Thorn In My Side (28 page)

10.40 am

Danny was
facing the open door, and was shocked when Shelly walked through,
accompanied by one of the fiend’s brutes. He watched as she hobbled
towards him. She looked twenty years older. Her face was grey. He
could see huge bruises on her arms and legs. Immediately he felt
sorry and angry at the same time, sorry for the physical wreck she
had become in a few short hours, and angry at the people
responsible. He knew nothing of the families, nor the yoke the
whole world had been under for centuries. His anger was directed at
The Leader. His brain had worked overtime, figuring out ways he and
Cassie could escape. They had lain with their heads together,
whispering, until they fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.

The thug with
the gun was pretty lax really, probably thinking that his charges
were little more than zombies. Danny had told Cassie to be ready,
and in the two hours after their breakfast, a slice of bread thrown
at them as if they were animals, she had hardly taken her eyes off
him.

He figured he
could probably take the thug from behind, but how the hell to get
out of here? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t come up with
a working plan.

Shelly was
moving towards them. Danny was saddened to see that the closer she
got, the worse she looked. His throat tightened. He put his head
down so the over-developed freak with her would not see his
eyes.

'You.'

Danny knew he
was talking to him. Still he kept his head down and muttered a
meek, 'Yes.'

'Show her what
to do.'

Danny nodded.
When he was certain the freak had gone, he looked at Shelly.
Are
you all right?
he mouthed, even though he could see she was far
from all right.

Is that a bite
mark on her cheek? Jesus!

Slowly she
shook her head. Danny ached to hold her. No matter what she’d done,
she did not deserve this. He knew then that he still loved her, and
felt totally inadequate at his inability to protect her.

'Just fill
these boxes with the packets of poison,' he said quietly, aware
that Cassie was watching. Then he whispered, 'They’ll be round
later with some shit. Don’t swallow it, OK?'

She nodded,
staring at the packets of pills. Danny knew the nod was automatic,
a reaction from someone who was already dead. His spirits sank.
Shelly knew more about these people than anyone here. If she was
reacting like this, what hope did any of them have?

12.15 pm

'Where’s
Smiler?' Mike asked Aunt May, as he closed his mobile and slipped
it into his pocket. Officially today was his day off, but he had
been in contact with the office every few minutes, driving Kristina
crazy.

Aunt May
shrugged. 'Never seen him, nor the bloody Shetland pony, for' – she
shrugged again – 'a couple of hours. Any news about Cassie?'

Mike sighed.
'No. She was spotted looking into a jewellery shop window at about
five to nine yesterday morning, by the postman. Before that, a
couple of kids saw her at half-past eight. Nothing since. I’m going
in to work anyway. We’re going to the school, question some of the
kids who know her.' He looked at Aunt May. 'There’s not a lot more
we can do.'

Aunt May
nodded. 'I’ll pop round and see Jill.’

'You do that.
Tell her… tell her we’re doing everything we can to find
Cassie.'

Aunt May
nodded. She left through the back door as Mike headed up to the
shower.

1.30 pm

Simmonds glared
at his oldest son. 'I’ve told you, he’s completely reliable.
Everything is going according to plan. By tonight the fool in
Northumbria will be dead, along with that interfering copper.'

His son Giles
was a younger version of himself, with the same petulant mouth, now
down-turned at the corners. He said, 'As long as he knows what’s
riding on this. Seeing as you failed to push through the deaths of
his whole family, we’ve lost out on their empire.' He slammed the
book he’d been holding onto the coffee table. 'Really, Father,
things aren’t going according to plan.'

'We have to
tread carefully, surely you can see that? If any of the families
get wind of what we’re planning, then we will be the ones murdered
in our beds.'

'Huh.'

'Huh, you say?
Why do you think the Norwegian family were wiped out in the
fourteenth century?'

Giles shrugged.
'That was then. This is now.’

'This is now?'
Simmonds snapped. 'How many times do you need to be told that we
are all in danger? Until the real Lindisfarne Gospels are found and
hidden with the Historian, every one of the families is in danger.
Thank God everyone thinks the ones in London are the real thing. If
the genuine gospels were ever found, with the real truth of the
world in them, we would be hunted down and torn to pieces.'

