by Andrea Hicks
‘Er,’ Ava frowns. ‘It was...a Japanese sounding name. He worked at the facility in Edinburgh.’
‘A scientist?’
She shakes her head. ‘I don’t think so...I don’t know.’
‘Was it Hikaru? The guy’s name. Was it Hikaru?’
Her eyes widen and she gasps. ‘Yeah, it was. How did you know?’
‘I’ve met him.’
She stares at me as though I’ve grown two heads. ‘You’ve met him? Where?’
‘On the underground. I was trying to get to a friend’s flat in Putney to get off the streets. I saw him looking at me and I thought he’d recognised me. I didn’t look like this at the time, more like the photos on the news reports, but he stood behind me and told me I was in danger, that I needed to get away from the public.’
‘Do you think it was the same guy?’
I nod. ‘Without a doubt.’
She stubs her cigarette out in a saucer and goes quiet. I can almost see the cogs and wheels of her mind whirring as she joins the dots. Or maybe comes to an impasse where the dots don’t meet. They suddenly don’t meet and the penny drops.
‘But why you? Why are they after you? Do you have CF? Do any of your family have CF? Are your parents carriers?’
‘No.’
‘So, it’s nothing to do with your blood?’
‘It’s everything to do with my blood.’
‘But...’
‘Listen, I’m no wiser than you, but one thing I do know, I’ve got to get away from here. Who was hounding your sister? Was it Cecily Cunningham?’
She shakes her head. ‘No.’
‘Who then?’
‘She was told it was the pharmaceutical companies, that they wanted her because they knew they’d make a shedload of money from her once they’d taken her blood. Hikaru told her that once they’d got hold of it she was dead meat because it would be too dangerous to keep her alive. Other companies would pile in and what her blood could achieve would be utterly worthless. He told her that she would be safe if she stayed with him.’
‘And did she?’
‘For a while, but he had her holed up in a flat and all she wanted to do was go home. He locked her in every time he went out, so she kicked out a window and left when she could. She said was scared to leave, thought there would be people waiting on every corner for her. He’d brain-washed her into thinking that she was in danger if she was out on the street, but she went back to our parents place and just didn’t go out.’
‘Did they know what she’d done?’
‘Not at first. She told me that she thought it would be okay because a lot of the students took part in drug trials. And she was short of money. Our parents helped her, but she felt guilty about taking their money. When it all kicked off she was too embarrassed to tell them what she’d done. In the end we told them together.’
‘Then what?’
‘Hikaru was texting and phoning her. I saw the texts. They were threatening, sort of passive aggressive, saying people were looking for her and would kill her, but if she went back to him he would take care of her and would keep her safe. I texted him and told him to leave her alone and if he didn’t I would contact the police. He said it as the worst thing I could do and if I wanted to keep my sister safe I should keep my mouth shut. To be honest I wasn’t sure what to believe. It went on for about a month. One morning our mother went into her room and found her. She’d killed herself, left a note saying she couldn’t take anymore. I wish I’d contacted the police. It might not have been the wrong thing to do.’
I put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her but she hardly noticed it. ‘I’m so sorry about your sister, Ava. What was her name?’
‘Grace.’
There seems to be nothing else to say. My thoughts go to Leo and Tom and I’m hoping with everything I’ve got that Tom can discover something to help me find my father. I turn in my seat. Leo is still standing outside the dining room, waiting for me. He lifts his chin as if to say, time’s up.
‘I have to go, Ava.’
She nods. ‘I know.’ I make to leave and she stops me. ‘I’ve been thinking. You could stay at my apartment. I might even be able to help you, y’know, just be there in case you need someone. Do for you what I was unable to do for my sister.’
‘Leopold...I mean Baxter has offered me his cottage. In Brighton. It’s a bit far out, but I was desperate. Where’s your apartment?’
‘Bermondsey. There’s a spare room, well, a box room. It’s small, but clean and modern. I’d welcome the company to be honest, particularly after...well, you know.’
