The Road Trip At The End Box Set

by J N Wood

  With hindsight, that sounded a little bit like I was trying to pimp Ali out. I bet Jack fucking tells her I said that. Note to self. Make sure Jack doesn’t tell her.

  ‘It’s more than big enough to fit eleven,’ Charles said. ‘And we’re not going far anyway. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of picking you a possible place to dock. If it’s clear, I was thinking of dropping you off in Birch Bay. It’s in the next cove, just south of us. There should be plenty of vehicles there, and it’s far enough away from the camp to avoid the dead things that are piling up outside.’

  ‘Do you know how far Birch Bay is from Elliot and Martin’s container?’ I asked.

  ‘Four, maybe five miles,’ Charles replied. ‘Don’t worry, far enough away.’

  ‘No, I was thinking we could go back and pick up our stuff,’ I said. ‘We’ve still got food and guns in our vehicle there.’

  Charles placed his empty beer bottle on the bar. ‘Well that’s up to you. Once I drop you off, you can go in whichever direction you please. But if it’s guns you need, just search enough homes in Birch Bay, you’ll soon find some. Remember which country you’re in.’

  ‘Also,’ I added. ‘My passport is in the bus.’

  ‘You don’t need a passport to illegally enter another country,’ Jack said. ‘It’s best to avoid the authorities in those kinds of circumstances.’

  ‘What about getting back to England?’ I asked.

  Jack and Charles shared a quick glance. I furrowed my brow, looking at them both in turn.

  What the fuck was that?

  ‘Don’t worry about the passport,’ Jack said. ‘But if it is possible, we can try and get to the bus.’

  I’m not sure what they’re thinking, but I’m going home to Joanne.

  Charles dramatically waved a hand in front of him. ‘Anyway, that’s enough talk about that. We can arrange a time of departure in the morning. Now should be a time of remembrance, and drinking. Gintaras wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.’ He raised his hand and glanced over to one of the waiting staff. The guy rushed over. ‘Thank you Jacob. Another round for everyone.’

  ‘Sure Pea,’ Jacob said. He hesitated, before bending down so he was closer to Charles. ‘Everyone in the whole place? Or just this table?’

  Charles lowered his voice. ‘Sorry Jacob, just this table.’

  ‘Hey Charles,’ I said, after Jacob had left. ‘Do you know if Elliot and Martin were working yesterday?’

  ‘Yes, but don’t worry about them. It was their shift yesterday, but they managed to get over to Semiahmoo. Spent a few hours in quarantine.’ He checked his watch. ‘Should be getting the boat over any minute now.’

  I nodded over to Andruis, sat at the bar. ‘How’s the big Lithuanian doing?’

  He’d greeted us on arrival, but then immediately went to sit on his own.

  Charles glanced over at his friend. ‘He’s fine. I think he’s just upset about Matis. Maybe the death of Gintaras as well. He told me he knew of him back in Lithuania.’

  By the time Jacob returned with our drinks, Jack and Charles were deep into a conversation about Norwich City players. Jack was now talking about how he’d gone to school with a former Norwich goalkeeper. I’d heard the story many times, so I moved to sit next to Ali, Pete and Theo, to tell them the latest news on our departure.

  ‘Hey Chris,’ Pete said. ‘I’m going to take Ali back to the house.’

  Ali groaned and shook her head.

  ‘Could you keep an eye on Theo for me?’ Pete asked.

  Theo shot his brother an annoyed look. ‘Peter, I don’t need anyone to keep an eye on me.’

  Pete smiled back at him.

  ‘Yeah okay,’ I said. ‘Before you go, Charles has agreed to sail us all down to Birch Bay. It’s not far from here apparently. Can you be ready for tomorrow evening?’ I directed this last question more towards Ali.

  ‘Erm, I don’t know if–.' Pete started to say.

  ‘Yes we’ll be ready,’ Ali quickly said. She shot her cousin that same determined look I’d seen earlier.

  Pete sighed, before saying, ‘I’m sure Sandra will have something to say about it. We’ll talk about it tomorrow morning.’

  ‘Are you happy to go with Charles?’ I asked them.

  ‘Yeah sure,’ Ali said. ‘We can’t use the tunnel anymore.’

  ‘Thank god,’ I muttered.

