Authors: Mia Hoddell
“So are you Cora?” he pressed again and because of that fact, she assumed he was not one of Rogan’s men.
“Yep, you found me. Are you mystery note guy?” she fired back, wanting to clear up the introductions as quickly as possible.
“Wow, they said you don’t hang around.” His cheeks flushed red under her stare but he didn’t answer her question.
For a few moments an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Cora was hoping he would eventually answer her questions while Jed was trying to build up to what he was about to say.
“Well?” Cora asked again, when it became clear he wasn’t going to say anything more.
“Well what?”
“Are you the person who has been leaving me notes or not?” Her temper was starting to flare at his ignorance.
“Kind of. I’m one of them anyway.”
There was no hint of a lie in his voice so Cora tried again. She could tell he wasn’t going to give her any information unless she asked for it directly.
“So there is more than one of you? What are you?”
He didn’t respond instantly.
During the silence Cora had another thought. “Wait, first of all, am I safe with you? Can I trust you?”
Jed laughed, trying to keep it down so as not to alert any of the other customers to their conversation. There was only one other person and the cashier in the room but that would be all it would take to get her shipped back to Rogan.
“Yes you can trust me. I have no intention of hurting you in any way.”
Satisfied with the truthfulness of his answer, Cora waited for him to continue.
“In regards to your other question, yes there are more of us. I’m part of an organisation.”
Cora nodded but on the inside she was screaming. She just wanted all of the information laid out for her so she could decide what implications it would have on her life.
“An organisation that wants to do what?”
“We’re growing still. Every day we’re getting bigger and soon we will have enough people but we are missing one. We need you to complete our ranks,” he stated cryptically. He wasn’t even trying to answer Cora’s question.
“Hold up. Answer my questions first. What is this organisation?” Cora asked, irritated.
“We can help you.” Jed shrugged casually while taking a sip of his drink.
“I don’t need help. I’m doing quite well on my own thanks,” Cora muttered. She knew what was coming next.
“Really? Avoiding Carvelli numerous times because of tips we left you and then getting caught and having to escape? It sounds like you’re doing brilliantly.” Jed’s attitude shifted as he spoke with a sarcastic bite to his voice but his eyes danced playfully.
“Well I’ve lasted a long time without being caught.”
“With our help,” he responded quickly, while peering over the lip of his cup.
“Who are the ‘we’ you keep referring to?”
“Say you’ll help us and you’ll find out,” he countered and Cora wanted to pummel the table in frustration.
“I’m not agreeing to anything until I know who and what you are. I haven’t spent years avoiding Rogan just to end up in some other organisation that I know nothing about.”
“That’s understandable but we need to protect ourselves. We can’t let our secret out if people are not willing to co-operate.”
Cora murmured something under her breath and then the only sound that was audible in the whole shop was a fly persistently banging its head against the window it was trying to escape through. Dragging on, both of them were determined not to be the one who broke the silence first.
Nevertheless, Jed quickly realised Cora wasn’t going to agree to anything. He looked over his shoulder nervously and then back to Cora whose face was frozen in determination as she stared him out. She had chosen a table furthest away from everyone but it still made his job difficult.
“We are a covert organisation and we are going to take down Carvelli,” he said quietly. His voice was barely a whisper and he was balanced on the edge of his seat as he leaned forward to make sure Cora caught every word.
“No, I don’t believe you. No one would be that stupid,” she said, even though she had not detected any hint of a lie. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing and it even confused her because she was doubting her own ability.
“You may call it stupid, but we call it opportunistic. We nearly have the numbers but we need you first. What do you say?” He smiled gently at her and Cora’s brow furrowed.
“No, I don’t want to be involved in whatever you and your bunch of crazies have planned. Thanks for the offer, but no.” Everything he had said was true but that didn’t mean he had a sane plan.
“Cora, take a look around. You’re already involved. You’ve been involved since your mum leaked your secret to Carvelli. You’ve been on the run for years. You’ve been caught four times and you only just managed to escape this time. How did you do that by the way?”
“That’s not important, don’t change the subject. I don’t want anything to do with this, my life is complicated enough.”
“Wouldn’t you want a life free of Carvelli? You’re forever running, can’t trust anyone. Wouldn’t you want all that to end?”
Cora had to give him some credit, he knew which buttons to push and he knew what she desired. It wasn’t enough though.
