by Tobias Roote
Alice, having learned from her earlier experience this afternoon took things quietly and instead of overwhelming me with her sexuality, instead decided to take the coy approach and pretended to be interested in my life on the Island. I didn’t disappoint and gave her a rough layout of my weekly life. Truth to be told, there wasn’t much to say about it, considering the events of the last few hours, I had realised just how small my world had become.
Circumstances were now conspiring to remind me of what had gone before and now, when I was least expecting it, I was about to be thrown back in the deep-end. I just hoped that I could remember how to swim.
It was dark when John came over from their love snug chair and asked if we could take a walk and check the perimeter. He had my shotgun and searchlights and Mercury was wagging his tail while Alice fed him titbits left over from dinner.
“You will put him off the hunt feeding him like that,” I said jokingly.
Alice turned around as quick as a flash. “You know full well that what he’s had is just a taste of what’s to come!” It didn’t escape me or John for that matter that the comment was directed at me and not the dog!
John chortled as we walked off into the dark leaving Alice to go sit with Abbey.
I just shook my head in mock concern at the scale of her attack on my quiet monk-like existence and was glad that I could neither see John’s face, nor he mine. It would have had us both laughing which somehow was not fitting for the matter up for discussion on our walk.
CHAPTER 5
I decided to pre-empt things because the last thing I needed was for John to feel he had to prepare the ground. I had already seen a full dossier on him and had some ideas as to where his problems were originating. He had pissed off a lot of people at the end of the Cold War. Both the British and the Russians. He had played a game of Russian roulette with state secrets and brought two hawkish governments to heel. So I knew I could start this rolling with a confession and save us both time.
“John , before you start on your explanation of everything, can I cut in and tell you that I know about your previous life. I have contacts of my own from my previous career which I now know you are also aware of, so we can come at this from a point where we probably know enough about each other to cut to the chase. So, on that note - What the fuck is going on?”
John chuckled, “Yes, you probably know as much about me as you could get out of the files, the rest is 'history' as they say. The only thing you need to know at this point is that one of our old enemies never forgave me for my involvement and swore vengeance on me, and mine. The Service is protecting my family in the UK, but unfortunately these people have learned of my location through recent events and are now actively hunting me down.”
“When you say recent events are we talking security breach kind of stuff, or something else?”
“No, the fact is Alice found herself in trouble in east Africa when she was nearly wed to a member of the Royal family which would have thrown her into a harem. She was trapped and couldn’t escape. The only way I could help was to come out of hiding and activate old contacts. It seems that one of those had turned in the intervening years and pointed my old enemy back at me.”
“So, this was when about five weeks ago when you disappeared for four days and Abbey wouldn’t talk to me?”
“Err! Yes! I told Abbey to keep quiet. We always had a sneaking suspicion you had been put here for our Masters benefit and I was about to breach retirement protocols and activate ‘dead’ contacts. If the Service had found out beforehand they would have put a stop to it and Alice would have been trapped in a not very good place.
I naturally thought it best that I did this in as clandestine a manner as I could and it is unfortunate that one of my old contacts learned of my present location. The enemy that is seeking me followed a chain of agents which led to him and last night I heard that he had disappeared.
This morning I was informed by the Service that his body was found floating in his swimming pool with a message pinned to his back by a knife commonly used by the Russian Speznatz during the Cold War. I know who sent the message and it means they are on their way.”
“Bugger!” I exclaimed. “Why did you have to go and piss that lot off?”
“I know and isn’t it always the way, that when you least expect it, they will find you and force you back into the game one last time.” The bitterness in his voice was not lost on me.
As expected John was still playing things close to his chest, so I decided to call him out on what I knew because I needed to know everything.
“There are a few inconsistencies in what you’re telling me John. The first is that you had a call the other night which no doubt put you in the picture judging by your mood after dinner.” As I spoke I swung the torch to the left across his path spotlighting Mercury romping in the undergrowth.
“The other point is that you and Abbey have been flying in and out of here to various locations for the past month attracting the attention of everyone, including official departments here.”
I knew he would be astonished at that and used his surprise to push home my advantage. I needed full disclosure, but was not sure I would get it. John was at heart, still a master strategist and he would have had a plan to deal with me being in the loop. I saw we had come to the clearing at the top of the hill and turned to face him.
“Okay, so what’s your plan?
Obviously you want me to use my experience to get Alice away from here and out of sight so she cannot be targeted or used against you. Consider it done.” That’s gonna cost me if Alice has anything to do with it, I thought.
“So meantime what will you be doing, and can I help in any way?”
“No, you need to keep clear from this, the less you know the better for you. The Service has been informed of your involvement and will leave you alone provided you don’t step on their toes. I think they are going to use this opportunity to clear away some old ‘dead ground’ between us and the ‘old bloc’. Unfortunately myself and Abbey may become casualties in the process.
Abbey has already told you of our will. When it is all over, and if we cannot come back, please make use of the place for us. It would make us both happy to know you are around. I also think Alice might like it here if she can find any way to settle down.
