New Encounters (31 page)

Chris walked through a large dining room and then through a lounge that was the size of a hotel function room. His pulse quickened as he saw someone, but it was his reflection in the mirror. Chris had his rifle behind his back, and his handgun with silencer attached held out in front of him. Arms locked, ready for what he might find. As he crept through the downstairs area, it was clear. He made his way up the stairs, no chance of creaking floorboards here, it was made of marble. Making his way upstairs, he started on his left and went along the corridor, listening outside the first closed door he could hear snoring.... it was a man. He slowly opened the door, with his night vision goggles on he quickly saw a man on his own. Closing the door quietly, he went to the next few rooms, each were empty. How many rooms did this place have? It was time to tackle the corridor on the right. 

Opening the first door, showed another bathroom, a bathroom that was bigger than the downstairs of Chris’s pad back home. Moving to the next room, listening first, he could hear a man sighing. Not in a way that suggests he is getting his leg over it was more out of annoyance. Restless, so he moved quickly to the next room to check out the others first. The next room was quiet, then he heard a very quiet cry. It was Bella, he just knew it was. But how the hell was he going to do this without being spotted and her being alerted to someone stood in her room with black paint on their face.

He pushed the door opened slightly, and she was facing the other way. This was the time. So he rushed forward. Dived on the bed and put his hand firmly over her mouth. Just in time as she started to make noises underneath his hand. She wriggled hard, and tried to get out of the vice like grip he had her in. Then he moved his mouth to her ear.

‘Bella. I need you to be very quiet.’ Her response was moaning as she was trying to scream underneath his hand.

‘Bella.... its me. It’s Chris.’ Slowly the wriggling subsided, and the moaning, under his now hot hand with her breath.... stop.

CHAPTER 46

I can’t stop tossing and turning. How many days and nights is this going to take? I have my bedroom window open so I can just see the moon that the clouds keep playing hide and seek with. I have tried to read, and my eyes were getting tired. I turned my light off in hope that I might sleep, but no... I felt awake again. So I put the light back on and painted my nails, let them dry and then turned the light off again. I turn to the window again and watch the clouds, and the moon peeping through.

Suddenly I felt a rush of air in my bedroom behind me, as I turn to see what it was. Someone jumps on my bed and has their hand over my mouth. I try to scream and get out of his vice like grip. Who the hell is this? They have come for me... they have finally realised that the woman they have is Ash, and now they have come for me. I try to scream.... scream for Robert, Giuseppe... anyone. But all you can hear is a muffled sound under this bastard’s hand. I try to get free, but he has strong legs, one of them wrapped around my legs. In effect, pinning me down. What do I do? I start to panic and my heart feels like it might pound out of my chest and escape.

Then he speaks.

‘Bella. I need you to be very quiet.’  I try to scream again, but in the back of my head there is something familiar about his voice. I have no time to think about it or try and place his voice so I scream again.

‘Bella.... its me. It’s Chris.’...... Chris.... Chris.... CHRIS? I stop moving and try to breath through my nose... trying to calm down. Chris... really? I don’t make any more muffled noises. As I had stopped struggling, Chris started to release his hand slowly. To ensure that I wouldn’t try and scream again, I guess he kept his hand close by. Gently, he started releasing his leg that was gripping mine so hard. He allowed me enough room to turn around and look at him. My eyes were wide, I know that, but I think they got wider as I looked at him. His face was painted black and he was dressed in black. But those eyes... I recognise those eyes. We speak in quiet voices.

‘Chris?’

‘Yes it’s me Bella.’

‘Usually the man in black comes through the window armed with chocolates!’ I smile at him, at my own joke.

He looks at me and a smile spreads across his face and he starts to chuckle, a very quiet chuckle.

‘Only you, could crack a joke in this situation.’

‘I know’ I join him in the chuckle.

‘Bella, we have to get out now.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Bella, the men you are in this house with are more than dangerous.’

‘What?’

‘There is no time to explain now but you have to come with me.’

‘Oh Chris... you have no idea how much I want to. But I need to keep with Robert to find Ash.’

‘What the fuck has happened to Ash?’

‘She has been kidnapped. Something to do with Roberts’s business. They think she is me. They have her in Afghanistan, and Robert thinks they will contact him any day now to do some sort of trade’

‘She has been taken to the Stan? Christ Bella. You know where?’

‘Yeah he has told me the village.’

‘Lets get out of here. We will get to her.’

‘But I might miss any information’

‘Trust me Bella. We won’t. Get up now, dress we have to go.’

