A chorus of hostility erupted and Matt responded by slapping a hand to the table to quell the prospect for mutiny.
“Helen Nash didn’t kill herself. She was murdered by a killer tipped off she was on her way to meet Will. Given the only people who had knowledge of her journey are here, the finger of suspicion automatically points to someone within this room and it sure isn’t me.”
“You have to be joking,” said Rosa.
“I’ve never been more serious in my life. And it’s clear none of you are surprised by the revelation. I’ve said nothing which hasn’t been in the back of all your minds already. The only issue is which one of you it is.”
He targeted a dark look towards Lily and her suspicious eyes darted nervously to the white ceiling before crossing her arms in spoilt child fashion after being told off by a parent. At last he had the upper hand now that he’d released the demon from the bottle. Had a pin dropped the sound would have echoed for miles such was the deafening silence. Nervous glances rapidly exchanged amongst the five, none wanting to openly speak about the apparent truth on all their minds. This was Matt’s chance.
“We four were together, the whole time. So how could one of us have killed Helen?” chipped in Johnno.
“One of you could have got a message out.”
“But we didn’t,” said Toby.
“It’s the only logical explanation.”
“You can’t seriously believe one of us did it?” said Rosa.
Matt opted to remain silent.
“It’s not true, it can’t be” said Rosa. “We might have had our differences on occasion but it’s the unwritten law, the team comes first. It’s the way we were brought up.”
“Perhaps not everyone signed up,” said Matt.
He had to admit, it wasn’t obvious which of them could be the culprit, each looking as confused and disbelieving as the next. Toby was the next to speak.
“I trust these guys with my life. We’ve backed each other from the start.”
“Time for a rethink,” said Matt.
“It must be Rosa. Tillman was never the same with you after the Austria op,” Johnno said to her.
“Me?”
“Tillman’s moll,” he said, half apologetically.
“Totally the wrong freaking direction,” she said, glancing at an uncomfortable looking Lily.
The male contingent missed the aside. As cautious glances flickered between them Matt slowly rose, feeling Lily’s eyes burning into the back of his head.
“Coffee,” he said quietly. “I need a top up.”
He made his way to the percolator, deciding to stretch out the time needed to stir the cube into submission. A presence stole alongside and spoke quietly.
“Do you know who it is?” asked Rosa.
“No.”
“You must have suspicions.”
“I’m as much in the dark as you are.”
“Even more reason not to come after me.”
“I’m trying to keep you out of trouble,” he said.
“I hardly think I need your help.”
“You do this time. And what was all that crap about you not being people friendly?”
“Role play,” she said. “I’m supposed to be one of this team not part of team Durham.”
The motion of the spoon unconsciously accelerated in pace.
“Well stop it. You’re making me nervous.”
Her luscious lips edged into a smile.
“You’re only nervous because you’re standing so close to me.”
The vigorous stirring came to a halt.
“Maybe,” he said, with a half smile.
She gently rubbed her knuckles against his hand and took him by surprise. Despite the bond he had always believed they had shared such open and tactile affection had never featured before.
“One day you’ll get lucky,” she whispered.
“More chance of winning the lottery,” he quipped.
Rosa released one of her infamous throaty laughs, causing his smile to broaden.
“What did Tillman say about me in his log?”
“That you were the biggest tease on the planet.”
“Sounds about right,” she said. “If you didn’t jump into the sack with John Tillman then he assumed you must have had serious psychological issues.”
“Perhaps he wasn’t all he appeared to be. Lily seems to have been a firm supporter.”
“He was exactly how he appeared, the blueprint for sexist pigs across the globe. Lily was a victim of her own naivety and made a mistake.”
“You knew about the two of them?”
“I do but the boys don’t. Lily is surprisingly gullible. I put her straight the night after it happened.”
”It?” questioned Matt.
“Lily can be gullible but she’s not stupid. You don’t think she’d ever put herself in that position again.”
His first thought was of the diary. Something didn’t add up, unless Lily had deliberately withheld from Rosa details of her ongoing liaison with their team leader.
“Tillman seemed to think you all admired him, that you’d follow him anywhere.”
“Yeah, in his dreams,” she said. “Tillman wielded his power with an iron rod. His vision of utopia was for the ruling classes to be all male. Just because you’re on the right side of the law doesn’t mean you’re a good person.”
“Yet the team were all loyal to him.”
