The Deception (14 page)

Once inside Ryan’s car she finally drew in a shaky breath and handed Ryan her schoolbag. He found the drugs, took a sample and tucked it away in a small plastic bag.

‘You did good Jaz. I’ll get this looked at and we’ll keep an eye on Bryce and see if we can follow the links. You get rid of this like we talked about, okay?’

Jas nodded stiffly as he put the package back in her bag. Thank God there were no sniffer dogs at school. She only had to make it inside to the toilet and flush the lot. It was the quickest and safest way to destroy them. The sooner the better. Jaz didn’t want them near her a minute longer.

‘I’ll see you after school.’ He gave her a reassuring smile as she slid out of his black SUV.

Jaz began the terrifying walk to school.
Just get to the toilets
was running through her mind on repeat. She completely ignored her friends who were in their usual spot.

‘Hey you, wait up,’ said Anna running to catch up.

‘Sorry can’t stop, gotta do something first.’

‘Okay.’ Anna tagged along quietly, not saying anything even after they went into the toilets.

Jaz beckoned Anna into the stall, much to her confusion, and then once the door was looked took out the drugs and emptied them into the bowl.

Anna’s mouth fell open but she kept her surprise silent.

Once it was all flushed away, they washed their hands and left. It wasn’t until they were by their grey lockers did Anna finally find some words.

‘Was that to do with Bryce?’ she whispered.

Jaz nodded. ‘Am I glad that’s over.’

‘What’s over?’ asked Taylor as he sauntered up to them.

Anna leant over and whispered what they’d done. His eyes grew as big as blue plates. ‘For real?’

Huddled together against their lockers, Jaz quietly told them about her night with Ryan watching Bryce. ‘But that’s not the important bit.’ She told them about the secret Pax was keeping from her.

‘What do you think it could be?’ asked Anna.

‘I don’t know. He said it’s to do with my family.’

‘As in your mum and dad, or Simon? Or your real father? Maybe they are bankrupt?’ added Taylor.

‘Who knows. Maybe it’s something to do with my grandparents. Mum said both her parents are dead. Maybe they’re not. Maybe they joined a cult and she escaped.’ Jaz sighed. ‘Believe me, I’ve been thinking it all.’

‘Well, don’t worry. By this time next week you should know. It can’t possibly be anything bad, can it?’ Anna pulled a face. Jaz just shrugged.

Jaz pulled her hair back and quickly tied it up into a ponytail. ‘Oh, and Tay. We are following your creepy dude this arvo.’ She knew that would put a smile on his face but the glint in his eye was pure revenge.

‘About bloody time. I can’t wait to get that bastard. What’s the plan?’ Tay squeezed his hands together as if he was wringing someone’s neck.

‘You drive home as normal with Anna. Stay inside. Make it look like you’re in for the night, order pizza or something. Then when he moves on, Ryan and I will follow him.’

‘I want to be there when you get him,’ said Taylor.

Jaz grimaced. ‘Ryan just wants us to sort this out, Tay.’

Her best friend gripped her arms with urgency. ‘Please Jaz. I need to be there. Can you at least text me the address?’

The proverbial rock and a hard place. Her best friend or Ryan. Shit. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

‘Thanks Jaz.’ He pulled her into a hug. She knew he wanted payback. These men were menacing his father, threatening Taylor’s life unless Mr Stewart warned them of police drug raids. They all wanted it to stop. But since Taylor had been the one with a gun held to his head, he wanted it so much more.

***

After school, they did as planned. Ryan waited for her in his car while Anna and Tay took the Mustang home. A sea of schoolkids flooded out onto the streets, none of them aware of the danger lurking.

‘Is he here?’ she asked as she got in. She tried to ignore how hot Ryan looked in his usual black shirt and cargos.

‘Yep, over the road on the left. He’s getting in.’ Ryan pulled out onto the road after the stalker man, who was now following Tay’s Mustang.

Jaz opened her schoolbag and pulled out a long-sleeved shirt and her black Adidas track pants. Quickly she changed in the front seat. Jaz pulled her pants on over her leggings but took off her tartan skirt and white t-shirt. She had no fear about undressing around Ryan. He’d already seen her naked. The memory of him turning off the shower, wrapping her body in a towel and holding her while she lost the plot, seemed like a distant memory or something she’d seen in a movie. It would have been an intimate moment if she wasn’t breaking down over the blood and death she’d just witnessed. Not one of her strongest moments, but one she hoped never to let happen again.

