The Passengers(99)
‘Noah was weak,’ Alex replied. ‘He didn’t have the guts to do what was necessary or to see it through to the end. He didn’t love Steph in the way she deserved; he didn’t treat her with respect, yet she wouldn’t give up on him. Not even when she discovered how often he slept around. It was me who wiped away her tears, me who told her she could do better and it was me who she turned to to feel loved again. She even admitted to me that she chose the wrong brother. But when she became pregnant with our daughter, she chose Noah over me. I was the idiot who promised to back off and give them a chance because I was convinced that one day she’d pick me over him. But that day never came.’
‘I don’t remember seeing you at the funeral with the rest of their family.’
‘I didn’t go. I was too cut up by what happened, not like my brother. He didn’t grieve for them like I did. Three months hadn’t even passed before he was uploading his picture onto hook-up apps.’
Libby watched his face became embittered by the memory. His fingers twitched as he became more agitated.
‘Did Noah ever support your plan?’
‘At first. In fact, he wanted it to be even more ambitious and have more cars collide after the Passengers came to a halt. But typical of him, he was all talk and then had second thoughts. By then, there were too many people spread across the world to make it stop. There was an army of dedicated men and women, factions and cells, who were risking everything to reach our goal. After a year and a half in the making, none of us were willing to back down just because of one man. Being his brother it was down to me to make him see sense, but he wouldn’t listen. It was as if Steph, Gracie and our mum’s lives hadn’t been worth anything to him. We argued, he threatened to blow the lid off our plan so he gave me no choice but to protect the programme.’
Alex finally turned to face Libby, his expression earnest. ‘Everything I said about you and I was true and I want us to make it work. I can create a future for us; all you need to do is take a leap of faith. Even now, even after what you know, you can’t turn off what you’re feeling for me. We are Matched and I think deep down you know that. Come away with me.’
A shiver ran through Libby’s body and she shook her head at the notion that they were destined to be with one another. ‘I don’t believe we’re Matched,’ she sneered. ‘It’s another one of your lies. You lied to me as Jude and you lied to me as Noah. What on earth makes you think I’m going to believe you now? Besides, perhaps you should have taken your own advice.’
‘About what?’
‘When you told me earlier that I hadn’t thought to question what I was seeing when I assumed you were standing with those men at the bar. Well, neither did you when you thought I only had a knife in my pocket. I’ve activated an alarm button and tracking device installed by the police on my phone that’s broadcasting everything we’ve said to them.’ Alex’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Of all that you’ve told me,’ Libby continued, ‘the only part I believe is that you felt a connection between us. I did too. Only what I felt wasn’t real because that man doesn’t exist. And that, amongst a million other reasons, is why I will never go any further than this room with you. I would rather end up like your brother than be with you.’
As quick as a flash, Alex flew towards her, but Libby was too speedy for him. She turned and ran towards the door, pulling the knife out of her pocket and clenching it in her hand as she reached for the handle. She twisted it and yanked it, but it wouldn’t budge.
Panicking, she turned quickly and waved the weapon in front of her, the blade catching the light of the lamp and glinting as Alex approached her. She watched him hold up a key fob. ‘There’s an automatic lock on the door that’s only opened by this,’ he snarled. ‘You aren’t going anywhere.’
Libby wanted to scream and cry for help, but she held firm, the knife cutting through the air again and again, from left to right, back and forth as Alex ducked and weaved like a boxer in the ring.
‘We can do this all night if you like,’ he said. ‘But only one of us is getting out of here.’
‘The police are probably outside already,’ said Libby in desperation. ‘You might as well give up, Alex, it’s over.’
‘Whatever happens to me, I promise you one thing, Libby, should you survive this, you will never be free. There are a lot of us out there and we are always going to be watching you, ready to bring you – and everyone you love – down if we need to. Think about the headlines we will make over killing you.’
Suddenly, the knife made contact with Alex’s hand, slicing the back of it. He winced and took a step backwards, trying to establish in the lamplight the severity of the wound. ‘You’ve just made the worst decision of your life,’ he said and clenched his fists. Libby took a deep breath and mustering up all her strength, thrust the knife in front of her one more time. She missed. Alex managed to grab her wrist and dig his fingers deeply into her ligaments so the knife fell into his hand.
They stood facing one another as he gave her one last tight-lipped smile. ‘I’m sorry it’s come to this, I really am,’ he muttered.
But as he launched himself towards her, she saw a tiny red dot appear on his neck. And with his arm pulled back and the knife ready to push into her, a bullet shattered the glass in the door and hit him squarely in the throat.