Behind the Facade (7 page)

That moment of loss came back to her suddenly,
vividly. She remembered screaming as her mother dragged her away and her
brother attempted to stop her, lashing him with the words, “She’s mine. You’re
only her brother. You have absolutely no parental rights. Now get away from
her.”  She’d had no regard for Brenna’s well-being only for the power
thrill it gave her to take something precious from someone else. This is what
drove her. After all, how many marriages had she destroyed, not including her
own?

Brenna bit her lip hard in an attempt
to brook the tears that began to form. Silly girl! Why was she thinking of the
past?  She shook her head. No tears now, she swore to herself. 
Never again over her mother.
It was time to concentrate on
the future. She was free. Finally, and unexpectedly, free of her mother and her
old predictable, painful life. It was crazy! Crazy but true! She pummelled the
water with her fists in excitement and then she heard an exclamation of
reproach and her head slipped under the water in surprise. She had a visitor.

She came back up spluttering, her face
reddening even more when she saw that she had soaked him. She’d been so busy in
her own head she had failed to notice his appearance. He stood at the entrance
to the patio, brushing at the water she’d showered him with, an amused smile on
his face.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself but
I think it’s time you got out before you wrinkle up like a prune,” he remarked.

It was the man who’d left his card
with her at the café. Sebastian.
Goggling
him and
struggling to compose herself, she was at a loss for words.  She almost
sank back under the water so extreme was her mortification, not helped by how
unnervingly attractive she found him. He must surely be a model himself?

He jerked an eyebrow and asked, “Well
do you intend to get out of there, or should I join you?” He eyed her
speculatively and she felt her colour rise once again. Boy, she wished she had
more sophistication!

Trying desperately to be cool, or at
least give that impression, she rose and held out her hand. “Help me out then,
won’t you?”

It crossed Sebastian’s mind that he’d
much rather help her out of that costume, as his eyes raked her. She reminded
him of the actress Emma Stone, he thought.
A very delectable
package.
But as that thought crossed his mind on its heels thundered
Harry’s warning.
“Hands off the merchandise.
I mean
it!” But surely there was no harm in a little nibble? Just to test the quality?

Taking her hand, he stood back as she
stepped out of the tub but, as soon as she found her feet, he yanked her
towards him. She yelped but more in astonishment than objection. “You got me
wet already,” he rumbled, “you may as well finish the job.” 

As his mouth seized hers and his hands
grabbed her bottom Brenna was at first flattered but then disconcerted, as the
kiss and his hold became a little too ruthless for comfort. Laying her hands
against his chest she pushed but this had absolutely zero effect. Panicking a
little, unable to breathe, she felt herself on the verge of screaming when he
finally released her.  The smug satisfaction she saw in his face left her
cold. It flashed through her head that she may have completely misjudged him…
and the situation. Who was there to call on if he took advantage of her? 

However, he must have recognised the
alarm in her face and he apologised. “I’m sorry. You’re just so pretty and I
found you too hard to resist. I hope I didn’t scare you?” He stroked a
conciliatory finger down her cheek. 

She had probably overreacted, she
thought. After all, she’d only ever experienced a bit of tame snogging. He was
very much a man and was treating her like a grown
woman, that
was all. He’d think her a baby if she made a fuss. Taking a deep breath and a
step back, she said, “You just took me by surprise.” 

“I was meant to give you this, not a
kiss,” he confessed, handing her a piece of paper. “You took me by surprise
too. I didn’t expect you to be so…...” He eyed her attire and smirked.  He
looked like a naughty little boy caught out by the teacher. She couldn’t help
but take the paper and return his smile.

 
“It’s your itinerary for tomorrow,” he
explained, “plus some general housekeeping information.” She thanked him and,
noticing she was starting to shiver, he passed her the terry-cloth robe from
the hook beside the tub.  This considerate gesture helped to reassure
her.  “You’d better get some rest. It’s a busy day tomorrow.”  He was
making his way out when she called after him. Turning, he queried, “Yes?”

“Will I see you again?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Not likely, sweet
thing. Harry doesn’t encourage it. He likes his girls to be completely focused
on their work.”

