by KERRY BARNES
Liam shook his head. ‘No, not a clue. One minute, I was cooking steaks, then, the next, I woke up in here. Do you want to tell me what happened, Doctor? I mean, did I collapse or something?’ he asked, as he kept his eyes glued to the man, biding his time before the nurse returned with the phone.
‘Well, no. We are not quite sure. You have been operated on, though—’ He didn’t finish.
The door swung open and in walked the nurse with a beaming smile. That was until she saw the doctor. ‘Oh, sorry, Dr Bourne. I didn’t realize you were doing the rounds today.’
‘I was just talking to your patient, Nurse.’ He smiled – almost bowed – as he made his way from the room.
The nurse gave an exaggerated frown and waited until the door was closed behind him. She looked quickly at her patient. ‘The hospital phones are all in use, so I have brought my own mobile. You can use it.’ She pulled out the phone from her pocket and handed it to Liam. ‘Can you manage, or shall I dial the number for you?’
Liam felt safe in her presence and wanted to laugh out loud. He could definitely handle dialling a few numbers if he could manage almost to knock that doctor off his feet. ‘Yeah, I can do it, no problem, and thank ya, sweetheart. Er, what’s ya name?’
Charmed by his choice of words, his very distinctive accent, and the way he winked, his unattractive appearance suddenly became quite becoming. ‘It’s Melissa.’ She didn’t attempt to ask his name again and assumed he would tell her in his own good time.
Before he dialled the number, he looked up. ‘Do ya mind, babe, if I make this a private call?’
Melissa felt herself blush. ‘Sorry. Yes, of course. I will be right outside.’
* * *
Arty, Poppy, and Brooke sat around the large oval table in the open-plan dining kitchen area. Hardly a word was spoken between them. The shock of the situation had taken hold. Terrence was cooking breakfast, at a loss as to what he could do to help, when Lance came through the front door.
The noise made Poppy almost jump out of her skin, but as soon as she saw who it was, she struggled to her feet, the tears streaming down her face. Although she hadn’t known for long that Lance was her real father, in that short space of time, she felt as though he was her saviour, and as soon as he noticed her tear-stained face, he hurried over and put his arms around her.
‘Listen. You’re safe here, okay? Nothing’s gonna happen. I won’t fucking let it.’ He helped her to sit back down, before taking a seat himself.
‘How did you get on, Lance? You look shattered, mate.’
‘Yeah, not so bad. Have you got a coffee with my name on it?’
‘Coming up,’ replied Terrence.
‘I met up with a pal of mine. He’s ex-Army and he works with Interpol. We checked out a few high-profile men who owe him a few favours, but, so far, we haven’t any leads. Torvic couldn’t have done this alone, if it was him. But not a single soul has heard of the name. How’s Willie doing?’
Terrence poured the freshly brewed coffee and placed it under Lance’s nose. ‘He’s still sleeping. I threw a couple of tablets in his drink last night. He looked fucked, to be honest. He needs to sleep to get a clear head, or, knowing Willie, he’ll go through fucking Alicante like a tornado.’
Lance looked around. ‘And Ricky?’
Terrence’s face looked serious. ‘He’s not well. I’m calling the doctor out to see him.’
Lance nodded. ‘Oh, speak of the Devil!’
There, looking like a zombie – with dull and lifeless eyes and his hair poking in all directions – stood Willie. His five o’clock shadow was now a scruffy mess, which added to his scary features.
Arty jumped up. ‘Take a seat, Willie. Get some grub inside ya.’
Willie offered a partial smile and sat down heavily at the table. He looked around at everyone before remarking to Poppy, ‘So you’re the girl my boy liked then?’
Poppy wiped another tear and nodded. ‘Well, I liked him, Mr Ritz. I mean, he’d been so kind to me …’
She stopped and another tear escaped. ‘Sorry,’ she said, snivelling. ‘I hadn’t known him very long, but he was the nicest man I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting, and we had been planning to date …’
Willie leaned across and rubbed her hand. ‘At least he had you. I know my boy. He would’ve been so chuffed, babe, to be dating a beauty like you.’
His kind words made more tears plummet. But they weren’t just for herself. Everyone was talking about Liam in the past tense. She could scream in frustration at not knowing for sure whether her boyfriend was actually dead.
