t know shit, having relied solely on the recordings of the conversations that were coming out of the girls’ accommodation.
But one thing he says does prick my ears up.
“And of course Miranda and Vasiliki, the only two left from their original bedroom of four, are determined that Thorun is their biggest threat and not the innocent she claims to be. Certainly, the bachelor has been spending some quality time with her. And doesn’t he seem just a little happier when he’s with her, VBG fans?
Can’t we all see the faint glow of affection?
I know I can,” he taps his nose on the side with a finger as though he knows a secret.
“And I’m not the only one. We’ve all seen how her roommate, our little mind-bender, has been offering bites of the fruit of knowledge here and there which just might see the Icelandic Eve expelled from paradise…
who knows? Will tonight be the night the Australian and her Greek friend, two women who’ve become very close to the bachelor in recent weeks, take out a popular bachelor rival?
Will the Viscount’s carefully shielded heart be broken this close to the end?
Hang on tight, Bachelor Universe, because when these two get their weapons it’s anyone’s game, and things are bound to go off, not for the first time, with a bang! ”
I scowl as I consider his summation and his hints that I’d already banged the Australian and the Greek. He truly is a piece of shit. But if he’s right and Sona’s spreading tales about Thorun, then surely Cat would know?
‘Very little gets past those dark, knowing eyes. She seems to me to be always aware. Very few escape that vengeful heart. If I were Sona I’d think twice about where she’s heading. Double-crossing the Italian is not wise.’
As I think this I nod and pull out my phone.
I have no intention of double-crossing the woman whose blood has some kind of magical property, whose body I can’t stop thinking about, and whose vengeful and violent tendencies are beyond question.
A deal’s a deal, and I need to hold up my end of the bargain, starting now.
I dial Falcon’s number quickly.
He may have his own troubles to deal with, and he may have lost the blood sample I entrusted to him, but I need to pressure him to make it a priority to find this Valentino cunt.
Cat’s right, I’ve done a lot for Falcon over the years, set aside my own feelings and my own problems to help solve his, sacrificed friendships, hell, I’d even sacrificed my heart.
Yes, I’d done him a great wrong, but also, for centuries, I’d done him right.
Killing the Italian’s nemesis is the least he can do for forcing me, the man who showed him it was possible to love a human woman, onto this disgusting game to marry a stranger and bear witness to the death of twenty-three innocent beauties.
He knew there could be no greater punishment.
He owes me.