Page 48 of Once a Hero

The man turned to her again. “Who are you?”

“Molyneux has been looking for me for twenty-five years,” Beatrice kept talking, hoping to distract him away from Jake.

Jake stared at her, as if to say something to her—to stop her, perhaps.

“I’m Chisolm Wright’s daughter.”

“Who?” Slowly, he pulled the dagger out of Jake’s thigh. “Next thing you’re going to tell me that Molly’s looking for him too.”

He pointed his dagger at Jake. “How did you end up with him? He should be dead six months ago.”

“We’re together.” Poor choice of words. Then again, businesswise, it was true that they were both on the same side.

“Together how?”

“God brought us together,” Beatrice said. That was true, she felt.

“Like marriage?” The man looked baffled.

Beatrice blushed. “Business.”

“What sort of business?”

“We’re treasure hunters.”

“Really?” Dagger pointing toward Jake again. “I thought he was a bona fide FBI agent.”

“Was. He got fired.”

“They don’t want him either.”

Beatrice tried not to look at Jake.

“You want us to let both of you go?” The man asked Beatrice.

The fact that he saidusinstead ofmetold Beatrice that he wasn’t in charge. “On the contrary, take me to Molly.”

Now Jake’s grunts got louder and more intense. He was shooting daggers at her with his stare.

She ignored him. “We’re due for a cup of tea.”

“You’re as crazy as…” The man lost his words.

“Molly?” Beatrice tried to help.

“No. no.”

“I’ll tell her what you said.”

The door open again, and sounds of boots hit the stairs. Emerging in the light was a big man with a small goatee.

“What’s going on in here?” Big Man said. His voice was surprisingly low.

Beatrice had never seen him before. “Having a chat.”

“Finish the job and send the video to Molly,” Big Man snapped. “How hard can it be?”

The first man pointed to Beatrice with his dagger dripping with Jake’s blood. “She says she’s Chisolm Wright’s daughter.”

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