The Fenton Saga: Never Say Goodbye / There Was No Body.

by Colin Griffiths

  “I’m afraid I’ve had to do some things.” He added.

  There was no sense of urgency for Cathy as she stood up, she wiped the tear away, she had no dread in her heart, no butterflies. Todd had an aura of calmness and tranquillity that made her feel safe, she could feel it pulsating inside her, she just needed to see what he had done, and she didn’t think this man was capable of killing, not even a little doubt now crept in. She believed him when he said he would not hurt her, there was something in his voice, a conviction. She guessed that Todd Fenton never broke a promise, and although she had heard all those crazy stories about him, that he could fly and move mountains, she felt safe with him, in fact she never felt safer.

  Todd pointed to the door in a gesture for her to go and see, she didn’t want to, she hoped there wasn’t too much blood. Todd followed her, but Cathy Brown knew that though she was leading the way, she was no longer in charge.

  She stood outside the nurse’s quarters, her hand on the handle, now her heart was racing, but her imagination had deserted her. She couldn’t imagine what was behind the door, she didn’t want to, she looked back at Todd and he nodded for her to open the door, she pressed down on the handle and slowly opened the door.

  There was no stench of death, no blood spattered walls, no horrific scene. There were just the two nurses from the night shift, on the sofa, and they were making love. In some ways to Cathy this was worse than any bloodshed, as the two girls looked up at her as she walked in, smiled and just carried on. Yes this was much worse, because he had made them do that, he had controlled them, and it was that moment she realised why everyone had feared Todd Fenton. There was a pc set up on the table in front of the girls, the camera was on and it was filming, it indicated that there were currently 33,356 watchers. Cathy switched the computer off. She turned towards Todd who had followed her in,

  “Can you get them to stop?” She asked him, Todd walked out of the room saying,

  “Tell them to get dressed and they will.” So Cathy told them, and as she did so the two girls shrieked as if they had been caught doing something, which of course they had. Their heads were completely in a whirl as they got dressed, they could remember making love to each other but had no idea why. They could not remember Todd coming in to see them. Once they got over the shock and calmed down, the girls had realised that all that really happened was they were caught making love. They had never done that before, they were work colleagues.

  “Go home and we’ll say no more about it.” said Cathy, the girls gathered their belonging, done the usual handover and set off to leave. As they walked down the corridor to the lift, Todd come out into the passage and stood alongside Cathy and as they looked at the two girls as they walked, the nurse offered the other nurse her hand and she took it.

  “I’m just a matchmaker,” said Todd

  “Sure, in front of 30 odd thousand people!”

  “Probably a million or more,” he corrected,

  She just turned to stare, her eyes showed she was confused,

  “They were just the ones on line at the time.” He said,

  “Do I need to go in the control room?” Todd Nodded,

  She grabbed his arm and turned him towards her,

  “What’s all this about Todd?” She asked,

  He licked his lips, put his hands on her cheeks, she grabbed one of his hands with hers as if to stop him removing it,

  “Freedom.” He answered,

  “Freedom?” She questioned, as she slowly moved his hands from her cheeks and they both broke their hold,

  “You can never be free when you have to hide who you are,” he looked away from her and looked up, there was just the ceiling there but Cathy suspected he was seeing much more “I’m not hiding who I am anymore.”

  She wanted to understand, she wasn’t sure if she did,

  She opened the control room door and at first it looked as if there was nothing different to what it should be, there were two military men whom she knew, one was working on the computer, the other had a pile of documents in front of him. Neither looked up they just carried on working intently, but she knew something was up as they would have drawn their guns now as Todd stood beside her. She walked around to see what the agent with the documents was doing. In front of the desk was a dozen permanent markers and he was trying to black out every single text of the documents. Besides him was a large pile that he had already done, the other side was a larger pile yet to do. She noticed filing cabinet doors remained open where he had got the documents from, he didn’t look up or acknowledge Cathy, he just carried on. She noticed beside him a large shredder, it was almost full, he had been blacking them out, then shredding them, she looked at Todd, he shrugged his shoulders.

