Page 88 of Dublin's Danger Dancer

“You know, you and I can also be partners,” says Admir. “With your inside knowledge we could dominate drug trafficking and people trafficking across the whole continent, maybe even branch out to others.”

I stay silent, swallowing my words. “It’s here,” I say as we pull into the dry patch of field fronting the farm outhouse.

“And he’s tied to the bed?” Aaron asks.

“He was when I left.”

Aaron opens the car door and drags me out his side. My back scraped against the cold leather of his car seat. He drags me by my arm to the door and tells me to push it open. “Ladies first,” he says.

He pushes me inside. Liam is still in the bed in the position I left him in.

“You saw the video?” he asks, ignoring Admir.

“My friend,” croons Admir.

Liam pulls at the cable ties, to no avail. I can see they’ve left marks around his wrists, red and raw cuts.

“What a predicament you find yourself in. Your girlfriend is a guard and now your protégé is about to kill you. By the way ,your brother from another mother, Aaron. He is dead. I shot him in the heart. You’ll be joining him soon.”

Liam bolts forward. His legs strumming against the bed.

“Tell me the name of the person you’re working with at Interpol to traffic the girls? Or I torture your girl.”

I suck in a breath of air. It goes as high as Interpol.

“Her name is Sheila Marne. She’s Dutch.”

“Thank you for that,” says Aaron, lifting his gun up aiming it at Liam’s head.

I’ve already gripped the chisel I left by Liam’s bed.

I run with my hands cuffed into Admir's back. He hits the floor. I launch myself on top of him and drive the screwdriver into the bullet wound covered by a white patch near his hip. He screams, writhing in agony. “This is for Tanya you feckin bastard!” I shout.

I get up and take the saw from the table and saw Liam’s cable ties . Liam jumps up, taking the gun from Admir.

“Get up.“ He says he pulls him up and pushes him on the bed.

“Bring the cable ties.” He says to me. I push the cable ties around his wrists and secure them to the frame while Admir struggles to breathe.

“Why do you know the woman in Interpol who helps traffic girls? If you have nothing to do with it?”

“I heard my da saying her name.”

“And you never reported it?”

“He’d have killed me. And perhaps betrayal doesn’t come as easily to me as it does to you. Did you see the video?”

“I’m loving seeing this lover’s reunion,” says Admir.

“He’s tied up. Step outside.” Liam says, waving his gun at me.

“I just freed you and now you’re pointing a gun at me.”

He lowers the gun. “Please, step outside.” He says.

As soon as the door is closed, Liam launches into an apology. “I’m sorry. We left her like that. If it happened again. I wouldn’t leave.”

“From the video, she was gone. The moment she hit that stone.” I change the subject stopping the vast gaping hole inside my heart from swallowing me. “What are we going to do about Admir?” I ask.

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