The Game (Tom Wood)

FORTY-ONE





Later, Victor found Leeson outside the farmhouse, sipping wine while he looked at the night sky. There were no clouds, and bright stars littered the blackness of the eternity above. Victor looked too. Stars and constellations had fascinated him as a young boy. He looked at them on clear nights with a telescope he’d built out of materials raided from junk yards and landfills, making up his own names for them because he didn’t know the correct ones. He wondered briefly what had become of the telescope.

‘My saviour,’ Leeson said as he turned to face Victor. The younger man was a little drunk, but only a little. ‘I’m sure you don’t mind that I put a slight spin on the facts earlier. Thank you for not challenging those – how shall we put it? – inaccuracies.’

‘Thank me by telling me what we’re doing here. Specifically, what I’m doing here. I’ve waited long enough.’

‘You have my gratitude for saving my life. But that changes nothing regarding the nature of our relationship. I am your employer, and you are my employee. What happened earlier tonight affects neither. You will be told your role and what is expected of you when it is necessary, and only then.’

‘What you and I consider necessary are likely two very different things.’

‘I’m fully aware of that but I have every faith in your suitability. I would not have hired you otherwise. And you have nothing to fear regarding the time frame. There will be more than enough time to prepare.’

‘Again, our definitions of what constitutes enough won’t necessarily sync. I told you in Budapest that I won’t go into a situation without the full facts and the proper time to plan and prepare. That I’m your prisoner here changes none of that.’

‘Then when the time comes, if you are not happy with the facts or the time frame or any other consideration, you may step back and depart. No hard feelings.’

‘Just like that?’

‘Just like that,’ Leeson echoed.

‘You don’t trust me, do you? Even after I saved your life.’

‘Answer me this, Mr Kooi: if our positions were reversed, would you?’

He didn’t wait for an answer but headed back inside.



Victor stayed outside to think. The night air was warm on his face. Moonlight reflected on the padlock securing the barn. The limousine was on the other side of the doors along with whatever Jaeger was working on. In under a minute Victor could be past the padlock but he had no source of light with which to explore the interior of the barn, save for using one of the candles he had found in a kitchen drawer. With Coughlin, Jaeger and Dietrich all residing within ten metres of the barn, it would be far too risky to break in. Even if he didn’t wake them up, there was no way of knowing if all three really were sleeping and not waiting for him to betray himself.

The barn could wait for tonight, but he needed to update Muir. Which presented its own problems.

Francesca stepped outside. He let her think he didn’t notice her until she came closer to where he stood.

‘Beautiful night,’ she said, looking up.

Victor nodded.

‘Robert was right when he said I was a pure city girl, but the one thing you don’t get in the city that you do in the country is the stars. Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how breathtaking the night sky can be when you can actually see it. I wish I knew the names of the constellations. I know Orion’s Belt, but that’s the limit of my astronomical expertise. I can’t actually find it though. Can you see it anywhere?’

At this time of year Orion is in the sky during daylight, so you can’t see it, I’m afraid. The belt isn’t a constellation in itself. It’s an asterism of three stars within Orion: Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka.

Francesca laughed.

He faced her. ‘You need to get out of here.’

She was still smiling. She gestured to where the Toyota minivan was parked. ‘That’s exactly what I am doing, silly boy.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

Her eyebrows arched. ‘I’m very well aware of what you meant and I’m choosing to ignore it.’

‘I don’t know what you’re getting out of this, it isn’t enough. Trust me on that.’

‘You’re really quite taken with me, aren’t you? I’m flattered, but I don’t believe you’ve thought this through. I’m sure even you appreciate that strangling a girl is not the best way to begin a relationship. How would we tell our friends the story of how we met? “Oh no, you tell it, darling. The way you do the choking sounds kills me.” Which of course, you nearly did.’

She was laughing but he ignored her.

‘Leeson may come across as a gentleman but he’s utterly ruthless. I’ve known men like him before. Whatever hold you think you have on him, it will only protect you for so long.’

‘Stick to shooting guns. This kind of thing is beyond your simple male brain.’

‘I tried to tell you in Budapest that you were out of your depth. I hope you realise it for yourself before it’s too late.’

‘I’m not as stupid as you think I am.’

‘Oh no, I know you’re anything but stupid. But intelligence isn’t enough in a situation like this.’

‘I do have another weapon in my armoury.’ She gave him a mischievous look. ‘I’m sure you’ve noticed.’

‘If you think beauty is enough then let me take back my previous statement.’

She laughed. ‘What happened to you to make you so serious all the time?’

‘Listen to me, Francesca, you need to understand how dangerous this situation is. You need—’

She rested a palm on his chest to stop him. ‘If intelligence and beauty aren’t enough to protect me, I know you will, won’t you?’

Before he could respond she kissed him on the cheek and walked towards the minivan. He watched her, wanting her to turn around. She didn’t. She knew how to play him as well as she did Leeson, who joined her at the vehicle a minute later.

‘Get a good night’s sleep, Mr Kooi,’ he called to Victor. ‘Tomorrow is a big day.’