Page 77 of The Bait

“You’re just the lackey who pulled the trigger,” Istomin said. “Yunho ordered the kill. You know every shot you fired, every life you took was for his personal gain, yes? You mean no more to him than a pawn in his fucked-up game of chess. He needs someone removed so he can takethe spoils. He calls you and you take them out, he takes the money, the data, and the control.”

Asher wasn’t sure what part of that great revelation was supposed to be a surprise. He almost laughed. “I know all this. Who did you think we were? Batman and Robin, saving the world from evil villains? Newsflash: we’reallvillains.”

Istomin didn’t think that was funny. He grabbed Asher by the throat, his fingertips squeezing, his face red with rage.

“Did you know that he works for the government?” Istomin asked through clenched teeth.

Asher snorted becauseof coursehe knew that. “Which ones? There are dozens of countries who pay good money to have pieces in this game of chess with no strings. Yours included.”

“Yours,” Istomin said, giving Asher’s throat a squeeze before letting go.

Asher swallowed and resisted the urge to cough. “I don’t have a government,” Asher replied. “I have no allegiance to any country.”

Istomin laughed, which Asher hadn’t really expected. It was a sinister sound. “You don’t even know. You are so caught up in it and you don’t even know. He hid it from you well, yes?” He gave a pointed nod to Yunho. “You lied to him about his whole involvement, and he has no clue.”

Yunho shook his head, causing more tears to fall down his cheeks. He opened his mouth but no words came out. His breathing was ragged, unsteady, his whole body trembling.

Istomin smiled at Asher. “Like it or not, Asher, you now belong to the Australian government. Your precious Yunho sold you out. And your boyfriend, Harrigan. Hesold the both of you. You think the Milvus files case being blown wide open was the Australian military’s doing?” He laughed and gestured to Yunho. “The mastermind was right beside you the whole time.”

No.

Asher shook his head.

No.

Istomin laughed. “Was he helping you and Harrigan escape? Or was he orchestrating your every move? Did he provide information to bring down Clive Parrish, or did he use you to tie up loose ends?”

Asher shook his head again, but he glanced over at Yunho. He had his head down, crying. “It’s not like that,” he half mumbled, half cried. “I’m sorry, Asher.”

It’s not like that.

Meaning itwassomethinglike that.

Asher felt ill.

He’d brought Harry into this, and now he had no idea where he was or if he was even still alive. His Harry could be dead.

And for what?

Betrayal burned through Asher’s blood like lava, searing and beseeching.

He snarled at Yunho, his anger uncontained. “The fuck have you done?”

FIFTEEN

Harry cameto in complete blackness, his years of training registering everything immediately.

His hands and feet were bound. Silence, but for the ringing in his ears, and utter darkness.

A rank odour of burned metal and sulphur filled his nose.

Welding. Something had been welded.

He was in a room, perhaps. No noise from outside, no windows. He was on the floor. Cold, concrete. His head hurt, his teeth, his jaw, his right eye swollen. Not swollen shut, but the skin was tight and he knew his eyebrow was split, sticky with blood.

His skull hurt, headache throbbing, his whole mind heavy and dazed. Concussed, most likely.

When he tried to sit up, pain shot through him. Ribs, cracked at least. His kidneys had been pummelled, and his left shoulder was... yeah, something was definitely torn.

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