Secret in the Clouds

by Christopher Cummings

  At the end of a lap he stopped to get his breath and looked around. As he wiped water from his eyes he blinked, cursed the fact that he couldn’t see properly without his glasses, then struggled to focus. Then his hopes leapt. It was Judy who had just come through the pool entrance. His heart hammered hopefully, then crashed. Tom was walking with her! Stephen was stunned. ‘Bloody Tom! I wish the bugger would go back to Victoria!’ he thought. Once again he wondered what it was that Tom had that he didn’t. ‘And when did he organise to come to the pool with Judy?’

  To hide his hurt and give himself time to master his emotions Stephen swam two more laps, then climbed out and sauntered over to where Judy and Tom were preparing to go into the pool. Judy smiled and greeted him cheerfully enough but Stephen noted just a hint of anxiety in her voice and eyes.

  “I didn’t know you were coming swimming Tom,” he said. “How did you get here?”

  “Judy’s mother dropped us off,” Tom replied.

  That hurt too. “When are you going home?” Stephen asked.

  “Monday afternoon. I couldn’t get a flight any earlier than that,” Tom answered, now looking Stephen levelly in the eyes.

  Judy now intervened, placing her hand on Stephen’s arm. “Don’t be like that Steve. You don’t have to wish Tom was gone quite so openly.”

  Expressions like: ‘He’s walking on my grass!’ flitted across Stephen’s mind but he managed to hold his tongue. ‘Judy isn’t mine, and she will really resent any implication that she is a possession,’ he thought. He was surprised at how strongly he felt. Then he realised he was actually doing himself good. ‘She knows I care now.’

  Judy took both their arms. “Come on you two, let’s swim.”

  To ease the tension Stephen allowed himself to be led back to the water. He dived in and swam two more laps, finally stopping near Graham and Blake to get his breath back. Blake nodded back towards Tom. “Is that bugger trying to cut you out Steve?” he asked.

  Stephen nodded. Blake made a face and said, “You should punch him on the bloody nose and tell him to clear out.”

  At that Stephen shook his head. ‘Judy wouldn’t be impressed by that sort of macho violence,’ he thought. To end the conversation he struck out along the pool again. This time he did four laps before finally puffing to a standstill.

  He found himself clinging to the edge of the pool near Graham, Tom and Judy. To Stephen’s now blurred vision Judy looked like an angel, her face just in focus but all around her misty. She said, “Steve, why don’t you and Tom come over to my place tonight for some games.”

  “What sort of games?” Stephen asked. His thoughts raced. ‘Is she trying to play one against the other? Is this some sort of a test?’ he wondered. His initial reaction was to say no but a moment’s reflection convinced him he had to go. ‘If I don’t then Tom will get a clear run.’

  “Just board games and that sort of thing,” Judy replied. “I will ask Sheila to come over as well.”

  “What about us?” Blake asked.

  “You can all come,” Judy replied, looking around at Graham and Peter.

  Having nothing else planned this was agreed to. Stephen did some more practice before climbing out. He felt very self-conscious about that because he was ashamed of his body, thinking it too skinny and his skin too pale to be attractive. ‘At least Tom is even gawkier than me,’ he noted with satisfaction as Tom also climbed out.

  He then had the unsettling experience of seeing Tom given a lift home in Judy’s mother’s car. He stood beside Tom and tried to act relaxed while they waited for it on the footpath outside the pool. When the car stopped Stephen said, “Don’t be late for tea Tom.”

  “Tom’s having tea with us,” Judy replied, anxiety showing on her face.

  “Oh is he!” Stephen replied softly, his teeth clenched.

  Judy looked unhappy. “See you at half past seven Steve. Please come.”

  Stephen and Tom both glanced at each other and Stephen felt an urge to hit him right there and then. He resisted this and said goodbye, then walked away without looking back. In a black mood he got on his bike and pedalled home, quite forgetting to watch for the men in his dejection.

  His reaction was not to go to the party but he cooled and decided he would. That meant asking parents for permission and to his relief his mother gave her OK. “Once your homework is done,” she insisted.

