The Crescendo (12 page)

‘Mr Randall, where are we on this Yanna situation?' said Jamison, turning to Randall. He was calm and not even ruffled.

‘The girl is still working off her debt, sir. Another month or two I believe.'

‘No. I pay her debt, not Yanna. You said.'

‘You knew it came with a price,' said Randall.

Before Randall had even finished his sentence, Ryan was running for the little man. He'd seen his arm move to his back, going for the knife, and in a split second Ryan knew he had to take action.

‘Knife,' he yelled as he tackled the man to the ground, grabbing his arm. In the scuffle the sharp knife cut his hand and he felt the blood release. It looked like a knife used for the farm work, Ryan hoped it was clean.

‘Reece … what?'

Jamison called him by his fake first name in the shock of his sudden movements. Ryan looked up as the man wriggled underneath him. Randall had taken up position in front of Jamison but it was a little too late. Jamison would have taken a knife to the belly and he knew it. His eyes were large as comprehension set in.

Twisting the man's arm, forcing him to release the knife, Ryan then bent it back in a hold while he removed the weapon from him. With a flick, he sent it sliding through the dirt at Randall's feet. Randall bent to collect it while Ryan got up, bringing the Filipino man with him and holding him tightly.

‘Sorry Mr Figlomeni, but I only just saw the knife,' said Ryan.

‘No, no need to apologise. That was mighty impressive. Thank you.' Jamison glanced at his other two bodyguards as if to say ‘what the heck do I pay you for?'

‘Sorry, Mr Figlomeni, I didn't see it from this angle,' said Randall solemnly.

‘What shall I do with this one, sir?' asked Ryan. He felt sorry for the man he held. The fact he was now crying and mumbling about his daughter. Ryan knew that he was the innocent man in all this. He guessed his daughter was being used in prostitution under the pretence of paying her way to Australia. But he doubted that poor girl would ever be released now. It sickened him knowing this man's daughter could even be dead if she didn't comply, and he should have let him attack Jamison but the man would have only paid for it with his life, Jamison would have lived and nothing would have stopped. At least this way Ryan was hoping for a leg up into Jamison's world. Hopefully he could eventually find these girls, put Jamison away and get his business shut down. The agency wanted all the links from overseas found and severed. It would need more than just cutting off the head of the snake.

‘Mr Randall, will you please deal with this?'

Randall nodded his head and took the man from Ryan, who was no longer resisting. He probably knew his fate. Maybe death? Maybe a holding cell? Ryan was yet to find all this out but with any luck, soon.

As Randall took the Filipino man into the shed, Ryan pulled up his jacket sleeve so his cut hand didn't bleed all over it. He dug a tissue out of his pocket and used it to help stop the bleeding.

‘Are you okay, Reece?' said Jamison.

Ryan took that as a good sign. Was there a little trust growing?

‘Fine, sir. Is there somewhere I can get cleaned up before I drive you home?'

Jamison's brow rose. Ryan was dying to know what he was thinking.

‘Yes, Mr Wilkins, will you please drive us up to the house. My housekeeper Mrs Latina will help you. Will it need stitches?'

‘No, sir. This will be fine. I just need to stop the blood and then I'll be right to go.'

Jamison nodded and went to the car. Ryan still managed to shut the door for him before getting into the front seat.

At the house Jamison led him inside and called out to his housekeeper.

‘Yes, Mr Figlomeni,' said a large lady in a white uniform. She had sweat along her brow as if she'd been vacuuming or doing something vigorous. It made her dark curly hair, streaked with grey, cling to her head like a wet mop.

‘Can you help Mr Lancaster get cleaned up, please. I'll just be in the drawing room having a quick Scotch. I'll have one waiting for you,' he said, directing the last sentence at Ryan.

Mrs Latina took him to the laundry and used a flannel to clean his wound. She rattled off words in another language but Ryan got the gist from the tone of her voice that she was unimpressed with the deepness of his cut. ‘Stay,' she said, before ducking off and returning with a first-aid kit. She put little sticky strips on it to hold it together then bandaged it up to keep it clean.

When she guided him back to the drawing room, Jamison thanked her.

‘Is very deep, sir. Will need stitches.'

