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

huge; if I use my ‘skills’ they might let me go. It's not a great option but, believe me, there really was no other choice. When these men tell you to do something, you do it. It could take weeks, or months... maybe even years. I just don't know.

This is my mess and I must deal with it alone. I am so, so sorry you were dragged into it. Now, if you haven’t done so yet, I want you to open the bag.

I did what I was told. I reached over, heaved the dead weight nearer to me and unzipped it.

Holy Shit! Inside was more money than I'd ever seen. Even in the movies. What was it for? I grabbed up her note again.

Those are my savings. If truth be told, the money I made as a youngster was mostly wasted on stupid things but in that bag is almost £1.2 million. You may notice that about £200,000 is in American dollars and another £250,000 is in Euros... roughly. I want you to take this and start a new life.

The day I fell in love with you I hid this away, deciding I'd never associate with my old life again. But it caught up with me. After everything, it seems fair that you get some of the benefits of it. These men will probably be watching you to make sure I don’t return but they won’t bother following you around the world. Buy a ticket, get on a plane and enjoy yourself. Maybe one day - if I make it out of this - I will come and find you. I'll never give up hope. Trust me, wherever you go, I will find you. You know I'm that good!

Do not worry about covering your tracks. I'll make sure I help these men and they'll never bother you again. That is why I can never leave: they'd kill you if I did and I could never let that happen. But you can leave. I need you to leave. I don’t know if it has taken you days, weeks or months to find this but don’t delay. Go now. Tell your family you're travelling or something...

Do not tell anyone the truth. Do not trust people. Even when you never thought it possible people can betray you. Just look at me, I was meant to be the one person you could trust and I let you down. You're safest on your own.

Finally, stop looking for me. I know it is hard, but there is nothing you can do. We have to play by their rules but if they see you talking to police or trying to find me they'll get edgy. For all our sakes, let’s not annoy them anymore.

I don't expect you to wait for me. Perhaps you can never forgive me for what I have done. I hope I can see you again one day and explain everything in person but if you need to move on I want you to.

Be safe and be happy.

Think of me the way we used to be.

All my love,

Ems xxx

I was physically shaking by the time I had finished her note. I read it through three or four times, desperate to hear her voice in every word. Jack had been completely right (he really was an incredible detective) and the Kozlov brothers had got her. Could I go to the police now? Maybe the letter would be enough. I knew I couldn’t in my heart. If I showed them the letter they'd use it to prosecute Emma for all her past crimes and she'd see out her life in jail.

So it was down to me. The reason she had left was because they'd threatened to kill me. Sure, there were still some questions about our past I needed answering but there was one thing I wasn’t questioning. I knew then and there that I wasn’t going anywhere. I knew who had taken Emma and I wasn’t going to stop until she was safe, regardless of how scary they were. But I was going to beat them with my brains and a vast sum of money. I just needed to know what I was going to do. If they were watching me, I better put on a show.

*****

Thirty minutes later my bags were packed. I bunched a few of my favourite clothes in a suitcase, along with anything valuable I could carry. There wasn’t a lot. Looking at all my worldly possessions fitting into one small bag made me feel quite sad but I pressed on. I flicked on my laptop and began checking the flat for anything I might need whilst it loaded. Eventually I got on the Internet and booked a plane ticket to Mexico. One way. The flight left in three hours so I’d have to hurry.

I picked up my phone and called my mum, realising with a pang of regret that I hadn’t spoken to her in ages.

‘Hello?’ she questioned, even though my name was on her caller ID. I think she made it a question just to make me feel guilty, as if it had been so long since I last spoke to her that the name Tom doesn’t even ring a bell.

‘Hi Mum, it’s me.’

‘Oh Tom, how are you darling? You haven’t rung in ages,’ she digged. Not ‘we haven’t spoken in ages’ you see. She puts the blame on me. Sneaky.

The conversation went on like that. I told her I was going to go travelling to 'find myself' after everything. I wasn’t sure for how long or when I would be home. She was surprisingly good about it. I think deep down she'd been constantly worrying about me and probably thought it would do me good. I hung up, promising to call her often, and breathed a sigh of relief. The next phone call would be more enjoyable. I scrolled through my phonebook and selected Hamilton’s.

‘Hello, Hamilton’s Accounting,’ a polite voice from reception said. It sounded like Suzie but I couldn’t be sure. It had been a while since I had worked there consistently.

‘Hi there, it’s Tom. Is there someone high up and important that I could talk to immediately?’

