by David Adkins
She stared at me appraisingly for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“I do not entirely trust you, Jenna.”
“I could force you to leave.”
“How?” I scoffed, for I was determined to stay.
“You are a lawyer. I am a professional. You are in a world in which you do not belong. Return to your own world and leave this world to me. If you stay you will get in my way.”
“What do you intend to do?”
She ignored the question and pointed at the dish in front of me. “Eat your pie before it gets cold.”
“I am not leaving and that is final.”
Silence descended upon us as I ate my lunch. I was taken aback by the new development. She was intent on following a course of action, whatever it was, alone. I feared for what she was going to do. I had to stay to help or hinder her as I thought best.
“I am going back to my room,” she said. “Join me when you have finished your lunch.” She stood up and ascended the stairs to her room.
Ten minutes later I knocked on her door. “Come in, Steve. I want to demonstrate something to you. Give me your hand,” she invited.
I held out my hand and she took it gently and held it for a few seconds. The next minute I had been thrown to the floor and Jenna’s knee was across my throat. “You see? I am a professional and you are not.”
I was shaken by this demonstration and surprisingly unable to move. “What do you think you are you doing?” I croaked.
“You would be a hindrance to me in what I have to do.”
“What is that?” I managed to say.
“I could put pressure on your windpipe and kill you if I wanted.” There was a warning in those dark eyes.
“Like you killed Nesterman,” I replied.
She applied more pressure and I was frightened that she would make real her boast. I could not shout out and felt weak and helpless. “I have been trained for three long years, Steve. You must leave and let me get on with what I have been trained to do. I am not asking you I am telling you.”
“You intend to kill Deepdale,” I observed hesitantly.
“Will you leave Tintree, Steve?” There was a threat in her words.
“In the morning,” I spluttered.
“Good, I did not want to hurt you for you have a job to do and you must get on with it.” She released some of the pressure. “Do not feel that your male pride has been damaged. I am trained in single combat to a very high level.” She stood up and left me gasping for breath. “Make sure you go in the morning.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I need to have a look at the military base this afternoon and then make plans. You will stay here while I do that.”
“Let me come with you this afternoon. I can introduce you to Captain Norman Steele and then I will leave in the morning.”
She thought about my proposal. She obviously did not intend to act this afternoon. “I am not sure and anyway I do not want an introduction.”
“Please Jenna. I give you my word that I will say nothing to Steele and I will not double cross you. If you keep me with you until I leave in the morning then you will know what I am doing.”
“Actually you could be useful on my first visit to the base,” she surmised. “You will come with me this afternoon and then leave in the morning.”
I rose to my feet and nodded. I wanted to get some idea of what was going on. By going with her I might find something out for she was certainly not going to tell me. Then I would decide what to do in the morning. She was not going to run me out of Tintree if I did not want to go.
“Go back to your room and be ready to leave in fifteen minutes.”
Once again I nodded in shock. I felt like a private taking orders from his superior officer. I returned to my room feeling quite shaken by the events of the last few minutes and knew that is what she had intended. What she did not know was that she had not shaken my determination to find out what was going on.
It was nearly two by the time we left the Tintree Arms to make our way down the winding country lane towards our destination. It took twenty minutes to discreetly reach the military base but this time we did not approach the entry gate. The base was set in low rolling green hills that gave us some degree of cover. We approached carefully and it was obvious that Jenna did not want us to be seen.
“I want to circle the base and have a good look at it before we go to the main gate and I do not want them to see us.” she explained.
“What are you looking for?”
“The types of buildings and what they might be used for,” she offered. “Deepdale will not be sharing barracks with the ordinary soldiers for his status will mean a private accommodation and a place to do his work.”
“Jenna, what are you talking about? What status does he have?”
She ignored my question and began her circumnavigation of the compound and I followed her. “Keep down and remember I do not wish us to be seen.”
I obeyed though why I was keeping out of sight I had no idea. She produced a note book and started to scribble down entries and I watched her in amazement. “What are you writing?”
“Just a few sketches and notes,” she replied. We continued to make use of the undulating landscape to stay hidden from sight. After about half a circuit she spoke again. “Do you see those buildings over there? What do you make of them?”
“They look like warehouses with rather better than average huts alongside.”
“Yes, I agree, I need a closer look.” she mused.
We continued our circuit in silence until it was almost completed. She scribbled in the notebook a moment longer, then declared. “I have a plan.”
I felt a certain amount of discomfort at these words. “What are we doing?” I asked nervously, aware that this was an army military establishment.
“I am going to give you your chance to speak with Clive Deepdale. Go and see Captain Steele again or any other available officer and ask about Deepdale. You should remember he is a short fair haired man with a slight but detectable accent in case they try to pass someone else off as Deepdale.
“Why should they do that? Are you not coming with me?”
“No, it is best that I stay hidden. You will probably not get to see anyone again though of one thing I am fairly certain and that is that Deepdale is in that base. Press them hard if you wish to see him. It will be interesting what they have to say. I will wait here.”
