by Jim Reeves
‘Joe.’ A female voice called. He stopped in his tracks. He was only yards from Passport Control. He turned to see Elsa approaching, looking anxiously at him. ‘Where is my father?’
Joe saw Bruno hovering behind Elsa waiting for the word to pounce. What could he say to her? Tell her that her father was almost certainly dead?
‘I’m sorry Elsa.’ He shrugged helplessly then turned and ran to the Passport Control gate. Even Bruno couldn’t follow him through there. He passed through without any problems. He didn’t look back but went to look for the boarding gates, grateful for the crowds mingling around. The English voices, even the sounds of squabbling children seemed to bring him some sense of normality.
Chapter 31
Joe bought a coffee and found himself a corner to brood in. His thoughts were in turmoil. How far would he have to run to get away from the nightmare? What would happen when Otto Braun was found frozen to death in the confines of his car boot. What would Betine think when she heard about it? It had seemed like an obvious solution when he left Braun to die. A nice endgame move and sweet revenge all rolled into one. Suddenly, he wasn’t quite so sure.
He moved quickly into the queue as soon as the boarding announcement came over the tannoy. He was anxious to get safely aboard the plane and be on his way.
There was the usual scramble for seats but Joe managed to get a window seat halfway down the plane. He pushed his bag under the seat in front then sank down and fastened his seatbelt. The plane filled rapidly. People pushed and shoved as they looked for seats and locker space. There was a general air of agitation but nobody was more agitated than Joe. He looked repeatedly at his watch. The plane should be on its way in the next few minutes. Take-off couldn’t come soon enough for him. Two large middle-aged women who appeared to be travelling together sat alongside Joe. He managed a polite smile then looked out of the window.
At last, people seemed to be settling in their seats. The hub-hub was dying down. An air hostess walked down the aisle closing the overhead lockers and checking seat belts. Cabin crew were still chatting to local ground staff at the front of the plane but everything seemed more or less ready.
The hostess at the front of the plane looked surprised as somebody suddenly stepped through the door and boarded the plane behind her. ‘Bruno,’ Joe gasped audibly. The woman next to him looked alarmed, maybe thinking he was about to be ill. That wasn’t too far from the truth. Bruno walked slowly down the aisle studying the passengers on both sides. He paused and smiled when he saw Joe before continuing further down the plane to find an empty seat. He must have bought a late ticket so that he could join Joe on the flight to Stansted. Nothing seemed to stop him. He just kept right on coming like a runaway juggernaut. Joe didn’t know what the cut-off time was for buying tickets but the sight of the tearful Elsa and the brooding Bruno would probably be enough to persuade anybody to bend a few rules.
Joe spent the whole flight trying to plan his next move. He could think of nothing except run like hell as soon as the plane landed. But he knew now that Bruno would just keep following until he had him. It seemed to have become a personal vendetta for Bruno. Joe had given him the run-around for the last few days. He had become a serious irritation that Bruno wanted to get rid of. He wondered if maybe he should approach somebody at Passport Control at Stansted. There was always a police presence there. But what would he tell them? That he had murdered somebody in Austria and a madman, intent on revenge, was following him? Maybe not.
Chapter 32
The plane bounced gently down and taxied along the runway. Passengers were asked to remain in their seats until the seat belt sign went off. Joe was eager to go and released his seat belt immediately. He tugged his hand luggage from under the seat in front and rested it on his lap. The woman in the next seat glanced at him as he bumped against her but made no comment. His window seat was a big disadvantage now that he was eager for a quick get-away. He hadn’t considered that possibility when he had sat down. But then he hadn’t expected Bruno to join him on the flight. He had to get past the two women sitting between him and the centre aisle. Bruno had been a late boarder at Salzburg. He was sitting somewhere behind Joe and would almost certainly be in an aisle seat, ready to move forward at the first opportunity.
