‘OK, baby, I won’t tell anyone.’
‘Good.You read me a story tonight?’
‘I will.’
‘A long one?’
‘Medium.’
‘Long.’
‘OK, but justonebecause I need to tell Silly to make extra cookies for you while I’m away.’
She smiles despite the sadness they both feel and does an excellentDaddyimpression when she says, ‘Heard.’
?
Lachlan would be panicking a lot if he didn’t have Danya to leave in charge.Carrigan isn’t invited, much to her poorly hidden disappointment.A year ago, it would have given him comfort to know she was staying behind.
That’s not the case now.
Lachlan runs through all scenarios with Danya, slipping occasionally into their coded language.It’s borderline catastrophising, but Lachlan needs to know that no matterwhathappens, his girls, Mimi and Blaire, will be safe.
‘I have it in hand,’ Danya assures him quietly after they run through hostage scenarios, always unpleasant but necessary.‘The Estate is strong and I will expect the worst.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I worry more aboutyouin that place,’ Danya says with a shrug.‘The packet they sent was light.Not even a location.’
‘I’m assuming it’s no-fly and monitored.’
‘He’s letting you take weapons?’
‘Handheld only.’
Danya says, ‘That is why God gave men spacious assholes.’
Lachlan snorts.‘Yeah, I’m sure I can fit an MP7 up there plus ammo.’
‘Lube up and off you go.You have your clever knife too.’
‘I do, yeah.’
‘Four days,’ Danya says, hand on his shoulder.‘It will be fine.’
‘It will,’ he agrees, just doesn’tfeelit.
?
Jules doesn’t pack.
Rich people don’tpacktheir own things.They have new stuff brought in.Lachlan thinks it would be nice for him to experience the process, will never forget how it felt to stuff his clothes into a shitty backpack with one good strap and walk away forever.A man at seventeen.A free man for all of half an hour before he signed himself away into service.
He didn’t care though.
He’d been ripe for it.
The perfect candidate.