Giles
shrugged.

Seeing his
usual uncaring attitude, Simmonds snapped, 'That is why the whole
operation up north is being supervised by your brother Michael. If
it’s hidden where we think, then they’ll recover it tonight while
most of the islanders are in Berwick. Here.' Simmonds got up from
the settee and walked over to a sixteenth-century chest. Using a
tiny key taken from a chain around his neck, he opened a
compartment at the back of the chest and drew out a wad of notes,
which he handed to his son. 'Do what you do best. The casino’s open
now.'

With a look of
contempt, Giles snatched the money from his father’s hand and,
without a backward glance, walked out.

Simmonds
gritted his teeth. If Giles didn’t look so much like him, he would
swear he was not his son. Even so, he’d still had a secret DNA test
done which unfortunately had proved positive.

Michael was so
much better material, just like his bastard peasant daughter, who
was a rising star of the stock market. A little helping hand,
unknown to her, had not gone amiss. He smiled. If Giles ever bumped
into her, it would be like looking in a mirror. He would guess
right off who she was.

Picking his
phone up, he dialled a north-east number.

3.00 pm

Shelly stared
at the half-full box. She had no idea how many bags she had put in.
Each one had to be counted, and she found it hard to concentrate,
especially with Danny’s eyes on her most of the time. Guilt weighed
heavy on her mind, and pain wracked her body with every breath she
took. Every time she moved, her nerves screamed in agony. Not for
the first time she would have to empty the box out and start
again.

Sighing, she
tried to tip the box up, and couldn’t find the strength. Suddenly
the box was taken out of her hands. She watched as the deadly
packets were tipped onto the bench. Looking up, her eyes met
Danny’s. 'Sorry,' she whispered – not for the box, but for the
horror she had dragged him into.

Understanding,
Danny give her a quick smile. He hadn’t forgiven her, and wasn’t
sure if he ever would, but his heart ached for what had happened to
her. He was still looking at Shelly when Cassie nudged him. He
winced, and felt his knees wobble as pain washed over him. She had
caught him in the ribs. He hung onto the bench. To give in meant to
be dragged away. Already, four kids and one of the women were lying
in the corner.

He felt a
breath on his neck, and froze as the man with the gun said, 'Just
give me any excuse to waste you.'

'Sorry,' Danny
whispered, getting on with his work. He looked at Cassie and pulled
a face.

As the gunman
walked back to the middle of the room, Brother David and four other
monks came into the hall, each carrying a tray with six bowls of
soup. They delivered these to the top four tables, then went out
for more.

'We should
complain to the union about this, we get served last every time,'
Danny whispered to the girls. Despite their plight, it raised a
ghost of a smile from Cassie and Shelly, but the girl with the
glasses and the long brown bunches just looked vacantly at him.

Tutting, Danny
got on with his work, still racking his mind for ways to escape,
while Cassie dreaded every passing minute, wondering exactly what
was in store for her tonight. Shelly already knew.

4.15 pm

Mike and
Kristina looked at each other as the boy turned to go. When he
reached the door, Mike said, 'Tell the next one to wait, we’ll come
for him when we’re ready.' The boy threw them a quick smile and a
nod as he closed the door behind him.

They had been
at it for hours and, after interviewing most of the school, they
were down to the last four. 'He seemed like a nice kid,' Kristina
said, smoothing the creases out of her pale blue linen dress.

Dry-washing his
face with his hands, Mike replied. 'Yeah, but like most of them he
never really knew Cassie. She hasn’t been here long enough to make
much of an impression on them.'

'Well, there’s
only a few left. Might as well get it over with.' When Mike nodded,
Kristina got up and went to the door. She smiled at the four
teenagers, three boys and a chubby girl with short red hair, and
beckoned for the girl to come in.

When she was
seated in front of them, Mike said, 'So, what’s your name?'

'Amber.' She
looked from under her lids at Mike.

Guessing that
she was quite shy, and probably bullied for her weight and the
colour of her hair, which was really quite beautiful, Mike said
gently, 'All right, Amber, I guess by now you’ll have heard what
this is all about?'

