Hikers - The Collection (Complete Box Set of 5 Books)

by Lauren Algeo

  Now he was happy. Ellen had helped him through his pain and anger, and given him something to look forward to. He cared about life again and enjoyed it. He was close to Marcus after several years apart, he liked his work, he was settled in their cosy cottage. Most importantly, he had people who he loved and who relied on him. He had a family, albeit a disjointed one, but they were his. He didn’t want anything to ruin that.

  Getting himself killed would devastate those people, as would getting caught and being sentenced to life in prison. He was feeling this way because there was so much at stake this time. He had to snap out of it or nerves would get the better of him and then he would be in real trouble; sabotaged by his own fear.

  He took another breath and focussed on the task at hand. He would have to take this one day at a time.

  ‘I’m going to the toilet,’ he announced to the team and stood up abruptly.

  They barely glanced at him. Richards and Adders were discussing a TV programme they’d watched the night before and Seok was tapping away on his mobile phone. There was no one else in the room to pay him any attention.

  Brewer slipped quietly through the door and walked along the hallway. The nearest toilet was to the left, but at the end he turned right instead, towards the stairs. The Connors’ lived in the flat that was located above the No. 11 part of the building, on the second floor. Traditionally, the Prime Minister was supposed to live in the flat above No. 10 but for the last decade or so the PMs with families had chosen the more spacious flat over No. 11.

  Brewer passed by a large painting on the wall and pretended to admire it for a moment while a member of staff walked by. As soon as the woman was gone, he ducked into the back staircase. It was an area that had yet to be redecorated and he noticed the threadbare carpet and peeling wallpaper. A lot of the building was in need of improvements and he didn’t like the feel of the place.

  It was 2022 but when you stepped inside, it could have been 1985. The décor was dated and even the ever-changing artworks and sculptures on loan from the National Gallery couldn’t modernise it. Brewer felt far more comfortable and warm in his small cottage. He wondered if the living quarters were decorated differently or if the Connors family were staying in a time capsule.

  He’d heard a rumour that Davenport had blown thousands of pounds on a refurbishment when he’d been elected but he didn’t know if he would get to see the results now. There was a private entrance to the flat at the back for the Connors family to get in, and a front entrance from the main building that the staff could access. The main staircase came out right by it however the back one emerged further along the corridor.

  Brewer crept up the stairs and weaved around the random boxes that had been piled on some of them and long forgotten. When he reached the first floor, he poked his head out to the hallway to check if anyone was around. He could see a cleaner at the far end but she was struggling with a trolley and paying no attention to her surroundings.

  His heart was pounding as he continued up to the second floor. Daniel was somewhere up here. He’d deliberately avoided the lift and main stairs, which would be swarming with people. He waited until two members of staff had disappeared from outside the entrance to the No. 11 flat then he stepped out from the end of the hallway. His eyes roamed over everything – were there security cameras pointed at the flat door? Was it lockable? Was there anywhere he could hide or make a quick getaway if things went wrong?

  He knew there were CCTV cameras in the lifts and he could see a small one in the corner of the hallway. It was pointing towards the No. 11 flat and he ducked his head down hoping that he wasn’t close enough to be picked up on it. That would be hard to explain if he was spotted skulking around outside the Connors’ private living quarters. He would just have a quick look then retreat.

  Brewer angled his body away from the camera and was intending to inspect the lock on the front door when it suddenly flung open. Connors came striding out with an arm full of papers. He stopped abruptly when he saw Brewer standing there. Brewer froze and panic began to set in. He’d thought Connors was tied up in meetings downstairs all afternoon.

  ‘Hey Scott.’ Connors’ manner was relaxed. ‘I managed to escape the Treasury meeting for a few minutes to get these.’ He waggled the papers. ‘It’s all getting pretty heated down there. Were you looking for me?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Brewer somehow found his voice, although his tongue was dry and the words were strained. ‘I, uhh, wanted to keep you up to date on my strategies. I saw you head up here and thought we could arrange a time to sit down later?’

