Chapter 15
Maks was awed by how Eden filtered through the information.
She certainly knew how to delve into something and find the hidden gems. There were piles of papers on the table around her.
He didn’t know what each was, and it didn’t matter at the moment.
She had begun by describing everything to him and what she was doing, but it was slowing down her process.
So he told her to work now and explain later.
He took the empty glass of water to refill it. When he returned, he had it, along with some tea in case she might want that.
“Oh, you’re a mind reader,” she said and flashed him a smile before putting some honey into the hot liquid and stirring.
Maks noted that she was coming close to finishing with the pile of papers. Every once in a while, she’d turn to the laptop and type something into a document she’d begun. It looked like some kind of shorthand, which he deduced were notes for herself.
Eden took a sip of the tea and sat back after she finished reading the paper. “Well. That was quite a bit.”
“Anything good?”
She raised her brows at him, then barked in laughter. “I think it’s safe to say that the majority of it is good.”
“Really?” He hadn’t expected that at all. “I was hoping there might be one or two things in all of it.”
Eden shook her head and held the mug between both hands. “Did you look at any of this?”
“Some of it. Others I just copied and got here. Why?”
“Because you’ve got some very important pieces of information with names, locations, and dates on them.”
Maks thought about that for a moment. “All right. Information like that is always good if you can connect the dots.”
“You most certainly can connect them. I may not have figured it out as quickly as I did if I didn’t know about August 12, 2017.”
“What date is that?”
“The day that a prominent history professor at Cambridge University was found dead in his home. The authorities ruled it a suicide almost immediately, but someone in the department leaked evidence that proved it was a homicide.”
Maks couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure?”
In answer, Eden switched to the internet and entered the information into a search engine. Just before she hit ENTER, she looked at him and asked, “I gather this is encrypted?”
“It’s why it’s stored in the safe.”
She pressed the button and various news articles filled the screen.
Maks moved to get a better angle and read the many headlines.
One after the other taking off with the story that the Cambridge professor’s murder was a coverup of some kind, and everyone trying to figure out how deep in the British government it went.
“While this is great, how do we know it has anything to do with the Saints?” he asked.
Eden’s lips turned down in a frown. “Unfortunately, two weeks later, four cops were killed. I did a little digging and discovered their names were linked to the original investigation of the professor.”
“You think they leaked the information?”
“I think there’s a really good chance of it. The fact they were killed in some random act of violence makes it pretty sketchy to me. Especially when one of them was off-duty at the time but had been called to the scene.”
Maks had to admit it did look as if someone was trying to get rid of those who went against policy.
“That’s not all, either. Two days later, one of the detective chief inspectors resigned, and two others above her were moved to other departments,” Eden told him.
He turned his head to her. “Did you look into this for some client?”
“No. I did it because something sounded off to me. It died pretty quickly, though, which also didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t long before some other big story came through.”
“Maybe by design,” he said.
She snorted. “Maybe. I didn’t think about that.”
Maks straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think it’s time to check those other dates.”
“That’s what I’m about to do. It might take some time. If it is something similar, I’ll get all the information I can, including anything that could be connected.”
“In other words, I shouldn’t hover?” he asked with a grin.
She laughed as she tilted her head to look at him. “Hover all you want. I’ll be happy to tell you what I’m doing as I’m doing it.”
“There’s no need. I’ll leave you to it. There are woods behind the house. I’ll go hunting and get us some meat for dinner. You do eat meat, right?”
Her chuckle caused her eyes to twinkle with merriment. “Most definitely. And while I’m not usually one to want to hunt for my food, I’m also aware of the situation. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not picky. You bring back food, and I’ll eat it.”
“I’ll lock the door on my way out. No one can see through the windows, and no one can get into the house. You’ll be safe.”
She stared at him for a moment. “I’ll be fine.”
He started to turn away then reached under the table near her and pulled out the gun he’d hidden there. He laid it near her. “Do you know how to shoot?”
“Some. It’s been a few years since I fired a weapon.”
“It’s already loaded.” He lifted it and pulled back the slide. “Just point and shoot. It has a kick, so hold it securely. Aim for center mass. Don’t try to scare anyone away. If someone tries to get in and it’s not me, assume they’re a Saint.”
Eden nodded solemnly. “I got it.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be fine. You’ve made sure of that.”
He hesitated, wondering if he should wait.
But they needed fresh food, and he didn’t want to go into town.
Finally, he turned on his heel and walked to the back of the house.
The closet looked like any other until he pushed on a board, and the wall shifted, opening another door to a room.
Overhead lights flickered on to show the many and various guns, rifles, knives, grenades and ammunition at his disposal.
It had taken him years to accumulate the weapons, and this wasn’t his only stash.
He had three other houses just like this one in various parts of the world that he could get to if he were in trouble.
