She thought of Izzy and told herself to stop messing around. The gears were going to be the hard bit. And not falling over. Operating the gears herself was completely different to watching Izzy do it. The sheer coordination of it was the biggest challenge. With a leap of faith, Katy moved the gear lever with her foot, revved up, and the bike moved forward. It felt like having a rocket underneath her. She could feel the power in the engine, even though she was crawling along at snail’s pace.
Balancing was easier than she thought. She was on the road now. She had to go faster. The engine was being over-revved, and sounded like it was in pain as she rode along the narrow road. She attempted another gear change. A squeeze of the clutch, a flick of her foot, and she picked up speed again. The engine immediately sounded more comfortable. Katy attempted the operation twice more. As she moved the throttle, her confidence grew. The bike felt lighter and easier to keep upright when she was moving. She’d figure out how to stop when it came to it.
In a few minutes she was back at the track to the lodge. She decided to head straight up to the bungalow. The gate was already open, Izzy had to be there. She hoped Buchanan would notice that and work out where she’d gone.
As she bumped over the uneven surface she managed to drop a gear and travel at a slower speed. For an instant she felt the exhilaration of riding such a powerful machine, but her fear soon returned as she reached the clearing at the top of the track. There was a white SUV parked in front of the partly completed bungalow, its doors wide open. She could see movement in the house.
Katy’s foot flicked the gears as she dropped down to first, and then managed to bring the bike to a halt. With the momentum gone, she lost her footing as she tried to take the weight of the machine. The motorcycle began to fall to the ground, and it took all of her strength to support it and pull it up again. Once it was straightened and she had her balance, she felt around for the stand with her foot.
Whoever was with Isobel would know that she was there. If the purr of the engine hadn’t alerted them, Katy’s undignified arrival certainly would have. She managed to put the bike on its stand and decided to leave it idling. It seemed the prudent thing to do – she and Izzy might need to get away fast, hopefully with Izzy doing the driving.
Katy felt for the kitchen knife and was relieved to find that it hadn’t shaken loose during the ride over. She clutched it in her right hand.
‘Hello …’ she said tentatively. ‘Izzy?’
She walked through the front door frame. There were no voices and no sign of movement.
‘Izzy? Jesus Christ! Izzy!’
Standing precariously on an upside-down tea chest, a rope attached to one of the exposed roof joists and looped around her neck, was Isobel. She was silently crying, terrified, unable to let out a sound. Her body was paralysed with fear. If the box tipped or she lost her footing, the noose would pull tight and choke her of life.
Katy rushed towards her. Isobel flinched, fearful that Katy would knock her over.
‘And that’s far enough!’
The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
‘Walk away from Izzy. Stand by the window with your back to me.’
‘The police will be here soon, you’re wasting your time.’
‘Shut the fuck up. You always did talk too much.’
He knew Isobel as Izzy, he knew her. It had to be …
‘Nathan? Is that you?’
She spun around to confront their captor.
‘Fuck!’
He had a gun pointing directly at her.
‘We don’t have long, ladies, so let’s do this quickly. I’m sorry to involve Isobel in this, but you know how it is … wrong time, wrong place. I expected to find you in the cottage when I finally figured out how to get in. I can’t believe you’ve come straight here, Katy. That’s better than I could have hoped for.’
‘What the hell is this about?’
‘Throw that knife away from you, Katy. What were you expecting to do, peel potatoes?’
He laughed at his own joke.
Katy threw the knife. Nathan had changed a lot since she’d last seen him. He was big, it was the weight of middle age. He had a beard and was well-groomed, not the sort of person who should be wielding a gun.
‘Is it you who’s been sending the letters, Nathan? How did you know where I was?’
‘Jesus, Katy. Shut the fuck up! I wish I’d had a gun last time we were here. You and Emma should come with a mute button. You drove me insane on that holiday.’
‘Let me down, Nathan … please.’
Isobel had found the courage to speak.
