Under Loch and Key

by Kathryn Cockrill

  “You’re the one being an idiot. We both know you’d go to the ends of the Earth too,”

  “Maybe,” I relented, “But don’t tell Mum and Dad. We can’t be siblings who actually like each other…” Eli laughed and handed me a pen.

  “Get writing. I’ll get us some snacks…”

  I snapped out of the flashback with an ache in my chest, one hand reaching up to brush away a tear that threatened to fall. Even if it was hopeless, I was still going to give it everything I had. If that meant searching every damn loch near Kincraig, then so be it.

  I guess I’m going to Scotland.

  Maybe, once I was there, I would find something else to help me figure out which Loch had some connection to GAI.

  Working quickly, I found the next flights up to Inverness; there was one leaving in the afternoon of the next day, so I booked it, hoping this wasn’t going to turn out to be some wild goose chase. The route from Inverness to Kincraig seemed pretty straight forward by car so I added car hire to my flight and closed down the browser. As I was hunting for a suitcase, my phone began to buzz. I clambered over the bed to reach it; the screen lit up with Jake’s picture. Guilt twisted my gut as I realised I had never replied to his multiple text messages. I slid to answer and waited for the onslaught. Silence.

  “Hi.” My voice came out as a whisper, the complete silence throwing me off more than the yelling would have done.

  “So, you’re alive then.” He was not impressed.

  As it stands, yes.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your messages. I got caught up in work and completely blanked. I’m a terrible friend, I know.” Best to start the grovelling early. There was a sigh at the other end of the phone and even though I couldn’t see him, I knew he would be pinching his eyebrows together,

  “You are. But that’s not why I’m called A. I want to know why you drove to an industrial estate with that guy from Coffee Cup and then drove back an hour later without him.” I froze.

  Oh, crap.

  “I, um…did you follow me?” Silence. “Jake, why did you follow me?” I could hear him awkwardly clear his throat on the other end of the phone,

  “I…we are worried about you. Ever since we went bowling, you’ve been acting really weird. We thought you’d put this obsession with finding Eli behind you. But then you disappear for almost a week, not even answering our texts and end up spending a load of time with a random guy who, and I feel like we do need to come back to this, you either just abandoned in a warehouse or killed. I say it as a joke, but I’m not that sure anymore.” I swallowed, knowing I was going to have to lie left, right and centre to one of my best friends. Best start with something resembling the truth.

  “That guy, the one you saw in the Coffee Cup, he’s Eli’s old university roommate. I contacted him after I remembered some weird stuff Eli had been going through just before he disappeared. He was helping me try to find out more about what happened to him. I know you and Becca want me to let this go, but he is my brother Jake, I can’t just forget about him, even if everyone else has.” Jake didn’t say anything, so I carried on, “We found out some information about a company who had been contacting him before his disappearance and decided to check out an old address they had listed. That’s the warehouse. I left Caden at the warehouse because we had an argument and I decided he could find his own way back.” I’d just left out the mutated rats, dried blood, kissing, backstabbing and illegal activity. There was a few more seconds of silence as Jake contemplated everything I’d said before a frustrated huff crackled through the phone.

  “Okay. Since I’m not a complete idiot, I know you’re probably keeping some stuff from me, but I believe the rest of it. I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t tell us any of this.” Relief broke over me, my happiness at not losing my friends momentarily replacing the worry and impending (and probably insane) trip to Scotland.

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I do have a favour to ask you though…” I paused, aware that this would probably raise more questions. “Could you drive me to the airport tomorrow morning? I have an afternoon flight to Scotland.” There was a long hesitation on the other end, followed by another sigh.

  “I want to ask why but I don’t think I want to know the answer. Yes, I’ll drive you, even though you have your own car and are perfectly capable.” Yes, but if Caden got out, he’d probably be looking for my car. Not that I could tell Jake that. “Just… be careful please A? Whatever you’re doing. If you need help, you can actually ask for it.” It was strange how happy someone kind of telling me off made me. I quickly told him a time and hung up before he could ask any more questions. An hour and a half in the car with him tomorrow would be enough time for that. Shutting my laptop, I spun the chair back around to face the open suitcase on my bed.