  Pete tried to help Ali get to her feet, but she pushed him away.

  ‘I can do it,’ she said. ‘I’m feeling stronger after that drink.’

  ‘I very much doubt that,’ Pete said. ‘You shouldn’t have even had one.’

  Ali managed to get out of the pub with just the help of her walking stick. Pete followed closely behind, poised to catch her if she fell.

  ‘I hope she is getting stronger,’ I said to Theo, after the door had closed behind them.

  ‘What if she isn’t ready by tomorrow?’ he asked.

  I shrugged. ‘We’ll have to postpone I suppose. But you know your cousin. She’ll be ready no matter what. Especially as it was her idea to leave tomorrow.’

  Theo had a concerned look on his face, but nodded in agreement.

  The drinking carried on throughout the rest of the afternoon. Jack and Beth both left at some point, Jack returning an hour or so later, after dropping his wife off at work.

  ‘We should think about getting some food,’ Jack suggested.

  ‘Yep, I suppose so,’ I reluctantly said.

  I didn’t really want to leave, but we needed to eat.

  ‘Hey,’ Charles said. ‘Let’s move this into the back room. We have a bit of food stored back there.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ I said. ‘Charles, you are the perfect host. I’ve no idea how you manage to make any of this work, but I like it.’

  Andruis joined me, Jack, Roy, and Theo as we followed Charles around the bar and through an open door marked private.

  The room beyond was like a snug in an Irish bar, only bigger. Charles told us all to sit at the round table in the middle of the room. He then opened up a hatch in the wall. The bar area was just on the other side.

  Charles leaned his head through the opening. ‘Zoey, same again please.’ He turned around to face us. ‘All happy with the same again?’ We all agreed, and he spun back around to talk with Zoey.

  The change in location had managed to break up the once flowing conversations. Most of us sat there staring at our drinks. I looked to Jack, smiled and raised my eyebrows. He blew air out of his mouth, flapping his lips slightly.

  Charles was handed a tray through the open hatch, containing our drinks. ‘Come on guys. I know there was a funeral today, but cheer up,’ he said, placing the drinks on the table. ‘Your friends wouldn’t want you to be miserable.’

  I thanked Charles for my beer, before turning to Roy. ‘Are you a Norwich fan? Did you know Charles supports Ipswich?’

  ‘Yes he told me earlier. But no, I’m a Rochdale fan. Sarah got me into them.’ His face dropped when he mentioned his wife’s name.

  Bollocks, that’s not gonna help the mood.

  A door opened and one of the women who had been serving behind the bar walked in, carrying a tray. She placed it on the table in front us. The tray contained two loaves of home baked bread, and a selection of tinned tuna, salmon, and crab.

  Saved by the food.

  We ate it in no time at all, only bread crumbs were left by the end. I think I must have had five sandwiches. We were obviously sick of the rice and vegetables we’d been eating.

  The various conversations started flowing again, and we continued pouring alcohol down our throats.

  ‘You know what Jack?’ I said.

  Jack placed his drink down on the table. ‘What Chris?’

  ‘I was really looking forward to having a night out with Michael and Shannon. I think they’d have been a good laugh.’

  ‘They were a good laugh.’

  ‘No, you know what I mean, a good laugh on a night out.�
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  ‘Yes I know what you mean.’ He picked up his bottle and raised it in the air. ‘To Michael and Shannon. The breast of us.’

  I lifted my drink and knocked it against Jack’s. ‘Yep, they were the breast of us.’

  ‘And to Gintaras,’ Andruis said. ‘He sacrificed himself to help others.’

  We all raised our drinks, and called out, ‘Gintaras.’

  ‘Yep,’ I said. ‘Gee always looked after everybody else. Always put himself in harm’s way to protect us.’

  Jack suddenly stood up, saying, ‘Shite.’ His chair toppled over to land on its back. ‘I’m supposed to pick Beth up from work.’

  ‘You are a terrible husband Jack,’ I said.

  ‘I’m just going to stop her off at the house.’ He paused, frowning. ‘Drop her stop. Drop her off.’

  ‘Drop it like it’s hot?’ Theo offered, with a broad smile on his face.

  ‘Yes that,’ Jack said, pointing at Theo. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, before letting out a long and loud burp.

