The Voice Within

by Roger Penfound

  "Who is it?"

  "It's Raff. He says he knows how to hack into a voicemail but you need special software to track a phone. He doesn't have it but he's going to lean on someone who does."

  "What does he mean by 'lean on'?"

  "If you want to be brutal, I suppose he means blackmail."

  "So, who would that be?"

  "Probably one of the younger techy lads in the newsroom. They're always messing around with some new programme or other. They'd rather do that than get their hands dirty in the real world."

  Their main course was cleared and they ordered coffee. Outside, a full moon sent shards of light glistening over a still sea. The remaining diners departed leaving Doug and Julia alone in the restaurant. The sudden muffled sound of Doug's phone ringing in his pocket brought their conversation to a halt. Doug glanced nervously at the caller ID.

  "My God!"

  "What is it?"

  "It's the prick."

  "Who?"

  "He used to be my boss."

  "Why do you call him that?"

  "Tell you later. James, why are you calling me?"

  There was a pause, interrupted by laboured breathing at the other end.

  "I've not been given much choice. Blackmail carries a long prison sentence, Douglas."

  "Look, James. I don't have time for this."

  More heavy breathing.

  "Something about your son and hacking into his phone."

  "I need to find him urgently."

  "Well, that shouldn't be a problem for you. You had your boys hack into celebrities' phones. Surely your own son isn't going to be a problem?"

  "James, I've never hacked into anyone's phone. If I had, why would I need to speak to you now? This could be a matter of life and death. Let's put aside the rancour, James. Just tell me how to hack into his bloody phone."

  There was a sigh and the sound of a throat being cleared at the other end.

  "Hacking just gets you into his voicemail. Is that what you want?"

  "No, I need to track his phone and get into his contacts list. I need to find his girlfriend. I think she's in danger."

  "Then you'll need some spyware. It's illegal to use it as I'm sure you know. If you want to take that risk it's up to you. I thought you were already up to your ears in enough trouble."

  "James, I need that software."

  "I'll email you a link. Look, if word of this ever gets out ..." He sighed deeply. "I'll finish you."

  The line clicked dead. Doug stared at his phone in disbelief.

  "That was James Welland, the managing editor – the one who sacked me. He's sending a link to some illegal hacking software. No wonder Raff said his job was on the line."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It means that Welland is up to his eyes in this phone hacking business – not the innocent he claims to be. Raff'll have to watch his back."

  "Will this software work?"

  "I don't know. Let's go and find out."

  They finished their drinks and went up to the room. Doug opened his laptop and got quickly into his messaging service. The latest email was from James Welland and consisted only of a URL which he pasted into the search engine. This opened a site called Spylark. He quickly read through the information. It was advertised as enabling parents to monitor their children's whereabouts as well as offering a service to business users who wanted to monitor employees' phone calls. However, it was clear that its wider spying potential was both enormous and illegal. Doug hit the download button. After the usual registration and a fee of fifty dollars, the home page opened onto the laptop screen. He entered Nick's number into the 'target mobile' box and hit the 'location' tab at the top of the page. A 'software loading' icon filled the screen and whirred interminably.

  "A lot of this stuff is just a scam," said Doug, watching the icon turning. "Probably doesn't work at all."

  Suddenly, the screen changed and a map of the UK appeared. A small location tab flashed in the middle of the map. Doug used the zoom function to close in. The tab settled over countryside to the north of Exeter.

  "What's he doing there?" asked Julia.

  "It looks like he's on the move – maybe on his way to Derby."

  "How's he getting there?"

  "I’m guessing he's on the motorway. Maybe he's hitching a lift. Maybe he's borrowed a car. Whatever happens we need to get there too."

  "What about Aleena? Why don't we find out where she is?" asked Julia.

  "We need her number first. I don't have that. Let's see if we can get into Nick's contact list."

  Doug returned to the home page and searched the tabs at the top. He clicked on 'phone list' and Nick's contacts immediately appeared on the screen. It was easy to spot Aleena near the top. He copied the number then pasted it into the search box below. The map came up with Derby at its centre. He zoomed into the location tag. It was poised over a street about half a mile from the city centre – Coronation Road. Doug used the 'street view' icon to look at the location.

  "Terraced Victorian houses. Just like hundreds of other city centres."

  "So that must be where she is?"

  "Not necessarily. It's where her phone is. It doesn't mean she's there too."

  "So how do we find her?"

  "I want to check Nick's voice messages – see if there are any clues."

  Back on the home page of Nick's phone he selected 'voicemail'. The screen filled with a list of recent messages: Aleena, Dad, Aleena, Mum, Aleena. He clicked on the last entry. He froze as he heard the voice – at first very quiet.

  'Hakim's got me. I'm frightened.'

  Then another voice in the background.

  'Give me that, bitch!'

  A gasp and it cut dead.

  "Shit!" said Julia. "You're right. She is in trouble." Doug clicked on the previous messages.

  'Nick. Call me. Let me know where you are. Don't do anything you'll regret.'

  'Nick. They're after me. Help me!' – sounds of scuffling. 'Let me go!' – a scream – silence.

