Chasing the Truth
Part 3
Waking up with a yawn, Viggo stretched his body as much as the small car would allow. If there was one thing he missed from the States, it was full-sized cars. Cars built to accommodate his tall frame. Viggo rubbed the sleep from his eyes and frowned. Something wasn�t right.
�Sean�why aren�t we moving?�
�Because the cars in front of us aren�t moving.�
Hmm. Sean was cranky. �Why aren�t they moving?�
�Because a bloody great coach overturned ahead and is blocking the whole road.� The rest was lost in indistinct muttering.
Viggo was almost afraid to ask, but-�How long have we been stuck here?�
�Twenty minutes. I figure it�ll be another hour before they get it hauled off and clear the road.�
�Wonderful.� With a sigh, Viggo opened the door and climbed out to stretch his legs. Looking back at the line of cars behind them, he smiled at the others pacing the side of the road. His smile fell into a thoughtful frown as he walked to the back of the car, raising his voice to tell Sean to open the trunk. Lifting the lid at the telltale click, Viggo reached inside to pull out his briefcase. Shutting the slid, he returned to his seat and shut the door. He shrugged at Sean�s raised eyebrow.
�Thought I�d make good use of the time.�
�Doing what?�
�Looking for answers.� Viggo shrugged. �Something is bothering me.�
�You went through everything last time, Vig. If there was anything else to find, you would�ve found it.�
�Maybe. Won�t hurt to give one more shot at tracing that money.�
Chuckling softly, Sean leaned over to give Viggo a smacking kiss on the cheek. �Whatever puts your mind to rest, Love. You�re like a dog with a bone. Not that that�s a bad thing, mind. You�ve solved puzzles I was ready to give up on.�
�I just like to be thorough.� Giving Sean a smug smile, he waggled his eyebrows. �In everything I do.�
�Mm. Well, can�t say as I can complain there.�
�I would hope not.� Looking back to check on Billy, who still hadn�t woken from his ill-planned escape attempt, Viggo sighed. �If he truly didn�t do it, he doesn�t deserve this.�
Sean frowned, hoping Viggo wasn�t disappointed by the lad in the end. �If he did do it, this is the least he deserves.�
�True enough.� Booting up his laptop, Viggo pulled up the folder holding all the files from the Boyd case. It was a large folder-two years worth of interviews, police reports, evidence and leads. There was certainly enough there to keep him busy until they got moving again.
Watching Viggo out of the corner of his eye, Sean worried. He knew Viggo was getting attached to Billy. He understood, really. After two years of investigating, following up the occasional lead and chasing Boyd from town to town�well, you sort of form a weird sort of connection with your quarry. And there was no denying that Billy was attractive. The lad could be charming when he wanted to be. Still, Sean didn�t want Viggo to get hurt.
Speak of the Devil. A low moan from the back seat drew Sean�s attention. Looking up into the rearview mirror, he could see the look of pain and confusion on Billy�s face as he blinked his eyes and shifted what was sure to be a very sore shoulder from Viggo�s nerve pinch. A moan of disappointment followed the first and Sean smiled.
�Yep. Still here, Billy. It was a nice effort, though; I�ll give you that. If I had my way, your shoulder wouldn�t be the only thing that�s sore. At least I gave you a swollen cheek to go with that black eye.�
At Viggo�s disapproving frown, Sean smirked but acquiesced. He had made his point. He smiled at Billy�s impotent glare and began to hum merrily under his breath, the rhythm set by Viggo�s tapping on the keyboard.
~*~
The pain in his neck and shoulder was nigh unbearable. He�d have to be careful next time not to let Viggo get behind him. Two against one was definitely more than he could handle with his hands cuffed together. Closing his eyes, trying to will away his pain, it took Billy a moment to realize something very important. They weren�t moving.
Although this provided the perfect opportunity, Billy knew he wouldn�t get very far. He hadn�t eaten in nearly twenty-four hours, he was probably dehydrated from his bout of nausea earlier that day and he was still groggy from his last attempt. If this mess ever got cleared up, he definitely needed to get Viggo to teach him how to do that.
Well, if jumping out of the car and sprinting away weren�t options�yet�it wouldn�t hurt to try something else. Hearing the familiar clacking of someone typing, Billy focused his attention on Viggo. The scruffy-looking American seemed the most likely to be reasonable anyway. Sean was still quite angry.
