Buying The Virgin Part 1-3

MICHAEL

James looks up from the map, glancing around the room, then stands up straight, turning, looking wild. “Where’s Charlotte?”

“Bathroom?” I ask, and rap smartly on the door. “Charlotte? You in there?”

No reply. I push the door open, checking inside. Nothing.

“The lift!” mutters Ross, dashing through to the hall, followed by me and James.

The turbo-lift is already way below us, twenty stories down.

“The service elevator?”

“She’s sent that down too.”

James all but bangs on the intercom, yelling at the answering concierge. “Lock the doors down there. Stop anyone coming in or out of the building until I or Richard Haswell instruct otherwise.”

But I am watching the indicator. “She’s not stopping at the ground floor.”

“The car park?” mutters James. “In that case, she’s about to discover that her car pass has been blocked.” He picks up his phone, tapping briefly. “Francis. Is Richard there? Will you tell him please, that Charlotte’s trying to leave the building. Can you make sure everything’s locked down while we get her back. Yes, that’s right. Thanks.” As he hangs up he says, “Richard’s on his way up.”

“Or he will be, when there’s an elevator to bring him,” I say, nodding at the indicator. It stops at the parking level, then a moment later starts rising again. The service lift, much slower, is still descending.

James’ phone rings. “Yes? Oh, hello Francis…. What! How?” His eyes roll upwards. “I see… Thanks.”

He darts a look at me. “She’s out. Security says her car just exited the parking lot using my pass….”

He stabs at his phone, pacing the room, mobile pressed to his ear. “Pick up the phone Charlotte…. Pick up your fucking phone.”

Then he pauses, glancing up at me. “Answer-phone…. Charlotte…” he says, visibly hanging on to his self-control. “Listen, please come back at once. We’re coming after you, but please, call me back….” He glances sideways at me. “Or.… call Michael if you’re not comfortable calling me. Please. I don’t know what you think you have in mind, but you’re not safe out there and you must come back. Now, please call us back.”

The lift pings and Richard steps out, his face like thunder.

“What happened? Are you seriously telling me that three grown men can’t keep one little girl locked up?” He swings on Ross. “And where the hell were you? You were supposed to be standing guard over the elevator.”

Ross, pasty-faced, starts to stutter. “It wasn’t Ross’ fault.” interrupts James. “Charlotte diverted us all rather neatly.”

I cast my eyes back over the map, considering…. “You know, she did divert us, but there’s an awful lot of work gone into that map for a diversion….” I am interrupted.

pings. Simultaneously, so do James’

all received an

“Check your e-mails”.

hell?” mutters James. “Fucking wilful, infuriating,

obviously planned this, so perhaps we should start working around whatever it is

Ruefully,” You’re right.…”

I get online somewhere?” I

my office. We can see

flags us. “I’ve just

her as he sweeps by to his office. Get hold

is already heading out of the office, returning moments

downloading now…. Ahh.…” He taps again. Then he frowns…. “It’s a password; ‘Charlotte-01’, and several links to….

sent to me and James, and Richard and Francis. Looks like she was definitely going for

tracking sites of one kind or another.

get to keep her phone,” says Richard.

be able to see where it gets dumped,” I

tracker

one too,” I

has she sent?”

altogether, every

scratches his head. “Where’s she got hold of

several packages delivered over the last day or two.… I’ll check

locket, the kind you put a photo in. I thought it odd at the time but didn’t think it through. I wonder if

seven links working?”

watch too many

in half a dozen laptops from wherever you can find them. And then try

laptop too, Francis.

screens; a couple with incoming e-mail screens, but most displaying some form of

a route out of the City that is well-populated with webcams. She diverted us by talking about Beth, but it’s herself she’s done it for….” I yell through to Francis. “Sorry, but can you go back up there and bring down all those plans Charlotte was working on….

to us. The Police will be able to see any car that follows her while she’s in the area. But that’s only going to last while she’s somewhere with road cameras. There’s a few on the highways, but mainly they fade off as you

a helluva speed,”

normally a fast driver?” asks

and careful type usually. Her car was chosen for economy and reliability, not for

Is she being pursued?