“Yes I would, but I’m not risking my life for it. I just want to survive and if that means running for the rest of it, then so be it. There will always be someone to replace him anyway. As for not trusting anyone, how do I know I can trust you?” She leaned back, and gripped her seat tightly as she waited for his answer.
“You tell me, Cora. You know better than anyone whether I’m being honest. Have I said anything that was a lie yet?”
She shook her head, thankful he hadn’t called out her ability in public. Maybe he was better than she thought.
“No but that doesn’t mean I can trust you,” she said stubbornly.
“You would be stupid if you did.” He leaned back in his chair too, mimicking her posture as another silence hung in the air. It was like he was challenging her to join him with his eyes.
“Where do I fit into all of this? Why do you need me?”
“Why do you think? What is different about you? For someone as quick-witted as you I don’t think that’s really the question you need an answer to. It’s pretty self-explanatory; you have a gift and we need it.” He shrugged again.
“So you want to use me? Why would that offer sound any better than the agreement I have with Rogan right now?”
“Because Carvelli owns you. With us you’ll be free. Once Carvelli is gone, you’ll be free to live a normal life. There’s no contract, no obligation and no feeling of guilt that you are perpetuating Rogan’s murderous regime. It’s your choice and you can walk away at any time.”
Cora had to admit the opportunity did sound appealing. She knew they would have to succeed in taking Rogan down for their plan to work in the first place though. That was the catch she had an issue with—she didn’t want to get in a war with Rogan, which is what would happen if they failed.
“Yes or no, Cora? You in or out?”
“Out,” she stated decisively. “I don’t see how I can be so important to taking him. If you’re as good as you’ve made out to be, you can do it without me.”
“Fair enough. If you change your mind though, you can reach me here.” He handed her a slip of orange paper with the same blue scribble on. It was identical to the ones that had been saving her over the last few years but as she looked up to respond, Jed was already walking out the door.
Looking back down at the note she read the phone number and as she went to pocket it, the light shone through, illuminating a note on the back. Flipping it over, Cora read the words.
You may want to get a move on. Carvelli’s men know where you are and they’re on their way.
What the hell? He couldn’t have told me that in person and saved me some precious time? How did they find me and Jed become aware of it so quickly?
Cora thought, already out of her chair and heading towards the door.
As she moved to grab hold of the handle, she saw the unmistakable face of Nick…and he looked pissed. Walking towards the shop, he wasn’t even bothering to hide, he knew there was nowhere Cora could run to. He had the building surrounded. If she ran, she would be caught by someone else.
Gasping at how close they were, Cora turned and headed back into the shop, talking even before she got to the counter to get the girl’s attention.
“Do you have a back exit I can use? Please, this is an emergency.”
Flustered by Cora’s sudden verbal assault and unrelenting pleas the girl waved her through a door behind the counter. She managed to stutter something about it being on her left as Cora passed her. It didn’t take long for Cora to spot it though, even without hearing the girl’s directions, and without thinking she ran.
Stumbling into the door Cora released the emergency bar. Opening with a crash, Cora’s momentum left her falling out into a back alleyway. Her arms remained locked around the handle to stop her from hitting the ground and by taking a few extra steps she managed to right herself and stay on her feet. However, the action had her looking down, rather than where she was going.
She was about to take off running again when a steel grip encircled her arm, pulling her to a sudden halt as pain coursed through her shoulder. It felt like her bone had been pulled from her socket and turning around to face her captor, she tried to hide her wince.
Twisting to see who had grabbed her, she didn’t recognise his face—not that she was expecting to. Rogan had hundreds of men at his disposal and Cora probably knew about ten by name and face. She was glad it wasn’t Nick though. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of catching and dragging her back twice in a row.
For a moment, Cora considered fighting but as she pulled her fist back to throw the first punch, another hand clasped hold of it. Locking her arm into position behind her head, her elbow pointing skywards, it rendered her defenceless as the second man’s grip was too strong.
“Nice try Cora, but not good enough.” His voice sent a shiver down her spine and as she craned her neck to look over her shoulder, she saw the face she was both expecting and dreading to see.
Nick was looking down at her with a lurching smile, revelling in her predicament.
“I’ve got her, go get the others and meet us back at the house,” Nick ordered, taking a hold of Cora’s other wrist. His grip felt slacker than the last time and Cora was not one to pass up an opportunity when it presented itself to her.