Terrence placed a coffee on the table for Willie. ‘Get that down your Gregory Peck.’
Just as Willie took a sip of the strong coffee, his phone buzzed in his pocket, followed by a ringtone that under normal circumstances would have made everyone laugh – it was ‘Friggin’ in the Riggin’’ by the Sex Pistols.
He stared hard at the number but he didn’t recognize it. ‘Who’s this?’ he demanded, in a curt tone.
‘Dad, it’s me!’
Everyone stared and didn’t move a muscle when they saw Willie’s shocked expression. The blood completely drained from his face as he swallowed hard.
‘Liam? Fuck! Where are you, boy? What’s happened?’
‘Dad, tell Terrence to get me out of here. I’m in Alicante’s general hospital, but he has to come quick. There’s a doctor here. He’s gonna kill me. I dunno what the fuck’s happened but tell Terrence to hurry up. I ain’t got much time left.’
‘Boy, I’m in Spain with Tel. I’m coming. Stay on the bleedin’ phone.’ He jumped up from his seat. ‘Tel, we need to get to the hospital, like now. Our Liam’s there. Liam, we’re coming now, boy. Where did ya say you are?’
‘Dad, I’m in Alicante’s general hospital in a private room. There’s a nurse here. I’m using her phone. She’s called Melissa. But listen. There’s a doctor, right, and he did something to me. I ain’t got a clue what, but, anyway, another nurse helped me get out of where they’d taken me, and I’ve ended up here. But this doctor was the one at the other place. I know it for a fact. I recognized his voice. I know he wants to kill me. Hurry up, for fuck’s sake, will ya!’
Terrence was out of the villa and starting up the car before Willie had left the kitchen. Willie didn’t even have a chance to shut his door before they pulled away.
‘Liam, stay on the phone, right? What can you see around ya?’
Liam looked through the internal window and across the corridor he noticed a sign. He squinted his eyes to focus. ‘I think I’m on Saint Philomena Ward or some wing, but I dunno. It’s all in Spanish.’
‘We’re on our way. Jesus, I thought you were dead. Who took ya? Was it Torvic?’
‘I’ve no idea, Dad. One minute I was in the kitchen. I think I went to put some rubbish out, and then I had a hand over me mouth. That’s all I remember, but when I woke up … Hang on a minute. Dad, the nurse is coming.’
Melissa popped her head into the room. ‘Are you okay? Can I come in?’
Liam nodded. ‘Dad, how long will you be?’
Willie’s phone was on loudspeaker so that Terrence could hear. ‘We’re three minutes away, Liam,’ called Terrence.
Like shit off a shovel, Terrence’s car reached 120 miles per hour and was flying along the main road. ‘Two minutes!’ he called out again.
‘I’ve got to go, Dad. It’s the nurse’s phone, I’m using.’
‘No, boy. Stay on the phone. I thought I’d lost ya. I ain’t fucking losing you again.’
Liam held his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘Melissa, listen. Me dad’s on his way, right? Please stay with me. Don’t let anyone in. It’s really important.’
Melissa knew instantly that this young lad wasn’t messing around. Whatever had happened to him, he was terrified. She stepped inside and leaned her back against the door. ‘Okay, er …’ She really wanted to know his name, now everything had changed. She knew he was worried about someone in
the hospital and her main concern was Dr Bourne. She’d never liked him and felt that he was power mad. He was always swanning around like he owned the place.
‘It’s Liam. Just don’t let anyone in.’
‘I won’t,’ she replied anxiously.
‘Dad, I’m all right. Just hurry up, yeah?’
‘We’re ’ere. Oh fuck, Tel’s nearly hit a bleeding ambulance.’
Liam heard the car door slam and the sound of his father running.
‘Melissa, I need you to tell me dad where I am.’
She ran over to his bed and took the phone. ‘Sir, it’s the Saint Philomena Ward. Go into the entrance, take the lift to the fourth floor, and come right up. We’re in the third room on the right.’
‘Got it, love. Put me boy on, and thanks.’
Just as Melissa handed back the phone to Liam, the door opened. It was Dr Bourne. ‘Aah, Nurse, you are needed in Room Two. I want to check on our patient.’
