Matt followed her into the lounge and accepted a cup of tea.
‘Thanks,’ he said when she returned. ‘I’ve tried to contact the company that Nick visited today but of course, it’s the early hours of the morning so they are probably asleep. There’s really nothing much we can do I’m afraid.’
‘It says that the army is trying to secure parts of the hotel now and they have neutralised as they call it a number of gunmen.’
‘Well, that’s good. It sounds as if the siege might soon be over.’
‘Yes, but if Nick’s not contacted me it suggests he’s still trapped in the hotel. They might set it on fire. He might burn to death.’ She began to cry and Matt put his arm around her.
‘Polly, have you got some brandy or some wine you could have? It might calm you down.’
‘Yes, I think so,’ she got up then realised she shouldn’t have any alcohol. ‘No, I don’t want any wine,’ she said suddenly, hoping that Matt wouldn’t realise the sudden volte-face.
They sat in awkward silence watching the news then Matt’s phone rang.
‘I’ll just go and take this,’ he said.
Polly guessed it was Emma. She was staring at her own phone, willing it to ring. The display lit up. It was her mother.
Polly had to go through the whole saga again with her mother who had just seen the news and had remembered that Nick was in Mumbai. Hearing her mother’s voice upset Polly even more and by the time Matt returned to the room she was sobbing and hardly able to speak. Matt wandered into the hallway as he felt embarrassed.
Polly ended the call. ‘Sorry, it was my Mum.’
‘Oh, yes. Look, do you want to come back to our house? Emma suggested it?’
‘No, thanks, Matt. It’s kind of you but I’ll be OK. I’m going to take a bath I think. I’ll take my phone in with me and then I’ll go to bed. I can watch TV in the bedroom. At least I’ll be lying down.’
‘OK, but ring anytime you want. If you change your mind I’ll come and get you, OK?’
‘Thanks, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear.’
‘If you can’t get me for any reason, phone Brett. He told me to tell you that.’
‘I will. And thanks again.’
They hugged and Matt left. She waved at him as he drove away then she closed the door and burst into tears once more.
Chapter 51
Nick and the barman who was called Deepak staggered back into their bolthole and dropped the packages of bottled water. Somehow Deepak had managed to balance a few large packets of nuts on top as well. This was the only food they had but it was better than nothing. Nick sat on the floor gasping for breath. He was in reasonable shape physically but the adrenaline coursing through his veins was causing him to hyperventilate. He felt light-headed and lay down on the hard floor. One of the incarcerated group came over to him and knelt down.
‘Are you OK? I’m a doctor, sorry I don’t know your name?’
‘Nick,’ he murmured in reply.
The doctor felt his pulse and placed his hand on Nick’s forehead. ‘Just take some deep breaths, OK?’
Nick complied and gradually felt his heart begin to return to a normal rate.
‘Here, sit up slowly and drink some water,’ said the doctor. ‘I’m Doug, by the way. I’m here on a conference from the States. Drug resistance. Not sure I feel like attending after this,’ he laughed. ‘My God, it had to happen to me. It’s not the first time I’ve been caught up in a terrorist incident. Would you believe I was watching the Boston marathon when those bombs went off.’
‘So it’s your fault?’ joked Nick, ‘bad luck follows you.’
‘Sorry, all my fault, guilty as charged.’
Nick sat up and rubbed his face. ‘Thanks, I’m feeling better.’
‘You look a better colour now.’
Deepak had gone back to the door again to listen. All seemed to be quiet out there but they had no way of knowing what was going on in the rest of the hotel.
‘Can we go now?’ asked one of the guests.
‘You can but I think we should wait to be rescued.’
‘But what if they set fire to the hotel? We could burn to death.’
‘True but I think there’s more chance of being shot. I think we should wait a couple more hours and see if the police or army come to find us. If not, then we have to reconsider.’
There was a general nodding of agreement. Some people had decided to lie down and rest. The atmosphere quietened down and silence once more enveloped them.
**
Polly had a soothing bath and placed her phone on the side so she could answer it at any time. She dressed in her pyjamas and sat on the sofa with the TV for company. Her mother had texted a few times and had asked about contacting the Foreign Office who had just issued a helpline number. Polly tried to phone but after a recorded message with information which she already knew she was held in a queue and eventually rang off.
She got into bed and switched on the television and flicked between channels to see whether there were any updates. The situation was ongoing and there were still no details about how many people were still trapped inside. Polly was emotionally and physically exhausted. The news report changed to domestic affairs and she lowered the volume and continued to look on the web for updates. The situation was becoming increasingly bleak. Deep down she knew that something had happened to Nick whom she felt would have found some means of contacting her even if he had lost his mobile in the confusion. He was either injured or worse. She felt wretched and alone just when she should have felt on top of the world at the news of her long-awaited pregnancy. How could life be so cruel? She sobbed silently into her pillow which soon became soaked. As the tension seeped from her tired limbs and mind she began to doze, still clutching her mobile in case it should sound with news, either good or bad.
