Out of Sight Out of Mind (25 page)

Madison stood and watched as Jay reached into the car to pack the last of the luggage. The long, lean length of his back and legs, taut now as he stretched over the driver’s seat to toss something into the glove compartment, sent a frisson along her spine. She knew that body now, as intimately as she knew her own. In dark and daylight, by candle light, by starlight, she’d held, touched, tasted. Every inch of that tanned skin. And still she wanted him.

Unaccountably, tears welled in her eyes. She turned away as he straightened up. The cottage was locked and secure. Already it had a closed-off, deserted look. She sucked in her cheeks, looking up at the blank windows and the tendrils of clematis spreading over the roof, the delicate pink blossom moving slowly in the fresh morning breeze.

She might never come here again. Unless—

The key to the front door bit into her palm as she curled her fingers around it. She had a brief, reckless impulse to throw it into the sea. Instead she put it carefully into her handbag. Just in case. When she turned around, Jay was leaning on the roof of the car, watching her

‘Last walk on the beach?’ he suggested, head tilted.

‘Why not?’

He held out his hand. She took it and gripped tight.

There were clouds scudding over the sky, some high and white and fluffy, others dark, low-flying ribbons, threatening rain. The sand went from warm gold to dank brown as a denser ribbon blocked out the sun. Madison held her breath until the cold shadow passed. They were making for the rock in the centre of the beach. They’d crept down here last night, to the flat surface that ran around the edge, and made love, hard and fast, before the incoming tide swept in. The sea hadn’t got them, but she’d nearly broken her neck afterwards, climbing the path in the dark.

When they reached the rock Jay sat, drawing her down beside him. ‘You want to go over it, one last time?’

‘No.’ They’d looked at it from every angle, planned for everything they could. Faced all the consequences. ‘Not unless there’s a way to change what happens after.’ She knew the answer, but she still had to say it.

‘Not that I can see.’ He buried his hand in his hair. ‘I’ve tried.’ He shrugged, an uncharacteristically helpless gesture that went into her like a blade. ‘There isn’t any other way. We agreed—’

‘I know,’ she broke in. ‘It’s just that we do all that and then—’ Her voice trailed away. He understood. Why say it?

He’d dropped his hand from his head and was looking out to sea.

‘Life doesn’t guarantee happy endings.’ He grinned at her, lopsided. ‘Hell, what are the odds that we even make it through the experiment?’

‘Pessimist.’ She gave him a shove. He shoved in return, then pulled, and she ended up in his lap.

Madison looked up, into his face. Her heart was balanced on the edge of something that couldn’t quite make it to her tongue. She buried her forehead against his shoulder instead.

‘Hey!’ He smoothed her hair, then her back.

‘I’m okay.’ She slid off his knees and on to the rock, wincing as the hard stone hit the back of her thighs. ‘I can’t believe we came down here last night.’ She looked round. ‘If someone had seen us they’d probably have called the coastguard. Was it—’ Abruptly she swallowed what she was about to say.

‘Like that with Gina?’ Jay understood what she had been about to say. ‘Sometimes, at the beginning. I remember a few wild moments in the lab, but that was before we were married.’ She could see he was thinking about that. ‘Neil?’

‘No.’ She traced the scar of a fossil in the surface of the rock. ‘Neil made me feel safe. I guess that that was part of his job.’ She curled her legs up under her. She’d begun to come to terms with what Craig had revealed, but there was still a way to go.

‘So – it’s official – we make each other crazy.’ Jay reached out and took her hand. ‘Some of what I felt for Gina was love, but it doesn’t come anywhere near what I feel for you. I’d die for you, Madison, simple as that.’

‘Don’t say it!’ She put her free hand over his mouth. He kissed it and twisted away.

‘I’m hoping not to have to put it to the test.’

He sprawled easily against the rock, watching a couple of seagulls flying low over the waves.

The fact that he wasn’t asking her for a response made part of her ache to give him one. She just couldn’t get past that final internal defence that stubbornly refused to fall. She’d loved Neil, but Jay challenged her on levels she barely comprehended. If she gave her whole self to him, there wouldn’t be anywhere left to hide, not even in her own mind. Despite everything, she still wasn’t ready. And yet, if ever there was a moment for a declaration, it was now.

She gazed up at the cliff. Once they started back, they’d be setting something in motion that neither of them could stop. There was still time for them both to run. She looked at the cliff and the cottage, standing alone at the top, and then at Jay. Some of the best moments of her life would be left behind her here. Moments spent with this man, and she still couldn’t tell him that she loved him.

Their plans were made. Now Jay was staring out to sea.

‘Penny for them?’

He turned towards her, shaking his head slowly …

Madison didn’t look back as they climbed away from the sea and the rock and the bay. She had to focus forward now. On the things they’d agreed must be done.

