Chasing The Dawn (Luke Temple - Book 2) (Luke Temple Series) (20 page)

“I’m hungry,” Chung Su whispered, and her breath steamed in front.

“We will find somewhere to eat, but first let’s put some more distance between us and that.” He pointed into the distance; the smoke could still be seen drifting in the moonlight.

“Ok.”

“And when we eat, you need to start talking.”

“About what?” Chung Su replied innocently.

“Everything.”

“I don’t know anything.”

Luke took a step closer to Chung Su. He was framed by a streetlight. Without changing his expression he spoke in a low tone. “When we eat, you
will
talk, no more bullshit.”

Luke headed down a narrow alleyway. Chung Su gritted her teeth; it unsettled her but she was truly lost without him. Squeezing past a stack of ripped plastic containers she moved after him, in the distance the first sirens played on the air.

***

The plates crashed onto the table, thrown with as much care as the owner put into his appearance. He nodded and grunted, scratching underneath his hair net as he waddled back to the kitchen.

They were sat at a tiny little café on Via Nicola Dati that from the outside barely looked inhabitable let alone able to serve food. It occupied the lower floor of a three-storey building. Each window on the second and third floor was boarded up. Luke had chosen it because it was inconspicuous and, according to the sign in the window, open twenty-four hours a day.

They had both ordered a bacon and salami ciabatta with chips and two cans of Coke. Chung Su grabbed the sandwich and took a large bite, following it rapidly with a handful of thin, crispy chips. Her stomach rumbled as her body prepared for the food. Luke took note of exit points; the primary was the entrance leading out onto the quiet street, the only other was a wooden door visible through the kitchen behind the counter. The owner was working alone and Luke and Chung Su were the only customers.

“I need to visit Professor Vittorio’s residence.” Luke swigged his Coke as he spoke.

Chung Su looked at him, and responded with a mouthful of food, “Where is that?”

“It is in L’Aquila, a town close to here.”

Chung Su didn’t respond. She took the last bite of the ciabatta and washed it down with her Coke. Feeling a sharp shot of indigestion she gave herself a breather. Yet again her mind drifted to the gala, it now felt all so surreal, she blocked out the violence and ran over what she remembered of Brun’s words.
Yin and Yang…
that one phrase kept repeating,
what is it?
Her understanding of the term was in the spiritual balance of all things, in science balance often referred to elements and their counterparts…
their opposites…
opposites, Chung Su had a flash of a thought, in science when dealing with matter and particles that make up the building blocks of the universe, it was widely believed that everything had a direct opposite, a mirror particle or ‘anti’ particle, such as matter having anti-matter…
Yin and Yang.
Impossible, she shook it off, everyone who had ever researched the neutrino knew that as a particle it was unique in nature, a neutrino was its
own
anti-neutrino, and this had added to the intrigue and beauty around it.

“Chung Su … I need to know who else has been interested in this work. I know you are going to say, ‘everyone in the scientific community’ … but we both know what I mean.”

Chung Su played with her Coke can and didn’t answer.

Luke persisted. “I am not an expert on any of this, I am no scientist … but I like to think I am an expert on people, specifically the nastier side of people. I know that if the potential of these particles had been known by a wider audience then there would be some that would have seen the destructive possibility of the whole thing, or even the potential power play.”

Chung Su did not want to look at him, her hunger had subsided and been replaced with a gluttonous pain.

He continued, “It’s about power … the entire world now works on power, that’s what everyone wants, energy, markets, wealth … and war.”

She could not resist. “And I suppose you want it to make flowers and bring peace? I have seen your behaviour. You are right, Mr … Reid, but do not insult me by pretending you are here for any different reasons.”

There was a flash of fire in her eyes. She was sharp and Luke could not deny that Davison’s primary reason for dispatching him would be to keep Europe in control of the technology, even if he had not relayed that objective directly. The fire gave Luke cause to view her intently. She was a remarkably beautiful creature, delicate defined features, prominent cheekbones and plump lips. He found himself staring into her dark eyes.

