Tomorrow's Path

by Anna Jacobs

  He was only too aware of it now.

  He was also aware of the danger they were both in. He hoped these present strategies would ensure that he could slip into his own country safely and secretly.

  He’d known organisations such as HOD existed from researching his story backgrounds, but now he knew what it felt like to be a target, to have those you cared about in danger. Money, he decided, could be a curse as well as a blessing.

  He’d been wrong about one thing in his books. The stakes would have been considerably higher for his character, Sam Shere, if he’d had loved ones to protect.

  ‘Damn you, Louisa!’ he muttered at one stage.

  If there had been room, he’d have paced up and down, but the cubicle was only two and a half strides long.

  At last the door opened and the attendant beckoned to him.

  He was whisked out to the plane in a covered vehicle and taken on board with the food supplies. Then he was back to sitting in a comfortable seat and enduring another period of waiting as they flew towards Frankfurt.

  The journey seemed to have been going on for ever already and he was only about halfway there.

  At Frankfurt Jivan was again led to an inconspicuous office. They searched him and his luggage carefully, then drove him out in an airport runabout to a small private plane.

  A man in a smart uniform was waiting for him. ‘I’m your pilot, Mr Chandler. Call me Fred.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you. Any news on my friend? Is she safe?’

  ‘I couldn’t say, sir. They’ll bring you up to date on the situation when you get to England.’

  It was night now so all Jivan could see below them were lights. He was suddenly overcome by tiredness, so gave in to the desire to take a nap.

  Someone shook his arm and said, ‘We’re nearly there, sir.’

  He awoke with a start. They were flying over a dark landscape and seemed to be heading towards a small cluster of lights. Dotted around were bigger clusters of lights, presumably larger towns.

  Fred cleared his throat. ‘I’ve been asked to remind you that your security company is now working with a government initiative to catch HOD and you’ll be answerable to our operatives. HOD have been increasing the range of their so-called services and have lately taken out a couple of people our government and that of another country would rather have kept alive. Your security company has been most co-operative and has an excellent record. You chose them well.’

  ‘I bet they’re regretting taking me on as a client. Are you with them or the police?’

  ‘I’m not with your company but we’re all working together to put an end to this and keep you safe.’

  Which made Jivan realise that this man was a government operative of some sort. ‘I’m glad to hear that. Is Jessica caught in the middle of this or have you got her away?’

  ‘I’m afraid you’re both involved, sir. We’d rather have kept you out of it, but you’d become targets. We’ve got one of our best agents looking after your friend. If anyone can get her through it, Mary can.’

  Jivan sighed but didn’t ask for more information. It was like living through one of his own stories. Not at all pleasant.

  When they left the plane, they were checked by a customs official, then Fred handed Jivan over to another operative, Chas, who took him to a medium-sized car and handed him a bullet-proof jacket. ‘If you’d just put this on, sir.’

  ‘Is that really necessary?’

  ‘We hope not.’

  He hoped not, too. ‘Where are you taking me?’ he asked as they set off.

  ‘To one of our special safe houses, a farm near Haworth, in Bronte country. We don’t like to have our little confrontations in crowded public areas or they might take hostages or kill bystanders, not to mention alert the public. There’d be hell to pay if that happened.’

  ‘You think it’ll come to a confrontation?’ Jivan asked in surprise.

  ‘I hope not, sir. But you’ll be quite safe in the cellar there. It’s been specially built to withstand attacks.’

  ‘Is Jessica in the same place?’

  ‘I couldn’t say, sir.’

  ‘Oh, dammit, can’t you see I’m worried sick about her?’

  ‘I still can’t tell you anything, sir. This has escalated into a major operation and information is on a need to know basis only. If we don’t stop HOD we might find terrorists using their services and we do not want that.’

  He added quietly, ‘You’ll be brought up to date when you arrive, I’m sure.’

  Jessica stopped outside her father’s yard, wondering how she was supposed to know that this man really was a friend.

