Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty-Two

Inside the cabin, the four got ready to go to the next level. Fiona knew that they would have to be quick-witted about this. Every second counted, and Cross certainly wasn't the man to sit over this for too long. From this moment onwards, every step was supposed to be calculated, every movement a blow that would bring them to dismantling his empire.

For two days, Julian never ceased to work, wielding his skill in technology to trace two of his associates who withdrew loads of money from his accounts. He was crouched over his laptop, with his eyes glued to the screen as its soft glow illuminated a look of determination on his face.

"They've gone to ground," Julian said, not looking up. "Both of them have left their usual locations and are staying off the grid. But I managed to pick up some digital breadcrumbs—they're both still in the city, just lying low."

Fiona leaned in closer. "Do we have an exact location?"

"Not quite, but I've narrowed it down to a few potential spots. They're being careful, but not careful enough."

Then Victor spoke up where he sat, cleaning his gun quietly. "They'd be on edge, paranoid. We'd have to approach them in a very low-key way. If they think we're after them, they'd bolt—or worse, alert Cross."

Emma nodded, brow furrowing as she thought. "Maybe we don't come up head-on. If we can get to someone they trust, we could plant the idea that they're better off without Cross. Make them believe they're already compromised and that co-operating with us is their best option."
 
Fiona considered. "Do we know who the closest contacts are?"

Julian's fingers were flickering rapidly across the keys, and more detail spilled across the screen. "Two men: Gregor Vance, Philip Greaves; both have sisters in town they're tight with. Neither sister is running in Cross's circle, but Greaves also has a girlfriend who has remained under the radar for about a year now."

Emma's eyes gleamed. She'd been waiting for that open slot in the game, and this was it now. "That's our in. We don't have to convince them directly; we convince the people they care about.

Victor nodded. Approval sat in his eyes. "It's a good plan, but we must tread carefully. We can't let these people know too much, or it might just blow up in our faces."

"Fiona's right," Emma agreed, nodding. "Emma, you lead on this. You can interact with them the best and get them to trust you. Victor, you back her up in case things go sideways."

Emma and Victor glanced at each other and knew what to do. They had worked together long enough to know what was next.

"What about me?" Julian asked, looking up from the laptop.

"Keep tailing them and give us a heads-up on any information," Fiona ordered. "We need to keep them in our sights at all times, so whenever they move just a fraction, we will be prepared."

Julian nodded back and was already going back to his screen. He was in his element, and Fiona knew he would do whatever it took to kill the bad guys.

Emma and Victor went to see the sister of Gregor Vance, Maria. The two returned to a small and cozy outlying flat in the city. The flat was very modest but clean and tidy, telling a story of a lifestyle that was humble and free from the madness that Gregor had been involved in.

Emma took the lead, though, towards the door. She was the calm one while Victor stayed back a bit, glancing around. She edged forward and knocked, and after maybe the sound of shifting weight on the other side. The door opened again just a touch, the sense of another body behind it, but not fully visible yet.

Another woman answered the door, appearing to be in her late thirties. Kind eyes but a reluctant, guarded expression.

"Maria Vance?" Emma inquired

Emma smiled, a soft gentle thing. "I'm a friend of Gregor's. We need to talk.

Maria hesitated, her eyes flicking to Victor standing a few steps back, before opening the door wider. "Come in."

The apartment was everything Fiona had expected: warm, and welcoming. Maria offered them tea, which Emma accepted, using the time to set Maria at ease. It was plain that Maria was acting as protector for her brother, but worried.

"Maria," Emma spoke slowly between a string of pauses by small talk, "I'm just going to level with you. Your brother is in deep trouble. He is mixed with some very bad people, and things are getting out of hand, fast."

Maria's face paled. "What are you talking about? Gregor… he's made a few mistakes, but he's not a bad person."

Emma leant forward, reaching out across the table to put her hand over Maria's. "I know he's not. But the people he deals with are dangerous bad guys who will not think twice to hurt him if they get a whiff that he's slowing them down. We are trying to help him; we just need your help, too."

It was eating her alive inside, this loyalty toward her brother and her fear for him: "What do you want me to do?

"Talk to him," Emma said in a gentle voice. "Convince him that he isn't safe with these people anymore. He's got to come to us. He's got to trust that we can protect him."

She was crying but nodded her head vigorously. "I will. I'll do everything I can to help Gregor."

Emma squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Maria. You're doing the right thing."

He located him: Philip Greaves' girlfriend was a little girl, probably of 22 years, named Laura. She lived all by herself in a small studio apartment downtown. Her life was crime-free, without the maltreatment which illustrated the boyfriend's life.

Just as she was coming out of a cafe, Victor got in her way. He was silent and not aggressive in total. He introduced himself as a friend of Philip's, and after some initial reluctance, Laura accepted to talk to him.

He took her to a nearby park for a walk, and his wording was cautious with clear expressions. Laura was listening, showing such involvement with her expression, and with every line, she got more and more worried.

She was silent so long a moment that when she spoke at last her voice shook with betraying excitement. He concealed it all from me.
"Philip loves you, Laura," Victor said, just a bit more gently. "In fact, he probably didn't tell you those things because he does. But it's high time to wake up and smell the coffee. If he keeps working for Cross, he's taking a chance. If he comes with us, we can keep him- and you- safe."

Laura stopped and swung back around to face Victor.

"Yes. Only we need your help to make him see that," he assured.

Her resolve in his eyes seemed to solidify to a new level. "I will talk to him. I will make him understand."

Cabin, small living room: Fiona was pacing nervously back and forth, waiting for Emma and Victor to come in from outside. Julian was still working at his laptop.

Meeting's Over

Fiona could tell by the look on their faces that the meetings had been about as successful as they really could have expected.

Well, at last they were in.

"Maria and Laura are in," Emma reported. "I sent them to Gregor and Philip, will see if they can't talk them into coming over."

Victor acknowledged, "It's something. Guess we wait to see if they call."

"Good work," Fiona exhaled, her breath one she hadn't realized she was holding. "Now we just need to be ready when they do."

The room was very tense; Fiona felt that within the next short period, everything they had been fighting for would be finalized. If only Gregor and Philip could be turned, then perhaps they would finally have the leverage that was needed to bring down Cross.

But as the hours fell into complete chiaroscuro from their new friends, Fiona's anxiety ticked up. She knew this was the lull before the tempest, and should the thunderhead finally burst, there would be no turning back.

Dawn's first light striped through the windows of the cabin, and Julian merely glanced at his laptop as an incoming message pinged. His face filled with concern, and he looked up at Fiona with a grim expression.

"It's from Gregor," he said. "He wants to meet."

Fiona's heart was now racing. "Where?"

"A public park, just outside the city. He says he'll be there at noon."

Fiona nodded. The very idea set her mind racing with plans and backup plans. This was what they had waited for. With bubbling enthusiasm, she turned to her squad and was confirmed to see that there was not a scrap of a second they could spare to let their guards down.

"Be prepared," she replied, "maybe this is one way we can set things right at last."