Black Matter

by G D Parker

  ‘Police!’ shouted the policemen as they burst into the bedroom, pulling his mum away from him.

  ‘Mum!’ Anderson had shouted, holding out his arms as she was pulled away from him.

  ‘It’s okay, my little prince. You’ll be safe now,’ she’d sobbed as she was moved out of his bedroom.

  That was the last time Anderson had ever seen his mum. She had been arrested for the murder of his stepdad and subsequently committed suicide, not being able to cope with the guilt that Anderson had been hurt by a man she had brought into his life.

  The soul of the lovely little boy inside Anderson had died that night. He hated the world, hated anyone who tried to be his mum or dad, causing problems throughout his childhood, his schooling years and his adult life. All he wanted to do was make enough money to leave the country, leave his horrendous memories behind and rebuild a form of life. That was why he had built Black Matter.

  Anderson was looking down on himself, laying lifeless on his prison bunk. His body looked cold. The poison had peacefully killed him, set up by Scientist83. How he had done it, no one knew.

  Anderson drifted away, his soul rising higher and higher, watching the world he had lived in get smaller and smaller. He started moving slowly through a tunnel, towards a soft glow of light ahead of him. He urged himself towards it, feeling pure peace; a feeling he’d never felt before. Anderson heard a voice calling his name; a voice he’d not heard for many years. A beautiful, indescribable smell filled his soul. He felt young again. There was no pain and no adversity. The light grew brighter as he moved closer towards it.

  He found himself standing in a place, surrounded by beauty and visions he couldn’t even contemplate. He knew he had left the old world behind.

  There was a woman walking towards him. She was smiling, and happiness appeared to radiate from her. Anderson reached out, warmth connecting them both. He was twelve again, and love drew them closer.

  ‘Mum!’ he said as she grabbed his hand. They moved towards visions of different colours he’d never seen before. He felt peace at last, as they moved into a colourful haze, a new world, a new beginning.

  The news of Anderson’s murder spread fast, hitting the headlines worldwide. There were investigations to identify how the poison had got into his system, but detectives hit a brick wall quickly with no leads.

  Valentina heard the news on the TV. She was shocked, but she knew who was responsible. She needed to work fast to at least get Tommy out before Scientist83 got to him as well.

  28

  Valentina was suspicious of Tammy, concerned she knew far more than she was letting on. She decided to continue working with Tammy, but was now watching her every move, not letting on about her suspicions.

  ‘Try and set up a meeting with Scientist83. I want to meet him,’ said Valentina, now not caring about the danger. All she wanted was to seek justice for Roberts and to give Tommy the freedom he deserved.

  ‘I’ll try,’ replied Tammy, confused by Valentina’s disregard for safety.

  ‘Let’s catch this mother fucker!’ Valentina exclaimed.

  Tammy’s eyes widened and she fidgeted in her chair with a sense of uneasiness. ‘How do you think I should approach this?’ asked Tammy, hesitating to make contact with Scientist83.

  ‘Send him a message informing him that you’ll get Valentina for him.’ Valentina paused taking a breath. ‘Tell him you’re going to set me up.’ Valentina felt fearful at her own words, but she knew it was the only way.

  ‘B,but what shall I say?’ stuttered Tammy.

  ‘What I just said.’ Valentina propelled her assertiveness. She dictated to Tammy exactly what to type, telling her to pose as someone who had been working with Anderson on Black Matter.

  XXwells79: “Hi, I have been working with Anderson. I’m his contingency in case anything happened to him.”

  Scientist83: “You are?”

  XXwells79: “Aaron Wellington.”

  There was a long pause, and Valentina could feel the nervousness from Tammy as they waited for the response, both knowing how dangerous this was.

  Scientist83 is now typing...

  Scientist83: “How do I know you are who you say you are?’

  Tammy looked back at Valentina, and she instructed Tammy to type exactly what she said word for word.

  XXwells79: “I will meet you to give you the software and to show you how to use it at a location you choose and a time you choose. I just want to be done with this, so I can grieve for my friend.’

  Scientist83: “Meet me?”

  Adrenaline surged through Valentina as she thought to herself, He took the bait.

