Chapter 18 #4
I raise my head to say something, and a man walks by who has a beard showing under his mask, a shorter one than Lazlo’s and bam. There it is.
“I remember a man, and he was with this woman with long blonde hair. Neither are in this.” I clamp shut my eyes, pulling up the memory. His face is blurred. The bearded man. And he’s wearing a mask like they are here, only it isn’t like these.
Shocked, I stare ahead, past the goblet, the plates. The fear in that moment surfaces in a rush and my words come out in a raspy whisper, “He had a gas mask on!”
Him. I’ve remembered him before, a few days ago when crossing the street in Clampton.
The rocking, the blurred room, the scent of something like lemons. The beard is new. I didn’t remember that before.
“He was on the boat. I smelled something odd and tangy and then I think I passed out?”
Lazlo looks at Rafe. “I wonder if the cops found anything in blood samples.”
“Would it even show?” He runs his hand over his face, rubs at his eyes, and yawns.
“I don’t know. I’ll see if Sir Benjamin can get that info too. We’ve heard nothing about how they died on the boat. Drowned, shot, gassed. It matters.”
“How much power must someone have to do that? Kill a boat filled with people and get away with it? Send Georgia to Australia. It’s not terrorists.
” He nods at the hall. “It’s people like this.
This is what you get with money, power, and too much time on your hands.
Whoever did it planned it and got away with it for a month.
They have to be someone up there.” He raises his hand to show a level. “Biggish in the scheme of things.”
I hadn’t quite seen it in that light, until now.
“Organized and it’s more than one person.
” That seems to hit Lazlo as hard as it does me and he peers out at the hall from under his brow.
“Hah. We’re here, you and me, except I fail the rich and powerful test. Anyway…
” He pats my shoulder. “Us walking around in here will have to wait. We should leave. Rafe, you look exhausted. You drove to London and back then all this.”
“Yeah. Super girl there might get us the chopper. I’ll go see.” He stands and heads over to where she’s waiting near the foyer.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I don’t mind missing out on seeing the rest. This is really just a big, fancy swimming pool.”
Someone falls in and there is an outbreak of whooping and laughing, as if to prove my point.
He chugs down the last of his champagne.
“Ahhh. Nice!” Then he flicks back his hair.
With a flourish, he deposits the empty glass on the table.
“That is true. I was going to throw you in but… another day.” He plucks at the black stocking over my midriff.
“This is filthy. You’ve got come all over it, dirty girl. We should have washed you better.”
I make a raspberry. A polite one, considering. “You’ve settled into this. Maybe better than I have.” I dare to lean into his shoulder and he hugs me.
“Not difficult to achieve, I will admit to that. If you haven’t noticed that I’m keen on you…”
Said so seriously that I blurt out a laugh. “Sorry.”
“What? Ahhh, you mean to say me fucking you into the ground wasn’t a big hint?”
“That was fun.” I smirk. “But this, the cuddling, the talking, it’s what I think I needed more?”
He kisses the top of my head. “Yeah, nasty sex is good but cuddling is too. Just ask when you want some. Dick or cuddles. Or dicks, plural.”
I may have eyerolled at that, but I stay where I am, soaking up his body warmth.
If I wanted to, I could stand up and shout I’ve been kidnapped in here, but who would do anything? The fraternity put me in Rafe’s hands. They’d just take me away and give me to someone else. When I run, I will need a better plan than driving to Clampton.
When I run. What am I doing again? And why? Is this worth it? What Rafe deduced about the people who took over the boat has stirred the cauldron of my old fears.
I’m a little person and my only power comes secondhand via the fraternity and Rafe, and maybe from Sir Benjamin. Rafe put his finger on my problem. I’m way out of my league chasing this ephemeral justice. Is it worth getting myself maimed, killed, by this big fish he theorized about?
If I quit, run away, and get protection from the embassy, that would be the end of this. Wait long enough and my significance will fade into dust.
I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do.
I’m not sure where this path is leading me, into darkness and death perhaps, but right now, I’m going to cuddle this big, hot man. I find his hand and kiss his fingers.
That gets him studying me, stroking my hair. “I might be army through and through, but I do have a heart.”
I’m certain he’s about to say more when Rafe arrives back at our sofa and beckons to us. “Chopper is ready. We get our gear and get over there ASAP.”
On the walk to the foyer, I get to hold hands with Rafe while Lazlo takes my other side. We gather clothes, make sure we have the precious folder, though I only have time to wrap myself in a coat and put on my shoes, but not to get back into my dress. Then we are off in that golf cart again.