AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let’s just say that you will no longer be a necessary component of this operation.” I want to laugh and pretend that he is joking but his face is like a rock. Either this is not a joke to him, or he is very good at bluffing.
“You wouldn’t.” I speak. “What about Jasper? What if he doesn’t know?”
“Then he will no longer be necessary.”
“You would kill your own son?”
“I never said ‘kill’,” he responds, his expression still cold.
“It was implied,” I say, standing cautiously. When Jasper defended me, I didn’t have any idea that the stakes would be so high. I didn’t realise that I would be writing his own death by letting him pretend he knows whatever I’m meant to know.
“If you’re going to leave, take Mark with you. He will guide you to the dining room.” At that moment, Mark walks through the door with the same blank expression on his face.
“I can find things on my own, thank you very much.” I push past Mark and stumble into the hollow corridor. I have no idea where I’m going, all I know is that I need to find a way to escape.
Chapter 23 - Jasper Cunningham
After leaving Emerson alone in her room, I head straight down to the photocopy room. As I hop in the elevator, I have one thought on my mind. One stupid thought that has consumed every waking hour, like a ghost in a haunted house.
Emerson.
What was I even thinking, lying to my own father just to give her a chance of freedom? A chance that didn’t even work out. Now she is walking to my father’s office all alone because I don’t have the guts to face her without reminding myself of how much of a mess I’ve gotten myself into. I hold a hand to my stomach, remembering Hayden’s hard punch when I said that I would look after Emerson. I have never seen anybody so worked up before. All of the gang were a mess when I dropped them off. It was heartbreaking to see them so distraught and know that there is nothing I could do about it. It hurt to know that I could have done more; I should have done more to help her. But I didn’t.
So, now I’m on my way…
Down.
Down.
Down.
Falling like the elevator beneath my feet, on my way to pick up the confidential file that I photocopied before I was kidnapped by Black Opps. The USB that I put in my pocket wasn’t there when I woke up. My best guess is that it fell out of my pocket when I was running from Annabelle. Chances are that the cleaners have already swept the building and hopefully threw it in the bin.
As I enter the photocopy room, I notice that it has returned to its usual populated state. Not overly busy, but a few people here and there so it doesn’t feel like the complete ghost town that it was before. Hoping that no one pays any attention to me, I stride purposefully straight to the photocopier where I left the paper. Luckily, it is still there where I left it, bold red lettering outlining its danger. “Why hello there, Master Cunningham,” a voice from behind me makes me jump. I hide the paper behind my back although I have every right to be here, and the paper is no one else’s business.
I don’t recognise the man who has just crept up on me, but that’s not unusual since most of the people here know who I am, even though I’ve never met them. His pale grey eyes hold a certain amount of curiosity, and I see them peer behind me to look at what I am hiding. “Hello, umm-”
“My name is Steven, but you can call me Steve,” he stammers. “You probably don’t know me, I mean of course you wouldn’t, you’re the son of Albert Cunningham. I mean THE Albert Cunningham, you wouldn’t ever know me. But I know you. I’ve watched you grow since you were just an infant. And look at you now, all grown up. What are you doing here anyway? Come to inspect the people who you will soon be ruling above?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I say, turning around towards the photocopier so I can avoid his steely gaze. I can feel his deep breath that smells vaguely like stale bread, but I choose to ignore it and focus on getting this photocopied and getting out of here as quickly as possible.
“You may think I’m crazy, but rumour has it, people like you a lot more than they do your father.”
“Then people clearly don’t know me very well,” I scoff. The last thing I’d ever want is to follow in my father’s footsteps and step into his place when he’s gone. I have sometimes thought of who is going to take over the CSO when he’s no longer here, but I’ve never seriously thought about it being me.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he points a bony finger and plunges it straight into my chest, right on the bruise from where Hayden punched me yesterday, “because we know you very well, Jasper Cunningham.” The way he says my name makes me doubt everything I’ve ever known. He says it like he really does know me, even better than I know myself.
I hear the beep that tells me the photocopier is finished and I scramble to get away from this creep. “Until we meet again, which I suspect will be very soon.” Steven says with the hint of a smile that could have been perceived as sweet, if I hadn’t been so creeped out by him.
“Let’s hope not,” I murmur under my breath as I hurry out of the photocopy room and down the hall to Mum’s office, shoving the USB in my pocket.
When I reach her office, I hear voices in what sounds to be a seriously heated discussion.
“I don’t know, okay Albert. How could I possibly know when all I do in this miserable life is sit here and pretend to look happy?” That was my mum. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her voice loaded with such sarcasm and gloom all at the same time.
“Oh, don’t talk like I haven’t provided you with everything you need. I just want to know why she said that.” That was my father, sounding as arrogant and as proud as ever.
“I don’t know, okay? And stop acting so up yourself oh Great and Faithful Cunningham. We all know how honest and truthful and-”