This, at the very least, is my overall objective in all of this, seeing as it all happened because of her need to find peace. If its going to be somewhere, let it be here,” he said with considerable heart and in that moment I felt deeply for my friend who was facing the worst nightmare of anyone’s life just because he wanted to protect his daughter from an African despots attention. I would have done exactly the same given the circumstances.
“Who precisely is coming after you and how did they find you if Alice was in Africa?”
“Ahh! good question Dan, I believe its a section of the old Russian politburo that went underground at the end of the Cold War and they want access to secrets from both sides that Abbey and I kept from everyone. It was this that in the end, forced the wall to come down and has kept the peace. I discovered they were active in Africa when I went to rescue Alice, I think they were watching her and have followed the trail back. A lot of my old contacts have been assassinated. The trail leads here.”
“So, what am I to tell Alice, or is she 'in the know' already?”
“In time you can tell her everything EXCEPT the reason they are coming after us. Alice doesn’t need to carry that baggage around with her for the rest of her life. Initially she will follow you for no other reason that she trusts you and has for some inexplicable reason become attached to you.” I could hear his smile when he said this.
“I have managed to obtain a set of passports for you both to get you off the Island. They won’t bear UK Passport control and I suggest you dump them and use your wits and some money we will give you to keep yourselves under the radar for the next few months.
There is a motor-sailor in the Marina just ou
t of town, it bears the name Alice II. Its not in our names as it belonged to an old friend who recently passed away. It has a full tank, all the papers are in order and in the name of the passport which is currently behind the books where you keep your pistol.”
“You seem to have thought of everything!” I said keeping my own counsel over his plans and his searching of my cottage.
“To be honest Dan, we always keep plans for quick escape on the back burner, we just adapted them to fit your immediate needs. Oh, with the passport you will find a series of addresses, these are all safe-houses across Europe. They are only known to me and Abbey, so are as ‘safe’ as we can make them. There is gear that will help you at each point along with funds to keep you on the move.
Whatever you do, don’t make contact with your own people and only make contact with mine if it becomes a literal matter of life or death for you two. Then ring Whitehall and give them the code 424244 INDIGO CHARLIE and you will be put in touch with my handler. From there you will be guided in. Don’t tell them anything just get them to bring you in and feign ignorance in all else.”
“But, Dan, there’s one other thing you have to know.” He paused as if knowing what he was about to say could hang him.
“The enemy has someone in our camp and part of this operation is meant to flush them out. We know its someone in the department, but not who.”
I sighed! “What a fucking mess this is already!” I didn’t need the complication, “it’s going to be dangerous enough without that.”
“Yes, I’m afraid it is. So Dan, I need you to take Alice as soon as you have a plan. Don’t tell anyone what it is, your very lives may depend on it. Go when you are ready, but as soon as possible, and just go, don’t say goodbye or anything. It would be best to make it look like you're just going out for the day and don’t come back. If we are being monitored it will be your best means of escape.”
I sighed again, “I’m going to miss you two, keep yourselves safe if you can. When will we know its okay to come home?”
“That’s a good question and I’m not sure I know the answer to that.”
I did have some dead drops, so I told him of three methods to contact me when it was all clear with safety protocols that would tell us if it was a trap. I would monitor all three on a regular basis and all being well we would all get through this. Nobody but the two of us would know the methods.
At the end of the drive leading to the house I shook his hand and we embraced as men do when they think they cannot be seen and might never see each other again. I feared that in this case it might well be true. I continued to watch as his torch showed his progress up the lane to the main house.
Damn, I'm really getting too old for all this crap! I thought to myself, and then added the saying from an old friend ‘you never, ever, truly get clear of this shit, it follows you to the grave.’
The night was warm, but I shivered anyway. I had a sense of foreboding about this and my senses were usually right on the button. I also didn’t think we had a week. I reckoned at most two days. We would have to leave tomorrow.
There would be no sleep for me tonight. I wondered if I was going to be up to this, but also knew Alice’s life might depend on it so, I decided whatever it took, it would have to be enough.
CHAPTER 6
I awoke, Mercury was at my feet on guard. He had stayed as he had been trained to do and would be listening for strange sounds. If he heard anything he wouldn’t bark, but would just alert me so that I wouldn’t be taken by surprise.
He was silent as I mussed his head and he licked my hand briefly acknowledging the affection without changing his stance. We had worked together out in the groves stalking rats and wild cats. He was highly intelligent and had learned quickly. He couldn’t kill anything bigger than a rat, but he could do so silently if ordered. He was under such orders now.
Silent patrol was a game we played for hours. It had its uses.
Now, at the end of a long night, I had put together a working plan which depended on Alice still being smitten with me and a natural departure for a days outing which would have to be convincing in case of any watchers.
