honestly don’t care. But, they do they care very much and since
then I have been moving, running. I thought, in the woods, the shack, I was
safe for a while but it couldn’t last. They’ll get me in the end I know, I’ve
accepted it, but not you, this isn’t your world, not your problem, you have to
get away. They’ve found me again, I managed to get away yesterday. Somebody
must have seen us at the house, whatever, it doesn’t really matter. I know
it’s only a question of time, they won’t give up. Each time I escape it’s just
avoiding the inevitable.
“I’m tired of it; to be honest I’m not sure I really have
the heart to run anymore. Part of me just wants it to be over, I won’t give up
without a fight but really I just want it done. But you, you have to be safe
Sylvie, I don’t want what I’ve done to hurt you.”
“Samuel, go to the police. Can’t you tell them, give them
the money, they have protection things don’t they, you could have a new
identity, go abroad, anything.”
“Oh Sylvie you don’t know though, you have no idea the
things I’ve done, the people I’ve hurt, probably killed, no it’s all gone too
far.”
She saw him switch off. He was drained by the confession,
by reliving the horrors and the guilt. They sat hand in hand for long minutes
as the world swirled around them, together in their loneliness, knowing they
were probably lost to each other already.
She whispered now, as her hand curled in his and the tears
began to dry on her cheeks.
“What should we do now then, where will we go Samuel? Can I
stay with you, for a while at least? I’m not scared you know, I can help you,
maybe we can get away, go to America. You have all the money. Don’t give up.
Samuel, I think I love you. I know you can’t feel the same, you have Marie and
the baby in your heart and there’s no room left for me and I don’t expect you
to but can we be together, just for a while?”
When he raised his face there was such sadness there that
she couldn’t bear to look at him. She turned away.
“Samuel, there are some men by the car. Oh God, is it them,
shit.”
He leapt up dragging her with him.
Chapter 30
Samuel dragged her towards the front door, she pulled back,
afraid of the car park. His grip on her wrist was painful and she was aware of
people staring as they shuffled past.
“Samuel, wait they’re out there, they’ll see us. Wait, come
the other way.”
“No, there’s no way out, those doors are locked and alarmed,
trust me, just come on now, quick.”
They slid through the great doors and turned sharply left,
away from the car and towards the coach and lorry parking area.
It was still raining, everything was sodden; they ran
through the puddles, muddy, oily water splashing up around their feet, soaking
their shoes and clothes. He wove between the great trailers dragging her
behind him and hefting the heavy bag. A driver climbing down from his cab
collided with Samuel.
“Hey, you stupid bugger, watch where you’re going,
asshole.”
“Sorry, we’re sorry.”
Sylvie gasped an apology and twisted to smile at the man but
he’d turned his back and lowered his head as he stomped towards the lights of
the building. There were a number of trucks parked up. Many of them had the
curtains pulled over the windscreens, the drivers sleeping away the hours until
they could legally get back behind the wheel. He ignored those and the ones
that were obviously local, based in Preston, Lancaster, Morecombe, there was no
point stowing away on something only going five miles down the road or worse
still which had only just left the depot and wouldn’t be stopping again until
Portsmouth or Dover.
A great red truck with a curtain sided trailer attracted
Samuel, he laid his hand on the bonnet. Cold, the cab empty but not curtained,
the depot in
then I have been moving, running. I thought, in the woods, the shack, I was
safe for a while but it couldn’t last. They’ll get me in the end I know, I’ve
accepted it, but not you, this isn’t your world, not your problem, you have to
get away. They’ve found me again, I managed to get away yesterday. Somebody
must have seen us at the house, whatever, it doesn’t really matter. I know
it’s only a question of time, they won’t give up. Each time I escape it’s just
avoiding the inevitable.
“I’m tired of it; to be honest I’m not sure I really have
the heart to run anymore. Part of me just wants it to be over, I won’t give up
without a fight but really I just want it done. But you, you have to be safe
Sylvie, I don’t want what I’ve done to hurt you.”
“Samuel, go to the police. Can’t you tell them, give them
the money, they have protection things don’t they, you could have a new
identity, go abroad, anything.”
“Oh Sylvie you don’t know though, you have no idea the
things I’ve done, the people I’ve hurt, probably killed, no it’s all gone too
far.”
She saw him switch off. He was drained by the confession,
by reliving the horrors and the guilt. They sat hand in hand for long minutes
as the world swirled around them, together in their loneliness, knowing they
were probably lost to each other already.
She whispered now, as her hand curled in his and the tears
began to dry on her cheeks.
“What should we do now then, where will we go Samuel? Can I
stay with you, for a while at least? I’m not scared you know, I can help you,
maybe we can get away, go to America. You have all the money. Don’t give up.
Samuel, I think I love you. I know you can’t feel the same, you have Marie and
the baby in your heart and there’s no room left for me and I don’t expect you
to but can we be together, just for a while?”
When he raised his face there was such sadness there that
she couldn’t bear to look at him. She turned away.
“Samuel, there are some men by the car. Oh God, is it them,
shit.”
He leapt up dragging her with him.
Chapter 30
Samuel dragged her towards the front door, she pulled back,
afraid of the car park. His grip on her wrist was painful and she was aware of
people staring as they shuffled past.
“Samuel, wait they’re out there, they’ll see us. Wait, come
the other way.”
“No, there’s no way out, those doors are locked and alarmed,
trust me, just come on now, quick.”
They slid through the great doors and turned sharply left,
away from the car and towards the coach and lorry parking area.
It was still raining, everything was sodden; they ran
through the puddles, muddy, oily water splashing up around their feet, soaking
their shoes and clothes. He wove between the great trailers dragging her
behind him and hefting the heavy bag. A driver climbing down from his cab
collided with Samuel.
“Hey, you stupid bugger, watch where you’re going,
asshole.”
“Sorry, we’re sorry.”
Sylvie gasped an apology and twisted to smile at the man but
he’d turned his back and lowered his head as he stomped towards the lights of
the building. There were a number of trucks parked up. Many of them had the
curtains pulled over the windscreens, the drivers sleeping away the hours until
they could legally get back behind the wheel. He ignored those and the ones
that were obviously local, based in Preston, Lancaster, Morecombe, there was no
point stowing away on something only going five miles down the road or worse
still which had only just left the depot and wouldn’t be stopping again until
Portsmouth or Dover.
A great red truck with a curtain sided trailer attracted
Samuel, he laid his hand on the bonnet. Cold, the cab empty but not curtained,
the depot in
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