“For fucks sake Andy!” sighed Wyre.
“Do you know what changed me Wyre?” asked Andy confidently looking at Wyre eye to eye once again. “You did!”
Wyre never reacted but just glared back.
“I was offered a job by one of my old friends doing protection for a group of medics in Iraq and you were one of them. From that moment on whilst working with you and Medicines sans Frontiers I realised being a life saver and not a life taker was the best thing that had happened to me. Of course I still had to keep Bostock off my back but by doing the odd job for him kept the situation sweet even if that did mean I started taking contracts in this country on people who to me looked no threat what so ever. I’m ashamed to say it but the only way I dealt with it was to follow you into hot zones and help you save lives and watch you show compassion to people whom you had never met no matter what their political or religious beliefs. I convinced myself that by saving a life or two made up for the unjust killing that was happening. Every time I asked you to carry a weapon and you refused I realised I was working with a man whose focus in his job could not be swayed. Maybe I’m telling you this because I want to make it clear to you that for me there is no going back. I no longer want a life where I am wondering whether Bostock will knock on my door or walk up behind me in a street and retire me”
It was a lot for Wyre to take in but that didn’t mean he was short of questions that he desperately wanted answers to. Especially if it filled him with hope that they could get to Oliver and Susan before it was too late.
“Honestly Andy do you think Bostock has killed them already?”
“I really don’t know Wyre. The thing is he is so unpredictable but there is always a reason for everything they do so why take members of your family. Perhaps only he knows that one. Did you ask Richards the same question?”
“Yes I did……….did you ever work with Richards?”
Andy paused long enough for Wyre to assume he did but Andy was keen to let Wyre know what he knew about Richards. He had never met him and never worked with him but had heard the various stories about someone that fitted Alex’s description.
“I never worked with Alex Richards Wyre during my time under Bostock and to be honest with you I know little about him……..and to be fair I would feel more comfortable with you asking him any questions regarding himself”
Wyre gave a slight nod as if to understand where Andy was coming from but was not prepared to let it lie. In Andy, Wyre knew if it came to it he would deal with whoever got in his and their way in getting his family back. He had seen Alex Richards in action so he didn’t doubt his ability but it seemed he was the only one who could talk to this bastard called Bostock even if he had tried to kill them all on the street in a public place. It was coming clear to Wyre now that Andy had just been a sort of hired hand because he was good at what he did even though Wyre felt uncomfortable with that. With Richards there was something very different going on. Wyre was getting the impression Richards was in much deeper and had a lot more influence in this group controlled by Bostock. As much as it made his stomach turn Richards filled Wyre with confidence that there was still a chance because Wyre needed a route to Bostock and Alex Richards was it.
“So what do you know about him Andy? How does someone who once worked for that animal Bostock end up chief detective in the city police station?”
“I was once told a story that at the time reverberated through Bostock’s ranks and had the man himself declaring that this guy was the son he never had. Having heard the stories about Bostock you can understand how much weight this comment carried. It was about some guy whose task it was to watch a target twenty four hours a day. There was no set time when his target was to be eliminated he was just told to watch and wait for the word. To someone trained to do this it wasn’t that much of a difficult task. Three days he watched and studied the target with no sleep. Then things became much more difficult to near impossible. The fact the target was moored up on a yacht 40 feet long in Monaco was ok until it became apparent they were about to set sail. When I say they, I mean the target, his family of four and his entourage of seven security staff. Why that much security, because the target was Prince Kalif Bin Haalaf, sixth in line to the Saudi throne. Why was he a target, because he was about to reveal a secret so undermining and damning it was rumoured it could have brought down not only the British Government but the American presidency and a few more leaderships to boot. I still don’t know to this day what it was but it had rulers around the world shitting their selves Wyre. The guy whose job it was to take the target out decided to take things into his own hands without having the time to ask for instructions. When his superiors, probably Bostock, appeared on the scene it was too late. The Yacht was heading out into the Mediterranean where it was rumoured it wouldn’t touch land for at least seven days. By then it would be too late. Using satellite TV the prince would be able to tell the world what he knew and a rogue party within the Saudi government would back him up. Plans were being put in place to blow the thing out of the water but the Prince had been clever. Anywhere else in the world and it could have been covered up and excuses made but not in the Mediterranean. As the underworld of the government rubbed their foreheads trying to make a decision, reports of the Prince’s yacht disappearing off the radar came their way. A mayday message was relayed in Arabic stating that they had hit rocks and the vessel was sinking and all four passengers on board were abandoning ship”
“Four passengers?” enquired Wyre.
Andy held his hands up pleading with Wyre to be patient.
“No trace of the yacht and no survivors were found. Two days later Bostock’s man re-appears. Apparently to protect the man’s identity and the Governments involvement, Bostock was the only man told what really happened on the yacht but some people have lose lips. Whoever the guy was he remained hidden on the yacht for three days waiting for his moment. One can only assume he killed all occupants of the Yacht, sank the thing and made it look like an accident so much so the Saudi leaders accepted the British and Americans condolences at the loss of the Prince in such tragic circumstances”
“Richards?” whispered Wyre looking almost slightly in awe.