**
Nick had no idea how but he must have dozed off. His body slowly eased into consciousness and as his eyes focussed on his surroundings the horror of his situation raced back with alarming speed. He was aware of his fellow detainees standing up and talking to each other. Whilst he had been asleep, Deepak had moved some chairs and tables to barricade the door. Obviously, he wanted to be sure that any visitors to the basement were bona fide and not terrorists.
‘Shush!’ ordered Deepak. He placed his ear to the door and covered his other ear with his hand. Everyone obeyed and Nick thought he heard footsteps approaching. He thought he heard a voice identify themselves as police but perhaps he was willing this to happen.
Deepak listened carefully then opened the door by the slightest margin and peeped out. There then followed a rapid exchange in what Nick assumed to be Hindi but could have been another Indian tongue such as Marathi. More heavy footsteps could be heard in the corridor along with shouting but thankfully no sound of firing or grenades. Surely they were being rescued? Nick hoped with all his being that their ordeal was finally at an end. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as Deepak started to pull the chairs and tables away from the door. This was it. Freedom or massacre. As Nick was still relatively young he didn’t often think about how he would die when the time came. Death as a result of an accident was always possible and then the person wouldn’t remember anything about it. It was as if they were indulging in a game of Russian roulette. A toss of a coin. Would they live or die? Would he ever see Polly again? The thought of Polly caused tears to cascade down his cheeks. This was it. The moment had arrived.
**
Polly was dreaming. She was in India with Nick. The air was stifling and the heat like nothing she had ever experienced. Her clothes were sticking to her body and she felt unable to breathe. The pollution in this part of the city where they were walking was choking. Traffic dashed everywhere, horns beeped, engines revved. An old van accelerated releasing a cloud of black fumes which enveloped them and caused her to cough.
The beeping continued and as she walked along the street with Nick she looked around to see whether
a van was reversing or an alarm was sounding. She couldn’t see anything and felt confused. Why could she hear beeping? Then she awoke. She rubbed her face and felt her pyjamas which were soaked in places. She threw back the duvet and tried to cool down. Then she realised that the beeping was continuing and not in her dream. It was the smoke alarm!
She shot out of bed and headed out into the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with a blue haze of smoke, it was coming from the grill, the oven gloves to be exact. She cursed and quickly switched off the grill and opened the kitchen door to allow the smoke to escape. At about 9 p.m. she had felt hungry and had fancied some cheese on toast. She had put a couple of slices of bread in the toaster and set the grill to heat up to melt the cheese. Just at that point, she had been distracted by the television and instead of making cheese on toast had simply spread the bread with butter. In her distracted state she must have left the grill on and the oven gloves on top of the cooker had got very hot and started to smoulder. Thank goodness they had a smoke alarm she thought as she took some tongs and tossed the oven gloves into the back garden. Filling the kettle she went outside and doused them with water.
**
As the door opened a posse of police and Indian soldiers spilt into the room with their weapons by their sides. There was a concurrent exhaling of breath from everyone in the room. People cried with relief and a few sank down to the floor overcome with emotion. One of the policemen said something into his short-wave radio. Deepak was talking to a soldier and pointing at the group before him.
The soldier called for attention.
‘The hotel is secure. We will lead you to safety where you will be handed over to a medical team. Does anyone need urgent medical attention?’
Nobody replied.
‘This way, please. Be careful.’
Nick collected his bag and phone and saw that there was still a few percent of battery left. As soon as they reached the outside of the building he would phone Polly who must be worried sick. The group began to file out. Deepak waited behind with a couple of soldiers. As Nick passed him he shook his hand.
‘Thanks for looking after us, you were brilliant,’ said Nick.
‘It’s over now. Thank you for agreeing to help me, Nick,’ he said. ‘You were very brave.’
Nick was unable to say anything else. He was an emotional wreck. Patting Deepak on the shoulder he left the room and went to find some fresh air and freedom.
**
There was a cooling breeze and it had cleared most of the smell from the kitchen. Polly went through the house but fortunately, the other rooms didn’t appear to have been affected. In the morning she would open the lounge windows and try to get a flow of air through the bungalow. She realised she had been lucky and would make sure in future she was more careful where she put the oven gloves. She felt very thirsty and filled a large glass with water from the tap. She looked at the clock and saw that it was still only 10.30 p.m. She felt like she had been asleep for ages. Then the nausea returned as she thought of Nick. The water in her stomach started to churn and she rushed to back to the sink. She heaved a couple of times but fortunately, the water stayed down.
Suddenly she heard her mobile ringing in the bedroom. She scurried through but couldn’t immediately see it. She grabbed the duvet and pulled it off the bed. The mobile fell to the floor and she lunged for it.
She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the display. She swiped across the screen and tried to speak but her voice was faint and suddenly no words would come out.
‘Polly? Is that you? I can’t hear you! It’s Nick. I’m OK, I’m safe!’
‘Oh, Nick,’ was all she could manage to say before she collapsed back on the bed. Through her wailing, she managed to speak to Nick. He was safe. They would be reunited. The sound of his voice was wonderful.