I get up and quickly run into the bathroom taking my nightie off and put my underwear on and my jeans and t-shirt. Grab my hoodie, slip on my trainers and my handbag. There is all my other stuff, but looking at Chris... something tells me I won’t be rocking out of the front door with my suitcases. I don’t even know if I am doing the right thing. Going with Chris... moving away from my chances of finding Ash. Or am I? I don’t even know if Robert was telling me everything anyway. Shit, it’s too late now. Chris is in the doorway with his weapon help out in front of him looking left and right. I stand there looking at him and my god does he look hot. Then he whispered in my ear.

‘You stay close to me, and do everything I say.’

I nod at him. We move down the corridor and I can hear my own heart pumping fast. I am sure that everyone in the house must hear it. Going down the stairs one by one, he leads me towards the back of the house. But he stops listening, he changes direction to go out the front door. He undoes the lock and I stay an inch away from him. Looking left and right. He listens intently. He indicates for me to duck behind the pillar of the porch, and he goes behind another one. One of the guards walks around the corner, we are out of his sight but I can hear him whistling. Chris looks at me and indicates that I have to stay where I am. He draws his knife from his belt, and I look at him in horror. But he has changed, in an instant right before my eyes. He is not Chris, not right now. The guard walks past the pillar that Chris is stood behind and within a swift movement, Chris is behind him.... his hand is on the guards mouth and he slits the mans throat. Blood gushes from the gaping wound and I have to look away. Holding a hand over my own mouth. Petrified that I might scream without meaning to. Chris seems to be listening again, and I notice a little earpiece.

He grabs my arm firmly and we head off to the side of the house, and into the tree line. Running, and running and we draw to a stop when we can no longer see the house behind me. Then Chris speaks, but not to me.

‘Nob head, is anyone following?’

‘Good. I can’t thank you enough. Hold on... my sat nav is ringing.’

I am nearly sat on Chris’s knee and I can hear mans voice on the phone. Chris listens and puts the phone down after a minute and puts his head down. He sighs, and exasperated sigh.

‘Who was that? What did they say?’ I can see that whoever it was, has left Chris troubled.

‘We are in shit... that’s what.’

‘Why?’

‘Bella... it was the people I work for. We are in trouble.’
 

CHAPTER 47

When Chris’s phone had rang, he knew. He knew who it would be and that he was in shit. Not only that, but Bella was with him.  As he picked up the phone, his bosses had said.

‘Well, Chris, that was some stunt you just pulled. We had a perfect view, via satellite. You were given strict instructions to abort the mission. Then you went ahead and kidnapped the female. Good Luck Chris. You will need it.’

This is not good. Not good at all. He wondered what they were prepared to do. Was he struck off from the jobs? Or was he going to be hunted as well. He needed to find out from Bella, properly what had been going on and what the hell had happened to Ash.

CHAPTER 48

Bob watched Chris intently from the hill, ensuring that he got to safety. He liked Chris, and had always had respect for him. Really getting down to it... Chris had covered Bobs arse many times over. He had saved his life on more than one occasion. When the instruction had come through to abort the mission and Chris had explained what the problem was, he understood that Chris had to go ahead. If it was Bob, hell yeah... he would have done exactly the same. As he watched through his night vision goggles and seen Chris come out of the building safe with the girl he was relieved.

Bob had worked for many years with a lot of the US secret service organisations. He had done jobs he was proud to do, and done jobs that well.... he was not so proud of. But that was the role, it was all he knew. He had spent nearly 20 years framing people, taking people out, sometimes in a clean assassination, sometimes... well you had to make it look like an accident. Grim, but it came with the territory.

As he watched Chris run to the woods at the opposite side of the house. He watched to ensure no one was following. Chris came alive into his ear piece.

‘Nob head, is anyone following?’

‘So far so good mate.’

‘Good. I can’t thank you enough. Hold on... my sat nav is ringing.’

Bob let Chris get his sat nav. But deep down it troubled Bob. He knew that this was not a good sign. There is only a set of people that have that number... and none of them would bring good news. It was no coincidence that they called just as he made it out of the house. Bob knew this... as he knew very well... big brother is always watching.

Bob’s work blackberry vibrated. He didn’t have a good feeling about that. He fished his phone out and it was what he dreaded. Two pictures, both headed with the title: NEUTRALISE IMMEDIATELY.  The first picture was Chris Edwards. The second picture must be the girl he has just rescued. She is very pretty he noted, and called Bella Stone. Underneath the pictures, the gaffers are clearly not fussy as they state they are not fussed whether it looks like an accident or they are taken out. Bob has always done every assignment handed to him. He now had to decide whether this would be the same.