  Right. What do I pack to go track down my missing brother in the Scottish Highlands?

  ***

  I was outside my house well before Jake was due to pick me up the next day, suitcase resting by my legs. I’d been nervous all night, barely able to sleep and I’d woken up well before my alarm. My parents thought I was going to stay with Becca, so I’d dodged any further questions. Now I was stood on the cracked pavement, playing with the tassel on my hoodie. I’d ended up packing enough layers to last me probably a whole winter in Scotland, but I’d been so unsure what I needed that I’d panicked. So, in went the Disney-themed wraparound scarf that I hadn’t actually worn in years. By the time Jake pulled up I was reconsidering my entire suitcase. I smiled as he got out of the car, grey peacoat looking far too fashionable next to my black jeans and hoodie. He returned my smile, but I could see that he was wary; his hug was half-hearted as he grabbed the handle of my suitcase and threw it into the back of his car. I clambered into the passenger seat, unsure of what to say to him for the first time in my life. If he knew all the shit I’d actually done over the past few days, I doubted he would want to be friends with me at all. Best keep that quiet. The radio was already on, filling the interior of his car with a thumping bass; I didn’t know if he’d done that deliberately, he didn’t seem all that interested in talking as he pulled away from my house. As soon as we’d joined the main road however, his hand went to the volume dial, turning down the music until the most prominent thing was the road noise.

  I looked over at him, waiting for the questions. He didn’t look at me, eyes fixed on the road, but I could see the muscle in his jaw working and his hands fidgeting on the steering wheel; all classic signs that he was nervous. The last time I’d seen him this nervous, it was before the Year 11 prom when he told me and Becca that he was bailing on our idea to go as a group because Sadie had asked him to go with her. Back then we’d teased him mercilessly, making kissing faces whenever Sadie had walked in the room. I didn’t think that would go over too well now, especially given that I was the one who was bailing. Around us, road signs sped past, telling me the airport was 40 miles away. That’s a lot of time for awkward silence. Eventually, just as I was debating tucking and rolling out of the car onto the motorway, he seemed to make a decision,

  “Please just tell me you’re not in danger, because this feels a lot like a ‘trying to escape the country’ kind of deal.” I could hear the concern in his voice, covered up by a façade of irritation. I knew he would stay mad at me for a bit, even though we’d talked it out on the phone last night. That’s just how Jake worked. But underneath he was just worried.

  “I’m not in danger.” I mean, strictly, that was true. I wasn’t at this precise moment in time. Whether I would be in the future wasn’t the same question. “I’m also not trying to escape the country.” Unless Caden escaped before I found Eli. Then I might need to make a whole new identity and move to Brazil. Hoping none of my thoughts were showing on my face, I shot Jake a smile, relieved when his hands relaxed on the steering wheel and his shoulders dropped. We went through a tunnel, the sporadic lights casting shadows across the car. Any other time I would have pulled faces. As we re-
emerged into daylight, I saw his lips curl into a grin,

  “So, Caden.” I ignored the twang in my stomach, “I know you said he’s just Eli’s roommate, but I saw the way he looked at you in the Coffee Cup.”

  Yeah, with eyes full of deceit.

  “He was definitely interested in you. Did anything happen? Is that why you had the argument?”

  Not quite.

  “God you’re so nosy. It’s hardly like I’m going to say I fell madly in love with him.” Just in like. “But, since you have to know, he did kiss me.” Again, true. Jake made a suggestive noise as he waggled his eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out.

  “I knew it. You won’t kiss me, someone you’ve known for years with amazing abs and a hilarious sense of humour, but you’ll lock lips with someone you’ve known for like two days because he wears a leather jacket, has an American accent, some gorgeous features and has amazing long hair.” Way to rub in my stupidity Jake, thanks. I cringed inside as I relived the stupid (or, more accurately, the many stupid) decisions I’d made over the past two days.