Clearing his throat, Billy hesitated a moment then asked, �Why have we stopped, Viggo?�
�Overturned bus up ahead. It�ll take them a while to get the right equipment out here to turn it back over and tow it off the road.� Viggo�s eyes never left his laptop.
�Oh. How�how long was I out?�
Glancing at the dashboard clock, it was Sean who answered. �About two hours.�
Two hours? Bloody hell. Billy winced a bit as he turned his head to look around. �Where are we?�
Sean snorted in amusement. �Never you mind. And don�t bother trying anything. You wouldn�t get any further than you did the last time.�
This conversation was not going where Billy wanted it. He needed to get Viggo�s attention back. Craning his neck forward, he could get a glimpse of the laptop screen. He couldn�t really tell, but it looked like an account statement. That gave him an idea. He knew it was useless, but he�d give it a shot anyway.
�Viggo. I don�t have much money, but if I gave you lads everything I have�it�s not much, but�if you�d just take me back to London and give me one day to find Serkis again�you could have it. All of it. Even the money I was saving for a good solicitor.�
Ignoring Sean�s look of disbelief, Billy focused on Viggo�s intent gaze and rambled on. �Gran will have to leave the home, but she�d have to anyway if I was tossed in the nick, wouldn�t she? Maggie can�t pay for it herself, and it�s all I�ve been able to do sometimes to send money to her. Maybe I could get some back from McKenzie selling the company last year, aye? If you let me find Serkis? You could even have that money. If I got some, I mean. I read about the sale in the papers. Surely some of that belongs to me, yeah? I�d work for you. For free. However long you wanted me to. You could even fuck me. Both of you. Whatever you want. Just take me back to London.�
Billy shut his mouth in horror at what he�d just said. He was havering. Completely around the bend. That was the only way to explain the words that had just left his mouth.
�Billy, as tempting as that offer is�and I don�t mean the money�we were given a job to do. If we accepted bribes from the people we were hired to find, we wouldn�t be in business very long.�
The kindness in Viggo�s voice nearly broke him. It had been too long since anyone had shown Billy any kindness and it was almost more than he could bear. Looking down at his cuffed hands in embarrassment, Billy gave a slight nod. �Aye. I understand. I didn�t mean�well, I guess I did. I�d do anything-. Never mind.�
The two men in front apparently decided to let Billy keep whatever dignity he had left by remaining silent. Viggo went back to his laptop and Sean tapped the steering wheel along with the faint sounds of the radio. Billy�s offer might as well have been a fourth passenger, its presence was so strong.
~*~
Tapping along with the radio, Sean tried to focus on anything but what Billy had just offered to them. When the words had left the lad�s cupid bow lips, Sean had wanted to shout, �Yes!� and throw himself into the backseat. Job be damned. He wanted to bugger Billy Boyd, and bugger him well. But, he knew the offer had been made out of sheer desperation. Not desire. Besides, Viggo would never let him. Not as long as Billy was in their custody. Shame, that.
Still, the lad was probably mortified by the words he�d blurted out. The silence was uncomfortable and Sean hated to be uncomfortable. His eyes lit up at an idea. He�d stopped and bought a half dozen sandwiches shortly after Viggo had nodded off. Boyd had to be hungry by now. Sorting through the paper carrier sitting between the front seats, Sean found one that should be easy on Billy�s queasy stomach.
�Cheese sandwich, Billy? You really should eat something.�
He watched as Billy thought it over before nodding and reaching for the offered lunch. Letting the young man fumble open the wrapping by himself, Sean searched around for the bottle of water he�d bought that morning. With a smile of triumph, he pulled the bottle from underneath his seat and handed it back as well. At the rate they were going, they�d be eating their evening meal in the car as well before they got to Glasgow.
Once he was sure Billy was going to actually eat this time, he searched through the bag for another sandwich. He was hungry as well. Folding back the paper wrapping, Sean leaned over to peer at Viggo�s computer screen. Frowning, he swallowed his first bite and pointed. �What�s that about?�
Viggo�s brow wrinkled in thought as he scanned the transaction in question. He hadn�t paid much attention to it before. �I�m not sure. It�s a transfer to another account, but it�s such a small amount.�
Still, it was curious. Viggo mentally slapped himself for not seeing it before.
�Check the other months we have in the file. See if it pops up again.�
Opening another file, Viggo did was Sean suggested and checked the other account balances they�d been given. They didn�t find that transaction repeated, but the account destination looked familiar. Pulling up yet another file, Viggo checked the overseas transactions he�d found on Billy�s computer.