When the door had closed behind him,
Sebastian clenched his fists in exasperation. Everyone wanted them young and
untouched lately.
Couldn’t blame them really.
But this
girl could be his so easily!
Putty in his hands.
It
was a shame the operation was so snobbish. Breaking them in would have been
much more fun. After all, it came down to the same thing didn’t it?
Power and control.
Ah well, he shrugged. Things could be
worse. He was making money in a job he thoroughly enjoyed – there was a lot to
be said for the thrill of the con and there was little risk attached to this
game.

And, at least outside the operation,
he could have any girl he wanted. One encouraging glance and they were
practically wetting themselves. However, as he said this to himself, the image
of the boss’s daughter popped into his head to mock him. He scowled. Not
exactly “any”. But he was biding his time where that one was concerned. An opportunity
might yet come.

Brenna sighed as Sebastian left the
room. He was so handsome! And he’d kissed her like no-one ever had before. Yes,
he’d been a little over enthusiastic but now the moment had passed she
remembered it with fondness. He’d been so keen to make up for it afterwards.
What a gentleman! Well, no point mooning over him. He’d said they were unlikely
to meet again. Better concentrate on what she was really here for.

After securing her wet hair in a
towel, she indulged herself with a cappuccino from the luxury coffee-maker
installed in her room and then made
herself
comfortable on the sofa. Reading over her itinerary for the next day excitement
washed over her again.
Looked to her like she was in for a
day of utter pampering, followed by some photo shoots.
She sipped her
coffee contentedly. Could life get any better?

 It was 6.30 am in the morning
and Harry Pearson was settling down to eat his usual breakfast of eggs and
bacon. He’d had an invigorating shower, donned his cashmere dressing gown and
poured himself a cup of strong black coffee. He was an ugly man. His black eyes
were small in his doughy face and his thinning hair was swept severely back,
over his slightly misshapen head. However, when animated, power and vitality radiated
from him and transformed his ugliness into a kind of bestial beauty.

He sat in
the heavily soundproofed room he called his office, sipping his hot beverage
and gazing doubtfully at the huge screen in front of him that filled an entire
wall. The screen showed a satellite image with address, time, date, elevation
and geographic co-ordinates displayed along the bottom. The most striking
element of this picture was a bright red flashing dot that appeared to be
located in the large detached dwelling that took up most of the monitor.

Harry clicked a button on the pad in
front of him and the image refreshed itself but did not change. The expression
on his jowly features morphed into one of puzzlement. Despite knowing the
technology he was using was faultless, he’d at first assumed that there had
been some kind of glitch. There was a tracking device hidden in the locket that
his daughter wore and the red dot indicated where she was currently located.
The address being shown to him was hundreds of miles away. It was his habit to
check her whereabouts every morning but Kate had never before been in any but a
habitual or known location.

He grabbed for his phone
and his countenance gradually petrified into something resembling a
bad-tempered gargoyle as he failed to get any satisfactory response from the
numbers he dialled. Kate's own mobile phone just put him straight through to
voicemail. He left a message, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. He
eventually rang friends of Kate and Robert, whom he knew had been due to attend
the same dinner engagement, and his worst suspicions were confirmed. Neither of
them had turned up for the party the previous night and no-one had been able to
get in touch with them.

He cogitated for a few moments, tapping the phone agitatedly
against his chin,
then
he dialled a final number.
After making the call, Harry poured himself a generous glass of whiskey and
threw it hectically down his throat, all the time glaring venomously at the
mocking red dot still blinking on the screen. What the hell was she doing in
that place? He prayed that there was an innocent explanation. Maybe she was
there on some kind of spontaneous romantic tryst with her boyfriend.

Even though he had never known her not to have the locket
on her person, or at least close by, perhaps it had been lost or stolen and it
was just an unfortunate coincidence that he was unable to get in touch with
her. Had she finally deduced that the locket contained a tracking device and
had done this to test her theory or to get back at him? But if something more
sinister had happened...his guts clenched tortuously at the thought and the
hand on his glass threatened to break it. If something had happened to her, if
someone had dared to harm her...they would beg for death before he was finished
with them!

His
tormented musings were interrupted by the arrival of the man he had summoned.
“I came as quickly as I could, Sir. I am at your disposal and await your
instructions.”

