Private Sydney (Private 12)

‘Thank you,’ Eliza said. ‘I ne

ed my wheelchair.’

‘You will not require it,’ Chin said, matter of factly.

‘We’ll be here when you get hungry or thirsty,’ Wilson declared before reversing the hire car on to the road.

Mr Chin called his guards inside and the metal gate began to slide closed in his wake. With us on the outside.

Chin raised a hand and the gate stopped, before he turned to us.

‘Miss Moss, Mr Gisto, you are very welcome to come in.’

Chapter 122

‘ARE THEY ARRESTING us?’ Eliza whispered as I helped her walk. Two more military guards had appeared.

I wasn’t sure. They knew who we were so they had to have been monitoring us. We were ushered through a door, down a corridor and into a lift. We were underground, no windows and no natural light. They searched us both at gunpoint. Our phones, watches and personal effects were immediately confiscated. A handheld metal detector beeped at my belt. I had to remove it, with the USB still inside. It was then handed back, thankfully without being searched. I quickly replaced it around my waist.

Next we were each photographed against a wall and moved to what looked like an interrogation room. A scratched wooden table sat in the centre, with two sealed bottles of water. Two metal chairs on one side, one on the other.

I helped Eliza into the first chair and she almost flopped into it with exhaustion.

‘Dad must be here. Why else would they let us in?’

‘They need to confirm our ID. Maybe they want to know why the Federal Police were on their territory.’ The thought occurred to me: the only possible reason for the Chinese government to harbour Eric was that he worked for them.

I walked around the small room. Reflective glass inside, viewing room behind it. I was convinced we were being watched and possibly filmed. None of this felt right. I hoped we hadn’t walked into something far more dangerous than Detective Sergeant Wilson and his mates.

‘I’m sorry I got you into this,’ was all I could say.

‘I’m the one who got you into this … I just couldn’t let it go. Let Dad go.’

I kept thinking of the Federal Police in the street. Even if there was a secret exit to this place, and we managed to evade them, we would be arrested as soon as we were recognised, anywhere in the country. There was no way to let Mary or the others know where we were.

‘Eliza, they may know of your dad but it isn’t clear if he’s with the Chinese or against them.’

She unscrewed the lid on a bottle and stared at the label. ‘He kept so many secrets. What sort of person can be that deceitful? I didn’t know him at all.’

I sat beside her and held her hand, aware we were being monitored. ‘Not his birth name, maybe. Or what he was involved in but the man loved you, read to you, cared for you. That was him. That wasn’t an act.’

‘Thank you, Craig. For everything.’ She squeezed my hand. ‘No matter what happens, I’m glad we met.’

A bang on the door interrupted us and an armed soldier marched through. He was shouting in Chinese and English. ‘Where is USB?’

Chapter 123

THE DOOR OPENED further and a man appeared dressed in a navy jumper, grey tracksuit pants and ill-fitting slippers. He had a sling that positioned his hand over his heart. He looked thinner but, at five foot eleven, was still stocky. This time there were no reflective glasses, no dark lenses. Even in humble clothing, it was easy to appreciate the charisma he exuded to staff and politicians.

Eric Moss spoke softly to the soldier, in Mandarin. He lowered the gun and the unlikely pair exchanged further words before the soldier left the room, closing the door with a bang.

Wide round eyes glistened when he saw us.

Eliza slowly lifted her face and wiped her eyes. ‘Daddy?’ She saw the sling.

I slipped out of my chair and stood in front of the glass, to give them some modicum of privacy.

‘You’re hurt,’ she said.