‘Thank you, Mrs Latina,' said Ryan bidding her farewell. ‘This will be fine.'

She shook her head, frowning at Ryan and walked out unimpressed that he wasn't rushing off to a hospital.

‘I think you've earned this,' said Jamison, holding out a glass with a nip of Scotch.

Not to offend, Ryan took it. ‘Thank you, sir. I'm ready to go when you are.'

He could tell Jamison had been trying to work him out this whole time. Probably wondering what Ryan thought about the man he'd apprehended, about his missing daughter, about if he'd go to the hospital with his wound, and hopefully he was wondering if Ryan was trustworthy enough.

‘Annaliese did tell me you were a great bodyguard, but I did think she was maybe prone to exaggeration due to her affection towards you.'

‘I understand, sir.'

‘But you've clearly shown me twice now that you are more than capable of handling any situation.'

‘And with the utmost discretion and protection, sir. I take my line of work very seriously. I don't plan on letting you down, or any future employees. I'm very grateful for this job but I do hope to move to a position I'm more qualified for. I don't want my weapons training to go to waste.' He hoped he wasn't pushing his luck. ‘Sorry to speak out of turn, but I'm still wanting a position in the league of Mr Randall's position. Eventually I'd like to run my own business.'

Jamison took a sip of his Scotch, let it wash over his tongue before swallowing it. ‘You are a man who wants to get to the top. I see that. You have more dedication than most of my staff. They are happy where they are, yet you, I see you are over-qualified for this position, even though you do it well. I have a feeling you do any job well.'

‘Yes, sir. I've been trained by some of the best. I will not let situations like today happen again. I am set to take you home if you are ready?' he said, quickly finishing off his drink. He wasn't really in a rush to head off. Every moment in this house Ryan was trying to take notes, retain what he'd seen to memory. Any little detail could help. But he wanted to come across as an eager to please worker.

‘Let's go.'

They walked to the door and Ryan quickly opened it for him and checked the area outside. ‘It's clear, Mr Figlomeni.'

Jamison paused by the door. ‘Reece, how would you like Mr Wilkins' position as my bodyguard?'

‘Sir?' Ryan held his breath. He didn't want to blow this. Everything was riding on this next step.

‘I do not feel safe around Mr Wilkins, I do with you. I would prefer it from now on if you took over his position and he became the driver. Would that suit you?'

‘Very much, sir. Thank you.'

‘Great,' he said, shaking Ryan's hand. ‘I'll inform Mr Randall.' He glanced across and saw Wilkins leaning against the car. ‘Mr Wilkins, you can drive us home please. Mr Lancaster is unfit to drive.'

‘Yes, sir,' said Wilkins, quickly moving to open the back door.

On the outside Ryan was walking to the passenger side door, on the inside he was doing a victory dance. He was now one step closer.

Into the den of the lion he went.

Chapter 12

Jaz walked to the gym from school, as she had nearly every second day this past month. She didn't bother driving as she needed the exercise and the weather was nice. Her schoolbag was heavy with books, study for exams was nightmarish but Anna was helping. The gym was theirs now so meeting there after school felt right, their own place where no one could kick them out. Jaz picked up her pace as she saw The Ring come into view. She did think about giving it a new paint job, but why? When it still worked fine on the inside. A new coat of paint would probably just make it a target for the local thugs. Mind you, Jaz would be quite happy to have someone to challenge right now. She had so much pent-up frustration that sparring with Tick or Cody just wasn't cutting the mustard. She wanted a raw, adrenaline-filled fight.

Some days when she walked back from school she almost wished that gang would come upon her again. This time she'd be ready for them. She was older, wiser, stronger and capable of playing dirty to survive. This time she wouldn't need Ryan to save her. This time she knew she had what it took to win no matter the odds.

The gym door was open, letting in the warm afternoon air. Jaz stepped inside and smiled. Nothing had changed. Muhammad Ali's pictures still hung from the raw brick walls, everything was in its normal position, as Pax wanted it.

‘Hi ya, Bags,' Jaz yelled out to her mate, who was down the corner with a group doing a boxing lesson.

He raised his padded hand and gave her a wave while still instructing the group.

