The Pursuit of Emma, Dave Moyer [best contemporary novels txt] 📗

sorry.’ She looked it too.

‘I was so angry for the longest time. I hated you, or at least I wanted to, but I couldn’t understand it. I thought we were happy.’

‘We were. Baby, I am so sorry. I can’t imagine how scary it was for you. It killed me inside. I literally wanted to die. I wanted to tell you what was going on, but I couldn’t. You are too heroic and I knew you'd never let me go if you knew. Trust me, it was the only way.’

I understood. I hated it but for the first time I really understood. She was a scared little girl who had made some bad choices and didn’t know what to do.

‘Tell me what happened with the Kozlovs.’ I said.

‘A friend of mine told me about a job these Russian guys had done years ago. They had spent years planning a job and had somehow got away with it. It was a whole display of Incan gold. I was stupid enough to think I could steal it off them and get away with it. I did, amazingly. It was so easy. But sadly they found out who I was and weren’t going to stop until they found me.’

‘You must have been confident going after them.’

‘I was. I was young and arrogant and stupid. It was the worst thing I ever did; the thought of it makes me feel sick now. How could I have done it? But I did. Then a couple of months ago I got attacked and thrown in a van. Just like a movie. I knew exactly who they were and I assumed I was dead. They drove me over an hour away and dragged me into a building. They held a gun to my head and asked me to beg for my life. It was awful. They told me they had been following me, that they knew about you and were going to kill you. Then just when I thought they were going to shoot me, they offered me a chance to make it up to them. It would mean breaking your heart and risking jail or death, but it was the only way I could keep you safe. Don’t you see? I had to do it to protect you from my mistake.’

I felt sick. All this time she had done it to look after me. She knew I was as dead as was she if she didn’t do it. What choice did she have? She was right too; if she had told me I would never have let her go.

‘I get it. But why didn’t you leave a note explaining it. Telling me you still loved me.’

‘I wanted to. I tried to but they wouldn’t allow it. It was their own sick joke to punish me. They gave me one day and said they would know if I left you a message. I couldn’t think of anything. So I left you the code and hoped you would figure it out. It was a long shot but I wanted you to get out of here and be safe. It was the best I could do.’

‘It was brilliant but I was pretty slow at working it out. I’m no good at this stuff,’ I said sadly.

‘You are joking; you’re incredible. With no history of it and all the emotions you must have been feeling, you managed to achieve things most conmen would be proud of. Tell me what happened when I left.’

So I did. I must have talked for over an hour. Emma sat quietly, sometimes open-mouthed and listened to everything I had to say. We laughed about me quitting my job and smashing the computer and I think I saw some tears leave her eyes when I talked about the tough times. I spoke about Jack and Sophie, how much they had helped me. I recounted my journey to finding her and had to admit that some of it even impressed me. I was doing my best to make it sound like I wasn’t afraid when it had all happened but she knew me too well.

‘So Jack managed to find out where the Kozlovs were staying and I decided to go... talk to them,’ I said cryptically.

‘Tom, you did so well but how the hell did you get the Kozlovs to believe you were a criminal mastermind?’

I smiled at this. This was the best bit of the story.

‘I knew I had to shock them or they'd never believe me so I got a gun, got into their room and threatened to kill them.’

Emma swore loudly. I hadn’t heard her swear very often. She was so often in control of her emotions but that had shocked her.

‘You did what?’

‘I held a gun at them and told them how easy it would be to kill them. Then, having got their attention, I told them how I'd been the one to help you in the past. I used Jack’s police information to show them how much I knew about their history. Then I showed I had honour by handing back their gun and putting mine away. This confused them so much I guess the only conclusion they could come to was that I was who I said I was.’

Emma looked at me, different than how she had before. She was clearly impressed but there was something else. She was concerned about me.

‘Tom that is... madness. It is brilliant but... mad. Why didn’t you just go to Mexico or something? Like I asked.’

‘How were you going to get out? You must know that the Kozlovs would have killed you when you are done. You know what they're like. Did you have a plan to escape?’

‘Well... not yet. But I would have thought of something!’