  ‘Thanks for that Jack,’ I said.

  ‘And then I’m coming bright sack here.’ He looked around with a confused expression on his face. ‘Where are we again?’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Roy said. ‘I know where we are.’ He placed his hands on the table and tried to stand up. His hands slipped off the edge and his forehead smacked into the table. He fell back onto his seat, holding his head in his hands. ‘Ow,’ he cried out.

  There were a few seconds of stunned silence when everyone thought he might have actually hurt himself, then we all started laughing. Even Roy joined in, eventually.

  Theo stood up and patted Roy on the back. He looked relatively steady on his feet. ‘I’ll come with you Jack. I’m going to call it a night.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Nine o’clock. Shit, that’s not a night.’

  ‘Okay, come on Theo,’ Jack said, walking towards the wrong door. Theo took him by the arm and guided him towards the correct door.

  After they’d left, Andruis asked me, ‘Will he be okay finding his way back here on his own?’

  I waved my hand. ‘I bet you we won’t see Jack again tonight.’

  About an hour later, while Andruis was telling me the same joke for the fourth time, something about a teacher and some eggs, there was a knock on the door leading to the bar.

  Charles stood up and staggered over to it. He turned the key in the lock, and opened it a few inches. ‘Good evening, nice of you to join us,’ he said to the newcomers. He opened the door all the way. Jack and Matis stood on the other side.

  DAY TWENTY ONE

  Chapter 22: Painful Death

  I could hear somebody talking. It sounded like Beth’s voice, but it was far away. She was berating someone, about something. All of a sudden her voice was right next to my head.

  ‘Breakfast time Chris. You only have half an hour before they stop serving. Roy, come on, get up.’ Her voice was further away from me again. ‘You have a perfectly good bed there. Why sleep on the floor? Jack? What are you doing? Are you getting up?’

  I turned over and half opened my eyes. Roy was lying on the floor, in the open doorway. The bedroom door was pressing against his head. His legs must have been out in the hallway. Jack was unmoving, but at least he was on his bed.

  Fuck me I feel like shit. My head feels like it weighs a tonne.

  I groaned and rolled back over to face the wall.

  Beth let out an exasperated sounding squeal, before saying, ‘Right, okay, I won’t do this for you again.’ I heard her step over Roy and walk out of the room.

  ‘Chris,’ Jack said. ‘You need to get up. Beth brought us back some porridge. She’ll kill me if we don’t eat it.’

  I thought I’d smelt the food, but assumed I was dreaming. I opened my eyes to see a very scruffy looking Jack. He was holding a porridge filled bowl in each hand. Roy was now sat on the edge of his bed, hunched over the bowl on his lap, looking very sorry for himself.

  ‘Alright, alright. I’m getting up.’ I sat up and took the bowl from Jack’s outstretched hand. ‘Ta very much.’ My throat felt like sand paper. ‘Anybody got any water?’

  Roy grunted, and started rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a bottle of water.

  ‘Thanks Roy,’ I said, and raised my hand.

  He threw the bottle under arm. It fell woefully short, landing on the fanny fart bed below me.

  ‘What the fuck was that?’ I asked him.

  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

  Jack stood up from his bed and retrieved the bottle, before passing it up to me.

  I thanked him and got back to the chore of eating my disgusting breakfast.

  Ali walked into the room. ‘Morning guys,’ she said brightly, before screwing up her face. ‘It absolutely stinks of beer in here.’

  We all just grunted in reply.

  ‘We need to go and speak to Charles and finalise our plans,’ she said. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m walking without a stick. So we’re ready to go.’ She spun around and started walking out. ‘And make sure you all have a shower.’

  Roy very slowly got to his feet, making a peculiar groaning noise as he rose. He ended the groan by saying, ‘Shower,’ and walked out of the room. He immediately returned and grabbed his towel off the end of his bed.

  I closed my eyes and waited for my turn in the bathroom.

  I had another freezing cold shower, which did nothing for my headache.

  ‘Sore head Chris?’ Sandra asked, as I walked out into the incredibly bright garden.

  It was so bright I had to keep my eyes almost closed, so I couldn’t actually see where anybody was. ‘Keep talking so I can find you,’ I said.

