Gate Deadlock (13 page)

It was already late afternoon. I was anxious to
be alone with Christopher so that I could question him again. But
there was no sign of Suzan’s intentions to leave us, quite the
contrary. She even suggested going out for a stroll, as she was too
bored to stay inside. Christopher, of course, found the idea
perfect.

‘I think we should go, give them some space,
baby.’ Tom told her, but Christopher cut him.

‘No, I think Suzan is right. Emma can show us
around to the nearby town, Loutraki, right Emma?’ he turned to me,
smiling playfully.

‘Sure.’ I sighed in defeat.

I realized that the only thing to put on was the
dress he had bought for me the previous day, but Christopher was
already one step ahead as always.

‘Suzan, give Emma something to wear, will
you?’

‘Sure. Come on, Emma!’ Suzan got up instantly
and I followed her casting Christopher a warning look. He smiled,
putting on his angel face again.

Suzan lent me a short black dress and black
sandals and let me use her make -up.

We drove to Loutraki in Christopher’s car. We
walked along the beach road that was lined with cafeterias and
restaurants.

Christopher was holding my hand the whole time.
When we were alone for only a couple of minutes, walking behind Tom
and Suzan, I told him seriously

‘You can’t put it off forever, you know. Sooner
or later we will have to talk.’

‘I’ll take my chances.’ he grinned, but then
added ‘Why don’t you forget about it now? Let’s enjoy our walk,
shall we? I promise to tell you everything tomorrow. Do me a favor
and try to be happy today. You’ve already got too much to deal
with. ’

I recommended a beach bar for a drink, the
Bow. Normally, I would have enjoyed every moment of that night. It
was pretty cool, the music was soft and the faint murmur of the sea
was so relaxing. But my mind was on Christopher’s secrets and again
I was
not very talkative. Thankfully, Suzan, seeming
to understand my engrossment, covered for me with her constant
questions and remarks about the place.

I had the slight feeling that the three of them
had some kind of a secret code of communication but it was only a
suspicion, nothing noticeable in their words.

‘What’s on your mind?’ Christopher leaned
towards me, his eyes fixed into mine.

‘Don’t you know?’ I shot at him. A sudden flash
of light startled us both and we turned to see Suzan holding a
small digital camera, smiling triumphantly.

‘I just love these things!’ she said.

‘You know you shouldn’t be doing this.’ Tom
warned her.

‘Darling, I have done lots of things I shouldn’t
have, believe me.’ She looked into the small screen of her camera.
‘You two look so cute together. I wish you didn’t look so frowned
Emma.’

‘Get rid of it!’ Christopher said angrily.

‘You boys have been such bores lately.’ She
shoved the camera in her bag. They let her go along with this but I
was sure they would deal with it later.

Tom offered to drive us home and Christopher
threw him the car keys with a wink, saying ‘Thanks.’

Suzan sat at the front seat and
Christopher held the back door open for me
,
grinning. I knew he was up to something and
I had the feeling that his friends were in this too.

He sat next to me and put his arm around my
shoulders. Tom turned on the stereo and soft jazz music filled the
cabin, a little louder than usual.

Suzan started whispering to
Tom about something, but I could not hear what they were saying. I
had the impression they were trying to give us some privacy, but
before I could utter a word, Christopher started kissing me. He
kissed my hair and he went on behind my ear, my neck and my lips.
He burnt my skin with his hot breath. I was already helpless, a
piece of melting wax in his hands, letting him do whatever he
wanted with me. I did not care if Tom and Susan could see us. The
next moment I felt his hands
all over my body, his hot
lips on my breasts. I wondered whether he was going to stop, as he
seemed to be just a click before crossing the line. For the next
half hour, I was lost in his arms, his hands on me fierce,
demanding. But he knew what he was doing. When Tom pulled over
outside his house, Christopher chuckled and pulled me out of the
car muttering ‘Night guys.’