Harry turned to him, still scowling
fiercely. A lesser man would have quailed at being fixed by Harry’s mad glare
but Sebastian didn’t even flinch, his handsome face remained calm, his dark
eyes clear and direct. Harry noticed this and mentally patted himself on the
back. He had chosen the right man. What he didn’t know was that Sebastian was
actually fighting to keep himself from smiling; he couldn’t believe his luck.
It appeared that his boss’s daughter was missing and he knew he would now be
assigned to track her down. He had desired Kate ever since meeting her. His
infatuation had only been inflamed by her inexplicable antipathy towards him
and the knowledge that it was strictly against the rules to have sexual
relations with her.

Harry turned to his desk and picked up
a slim, rectangular tablet. He turned back to Sebastian, handing it to him.
“This works in the same way as my screen,” he said. “It will show you where the
locket is located and presumably my daughter along with it. It incorporates
satellite navigation that will guide you to the location.”

Sebastian took it from him, gazing
intently at the red dot that also blinked in the middle of this smaller screen.
Sebastian wasn’t the only one to keep something back; thanks to this console
Harry would also be able to track Sebastian’s location and progress but he
chose not to disclose this. 

“I want regular updates,” he
stipulated. “I will continue making enquiries at this end but, for the moment,
we have to assume that my daughter is at that location. Your priority is my
daughter. No matter what, you find her and bring her back to me.” He paused,
his eyes darkening perceptibly, like glittering black diamonds in his
adamantine face. “If the unthinkable has happened and someone took her against
her will, even if they haven't hurt her, I want the bastard or bastards. And I
want them alive. Knock them around a bit by all means but I won’t thank you if
they’re dead. You understand?”

“Yes,
Mr.
Pearson,” Sebastian affirmed. “You can rely on me.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as he again
appraised the muscular man in front of him. “I hope so,” he said, “for your
sake as well as my daughter’s. Fail me in this and consider yourself
redundant.”

He then turned and placed his left
thumb on a sensor panel embedded in a large metal safe behind his desk. After a
few seconds an orange light came on. With his right hand he entered a code into
a key pad and the safe unlocked. He opened it and selected some keys from the
numerous rows of keys glimpsed inside. He also selected two guns, holsters and
ammunition.

He turned
back to Sebastian and handed the items to him, starting with the keys.

“Here are the keys to a new black
Range Rover. The tank is full and it has a large boot with rope and anchor
points you can use for securing human cargo.” Sebastian accepted them in
silence and deposited them in his pocket.

Harry handed him the chunkier gun and
holster saying, “This is the latest type of
taser
. It
can be used at a range of 20 feet. It also has a direct contact stun gun
capability
.
If you have to use force on an
adversary stick to using this, if you can.”

Once Sebastian had affixed the stun
device to his person, Harry passed him the gun and the accompanying bullets.
“This is a
Ruger
. I trust you are familiar with this
type of semi-automatic?”

Sebastian’s mouth twitched ever so
slightly in pleasure at receiving the more lethal weapon. Harry must have
caught this lapse as, before he released his hand from it, he fixed Sebastian
with his intimidating gaze and warned, “Remember, corpses are no good to me.
This is to be used only in an emergency and only to incapacitate.”

Harry rubbed his furrowed brow
restlessly. “These items are assuming worst case scenario. Let's hope they will
be superfluous to requirements.”

He turned his fervid gaze on Sebastian
for the last time. “It should go without saying that you are not to harm my
daughter in any way. If this is something she has done voluntarily and she is
reluctant to return with you just persuade her to speak to me.”

Sebastian then left quickly, expertly manoeuvring
the car out of the parking garage and following signs to the nearest motorway.
He clipped the handheld device to a holder on the car's windscreen and followed
the navigation, smiling constantly to himself as he picked up speed.

 It had still been dark when he
set out but, as he travelled further, the rising sun gradually began to stain
the sky and the surrounding landscape with colour. The symbolism of this made
his grin wider; he felt like he was now rising up from out of the darkness to
bring life to his long harboured dreams. He was also secretly hoping for some
kind of showdown. He enjoyed inflicting pain and would be disappointed if he
did not have to use any of the
armoury
he now had in
his possession.