“We were loyal to each other. When six people are thrown into the same shit hole with no means of escape you have to stick together. That’s why we became such an effective team. Tillman’s version of inspired leadership had very little to do with it.”
“So why is Lily so hostile?”
“Lily is a creature of passion. Once someone has earned her trust they have secured her loyalty forever, irrespective of how they might subsequently treat her. You killed one of the team and there is no greater sin.”
Matt tried to piece the conflicting snippets of information together into a formula that made some kind of sense. At one end of the scale Tillman spoke about his protégés in glowing and affectionate terms yet, according to Rosa, the affection was anything but reciprocated. This made the ongoing liaison between Lily and her boss all the more surprising.
“Tillman was a smooth operator in the field, I’ll give him that,” continued Rosa. “So bloody smooth he could charm the knickers off of the most devout nun on the planet, a different guy altogether. I reckon he must have treated his courtship as a field operation, it’s the only way he could have persuaded someone to wed him. I pity the poor cow he did marry as he would have made her life a misery.”
That much rang true from what Maria had revealed to him in Portugal. Matt made a mental note, his mind shifting focus on the matter at hand.
“I need you to back me up when we reconvene,” he said.
He could feel her eyes looking questioningly at his face, intense yet apprehensive.
“And no arguments,” he added.
“I have to argue,” she said. “It’s a given.”
“Not this time.”
Before she could utter an objection he returned to his seat and sat down, the others engaged in a barrage of differing opinions being heatedly tossed from one side of the room to the other. The fierce debate over what to do next had Lily fired up most, judging by her increasingly aggressive stance and posture. He raised an arm to bring them to order. Lily’s was the last voice to quell.
“We need to talk,” said Matt.
“About?” Johnno asked.
“About what we’re going to do,” he said.
“We?” shouted Lily.
“First, the virus has to go back.”
“I’ve already told you …”
“No, Lily. Let him speak,” chipped in Toby.
“He has no voice,” she screamed.
She speared a vicious stare and he returned it with a cold smile, serving only to add further fuel to the rage building up inside
her. There was no other option he realised. Lily was going to have to be dealt with, sorted out, if he was going to make any progress with the others. The entire group sensed he had prepared for this conflict, including Lily herself.
“One word and I’ll shoot you here and now,” she said.
“Tillman was remarkably descriptive in his log,” he said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t need to tell you, Lily.”
She blinked repeatedly, a sign of greater fragility than her aggressive demeanour suggested. Matt readied to deliver the coup de grace but she beat him too it.
“It was only once, and it was a mistake,” she said, glancing awkwardly to Rosa.
“Lily?” said Toby.
“Kept that to yourself have you, Lily,” said Matt. “Makes a person wonder what else you might be capable of hiding from the rest of the team.”
“Shut up,” she retorted.
Matt slowly shook his head.
“Enough!” she yelled, reaching for the hand gun resting on the work surface.
Toby reacted first, snatching the weapon from her angry grasp.
“Give it to me!”
“Let’s hear what the man has to say,” said Toby.
“I’m not listening to this amateur piece of shit. Now give me the fucking gun.”
“I’m with bro,” said Johnno. “Whatever happened between you and Tillman is in the past as far as I’m concerned. Right now we’re going nowhere fast and if this guy has got a route out of this mess the least we can do is listen to what he has to say on the subject.”
“Ditto,” said Rosa.
The enraged face fixed on her voice.
“How are you going to cope when you get old and worn, Rosa?” she shouted. “How are you going to survive once your body starts to sag and your looks eventually desert you? Men won’t throw themselves at your feet once old father time has caught up with you and men can see you for the ugly bitch you really are.”
“You b …”
“Stop it!” shouted Will.
Matt stood in front of Rosa to halt the impending assault. The armour-piercing missiles loaded in Lily’s eyes pointed in his direction. Matt had never witnessed hatred like this before and he found it unsettling. Somehow he managed to maintain his steady gaze as to avoid her eyes would display weakness and he needed to assert his authority.
“There’s a reason why Tillman left his log to an amateur piece of shit like me,” he said, focussing on Lily. “Never once did he believe any of you had the gumption to lead and you’re showing me exactly why he came to that conclusion. You might be a team but you’re a team going nowhere fast. And it’s going to get you all killed.”
