by Carys Jones
‘We need to take my car,’ Shane had told Jake decisively when the larger man eventually returned from sulking in the shadows outside.
‘What? Why?’
‘It’s too easy to run the plates on your rental. No one up here knows me. My car is the safer option.’
Jake didn’t fight the decision.
‘You found somewhere?’ his tone was hard as he flung the question towards Amanda.
‘Yeah, there’s an isolated holiday cabin way up north. I booked it online under Shane’s name. We can all spend a few days there until it’s safe enough to take Ewan to England.’
Amanda gave what she hoped was a brisk, efficient nod. She didn’t want Jake to see the worry she hid behind a tight smile.
When she’d booked the cabin online there had been a new message waiting for her on the darknet.
From Turtle82.
As she tensely tapped on the mouse pad to open it, Amanda’s heart had stopped beating. Her entire body had frozen in anticipation.
I need you to do one more job for me.
Sucking in a breath, Amanda had read the rest of the message;
From where you’ve been swimming lately I’d say we’re after the same fish. Help me catch this King Carp and I’ll consider us even.
T.
The words swam before her on the screen. So Turtle82 truly did know where she was. What else did they know? Were they aware of McAllister? Was he the King Carp?
Amanda had hurriedly confirmed the booking for the cabin. Then, despite her better judgement, she reopened the darknet, where Turtle’s message was patiently waiting for her on the screen. Biting her lip, she let her fingers dance across the keyboard as she fired off her reply;
One last job and that’s it. We’re done.
If Turtle82 was out for McAllister and there was some way she could help, then she knew she had to take it. She could remove the shadow which hung over Jake, allow him to feel safe again. To feel free. And then what? A sorrowful tremor shuddered through her body. Would he go home with her, back to their old life? Or was that all gone now? Would he stay in Scotland, with his first wife and son? Amanda didn’t even know what she wanted anymore, let alone what Jake wanted.
‘Okay.’ Jake grumbled, breaking her train of thought..
A light rain had descended by the time they were all bundled up in the car. Ewan continued to sleep with his head resting against Amanda’s shoulder.
‘How far away is this place?’ Jake seemed uncomfortable in the passenger seat. He kept readjusting his seat belt and looking longingly at the steering wheel behind which Shane was placed.
‘Two hours, maybe three.’ Shane was pulling away from the little cottage.
‘Great.’
Amanda almost laughed at how sarcastic Jake sounded. ‘It’s going to be fine,’ she assured him.
‘Let’s hope so.’
*
‘Where are we?’
‘What’s for breakfast?’
‘Where’s Mummy?’
‘Can I play with Woody?’
‘When can I go for a wee?’
Ewan woke up around an hour into the drive and started firing questions at Amanda like a mini machine gun. She convinced the men that they needed to stop at the next set of motorway services. Shane had opted to stick to the main roads feeling that the need for speed outweighed the need for stealth.
‘They won’t even be looking for this car,’ Shane had insisted when Jake objected.
Morning had broken when they arrived on the service’s car park. It wasn’t a glorious dawn to a new day. The sky was leaden and a cold rain fell like mist.
‘Okay, let’s go stretch your legs,’ Amanda helped Ewan out of the car. He instantly placed his hand in hers and together they walked towards the services. Doors slammed behind her as the two men also got out.
‘Ooh, McDonald’s,’ Ewan started to bounce up and down excitedly when he saw the golden arches.
‘I guess we can get your breakfast there if you like.’
‘Yes!’ More bouncing.
An egg McMuffin and a Coke later and Ewan was a ball of untamed energy.
‘I’d better take him to the toilet,’ Jake suggested when the little boy kept squirming. He kept his shoulders slumped, his eyes nervously darting around the place as though he feared being spotted at any given moment. It was a risk to have him out in public but Amanda sensed that he was trying to snatch every moment with his son that he could. Ewan merrily bounced out of the booth and followed his father towards the rest rooms.
‘He’s a cute kid,’ Shane commented.