‘Look, my battery is about to fail. I’m OK and I’m coming back to you as soon as I can! I’ve got to go as we are being taken to another hotel. Then I need to sort out a flight, OK?’ I’ll speak to you as soon as I can. Love you.’
‘Love you too,’ sobbed Polly. The call ended.
Polly knew that it would be a while before she could get any sleep. She had some phone calls to make. The relief washing over her was overwhelming. As she started her calls one of her hands held her stomach. Their reunion would be all the more special when she told him her news.
Chapter 52
Maureen had awoken early on Tuesday morning, troubled by the day ahead which would culminate in her dinner with Ron. There was a difficult conversation to be had and it was a relief in a way that by the end of today it would be over. Whether she would have any sort of relationship any longer would remain to be seen. After a swim she planned to go to the supermarket to buy some things for dinner. It was going to seem a long day before 7 p.m. arrived.
She switched on the radio whilst she was making herself some breakfast and was relieved to hear that the terrorist incident in India had ended after a long siege. Two people had been killed when the terrorists had initially stormed the hotel but the death toll could have been much higher. There were reports of a brave member of staff who had ushered guests to safety and had hidden them in a basement until they could be rescued. Maureen couldn’t imagine the awfulness of their ordeal and realised that her dinner with Ron was nothing compared with the tragedy which some people had to bear in their lives.
Despite her marriage and her life not being the happiest, she had never had to struggle to make ends meet and she had stayed with him by choice. How she wished she’d had the courage to leave him earlier and gain some qualifications. She could have had her own career and been independent.
Now through some quirk of fate, she found herself wealthier than she could ever have imagined. This could change her life forever and she had not really had the time or inclination to think about its full ramifications. Her brain could only cope with so much and for the moment it was focussed on the phone call which threatened to shatter her new found relationship.
**
News of Nick’s ordeal dominated the conversation in the chemistry laboratory at the University. Clearly, Nick would be off for a few days and Pat had taken over some of his more immediate and pressing tasks. The issue of finding new contractors in India was still important but Pat was going to try to conduct discussions using Skype. Matt had called everyone together for a short meeting to explain the situation.
‘I’m sure Nick will soon be in touch when he gets back to the UK. He’ll be arriving back this evening. It’s probably best to contact him by email tomorrow if you want to. I’ve told him not to come in for a few days.’
People mumbled their approval. Silence settled on the meeting and Matt was conscious that it could so easily have been tragic news he was having to deliver.
‘So, a bit of good news,’ he offered. ‘The front-runner compound UP-627 will be starting the Phase I study today followed quickly by a small Phase II study in patients. I’m sure you will all agree it’s good news. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.’
Everyone looked pleased apart from Joe who was still sore about not being accepted on the trial. He had been relying on the money. If he were to buy another car he would need a loan and he’d tentatively broached the subject with his parents but unsurprisingly they were unable to help him. His father was still struggling to find work due to being laid off and they were eating into what little savings they had. The bank might be reluctant to lend him any money as he was still in debt with student loans from his first degree. The meeting dispersed and the group continued to chat about Nick and the events in India. Life continued as normal.
**
Liam Bolton was at work in the pharmacy. Not surprisingly there was talk about the terrorist incident in India. He had tried to distance himself from the discussion as it only made him angrier and he didn’t want to let anything slip which might incriminate himself. He noticed that a sheaf of prescriptions had just come over from the adjacent surgery. It was going to b
e a busy morning. He quickly leafed through them and noticed that once again there was one for Mrs Kouri. This was becoming a joke. How many prescriptions did that woman have he asked himself?
The flip side was that it was all extra business for the pharmacy and would offset some of the losses they were suffering. Losses which were going to fund a good cause. His business after hours was booming and he hoped that during lunchtime he would be able to fulfil his orders from his private customers. Fortunately, Gerald Shipton took little interest in his businesses nowadays and was apparently busy working on his handicap on the golf course. It was amazing how some people were lucky in life and managed to create so much wealth so easily he thought to himself. He looked out into the shop and saw one of his regular customers.
‘Yes, Mrs Weston?’ he asked. ‘How are you feeling today?’
‘Oh, mustn’t grumble,’ she replied. ‘Another prescription. It’s a good thing I don’t have to pay.’
‘Yes, well, you’ve paid your taxes for long enough I think,’ said Liam. ‘Now take a seat and I’ll sort this out for you in a jiffy.’
‘Oh, Liam, you are such a nice boy. If only all assistants were as helpful as you the world would be a better place.’
‘Nonsense, just doing my job,’ said Liam as he headed into the dispensary to collect Mrs Weston’s several items.
**
Polly was at work but barely able to concentrate. Luckily she didn’t have any meetings today as she would doubtless make an idiot of herself. She had managed a couple of hours sleep just before dawn and so had woken with a slight headache. Normally she would have taken painkillers but she was worried whether she should at such an early stage of pregnancy. She was trying to drink water regularly and that seemed to be helping.
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