Holy Island Trilogy 03 - The Final Countdown (15 page)

 But the fear of everything that had happened overcame his shame. Because he just couldn’t fathom out who the hell was telling the truth.

‘It means nowt. You're part of them.’

‘No, we’re not,' Smiler snapped.

'Piss off, freak!’

‘No, we aren’t Danny. We are a part of what has happened to you, yes, but both Smiler and I are also the victims - along with a whole lot of other people. Please listen. It's time for you to start believing. Trust me… We’re your friends.’

Danny sighed. ‘My friends are dead.’

‘I know, Danny, but we’re your new friends. We are also part of something great and good, something special, something that is fighting back.’ He held out his hand. ‘We want you to be a part of that, Danny… Come on, please get in the car. I promise shortly you’ll understand everything.’

Danny stared at Robert’s extended hand. Again, he didn’t know what to think. This Robert bloke tells a convincing tale, but confusion has become an everyday thing.

To trust them or not?

He looked up into Robert’s eyes for a moment, and made a decision. Slowly he walked around the car, and got back in his seat. Smiler opened the window, but threw Danny a quick smile when he saw Robert frowning at him in the mirror. Giving a quick shrug, he wound it back up to halfway.

PART TWO

NORFOLK
1110 AD

‘It is time now for me to head north, alone,’ Godric said to his old friend. ‘The book is to be taken to a safe place, where in the future, when there are many more in our band, and the power begins to shift because good men refuse to be idle, the wrongs of many can be put right.’

His friend nodded. Looking into Godric’s clear grey eyes beneath his bushy brows, he felt honoured to be considered friend by such a brave and kind man.

‘When will you go?’

‘Soon. First I must go to Lindisfarne, and spend some time there with the monks, then I will retire to a beautiful remote spot near the river at Finchale.’

‘I will miss you, old friend.’

‘We have had many adventures, seen places that most won't ever see in their lifetimes,’ Godric replied. ‘But this final adventure I must do alone. The book must be preserved for future generations so they will finally know who the real tyrants are, and hopefully be in a position to let the world know.’

His friend rose and held out his hand. ‘It has been an honour to know you, Godric.’

‘And you too.’

Closing the door behind his friend, Godric, destined to become  Saint Godric, picked up the book, still wrapped in the horsehair blanket, and held it to his chest.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Present Day

The lift door opened, and a young woman texting on her phone stepped in. She had dark hair that much Mike saw in the very brief glance he gave her. He swallowed hard and kept his eyes on the ground, wondering if it was his ever-so-lovely sister Lovilla, perhaps on her way back up to torment him again. The swift look he’d taken had not been enough to tell who she was. Mike did not believe in lifting his hands to hit a woman, he found the process disgusting and cowardly. But there were exceptions to every rule, and if this so-called sister of his came between him and his freedom, then she would get it, good and proper.

Both Mike and Ella heaved a sigh of relief a moment later when, after completely ignoring them as if they didn’t even exist, the woman stepped out at the next floor and, still texting walked along the corridor. They both thanked God there was no one waiting to get in.

‘Next stop, the basement,’ Ella said, watching the numbers tick over on the lift door and bracing herself.

‘Yep… Can’t believe we’ve made it this far.’ Staring at the doors, he shook his head.

His stare had become so intent that Ella pictured him ripping the doors open and running as fast as he could to get away from here, with herself tearing after him.

At last, after what seemed an age with the lift pausing at every floor, they reached the basement. Carefully holding her arm out to stop Mike from stepping out first, just in case, she reasoned to herself, Ella looked around. ‘OK,’ she said, ‘it’s clear, follow me. And don’t make any sudden moves like trying to make a dash for it. Trust me, it wont work. The guards will be on your back in seconds.’

Nodding at her and taking a deep breath, Mike strolled casually out of the lift behind Ella.

He would take his time. Ella was right. We’ve come this far, get a grip and don’t do anything to spoil it, he thought, because one way or another I will be back, and there’ll be big payback coming to these bastards all right. Mark my words, they are without doubt going to be sorted. Callous inhuman bastards!

