by Bryan Murray
Jake answered. “Could I speak to Jake Donovan if he’s in there tonight? He usually comes in with the dog?”
Phil immediately realized who he was talking about. “Sure, he came in about an hour ago, hang on.” he motioned across the bar to Jake Sr. that the call was for him. The old man told the dog to stay and he walked over to the bar casually, his slow speed belying his current heart rate. He picked up the phone. “Hello?”
Jake was on the line. “Hi, Gramps, can you talk?”
Jake Sr. heaved a sigh of relief. “Yes, son. You okay?’
“Hanging in there, Gramps. Anything happen after we left?”
“Within seconds two SUV’s arrived with armed Special Branch people. They moved damned fast,” Jake Sr. replied. “Must have got a match to your face somehow and then hooked it through to me,” he thought for a moment. “Were you photographed in immigration?”
In the phone booth, Jake pounded his forehead. “Yes, goddammit, that must have been how they made the quick connection.”
“Correct,” Jake Sr. added. “So stay out of sight, dump the Vauxhall.”
Jake interrupted him. “Already did. Sorry, Gramps.”
“Don’t be sorry, it’s only a damned car,” the old man replied. “Anything else I can do, son?”
Jake thought a moment. “I’ve been thinking, Gramps, somebody had to administer that fatal dose to Nan and I’ve a feeling it was to get me over here for this assassination attempt, so that I could take the heat while whoever did it slid out under the radar, for which I’m eternally sorry.”
Jake Sr. consoled him. “Don’t worry about that, son. So, what do you need?”
Jake was still thinking out loud. “I don’t think it was someone local, so why don’t you ask around at the pub near the church, or in the store, see if there were any strangers in the village asking questions, see if anybody remembers anything. Maybe a shot in the dark, Gramps, but one way or another, I’m gonna nail the bastard!”
Jake Sr. nodded sadly. “Leave it to me, son. Now, tomorrow night I’ll be at a different pub. It’s the Dog and Duck in the same area, give me a call between 8 and 10. Take care, son.”
“We will and thanks, Gramps.” Jake rang off and walked back to the car. He got back in and drove off down the road into the enveloping gloom of the English countryside.
As he drove along, Sarah looked at him, the most fearless and resourceful man she had ever met. “So, since there isn’t a cozy Holiday Inn Express just ahead, what do you suggest we do for the night, oh, fearless leader?”
Jake was looking ahead and he suddenly turned into a side lane that was leading to a farm on a hill. In the failing light, he could see that half way down the hill there was an old barn. He pulled up to the gate outside the barn, stopped the car, jumped out and opened the gate before getting back in the car and driving inside towards the barn with the lights off. He quickly went back and closed the gate and then parked the car behind the barn out of sight from the road below. Then, with his grandfather’s revolver in his hand, he and Sarah approached the barn and checked inside using the light from his I-phone to see where they were going.
The inside of the barn was tidy and luckily not populated by smelly animals and they quickly made an improvised bed of hay to settle for a sleep after what had been a mega-stressful day.
They settled down, cuddled together for warmth and Sarah snuggled closer. “D’you think we could ever settle down to a normal life?” she asked.
He smiled and hugged her to him. “Sounds pretty boring to me!”
“So, what’s the game plan?” It was as if she couldn’t rest until she knew the next steps.
He thought for a moment. “Well, the car’s out of sight, but I’m not sure what time Old MacDonald up the hill gets up, but you can bet your ass it will be early, so I’ll set the alarm for five and we’ll hit the road early, try and grab some breakfast without being recognized and lie low till I talk to Gramps again later tomorrow night.”
Sarah was exhausted. “Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, my love.” They kissed tenderly and Jake set the phone alarm as they both fell asleep almost instantly.
* * *
In the offices of MI5 in London, Senior Civil Servant Hargreaves was not a happy camper as he confronted his team. “So, let’s recap. Now we know that Harrigan and this woman Schaumberg are together, and we haven’t a damned clue where, all of you need to listen very carefully. The whole world is laughing their bloody socks off that these two assailants have disappeared off the radar, right under our very noses and they are scoffing at the way we Brits take care of terrorists in our own patch. We need to find them, is that crystal clear?” They all nodded sullenly and he looked at Strickland who had just entered. “Hugh, what do you have?”
“We already traced Harrigan’s rental car, sir. It was still sitting on the Donovan driveway.” he began.
“Which means?”
“That they took the old man’s car, which is a 2008 red Vauxhall Zafira Tourer.”
“And do we have any info on that?” Hargreaves inquired.
“Not yet, sir,” Strickland replied. “But we do have another story that may or may not be connected.”
“Which is?” Hargreaves was getting antsy.
“A car was stolen from a petrol station just north of Cheltenham and the owner said he caught a glimpse of his car being driven away followed by....”
Hargreaves finished the sentence for him. “Let me guess, a red Vauxhall Zafira?”
Strickland gave a wry smile. “Correct, sir.”
