Then He Was Gone

by Stephen Edger

  ‘I returned to my cell and pretended I was asleep until I heard Owen return. I heard him gathering some things before sneaking out of the room. I had to know if it was true and followed him at a distance. He must have seen or heard me, as about a mile into the ride, he caught me, and told me to return. I convinced him to let me tag along and provide support on his latest intelligence-gathering exercise.’

  ‘Owen told me a similar story about him following you on a late night mission. He said you arrived at a farmhouse, but it was empty.’

  Adie grunted. ‘I see he’s twisted the truth for his own ends again. Well, it’s true that we ended up at a farmhouse. It belonged to the brother of the politician. Owen told me to hang back in the shadow of some rocks and keep look out. I felt uneasy, but did as he asked. I had night vision binoculars with me, so I was able to watch Owen and his three cohorts move closer to the farmhouse. I knew he’d been lying about gathering intelligence when I saw them storm the building. I saw flashes and heard the sound of gunfire before Owen and his men emerged, dragging an old man outside in his pyjamas. They forced him to his knees, and videoed him saying something, before Owen stepped behind him and slipped the garrotte over his head. They filmed the execution too. The guy was dead in under a minute. They dragged his body further from the house and left him in the dirt. They then returned to the farmhouse and laid charges. The group rode back to my position before detonating the charges. I was horrified by the giant ball of fire on the horizon, and demanded to know what had happened. Owen simply shrugged and said it was none of my business.’

  ‘In Owen’s version you didn’t find anyone in the house. He didn’t say anyone was…’

  ‘Now do you believe me? I swear to you, Bex, I’m telling the truth. Owen was the fanatic, not me. It was only on the ride back to camp that I realised just how much he had changed. He was Yasin’s secret weapon, and he was happy about it. No amount of badgering or reasoning would get him back. That’s what the fanatics do over there…it’s a kind of brainwashing. They wait until you’re at your lowest point and then they offer their radical beliefs as some kind of salvation. Yasin was no better than the men I’d been spying on for him.’

  Becky was sure she was going to throw up again. If Adie was right, then she’d slept with a psychotic killer.

  ‘After the execution, I went to bed without speaking to Owen again. I knew I was too late to reason with him. I made my mind up then that I was going to return to Bastion without him. I thought I could convince them of the threat Yasin’s army posed, if I admitted everything that had happened. I knew that could mean trouble for me, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was prepared to risk court-martial and prison to save my friend’s life before Yasin strapped him to a suicide vest. In the morning I went to Yasin’s office to tell him I was going. Yasin wasn’t there, so I poked around a bit. I was horrified by what I saw. Yasin’s end goal was far worse than I’d imagined. I was about to make a run for it, when Owen appeared in the office and told me I wasn’t going anywhere.’

  FIFTY-ONE

  Adie paced back and forth across the sand. His arms waved as he talked at length about the betrayal he’d encountered while overseas. ‘Owen had caught me red-handed going through the drawers in Yasin’s desk. I asked him if he knew anything about what Yasin was planning, and he just laughed at me. I knew then that he was beyond saving. He started preaching at me, telling me that the world was changing; that the western world was about to suffer the consequences of its capitalist nature. The shit he was coming out with, it scared me. I kept edging around the room, desperate to get out of the office and the camp. I had to report what I’d seen in Yasin’s office, but every step I made closer to the door, Owen moved closer to me. He had this…this look in his eyes. Suddenly, I wasn’t his old friend, I was the enemy, and he could see only one outcome.

  ‘I tried to reason with him: I told him that Yasin was crazy and that Owen needed to remember why we joined the army in the first place. He kept shaking his head, telling me I was wrong. He told me he could help me see the light; all I had to do was submit. He was off his fucking trolley.’

  Becky’s stomach grumbled again. ‘What was so bad? What had Yasin planned?’

