The Dream Catcher Diaries

by Alexander Patrick

  Chapter 30

  A week later

  Caitlin was sitting at my table, the one overlooking the lochs. It was her favourite place. She loved to scribble, doodle and play her games and then gaze out at the beautiful stillness. I had sat there one day and described them to her as if she were blind and she had loved them ever since. She was sitting there gazing out at the blue sky within their depths when Sonia walked in.

  ‘Is your mother still here?’ asked Sonia suspiciously.

  Caitlin shook her head and went back to her drawings. ‘No, Mummy just left. She had to go back to work.’

  Sonia winced at the reference. ‘And your father?’

  Again, Caitlin shook her head. ‘He’s with the doctor.’

  ‘You’re on your own?’

  ‘No, I have Hades.’

  ‘No people, I mean!’

  ‘Daddy said he’d only be a short while. He’s not going away to meet those funny people again.’

  Sonia stared at her. ‘What do mean, going away? What funny people?’

  ‘You know, people like him.’

  Sonia scowled. She had a good idea what that meant.

  Caitlin continued. ‘He took the doctor to meet them. They were gone for a few days and Mummy stayed with me then.’

  ‘The doctor should know better!’ said Sonia. She sounded cross and Caitlin was surprised.

  ‘Daddy said I was to stay here and look after Hades and he would be back soon.’

  ‘So, you’re sitting here daydreaming? You could be doing something useful.’

  ‘I wasn’t daydreaming! I was looking at the lochs with my eyes closed.’ She saw the immediate confusion in Sonia’s eyes. ‘I was drawing as well,’ she said helpfully.

  Sonia came up and looked at the drawing. ‘Well, make sure you show that to your father so he can see you’ve been usefully employed,’ she said, moving away. Caitlin giggled at that; she clearly thought Sonia must be joking. Sonia stopped and glared at her. ‘What’s so funny?’ she said.

  ‘Daddy won’t want to do that!’ said Caitlin, as if she were stating the obvious.

  ‘And why not?’

  ‘Because his eyes are buggered,’ she said innocently.

  Sonia put her hands on her hips. ‘Don’t swear!’ she said fiercely.

  ‘It’s only what Daddy says!’ protested Caitlin.

  ‘Your father often says and does things he shouldn’t,’ countered Sonia.

  ‘Daddy never says or does anything he shouldn’t,’ said Caitlin adamantly. ‘Everything he does is just right!’ And with that she went back to her drawing. Sonia stood for a moment staring into the distance and then she stormed out.

  Well, this is the story as told by Caitlin.

  ***********************

  I was sitting back behind the chess table and the doctor was pacing the room. ‘I’m convinced,’ he said. ‘But I don’t see what we can do about it?’

  ‘We put it right.’

  He stopped his pacing and looked at me. ‘That place you showed me was remarkable. What you’ve done is incredible, but it’s one place with just thirty people. It’s nothing!’

  ‘I’ve only known since the spring,’ I said.

  He was frowning. ‘We’re talking hundreds, if not thousands.’

  ‘Thousands,’ I agreed.

  ‘You can’t save them all?’

  ‘I intend to save every last one of them!’ He heard the fury in my voice.

  ‘You can’t set up safe houses for all those people, it’s not possible.’

  ‘That’s not the way I’ll do it.’

  ‘Then how will you do it?’

  I looked back down at the chessboard. I swept my hand across the chess pieces opposite me. ‘Revolution,’ I said. The chess pieces toppled to the ground. We both watched as they fell; the only pieces left on the board were my own. I looked up. ‘We bring the whole system down; everything must go; no one can be left. We destroy the lot.’

  ‘You can’t possibly...’

  ‘Give me an alternative?’

  He stared at me. ‘How can this have happened? Like this? It doesn’t make sense.’

  ‘The political forces have lost their sense of authority. They’ve been overwhelmed by greed, anxiety and panic. The fact is, the Corporates can think further into the future than governments. They understand more about what worries the common man and they’ve taken that fear and dealt with it. It’s left the politicians adrift and without ideals. They’ve become victims, just like the rest of us. We have to destroy the idea – the rottenness at the centre of it all.’