The plane finally came to a halt near the terminal building. The seat belt sign went off and passengers stood up to retrieve hand luggage from overhead lockers.
The centre aisle was suddenly full but Joe guessed that wouldn’t stop Bruno for long. Almost immediately he heard shouts of protest from behind and guessed that Bruno was on his way.
Joe stood up clutching his hand luggage, stepped onto his seat, ducked low to avoid the locker above, and then took a long stride across the woman next to him. Her companion was already standing. Joe stepped onto an armrest then jumped and landed in the centre aisle, knocking the woman sideways.
‘Good grief,’ the woman who had sat next to him gasped.
‘What’s the rush?’ her friend asked.
Joe ignored the two women. He glanced backwards and saw Bruno about ten rows behind, wrestling his way past more protesting passengers. Joe turned and forced his way forward. Pushing people out of the way as he went. All the way he was greeted by angry looks and a few protests but nobody tried to stop him. They stepped aside, apparently happy to let the madman pass them by.
The door at the front of the plane was opened and the first few passengers started to disembark, which helped Joe’s progress. As he reached the front of the plane the chief steward stepped forward, frowning. ‘Is there a problem Sir?’
Joe looked back. Bruno was still some way behind but making good headway. Other passengers, realising something untoward was happening, seemed to have stopped retrieving their hand luggage and were watching the chase, stepping out of Bruno’s way, eager to see the conclusion.
Joe pointed back down the aisle. ‘There’s a rat!’
‘What?’ the steward gasped.
‘Loose under the seats,’ Joe shouted. ‘Down there. A rat.’
Women and children screamed as chaos ensued. Hand luggage was dropped as people clambered frantically onto seats. Bruno disappeared in the sudden morass of people who scrambled into the aisle.
Joe, realised he would be in big trouble if the cabin crew detained him, he turned and pushed past the bewildered steward and out onto the steps leading to the tarmac. Several people were ahead of him and turning to look back when they heard the screams. He took the steps two at a time, grunting apologies to the people he pushed aside.
A stewardess at the bottom of the steps looked at him questioningly. He smiled and broke into a run towards the terminal building. He looked back as he entered the building. There was no sign of Bruno yet. Joe turned and hurried along the corridor and up an escalator. He wanted to make rapid progress but he didn’t want to attract attention. He still had to get through Passport Control. He needed to behave normally. He glanced frequently over his shoulder as he hurried down the long corridor. Still no sign of Bruno.
One more escalator then Passport Control was ahead. He groaned. There were long queues at the many check points. He went for the shortest queue and tried not to look in too much of a hurry as the people ahead crept slowly forward.
Several armed police officers were chatting near one of the check points. Joe considered approaching them for help but he had left a man to die in Austria. He wasn’t sure if he could explain that away, so he stayed in the queue.
His breathing slowed down but still rasped. His heart was racing. He felt clammy after his hurried exit from the plane. Every couple of seconds he checked behind. He was still several yards from the check point when Bruno came into sight. He was jogging and breathing heavily but he slowed down as he scanned the queues. He saw Joe and smiled and walked over to join the queue behind him. There were maybe fifteen people between them.
Joe looked ahead, edging forward until his turn came. He tried to look impassive when his passport was checked
. It was handed back to him and he hurried forward across the concourse towards the Nothing To Declare sign. He slowed as he passed the sign. One or two bored looking Customs people were watching the passengers pass by, probably looking for suspicious looking characters.
Joe stared ahead as he passed them. He was breathless and sweating and thought he would have been a prime candidate for closer inspection. Much to his surprise, nobody called him back and he continued through to the main Arrivals area where he broke into a frantic sprint. He attracted angry glares as he buffeted several people on his way.
He had no idea how far behind Bruno might be but he had at least a few seconds to decide which way to go. He considered hiding somewhere in the terminal building but he didn’t know the place well and he might cause a security alert if closed circuit television showed him acting suspiciously. Also, Bruno might hang around for hours waiting for him to reappear if he couldn’t track him down.