  'Nick. Nick, it's Mum. Have you heard from your father yet? I've asked him to help you. He'll be in touch soon. Don't do anything until you've spoken to him. Love you.'

  'Nick, I might be a bit late. Hakim is acting strange. I may have to wait till he's gone out. Keep the bed warm. Bye.'

  They sat together in silence, shocked and also embarrassed by what they'd heard.

  "It makes you feel somehow dirty," said Julia, "listening in to those private things."

  "I think we should listen to Aleena's voicemail. It may give us some more clues."

  Julia shrugged reluctantly. Doug used the software to access Aleena's phone and clicked on the voicemail tag. They listened together in awkward silence.

  'Aleena. I got your message. Where are you? I'm coming to find you.'

  'This is your last warning. Stop seeing that infidel. It's wrong. You're acting like a whore. You're my sister and our father told me to look after you. How do you think that makes me feel? No more warnings. If you don't obey me ...' The line went dead.

  'Hi, sweetie. See you later then. I'm warming the bed for you now.'

  'Hey, sister, I saw you with Nick yesterday. You know you got to stop. We're Muslim – right. You can't date a Kafir. It's against the Koran. Call me. We got to talk.'

  Doug closed the spyware programme.

  "I think we've heard enough. You're right. She's in danger. That brother of hers has definitely become radicalised."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It's brainwashing. Many young Muslims in this country feel isolated – not part of mainstream society. And so they seek status and respect through their faith. But they're often recruited by sects who interpret the Koran in extreme ways. They argue that anyone outside of their sect is a non-believer or Kafir and that they should be punished – especially another Muslim."

  "What will he do to Aleena?"

  "It's difficult to say. Hakim will most likely be under the control of his sect leade
r. These extreme groups normally have a religious head man called an 'Imam'. Hakim is probably following his orders."

  Doug's phone rang. Raff's caller ID flashed onto the screen

  "Hi, Raff. Listen, mate. I owe you a big one. Welland himself called. Gave me the link to a spy software site. How did you manage that? "

  "Welland lives on the edge Doug. He's into some strange stuff. If any of it got out he'd be finished. Just a hint from me that I knew what he was up to and he agreed to call you. Does the software work?"

  "It does. We've already tracked Nick and we think he's on his way to Derby. Aleena's already there. Did your contacts come up with anything?"

  "Yes and it's not good. There's talk on the grapevine of a Sharia court being convened in secret to try a local Muslim girl for immoral behavior and offending Muslim law. There are a couple of extreme sects in the Midlands. Some of them are converts from other religions. They follow a literal interpretation of the Koran because it suits their political beliefs. Basically, they support Jihad. That's a war against unbelievers."

  "So you think she's in danger?"

  "I believe she is – yes. You need to act quickly."

  "What about her name – Kapur. Does that give us a clue?"

  "Kapur is quite a common Indian Muslim name. There are a dozen or so families with that name in the centre of Derby. You need to get up there and start asking. Let me know if there's any more I can do to help."

  "Thanks, Raff. You've done plenty."

  Doug stuffed the phone into his jacket pocket.

  "Julia, we need to get up there quickly. I don't think we should waste any time. If you'd prefer to go back home, I'll arrange a taxi."

  "I'm involved in this now. I'm coming with you. If we leave now we could be up there by early morning."

  "Then let's do it."

  He leaned across and kissed her.

  "Thank you."

  It looked like a garage – possibly used for storage. She could see light seeping in under a door. Her wrists hurt where they had tied her hands to a table. She wanted to urinate. She cried – long, gasping sobs – until even these proved futile and she fell into a restless sleep.

  The light being switched on brought her brutally back to reality. Hakim and his accomplices had returned.

  "We bought you food. You'd better eat."

  "I need to wee."

  "Use that bucket. I'll untie you."

  She was forced to use the bucket with her three captors looking on.

  "What do you want from me?"

  "You're a slag and you bring shame on our family. Everyone knows you were seeing a white bastard. You slept at his house. We saw you."

  His voice rose as he worked himself into a frenzy.

  "You're meant to marry our cousin from Father's village. That's the plan. But now you can't even do that 'cos you're a whore an' no Muslim boy's going to have a whore. So, we got to decide what's right. Maybe it's better if you just disappear. Until we decide, you stay here."

  Chapter 19: Derby, April 28th 2011

  Progress was slow as they navigated the winding road which skirts the desolate expanse of Exmoor before descending into the flat pastures of the Somerset levels. The countryside was lit by a full moon which shone intermittently as a fresh Atlantic depression nosed its way in from the west. By the time they were on the motorway and heading north, the moon had disappeared and a light drizzle was causing headlights to shimmer and dazzle on the wet carriageway. At first they remained silent, absorbed in their own thoughts until eventually the need to share their deliberations prompted conversation.

  "When you climbed up to Kate's window, you said that you used a ladder which you found lying there."

  "That's right."

  "But there is no ladder. Everything is locked away by the gardener. Richard's fastidious about security. And when you looked in through the window and thought you saw Kate – she was sitting on a bed. And there was a cupboard in the room?"

