Baxter was right. He received some images of a woman meeting with Harold, and it’s one hundred percent Laura. In the photo they are both here in the UK, so that means Harold isn’t far away, going by the recent time and date stamp.
We’ve been working on a location for a few weeks, but didn’t tell Amelie because she had enough on her plate. Besides, we needed more details before we wanted to bother her.
Baxter came through with more information though, and said he had a plan but that we wouldn’t like it.
To say I didn’t like it was an understatement. I tried to kill him. But all he did was smirk and promise me that one day we would fight, but not like this. He can bring it on, I will kick his skinny ass.
We needed to weed Harold out, and he has a flair for dramatics. He had us feed Monty information, knowing that Laura would have the place bugged, or his phone at least, so we planted the seed that since Amelie's family would be in town he should change the rules and hold graduation early. It would usually be held in November but he pulled strings and had graduation moved up.
Knowing Harold will have been watching Amelie closely for months, we made sure her inner circle were prepared and present today. But only the ones that Harold would recognise. Everyone else from the academy has been kept away. Today, the rest of the crowd are hired security, posing as students. When everyone has gowns on, they all look the same anyway.
In hindsight, we probably should have told Amelie, but we were hoping to track Harold down before he could execute his plan, knowing he would want to be close enough to see whatever he has planned go down.
We know there is something happening today, but he isn’t stupid enough to tell Laura or send it in a text. But from the code we could decipher, we do know it’s happening today. Harold loves an audience, so of course it would be.
Everything is in place. The plan is perfect. All bases are covered. Everyone capable of protecting Amelie is in on it. Baxter even made sure Amelie’s grandmother and Debbie had weapons today. We don’t trust them like she does, but right now every set of hands helps. Especially when they are both out for his blood.
Nothing can go wrong today – we wouldn’t risk Amelie’s safety by pushing ahead with the graduation unless we could one hundred percent protect her.
“Have you seen Amelie?” I ask Slate as I walk past him.
“Kalen was distracting her. The idiot put itching powder in his own boxers and last I heard, he was going to see the school nurse, so she probably went with him just to stop him scratching his dick raw. I’ll find Frost and ask him to get his guys to locate her. Everything has to go to plan because if anything happens this time…”
“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay. We’re ready this time.”
“She isn’t. She could hate us after this,” he mutters darkly.
“Maybe, but if she knew, she would have wanted a bigger role than bait, and we couldn’t risk that. We have over fifty people here today watching out for her, so stop worrying.”
He scoffs. “Stop worrying? Nothing has happened yet and you can’t find her, that isn’t very comforting.”
“I’ll go and find her now. Make sure your earpiece is in because I’ll let you know when she’s found.”
He nods and walks off in the opposite direction to me. I’m stalking towards her brother, when I notice that Camilla and Debbie are not in their seats.
“Has anyone seen Amelie?” I ask her family members.
“Yes, she went to talk with her grandmother, they’ll be back in a minute,” Chelsea answers, unconcerned. Of course she has no idea what’s going on, nor does that ex asshole boyfriend of hers, because they’re not Order. They’re dead weight; people we have to waste time and resources on protecting. Amelie would kill us if anything happened to them, but we couldn’t keep them away today because it would be too suspicious. Both to Amelie, and to Harold if he’s watching. We couldn’t risk him getting wind of today’s setup and not making his move.
“Slate?” I say into the earpiece. “I’ve found her. She’s with her grandmother.”
“You have eyes on her?”
“No. But…” I pause. “Frost? Are you on the line?”
“I’m here.”
“Can you go and check on Amelie please?”
“Roger that.” He doesn’t sound like a total dick saying that, unlike my baby brother who has been pratting around on the comms all morning.
“Perfect. Thanks. Happy now?”
A tiny amount of static sounds in my earpiece before Kalen’s channel cuts in with “Breaker breaker ten four this is—”
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl into my hidden microphone, seething. “The comms unit is supposed to be for emergency communication only, not dicking around.”
“I’m introducing myself. Over.”
“We all know who you are, asshole,” I snap. “And you don’t have to say ‘over’. I told you this a hundred times already today.”
“Roger that.” See? Sounds like a total dick. “But I think we should all at least have codenames and I have them all picked out for everyone already. Over.”
“Say ‘over’ one more time! Give me strength.” There’s no point in saying anything else, I just need to get through this because there’s no stopping Kalen when he sets his mind to something.
“Fine. So obviously, I’m monster cock.” I shake my head, unamused. “Sawyer, you’re teacher dick.” My lips twitch at that one. “We’ve got stabby stalker, ass-cap, dark nips, frosty the snowman, Slate is country-ass mopey boy, Dad is daddi-o…am I forgetting anyone?”
“Me, you idiot.”
“Oh, well, you’re just crushed hopes and dreams.”
“Fucking hilarious.”
He cackles down the line and I swear he bursts my ear drum.
“Thought you might like that one bro. Over .”
“I hate you. Now clear the line. It’s supposed to be for emergencies.”
“Not until you sign off.”
“Kalen—”
“It’s ‘monster cock’ and you have to say ‘over and out’ followed by your codename. Or is it codename first? Erm, I’m not sure. Can anyone listening in help Onyx sign off?”
I growl down the line, my patience well and truly worn. “This is crushed hopes and dreams, over and out.”
Angrily, I cut the feed which is full of laughter. Assholes, the lot of them.
I check my watch and see that it’s nearly time for us to take our seats, so I head that way. I resist the urge to check in and ensure that everything is in place, but it’s really hard. As I take my seat I scan the area looking for anything out of place. Well, anything over than the fake students we’ve planted in the audience. But everything seems quiet.
I pray this works.
Ten minutes to go.