Keeping Thyme (Thyme Trilogy) (3 page)

Liz starts opening boxes and places the contents around on the floor of the large main room. Simon heads for the boxes containing the weaponry. He lifts out the heavy metal cases within them and takes them straight into the spare room where Nick’s clothes are. I hear the distinct clicking sounds of metal and metal sliding together as gun mechanisms are being pulled over each other. I know Simon is in his element right now.

“How many bugs do we have?” I ask.

Liz finishes counting the pieces of equipment on the floor and looks up at me. “There’s around fifty in that box there. There are varying types. I managed to get my hands on the infra-red projectors that will link in with the three-dimensional responder on the ground floor.”

The thought reminds me that I need to speak to Liz about what she will possibly see with the addition of more bugs inside the mansion. I need to warn her that some of my actions will shock her. I need to warn her that she will learn very quickly just how fucked up I really am.

Everything that has happened in my life has led me to this point. My life was one big grooming to be the only person fucked up enough to submit to someone like Joe Tench. I motion for Liz to follow me into the monitoring room.

“There are some things I need to talk to you about without Simon around,” I whisper loudly.

The fact that I’m even whispering
now
will set Simon into a flurry of questions if he catches us. Liz understands covert better than anyone and nods once and leaves the room. She makes her way back out in the main room, and I follow. She grabs a set of car keys from the desk as she passes it and walks to the room where Simon is. He’s holding the pistol that is calibrated to my brain frequency and rolls it side to side, inspecting it closer. Frowning, he turns to us as we walk into the room. Finally I know more about weapons more than he does. I take it from his hands and hold it out towards one of the thick-concreted internal walls of the apartment. I think about the weapon firing and watch the four green lights consecutively light up at the back of the slide. I hear the high-pitched hum that signals the weapon has responded to my thoughts.

“FLOS.” I turn back to my brother with a bored expression. “Frontal Lobe Operating System. It’s coded to me and me only.” I say the word
disarm
in my head. The firearm stops humming and the green lights fade to black.

Simon glances to Liz. “You have one too?”

She smiles and nods back at him. His eyes brighten and he continues to nod as he smirks, overtly impressed by it all.

“There are four more boxes in the back of the SUV down in the underground garage. Could you grab the rest please, Simon?” Liz asks with extra sweetness.

Simon’s grin spreads the entire width of his face. He’s all too eager to please the statuesque Liz. I smile in amusement when Simon leaves the room.

“You underestimate yourself, Liz. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger.” I wink.

A red flush breaks out over her face and she shakes her head and scoffs, “Don’t be ridiculous. So, tell me about these
things
you need to talk to me about.”

CHAPTER THREE

“What do you
know about sexual submission?”

Liz’s brows pull together. “Know about
what
?”

“That’s what I thought,”
Great!
This is going to be awkward, “There are things I know that Tench likes. He thrives off control. There are things in the bedroom, during sex, that I know he will begin to lose control with, if I just play it right.”

Liz screws her nose up and looks even more confused. I just need to be as frank as possible. Lessening the shock factor is not an option here.

I let out a slightly frustrated puff of air. “I am going to let Tench rough me up during some wild sex romps so that I have power over him.”

Liz’s expression is still stuck on confusion. “How does that work?” She screws her nose up.

“Tench’s weakness is control. He knows he doesn’t have it over me personally since I ran away from him, so I am going to give it to him in the bedroom. If I know him like I do, he won’t know what to do with himself and he’ll be so wrapped up in treating me like a piece of flesh to pound, he will be oblivious to anything else going on.” I add a smile to lighten the dark subject. “Trust me, this is quite normal with powerful men. And they love it even more when they know deep down, it’s all an act. Why do you think high-class prostitution is such a lucrative business?”

Liz nods slowly, her eyes deep in thought.

“I can’t have my brother see any of this, okay? There are certain rooms that I won’t allow bugs in even for you to see. I don’t want you to question this in front of him. In fact, I would rather my brother bare witness to very little of this at all. It just makes me feel weird.”

Liz begins to understand and her nod changes to vigorous.

“If you ever think my life’s in
imminent
danger, bring my brother in. He will deal with it; he always does.”

I think Liz is troubled by my speech; silence seems to be her only response. Again, I’m reminded why the agency called me in for this. Where is my sexual deviant friend Charlie when I need him? He would understand this strange world and make me feel normal again. I admit to maybe being more like Tench than I’d care to be.

The door clicks open in the other room and I thank Simon for interrupting the awkward silence between Liz and I. I leave her to ponder over her thoughts and I help Simon with the rest of the boxes. Liz eyes Simon as she enters the room and follows her eyes to me. Finally, she smiles, and I know she’s going to be okay. Poor Liz! She’s so straight!

“I’m going back
to Tench tonight,” I say once all the equipment is unpacked.

Liz and Simon both look up at the same time, “Already?” I can tell Liz is concerned by her absent gaze.

I nod. “Yeah. It’s already been two days since I was there. I’m going to have to come up with something good as it is.”

Liz’s mouth contorts and moves around as she thinks. “Tell Tench your brother just arrived in town from overseas.”

Simon nods, agreeing with her. But in contrast, I shake my head. “He’ll want to meet him.”

“So, what’s wrong with that?” Simon asks. “I know the deal, so why not?”

“Can you be identified with your work in Russia?”

Simon’s face screws in anger and he laughs arrogantly. “I’m in
off-grid black operations
, not
news broadcasting
.” His tensed brow tells me he’s offended.

I look to Liz for assistance on this, but she gives me nothing but a shrug to suggest this isn’t such a bad idea. I glare at her momentarily and return a smile back to Simon.