The force of the sudden diatribe surprised them, the flinch of Lily’s face confirming as much as her incendiary eyes lost their intensity. She opened her mouth in an attempt to spit out a vile expletive. It never came. She tried again, to no avail. It was as though her body had gone into automatic lock-down, her will to resist spent. In little less than a minute Matt had reduced her abrasive confidence to rubble. Lily’s resistance was broken.
“Time to get down to business,” he said.
Matt ignored the array of stunned expressions, intent on giving the impression he was a man in control. Wary eyes followed the movement of the mug to his lips, all bar those of Lily, who refused to look in his direction.
“Let’s sit and get organised.”
Will responded, soon followed by Rosa and then Toby and his doppelganger. He glanced to the figure of Lily, narrowing his eyes to confirm displeasure.
“Lily,” he said, pointing to the vacant chair. “This involves you too.”
Thoughts of disobedience crossed her mind but she sat with an over obvious air of reluctance. He waited for her to settle then waited a little longer until she finally raised her line of sight to look at him.
“What’s your idea?” asked Rosa.
“Hang on to the virus and they’ll come after you once they’ve developed an effective antidote. Give it back and they’ll come after you to tie up the loose end. Which means your one and only prospect of survival is to strike back and get them first.”
“How?” repeated Toby.
Matt leaned forward and clasped his hands together.
“We find out who exactly these people are and go public with the information, after we’ve thrown them off your scent.”
“I repeat, how?” said Toby.
“Rosa and I return the virus.”
“Why does it have to be me?”
“You helped me to recover the virus. They’ll never believe I could have done it on my own,” he replied. “They know we have history.”
He didn’t have time to stop.
“Between us we convince them the other three were killed during a shoot out.”
“Three?” questioned Will.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” said Matt. “So let’s keep it that way.”
“Why isn’t Will supposed to be here?”
“It’s a long story. Suffice to say he’s meant to be helping me find your location.”
“This gets more complicated by the minute,” said Toby.
“You know they’ll check your story out,” said Johnno.
“Yes, but it will give us the time we need to prepare.”
“Prepare for what?” asked Toby.
“Use the information Tillman provided to infiltrate their operation. The log gives details of a cloaked web site floating on the web.”
“You want to go in?” questioned Will.
“That’s the key to it all. Toby, how easy is it to uncloak a web site?”
“Depends on their security protocols,” he answered.
“We know they’re sophisticated.”
Toby’s eyes brightened in an instant.
“I do like a challenge,” he said.
“Does this mean you’ve worked out the key codes?” asked Will.
“Not yet.”
“How do you intend to get through their security without the key codes?”
“Triceratops,” said Toby.
“Triceratops, what’s that?” asked Rosa.
“It’s my very own SBS.”
“Toby, speak English,” complained Will.
“SBS, security breach system. I’ve only been able to use it on soft targets, banks and the like.”
“Banks?” said Rosa.
“Where else do you think all the money we’ve been using has been coming from?”
“That’s called theft, bro,” said Johnno.
Toby shrugged nonchalantly.
“Only by some people, bro,” he said.
“Yeah, like the law, bro,” replied his friend.
“Tell them,” said Matt.
“The concept came from Tillman. He wanted me to devise a programme which could infiltrate the intelligence networks of rogue states and organised terror to give us a bit of an edge in counter terrorism. Just as I put the finishing touches to it he pulled the plug.”
“Why did you call it triceratops?” asked Will.
“Three pronged assault. The first two attack the flanks of the target concealing the third and more powerful central prong in the process.”
He drew an explanatory diagram on the back of a shop receipt lying on the table, looking much like three horns on the head of the infamous dinosaur.
“If it’s as good as I think you won’t need any access codes to get in,” said Toby. “The programme does all the work and the only way to defend against it is by locating and destroying each prong at source.”
“Come on guys,” said Lily somewhat unexpectedly. “This guy can’t lead, he knows nothing about the kind of work we do. More likely he’ll lead us into a trap.”
He caught her eye and held the defiant stare, feeling oddly pleased her spirit remained intact. He responded by offering a friendly and reassuring smile in the hope this might encourage a degree of co-operation. The unexpected warmth
appeared to confuse Lily, her expression alternating between one of spite and surprise.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I have absolutely no desire to make this a permanent arrangement. As far as I’m concerned this is just a temporary fix until the task is done. After that I’m going back to my day job. But to make it happen I need the support of each and every one of you.”
He kept his eye on Lily, turning her face towards the others in search of a sympathetic ear. As the seconds passed without comment she realised it wasn’t going to happen and nodded in disconsolate agreement. Matt sought the same gesture from the others. Rosa was last to agree.
