Chapter 93: Part Nine: Her Enemy’s Promise

James I lift the latch of the door to the walkers’ shelter, push and step inside…

… something presses to my temple. “Don’t move.”

“What?” I start to turn, but the something; cold, metallic, nudges at me. “I said, don’t move.”

“Who the fuck are…?” But my words are cut short. Abruptly, the shelter is flooded with light. It shoots through my eyes, blinding me.

“Is that any way to speak to your father-in-law?”

The voice is oh-too-familiar, and as my vision clears, I see the figure sitting on a bench; hands clasped behind his head, ankle crossed over knee. “Good to see you, James,” says Klempner. “Do sit down.”

Then snapping his fingers to the figure beside me. “His phone.”

Gun-muzzle to my head, I freeze, my hands semi-raised as the gunman’s hand works through my trouser pockets, first one, then the other, then slides down the zipper of my jacket to reach inside before tossing my mobile to Klempner.

My heart, which had calmed to a sensible pace during my ‘escape’ through the tunnel and the walk through the woods afterward, clatters and clamours behind my ribs.

Dry mouth.

Gritty eyes.

A cold sweat down my spine…

Air…

More air…

Don’t show him you’re afraid…

…

…

I’m not going to survive this.

…

A pulse hammers at my temple sending shadows dancing behind my eyes. Bile rises in my throat and I resist the urge to vomit.

This is it then…

…

Jade…

Oh, my Jade…

I wish I could have seen you, one last time…

Held you…

And I’ll never see our baby…

Watch her grow up…

Regret wells up, bittersweet, overwhelming my fear.

Does Klempner think I’m going to grovel?

Fucked if I’ll give him the satisfaction.

I straighten up, lifting my chin, meeting the bastard square in the eye. Michael’s words run an echo through my brain.

“Hartwell… They gutted him. Slit him down the middle from crotch to chest and left him to die.”

The pulse at my temple yammers…

Hope it’s quick…

Jade…

Klempner sits, as I first saw him; casual, relaxed, not apparently threatening. “Kirch, put the gun away.

You’re upsetting our guest.”

The gun is tucked into a holster. Its owner stands at a kind of attention beside me.

Klempner pulls out a mobile, taps in, then oddly, sets it to loudspeaker. “Baxter, everything okay down there?”

“Yes sir. There’s no-one in the house…”

“I could have told you that…”

“… and the hotel’s empty too. The guests and staff have gone. That fire in the kitchens was just a plant.

I rang the number on the security box and told them it was a false alarm.”

“Good. But that won’t stop the police turning up now the alarm’s been raised. Bring the 4x4 up.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be a few minutes looping round the back of the woods.”

“I know. Don’t take too long but keep the lights off.”

“Yes, sir.”

Klempner nods in apparent satisfaction then turns to me. “We’ll be leaving soon. In the meantime, James, have a seat.” He gestures to a bench. “May I call you James?”

The question catches me off-guard. I’ve hardly got the upper hand.

Why would he ask?

“What makes you think you and I are on first-name terms?”

He cocks a brow. “Always the charmer aren’t you. James, sit. Take the weight off that leg of yours.

You’ve exercised it enough for now.”

He’s right. I move on unwilling feet, using muscles soft with panic. I sit, then clasp my hands to hide the tremble.

“So…” Klempner laces his fingers together, thumbs rotating around each other. “We meet again, positions reversed, eh?”

There doesn’t seem to be any sensible answer to this. I don’t bother trying to find one.

Klempner seems unperturbed by my silence. He takes my phone, lays it to one side in easy view, then he presses a couple of fingers to the side of his ear, cocking his head, as though listening…

Ear piece?

His vision distant, he holds the position for a few seconds then refocuses back on me. “We’ll just wait for Michael to call you back, shall we?”

What the fuck?

My thoughts jar, refocus, then zoom in on what Klempner just said…

… and did…

What did I just see?

He knows Michael’s going to call me?

His mole?

Who’s Michael with?

Or is he being followed?

“Who betrayed us?”

Klempner blinks. “Betrayed you?”

“Yes, betrayed us. All along, you’ve known things you shouldn’t. And you’re here…”

His lips quirk. “I had you down as brighter than that, James. I’m sure you’ll figure it out before long.”

“I’m not interested in playing cat and mouse with you. And I’m fucked if I’m going to help you take Charlotte…”

Don’t mention Mitch…

It could just be coincidence…

Klempner leans forward, elbows on knees. “James, I have no quarrel with you. Contrary to what you might think, I don’t mean you any harm. Nor…” He raises a finger… “… my daughter. Nor her mother.”

So much for coincidence…

“Is that what you said to the prison guard you gutted?”

Klempner stands; agitated, snarling. “Hartwell had it coming. He went out of his way to make life difficult. As though life’s not fucking unpleasant enough when you’re inside.” Then he seems to take hold of himself, to try to compose himself. “Don’t ask me to be sorry about Hartwell. I’m not.”

“And the other one? What had he done to earn a bullet in the head?”

Something flits across Klempner’s face…

Regret?

Why?

Michael said they left the driver alive…

What am I missing?

He looks away, then back to me, not speaking for long seconds. When he does, it is in quiet tones. “I don’t mean you any harm, James. Jenny is entirely too attached to you.”

“Showing concern for Charlotte? It’s a bit late in the day isn’t it? After the childhood you gave her.”

That expression again…

Yes, regret…

“That was then. Things are… different now.”

He seems calm. I shouldn’t argue with him, shouldn’t upset him.

He’s a lunatic.

Christ knows how he’ll react if I say something to tip him over the edge…

Dead man walking…

Might as well have my say.

“Why is it different? Because you discovered you were the sperm donor?”

Anger flashes. “I was a fucking sight more than that. Mitch…” Abruptly, he calms again. More than that, he again seems to be deliberately making himself be calm. “All I want is to talk to Mitch.”

“All?”

“All.”

“She’s terrified of you. Why would she want to talk?”

Klempner opens his mouth to reply but then raises fingers to his ear again, frowning. After a moment he reaches into a pocket, taking out a phone. He taps in then raises it to his other ear. “Marco? Have you found them yet? Their knight in shining armour is on his way.”

He has men searching?

And he knows Michael is coming…

A voice chitters some reply to him. I can’t pick out the words but Klempner’s brow knits.

He stares at the floor for a moment, pursing his lips, then picks up my own phone, holding it out to me.

“Unlock it.”

“Go to hell.”

His head tilting, he lets out a breath. “James, seriously, unlock it.”

I don’t trust myself to speak. Don’t trust the tremble in my voice. I settle for sitting back and folding my arms…

*****