  Adie ignored the question. ‘I told Owen that he’d never convince me to join their crusade, and that it was best if I left. I moved towards the office door, but he stepped in front of it, and told me he couldn’t let me leave. I told him he would have to kill me if he wanted to stop me, and that’s when he produced this large knife. It must have been at least eight inches long. He had this look in his eyes, like I was just some…I don’t know, some bug on his shoe that he had to remove. I’ve never been so scared in all my life. I genuinely offered a silent prayer to God to get me out of there.

  ‘As I continued my shuffle towards the door, he lunged at me. The blade barely touched me, but it must have been razor sharp, as blood splattered onto the wall beside us. I looked around for anything I could use to defend myself. Yasin’s office was just a series of bookcases and filing cabinets. He had nothing of significance in there. I ended up retreating back behind the desk. I knew I had to get out of there or Owen would kill me. Out of desperation, I pulled out the desk chair, and pushed it around in front of me as a type of shield. I knew it wouldn’t be enough, but it maintained a distance between us. But Owen kept advancing. He didn’t look scared, his only purpose was to kill me. Every time I sidestepped towards the door, he sidestepped too, and thwarted my efforts. There were no windows in the room, so the only exit was the door.’

  He stopped pacing and stared straight at her. ‘I decided I wasn’t ready to die, and so I charged at him, pushing the chair as I went. I caught him off-guard, and managed to drive him back towards the wall. He thrashed the blade around, but I managed to avoid contact, and slammed his face into the corner of one of the bookcases. He passed out as he crumpled to the floor. I pulled the knife out of his hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. He was my friend, and he was defenceless. I wish I’d had the guts to run the blade across his throat, but I didn’t. Instead, I raced back to my cell, and gathered up my belongings. As I was about to leave, Yasin’s giant burst through my door. They must have found Owen in the office and assumed I was responsible. He didn’t care that I had Owen’s blade, and he charged towards me. He was as strong as he looked and soon pinned me to the ground. He wrapped his hands around my neck and began to throttle me. I couldn’t breathe. No matter how much I thrashed, his grip was firm, and I couldn’t push him off. I started seeing little bursts of light like stars, and I was ready to give up when one thought kept me going: Noah’s smile. I needed to see my boy again, even if for one last time, and that gave me the energy I needed.

  ‘I stopped trying to grapple his hands from my neck, and used them to attack instead. I jabbed my fingers into his eyes, not caring how much pain it would cause. He released his grip immediately, and it was enough to help me heave him to the side. I pressed my advantage and sat on top of him, my legs astride. I grabbed Owen’s knife from the floor, and made no mistake about driving it into the giant’s heart. It took all my strength, but I pressed it through his ribcage. I stayed where I was until I knew he was dead, and then I headed for the horses, near the camp’s entrance, but I came under fire from Owen and Yasin. I ducked for cover behind a wall. I was trapped, and I could sense death nearby, but Noah’s smiling face kept me going.

  ‘I searched through my bag, but all I could find was Owen’s knife and a hand grenade. My only chance of survival was to surrender. It pained me to do it, but I knew I wouldn’t make it to Camp Bastion on a horse. I held up a white vest and walked forwards. They stopped shooting, but kept their weapons trained on me. I allowed them to capture me. I was dragged back to Yasin’s office and, with my hands tied to the chair, he beat me until my face was black and blue. I didn’t beg for mercy. I knew I had to see my boy that one last time, so I accepted my punishment.

  ‘It took weeks to recover from Yasin’s beat
ing, and when I awoke, things had changed. Yasin was gone. Apparently, he and Owen had disagreed over the role of the Black Shadows, and Owen had killed him. The Black Shadows had a new commander-in-chief, who was hell-bent on leaving a path of destruction in his wake. He gave me no choice: either I helped him with his plans or he would grab Noah and Jules and murder them in front of my eyes.’

  Becky couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d let Owen dominate her in bed two nights ago. Could Adie really be talking about the same man? ‘Owen had burn scars over his upper body…’

  Adie nodded. ‘I think he got those on one of his missions for Yasin. He has a good understanding of explosive devices, but he doesn’t know as much as me.’

