LITMIR.BIZ

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Sure, there were recreational facilities like swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor, a tennis court and cricket pitch; there was even a fake putting green for one of the scientists who'd been focused on one of the ongoing projects for several years now. But he found the lack of normal social interaction and the pressure of intrusive security almost suffocating.

      He didn't wonder at the scientist insisting he be allowed to pursue his passion for golf. Being penned up here most of the year without practising would certainly lead to deterioration in his skills. So along with the putting green had come permission for him to use the wide open spaces beyond the fence as a driving range. The man chuckled. He'd once heard the guard assigned to be the scientist's 'caddy' complain that he not only had to retrieve and account for each of the balls but he also had to contend with avoiding the shit from cattle occasionally herded past the facility.

      One of the guards overseeing the unloading called his name. Luke. It wasn't his real name, but little of what was on his CV was genuine. His real name was Ryder. It was his surname, but he hated his first name with a passion that only a childhood of peer tormenting could invoke. A few close friends knew the name his mother had inflicted on him, but also knew better than to call him by it.

      He picked up a box marked fragile and walked out of the sunshine.

      The small alcove off the far office wall obviously doubled as a lunch room and storage area. Kate scrunched down between a large cupboard and a fridge, grateful for the concealment they offered.

      She heard numbers being punched into the phone, and restrained anger tightening Nathaniel's voice as he said, 'I pay you good money to keep on top of these things.' A pause as he pulled open the filing cabinet. 'I know the figures are due today.'

      Kate concentrated on her breathing, anxious not to make a noise. There was a sound as though Nathaniel shuffled through paperwork. 'It's here,' he said. 'And it's been paid. The stuff-up must be at your end.'

      The phone was thumped back in its cradle.

      Kate held her breath as a knock sounded on the door. She heard Nathaniel open it. Then came the voice of one of the disciples. 'There's a problem with one of the newer members.'

      Muttering an expletive, Nathaniel walked out.

      Kate willed her hands to stop shaking. Her heartbeat slowly returned to normal. She hurried towards the office door. Her fingers were on the handle before she realised that Nathaniel had left a file on the desk. Torn between her need to find what information she could and the even greater need to get out as quickly as possible, she hesitated, then raced back to it.

      Invoices. Just invoices. She brushed them apart, glancing at the contents - electricity, stationery, telephone, rent …

      She stopped, her heart pounding. One invoice was for the space the church occupied at Kings Cross, the other, from a different firm, was for the rent of three properties whose names she could barely pronounce, let alone identify. She grabbed a piece of notepaper, scribbled down the names and that of the firm, Jenalbers Pty Ltd, and tucked the paper into her pocket.

      Not daring to stay longer, she opened the door, peered into the deserted corridor, and hurried from the room.

      Two hours later, Kate slipped onto a chair in front of a corner computer in the almost-empty internet cafe and began her search on Jenalbers Pty Ltd. Using the internet here at least provided some anonymity; she didn't want to risk using her iPad and having anything traced back to her.

      Due to her administration work with an import-export company in LA, she knew that unlike in the US where most companies were incorporated, in Australia they were mainly limited or proprietary limited companies, and it didn't take her long to track down the Australian Securities & Investment Commission and get the company's details. Unfortunately these didn't give the location of the properties.

      Thirty minutes later and with another chunk of money chalked up on her credit card to pay for the information, she left with the addresses of the three properties she'd seen on the invoice and with maps showing how to get to the locations.

      Dealing with customers who'd caused their problems through ignorance and stupidity had taught Kate more patience than she'd been blessed with growing up. As she walked back to the hostel, she subdued her instinctive need to rush to the properties to look for Melanie and Cindy.

      Dealing with men like Nathaniel required patience and logic. She had to convince Nathaniel that she had a good reason for leaving Sydney. She could simply disappear, but after her 'devotion' of the past weeks, he might become suspicious, and she'd learnt that his network was like a spider-web over the Kings Cross area - almost invisible, but definitely sticky enough to catch the unwary.

      'My mother wants me to come home, Nathaniel.' Kate's carefully prepared lie slipped easily from her tongue the next morning. She hoped her smile was tentative but excited, an appropriate mix for someone who was supposed to feel rejected by the only remaining member of her family. 'She said she misses me. So I'm going home.'

      Disappointment, and something else, flickered briefly in Nathaniel's eyes. 'I'm pleased for you, Kate. But we will miss you, too.'

      'I'd rather stay here, but it's the first time Mom has ever really needed me.'

      'When do you leave?'

      'In a few days. I thought I should see a bit more of the country before flying out, so I just came in to say goodbye and thank you for your help.'

      His pleased look was genuine, and Kate realised his ego hovered close beneath the veneer of humble leader.

      Her feelings were ambivalent as she offered her hand. She knew he was behind the disappearance of Melanie and Cindy, but he had also offered her insights into her relationship with her mother and father, and it was difficult not to feel some appreciation for that.

      He took her hand in both of his, holding her captive, as though reluctant to have her leave. In another man, the expression in his eyes would have been flattering, but the naked desire and force of will he was imposing almost frightened her. She had to resist the urge to pull her hand free and run. In that split second before he resumed his normal solicitous demeanour, she saw the predator within.

      She stepped back a little and he was forced to let go. 'Goodbye,' she whispered, and walked quickly towards the stairs.

      If the traffic hadn't eased when it did, John might have missed Kate Maclaren's hurried exit from the church entrance. Immediately his interest spiked. The file had shown that since her first morning at the church, she had attended regularly, even on those days when Nathaniel visited his Heavenly Houses.

      He checked his watch. She'd been inside less than fifteen minutes. Now she was almost running down the pavement. Instinct had often proved more productive than procedure in the past for John, and now he dashed across the street and moved behind her.

      Eventually Kate stopped outside a car hire office, looked around quickly and went inside. John walked past, then went into a café several shops ahead. He bought a drink, then sauntered back and glanced through the glass front of the hire office. Kate was sitting at a desk, filling in forms. He watched as she handed over her credit card, had it recorded, shook hands, and rose.

      For the next hour he followed her to several charities and second-hand shops where she purchased camping gear and binoculars. By now John's antennae were vibrating. Kate Maclaren was obviously planning a trip, but to where? And why? There was an urgency about her movements that suggested more than a normal time constraint, and she kept looking around as though afraid someone might be watching her.

      He opened his smart phone and speed dialled. Craig Sharpie answered immediately. John gave him Kate's details and the name of the car hire firm and asked him to find out what he could. Not only was Craig their computer expert in Brisbane, but John knew he would also be reluctant to discuss his request with McSwain, and that suited John at the moment.

      Now that he thought about it, John realised that Craig had been wary of the boss for some months, not just recently. When this assignment was over, he resolved, he would look into that further.

      He

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