As Long As She Lives (full published version!)

Chapter 27

Riley parked a few doors away from Sean's house to give himself time to calm down. He'd been swearing at himself since Daylesford but he hadn't even begun to take the edge off the fury and shame of having let this happen. It didn't matter that Koffa had been on the case for five years, nor that Kitty had trusted the man, Riley should have asked more questions. Insisted on seeing Wemusa's communications himself. He pummelled his steering wheel. It didn't help.

Enough.

He forced air in through his nose and out through his mouth. Better.

A ringtone shrilled from his car speakers. Norton.

"Boss?"

"I've arrived," Norton said "Sergeant Torrell's in command of SOG so I've had a word. Rescuing Kitty and Daisy is their first priority."

The breath left Riley's body in a rush of relief. Norton and Torrell had been at the academy together and his Special Operations Group had backed up Major Crime many times. Having Norton and Torrell there was the next best thing to being there himself.

"Thanks, Boss."

"You go talk to your family. I'll keep you updated. We'll have them soon."

"Sean still thinks this is his fault. I can't leave him believing that."

"If you think you can get that across without breaking the Official Secrets Act..."

He had to try.

A uniformed constable opened Sean's front door before Riley could ring the bell. The young man gave Riley a respectful nod and stepped aside to let him in.

"Riley!" Felicity greeted him. "Thank God you're here! They won't tell us anything!"

"He's here? Oh thank goodness." His mother emerged from the kitchen followed quickly by his Dad and Graggy carrying plates of sandwiches.

"Do you have news?" his Dad asked.

Sean appeared from the living room. "Riley! What's going on?"

"Can we go in? I need to talk to everyone."

Riley ushered them through to the lounge room where the whole group gathered around him. "There's a rescue operation underway."

"You know who it is, then," Sean said. "Who took her?"

Riley braced himself. "I can't tell you that."

"Why the hell not!"

"Because it's classified." Riley paused as the room fell into a confused silence. "The only thing I can tell you is that you aren't the target. This isn't your fault, Sean."

"Then who–?" He glanced at the door then back to Riley. "Where's Kitty?"

Riley's brain went blank. He could only stare back at him.

"Where is Kitty?"

Riley balled up his hands till they ached and let the pain snap his brain clear. "Kitty's with Daisy."

They gaped at him.

"They took Kitty, too?" his Dad asked.

"But she was with you when I called," Sean said.

"It was immediately after that."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

Riley's chest ached. "I couldn't."

"Why?" Sean said. "You're a cop. Where was your gun? How could you let that hap–"

"They had Daisy!" He clamped his lips together to stop them shaking and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, it was to see everyone he loved gaping at him. "They had guns on Daisy. Kitty had to go with them. There was nothing I could do."

Graggy slipped a frail, plump arm around his waist and the anger that had been keeping him upright disappeared at his grandmother's touch. It was all he could do to hold down the sob building in his chest.

"Kitty was the target?" Sean said.

Riley nodded.

"Who would target Kitty?" Eva said. "Of all people!"

"I can't tell you more," Riley said. "I just needed Sean to know it wasn't his fault but that's all I can say."

"This is my daughter and my sister, Riley! Tell me! I'm a journalist you know. I'll find out anyway."

"They know that, Sean! That's why you didn't get clearance in the first place!"

Sean seized on Riley's slip. "The first place? When was the first place? When she got home? That's why she came back so suddenly, isn't it?" Sean said. "She was running from someone?"

"Sean, stop! If you work out one thing too many, they'll assume I told you and then I'll get cut out too, and none of us will know what's going on – is that what you want?"

Graggy put her hand on Sean's chest. "Sean, sweetheart. You know Riley would tell you if he could."

Sean's defensive stance softened only a little. "Just tell me that my sister didn't knowingly put my daughter in danger."

"Of course she didn't. She did everything she could to keep you all safe."

Sean' s brow was still furrowed. "But she brought the danger back with her."

Riley couldn't let Sean blame Kitty any more than he could bear to let him blame himself. He glanced at the uniformed officer by the door and kept his voice low. "It followed her. That's not the same thing."

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Cheers!
Darcy.