The Titan Code

16. Run This Town

THE REST of the journey went pretty well considering the emotional breakthrough we just had. Alex honestly seems like a different person now he's confessed to his darkest moment, I can see the person who ran a 5K in fancy dress and who would've been loads of fun at Uni.

He's been telling me stories about his Mum and events from family holidays with affection and fondness and truly I'm happy to hear them. He needs to allow himself to enjoy the happy memories without guilt so I actually feel privileged that he's sharing this with me.

Yet I can't help but feel he won't be this breezy when we reach Hetfield. He'll probably snap back into efficiency mode and be all serious again.

We pass the sign for Hetfield and a silence falls upon the car. This is it.

Hetfield is what I'd consider a typical English town. It has an pretty town centre with an array of quaint gift shops and cafes, clusters of cottages and nice housing estates, an old town hall which clearly predates everything else.

We park the car and wander into the town centre. I can't help but notice our reflection in a window as we pass: we sort of look like a couple, albeit a comical chunky and lanky pairing.

"Shall we head to the town hall, look for notices or leaflets?" he asks and we head towards the suspiciously Elizabethan-looking building everything is built around.

"Alex, look," I say as I notice something odd, "have you seen those posters? Most of the shops have them in."

Red-fonted posters saying 'NO TO THE DEVELOPMENT' are displayed every few windows, which are contrasting the 'YES TO CHANGE' headline in the alternate stores. Clearly this town is torn in their support of Mayor Smith's proposal.

"I see this is controversial for everyone, then, not just our sinister friends," Alex mutters, studying the leaflet. I take pictures of both posters just in case and we move on.

The town hall has a notice board outside with various flyers about fitness classes and toddler playgroups, but the one pinned to the very centre is what I'm after.

It's the poster I saw in the kidnappers' car about the town council meeting.

With a burst of excitement I grab Alex's arm and point at it like a kid.

"Look! That's what I saw in the car!"

With a look of vague amusement Alex reads the poster and takes a picture. Ok, so the notice doesn't really give much away but the town itself seems to be more of a clue. I'm really glad we came.

"I think we should go to somewhere with a yes and no poster and talk to the shop owners. Maybe if we get them talking we can find out what's happeneing here," I say suddenly.

"What, you want to charge into a shop and start asking the manager about their opinions on the development, just like that?" comes the disparaging reply.

I smile. "Not exactly."

*

"Just this, thanks," I say as I put a novelty mug on the counter. We're in a gift shop surrounded by tacky ornaments, gaudy kids' toys and unfunny plaques and the lady at the counter, a middle-aged battleaxe of a woman, looks me up and down.

"Gift wrapped?" she grunts and I nod politely.

"My partner and I were looking to move here but we've noticed all these signs about a development?" I launch right in. I notice Alex tense up next to me and I can't help but feel a little wicked. "We wondered what it was all about, didn't we, babe?"

His eyes narrow minutely but his lip twitches.

"Yes, we did," he replies with restraint.

The large woman eyes us beadily.