  ‘You’re talking about bringing down the entire English system, its courts, social network, police, education, everything. How can you do such a thing?’

  I picked up a chess piece, the knight. ‘I need a general,’ I said.

  ‘Not me, I’m no soldier!’

  ‘No, I need someone hard, someone ruthless, someone who needs a cause and will die for that cause.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘I have someone in mind.’

  He stood there unconvinced. ‘I still don’t ...’

  ‘It’s not about numbers. It’s about strategy. We have surprise, we have passion and we have ...’ I picked up the king, ‘... Matrix.’

  ‘You would set yourself up as king?’

  ‘A very special king.’ He looked puzzled. ‘When I played with my brother I would sacrifice all my pieces to save the king,’ I said. ‘This game will be different.’ I placed the king carefully back in its place and I pushed it over onto its side. ‘This time the king will sacrifice himself for the game.’ I looked up at him. He could not have failed to see the passion in my strange eyes, perhaps he thought it was madness, perhaps it was. ‘I don’t intend to lose any of my players,’ I said. ‘I need my general. Once he’s in place I can start setting up my pieces. I’ll place them in such positions that they’ll wipe the board clean, and then the king will lay down his life.’ I sat back. ‘This is one game of chess that I cannot and will not lose. All I need to know from you, doctor, is will you help me?’

  He glanced down at the chessboard and then at me. ‘You’re either a madman or a god,’ he said.

  ‘But, Andrew, you don’t believe in God.’

  He took my hand in his and looked at the swastika. ‘I do now,’ he said.

  ***********************

  Sonia was waiting for me when I left the doctor’s. She was sitting on the wall where I used to sit when Judith went visiting. I chose not to see her. I had other things on my mind. I was exhausted; the doctor had argued and debated with me. He didn’t like the idea of me sacrificing the king. I was not sure I had won the argument, not yet anyway, but I knew that I would, in the end. He had given me his allegiance and he had to agree to all of my plan, otherwise it wouldn’t work. But the discussion had raged for longer than I had intended, and I wanted to get back to Caitlin. I never liked to leave her alone and I knew that by now her mother would be gone.

  ‘David!’ called Sonia.

  Well, I knew I was not really going to get away with it. ‘Yes, Sonia?’ I said, putting on my patient impatient voice. I stopped and hovered on my crutches.

  ‘I’ve just left Caitlin.’

  I forestalled her. ‘I know, she shouldn’t be on her own. I’m on my way back to her now.’

  ‘What did she mean about your eyes?’

  I was not expecting that. ‘What about my eyes?’ I asked.

  ‘She said your eyes were buggered.’

  ‘She really shouldn’t swear,’ I said. ‘Those bloody nuns will know it’s me.’

  ‘What did she mean?’

  ‘Look it up in the dictionary,’ I said, and began to move on.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I could hear the tears in her voice.

  Surprised, I stopped and looked at her. Her face was twisted with grief. I stared at her in puzzlement and amazement; then I leaned forward and gently wiped away a tear from her cheek. ‘Tears for the Devil’s Ch
ild, Sonia?’ I whispered.

  ‘Can you see my face?’ she asked.

  I nodded, ‘Today, not always, tomorrow I may not, it changes.’

  ‘So, why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘Wrong question.’

  ‘What?’

  I smiled. ‘Why didn’t you notice?’

  I walked away and this time she didn’t follow me.

  Chapter 31

  September 2038

  Sonia remained tight-lipped with me for weeks after. It didn’t stop her coming to clean my house, though; she came up as normal and did her usual thorough job. I think she saw me as some kind of personal mission. Then, late in September, she came two days earlier than I had expected. I walked into the living area wearing a smile and very little else and there she was, cleaning.

  ‘Shit, Sonia!’

  She looked up and blushed.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘I can’t come on my usual day,’ she said, dropping her gaze from my beautiful body. ‘Fraser’s taking me out on Wednesday.’