  ‘How did you manage to escape his clutches?’

  ‘I didn’t. He wanted my help to build a number of devices across mainland Europe. He said that’s all I had to do. I wouldn’t be detonating the devices, so I shouldn’t feel guilty about the impact they’d have.’

  ‘Hold on, you’re still working for him now? Where are these devices?’

  Adie looked down at his feet. There’s one in Madrid, one in Berlin, one in Paris, one in Athens, and one in London.’

  ‘Jesus Christ!’

  ‘Don’t worry about them for now. They can’t be detonated at the moment. We’re perfectly safe.’

  ‘What do you mean for now?’

  ‘Each device needs a detonation code, and I have them all. That’s why Noah is in danger.’

  ‘The codes are what you stole from Owen? That’s why he’s hanging around?’

  He nodded. ‘I thought I’d convinced him that he could trust me to travel to Europe and build the bombs for him. I pretended I was on his side, and that I believed in his goal. I knew I couldn’t trust him, and that’s why I moved for Noah. I wanted to make sure that Owen couldn’t use my boy as leverage against me. I never intended to give the detonation codes to Owen, so if I could keep Noah safe, I wouldn’t have to hand them over.’

  ‘But you said you don’t know where Noah is.’

  ‘I don’t. That’s why I need your help. I had someone helping me get Noah back to the UK, but when I arrived at our rendezvous, she’d double-crossed me. I took Noah, but someone took him from me.’

  ‘You mean, Owen has him?’

  ‘Maybe. I don’t know for sure. I know they won’t harm him until they have their codes, but I don’t want to give up the codes, so I need to find Noah. I need your help to find him before it’s too late.’

  ‘But how can I help? I’m just a solicitor.’

  ‘Noah isn’t the only one in danger. Jules is too. I’m worried that they’ll move against her as well. I can’t watch her all the time, as I need to hunt for Noah. I need you to watch over Jules and keep her safe. I will monitor your movements, and, if Owen does move for her, I’ll be able to see where he takes her. In the meantime, I need you to watch over her, and contact me if you suspect something is off.’

  ‘You’re using Jules as bait.’

  ‘My hands are tied; I don’t have another choice. If I relent and give up the codes, Europe will feel a terrorist Armageddon like never before. I can’t allow that to happen.’

  FIFTY-TWO

  By the time Adie had finished talking and had disappeared back up the steps from the beach, Becky was exhausted. Low blood sugar, and an overflow of information had drained her, and she happily would have curled up on the sand and beckoned sleep, but there was too much at stake. She crawled up the steps, using her hands to keep her steady, against the pull of the wind. Her journey back to the Twingo took an age, but the car’s heater and soft seat brought comfort.

  Her eyes widened when she saw the dashboard clock. It felt like Adie had only been with her for ten minutes, but it was nearly four o’clock.

  She put the car into first gear, and pulled out of the car park. She kept her eyes open for any kind of shop, and was relieved to find a petrol station after five minutes. She pulled onto the forecourt, big enough for two cars, end to end, but there was no cabin or shop in sight. An elderly man, in oil-stained dungarees ambled to the window, and waved for her to lower it. He muttered something in French.

  Becky tried to smile. ‘Do you speak English?’

  The station attendant shrugged, and gestured for her to continue.

  ‘I don’t really need fuel, is there a shop nearby? I desperately need something to eat.’

  He stared back at her, with no trace of whether he’d understood what she’d said.

  ‘A shop? Is there a supermarket, or a café, or a tabac anywhere? Please?’

  He finally pointed into the distance, and from what she could discern, if she took the second road on the right, she’d find a restaurant. At least, that’s what she thought he said. The second road on the right led to a roundabout which in turn led her onto a narrow track, only wide enough for one car to drive along without scraping the side against trees and tall bushes. She drove slowly, worried what she would do if she met another driver coming in the opposite direction. At the end of the track, she saw a sign for the A16 and Calais, and decided to cut her losses.

