Page 33 of The Bait

Admittedly, it wasn’t much. Mostly a comment here and there when Asher was on some stake out or on the move in the middle of the night, and Yunho would tell him of the juk hishalmeoniwould make for him when he was a boy and how he’d have to make it for Asher one day. Or about the first time he travelled abroad, to Japan, and how enamoured he was with the outside world.

And the Japanese men-only baths and hotels.

Oh yes, he’d liked those a lot.

Or how he was faring once Asher had left him in Thailand to do some jobs for him in Europe. He used to venture out to the market for food back then—not that he’d liked doing it—but his reclusiveness steadily got worse. The more money he made, the more he could pay to not leave, and as technology accelerated, so did his agoraphobia.

Asher had thought finding Yunho’s island, and the small house that was on it back then was a godsend for him. Now with hindsight, maybe the isolation fed his agoraphobia and made it worse.

But then, when he’d decided to upgrade his house to the mansion it was now, he’d hired a construction manager to oversee the project, making all the necessary trips back to the mainland on his behalf. Trips that Yunho couldn’t make.

And that construction project manager was a sexy Englishman named Lucas Edwards. And Yunho’s lifeimproved tenfold. Lucas adored him. Didn’t put up with any of his shit, either. Asher could recall a time or two when Yunho was sulking because Lucas had put his foot down. Usually about ludicrous things like buying a helicopter or?—

“Your friend Daris,” Harry said, interrupting Asher’s thoughts. “From the warehouse depot.”

Asher remembered how Harry had assumed they’d been lovers. “Yes,” he replied. “I will just say you being all jealous was a lot of fun. I’d like to do that again.”

Harry glowered at him. “Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend that.”

Asher smiled. “What about him?”

“You knew him from when you were young...”

Asher had expected this conversation, only that it got waylaid because of the visit to Ivan Cosic. “Yes. We were in the same training school in Serbia together. We had a lot of similarities, so we stuck together.”

“Similarities?”

“Orphans. He was from the same orphanage. We were all orphans. He was smart and older than me. I looked up to him. We moved around a lot together.” Asher sighed. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. I knew he was here. I’d asked Yunho to run a check on him a few years ago now. Thought he’d be dead for sure. But living a good life. Has a wife and daughter.” Asher couldn’t believe it. “He deserves some good things.”

“Yeah. When he mentioned his daughter,” Harry said quietly, “I knew we had to leave.”

Asher nodded and sighed loudly. “Three years ago I wouldn’t have given one fuck. Well, maybe... because it was him.” He shrugged. “Now, it’s different. I’m different.”

Harry’s eyes met his, and he nodded. “You are. We both are. We had a taste of a normal life. Two years of peace.” Then he winced. “And food. I must be twenty kilos heavier now than I was when I lived in Europe. When we have to take down the pieces of shit that took Yunho, I hope I don’t have to run over a long distance. Once upon a time I could run for days. Now...” He shook his head sadly. “Now I’m old and got too used to eating cheese and crackers with a glass of wine while we watched a movie. Twenty-year-old me would be appalled.”

Asher chuckled quietly. “Twenty-year-old you would be amazed you’re still alive.”

“True.”

“I know twenty-year-old me never thought I’d make it this far.” He sighed again. “Hell, five-year-old me didn’t expect to make it to six.”

Harry’s eyes softened, and he lifted his hand to Asher’s face, thumbing across his cheek. “You know, for as shitty as life’s been, at least my childhood was okay. I used to ride a bike down to the river, spent summer holidays with friends, and didn’t have a care in the world.” His smile faltered. “I mean, it all went downhill when I turned eighteen and found myself disowned and homeless. But I didn’t have to go through what you went through. From such a young age too. I hate that you went through that.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” Asher replied flatly. “I survived, at least. Many didn’t. Boys that were my friends that didn’t make the cut. I don’t know what ever happened to them; if they were sold or killed. Probably killed. Less evidence that way.” He sighed and tried to brighten the mood, managing a smile. “You know, Yunho would donate money to the orphanages in Thailand and Cambodia and Myanmar, so the children don’t suffer as much. He said hedid it for me, but also for himself, I think. He never spoke of his childhood often. Mentioned his grandmother a few times. She would cook him porridge. But he tried to give back.” Then Asher laughed. “He told me he once set up a ghost secure data?—”

Asher stopped.

Could that be it?

“A ghost secure what?” Harry asked.

Asher tapped the tablet screen to bring up the passcode window. “Oh god, Harry. This could be it. He set up a secure data vault... it’s like one of those old-fashioned safe deposit boxes but it’s online. Like a portal to access his mainframe. ‘In case the worst should happen, Asher’,” Asher imitated Yunho’s voice. “But I never thought about it in years, because nothing was ever going to happen to him. I forgot all about it. It would give me access to all his information, all his money. I told him I didn’t want it...”

Harry nodded along at Asher’s excitement but still seemed confused. “What does it have to do with the password to the tablet? Do you think it’s the same?”

“It could be. A message, like you said. If it’s the password for this, then he’s telling me to access the portal as well.”

“So what’s the password?”

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