�I�ll be damned,� Viggo whispered. �It was a dry run.�
Sandwich forgotten, Sean leaned closer to speak softly. �What was a dry run?�
�This was a transfer to an overseas bank to see if it would work. Just a small amount from the company�s account�not enough to raise any flags. Look, the first large theft happened not a week later.�
Both looked back at Billy, who was nibbling on his sandwich and appeared lost in his own thoughts. Sean turned back to Viggo and gave him a puzzled look. �But did he-?�
Viggo sighed and shrugged. �I don�t know. I�ll have to try again when I can get access to the net. I knew I should�ve paid the extra for satellite service. Maybe there�s something here that will tell me and we just didn�t see it before.�
�Well, we missed the dry run, so anything�s possible.� At the miserable expression on Viggo�s face, Sean immediately regretted his words. �I didn�t mean it like that, Vig. We both missed it. And it might not change anything, you know.�
But it might, and they both knew it. The tapping of the keyboard had a whole new determination to it.
~*~
Unaware of the crisis of conscience going on up front, Billy finished his sandwich and washed it down with the bottle of water. Well, the plea of cooperation had gone out the window. Time to go to plan B. Problem was, he didn�t really have a plan B.
Keeping an eye the arms of his watch, Billy waited and ran scenarios through his head. None seemed to have much of a chance of working, but he had to try. Just waiting for the inevitable certainly wouldn�t get him out of this mess. He listened to the occasional whispered conversation between Viggo and Sean, idly wondering what they were talking about.
After about twenty minutes had passed, he felt much better than he had that morning and decided to give it a shot. Hearing the two men in front start another whispered, yet heated, conversation he got ready. Very, very slowly, he undid his seatbelt. It made a very faint click that he covered with a quiet cough. When neither man turned around, he slowly let the belt slide back to its resting position. Billy made sure Sean was looking at the laptop and not in the mirror, then reached over and gently pulled back the lock on the door. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.
~*~
�Are they to the same overseas account or a different one?�
�Sean, I can�t tell yet. I just told you that.� Viggo frowned in exasperation and scrolled down the screen. They�d been going over the files for nearly half an hour it seemed, and he still hadn�t been able to puzzle it out.
�Sorry, Viggo, I know-. Bloody hell!�
Sean turned around in stunned disbelief when Billy suddenly flung open the door and bolted from the car. Grabbing the door handle and shoving open his own door, Sean heard Viggo fumble with the laptop. That bloody Boyd!
�Billy Boyd, when I catch your arse-!� Swearing vehemently, Sean sprinted across the road where Billy was rolling under a wire fence into a large pasture. �You won�t get far, you wee bastard.�
The younger man rolled to his feet on the other side of the fence and took off running. Sean could hear Viggo right behind him as he scrambled under the wires to follow Boyd. Lunging to his feet, he chased after their quarry�already a surprising distance ahead of them.
�Sean, head over to the right. See if you can cut him off.�
Agreeing with Viggo�s plan, Sean angled off to his right and increased his pace. He was going to make Billy pay for this one. He and Viggo made up ground and Sean could see the panic on the young man�s face when he glanced back to see the two had split up.
Seeing his chance of escape getting smaller, Billy changed direction to try to avoid Sean�s maneuver. Dodging through some trees, the lad suddenly swerved to his left and ran faster. If he managed to outrun Viggo, they�d have a hard time catching him.
Seeing the move for himself, Viggo dredged up a bit more speed but lost time when he tripped over a hidden tree root and nearly fell. When he looked up to find Billy again, his heart nearly stopped. Billy was fast approaching another fence, with a small lane beyond. There was a bit of an incline between the fence and pavement, the little road curving around in a bend.
Sean�s bellow of, �Billy, stop!� made Viggo put everything he had into trying to catch Boyd. The young man, looking back to see how close his pursuers were, didn�t see what Viggo and Sean had.
�Billy, for Christ�s sake stop! Viggo hurry!�
Ignoring Sean�s continued yells for him to stop, Billy once again threw himself to the ground and rolled under the wire. Climbing to his feet, he looked back as he scrambled up the incline to the road.
Viggo knew he�d never make it to Billy before the lorry did. He could clearly hear the fear in Sean�s voice this time.
�Billy, look out!�
Part 4
Feedback