Page 71 of Drift

Burying any mention of Jackson, Drift shifted position a few times, and for a moment the night seemed to hold its breath, almost as if wildlife picked up on the illness caught in the night. Then West and Brighty brought the blackness alive with tossing foliage at the fence, their double-tap to try to disrupt the current anyway they could.

But then West always did pick a good fight.

Drift started to count backwards, hoping to hear the electrics drop on the fence.

Light eased Gray’s fridge door shut, his glass of milk finding the unit a moment later as the small light faded from the kitchen. He’d needed a drink, which was a lousy excuse to be rummaging around in the manor: he had plenty to drink in his summerhouse.

He’d just needed… out.

Only he’d failed to mention it to Gray that he kept bypassing the security system to rummage in the manor since he’d arrived back from Egypt. His bare feet warmed cool tile, and with wearing just PJ bottoms, he wasn’t exactly dressed for a midnight visit either, but he’d needed to ease the pressure, how it killed having Simon close, yet hurt more over this fear he carried over losing him.

Suffocation.

It had such a bittersweet taste to it.

If this was love, it fucking killed him.

He shivered, then a flash of red from the CCTV panel by the door had him stilling. He tilted his head as another check warning point flashed up, and he went over and pressed the intercom. “Ray?”

Nothing came for a moment, then—

“Stay in the kitchen, Light.”

Gray.

He knew he stoodinhis kitchen? Fuck. Friday night, Simon had mentioned a security issue that had needed sorting with Gray after disappearing for a few hours, but Light hadn’t paid it too much attention. So long as it was to do with home and not culler-related, fine by him. But fuck…. Had Simon noticed he’d started to disappear too and they’d been discussing that? There was no surprise in Gray’s voice over Light using the comm in his kitchen.

“Ray and his team will keep an eye on the breach,” said Gray. “Stay in contact with Simon. He’s in control of shutting the fence down to allow our guests in, but the summerhouse went on lockdown the moment the surveillance was triggered.”

But the manor hadn’t? The shutters to the window remained up. He snorted a smile. So with the summerhouse, was that to keep someone out or Light… in?

Nonetheless, it left Simon in lockdown until the all-clear would be given, and Light’s smile fell. No one out, but no one… in either. Certainly not him.

The motion sensors triggered on the panel again, this time showing a shift from east road to west. “Sappers?” he said more to himself. And Gray was shutting the fence down to allow them in?

“Hmm,” said Gray. “Either testing for weaknesses or to suggest one.” He sounded… odd with it. Not too concerned, which was more than… odd. This was home soil, with Jan and Jack in the mix. “Stay there and don’t screw with Simon’s sensors.”

So that was what Simon had been setting up late Friday night. “Clear.” Light cut the comm and headed over to the patiowindow to look over at the summerhouse. Although the glass was ballistic proof, he’d learned Gray’s lesson over being stupid enough to get caught in the line of fire, so he kept back, only occasionally holding his phone low and pressing record to get him feed.

The lights stayed off in the summerhouse too, but he knew Simon would be awake now.

A buzz came from his phone, and that just about confirmed it.

I’m getting three. You?

Light wiped a hand over his face. Fuck. Simon had picked up three? Light had only thought two.Where’s the third?

East side. Within the walls.

Simonhadletsomeone in?Who?

Just keep your head down. Don’t react without Gray’s say so.

They’d definitely been expecting someone.

Light gave a rough sigh and rested back against the unit. The cold of the night bit into him a little more, so he headed over to the kitchen table, pulling a chair back far enough so he sat outside of the window’s scope. Bringing a foot up onto his seat and wrapping a hold around his leg, he rested his chin on his knee.

The night felt odd, the threat level… weird, and Light closed his eyes, trying to get a feel for it a little more.

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