Ducie

by Chris Freeman

  Chapter 30. Coincidence in Nowheresville

  Adam spotted Kate before Kate spotted Adam. Her masculine strut of intent and her matted bright orange hair was not an image Adam would forget easily. And here it was, that aggressive scowl contorting her freckled face into a plethora of wrinkles like the contour lines on an ordinance survey map. She somehow looked different in the vast expanses of the outside world. Not so cocky and sure of herself, a little more vulnerable perhaps. Adam looked on as she frantically scanned every person, every shop, every inch of the street, systematically sniffing out her next move by a process of elimination, before her eyes finally landed on him. He wasn’t well hidden, nor did he intend to be. Perched in plain sight on the hard metal seating rail of a bright green bus shelter, amidst the juvenile graffiti that adorned the cracked Perspex windows. He wasn’t exactly waiting to be found, but he certainly wasn’t disappointed when he saw her.

  He’d run from the life he’d always known at the Institution and fully intended never to look back. Whatever secrets Joe and Harrison had up their sleeve, they had vowed to share with him the very same day he escaped. Ironically, these answers should have finally afforded some peace and closure to satisfy the conspiracy theorist inside of Adam. But when the time came to hear it, he chose to run instead. Only he knew why.

  Kate covered the twenty or so yards between her and Adam quicker than he’d ever seen her move before. He flinched, as she approached, half expecting a slap. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Instead, Kate flung her arms around him, knocking them both off balance slightly, Adam’s flimsy posture not near enough to withstand the speed and enthusiasm of her advance. An elderly couple at the bus stop glanced down their noses disapprovingly at two scruffy looking twenty-somethings, old enough to know better, probably the same pathetic sort of youth responsible for the graffiti on their bus stops.

  Kate took Adam’s hand and helped him to his feet, catching a waft of stale body odour overpowered only by the thick scent of damp clothing. She ushered him along, keen to keep moving. Not that she thought anyone would be in pursuit of them, she knew better than that. She needed somewhere quiet. Somewhere away from the disapproving glances of strangers. These people that thought they could tell Kate and Adam’s sorry story just by looking at the state of the two of them, but who actually knew nothing.

  - How did you know where I’d be?

  - I didn’t. I guessed.

  - Guessed? You guessed this exact bus stop on this particular street about eight miles from Joe and Harrison’s funny farm back there?

  - You haven’t come eight miles Adam. About one, probably not even that.

  It felt like a lot more to Adam.

  - I didn’t even know where I was going myself, so how the hell did we end up in the same place?

  - I knew the hatch you left the Institution through, so I just started from there and put myself in the shoes of a skinny, paranoid little fuck up having a panic attack.

  - Fuck off Kate, even you can’t say it’s me this time.

  - They were going to tell you the lot in the morning anyway. Why would you pick today for your great escape?

  - Why would you give a shit?

  - Well try me Adam. I gave a shit enough to come after you didn’t I?

  - I didn’t ask you to follow me. Go back there if you like.

  As they walked, Kate almost supporting Adam, her arm locked in his, they passed a traditional looking church with a brick tower that’s defining feature was masses of bright white bird mess scattered about it like a child’s first, sweet attempt at a painting. Kate’s eye was drawn to a sign on the roadside

  ‘ WHAT IS MISSING FROM CH CH?

  U R’

  The joke was lost on her for a second, but her usually reliable sense of wit quickly caught up. She guided Adam through the archway into the graveyard. Two rows of yew trees leading a sheltered, but chilly path to the building’s entrance. The door didn’t succumb to a push. Locked. A pristine looking red bench on the pathway held a plaque: ‘In memory of Shannon McLeod’. Adam took a seat and the brand new bench rocked backwards slightly. So new, it was yet to be secured into position, if indeed this was even its intended resting place. Kate put herself next to Adam and for a fleeting second they both reveled in the eerie calm of this unfamiliar peace.

  - You need to go back Adam.

  - Bugger do I need to go back. Have you lost it? They were horrible to me when I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Imagine what they’d be like now.

  - Worse will happen if you stay here.

  Kate’s response was blunt.

  - How do you figure that one Katey?

  - There’s more to all of this than you think Adam.

  - Oh yeah….the big secret, of course. Trust me, I don’t underestimate whatever the messed up truth is behind that underground hell hole.

  - So why did you run?

  Adam paused as if evaluating Kate’s trustworthiness.

  - I was scared.

  - And you weren’t scared when you were roaming through secret tunnels trying to get out of that place? You weren’t scared when you found yourself in the middle of a park, running through streets you didn’t recognise? Sitting at a bus stop in the middle of fucking nowheresville. How’s this any less scary Adam?

  - It just is.

