Fighters

Chapter One

Tuesday 8th October 2013

Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire

7:29AM



Ben Somazzi leant over the bottom of the banister and yelled up the stairs.

  “Come on, Cassie! Get up! You’re going to be late.”

  Silence yelled back at him.

  “She still not up?” Adrian asked, pouring out coffee into two mugs.

  “I can’t hear any music.” Ben made his way to the kitchen and leant against the centre counter. “She must’ve overslept.”

  “Well, if she’s not up in five minutes, she can forget doing well on her first day.” Adrian carried a steaming mug to the counter, handing it to Ben. “She might as well start applying for another job.”

  Ben shook his head at his twin brother before he took a sip. Adrian was the more easygoing of the two, whereas Ben was more impulsive, more impatient, which weren’t good qualities when he worked as a night security guard. Aside from the personalities, they were so alike it was hard to tell them apart. They both had thick dark hair that reached their collar, pale skin that never seemed to tan and hazel eyes that were set evenly apart. The only difference was that Adrian wore glasses, steel-rimmed frames with rectangular lenses. Ben had worn glasses but now wore contacts, something which made him keep rubbing his eyes every few moments.

  It was the twin without the glasses, still in his guard uniform, who glanced at his watch and went to the utility room.

  “Where’s that bucket?”

  Adrian raised an eyebrow.

  “You’re going to throw a bucket of water over her?” He demanded.

  Ben disappeared for a few seconds and then reappeared carrying a large red bucket. He carried it over to the sink and held it under the tap.

  “She needs a wake-up call.” He said, filling the bucket to halfway. “How else are we going to wake her up?”

  When the bucket was full to where he wanted it, Ben carried the bucket through the kitchen into the hall. Adrian sighed and followed him, knowing that he would have to save his brother from an angry housemate if this went wrong.

  Ben crept up the carpeted stairs and tiptoed to the closed door next to the open door into the bathroom. He grasped the door handle and cast a cheeky wink at his brother, who reached the top of the stairs. Adrian gave him a warning frown but to no avail.

  Ben turned back to the door and burst in, brandishing the bucket.

  “Rise and shine, Cass!”

  Adrian braced himself for the scream. But then he saw that Ben had not thrown the water and with curiosity rising followed him in. Peeking round the door, he saw that Cassie’s bed, up against one corner behind the door, was neatly made. There was no one in it. He grinned at his astonished brother.

  “Good thing you didn’t throw the water. Cassie would’ve killed you.”

  Ben lowered the bucket and scratched his head in confusion.

  “She must have the stealth of an SAS soldier.”

  “Or she left when I went to pick you up.” Adrian noticed a folded piece of paper on the edge of the bed. “Got a note here.”

  “What’s it say?”

  Adrian picked the note up and unfolded it with one hand, the other still holding the coffee mug.

  “‘Going to pool before work. See you this evening. Cassie’.” His mouth twitched. “‘PS, Ben had better take that bucket of water he’s got out of my room. If a drop spills he’s replacing the carpet.’”

  Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  “How does she do that? She must be psychic.”

  Adrian flashed his teeth at him before dropping the note onto the bed.

  “She knows you too well, Ben. Only too well.”





Chapter Two

Tuesday 8th October

Bedford, Bedfordshire

7:47AM



Warden Peter Colby scanned the file on the desk in front of him.

  “You’ve got a very good CV, Cassie. Good grades, 2:1 degree, good fitness record. Looks like one of the best we’ve had here with these physical results. You look like you can handle yourself.”

  “On paper or in person?” Cassandra Bartlett asked.

  Colby glanced up at the young woman sitting across from him. He took in her soft features, her short dark hair, the rosebud mouth and the pale tanned skin. There was something gypsy about her. Her sinewy body with added muscle tone looked good under her blouse and black trouser suit. She looked good physically, but Colby wasn’t prepared to let on. His mouth twitched.

  “Both. We need people who can take care of inmates and keep them under control.”

  Cassie shrugged.

  “I’ve had more than my fair share of bastards. And I’ve dealt with every one of them.”

  Colby nodded. He didn’t doubt this statement for a moment. He glanced down at the file again.

  “Your father is Kian Bartlett the boxer, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “He train you as well?”

  “Every day since I was three.”

  “Yeah, well, these men aren’t like the people you’ve faced in the ring or your father has dealt with.” Colby sat back and laced his fingers across his beer gut. “These men are nasty. They like to degrade women. You have to be very thick-skinned in this job.” He glanced up and down Cassie’s body again. She was very pleasant to look at. “I don’t want you running away screaming because these men have got through your defences.”

  Cassie smiled and made a nonchalant gesture with her hand.

  “You let me worry about that, sir.”

  Colby considered this for a moment. He didn’t think that this young woman had thick skin, but there was something in the way her mouth was set and how her cool dark eyes held his gaze that made him think otherwise. He nodded slowly.

  “Fair enough.”

  He almost jumped when a knock came at the door, but he managed to compose himself. He knew was it was.

  “Come in, Diego.”

  The door opened and a man wearing the prison officer’s uniform ducked his head to get into the room. When he straightened up, he was at least six-seven, a head topped by a pale blond crew cut. His eyes were like blue ice, and his mouth was hard below a nose that appeared to have been broken. He reminded Cassie of the American footballers she had encountered at university.

  Colby stood up and made the introductions.

  “This is Diego Gamez. He’ll show you the ropes. Diego, this is our newest member, Cassie Bartlett.”

  Diego turned his ice-blue gaze onto the new recruit, and Cassie almost shrank back at the stare but she kept herself composed as she stood up and held out a hand towards the giant.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  Her tiny hand was enveloped in the hand held out to her. She could feel the eyes scrutinizing her.

  “You Kian Bartlett’s kid?”

  His voice was soft and gentle compared to the rest of him. It almost threw Cassie off-guard.

  “I hope that’s not going to become a label around here.” She remarked to cover up her surprise.

  Diego smiled, and his eyes lit up. He suddenly seemed much warmer.

  “He’s good. I’ve watched every single fight he’s ever been in.”

  Cassie grinned. Colby closed Cassie’s file and went over to one of the filing cabinets against the wall, opening the top drawer.

  “Take Cassie to get sorted, Diego.” He slid the file inside the drawer and shut it. “She needs to be ready in ten minutes. Her timetable is in her locker.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Diego held open the door for Cassie, but before she left the room Colby’s voice stopped her.

  “I hope you enjoy working here, Cassie.”

  Cassie smiled, her eyes flashing.

  “Me, too, Mr Colby.”