Jaz headed into the kitchen, she knew Anna and Tay would already be here. They had to get some books from the library and then Tay drove them here via their house so they could change. Jaz already had moved half her clothes to Pax's.

‘You took your time,' said Anna as she looked up from the pile of books, papers, pens and highlighters. Her iPad was off to one side, with a plate of Tim Tams and coffee cups.

‘Yeah, hard slog with these buggers,' she said, thumping her bag down onto the table.

‘Pull up a chair, Anna is going over some shit,' said Tay as he got up. ‘I'll make ya a cuppa.'

‘Thanks Tay.'

‘Hey,' said Anna. ‘It's not shit, its physics.'

‘Same thing.' Tay shot her a teasing smile.

Jaz sat down and got her books out, along with her iPad and notebook. She liked her afternoons studying with these guys. It was a nice routine to have. They would study, then Anna went into Pax's computer room and Tay and Jaz sparred. Sometimes Cody came by too.

It had been a month since Pax's funeral and longer since Ryan's goodbye but still she couldn't help but look up every time someone entered the gym. How did she stop her heart from hoping? Would this feeling ever go? Or was she doomed to wait for Ryan her whole lifetime?

‘Cody said he was coming by this arvo with some news from Tilly.'

This made Jaz sit up. She stared at Tay, waiting for more.

‘That's all I know,' he said. ‘I'm hoping it's a mission. I need a break from all this study and I'm ready to do some serious stuff.'

Jaz sighed heavily. ‘Yeah, me too. My brain is just not taking any of this shit in.'

Tay put the coffee in front of her and the smell improved her mood.

They got a good hour of study in, Anna made sure of it. They were lucky, no Anna would have meant bad grades for sure. ‘Thanks Anna, what would we do without you.'

‘Fail, probably,' she said with a wink.

And lucky for them she enjoyed helping. Strange, she was.

Cody was already in the gym, he'd been chatting to Bags after his group session. He was in surf shorts and a white singlet with Rip Curl written across the front. He always looked as if he'd just come from the beach, only when they went on missions or training did he dress differently. Cody waited until Bags left and they had the place to themselves before he mentioned his news.

‘So I got a few words from Tilly.'

‘Yeah, and,' said Jaz impatiently.

‘Ryan has moved up a position to Jamison's bodyguard. He's in dangerous territory now. The chances of him walking through that door are zilch now, until it's all over and you know it—'

‘Yeah, I know,' said Jaz, cutting Cody off. ‘It could be years.' Or forever, her mind whispered, causing her skin to pucker with goosebumps.

‘But.' Cody drew out the word for ages. He watched her carefully, knowing it was killing her. He smiled and she nearly throttled him.

‘Cody!'

‘Okay, okay. Tilly said if you could meet him tomorrow on the corner of Hutton and Miner Street at four, he'll pick you up. He has a side mission for you if you want it.'

‘What about us?' said Tay.

‘Don't worry, you and I are on protection detail when Anna meets up with Ray, the other agency computer geek, over the weekend.'

‘Not nice,' said Anna.

‘When I said computer geek I meant techno superstar,' corrected Cody as he tugged on Anna's side plait that draped over her shoulder.

She grinned and Tay frowned.

But Jaz had stopped listening to their banter. All she had on her mind was meeting with Tilly, a few streets across from the gym, tomorrow. What did he have? Was it more news on Ryan? Did Ryan need their help?

How was she going to function until four tomorrow?

Somehow Jaz managed to get through a long dinner with her family, a full day at school where she tried really hard on her last lot of mock exams, ready for next week's finals. Her parents kept asking how she was going, was she prepared for her exams, but Jaz really had no answers besides ‘okay'. She already had her future path picked out and it didn't involve university or top grades. In her line of work she needed a better shooting average than high marks in her exams.

One could save her life, the other would get her killed.

After school Jaz drove straight home in her Jeep. She didn't want to waste a moment. She changed out of her uniform into her canvas hi-tops, skinny black jeans and dark blue singlet. With no clue what Tilly wanted, she tried to be prepared in dark comfortable clothes.

‘Simon, I'm off to the gym to study with the guys, I'll text Mum later and let her know when I'll be back. Call me if you need anything,' she said, sticking her head around his bedroom door.