I pull a grin and hoped she’ll accept what I say how it’s offered. ‘So you don’t mind sharing a flat with someone who told you to fuck yourself?’
To my relief she grins back. ‘Sounds like a woman after my own heart.’
Settling in is easy. I don’t have anything to take, so I have to rely on Ava. Leo gives me some more clothes from lost property. When I say lost property, we’re not talking umbrellas, hats, scarves and the usual detritus people lose. No, this stuff has been left by guests of the PM when they’ve been invited for banquets, meetings, and/or jollies. So basically, we’re talking designer. Most of it isn’t my style, sequins and bugle beads won’t fit into my current lifestyle, but the coats, jeans?, yes jeans, VB no less, and tops, jumpers, are mostly okay. Some can be changed to fit, I’m not bad with adapting stuff, I used to do it a lot when I was a kid, mostly because mum couldn’t afford to buy me new clothes.
Eva and I get on surprisingly well, considering that we got off to such a bad start. Clearly, it’s her flat so I must abide by the rules. The box room is just that, a box, four walls, a bed and a dresser. But it’s clean and comfortable. We share food deliveries; the girl doesn’t have a tin of beans in her cupboard, and bottles of wine. We both like Prosecco, so it’s win, win. Until the phone call.
I allowed myself to fall into what I perceived to be safety, permitted a lull of false security. Of course the problem following me around wasn’t going to go away, of course it would start up again. Where money is concerned, no one forgets. I just thought if I ignored them they just forget all about me.
‘Nina.’
‘What do you want?’
An ironic chuckle. ‘What do I want? What the hell have you been up to?’
‘Why is that your business?’
‘Because I saved your life, gave you money, took you to my house for safekeeping.’
‘I didn’t ask you to do that, did I? You make me sound like an object, Cain. Perhaps that’s because it’s exactly what I am to you. Property.’
‘You didn’t do what I asked.’
‘No, of course I didn’t. And here’s what I don’t understand. If you want it done so badly, why don’t you do it yourself? Don’t answer, I know why. You don’t want the stink of her murder on you. You don’t want anyone to know you’re involved. Paul wasn’t important. He was someone you could get rid of with no trail. Not so easy with Cecily Cunningham or her girlfriend. Questions would be asked, wouldn’t they. And Luna refused to get rid of her so you thought you’d get little old me to do it. The naïve one, the stupid one. Not so stupid, Cain.’
‘You’re making a huge mistake, Nina.’
‘I don’t think so.’ Eva is watching me from the other side of the room. She hasn’t blinked once.
‘I want you to meet me.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘I know where you’ve been and I know where you are.’
‘You couldn’t know that.’
‘Hikaru’s been tailing you. I hate the guy but he’s got some talents. You’re in an apartment in Bermondsey. If you don’t agree to meet me, I’ll send someone to pay you a visit. Maybe I’ll send Hikaru.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ Eva’s eyes widen.
He chuckles again. ‘Of course I am.’
Eva says no way should I go, but I’m so scared Cain will send someone to do us some damage. I know what he’s capable of, what
he did to Paul. I don’t think he’ll have any qualms about doing something like that to us. I can’t take the risk. The responsibility is too great.
‘Baxter,’ she cries as I’m about to go out the door.
I frown at her, wondering why she’s thought of him. ‘What?’
‘For God’s sake, Nina. Tell him what you’re planning. He’s good at watching people. Even if he doesn’t do it he can get someone else to do it. Please, please don’t go on your own.’
‘Cain said I should go alone.’
‘Okay, I get that, but he doesn’t have to know about it. You will be alone...except someone will have your back.’
I get my phone out of my pocket then think better of it. ‘Can you do it? I’m so scared my phone is being listened into. I know Tom took the tracking device out, but...I don’t know what the hell’s been hidden in here.’
She nods. ‘Yeah, I’ll tell him. He won’t be happy with what you’re about to do, but you’re your own boss. I get the feeling that even if he told you not to go you still would.’
I shrug. ‘Sometimes we have to do what we think is right.’
