Page 92 of Close Protection

‘Hello, Daphne.’

35MILOSH

I’m looking around for the organic blueberries when my burner rings.

Major Davis.

‘Sir,’ I answer.

‘Petrov, we just got some intel,’ he starts. ‘We were able to hack into one of the doorbell cameras of the houses opposite the cottage in France on the day of the break-in. After confirming with Ryan Moore, we know that he wasn’t alone that day.’

My blood runs cold.

‘He had a partner with him who waited outside and hid just before you came back to the house. He stayed around the side of a neighbouring cottage. When Interpol and the sketch artist showed up he waited until they were inside before leaving his hiding place and putting a tracker under the cars. One of which you took to the safe house. You need to get out now, take another vehicle and go somewhere secure.’

Daphne.

She’s at the house.

Alone.

‘Sir, I need to call you back.’ I end the call without waiting for his response, making my way out of the store while calling Daphne’s burner.

I try three times with no answer. Picking up my speed I break into a run just as I see two black SUVs turning onto the road of the safe house.

Running up the street I stop and hide behind a car as I watch four men and one woman with visible holstered handguns get out of their cars and walk up to the house.

They wait at the door for a second before entering, presumably while they pick the lock.

Pulling out my phone I dial Davis back. He picks up after just one ring.

‘Write these licence plates down,’ I say in a low voice, listing them off one after the other. When I’m finished, I leave the car I’m hidden behind and run to get a better vantage point.

I move to the other side of the road, walk down the driveway of the house opposite Daphne’s and hide behind a very conveniently placed bush.

I keep my voice down as I bring my phone back up to my ear. ‘Sir, you still there?’

‘Yeah, I wrote the licence plates down. Do they need to be run?’

‘Yeah,’ I bite out, anger building in my veins. I have to focus. That’s the only way I’ll be able to make sure Daphne’s all right. Follow protocol and stick to my training.

‘I was out at the shop when you called me so as soon as you told me what happened I raced back,’ I start to explain, watching the house vigilantly for any movement. ‘But before I could get back I saw two big SUVs parked outside. Four armed men and one woman broke in and entered.’

I hate that I left her by herself. I shouldn’t have done it but I didn’t know what else to do. Not when she started panicking after realizing there were no blueberries. ‘I can’t see into the house, but I’m hidden in front of it, so I’ll know when there’s movement. I don’t know if there are any more people in the cars but I’m almost certain these are the same vehicles driven by whoever ransacked the Greens’ house a couple of days ago,’ I rattle off.

I want to go in there.

I want to storm in there and sort this out. But I know that’s an extremely stupid idea.

There’s one of me and at least five of them.

Four of them with guns.

Realistically, I know they won’t hurt Daphne. They want to use her as collateral and she’s no good to them dead.But that doesn’t stop the roar in my ears and how my heart sinks thinking about the fact she’s practically defenceless against them.

‘I just ran the licence plates and they’re all registered to the same fake company,’ Davis reports. ‘When they start moving, we’ll track them. That should take us to a Daveeno base of some sort.’

‘Okay—’ Before I can finish, the safe house door opens and a woman who looks eerily similar to Daphne steps out.