𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 || j. daniel atlas

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

To Alena's great relief, Walter Mabry insisted that she dine with him that evening. She much preferred his unhinged glee to Chase's bitter malice. At least, it was easier to bounce off, and Alena had no wish to physically harm Walter. Yet. He took her to a restaurant a little away from the hotel, a short, comfortably silent journey in one of his black SUVs. Despite herself, Alena was beginning to suspect that Walter had no intention of harming her either.

The restaurant was dim with maroon furnishings and well-placed mood lighting. They steered clear of deeply personal topics and the Horseman. The conversation was light and full of laughter. And, as horrible as it was to admit, Alena realised that, had all of this occurred two years prior, she would have revelled in every second of this.

After dinner, she and Walter walked back to the hotel, arm in arm. She had only drunk one glass of wine, but the night-time chill ignited the alcohol in her blood. The two of them stumbled along, sometimes laughing so loudly that passers-by stared at them.

"Alright, alright. We need to calm down now. I have a little surprise for you," Walter said as they crossed the Sands hotel foyer to his private lift.

"Oooh, a surprise!" Alena hid the icy sliver of nerves that shot through her torso with a delirious grin. "Do tell."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Alena kept close to Walter on the lift ride up to the penthouse. When the doors opened, he took her hand and guided her to one of the rooms off the main space. Inside was nothing but a desk and a single chair opposite what must have been the largest television screen Alena had ever seen.

"Alright, now you stand here." Walter manoeuvred her to stand a little in front of the desk, facing the screen. He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it slightly. "You see that little circle? That's a camera. Look into there."

Then, he opened the laptop on the desk and tapped away for a few seconds before the screen came to life. Alena squinted away from the sudden flash of cold, blue-tinged light. By the time her eyes had adjusted, Walter was by her side again.

"Miss Warbeck, allow me to introduce Chief Superintendent Campbell. I have arranged for him to handle your case. With the utmost discretion, of course."

"Can he see me?" Alena asked, shuffling closer to Walter.

"Yes, I can see you, ma'am," said the police officer in a gruff accent.

"Ma'am?" Alena put a hand on her chest. "Ooh, I like that."

"Mr Mabry tells me that you're in need of assistance...ma'am," the officer added with a smile.

"Yes, that's correct." Alena straightened up, wiping all feeling from her face. "My mother is in danger, along with my aunt and cousins. The trouble is that they live in an isolated community, a religious sect near Brighton."

"Do you have any evidence of any criminal activity within the community?"

"Seeing as I haven't been there for ten years, no, I don't," Alena tried not to snap. Wasn't Walter paying this man to help her? "But if you check for bruises when you get there, I'm sure you will find all the evidence you need."

"It's alright, Miss Warbeck," Walter said in a low voice, putting his arm around her waist and rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. Alena reached across to put her hand over his and mustered a soft, grateful smile. "Chief Superintendent Campbell, we have an agreement. It's just an extraction."