The Pursuit of Emma, Dave Moyer [best contemporary novels txt] 📗

black holdall at the bottom which was bulging with something inside. On top was a small white envelope which was also straining to hold its contents. I picked it up and looked at it. In the same scribbled writing it read, ‘do not read this until you are alone.’ On top of this pile was a handheld Dictaphone. There was a tape inside it and every inch of me knew I had to press play. It was a message from Emma.

‘Tom, if you can hear this then you did it. You are my hero in so many ways. But there isn’t time for this. If you have found this there is a good chance they won’t be far behind you. Get everything from the safe and take it home. Only read my note when you are there. Be safe. Thank you for never giving up on me. Love you always.’

Tears were beginning to form in the corners of my eyes. I hadn’t heard her voice for so long, but I would never forget it. She sounded concerned. Not exactly worried, but certainly short on time. I could listen to it a hundred times when I was safe but now was a time for action.

I pulled out the holdall; it was heavy. I don’t know what was inside but it weighed a lot. I slung it over my shoulder and pocketed the Dictaphone. The letter was placed carefully in my inside jacket pocket. There was no way I was losing that now. I checked the safe twice to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind and was away. I moved as quickly as I could over the rubble left in the room and reached the door in record time. I looked back at the room, saw what state I had left it in and moved on, flicking the light off as I went.

I marched down the corridor smoothly and attempted to look smart and sophisticated once more. It wasn’t my strong point but again I felt I was less likely to be stopped if I shone with confidence. I plastered on smile and then quickly removed it. Lawyers don’t smile, I remembered. They smirk. I adopted a cocky attitude and swaggered back towards the elevators. People passed me and perhaps some wondered what was in the bag, but nobody stopped me.

I reached the first floor and was just thinking to myself how well it was going as I turned to step on the escalator. I could see the lobby below and no sign of Sophie. That was a good thing. She must have got away cleanly. I stepped on and began to travel down when I froze. Sadly, I froze but the escalator kept on moving so it had very little effect. I had seen something I really didn’t want too. Three enormous men were standing in the lobby. Two of them I had never seen before but they look completely out of place in a lawyer’s firm. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Seeing as I wanted to escape this building without having ‘sore thumbs’ or sore anything for that matter I turned and bolted back up the escalator. I hid around the corner, out of sight.

I was sure they were Kozlov’s men. They couldn’t be anything else. Their muscles ripped out of their suits (metaphorically) and they looked like they didn’t have enough brain cells between the three to pass a law degree (not that I would say that to their faces.) The third man I had seen before. He was the same man who had followed me at Victoria Station. I didn’t think he had brought reinforcements just to observe me and I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. This bag, the letter and the tape with her voice on were too important. But how could I get out?

I thought about phoning Sophie, but what was she going to do? I couldn’t involve her in this. Plus, I could hear Emma’s message ringing in my ears. ‘You are my hero in so many ways.’ Time to start acting like one. If I wasn’t going to fight them (and I wasn’t) I would have to outsmart them. It shouldn’t be too difficult.

I looked around, desperate for a way out. Was there a back door or a fire exit? Not that I could see but that did give me an idea. The fire alarm. Along the corridor I had seen several of those red buttons which you could set off the alarm with if the glass in front is smashed.

I raced back to the corridor with the bag cutting in to my arm. It was getting heavy. Quickly I found one, set myself and smashed through the glass. It happened instantly. A siren, more piercing and invasive than I thought possible erupted around the building. I could hear the usual commotion of people. They were not sure what was going on and there was not the desperate rush for the door I had hoped for.

Reception were confused and decided to deal with it.

‘This is not a drill. Please file out one at a time. Nothing to worry about,’ I heard them shout.

I waited for a few minutes. The Russians were not likely to leave straight away but I couldn’t see how they would be allowed to stay in. People rushed past me onto the escalator, which was now stationary and providing a metallic staircase. Time to leave.

