God's Crusade

Part Twenty-One

"Chill out Nat, it's all fine." Skylar Hamilton sighed, tiring of her friend pacing around the room like a caged tiger.

"Skylar, it is so not fine. I need to get out of this sick country for fuck's sake...I need to be somewhere safe. I don't like it here...I really don't like how the FBI are doing the Reformist's dirty work for them and getting at the media...I don't want any part of this anymore."

"Come on, we haven't done anything wrong and this is America...free speech right? Not Britain...no one is going to lock you up here babe." Skylar replied, with all the confidence of a Harvard law student, born and bred to believe in the dream, and quite sure of her rights. She sympathised with Natalie. She had been through hell and back for the cause. But it had left her seeing shadows in the sunshine. For sure, the media were nervous about going after Shap Nixon, but then he was a litigious billionaire as well as a Presidential candidate, so that was no big surprise. But that was not really that important, because the word was already out on the internet and the damage was being done. It was just a matter of time before the serious journalists grew a pair. Social media would force them to act.

"I'll be happier back in Paris...and well away from Dad...his Machiavellian plots are killing me." Natalie admitted, attempting a rueful smile. She was almost forty years old and she was sick of tilting at all the windmills. She was sick of the shadows of the past, and sick of the nightmares.

"Ok, so get a ticket and go home. Spend the summer with your Mom?"

"Come with me." It was not really an offer. Skylar recognised that much, hearing the plea in Natalie's voice. She needed someone other than her father. Skylar could dig that, and she had always wanted to do Europe.

"Ok, why not? I can keep in touch online, and look after you at the same time. Pack a bag and I'll call for tickets...my Daddy can spring for us both...it'll be fun, babe." Skylar decided on the spur of the moment, unaware that it was already too late for Natalie Hughes, and for her, as it happened.

۩

"Call your lawyer, Colin...I think you are going to need him, ok?" One of the anonymous FBI agents suggested, grimacing at the bad coffee.

"So...have you got some charges...or are you just trying to scare me?" Colin Hughes asked lightly, keeping his temper. "Shap must be paying through the nose to have you guys jumping through hoops over some unsubstantiated rumours on a website...which is out of your remit by the way as it is registered in Nigeria...I believe."

"Shap Nixon can go fuck himself for all I care buddy boy, I want to talk to you about your involvement in the murder of Sir Harry Trevor in London, and your connections to a man called Daniel Cooper. So...do you want to call that lawyer now or just wave all your rights and save a lot of time, smartarse?"

Colin Hughes went suddenly pale.

۩

"Quite honestly your equipment is obsolete," Chris Slade told his new boss. "I can make a list of what I need, and I can make a start on this, but it'll be easier when we have the right gear. But to be fair, I will be upgrading all the time...three months is the average life of a computer these days..."

"Anything you need, Mr Slade." Peter Munroe said, shaking his hand with a smile. "Just get me something on Colin Hughes as soon as you can...anything that links him to Daniel Cooper."

"And if I can't find anything?"

"Well, we can always create something I am sure. Only to fill in the gaps, of course. I am arranging a lot of help for you Mr Slade, and we expect results in return...Hughes' hard drive would be a good place to start, as I understand the FBI are working on it right now...and a friend has arranged access for you, I believe."