  XXwells79: “Where?”

  Scientist83: “I’ll be in touch. Stay online.”

  Scientist83: **IS NOW OFFLINE**

  Tammy again looked back at Valentina. ‘What are you thinking?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, to be honest, I didn’t think that far ahead. I wasn’t expecting him to take the bait so quickly. He must want this Black Matter desperately.’ Valentina smiled out of the corner of her mouth. In the back of her mind she was thinking of how to conduct this meeting. She knew she couldn’t do it alone.

  ‘True,’ said Tammy, limiting her words and creating more suspicion for Valentina. ‘So, what now?’

  ‘We wait. Keep an eye on that chat, and I’ll make some calls.’ Valentina smiled and walked out of the room before Tammy could say anything else.

  Valentina stood outside the hotel and made a call to an old friend. He was an ex-Royal Marine and an ex-boyfriend. They had parted purely to further their careers and had always remained friends, staying in touch for the last fourteen years.

  ‘Mike speaking,’ he said, answering his phone, his voice deep and precise.

  ‘It’s me,’ Valentina said.

  ‘Hey V, how are you?’ he enquired, letting go of his macho tone.

  ‘Not so good. I need your help!’

  ‘Go for it?’ Mike replied.

  ‘Not over the phone. Can you meet me?’ Valentina asked.

  ‘I’m in Plymouth. Where are you?’

  ‘Cardiff. I’ll come to you tomorrow. Say about ten in the morning?’

  ‘Sure, where?’ he asked.

  ‘Church House Inn?’ Valentina suggested, as this was a place they used to meet regularly.

  ‘For you babe, I’ll be there.’ Mike had picked up on Valentina’s urgency to meet and realised it must have been important.

  ‘Thank you, Mike. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘It’ll be hoofing to see you again!’ He hung up.

  Mixed feelings ran through Valentina as she cast her mind back to their hot and heavy sexual relationship from many moons ago.

  Valentina walked back into the hotel room, and Tammy was watching TV.

  ‘You not keeping an eye on the chat?’ Valentina checked.

  ‘I’ve set a notification, so as soon as he makes contact, we’ll know,’ Tammy explained.

  ‘Good thinking. I’m going to bed. I’ve got to head out early tomorrow to meet an old friend.’ Valentina walked off into her room.

  ‘An old friend, ey?’ said Tammy with a slight cheekiness, trying to hide her concern.

  ‘It’s not like that! Purely business.’ Valentina closed the door, not wanting to divulge too much information.

  The drive to Church House Inn in Devon was a long one. Valentina felt nervous. She’d not seen Mike in years and couldn’t help but fret about the feelings that might arise when she saw him.

  Valentina was early and ordered herself a black coffee. She wrung her palms together whilst waiting for his arrival, wondering how she was going to ask him to break the law, still knowing full well that he’d do it for her.

  Mike walked in bang on time, like a typical Marine, looking buff and as handsome as the day she had met him. Valentina felt slightly intimidated and insecure, feeling that she’d aged during her career as a detective.

  ‘Babe!’ Mike shouted in his deep, direct voice. �
�So good to see you!’

  Valentina held out her hand to shake his, which he completely bypassed, instead going straight for a hug, lifting her off the floor. She felt flustered, feeling a slight flutter. It’d been a long time since a man had handled her like that.

  ‘Good to see you too, Mike!’ she replied.

  He put her back down and planted his lips straight onto hers. Valentina’s knees buckled slightly, but he didn’t notice.

  ‘Can I get you a coffee or anything?’ she asked with nervousness in her voice.

  ‘Nah, I’m good! Had a litre of oggin in the car. Bursting for a piss!’ Mike explained and quickly walked off to the gent’s.

  On his return, he sat next to Valentina, his wandering hand placed firmly on her knee. Valentina liked it.

  ‘So, babe, what is it I can do for you?’ Mike came across as arrogant, but Valentina found it a turn on.

  She curled the ends or her hair with her fingers. ‘Well, it’s complicated and strictly confidential.’ She looked into his eyes, and he understood her seriousness, removing his hand from her leg.