‘Mmm,’ Amanda thoughtfully twirled the stirrer in her cup of coffee. ‘His mum must be going out of her mind though.’
‘Do you think she’d call the cops?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe. No.’
‘No?’
‘Jake makes it seem like she’s just as aware of the danger McAllister poses as he is.’ Picking up another sachet of sugar, Amanda smacked it against her palm, loosening its sweet contents. Then, ripping it open, she dumped a second load of white crystals into the dark depths of her coffee.
‘Need the sugar kick, huh?’
‘I feel like I’m running on empty,’ as if on cue Amanda’s jaw widened into an epic yawn.
‘You and me both. Tell me this log cabin has a hot tub, open fire and on-site masseuse.’
‘I wish. More like two bedrooms, a modest kitchen and a good thirty minutes away from the nearest town.’
‘Sounds heavenly.’
‘It should be remote enough to let us lay low for a bit. But when can we leave?’
‘How long’s a piece of string.’
‘I’m serious,’ Amanda frowned as she sipped at her coffee, the caffeine struggling to push back her mounting exhaustion. ‘We can’t just stay up there indefinitely. We’re like the most complicated episode of Happy Families ever.’
‘You keen to get back to your life?’
‘To normality,’ Amanda admitted. ‘I don’t get paid while I’m away like you do. I work for myself, remember?’
‘I’m off sick. I called earlier today and I gave myself the Novo virus so I’ve got a few days yet before I need to resurface back home. I couldn’t keep up the ruse about following a lead as it’s been too long. I didn’t want to risk rousing suspicion. ’
‘Smart move.’
‘I like to think so,’ Shane smiled mischievously at her.
‘But you can go back anytime, you know. You don’t need to stay up here. You don’t owe Jake, me, anything.’
‘I’m not going back without you.’
‘You’re not normally so resolute about things.’
‘I’ve grown up these past few years, Amanda. I’ve changed.’
Her lips lifted into a gentle smile as she looked into his eyes. ‘Hopefully not too much.’
*
Amanda was running out of ways to pass the time. She was on her eighth game of I spy with Ewan, who remained enthralled by her attempts to play with him.
‘Okay…’ she looked outside the car. The roads were bordered by trees on both sides. A light rainfall continued to patter against the windows. ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with…’ Amanda desperately scanned the space around her. ‘W.’
‘Window.’
‘Windscreen.’
‘Wipers.’
‘Woody.’
Ewan got it on his fourth try. He clapped his little hands together in delight when Amanda congratulated him and gave him a victory sweet.
‘I think you’re making this too easy for him,’ Shane grinned at her via the windscreen mirror.
‘He’s just too good at it.’ Amanda playfully tickled Ewan and he burst out laughing. The sound was so light, so purely joyful. It felt grossly juxtaposed to the grim reality of their situation. They were en route to a remote Scottish cabin to hide from men who wanted to kill both Ewan and his father. Yet when the little boy laughed you could almost believe that
they weren’t in peril, that there was nothing to fear.
‘Daddy, you go,’ Ewan’s bright eyes fixed on the back of Jake’s head.
‘Maybe later,’ his father grumbled.
‘Daddy, come on, you do one.’
‘I said later.’
Looking hurt, Ewan tucked himself against Amanda’s side. ‘Your dad’s just tired,’ she told him soothingly. ‘Why don’t you close your eyes for a bit and then we’ll play again in a little, okay?’
‘Okay.’
Feeling the weight of the little boy against her Amanda knew that her life was about to change in ways she could never have expected. Sure, she’d seen children in her and Will’s future but not like this. This was… Amanda was caught up in the middle of a battle she hadn’t even known was being fought.
*
The cabin was nestled upon a steep hill, within a dense cluster of trees. The drive up had been bumpy with Shane’s car groaning in protest as its tyres pushed through the mud.
Under different circumstances, Amanda might have thought the cabin beautiful. It was a long, single-storey structure made of rounded tree trunks, with little glass windows that looked out on the hillside. It was quaint and reminded Amanda of the cabins she’d read about in Little House on the Prairie as a girl.
