“I opened a different email account,” she says miserably. “I deleted everything the moment I sent it.”
Mom’s computer skills have never been strong, but…
“The MacTavishes control the network,” I sigh, “hell, they likely control the entire internet. How bad do you think this breach was?”
“Everyone was furious this morning,” she says. “People have been storming in and out of the Chieftain’s office. I think it was really bad. I opened my laptop today and it had a red screen, I was locked out of everything.”
“Then, they know. Or, at least they’re narrowing it down.” My stomach feels like a fist grabbed it, squeezing it tighter with every second. “Okay, we can…” I don’t know what we can do. Wecan’t run. They’d be on us before we got through the gate. I’m sure the estate is locked down by now.
I’d only seen something like this happen once before, when I was eighteen. There’s an underground concrete bunker on a corner of the estate that was likely built during World War Two. It’s not used as a bomb shelter now, though.
I was up late one night and watched some of the guards drag six writhing, terrified men into the shed that concealed the steel door to the bunker. Michael was standing there with an expression I’d never seen before, his mouth tight and eyes narrowed. The warm, pleasantly distant man I’d always known looked like a terrifying stranger.
“We have to go to the Chieftain.”
“We can’t, we can’t do that!” Mom violently pushes her chair back.
“This is the only way,” I nod firmly, trying to look like I know what the hell I’m doing. “Let’s just- we’ll make a list of what we want to say and it will be so much better than them narrowing it down to us.”
Hands shaking, I grab my notebook.
Taylor killed my dad and brother twelve years ago, Mom took me and ran to save my life.
We’ve been loyal clan members for ten years.
Mom was kidnapped by Taylor, he threatened my life if she didn’t get information about the Yakuza deal.
She only did it to save my
The front door slams open and we both shriek. My pen skids across the paper, hard enough to tear. The Chieftain is standing there, along with Michael, so tall that their heads nearly brush the top of the doorway, blocking the light and casting us into shadow.
***
Scunnert - Scottish slang for boring.
In a radge - Scottish slang for angry or pissed off.
Chapter Six
Sophie…
Once, when I was hiking in the Cairngorms Mountains with some friends from school, we stumbled on a rabbit caught in a snare. It shrieked, a shrill, piteous sound as it pulled away from the wire, its poor leg bloody but still trying to escape us.
We managed to get its paw free from the snare and it hopped off, gait unsteady.
“Do you think it’ll survive?” Daisy had asked.
“I hope so.” I watched the little rabbit disappear into the brush.
The Chieftain, Michael, Duncan and some of the guards stride into the room, crowding us against the wall. Mom makes a high, terrified noise that strangles in her throat, sounding exactly like that poor creature in the snare.
“Ch- Chieftain,” Mom stutters, “please just let me explain-”
He pushes past without glancing at her. “Search the house.”
Her face drains of color, leaving her a sickly white and I put my arm around her, trying to contain her terrified sobbing. “It’s okay, Mom,” I whisper. “It’s okay, give them a minute and they’ll listen.”
Michael walks back into the kitchen, glancing at Mom, expressionless. When his gaze turns to me, though, I can’t conceal a shudder. His eyes are alight like the fires of hell,the green color blackened and crisped into something dark and cruel.