  That kept Stephen busy until tea time. Then he showered and changed before hurrying out. As he wheeled his bike out his mother called through the kitchen window. “You ride carefully.”

  Only then did Stephen remember the white cars. As he mounted his bike he looked along the street. There wasn’t a car in sight, not even one parked on the grass verge. He then stared at the houses on either side and across the street. They looked perfectly normal. All of them had been lived in by the same people for years. ‘Are the Feds watching us from one of them?’ he wondered. He couldn’t see how but conceded it was possible. Darkness was now setting in and there was the hint of rain so he felt reasonably confident no-one had him under surveillance.

  Riding very carefully he set off. At the next intersection there was some traffic and at the one after that he found himself being passed by a continual stream of cars, all rushing up from behind and flashing by very close. It started to drizzle as well. ‘I’m liable to be a road accident victim anyway,’ he thought, noting the windscreen wipers going and the drivers peering through the wet windscreens.

  For added safety Stephen rode along the concrete footpath, glad that the drizzle had reduced the possibility of hitting a pedestrian. In fact he only passed two in five blocks. He found it very hard to see in the dark and rain, the headlights of cars coming the other way being no help. By the time he reached the Fiveways at Edge Hill the shower had passed. By then his attention had become focused on Judy and how to win her affection.

  Thus his mind wasn’t on taking special precautions as he crossed the next cross-street. It was only a side street anyway and the main traffic flow was on the street beside him. He didn’t see the truck but luckily heard it in time. It came from behind and turned into the street as he was crossing. All Stephen was aware of was the blinding headlights and the roar of the truck’s motor.

  ‘It’s going to hit me!’ Stephen thought, noting the truck’s tyres spraying water aside as it squealed around the bend at high speed. To save himself he swerved violently. To his horror his front wheel skidded and slipped. Next moment he found himself falling, with the huge wheels rolling along only centimetres from him. He fell heavily on the wet bitumen and realised he was staring under the truck.

  ‘I’m dead!’ his mind screamed as he saw the rear wheels out of the corner of his eye. He gave a convulsive, panic-stricken jerk. Something metal struck his shoulder and knocked him flat. Exhaust fumes enveloped him. Then the tyre rolled past, brushing him and running over the hem of his raincoat.

  There was a screech of brakes but the truck slid on for another ten metres. Stephen rolled onto his back in the gutter, the soaking chill of the rainwater run-off adding to his shock. ‘Missed me! I’m alive!’ he thought. Rain began to speckle on his glasses. Combined with the red glow from the trucks brake lights he was almost blinded.

  Stephen was aware that the truck had stopped. He heard a door slam on the cab and saw boots running towards the back of the truck. ‘Useless bastard!’ he thought angrily, preparing to blast the truck driver for his carelessness. Then another ghastly thought came to him: what if it was deliberate? ‘He might be coming to check whether I am still alive and to finish me off!’ he thought.

  With that Stephen struggled to his feet, ready to run. The driver’s face appeared above the tail lights. The man stared for a second, then the face vanished. As Stephen stepped back up onto the kerb he was stunned to hear the man climb back into the cab, slam the door and rev the motor. ‘He’s not stopping!’ he thought.

  “Hey!” Stephen shouted. “Stop! You nearly killed me!”

 
But his shouts were lost on the roar of the truck’s engine. It accelerated away. “Number! Get its number!” Stephen cried. But the rain had started again and his glasses were now coated in drops. He could make out the light above the number plate but not the actual letters and numbers. “Oh damn these bloody glasses!” he shouted.

  Shock and fear made him angry and he swore loudly as the truck vanished around the next corner. Stephen then looked around to see if there were any other people. ‘I need witnesses,’ he thought. But there wasn’t a soul in sight, just cars hurrying past in both directions on the main road.

  Then the fear changed. ‘He tried to kill me!’ Stephen thought. Images of the driver’s face flitted into his mind. ‘Was that the man called Robert?’ he wondered. But he could not decide. The face had looked vaguely like Robert’s. ‘They are watching!’ he thought. Suddenly he felt very alone and vulnerable. ‘I’d better get away from here to somewhere safe,’ he thought. He snatched up his bicycle, checked it was apparently undamaged, leapt on and began pedalling furiously.