It was the isolation that troubled her. Climbing out of the car, she looked around and saw only green treetops stretching out for miles. The rain had turned from mist to fog, shrouding the road as it fell away from them. They’d passed by the last town some forty minutes ago and that looked to be a small, coastal place. There were no golden arches for Ewan to coo over, no bright petrol station lights to pierce through the gloom.
‘Well, it’s back to nature,’ Shane came and stood beside her as she surveyed the landscape. She breathed in the air; the fresh fir trees and the damp earth.
‘Ooh, we’re camping,’ Ewan was bounding towards the cabin. ‘Can we go fishing? Can we climb trees? Can we make a campfire? Can I toast marshmallows?’
‘Wherever he gets his energy from, I’d like some of it,’ Shane yawned.
Inside the cabin was decorated with the same wood panelling as outside. It smelt of fresh pine, like the woodwork aisle in a hardware store. Amanda felt a pang as she remembered meeting Jake in such a place. How just setting eyes on him for the first time had been enough to make her heart race.
‘This place is awesome,’ Ewan was running round the circular dining table. The main room was completely open-plan. There was a lounge area to the left with two pale blue sofas and matching gingham curtains. To the right was the kitchen and dining area. All the furniture was wooden, as were the kitchen countertops. Three doors on the far wall led to the two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.
‘If this fog clears we should have a clear view down to the bottom of the road,’ Jake was at the windows, peering out from behind curtains he’d already drawn closed.
‘Where’s my bedroom?’
Ewan was running for one of the doors. Amanda followed after him as he led them into a wood-panelled room which housed two single beds. Both had blue duvets the same shade as the curtains and the sofas. There was definitely a theme going on.
‘This is our room,’ he told her gleefully as he pulled her in. He placed Woody on the one bed and then stared up at Amanda. She hadn’t realised she’d be sharing a room with the little boy but she didn’t mind. She was actually quite pleased. ‘You’ll read me a bedtime story later, won’t you?’
‘Of course.’ Though Amanda didn’t have any books with her she had her trusty laptop. She should be able to source some children’s stories on there no problem.
‘A ghost story?’ Ewan’s eyes widened and he started to smile. He was like a cheeky little imp.
‘No, not a ghost story. I don’t think that would be a good idea.’ For me she thought. She had enough to fear in the shadows without adding ghosts to the list.
‘Then an adventure story?’
‘Sure.’
‘So is this where you’re sleeping?’ Shane was in the doorway, casually leaning against it.
‘I…’ Amanda smoothed her hands down her top and turned to face him. ‘What’s the other room like?’
‘Same as this one,’ Shane’s eyes glistened in amusement.
‘Oh.’
‘So are me and Jake supposed to be roommates?’
‘No, course not, Jake can sleep in—’
‘I’m just kidding. Our sleeping arrangements don’t matter since we’ll be taking turns to keep watch.’
‘Let me help.’
‘No.’ Shane stepped towards her and rested one hand on her shoulder. The other he used to gently graze her cheek. Amanda shuddered at the tenderness of it. ‘You need to get some rest.’
‘Are you saying I look tired?’ she teased.
‘No. I’m saying that I’m doing my best to look out for you and that means making sure you get enough rest.’
‘Okay.’
‘And no hour long walks in the woodlands around here, got it?’
‘Got it.’
‘I’m serious,’ Shane dropped both hands against her shoulders. ‘It’s best we all stay put in the cabin. The woodlands around here are pretty dense. It’d be easy to get lost.’
‘Then stay here we shall.’
‘Oh,’ Ewan began loudly whining. ‘But I want to climb the trees and make a fire.’
‘How about instead we watch a movie on my laptop and roast marshmallows over the fireplace in the lounge?’
‘Yay!’ Ewan bounced around in a circle.
‘Netflix has kid’s shows, right?’ she threw Shane a concerned look.
‘Loads. But I wouldn’t bank on having a great internet connection up here.’
‘Damn.’