  The on-the-spot lie sounded half-convincing – as long as Connors didn’t stop to question how Brewer had seen him slip out of his meeting from where the team were stationed on the other side of the building.

  ‘Sounds good.’ Luckily Connors was too preoccupied to think about it. ‘We can catch up when I’m finished downstairs.’

  Connors started to walk towards the lift then paused. ‘You haven’t met Marie and Daniel yet, have you? They’re right inside if you want to say a quick hello?’

  ‘No, that’s ok,’ Brewer said quickly. ‘I won’t keep you, sir. I can meet them another time.’

  They headed for the lifts again and Brewer tried to act as though that was the way he’d come up.

  ‘Actually, Marie just reminded me,’ Connors said. ‘Can you ask the team if they can stay on later tomorrow evening to accompany the family to a charity event? It completely slipped my mind until she just brought it up. You can all get away early today to make up for it – I won’t be leaving here for the rest of the day.’

  ‘Sure.’ Brewer could feel his heart thumping wildly. A family event? That meant…

  ‘You’ll have a chance to meet Marie and Daniel then.’ Connors confirmed his fear. ‘Daniel’s always interested in the team that protects me.’

  Brewer bet that Daniel was interested in everyone.

  ‘I look forward to meeting them.’ He forced himself to smile.

  Inside he was terrified. There was no way they would have the insulin by tomorrow and he was nowhere near ready to orchestrate a plan. He would have to endure time with Daniel without defences in place. It would all come down to how well he could protect his mind.

  The boy was extremely powerful, judging by Davenport’s death, and Brewer was rusty. The last time he’d had to block parts of his mind was when he’d faced the Master ten years ago. He remembered how to do it but he wouldn’t be as strong as he once had been. Back then, he’d exercised the technique frequently until it was perfect. He’d stalked numerous hikers to hone his skills. Now there were no second chances. His blocking would have to be good enough or Daniel would see right through him.

  The only plus in Brewer’s eyes was that Daniel wouldn’t be focussing intently on him. The boy had no reason to suspect him of anything so he would probably just do a cursory skim over his mind, out of curiosity. As long as there was nothing at the forefront to peak his interest, there would be no reason for him to dig deeper. Brewer just had to keep his top-level thoughts in order.

  That was easier said than done. His thoughts were consumed with the boy and clearing his mind would be hard. As soon as his eyes met Daniel’s dark ones, would he be able to hold back the word ‘hiker’ from flashing up in his head? That word would be a red flag for Daniel to latch on to. He’d want to know what it meant and why Brewer was thinking it. That would open the floodgates to his painful past and Daniel would find out everything about who he was. He would learn that Brewer had killed his father, mother, and all of their kin. That couldn’t happen.

  Brewer followed Connors into the lift and tried to focus on what the PM was saying. Something about the dinner tomorrow night and some awards? He nodded along as though he was listening intently.

  ‘Don’t you agree?’ Connors asked.

  Brewer blinked. ‘Sorry?’

  ‘That these award ceremonies always seem to go on for far too long?’ Connors repeated.

 
‘Ah yes, sir,’ Brewer agreed.

  ‘Most people are drunk by the end of them. Even at this same charity celebration last year,’ Connors said. ‘Still, it’s good to attend them and show my support. It might inspire Daniel too.’

  Brewer was relieved when the lift finally stopped and Connors had to dash back to his meeting. Trying to act normal after finding out that he had to escort the devil child to dinner was impossible. He stopped in the hallway near the dining room and leant against the wall to compose himself. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he saw Seok standing to the left and looking at him expectantly.

  ‘I, um, didn’t get much sleep last night,’ Brewer stuttered.

  Seok gave a curt nod and continued past him, towards the toilets. The man had said very few words to him since they’d met and he still made Brewer uneasy. He shrugged it off and walked into the dining room, where Adders and Richards had moved on to another TV programme.

  ‘I bumped into Connors,’ Brewer told them, not mentioning that it had been outside the private flat. ‘He asked if we can stay on for a charity dinner tomorrow night. We can head off early now to make up for it.’