  ‘Really?’ I said. I was not interested; this couldn’t have been more inconvenient. I slipped back to my downstairs bedroom to get dressed. I took my time. When I eventually came out, she was already upstairs cleaning.

  I was strapping my leg up when she came downstairs again. She stood by, watching me. ‘Have you finished yet?’ I asked impatiently.

  ‘I’ve only just arrived,’ she said.

  ‘Look Sonia ...’

  ‘How are your eyes today?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Can you see me?’

  I grinned. ‘Not really, but I can smell you.’

  ‘Don’t be so disgusting.’

  I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. ‘Let’s just say that I’m more a man of touch.’

  ‘Why do you have to make everything sound so dirty?’

  ‘Your mind, not mine.’

  ‘You’re so typical, only thinking of one thing!’

  ‘You’re not my type, Sonia; you’re much too butch.’

  She humped and flounced off at that point and started working in the kitchen. She made a lot of noise. I usually enjoyed teasing Sonia but today I didn’t have the time. I pulled both crutches out, lifted myself to my feet and went across to the kitchen door. ‘Sonia, can you leave this until another day?’ I put on my most conciliatory voice. It didn’t work.

  ‘No!’ she almost shouted.

  ‘I need to go out.’

  ‘I’m not stopping you.’ I suddenly felt very sorry for Fraser Drummond. Married life with Sonia would be a stormy affair. I wondered if he was up to it. I sighed and wandered across to the front door. I gazed out and then came back in. Sonia was standing in the middle of the room; once again she startled me. My eyes were obviously starting to give me trouble.

  ‘Have you heard from Caitlin?’ she asked unexpectedly.

  I frowned. ‘Of course not; she’s back at school.’

  ‘At her convent.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I think it’s awful the way you leave her there for week after week without visiting her.’

  ‘Is that so?’

  ‘You don’t take your responsibilities seriously at all, do you?’

  ‘What do you mean? I had her here all summer.’

  She snorted. ‘Big of you! You should have her here permanently!’

  ‘You must have been talking to her mother.’ Tanya had already been bending my ear on that one, but I had been quite adamant that my house was no place for a child. Tanya had eventually been convinced. I didn’t need Sonia to start – and certainly not now.

  Sonia had her hands on her hips and my heart sank. ‘You’re the most selfish man I’ve ever met,’ she said.

  ‘So you keep telling me.’

  ‘It doesn’t change anything though, does it? You think of nobody but yourself. That poor girl! You’re so irresponsible; you have no idea about anything except your own selfish desires.’

  She was on a roll now; once she’d started I couldn’t think of anything that would stop her and she was sounding off about her favourite subject: me.

  She took a breath and continued. ‘One day you’ll realise that there are more important things than the inside of a whisky bottle and more important qualities than the ability to drink that bottle dry. You may even...’ She stopped mid-sentence, took a micro breath and then shouted, ‘and just what do you think you’re doing here?’

  I was startled by the question until I realised it probably wasn’t aimed at me. I turned around and once again my heart sank. Standing behind me were all three Mackay brothers.

  Angus walked in first, followed by Stewart and Euan.

  ‘Get out of here this instant!’ shouted Sonia.

  Angus said nothing. He walked right up to her. I held my breath. He was as tall as me, skinny but muscular. He towered above the five foot nothing that was Sonia. ‘I think you’d better leave.’ He spoke slowly and quietly. His voice was as cold as his eyes. ‘We’ve things to discuss with your boyfriend.’

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend!’ said Sonia indignantly. She was being threatened by probably the most dangerous man she had ever met and she still remembered her dignity.

  He smiled, put his hand in an internal pocket and pulled out a small pistol. It was silver, tiny and lethal. He held it to her chest. ‘Time to leave, lassie,’ he whispered.

  She stared at it and then looked back at him. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she said.

  He glanced down at it. ‘No, you’re right,’ he said. He put it away and slipped his hand in another pocket. His hand came out seemingly empty and then a knife flicked out. He held it to her throat. ‘This is much better,’ he growled.

  She paled. For some reason, the knife seemed more serious – and it was; the pistol had been done for my benefit. Euan stepped forward. ‘No, Angus, she’s the minister’s woman.’

