ALWAYS || RAFE CAMERON

53

as always, Rafe knew exactly where we were going.

we walked for about ten minutes until we reached a gated estate, surrounded by a plantation.

an armed guard walked towards us.

i swallowed.

"we're here to see Mr Singh." Rafe called, ever confident.

"names?" the guard asked.

"Juno Wills and Rafe Cameron."

the guard turned and nodded to another man, and the gate opened.

we headed up the driveway and made it to the front doors, which opened before we had the chance to knock.

another guard gestured for us to follow him and he headed inside.

the guard stopped outside a room and opened the door for us.

we stepped inside and i whirled around as the door slammed and locked behind us.

"Kiara?!"

i turned at the sound of Rafe's outraged voice.

sure enough, Kiara Carrera stood glaring by the window.

"why did you bring me here?" she demanded.

"you think we did this?" i scoffed. "why would we want to be anywhere near you—let alone locked in a room together."

"who knows?!" she yelled. "both of you are psychos, nobody could guess what goes on in your sick minds!"

"where's Carlos Singh?" Rafe looked around as if the man would pop out from under the rug.

the door opened once again and a man stepped in.

Carlos Singh.

"please, sit down." he said. "we've got a lot to talk about."

"why are we here?" Kie asked.

"well, Miss Carrera, Miss Wills, Mr Cameron. we share an interest, ya know."

"is this not about the cross?" Rafe frowned.

"it is," Singh stared at him. "tangentially, it is about the cross, but it's also about something much, much bigger."

"what's that?" i dared to ask.

Singh sighed. "the completion of a grand quest... you see, the story goes that four hundred and fifty years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco basin with a few gold beads. and when they asked him where the beads came from, the soldier replied 'he got them from a peaceful indigenous tribe, who lived in a city of gold'... El Dorado."

my frown deepened with every word, and i knew Rafe's expression mirrored my own.

"for the next four hundred and fifty years," Singh continued. "people tried to find that gold, ya know... they tried. conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations... all fighting each other, in a race for the end of the rainbow."

"sounds like a fairy story." i muttered.

"thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever." he glared at me. "and it falls to me, ya know. it falls to me to complete the task... and you three, you're going to help me."

we were silent.

"so, are you interested?" his voice was low.

"we're interesting in selling—" Rafe cut himself off with a glance at Kiara. "in selling what was discussed."

"you are direct, aren't ya, Mr Cameron." Singh laughed.

"what do you need from me?" Kiara swallowed.

"i've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can get me what i want."

"which is?" i looked between Kiara and Singh.

"an old manuscript—a diary, actually."

"i don't know anything about a diary." Kie stated.

the quickness with which she answered told me she was lying, and Singh knew it too.

"how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" Singh's eyebrows lifted.

"look, i wanna help you, but i can't." she shrugged.

"i was hoping you wouldn't say that, ya know." Singh's gaze darkened. "cause unfortunately, i don't believe you. you and your friends wouldn't have been able to find the cross without it."

"we're not friends." i narrowed my eyes.

"well we can't all be friends, ya know."

"look, this is ridiculous." Rafe flung his arms in the air. "i'm out."

"we don't know anything about a diary, okay." i backed him.

"do i look like a fool to the two of you?" Singh snapped.

Rafe, who had made towards the door, was blocked by a tall, armed security guard.

"you have the cross. she and her friends had the cross at one point," he nodded to Kiara. "so one of you has the diary... and if you really don't know, then i suggest you tell your friend to tell me."

i watched Rafe as he assessed the guard, praying he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"once i have the diary, you'll be free to leave." Singh smiled.

"free to leave?!" i spluttered. "you're holding us hostage?!"

"you have one day." Singh stood. "go to the window for a little demonstration on what will happen if i don't get the diary."
he paused in the doorway. "i think you'll enjoy it, ya know."

Singh closed the door behind him and Rafe bolted towards it.

"hey!" he yelled as the lock clicked. "hey!"

"it's locked." Kiara sighed.

"yeah, no fucking shit." i rolled my eyes.

i watched a vehicle approach through the window.

Rafe and i stepped closer to the glass.

i heard the shouts of the men a story below as they got out of the truck.

"who the hell is that guy?" Rafe asked as a bearded man was pushed out of the truck.

"i've never seen him before..."

"i know him," Kie's breath fogged the glass. "it's Jimmy Portis. he was trying to help me."

Portis rounded a corner, followed by a few guards, and a second later Singh appeared, looking over his shoulder to make sure we were watching.

"woah, woah..." Rafe put a hand on my back as Singh pulled a gun from his pocket.

he cocked it... and fired at the spot where Portis must have stood.

Kie flinched and looked away.

Rafe and i stood tall, watching everything.

"this diary," Rafe made Kie face him. "hey, no bullshit, don't bullshit us, okay? do. you. have it?"

"Kie." i gritted my teeth when she didn't answer.

"no."

my heart dropped into my stomach.

if she was telling the truth...

we were utterly fucked.