“You got him, well done.”
“Sorry I didn’t wait for backup. I just wanted to get to Alex,” Josiah slurred. “I knew the Quarterlanders would never tell me where he was if I turned up mob-handed with a bunch of agents.”
“We can talk about it another time. I’ll expect a full report in due course. For now, I just want you to get better.”
He rubbed his head, suddenly aware of a dull ache that was giving him double vision, but there were other things he needed to tell her. They were too urgent to wait. “There’s a drug cartel with a massive croc factory operating out of the top of the tallest tower in the Canary Quarter. They’re run by a man called Duke – not his real name, obviously – but he doesn’t live in the Quarterlands. Grant was their accountant, but he also embezzled a huge amount from Duke. If you move in now, you can clean up that entire operation while they’re in disarray.”
“Thank you. Reed already briefed me, and I’ve authorised agents to go in.”
“Also… I probably lost my Inquisitus-issue AV,” he mumbled, his head aching violently now.
She laughed. “I’ll give you a free pass for that, given you’ve just brought down a drug cartel and a potential killer. Not bad work for one night, even for you.” It was possible she said something else, but he didn’t hear it because his head was suddenly full of white noise, and then he passed out.
He had a concussion, but the shoulder wound wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The leather strap of his shoulder holster had absorbed most of the impact. They sewed him up and kept himin overnight for observation, but in the morning, he was free to go. Sofie turned up with clean clothes, which was a relief, as his were covered in blood.
“I’m driving you home. I’ll go and sit with Alex while you get ready. Come and find me when you’re dressed,” she told him.
She’d even made a good stab at putting together a sartorially matching outfit, although her choice of jeans and a soft purple sweater over a navy-blue polo shirt made it clear he wasn’t expected in the office anytime soon.
He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, and although he had a cut on his head that had been stitched up and the makings of a fine black eye, he looked better than he’d expected.
Alex hadn’t fared as well. He had a hairline fracture of the skull, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken arm. In time, with care, he’d make a full recovery. But it wasn’t his physical condition that worried Josiah. He’d already been displaying signs of poor mental health in the weeks leading up to his abduction, and now those issues were even more evident. There was no light in his eyes. He looked spent – completely done in.
“Hey, you.” Josiah sat down next to him and took his hand.
Alex turned his head to look at him, and the movement was so slow that it was as if he was wrenching his consciousness from another plane of reality altogether. “Hey.” It was barely a whisper.
Josiah squeezed his hand gently. “So, I talked to your doctor. You’ll be in the hospital for a few days and then you can come back home with me.”
“Okay.” Alex didn’t look as if he cared where he went, or who he was with.
Josiah glanced at Sofie on the opposite side of the bed, to find her eyes dark with worry.
“Sorry,” Alex whispered.
“For what?”
“For Neil.”
“You’re not responsible for his actions.”
“Aren’t I?” Alex gazed at a spot over his shoulder.
“No,” Josiah said firmly. “Alex, what happened at the house?”
Alex ignored him for a long time. Josiah glanced at Sofie helplessly.
“Maybe it’s too soon,” she said gently.
“Alex.” Josiah squeezed his hand again. “I know Esther will want a full report, but it can wait until you feel better.”
Alex looked as if he hadn’t been listening, and then he began to speak, in a low, rasping monotone. “When Neil broke in… I was with Sem in his room, helping him back to bed for a nap. Neil had a gun. I think he was surprised that Sem was there. He thought I was alone in the house. He waved the gun around, and I didn’t want him to hurt Sem, so I went with him. But Sem followed us and tried to stop Neil on the stairs. Neil hit him with his gun, and he went down. I was so angry he’d hurt Sem that I jumped on him. We fought over the gun, which is when he hit me on the head with it and I fell down the stairs. That’s when my arm snapped.” He looked up at Josiah wearily. “But you can’t tell Esther all this, because she doesn’t know about Sem.”
“No, I’ll tell her something else,” Josiah said. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my problem, not yours.”
“Is Sem okay?” Alex looked as if he was bracing himself for more bad news.
“He’s fine,” Sofie said quickly. She glanced around but they were completely alone. “Big Jen called me last night. She got him safely out of the country. She wouldn’t say where he is, but he’s making a good recovery and being taken care of. I’m hoping to talk to him soon.”