“Like I say there is no proof it was him but Bostock’s probably only weakness is that if it makes him look good he will brag a little. Of course there are other stories of the same man doing less heroic and more depraved things but again there is no proof. His reputation of being one of the most cold and calculated killers who showed no remorse always preceded him. People whisper about me being good at what I do but this guy Richards is on another level. The upside Wyre is I personally couldn’t recommend anybody better to get your family back and he will stop at nothing. I think that’s why Bostock has tried to kill you both. It’s not to actually kill you and eliminate you both but to see how good Richards still is. To Bostock everyone is expendable so to throw a few men at Richards to test him is nothing to him. Bostock wants to find out if his man has still got what it takes. As for him becoming a detective, believe me I have no idea how or why”
“I can perhaps understand you wanting to help me Andy……..I can really and for that I thank you…..but why would a man like Richards…..why would he risk everything?”
“You said he is a detective?”
“Yes he was called to the library to investigate Oliver’s disappearance……that was it, just a routine call…..now he seems like he is on a mission. Don’t get me wrong I think you’re right, I’m glad he’s on my side but………I don’t know”
“What? You think there is another motive?”
“Maybe?” replied Wyre, nodding.
“Well if there is a motive it might be because he knows this a perfect opportunity to get rid of Bostock. Let’s face it as soon as he found out Richards was involved in helping you whether it be as a detective or not, perhaps that decision to assist in finding Oliver and Susan was no longer his”
“What do you mean?”
&
nbsp; “As soon as Bostock see Richards walk into that library and courthouse maybe Richards knew he had instantly become a target. It wouldn’t have bothered him but made him realise if he had walked away there and then Bostock would still have seized the chance to try and get rid of him. For Richards it was perhaps wrong place, wrong time……..or right place, right time”
Andy’s comments had Wyre pondering in silence, trying not to think too hard about Oliver and Susan and whether they were still alive. He had to believe they were, otherwise he himself was unsure if he could cope with any other outcome. Waves of nausea came and went especially when he thought about the type of sick, heartless bastard Bostock was being betrayed as. The thought of Oliver being touched in any way made his fists tighten and the rage grow inside, wanting to be get given the chance to spend a couple of minutes in a room with this Bostock. He felt confident Susan could deal with whatever might happen to her. She was a strong person with a wealth of life experience but it still made his stomach turn if his thoughts became too deep. It seemed Susan being subjected to torture and rape was a real possibility. When it came to Oliver, Wyre’s mind would just shut down refusing to let anything disturbing enter his head. The sound of Alex returning from his meeting with Ruben didn’t distract Wyre from his thoughts as they began to spiral down inside him growing darker and darker.
*
Bostock studied one of the small TV screens in front of him.
“How’s the boy?”
“He’s ok. We are going to give him another dose in about five minutes then two more in a few hours then that should be it” replied Jim also studying the infer-red footage.
Oliver was still in darkness but they could still watch him even if it was in green. They watched as he fumbled around on the floor with his right hand searching for something that wasn’t there.
“Ok let’s give him his next dose” said Bostock taking the syringe out of a black plastic protective case.
“Look!” said Jim pointing to the screen next to it.
Bostock watched intently as one of the other captives seemed to be groping blindly along the wall in the dark room he was in. He kept going until he reached the ornate metal light that was sticking out from the wall just above head height. Once there he seemed to fumble around with something that was tied on his left arm.
“Turn the lights on!” instructed Bostock to Jim.
The lights came on which then seemed to draw panic from the guy in the room. He went from being methodical in what he was doing to hurrying. He was an ex-employee of GCHQ based in Cheltenham and had fallen into the hands of Bostock following orders from David Cameron himself. He had decided that the information he was interoperating from North Korea and passing on to the foreign office was information the public, or in particular the newspapers might be interested in and should know about. When suspicions grew regarding paperwork he was smuggling out of his office and emails he was sending he was watched for a while until there was sufficient evidence. When there was, he was drip fed false work and intelligence until Downing Street could decide what to do with him. Bostock was informed and in a flash he went from being an intelligent 30 year old man with a great job on £43,000 a year to someone now fighting for survival as a betrayer. Little did he know his wife, who had also worked at GCHQ as a clerk and was innocent of any crimes, was next door spiralling into the abyss of despair at the hands of Bostock. Nothing was left to chance when it came to dealing with people endangering the governments supposed integrity. As for their work colleagues at GCHQ they were told the couple had won the lottery and had emigrated to Australia. Both Bostock and Jim watched as the guy, who thanks to these animals was now pumped full of illegal drugs and an addict, placed the length of material he had removed from his arm around the ornate light. Of course the fact he was trying to commit suicide wasn’t because they had made him a drug addict. It was because they had starved him of what he most desired, a needle in the arm.