  “Hey, don’t put yourself down. You have amazing hair too. Plus, we both know you would never have been able to handle me.” I poked his side, enjoying his surprised laugh as he shied away from my hand, then reprimanded me for distracting the driver. We lapsed into a comfortable silence, any tension from earlier melting away.

  “What did you argue about?” It was a gentle question. He knew me well enough that it must have been something pretty bad.

  Well, you see, I found out he was a deceitful bastard working for the company that kidnapped Eli and I just kind of snapped. I tied him up in a chair and drugged him then locked him in the warehouse.

  Probably not a good idea to reveal that. It was only when Jake continued talking that I realised I’d been silent for too long.

  “You don’t have to tell me.” Every best friend’s guilt-ridden trump card. I pulled a lock of hair out from the ponytail I’d hurriedly tied this morning and began to twirl it around my finger. I had to think of something to tell him that didn’t involve illegal activity.

  “He…he was seeing someone else at the same time as he kissed me. I flipped out about it, probably overreacted a bit, but he’d been so cocky, and it really pissed me off that he’d hidden it from me. So, I called him a dick and told him he could find his own way back. I feel a bit bad about it now.”

  No, I don’t. He deserved it.

  Jake gave me a sympathetic look and began talking about the girl he’d been on a date with last week in an attempt to distract me. It didn’t quite work but I appreciated the effort and before I knew it, we were pulling into the drop off area of the airport parking. Jake grabbed my suitcase from the boot as I made my way around the car and pulled me into a hug.

  “I meant what I said okay? If you need help, ask for it.” I nodded into his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his body spray and ignoring the lump that had appeared in my throat. When he pulled back, I held on for a couple of seconds before swallowing and grabbing my suitcase handle.

  “I’ll see you soon Jake.” He nodded, leaning against the side of his car as I began to walk into the Departures terminal. I waved before I went through the sliding doors, hoping that this didn’t all come back to bite me on the arse and that I would see him soon. He waved back and got into his car, leaving me to take a deep breath and walk into the throngs of people.

  I’ve always had a weird relationship with airports. On one hand, I loved the fact that they could literally take you anywhere in the world. Reality seemed to warp inside the terminals, with people going to different places, on different journeys, feeling different things, all in one place existing with each other. It was kind of cool. On the other hand, I absolutely hated the crowds, the noise, the overpriced food and the apparent inability of people to follow the simple directions at security. It was the same effect as bank holidays; everyone left their common sense at home with their sun cream.

  As I stood in the centre of Departures, it was like its own ecosystem. Families with screaming children rushed past, the mothers glaring at the fathers for forgetting the iPad. Businessmen sauntered in herds, holding coffee cups and wearing permanently disdainful expressions. Stag and hen dos found everything hilarious, attracting the gaze of everyone with their pink fluorescent tutu’s and penis boppers. I was always one of the ones who managed to slip through the crowds unnoticed, blending in to the background. Today was no different. I wheeled my suitcase around the groups of people, heading straight for security. I’d made sure I only had a hand luggage sized suitcase, even with the seeming mountain of clothes I’d packed, so I didn’t have to wait at the baggage carousel when I got to Inverness. I was in and out quickly, through to duty free and into the departures lounge with more than enough time to spare. It seemed so mundane, queueing up for a Starbucks as I waited to journey up to Scotland to potentially find my brother’s kidnapper and my brother, all while possibly being chased by a revenge-bent bastard.

  As I began to queue for boarding, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out to see I had a text from Jake.

  Let me know when you land x

  I smiled at the message as the queue in front of me began to board the plane so I rushed a reply before pocketing my phone, boarding pass at the ready. Luckily, I was one of the first to board, so I secured a space in the overhead locker for my suitcase without having to fight Mum-zillas or disgruntled businessmen in ill-fitting suits and slid into my seat. I was by the window which meant I only had to deal with one person being next to me; they took their time, being amongst the last to board. I kept my gaze pointedly out the window, watching the crew load in the bags and finish fuelling the plane. It was only when my new neighbour elbowed me in the side that I turned. Given the fact that she continued moving around, faded red hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head, it was clear she hadn’t even realised she’d elbowed me, more concerned with arranging the tiny pillow just right behind her back. I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to grumble under my breath and went back to looking out of the window.