“See, you cannot deny it. I
am
a scientist Mr Reid and I know far better than you the motives of humanity. You talk of power because that is what you fight for. You do not care about what
good
science can do, you care only for making sure no one else has the power … no matter who suffers.”

Luke did not immediately respond.
Power in the right hands is not destructive.

“Miss Chung, by definition someone must have the power, I merely want to see that it rests with a responsible entity.”

Chung Su scoffed, “And who are you to decide who that is? The arrogance …”

“Believe me, I do not tar the world with the motives of the few, perhaps you should not either. The fact is there are elements in the world who would use this power for destructive ends.”

The distant train noise started up. Luke bit down hard on his lip, his head started to pound with the noise. He could hear her voice but he fought back, forcing himself to tune back into Chung Su.

Chung Su frowned; she saw the flash of pain across his face, not overt but visible.

“Sometimes you need people like me to exist,” Luke mumbled into the table.

“And who
are
you?” His eyes drew her in, they seemed so distant, the feline slant did not hide the pain. For a man who seemed to ride a constant wave of violence and destruction he was nothing like she would have imagined; his frame was slight but strong, taut in its build. His face was nondescript, apart from the kink in his nose and those eyes, one minute lifeless, the next pulsing. He was unreadable, an infrequent twinge of pain shading his face the only clue he had any kind of human connection.

Luke leant in over the table. “What aren’t you telling me? I know you do not want to see Professor Vittorio dead, I believe his alive. I can help him but I need information. If Vittorio dies then I can assure you Brun won’t be far behind.”

“You would say that. I do not know you; you kidnap me and tell me all these lies.”

Luke sank back into his chair; his questioning was getting him nowhere and time was ticking away. Checking his watch he noted the time at 4.30 a.m. The owner flicked on the radio and some romantic pop music floated out. Luke knew he had to change tack.

The café door creaked open, Luke’s hand went to his waistband and Chung Su twisted in her seat. Two men walked in; they looked as though they had experienced many hardships. The first man to walk in had a grey anorak on; his rotund belly caused the coat to tighten as he walked, a patchy jet black beard covered his jowls and dark bags hung under his eyes. His friend who followed him in was like a distorted mirror image; skinny to the point of anorexic, his shabby greying beard did nothing to hide his fallow cheeks. He was dressed in dirty blue tracksuit bottoms and a thick black jumper sagged around his torso, several thread bare holes revealing a red t-shirt underneath. His cheeks were red from the cold, his nose from alcohol abuse.

Chung Su turned back around in her seat, looking at Luke. She saw him relax and she took a swig of Coke. The men greeted the owner like old friends and sat on two stools by the counter, settling into what seemed like a well-worn routine.

“Ok, you win.” Luke took out his wallet and fanned through some euro notes. “None of us has time for this; there is nothing I can get from you.”

Chung Su stiffened.

“Relax, I am not going to kill you, you can get on the next plane and go home.”

Chung Su couldn’t stop her body tensing, her foot began tapping incessantly.
He can’t leave me, I need him … I can’t do this alone.

Luke noted her reaction, and knew he had chosen the right direction. He kept up the charade, standing and dropping enough money to cover both meals. “Oh, and by the way, I wouldn’t bother spending much time at your hotel, I guarantee someone is watching it.” With that, Luke started to walk out.

“No, wait!”! He halted at the door, slowly turning to face her.

Chung Su kept her expression blank. “Please do not leave. I cannot get home without you.”

Luke had made the right call; he walked back over to the table and re-took his seat. “What do you mean you can’t get home without me?”

Chung Su had always classed herself as an intelligent woman. Theories seemed to unravel in her mind with ease, but now she was struggling to know what to tell the stranger, or what to conceal; it was a jumbled mess, battered around by fear and exhaustion.

“I have no idea what all of this is … I landed here in a strange country and … then the men, and then you … I just want to go home …” Chung Su felt herself losing control.