  Valentina then went on to explain the entire situation, knowing that she could trust Mike. He sat back for a second, thinking. What’s he thinking? was the only thought that crossed Valentina’s mind.

  He looked her in the eye. ‘I’ll do it,’ he said, ‘but...’ There’s always a but, Valentina thought to herself. ‘I need back-up. This sounds a little dodge, if you ask me!’

  ‘It’s completely off the record, and nothing will come back on you, I can assure you of that,’ Valentina stated.

  Mike smiled at her, then asked, ‘Will I need any weapons?’ There was slight excitement in his voice.

  ‘I’ll leave that for you to decide.’ Valentina left Mike to make up his own mind, knowing full well that he would.

  ‘Okay,’ he said, winking, as if to say that he was on it. ‘So, when will you need me?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m not sure. I’m waiting for him to set the date and time.’ Valentina smiled with nervousness.

  ‘Okay, I’m due to go out in four weeks, so as long as it’s before then, not a problem.’ Mike smiled. Valentina couldn’t help but feel an urge towards him. ‘So,’ he said, ‘that’s business out of the way. How have you been? Any men in your life?’

  ‘I’ve been good,’ Valentina replied. ‘Lonely, I must say, and certainly no men.’

  Mike smiled again. ‘So, you got any plans for the rest of the day?’ he asked.

  ‘No, none. Why?’

  He returned a wink, and Valentina giggled like a girl in return. He smiled some more.

  A satisfied woman, Valentina drove back to Cardiff. Mike had always been able to press the right buttons, and she had needed it. A little escapism never hurt anyone, and she smiled, tapping the steering wheel to the songs blasting from the car radio. Eventually, she arrived back at the hotel.

  ‘How did your meeting go?’ asked Tammy, not actually knowing why Valentina had arranged to meet Mike. The less she knew the better.

  ‘Let’s say... fulfilling.’ Valentina smiled.

  Tammy appeared shy. ‘Good to hear! Been a while since I’ve been with a man,’ Tammy replied.

  Valentina bypassed her comment, not wanting to go into detail. ‘Anything from Scientist83?’

  ‘No, nothing. I’ve been so bored,’ said Tammy. Valentina noticed a shift in her tone. She was talking differently, and Valentina became concerned.

  ‘Nothing?’

  ‘No, nothing. Why do you question?’ asked Tammy.

  ‘Why do you question me questioning?’ said Valentina, now pushing the boundaries. ‘You seem... a little on edge?’

  ‘Just anxiety about all this. If I’m honest, I feel a little scared,’ said Tammy.

  Valentina raised her brow. ‘It’ll be fine. Relax, this will be over soon.’ She no longer trusted a word Tammy was saying.

  ‘So, when you meet with Scientist83, will I be coming?’ asked Tammy.

  ‘Definitely not!’ shouted Valentina. ‘I will not be putting you in that situation. Once I’ve met with him, all this will be over, and you can have you life back.’ She was now testing Tammy.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Tammy.

  ‘Trust me, the less you know the better.’

  Tammy stood and began pacing the room. She appeared agitated, and Valentina picked up on this straight away.

  The sound of the chat notification caused both of their adrenal glands to become stimulated, putting them on edge. Tammy walked over to the PC, logging back on, with Valentina following closely behind.

  Scientist83: “0600 hours, peak of Pen Y Fan.”

  Scientist83: **IS NOW OFFLINE**

  They both looked at each other and the hairs on Tammy’s arms stood on end. Adrenaline surged through Valentina’s veins.

  ‘I’ve got to make a call,’ said Valentina, leaving the room and quickly stepping outside.

  ‘Mike, it’s me,’ she said.

  ‘Hey babe!’ he replied.

  ‘Zero six-hundred, peak of Pen Y Fan,’ she informed him.

  ‘We’ll be there.’

  ‘What’s your plan?’ asked Valentina.

  ‘We’ll make our way up there in the early hours and wait.’

  ‘Okay great. Wait for my signal, okay?’

  ‘Will do babe. Stay safe. We’ve got your back.’

  ‘Thanks Mike, this means so much to me.’

  ‘Not a problem. Let’s say, when this is all over, you and I rekindle our relationship from where we left off.’