  Before long we were ready to take off. I leant back in my seat and closed my eyes, breathing in the sharp smell of the airplane. There was a constant background noise of rustling interspersed with the occasional cough. My neighbour seemed to have calmed down, the taxi-ing of the plane stopped her constant fidgeting. I hoped she wasn’t a talker. The flight was just over an hour, so as soon as we were in the air, I grabbed the magazine on Inverness that I’d picked up at the airport and began flicking through, trying to figure out which Loch to head to first.

  “Oooh, you’re going to sae the Lochs!” She was a talker. Her pastel blue eyes were locked onto mine as she grinned. Pasting on a smile, I nodded, hoping that would be the end of our conversation. It was not. “If yer ask me, Loch Ness is overrated. So many tourists! Aye, an the boats, they’re just so overpriced? Payin’ over £20 to do a circle, an’ you dinnae even stop at Urquhart! Such a rip-off…” As she babbled, I realised she was Scottish.

  “Do you live in Inverness?” I asked, interrupting her rambling. She paused, clearly shocked I had responded.

  “Och aye, now. Moved there a few years back. Every year I watch tourists flock to Loch Ness in search o’ Nessie. Course, they all leave scunnered but still put a wee good review on TripAdvisor. I canny understand it.” Maybe my new friend could be helpful.

  “So, what Lochs would you suggest visiting? Quieter ones perhaps?” I couldn’t imagine GAI would set up shop next to somewhere overflowing with tourists. I couldn’t even figure out why they would choose a Loch but my gut told me they had. My neighbour beamed at me, delighted.

  “You asked the right person! You could try Loch Morlich or Loch Insh. They’ll be a wee bit busy but nowhere near Loch Ness. Or, if you want even quieter maybe Loch an Eilein or Loch A’an. You won’t be able to drive to A’an, you have to walk or ride.” I started scribbling down names, stopping her a couple of times to ask about the spelling. T
he earlier elbowing was forgotten, and we began our descent into Inverness before I even realised the hour had passed. As we got off the plane, I thanked her. The answering smile creased the lines at the edges of her eyes, and she shocked me by giving me a hug before wandering off to the baggage carousel. I walked straight through, and out into the car park to collect my hire car. I laughed as they showed me to it, the familiar badge of the Hyundai i10 greeting me. It wasn’t the exact colour of my own car; this one was a metallic blue but at least I knew how to drive it.

  With my suitcase in the back, I slid behind the wheel, the reality of the fact that I was actually in Scotland starting to hit me. I pulled out the notepad with the Lochs on, looking each one up on my phone to figure out how far they were from Kincraig. Since that was the only location, I had definite knowledge that GAI were connected to, I still wanted to start there and look around the village and Loch Insh before I tried any of the other Lochs. Typing in the address of a B&B I’d found, I threw my phone onto the seat next to me and drove out of the rental parking lot. Halfway through my journey to Kincraig, it buzzed, and I realised I’d forgotten to tell Jake I’d arrived.

  Good start. Well done. Should probably update the only person who knows where you’ve gone.

  All around me were sheer mountain cliffs and trees, the bones of the Cairngorms. Occasionally I’d passed small car parks, so I figured they would have a few more. Sure enough, about five minutes later, as I rounded a corner that opened out into breath-taking mountain views, I saw another parking sign. Pulling in, I grabbed my phone to see that I had 2 messages. The first was from Jake, which I answered quickly before heading back to look at the second message. The sender was listed as ‘Unknown’. Puzzled, and trying to figure out if I’d signed up to any dodgy sites recently, I opened it.

  I hope you enjoyed your head start. I’ll see you soon, bitch. Caden xxx

  My stomach dropped to the floor, all the blood rushing to my ears. I let the phone fall onto the seat, the screen still open and glaring at me. I’d only just got to Scotland and Caden was already on my tail. The skies overhead darkened and the first drops of rain hit my windshield, blurring the crisp mountain landscape into a watercolour. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to slow my heart rate, to force it back down from my ears.