Hargreaves turned to his team. “Okay, folks get creative. Zero in on the petrol station, check with the owner of the stolen car and send out an area wide alert to look for the stolen car and also the Vauxhall. Use choppers if you have to. Just get me some results!” They all nodded and dispersed to their respective offices.
CHAPTER 12
At first light the following morning, Jake and Sarah were already up and hitting the road after a pristine breakfast of pears and apples found in a couple of baskets in the barn. Needless to say, they also had others stashed in the car for later use if required.
Jake had been giving considerable thought to where they could lie low until he could talk with Jake Sr. again. He had a cell phone he was afraid to use and gas was getting low in the car as he debated whether to risk filling it up or dumping it, particularly if the nationwide dragnet was getting as close as he suspected. The Brits were no mugs, particularly when their efficiency at tracking down terrorists was under the microscope.
As he drove along, a sign ahead indicated ‘Narrow Bridge’. This immediately gave Jake an idea, particularly when he saw that the bridge ahead was over a freshwater canal, part of the spectacular network of such canals that run through the picturesque English countryside.
At the side of the bridge was a parking area where Jake pulled up and looked at Sarah. She was curious. “What?” she asked.
He smiled. “Follow me, I’ve had an idea.”
She shrugged, got out of the car and followed Jake to the side of the bridge, looking down on the canal.
Jake remembered vividly a vacation that he and his wife had spent with friends when they visited the UK years previously.
They had taken one of the very popular canal barge holidays, where you rent a long, narrow, motorized barge, with bedrooms, kitchen etc. and sail through the beautiful countryside, occasionally having to navigate through locks that would either raise or lower the barge to enable it to continue onwards. It had been a most relaxing holiday.
They looked ahead up the towpath at the side of the canal, where in days gone by, this was used by horses to pull the barges with supplies of coal and other items to the large cotton mills and other businesses. Jake and Sarah could see two such barges moored at the side of the canal about a hundred yards away.
Sarah was looking at him curiously. “What are you thinking?”
He smiled knowingly. “How would you like to hide out in a canal ba
rge?”
She was in shock. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly,” he replied. “C’mon let’s take a look.”
They left the car where it was and quickly walked down the steps to the towpath and walked towards the two silent barges. It was still only about 6-30 am.
The countryside was still, a slight mist from the canal was hovering around the barges and the birds were just waking up in the nearby hedgerows. As they approached the two barges, they were clearly uninhabited with no signs of life and within seconds, Jake had the first one opened. The stench inside was almost gagging as they realized when they went into the galley that the owners had left rotting food on the worktop.
They quickly moved on to the second barge and once again Jake had them inside within seconds. This was a considerably cleaner vessel and it looked like it had been used very recently. This also meant that there was at least some kind of food in the galley, albeit only cookies, crackers and tinned beans and peaches.
Sarah was still apprehensive. “But what if somebody comes?”
Jake smiled. “Well, if it’s the owners, we’re in deep shit, if it’s not, then as far as they are concerned, we’re renters!”
She looked at him. “Were you ever a boy scout?”
He grinned. “No, why?”
“Because you’re always prepared!” she added. “So what now?”
He thought a moment. “Well, before we feast on this treasure trove of baked beans, I need to hide the car significantly far enough away from here so that if they do actually find it, they don’t drag us in within minutes by spotting us from the road.”
“So how long will you be?” she asked
“I won’t be long. I’ll hide the wheels and walk back. Don’t start the food until you see me, okay?” he looked across at a radio on the shelf. “Tune in and get the latest bulletins and I’ll be back before you know it.”
She looked suddenly concerned. “And if you don’t make it back?”
He held her close and kissed her gently. “The only way I won’t make it back is if you hear that I’ve been captured on the radio.”
“In which case?”
“In which case, head for the nearest town, catch a bus to Gramps’s place and swear that you had no idea I was involved in any assassination plot. If they don’t buy it, take them back to the hotel in Broadway and show them the bill and ask if anyone can recognize you from when we were there. I know it’s a long shot and the fact that we were there before the manhunt started, there’s no real reason anyone would remember us, particularly since we paid cash!”
She gave a wry smile. “Definitely a boy scout!”
He gave her a hug. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Make sure you are.” She replied.
* * *
It was still dark and the early morning mist was hovering alongside the roads as Jake drove away from the canal bridge and the barge in which Sarah was waiting nervously for his return.
He was listening to the car radio and as usual the hunt for them was still the number one story. He heaved a sigh of relief that the authorities were still one step behind in tracking their latest mode of transport, but he also realized that once the details of their latest wheels hit the news media, the crazy manhunt would kick into gear once more.
The sad news of the morning was that one of the wounded security guards from the assassination attempt on the Queen, had since died from his gunshot wounds, which only served to heighten the media resentment against not only himself and Sarah but also at the lack of progress being made by MI5 to bring them to justice.
* * *
In Thames House, the MI5 headquarters in London, Hargreaves had just received another chewing out from the Deputy Director General at the lack of progress. He in turn was venting his spleen on his tired, frustrated team.