“We need to split into three teams. Will, you need to find two more secure locations,” said Matt.
“Toby said it is a three pronged assault programme so why do I need to find only two other locations?”
“I’ve already identified mine.”
“Where?” asked Rosa.
“Somewhere,” he replied.
“Aren’t you going to tell us?”
“Until we know for certain which one of you, if any, gave up Helen then it’s better none of you know where it is. I’ve made lists of everything we need,” said Matt. “Johnno, you’re on weapons, Lily is on logistics. Toby and Johnno will make up the first team, Will and Lily the second.”
“You haven’t mentioned me,” said Rosa.
“You’re coming back with me, remember?” said Matt.
“No chance. I’m not leaving the team.”
“You have to,” he said.
“I said no and that’s the end of it.”
“For the plan to have any prospect of success they have to believe the job has been done and that means you have to return and carry on with normal living as if there’s nothing else going on. It’s the only way the rest of us will get a chance to hack into the digital vault before they realise what we are really up to.”
“Then why aren’t you going back to the island, if it’s all supposed to be finished?”
“I’m going back to St Wolfgang afterwards to see Martha and Gerhardt. This would be regarded as normal behaviour and won’t seem in the least out of place.”
“I’m not leaving the team.”
“Someone has to buy us the time and you’re the obvious candidate,” said Lily unexpectedly.
She flicked a barely visible glance to Matt, and he returned an open smile. Rosa seemed oblivious, mind preoccupied on coming up with a good reason to persuade the others to allow her to stay.
“Matt?” said Rosa.
“Rosa, it’s important. You have to do this.”
“He’s right,” said Will.
She shook her head in resignation. He expected her eyes to be filled with ire rather than the disappointment now visibly sitting there. Matt had always regarded Rosa as a street fighter by nature, but this version was nothing like that. She appeared subdued, tentative and meek. There was something he was missing to this curious game.
“We don’t have much time,” he said, looking at his watch.
“What are you talking about,” asked Toby.
“I have to code in later today and there’s something I need to know. How did you manage to get hold of the inventory originally?”
“Helen,” said Toby. “She’d received the stuff through an old contact, along with some supporting information, and got hold of us one by one to get the old team together.”
“Why Helen?” queried Matt.
“Your guess is as good as ours,” said Johnno.
Matt felt the attention of the others on him but chose not to prolong the exchange.
“Are you all clear on what needs to be done?” he said.
Rosa stood from her chair and walked out of the French windows into the garden. Matt rose to follow.
“Is there anything else?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Lily. “What’s in all this for you? Why are you getting involved?”
“I made a promise to Maria Tillman.”
The response caused her to give him a curious look.
“You mean guilt?”
“Absolution,” he said. “Is there anything else?”
The group dispersed. Lily was the last to reach the door to the hall. She stopped and slowly turned to face him
“What is she like, Tillman’s wife?”
“She is a dedicated mother to four young children. Tough to walk away from someone as devoted to your children as she is. I could never do it,” he said.
Lily took a moment to reflect. He waited, unsure of the reaction he’d get in return. She nodded and left the room. Apprehension was the closest word to describe how he felt as he approached the lone and sullen figure sitting disconsolately on the garden swing seat. She moved across to make room for him to join her.
“I don’t want to go back.”
“It’s the right plan. You and the virus, gives us the best shot of success.”
She looked briefly to the sky.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were still alive?”
“It was part of the deal I struck. Give up all the files and stay away from St Wolfgang in return for allowing Gratia to be set free. It seemed like the right thing to do, given you were told I was dead.”
“I never believed it for a second.”
“Really?” he said.
“When you’re told word has been received someone has been reported dead you know it’s untrue, otherwise they’d just say you’d been killed. We both understood why Catherine used that particular form of words when she came to see me that morning.”
“Sometimes I wonder whose side she’s really on.”
“Does she know you’ve got Tillman’s log?”
“No.”
The conversation lulled as she thought on what to say to him next.
“Why did you get involved this time?”
“I didn’t have any choice. The minute they told me you’d got yourself into this mess I knew I’d have to come and get you back out of it.”
“I’m hardly a child.”
“No, but you’re my friend.”
She smiled, wistful yet appreciative.
“What ridiculously exorbitant fee have you charged them for your services?”
“They had to let Gratia see her father again.”