Jay watched Madison as she climbed the path ahead of him, spine straight and chin defiantly high. A sticky thread of apprehension was trying to crawl through his guts. Halfway up, he turned to look back. The breeze had sharpened while they were on the beach. A cold shaft lanced into his chest. He looked down at the sea and the gulls. Once they left here, nothing that happened would be within his control.

He watched a lone gull soar off into the sky, with a piercing, unearthly cry, and felt something turn in the pit of his stomach. Madison had given him everything and nothing. They made love, but when he held her in his arms she still wouldn’t let him into her thoughts. The fierce hunger inside him was like a bereavement. He wanted to lie in her mind when he took her body.
And if wishes were horses …

He turned again to the climb. It was Madison’s call. As long as she let him inside her head for what they had to do, it would be enough.

And she had given him hope. Something precious. And dangerous.

He didn’t have any right to ask for more.

‘There is one other thing—’ Madison indicated as she pulled out into the line of motorway traffic. ‘Alec Calver. He’s working for the Organisation. And with you. Are you sure about that?’

‘No.’

The bald answer had her glancing sharply across the car.

‘We have to watch out for him, too?’

‘I think we watch out for everyone who isn’t us. And keep the mental guards up. We don’t take any extra risks.’

‘They’re back. Drove in two minutes ago,’ Vic announced tersely and hung up.

Alec staggered away from the phone, as if he’d been punched, overbalancing a small chair and sending a shower of ash and sour-smelling liquid on to the floor. A litter of overflowing ashtrays, half-drunk cups of coffee and empty whisky bottles covered most of the surfaces of the room. Those that were still upright. In the last twenty-four hours he’d overturned and trashed a lot of the furniture. With a grimace of disgust he crossed to the window to throw it open, letting out the fug of dead air and smoke. He, and the room, stank of sweat, and stale booze, and fear.

Relief and fury swam up through his chest.

‘You bastard, Creed. You
bastard
.’

Vic put down the headphones as Alec entered. He hadn’t shaved and his fingers were stained yellow with nicotine. He eyed Alec’s cautious movements. ‘Rough weekend?’

‘What do you think?’ Alec picked up the headset. ‘Am I listening to the apartment or the lab?’

‘The apartment. They’ll be in the lab tomorrow morning. Apparently they made progress over the weekend. Now Albi seems excited about something she’s found in a book. Dream therapy?’

Alec’s face split in a grin. He exhaled, still shaky with reaction, after hours of tension. ‘Didn’t I tell you that this woman could do it!’

‘You did,’ Vic confirmed. ‘She’s planning to research some stuff tonight. Creed’s cleared off to the studio, to let her get on with it.’ He shrugged when Alec stared at him. ‘I’d do the same – there’s footie on the box at half nine.’

Alec grimaced, then settled in a chair with the cans over his ears. ‘Get the collection unit in place. Twenty-four hour standby. They don’t drop off the bloody map again.’ He shot Vic a warning glance. ‘We monitor every breath – neither of them goes for a pee without us knowing about it.’

Vic raised his hand in acknowledgement. ‘All fixed, no sweat.’

‘It better be. If she breaks through and we cock up, then we’ll need a deep hole to hide in. Ape-face will start with our balls in a sandwich and go on from there.’

The coffee shop was crowded, loud with the buzz of conversation. People swapped stories of their holiday weekend, while waiting for breakfast orders to take with them to work. Craig was already paying for his coffee when Madison approached the counter. He stood next to the bar that held spoons and other accessories, sipping, as she stirred sugar into two lattes.

‘When?’ he asked softly.

‘Half an hour?’

‘That works.’ He swung towards her. ‘Don’t worry, Maddie, we’ll be right behind you. We have the implant on Creed. We’ll always know where he is.’ He hesitated, and then put down a small object next to her coffee containers.

‘A computer flash drive?’ She cast a hunted look round, alarm spiking through her overstretched system. ‘Craig, if you’re changing the plan now—’

‘No – it’s for you. It’s not a drive, at least it is, but it’s a tracker, too. I got it for you, for backup. Just in case.’

She hesitated, then pocketed the gadget. ‘Thank you.’

‘I’ve got an obligation to Neil, Maddie. He’d expect me to look after you. Take care.’ Craig headed for the door. ‘And good luck.’

‘I think we should try this.’ Madison wriggled her jaw, which was stiffening up with the effort of acting natural. Somewhere in her lab was a bug. Craig’s team had confirmed it, with an early morning sweep.

She tried to ignore the itch between her shoulder blades at the thought of someone listening. The urge to search for the thing was almost overwhelming, but she had to resist it. She’d managed to hang on to her control last night, alone in the apartment.