He pushed me into the house, walking behind me
with his hands on both sides of my waist. I could hear Suzan’s soft
laughter behind us.

I knew what he was doing and there was no way I
could escape his plan. He closed the door and pushed my body
against its cold surface. He crushed his body on mine, imprisoning
me between his two arms. Every other thought was distant and
unimportant now as this had been his intention, of course. He had
used his charm to distract me but I did not care, because I knew he
wanted this as much as I did.

That night it was simply impossible to sort
things out with him since he had used all his charm in order to
ensnare me.

Before sinking into deep sleep, as our hot,
sweaty bodies were still tangled, I promised myself that the next
morning it would be my turn.

I woke up before him and got up trying to make
no noise, as I did not want him to wake up yet. I took a shower and
put on one of his T-shirts before going into the kitchen to make
coffee. I returned to the bedroom and seated myself on the big
armchair across the bed, my knees folded in front of my chest.

I waited for him to wake up. It did not take
long. He opened his eyes and looked straight at me, startling me
and making me think how difficult it was to take a man like him
aback.

‘Hey.’ he smiled, ‘Come back to bed.’ I did not
say anything and he sat up leaning his back on the pillows.

‘Emma?’

‘You’re not going to play your tricks on me
again. You have to tell me what I want to know.’

‘I could be playing my tricks all day, everyday,
I don’t mind.’ he smiled disarmingly, having full knowledge of how
hard it was for me to stay away from him. ‘We only have one hour
before your class starts. Are you sure you want to waste this time
talking?’ he kept on challenging me.

‘Please Christopher?’ I pleaded him. I knew how
to use my own weapons too. But he was not going to give up so
easily.
‘Pity me Emma. I haven’t even had coffee yet.’

‘You’ll have your coffee, afterwards. Tell me
why you can only stay here for a month.’ His mood changed
instantly.

‘Did Suzan tell you that?’ he frowned.

‘Please, Christopher, not knowing makes me
crazy.’

He closed his eyes. ‘I was going to tell you as
soon as you had dealt with all these first. It’s just too much bad
news in such little time, don’t you think? I’m trying hard to help
you face this awkward situation and, although I must say you’ve
really put a brave face upon it, there is no need to test your
limits of endurance, Emma. It can wait a few more days.’

His eyes were pleading and I knew he only cared
about me, always trying to protect me, but I needed to know
everything.

I shook my head. ‘No, it can’t
wait,
I
can’t
wait.’

He sighed. ‘So, you want to know the reason I’m
here, right? But I’ve already told you that I am here for your
protection.’

‘Who are you protecting me from?’ He opened his
eyes and looked at me before he answered in a cold voice.

‘The Squad.’ His answer made me shiver. He went
on before I was able to speak. ‘As long as the case remained
closed, you were absolutely safe. When you came here to open the
bank locker, the whole system was set in motion, waiting for your
next move. At first, they would do anything to prevent the
excavation, causing all kinds of problems until you decided to give
up. It is only a matter of time until they find out you’re starting
next week. They may even have known this by now. I had to move fast
before they did. I persuaded Plato to let me come here and talk you
out of it. The plan was simple. I would charm you, gain your trust
and then, as your supervisor for Brantel, I would ask you to stop
the excavations for…various reasons. Plato used his connections and
they gave me one month before they assigned your case to the
Squad.’

He stopped, waiting for my reaction, but I could
not say anything as I still felt the cold waves of fear on my back.
He looked into my eyes and went on.

‘The rest you already know. I had underestimated
my feelings for you and fell into my own trap. But this doesn’t
change anything. It just made me more… committed to my mission. I
don’t want you to be scared Emma. I will not let them hurt
you.’

‘The month is …almost over.’ I muttered.

‘Don’t be terrified, please. We’ll work it out,
that’s why I’m here. It doesn’t mean I have to go when the month’s
notice is over. I will be around after this is all over, Plato will
understand. I told you I will stay for as long as you need me.’