The girl’s face
flushed as she nodded. 'I… I saw her get into a car… I was late and
I ran past her.'

Mike and
Kristina looked at each other. 'At last,' Kristina muttered.

'OK.' Mike
smiled at the girl. 'Take your time and tell us everything you can
remember. Even if you think it’s not important, it might be.'

She paused for
a moment, then said hesitantly, 'I... er... I didn’t really see
much. Cassie was looking in the shop window when the car came up
the road and turned. When I passed, she got in the car.' She
shrugged. 'That’s all, really.'

'What colour
was the car?' Kristina asked.

Amber bit her
lip. 'Oh, dark, I think. Black or dark blue.'

'Did you notice
the number plate?' Mike raised an eyebrow, hoping for the
practically impossible.

She shook her
head. 'No, sorry. I never looked.'

'It’s all
right, Amber… Why would you? Did you see who else was in the
car?'

'A girl, and
two men.'

'Seen any of
them before, Amber?' Kristina put in.

Turning to
Kristina, Amber went on, 'Not the men, ‘cos it drove off too fast.
I think I’ve seen the girl before though, but I can’t remember
where. She’s not in our class. I think she’s too old, she might
have left school.'

'Did Cassie get
into the car willingly, or did it look like she was forced?'

'I think she
just got in, like she knew them.'

'OK, Amber,
you’re doing great. Now, can you tell us what the girl looked
like?' Mike asked, leaning eagerly across the desk, praying that
fate was finally dealing them a good card.

Amber chewed
her lip for a moment. 'She’s got long black hair, and face
rings.'

'Maria!' Mike
said, turning his head to look at Kristina.

'Sounds like it
to me. Amber, you’ve been a great help. Thank you.' Kristina
smiled, and, basking in the praise, Amber beamed back at her.

When she had
gone, Mike shrugged his jacket on. 'Come on, Kristina, we might
catch her in the house this time.'

'What about the
rest of them out there?'

Opening the
door, Mike said to the three boys, 'Any of youse lot got anything
to tell us? Do you even know Cassie?'

The boys looked
at each other, shrugged in turn, then shook their heads. Stopping
himself from asking if any of them had tongues in their mouths,
Mike said, 'Right, lads, you can go now.'

He watched as
the trio slumped away. Turning back, he waited while Kristina
slipped a white bolero over her shoulders, then together they
walked out to the car.

6.30 pm

Aunt May was
looking out of her window as the coach arrived to take the
villagers to Berwick Town Hall for the meeting. She still had time
to go, and was actually in two minds. But she was worried about
Smiler. He’d been missing most of the day. The bread had almost
disappeared, nothing left but a crust, and she didn’t know if
Smiler had been back and had a snack, or if Mike had taken
sandwiches to work with him.

Should I
go?

No. Can’t
stand the bloody poncy idiots.

Anyhow, I
can’t go unless I know Smiler’s safe.

She was about
to slip her old blue cardigan on and have another wander round the
village, when Mike walked in.

'Oh, thank God
you’re back.'

'Why, what’s
wrong?' Watching her heading for the door, Mike left his jacket on.
He already had a feeling that this was something to do with
Smiler.

'Did you take
sandwiches to work today?'

'That’ll be a
yes.'

'Then Smiler’s
been missing all day. And that bloody Tiny.' She couldn’t keep the
worry off her face as she looked at Mike.

'Ahh, fuck'

'Uh-hmm.'

'Sorry, Aunt
May, it’s been one of those days. We actually have a lead, but
can’t flaming well find her.'

'Oh, dear. So
nothing at all?'

Mike shook his
head.

'I’ve been with
Jill most of the day. She’s in a right bloody state, the poor
lass.'

'Yeah, I bet.
Look, we better go and find our own missing ones.'

As they stepped
out of the door, the bus went past. Aunt May stopped and watched.
Noticing that it was full, she muttered, 'Bloody fools.'

Pleased that
she hadn’t gone, but still not sure why, Mike hid a smile as they
walked to the centre of the village. When they had reached Stables
coffee shop, Mike said, 'You carry on round the streets, I’ll go
down onto the beach.'