I slipped into a crowd of ‘stressed out’ lawyers and kept my pace with them until we reached the revolving doors. They were stationary but could move if you pushed them. I pushed through and was away. I had done it. Scanning around, I couldn’t see Kozlov’s men. I didn’t need a second invitation so I ran as fast as my legs, and the heavy bag, would allow me. I weaved through the crowd and didn’t stop until I reached Sophie’s car.

*****

Sophie seemed surprised to see me. It was probably more concern than surprise, as I banged on the window she jumped half a mile. I threw the bag on the back seat and hopped in next to her.

‘Tom... you did it! How?’ she muttered, astounded.

‘What, you didn’t think I could?’ I joked, strapping my belt on and indicating I was ready to go.

‘No, not at all... I’m so happy. I saw that man again with some others... I was really worried... I wanted to do something but...’

‘Sophie calm down! I’m fine. It would take a bit more than three terrifying Russian men with years of experience in the criminal world and no doubt an arsenal of horrendous torture equipment to stop me.’ She laughed at this and started the car up.

‘So what did you do?’ She asked carefully. I told her about the fire alarm and blending into a crowd.

‘That’s clever. You’re getting good at this,’ she teased.

‘What about you? You looked pretty comfortable out there,’ I remarked.

I felt euphoric. I was alive, which was nice, and I'd done it. I hadn’t seen Emma but she had left a trail and I'd followed it to the pot of gold at the end. I was burning with intrigue. What was in the bag and the note? I would have opened it there and then but Emma had asked me not too, and I wasn’t sure whether that request extended to the bag as well. Better to be safe than sorry.

I had no doubt that Emma wouldn’t have a problem with Sophie seeing it all, especially with the help she had given me, but I would open it in private and then judge whether I could show Sophie.

I explained this to Sophie and she didn’t seem to mind. She took me all the way home, hugged me and told me to come see her whenever. Soon enough I was alone in my flat and ready to open my note. Deep breath, here we go. Chapter Fourteen

‘So many ears listening. So many tongues lying.’

I had been so wrapped up by the loot that I didn’t think about my safety. I'd been followed by huge Russian thugs and there was a very good chance they would be waiting for me in my own flat. I could be walking straight into a trap.

Luckily, I wasn’t. There was no evidence of a break in and hours later, I was still breathing. A sudden realisation hit me: I could have thrown all my hard work away. Perhaps they didn’t want to kill me just yet. I took a slow breath and opened the note; the contents of the bag could wait. I was relieved to see pages of her writing unravel itself. Finally I was going to get some answers.

Dear Tom,

I have lied to you. More times than I care to count. I lied about my name, my past and even our wedding. But believing everything was a lie would be a mistake. I cannot give you specific details at the moment in case this falls into the wrong hands. There are so many ears listening. So many tongues lying. There is one thing you have to believe me on: I love you. I do love you, I have loved you always and I will love you for the rest of my life. Whatever you think of me, whatever I have done to you, remember that.

The truth is I am not who you think I am. I concealed it not out of choice but out of desperation. I had a ‘troubled’ upbringing if you want to use that term. I started engaging in things that don’t show me in the best light. I have broken most rules put in front of me in the past but believe me when I say I have never hurt anyone physically and only those who deserved to, emotionally. I have never hurt anyone I didn’t mean to before; except you.

It breaks my heart to know that by the time you've read this I won't be with you. I wanted to talk it through with you but you could never understand. The thought that you may never get this and live your life thinking I left you by choice fills me with dread but I believe in you Tom. I know you will find your way to me.

My mind was rushing, desperately reading on to hear more from her. It was like she was speaking to me, I remembered how she used to talk and could hear her voice now. I felt safe and warm.

You're probably wondering what's going on. I don’t blame you. I don’t know how much you know, or have been able to figure out, so I will explain as much as possible. I was very good at what I used to do, some would say the best. The problem is when you do something wrong it eventually catches up with you.

I upset some very important men. Important in the criminal world that is. I can never explain to you how terrifying these men are and I pray you never meet them. I thought I'd gotten away from them but they found me and they are not happy.

I have to go with them and do whatever they want. They say they need me for something