“Anybody else would have charged money.”
“Yeah,” he said, after a pause. “I suppose so.”
“So Gratia’s out of prison?” she asked.
“Yes. It almost didn’t happen. Fortunately Catherine was there to step in.”
“So where did she go?”
“She’s with me, back on the island.”
“With?” she asked.
“You know, with etc.”
“I always said you liked her,” she said, after a pause.
“Yes, I do,” he said quietly.
They settled back into an uncomfortable silence, oblivious to the faces peering down from the open window above.
“You’re determined to keep me out of this, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I can come back, if you give me a meeting point.”
“They’ll be watching. Better to stay away.”
“But I want to be involved.”
“You are, just not directly. And when all’s said and done you know I’m right.”
Rosa jumped up from her seat and paced the lawn, visibly agitated by something.
“Do you think it’s me, that I’m the traitor?”
“No. After everything we’ve had to go through together, of course not. It could never be you.”
He could feel her eyes staring in his direction, looking for any sign of evasion. There was none.
“So who do you think it is?”
“No idea,” he said. “I hope it’s none of them. They’re all good people in their own way. Each one has their own history, complete with individual strengths and weaknesses. The more I read through Tillman’s log the more I come to understand and appreciate them for the p
eople they are; lost souls looking to belong, to something or to someone. It turns out they found their place in Vega One. This camaraderie thing is all a bit peculiar to me.”
“Yeah, teamwork is somewhat of an alien concept to you isn’t it? Makes me wonder how Gratia manages to put up with you.”
The observation raised a smile. Rosa hadn’t lost her touch for putting him in place.
“What’s with all this bro stuff between Toby and Johnno?” he asked.
“They went to the States together on holiday a few years ago and came back with it. Been the same ever since. They’re like two peas in a pod. There are times I have difficulty telling them apart these days.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“I think you’re crazy to take this on. There are only five of you and lots of them. The team needs someone like me around to watch your backs.”
“Not in this plan,” he said. “This plan includes taking you back along with the virus.”
He found the indignant huff more amusing than menacing but felt it necessary to issue a firm rebuff.
“I have to make decisions on what is best for the team and not for individuals.”
“Christ, you’re beginning to sound like Tillman.”
A brief smile pursed his lips.
“Yeah, it’s starting to worry me, too,” he said, peering at his watch. “I’ve got to check in. Ask the others to bring down a bed sheet.”
The laptop burst into life. Will approached him as the others worked to fix the sheet against the end wall, blanking out the French windows.
“I’m the obvious candidate,” he said. “Given I was the one who used to work for Catherine.”
“It’s not you,” said Matt.
“How can you be sure?”
“A few reasons,” he said. “Firstly you’re anxiety to locate the missing ferry passenger. And when we got Helen out of the water you were more upset than shocked. That was probably because you and Helen had a thing together for a short time. Don’t worry. I won’t mention it to Jenna.”
“How did Tillman know?”
“He knew,” he said, turning to address the others. “Right, switch on the light and back away while I check it out.”
The cursor clicked to the webcam function and he checked the background to his face, motioning them away.
“Move back,” he said. “I don’t want them to be able to see a thing, not even a shadow, while I’m connected.”
The group retreated and he inserted the device, expecting to have to wait. The response was instant.
“Matt?” he heard Catherine ask. “Where are you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We’re coming in.”
“We?” she asked.
He motioned with a finger and Rosa stood alongside.
“Rosa?”
“Hello, Catherine.”
“Where are the others?”
Matt slid a number of small boxed items across the table.
“They’re no longer in the market for stolen goods.”
“All of them?”
“There was a window of opportunity, a chance to recover the inventory cleanly.”
“Can you provide confirmation?”
“Best I can do for now is give the name and registration of a fishing vessel though it’s not likely to be reported missing for a few hours yet.”
As usual her expression offered no clues as to her thoughts but he reasoned she was not entirely convinced.
“When can we meet?” she asked.
He understood this to mean soon.
“From here the safest route would be the overnight ferry to Amsterdam, docking at eight tomorrow morning. Have us met there and pick up the inventory. We’ll need passage through border control.”
“It will be done. Is there anything you need?”
“We’ll be fine.”
“Rosa?”
“No. Matt and I have a bit of catching up to do. I suspect that will keep me amused long enough.”
“Until tomorrow then,” said Catherine.
Chapter Twenty Three
Overboard