I leave the apartment and make my way to where Cain said he would be, a café on the square in Bermondsey. As I walk out of the courtyard in front of the apartment block and onto the street, my anger begins to ramp up. This guy is threatening me and I have to know why. Why am I so important to him? Why are he and Hikaru in a love/hate relationship? What is it they both want from me? Suddenly I realise what they’re after. It’s the same thing, it must be. Rochelle taught me, ask yourself, what’s in it for them, so if I’m right, and they are both after the same thing, it means they’re in competition with one another. And if they’re in competition with one another I can play them off against each other. The theory sounds solid, the practice maybe not so, because first I have to find out how they intend to get what they want.
The streets are crowded. This is what I like about London. You’re fairly anonymous here. People don’t look at you; they’re too busy on their phones or swigging from their morning coffees, or simply just not engaged with anything out of their zone. It’s kind of comforting; London isn’t for the lonely, I have felt alone here, especially when Mum died and I felt I had no one to turn to, no one to care. But for me, for me right now it’s perfect. Also, I look so different from the photos put out on the news that no one would recognise me. I’ve even mastered putting in my contacts which at first was excruciating, but they change the way I look so radically it’s a no brainer, which is why I was determined to master it. It takes seconds now.
I reach the square in Bermondsey and look for the café Cain suggested. Getting nearer to the front window it looks like it’s closed. Now what? Cain seems to have a thing about meeting in cafes. Most of the places he chooses are low-key, dark and moody places. Well, it’s definitely dark and moody inside. No lights and no people.
I saunter up to the door and stand outside looking around. I have a horrible feeling I’ve been mugged-off. Is Hikaru waiting to jump me? I feel very nervous, wary, waiting to see if something’s going to happen. Cain does nothing without knowing the full plan. That much I’ve learnt about him. What I don’t know is exactly who he is.
My mobile rings. It’s not Cain.
‘I’m across the road.’
It’s Baxter. ‘What?’
‘Look across the square. I’m sitting on the opposite wall. I’m gonna have him.’
I search the other side of the square, and there he is. Suddenly I feel a lot better. ‘I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Leo. There are lots of people around. It will attract attention, but thanks for being here.’
‘Whatever. If he tries any funny stuff he’s gonna have to deal with me.’
I smile to myself. Cain is tall and rangy, taller than Baxter for sure, but Baxter is built like a prop forward. ‘I won’t deny I’d love to see it. Just be there, Leo. Just be there, but please don’t do anything daft. Cain is a slippery customer. I don’t think he cares who he hurts.’
I wait for a few more minutes. This isn’t like Cain. He’s never late, usually arrives first, and I wonder where we will go now his plan meet in the café has been scuppered.
The sound of a motorbike revving draws my attention. It’s way off, yet making suck a racket I can’t help but look, just like everyone else on the square. It’s a huge bike, like you’d see on a professional racetrack. The rider is wearing black leathers and a matt black crash helmet and is swerving in and out of the traffic. Whoever’s riding it has no fear...and he’s heading right for me.
I press myself against the café door as he takes the bike onto the pavement imaging Leo finding my squashed body up against the woodwork, but then the bike skids to a halt in front of me.
‘Get on.’ Cain hands me a helmet and repeats his order. ‘Get on, Nina. I won’t ask you again. I’ll drag you on the back of this thing with or without the helmet and ram this beast into your friend over the other side of the square. It’ll take seconds to smash him into a pulp but will take a good few years off his life.’ I look across the square to where Baxter is and I can see he’s about to run towards us. I know he’ll get hurt if I don’t do something, Cain couldn’t care less, so I ram the helmet over my head and climb onto the bike behind Cain. I turn to see Baxter running in between the traffic, drivers honking their horns as he gets in the way, cyclists giving him the finger as he pushes past, but he’s too late. Cain sticks the bike into gear and we’re away and out of Baxter’s reach in a nano-second. I turn as we take off. Baxter stands right where I was, running his hands through his thick dark hair and using every expletive under the sun by the look of the expression on his face.