“He’s hanging himself!” said Jim Calmly.
There was no reaction from Bostock as he studied the screen, almost transfixed with what was happening. On the screen to the right this guy’s wife was sat head in hands with her back to the wall waiting with terror for the door to open once again, to take whatever they decided to hand out. A few feet the other side of the wall her husband was placing his head into a makeshift noose made from the leg of his trousers and preparing to end the misery his mind and body were now having to deal with. This was without doubt the worst kind of hanging because at any point he could change his mind and stand up but not this time. This required determination and a desperation that only those who choose this path can ever understand. Hang yourself from a tree or an object with height then there is no escape route. Even if you did change your mind the likely hood of living was very slim, if not impossible and in reality there was no turning back. This did have an escape route and Bostock watched to see if this guy would take it. It was obvious the noose was tightening as the face began to change colour and the mouth tried to suck air even though he wasn’t allowing it. His feet hovered inches above the floor which meant the critical time was getting nearer. Most people would back out as soon as the feet could be felt tiptoeing the floor but dedicated people would put the feet in such a position where it would be very difficult to place any weight on them. Bostock nodded in approval as the slight struggle stopped and the eyes could be seen bulging.
“He will still be alive so give it another 15 minutes then remove the body. Get Ian and Abe to help you put him in a car then tell them to find a tree near where he lived and put him in it tonight……with a proper rope though, not that piece of material” said Bostock pointing to the screen.
At that he disappeared down the corridor and entered Oliver’s room. A gasp of fear was heard from Oliver as he knew he would be subjected to another needle and the sensation of an unwanted substance entering his system. Bostock turned the light on.
“How are you Oliver? Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need anything?” asked Bostock calmly.
There was no answer, just a look of fear as Bostock approached with the needle and syringe hidden in his pocket.
“Where is my Mummy and Daddy?” asked Oliver stubbornly.
“I can’t answer that young man. We have tried to contact them to tell them where you are but it seems……well it seems they are not in a rush to come and get you….I’m sorry Oliver”
Oliver looked at him dis-believingly and although young, he was no fool. He knew his mother and father worshipped the ground he walked on and didn’t trust this monster of a man who was subjecting him to this torment. That said, Oliver at five years old was still vulnerable and Bostock’s words terrified the youngster and had him doubting his own beliefs in the love of his parents. Why had they not come for him because it was Oliver’s father who had told him to go with the police and as far as Oliver was concerned these were the men his father had entrusted his life with. Confusion consumed the five year old once again and the plug socket on the wall was still his point of comfort in the room, his little piece of sanctuary in this place filled with evil.
“It won’t be long now Oliver before all this will be over. I just need to give you a few more of these injections then we can end all this”
Bostock removed the syringe from his pocket and gently placed the tourniquet around the young boys arm. Sniffing back tears it seemed Oliver was determined to hide his fear that was now gripping him once again as it had done the previous times Bostock had entered the room. Once the syringe had been emptied Oliver took up the protective position as he always did when this process had been completed. Before he left the room Bostock placed a bottle of water, a sandwich and a chocolate bar on the floor next to Oliver and made his way back along the corridor. Jim was still watching the TV screens as Ron re- entered the room.
“Leave the light on low in Oliver’s room please Jim!”
Jim nodded as Bostock sipped a cup of coffee that had gone stone cold on the table.
<
br /> “Right I suppose I had better talk to his mother”
Chapter 12
Alex returned to the house where it looked like Andy and Wyre were having a personal conversation. He would let them both finish before breaking the bad news about Ruben not being able to crack the code of the encrypted key card. He would also refrain from telling them what he had just done in the hope of getting Wyre’s family back. It would surely lead to Alex having to do something he felt reluctant to do but it might be the only way. As he mulled over the possibility of laying his own life on the line he pulled out of his pocket a card he had found at Wyre’s house. Up until now it had no real significance but since Andy had become involved in Wye’s distressing situation and Alex had discovered a bit more about Wyre’s life it might mean something or give them another angle to go at. When the discussion quietened down Alex took a seat next to Wyre and explained what had happened with Ruben in the coffee shop. Even Andy looked surprised at the failure to crack the code enabling them to discover where the door might be and who might be behind it. He was even more surprised when Richards told them that within minutes their location had been discovered and Bostock’s men were breathing down their necks.
“I don’t know this seems………..well to find you that quick means one thing” said Andy shaking his head.
Alex nodded in agreement with a resigned and thoughtful look on his face. All Wyre could do was study both their faces desperately looking for clues.
“They’re not messing about on this one. I’m trying to put myself into a situation where it’s me with Oliver. I’m on Bostock’s team and I’ve got your son. If I kill him and your wife now, what stopped me killing them both 48 hours ago? Killing them doesn’t really make any sense if you’re the one who witnessed the killing. I would need them as a tool to get to you and yet they haven’t. Nothing makes any sense”
BEYOND THE SPRING Page 13