Jay gritted his teeth and thought about the hole in his hand. No point experiencing the pain of the other hand being shot just to hold a cigarette. 'I think I'll skip the cigarettes.'
'No. A last request must be honoured,' Eli said.
'I'd rather a bullet in my head than my other hand.'
'Don't be like that. You must have known I had to disable you before I could cut your hand loose.' He got up off the chair and walked around behind Jay. 'I'll get the concierge to bring up some cigarettes for you. What type do you smoke?'
Laced with cyanide would be nice, he thought. 'Make them heavy and unfiltered.'
'Good choice. Not as if you need to worry about lung cancer anymore.' He placed the call, ordered the cigarettes and resumed his position in front of Jay. 'Would you like to swap some professional war stories while we wait for David?'
'Not really,' Jay said. He blinked hard to keep focused. He knew he was going to slip into unconsciousness soon. He wanted to let go, but instinct told him to wait.
'You don't even want to know what the general told us?'
Jay shook his head. Something was happening. He tried to focus.
'Well, actually he didn't really say much to us. The old bastard had a heart attack before we even got him out. We dropped him in the desert.'
Jay cleared his throat. 'Must say that you've got big balls, pinching him from us in that place.'
Eli gave a chuckle. 'Simple really. You'd be surprised how easy it is to walk into a camp full of Special Forces troops. Just need to say the right things, flash a fake ID and walk on in.'
'Fascinating.'
'Not really . . . you staying with me, Mr Ryan? Perhaps another drink. Can't have you dying just yet. Thought you were made of tougher stuff.'
Jay shook his head to clear it. That's when he saw the movement in the mirror. As Eli stood to go to the fridge, something moved below the door to the corridor. Jay was at ground level, a perfect position. An adrenalin shot pumped his heart a beat or two faster. Eli obscured the door as he opened the fridge. Jay averted his eyes from the mirror when he returned.
'Here you go. Don't suppose you could hold this one?'
Jay gave a slight shake of the head.
A hissing sound rang in his ears as Eli sprung the top off the can and held it to Jay's mouth. Jay tilted his head back and enjoyed the cold drink crawling down his throat followed by the fire in his belly as the scotch wound through his system. He downed half the can before Eli took it away and went back to his chair.
A movement in the mirror caught his attention again. That's when he saw it and knew straight away what it was. He had spent a lot of time with the SASR and had seen similar gadgets. A small camera on a flexible spring. A reconnaissance tool used before a house clearance or a hostage rescue. He looked away from the mirror before Eli had turned back to him.
A tap on the door. 'Concierge, sir.'
Yes, Jay thought.
Eli grabbed the pistol from the table and moved to the door. Jay watched in the mirror as Eli peered through the peephole. Jay braced himself for what was coming. Eli stepped back and opened the door. Jay wanted them to kill the son-of-a-bitch. An onslaught of police, agents or even the SASR boys were about to come through, he was sure. But it didn't happen. Had he imagined the camera? He blinked harder and looked in the mirror again. Eli was walking back with the cigarettes. The door was closed. No camera or saviours in sight. He dropped his head. The last glimmer of hope extinguished. There was no fight left in him. Death waited around the corner. Not long now, he thought. He hoped Shannon would have called the police and they might at least pick up David. When he didn't return there would no doubt be some serious consequences for Jay. More torture. He had no hope of a quick death. He shut his eyes and willed himself to die.
A match struck the side of a box beside his head. An orange glow lightened the darkness.
'Wake up, Jay,' said the little girl of his dreams. 'It's almost over, you'll see,' she said in her sweet voice. 'If I tell you something that will save you, will you save me?'
He told her yes and she leant in close, took a deep breath and screamed into his ear, Incoming!
The reaction was automatic. His eyes opened to chaos and he brought his damaged arm over his head as he buried himself into the carpet as low as he could go. Screaming, shouting, glass breaking, furniture overturned. Bullets flew over his head like the world's fastest mosquitoes. Then gloved hands picked him up and his arm dropped to the floor as the other tie was cut. He didn't hear their voices, didn't dare open his eyes. Hoped it wasn't a dream. Hoped the good guys had won in the end.
He was gently placed on the bed. 'Jay Ryan, can you hear me? Don't let go. Stay with us, mate. Get the paramedics in here.'
Another voice said, 'Move back.'
Ice water hit, stinging his lips and cheeks. The bitter cold nipped through him and forced air deep into his lungs. His heavy breaths jolted his brain into action. He opened his eyes.
An ice cube ran across his lips. 'He's coming to,' a voice said. Heavily armed police surrounded Jay. He smiled. Bill had come through for him.
He heard an officer throw up in the bathroom. He had discovered Tanya. Jay lifted his body and propped himself up on a forearm. A man in a suit stepped over the bodies of Eli and Dalia to get to Jay. He introduced himself and before he asked anything, Jay started recounting what had happened in the room. Medics worked on his wounds as the detective took frantic notes. He stopped Jay to make a call when David and his trip to the bank were mentioned. Jay refused to be taken to the ambulance until he'd told the detective the rest of the story. The detective placed another call to confirm whether they'd found a body in the trunk of the BMW. It seemed like an eternity on hold while Jay waited for the news.
The detective shook his head and put away the phone. 'Confirmed. No body in the trunk of the car.'
Jay frowned, sat up and rubbed his good hand through his hair. Then he remembered the room key. He dug into his pocket. It wasn't there. David must have taken it when Jay was searched. 'Next door! Check next door,' he said. 'I think that's where she is ... Sarah. Check next door.' He tried to get off the bed but strong hands held him back. A needle went into his arm and he watched the detective and a few police officers run for the door.
He prayed she was there. That it wasn't too late.
'We found her,' a voice called out. 'She's alive.'
Jay smiled and drifted off.