‘We need to make this fast.’
Nathan moved over to the tea chest and kicked it away.
Izzy’s body dropped hard. The noose took her weight and it pulled tight around her neck. She was fighting for her life. Her legs kicked and her hands moved up to the rope, trying desperately to loosen it.
‘Sorry, Izzy,’ he said, ‘but you should have stayed out of this.’
Katy rushed forward. Nathan levelled the gun at her and she stopped dead in her tracks.
‘Damn it, Nathan. You can’t just leave her there. You piece of shit, let her down!’
‘Your turn next,’ Nathan sneered. ‘We’ll wait a moment for Izzy to stop thrashing around, and then I’ll need to be on my way.’
Chapter Thirty
The sound of a car driving up the track at speed made Nathan turn to look. Katy took her opportunity. She lunged for a half brick that was beside her on the floor and threw it directly at him. It struck him squarely on his forehead, drawing blood. He pointed his gun and fired at her, but the bullet missed its target. She screamed and ducked into the dining area.
It had to be Buchanan. Isobel’s body was still – she’d passed out from lack of oxygen. Nathan seemed to forget about Katy. He walked over to the front window frame and looked out at the new arrival. She watched him smile to himself. This was fast becoming a reunion. She could see that he recognised Buchanan immediately. After the fire they’d all spent a lot of time shut up in interview rooms with him.
Nathan raised the gun and aimed at Buchanan’s head, following him as he neared the bungalow. Nathan appeared to Katy like he knew what he was doing with the gun. From her hiding place she saw Buchanan drop to the ground. One moment he was walking, the next he was motionless, lying in a growing pool of blood.
Nathan turned to deal with Katy, but she hadn’t wasted the opportunity. She’d grabbed an off-cut of wood from the interior wall construction and struck him hard on the head as he turned around to shoot her. He fell to one knee, still holding the gun. Katy struck him again, so hard that it scared her. This time he dropped and didn’t get up.
As soon as she saw him go down, she rushed over to Isobel.
‘Oh God, Izzy. Please be alive, please don’t die.’
She picked up the tea chest and tried to place it under Isobel’s legs. It didn’t work. She was a dead weight.
Katy rushed to pick up the kitchen knife, which was lying on the floor where she’d thrown it. She climbed up onto the tea chest sawing away at the rope. Nathan was beginning to stir.
‘Cut, damn you. Cut!’ she shouted, aware of Nathan moving to her side. ‘Come on, Izzy. Come on!’
Nathan had got to his feet. She could sense him checking out his head, feeling for damage. That didn’t take long. He was scrabbling for his gun.
Stupid cow, she thought. Why didn’t I take the bloody gun!
She was cutting furiously now. She knew that she had only seconds left. At last she cut through enough of the rope for the final strands to break and Izzy crashed to the ground, her head striking the side of the tea chest. Katy threw the knife at Nathan. It was a useless gesture, but it startled him enough for his next shot to completely miss her.
Running for her life, Katy jumped through the glassless window frame of the lounge area, and out into the back garden. Where were the police? Surely Buchanan would have alerted t
hem? What about Emma? Cautiously, Katy moved around the side of the building towards the front. She didn’t know if Nathan had followed her out the back or if he was about to appear from the front of the building. She got her answer. He was behind her. He shot. The bullet hit her this time, taking a chunk out of her calf.
‘Jesus Christ!’
Half-running, half-hobbling, Katy knew that she’d have to make it to the motorcycle if she was going to get away from there. Or had Nathan left the keys in the car? She couldn’t chance it. He was angry and he wasn’t going to stop until he got her.
As she ran towards the bike, she saw Buchanan’s body lifeless on the ground. She gasped at the sight, but there was nothing she could do for him or for Izzy either. She had to run, to stay alive, to get help. Nathan fired again, hitting the bike. Katy was startled by how close it had been.
