Close Protection

Countdown Begins

Z-Hour – 3 Days

I sat there staring at the tiny screen as I had those few days ago in the boardroom at Close Protection; the image of Jennie's screaming face burnt into my brain, a need to commit violence against someone or something burning through my veins.

"Easy there blondie," Soohyun said quietly his hand gripping my forearm tightly. "Nothing you can do right now but stay with me; don't go punching things again and doing yourself an injury, you don't want to risk the mission by being stupid."

"Take your hand off me boss," I said casually, trying to push down the boiling rage that was close to consuming me.

"Not a chance Snowy," he whispered, "not until you get a grip on yourself. Think about Jennie; think about Minah over there, we need to be strong for the both of them."

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to compose myself; taking deep breaths and reaching out for that safe place that Joanna had taught me to find, enveloping myself in my imaginary pool. It was pretty much a fruitless task, every time I tried to dive into that imaginary pool, envelop myself in its calming embrace; I was thwarted by the face of my girl. Not the slightly drunken, slightly smiling face that had preceded our kiss in that summer house, not the face that sucked me into that glowing happy place that Joanna had helped me find, the one where I felt completely loved. No, it was the beaten, sobbing face that intruded on my memories, the one that made my heart shatter into a million pieces.

Giving up on my 'safe place' as a bad idea, I opened my eyes to see that Mel had closed the video, the CP logo on the desktop replacing the sight of the severed head. I felt a hand drop onto my shoulder and turned to see Minah's stricken face.

We didn't say anything, we didn't have to; I could see the pain and relief in her eyes. Her hand squeezed my shoulder tightly and she pulled me into a tight hug, my shoulder dampening under the steady stream of tears.

"You shouldn't have seen that Minah," I murmured softly, awkwardly patting her on the back, "you really shouldn't."

"I wish I hadn't now," she sniffed, "but I had to; I had to see it all with my own eyes....oh Lisa how can they do such a thing? How on earth can they believe that murdering someone like that will help their cause?"

"The world's full of fuckers like them," I said, remembering something Bambam had said to me once before, "there's always someone to blow smoke up their assholes and tell them how wonderful they are."

"Lisa's right Mrs K," Soohyun said from the other side of me. "You've got to remember that these guys live in an isolated environment of extremism; it wouldn't matter to them if every single person in the outside world rose up as one and told them they were wrong. As long as their little crowd of friends sit back and applaud them, the bastards feel justified in what they do."

"But that sounds like every single political and religious group in the world Soohyun," she replied letting go of me and wiping away her tears. "But not all of them murder innocent people with a sword because they disagree with what they do for a living, or how they think, or what they believe."

There wasn't a reply to that, not from me anyway; I'd faced various levels of bigotry and hatred in my time, mostly from the people that supported the bastards with the sword. It was one thing to be jeered at or sneered at by kids at school, called a freak, and a weirdo and a queer, it was quite another to be spat at or stoned by people you don't know just because of the uniform you wore; especially when you thought you were there to help, it was something I don't think I'd ever understand.

"None of this makes any sense," Andy suddenly said from the far side of the room causing everyone to look up at him. "Sorry," he apologised when he realised we were all staring at him, "thinking out loud."

He looked down at the floor, clearly embarrassed at his unintentional comment, but he had piqued my curiosity and I wasn't alone.

"How do you mean Andrew?" Minah asked, still sniffing away her tears, "what doesn't make sense? They said they would kill a hostage if I didn't pay them their money and get the prisoners released, and that's exactly what they've done."

"It's the timing," he replied shaking his head. "There's something about the timing that's bugging me."

"Go on," Soohyun said encouragingly, "have we missed something?"

"I don't know Sir," Andy replied his brow wrinkling in thought; "there's just something about that video that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, we were talking about the deadline earlier, but it's barely three am UK time."

"Yes, but it's well after their deadline here," Jenna said pointing at the clock; "it's after seven in the morning."

"Even so, it's a long way from here to where we think they are," Andy said causing us all to sit up at his words. "Surely there's no way they could have got Brian's body here in that time, not unless they've got access to a plane or a helicopter or something."

"Jesus, he's right; it really doesn't fit." Mel suddenly said, starting the video again and, to my relief, pausing it at the first frame; the wide shot of the room. "And there's something else as well, look at those windows James spotted earlier. I've just realised, that's sunlight coming through them."

"So what?" Soohyun said shaking his head, "I don't get you Mel."

"I do," I replied with a sudden sense of realisation, "the timing is wrong, Andy you're dead right...this isn't a good sign boss, this isn't a good sign at all."

"Would someone mind explaining this please," Minah said, sitting forward on the edge of the sofa and staring at me. "Why is some sunlight in a window not a good sign?"

"Because it means they didn't stick to their timetable Mrs K," Soohyun answered as the penny, presumably, dropped. With a frown of his own he got up from the sofa and began to pace around the suite again. "I think Andy and Lisa are right here, the timing is all wrong...even if they went by local time for the deadline there's no way they killed Brian at midnight when the deadline elapsed; not if the sun was shining in through those windows; he must have been killed earlier, and there's no telling how early."

