Destined to Feel. Indigo Bloome

in trying to find out who hacked into our computers and the attempted blackmail, so she’s across all the details. Leo also organised for her to secretly compile personal dossiers on each of the Global Research Forum members, just in case the leaks and threats were coming from one of our own people; anger pumped through my veins at the thought, but I couldn’t deny he had a point. I haven’t mentioned it to Sam or any of the others. Moira has the ability to access resources to handle emergencies on behalf of Leo, though we never imagined anything like this. She’s calm and efficient, but my panic makes me feel like shouting given the seriousness of this situation. I take a deep breath before responding in an attempt to control my rising fear.

      ‘Okay … and Martin’s available?’ Martin Smythe looks after Leo’s security issues. He’s ex-CIA, quick-thinking and highly capable and it’s a huge relief he’ll be involved. Leo had organised for him to be at Avalon just in case anything unforeseen occurred. ‘That’s great, he can organise the team and can you make sure they have a contact in Scotland Yard? We’ll need to monitor London’s security system.’ God, in this city, we’ll never find her with so many millions of people swarming around. No, can’t think like that. My hands begin to shake. Control it, Quinn, I admonish myself as Moira asks what else I need.

      ‘Can you send through the latest information you have on the hackers and we’ll also need anything you have on what drugs the top five pharmaceuticals are taking to market in the next five years, as soon as you get it together. And get some people working on the next five companies, just in case. We need to work out who is this fucking desperate — there must be a link somewhere that we’ve been missing! Okay, yeah, will do … and thanks Moira, I really appreciate it. I’m desperate to get her back.’

      I press ‘end’ and realise my hands are now trembling. I shove the phone back in my pocket and rub both hands through my hair in sheer exasperation at this diabolical situation. I turn to Sam who is still speechless which, given my internal fury and dread, is probably a good thing.

      As we silently make our way to Covent Garden, I absently stare out the window and thank god for Leo and I connecting when he had his accident all those years ago — my life changed for the better as soon as I met him and, ultimately, he was able to orchestrate my scholarship at Harvard and essentially my future career path from that point forward.

      Leroy Edward Orwell — the philanthropist who has sponsored my work at every level for more than a decade. He has been the financial backbone of every breakthrough and discovery I’ve been involved in. He comes from a family with a long history of inconceivable wealth, providing him with incredible access to global contacts and resources. We first met when I was in the Royal Flying Doctor Service and was on call. He was abseiling near Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory and had a bad fall when he was rappelling off the rock face and one of his anchors didn’t hold. He ended up breaking his leg and had to be airlifted out. We bonded during his recovery time and learnt much about each other’s ambitions and motivations. Even though he is ten years older than me, the nurses used to joke that we could be brothers, although I’ve always thought he was more of a Rob Lowe type. Either way, aging has been kind to him and he keeps himself incredibly toned and fit. There has always been a healthy competition between us in relation to the state of our bodies, and we keep each other in check. We certainly don’t want to risk letting ourselves flab into middle age.

      Leo’s passion is anthropology, more specifically biomedical anthropology — his nirvana is the holistic integration of Western ‘science and medicine’ with Eastern ‘philosophies and spirituality’. He’s a big thinker and has studied extensively. He has an extraordinary mind; I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in awe of his brain. Global phenomena intrigue him and my work is just one piece of the myriad projects he’s indirectly involved in. His seemingly extrasensory perception has certainly worked in his favour when it comes to ensuring his continued financial success, having managed to quadruple his already substantial wealth over recent years. His only requirement of me is to maintain his anonymity in public. I don’t have the opportunity to see him in person much, but it’s great when we do get together. He enjoys his private, more reclusive lifestyle and I respect that in him, but we have a lot in common and his conversation is always enlivening.

      Leo was intrigued with my theories and suppositions regarding blood types and depression and even flew out to Sydney and attended Alexa’s lecture with me, highly irregular behaviour for him. To this day I’m not sure whether it was for the project or whether he sensed that my meeting up with Alex was potentially something far more significant. He really is one of those people who seem to have a sixth sense about things, and I suppose he was spot on. Alexa always called him Charlie — as in Charlie’s Angels — as she has never met him, only heard about him.

      Actually, he was posing as the maître d’ and served martinis to me and Alex at the InterContinental during our weekend together. Obviously she didn’t see him as she was wearing the blindfold and he didn’t want to be introduced. He was a little shocked when he had to cuff her at my request. Afterwards I had to explain to him that she did her first thesis on the instinct and suppression of sexual behaviour, and why I believed this was an important part of our journey together should she resist and not acknowledge her true feelings.

      This was also coincidently just after I received an anonymous letter at the hotel threatening me in relation to her pulling out of the experiment. I couldn’t tell if it was a hoax or not and had no time to explore it further during the scope of the weekend, which admittedly put me a little on edge myself. I knew I couldn’t risk her walking away from me for many reasons, let alone the heightened danger the letter presented.

      Either way, it certainly created both playful fear and extreme arousal in Alex (her body has always proved a more accurate radar for reflecting her true disposition), which she admitted afterwards she found truly fascinating. Leo asked if he could have a copy of her thesis and Alex generously sent a copy through for me to forward on to him. I was only ever allowed to read her original hard copy all those years ago but thankfully I have a great memory. No doubt it would have been intriguing for her to read it again after our experience together — or rewrite it perhaps …

      Anyway, Leo’s funds have enabled him to acquire properties around the world that he believes hold either mystical or spiritual significance to cultures past and present — they are known as Avalon. It’s his concept, his baby if you like, and he offered me his executive treehouse on Lord Howe Island to ensure Alexa’s safety and wellbeing after our weekend together. His only condition was that she was not to know its location. I remember wanting to ask him why, but the look on his face stopped me, even though his demeanour remained calm and placid. I’ve learnt over the years when to question and debate with Leo, which most of the time he embraces with gusto, but this was not one of those occasions, so I maintained my silence and kept my promise. He doesn’t ask too much from me and he has done so much for me, it’s the least I could do. Thinking about it, in hindsight I wonder if he had a sense that she was at greater risk than we originally thought, or whether he felt there was something unique about Alexa, even before we further tested our hypotheses, given his direct involvement and his insistence that I take her to Avalon. I sigh as these thoughts and memories flood my mind while our car smoothly drives past Buckingham Palace and on to Pall Mall. So much for her safety now …

      * * *

      Sam and I check in at One Aldwych. I stare aimlessly around the suite in which I had invested such high hopes and expectations. I can’t deny the emptiness I’m feeling without Alexa here by my side, or the rising turmoil in my gut as to where she could be. I stare blankly at my laptop as if her whereabouts is going to miraculously appear before my eyes. I haven’t heard back from Moira yet, which is driving me mad, but I know she’s efficient and does her job like no other. I don’t want to bother her unnecessarily, but every second counts and I feel like I’m in Alexa limbo. I’m half tempted to call Scotland Yard myself to sort this hideous mess out. I can’t get my mind off the letter I had received during our weekend away that indirectly threatened the safety of Alex’s children if I didn’t go ahead with the experiment. It must be the same people. Shit. If only I could turn back time we would not be in this mess. I should have organised for the whole family to be with me in the safety of Avalon until all this crap passed over