“You need to come home,” Catrin says.

I’m slightly confused. “Where are you?”

“At Aldridge House.”

“What are you doing there?”

Through heart-wrenching sobs she tells me she arrived back in Northamptonshire late this morning… so she could surprise me… and then goes on to tell me what happened afterwards.

Cold drops of dread run down my spine.

Keep calm, Daniel. Don’t panic.

But fear has turned every muscle in my body rigid.

“I’m on my way.” I pause, attempt to come up with something to console her. “Try not to worry.”

Gleb quirks a brow and gives me one of his intense looks.

He doesn’t say a word.

Jesus, is he involved in this train wreck?

I bunch my hands into fists.

I’ll fucking kill him…

I snatch up the phone that Eric gave me.

First things first…

“Come on Eric… pick up.”

Just when I think the call is about to go to voice-mail, he answers. “Daniel,” he says, as if this is just a regular chat.

“Have you got Ben and Becca?” My heartbeats thump in my chest.

“They’re safe with me.”

“What the fuck’s going on?” I snap, spittle building up in the corners of my mouth.

“I’d like you to transfer a million pounds to my bank account or I’ll hand your son and the girl over to the mobsters.”

“God almighty, Eric…” My voice is a guttural roar.

What a fucking cunt to take two innocent children…

“I’d like to speak to my son,” I say, with false calmness.

“I’ll put him on speaker phone. Don’t ask him where I’ve taken them, or I’ll cut you off.”

“Just put him on.” I want to jab my finger in his fucking face.

“Daddy,” the sound of Ben’s little voice wrenches in the pit of my stomach. “Eric promised me a new game if I told everyone to play hide and seek. He said he’d find me behind the curtains in Gabe’s library, so that’s where I hid.”

“I didn’t expect the girl to be with him,” Eric butts in.

“Becca won’t stop crying,” Ben says pitifully.

As if to confirm his statement, she sets up a loud wail in the background. “I want my Mum…”

Her words almost break me into little pieces.

“Listen, sweetheart.” I try to keep my tone measured. “Your Mum and I will be with you as soon as we can. Please don’t cry.”

“Eric won’t let us play in the ball pit.” Ben’s voice trembles.

“That’s enough,” Eric says harshly. “I’ll email you my account details. As soon as the transfer goes through, I’ll let you know where you can pick up the kids. The sooner the better… they’re getting on my nerves.” He pauses for a beat. “Don’t even think of contacting the police. I’m giving you twenty-four hours to get me the money. That’s do-able.” He lowers his voice. “Otherwise, I’m handing over your precious children to the Brotherhood. Rest assured, they won’t treat them as kindly as I’ve done.”

The line goes dead.

I sag into an armchair and Gleb perches on the seat opposite while I fill him in.

He reaches across, and now I don’t recoil when he touches his hand to my shoulder. “Eric can’t have taken them far from Aldridge. I mean, your girlfriend has only just called you.”

I shoot him a glance. “What do you know about Catrin?”

“I’ve been searching for you for three years, Alexei. Tom found you about a month ago and has been keeping watch on my behalf. That damn dog of hers…”

“She knows nothing about my past.” The words scrape in my throat. “I wanted the mafia off my back before I told her anything.”

“You’d better call her and let her know what’s gone down with Eric.”

Fuck, he’s right.

She picks up as soon as I tap the green button.

“The kids are safe, Cat.” I go on to explain about Eric’s demands. She’s full of questions, like will I be able to raise the money, but I tell her there’s no time for explanations now. I’m on my way to Aldridge and will explain everything as soon as I get there.

She hands me over to Gabe, and I ask him not to call the police… which he hasn’t done yet, thank God. “They’d stop me from paying the ransom, and there’s no way I want them freezing my bank accounts,” I clarify.

“Only if Catrin agrees,” he says, putting her back on the line.

“What guarantee do you have that Eric will release the children once you’ve transferred the funds?” she asks.

It’s a good question, and I tell her so. “He’s a money-grabbing wanker. Once he’s got the cash in his filthy hands, he’ll release them.” I instil a note of confidence into my voice. “I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t trust him, Daniel. Please get here as soon as you can.”

We sign off and I log onto my internet banking. Then I pull my car keys from my pocket and get to my feet.

“I’m coming with you,” Gleb says briskly. “You might need me and Tom for backup.”

We take our leave of Diana, who has left us on our own this past half hour. She has no clue what’s gone on and we don’t enlighten her. We thank her for having us, and act like nothing out of the ordinary has happened. She’s been a good sport, I’ll give her that… and I hope I’ll be able to let her see Ben when I get him back.

And I will get him back.

I won’t even consider any other outcome.

* * *

It takes an hour to get out of London, due to the ever-present traffic congestion, and a further two hours to reach Aldridge. During the drive, Gleb fills me in on his life in the USA. He’s set up a business in New York, apparently… some sort of club. He’s cagey about it and I don’t ask for details.

It’s his shit, not mine.

He, in turn, asks me how I got involved with Eric. I explain it was through the bureau, after I’d blown the whistle on the money laundering fiasco.

“If I were you, I’d have nothing more to do with that organisation,” he says. “You can’t trust spies.”

“Eric got me my new identity, at least. The background checks Gabe ran on me were water tight.” I shake my head. “Why the fuck has Eric turned on me?”

“He’s a spook. They’re the lowest of the low.”

“Lower than mobsters?” I can’t resist the jibe.

He ignores the dig, and asks, “What are we going to tell everyone when we get to Aldridge?”

“I want to come clean.” I release a long, slow breath. “I’m fed up with lying.”

We lapse into silence for the rest of the journey and soon I’m navigating the narrow country roads leading to the stately home. It’s raining, and the windscreen wipers beat a steady rhythm, the wheels of the car churning up muddy spray. All the while, my thoughts are focused on Ben, Catrin and Becca. I feel sick with worry and regret, my belly tied up in knots.

I pull up in front of the mansion. Catrin flies down the steps, straight into my arms. I hold her close, breathing her in and taking comfort from the feel of her body. “Thank God, you’re here.” Her voice trembles. “I’ve been out of my mind.”

“I talked to Becca,” I reassure her. “I told her we’d come and get her as soon as we could.”

No point in adding that her little girl was sobbing as if her heart would break.

I introduce her to Gleb, and if she’s surprised by his accent she doesn’t say so. She simply stares at him wide-eyed. Her fear-filled eyes widen even further when I present his bodyguard.

We go into the living room. Gabe is there with Luke and Eleri. “Catrin has already told us you’ve grown close,” he says. “She’s also said she knows little about you. And, to be honest, I think you owe both her and us an explanation.”

“I agree. I’m sorry I’ve kept you all in the dark up to now. I did it with good intentions, to keep everyone safe.”

He quirks a dark eyebrow. “Doesn’t seem to have worked…”

“How long have you known Eric?” I interrupt him.

But Luke answers. “I met him in London a few years ago, when I was working in the film industry. He was an agent for a couple of artists.” He tilts his head. “Why?”

“That’s his cover. He’s also been working for the European F.B.I.”

All four of them stare at me open-mouthed.

I carry on my explanation, giving them as much information as they need at this stage. I fill them in on my background, including my original surname Sokolov, and reassure them I have more than enough money to pay Eric’s demand. Catrin is sitting next to me on the sofa, but with every question I answer, she draws further away from me until she’s perched at the far end, her body rigid with apparent shock.

She glares at me, her eyes angry, and she gives a little shake of her head.

Fuck!