  ‘Over here,’ Sandra said. ‘Yes, keep going, keep going.’

  I walked towards her voice, trying to block out the sun with my hands. ‘Why is it so bright? Has something happened to the sun?’

  ‘Yes, you drank too much last night,’ Beth said. ‘That’s what happened to it.’

  ‘Oh right, that explains it then,’ I said.

  ‘Do you need some shades?’ Pete asked me.

  My eyes were slowly adjusting. ‘No thanks. I’ll be fine.’

  We all made our way over to Pea’s Place. Jack, Roy and me slowly trudged along at the back of the group. Sandra told us the boys didn’t like it near the fence, so we were forced to walk through the middle of the camp. That meant having to weave our way through the crowds.

  ‘Either of you remember what happened last night?’ I asked them.

  ‘Most of it, I think,’ Roy replied.

  ‘I remember you and Matis turning up Jack,’ I said. ‘Nothing after that.’

  I bumped into a woman, apologising to her after she shot me a very disgruntled look.

  ‘Not much happened after that, just more drinking, I think,’ Jack said. His hand shot to his mouth as a horrible noise came from within him. ‘Oh fuck, I was just sick in my mouth.’

  ‘Lovely,’ I muttered.

  ‘For at least half an hour, you kept repeating the word Showaddywaddy,’ Roy said.

  ‘Who did?’ I asked. ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes you,’ he said.

  I laughed. ‘Why?’

  Roy raised his hands. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘And you ran home,’ Jack said. ‘As soon we left the pub, you ran off, saying you had to run.’

  I shook my head. ‘No idea why I did that. Where did you find Matis?’ I asked Jack.

  ‘I was lost, couldn’t remember where the pub was, and then I bumped into him. He said he was out taking a walk to get his strength up.’

  ‘Did he stay for long in the pub?’ I asked.

  ‘Yeah he was there all night, until we left,’ Roy said.

  ‘What time was that?’ I asked.

  ‘About three,’ Jack replied.

  ‘Fuck’s sake. And we were worried about Ali not being ready to go today.’

  ‘I don’t think we’re going to try and get
to the bus,’ Jack said. ‘We were talking about it in the garden. Sandra, Pete and Theo don’t want to go anywhere near there. Because of Steve.’

  ‘I doubt the British Embassy in Canada will have the time to issue me a temporary passport,’ I muttered. ‘Pretty sure they’ll have more important things to worry about.’

  ‘I think you should worry about it after we’re in Canada,’ Jack said.

  ‘Have you got your passport?’ I asked him.

  Jack patted the back pocket of his jeans. ‘Yep, right here.’

  ‘Roy?’ I asked.

  ‘In my bag, back in the house.’

  Well that’s just fucking brilliant.

  It was the same two American guys on the door, they’d been expecting us.

  Charles was sat in his usual spot, at the end of the bar. He was wearing dark sunglasses and nursing a short glass containing a bright red drink.

  ‘Morning Charles,’ I said. ‘I’m guessing the sunglasses and the Bloody Mary in your hand mean you’re feeling as bad as me.’

  Charles lifted a hand to his sunglasses, and with one finger, very slowly pulled them down to end of his nose. ‘Morning everyone. You are correct Christopher, I’m not entirely on top form, but I sincerely hope I don’t look as bad as you three.’ His eyes slowly tracked across us, settling on Jack. ‘If you don’t mind Jack, please don’t be sick in my pub.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Jack said.

  ‘Hi kids,’ Charles said, looking down at the three boys. He looked back up to Sandra. ‘You brought your kids.’

  ‘Certainly did,’ Sandra said, smiling.

  Charles carefully slipped off his stool to stand on his feet. ‘Okay, follow me through to the back room.’ He walked towards the room we’d spent the previous night. We all filed in behind him.

  Charles lazily gestured for us to take a seat around the table, and walked over to a small cupboard set into the wall. Sandra gave the boys some toy cars to play with. They took them to the corner of the room and sat on the floor.

  ‘Quiet time please,’ Sandra said to the kids.

  ‘Sandra,’ Charles whispered. She looked at him and he glanced down to his hand. He was holding three Hershey’s chocolate bars. Once she’d seen what he was holding, he nodded to the kids. Sandra smiled and returned his nod.