  She now stood by the second agent, he was doing something she didn’t understand,

  “What’s he doing?” She asked,

  “He’s deleting anything he can.” Cathy put her hand to her open mouth in shock,

  “Don’t worry I expect their backed up somewhere in their fucked up world.”

  “Can you stop them?”

  “Why would I?”

  “Stop!” Cathy shouted, but the two men continued.

  “Not this time,” said Todd,

  “What now?” She asked,

  “A coffee would be nice.” said Todd, he thought it was going to be a good day.

  As they walked towards the mess room for a coffee Todd said

  “It’s my anniversary, where’s my card and cake?” and Cathy stopped, put her hand to her mouth looked at Todd and laughed, she still laughed as she made the coffee, and as she sat at the table with Todd the tears were still wet on her cheeks,

  “Did I say something funny?” He asked,

  She punched him playfully on the shoulder,

  “Shut up or I’ll wet myself,” and as she sipped her coffee, she didn’t care how big a can of worms had been opened, she held her mug with both hands and looked at Todd from across the table, took a sip and smiled.

  “I think it’s going to be a good day,” she said,

  “The best!” Said Todd. “Can’t wait for you to meet my family.”

  For the first time that day Cathy shivered, she was scared.

  Chapter 39

  They all sat in the café waiting patiently. Daniel had texted everyone saying he had a bit of bother and he was on his way. No one could get in touch with Marie Rose or James. Carol’s nerves were showing as her hands shook at the thought of Todd’s memorial. And half the people who should be there weren’t. Sandy Potts put her hand on her shoulder, Madison offered her words of comfort.

  Becky and son Oliver was there, Jezz and Tracy, Katy, Wendy and her mum Helen. Close friends and neighbours sat waiting patiently. It was hot in the café as the glorious sunshine burnt through the windows and some had decided to wait outside, though the heat was still sticky. An SUV pulled up at speed outside the café and everyone looked on and was relieved to see Daniel and Cindy come out. Then everyone looked on in wonderment as a man in what appeared to be a black uniform got out of the car along with another who seemed to have a bad shoulder. They raced into the café, those outside followed them in, panic arose, all this didn’t seem right.

  “Sorry I’m late,” said Daniel as he walked in, Madison rushed up to him, kissed and hugged him,

  “You owe me taxi money,” she said as she hugged him tight and it only loosened when whilst looking over his shoulder, in that embrace she saw the man in black and she saw his face,

  “Dad!” She shouted, as she loosened her hold on Daniel,

  “Hello sweetheart,” he replied, he looked at her almost apologetically.

  Everyone started talking at the same time, Jezz came over demanding answers, he wanted to punch his lights out, and Tracy was stood beside him wanting to do the same. The last time they had met someone in black it ended up Jezz having eight stitches.

  “Shut up,” Carol screamed and everyone stopped,

  “It’s my sons memoria
l have you all forgotten about that?” Everyone looked sullen, guilty, she grabbed Wendy by the hand,

  “This girl not only lost her lover, she lost her best friend as well,” she added, “we can ask the questions later, we need to go.” Everyone started to make a move.

  “We got a bit of a problem!” Said Daniel apologetically, he hugged his mum,

  “What problem?” She asked,

  “This man, he can’t come with us.” He pointed to the one who was holding his shoulder, he still had a look of fear on his face, there’s more of them, he thought,

  “I don’t understand Daniel, why bring him?”

  “Yea tell me why?” Jezz shouted,

  “He’s been shot mam,” and now everyone just looked on in amazement, Carol looked astounded, “Shouldn’t he be in hospital?”

  “No,” Daniel said, “Morgan shot him,”

  “Dad!!!!’ Madison screamed,

  “YES!!! Shouted Jezz, in triumph, he hoped the guy shot was the one who coshed him.