The target stopped short of Taylor’s house, parking in the street. Ryan pulled over behind a parked car and then they waited.

‘I can’t believe someone is paying this guy just to watch Taylor. It seems ridiculous,’ said Jaz as she tried to get comfortable. Ryan’s car was starting to feel like a second home.

‘It’s not, Jaz. When you think Tay’s dad is alerting them to a drug raid, he’s saving them jail time and loss of drugs so they are saving millions. What’s a small wage to that? Anytime they think his dad is not going to play the game then they get this guy to take a photo of Taylor, at school or with his friends, just to let his dad know they are still close enough to harm Taylor.’ Ryan paused and then said in a strained voice. ‘Parents do anything to save their children, Jaz.’

It all made complete sense, except for the last part. The way Ryan said it made her think he had a very good example or firsthand experience. He wouldn’t have any kids around, would he? Did she dare ask? Did she even want to know? Maybe his parents had done something to save him or Steph. Yeah, that would be more likely.

Hours later, at around six thirty, the pizza guy turned up and Mr Stewart arrived home. It was probably ten minutes after this that the target started his car, turning on his lights.

‘Didn’t think he’d hang around. Not with his dad home,’ said Ryan.

As they tailed him Jaz texted her mum, well, that’s what she told Ryan. In fact she’d already let her mum know what she was up to tonight. Staying with Anna and Taylor was the Friday night usual. She was actually texting Taylor, letting him know which direction they were headed. Jaz could picture him dropping the pizza and heading for his car.

Eventually the car stopped at a dark brick house on a quiet street a few suburbs over. Jaz texted the address to Taylor and tucked her phone away as Ryan parked.

‘We both should wear these. He might have recognised us from hanging around Taylor.’ Ryan passed her over a balaclava. ‘And these, just in case.’

The gun and knife she’d used for Cody’s mission. ‘Thanks.’

It was dark outside, but not pitch-black. It was after seven when they finally exited the car. The moon and stars bounced light off cars, signs and also the metal on her gun. She’d have to be wary of that.

‘We’ll do a perimeter check first; look for possible exits and how many targets are inside. If under five, we go in. If too many, we fall back. Okay?’ Ryan’s voice was deep and commanding. It sent ripples of excitement under her skin.

‘Yep.’ Jaz checked her gun, and didn’t flick off the safety until they had crossed the road into their targets’ yard.

Crouching, they crept closer to the wall of the house. The bricks snagged on Jaz’s shirt when she got too close. Ryan paused at the first window, trying to see inside. He shook his head and waved his arm forward. They checked around the whole house, relieved there were no dogs, and became familiar with the exit points. Ryan had told her to crash through a window if she was cornered. Go butt first, he’d said. Jaz hoped that never had to happen.

At the back door, they crouched together. Ryan told her, in hand signals, that there were at least two confirmed targets, likely more. He would go in first to the right, she would follow and cover the left. Jaz nodded while the whole time her heart sat in her mouth like a lump of grisly meat she couldn’t swallow.

As quietly as possible, Ryan opened the door. Jaz could only see the whites of his eyes while the rest of his face was black from the balaclava. Trying not to trip over the small step, she followed him inside. Their guns raised and aimed. Jaz wasn’t sure what Ryan had in store tonight, but it didn’t matter as she’d soon find out.

Inside the TV was blaring, she could hear sport of some sort playing with commentators getting excited like they did when someone was about to score. Hopefully, all the people who occupied this house were in that TV room. Jaz looked for clues everywhere, from the boots left by the back door to the keys hanging up on a wall. Nothing personal was in this house; it was not someone’s home, more like a bachelor’s pad or a party house.

With soft feet, they stepped through the house, clearing a room at a time just like she’d done with paintball. Ryan’s arm shot out. Stop. The floor creaked as someone walked towards them. Ryan flattened himself against a wall and Jaz ducked down behind the washing machine.

Once the man had passed, Ryan gave the all clear and they followed him down the narrow passage. The man was humming as he went to the toilet. Jaz would have smiled if her nerves would allow. Ryan motioned for Jaz to take up position in the bathroom opposite and he stayed by the wall out in the open. The toilet flushed and he came out. Instantly Ryan had him in a headlock. The dirty brown eyes of the man were huge as he tried to struggle while Ryan squeezed, then he passed out. His skin was dark, possibly Arabic, and his hair thick black. Ryan dragged the man, who looked not much older than Ryan, into the bathroom. He pulled out duct tape from his back pocket and stuck a piece over his mouth while Jaz kept her gun trained on him.