‘Hi Tom,’ she laughed. It was Suzie. We'd always got on pretty well and she made me feel relaxed. ‘Sorry Love, they are all in a meeting. Even the team leaders. Can I take a message?’

‘Yeah you can actually. Have you got a pen?’

She paused for a second and then said, ‘Yes, go ahead.’

‘Right. Please write this down word for word, OK?’ I laughed, waiting for her to agree.

‘Dear Managers, CEO’s, Team Leaders and whoever else this concerns. As you know I have been dealing with some personal problems and will have to ask you to kindly...shove your job up your arse.’

There was a stunned silence but Suzie didn’t stop me, so I continued.

‘I would like to say it has been a pleasure working for you but...that would be bollocks. You know it. I know it. Nobody likes working there you miserable, bloated bag of shite (oh, please make sure that one is aimed at Jeff). Yours Sincerely, Tom Sharpe.’

I could hear Suzie stifling her laughter and by the sounds of it, she had shown it to the others.

‘Make sure they get it like that, word for word.’

‘OK Tom, I will,’ she replied, weeping with giggles.

‘Thanks Suzie, have a good life.’ I said and hung up. Wow. That felt good!

After that I was ready. I gathered all of my things (one small suitcase and my holdall full of money) and walked out of the flat, locking it behind, perhaps for the last time. I jogged down the stairs towards my hardest conversation. With a heavy heart I knocked on Sophie’s door.

‘Hey, I was wondering when you'd come down. Kettle’s on,’ she called, making her way to the kitchen and leaving the door open for me to come in.

‘Thanks, listen Sophie, I can’t stay long.’

‘Oh that sounds exciting,’ she replied, hoping for more adventure. Presently, she returned with two cups of tea.

‘So what was in the bag?’

I don’t know what made me do it but I lied to her. Perhaps it was easier. Maybe I wanted to get out without talking for ages but I think the truth was simple: I wanted to protect her. Telling her about the money would have got her further involved and she couldn’t know my real plans. It was best for everyone if I lied to her.

‘Not a lot to be honest. A note from her and some old things that meant a lot to both of us. Really personal stuff,’ I added hoping she wouldn't pry too much.

‘Oh. So what did the note say?’ she asked, trying to find out more. I felt really bad. She was one of the few people who knew everything. I had let her in so far, only to lie to her face.

‘It was wonderful. She told me she was in love with me and that she'd explain it all to me one day. She said she had to do something but that, when it was over, she 'd come back to me.’ This was partly true but, if Sophie had read the note she would know, how unlikely it was that those men would just let her go.

‘Wow, that’s great news Tom. So where are you going?’

I smiled at her, trying to convey the message ‘everything is going to be okay.’

‘Mexico,’ I stated, ignoring her look of sheer surprise. ‘Emma left me a ticket and told me to go there. She's going to meet me there. Maybe in a few weeks, maybe a few months. However long it takes.’

‘Mexico? And you have to go now?’ she asked sadly.

‘Yeah. It was a good thing we found it when we did, the ticket expires tomorrow! She must have thought I would have noticed the key straight away,’ I lied.

‘I'm going to miss you more than you'll ever know,’ she said with a tear rolling down her cheek.

‘Me too, Soph. I love you like family, you know that. You're wonderful and amazing. And I swear with all my heart that when this is over I'll come straight here and move back into that crappy flat above you!’ I laughed.

We hugged and eventually I managed to tear myself away from her. It was harder than I had thought. I just prayed Sophie would be fine. Tossing my things in the back of our car, I headed, with a sigh, to the airport.

*****

I arrived at the airport with just over an hour before the flight. I was running out of time. I parked the car, wondering if I was ever going to see it again and strode into the busy airport.

I kept hold of my money holdall but I checked in my bag of clothes after a short queue. I saw my suitcase disappear, ready to be loaded onto the plane. Looking at my watch, I could see I had about twenty minutes until boarding. I just hoped this worked.

I sat down on one of the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in and waited patiently. I considered buying a newspaper or a magazine for the wait but couldn’t be bothered. I held my holdall close to me at all times. That wasn’t going anywhere. Come on, where are you?

With just five minutes to go, I saw them. My three Russian friends. Right, so far so good; I love it when a plan comes together. I got up and moved around the room, heading to the shop for a brief minute before moving on again. They followed me all the way, maintaining a safe distance. Not too close, not too far away. They were clearly highly trained, or had perfected this over years of stalking. I stopped worrying about them and stuck to my task. As the check-in desk called us through for boarding I was there waiting; one of the first in the queue. I could see the thugs watching me