  "Yes."

  "But the room is empty – has been for years. So what you saw was an illusion. It wasn't real."

  "What is 'real'? It's a difficult philosophical question."

  "Only if you happen to be a philosopher."

  Flashing lights on the motorway warned of an obstruction ahead temporarily ending their conversation.

  "How real is Sarah to you?" continued Doug after they had passed a broken down vehicle.

  "She's real to me. I can't tell you how real she is to anyone else."

  Doug hesitated.

  "Suppose you asked her about where she is – what it's like being there?"

  Julia sighed.

  "I have tried that but she doesn't answer. In fact, it drives her away. So, if you mean have I asked her what it's like being dead, the answer's no. I don't think she realises that she is dead."

  A blast from a passing truck and the intrusion of flashing headlights caused Doug to swerve and struggle to regain control of the Mercedes as it drifted into the next lane. The briefest glimpse of a driver mouthing obscenities.

  "I'm sorry. Lost concentration. Let's stop at the next services. I need a coffee."

  The rain had eased as they trudged across the soaking car park. To the east, the sky was brighter with signs that the depression was moving away. Inside, the service area was brightly lit. Most food outlets were closed with just a few solitary figures hunched over coffee or tucking in to early breakfasts. They ordered coffee from a slow-moving assistant who looked as if she had lost the will to live, then they sat at a red plastic table adorned with ketchup and mayonnaise.

  "When I climbed up to that window and saw Kate – something happened."

  "What?"

  "She came towards the window – towards me. She was looking at me but also through me – as if she knew I was there but couldn't reach me. I believe she wanted tell me something."

  "Tell you what?"

  "Remember Freddie's words - 'the future lies in the past'? Maybe her past and our future are connected in some way. Think about it. Nick and Aleena are prevented from marrying because of prejudice. It was the same for Kate and John. And faced with virtual slavery, the girls consider suicide. It's a similar pattern."

  "And we know what happened to Kate and John. You're not saying that …"

  There was an uncomfortable silence as the implication dawned.

  "Let's check the spyware and see where Nick is now," suggested Doug.

  Julia opened the laptop and waited until it had located the local wifi. She opened the spyware programme and watched as the cursor settled over Derby.

  "He's there already and it’s only six in the morning," said Doug. He'll probably find somewhere to shelter whilst he works out what to do next. We should be there in just over an hour. Let's get going."

  The place was dark and cold. Aleena tried to adjust her position but the ropes that tied her to the radiator were taut. She had been dreaming – or maybe she had been hallucinating – she couldn't tell. The line between reality and fantasy had become blurred. In her dreams she had been a child again, sitting on her father's lap, his bearded face beaming down at her. Then she was with her mother in the mosque. From the women's area, they watched as the men went about the ritual of their daily prayers. She could see their devotion and feel an enormous sense of community. Then these memories faded and she was back in the reality of her own nightmare.

  Her situation was surreal. Bound and gagged, locked away and accused by her own brother of being a whore – a few days ago she would have thought this impossible. Hakim, who had looked after her and promised her father that he would protect her. Together, they had laughed at the old ways and fondly joked about outdated traditions while planning their own very different futures. Their father's agreement that they should both go to university was tacit acceptance of the change. They were Muslim and proud of it. But they lived in a multi-cultural society now where there were new opportunities and the old ways would have to change. So why had Hakim turned against her? Sh
e knew that he was taking more interest in their faith. He had joined a religious group who met regularly and had lectures from visiting fundamentalists. She wanted to go too but he had told her that 'sisters' were not permitted. His appearance began to change. He allowed his beard to grow longer and took to wearing a full length tunic rather than the jeans and sweatshirt that he normally lived in. He became withdrawn and moody. She heard the door being wrenched open. Her heart raced and she began to sob.

  They drove up beyond Birmingham on the M5 motorway and then cut across country towards Derby. The rain had stopped as dawn was breaking. The retreating cloud gave way to a bright morning sky.

  "So, do we have a plan?" asked Julia, as she emerged from a restless sleep.

  "When we get to Derby we'll park and use the spyware to find out where Nick is. I'll try calling him. If he doesn't answer we'll just have to go and find him."

  "What happens if he's found Aleena's house?"

  "Then there's nothing for it. We'll have to knock on the door and confront her father."

  "What do you want me to do?"

  "Just be there with me. I need your support."

  "You still don't think we should call the police?"

  "No."

  Hakim was dressed in a grey stained tunic and he wore a small white cap on the back of his head. When he spoke, his voice was soft and cold.

  "We've decided what we must do, sister. You must be tried by Sharia law before God. We will convene a court to see that justice is done in the proper way."

  "But I'm not guilty of anything," she screamed, struggling to loosen the knots which bound her.

  "The court will decide."

  "What court? Who are they?"

  "Some friends – religious friends. And our Imam. He's our leader. He knows how to do this sort of thing."

  "I want to speak to someone. Father – let me speak to Father," she gasped. "He'll stop this." He began to stroke her hair. She recoiled in horror.

  "You still don't understand, do you, sister?"

  His voice had taken on a soft but menacing tone.