Quickly Ryan used the tape to tie his hands and feet together. Then they shut the bathroom door and cleared the bedrooms. Jaz could hear a voice shouting at the TV. Was it one or two? It was hard to tell with the commentators yelling and the balaclava over her ears didn’t help.

Ryan motioned for her to sweep the kitchen; she did, it was clear. Together they went for the TV room. Guns at the ready. Ryan went in high, Jaz at a crouch. Only one man occupied this room. The man who followed Taylor was sitting on a brown threadbare couch with a beer in his hands. His dark sunglasses were perched on his head. Finally she saw his whole face. Hazel eyes turned towards them, dull and plain under the single light from the ceiling. They expanded.

‘Put your hands up and kneel on the floor,’ Ryan commanded.

‘Who are you, what do you want?’ said the man as he put his beer down. Ryan pushed his gun closer, making the man obey his order.

‘Who do you work for?’ asked Ryan. When he didn’t reply Ryan punched him in the face. The man smiled, blood covered his teeth and dripped from his split lip. ‘Who do you work for?’ Ryan asked again.

‘Myself.’

Ryan punched him again, causing Jaz to flinch. That blow would have surely knocked her out. But the man just shook his head and grinned. Ryan grunted as he reached into the man’s pockets. Finding a wallet, he threw it to Jaz. She caught it in one hand; opening it, she held it out for Ryan to read.

‘So Joseph. Who do you work for? Or am I going to have to visit 98 Greenwood Street later?’ threatened Ryan.

Jaz saw two tattooed names on Joseph’s arm. Arabella and Sophie. Ryan must be counting on the fact he had kids at this address. She remembered his words ‘parents do anything to save their children’.

The grin slipped from his face. ‘Please,’ Joseph begged.

Ryan had found his weak point in a matter of seconds. But Joseph still wasn’t talking. He moved his gun to Joseph’s hand. ‘You have three seconds before I put a hole in your hand, then it will be your other hand and then maybe a kneecap. Then I’ll still visit your house and deal with your family.’

‘He will kill me if he knows,’ Joseph stuttered.

‘Three, two …’

‘Okay, okay. I work for Jameson Figlomeni.’

‘Are you with the Shesha Serpents too?’ asked Ryan.

‘Figlomeni is the Shesha Serpents. He started the whole thing when he first came to Australia as an immigrant. His empire is huge,’ Joseph almost laughed. ‘You take him on and you die. Please, you didn’t hear this from me.’ Joseph was back to begging.

So Figlomeni, the Shesha Serpents, Carl and De Luca were all connected. All bad guys seemed to work together. Western Australia was a small state so Jaz wasn’t that surprised. Figlomeni and De Luca were probably the two heads of this poisonous snake. Their reach was huge and vast and between the two, spreading a web of illegal activity all over the state.

Jaz heard a noise over the TV and glanced at Ryan. He’d heard it too. Maybe the guy in the bathroom had come to. Jaz crept back through the house carefully while Ryan kept watch over Joseph.

Opening the bathroom door, she saw their captive still on the floor, his eyes open. His tape bindings were still in place and should hold until they left. Jaz lifted a finger to her balaclava, warning him to be quiet. Didn’t look like he could reach anything or could do much more than wriggle. Shutting the door, she made her way back to Ryan. She turned towards the TV room.

Then she heard the cocking of a gun. ‘Stop right there,’ said a voice with a slight Pakistani accent. He reached forward and tugged Jaz’s gun from out of her grasp. ‘Where are the others?’ he asked, no doubt talking about the man in the bathroom and Joseph.

Jaz felt the barrel of a gun pushed against her head. Would he try to pull off her balaclava? Did she try to fight him before he got a shot off? How big was he? An elbow to the ribs? Drop to the floor and go for the knife? Jaz ran crazy scenarios through her mind, trying to find the right one. Would this bloke be trigger-happy? Had he killed before? Could Ryan hear what had happened or was the TV too loud? Just as Jaz had decided on a course of action, she caught a flash of something moving from the reflection on the metal ashtray sitting on the side table.

‘Maybe you should put your gun down,’ said a familiar voice.