“Oh. Okay. Sorry.” Dan’s voice was contrite. “Uh…what if one of us hides behind those shrub things?” He pointed to a tangled pile of undergrowth to the right.
“That works. I’ll go to the boat. You go there. Jay, you’re behind the hedge. Keep your phones on you.” Ry spun on his heel, wasting no time in jogging away. Dan disappeared into the undergrowth, and I made my way back towards the hedge that bordered the open area, close to the path.
Then, we settled down to wait.
My phone buzzed softly in my hand, and I unlocked the screen to find a new group chat.
Unknown:
Grey Nissan Juke just parked on other side of bridge
Arson:
Could be our man
King:
Can you get a visual?
Unknown:
I’ll try
A few seconds later, a picture came through. A balding man in a suit with an undone raincoat over the top, claspingwhat looked like a leather folder to his chest. He was hunched over, ducking his head against the drizzle, but I could clearly see his face. Fuck. We’d been right.
Me:
That’s our accountant. Andrew Fairbank
Unknown:
No sign of anyone else yet
He’s walking my way. Update again when I can
I saved the number, then started up a separate conversation, just the two of us.
Me:
Stay safe
N:
I will. You too. Please. Make sure my brother doesn’t do anything stupid. He likes to think he’s invincible, but he’s not
That was true. Although he was good at calculating risks and took precautions, he was the type of person to throw himself into dangerous situations rather than ask for help or let anyone else risk themselves.
Through the light patter of rain, the sound of footsteps on muddy ground reached my ears, and I crouched lower, holding my breath. From my vantage point, I could see the clearing through a gap in the hedge, and as the figure came into view, I carefully angled my phone and began filming.
The accountant took a seat on the bench, muttering to himself. I couldn’t make out what he was saying—I was too far away, but hopefully, Dan would be able to pick up the audio.
My phone buzzed again with another group chat notification.
N:
3 bikes
I hadn’t even finished reading the message when a loud whine reached my ears, and then three dirt bikes came screaming into view.
