It was dark now, we were driving through the countryside, hopefully heading for the coast. Lorraine was trembling beside me, casting worried glances towards the phone, which was in a holster-type carrier. Neither of us were talking, though now and again Lorraine would look behind us and tell me that the green car was still in pursuit and actually doing quite an effective job of it, by her account. I had been lost and looking for the coast before – being from my family, with a father who had a penchant for short cuts to avoid traffic, it was quite a common memory
I told Lorraine to check the list of directions Helen Bright had given us on the last phone call. The time was going by, and I was hoping that the whole thing was really not happening, but the screeches of brakes of our follower served to remind me otherwise so we hurtled on through the night, the inky-blue fingers of a dark winter night reaching to pull us into their grasp, but not quite giving us the shelter we needed, as the car continued to track us. It had now been over an hour since the last call, still I did not have a final address of our destination.
Another ten minutes passed, and Lorraine announced that the car had gone. Now I felt more torn, where maybe I should have felt relief, maybe something had happened to it- or the driver – or maybe they knew a way in which they could get in front and cut us off. I looked at the road ahead, and asked Lorraine to check the directions – was that the main lights of a dual carriageway I could see?
It appeared I was right, and this spurred me forward, where I had begun to flail. If by some miracle we had lost the green car, maybe could stop and get a coffee and a sandwich, and refuel ourselves. Still no further instructions from Helen, and the time between the calls had grown. I began to hope she was okay, wherever she was.
Twenty minutes later, we took the decision to stop for a drink – and while we sat, nursing the hot chocolate – it was the right choice – I pondered over my career at BrightSparkz thus far. Had I really only been there a week?
What was this all about, people doing dark deeds in dark cupboards, bulbs that went pop in the night, family connections, secret cameras and mysterious messages on computers with no power.
Then to top it off a grandfather in ailing health and of advanced years, and a chase down to the coast in late February? I knew I had to let my family know that I was okay, but if my husband asked where I was – what could I tell him? Some roadside cafe sipping hot chocolate, when I could and would rather be at home with him and my children arguing about what televisual feast we enjoyed next. Immediately the tune for Spongebob came into my head and I decided that we should have a cd on when we returned to the car. It was then that I noticed , a woman across the aisle in another booth was glancing surreptitiously in our direction before hiding, as I tried to catch her eye. There was something odd about her.
Who was she – this woman? I nudged Lorraine and we got up to leave. At the door of the cafe, I glanced back, in time to see a stocky guy cross the room and head towards where she sat.
Immediately I worked out who the couple were – I had seen them together in shady circumstances before. Quicker now, we got to to the car, and left the services, resuming our coast bound journey.
Maggie and Tom Edison had joined the works outing to the seaside.
Back in the car, I flicked on the cd player, but the disc had become stuck, so it looked we were in for a lovely classical piece featuring Axel F and the Crazy Frog. There was no justice in the world when this was one of a few tracks that did not jump, despite the times it got suffered – I meant – played.
Then the phone rang, interrupting the little green critter and his nonsensical burblings.
Helen told Lorraine to be extra careful, the car now on our tail was armed, and it would not be too long before we met up with her, but the last stretch of driving meant leaving the carriageway and getting onto a B road – and to look out for the B359. We were to drive thirty miles down this road, then we would come to the gated driveway of a private house, with a small lodge. She would be waiting at the lodge.