Cain puts his foot down and we race through the streets, taking corners as if our lives depended on it, as if we’re being chased. At a set of traffic lights I turn my head to check if we’re being followed, but they would have to be on another bike to get the better of Cain and there’s only cars, the odd scooter and bicycles. My heart sinks. I was hoping a government car would come speeding up behind us but there’s no chance of that now. What was I thinking? It’s not going to happen.
At the next set of lights I lean forward and shout into Cain’s ear.
‘Where are we going?’
‘You’ll see,’ he shouts back.
‘Why won’t you tell me?’
‘I want it to be a surprise.’ On and on we go, until I begin to recognise some of the buildings, the names of the streets, the backstreet cafes. I bite my lip. Shit. I hope we’re not going where I think we’re going. If I’m right, I don’t get it. I don’t understand why Cain would do this.
He pulls up outside Plan Bee and turns off the engine. Pulling off his helmet I hear him sigh, then he gets off the bike and pulls me unceremoniously off the back.
‘Take off the helmet.’
I slide it over my hair and hand it to him. ‘What are we doing here? I don’t understand.’
‘This is the safest place for you. You’re all over the fucking place. You’ve given me more trouble than the other lot put together. Why couldn’t you do as you were told?’
‘Oh, what kill someone because you told me to. Who the hell do you think you are?’
He grabs my arm. ‘I’ll tell you who I am, you stupid bitch. I’m Cain Finch. My father worked with Tate Spencer on the CF trials in Edinburgh.’
My eyes widen, and suddenly things begin to fall into place. ‘What? You knew my father?’
‘I didn’t exactly know him, but I remember him. He and Dad worked in the same department. Sometimes dad took me there when I was a kid. Showing off a bit I s’pose. They’d formulated a vaccine against CF for carriers of the faulty gene. When the trials were finished my dad thought that would be the end of it, but of course it wasn’t. They started to recall people for testing. The few they managed to get back into the laboratory had massive changes to their blood cells, antibodies that would cure all diseases. It was like this massive deal. Your father di
d something to it without telling anyone. He didn’t even tell my dad who was in charge of the trial, of the whole fucking laboratory. Your dad tweaked something, added something, I don’t bloody know, but whatever it was it changed the vaccine completely. The problem was he didn’t tell anyone what he’d done, or how he’d come by the knowledge to do it, and then he vanished into thin air. No one knew where he’d gone or why. At first it was thought he’d defected, gone to China or Russia where they put trillions into new vaccines. He was the subject of a massive search with MI5, MI6 and Interpol looking for him, but no one knows where he went. The thing is, everyone thinks you know.’
I narrow my eyes and glare at Cain. ‘He probably didn’t ‘come by’ the knowledge as you put it. My dad was a clever guy. Everyone says so. And I told you about my dad. I haven’t seen him for years. He could be dead for all I know.’
Cain glares back. ‘Is that so? Well, your clever guy of a father must have used you as a guinea pig for his vaccine because you definitely weren’t at the trials in Edinburgh. You’re not old enough for a start, and I’m guessing there’s no CF in your family.’ I shake my head feeling gutted. ‘He must have injected you with it...you just don’t remember it. And while we’re on the subject, Nina, it’s not you everyone wants, sweet cheeks, it’s your dad!’
He grabs my elbow and begins to pull me towards Plan Bee. I yank my arm away but he’s too strong for me.
‘Why are you bringing me back here? I don’t get it, Cain. I thought you said my blood was worth something, that people were after me because my blood could save everyone...the pharmaceutical companies, Cecily Cunningham, the fact that not everyone thinks it’s a good thing. Why the hell would you bring me back to the place you took me from?’
‘Because they’ll use you as bait. They have the means to do it. They’ll use all the agencies and the Eugenics Chamber will use all their power to find him. I thought when he knew you had been sprung from Plan Bee he’d come looking for you and I’d be in a position to negotiate with him with the pharmaceutical companies and we’d make millions, no make that quadrillions, but clearly he didn’t think you were worth it.’