  Angus didn’t take his eyes off her throat and his knife. Sonia was looking up at him like a startled rabbit. ‘Don’t give a shit,’ he said.

  Euan came closer. ‘Well, I do. Leave her be.’ He reached out and gently pulled Angus’s hand back. Angus reluctantly dropped the knife back into his pocket.

  Euan grabbed Sonia and pulled her to him. ‘Run back to your man of God and leave the Devil’s Child to us,’ he said softly.

  Sonia looked at me. ‘No!’ she wailed. She leapt across and flung her arms around me.

  I shrank from her touch and gently pushed her off. ‘Sonia,’ I said, ‘...just go before one of these bastards pulls another knife.’

  She looked at me and at each of the brothers. Then she seemed to make up her mind. She turned and ran out of the front door. She didn’t run to the man of God, though; she ran to the doctor.

  ***********************

  Andrew was in the middle of surgery when Sonia burst through the main doors. She raced through a crowded reception, to the confusion of everyone, and crashed into Andrew’s consulting room. Andrew was with a patient at the time. Mrs Blair was an elderly, mild-mannered, God-fearing woman with white hair. She looked up startled as Sonia flew in.

  ‘Andrew!’ she screamed. ‘You have to come; they’ve got David!’

  Andrew rose to his feet. ‘Who? What?’

  ‘The Mackay brothers,’ she gasped. ‘They’ve got David. They’ve got guns and knives and they’re in his house now. They threatened me. Come on! We’ve got to save him!’

  ‘But, Sonia, I’m in the middle of surgery. I have a patient with me.’ He turned to Mrs Blair. ‘I’m very sorry, Susan, but we won’t be a moment.’

  Sonia was, by now, beside herself. ‘You don’t seem to understand! The Mackay brothers just walked into David’s house. They’re armed and they’re going to kill him. We have to go now!’ She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him.

  ‘Sonia, I can’t simply drop ...’

  ‘Yes, you can!’ said Mrs Blair suddenly sounding very forceful. ‘You go with Sonia right now and
help that poor boy. He’s a cripple against those, those, thugs!’

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Blair!’ cried Sonia.

  ‘But my other patients?’

  ‘What are you thinking of? Just go!’ shouted Mrs Blair.

  Andrew left.

  By the time they had made it back to my house, I had gone and so had the Mackay brothers. Sonia stood in the middle of my living area and burst into tears.

  Chapter 32

  Christmas 2035

  I knew it was Christmas day. It was a day off. No one wanted me on Christmas day. It was, after all, a day for the family. I lay on my bed. I was cold, cold right through to my bones; my room wasn’t heated and, except for the breaking irons, I was naked. I shifted uncomfortably, chains rattled.

  I was lying on my stomach. My arms were spread out either side of me; the breaking irons manacled me to the bed; my arms, legs, neck and the belt around my waist held me down.

  The door opened. I heard it open and I lifted my head slightly and squinted at the open door. I was completely blind, but I could still see light. I knew that I lay in the dark and I knew when the door was open; that was all I did know. Sounds and smells drifted in with the light: the smell of a Christmas dinner cooking and the sounds of Bing Crosby wishing for a white Christmas.

  ‘Happy Christmas, Matrix!’ It was Spider leaning over me. His breath smelt of alcohol.

  ‘We have a Christmas present for you.’ That was Amos. They were standing either side of me, looking down at my still, naked body.

  ‘Take the lock out will you, Spider?’

  ‘No, you do it. I took some teeth out last time.’

  Amos put on some surgical gloves and placed his fingers in my mouth. I heard the double click and he carefully pulled the lock out. I winced with the pain.

  He threw it into a small bin on the floor. He was sitting down next to me. ‘Since it’s Christmas day,’ he said, ‘we thought you might like to have a chat with that big brother of yours.’

  I held my breath, not believing a word of it. Ever since I had first arrived they had been taunting me with the piece of paper they had found tucked into my pocket. It had a single telephone number on it: my own. ‘Would you like to speak to your brother, Matrix?’