The Edge of Honour

Chapter 34

Gorran's POV:

The sky outside was jet black with large thick elliptical clouds rolling across its endless expanse. The darkness had fixed itself over the sky, as the perilous lightning bolts exploding through the winds which were alarmingly fast. The luminous moon shone and reflecting against the wet deck upon which I stood.

The waves rolled through the ocean, breaking repeatedly with increasing strength against the small rocky landmasses which surrounded us. The boat took each wave like a hurdle- rising sharply over and landing back down on the flat spray below with a heavy blow. Once in a while, a wave would scrap its way over the safety railing of the boat and the water would flood across the deck, surrounding my bare feet.

I looked back through the glass door which led to the main seated area of the ship. Morgan lay asleep, her body sprawled out over several chairs. I laughed lightly as the weary passengers swore at her as they searched for someone to rest.

Jet and April sat directly across from her and as they spoke, they made sure to keep me in view at all times. I had been advised by them not to stand on the deck during the storm, but I needed to clear my head. It was too crowded- as my light button-up shirt rippled in the powerful wind and a mixture of spray and rain made it cling to my body, I could feel my mind clearing a little, decluttering itself.

Finally, I decided that it was time for me to head back inside. I carefully unlatched the door in between waves as I did not want to cause any trouble by flooding the area beside the door. An elderly man sitting beside April rose as I approached them, muttering about needing the toilet as he straightened himself.

"Young man, would you mind keeping this seat for me for a few minutes? I fear that I may not find another one if I leave," his voice was hoarse and speaking appeared to pain him slightly. I promised that I would as I happily sat myself down in his chair.

"Put this on Gor, you'll freeze to death otherwise," April ordered, handing me a pale blue cotton top and a navy zip up jumper. I willingly obliged- now that I was back inside the warmth of the room, I regretted leaving my shirt become so wet. I slipped my feet into the old, worn runners than I had been holding.

Then, I sat back and waited for the elderly man to return to claim his seat, but he never arrived. I could feel my eyes beginning to grow weary and knowing that I had a huge amount of work ahead of me, I allowed myself to be embraced by the dreams that soon consumed me.

I awoke to Jet shaking my awake. I almost hit him, it was a reflex action in my semi conscious state as his hands grasped my shoulders.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, the majority of the passengers were still asleep. Judging by how exhausted I still felt, I could not have been asleep long. The sky was still pitch black, although the wind and waves appeared to have calmed slightly.

"What the hell Jet?" I whispered angrily. Drifting to sleep was always the most difficult part for me, especially when I had been disturbed.

"Gorran," he said urgently, ignoring my angry greeting to being woken by him. "The phone." He held out a vibrating phone which was flashing with an unknown caller.

"Why don't you answer the phone?" I retorted, trying my best not to scream at his ignorance. I did not care if he was getting a phone call, I would have much preferred to have remained in my blissful, undisturbed cocoon of peaceful imagination.

"This is the number we included on your application Gorran, nobody else has this number. You have to answer it." My eyes widened in fear, I hadn't finished looking through Ray's file yet, I could blow our cover before we even arrived in the country. April began to stir on the chair beside Jet. As I fearfully, pressed the answer button, April woke up.

"What's happening?" she asked. Jet quickly gestured for her to be quite as I raised the phone to by ear.

"Hello." My voice was shaking as I spoke. I tried to place myself in Ray's shoes, I had applied to work for this man and now I had to pretend to be as dedicated to his cause as April and Jet claimed I was.

"Decided to finally answer then Ray. I was beginning to doubt you before I've met you. My number one rule is you do what I say, when I say it. If I shout- you run, if I order- you obey, if I ring- you answer. I have hundreds more willing to take your job if you don't want it," he shouted bitterly into the phone. "The only thing saving you right now, is your skills. They could be useful, but I will warn you that if you have lied to me, I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Of course sir," I replied, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear inside me. I felt like the oxygen had dispersed from the air around me. I was only speaking to him on the phone, I wondered how I would cope once I met him.

"I have been informed that you are taken the night ferry from Dover to Calais, another one of our new recruits is on the same boat. I want you to find her and accompany her to our car which will be waiting for both of you at your destination. The only clue I am going to give you is that her name is Jamie and she is..." I tuned out. I knew that I shouldn't, but I knew exactly who I was looking for as Morgan lay still asleep on the chairs just inches from me.

His voice was blur, but finally it stopped. There was a few seconds of silence before I realised that he was awaiting an answer from me.

"Of course sir. I will find her," I replied, hoping that I had not missed anything important from him. With my words, the phone call ended without a final parting message.

Jet and April looked expectantly at me. From just that call I could tell that the man who was now my boss meant business. His words were truth and the law.

When he told me he would not hesitate to kill me, I knew that he was not lying. I just hoped that it would not come to that. Within hours, I would be entering an even more dangerous world than ever before and I was beginning to question whether I was prepared for it at all.