“I didn’t mean to throw you so hard. I thought you were leaning back, ready to fall again.”
I thought back to the moment. Not only was I humiliated at failing so lousily at the first physical challenge, but responding like that when he got close? My cheeks flare red with the thought of it. We were friends. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who automatically thought that there was a romantic reason behind a friend getting close. We were training, nothing more. I internally slapped myself back to the present.
“It’s okay, Ash. We were training. I didn’t keep my head in it, so it was my fault. Anyway, I need to be getting on with this research.” I stood on the spot waiting for him to leave. I wasn’t sure I really wanted him to, but my humiliation was enough to drive me to solitude.
* * *
I spent the night reading the same page of information. I couldn’t focus. Ash had been fantastic with me. He had offered to climb the castle walls. He had offered to help in this task, even when he didn’t know what he was being asked to do. And, he had apologised when he wasn’t in the wrong. What do I do in return? Feel sorry for myself because I was stupid enough to get flushed when he got close. I knew it was stupid. What did I think he was going to do, kiss me right there in front of the entire room? He was my friend, nothing more. How many times did I have to tell myself that? I couldn’t even think of a time where he had even hinted at wanting more. Yes, he was at times, flirtatious, but so were Jay and Owen. Why didn’t I react the same way with them? What the hell was I doing? I banged my fists on my desk and stood to pace my bed room. I was being ridiculous. Why was I obsessing so much over a guy, when I had so much work to get through? He didn’t even think of me that way.
I opened my door and crossed the hall to Owen’s room. I knocked, and waited for an answer.
“I said I’m busy,” Owen shouted.
“Sorry?”
“What?”
“It’s me, Roz.”
“Oh, it’s open,” He yelled. I opened the door to the sound of rustling paper. He was throwing piles of folders and sheets from a chair to the floor. “Take a seat.”
His room was the total opposite from mine. Where my room was bare, orderly and quite frankly depressing, Owen’s was overcrowded and chaotic. His bed was buried under mountains of papers and files. He had expanded his desk with two tables at each side. The entire surface looked like it was going to keel over with the stress of all the equipment. He had countless computers, monitor screens, printers and scanners strewn across the entire work surface. The walls were lined with cork boards, each filled with sheets and sheets of paper held up with multi coloured pins. I didn’t know where to stand without knocking something over.
“Owen, where do you sleep?” I laughed. I could barely see his blue duvet under all the clutter.
“Sleep? I do nothing of the sort.” He patted the chair next to him. “Plonk your arse there and see what I’ve found.” He pointed to the screen he was working from.
I screwed my eyes at the mass of text which filled the screen. “What am I looking at?”
“Police report from the third bombing.”
“That was the Lake District, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, but look who they called in as advisor.” He put his finger on a line of text.
I leaned forward and read the name. “Dr Levins? The name sounds familiar. Who is it?”
Owen looked at me in disbelief. “Are you sure you’re a Mole? Aren’t you supposed to like, collect information about your surroundings?” He tapped my forehead. “Dr Levins works at this bloody university. He’s the head of the science department.”
“Really? Brilliant, we can go talk to him.” I began to stand when realisation hit me. Pausing to think, I lowered back to the chair taking in Owen’s pained expression. “Hang on, why do the police need a scientist to help with a bombing case?”
“Because, the police have been hiding the truth from the public. Here,” He handed me a stack of papers, “I printed these during the night. It’s everything the police had up until two days ago. I’ll get hold of the guys. You’d better read it before they get here.”
I carried the stack of papers back to my sterile room, not sure if I wanted to know what had made Owen so serious.
I spent the next hour sat on the edge of my bed poring over the reports. Owen was right, the police were keeping information from the public. Lots of information. My head span with the magnitude of the reports in my hands. I was in over my head. These bombings were much bigger than I thought, and I already thought they were bloody huge.
I made my way downstairs and took my place at our now regular meeting spot. The kitchen table, as usual, was piled with papers. Owen had excelled in his role of information gatherer. Neither of us mentioned the newly discovered danger.
We prepared the meeting in an unnatural and humourless silence.
One by one, my team arrived. I looked around the table at my friends. Bree yawned as she waited for me to begin. Ash didn’t meet my eyes.
“Where’s Fern?” I asked.
Owen walked in the room and placed another stack of papers on the table. “She said she would be here. I called her this morning.”
“Called her? Doesn’t she live here too?” Jay asked. He was smoothing his hair down, looking like he had just got out of bed.
“She wasn’t in her room,” Owen shrugged.
“Huh, least someone’s getting lucky around here,” Bree said, winking at me. “Speaking of, anyone seen Karissa lately?”
We all shook our heads as one. Our elusive house mate’s fondness for partying made even Bree seem like a stick in the mud.
“Well, I hope Fern gets here soon, we can’t start without her,” I said, looking at my watch like we were on a schedule.
“Why not? It’s not like she’s done anything so far,” Jay said.
“And what have you done?” Bree asked.
“Sat and watched hours upon sodding hours of surveillance footage. What about you?”