“This is ludicrous!” he ranted. “These damned people can’t just disappear into thin air. My God, we’ve got the airports, sea ports, and train stations being watched and road blocks in place and we still can’t find these terrorists!”
Hugh Strickland was equally frustrated as Hargreaves turned to him. “And what about Harrigan’s family. I take it we’re monitoring all incoming and outgoing calls?”
“Yes, sir,” Strickland replied. “This guy Harrigan is too smart to try and involve the old man.”
Hargreaves was still desperate. “And what about if the old man goes out?”
Strickland replied dejectedly. “We’ve been shadowing him sir, but all he does is take the dog for a walk, stopping by his local for a pint, seems the old guy enjoys his beer!”
“And inside the pub?” Hargreaves inquired.
“That’s just it, sir,” Strickland replied. “Our guys followed him in and he just sat there, playing dominoes with his old cocker buddies!”
What Strickland hadn’t realized was that Jake Sr. could spot a tail a mile away and that was why he always arrived at the pub well over an hour before Jake was due to call and if his tail hadn’t given up watching him play dominoes by then, as they had so far, there was no way he would have taken Jake’s call.
Hargreaves was now a worried man. This damned American and his girlfriend were making his department look like incompetent idiots and the world media were enjoying every minute of it. He kept telling himself that something would break, but when was the million dollar question.
* * *
As Jake drove along the dark country road, he saw ahead the twinkling lights of what he thought was a gas station, but as he got closer he saw that it was ‘Cindy’s’ a small coffee shop serving coffee and hot and cold food to local passers-by.
He was already hungry and not particularly interested in the food at the barge and so he decided to take a risk and go inside to grab a couple of warm muffins and coffee before finding a spot to hide the car until later. They say that hunger makes people do rash things and on this misty morning, in that deserted countryside, Jake was about to make his first mistake.
He parked the car under the trees at the shadowy end of the small parking lot and went inside the almost empty restaurant where Cindy, the chubby, middle-aged owner was just getting ready for the passing breakfast traffic. The smell of coffee and warm baked muffins was almost driving him insane as he walked up to the counter with his head down. Cindy looked up and smiled.
“What can I get you, love?” she asked.
“Two coffees and four raisin muffins, please.” Jake replied.
“No problem, have you got far to travel?” she asked in a friendly way.
Jake didn’t need the conversation. “Not really,” he replied. “How much do I owe you?”
Cindy punched in the numbers on the cash register before she poured the coffees and put them with the muffins in one of her personalized bags. “That’ll be ten pounds fifty, love.” she replied. Jake gave her the money, grabbed the bag and left.
Cindy put the cash in the till and looked down the counter to where another customer, a Man, was drinking his coffee reading the newspaper. He turned the page on the paper and suddenly, there facing her, was a picture of Jake and Sarah with the headlines above it reading ‘STILL AT LARGE!”
Cindy looked quickly at the door that Jake had just gone through. “Oh, my God!” she gasped.
Geoff reading the newspaper, a regular customer, looked up. “What’s wrong, Cindy?”
She was almost speechless. “That’s, that’s him!”
“That’s who?” Geoff asked.
She pointed to his newspaper. “That man, the one they’re lookin’ for!”
Geoff looked suddenly alarmed. “You mean he was just in here?”
She nodded, pointing at the door frantically. “Just left!”
He rushed to the door and as he opened it, Jake’s car was just pulling out of the parking lot, under a street lamp, heading west. Jake didn’t see him. Geoff looked closely at Jake’s car. “Damn, too dark to get the number,” he gasped. “But that was a blue Ford Mondeo I’m sure!” he rus
hed back into the restaurant where Cindy was still in shock. “Quick, Cindy, dial 999, lemme speak to them?” he screamed.
* * *
Hugh Strickland was going through a file at his desk when the phone rang. He answered it. “Strickland?” he listened a second, suddenly alert. It was the Senior Officer who had spoken on the phone to Geoff at the coffee shop who had spotted Jake and his car
“Where?” he asked. He jotted down an address.
“When was this?”
“Just minutes ago, sir.”
“And what was he driving?”
“The man said it was a blue Ford Mondeo, sir.”
Strickland was now alert. “Right, I want a dragnet around that restaurant for a two mile radius and I want it yesterday, is that clear?”
‘Yes, sir.” the Officer replied as the line went dead. Strickland dialed another number and Hargreaves answered.
“Hargreaves?”
“Harrigan’s just been spotted, sir!” Strickland began
“I’m listening?” Hargreaves replied.
“Stopped to get coffee and muffins at a coffee shop in a village just south of Worcester.”
“And?” Hargreaves was getting impatient.
“Roadblocks already ordered, sir”
“Keep me posted?’ Hargreaves rang off.
* * *
Unaware that he had been spotted, Jake drove along looking for a place to hide the car until later in the day. He spotted an old barn among some trees in the early dawn light. He pulled off the road and approached the barn slowly and parked outside. He got out of the car and quickly checked the door to the barn to find that it was unlocked. It was almost full of old, rusty farm implements, obviously rarely used and there was just enough room to get the car in.