  ‘Sweet!’ Adders was instantly on his feet. ‘I can hit the gym early.’

  ‘Fine,’ Richards nodded. ‘It’s the Hunter’s charity awards. It happens every year and it’s usually uneventful.’

  Brewer wasn’t so sure that would be the case this time. Daniel could have a plan for the unsuspecting guests. Brewer’s biggest dilemma was what to do if Daniel did start attacking someone’s mind. He had no way of intervening and he couldn’t reveal himself. He’d just have to keep quiet and let it play out, even if someone got hurt. Even if they died. He suddenly found it hard to breathe.

  Adders had already bolted from the room with a quick ‘bye’ but Richards didn’t seem as though he was in a hurry.

  ‘Will you let Seok know?’ Brewer asked him. ‘I’m going to head off too.’

  Richards shrugged. ‘Ok.’

  He wasn’t exactly friendly yet but it was a start. Brewer left the room as calmly as possible before marching down the corridor to the exit. He just needed to get away from the place as quickly as he could before the panic fully engulfed him.

  Chapter 14

  ‘You have to escort Daniel to a dinner?’ Ellen repeated with wide eyes.

  Brewer nodded and took another gulp of Jack Daniels. He was clutching on to the glass so tightly the blood had drained from his fingers.

  ‘But we don’t have the insulin yet!’ she cried. ‘We’re not ready for this.’

  Brewer nodded again, not trusting himself to speak. The drive home from the train station had passed in a blur and the sense of panic hadn’t fully left.

  ‘Can’t you get out of it?’ Ellen asked. ‘Say you already have plans. It is a Friday night after all.’

  ‘I have to go,’ Brewer said quietly. ‘The team will be suspicious if I change my mind after telling Connors that I could do it. They’ll want a good excuse from me.’

  ‘So pretend you’re ill,’ Ellen said. ‘They can’t blame you for that.’

  ‘It’s my first week and I can’t let them down,’ he replied. ‘Besides, I’m going to have to see Daniel sooner or later. It may as well be at a charity do, surrounded by hundreds of other people.’

  ‘I guess… if you think you’re ready.’ Ellen was chewing her lower lip again.

  ‘I am.’ His voice was strong even though he was trembling inside.

  Letting on to Ellen how scared he was wouldn’t help. She’d be even more concerned and project more of her fear onto him. He didn’t want the added pressure. If she believed he was confident then she would stay focussed and clear-headed, and he needed her like that. She would come up with rational solutions for any problems that arose. If she were worried about him, she would only panic about his safety and not see anything else. As much as he didn’t want to face Daniel yet, he would. It was necessary.

  ‘At least with so many minds around he won’t focus on yours for too long,’ Ellen sighed. ‘Have you thought about how you’re going to block him?’

  ‘I’m going to use the same technique I did with the Master,’ Brewer said. ‘I can push down everything about hikers to the depths of my mind and repeat a different truth on the surface: I’m overwhelmed by my new job. I want to do well protecting Connors. I’m widowed. I live in the countryside. If I use parts of the truth then Daniel won’t have any reason to dig further. I just need to get him to believe me.’

  ‘It worked before,’ Ellen nodded. ‘I don’t see why it wouldn’t this time.’

  They were sat at the dining table although there was no food in front of them. Ellen had offered to cook dinner but Brewer’s stomach was twisting in to knots and he couldn’t manage anything yet. It was only 6pm so he’d made it home much earlier than the previous evening.

  ‘What’s this charity dinner then?’ Ellen asked.

  ‘It’s called the Hunter’s charity awards,’ Brewer said. ‘I think they recognise people who have been doing a lot of charity work and have an auction on the night to fundraise.’

  Ellen fetched the laptop from the sideboard and looked into it. ‘It’s being held in Guildhall and there are a couple of hundred people going,’ she read from the screen. ‘There will be some celebrity guests and wealthy donators. A couple of other politicians are going, alongside Connors and his family.’