“Enough.” I said, regretting the snap in my voice. Bree looked up at me in shock. I didn’t blame her. “Sorry, it’s just, we need to focus.”
The kitchen door opened. “Focus on what?” Fern asked. She took her place, grinning brightly.
“Little happy this morning?” Bree asked, “where did you sleep last night?”
“None of your business,” Fern laughed, and turned to look at me. “So, what are we gathered here already for? And what’s made you so snappy?”
I ignored the jab.
“Owen came through with something last night.” I sat down and nodded to Owen. He looked at me surprised. “You found it. It’s only fair you report it.” I sat back and waited for him to begin.
“Right.” He grabbed his coffee cup and drained it before continuing. “So, I was just looking through the police files last night. The reports go up to the third bomb and there’s a link which they’re not reporting to the public.” He paused, looking at his hands.
“Well, what is it?” Fern asked, impatiently.
“They’re not just bombs. They’re biological.” He looked back at my friend’s blank expressions.
Ash stood slowly. “What kind of biological weapons are they?” I saw his hands ball into fists.
Owen shook his head. “They’re new. From what I can gather from the police reports, they haven’t a clue. They’ve brought in Dr Levins as consultant.”
Fern sucked in a breath. “Dr Levins, from here?”
“Fern,” I said, “can you come with me to question him? We need to understand what it is he’s doing for the police.”
She shook her head. “What? How? What am I supposed to do?” She was pushing her chair back, readying her escape.
“Just be there to lend a hand when I talk to him. I don’t understand science talk, that’s your department. I’m going to contact him and ask for a meeting…”
“Look, I don’t mind being a member of your team. But, I’m a scientist first.
I will not endanger that by showing myself up in front of the very person who is in charge of putting me through to year two.” She held her hands out in front of her, like I was about to rush her. “I’m sorry, Roz. But, you’re going to have to question him alone.” She ran from the room. A moment later we heard the front door slam shut.
Owen turned to me. “What the hell was that about?”
“Obviously doesn’t want to look bad in front of her tutor, I can understand that.”
“Well, she better snap out of it. We can’t do this without a scientist on team.”
I handed out copied reports to the rest of my team. “Remember, all this is secret. We don’t get seen or overheard. This test is our ticket to a pass. I’ll go talk to Levins, we all study the information. Any other comments?”
“I’ll go with you to see Levins,” Ash said, looking at me finally.
“Why?” Jay asked.
“Because we’re a team,” Ash replied.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As much as I wanted to make things better with Ash, I told him we would meet the next morning. I needed to focus on work and get over my stupid moment of lust. There was plenty to get on with. I could give myself an evening to prepare. I had to be sure I wouldn’t embarrass myself around him again.
Owen had gathered so much information, we needed time to get through it all. I had spent the majority of the day poring over police reports, then attempting to translate them into something I could understand. They used so many acronyms, it was difficult to follow. As lengthy as the reports were, it seemed the police didn’t know much more than we did. They had theories, which they found false once investigated. Nothing was standing out as a key point or clue.
I looked to the clock on my bedroom wall and jumped to my feet. It was almost eight o’clock. I had been sat here all day and forgotten about my meeting with Mark. I threw the stack of papers back to my desk and attempted to rake a brush through my hair. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked haggard. Bags shone like bruises under my eyes. My hair looked limp, hanging unkempt from my head almost in protest of its neglect.
I smeared foundation over my face whilst fighting with the hairbrush. Then yelped at my reflection; I looked even worse. The blotches of makeup seemed to emphasis the bags whilst making my skin look sour. I ran for the bathroom and scrubbed my face clean with a growl.
Eventually abandoning all hope of glamour, I threw on my coat, angry at myself for making such a fuss. I didn’t need make up for coffee with a friend. No matter how gorgeous he was. I groaned at myself in the mirror and stomped my way down the stairs. I was not going to think of Mark that way. He was not gorgeous, he was just a guy. This was just coffee, just as friends. I wasn’t going lower myself and pine over two guys. And, I wasn’t going to forget the warning from slappy girl.
It was quarter past eight by the time I made it to the coffee shop. In my pathetic attempt to act like going for coffee wasn’t a big deal, I had changed my top three times and freaked out because I couldn’t find my good jacket. I realised all of that was pointless as I ran through the pouring rain. By the time I had crossed campus, my hair was matted to my face, all attempts of fashion forgotten. He was already sat at a table, under an oversized parasol. He looked at his watch as he saw me approach.
“Didn’t see you as the fashionably late kind,” he said, as he stood and opened a black umbrella. He came out to meet me on the path. “You eaten?”
I shook off my hair in an attempt to peel it from my face. “No, not eaten yet. Not stopped today. Sorry I’m late. I lost track of time.” I was speaking fast, shivering against the cold.
I shouldn’t have bothered worrying about what to wear. Nothing looked good next to his catwalk ruggedness. He was dressed in black jeans and shirt, with boots to match. Every inch of him screamed, passion. I looked down at my saturated drab rags. I looked pathetic in comparison.
“You want to grab a sandwich here?” I pointed toward the coffee shop.
