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Tyler had killed her, and then he’d covered up her murder and dumped her body as if she were nothing.

She’d had a sad life and an even sadder death, and nobody was ever going to bring George Tyler to justice for it, because of who he was.

Who was there, in the whole world, who could take on Tyler and win?

Was it even possible? Ted seemed to have faith that Alex could somehow do it, but Alex didn’t see how.

He was an IS, helpless and without friends.

For now.

He gazed at the picture again, reflectively.

Tyler held all the cards right now, but that might not always be the case.

He would have to be patient, play a long game, and endure God knew what suffering in the meantime, but one day, his chance might come.

When it did, he’d have to seize the opportunity with both hands.

Could he do that? Could he somehow keep going in the hope of achieving justice for Solange?

Was he strong enough? It would be easier to let go and slip away into the peaceful escape of death.

And yet… he’d made so many mistakes in his life.

Maybe this was his chance at redemption?

Find something, Alex – find something, hold on to it tightly, and never let it go.

He folded the photo once more and returned it to his pocket. Then he turned to the guard standing by the door.

“I’d like to have something to eat now, please,” he said.

Several days later, he was strong enough to get dressed. He took a shower and washed himself slowly. He still felt weak, and when he looked in the bathroom mirror he barely recognised himself in the gaunt-faced man who gazed back.

He stood naked in front of the mirror and mapped his emaciated body with his hands.

His ribs and collarbone jutted out starkly, his pale skin stretched, thin and fragile, over them.

He turned around and looked over his shoulder.

The wounds from the whipping were fading, but some of the cuts were so deep he knew he’d be scarred for life.

He looked at his reflection again, searching his face, and finally found himself in the clear, cold set of his eyes.

This was who he was now. This was the new Alex.

He would bide his time, for as long as it took, until he could seek justice for Solange.

He slowly pulled on a pair of soft grey sweatpants and a white tee-shirt. He was so thin that his hip bones protruded through the material, and he had to tie the pants tightly around his shrunken waist to keep them up.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found he had a visitor. Tyler was standing by the window with his back to him, gazing out. He was wearing one of his usual off-duty outfits – plain black chinos and a black turtleneck .

“I’m glad you have your appetite back,” Tyler said, not turning around.

“Yes,” Alex said tonelessly.

“It’s for the best.”

“If you say so.”

“Of course.” Tyler turned to face him. “You’re important to me, and not just because of how much you cost. I don’t want you dead.”

“No – where’s the fun in that?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Far more fun to have me alive where you can toy with me, like a cat with a rat.”

“A rat?” Tyler grinned. “That’s how you see yourself?”

“Why not?” Alex sat down in the armchair, exhausted by the exertion of getting dressed.

“We can have a fresh start,” Tyler said. “Begin again.”

“No.” Alex waved a weary hand dismissively in the air. “We really can’t.”

There was a long pause, and then Tyler sighed. “Look, I know you’re upset, but she’s gone, and I can’t bring her back. You have to let her go.”

“Is this where the carrot and stick come in? I heard you that night, speaking to Drummond. You said you’d handle Ted and me. Well, you’ve solved the Ted problem, so now I assume you’re here to handle me. What are your carrot and stick for me, George?”

“Ah.” Tyler sat down in the armchair opposite with a wry smile. “I’m afraid that you require more complex handling, Alex.”

“Alex. You called me Alex.”

Tyler shrugged. “Why not? It’s what you like to be called, isn’t it?”

“Yes, which is why you never have.”

“Well, like I said – a fresh start.”

“How does it go, this fresh start of ours?” Alex demanded. “You enjoy tormenting me too much to give that up, but I know something that could potentially ruin you, so that makes me very awkward to have around.”

“I doubt it’d ruin me,” Tyler said sharply. “It’d be inconvenient to deal with if it ever got out, yes, but it wouldn’t ruin me.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. ”

Tyler’s expression hardened. “Don’t think you can play me, Alex, because you can’t. I will always win.”

Alex felt his own resolve harden in response. “You killed someone I cared about. She’s dead because of you. I can’t ever forget that, so please don’t think I ever will.”

Tyler’s eyes flashed. “For God’s sake! I didn’t mean to kill her – it was an accident.”

Alex threw back his head and laughed manically.

Tyler watched him, a bewildered look on his face.

Alex shut off his laughter abruptly. “ It was an accident ,” he said mockingly. “Sound familiar, Tyler? It was an accident. ”

“Shut up,” Tyler snapped.

“Why – you wouldn’t accept that excuse from me, so why should I accept it from you?” Alex demanded.

