Page 257 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘Right. Sorry.’

Lachlan raises the hatch just far enough to look through. Once satisfied, he disappears into the room and reaches back for Kade, hauling him silently up. Kade does the same for Riley.

The air is cold and chemically dry, carrying the faintly sterile bite of ozone. Shelves form narrow aisles around them, stacked with bottled water, vacuum-sealed blankets, medical supplies and evacuation bags. Everything is organised, labelled and ready to move.

‘Holy shit,’ Riley whispers, his eyes on the nearby door.

‘Not what you were expecting.’

‘Sorrenko’s nearby.’

‘What?’

‘I can smell him.’

‘You can smell him?’

‘Is there an echo in here?’

‘Stay down,’ Lachlan warns them both, moving silently towards the closed door, angling his light away. ‘I’ll talk to him.’

‘No, Lachlan!’ Kade hisses, but the door is already opening.

The next room’s light floods inside like eager water.

Only it’s not a tall man standing on the other side.

It’s Blaire. She looks supremely unimpressed.

Sounding slightly dumbfounded, Lachlan utters, ‘Oh, shit.’

‘Yes indeed, oh shit,’ she snaps silkily, looking him up and down.

‘How the fuck did you—?’

‘The rain told me,’ she explains barefaced, looking past him at Kade. ‘Well, I suppose this is overdue. Come inside, all three of you. I shall claim you as my guests.’

✴

‘Why do you smell like him?’ Riley asks.

‘I think you’ll find Vasily smells like me,’ Blaire points out crisply. ‘He is prone to borrowing my perfume, strange little thing that he is.’

They’re walking together through what seems like a warehouse bleeding into an old-fashioned hotel. Red velvet carpets, dark walls, gold trim.

Riley mutters, ‘I wouldn’t call him little.’

‘Is he here? Silly?’ Lachlan asks.

‘He’s with Mr Snoop.’

‘Who the fuck is that?’

‘Keep your voice down, Lachlan. I do you a great favour by letting you in unseen. Do not repay me with bloodshed, thank you very much.’

The massive antechamber leads to warmer, more modern quarters.

A lived-in space. Soft lamps against cream walls. Deep couches around a coffee table piled high with books and a small bowl of cashew nuts. Beyond that, an open kitchen gleams with hanging copper pans, painted earthenware and bright, living flowers in a vase. The entire floor is gleaming, well-cared-for hardwood with no carpet or rugs anywhere.