Joe looked towards the exit. There were buses to the long stay car parks.
That would get him clear of the airport but were would he go to from there? Also, the drivers usually waited for the buses to fill up. That could take several minutes and Bruno might join him on the bus.
He ran towards the sign for the railway station. More chance of getting lost there, he thought. Joe looked back as he reached the ramp leading down to the station. He shouldn’t have paused. In that second, Bruno hurried in the Arrivals area. He saw Joe immediately and broke into a run. Joe turned and ran like he’d never run before. His lungs were burning and he was coughing hard but he hurried on. He skidded left at the bottom of the ramp and hurried on his way, not looking back.
A train stood at the platform. Many passengers were already seated on the train. Joe glanced at the illuminated display. The train was due to depart for Birmingham in six minutes. He paused and considered his next move. If he got on the train Bruno would almost certainly follow and would track him down long before the train reached Birmingham.
Bruno could only be seconds behind. Joe looked around wildly for some place to hide. If he was nowhere to be seen, Bruno might get on the train to look for him. Bruno would most likely still be looking when the train left in six minutes.
The platform was pretty much clear of obstructions and people. There were no places to hide except the toilet but that would only take seconds for Bruno to check out. Joe hurried forward towards the train. He had a fleeting glimpse of the startled face of a woman passenger as he threw himself down and squeezed through the gap between the train and the edge of the platform.
He landed on all fours on grimy gravel alongside the track. His hands were immediately blackened by the dust he kicked up. He coughed and hawked noisily as he crawled, crablike between the wheels and continued under the train to the other side.
Joe was mightily relieved to crawl out from under the train back into the cool morning air. The wheels looked deadly from that low down and that close up. He was almost sick with apprehension as he passed under them. He lay panting close to the track, anxious not to attract any further attention from inside the train. He just hoped the woman who had seen him didn’t raise the alarm. He wondered what had happened to Bruno. He must be close. Hopefully, he would get on the train and search every carriage, looking for Joe. The train would have left long before Bruno could finish his search.
The air was cold and Joe continued to cough although, with the noise from other passengers hurrying to board the train, and platform announcements, he was not likely to attract attention.
Nobody seemed to be aware of Joe and nobody tried to follow his route under the train. His hopes rose as he heard doors slamming and the announcement of the impending departure of the train. He edged a few inches away from the wheels and found himself wondering if train drivers had rear-view mirrors like those on a car. He stayed low with his face to the ground as the train inched slowly forward. He stayed in that position for several seconds after the train had finally departed the station, then he raised his head and looked around.
‘Shit,’ he groaned.
Bruno was standing on the platform smiling down at him. He must have seen Joe’s descent under the train and just waited for it to depart. Joe rose unsteadily to his feet, uncertain what to do. Maybe he should call for help but that would probably bring the police. Joe wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk to them but his options were running out. It was either Bruno or the police. Anyway, Bruno would probably break him in two and depart the scene long before the police arrived. There was nobody around who might help him.
So Joe started a slow, painful jog up the track, following the direction the train had taken. He looked back and saw Bruno jump down nimbly onto the track and walk after him. Bruno wasn’t even running. He knew Joe was nearly finished. He had no need to hurry. Also, it was probably better to do what he was going to do further down the track, away from prying eyes. So he followed Joe at an easy pace with a smile on his face.
Joe scrambled on falling down occasionally before getting to his feet and lurching forward again. He had scrambled a few hundred yards, his lungs were on fire, his legs were leaden and he knew he was nearly done.