‘Exactly! Well I couldn’t hang around a beach somewhere hoping you'd get out of it. If the Kozlovs want to kill you they have to kill me too. Trust me, I’ve lived my life without you and it's not worth living. I won’t do that again.’

She smiled beautifully. I think she understood why I had disobeyed her. She would have done the same thing.

‘So what do we do?’ I asked.

Emma thought for a second and I gave her time. She was the real mastermind and I needed to remember that.

‘Here’s the problem, Tom. I know you have done great, I really do, but you are not... experienced in this. Stealing the last two ewers will be almost impossible. I would struggle with a crew of hardened criminals but the two of us will find it... hard.’

I nodded in acceptance. I didn’t need to lie now; I was no thief.

‘I agree. But you were trying to do this alone. Surely an extra pair of hands could help. It can’t make it worse, can it?’

‘No, of course I want your help but I'll worry...’ she stopped suddenly as if having a brainwave. I waited patiently.

‘OK, maybe I have an idea,’ she said quietly. ‘You're going to need to phone Jack.’

*****

‘Hello?’ his voice answered on the phone.

‘Jack it’s me. It’s Tom.’

‘You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice. What is going on?’

‘Jack, I know you want answers but I don’t have time. You have to trust me. I need your help.’

He understood like I knew he would.

‘What do you need?’

‘I need any details you have, or can get, about the museum in Amsterdam and how they are moving the ewers. Can you do that?’

‘I’ll try mate, but I can’t just search in my username. This could all get tracked back to me. I’ll have to get Stevie to look into it.’

‘Thanks. I need it by tonight. Text it to me as soon as you can, OK?’

‘Will do. Why do you need information about the Amsterdam ewer?’

‘Because tomorrow I am going to steal it.’ Chapter Twenty-Four

‘There are times in your life you need to stand up and make things happen. This is one of them.’

I ended up spending half an hour on the phone to Jack, explaining things. He was completely against everything at first and tried to offer witness protection for myself and Emma. We talked through all our options and he had to eventually accept that if we ran they would find us. And probably go after friends and family. When he fully understood that Rachel could be in danger there was no choice. He felt terrified for me, but he knew he had to let me go and try to help when he could.

‘You are a brave bastard, Tom, do you know that?’ he said, seriously.

I smiled and realised we were talking on the phone and he couldn’t see my smile so I should probably reply.

‘I’m not, but what choice do I have. I love her. There are times in your life you have to stand up and make things happen. This is one of them. That’s all it is.’

‘Don’t put yourself down. I don’t know anyone else who could do what you are doing.’

I thanked him and hung up, eager to get back to Emma and our plans. Eventually we had outstayed our welcome at the restaurant and we had to move on. Emma looked around as we exited the building, checking whether we were being followed. She didn’t seem too worried so I thought no more of it.

London was beautiful that night. The sky was darkening but still wonderfully clear and the earliest of the stars were beginning to make their presence known. It was warm enough to walk without a jacket and for a few minutes all our worries disappeared. It was perfect. I decided to take her back to our new flat to discuss our plans. Nostalgia tempted us back to our old home at first but it was more likely to be bugged and there was always a chance of bumping into Sophie and having to answer a thousand questions. I hailed a taxi and we were ‘home’ less than an hour later.

I left Emma to it for a while, realising I would not be able to plan a ‘museum job’. I wanted to help but I ended up asking her too many questions and was forced to give her some space. I had fully accepted that I would do whatever she told me to, to the best of my ability. I found us some drinks and packed a small holdall full of clothes. If it all went to plan we would only be in Amsterdam for a day or two, but since when did anything go exactly to plan?

Jack sent through a few texts of information that didn’t make much sense to me but I passed my phone over to Emma and she nodded with understanding. I hoped it was of some help.

It must have been close to ten o’clock at night when she suddenly jumped up and screamed with excitement.

‘I’ve got it. That could work. Yes!’ she exclaimed, happier than I had seen her... ever.

‘That’s great, how do we do it?’

‘It’s complicated. I’ll explain it later. Now we celebrate.’ She wanted to go out and dance or drink too much but neither seemed appropriate so she grabbed the phone, ordered excessive amounts of Chinese take-away, and kissed me passionately. She was finally relaxing. She knew she