“And you are definitely not coming?” I was puzzled.
“No, but on your way out create a diversion, such as protesting loudly at the gate that you have been fobbed off. That will occupy the two guards and I will try to slip into the compound unseen.”
“That is why you changed your mind and decided to let me come along,” I mused.
“I said you might be useful,” she smiled.
“You did see the notice that says no unauthorized entry, correct? If you sneak in, will you not be in danger?”
“I will but that is the nature of my work. Will you do as I ask?”
I frowned and then nodded. “Yes but I don’t like it.”
“Excellent, I would offer you a reward, but I’m sure you would not accept it.”
“Such a clear offer,” I responded sarcastically. I shook my head in frustration. “I don’t know what you are offering and I don’t know what you are doing and I don’t know why I am helping you after what you did to me back at the hotel.”
“I was only making a point.”
“A painful point,” I reminded her.
“If you help me now I will massage your poor neck tonight,” she laughed.
“I said I would, didn’t I. How will you get out?”
“You will return later after perhaps half an hour and claim to have dropped your lighter during the previous argument and get them searching for it. In other words you will create another diversion.”
I stared at the front gates and muttered, “I must be mad.”
&nb
sp; “Off you go then and good luck. I will be ready to slip in when you leave. Make the diversion a good one.”
I crawled out from under the cover of a moss clad hillock and re-joined the path. I stood up and brushed my coat down and headed for the main gate. I had fifty yards to walk and everything seemed peaceable and the large, open metal gate loomed ahead. I saw that just as last time there were two guards stationed in the entrance hut. They saw me coming and one stepped out of the hut to greet me. “Good afternoon, sir, how can I help?”
“I have come to speak with Captain Norman Steele on a matter of extreme urgency.”
“Your name is?” he asked.
“Steve Coulson, I saw him the other day but there has been a development he might be interested in.”
“Wait here, sir and I will let him know that you wish to see him.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
I noticed that the base did not seem quite as busy as last time which might help Jenna in her furtive mission. There were not so many personnel or vehicles around and my hopes that she would get in successfully improved. Like before I had to wait for twenty minutes and then the soldier returned. “He will see you now, sir,” he announced. Once again I followed the soldier at a brisk pace to the same large hut as before. He took me in and ushered me to wait in the same office. Captain Steele did not keep me waiting.
He did not even sit down. “I am only seeing you because you told the guard it was a matter of extreme urgency,” he said dispersing with any niceties. “What is the development I might be interested in?”
“Clive Deepdale is on your base and you are unaware of it. Perhaps he is going under another name.”
“Mr Coulson, I am getting a little tired of your games and quite frankly your nonsense.”
“It is not me playing games,” I retorted.
“I must ask you to leave and not come back.”
“What are you hiding Captain Steele?”
“This is absurd. Guard, escort this man off the premises,” he called out.
The guard returned and looked at me expectantly. I shrugged my shoulders despite the fact I was annoyed and followed him out of the office. He marched towards the gate with me in tow and I remembered I had to cause a disturbance at the gate to enable Jenna to sneak in.
“Coulson,” a voice yelled.
I turned and to my revulsion I saw I was being approached by Smith, the man who had threatened me in my own office and who had threatened to cut Cassie’s face. My annoyance turned to downright anger.
“Coulson, I warned you to discontinue your investigation into the Lucas case. You have now had your final warning. This stops right here and right now.”
“Am I getting a bit too close for comfort?” I mocked him.
“If you persist I will be forced to stop you by any means at my disposal. Will you stop this madness now while you still can?”
This was the man who had frightened the life out of Cassie. This was the man who had threatened to slice both her cheeks and scar her for life. This was the man who had caused her to flee for her life. The intense anger welled up inside me and I stepped forward and threw a vicious right cross which landed squarely on his chin. I felt the power of the blow vibrating up my arm as Smith crumbled to the ground. The two guards rushed from the post and grabbed both my arms and out of the corner of my eye I saw Jenna enter the compound unseen. I had certainly caused the disturbance she had required.
Smith got slowly to his feet and steadied himself and then unleashed a punch to my stomach. I gasped in pain and doubled over. I could not retaliate as I was still held by the guards. Then a fist exploded on my jaw and I saw the ground coming up to meet me. Smith was a big and powerful man and he packed quite a punch.
“Stop this, what on earth is going on?” Captain Steele had joined us. He turned to Smith. “I will not have brawling on my base.” I staggered to my feet in pain and fought for breath. My jaw and my body both ached from the blows I had taken.
Smith looked a little contemptuously at Steele. “It may be your base but I am your superior officer.”
I gasped at his words. He was ranked above Steele or claimed to be.
“It is still my base. I am not happy with the situation and this is making me unhappier still.”
“Your happiness matters little. Coulson has become a threat and must be dealt with.”
“Not on my base,” retorted Steele.