Melissa didn’t move; instead, she stood by Liam’s bed and glared at the doctor.
‘Nurse, you are needed in Room Two.’ As his eyes fixed firmly on Liam, he noticed the phone to his ear.
‘Sorry, but you are not allowed phones on the ward.’
Those words confirmed that Dr Bourne was up to something. Melissa’s stomach flipped over, and the most frightening thoughts crossed her mind. No way should this be happening here. It was the kind of thing you might read about in a thriller. She had an agile mind and could think quickly on her feet. ‘Sorry, Dr Bourne, it’s the police on the phone. The patient is just explaining what has happened to him. I think they’re on their way.’
The doctor’s eyes were almost on stalks, confirming that he was indeed up to something that had nothing to do with a patient’s normal day-to-day care. But he’d also inadvertently communicated to Liam and Melissa through his body language that he was in some way negatively involved in his patient’s condition. Melissa mentally questioned his intentions to uphold the Hippocratic Oath.
‘The police have asked me to stay with him until they arrive so could you ask Nurse Trudy to see to the patient in Room Two, please?’
Liam could hear heavy footsteps approaching the room. He knew that at any moment his father would be through the door like a rocket. Right on cue, the door was flung open and there, looking like a six-foot character from the living dead, and completely out of breath, stood his father.
Dr Bourne stepped back, totally surprised at the man’s aggressive demeanour. Surely, he wasn’t from the police, he thought.
‘Dad!’
Willie gently moved the nurse aside and wrapped his arms around Liam and hugged him. Willie’s body was moving up and down as the sobs that had seemingly been trapped inside him for days now flooded his face.
Melissa rubbed Willie’s back and looked back to find that Dr Bourne had evidently slipped away.
‘Dad, you’re squashing me.’
Willie pulled back and stroked his son’s cheek. ‘Jesus, Liam, we thought you were dead. I just can’t fucking believe it. You’re here, you’re …’ He turned to the nurse. ‘Is he all right? Can I take him with me?’
She looked behind her again. ‘Look, sir, I have no idea what’s been going on, but …’ She took a deep breath and gave Liam a sympathetic look. ‘Your son came to us unconscious with a scar that, to be honest, is shocking. We had to operate right away to stop internal bleeding from the nephrectomy he’d had.’
Willie frowned. ‘What’s a nepher whatsit?’
‘His kidney was removed, sir. Did you not know?’
Willie’s ruddy complexion changed instantaneously as he gripped the bed to stop himself from collapsing on the floor.
‘Sir, did you not know? Was this operation not planned?’
‘No, ’course it wasn’t. What the fuck! Why did someone take his kidney? I mean, what the hell for?’
Melissa looked at all of them in turn, her lips trembling at the consequences of what she’d just witnessed since coming on shift. ‘I think we need to call the police.’
Willie nodded. ‘Jesus!’
‘No!’ said Liam. ‘No, don’t do that. Please.’
Melissa was taken aback. ‘But this is a crime, a grave crime.’
Liam nodded. ‘I know it is, love, but I also know who was responsible, and there’s no way the police will believe me. I can’t prove it.’
‘I’m taking him out of here,’ said Willie firmly, expecting the nurse to protest. But she didn’t; instead, she nibbled on her bottom lip, in deep thought.
‘He is still very poorly, you know. He’s been through a lot. In fact, we did have to resuscitate him, but he’s now on fluids and antibiotics and a few other standard medications such as—’
Before she could finish, the door opened. It was Terrence.
‘Tel, go and get a wheelchair, mate,’ demanded Willie. He looked at the nurse. ‘Do us a massive favour, babe. Can ya get his medication or whatever? I swear to God, I’ll see you all right over this. We owe ya a massive debt for ’elping our Liam, and we won’t forget ya. Please, you have to help us, yeah?’
Without giving it another thought, she nodded and gave him a pretty smile. It was the look on Liam’s face, and the fear in his voice, that had finally confirmed to her that Dr Bourne had something to do with this. And the young man was right. A well-respected consultant like Bourne would have the police tied up in knots. It was too unbelievable to take seriously, but she knew differently; she was a psychiatric nurse before she became a renal nurse, and so she knew that Liam wasn’t mad. But Bourne’s behaviour was most unusual. These people were right to get the youngster out of the hospital as quickly as possible.
