‘Help me. Help me, for god’s sake. I can’t breathe,’ he was shouting, but no one could hear.
One or two of the other boys in the room were looking on in terror. They wanted to help, but then that would just bring down the fury of Prem onto them. So they watched, but kept silent.
Hedge had stars flicking across his eyes now. His chest felt like it was about to explode. He desperately tried to suck in some air, but it was a waste of time.
Then everything went black.
‘I think he’s passed out,’ said Banks.
‘Or dead,’ replied Prem. ‘Fuck him. Let’s get out of here.
Prem picked up his tube of superglue and darted out of the room.
Banks didn’t know what to do. ‘Hey, we can’t just leave him like this,’ he shouted.
‘Fuck him,’ came back the response from down the corridor, followed by hysterical laughter.
Banks leaned across and pushed his fingers into Hedge’s mouth. He managed to get hold of some of the material and pull out the handkerchief.
Hedge was still not breathing.
‘Shit,’ said Banks, before running out of the room after Prem. He forced himself not to look back.
As soon as the senior boys had left the room, some of the juniors jumped up to help Hedge.
‘Jesus, he looks like he’s dead,’ said one of them.
‘We need to pump his chest,’ said little Jimmy Wilson. He knew something about this as his mum was a nurse.
He laid both his hands flat on Hedges chest and started to put pressure on it. He had only been pushing for a few seconds, when Hedge spluttered and coughed, and then started to breathe on his own.
Hedge sat up in bed and took a few large gulps of air into his lungs. He still couldn’t breathe in through his nose. He tried to pull open his nostrils but they were glued tight.
The boys around his bed looked relieved.
‘You were lucky. We thought you might have died,’ said Wilson.
‘So did I,’ replied Hedge. ‘I need to go and see the school nurse. I don’t feel too good. Also, I need to get this glue out of my nose.
Wilson and Hedge went off to find the nurse and the other boys went back to bed. They didn’t sleep very well. All of them were terrified in case Prem happened to return to torment them further.
A few days later, just as Hedge was feeling back to normal, he was summoned by his housemaster.
‘Nurse Jones tells me you have been messing around with glue after lights out. I didn’t have you down as a substance abuser master Hedge?’
‘It wasn’t like that, Sir.’
‘So, how was it? Perhaps you’d like to tell me the full story?’
‘Well it was ..., I mean what happened was ...,’ stuttered Hedge.
There was a word that kept coming into his head. It was called ‘splitting’. Nobody liked a splitter. The worst thing you could is to tell a teacher something that would get a fellow student into trouble. How strange that you can do all kinds of evil to another person, but nothing you ever do is quite as bad as splitting.
‘Yes,’ said the housemaster, ‘I’m waiting.’
Of course, he would have been amazed if Hedge had confessed the real story. Even the staff, or perhaps particularly the staff, would not condone splitting. The unsavoury concept of telling on your peers extended across all layers of the college.
Hedge remained silent.
‘So in the absence of any further explanation, I am going to assume that you were involved in an unpleasant activity. We don’t tolerate such things at this college, and so you will suffer removal of privileges for the next thirty days. Now get back to your classes.’
Hedge left the housemasters study. He felt hard done by.
It wasn’t the first time he had fallen victim to Prem.
And it wouldn’t be the last.
Chapter Thirteen
Maddie was intrigued to find out why Cole had wanted to specifically see her. She had first met him in New York, just after she had discovered that Hedge was her brother. She liked Cole, and they had got on well during the journey back to England.
Maddie had been staying with her brother in London for the last couple of years. She had enjoyed her time there, and had made many friends. She was very likeable, lively and fun. Her good looks, and the easy going American accent gave her a constant stream of admirers.
‘So what else did Cole say on the phone? You said he seemed a bit down? That’s not like him is it?’
She pushed back her long, blond hair as she spoke. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Hedge’s car as he drove north out of London on the M11 motorway.
‘I’ve never known him to be downbeat,’ replied Hedge. ‘But then, I don’t know him that well.’
‘Did you say he lives in Suffolk? Where’s that? Is it close to Scotland?’ Maddie was brought up near Houston, in Texas. Although she had been living in England for some time, she still hadn’t quite grasped the geography of the country.
‘No. Not near Scotland. It’s only around eighty miles north of London. It’s nowhere near as far as Scotland.’
Hedge shot a quick glance at his sister. He had felt quite alone in the world until he had discovered her. She was very precious to him.
‘The address he gave me was a town called Bury St Edmunds. I looked it up on the internet and it seems quite a pleasant place. Should be nice this time of year, all the flowers will be out in the town’s gardens.’
They drove on in silence. Hedge turned off the M11 onto the A14 main road and continued to follow the signs for Bury St Edmunds. They were travelling east, and they passed several small villages on the left and right sides of the road. It seemed quite strange to them driving across this mainly rural landscape. It was such a contrast to what they were used to in London.
Forty five minutes later Hedge turned his car off at a road junction labelled ‘Bury St Edmunds West.’ They drove through the outskirts of the town and five minutes later they were pulling up outside a three storey house near a place called Angel Hill, not far from the centre of town.
