The Last Enemy(24)

‘Look, if we knew where Guy was, we’d tell you!’ appealed Jake. ‘We don’t know! We went to the hotel where he told us he was staying . . .’

‘The Belvedere, sí.’

‘And he’d left. We got the impression he was being taken care of by the firm of lawyers that Alex Munro worked for, Pierce Randall. They’re the people you should be talking to.’

‘We talk to them. They say they don’t know.’

‘And neither do we!’

Suddenly the van braked hard, throwing them all off balance. Jake jerked forward, grabbed the man’s hand holding the knife and slammed it down hard. The man screamed as the blade sliced into his leg.

At the same time, Lauren swung her right hand up, bringing the heel of her hand sharply up under the nose of the man nearest her, snapping it and sending him reeling backwards with a yell of pain.

Jake slid across the floor of the van and kicked out hard at the rear doors. They sprang open. There was the blare of a horn as the vehicle immediately behind the van braked sharply. Jake and Lauren dived out, dodging through the traffic as they ran for the pavement. They threw themselves into the mass of people and darted into a side street, and then another, before finally stopping, out of breath.

They looked back. There was no sign of the Mexicans.

‘They don’t need to chase us,’ said Lauren. ‘If they know your name, they’ll know where we live.’

‘Yes, but next time we’ll be on our guard,’ said Jake. ‘And I’m hoping that we proved back there that we can’t be bullied.’





Chapter 11




Their Tube journey home was spent in silence. Both Jake and Lauren knew it was not a good idea to start talking about what had happened to them in a train where their conversation could be overheard by other passengers. To talk about almost being abducted, and Mexicans with knives, could easily raise alarm. At the same time, neither of them felt at ease enough to engage in idle chatter about everyday things. As they exited Finsbury Park station, it was Lauren who spoke first, cutting off Jake.

‘We have to tell the police!’

‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea,’ argued Jake. ‘Bullen seems convinced that I’m playing games with him. He’ll just think I’m doing the same again, and haul me in.’

‘But we have evidence! The van! OH Rentals. Descriptions of the three men!’

Jake frowned.

‘I’m still not sure. What I don’t understand is this business of Guy telling them he was coming to England to meet me.’

‘Maybe Alex Munro told him that was what was going to happen. Your name was in Munro’s diary, remember.’

‘But why didn’t Munro contact me?’

Lauren shrugged.

‘Who knows?’ She shuddered. ‘One thing’s for sure, Guy certainly mixed with some rough people in Mexico.’

‘He told me he was in prison there,’ said Jake. ‘Let’s hope there aren’t any more of his former cellmates walking around looking for him.’

‘What I don’t get is: why us?’ asked Lauren.

‘Because they think I’m connected to Guy in some way,’ said Jake. ‘Someone with a Spanish accent phoned me at the office before we went to see Sue Clark. He claimed to be Guy.’

‘You never told me!’ said Lauren accusingly. ‘What did you say to him?’

‘I never got the chance to tell you about him, what with everything else going on. Anyway, I never spoke to him. Paul took the message.’

‘What worries me is, they’ll try again,’ said Lauren.

‘Maybe we really do need Pierce Randall on our side,’ Jake suggested. ‘I bet they know exactly what’s going on. Guy and Gareth missing. Everything that’s behind it. They always know.’

Lauren shook her head.

‘They won’t help us unless we give them the book, like we promised. And once they find out we forged it, they’ll . . .’

‘Kill us?’ said Jake.

‘Don’t joke about it,’ said Lauren.

‘Who said I was joking?’ snapped Jake bitterly.

‘There’s no need to have a go at me!’ retorted Lauren, stung.

‘I wasn’t!’

‘Yes, you were!’

Jake was about to snap back at her, when he stopped himself.

‘OK, it sounded like it, but I didn’t mean to,’ he said apologetically. ‘It’s just that . . . after what happened . . .’

‘Whatever’s going on, one thing’s for sure: Pierce Randall can’t be trusted,’ said Lauren grimly. ‘We know they’re only in this for what they can get out of it. If we want Pierce Randall, or anyone else, on our side, we need a bargaining chip. We really do need a book.’