Immediately, she pulled the pink tracksuit from the bedside cabinet and handed it to Willie. ‘Here are the clothes your son came in. Get him dressed. I’ll be back with the meds,’ she ordered, now taking control.
Willie looked at the girlie tracksuit and then at Liam. ‘Is this yours, Son?’
Liam nodded. ‘Yeah. Well, no, well, it’s all I have.’ His mind went back to the nurse who risked her life by helping him to escape. Although a little fuzzy, he suddenly remembered the note. ‘Dad, you have to check the pocket. The nurse who saved me, she may be in trouble. She took me from this clinic, somewhere in Alicante, and drove me here.’
Willie could see the panic spreading across his son’s face. ‘Don’t you worry, Son. Leave it to me.’ He took the note from the pocket and saw a phone number.
While they waited for the nurse to return, Willie called the number. The phone rang three times until a soft-spoken Englishwoman answered.
‘Er, listen, love, are you okay? I mean, I know you helped save my son.’
‘Is he alive?’ asked the nurse.
Willie sensed the apprehension in her voice. ‘Yes, love, but we need answers. Is it possible for me to meet you?’
‘No, please, I need to leave Spain. They will come for me and—’
‘No, wait, I can ’elp ya,’ said Willie quickly.
‘Sorry, I have to go. I don’t have time. Please, look after the boy. I will be safe. I must leave now. Goodbye.’
The phone went dead.
‘Is she okay, Dad?’
Willie nodded. ‘Yeah, she said she’s leaving the country. I’ll call her again later. Now, don’t worry. We just need to get you outta here.’
* * *
Ismail sat in his cell; it was a single unit. He had his knees pulled up to rest a book. He wasn’t reading it; he just stared at the words. Dark thoughts kept whirling around in his head, wondering when he would be next to be murdered.
The description of Guy’s and Benjamin’s deaths haunted him. It could only have been orchestrated by one person: his sister. What was he thinking, trying to take her on? Still, now it was only a matter of time, and he knew he would be next.
His cell was the last one on the landing, so when he heard footsteps outside, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see the
weapon that would be used or the man who would kill him. Even if he screamed, no one would come, no one would care. Squeezing his eyes shut, he listened. Whoever was outside was now in his cell. He could hear their breathing as they sniffed the air.
‘I have a message for you,’ came the rough voice.
Ismail expected the message to be a knife across his throat, but there was nothing.
‘Listen up. Zara said this: “Little Bean, call me. I need you to help me to take out the Regans …” She also said this: “You owe me.”’
Ismail opened his eyes and found himself staring at a thickset man who was observing dispassionately his shaking hands, clutching the book. The inmate stood with his feet apart and a cocky grin on his face. ‘’Ere’s her number. Call her!’ He threw the scrap of paper at Ismail and left.
After expelling a lungful of air, Ismail tried to calm his racing heartbeat before he could go over what the man had said. He looked at the number on the piece of paper and tried to get his thoughts in order. She’d said she wanted to take out the Regans. It didn’t make sense. How could he help? He was inside. Who did he know who could help her? And, more unbelievable, why would Zara even want to take out the Regans? Mike Regan was the only man she truly loved. It didn’t add up, and yet the message was definitely from her because she was the sole person who called him ‘Little Bean’. The tall, well-built, grizzly bear of a man could easily have plunged him with a knife, but he hadn’t. He then realized that his sister could also have made that happen.
He looked once more at the number and tried to memorize it. His sister would have done it in a nanosecond, but he couldn’t. He had to recite it five times before it was fixed in his head. Not that it mattered, though: he could take the note with him to the phone. A habit of his was constantly proving to himself that he was better than his sister. He gritted his back teeth. He shouldn’t be torturing himself this way. He knew that one day he would stop competing – it would be the day he would die. After screwing up the piece of paper, he threw it in the bin.
* * *
Despite expecting a call from Ismail on either Zara’s phone or Torvic’s, when his own phone rang, it still made Mike jump. He looked at the number; it was Willie’s.