Page 21 of Hupotasso
‘If only Yin was here, she’d do it. I know she would.’
As I think this I wonder just where my Japanese friend is now. During the long walk to the helicopter extraction point in the last challenge we’d talked very little, but we had touched on this. She had safe houses in many places, but she said her safest option, the place the vampires and her father would least expect her to run to, was a bolt hole in the Appalachian Mountains in North America.
“Hillbilly country,” I’d snorted as I’d dragged our gear through the snow, no longer able to feel my toes. “No one goes there.”
“Exactly,” she’d grinned.
But that was when she’d hoped to settle with her camera man. And I’d never told her the truth about him; that he was part of The Free Men and that he’d tried to kill me several times. That he wasn’t at all who she thought he was.
I hope she’s found out the truth now, but somehow I doubt it.
I scowl as the camera man nearest to me zooms in on my expression as I’m handed an envelope by the flight attendant.
Opening it I read my destination and the first family I’ll be visiting.
‘Oh fuck, speak of the devil. Pasha’s family.’
“Showman, you absolute gombeen,” I whisper.
16
“It’s patently obvious,” I snarl to Jag as I pace my library while he stands staring into the fire, his back to me as he listens to me rant after having watched The Games for the first time.
“She was planted there deliberately,” I repeat. “Anyone — fucking Blind-Freddy — could seethatjust by watching the show. Every step of the way I was encouraged to focus on her. From the moment her heel stuck in the paving, to the helicopter in the snow. The whole fucking thing was rigged.”
He sighs.
“Yes, I’m starting to believe you’re right, as much as I hate to say it. I’ve tortured pretty much everyone I could get my hands on. Everyone who was left, that is. The Families had gutted theselection panel and crew after the whole Free Men debacle and I was left with part-time lighting technicians, researchers and set consultants, among others. There was undoubtedly some dabbling with the selection process.”
“Can we even trust that the Spaniard was with The Free Men?” I frown. “We only have Tom and Angelina’s word for it, and Angelina pushed her off a cliff. I’m starting to think The Free Men issue might have been a ruse to divert my attention from Angelina the whole time.”
Jag shakes his head.
“No, I’ve definitely confirmed Isabel’s link to The Free Men, and you know Angelina didn’t attack you in the Louvre. Don’t let your discussion with Tom blind you to the facts you already have. And don’t forget your experience differs from how the show was edited and delivered.”
“Nevertheless,” I frown, “given that it’s afactthat Angelina is a spy, as you just said yourself, my course now is obvious.” I snarl the last word, for some reason furious that he’s agreeing with me. Perhaps part of me had hoped that he’d uncover something to prove her innocence.
“It appears so,” he murmurs, “although I still have one or two more avenues to go down. Unedited footage to view, a few contestant families to speak to and the like. I’m still not satisfied that there’s a solid link between your wife and Spider — something still doesn’t sit right with me — and you know I trust my instincts.
“Instincts are bullshit,” I snap. “Yours and mine.”
“You never had a problem trusting mine in the past,” he says quietly, turning slowly to glare at me.
“That was before both you and I were fooled by a home economics teacher,” I snap. “If that’s even what she really is.”
“If you’re right,” he holds up his hand to forestall my interruption, “and it’s starting to look that way, then your instincts are still on the mark — you didn’t trust her, or your feelings for her, from day one. IF you’re right, I’ll take it on the chin that I was fooled and you can simply go on as you planned, get your heir, dispense with your bride and marry the gold-digging blonde.”
“It won’t be my heir,” I mutter, ignoring his dig at Sophie.
“Pardon?”
I meet his steady gaze.
“Sophie has agreed to help me destroy Spider only if I guarantee thatourfirst child together will inherit my title.”
“Christ,” he laughs harshly, “gold-digger was a goddamned compliment for that woman. Isn’t it enough that one of her children will inherit Spider’s seat?”
“No,” I shake my head.