  He whispered, ‘Samuel Shere’, and she nodded, but he could be anybody for all she knew. No, she wasn’t going to think like that. She had to trust in the system Jivan had set up to protect her.

  ‘Samuel’ opened the front passenger door of a small car and shut it on her quietly, then came round to the driving seat. ‘I’ll drive slowly till we’re away from the houses. If at any time I tell you to duck down, do it instantly.’

  Once they were out of the town he sped up and proved that the car was nippier than it looked. After about half an hour, he turned off the road at an isolated group of houses, where he drove round to the rear.

  ‘We’re just changing cars, Jessica. It’ll be safer.’

  They transferred to a four-wheel drive that was standing with a key in the ignition. There was no sign of anyone else, but she felt as though someone was watching her.

  They left the rear area by a different exit, bumping down a rough dirt track. Some time later, after following several twisting country lanes, most of them hidden between drystone walls, Samuel pulled up at what looked like a farmhouse.

  He ushered her inside the dark hall, dumped her bag on the floor and left without another word.

  When she heard the car driving away, Jessica’s heart began to thump. Had she been delivered into a trap?

  A woman materialised out of the darkness and said quietly, ‘I’ll shine a torch on the floor to show you the way, Jessica. We’ll be using the cellar.’ She picked up the bag and walked towards the rear of the house.

  All Jessica could do was follow the woman.

  The cellar seemed very bright after the dimness of the entrance hall. Her guide had short iron-grey hair and was dressed in dark trousers and top. She had a gun in a holster on her belt. She gestured to some chairs. ‘I’m Mary. And no, this isn’t a trap, it’s a safe house. We want to keep you alive.’

  When they were seated, she went on in the same abrupt tone, ‘I’m afraid you’ve got caught up in a major international operation. The authorities of several countries are now after an organisation that’s started killing people on demand.’

  Jessica nodded.

  ‘Childering’s security company wasn’t aware of the full situation when they took on his case, but they’re now working with the authorities to help catch the hired assassins.’

  ‘Is Jivan all right?’

  ‘As far as I know. He should have arrived in England by now and will be joining us here – well, he will if they can get him through without being spotted. If not, he’ll be taken to another place of safety.’

  She waited a moment, then asked, ‘Any questions, Jessica?’

  ‘Would you answer them if I asked you?’

  This time she did win a fleeting smile from her bodyguard.

  ‘I might. The best thing you can do for the moment is try to grab some sleep. I’ll show you the facilities and the safe space you can retreat to if things get really sticky, though I doubt it’ll come to that.’

  She showed Jessica how to get into and out of a hidden room behind a cupboard in the cellar. When you were inside, it felt claustrophobic, like a large cupboard. Jessica hoped she’d not have to use it.

  How had she and Jivan got mixed up in all this? It could have been one of his stories.

  She prayed he was safe.

  Jessica woke up some time later slumped
in an armchair. She felt disoriented for a few seconds. When she heard footsteps above her head, she realised she was alone in the dimly lit room.

  Feeling vulnerable, she got the rounders bat out of her backpack and tucked it into the back waistband of her trousers. They were elasticated and easily accommodated both her expanding waistline and the bat.

  Mary came back and put the kettle on. Before Jessica realised what she was doing, her bodyguard had moved round behind her and taken the bat out of her trousers.

  ‘What’s this for? Don’t you trust me?’

  ‘My father put it into my bag and it didn’t seem a bad idea to have it handy.’

  Mary shrugged and handed it back. ‘If it makes you feel better, carry it. But don’t keep touching it or you’ll alert people to its presence. And don’t try to use it unless I give you permission.’

  ‘Oh. Right.’

  When they heard a car outside, Mary got up. ‘That’ll be our reinforcements. Stay at the top of the stairs. Shut and lock the door into the hall if there’s any trouble.’

  She opened the door and her voice sounded clearly. ‘I haven’t worked with you before.’