There was no time for messing around. She jumped onto the bike, pushed it off the stand, and revved the engine. Nathan shot again. Her T-shirt was wet. He’d struck her in the shoulder. Her leg was agony, but she was still moving, she had to keep going. The next shot might kill her. He was a maniac. How many bullets were in that gun?
Different thoughts flashed across her mind. Nathan was almost upon her, pulling up his weapon and aiming it directly at her head. She flicked the gear lever, pulled the throttle and roared forwards. He held up the gun, but realised it was useless. He’d need to go after her in the car.
Katy looked more like a speedway rider than a motorcyclist. She almost tipped the bike as she spun around tightly to head for the track that led back to the road. She put out her foot, wincing with pain as she steadied herself. She revved and drove the bike forwards, away from Nathan. He was in the driver’s seat already, not bothering to shut the passenger door. He pulled the car around in the driveway and began his pursuit of Katy along the track.
She was struggling to steady herself. She knew that he was right on her tail, but the track was too uneven for her to risk any great speed. She could hear him rev the engine as he sped towards the rear wheel of the bike. Instinctively, she pulled back the throttle to outrun him, but it was too fast for the track, she couldn’t control the bike. She was on a bend now, and as she struggled to hold on she ran straight into a police car which was racing up the track towards the bungalow.
Katy heard the bike crash into the front of the car, and felt the sharp jolt as she tipped forward and began to fly over the bonnet and then the roof. The last thing she felt was the thud of her body smashing onto the ground.
Chapter Thirty-One
For a moment Katy thought that she was waking up in bed, but then the pain came again. Her leg. Her shoulder. Now her head. God, her head hurt. And her arm. Was it sprained? Broken perhaps. What had happened? She’d been on the bike and she’d had an accident. She was still alive. Nathan … Where was Nathan? She could hear him shouting. He was some distance away. The cops, had they got him?
Lying still on the ground, she tried to scan the area ahead. Nathan was at the side of the police car still holding the gun. Had he shot the police? Surely he hadn’t shot the police. A helicopter was hovering overhead.
‘You stupid little bitch, Katy!’ he shouted. ‘Look at what you’ve made me do. You always got in the way. It was you who came between me and Elijah. Well, fuck you. This last bullet is for you!’
He was taking his time now. It seemed that he’d given himself up for dead, but he wanted to kill her first. Why? What had she done to him? Katy considered talking to him. Would more police be on the way? That had to be a police helicopter. How quickly could they respond to an armed incident in such a rural area?
Katy looked to the dense forest at her side. It was worth a try. He wouldn’t waste his last bullet, not unless he intended to kill her with his bare hands. He was walking over to her. The pain was excruciating. Surely she wouldn’t have to run for long. They’d come soon, wouldn’t they?
She rolled onto her side, crunching a stone against her ribs. At least that pain was better than being hit by another bullet. She forced herself to her feet. Her leg was wet with blood, but she could do it. She had to do it. She staggered into the trees and ducked to the left. Keep going downhill, she thought. Aim for the road. The loud chopping sound of the helicopter filled the air. They’d never see her in the trees. Had she been foolish heading for cover?
Behind her Nathan was cursing as he crashed through the undergrowth. What had she done to make him so furious … so furious that he wanted to kill her – and Izzy too? Katy knew that she had to force the fear back down. She couldn’t think about Izzy or Buchanan – and whatever he’d done to the police officers in the car. She had to stay alive.
The trees were even closer together. They were pines of some sort, and the low growth was scratching her face. Nathan would have the same to contend with, it would slow him down too. She moved as fast as she could, dragging her injured leg and almost crippled with the pain. It would be easier to give up. It hurt too much, she was so tired. Maybe she’d die anyway, she had to be losing a lot of blood.
Out of nowhere, it seemed, she stumbled into a clearing.
She was trapped. Nathan was right behind her and there was no place to hide. He had her. There was nothing else she could do. She’d done her best. She was out of options.
Nathan was as surprised as Katy to find the clearing.
