“You have a great flat,”
“Yes, we like it, although with the float coming up I haven't seen much of it in the last few weeks, it has been just a place to eat and sleep recently. On a clear day y ou can see as far as the Mendip Hills.”
“Do you remember hiking and camping down there?”
“Yes, they were great days, when it didn't pour with rain and water got in to absolutely everything! ”
“Don't seem to have time to do that kind of thing these days,” I sighed.
After a few moments silence we moved on to talk around some of the recent events, trying to make sense of them, until Lisa came out and joined us.
“Let's have no more business tonight, dinner will be about half an hour, so lets have another drink,” she said looking at Alec, who obediently got up and went off to refresh all of our glasses. “So Martin how is the social life at the moment? I know you have all been very busy, but you must have some time off. Whatever happened to that girl who came with you to dinner last time, she was very nice, Jackie wasn't it?”
“Jasmine,” I said. “ She’ s OK, I think. I had an email from Egypt a few weeks ago. You will remember she is an archaeologist, and is out there on a dig at the moment. No idea when she will be back. Apparently they have used US spy satellite technology to identify vast areas of hidden ruins that have been swallowed up by the desert. A combination of high-resolution satellite photography and infrared scanning can detect the ancient mud bricks under the sand. She could be out there for the duration as far as I know.”
“Don't be so blase,” said Lisa, “don't you get lonely?”
“Too busy,” I replied, anxious to change the subject. Fortunately Alec returned to say that there seemed to be things going on in the kitchen and with an exclamation she was gone.
It was a pleasant evening, but feeling very tired and still sore I made my excuses and left early. Alec came down with me to the parking garage to let me out of the secure gate. “Thanks for dinner, see you in the morning,” I said out of the window before driving the car up the ramp.
Turning right as I came out of the garage I saw a set of headlights come on to my left. The streets were quiet and driving along I thought back over the evening. ‘ I wo nder what Jasmine is doing now? P robably sitting round a camp fire exchanging n otes on the days dig I expect,’ then, remembering the t ime difference revised that to ‘ sleeping out in a tent under the desert sky.’
A set of traffic lights brought me to a halt, and a car pulled up behind me. I pulled away and the car followed. I turned on to the motorway and looking behind could see no further sign of the car. I scolded myself; my imagination was running away with me. In a few miles I turned off and was quickly in to the West Country lanes that lead to my house, an old converted barn that I had spent some time lovingly converting to my specifications. It would be good to get home.
As I turned in to the narrow lane a mile from the house there was suddenly a set of car headlights behind me. “Stop being paranoid,” I said to my self, bu t my heartbeat was faster never the less; it was unusual to get traffic on this road this late. I turned a bend in the road and another set of headlights was coming towards me. It was a single-track road and I slowed, but the nearest passing place behind me was a good half-mile back so it would have to be the car in front that would have to reverse. But he did not stop, he came right up to the front with his headlights on full, so I could see nothing. I opened the door and got partially out of the car so I could gesture to the driver to back up. As I did so a car door slammed behind me. A chill went up my spine and I jumped back in to the car and locked the door. There was a few seconds of silence and then a smash as the rear window behind me was broken. The doors were u nlocked and a big burly gorilla- like figure opened the driver’s door, grabbed my coat, and dragged me out of the car on to the grass verge. I stumbled to my feet and by this time I was indignantly yelling in protest but the sheer size of this guy made me pause. I am not a small guy but I knew I had no chance against him. Suddenly there was movement behind me, and blinding pain as my feet were swept away with a blow to my right calf. The big gorilla picked me up and literally threw me down the verge in to the hedge running along side the road. Another, standing there with a baseball bat stared down at me menacingly.
“Is a broken rib and a car smash not enough warning to?” he said. “This is the last warning. Next time it will be serious, a lost hand or foot, we are not messing around. No float or else, and our friends want to talk to that brother of yours, tell him, and tell him what the penalty will be for not doing what we say. Tell him to ring Groucho soon or you will all regret it. You can tell that partner of yours, Bell, that we will come for him next time, and he has a family. Remember, no float!” With that he turned and smashed the rear window of the car with the bat.
Lying sprawled and dazed in the midst of the hedge I slowly realised that the two cars had gone. My leg was screaming at me as I tried to get out of the hedge and crawl up the slope to the grass verge; my leg would not take any weight.
I heard a car pull up and a voice shouted, “Are you alright?” The voice turned out to belong to Jerry, the proprietor of the delicatessen in the village.
“Give me a hand please, it is difficult to walk.”
“Shall I call the police, or an ambulance,” said Jerry.
I looked in both directions along the road and thought, no point. “No, don't let's bother them Jerry, if you can help me clear the glass off the drivers seat I will move the car out of the way so you can get through, I only live just up the road.”
“Well if you are sure,” he said somewhat doubtfully, as I stood there on one leg gingerly feeling my right calf. Nothing felt broken I thought but I wondered if I could drive.
Jerry got some gloves and a heavy rag out of his car and brushed the glass off the driver seat on to the road. I then sat down on the seat and carefully, using both hands, lifted my damaged leg in to the car. The car engine was still running and I gently tried to see if I could control the throttle with the foot of my injured leg. The car revved a bit jerkily but good enough to get me home.
“Thanks Jerry, you've been very helpful. I will move on and get out of your way.”
Jerry was still looking doubtful, “Are you sure you are OK?”
“Yes, I will be fine, thanks Jerry, see you later,” I said with a confidence that I did not feel, “I will get on home now.” With that I pressed the clutch, put the car in gear, and jerked off up the road.
Luckily, I met no more traffic and found myself entering the drive to my house. The drive is on a downward slope, my right leg simply refused to cope with the foot break, so using a combination of left foot and handbrake I came to a stalled halt before I reached the Rhododendrons!
Getting slowly out of the car, I limped to the door. Feeling was definitely coming back in to my leg but with it came the pain. Inside I dragged myself t o the bathroom, swallowed some P aracetamol, and then limped in to the bedroom where I fell on to the bed. This was getting to be a habit!
As his cell phone rang, he closed the door and answered it. A voice said, “ We found him and the next round of warnings administered,” and hung up. Dawson smiled to himself, perhaps that would get the result they were looking for.
CHAPTER 15
Next morning my leg felt a bit better, less painful, but was almost totally black with the bruising, right down to the ankle and instep. Today was a day to stay at home.