Maks chose the 30/30 hunting rifle and loaded the weapon. He then walked out, closing the hidden door behind him. After a glance to the front of the house where Eden was typing on the keyboard, he walked to the back door and let himself out. He locked it and turned to face the woods.
Part of him didn’t want to leave Eden, but another part of him knew that she was safe in the house.
It’s why he had set it up. He’d bought—and installed himself—each window with bulletproof glass.
The walls were also lined with fiberglass to help stop projectiles.
He’d done everything he could to make the house as impenetrable as possible.
He stepped off the porch and headed into the woods.
Maks had learned to hunt at an early age.
His father had wanted all of his children to know how to fend for themselves if there was ever a need for it.
As soon as the woods swallowed him, Maks was transported back in time to memories of hunting with his father.
Sometimes, his father would take him out on his own.
Other times, it was with the others. The one thing Maks could never say was that his parents didn’t spend quality time with all five of their children.
Talking about his family with Eden had made him homesick in a way he hadn’t been in years.
He longed to hear his mother’s laugh and smell her cooking.
He wished he could sit with his father as they grilled something and shared a beer.
How he missed the times he and his siblings would play card games late into the night.
He’d given all of that up to make the world a better place. But had he actually succeeded? He hadn’t. He wasn’t even sure he stood a remote chance of taking out the Saints. But he had to try. For his family. For Eden. For everyone else in the world.
Maks didn’t stray too far from his house.
It might be on a moderately trafficked road, but its location set against the forest was prime real estate for him.
Being in the woods and with nature helped to center him, to ground him.
His father said that in order to be a human, one had to know, respect, and love nature and the Earth.
It was something that had resonated with Maks.
To this day, he made an effort to get out into nature the moment he felt like he needed to be centered again.
Even just walking in a park and listening to the birds could do it.
Sitting next to a stream, standing on a beach as the waves crashed on the shore.
There was never a place where he didn’t take the opportunity to soak in nature.
Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time he could do that.
Eden might have told him that she was fine, but he didn’t like leaving her alone.
He knew for a fact how difficult it would be to get into that house, and if anyone came, he’d hear them before they ever got through.
That didn’t seem to ease his mind, however.
For two hours, Maks searched for any sign of animals.
He spotted boar tracks. Found week-old deer tracks, and just when he thought he might not be able to find one, he came across a Roe deer.
Maks raised his rifle, sighted down the barrel.
As he breathed out, he pulled the trigger. The deer collapsed where it stood.
He hurried to it and kneeled beside the beast, putting his hand on the animal’s head. “Thank you.”
In quick order, Maks slung the small, reddish deer over his shoulders.
He grasped his rifle and straightened before he turned and made his way back to the house.
As he approached, he slowed, his gaze moving about, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
None of the sensors had gone off to alert him on his phone, but he didn’t rely on only technology.
It was nice to have, but he’d been burned too many times not to trust his own eyes and senses.
Only when he deemed that no one had come near the house did he leave the forest. At the back porch, he lowered the deer to the ground and went to the door. He punched in the code and wiped his feet on the mat before entering the house.
The first thing he heard was music coming from the office.
He smiled as the strings of Godsmack’s When Legends Rise song reached him.
He never would’ve thought Eden was a hard rock girl.
He made his way to the front of the house and peeked inside the office to see her head moving to the beat of the music as she gazed at the computer screen.
Not wanting to scare her, he tapped on the door. Her head snapped around to him. Maks lifted his hands. “Just wanted to let you know I’m back.”
“I see you got something. Or did you shoot yourself?”
He frowned, blinking. “What?”
Eden pointed to his shirt. “There’s blood.”
“Oh.” He glanced at the stain. “I’ll be right outside, cleaning the deer.”
She flashed him a bright smile. “Okay.”
Without waiting, she turned back to the computer and began typing something.
Maks backed away and went to the kitchen, where he had freezer bags.
He grabbed the box and returned to the carcass.
With sure strokes, he gutted the dear before removing the coat.
After that, he began cutting the meat into pieces before putting them into the bags.
Once that was finished, he took the bags inside, putting all but two in the freezer. Then he gathered the remnants of the deer and tossed them into the forest to be eaten by scavengers. There was no need to waste anything.
Maks then washed off the blood that had gotten onto the back porch.
He made sure that everything was just as it had been before he arrived.
Then he went inside and removed his clothes in the laundry room.
There might not be any hope of getting all the blood out, but they needed to be washed anyway.
He started the washing machine and walked from the room to go upstairs.
With one foot on the bottom step, he paused at the music.
He hadn’t thought about Eden seeing him naked when he removed his clothes. But now that he had, he wished she had been out here. Though, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done if she were. This wasn’t the time for anything romantic. Even if he did desire her.
“Stop it,” he ordered himself and proceeded up the stairs to take a shower.