Two and a half years later
Karen spotted Jack straight away, sat outside the
Farnborough town centre cafe, newspaper folded in four. The brilliant, hot
sunshine reflected off the sheen of sweat on his brow and the dark, black
rimmed sunglasses as he looked casually around. She admired the younger haircut
he sported, felt it suited him, as did the beard. But she still recognised him
straight away; knew anyone half well trained looking for him would too.
Jack looked up, genuinely pleased to see Karen, the first
time in over twenty months. Standing he pecked her on the cheek and signalled
to the waitress inside that he was ready to receive the two coffees he had
pre-ordered.
'You look well,' he opened. 'You look gorgeous' was what he
wanted to say, but he needed her to wait until he had said his piece, had
received what he had asked for. She flushed, nerves contributing as much as
modesty.
'Thank you,' she replied, 'so do you.' The waitress flowed
out of the cafe door, balancing the two broad, low cappuccino cups carefully.
Karen and Jack sat as the cups were placed in front of them, Jack lifting his
newspaper out of the way.
'How's the arm?' asked Karen. Jack raised the cup slowly, a
slight tremble in the action.
'I expect I'll spill some before we're through,' he
replied, smiling, 'but much better, thank you.' After a pause he continued, 'It
was the best thing we did, getting me out of that hospital before they could
get to me. I'm not convinced I'd be here today if we hadn't.' Through the dark
lenses Karen could still tell the pain and truth his eyes were showing, she
knew from the furrow above the thick frame he was wincing. The pause hurt both,
allowed them to think about things that shouldn't have been and those that
should but never would. Ever. Jack broke the silence while Karen sipped the
hot, tart, coffee.
'The kids?' She lowered her cup.
'OK, miss you of course, never stop asking,' she answered,
feeling the pain return.
'Alan?'
'Over. It was a mistake, I know that, a reaction.' Nothing
more to say, nothing further to offer, it was history. Jack hadn't shown any
emotion over that one. Karen looked around, surveyed the broad, hot pavement,
the ground level car park beyond, the trees that separated the car park and the
cafe.
'Why here?' she asked. Jack smiled.
'Why not? Did you know DTRU have set up shop near here, on
the commercial site North of the town,' he asked back. Karen shook her head,
incredulous.
'Are you mad?' she asked, 'They'll be looking for you.'
Karen scanned around, expecting to see Government agents stood watching. Jack
smiled, clearly amused.
'There's risk, sure, but one thing I've learned since
joining the group is that the best place to hide is in plain sight. There are
people watching us, but they work with me, and I doubt you would ever spot
them,' he said, lifting his coffee cup up carefully. After another pause Jack
re-opened the conversation.
'Did you bring it?' he asked. Karen nodded, reached down to
the shopping bag she had placed carefully between her legs earlier and lifted
out a crumpled paper bag. She placed it carefully on the table.
'I could lose my job over this, you know,' she said. Since
the separation Karen had worked in the same hospital she had visited Sam
Jackson in. Jack looked at, but did not touch, the loose package.
'I know,' he said quietly.
'And if they catch you?'
'They'll kill me. But if I don't do this,' said Jack,
closing the distance between himself and Karen, lowering his voice, 'then the
consequences will be much more terrible for all of us.
'We believe that the Government is gathering enough
tactical advantage to wage war on America and win. We think that there are
people inside DTRU and the Secret Service so fired up for a war that they will
tell the Government anything that will persuade them to follow that path.
'I don't know if they are right or wrong about our
capabilities, but I know a war will endanger you, the kids, me. And why?
Because of ideological differences? A trade war? None of this is that
important, we're coping quite well without our cousins.
'So I may die, that’s true, but I will almost certainly die
along with those I truly love if I don't do this. It will strike a major blow
to them, might just make them break step. We know they’re winning the
intelligence battle and this’ll put a halt to that.' Jack realised that he had
started to shake, the emotion of his cause rising through his veins. Karen was
curious.
'Is Michael supplying you with this information?' she
asked, aware that Michael had managed to retain employment with DTRU. Jack
shook his head.
'No, they watch him like a hawk, or at least like to think
they do. Anyway, they keep him away from the real sexy stuff these days. He's
been working on water supply defence protocols since that botched terrorist
attack on the Syrian capital, Damascus, two years ago, but he’s quietly
recruiting scientists from within.' Karen reached out and placed her hand on
Jack's, felt the shaking, trembling undercurrent that would haunt him for
whatever was left of his life.
'Take care,' she said, standing.
Join me on Facebook - use raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com to find me
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Ray Sullivan 2011
The characters, places and events described in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, places or events, past or present, is coincidence. All rights reserved
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow me on Twitter - @RayASullivan
Join me on Facebook - use raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com to find me
No comments:
Post a Comment