  “Lock him in the storeroom.” Said Sandy Potts, and Carol looked at her as if to question why she just said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Sandy just shrugged her shoulders, so that’s what they did and left for church.

  On the way out Madison asked her father why he was dressed like that, he promised he would explain later, he just wanted to take her away from it all, but he knew it was too late now, far, far too late. Morgan Hughes was in it up to his neck, like it or not he was with them now.

  Carol asked Daniel what was going on, he promised he would explain later, when they were back in the café, ‘only to say Morgan saved my life’ he told her.

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to know as she shivered at the thought of losing another son.

  As they walked Madison and Daniel walked arm and arm, Madison’s head on her brother’s shoulder. Carol and Morgan looked on, and Morgan thought how he could ever deny her that bond with her brother. Family come first, he reminded himself.

  “How are you feeling Mad?” Daniel asked, he was the only one allowed to call her that without getting chastised,

  “Ready for answers,” she said, “I can hear again,” she added, “stronger than before, something is going to happen isn’t it?”

  “I know you can hear Mad, you heard my cry for help, and I think you Heard Todd’s when I couldn’t be bothered to listen,”

  “How do you know that?” She looked at him, and Daniel just smiled, and she smiled back.

  “Our grandfather is on the loose you know,” she told him,

  “I know,” said Daniel “Your dad told me,”

  She looked at him with that scary Madison Hughes stare,

  “How does he know? And why is he dressed in black?” She demanded,

  “He will tell you, just don’t be too hard on him.” Daniel pleaded, Madison just screwed her nose up.

  “Do you think it’s going to be a good day Madison Hughes?” Daniel added,

  “I think it’s going to be a very good day Daniel Fenton, a very good day indeed.”

  As they approached the church, they could see Sky news there.

  *

  They drove over the Severn Bridge towards, a place called Magor. Roy was still singing along to the radio. Lia was wiping her eyes, she had just awoken, and Connor was fighting two Toy soldiers in the back seat. As he saw the sign that said Ashbourne café 2 miles some 6th sense told him that, that was where he was supposed to go, and after telling his wife he was going to stop for something to eat, she was pleased she needed to stretch her legs, she needed to pee. After asking directions to the café they pulled outside, Lia was gutted when she read the sign that said ‘closed for Todd Fenton’s memorial’ but Roy had a better idea, they would go to church, and amid Lia’s protests that’s where they went.

  “It’s going to be a good day.” He told her.

  Meanwhile at the back of the church hiding behind an oak tree that reminded him of his parents and sister’s grave, William Fenton, along with his new recruit Saskia, who had scrubbed herself up a little at a service station, stood and watched the proceedings. He saw his Grandson go into the church with Madison. It was the first time he had ever seen him, he looked a fine man he had thought. Madison looked powerful, just a young beautiful girl to everyone else. But William new her power and he knew it was time for her to unleash it on the world, whether she liked it or not, he thought it might be a good day.

  Carol, Wendy, Katy, Madison, Daniel and Morgan sat in the front. Morgan said he would sit at the back, but Daniel wanted him near him, he couldn’t fully trust him yet. The Slater Family slipped in at the back, no one noticed. The service started with a hymn and then Todd and Wendy’s favourite song ‘Dancing in the sky’ Wendy cried, the others wiped away tears. Katy hugged her tight. The Vicar gave a sermon then spoke about the young man, who had sadly been taken away a year ago. Daniels head was bowed his speech rolled up in his lap. Madison had his arm through his, but there was no tears, she swore she would only cry tears of joy today, and how she longed for those tears. The Vicar invited Daniel up to say a few words, he arched back in his seat, Madison took her arm out of his to let him go and their eyes locked.

  “You go!” Daniel said,

  “I wouldn’t know what to say Dan,” she pleaded,

  “Use this.” He said and he handed her his speech.

