Jack Ford - The Killing Grounds - an explosive and gripping thriller for fans of James Patterson

‘Oh my God, tell me you just didn’t say that.’

‘Listen to me…’

‘No, stop! Don’t go there. Cora will be fine as she always is when we go on a job. She’ll stay with my parents as usual . She’ll love it as usual . The only person who doesn’t seem to be able to do usual is you. Now if suddenly you’ve got a problem with the child care arrangements why don’t you stay and look after Cora, and Rosedale and I will go.’

Rosedale tipped his hat and winked at Maddie. He grinned. ‘There’s a word in Texas for strong women like you.’

‘Shut up, Rosedale, I don’t want to hear it.’

Wanting to defuse the situation, Cooper tried to sound deliberately casual. ‘Maddie, look. It’s no big deal for me to go to the DRC. But for you? Come on, it’s crazy.’

Maddie raised her voice. Her suppressed emotions twisting and transferring, channelling her feelings into hurt, hostile words.

‘Don’t you dare, Tom! Don’t try to manipulate this situation and make out you’re worried about me. You just want, for whatever reason, to go out there on your own. Next thing we know you’ll have disappeared, like so many times before. Admit it. You know I’m right.’

Cooper clenched his jaw. Tightened his fist. Unclenched his jaw. Untightened his fist. He said. ‘You’re not right. It’s just work.’

‘Then if this is purely professional, if it’s not really a big deal to go to the DRC, then hell, I’ve got bills to pay as well. In fact, why don’t we make this a party? Why don’t we all go…? Levi, you coming?’

Levi, who’d walked into Granger’s office just moments before, stared at Maddie wide eyed. ‘You lost your mind, Maddie? No. No way. You can count me out of this one.’

Maddie, continuing her emotional outburst, leant across Granger’s desk. ‘Then how about you, Granger? What do you say? You want to join us? Seeing as going to the Congo isn’t a big deal… Come on, how about it? Being as you’re so keen to send Tom. What do you say?’

Granger turned three shades of red. Stood up. Surpassed himself by slamming both fists down. ‘I say you need to go and calm down, Maddison. Go and drink some camomile tea or whatever it is that you women do at this time of the month.’

‘Are you freaking kidding me? What cave have you just stepped out of? And if anybody should go there it’s me. I know that place better than anybody here. It’s part of who I am.’

‘Maddie,’ said Cooper, ‘you were born here. It’s only your daddy who comes from there and he left when he was twenty. And as for your Mom, she’s an all American girl from Wyoming.’

‘It’s still a place I know well. I visited my grandma a lot when I was a little girl, until…’ She trailed off. A flicker of pain crossing her face. ‘Anyway, enough… I’ve got things to do. But I’ll be ready to go with Cooper and Rosedale. I’ll call you later for the details.’

‘Maddie!’ Cooper called after her as she slammed out of Granger’s office.

Rosedale, who at this point was polishing his cowboy boots with the edge of the drapes, broke the silence.

‘Looks like someone’s upset. Hands up if y’all reckon the worst decision this great country ever made was to give women their rights and let them out of the kitchen and into the workforce?’ He gazed round at the solemn faces of the other three then grinned. ‘Or is that just me?’

Cooper didn’t bite. Wasn’t going to give him that. Instead, he turned to Granger.

‘How soon can we leave?’

‘If admin can sort out the paperwork, we can have you all ready to roll by Wednesday. And Cooper, just find the plane this time and fly it back to the international BLC office in Nairobi. We’ll go over details later. Keep your mind on the job. No distractions, otherwise someone may get hurt. You understand what I’m saying?’

Cooper regarded Granger. Like with Rosedale, he wasn’t going to get into anything with him. ‘Who’s the plane registered to?’

Putting on his glasses, Granger glanced again at the pile of papers in front of him, scanning them for a name. He peered at one of the plane documents, trying to read the signature. Gave up, and grumbled aloud. ‘What the hell sort of writing is this? That looks like a three.’

Gazing at the document, Cooper turned it round towards him, staring at the signature in question.

‘That’s not a three, Granger, that’s an E… Look.’

‘Who the hell writes an E backwards? Are you sure?’

‘Yeah look. Emmanuel.’ He held up the document for the others to see.

‘The plane’s registered to someone called Mutombo. Emmanuel Mutombo.’

19

‘No way Maddison, you’ve lost your mind.’ Marvin Menga stared and despaired and appealed to his daughter as they stood in the large pretty bedroom of the Arizona house she and Cooper had bought after they’d got married. ‘Put that stuff down and listen… Maddie, I’m talking to you.’

Maddie turned to her father. ‘I’ve got to pack… Cora! Hey, Cora, are you coming to help me put my clothes in?’

Like a whirlwind, Cora Cooper ran through. Went straight up to Maddie’s open suitcase. Dropped in what she held in her hands. ‘Here you are, I thought they could keep you company.’

‘Baby they’re worms!’

‘Don’t be silly. They’re not worms, Mommy, they’re magic. Shall I go and get some more?’

‘No, it’s fine honey, I think I’ve got enough magic there don’t you?’ Maddie paused looked at her father. ‘Actually, Cora, why don’t you go and get Grandpappy some magic. I think he needs some to make him smile.’

With a nod and a skip, Cora bounced out of the bedroom.

‘I don’t want you going. Not to there. There’s no way you’re going.’

‘Daddy, that’s the second time somebody’s said that to me today. The first time it didn’t make any difference and it’s not going to this time.’

Patting down his neatly cut afro, Marvin sat on the bed harder than he’d intended to. Knocked the pile of clothes right off. ‘What can I say to stop you?’

‘There isn’t anything you can say.’

‘What if I told you that I won’t look after Cora if you go?’

‘Then I know that wouldn’t be really you speaking. I’ve got to do this. Don’t make it harder.’

Marvin sighed. ‘Why?’

‘Tom can’t go on his own. He’s not in a good place.’

Those words were all that was needed for Marvin to lose his cool.

‘ He’s not in a good place? Can I remind you Maddison it was less than a week ago when I had to come and pick you up from the floor in the middle of nowhere? And why did I? Because of that man. Yet it’s him who’s not in a good place. I bet he hasn’t even noticed how cut up you are. Was this his idea, for you to go along and hold his hand?’

‘No. In fact he didn’t want me to go.’

‘Doesn’t surprise me. He probably wants to go and disappear like he always does. To hell with responsibilities.’

Quiet, real quiet, Maddie said, ‘Daddy, he can’t do anything right in your eyes, can he? He said as much.’

‘Well at least he and I agree on something. I don’t know why you had to pick a man like him.’

‘Don’t start this again.’

‘You could’ve stayed in Mississippi and caught yourself a decent man. A church-going man.’

‘You make it sound like a fishing trip. And I would’ve been happy staying back at home?’

‘Well you made it clear enough by running off and getting some unsuitable job.’