Blood Secrets

CHAPTER 12

BEFORE/ANDY

Now that I'm sure I've pushed my bike down the street far enough so the sound of the engine doesn't wake Emma and Rob up, I rev the engine and put my helmet on. I sigh with relief when I see the tanks full. Thank fuck.

I curse under my breath when my phone buffers. I knew I should've bought a proper map and not relied on my shitty internet. I spend too much on it anyway.

Once a red jagged line appears showing me my best route, I head off attempting to memorise the route but failing and having to pull over off the road every five minutes to check I know where I'm going. I try my hardest to focus on my route and the task ahead to distract myself from Emma. God knows I'm terrified for her but there's nothing me nor Rob can do and we've sure as hell tried everything.

Stop.

Distract yourself.

I let my imagination wander as I check road names and start to think about who this guy Michael is. Rob says he's a friend but he doesn't seem to like the guy too much but he's my only shot for a passport after being such an idiot to let mine expire.

After being on the road for two hours, I finally pull up to the outside of the address. Is this right? I look around me in a circle. This place is deserted, it looks like a shithole, why would anyone willingly live here? And then I see it. A little metal shack that would shine in the sunlight if London ever had any sun. The place looks as alone as I feel but I park outside, climb out the motorcycle and rap thrice on the door.

"Come in!" I hear from inside.

I walk myself in leaving the door open behind me. Just in case. "Close the door behind you mate". There goes my escape plan. Suddenly, I begin to question why I'm here and what kinda looney would decide to live in the middle of nowhere when the loner steps out in front of me abruptly stopping my thoughts.

"And who are you?"

I tell the blue haired guy I'm a friend of Rob's and he snorts. Literally snorts in front of me making me feel like an idiot. What is this guys problem?

"Well, I was wondering when he'd send a hitman. You my hitman?" Okay...

"Not that I know of. Look here, he said you owe him one and he wants you to make me a fake passport at short notice. Today. My old one expired." I study the man in front of me and he just nods in agreement.

"Follow me." He signals with his hand and he scratches his arm vigorously. I follow him to a tiny room, about the size of a small bathroom big enough for only one toilet that's scattered with computer screens and wires of all sorts hanging around the room and floor. I try not to stand on the slobs mess but its pretty damn difficult.

"What do you owe him then? Cause making a complete stranger a fake passport is a pretty big favour from an 'old friend'". Michael laughs and I stand around awkwardly waiting for a reply while I scan for a chair. I don't find one but I do discover an antique looking vase and an empty suitcase with a broken handle lying around. This guy is a recluse and a hoarder. Yey (!)

More itching. The sound is frickin disgusting.

"Friend? More like a... Business partner. No, an investor". I stare at him blankly. "What, he didn't tell you?" I shake my head. "Course he didn't. He wouldn't. Well, all you need to know is he beat the shit out of me and blamed me for messing up his life some... ooh, 10 or 11 years ago I think". What did this guy do for Rob to beat him to a pulp? And if it was that long ago, that was around the time Rob started neglecting Emma... This shits confusing. I know I only came for a passport but I might as well question him.

As I open my mouth, he starts talking. "Anyway," he says, changing the subject, "what do you want your name to be then? John Smith is a favourite but I wouldn't recommend it" he says smiling. Crap. I hadn't actually thought about my name. Well, my fake name. Guess I gotta choose now.

Umm... My parents always wanted to call me Jane if I was a girl but I guess that's not gonna work. For a second I consider Robert just to piss Emma's dad off but that'd just be stupid and besides, I know he's gonna keep Robert and change his surname because he's too stupid to reply to anything else.

"Paul... Winchester." I smile at the use of my dads first name and them the surnames of the main characters in my favourite show: Supernatural.

"Whatever does it for you!" He types Paul Winchester into a computer muttering under his breath while his fingers became a blur with the speed of his typing. Just as I'd finally gotten over the irritating repetitive clicks of the computer keyboards, they stopped abruptly and I opened my eyes and a passport was in my face. I stood from a chair Michael had scavenged for me, took the passport, cringed at the photo, put it into my back pocket and headed for the door.

I stopped in the doorway and turned around to face him. "Well, thanks I guess". I give Michael a small smile and head off for my bike. I look up and see it's dark, check my phone and it's already ten. Shit. I was supposed to check up on Rob to check if he got there safely.

It rings out. Rude. I huff, swing my leg over the seat and drive off. I need to leave this place, it's giving me the creeps and it doesn't help that it's night already.

When I get home, I almost call for Emma but remember her absence. When I go up to her room, I see her empty wardrobe except a few t shirts, trousers and a pair of shoes. I smile when I see the empty space on her wardrobe where a frame once was. A picture of us, just me and her when we went to the beach when Emma was 12, she was so excited. It was her first time at the beach and I wanted to make it worthwhile so I flew her to Morocco and we had a great week, the best week. I can still hear her complaining and begging us to stay while we were outside the airport. She didn't stop talking about the trip for weeks and I never even got sick of it. I need to go before this makes the whole thing worse. Her little smile and giggle as she dipped her toes in the water replay in my head and I leave the room and head to my bed.

My alarm clock shows me its 12:30 am and I remember I need a long sleep for my flight tomorrow. I take a mental note to call Rob tomorrow and fall asleep to the sound of the sea.