Tyler’s expression darkened. “You see, this – here – is why you need special handling. I tried to bring you to heel, to train you – to break you down and build you up again. All I ever wanted was to make you right, because you’ve been wrong your entire life, haven’t you?

You’ve always been twisted inside, and you hate that about yourself as much as I do.

I wanted to help you, Alex, but you wouldn’t accept my help. ”

“Given the nature of it, you can hardly blame me,” Alex responded wryly.

“Well, it’s time for me to finally concede defeat.

” Tyler threw his hands in the air. “You must see that I can’t have you walking around, knowing what you know, holding it over my head and threatening me with it.

” He grimaced. “I need the help of professionals. I’ve made some enquiries, and I believe I’ve found the right place.

” He stood up. “It’s a shame I didn’t manage to break you myself, but I’m a busy man, and I really don’t have the time to devote to it.

So I’m going to pass you over to a facility that can do it for me.

I’m sending you away, and when you come back, you’ll be different.

This nasty, selfish, sarcastic young man will be gone.

” He leaned over Alex, a grimly satisfied look in his eyes.

It took all Alex’s strength not to shrink back into the chair, away from him .

“In his place will be a nice, polite, obedient IS, eager to do his houder’s bidding.

You’ll be happier then, Alex – much happier.

It’ll hurt, I’m sure, in the short term, but in the long term you’ll feel so much better about yourself.

” He pressed a kiss to Alex’s head, tousled his hair affectionately, and then straightened up again.

“Goodbye, Alex. Next time I see you, you’ll be broken, and then you’ll do all those things I asked of you before. You remember what they were?”

Alex remembered all too well.

“You’ll do them willingly and happily – without any trace of hesitation, reluctance, or resentment – and then we can truly start again.” Tyler gave one last, terrifying smile, and left the room.

Alex was woken at 6a.m. the following morning and ordered to get dressed in a pair of jeans, a sweater, and a thick woollen coat.

Then he was bundled outside into the dark, misty morning, where a helicopter was parked on the back lawn.

Mick was waiting for him. He helped Alex in, then climbed in opposite him and closed the door.

As the helicopter took to the skies, Alex looked down at the damp island below, with its beautiful glass house set in the middle of the green golf course.

He was sure he could see a light on in one of the windows, and a figure there, watching him leave.

He raised a hand to deliver a derisive wave of farewell to George Tyler, then turned back to Mick. “Where are we going?” he asked.

Mick looked away, mumbling something.

Alex wondered why he wasn’t taking the opportunity to gloat, and then he realised: Mick had worked with Solange for months – possibly years.

He’d made her cups of tea, chatted to her, and had never exchanged a cross word with her.

Alex realised that Mick was ashamed of his part in what had taken place down there, in Tyler’s house, a few weeks ago.

“You could have stopped it,” he said quietly.

“You all could have stopped it, Mick. All these years, you let him get away with it. You never once stood up to him and said enough is enough . What happened to Solange was inevitable, in a way.”

“You don’t understand,” Mick said defensively. “You never have. ”

“Yes, I do. I really do, Mick,” Alex sighed.

“I liked her, Alex. She was a good person. She always had time for me.” Mick hugged his arms around his big body, looking suddenly small and lost, like a child.

“You could go to the police. You could tell them the truth about that night.”

“Yeah, right.” Mick shook his head. “I might as well throw myself out of this helicopter right now as do that.” He jerked his head at the long drop below.

“You know as well as I do that he’s never gonna answer for killing her, Alex.

Best we can do is make sure we stay alive long enough to get out and put all the crazy behind us. ”

“That’s your plan?”

“It’s all I’ve got.” Mick gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for you, Alex, I really am. This place you’re going… I can’t imagine it’s very nice.” He gave a little shudder.

Alex wondered where on earth Tyler was sending him.

But wherever it was, and whatever they did to him there, he’d survive, because Solange was depending on him.

Without him, there would be no justice for her.

He felt in his pocket for the folded picture.

She was his strength, and he’d hold on to her until either the day he died or the day George Tyler was held to account for killing her, whichever came first.

The helicopter travelled south-west for well over an hour, until Alex estimated that they must be over Somerset or Devon.

Then they landed on a huge, rolling lawn, in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.

Mick helped him out and escorted him across the lawn to a gravel path leading up to a large manor house.

“I gotta leave you here, Alex,” he said, pulling on the big doorbell next to a massive oak door. “Good luck.” He scurried back towards the helicopter.

Alex looked up and saw the letters carved into the stone lintel above the door, forming a single word:

Belvedere .

End of Book Two