“Sure.” I roll my eyes.

Simon looks smug. I know why he wants to go to Tench’s: he wants to protect me.

“I don’t want to be protected, Simon. I can protect myself … but maybe this will give Tench the opening into my private life that he’s so desperate for.” My eyes light up. “More control.”

Simon throws me
a set of car keys. “Car’s packed.” He smiles.

I look down at the keys and stroke my thumb across the Mercedes logo. I don’t feel right about taking Nick’s beloved Mercedes SLS AMG, but I keep getting told that “he would want this”. I haven’t driven a car in years … and this car is a powerful beast. A smile surfaces at the possibility of getting behind the wheel of Nick’s engine. Should I be feeling any kind of happiness about this?

“There is a meeting tomorrow with Nick’s lawyer about his will.” Liz approaches the subject softly. “Simon and I can just pass on the details to you if you don’t want to go.”

“Am I even invited? I was only in his life for a year. I wouldn’t be included in the will. What about his family?”

I see sadness and sympathy swirl in her blue irises. “He didn’t have family. He was a ward of the state since he was eleven.”

What?
Why didn’t I know this?

“We have to update our will every month with the agency. It was done a week ago. So yes, Mia, I would very much say you are likely to be included in his will.”

“Then I’ll come. I want to hear everything for myself.” I want to be a part of everything that remains of Nick. I owe his honour my full attention. My heart doesn’t want to let him go yet either, and I feel it swell at the very thought of hearing the last words he left. Maybe this will bring me some closure?

My drifting mind is interrupted by Liz’s caring smile. My face studies hers for a moment. There is nothing beautiful about her, but she is definitely striking. Her pale-blue eyes, blonde hair and bronzed skin makes her as regular as the local beach girls of Bondi, but it’s her towering height, perfect teeth and Julia-Roberts smile that make her so different to most women.

“It’s at one tomorrow afternoon ... at the agency.” I cringe at her words.

“You won’t be anywhere near the boss … Here.” She holds up a watch. “It’s like mine; it will unlock the side entrance.”

I strap it around my wrist and hug Liz. She takes a moment before she reacts and wraps her arms tightly around me. My heart softens for my friend. She’s obviously not used to the feeling of someone hugging her.

“See you tomorrow.” I freely make my way down to the basement car park.

The Mercedes kicks
to life with a rumbling purr. The hard drumbeat of Tool’s “Forty-Six & 2” thumps loud on the sound system. I press the back arrow for the song to start back at the beginning. A tingle shoots up my spine and I grin like the Cheshire cat. I push my foot softly against the pedal and the car answers me with a roar. I giggle and put the car into gear and launch out of the car park. A memory flashes before me and I’m reminded of the last time I drove a car. It was my father’s much-loved Porsche Carrera, and like this moment, it too was just after he died. I took it out for a joyride before my mum could find out. It’s a memory that I’ve long forgotten until now.

The same thrill courses through my veins and I cruise toward the eastern edge of the city. The car engine coaxes me to drive it faster … like I did when I stole my father’s car.
Faster, Mia. Faster, Mia. Faster
… I hear it every time I change gears. The entrance to the underground motorway, the Eastern Distributor, approaches me and I know I have a fairly straight-through run to Tench’s house from here.

I press my foot down further and the engine opens up. The faster I drive, the harder my heart pumps. The heavy drumming in the music thumps through my whole body as I weave past traffic. I speed up when I see some traffic lights ahead that threaten to turn red. The engine responds with a vicious growl and I drive faster than I ever have in my life. Arriving at Tench’s street quicker than intended, I pull over at the top of to catch my breath. That was such a thrill! No wonder Nick loved this car so much, and it deserves that kind of music to be played while driving it. I start laughing maniacally until my jolts of laughter turn into jolting sobs of tears and torture.
How am I ever going to get over Nick?
We were meant to live our lives together after this was over. It was over before it even started? What am I supposed to do with that?

“What am I supposed to do with that,
you fucker
?” My voice screeches in anger.

“Do with what?” Liz’s digitalised voice amplifies through the car speakers.

I snap out of my state and feel a burn rise over me. I’m always being listened to, or watched, or tracked.

“Nothing. I had a moment.” I inhale at the end of the sentence.

“You can come back, you know.”

I shake my head at Liz’s voice.

“I’m fine.” I wipe my hand across my cheek to discard the last rolling tear and inspect my make-up in the flip-down mirror.

I’m fine
, I repeat to myself as I throttle down the street.

The guards at
the front gate office stop what they’re doing the instant the car pulls up. I roll my window down and smile as effortlessly as possible. Little do they know how much of an effort that
actually
was. All four guards walk out of the office and slowly inspect the car, interrogating
my
car.

“Nice ride Miranda. This is hot.” A blonde-haired guard rubs his forehead with the palm of his hand.

“She purrs like a kitten.” Another guard behind him adds with a dazed look.

“You have no idea,” I coo. “Can I go in, or are you going to stare at my car all day?” My right brow spikes arrogantly.

All four men scurry back into the side office, scrambling over one another to press the button that opens the gates. They glower at one another for the lapse in professionalism shown over my distracting ride.

I smirk as I pull into the driveway. I park my car purposely in front of the grand entrance to Tench’s mansion. He stands at the front steps as I pull up. His look is hard to gauge. His eyes look dull … unimpressed. He stands still in his spot and watches me make my way out of the car, not offering my door like he usually would.
What’s wrong with him?
When I get to the step below him, I lean up, hoping that he reciprocates my offering. He doesn’t look at me, offering me his lips only, not taking his eyes off the car for one second.