Graeme Rodaughan's Blog: Writing The Metaframe War Series - Posts Tagged "shae-o-rourke"

With the conclusion of The Metaframe War series, my next project beckons.

Here is the first scene, make of it what you will.

Shae O’Rourke’s smartphone rang with the opening notes of Beethoven’s symphony No. 5.

She cast a sideways glance at the offending device. It rang again. A frown creased her brow. She’d programmed the number specifically with this ring tone. Her Dad’s lawyers were calling her. It had been years since she’d spoken to anyone from her mother’s side of the family. The monied side. The multi-generational law family side. Unlike her father’s side of the family who were mostly military or law enforcement, with the emphasis on enforcement.

She reached toward her hotel room’s side table, picked up her phone as it rang a third time and answered, “Shae O’Rourke here.”

“Hi Shae. It’s Uncle Bill. My apologies, this isn’t a social call. I have to wear my professional hat for this one. I have a message for you from your father.”

“Really?” Shae sighed, a familiar tightness enveloped her chest. Uncle Bill, aka William Dallas, was her mother’s older brother. Basically a smart, tight-fisted prick. A relative she’d rather not have to deal with, but - if needs must. If he had a message from Dad, it couldn’t be anything good. She prompted him. “Yes?”

Uncle Bill hesitated for a moment as if trying to find the right words. “Your father initiated a daily contact with us recently. He left instructions in the event that he didn’t contact us for three weeks. I’m sorry to say that time has now passed.”

Shae stiffened, then sat up and rotated off the hotel bed. She rose to her feet and paced away from the bed. Uncle Bill was having a hard time giving her the message. “And?”

Uncle Bill hummed for a moment. Shae could just about hear him frowning on the other end of the line. “We are to alert you.” His voice trailed off into silence.

“What?” She asked, a note of urgency entering her voice.

“We are to alert you that your father and younger brother are missing … presumed dead.”

“Dead? Shit! What the hell are you talking about? Has anyone seen bodies?”

“I’m sorry, Shae. What? No, there are no bodies. We did attempt to contact your father and brother but they’re not answering phone calls or emails.”

“Then why do you think they’re dead?”

“Your father’s instructions were very precise.”

“Of course, they were precise. I’m sure he dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every damn ‘t.’ But without bodies you don’t know what’s happened. You can’t possibly know if they are alive or dead.”

The phone rested silently against her ear and the moment stretched out, then Uncle Bill said, his voice gentler but hesitant, “Look, Shae … I know you don’t get along with your Dad. Hell, you and I have barely talked to each other. The last time I saw you was at Rory’s twenty-first, and you’d already started with the FBI, but since then, you’ve barely had anything to do with the family. Your Dad mentioned that you’d left the FBI Hostage Rescue unit and joined a private company offering the same services out of London. You know he’s really proud of you.”

A sick feeling curdled its way into Shae’s stomach. She didn’t have to listen to this. “Uncle Bill?”

“Yes?”

“I get that. I get all of it. You don’t have to explain ancient history to me. Now, for the record, I don’t accept that Dad and Rory are dead. Missing? Yeah, I’ll believe that but,” she shook her head, “No way they’re dead.”

“Perhaps it’s good you feel that way. Your father had more instructions.”

“Go on.”

“The office in Boston. The keys are yours.”

“What?!”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want it. Keep it for Dad and Rory when they come back.”

“The keys are still yours, you can come around and pick them up.”

“Then sell it. It’s nothing to do with me.”

“We can’t sell it. It’s on a ten year lease, fully paid up, and-”

Shae pulled to a sudden halt. “What? How did Dad afford that?”

“That’s not material. Your father gave me these instructions just over a month ago. Rory and he had a new lead on your twin sister.”

Shae sighed, an old anger surging through her. “I’ve long thought Dad’s crazy obsession with finding Niamh was going to get himself killed, just like it got Mom killed. I just hope he hasn’t actually managed to do that. I’d especially regret it if he managed to get Rory killed too.”

“There are those of us who understand your father’s quest, and Maureen knew the risks. My sister never did anything with her eyes shut.” Her uncle paused for a long moment. “I can’t imagine what it would do to me to have one of my children stolen from me.”

Shae rubbed her forehead with her free hand. This couldn’t be happening.

Her uncle said, “I don’t judge your father. There but for the grace of God go I.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Where was the lead?”

“Within New England.”

Shae cast her gaze around her hotel room. It was all very comfortable. Clean, well-kept, upmarket. Her latest contract had paid well. The bonus for a safe hostage rescue had arrived in her bank account the previous day. She could take a couple of months off if she needed too. Hell, she could take a year off with what she had saved. Her Dad and her brother were missing. There was no one else the family could turn to that might give a damn. But still ... “Is anyone looking for Rory and Dad?”

“We’ve notified the police-”

“Anyone who’d make a difference?”

“We have hired a private investigation service.”

“Who?”

“Ray Brighton.”

“I don’t know him.”

“He’s reputable.”

“I don’t trust people I don’t know.”

“Come home, Shae. Your father’s research for this new lead is in his office. You can pick up your Dad’s trail. Your family needs you.” He paused for a long moment. “Come home, Shae.”

Shae pressed her lips into a thin line. Her uncle was right. There was no getting around it. “I’ll get a flight to Boston as soon as I can.”

“Call me once you have the details. I’ll organize someone to pick you up from Logan airport and take you directly to your father’s office. You know he was living in the flat above the office.”

She nodded. “Yes. I know he was doing that. He’s been doing that for a long time. Look, I’ll send you the flight details once I have them. I’ll get on the next available flight. Is there anything else?”

“No, Shae. That’s all.”

“Bye, Uncle Bill.”

“Good bye, Shae.”

The line died. Shae rubbed a hand across her forehead, then down her face. Whatever had happened to stop her father and Rory contacting Uncle Bill had started three weeks ago. Three weeks was a long time. The trail would already be cold once she got back to Boston and checked out her Dad’s research. She shook her head. God only knew what she’d discover. She dialed another number from her contact list. She needed a business class flight from Kiev, Ukraine to Boston, Massachusetts, and she needed it straight away.

It was time to go home.