Chapter Thirteen

They never mentioned it again and for a few days everything returned to normal and Juliette relaxed a little, she was careful on the cliffs now watching and alert for the Rangers. When she wanted to swim she kept to the private little beaches that the lifeguards had no access to but she watched them carefully noting their movements and where they worked. They all had routines they stuck to and she learned them all, she knew where each of them was at any given time and they never got close to her again. She began self-defence classes and without her parent's knowledge, she hired an ex-SAS Commando to teach her how to survive. He thought she was eighteen, she had the money to pay him so he never questioned her and she told him not to go easy on her. Unaware she was a minor he trained her hard, she learned how to escape if she was kidnapped, how to use a gun and a knife and how to escape restraints. She threw herself into his training, working for at least three hours a day. She had thought she was fit with climbing and swimming but he took her to another level.  He watched her grow and develop her confidence in her own abilities and he fell for her hard, she was feisty and brave and very beautiful.

It all came crashing down three weeks before her fifteenth birthday she was in her room after a long training session resting on her bed. Her Mothers scream echoed through the house and she raced down to the lounge already knowing what she would find.  Her Mother was kneeling on the floor cradling her Father to her chest keening softly, picking up the landline she quickly dialled their GP who came around instantly. Everything was a blur after that she stayed beside her Mother helping her with whatever she needed but it had all been arranged. Her Father had made sure all his affairs were in order immediately after he had been diagnosed. The funeral dawned grey and overcast but at least the rain held off as they stood around the open grave it was hard on her Mother and she held her arm tightly as she swayed holding her up as the pain lanced through them both. Back at the house, she took over the hosting duties seeing to their guests and accepting their condolences while her Mother rested. The two men in sharp Armani suits barely registered in her tired brain, as she moved around the room handing out drinks and hors d’oeuvres. They watched her every move,

‘Non c'è dubbio, lei è la figlia.’ [There is no doubt, she is the daughter]

Alonso spoke quietly and Roberto nodded,

‘La conoscerei ovunque, quei capelli e quegli occhi lei è quella.’ [I would know her anywhere, that hair and those eyes, she is the one]

Slowly the guests left and finally, her Mother came down the stairs to say her goodbyes to her closest friends, they had no other family both her parents had been only children. She closed the door and signalled to the servants to tidy up and picked up the decanter of sherry,

‘Join me for a nightcap Darling?’

Juliette smiled and followed her Mother into the lounge she did not like the taste of sherry but it was a small price to pay if it gave her Mother comfort.

‘Signora Templeton? Abbiamo bisogno di parlare’ [Mrs Templeton? We need to talk]

The two women spun around at the sound of the soft Italian voices,

‘Caro Dio, cosa ci fai qui? Sicuramente mi darai la possibilità di piangere con mia figlia?’ [Dear God, what are you doing here? Surely you will allow me the chance to grieve with my daughter?]

Juliette stepped back shocked, firstly at her Mother's fluent Italian and secondly that she knew why the men were there.

‘We are only following orders Mrs Templeton, it is unfortunate but you knew the day would come. We will be outside in the car, you have an hour.’

They turned and left and for the second time in a few days her world fell apart as her ‘Mother’ explained,

‘I am sorry Juliette, this is the worst possible time but you read the file didn’t you?’

‘The one Papa gave to me? Yes, of course, I did and I did some research but they must be wrong I am not Sicilian, I am English like you.’

Juliette dismissed the evidence before her eyes but she knew deep in her heart she knew, they would not have kept such meticulous records if it was not the truth,

‘I am so sorry baby’

Her ‘Mother’ let her tears flow,

‘Stop it!’

Juliette lost her temper,

‘Stop saying you are sorry, you knew, both of you, you knew this day would come and you did not think to warn me?’

She wanted to run, climb to the top of her cliffs and scream to the world of this injustice angrily she raced up the stairs to her room and threw off her mourning dress changing quickly into jeans and a t-shirt,

‘No, no, Juliette, please, you cannot run from this they won’t let you. Please, help me pack your stuff and go quietly, you have no choice.’

Her ‘Mother’ pleaded but Juliette ignored her listening to the wildness inside her she tugged on her trainers and ran, but she did not even make it to the gate. Powerful hands caught her and pinned her to a muscled chest,

‘Sedatela’ [Sedate her]

A sharp scratch on her arm and she sank into the blackness Roberto carried her back to the limousine placing her on the back seat and as he straightened her ‘Mother’ came running out.

‘Please don’t hurt her, none of this is her fault’

She pleaded with them handing them a suitcase,

‘We are taking her back to her Mother she will not be hurt’

Alonso told her brusquely as Roberto got into the car beside him,

‘Goodbye’

The car sprayed gravel as it sped out of the gate and headed for the small private airfield just outside the town where the Piaggio P180 Avanti was idling ready for take off.