didn’t seem achievable. Sarah was beginning to realise, to accept, that it seemed unlikely that they could find Alex without outside help.
Also of concern was the new legislation being passed through the World Government. Sarah didn’t trust Ennis to keep his word about helping Thomas, but aside from that, she wanted to take steps of her own to keep her son off the radar. Their safety, Thomas’s safety, had to be her first concern. Giving him a good life came next, and finding Alex came third. Hard to accept but true, and the task of finding her husband could only be undertaken as and when it didn’t affect Thomas’s security.
Tom’s eyes hardened. “Right.”
He turned to lift another frame from the mantel and handed it to Sarah.
“See this guy here?” He gave Sarah a moment or two to take in the image. It was a picture of Tom with another man. Obviously close friends, the man had his arm around Tom, who looked to be in his late fifties when the shot was taken. The men were sharing a joke, their smiles caught naturally by the camera. Despite the situation, the image made Sarah smile. She looked up to see that Tom was too. He nodded down at the photo.
“That’s an old friend.”
“I can see that,” Sara replied. “He’s huge.”
The man was massive. Tom stood at six-three, around the same height as Alex, but the guy beside him looked around another six inches taller again.
“Aye. He’s a big unit, right enough. He’s also been my best friend my whole life.”
Sarah nodded and smiled again. “He can help us?”
“Yes. Robert used to have…” Tom searched for the right description, “…he used to have special skills and made a lot of contacts throughout his career.”
“What kind of contacts?” Sarah asked.
Tom smiled. “Every kind of contact, but mostly in the intelligence community. Robert will get new identities arranged. Background history, social security, school records, employment history, driving licence, and passport. Whatever we need.”
“Do you think we need to go that far, Tom.”
“Aye, I do. This bastard Ennis, he’s not the sort to leave loose ends. The three of us,” Tom nodded off to Thomas’s bedroom, “we’re some pretty dangerous loose ends.”
Sarah placed the photo gently back onto the mantel. “I’m so sorry to involve you in this, Tom. This is your home. You shouldn’t have to leave because of us.”
“Fuck that,” Tom roared, a little louder than he’d intended, causing Sarah to jump. “Sorry, hen, but fuck that. All this shite,” he waved his hand around the room, “can go into storage, or burn for all I care. Family comes first, you hear me?”
“Thank you, Tom.”
The old man waved her off. “Nae bother, love. I’ll call Robert in the morning. He’ll sort everything for us. Bank accounts and everything. You have a wee think about how to explain it all to wee Tommy.”
“Okay,” Sarah said. “But I’m not using a different Christian name for myself or Tommy. That’s non-negotiable. A new surname is fine, but we stay ourselves as much as we can, especially that boy. We gave him that name for a reason. He was named after my husband’s hero.”
Tom smiled. “Whatever you want, Sarah.”
As Sarah made her way through the hall to her bedroom, she heard Tommy shuffling around in his bed. Creaking the door open slowly she poked her head through.
“You should be sleeping, son,” she whispered.
A dazed-looking Thomas rose from under the covers.
“Sorry, Mum. I was asleep but I woke up a few minutes ago and can’t get back to sleep.”
Sarah entered the room and sat beside him on the edge of his bed. Reaching out to smooth his hair away from his eyes, she asked, “What’s troubling you, Tommy?”
A look of discomfort crossed his face. “I want to know what’s happening, Mum. What’s really happening?”
Sarah sighed. She’d have to tell him something, sooner or later. They’d be getting images and prints
Also of concern was the new legislation being passed through the World Government. Sarah didn’t trust Ennis to keep his word about helping Thomas, but aside from that, she wanted to take steps of her own to keep her son off the radar. Their safety, Thomas’s safety, had to be her first concern. Giving him a good life came next, and finding Alex came third. Hard to accept but true, and the task of finding her husband could only be undertaken as and when it didn’t affect Thomas’s security.
Tom’s eyes hardened. “Right.”
He turned to lift another frame from the mantel and handed it to Sarah.
“See this guy here?” He gave Sarah a moment or two to take in the image. It was a picture of Tom with another man. Obviously close friends, the man had his arm around Tom, who looked to be in his late fifties when the shot was taken. The men were sharing a joke, their smiles caught naturally by the camera. Despite the situation, the image made Sarah smile. She looked up to see that Tom was too. He nodded down at the photo.
“That’s an old friend.”
“I can see that,” Sara replied. “He’s huge.”
The man was massive. Tom stood at six-three, around the same height as Alex, but the guy beside him looked around another six inches taller again.
“Aye. He’s a big unit, right enough. He’s also been my best friend my whole life.”
Sarah nodded and smiled again. “He can help us?”
“Yes. Robert used to have…” Tom searched for the right description, “…he used to have special skills and made a lot of contacts throughout his career.”
“What kind of contacts?” Sarah asked.
Tom smiled. “Every kind of contact, but mostly in the intelligence community. Robert will get new identities arranged. Background history, social security, school records, employment history, driving licence, and passport. Whatever we need.”
“Do you think we need to go that far, Tom.”
“Aye, I do. This bastard Ennis, he’s not the sort to leave loose ends. The three of us,” Tom nodded off to Thomas’s bedroom, “we’re some pretty dangerous loose ends.”
Sarah placed the photo gently back onto the mantel. “I’m so sorry to involve you in this, Tom. This is your home. You shouldn’t have to leave because of us.”
“Fuck that,” Tom roared, a little louder than he’d intended, causing Sarah to jump. “Sorry, hen, but fuck that. All this shite,” he waved his hand around the room, “can go into storage, or burn for all I care. Family comes first, you hear me?”
“Thank you, Tom.”
The old man waved her off. “Nae bother, love. I’ll call Robert in the morning. He’ll sort everything for us. Bank accounts and everything. You have a wee think about how to explain it all to wee Tommy.”
“Okay,” Sarah said. “But I’m not using a different Christian name for myself or Tommy. That’s non-negotiable. A new surname is fine, but we stay ourselves as much as we can, especially that boy. We gave him that name for a reason. He was named after my husband’s hero.”
Tom smiled. “Whatever you want, Sarah.”
As Sarah made her way through the hall to her bedroom, she heard Tommy shuffling around in his bed. Creaking the door open slowly she poked her head through.
“You should be sleeping, son,” she whispered.
A dazed-looking Thomas rose from under the covers.
“Sorry, Mum. I was asleep but I woke up a few minutes ago and can’t get back to sleep.”
Sarah entered the room and sat beside him on the edge of his bed. Reaching out to smooth his hair away from his eyes, she asked, “What’s troubling you, Tommy?”
A look of discomfort crossed his face. “I want to know what’s happening, Mum. What’s really happening?”
Sarah sighed. She’d have to tell him something, sooner or later. They’d be getting images and prints
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