  ‘Call me Tom. I’m taking a break from the US, as you’ll see from my papers.’

  ‘Go first and don’t draw your gun.’

  Back in the safe room, she checked his papers, asked for tonight’s password and then nodded. ‘Want a coffee?’

  ‘Later perhaps. You might like to grab some sleep while you can.’

  ‘Yeah. Good idea.’

  Jessica was left with another stranger. She didn’t like the look of this Tom, though there was no reason for her feelings.

  Mary lay down on a couch and went straight to sleep.

  Tom paced up and down, seeming very much on edge. He went upstairs a few times, presumably checking the house. He hardly said a word to Jessica.

  Time passed very slowly. She sat at the table, pretending to read, unable to sleep.

  While Tom was up in the main part of the house, she put the laptop and her luggage into the secret room in case she had to hide in there.

  Did he know about it? Mary hadn’t mentioned it to him and the entrance faced away from the steps leading into the cellar, which was very uneven in shape.

  She suddenly realised Tom had been gone much longer this time and went to the bottom of the stairs to listen. It sounded as if there was more than one person upstairs.

  She went to wake Mary, explaining in a low voice what she thought she’d heard.

  ‘Damn! I didn’t recognise him, but he had all the right paperwork and the latest password, so I assumed he was all right. I must be more tired than I thought. You’d better get into the secret room, just in case. And don’t come out until I open the door, whatever anyone threatens or does. I mean that. It’s bullet proof.’

  Jessica nodded and went inside the narrow, claustrophobic space. This time she noticed a little glint of light and found it was a spy hole into the main part of the cellar. So she watched what was going on outside.

  Tom came back. Alone.

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Lying down in the inner room.’

  ‘You’d better show me how it works.’

  ‘I’ll just grab a coffee first.’

  ‘I’ll make it. I’m thirsty, too.’

  Mary accepted his offer but continued to sit on the other side of the table from him, watching carefully what he did.

  When he brought the coffee across, she asked for sugar, and as he went to get it, she quickly dropped something into his cup.

  Such a simple, old-fashioned trick, Jessica thought. If Jivan wrote it in one of his books, people would complain and say it wouldn’t work in this day and age.

  Only it did work. Within a couple of minutes of drinking the coffee, Tom’s eyes glazed over. He tried to stand up but couldn’t. The way he glared at Mary as he slumped said it all. He was definitely not on their side.

  Through the spy hole she watched Mary run lightly up the stairs and lock the cellar door from inside, bolting it top and bottom for good measure. Then she pulled a small lever that Jessica hadn’t even noticed.

  When she came down, she opened the door of the secret room. ‘You might as well come out while we wait. That place is too small for comfort. The lever sends out a warning signal and calls for backup,’ she explained.

  Even as she spoke, Tom groaned.

  ‘I’ll just make sure lover-boy here can’t hurt us if he regains consciousness.’ She produced some thin rope and used it to tie his hands behind his back, then fastened his feet to the chair legs. ‘I’d like to know how they found out about this place and our password,’ she muttered. ‘We must have a leak somewhere.’

  She took out a very small phone and when it rang she identified herself with some numbers, then said, ‘Chief, we’re stuck in the cellar with one captive.’ She explained what had happened then listened intently. When she ended the call, she turned back to Jessica. ‘They want us to stay here till it’s safe.’

  Someone tried the cellar door. ‘Open up or we’ll break the door down.’

  ‘Here we go,’ said Mary, not seeming worried about the threat.

  The lights went out suddenly.

  There was a click and one dim light went on. ‘Emergency lighting,’ Mary explained.

  Something crashed against the cellar door.

  ‘Good luck,’ Mary said. ‘That door’s got a steel core to it.’

  ‘What if we can’t get out again?’ Jessica asked nervously.

  ‘There’s another exit, but that’s not the best solution at this stage. We’ll be safer staying here.’

