Page 107 of Rough Fantasy

She tore her attention away from Rory to look at Zeke. The pity she saw there hurt more than losing them both. Of course she had never really had them, had she?

“Yes, I do.” She picked up her brief case. “I’ll have my cell, but I might just take a nap first.”

She hurried out of the room.

Zeke let the door shut with a silent snick and said nothing. He was still pissed. He was also worried. The fact that Maura had left without argument wasn’t like her at all.

“What’s up?” Rory asked.

“She’s not acting right.”

“She’s tired. And I think she’s still embarrassed about yesterday.”

“No, you know her, she wouldn’t go home without a fight before.”

“Those two are crazy buggers.”

“Those two?”

“Her brother and her. It makes you wonder what their Da was like.”

He brushed that thought away. “Anyway, it’s odd. Really odd.”

“Do you think we should set another trail on her again?”

Zeke shook his head as his personal assistant beeped in.

“Sorry to bother you, Zeke, but there’s an Inspector Forrest on the phone. He says he needs to talk to you ASAP.”

He picked up the phone. “Jerry, I haven’t heard from you in months.”

“And I wish it was under better circumstances. I just found out myself or I would have called you earlier.”

“What’s up?” he asked dread inching down his spine.

“O’Connell escaped from Germany a month ago.”

“What?”

Rory was looking at him now. Worry etched his features.

“I didn’t find out about it until twenty minutes ago, but apparently, he paid off a few guards, who ended up dead in the end. The bastard was always cold. He escaped but we weren’t told here at Scotland Yard. Hell, I’m not sure I’m supposed to call you, but the truth of the matter is MI-6 always fucks these things up. I know that bastard was hot to kill you and McAllister. By the by, have you talked to him?”

“He’s here now.”

“Good. If I were you, I would make sure that you take extra precautions.”

“Sure, sure. Thanks for the call.”

“No problem, you know I owe you.”

He hung up and tried to get his brain wrapped around the news. O’Connell had been an IRA bomb specialist, one who went mercenary several years ago and had worked with anyone with the cash. He and his brother had been good, until Rory and Zeke had found them, killed his brother and caught up with O’Connell to arrest him. Germany had called dibs on him though for a bombing in Munich that killed twenty people. Still, he blamed Rory and him for his brother’s death and for being in prison.

He had vowed to kill them both.

“Zee, what the fuck is going on?”

“O’Connell, he escaped.”