‘Got you, you bloody bitch!’ he shouted, striking her face with the side of the gun. She sank to the ground. This was it. She was giving up. That was enough. She had nothing left to fight with. She closed her eyes and waited, the air filled with the persistent whine of that damn helicopter, and then everything went black.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The first face that Katy saw was Emma’s.
‘At last!’ she smiled. ‘I’ve been in a right state here. We thought we’d lost you.’
No grapes and sympathy from Ems then. Katy felt like death warmed up. She could sense that her head was bandaged. Her arm was in a sling too. It didn’t hurt anymore, though. They must have given her some decent drugs.
‘Do you want some water?’ Emma asked.
‘My mouth tastes like it’s full of sawdust,’ Katy replied. She had to force her voice to work. A sip of water helped. She was sitting propped up in the bed. It was a hospital, of course, and now that she was awake the medical staff were alert, wanting to run some routine checks. It seemed to take forever. Katy was desperate to talk to Emma, but at the same time she didn’t even want to start. Was Izzy dead? What about Buchanan? Maybe it would be better to go back to sleep and pretend it had never happened.
Finally the nurses left her alone. Emma had sat patiently throughout.
‘What day is it?’ Katy asked.
‘Friday. You’ve been out for a while. I had to finish school early. Thanks for that. It’s a long half-term for me!’
Katy smiled. Her face felt so stiff.
‘Have I been pissing and shitting in this bed?’
It seemed a ridiculous thing to ask, but it had suddenly occurred to her.
‘Don’t ask,’ Emma replied. ‘Try not to think about it. The nurses see worse every day.’
Katy could feel her face reddening. Somehow she’d survived Nathan’s violent assault and here she was worrying about the toilet arrangements.
‘Do you want to know what happened?’ Emma asked. She couldn’t wait to tell. Katy nodded.
‘It was a fucking mess, to put it simply. You won’t believe it.’
‘What about Izzy? Buchanan? They’re dead, they must be.’
Emma’s face changed. Her expression became sombre.
‘You saved Izzy,’ she said. ‘You’re a flipping hero. Her neck looks horrible, it’s bruised and bloody, but there was no brain damage. Everyone was really worried about that, but they’re as sure as they can be that she’s going to be okay.’
‘Have you seen her?’ Katy asked.
‘Yes, briefly. Nancy is here too. She’s nice. She knows about what happened b
etween me and Izzy when we were students. I never realised how much it had meant to Izzy. I apologised to her but I still feel really crap about it.’
‘What about Buchanan. Is he dead?’
‘Life support,’ Emma replied. ‘They flew him down to a head trauma unit in Glasgow. Poor bugger only had a short time to go until he retired – imagine that happening to him here of all places. He must have spent his life rescuing cats from trees, and then this happens in his final months as a cop. How rubbish is that?’
‘Will he make it? Do they know yet?’
‘Yes, he’ll make it, but he won’t be doing any more policing. His wife reckons he’ll be pensioned off. It’ll take some rehabilitation, so retirement starts for him as of now.’
‘You spoke to her?’
‘No, we – you – have a Police Liaison Officer. Only, you haven’t been awake so they’re keeping me up-to-date. They’re going to want to talk to you, they’re desperate to fill in the gaps.’
‘I’m not sure I can even remember,’ Katy said. She took another sip of water. She couldn’t get her voice going.
‘What happened to Nathan?’
‘Dead. He was shot by a police marksman, and in the nick of time too. He was about to put a bullet through your head.’
‘How the hell did he even have that bloody gun? Nobody has guns in this country unless they’re a farmer.’
‘Nathan did. Some posh shooting club near Aberdeen. Fully licensed. He’s a respectable member of the community, you know. Only, it turns out he’s not. He never has been.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s been having gay affairs for years. Quite nasty stuff, a bit violent. Sarah has suspected for ages, but never really knew.’
Two Years After ; Friends Who Lie ; No More Secrets Page 46