 Unable to believe their luck, and still keeping up the pretence of not knowing each other, they walked along the basement corridor. It was grey and dismal down here, with peeling paint and patches of missing wallpaper showing patches of mould in places. No one cared what surrounded the peasants, or really what sort of squalor they lived in. They were, after all, only peasants. And the workers in from the town were paid good enough wages not to complain about the state of the place. After all, they didn’t have to sleep here, and those that did rarely spoke to a townie. Not that a lot of them could speak English. Those that could, kept their heads down, just about ignoring everyone, and got on with their work.

They moved on past the noisy kitchen. Even though the door was closed, the sound of yelling orders, banging pots and pans and dropped crockery seeped into the corridor. With Ella praying that no one was out on a ciggie break, or just having a few minutes away from the madness, they made it outside to the bike sheds.

‘OK, pick one bike, but casual like, as if it's yours. Remember the cameras… And keep your head down,’ Ella said, jumping on her own bike, which was in a dark corner away from the security cameras. She couldn’t risk being seen on camera, riding out of the place with Mike as if they were together.

‘Go out the front, turn left and keep going. I’ll have to go through the woods, then through the field. I’ll catch up with you in five.’

Before Mike could even nod, she was off in the opposite direction and, in moments, out of sight. Shrugging, he jumped on a green bike that looked the worse for wear, but had the best tyres of the half-dozen bikes that were there. The last thing he needed, a few yards from the place, was a puncture. Trying to look as if he belonged, and it was perfectly normal for him to be there, he rode out the way she had told him. True to her word, five minutes later Ella came out of a cornfield full of red poppies to ride alongside him.

Not much later, after a few hairy moments when two or three cars came up behind them, they were on the outskirts of Norwich. Mike pedalled behind Ella. They looked like nothing more than a couple out for a bike ride since, a mile or so back, Mike had got rid of the waiter's jacket and tie, and rolled his sleeves up.

 Still amazed that they had got away with it so far, they stopped when Ella pulled up outside a large Victorian house. Mike heaved a sigh of relief.

‘This is it,’ she said, dismounting. ‘Oh, by the way - you should be prepared. A few surprises waiting for you.’

Mike raised his eyebrows. Surprises! Hah… Tell me another!

The words had barely left her mouth when a car pulled up beside them. Warily, Mike looked around for a weapon.

For fuck's sake, this flaming close!

It’ll have to be the bike, nothing else lying about, he was thinking. He was preparing to pick the bike up and bounce it off the head of anyone who stepped out of the car, when one of the back doors burst open and a grinning Smiler jumped out.

‘Mike!’ he yelled, hurrying round the side of the car, a first time actual huge-sized grin on his face.

Amazed, Mike, who had the bike up in midair, froze, then quickly put the bike down when Smiler reached him.

‘Looking good, kid,’ Mike grinned.

For a brief moment there was a slight awkwardness between them neither of them knowing quite what to do then Mike opened his arms and they hugged. Smiler dashed tears out of his eyes thinking, this is getting to be a habit.

Getting out of the car, Danny leaned his back against it and, with a stubborn look on his face, glared at them and watched everything with his arms folded across his chest. Robert walked over to Mike and Smiler. He was holding his right hand with his left. ’Sorry, can’t shake, but I’m Robert, and this is Danny.’

Mike nearly did a double-take when he looked at Danny. ‘You!’

‘You’ve met?’ Robert asked with raised eyebrows.

‘Oh yes… It’s a long story.’ He turned back to Danny. ‘What the hell are you of all people doing here?’

Danny shrugged. ‘You tell me!’

‘Unbelievable.’

‘Shall we go inside?’ Ella said, looking around, hoping that they weren’t drawing attention to themselves. Thankfully the back street was empty, not even a parked car the whole length of it. She went on, ‘There’s people been waiting for to see you all.’ She smiled at Danny. Grim-faced and still wary of everything and everybody, he just looked at her, no smile, nothing.

‘OK,’ Mike replied, his arm across Smiler’s shoulder, thinking with a touch of amazement just how far Smiler had come to even allow this kind of contact, never mind the hug.

With Ella in the lead, Smiler and Mike side by side and Robert and Danny behind, they all went into the house.

When Aunt May had said hello to a very surprised Mike, who had swept her up in a bear hug, and she had shared the same hug with Smiler, she turned to Danny and held out her hand. ‘Hello Danny. You must be dying to see Shelly.’

