And there it was, the Clive who couldn’t stop winding Jack up.
‘We’ll be there on Saturday to take over from Maxine, and you’re back by 8am on the Sunday?’
‘That’s right. We’d have liked to stay over, but I’ll drive back overnight on Saturday. We appreciate you and Sophie stepping in.’
‘Sorry we can’t stay for Sunday. A night away with the wife, well I would if I was you!’
Why was it that Jack always ended up wanting to punch Clive. He changed the subject.
‘Who did I see you talking to in town the other day – an older guy with glasses and a beard?’
Jack had chanced it, but Clive hadn’t consumed enough booze.
‘Was that the day you stood me up for buying your lunch – the day you weren’t supposed to be in town?’
Jack covered quickly.
‘Lucy called and asked me to pop into the bank. She’d had a problem with one of her cards.’
It was a half-truth. She was having problems with her cash card, but he’d contacted the bank about it by phone the day before. Clive bought it.
‘Only a guy who wanted some figures from me. He was visiting the firm.’
‘Looked a bit heated when I saw you.’
Clive looked uncomfortable, then recovered quickly.
‘Yeah, yeah, you could say that. I was pissed off at him. He was chasing me for some information that I’d said I’d have ready for later that day. He caught me at the wrong time. I was on my lunch break for fuck’s sake. It could have waited!’
This explanation didn’t ring true, but Jack wasn’t sure if he should push it any further. He risked it.
‘He looked a bit threatening. You seemed to be having a proper argument.’
‘Look mate, are you my mother or something? I feel like this is the Spanish Inquisition all of a sudden. We had words, we straightened it out later, alright? It was nothing, just some pain in the arse leaning on me. I’m off for a piss. When I get back, let’s change the subject, eh?’
Clive got up and walked down the train carriage towards the toilet. Jack felt like a dirtbag, he’d change the subject when Clive got back. Besides, if he upset him it might scupper his weekend away with Lucy. Running was always a safe topic.
Clive got back and sat in his seat. He picked up the conversation as if nothing had happened.
‘Every time I unzip, even I can’t believe what an impressive specimen I am. And to think Soph gets a full weekend of it, lucky her!’
It wasn’t quite the topic of conversation that Jack had hoped for, but at least it wasn’t going to mess up their weekend away. He let Clive drivel on about the size of his manhood for a few minutes, and then artfully directed the conversation towards running.
Even though he spent much of his time wanting to punch Clive’s lights out, Jack would never have wished on him the events that were to unfold over that weekend.
Part II
Prey
5
Jack looked around in the darkness, desperate to see if the body was Lucy. There was shouting, panic, confusion. Damn the roar of the water, it was difficult to make anything out.
‘Come with me if yer want ta get oot o’ here!’
There was a man in the water beside him. Dressed in camouflage gear, he was older and carrying quite a bit of weight. He spoke with a strong Glaswegian accent.
‘Stop fucking about, yer numpty. If yer don’t move yer arse fast, you’ll be the next ‘un floating downstream!’
Jack started moving across the river to the furthest bank and the man moved with him.
‘Yer lassie is ahead of us, she’s fine. But these buggers are tooled up. Ma wee shotgun won’t be much use now.’
Jack strained his eyes. He made out Lucy’s silhouette in the distance.
All hell was breaking out at the side of the river. He could just make out what was being said over the sound of the water.
‘Shit, the bastard shot Tanner.’
‘Stefan, Arne, follow them across.’
‘She’s okay, just dazed. Pull her over to the side—’
‘Do not, repeat, do not terminate the target.’
Was it him they were after, or was it Lucy? ‘Terminate the target’ sounded like a Mission Impossible movie.
Without warning, something heavy struck the back of his head. It was a branch which was being swept along by the current. He lost his footing, fighting to stay conscious and to keep his head above water.
‘Woah!’ came the voice to his side. ‘Yer almost made me drop ma friggin’ gun!’
The man had caught Jack’s arm. He’d seen the log at the last moment and hadn’t had time to warn him.