‘But you’ll figure it out.’ Shane’s hands were still on her shoulders and he was looking deep into her eyes. ‘Besides, the kid proper loves you. He’d be happy whatever you do.’
‘And you?’
‘I’m happy as long as you’re safe.’
‘We can’t risk starting a fire,’ Jake declared as he entered the room.
‘Why not?’ Amanda stepped away from Shane to confront him. ‘I told Ewan we’d roast marshmallows on it.’
‘The smoke could attract too much attention.’
‘Jake,’ Amanda tugged at his thick arm, easing him out of the room and away from the little boy. ‘I know you’re scared,’ she lowered her voice as they stood in the centre of the main living area, ‘but you need to make things fun for him. He’s just a little boy and he’s adapting so well to all this but we can’t make it a prison for him.’
‘I want to protect him,’ Jake glanced fearfully at the windows, at the front door. ‘But I don’t know how to be a dad to him.’
‘Just start by letting him have some fun,’ Amanda advised warmly. ‘We’ll light a fire, roast some marshmallows, watch a movie, make sure there’s no reason for Ewan to be afraid.’
‘He seems to really like you.’
‘Well he loves you because you’re his father. Spend some time with him. Get to know him.’
‘Right now all I care about is keeping him alive.’
‘And you’ve done that,’ Amanda reached for Jake’s hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘We’re literally holed up in the middle of nowhere. No one is coming for us. We just have to wait for McAllister to get bored of looking for you.’
‘I’ve been gone for years. Time is irrelevant to men like him.’
‘Try to forget about it, Jake. We’re here. We’re safe. Let’s light a fire and have a bit of fun. What do you say?’
‘Okay,’ Jake dragged a hand down his face and looked towards the empty hearth in the lounge area. ‘I’ll try and relax, for Ewan’s sake. It’s just one fire, what harm can it do?’
‘Exactly,’ Amanda beamed at him. ‘Now let’s go find some firewood.’
28
The fire crackled in the small hearth. Ewan was sat cross-legged on the floor a fe
w feet away from it, entranced by the dancing flames.
‘There’s nothing,’ Shane opened up a kitchen cupboard to emphasize his point. Amanda peered in at the shelves containing only dust. ‘No food. Not a thing.’
‘We should have stocked up at the services,’ Amanda groaned. Jake was showering after having successfully started the fire, which left Amanda and Shane on dinner duty. Only there was nothing to eat in the cabin.
‘Look, it’s not dark yet,’ Shane looked behind her, at the closed curtains through which some light still filtered.
‘It will be dark in under an hour.’
‘I’ll drive down to the nearest town. Get some food. Head straight back here.’
‘I don’t know.’ Amanda looked over at Ewan. He was still contentedly watching the fire, gasping as a piece of wood snapped before being consumed by flames.
‘He needs to eat,’ Shane placed his hands on her arms and drew her to him. ‘Kids are like gremlins. They need to be fed and watered but not after midnight else they become little monsters.’
‘Haha, very funny,’ Amanda replied dryly.
‘Seriously though, I won’t be long. I’ll be back before you’ve even had chance to miss me.’
‘You’re keen to leave,’ Amanda raised her eyebrows at him.
‘Well this cabin is more Deliverance than Date Night,’ he gave a half-smile which Amanda remembered seeing across a packed classroom. It was a smile she’d take a mental picture of and then observe late at night alone in bed, knowing that she’d give anything to have him smile at her that way. Shane’s smile had been the first sign that he was leaving the friend zone and becoming a much more significant part of Amanda’s life. As a teenager she felt as though she could live and die on his smile. ‘Plus. I’m starving,’ he squeezed her arms and his smile widened. ‘I reckon I can find somewhere that sells pizza. Or at the very least fish and chips.’
‘Both sound amazingly good right now.’
‘Then it’s settled,’ Shane released her to reach into his pocket and grab his keys. He playfully spun them around his finger as he walked towards the front door.
‘Make sure you come back,’ Amanda followed, tightly flanking his every step. When he moved outside, she leaned against the door frame, felt the soft dusting of rain against her arms.