The Spying Game

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Lucas sat in the car for a long time, just staring at the house. Ronni didn't push him to hurry up because she knew he needed to do this in his own time. They'd been sitting there for almost an hour when the postman went up to the house with an Amazon parcel, and a woman answered the door to him.

Lucas sat forward, hunched over the steering wheel, desperate to get a closer look.

She took the parcel, thanked him and went back inside. Lucas sat back.

A man came out about an hour later with a yellow Labrador by his heel. He turned left and walked up the hill as Lucas watched him.

"Lucas-"

"No," he cut her off. "There's no point in doing this until he's in the house too."

Ronni acquiesced.

The man returned about an hour later with the dog and they both went inside. Ronni looked over at Lucas. His gaze was fixed on the house, so intently that he didn't even seem to be blinking.

Finally Ronni had waited long enough and after checking that no one else was around, went to open her door.

"No." He grabbed her arm to stop her, probably gripping harder than he should.

"Ow! Get off me." She pulled against him and, realising he'd hurt her, he let her go.

"Ronni-"

"No, Lucas. This has gone on long enough. Those people deserve more, they deserve the truth, and if you won't give it to them, I will."

She got out of the car and began walking to the house. Lucas waited a second longer then followed her. She was right.

Besides, he wanted this; he was just afraid.

He fell into step beside her and she smiled warmly as she took his hand. The thirty meter walk seemed to take hours but finally they were standing in front of the green door. He raised his hand to knock but hesitated.

"You can do this." Ronni squeezed his hand tighter and he squeezed back.

He knocked.

It took less than a minute for the door to be answered but it felt like forever. It was the woman who opened it and she smiled slightly at them, not knowing who they were. Then her smile faded as she looked at Lucas.

"Oh my god."

"Mum," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

For a moment Ronni thought that Lucas had been right and that he wouldn't receive a warm welcome, but the next moment his mother let out a sob and threw her arms around him. Lucas hugged her back and closed his eyes. He hadn't felt his mothers arms around him for twenty years and he wanted to savour the moment.

"You're alive," she cried. "I can't believe you're alive."

"Mo?" asked a worried voice from inside the house. He had clearly heard her cries and he stepped into the hallway a moment later. "What's going-"

She stepped away from Lucas and turned to her husband.

"John," he gasped. "Is that you?"

"Hello, Dad."

He stepped forward and took Lucas by the shoulders, looking at him for a long moment before embracing him, like his mother had done. When he pulled away, both men had tears in their eyes, as did his mother.

"What happened? Where have you been?" his father asked.

"That's a long story, Dad. Can we come in."