‘You alright?’ he asked, not releasing Jack’s arm until he was certain that he was steady, ‘cos if yer not, we’re in shit street.’
He looked behind him. Stefan and Arne were closing in on them. These guys were not experiencing the same problems crossing the river. They were tall and muscular, and seemed accustomed to the hostile environment.
‘Yeah, yes, I’m fine. I can stand. Can you see Lucy?’
‘Keep walking, yer nelly. She’s doing fine. You might want ta take a wee leaf oot of her book. If those two Germans catch up with us we’re goners.’
This was no time for talking. They were now closer to the opposite bank of the river, they’d almost made it. Torches were sweeping across the water. Jack kept catching glimpses of Lucy’s fluorescents. He made out her figure ahead, clambering up the bank. He was aware of the men behind them, they seemed to cut through the water effortlessly.
Jack hit a hollow in the river bed and stumbled, his head dipping under the water. He surfaced with a mouthful of weeds and paused to splutter and catch his breath.
‘Do yer not understand this, soft lad?’ the man at his side shouted. ‘If those buggers catch up wi’us, it’s curtains. What is it yer nay understand about that?’
Jack pushed ahead, forcing his body through the swirls of the water and driving towards the river’s edge. At last they were there. Lucy had spotted them and was waiting with an outstretched hand.
‘Jack! Jack! Grab my hand, quick, get up here!’
Jack reached out and grasped her cold, wet hand. She was freezing. He’d been so preoccupied with getting across to the other side, that he hadn’t even thought about how bitterly icy it was in there.
Lucy helped him climb up the bank. It was good to feel his wife’s skin again as he held her hand. As he stood up, she threw her arms around him, holding him tight.’
‘Thank God you made it. I thought I’d lost you—’
‘A wee hand here, if yer don’t mind!’
Jack and Lucy broke off and worked together to haul the Scotsman out of the water. Jack’s limbs were stiffening as the immersion in the river water began to take its toll. His clothes were sodden and heavy, his movements slow.
Still the torches swept the water. Arne and Stefan were making good progress behind them, they probably only had a five-minute start.
‘What the fuck is going on – and who are you, appearing from nowhere?’ Jack shouted at the man.
‘A “thanks for saving ma life” would do! Listen to me, and make sure yer listen properly. You two are going ta get through the trees and then yer’ll come to a field. Head diagonally across the field to the wee barn. The door is open, there’s a quad bike in there. The key is under the old paint pot on the shelf. You’ll see it. It’s easy enough to drive. Make yer way along the track at the side of the barn, as far as the gate right at the end. That’s where the track meets the road. I’ll meet yer there. You wait behind the hedge, make sure it’s me.’
‘But what are you going to do? And who are you?’ Lucy blurted out.
‘I’m Calum. I was hoping for a quiet wee night o’ poaching but I walked in on a rammy. I’m going to draw these two buggers away from you, along the riverbank. Ma van is parked at the bridge, I’ll lose them there. The others will be following doon the road. And wee lassie, wi
ll please take yer hi-viz thingumy off and turn that bloody jacket of yours inside oot, they can see yer a mile away! I’d have got to yer half an hour ago if yer didn’t keep popping up like some daft jessie.’
It was Lucy’s turn to look sheepish now. She removed the bib, dropping it on the ground, then turned her jacket inside out, as Jack had done earlier.
‘Come ta think o’it, I’ll use this t’draw them away,’ said Calum as he picked up the clothing. ‘Run, you two. Get t’that quad bike. I’ll meet yer at the road and we’ll get us some help.’
Jack and Lucy looked at each other, then headed through the trees in the direction that Calum had indicated. Jack glanced back to see him standing on the riverbank throwing stones at Arne and Stefan as they waded through the water.
‘Come on, Luce. If Calum poaches this land, he’ll know what he’s talking about. Are you okay? You must be freezing.’
‘I’ll survive. Let’s go, we need to run.’