The destination he was heading for never
altered, according to the static red signal on his screen. Harry telephoned him
during the journey to inform him that he had discovered from checking police
logs that Kate and Robert had visited the Martin de Pores building last night
and Kate had reported a possible break in. Although the officer had reported it
as a false alarm, it seemed too much of a coincidence. Sebastian was to
continue in his quest and Harry was going down to check on the offices and see
if there were any clues there.

Though
traffic began to increase, he made good time. He didn't bother stopping for
breakfast; he knew that Harry wouldn't want any delay and his hunger to catch
up with Kate overrode any desire for food. Despite his satisfactory progress,
unbeknownst to him, if he had been just five minutes faster he would have
reached the house just as Kate and her kidnapper were leaving. He must have
passed them on the way there, but was too intent on reaching his destination
and had no cause to be looking for Kate in a passing vehicle.

His heart started beating faster in
anticipation as he cautiously turned up the long driveway towards the house. He
discovered a narrow, rutted track, overshadowed with twisted trees, off the
main thoroughfare. He parked the Land Rover there, largely concealed from the
casual eye. He exited the car with the tracking device, pulled on black leather
gloves and, still armed with gun and
taser
, quietly
approached the house. The house was large, stylish and sophisticated in design.
It occurred to him that it neither looked like a romantic hideaway or a
kidnapper's den. He checked for cameras or observers but could see nothing to
concern him.

He used the tangle of trees and bushes
sprawling up the approach to the house as concealment and ran swiftly to the porch.
He pressed his body up against the wall as he tried the door handle. He was
surprised to find it unlocked but he still pushed it ajar carefully and slid
warily into the hallway. There was no-one around and no-one came out to
confront him. He could hear a television playing softly somewhere upstairs. He
glanced down at the handheld tracking device and it revealed that he was almost
on top of the locket in terms of location, which he interpreted as meaning that
it, and hopefully Kate, was in the room directly above him.

He took out the pistol, feeling a lot
calmer now he had the familiar reassurance of a gun in his hand. Screw the
taser
and the apparent innocuous feel of the place; he
didn't want to get caught by surprise. He crept soundlessly up the steep stairs
and stood still at the top. All the doors were closed. The landing curved away
from the stairs in two directions, the noise of the television coming from the
right but his device beckoning him to turn left, back towards the front of the
house. He followed the signal and stopped in front of the last door, holding
his weapon tightly in his hand, listening out for any sounds from within the
room. All he could hear was his own heart booming excitedly in his ears.

This door was also unlocked and he eased it open,
ready to spring on any would-be assailant. The room was empty, though the
bedclothes were dishevelled and looked recently slept in. He did a quick recce
to confirm that no-one was hidden anywhere and then checked out the
ensuite
bathroom. His eyes immediately lit upon the gold
locket lying on the floor. He picked it up, noting that the chain was broken.

“Fuck,” he swore vehemently. He tried
to clamp down on his temper but to suffer such extreme disappointment after the
sweet anticipation of immediately finding Kate, the object of his most
perverted fantasies for so long, was too much for him. He slammed the hand
holding the gun into the large bathroom mirror. The mirror cracked along its
entire length and a few shards of glass rained down on to the floor. His hand
was protected by his glove but it throbbed nonetheless and the pain did nothing
to dampen the adrenalin and testosterone now pulsing round his system.

His eye fell on something red in the
bathroom bin and he pulled out Kate's torn dress. He recognised it, despite its
sorry condition. This at least was proof positive that she had been here. He
held it up to his face. He could still smell her scent on it and this just
served to aggravate what had now become a raging hard on. He left the bathroom
and stalked back out on to the landing, no longer concerned about being quiet,
intent on discovering who was here. There was still a chance it was Kate.

Angela had fallen asleep in bed whilst
watching television. She was awoken by a noise and her hands clenched the bed
sheets, her initial reaction one of alarm. Once her mind cleared she relaxed,
assuming that Sean and his troublesome sister were still in the house.

Her peace of mind was short-lived. She
jerked upright and shouted out in fright when her door was flung open and a
terrifying stranger hurtled into the room.
The giant of a man
stood there for a moment, his eyes scanning the room. He clearly wasn’t happy
with what he saw and he advanced towards the bed.