‘Not really.’ He shrugged, not admitting that, deep inside, he really wanted nothing more than to hold Shelly in his arms, and had done since this whole business started, no matter how much he denied it. And just who the hell is this old woman?

Aunt May smiled in a knowing way and turned to Coral, who had gone for Shelly and was just coming back into the room, while Ella was coming in from the kitchen with the first aid tin to see to Robert’s finger. Coral looked from Ella to Aunt May, a shocked look on her face. ‘ She’s gone.’

‘No way!’ Ella looked at Aunt May.

‘I’ve searched everywhere,’ Coral said. ‘And she’s not here.’

For a moment there was silence, then Danny shouted, ‘I knew it! It’s all a fucking farce to get me to come. You’re all part of them… I knew it… Bastards!’

‘No, Danny,’ Ella said.

‘Suicidal, my fucking arse she is. Shelly never was here, and she’s not the suicidal type anyhow. All a bunch of fucking lies… You’re with them, aren’t you?’  Frantically he looked around for an escape route.

‘Ask yourself why, fucking idiot? Why would anyone go to all of this just to get to you?’ Smiler asked.

‘Fuck off, you,’ Danny snapped at him. ‘You’re the icing on the cake. Look at your fucking face, man. What sort of fucking blow job idiot carves a smile on his face?’

‘Fuck off yourself.’ Smiler raised his fists. ‘And take a whiff of yourself, stinky bastard.’

Although in a sense Mike agreed with what some of what Smiler had said, because Danny certainly stank, he frowned at Smiler’s tone. What was up with these two?

Aunt May quickly moved forward, also throwing a frown at Smiler as she did so.

‘Danny, please. What will it take for you to believe us?’

Danny shrugged, and said to Aunt May, ‘You don’t know half of  what’s gone on. They were the start of it, him and another friggin' copper.’ He waved his hand at Mike.  ‘Accused me of murdering me mate’s girlfriend. They even got me locked up. Then I ended up in a fucking…pardon me…drug factory, with a bunch of lunatics. And...  And... My best friend is dead. Shelly…well, Shelly, you said she was here and she’s not. And no one cares, got no friends, got nobody, ‘cos they all think I murdered Alicia.’

Aunt May sighed. ‘Danny, I’m so sorry for your loss, and everything that’s happened to you. But please, give us a chance. I assure you, we are not part of them, as you call the families.’

Cutting her off, Danny went on, ‘You still don’t understand, do you? I’ve got nobody… What the hell am I supposed to believe?’ he implored them as he started to sob. ‘It’s too much…Too much. I can’t take anymore. ’

He couldn’t go on. Everything came crashing around him, and he fell to his knees. They all took a step towards him, but Smiler got there first.

Taking a deep breath, Smiler put his hand on Danny’s shoulder. He felt the stiffness there, and knew some of the pain Danny was going through. ‘Danny,’ he said. ’Let me help you.’

Aunt May and Mike looked at each other, and shared the briefest of smiles.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Shelly stared straight ahead in the car. Although late afternoon, the sun was bright, and she took in every house, tree and garden that they passed, plus the names of the streets, ensuring the route back was wired into her brain. Her memory of maps and places had always been good, and had served her before in sticky situations.

And now it was just open road. Green fields, a lot of cows, even more sheep.

 Her heart kept skipping beats, because she knew exactly which hell they would take her to. The drug sheds first, and put her to work immediately. Once in there, there was no escape, nowhere to hide or run to. The guards patrolled the drug sheds with guns and whips, watching, all the time watching. And because her hair was now blonde, instead of black, she probably wouldn’t see the Leader’s bed tonight, but that was only just probably.

‘The bastard,’ she muttered, unable to stop herself.

‘Sorry?’

‘Nothing, babes.’ She gave him a cheery smile, and threw him an air kiss, playing the blonde bimbo to the hilt, before turning back to the window.

He smiled, his dimples deepening.

Inwardly, she sighed. Am I doing the right thing?

Because once the Leader finds out that a newbie is in, he’ll deffo want to taste the wares, either tonight or tomorrow night.

 And that would be good, a relief, she tried to convince herself.

 Get it over and done with right off, before the bastards started plying her with drugs. Because the truth of the matter was, she didn’t really know how long she would be able to resist, how long it would be before she stopped palming them and swallowed the lot.