“Here? No, I’ve got a place in mind.” He held out his elbow for me to link arms with, then led the way onto the path. “You’ll like it, it’s a bit different.”
We walked with him holding the umbrella, to the south side of campus. We passed the lecture theatres and larger rooms until we were faced with what looked like a row of doors.
“What’s this? I’ve not been in this building.”
“Just the garage. You fancy a trip into town?” He grinned, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.
“Off campus? I’ve not been out in town yet.” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice. I hadn’t realised until now, just how much I wanted, or more, needed a break. One evening away from the pressure was irresistible.
“Really? What’ve you been doin’ for fun?
“Just been going to the social bar, here on campus. It’s okay there.”
“Yeah, it’s alright. But sometimes, you just need tae get away.”
He opened the door to the garage. The room was huge, filled with a multitude of cars. They were all different in styles and age, lining the walls like a mechanical rainbow. He jingled the keys in his hand and pressed a button. With a flash of light, a black car unlocked.
“Hop in.”
I opened the passenger door and slid inside. The interior was lined with soft cream leather. It smelled brand new. I twisted to see the back seat. It was as spotless as the front. I didn’t dare move. My feet were grimy from walking in the rain and my clothes were soaked.
“You sure you don’t just want to stay here on campus?” I asked, sheepishly trying to hold my feet off the floor.
“What? It’s goin’ to be a great night.” He shut his door and turned the ignition.
“I just,” I lifted my leg higher to see the scuffs my feet had made, “I’m making a mess of your nice car.”
He laughed. “Is that all? It’s just a car, Roz. I get it valeted once a week tae keep the dog hair under control. Wish I could do the same to ma house.”
I clipped my seat belt as we rolled out of the garage. Within moments we were creeping along the main driveway, toward the guard gate between the impenetrable walls of ivy.
“Och no, I forgot to tell you to bring your student card. Do you have it?”
I dug around in my purse and pulled it out. “What do I need this for?” I’d only ever used it to get out library books.
He let out a sigh of relief. “To get in an’ oot. The guard isn’e gonna let you through without it.”
I kept the ID card in my hand until we approached the guard post. Mark lowered the window and I held it up as the guard shone the torch into the car.
“Off out? Where will you two be off to then?” The guard asked.
“Just into town, we’ll be back in a few hours.”
“No drinking while driving.”
“Never do.”
The guard signalled behind him and the barricade rose. Mark pushed the handbrake down and we rolled through.
The moment we left the campus, we were plunged into darkness. The blackness seemed to surround the car, like an oily vacuum broken only by the headlights. It was an eerie journey. Every few meters glowing eyes lit the road as we passed sheep as they grazed. Mark seemed to know where he was going, taking hidden turns without a second guess.
“How many times have you driven this route?” I asked.
He smiled. “Lost count. I’ve been here over a year, so quite a few times.”
“Over a year? I thought you had just arrived, like me.”
“No, this is my second year doing the doctorate.” He pointed toward a light over the tree tops. “Almost there. You’re goin’ to love this.” We clattered through an overgrown lane. Branches scraped the car on both sides as we squeezed through. Glaring lights suddenly filled the windscreen, as we emerged into an expansive car park. Cars filled almost every space. Mark circled twice before finding a spot.
“Think you can squeeze oot?” He checked his mirror as he switched the engine off.
“Should be fine. They don’t leave much room to manoeuvre here, do they?” I opened the door a crack, trying not to touch the neighbouring car.
“It’s an auld place. Probably never updated their spaces since the seventies.”
I pulled my foot free and shut the door. The lock clicked as I looked up to see where he had taken me. It seemed to be an old looking theatre. Cars were still rolling in, looking for spaces.
“What are we doing?” I asked.
“Come on,” he said, jamming his keys in his pocket, “it’s a bit different, just go with it.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, playfully.
I came to a stop. “Well, that just makes me nervous. What is it were doing?”
In answer he pointed to the side of the building where the programme list was illuminated by fluorescent lights. I searched the list for today’s date. A grin spread across my face.
“A medieval night?”
“Bet you didnae expect that?” He laughed, and grabbed my hand again to lead me toward the door.
We were welcomed by an elderly man in suit and bowtie. He nodded formally and Mark handed over the tickets. With a broad smile, the man held his hand out toward the left door. We entered the main room to find it bustling with excitement. Women dressed in multi layered gowns circled the room pouring wine from pot jugs. Men dressed as knights, carried silver trays of chicken and bread.
Mark led me through the excited crowd to our seats. Only, they weren’t seats, it was a wooden bench. Thankful that I hadn’t worn a skirt, I hooked my leg over and sat beside a woman close to my age. She grinned at me before looking back at her partner. Within moments, the entertainers took the stage to thunderous applause.
“This is fantastic, Mark,” I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “where on earth did you find out about this place?”
I sat back and sucked in a breath as a fire eater passed, breathing flames high above our heads.
“Total stroke of luck. My tutor had tickets, but got called away last minute. So, asked if I wanted them. You like it then?” He leaped to his feet as he spoke and caught a bread roll which had been thrown by one of the jesters. “For you my lady.” He passed me the roll and winked.
Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1) Page 10