Swinging her head back she went to head butt Nick, hoping to catch him unaware and make him loosen his hold. Unfortunately, misjudging the distance, her head didn’t connect with anything but empty space.
Nick had stepped backwards, making sure he was just out of reach. He had sensed what she was about to do the second it crossed her mind; Cora was predictable like that.
Making sure to remain far enough away from Cora so any attack was useless, Nick locked her wrists into one of his hands. When he was sure that his grip was secure enough, he removed his other hand and reached into the waistband at the back of his jeans.
Cora felt something cold and hard pressed against her back. It made every muscle in her body seize up and freeze instantly as she tried to calm her breathing.
“Seriously, Nick? Can’t restrain me without the use of a gun now?” she spat, hoping to disperse her fears so they didn’t show. All it did was cause Nick to stab the barrel into her back harder.
Cora squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She knew Nick wouldn’t kill her. He could be unpredictable and lose control to anger sometimes, but she was sure he would never take it upon himself to kill her as he knew if he did, Rogan would hunt him down and return the favour.
But what if Rogan had ordered it?
The thought flashed through her mind. For a moment she wasn’t sure if she felt scared but convinced herself she was more valuable to Rogan alive. But when Nick twisted her arm, more to inflict pain, she knew that signalled Rogan wanted her alive, even if she couldn’t be certain of his exact orders. For all she knew Nick’s loose leash allowed him to put more holes in her than a sieve as long as she remained living and coherent. That was the thought that had her heart racing so fast she thought it was going to kill her with exhaustion.
“It’s easier to control unwilling people. Now get a move on, you and Rogan have some catching up to do and he’s not happy,” Nick replied, his tone taunting and Cora could tell he was grinning again.
Keeping the barrel buried in her back, he walked her from the alleyway to one of the cars waiting for them where it connected to the main street. Nick made sure to keep himself close enough to conceal the gun as he pushed her into the back seat. Not that it was a big deal, people were used to seeing weapons, especially from Rogan’s men.
* * *
Pulling back up in front of Rogan’s mansion, Cora’s heart sank. It was even worse than the first time because now she knew what awaited her; Rogan would be furious. To what degree she didn’t know, but she remained defiant, even if she knew she wasn’t going to enjoy their reunion. There was no way he would give her the same treatment as before she escaped and Cora was cursing herself for getting caught. There was no one else to blame, it was her own fault she was in the situation. If she had been smarter then she’d still be free. Nonetheless, she still couldn’t figure out how they had found her so quickly.
As the car slowed to a halt, the gravel crunched under the tyres. It reminded her of the sound of bones snapping for some reason, but she brushed the thought from her mind instantly. She knew if it was allowed to continue it would lead to visions of herself being tortured by Rogan’s men.
As Nick got out, Cora waited for him to move around to her door and open it. Unlike last time, there had been no reason to keep her restrained. The gun resting on Nick’s lap was a constant reminder not to try anything stupid and Nick’s hand stayed firmly locked around it. She knew running was not going to help so she had resigned herself to whatever awaited her until she got a better opportunity.
She had been in a rush before and she was not going to make that mistake again.
The door on her side of the car opened and Nick gestured for her to get out. He made sure to keep the gun in plain sight all the way to Rogan’s office. As he paused outside the door, he placed it back inside the waistband of his jeans and proceeded to knock.
Cora was on her best behaviour. Normally she would have stormed into the room, demanding to be the centre of attention but this time was different. Until she knew what was awaiting her on the other side she was going to play the good little girl and comply with the standard procedure.
Rogan’s deep voice penetrated through the heavy, wooden door. She hadn’t even seen him yet and already he sounded enraged and tense.
Opening the door, Nick placed a hand on her back, pushing her into the room. She expected him to follow her in like last time but instead his fingers lingered for only a second. As she moved out of reach, they fell away and then she heard the click of the door shutting behind her. The sound made her think of someone cocking a gun that was about to execute her.
Rogan was sitting behind his desk, staring straight at her as she moved towards one of the chairs in front of it. Having not been there on her previous visit, she assumed they were for her. His hands were clasped on the wooden top, his knuckles white from the force he was applying.
As Cora lowered herself into the chair, the silence dragged on. She almost wanted Rogan to yell or lose it because at least he would be doing something and she would understand where she stood. The silence was intimidating, awkward and lengthy. It was having Rogan’s desired effect as he watched her squirm.