‘Oh dear, someone has had a bad experience recently.’ Maddie was looking across the road at a house with boarded up windows.
‘They’ve had a fire. Not too long ago by the looks of it. Look at the black streaks running up the front of the house. I bet it’s a mess inside,’ Hedge replied.
He dragged his attention away and turned back towards the house where his friend lived.
The door was answered at the first time of knocking.
‘Hello old mate, it’s good to see you again. Hello Maddie, you’re looking well – the British weather obviously suits you.’
Cole sounded chirpy enough, but Hedge thought he looked a bit washed out, and much older than the last time they had met.
‘You look well too,’ Hedge lied.
Cole ushered them into the house and directed them through to his large living room. The house looked a little untidy inside. It appeared to be in need of a thorough cleaning.
They sat down on some dusty, brown leather chairs. Cole brought them some tea and biscuits.
Hedge pushed the milk jug over towards Maddie. Cole had obviously forgotten about his dislike of it. Was it the taste, or was it psychological? It may have stemmed from a nasty episode at boarding school. A senior boy had forced him to drink so much of it in one go, that he had nearly burst his bladder.
He felt his anxiety levels rising, but tried to concentrate on talking to Cole. He stirred his tea slowly, and then laid the teaspoon down carefully. He lined it up so that it pointed the same way as the handle on his cup. That simple action seemed to settle him a little.
‘So why the urgent need to see me? More importantly why the big fuss about Maddie coming along? Is there something I don’t know about you two?’ Hedge smirked, but he was just winding them up.
Cole stood up and walked over to the window. Hedge thought that he didn’t seem quite as tall as he used to. He was slouching,
and seemed deflated. He turned and looked at them. But he wasn’t looking. His eyes were black, and unseeing. His face had gone pale. He spoke slowly and without emotion.
‘It’s my wife. She’s gone. She’s been kidnapped.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘It must have been around a couple of weeks ago, I can’t remember how long exactly. My wife, Alice, she was forced out of the house by a masked gunman. There was a witness who saw her being pushed into a small van. I was in London when I heard the news. In fact, I was at number ten Downing Street. As you know, I work closely with senior members of the government and so my whereabouts are a closely guarded secret. My travel plans, office location, and home address are all high level classified, known only to a few members of my family and close friends. So I’m not sure how the kidnappers even managed to find us, unless my wife was a random target. But that somehow seems unlikely. Since she was taken there has been no ransom demand and no messages. In fact, I have had no communication of any kind.’
‘What do the police say? I assume they are involved’ Hedge had genuine shock and concern in his voice.
‘No, the police aren’t involved directly. This has gone way above the police. The PM has made sure of that. It seems that my security clearance has opened a few doors. MI5 have agents working on it, as do our CIA friends. Even GCHQ have a task force set up to listen out for related activity.’
‘But still nothing’ said Hedge.
‘No. Not a thing. I like to think of myself as a tough man, but this has shaken me to the core. I’m a wreck. I don’t know where to turn. I can’t even think straight. I feel at a total loss as to what to do next.’
‘Cole, that’s terrible news. I really feel for you.’ Maddie had stood, moved across the room, and put a hand gently on his shoulder.’
He tried to smile at her. That didn’t quite work, so he placed his hand on hers and squeezed it gently. He started to say something, then stopped, bit his bottom lip, and took a few deep breaths.
‘I have never experienced such sadness in my life before this. It’s as if my whole world has collapsed. I feel like I have been staring into a dark cave and all I can see is a never ending blackness. I think it’s made all the worse because I have always overcome any difficulties that have been put in my way, either with force or by working them out. But this is different. I don’t know where to begin to look. I feel lost and helpless.’
He hesitated for a few seconds, looking out of the window with glazed eyes.
Then he continued. ‘I feel like a black mist has descended all around me. I’m tired all the time, but I can’t sleep. I’m angry, but I don’t know who to take it out on. I need someone to help me, but I’m not sure who can.’
Maddie squeezed his arm gently. It was odd seeing this man, who she had only ever seen as strong and certain, suddenly reduced to this shell.
Cole smiled at her, and then looked at Hedge.
‘I know the authorities are doing all they can, but it’s not enough. I want to be involved.’
‘Last time we met you seemed to be close to the PM. What does he say about this?’ said Hedge.
‘Like the others, he thinks I should leave it to MI5. He believes I am too emotionally involved to do anything myself. That’s why I want you to help me. You did really well on our last job together.’
‘You make it sound like I am an expert,’ said Hedge.
‘But that’s the point,’ replied Cole. ‘You’re a nobody.’
‘Thanks for that.’
‘You know what I mean,’ said Cole. ‘You’re not in the Intelligence community, or special forces, or suchlike. You can help me without getting noticed.’
Maddie squeezed his arm again. ‘We want to help. But what can we do?’
Cole turned and faced her. There was desperation all over his face.
‘Hedge told me about your special ability. He said you can predict things. He said ...’
Maddie had turned to look at her brother. She had a quizzical expression.
‘Just a minute, I never said that. I simply mentioned the incident with your uncle’s friend back in Houston’ Hedge had jumped up from his chair.