  Madison stood and made her way up to the pulpit, her presence demanded attention such was the aura about her, as she stood and gazed around at the people in the church, she bit her bottom lip and smiled. Roy Slater thought he was looking at an Angel as he watched Madison, his sister, unroll the speech, but like all angels they are a trick of the devil, he thought, and must be repelled in the name of America.

  The Wales Today team were there, filming it, they were up close to where Madison stood. Sky news were at the back zooming in. Gordon Williams stood at the back, he had been moved by the service so far, but his reporter’s instincts told him the best was yet to come. About 50 people stood outside the church, listening on the speakers that belted it out, and the sun shone on yet another beautiful day in the United Kingdom.

  Madison slowly unrolled the speech, there was three pages, she looked at the first page, it said the men in black will not stop us. There was nothing else written on the page. She looked at the second page, on it was written ‘He didn’t die’ again nothing else written. She looked at the third page, on it were just four words, and she realised then that those were the only words, she wanted to see, the words read.

  There Was no Body.

  Madison and Daniel exchanged smiles, nervous smiles, Carol had noticed all of this. Madison took a big breath.

  “I look around this church today,” said Madison “and as I look around I see so many people who knew Todd for a lot longer than me”

  At that time there was a hint of regret in her voice and there was complete and utter silence as she spoke. “There are people in here who could tell you more Stories about Todd.”

  Morgan became the proudest dad at that time, watching his beautiful daughter deliver a speech with an aura of an angel.

  “There are people in this Church who would say they done more things together with Todd, and for most of it you would be right.”

  She looked at both Wendy and Carol, Channel 4 news were there now they had got into the church and were filming it, no one stopped them, no one wanted to.

  “I knew Todd for 36 hours.” she was radiant, her words sounded sincere, everyone just wanted to listen, they needed to listen, “but I learnt one thing from Todd during those 36 hours, and as I watched someone recede into the night exactly 1 year ago, I learnt something that none of you know, Todd Fenton would never leave the two woman he loved the most in his life without, saying Goodbye.

  The cameras panned the audience’s faces, row to row.

  It was then that Morgan Realised that he was on virtually every TV news in the UK, when he should be destroying the Fenton’s, not partying
with them.

  Daniel stood grabbed the camera man and escorted him right up to Madison,

  “As close as you want,” he told the camera man as the sound engineers followed.

  “As I was saying,” Madison continued, she looked into the camera, “he would not leave, without saying goodbye, Todd Fenton DID not say goodbye on that mountain, I know because I could hear him.” There was a gasp from some audience members, her voice was growing not louder but more robust. She held her hands out wide and a ray of sunshine beamed through the stained glass window to where Madison stood. And as everyone looked at the beautiful girl lit up by some mystical beam, she screamed,

  “The men in black can come, but they will never defeat us,”

  Daniel thumped the air, and everyone just looked on in amazement at this bewildering twist. Eyes turned to Morgan, he put his head in his lap, he wanted to hide, what are you doing Madison? He asked himself. Madison looked up into the skies,

  “Nobody died on that mountain,” she told her captive audience. Carol had her hand against her wide opened mouth. Wendy sobbed uncontrollably. Gordon Williams looked on mesmerised, the girl looked so beautiful, it was haunting. Madison lowered her arms, and that beautiful ray of sunshine that had captured her beauty like a mystical entity dimmed. She looked straight into the Camera, and the millions watching at home along with those in the church was also captivated as they looked into this girls eyes,

  “There was no body!” She told them, and everyone in the church repeated those words with her, even the cameramen and sound engineers, to his surprise Gordon Williams found himself repeating those words and what was more peculiar, he believed it. Then she looked at her audience, sky had switched to beaming it live, she looked at them she reached to them, and they all saw this virtuous figure.

  And at that precise moment, when Madison had reached out to those Millions, the heavens opened, pelting the ground with all its might, as the dry ground soaked up its strength and the British summer seemingly ended.