BooksBarbecue
Back The Game
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. NOW
  4. One
  5. BEFORE
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. NOW
  26. Twenty-One
  27. BEFORE
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. NOW
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. BEFORE
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-One
  50. Forty-Two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. NOW
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. Fifty-Three
  63. Fifty-Four
  64. Fifty-Five
  65. AFTER
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. About the Author

‘Glad you can finally join us,’ John said; even his voice was different. More confident, more sure. ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d work out where we’d be. Was going to call, but thought it’d be more fun to see if you could get here to watch the grand finale.’

‘Let her go,’ Mark said, stepping closer to them. He could see John’s hand on the end of the rope, knowing one forceful tug and he would start strangling Natasha. Possibly even break her neck. He moved slower. ‘This is all over, John. You don’t need to do this.’

‘I think I do,’ John replied, moving his hand so it was firmly on the rope now. ‘This is the last one. This is my gift to you. She’s been playing too.’

‘Holly Edwards was all you were working towards. Natasha hasn’t done anything wrong. She wasn’t on the forum. She wasn’t a choice. No one wants her gone. No one wants her punished.’

‘I disagree,’ John said, the single beam of light coming across and shining into Mark’s eyes. It was coming from something in his free hand – a phone or camera. He couldn’t be sure.

‘I’ve been watching you for days,’ John continued, following Natasha as she walked a little further around the fountain. ‘You’re just like us. Alone, betrayed. Even looking the way you do, they’ve still broken you.’

Mark tried to get a good look at Natasha, but she was masked by John’s body. He could hear her voice, however, soft and scared. She was whispering under her breath. ‘There is nothing I need you to do right now, other than to let her go and talk to me. It’s over, John.’

‘You know who this statue is?’ John said, pulling the rope tighter and bringing Natasha to a halt.

‘Eros. God of love,’ Mark replied, trying to move a little closer. He wanted to see Natasha. Try to let her know he was there and she was going to be safe. ‘It’s a grand gesture. I’m guessing you picked it for its history.’

‘You’re wrong. On both counts. It’s actually Anteros. Said to be the brother of Eros. They did the same in London – depicted the wrong god of sorts. Do you know what Anteros was?’

‘Can’t say I do,’ Mark said, risking another step forward. He was blinded for a split second, as John moved whatever was in his hand, light blasting into his eyes. ‘Not all that good with Greek gods.’

‘He was the punisher of scorned love. He avenged unrequited love. Now, that’s more apt, don’t you think?’

Natasha was standing still, head bowed, defeated. Mark side-stepped and brought himself further in line with her, working out what his next move should be. ‘Apt if you think the way you do, I suppose.’