  After that they listened to the crashing sounds as the intruders tried to force open the door. These stopped after a while. From then on they sat in silence, listening to some thumping on the floor above.

  ‘They’re trying to break through the ceiling,’ Mary said with another of her not-quite smiles. ‘There’s a layer of steel there, too. So unless they’ve brought an acetylene torch, they’re stymied.’

  Tom seemed to be conscious now, but since he had a gag in his mouth, he wasn’t able to say anything. When he started trying to rock his chair to and fro, Mary poked his chest with her gun. ‘Sit – still – you. Or I’ll have to knock you out.’

  He slumped against his bonds and the silence resumed.

  Jessica still found it hard to believe this was happening – until she looked at Mary’s grim expression and saw the gun held steadily in her hand.

  Twenty-Two

  ‘We’re five minutes away from the safe house now, sir,’ Chas said.

  A minute later, a red light began to wink on the dashboard. Chas cursed under his breath and pulled up abruptly by the side of the road.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Jivan asked.

  ‘Something’s gone wrong. That’s our warning signal broadcasting from the safe house. How the hell did anyone find out about this place?’ He picked up the phone from its hands-free cradle and pressed a button.

  Someone answered his call immediately and they had a rapid conversation. He cursed again.

  ‘They don’t know how it’s gone wrong but somehow HOD have found out where Jessica and you are being taken. They’ve got inside the house, but not inside the safe room. Jessica is there already but they’ve mistimed it and you’re not there, thank goodness. Heads are going to roll for this.’

  He started to turn the car round and Jivan stopped him. ‘Are you going to leave Jessica in danger?’

  ‘My job is to protect you, sir. Other people are on the way and in the meantime—’ His phone rang again.

  After only a few words, he put it down. ‘I’m to go and help. The helicopter has been delayed. You are to stay here. I suggest you go behind that wall, sir.’

  ‘No. I’m coming with you.’

  ‘You are not a trained operative. You’ll get in the way.’

  ‘I’ve had training in unarmed combat and if you’ve got a spare gun, I’m a fair s
hot, too.’

  ‘I thought you were a writer?’

  ‘I write thrillers. Action research helps me get them more realistic and also keeps me fit in a sedentary job.’

  The man looked at Jivan and made a quick movement as if to pin him to the seat, but Jivan stopped him and twisted his arm to prevent follow-up.

  ‘You’ve got damned good reactions.’

  ‘So I’m told. Look, if you leave me here, I’ll only follow you.’

  Chas sighed. ‘Very well. But you are to obey my orders. And here!’ He unlocked the glove compartment and handed a gun to Jivan.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Do not do anything rash.’

  He drove off slowly, without headlights, stopping in a dip in the rough lane. ‘The car will be out of sight from the house and we can cut across the fields. I’ve been here before so I know the layout. Stay a couple of yards behind me.’

  They crept forward slowly across the field, stopping every few yards. Another car drove up to the house from an easterly direction as they got within a hundred metres of it. ‘Get down!’ Chas threw himself to the ground as he spoke and Jivan followed his example.

  Chas moved close enough to whisper, ‘No one is supposed to be getting here yet, so it’s not one of ours.’

  ‘What do we do?’

  ‘Stay back and watch. Intervene only if it seems worthwhile and I will decide what’s worthwhile. Got that?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The car stopped in front of the house and a man got out, turning to help a woman out.

  As the moon emerged from behind the clouds, Jivan whispered, ‘That’s my ex-wife!’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Oh, yes. I’ve got very good eyesight.’

  ‘She doesn’t look to be a captive.’

  ‘She probably hired them to deliver me into her power and has come to gloat. She’s after my money.’

  There was the sound of a helicopter in the distance and Chas made a low, satisfied sound. ‘Here come our lot.’

  The people from the car were just starting towards the farmhouse when they heard it and the two men spun round, staring into the sky and gesticulating to one another.

  Louisa tried to go back to the car, but one man dragged her into the building.