She dragged her concentration back to what she was doing. Jay was looking at her, waiting for her to feed him his lines. ‘I know it sounds strange, but I think it might work. It’s worth trying.’

Jay smiled but she could see the brittleness in his movements. ‘Do I have this right? I go to sleep, and then you take over my dreams?’ The scepticism in his voice sounded almost too realistic. She shot him a sharp look. ‘You feed me coffee, then you want me to sleep?’ he asked, blandly.

‘So, don’t drink the coffee.’ She took it out of his hand. Their faces were close. She turned slightly. Jay’s lips brushed hers. She rested her forehead against his cheek. She wanted to cling. She wanted to run. For an instant her resolution quailed. Jay must have felt the tension in her.

‘We can do this.’ His voice was a breath of encouragement, close to her ear.

‘I know,’ she whispered back. She hung on to him for a moment longer, gathering strength from the comfort of his hold. Then she raised her voice. ‘You lie on the couch and see if you can sleep. I’ll get on with some work. If you do fall asleep, we’ll see what happens.’

Madison waited fifteen minutes, then five more, just in case. She shuffled paper, turned the computer on, printed out three pages of a report at random and muttered facts and figures under her breath.

Jay was doing a fairly good impersonation of being asleep, with snuffles and snores. Was a bug that sensitive? If it was, then it would be picking up her heartbeat any second. It sounded like Big Ben ticking in her ears.

She walked slowly over to the couch, putting her feet down firmly, to register movement. When she got there, she made a noise that she hoped sounded like someone finding her subject was out for the count.

For a horrific second she thought that Jay really had dozed off, until he squeezed her hand. She pulled out a stool and drew it up beside him. She felt slightly faint. Now was the worst part. They had to recreate what she’d done at the cottage, for an audience.

Moving jerkily, she clicked on her recorder and began speaking, identifying herself, Jay as the subject, the time and the procedure she intended to undertake. She paused, waited, and spoke again.

‘A small change in the interior climate.’ She waited ten beats. ‘I’m redirecting energy towards the barrier.’

God, this was rubbish. Was anyone likely to be convinced? Panic hammered through her. Jay’s eyes were open. He nodded reassuringly and began to moan. When he squeezed her hand again, her stomach kicked.

‘Signs of massive deterioration in the barrier. Oh, my God, it’s happening!’ She dropped the microphone. It clattered under the couch. ‘Jay? Are you all right? Can you hear me?’ She had her hands on his shoulders. How had they got there? She swung away as he sat up, cursing.

‘Jay, can you hear me?’ she repeated. ‘It’s all right. Take your time.’ Madison waited, counting off a minute, then another, as they’d agreed, to give the listeners time to assimilate what was happening, but still braced for the lab door to come crashing in. Her breath was catching in her throat. What if they’d miscalculated? If the people monitoring them didn’t understand? Jay was muttering loudly, in disjointed fragments. He grasped her hand and squeezed it. She folded her fingers into his. ‘What’s going on? Can you tell me? Talk to me, Jay,’ she pleaded.

‘Jayston Creed!’

‘What?’ She dropped his hand and backed away, then turned for the door, as they’d rehearsed. ‘What have you remembered?’ It wasn’t hard to make her voice scratchy with alarm.

‘Oh God
. Creed
, I’m Creed.’ He was on his feet, beside her at the door. ‘Do you have your car keys? We have to run, Madison. We must get out of here, now, before they come.’

Madison was afraid her heart was going to explode out of her chest. She channelled all the panic and confusion she could find into her voice. ‘Who are
they
? What have you remembered? What’s going on? Jay?’

He pulled at her arm. She scuffed her feet on the floor to sound like resistance.

‘We don’t have time, Madison, we have to get out now!’

He banged open the door one-handed, dragging her with him. They erupted into the corridor.

Instantly Madison felt the brush of fresh air on her face. The fire door at the end of the passage was open. A man in dark clothes, his face hooded, was standing beside it. There was a gun balanced across his elbow.

The scream Madison gave wasn’t faked. Jay’s fingers tightened on her wrist as he made to pull her the other way.

There was a second man, covering the door to the main corridor.

And behind him it was opening
.

Jay steamed towards it. Madison had a glimpse of Jonathan’s shocked face in the doorway. She saw his arm move sharply sideways and heard the crack of glass. The wail of the panic alarm split the air.

The man at the door swung something upwards. Jonathan went down in a heap, with barely a groan. The man swung back, ramming what was in his hand towards Jay.

Jay collapsed to his knees, and then fell forward, sprawling across the corridor.

Her screams covered by the sound of the siren, Madison shrank against the wall, edging backwards. She saw the eyes of the man who had brought down her lover and her best friend through the mask that covered his face. They were hard, glittering black.

Then something dropped over her head and she was lifted off her feet.