I had gone out with Mercury during the night on Silent patrol and we had established a radius around the property to the extent of the small mountain we were on and the approaches to the property via the main tracks. We were clean up to a few hours ago and I had been able to hike some of my kit to secure locations that would be accessible after today in case I was unable to get back to the cottage. I also didn’t want it discovered in the event of an incident.
Picking up the small pannier I had filled with essentials I walked out to the bike and strapped it onto the luggage rack. Then I walked around the cottage checking everything was closed; I would be locking the door today.
I walked over to the main house and heard the normal sounds of John and Abbey going about getting the day started. I wasn’t normally a breakfast guest and I didn’t intend to stop. I did plan on getting Alice to come with me and hoped she would be amenable. I knew I would have two strong supporters in Abbey and John so decided to play it really casual.
“Hi, anyone up for a day on my private beach?” I asked as I entered the kitchen and noted all three standing around getting their breakfast.
“Hah! You mean you want us to go and strip off on that dirty strip of sand you call a private nudist beach, don’t you?” said Abbey, trying hard to sound disgusted, it was her favourite too. Good, she was playing the game already.
John turned around and smiled, relieved at my presence, “We would love to join you today, but Abbey and I have some errands to run in town so, if you can take Alice it will save her mooching around the house waiting for us to get back.”
“Alice, there’s your chance you said you needed to let rip, so to speak. Dan has a brilliant little beach that not many people know and its probably the best sandy beach this side of the Island and has great snorkelling. Perfect for you.”
Alice looked at me while her teeth fought their way through some of Abbey’s home-made bread and jam. I couldn’t tell if she seemed confused or even suspicious. However, Abbey and John hadn’t exactly left her any room to manoeuvre. She nodded and continued to chew her bread.
Abbey turned to me and asked if we'd like a picnic, her eyebrows were raised so I knew that she was thinking we might be gone for a while. “Yes please, Abbey, small and manageable though, if you can, its going to be a bike full as it is, I’m also taking Mercury.”
John turned around as if to say something, but seeing the look on my face suddenly realised that things were in motion. I nodded discreetly at him and saw the realisation and acceptance in his expression. He hadn’t expected me to move so quickly so was surprised, but covered it with a cough. “You might want to check out the kit thoroughly Dan” he said, and I quickly surmised he was referring to the scuba outfits we kept down at the beach in a locked box out of sight, but easily accessible.
Why had he referred to the gear when I knew it would be ready? I made a mental note to do as he asked when I arrived. They had used it last and it was normally a week, or so between use and refilling. John must be thinking way ahead as usual. I realised now it was probably another part of his and Abbey’s escape plans. I wondered briefly what their plans for evacuation were, but in situations like this its always best not to know.
“It was a quiet night, and the anticipated excitement from the rabbit kills didn’t materialise,” I said. This told him that up until a short while ago there was no unexpected attention. He would glean from that information everything I intended.
Then, as though we were kids again and being told to play outside, Abbey was thrusting a rucksack full of food and drink in my hands and we were both packed out the back door laughing lightly with Alice still munching her breakfast, which I couldn’t blame her for as Abbey’s home-made bread was munchylicious.
As we walked back down the lane I looked at her, she was dressed in shorts which were barely ther
e and a top which almost covered her breasts with just a string support on each side. She had open sandals which thankfully were low heeled and buckled up. Not ideal for trekking, sneakers would have been better. With her sunglasses in her hand she looked perfectly dressed for a day at the beach.
She was looking at me suspiciously, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? You three have been acting weird since yesterday evening and that double speak back there was not funny.” She let her anger show through a little and I realised that, much like me, she had a sensory feel for when things weren’t right – 'street smarts' is what they often call it, and Alice would have to have had the smarts to survive around the world as she had. I couldn’t underestimate her, but I had to get her to safety. It was going to be a tough day, or two.
“We had been talking through some issues that came up and we’re all just a little frazzled by it, I will explain all when we get to the beach.” I reassured her hoping that would suffice for a bit.
She wasn't mollified at all. “Its like working in the secret service around here, you creeping around during the night, those two up and down whispering and clacking on the computer until God knows what time this morning. If you think you're subtle, you're not! I sleep light and my hearing is excellent, my night vision is honed in the African desert and my sense of smell is amazing, which all adds up to me to a sack of shit, including me getting hoicked off to a nudist beach by you, of all people, AND my parents.”
Alice caught my arm and stopped me dead. “When we get to the beach you're going to tell me what’s going on, or I might just have to beat the crap out of you until you do, ‘Old Man’!” she warned, her eyebrow arched, her face deadly serious.
I almost laughed, but just in time stopped myself and instead smiled at her and said, “Absolutely, no problem with me on that score,” and I let it ride until we reached the bike. “Do you really have a keen sense of smell?” I asked.
“Yep! I can smell fifteen different types of animal dung from 20 paces. I am so such an expert on shit, you just wouldn’t believe!” We both burst out laughing which broke the thin ice that had temporarily formed between us and we were still roaring with laughter as I gunned the bike down the tracks with Mercury running alongside.