Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,61
London that was just what I needed. It was an unusually warm spring morning, and it felt good to have the nip of the air flowing to my lungs as I ran.
When you became one of the Elite, it was expected that you learn about things from military strategy to self-defense. Once you were tapped in secondary school, your training began in earnest. Then, over the course of five years, you became Elite in all ways, but you could specialize in certain areas.
Those who wanted to go into politics chose their path and received more strategic and diplomatic training. That’s where my father would have preferred I go. But I’d followed Bridge and East into business with side training in security and clandestine service. I never got to be James Bond, but it helped knowing I could kick ass when I needed too. But I’d chosen the money path.
From the beginning, we’d known money was power. After all, the three of us had been controlled by it. And for me it was both a big fuck you to the old man and a step to freedom. Not to mention, I could be with my mates. We’d been given the best business internships with letters of recommendation from Elite members who were titans of industry. My father was right; as much as I wanted to believe we’d done it without the Elite, everything I had couldn’t be separated from what I’d been given.
So many of us were in the foreign service, politics and clandestine services. The good news was my mates and I were well trained and well versed enough to be able to look out for ourselves. The bad news was so were the people we were determined to take down. Nothing had changed. If we had gone on with our lives without really knowing our culpability or the culpability of the other Elite members concerning Toby’s death, things would have been simple. But I did know. I knew that for ten years Toby hadn’t been able to rest. For ten years, the people who had killed him walked free. For ten years I’d been blind.
But that was over now. And there was a reckoning coming.
With my lungs burning, I made a left at the York Bridge entrance and proceeded west before turning at Ormond Terrace and making a loop around Primrose Hill. The views never ceased to amaze me. The yellow, red, and white primroses bloomed merrily along the paths.
Judging by where I was, I’d already run about four miles,?and the meet point in question was in clear view. But no Blake.
I checked my phone to make sure I’d gotten the meeting location right, and I had.
After forty-five minutes, I knew he wasn’t coming. Something wasn’t right. Why take the meeting and not show? Had Bram gotten to him already?
I ducked off a path to run under a bridge, and cement chips flew out toward me, a piece grazing my cheek, making it sting.
What the fuck?
I ducked automatically and then heard that tell-tale whizzing.
That was a bullet. My brain did a mental calculation of where I was and where there would be cover.
I could run back along the path I’d come down and duck into a restaurant.
I made a quick right along the bicycle path and running path. Right next to it, there was a darkened pathway I recognized as a classic way to?double-back and get to safety. Down here I was too exposed. And I’d be damned if I was going to die today.
But two dark figures at the end of the path blocked my way, and I knew I’d misjudged. There would be no easy way out of this. I’d have to fight my way out.
“Lads, you don’t want to do this. I’m really sweaty and knackered. You don’t want to try to hit me. Your fists will slide right off. It’s going to be bad.”
The two guys at the end of the short pathway smirked at each other.
“Okay, so you don’t really care about your own well-being. Fair enough.”
“I’m happy to kick your arse either way,” the taller one said.
He was my height but bigger. He was swollen with muscle, and he meant to make quick, efficient work of me. Except, I wasn’t going to be an easy target.
The one on the left, the darker-haired one, approached first.?He was smaller but looked like he moved well.
“Now, before we get started, just put your guns down. Let’s see if you’re really up to the task.”