Luke became firm. “Slow down … why can you not get home without me?”

Silence descended between them. The radio carried on playing and the three men mumbled in deep tones. Chung Su regained composure. “I have not lied to you, I was invited here for the gala and I am a scientist specialising in the same area as Professors Vittorio and Brun. However … I need to discover what has happened to Professor Vittorio as well.”

Luke stared intently into her eyes. Even after the trauma of the past forty-eight hours her skin still held a radiance.

“Mr Reid, I had nothing to do with any of this, I am simply caught in it.” Chung Su thought hard about every word, she knew the importance to her work and to her beloved homeland; she had to give enough, but not too much. “The invite to the gala was like a dream for me. A girl growing up in North Korea does not normally have the luxury of dreams. This gala was the endorsement that I was doing something right … but just before I was coming a senior military man came to see me. He said that they had an interest in the work being undertaken here by the Professors and that as I was a servant of my country first and foremost it was now my duty to find out what had happened to Professor Vittorio and provide a full report on his disappearance and his work … I would not be allowed to return home without it.”

Chung Su had needed to think on the spot; she hoped she had sprinkled the story with enough truth for it to be believable but not enough to give the full picture.
I have a duty.
She could not mention the presence of her countrymen in the OPERA programme. The familiar feeling of guilt hit her gut.
I knew they were here for so long … and I just took what they fed like a greedy animal.

Luke was silent for a short time. He was processing the words, filtering and assessing. There was progress but the jigsaw still didn’t quite fit together. “And you were sent alone?”

“I was.” Chung Su didn’t waver.

Luke nodded, that part he felt was true; if she had not come alone then he figured there would have been some pretty pissed off Koreans stumbling around Teramo.

“So you see, Mr Reid, you are the only one who can help me. If you are serious about finding Professor Vittorio you will need me. You have something the others don’t have … someone who can think like him.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Is that so?” It frustrated him but there was a truth to what she said, having her around gave him an edge,
but when the mission is complete then what? I can’t just let her run back to Korea.
He would worry about that later.

“Ok Miss Chung, then I guess we are in this together … we both are not going home until this is finished.”

Chung Su gave a half-smile.

“Miss Chung, people were expecting you here, and I don’t mean Professor Brun. There must have been …”

Luke trailed off, his senses were tingling
. What is it?
He began to focus in …
the radio.
Honing in on the Italian man chattering Luke realised it was a news bulletin. What had caught his attention was the word
Asian
. Key words began leaping out:
Observatory … armed man … female scientist … dangerous … Teramo.
Luke didn’t need to hear any more. He shot round in his chair to look at the three men, all of whom were now whispering and looking at him and Chung Su.

“What is it?” Chung Su asked.

“We are leaving, quick.” Luke looked back around and the owner had walked through to the kitchen, he was on the phone.

“Shit, ok, move, move.” Luke hurried Chung Su along.

“Why, what’s going on?”

“I think you have just become an Italian celebrity.”

“I don’t understand?” Chung Su hesitated.

“Our description was just given over the radio ...”

Chung Su looked over at the men; they were now stood and staring, mumbling to each other. The owner had come back through from the kitchen and laid a large knife down on the counter.

Luke grabbed her arm. “Let’s go.”

As Luke grabbed the door the owner shouted across in his gruff Abruzzo drawl, “Signorina, tutto bene?”

“What did he say?” Chung Su shrugged off Luke’s grip.

“He asked if you were ok, now come on.”

As Luke touched the door handle the window in the upper part of the door was eclipsed by a shadow and the door started swinging open. Two more men walked in, similarly dressed in ragged clothes and boots. They nodded at the men over at the counter and the taller of the two mumbled something. It was clear that the owner had telephoned his friends and not the authorities. Luke didn’t move; he let himself absorb all the information being presented. If these guys had been called instead of the authorities then they had a notion of taking justice into their own hands,
hero complex.
It occurred often with men, they see a woman threatened and want to build up their self-worth. The radio report had been very clear.