Maddie turned back to address Cole. ‘It doesn’t work like that. Anyway, I haven’t had any of those experiences for at least twelve months. Since I found my older brother and moved to England, I haven’t had any of those strange feelings.’
Cole looked back at her, his eyes wide open. ‘Would you give it a go for me please Maddie. I’m desperate. I’ll try anything. Do it for me, please. I’ve heard stories about how people with certain abilities have helped the police in the past. Surely it’s worth trying?’
Maddie didn’t really feel like she had a lot of choice. She reluctantly agreed to try and help, but warned him that she may not be able to do much to assist.
She was shown up to the main bedroom and asked if she could sense anything. She moved around the room slowly, looking at various objects. She stopped to admire a couple of water colour pictures on the wall. Cole opened a wardrobe and indicated for Maddie to have a closer look at some of his wife’s clothing. She ran her hand across some of the skirts and tops hanging there. But she sensed nothing.
Eventually, she picked up a photograph of a woman who looked to be in her late thirties.
‘That’s Alice about three months ago. We were on holiday in France when that was taken.’
Maddie studied the woman in the picture. She was smiling, and her large brown eyes were open wide. Her complexion was slightly dark, and her hair was black and full of curls.’
‘She came from Cyprus. Her family were Greek,’ Cole said by way of explanation. Do you sense anything?’
‘No. Do you have something more personal of hers?’
Cole opened the top drawer of the bedside cabinet. He pulled out a silver bracelet and handed it to her.’
Maddie held it with both hands. She closed her eyes as she stroked it gently. The two men watched her closely. Eventually, she lay the bracelet down on the bed.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t really work like that. I’m not a medium or a fortune teller. I don’t think I can help.’
Cole looked devastated. ‘Try again in the morning maybe?’
Maddie nodded. She didn’t believe that it would be of any use, but she could hardly refuse.
Hedge didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing.
They went back downstairs and ate a quickly prepared meal in relative silence. Cole downed a large tumbler of whiskey with his food. Then they were shown up to their bedrooms.
‘I’ll try tomorrow then. I’ll try one more time.’ Maddie offered.
Cole nodded and mumbled something, before walking off back downstairs.
Maddie lay in bed thinking about what Cole was expecting from her.
This wasn’t how it worked though. She had predicted a few things in the past, but she wasn’t sure how. They were just random events. She couldn’t just turn it on and off at will. The voice she used to hear had completely disappeared since she had been reunited with her brother.
She wasn’t going to be able to help Cole. She knew it. She felt so sorry for him. A few tears came to her eyes. She wiped them away with her hand, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
The scream was piercing and woke both men from their sleep.
Hedge was first to react and ran out of his room. Cole was coming up the stairs. They stared at each other in horror. The noise was horrific and sounded like a terrified young child. There was a brief pause, and then it started again. It was a high pitched screech and Hedge had to cover his ears as it unnerved him so much.
‘What the hell is that?’ Hedge shouted.
‘It’s coming from your sister’s room.’ Cole was already opening the door.
The noise was deafening. Maddie was sat upright in bed, her mouth open wide. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, and her face was dripping with sweat.
‘Hey,
calm down Maddie. It’s okay. It’s okay.’ Hedge had put his arm around her shoulders.
‘It’s okay. I’m here.’
Maddie looked at him, her eyes were blazing. The screaming had stopped but her mouth was opening and closing in rapid succession. Then she started to speak.
‘She’s been taken. She’s been taken. Don’t take me, leave me alone. I’m just a child. Leave me alone.’
‘Who’s been taken Maddie?’ Cole was kneeling on the bed in front of her.
‘Athena,’ Maddie looked directly at Cole as she responded. Her eyes were still wide open, blazing, but somehow unseeing.
‘Athena, of course,’ she continued. ‘They took her. But she’s just a child. Leave her alone. Let her go home.’
Cole’s mouth had dropped open.
‘What does that mean?’ Hedge was looking at Cole. ‘Who is Athena?’
Maddie had stopped speaking. She was trying to catch her breath. Her eyes were still wide open.
Cole was mumbling something.
‘I can’t hear you, Cole. Say that again,’ Hedge said.
‘Athena was my wife’s original name. She had changed it by deed pole many years ago. She had wanted to have a more British sounding name.’
‘Where have they taken Alice? I mean Athena? Where is she? Where is she?’ Cole spoke directly to Maddie.
Maddie had started to shiver violently. Hedge held her as tightly as he could. She started to talk once more. Her voice was distant, and fragile.
‘It’s a place called Limassol. That’s where they took her. Take her back. Bring me home. I want my mum and dad.’
Maddie’s eyes slowly closed as she stopped speaking. Her body went limp and then she lay back on the bed. She looked exhausted.
Hedge fetched a damp towel from the bathroom and gently wiped her face with it. He then pulled a cover across her. He watched her for a few more minutes until she seemed settled. The two men left the room. In the hallway Cole turned towards Hedge and spoke excitedly.
The Terminate Code: A gripping, page-turning, action adventure revenge thriller, with a fast pace, and a terrifying twist in its tail ! (Hedge & Cole Book 2) Page 6