  ‘Richards said that it’s usually uneventful but I’m not so sure this year,’ Brewer said.

  ‘Do you think Daniel would try anything with his parents there?’ Ellen asked. ‘Surely an event like this is too small for him?’

  ‘I don’t know what to think,’ Brewer shrugged. ‘We have no idea what his next move will be. He might enjoy public killing – we don’t know how many deaths he’s been responsible for over the years.’

  ‘God, I hope not too many,’ Ellen shivered. ‘He’s still only young.’

  ‘And dangerous,’ Brewer said pointedly. ‘He murdered the previous Prime Minister in a secure building with people everywhere. He was only visiting while his dad was at a meeting and he managed to do that. We don’t know what he’s capable of.’

  ‘Getting rid of the PM was a strategic move for him to get Connors into power,’ Ellen said. ‘Maybe he won’t do anything now until the big summit next month.’

  She knew it was wishful thinking but the thought of Brewer getting so close to him terrified her. She didn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to him. She could see the tension etched on his face and was certain that this was affecting him more than he was letting on. She’d just have to do her best to support him where she could.

  Ellen pushed the laptop away and gently placed her hand over his on the table. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to eat yet? I can make something light?’

  ‘You go ahead and have dinner.’ The smile he gave her was clearly forced. ‘I can fix myself something later if I get hungry.’

  He slid his hand out from under hers and took a sip of his JD. Ellen reluctantly went to the kitchen, feeling deflated. This was an awful, challenging time and he was trying to shoulder the burden on his own. He’d been withdrawing into himself for the past couple of weeks and he barely looked at her. They hadn’t kissed or hugged or been intimate since Daniel had appeared on the TV.

  She wished more than anything that they’d never seen that broadcast. That she’d done a better job of masking what she’d heard. It was selfish, but deep down she knew she would have brushed over it in her head if Brewer hadn’t challenged her on it. If only she’d kept her emotions in check and not reacted to the sensation of Daniel. She could have pretended to herself that it was only her imagination and they would have carried on with their happy, carefree lives. He would never have known that there was one last hiker out there.

  Ellen stood at the kitchen counter, aimlessly opening the cupboard doors. She wasn’t hungry either but routine would keep her sane. Somehow sh
e’d managed to carry on tutoring as if nothing was going on. She’d gone through the lessons in a daze.

  Speaking to Trudy on the phone was harder. Her friend was excited about her niece’s upcoming hen night and trying to match her enthusiasm was exhausting. Going to a rowdy town centre was not what she wanted to do with her Saturday night but she couldn’t get out of it without arousing suspicion. She would have to continue the charade for as long as it took: she was carefree and happy.

  Ellen took a tin of soup from the cupboard and got out a saucepan to heat it up. She would force herself to eat something. Hunting for insulin online had been frustrating. You could buy the insulin pens and pumps easily enough however she’d struggled to find anywhere to actually purchase the insulin doses themselves. Even the illegal sites, where you could get steroids and other drugs, didn’t seem to have any to deliver.

  She’d thought the task would only take a couple of hours but it had been two days without success. It was her fault that they didn’t have the insulin for Brewer to take with him tomorrow night. He would have to face Daniel completely unarmed. It hurt her to admit defeat on the simplest part of their plan, only time wasn’t on their side. She would have to get in touch with Mitch and ask for his help. He could courier them a couple of insulin pens from Philadelphia in a few days.

  They were due to call him at the weekend to keep him updated on Brewer’s first week so she would ask him then. At least he would feel like he was helping too and actively doing something to protect his family. She felt nauseous every time she thought about the new baby that would be coming into the world. His untimely announcement had only added to the pressure on them. What if they failed in their mission?

  They couldn’t allow the baby to be born with Daniel still alive – what kind of a world would that be to bring a child in to? If they didn’t succeed, Daniel would be free to unleash hell. He could start wars; kill millions of people. What if he got into the mind of someone with access to nuclear weapons? He could obliterate the world.