  CHAPTER 26

  WHAT WILL WE DO ?

  Judy’s face registered her instant concern. “Stephen! What happened? Oh come in quickly.”

  Stephen allowed himself to be led inside Judy’s house. Behind Judy stood Tom and Sheila. Graham and Peter sat in the lounge. Judy’s mother appeared from the rear of the house. “What happened?” she asked.

  “I nearly got run over by a truck,” Stephen replied. Shock was setting in now and he started to shake.

  “Oh you are all wet,” Judy cried. “You are shivering with cold. Come through to the bathroom at once.”

  As he walked past Graham and Peter he saw their worried looks. “A truck?” Graham asked. “Where?”

  Stephen started to describe the incident but Judy cut him off. “Never mind that now. Stephen, you get those wet clothes off and have a hot shower at once, before you catch a chill.”

  Tom, who had been brushed aside, now commented, “You never told me to get my clothes off straight away.” Stephen had the satisfaction of noting that he looked somewhat miffed.

  “Oh Tom! Don’t be rude!” Judy cried. Stephen noted small patches of red colour her cheeks. Sheila giggled and Graham grinned.

  Judy’s mother came forward. “That’s enough of that talk you children. Now Stephen, get in the hot shower and we will find you some dry clothes. Are you hurt?”

  Stephen shook his head. “Just a few bumps and bruises,” he replied. He followed Judy along the hallway to where she pointed in a door. He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. For a minute he just stood there shaking as the reaction swept through him. Then, with fingers that trembled, he peeled off his wet clothes.

  The hot shower was bliss. As he stood under it, enjoying the warmth he took an inventory of his body, checking for bruises and scratches. There were none of any consequence. While he was doing this the door to the bathroom opened and he saw a person walk in. For a moment he could not identify them, the combination of shower curtain and no glasses making them just a hazy blur. Then Judy spoke.

  “Here are some dry clothes for you Steve.”

  “Judy! I haven’t got any clothes on,” Stephen replied, turning his back on her and covering himself.

  He glimpsed Judy placing the clothes on the bench top only a metre away. She gave a giggle and replied, “From what I’ve heard other girls say about you that doesn’t usually worry you.”

  That was a revelation to Stephen. It had never occurred to him that girls would talk about what they had done. It also gave his hopes a real boost. ‘Maybe Judy isn’t quite the square she makes out to be?’ he wondered. He also realised he didn’t want to put her off by doing the wrong thing. “I don’t want to offend you,” he replied.

  “You won’t,” Judy replied.

  “What about your Mum?” Stephen asked, very aware that she must be only in the next room.

  “Mum trusts me,” Judy replied. “Besides, she says that if you haven’t seen it before it will be educational; and if you have it won’t matter.”

  Stephen’s mind raced and he tried to think of some witty ‘come on’ which wouldn’t offend her. Several innuendos flitted across his mind. But instead he said, “You can join me in the shower if you like.” Even that got his heart thumping hard and he realised his throat had gone dry with lust.

  “Not now,” Judy replied. “Now don’t be naughty and hurry up. We want to know what happened.”

  ‘Not now!’ Stephen thought, his hopes soaring even higher. At that moment Graham’s voice sounded from outside. “What are you two doing in there?” he called.

  There was laughter and rude comments. Judy turned and went out. “Don’t you be vulgar Graham Kirk,” she snapped.

  “We thought Steve might have been showing you his bruise,” Graham replied.

  “Wouldn’t be much to show,” Tom added.

  “How do you know Tom?” Peter called. Stephen now felt a surge of annoyance at Tom’s ‘put down’. “Bloody Tom,” he muttered. “The sooner he’s gone the better.”

  As quickly as he could Stephen finished his shower, dried himself and dressed in the old clothes. They belonged to Judy’s big brother and fitted well enough: old shorts and shirt. As he walked out Judy took his arm and led him to a sofa, then sat beside him. “Now tell us what happened,” she instructed.