"The light might just be external lights Mr Kim," Chris suggested shyly. "We don't know that it is sunlight."

"The light doesn't fit that Chris," Mel said quickly, "it looks natural, and I think we'll find that the light levels go up and down...probably as clouds pass the sun. I think they've made another mistake here."

"How is it a mistake?" Minah asked shaking her head, "Lisa please, I don't understand."

"They had no intention of honouring their deadline," I told her sadly, "if we're right, well, this film was made at the very latest sometime yesterday afternoon. When was the body dumped Mel?"

"About three o'clock this morning according to our source," Chris answered, "our time that is."

"Then Andy's right, there's no way they could have filmed that, and got the body here in that time if they had stuck to their deadline; the bastards are just fucking with us."

"What does that mean for Jennie?" Jenna asked, her voice wavering.

"It doesn't mean anything Mrs K," Soohyun said quickly, trying to reassure her. "We have no idea what this means, but the fact that they killed Brian first means that they must recognise her importance."

"Poor Brian," Minah continued, "does anyone know if he had a family? I don't know anything about him."

"I think he was divorced Minah," I said, racking my brains for anything about him. "I don't remember hearing anything about kids though."

I felt a little bit guilty not knowing anything about the latest victim of this stupid fucking vendetta. Brian wasn't someone that had popped up on my radar when I'd been at Kim Industries, though I suspected that Jennie or Rosie would be able to tell us all about him if they were here. To me he was anonymous, just another body that would be chalked up against my name; another person to haunt my dreams, if I ever managed to get to sleep again that was.

As we sat in silent communion over the death we had just observed, the grim humanity of the situation coming into sharp focus by Minah's question, I had a sudden thought.

"Boss?" I said, waiting for him to stop pacing and look across at me. "I think we're going to have to move sooner rather than later. Just because they say they're giving us five days to meet their demands doesn't mean they mean it. Judging by this there's no telling when they might hurt Jennie."

Soohyun nodded, and I knew he was thinking the same thing as I was; there was no guarantee that Jennie was even alive still. For all we knew she was already dead, her beheading already on film and waiting for delivery.

It wasn't something I wanted to think about, let alone say; Minah didn't need that added to her list of troubles, she looked like she was carrying enough.

"I think you're right Snowy," he replied, "I think it's time we got prepared. How fast can we be ready Mel?" Soohyun asked, turning to face her.

"If you leave for the testing area today? I don't know Soohyun...three days, perhaps four."

"Let's make it three, we'll aim to be at the safe house you've set up day after tomorrow, then we go in as planned. Can you make that happen?"

"We can try," Mel said looking across at Chris who just nodded, "it might cost us to bribe a few people to look the other way, that sort of thing."

"Money is not an object Melanie," Jenna said getting to her feet and straightening the robe she'd pulled over her silk pyjamas. "Do whatever you need to do, I'll pay anything to get my daughter back, even the thirty million dollars they're asking if I have to. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to talk to my family. I'd rather they heard this news from me rather than from the press, and I think we'll need to make a statement as well."

"You heard the lady," Soohyun said to his Ops chief as Minah walked back into her room. "We've got no time to waste, sorry about the lack of sleep folks, but we can sleep on the journey. Mel, start working on getting what we need to the safe house. Chris, the rest of the team are arriving tomorrow, I'll need you to pick them up and sent them straight up there; and I want you two to pull that tape apart for anything you can find...absolutely anything.

Snowy, you Andy, Simon and I will leave for the testing area as soon as we can get a flight so lets get what we need packed up and ready; time to go to work people. Zero hour is three days from now and time is tight; you all with me?"

"Yes Sir," I said, nodding appreciatively at the way he had taken charge; around me I heard the others agreeing in their own ways. It was good to know that finally we were preparing for the mission ahead, and I allowed myself to feel a moment of exhilaration before sinking back into the dark place that had consumed me, practically since Baghdad.

"Ok kids let's get going; Lisa, do me a favour and check on Minah would you? I think she's going to need someone right now and you're the closest thing to family she's got."

"I'll do my best Panda," I said as they all prepared to leave. "What time do you want us to be ready?"

"I want you to be ready as soon as possible Snowy," he said clapping his hand on my shoulder, "but I don't think Minah should be coming with us do you?"

"She's going to have to come up to the hotel at the testing area boss," I said shaking my head. "She's the only reason we have for going up there ourselves, and I know she'll want to be up there for when we bring Jennie home."

"Well see if you can get her to stick to the plan then kid, and keep your spirits up too ok? Don't need you doing anything stupid."

"I'll keep an eye on her Soohyun, and I'll stick to your plan like I promised." Minah's voice interrupted us from the doorway to her bedroom. "We have a few meetings to go to and I have to try and arrange a few things, but I'll make sure they're all done this morning. Now run along dear, Lisa and I have packing to do if we're all going to head up to the demonstration site at Srinagar today; and I'm sure you have a lot to organise yourself."

"That I do ma'am," Soohyun said with a half salute in her direction and a knowing wink in mine at her words. "I'll see you both later. Lisa keep that phone of yours handy, and if you find the time to take a nap..."

"I'll have it on my pillow, yes boss...now do as Mrs Kim asks and piss off."