49. Helen
HELEN
The blindfold is still on, and I don’t fight it. I’ve been counting since we made that turn, right after the blue billboard advertising insurance in a mash of Spanish and English.
Twelve Mississippi. Thirteen. Fourteen.
The road stays smooth at first, then it becomes rough. A left turn. A longer stretch of steady speed. Then another left turn. I track the time against the rhythm of the engine.
Forty minutes, and the vehicle stops. I keep counting until hands pull me out. The blindfold comes off.
The light is dimmer than I expect. I’m in a tight room with a single window.
And beyond it—
“Olivia!”
She’s in the adjoining space, bound to a chair, blindfolded. She can’t hear me. The padding along the walls tells me why. It’s got to be soundproof.
I move toward the window to slam my fists against it, but a man steps in front of me, firm hand on my shoulder.
“You won’t get away with this!” I shout.
Victor remains where he is. “Your sister has no idea who arranged her little ordeal,” he says. “Her friends have already been released. They’ll be too frightened to speculate. They were kept separately, so none of them know where they were held.”
“The embassy will trace this,” I say. “You’re not as clever as you think.”
“They already have,” he replies mildly. “Rich American girls. Mexico. Bad decisions. People believe that story very easily.”
“They will track me.”
“Of course.” His tone stays light.
“And they’ll see I came with you.”
“Exactly!” It almost sounds like a cheer.
“You’ve rehearsed this story.”
“Half a billion, Helen. You think I didn’t rehearse this?” he says. “At the airport we were laughing about ice pops and lizards. Remember?”
My pulse hammers. “Liam knows I’m here,” I say, as much to him as to convince myself.
“Mexico is vast, and money motivates very efficiently. I have enough to ensure silence until I get what I need. Soon I’ll have much more.”
He places the navy folder in front of me, exactly as he showed in the photo earlier. He opens it.
There’s only a single sheet inside. Mercer letterhead. But it’s definitely not a will.
“You were bluffing!” I say. “There was never a secret will.”
“This is merely the code to where it is,” he says.
He takes out a tablet and begins typing, glancing at the letter now and then for reference. After a moment he turns the screen toward me.
“There.”
A page waits, asking for my thumbprint and retina scan.
“I told you, your father was clever. But we’ll see whether his attempt to protect his fortune becomes my lucky break—” He glances toward Olivia. “—or his daughter’s demise.”
He makes a call. Moments later, a man enters the room where Olivia is being held. A knife settles against her shoulder. She stiffens, her lips moving, uttering words I can’t hear.
The blade shifts higher.
“Stop it!” I say. “You said she’d be safe!”
“She is,” he replies. “As long as you cooperate.”
“You know I’ll do anything to keep my sister safe,” I say. “Leave her alone and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Let’s test that, shall we?”
He takes my right hand and presses my thumb onto the scanner. The page accepts it and prompts for the retina scan. I look into the camera.
The page unlocks.
Victor laughs. “Daddy thought of everything, didn’t he?” he says, sounding gratified. “Told you he was a genius.”
He scrolls through what looks like investments and account balances, his eyes moving fast. I can almost see him adding the numbers in his head.
“The fuck…where’s the rest?”
He goes back to the top and checks again.
My math isn’t nearly as quick as his, but even I can tell there isn’t half a billion in there.
“Eighty-three million?” he mutters.
“I’ve done what you wanted,” I say. “Now release her. Release both of us. Nobody has to know. I’ll tell everyone whatever story you want them to believe.”
“Eighty fucking three million…” he repeats.
“It’s still a lot of money, Victor.”
He kicks a chair across the floor and paces, cursing under his breath. After a moment he drags in a few rough breaths and nods. “Yeah. You’re right. It’s still a fucking lot.”
Then he looks up at me. “But let you go? Nah.” A smile creeps across his face. “We just got here.”
“Truly, Victor…what have you become?” I say. “We were friends. More than friends.”
“It saddens me,” he replies calmly. “You could have chosen me, and all this would have been ours. No one needed to be tied up and threatened.”
“You chose this.”
“You misunderstand,” he says. “I chose opportunity.”
“Take the money, Victor. All of it. I’ll say nothing. Let us go. If you keep me here, Liam will find you,” I say. “And he won’t stop until there’s nothing left of you.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for!” He laughs, then stares at me as if letting it sink in. “He believes your life is in immediate danger. He will rush. He will escalate. And in escalation, men make mistakes.”
He’s not wrong.
“You think this is about speed?” He braces his hands on the table and leans forward until his face is inches from mine. “Helen of Troy. I’m willing to play the long game.”
“Not that long. You can’t keep us here forever. Olivia’s college will start asking questions.”
“Let them. People disappear for years.” His voice stays calm. “And you, my dear, will have an explanation ready.”
I look at him.
The son of a bitch is going to split us up.
“She stays here,” he continues, “and I’ll let you go. You’re free to live—so long as you keep your mouth shut and do exactly as I say.”
“You think this is all so simple?”
“Yes,” he says. “The bond between sisters? It’s real. I don’t even have to think too hard.”
“You said it yourself, my father was a genius. There will be other safeguards. Something that exposes this.”
“Perhaps.” He gives a dismissive shrug. “But I told you, I’m playing the long game. People get caught when they rush. When they move eighty million euros in a single stroke.”
He taps a finger next to the tablet.
“Here’s what I’m willing to gamble,” he says. “By the time anyone starts asking questions, the money will be gone and every record will look procedural. And whether Olivia walks away from this…will depend on how well you do your part.”
I let out a defeated breath, and Victor doesn’t miss it.
“Your life,” he continues evenly, “is not in danger. I am not careless. You and Olivia remain valuable.” He steps closer. “But if you attempt something foolish, she will pay first.”
And soon I’m taken back to the car.
Victor thinks separating us will break me.
He has no idea what he just started.