  Stephen gratefully accepted a cup of coffee from Judy’s mother, then began to tell his story. As he did he became aware that Judy was sitting so close that her thigh was pressing against his leg. That got his body reacting and his thoughts jumbling wildly. To his dismay he again became aroused. As he was sitting he was able to hide this and he tried to keep his thoughts organised. He also noted Tom sitting opposite in an arm chair, looking quite sulky.

  Graham frowned. “And you think it was an accident?” he asked when Stephen finished.

  Stephen glanced around, aware that Judy’s mother could hear, and unsure of what to say within the hearing of the girls. “Yes,” he replied. “I just didn’t look; and the truck driver was going too fast for the wet conditions.”

  As he said this he noted frowns of concern and doubt on both Peter’s and Graham’s faces. After Judy’s mother asked if he wanted to call the ambulance or his parents and Stephen had assured her he did not she left the room. As soon as she had Graham, ignoring the presence of the girls, said, “This sounds mighty suspicious Steve. First they follow you in the morning, then I get bowled over by that car, now you get nearly skittled by a truck.”

  “What happened today?” Tom asked. Reluctantly, sensing the girl’s growing curiosity and concern, Stephen told him.

  Tom nodded and said, “Do you think it was a deliberate effort to rub you out?”

  Judy was appalled. “Who is this ‘they’ you are talking about? What do you mean by rub out? Do you mean to say you think someone deliberately tried to kill you?”

  Stephen nodded. He had been thinking fast. ‘Maybe the more people who know about this the safer we are?’ he pondered. But that left the problem of not saying too much and then harming innocent people. He decided that the girls had to be let into the secret. He met the other boy’s eyes. “Should we tell them?” he asked.

  “May as well,” Graham agreed.

  “Tom?”

  “Yes,” Tom replied. “I think what has happened has now changed things.”

  “I agree,” Peter added. “Tell them Steve. We need to plan what to do next and this is a good safe place to do that, as long as the girls promise to say nothing.”

  ‘Girls promising to keep a secret!’ Stephen thought, giving a sardonic smile. “Yes, alright.” He then proceeded to explain what had been going on over the last month, leaving out selected parts of the story, including the names of the men. The girls were fascinated and horrified. When Stephen finished Judy cried, “And you think these men might now be trying to kill you to shut you up?”

  “Yes, possibly,” Stephen replied. He actually had considerabl
e doubts.

  “It looks that way to me,” Graham added.

  “So what do we do now?” Tom asked.

  “Tell the police of course,” Sheila said.

  Stephen threw up his hands. “But it is the police who are doing this!” he replied.

  “The state police then,” Peter suggested.

  Stephen was uncomfortably aware that he was scared and it made him irritable. “Oh yeah? What happens then? Do we all go on one of those witness protection programs till they investigate?”

  “We could go into hiding,” Graham suggested.

  “How? Do we leave town and change our names?” Stephen said.

  “It was just an idea,” Graham replied, obviously a little hurt by Stephen’s sharp tone.

  Peter had been looking very thoughtful. Now he spoke and they all listened. “I think the only thing we can do is to try to end this by finding out the truth.”

  “You mean start the investigation again?” Stephen asked.

  Peter nodded. “Yes.”

  “That could be bloody dangerous!” Graham said. “If they are trying to bump us already they might use more efficient methods and succeed.”

  “All the more reason to act,” Peter replied. “What do we have to lose?”

  They had no sensible answer to that but Stephen shied away from the idea in his mind. He sensed that what had earlier been suggested about the men having to cover up two murders by more murders might just be right. It all seemed too unreal to be true and he just wished none of it was happening.

  Tom broke the short silence by asking, “So what do we do?”

  Stephen answered that. “We have to go to their secret base at ‘Hayden Park’ and see what we can find.” He almost said: ‘see what we can dig up’ but stopped himself in time.

  Peter nodded. “And leave detailed accounts here that can be made public if we get caught or anything goes wrong,” he added.

  Judy was horrified when she realised that the plan involved sneaking into a private property owned by a rich and powerful man who had hired guards who might ‘dispose’ of them. “You can’t! Just let the media know,” she pleaded.