He looked back and saw that Bruno was quickening his pace and closing in. It was nearly show-time. Joe stopped running and turned to face Bruno. If nothing else he would leave his mark on Bruno’s smug face. He raised his hands in a boxer’s pose, trying to stop the coughing that rattled in his chest. His breathing slowed but his arms felt weak and heavy as Bruno got close. Bruno threw a punch that rocked Joe’s head backwards. He hit the track hard and rolled over gasping for air. Bruno waited while Joe rose slowly to his feet. As Joe stood up, Bruno hit him hard in the middle then followed with another punch to the head that sent him staggering backwards several feet before he lay on the track again. As he dropped his hand luggage he was surprised to realise he was still carrying it. He wouldn’t be needing it now.
Joe grimaced, lost for ideas, aware that he was about to die. Still he wanted to leave his mark. As he rolled over to push himself upright, he grasped a large stone that lay between the sleepers. He turned to face Bruno, swaying unsteadily. Bruno moved forward and Joe raised the hand holding the stone.
Bruno laughed and swept Joe’s arm to one side. The stone flew harmlessly across the track as Bruno delivered a blow to Joe’s gut and another to his head.
Joe lay gasping and coughing. He hardly had the strength to get up. He rolled onto all fours and started crawling away from Bruno. Bruno followed slowly but made no attempt to stop him. Joe knew he was finished. He had nothing left. He hawked and spat then sat down and leaned against the chain link fence alongside the track, looking at Bruno waiting for him to make his move.
Bruno smiled. ‘Finished running Englishman?’
Joe didn’t reply. He hardly had the strength for words. He just stared at Bruno, his chest heaving noisily.
‘You going to tell me what happened to Herr Braun before you die?’ asked Bruno.
Joe tried to calculate how long Braun had been in the car boot. He had lost all track of time. But too long, he knew, in those wicked temperatures. ‘If you’re still asking the question,’ Joe rasped. ‘We’re talking about a dead man.’
Bruno’s smile faded. He stepped towards Joe and kicked him hard in the ribs. Joe recoiled, doubling up in agony. His head scraped the fence as he keeled sideways. He lay on the ground looking up at Bruno, a defeated expression on his face. He wanted to vomit but thought the effort would probably kill him. Bruno stared at him for several seconds flexing his fingers. His intention was clear. Joe just wanted him to get it over with.
There was a sharp crack and Bruno wore a startled expression for a brief moment. He sagged to his knees and fell face down alongside Joe. There was blood on the back of his head.
Fish stood behind him, open mouthed. He was holding a large rock in his hand.
Joe raised his head to look at Fish. He managed a weak smile. ‘What kept you?’ he whispered.
�
�I was waiting in Arrivals,’ Fish told him breathlessly. ‘You came through like a bleeding bat out of hell. I called you but you never heard me. Then this geezer come steaming through. I could see he was after you, so I followed.’
Joe tried to ease himself up. Fish threw the rock down and bent down and held his arm as he got to his feet.
‘When I got to the station platform, you’d disappeared,’ Fish continued. ‘This bloke was hanging about, looking in all directions, so I kept an eye on him. There was a woman on the train doing her nut about something. I thought you might have upset her.’
‘Stupid cow really dropped me in it,’ Joe muttered.
Fish nodded at Bruno. ‘He must have guessed something as well. He just waited for the train to leave.’
Joe leaned against the fence breathing deeply. Slowly recovering. Fish stared anxiously at Bruno. ‘I haven’t topped him have I?’
Joe knelt down and leaned close to Bruno. ‘Bastard’s still breathing,’ he grunted. ‘You should have hit him a bit harder.’
‘We’d better go before he wakes up,’ said Fish nervously. ‘Don’t think he’ll very happy.’
‘Right, get going,’ Joe said. Fish turned and started back towards the station. He was obviously anxious to get well away. Joe bent over Bruno and rolled him over. He reached inside Bruno’s jacket and pulled out his wallet and his passport. He pushed them into his own pocket then grabbed two handfuls of Bruno’s coat and dragged him towards a large puddle near the fence. Joe gently lowered Bruno face down into the puddle and watched for a few seconds as air bubbles rose to the surface. Then he turned to follow Fish, grabbing his bag as he went.