I couldn’t stay away from him anymore. I lay
next to him and hid my face in his chest as he stroked my hair.

‘You do realize you have to drop it, don’t
you?’

‘Drop it?’ I looked at him. ‘How can you ask me
such a thing? You, at least, should understand.’ My eyes were now
filled with tears.

‘Let me ask you something Emma. How important is
this project to you?’

‘Very important. You know that.’

‘Is it more important than your life, than what
we have together?’

‘That’s not fair.’ I answered.

‘Nothing in this story is fair. But think, your
dad was only asking you to use it wisely. Do you think he would
want you to die for it?’

I couldn’t speak anymore. A pain in my throat
made me breathe with difficulty.

‘Have you thought why this is so important to
you? It’s about your dad, isn’t it? You want to restore his name in
the University, right?’

‘Not only that. My dad had found something. I
need to know what made him choose death instead of me, instead of
his family.’

‘And if I told you exactly what your father had
found, what he was going to bring into light, would that put your
mind at ease?’

‘Can you?’

‘Yes. But will you promise to give up if I tell
you?’

‘I promise to think it over.’ He was not pleased
with my response but he decided to play all his cards.

‘Your father had discovered
what the League calls a Gateway. One of the many
Gate
ways
that exist in
Greece actually, as well as in other countries. It is a lapse in
time, an opening among different worlds, and times. Ancient Greeks
had suspected something was wrong with this place and gave the
whole area the name Pylos.
Think of it. Pylos
means
door
in Greek.
But they did not touch the place. Neither did
the generations that foll
owed.
The League made sure that
rumors
would spread throughout the years, so that
people would stay away. Through time, places like this are known as
haunted, inhibited by elves or goblins, or even by
aliens.

So, now you know everything. You realize how big
this is and why they will never allow you to dig anywhere near this
place.’

He stopped and all I could hear was the fast
beating of my heart. I realized that I was entangled in a situation
I could not handle. He must have guessed my thoughts because he
said,

‘I’ll take care of everything. You’ll just have
to sign the papers to withdraw from the project. We will get out of
this unharmed Emma, as long as you do what I say. You’ll just have
to trust me.’

‘How are you going to handle this? I mean, have
you been given any specific orders?

‘You will simply declare to Brantel that you no
longer wish to excavate the area and that you have decided to
donate this piece of land to the university, as your father had
always wanted. The League will reward you lavishly, of course. Then
the area will be covered with concrete or maltha. They are willing
to make a monument in memory of your dad on it. And that’s all. You
just walk away and go on with your life. You do understand that
these are not just suggestions but orders, right?’

While he was announcing the League’s orders to
me, he avoided looking at my face, having his eyes fixed on the
ceiling. I knew he hated every part of it, the same as I did.

Fear had now given its place to anger. I wanted
to shout that they had no right to do this. This piece of land
belonged to me; my dad had paid for it with his own blood. How
could I just give it up to his murderers?

My mind started working fast, thinking of
millions of ways to fool them, without revealing anything to
Christopher. I was playing my old game again, hiding my feelings
deep inside me.

‘We’ll start tomorrow with announcing Brantel
your withdrawal from the project and your decision to donate the
piece of property to them. We shouldn’t waste anymore time now that
you know everything. Then we can be together without worrying about
them and you will be safe, forever. I’ll be spending most of the
time in your world, here, in London, wherever you want.’

I did not say anything. I wanted to share his
dream. It was the best option he could offer me. I instinctively
clenched my body on his.

‘How many people in Brantel know about this
besides Don?’

‘There are two more Senior
Confidants.’ ‘But you’re not going to tell me their names.’ ‘You
know I can’t.’ I did not speak for a long moment, lost in thoughts.
He sensed there was something wrong.

‘Say something Emma. I know you’re angry.’

‘I need some time. Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.
I’ve been through worse.’