  - Ever since I’ve known you Adam, all you’ve ever done is preach to me about how something wasn’t right about that place. Theory after theory after theory. None of them were anywhere close to the truth, but you were persistent with it.

  - I was right in the end though, wasn’t I?

  - In a way, yes. And they were about to give you the answers you’d always wanted. So why run off from it?

  Adam’s bottom lip quivered just slightly. He fought for composure, but the ice cold wind ripping through the yew tree tunnel seemed to help extract the tears from his eyes.

  - Because I didn’t want to end up like you Katey!

  - How flattering. Thank you.

  - Whatever it is that they’re hiding from me…. that you’re hiding from me; I just know it must be some fucked up shit if knowing about it made you the way you are.

  Kate could see his point entirely. The evasiveness, the cold-heartedness, the nasty quips of a bitter and twisted woman dismantled by the constant strain of living a lie. She knew why she was like it, and it now appeared that Adam did too.

  - So what if I offered to tell you everything here and now? No mean security guards around, no taser guns, no interruptions. Just you and me in this church garden. How about it Adam? You still saying you’d turn down the answers you’ve always wanted just to avoid ‘ending up like me’, as you so kindly put it?

  Almost as is to eavesdrop on his answer, a pigeon fluttered down from nowhere onto the path in front of them. Adam froze as his disabling phobia stole his rationality and got to work on his dignity. His legs tucked up under his chin now, as the oblivious bird bobbed its way towards them. Looking for scraps of food no doubt, but about to get more than it bargained for. In an unexpected move that only served to pluck at Adam’s already over-tightened nerve strings, Kate leapt up, flailing a clumsy leg in the general direction of the pigeon. Adam let go a scream as the wing flapping, Kate’s cursing and the rocking of the unsteady bench combined to turn his world on its head momentarily. The bird was gone. Kate put her arm around Adam.

  - It’s ok, I’ve got you now. No more nasty Kate, yeah?

  Adam looked skeptical, as the class geek would when offered a handshake from a bully intent on dragging him to the floor the minute he walked into his trap.

  - Why are you so bothered Katey? You acted like I was an inconvenience most of the time I was around you.

  Every fibre of Kate was geared towards the “well fuck you then, you ungrateful bastard” response, but she fought it. New Kate…. new Kate.

  - You need someone Adam. You can’t do this on your own.

  - But you’re telling me to go back to that place. Why? H
ave they sent you to bring me back? To sweet talk me around with this new nicey, nice Katey, so I would follow you back there? Then Joe and his laser gun can have their wicked way with me again, only worse this time? I’m not stupid Katey!

  - You’re stupid if you stay here.

  - You would say that. I’m not going anywhere. Tell them to come to me. I’m not moving. Go on! Tell them I’m waiting right here. I’m not scared. See how hard they are when they’re out of their little conspiracy dungeon. Out here in the real world with me. This is where I live now!

  Kate felt the conversation and Adam’s sanity slipping away. She had hoped not to have to play her trump card, but she was running out of time and options.

  - Adam, the reason I’m trying to get you to go back there is because I know for a fact that if you stay here on this bench, you’ll be dead before the day’s out.

  - What? So they’re gonna send someone out to kill me? Have you got one of those satnav radio things down your jumper telling them where we are? Well thanks Katey mate, that’s real loyal of you.

  - They won’t come after you Adam. They don’t need to.

  - Well that’s nice to know. So I take it you’re going to be the one doing the killing for them then? Ah, bless ya! You should have just said, “Come back or I’ll kill you Adam”. You didn’t need to go around the houses with the whole nice Katey act.

  Kate was working hard on the new attitude, but patience was one thing that you couldn’t teach yourself overnight. Unfortunately, that was the one thing she was rapidly running low on as Adam continued his misguided ramblings. One last appearance for blunt old Katey. Out of necessity more than anything. Then she’d change for good, she swore it to herself.

  - Will you just put a fucking cork in it, nob head? You think you know it all, but you don’t. Whether you like it or not, you need to go back there or you’re going to die. And you’re going to die soon. I’m not gonna kill you, but they will. And they don’t even need to leave the Institution to do it.

  Adam was suitably silenced. Job done.

  - Now I’m going to explain it all to you Adam and you’re gonna have to take off your Mr Mardy-arse hat while I do. I know you need convincing, and I understand that. You’ve every right to think what you do. But every second I waste arguing the toss with you is a second closer to them pulling the plug on you. Are you listening to me?

  - I’m listening.

  The pigeon perched on the edge of the church tower, a little shaken. He’d only been going about his day when he stumbled on trouble. He wished he hadn’t bothered now. As he sat amidst the dried white mess of the birds that had been there before him, he would have probably cursed his luck if he could. But then again, it was that which led him to swoop up to where he now perched. Alive and well, enjoying a loftier view.