  Valentina paused, feeling excited but not wanting to seem too keen. ‘Let’s get this sorted first and we’ll go from there?’

  His tone flattened slightly. ‘Okay babe, stay safe!’ he replied and hung up.

  Valentina gripped her phone with excitement, then reality struck her with the thought of Scientist83 and what could go wrong. From experience, these things never fully went to plan.

  Valentina’s alarm sounded at 03.00am. She was already awake, as she had not been able to sleep from the worry of what was about to happen. She got up and ready, then walked out of her room to make a coffee to find Tammy was already up.

  ‘Let me come with you?’ asked Tammy.

  ‘I can’t,’ replied Valentina, rubbing her face and trying to eliminate her fatigue.

  ‘I’ll be in the background!’ said Tammy.

  ‘No chance, it’s too risky! You’ve done your bit. It’s now time for me to do mine. Stay here and try to relax. I’ll be back before you know it.’

  Tammy sighed, but she understood the risks.

  It was dark and cold as Valentina stepped out of her car into the carpark at the bottom of Pen Y Fan. There were a few cars around but no one to be seen. She put on her hiking boots and a black Helly Hanson winter coat, then opened her boot. She pulled out a survival kit and a rucksack, donned a woollen hat and placed a scarf around her face. She was ready for the hike.

  The wind was sharp, and the conditions were bitterly cold. Valentina’s torch only lit up the first ten feet in front of her. Mist blurred her path of vision as she started her ascent. Her eyes watered from the cold air and she felt slight confusion as she tried to navigate her way up the stony path.

  The first ten minutes were hard. Valentina struggled to catch her breath, but as her heart rate increased, she became more comfortable. The sound of the wind was loud as it battered her ears, with the occasional sound of the trickle of water from a nearby stream. The sky was clear with a cluster of stars above her head. She couldn’t help but think that heaven must be up there, and then she thought of her mum watching over her.

  ‘I love you, Mum,’ Valentina said out loud. ‘If this goes wrong, I’ll be seeing you soon, but please watch over me and protect me. I’m scared.’

  She pretended to hear her mum respond, which gave her comfort as the wind howled and whistled past her head. The cold bit at any exposed flesh, but she ignored it.

  Valentina then spoke out loud,
‘Roberts, my dear friend, I miss you. I think about you all the time. This is for you.’ Emotion took hold and she cried for him, thinking about their working life together; happy times, near misses, times when he’d saved her life, times she’d saved his. ‘Sorry I couldn’t protect you,’ she said. She felt warmth, unsure whether it was in her mind or not, but either way it gave her comfort.

  Forty minutes later, Valentina reached the top. It was deserted, cold and windy, but the sky was still clear and the weather had been on her side. She looked around and took in the view, peering at orange glows in the distance and working out which was Cardiff.

  Valentina approached the stone head at the peak and took a seat. Unsure of her feelings, she waited for Scientist83. She was an hour early, but knew he’d be ahead of her. She sensed eyes on her, and she could feel Mike close. She trusted him and knew he was watching over her, giving her comfort. Valentina sat and waited.

  Another forty minutes later, the sound of the gravel crunching underfoot startled her, breaking her relaxed state. A dark figure walked towards her, fully kitted out for the environment with a full-face balaclava. Valentina’s body tensed at the sight, which caused her breathing to become heavy. She swigged water from her bottle as the figure approached. Her hairs stood on end. This is it! she thought as adrenaline took over her insides. She felt brave and ready, and she stood as the figure drew near.

  There was a thud and a gasp of breath as the figure suddenly fell to the ground. Valentina froze.

  ‘It’s a hit!’ shouted a voice and three more figures made themselves visible. Then she heard words that gave her immediate comfort.

  ‘You okay, babe?’ asked Mike, sounding calm and relaxed.

  ‘You shot him?’ she asked.

  ‘We had to. He was going to kill you,’ said Mike as he stepped into view.

  ‘How did you know?’ Valentina’s voice was breathless.

  ‘We’ve been watching him since he turned up three miles away.’

  ‘But we now have a dead body?’ she asked.