There were no torch beams now and they could only hear faint shouts behind them. The trees were not thick on this side of the riverbank and they soon emerged into fields. What had Calum said? Head diagonally. Jack had lost all sense of where they were in relation to the road. They’d have to trust him. Jack wondered if Calum would prove any match for the two men pursuing them. He was a big guy, but not in a marines-kind-of-way like the men who were hunting them. There was no way he’d be able to outrun them once they reached the safety of the riverbank. Maybe that was why he was throwing objects at their pursuers, buying time to salvage precious minutes.
Lucy and Jack jogged in silence. The night was still, there was the occasional bleat from a sheep in the distance. Moonlight was breaking through the thinning fog.
‘Do you have your phone, Luce?’ said Jack, feeling in his pockets for his own.
‘I dropped it in the woods when that first shot was fired. I panicked and ran. I’d been checking for a signal. We can’t be a million miles away from the next village, surely?’
‘I’ve got mine,’ Jack said. They’d slowed down to a walk, but they had to keep going, they couldn’t afford to stop. He tried to coax the screen into life but it was dead.
‘Shit, I think the water’s got to it. See if you can do it, my hands are so cold I can’t feel the buttons.’
They walked on, listening constantly for hostile or threatening sounds. Nothing.
‘It’s knackered!’ Lucy cursed in the darkness, throwing it onto the ground. ‘I thought these bloody things were supposed to be waterproof.’
‘They’re not indestructible,’ Jack replied, picking it up. ‘I’ll hang onto it. It might fire back into life when it dries out.’
‘I can see the barn!’
Lucy’s was running now. Jack put the phone in his pocket and caught up with her. It was exactly as Calum had described, although he’d neglected to mention a second side-door, which they were unable to budge. The main doors of the barn weren’t padlocked, and they were soon inside.
‘No electricity,’ Jack said, feeling around in the darkness for a switch. ‘Can you see the quad bike?’
‘Over here!’
‘It’s so dark in here. I’m going to open the doors to get as much light in as we can.’
Jack pulled both doors open. It wasn’t a lot of use but it helped them to figure out the basic geography of the area. The quad bike was under a tarpaulin, it would have been helpful if Calum had mentioned that.
Lucy made her way over to the shelf and felt around for the key. It didn’t take her long to find it.
‘Have you any idea how to drive these things?’ she asked.
‘Not a clue,’ said Jack, but I’m guessing that I have no time to take lessons. Unless you want to give it a try?’
‘I drove one once, remember? On that girlie weekend away before we got married. Shall I drive? It’s ages ago, but I think I remember how it works.’
‘Be my guest,’ said Jack, allowing her to position herself on the seat. He tucked himself behind her, moving in close. They needed the warmth. They were both shivering uncontrollably.
Arne and Stefan were only minutes behind them. If Calum failed in his diversion attempts, they’d be upon them soon.
Lucy inserted the key and gave it a turn. The quad bike was dead.
‘Try it again!’ said Jack, desperate for the bike to start.
‘I did, it’s dead.’
‘Shit! Any idea what it might be?’
‘How should I know?’ Lucy snapped.
‘Let me take a look,’ said Jack, climbing off.
He cautiously felt around the engine. Jack’s knowledge of cars ended at filling up the water bottle for the wipers, but as a teenager he’d cut neighbours’ lawns using petrol-driven mowers, so he’d had some experience at nursing reluctant machines into life. A rubber cap was moving freely against his hand.
‘It’s the spark plugs, the farmer must have loosened the cap as a security measure. I’ll see if I can work it back on. There it is. Give it a try.’
Lucy turned the key and the engine roared into life. So did the lights.
‘Luce, turn them off for God’s sake!’
‘Piss off, Jack. They’d been left on by the last driver. If you think you can do better, you drive the bloody thing!’
‘Sorry, I’m sorry, Luce. I’m just a bit ... tense. We both are. I’m sorry.’
‘Come on, Jack. We need to get out of here. Jump on the back and let’s see if we can make this thing work. We’ll drive without lights. Agreed?’