  Julia’s press conference would have been long over by now, and Becky was certain she wouldn’t still be at the shopping centre. She didn’t know what excuse she could give for missing the press conference. Adie had made her promise not to tell Julia about their meeting.

  ‘I’m not keeping secrets from my best friend,’ she’d argued.

  ‘Please, Bex. I promise I will make contact with Jules as soon as she’s safe, but if she learns the truth, she’ll be in even greater danger. They’re already watching her.’

  ‘I can’t keep something this big hidden from her. She knows me too well. She’ll see something’s up the moment she sees me.’

  ‘Then lie to her! You’re a solicitor, you shouldn’t find it that difficult.’

  She’d never responded well to threats, and his raised voice had pushed her over the edge. ‘Fuck you, Adie! If you were any real kind of man, you wouldn’t be hiding from the wife who still cries herself to sleep each night, because she misses you so much.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Bex, I really am, but this hasn’t been easy for me eith-’

  ‘Excuse me while I play the violin for you!’

  ‘I don’t want your sympathy; I know I can’t begin to imagine what I’ve put Jules through.’

  ‘Do you know how difficult it was for her to tell Noah that he wouldn’t see his daddy again? I still don’t think he understands that you’re gone -’

  ‘But I’m not gone.’

  She wanted to hit him at that point. ‘Fuck you and your semantics! Your wife and son are in so much pain, and you’re playing dead. What a fucking hero!’

  ‘Please, Bex. I will explain everything to Jules when the time is right, but this isn’t the time. I need you to keep this secret. Hopefully it will just be a couple of days, and then I’ll tell her everything. I will make sure she understands that I forced you to keep my appearance a secret.’

  She’d eventually relented. As much as it angered her, Adie was right. Julia wasn’t the sort of person who could keep a secret. She’d want to find Adie straight away, and there would be no reasoning with her. If Julia was one thing, she was obstinate when she got an idea in her mind. It was a trait that had kept her going since the news of Adie’s passing, but it had also brought its fair share of trouble.

  ‘Okay, I won’t tell Jules that I’ve seen you, or that you’re still alive, but mark my words, Adie: if you don’t come clean soon, I won’t have any choice but to tell her.’

  He’d left her on the beach shortly after. She was surprised to find the hotel car park bereft of the usual mob of journalists and cameras. Presumably they were still making their way back from Cité Europe. She parked the car, grabbed her bag, and willed herself inside. The staff were setting up the dining room ready for food at five, which gave her half an hour to freshen up and devour the large bar of chocolate she’d hidden in the drawer beneath her cl
othes yesterday. She was salivating as she walked past the reception desk, towards the staircase.

  ‘Excusez-moi, mademoiselle,’ the hotel manager called from behind the desk. ‘I have a message for you.’

  Becky blinked several times as she tried to focus on his face. ‘A message? For me?’

  ‘Oui.’ He passed her a sheet of paper. ‘The gentleman phoned here for you, and asked me to pass to you when you returned.’

  Becky studied the paper. The handwriting was barely legible, and every other word seemed to be misspelt: We need to meet. I will call you tonight.

  Becky re-read the message, before looking back at the hotel manager. ‘I’m sorry, who did you say left this message?’

  He shook his head. ‘I am sorry, mademoiselle, but the gentleman, he did not leave his name. He said you would know who the message was from.’

  Becky scrunched the paper in her hand, and continued up the stairs. She opened the door to her room, and lunged for the chest of drawers, flinging her bag towards the bed in one motion. She found the bar of chocolate and tore the wrapper from it. Instead of breaking off a row, she shoved the bar into her mouth and bit off a corner. She’d eaten a variety of chocolate in her time, but none had ever tasted so good. She closed her eyes and groaned as she chewed the delicious sweetness. She swallowed what she’d been chewing and bit off the next corner, chewing rapidly in an effort to relieve the light-headedness. She allowed her knees to buckle, and crumpled to the floor.