Page 34 of Savage Reckoning

“Where did you get this?”

“He dumped it when he tried to run away. He was posing as a porter, and he hid this on his cleaning trolley. I retrieved it. Thought you might be interested.”

I dig a sterile sharps box out of my medical bag and transfer the syringe. I can send the contents for analysis, though I’m pretty certain we’ll find some sort of barbiturate, probably enough to fell a carthorse. It sounds to me as though the earlier ‘fluids’ was more likely an attempt to administer a sedative to put Aaron out of action, with a view to returning later to complete the job when he assumed he’d be alone, defenceless, and with no witnesses. Beth had ruined the plan.

Gabe turns his smile on Aaron and Beth. “Didn’t get time to properly introduce myself earlier. Gabriel Sawyer.” He offers his hand to Aaron, who takes it, but not without some hesitation.

“I suppose I should be glad you were here,” he mutters, the closest he’s going to get to thanking him.

“Don’t mention it.” If Gabe notices the surly attitude, he chooses to ignore it. He shakes Beth’s hand, too. “You did well, ma’am, raising the alarm like that.”

“I just wish I could have stopped him getting away.”

Gabe’s smile doesn’t waver. “Oh, he didn’t get away.”

Silence. We all stare at him.

“Then, where…?” I begin.

“I caught up with him trying to hotwire a motor in the car park.”

“Is he dead?” Aaron growls. “Tell me you fucking killed him.”

“Well, I did consider it but thought that would be a bit of a waste, at least until we had a chance for a nice little chat. I decided to hang on to him for a while.”

Hang on to him? “Where is he now?” I hardly dare ask, but someone has to.

“In the boot of our car.”

“In the…?” I can only stare.

Aaron’s scowl transforms into a beaming grin. “I could get to like you.”

“Good to hear. So, I was wondering where’s the best place to take our bit of baggage. Somewhere nice and quiet…”

“Caraksay,” Aaron says without hesitation. “In fact, that’s where we’re all headed. Security’s spread too thin when we have people scattered all over the place. We need to regroup.”

“But, what about—?”

Aaron interrupts any protest I might have made. “I can recuperate back on the island. So can Magda. You have the facilities to care for her, once her surgery is complete, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.” I’m pretty well equipped, and anything more I might need we can buy. “She should be out of critical care by tomorrow.”

“Right, then,” Aaron continues, all business now. “What about Ethan?”

“That’s trickier. He’s still in a coma.”

“On life support?”

I shake my head. “No. He’s breathing fine on his own.”

“Could he be moved to Caraksay?”

“I honestly don’t know. It might not be safe.”

“It certainly isn’t safe to leave him where he is.” Concussion or not, Aaron is firing on all four cylinders now. “I’m going to talk to Jack, and meanwhile, I need you to consult with Ethan’s doctors and find out how soon he can be moved. Involve Cristina as his next of kin. Whatever it costs, I want my brother safe on Caraksay where these bastards can’t get to him.”

“I’ll get on it right away.”

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