The Numbered

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Zeke, when you eventually decide to answer your damn phone, ring me back. We have a problem!"

Scott threw down the handset, placed his arm around the back of the passenger chair and reversed back, controlling the steering wheel with the flat of his hand. He waited for the gate to rise; a frustratingly slow process which had him drumming his fingers on the window's edge. When finally open, he moved the car back onto the road, slammed it into first gear and drove off at speed.

Damn that girl! Why won't she ever do as she is told?

Scott gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, sitting forward in his seat wondering how his evening had gone from mediocre to crap in such a short space of time. There he'd been, drinking an old malt out of an expensive, cut crystal, a drink forced on him by Diana, when the call came. He politely took a glance down at his phone, whilst Diana continued to discuss her son and his recent odd behaviour. Briggs' name flashed away on the screen. Scott couldn't remember the last time Briggs had called him so late and that fact set his pulse racing and an unfamiliar nervous feeling flitted about his stomach.

He had quickly apologised for the interruption and gone outside to take the call. Taking a deep breath, he pressed answer.

"Good evening Sir."

"Scott, where's the girl?"

"Err...in bed, Sir." He paused before adding, "Why is there a problem?"

"You're damn right there's a problem," Briggs had hissed.

Scott was surprised at the anger in Briggs voice. It wasn't that Scott hadn't heard him angry before. Blimey, he'd been at the end of a tongue lashing from Briggs, more times than he cared to remember, but he'd never heard Briggs anger sound so unchecked and uncontrolled.

"Sir, what is the problem? What can I do?"

"I have only just been passed a list. Damn incompetent fools; how dare they keep something like this from me?" Briggs was raging.

"Sir, what list?"

"A list of names, dammit! Names taken from the girls adopted mother."

"What of these names, Sir?"

"Even the bloody adopted mother was in on it!"

Scott knowing more than Briggs was aware of, pressed him further.

"In on what, Sir?"

"Don't tell me you've turned into an imbecile too?" Briggs spat. "In on whatever Eastman had planned. That Green woman was in on Eastman's plan. Interrogation has found out that she had a list of names, which when checked appear to have links to Eastman. They think she gave the list to Hannah. I want them arrested, do you here? I want each one of them interrogated and I want to know what they know. "

"Ok, Sir. What do you want me to do about Hannah?"

The phone went quiet for a moment and Scott held his breath fearing the worse.

"Nothing, Scott, well not yet at least, after all she really is just a child and what could she possibly know or do, right?"

Scott squeezed his eyes tight and pinched at the brow of his nose.

You have no idea!

"I've just emailed them across to you now. I want you to lead on this. Make sure you

Briggs ended the call abruptly. Scott stood looking at the four names for a few moments. One of the names was strangely familiar, but he couldn't remember why.