Lea stepped in front of Martina. “It’s Morgan’s fault. He told Anthony everything.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “We hadn’t even met you by then. All he knew about was the note.”
“When I left to meet you, to discuss our plan, they threatened her with all kinds of crazy shit. You know what they were like; she had to come clean to save my life.”
“Anthony let you leave the island?” Jack said. “Straight after finding out you were coming to try and meet us?”
“He wanted to know what Martina knew about it and to see if she would sanction my execution.”
“Come off it. You know that’s rubbish,” I said. “If they wanted us so badly, they could have just followed you to the Queensboro Bridge.”
Jack jabbed his rifle at Martina. “Can’t she speak for herself?”
“It’s true. We’ve all got what we wanted, in a roundabout way. I’m sorry about before. It was all part of the act. I had to be convincing.”
Martina looked and sounded insincere. Perhaps that was her way, but she took us both for fools if she expected us to swallow her crap.
“You seem to be forgetting that you wanted me killed first,” Jack said.
She half-closed her eyes and looked at Lea.
“You can’t blame them for being like this,” Lea said.
“She sold us down the river, and you know it,” I said.
“By the way, Martina,” Jack said. “Jerry and Anthony were going to kill you as soon as they got the launch codes.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” she asked. “I’ve still got them, though, and that’s a big bargaining chip.”
“What do you think just happened?”
I edged sideways and placed Martina firmly in my sights. “They took parts of the control unit, so it can’t be used. There’s another team coming over…”
“I can negotiate with them,” Martina said.
It annoyed me that she thought she could simply talk her way out of this. I wasn’t sure how anyone could like this woman, especially Lea. “This isn’t a stupid game, you know? They’re bringing in another team from California. It’s over for you, Martina.”
Lea tugged at her arm. “It’s a fresh start. We can forget about this whole thing.”
Martina scowled at me. “It’s not over until I say it’s over. I’ve been Henry Fairfax’s eyes and ears on the ground. He’ll have me back in the blink of an eye.”
I stared at her over my sights, not quite believing what she’d just said.
Lea’s eyes widened, and she leaned away from Martina. “You never told me this. I thought you said Ron kept most of it secret from you. Tell me you’re just saying this to—”
“I was only trying to protect you,” Martina said. “Ron was the front. Do you really think I kept going to South America when I kept returning without a hint of a tan?”
Jack winced and raised his rifle. “How much more evidence do you need, Lea?”
Lea cupped her cheeks. “Oh my God. You scheming bitch.”
“Watch your tongue,” Martina said. “Fairfax wouldn’t kill the person who helped him plan this whole thing. I sent him e-mails while you made me meatloaf. Do you know how stupid that makes you look?”
Lea silently shook her head, stepped away from Martina, and walked over to my side. It had a symbolic feeling, like she’d finally made her choice and taken her foot out of one camp. Who could blame her after Martina’s revelations? Although I suspected some of them weren’t true. I decided we should leave her on the island to stew in her own juice. A quick death was far too good for this bitter woman.
My mind already raced with bigger things than her. The immediate threat was replaced with breathing space. But we caught a glimpse of what loomed on the horizon if we didn’t act.
Martina dived to her right and grabbed the pistol from the grass. She swung it around in our direction. Before I could pull the trigger, Lea fired two rounds. Martina jerked twice as the bullets hit her chest in quick succession. Her arms fell limply by her sides.
Lea slowly lowered her gun and bowed her head.
“It was her or us,” Jack said. “I was going to do it anyway.”
Good old Jack, as subtle as a brick, but I agreed with the sentiment.
Martina coughed. Lea ran to her side, knelt, and held her hand. Martina wheezed heavily and stared at the clear night sky. Blood soaked the front of her vest.
“Why did you do it?” Lea cried in anguish. “Why did you have to ruin it all?”
Martina fixed her gaze on Lea and squeezed her eyes closed. In a final act of spite, she spat blood into Lea’s face. Her head flopped to the left, she exhaled, and her eyes glazed over.
Lea sprang to her feet and wiped her right cheek. “I’ve been fooling myself, right up until the end. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. She left you with no choice,” I said.
Lea covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Jack and I backed off to give her a minute. Martina’s betrayal ran even deeper than I’d ever imagined. It must’ve cut Lea to the bone.
“Let’s get off this island and somewhere safe,” I said. “You’re better off without her.”
And I genuinely believed it. Martina had been a poisonous influence on Lea, and it had nearly cost us our lives. We could now focus as a single-minded group.
Jack put his arm around me for support, and I helped him back toward the boat. Lea joined him at his other side, and he folded his other arm around her. We shuffled along together and reached the landing.
Jack slumped into the back of the boat, and Lea took the controls. I stood looking down at them and felt a strong sense of determination.
“What’s the plan?” Jack asked.
“We can’t go on fighting Genesis Alliance in open warfare,” I said. “They’re too strong for three of us. But we can’t ignore them. They need to be ground into the dirt.”
“What do we do?” Lea asked.
“We go over to England and cut the head from the snake’s body. We decapitate Genesis Alliance. Are you in?”
They both nodded.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Paul Lucas from Janklow & Nesbit, for his advice, support, and the fantastic job he did of finding us such a great publisher in 47North.
Emilie Marneur and Sana Chebaro from the Amazon UK team, who have guided us through every step and have been a pleasure to work with.
Jennifer Gaynor, our excellent structural editor.
Jill M. Pellarin, our equally as good copy editor.
Harry Dewulf for his creative input.
Mike Meredith, David Spell, and Jean Dunn for your beta reading and support.
Finally, and most importantly, our readers. We’ve had some great feedback, communication, and encouragement from you in the last twelve months. We wish we could mention you all, and we appreciate the time you have taken to read our book.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Darren Wearmouth was born in Yorkshire and spent six years in the British Army’s Royal Signals Division before pursuing a career in corporate technology. After fifteen years working for telecommunications firms and a startup, he decided to follow his passion for writing. A sportsman, he loves watching and playing football, cricket, and golf. His other hobbies include reading, mountaineering, and socializing. He also has a hidden talent for Italian cooking. He currently resides in Manchester, England.
Marcus Wearmouth was born in Yorkshire and also spent six years in the British Army, serving in the Royal Electronic and Mechanical Engineers. He graduated from Northumbria University with a degree in surveying and now owns a consultancy that specializes in subsidence. Marcus loves spending time with his two wonderful children, Andrew and George. He currently resides in Harrogate, England, and is secretly a very gifted bagpiper.