He rises to stand, sets down the cheap coffee, untouched.
‘I’m glad you’re doing better, Ma,’ he says, walking away.
It’s the last time he’ll see her alive.
?
He returns to the Estate in a bad frame of mind.
The sun has broken through the clouds.A gleaming bright winter’s day on the outskirts of Varrow City.He strides right back into command, and finds Mimi and Jules playing in her bedroom, arranging dominoes.As soon as he comes inside, Mimi runs to him, flings her arms around his neck.‘Daddy!’
Lachlan catches her, hugs her close, turning on the spot.
‘Hi, princess,’ he whispers, kissing her cheek.
Lachlan knows now that he’ll die here.He can feel it, but he’s determined to die in service of getting these kids free.He’s not a good man, but he can do somethinggood.That would be good.It will be.
‘I have a surprise for you,’ he tells her, nodding at Jules to follow.‘Come on, grab Mari, we’re going to need him.’
‘Where did you go?’Jules asks.‘You look ill.’
‘You’re coming too.Put a jacket on,’ Lachlan orders.Mimi, of course, has no jackets or coats.He can’t believe he never saw it before.She does, however, have several of those big dolls, the ones that stand almost as tall as her.So he strips one of a showy faux fur coat and pulls it onto Mimi.‘You need to wear this, babygirl, because it’s cold outside, OK?’
Her eyes widen and Jules softly gasps.‘Really?’
Almost immediately, his rig frequency bursts to life.It’s Fenwick.
Lachlan ignores it, picks Mimi up and bids Jules to follow.
‘Come on,’ he says, leading them down.‘We’re going to see the lake.’
‘Outside?’Mimi asks, playing with his rig in his ear, the wire that leads to his chest.‘Isoutsidebad?’
‘No, it’s beautiful,’ he tells her firmly.‘You’ll love it.’
Jules hurries to keep pace.‘Did you get permission?Did you—?’
‘Stop right there,’ Fenwick orders, stepping swiftly in front of the doors that lead out to the grounds.Doors Lachlanwillbe crossing through.‘Let’s have a chat, shall we, Tanner?You and me.’
‘Get out of my way,’ Lachlan says calmly.‘Now.’
‘Tanner, youcannot—’
Lachlan pulls his gun out and swings it into perfect aim.‘The children aremineto manage,’ he says.‘And if this child is to be exposed to all kinds of new people, she needs air and germs,understand?Do you want the child of Alistair Penhalyx to seem malnourished?Sunless?’
Mimi looks between Fenwick and the gun and giggles.
‘Bang bang,’ she whispers and Lachlan will never again be able to untangle the instinct he is now possessed by.That this little creature is hisdaughterand always will be.‘Make the mean man gofall downouchie, bang bang!I wanna see my waterballs!’
‘Waterfall, sweetheart,’ he corrects calmly.‘Fenwick, I’m counting to three and then I’ll field your replacement next week.’
‘Tanner, I’mbeggingyou.’
‘One.’
‘Please, I will advocate with you to Penhalyx, just—’
‘Two.’