Jack removed the discarded tarpaulin from the front of the vehicle and clambered back onto the bike, putting his hands around Lucy’s waist.
Cautiously, Lucy began to move the vehicle forward through the barn doors. The idling engine was quiet, but as she grew accustomed to the feel of the throttle, it would occasionally roar loudly.
Jack kept his mouth shut. He was grateful that his wife even had a clue how to drive it. They scanned the area, praying that Arne and Stefan would not be there. There were no shots, no shouting and no movement. It seemed safe.
Lucy began the drive along the track. She was getting the feel for it, although the brakes were sensitive and every so often there would be a jolt. The track was full of potholes. They were picking up speed and Jack quickly learned to brace himself for the bumps.
There were no lights and no torches behind them. They hadn’t heard shots for some time. The track went on for a mile or so, that made sense to Jack. They had to clear the river and pass the bridge. He hoped that Calum had his geography right. Lucy kept the quad bike in second gear, it was a comfortable level, fast enough but not too loud and not too much revving.
Soon they reached the five-bar gate which marked the beginning of the road. Lucy brought the bike to a halt and left it idling.
‘This must be it,’ she said. ‘We’ll need to open the gate to get to Calum, or will that give the game away, do you think?’
I don’t see that we have a choice,’ Jack replied. ‘And if anything kicks off, we can take the quad bike out onto the road and make for the village.’
They worked together to pull back the gate, lifting it over some big stones which were in the way.
‘Shall I leave the engine running?’ Lucy asked.
‘Yes, we might need it. Let’s tuck it into the hedge. If anybody other than Calum comes along this road, we need to stay out of sight.’
Jack and Lucy leant against the side of the quad bike, looking up and down the road, waiting to see headlights come round the bend.’
‘I’m so cold,’ Lucy said. ‘I can’t stop shaking. My hands are almost rigid.’
‘Put them near the engine. It’ll be warm enough by now to act as a heater, but don’t touch it. You did so well there, Luce. Thank you for driving.’
Lucy moved closer to Jack and held her hands over the engine.
‘Have you still got that wallet?’ Jack asked, as they waited.
Lucy said nothing, but fumbled in her pocket,
reluctantly removing her hands away from the warmth of the engine.
‘Yes, at least I managed not to lose that. Why?’
‘I need to see who that guy was that we knocked over. It can only have been a couple of hours, it feels like forever already. Can I take a look?’
‘Can you see in this light?’
There was an ignition lamp on the quad bike, it gave off enough light for Jack to be able to see. He had a good rummage through the wallet.
‘I’m taking his cash. If we ever get to civilisation, we’re going to need that. Ours was burned in the fire.’
He dug deeper. There was a picture of the man’s family, a smiling wife and two young children. It had stayed reasonably dry inside the inner pocket.
‘There’s a driving licence. This is what I wanted to get a look at … I thought so! He works for Pharmexus in Aberdeen. His name is Matt Rackham.’
‘Did you know him? What was he doing out here?’
‘I’ve only seen him about the building. He’s involved in the big project that I’ve been working on. Different departments, you know how it is, but I know him. That can’t be coincidence, can it?’
‘Are you saying this is connected with your work? What the fuck are you doing up there? Boring tech stuff you told me.’
‘It is, just tech work. I’m no pharmaceuticals expert, you know that. What I’m doing is all very secretive, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary. I’m always signing NDAs. I never even bother to read them
‘Are you sure about that guy? Matt … what did you say his name was?’
‘Rackham. And yes, I am sure. I didn’t recognise him at first, he was in such a mess when he was lying on the road. It was when I was running to get help that I began to suspect that I knew who he was.
‘Where did the men come from? They must have arrived soon after I left. I heard the gunshot.’
There’s an older man with them, he didn’t follow us into the woods. Or at least I didn’t see him. Franz, they called him. He’s the leader – the others are the muscle. And that Rosa woman. Shit, I wouldn’t want to run into her on a dark night.’
Dead of Night [Full Book] Page 6