Smith turned to me. “I hope I have made a point. Do I have your word to stop the investigation? I need your word on this and I will watch you to make sure that you keep it. I think you realize now that I mean business.”
“And if I don’t give you my word?” I asked.
“Do you remember that I told you everyone has a weakness and I would find yours? I have found it and it is a pretty, young chorus girl.”
“She is out of harm’s way,” I replied coldly.
“You mean out of harm’s way in Farnborough.” His sneering words ridiculed my assertion. I felt a shiver of fear for Cassie course through my body. I would probably give this pig my word for I did not need to keep it when it was given under such circumstances. This was my reasoning but I still wondered why they would not allow me to see Deepdale. “I need to speak with Clive Deepdale and then I will give you my decision.”
“Give your decision,” he scoffed. “You will decide now and there is no need for you to see Mr Deepdale.”
“What harm would it do for him to speak with Clive,” said Steele. “Let him speak with Deepdale. This may satisfy him and then we will both be rid of him.”
Smith considered the suggestion. “I suppose it will do no harm. You may see Deepdale at 10 am tomorrow morning here on the base. You will then, I hope, decide to drop this mad investigation. Now you should leave.”
I nodded. It seemed to me that Smith wanted to talk with Deepdale before I was allowed to speak with him which was why it would be tomorrow. “I will leave and return at 10am tomorrow.” I walked unsteadily from the base, still in pain from the two blows I had taken. I followed the path from the base until I was out of sight and then I ducked behind the hillock. I waited thirty minutes and then I returned to the gate and once again approached the guards in their hut. “On my way back to the village I realized that in the furore of my last visit I had lost my watch. It was of great sentimental value so I wondered if you have found it.”
The guards looked uncomfortable at my return and then they looked at each other. “We have found no watch,” one of them replied.
“Please help me look for it,” I pleaded.
They were only too eager to help for I think they wanted me off the premises as soon as it were possible and they felt uneasy at what had happened on my previous visit. They took my lead and crawled around on the ground searching for it in the dust. I saw Jenna emerge from a nearby hut and hurry out of the gate unobserved. She was very good at this furtive stuff. We continued searching for a while and then I shook my head and said to the guards who were tiring of the search. “It looks as if I must have lost it somewhere else. Perhaps it came off my wrist during the walk from the village. I will retrace my footsteps.”
Both men nodded and looked relieved as I exited the gate. Once again I walked down the path until I had disappeared from sight and then I ducked behind the convenient hillock. Jenna was waiting for me. “Are you alright?” she said looking concerned.
I nodded. “Just about but he does pack a punch.”
“So do you,” she laughed. “I told you to cause a diversion not a brawl.”
“It served a purpose. Did you find anything, Jenna?”
“Let’s exchange findings when we get back to the Tintree Arms. We should not dally here and we should not go back via the path. We do not want to be seen together and so we will return through the woods. I believe Deepdale is in there and so I must not jeopardize the operation.”
I looked at her quizzically. “He is in there.”
She looked back at me equally quiz
zically but said no more and set off into the woods. I followed and about three quarters of an hour later we were back in the village.
When we arrived at the hotel it was late afternoon. “I going to my room to get some work done. We can discuss things over dinner. Book that table in the corner for six o’ clock so we’ll have some privacy. Are you sure you are alright?”
I nodded. “I will see you in about an hour,” I said looking at my watch.
I watched her ascend the stairs and then I walked over to the bar. I booked the table as she suggested and then I went to the telephone booth to make an urgent phone call. I took a sheet of paper from my pocket and dialled the number.
“Hello,” it was a female voice I did not recognize.
“Is Cassie there?” I asked.
“Who is speaking?”
“It’s Steve.”
“One moment please, I’ll call her for you.”
I waited for a few seconds, then a familiar voice started to speak. “Steve, it’s good to hear from you! Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine. Are you alright, Cassie?”
“I’m fine. I am being well looked after by my friend. Where are you?”
“I am in Tintree. Cassie, I want you to do something.”
“What is it?” She sounded a little alarmed.
“I want you to leave Farnborough tonight. Is there a back exit to your friend’s home?”
“Yes… Steve, you’re frightening me.”
“You are being watched and I need to know you are safe. Leave the house in the early hours of the morning before daylight. Use the back way and make sure that you are not seen. Can you leave without being seen?”
“Yes I think so but where should I go?”
“Get the first 47 bus to Lewisham and check in at The George Inn at the bottom of my road. You should have no trouble getting a room. I will leave Tintree tomorrow afternoon and I will come straight to Lewisham and see you at the George Inn tomorrow evening. Do you have enough money?”
“Yes I have enough. Am I in danger?” I detected fear in her voice.
“Everything should be fine, but I learned today that Smith is having you watched. Somehow he tracked you to Farnborough.” I heard her gasp on the other end of the line. “You have no need to worry as long as you do as I say and make sure you are not seen leaving.”