He forced the smile that was threatening to show on his face into submission. He was not going to break the tension by laughing at her nervousness. Instead, they remained in a staring contest, both fixated on the other’s bright green eyes as they dared the other to be the first to break it.
“You didn’t get very far then?” Rogan said finally, his tone full of mocking.
“I wasn’t running. I was going to come straight back after. I did tell you I wanted to be able to roam around when I signed up.” Cora had made the decision to try and defuse his anger through lies. She knew it wouldn’t be the wisest thing to be caught doing. However, she hadn’t planned on getting found out.
“Yes, you told me and I rejected the idea. No matter how much you want to persuade me that you were coming back, I think we both know better than to believe it. You see Cora, by running—well I mean trying to run away—you broke the terms of your contract. I now own you like I own every other employee.”
Cora’s heart started to increase at his words and what he was alluding to. Her mind flicked instantly to Misty and her safety but she tried to keep the emotions from surfacing.
“How did you even know where to find me? Your guys didn’t seem like they had been looking for very long when they caught up with me.” Cora tried to deflect his line of thought. She wanted to scream and fight back and could feel the anger building inside her. She wasn’t about to deliver him that kind of satisfaction. It would give Rogan something to hold over her head and control her with. Cora wasn’t going to let that happen yet, so playing it cool, she diverted the subject and situation so she was in control.
Rogan started to pull his hands apart. She could see the tension in his arms relax slightly as he reached into his pocket. With a swift turn of his wrist he flicked out an orange slip of paper, throwing it on to the desk so it slid in her direction.
Cora didn’t need to pick it up to know what it was and she cursed herself for the clumsy mistake. Staring at the slip of paper that had betrayed her secret, it looked like she was trying to make it burst into flames using only her mind.
“Where did you find that?” she asked as it was the only thing she could think of to break the silence.
“On your bed. Who sent it?” His tone sounded bored and he looked casual as he leaned back in his chair, but his eyes swirled with intrigue more than he knew. She could see he was hungry to find out who was working against him and he hated that he wasn’t aware of everything in his territory.
Shrugging, Cora muttered an ‘I don’t know’ before her gaze fell on her hands. She didn’t want to meet his eyes in case she saw something she feared.
“I thought we’d been over this? We both know you’re lying, so save us all the fucking questions and tell the truth from the start.”
Rogan was starting to lose his temper, his voice laced with restrained anger. It was close to snapping like a cane breaking and Cora didn’t want to be anywhere near him when that happened. She decided her best—and safest—course of action would be to give him enough information to satisfy him but not to give everything away. It wasn’t like she knew much.
“It’s an organisation focused on taking you down,” she admitted, making sure her voice sounded like it was reluctant to give up the information.
“Who are they and where are they? What have they got planned?” He was leaning forward once more at the thought of more information. He listed off questions in quick succession but Cora didn’t need to listen to them, she already knew she wasn’t going to say anymore.
“I don’t know. They weren’t stupid. I got no names, no locations and they didn’t tell me a plan. They refused to say anything more until I agreed to join them. That’s what they were after—my ability, though they wouldn’t say why.”
Although she had denied the request and hadn’t taken much of a shine to Jed, she wasn’t going to sell him out to Rogan yet. Maybe when she needed a bigger bargaining chip she would consider it.
“And before you ask, I declined. See? I really do like working for you,” she joked as her voice filled with sarcasm.
Rogan hummed dubiously as if he doubted her every word. “You’re still in breach of your contract so I hope that meeting was worth the sacrifice to your freedom. As I warned you, you’ll now have a round the clock group of personal guards keeping an eye on you. I have also ordered for your things to be set up in the basement. So I’d like to see you try and pull the same stunt a second time.” Finally Rogan let the sinister smirk he had been hiding reveal itself and Cora had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. Shouting was not going to get her out of the situation she had found herself in.
“Aren’t you curious as to how I got out in the first place?”
“I will admit, I’m slightly impressed you found the hidden exit so quickly and roped Kirby into helping you.” He kicked his feet up on to the desk, signalling for her to explain.
“The door to the family quarters was left open when I left here. I decided to look for a way out but after searching through every room, I found nothing. I walked in on Kirby accidentally and he…he threatened me.” Cora’s voice changed as she made sure to add a slight hint of vulnerability into it. An idea coming into her head.