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  ‘You’re okay, just relax.’ Ben tried to steady her nerves. The bullet was pulled from her chest, it hit Steph where her rib cage ended.

  ‘If he wanted you dead, he wouldn’t have shot you here, even with the Kevlar.’ Ben threw the small bit of brass, with a flick of his finger. Mary looked a little bit of metal, looking a little upset.

  Rubbing his hands over the cloth that law over the mesh of Steph’s vest, some of it bobbled up. A small tear in the cloth told him all he needed to know.

  Ben pointed at his eyes, then down, then for around three minutes he continued to do a lot of indescribable hand movements telling everybody where Brian was, sadly, Mary and Cameron hadn’t been trained in the hand motions of the military, and therefor had no idea where he’d been hiding.

  ‘That’s no help. I have no clue what you’re saying.’ Mary informed Ben, he entirely stopped in the middle of, what he thought of, as a sentence.

  ‘Look, Chris wasn’t the issue, Brian issue is twice as dangerous without Chris. If we want to find him, you’re going to have to shut up and follow me.’ Ben explained.

  ‘You got that right.’ A silhouette popped up over them.

  ‘Is this what you were saying?’ Cameron asked.

  ‘Yeah, he had to be close.’

  ‘He’s right you know, not about the being close, although I am, but no. If I wanted Steph dead the three of you would be pulling bits of brains out of your pants for the next week.’ The sun glinted around his head like a halo, Brain stood like a monolith. Brian made a better door than a window. Brian kicked his foot out, it rattled a little bit before a rope ladder rolled down. For anybody could stop him, Brian made it to the sandy soil. It spat a mist of soot up.

  All of them filled their trousers, a mad man is an okay thing to have if you keep him at a distance, even with a sniper riffle at his side, you’d rather keep that at more than arm’s length, a lot more. A few counties would be a good start, but maybe another planet would be preferable.

  The only person who didn’t soil themselves, was Ben, he simply comforted Steph who still lay strained in pain.

  ‘You could stand up.’ Brian aimed at Ben, who ignored him, silently cradling Steph’s head. He’d been shot, he wore a vest at the time, the same as this one. It could even be this exact one. It aired you, pushed it out of you like a big whoopee cushion. Just a lot less funny. Although whoopee cushions aren’t and will never be funny.

  Steph panted deeply in Bens ear. Sometimes it sounded like words but it never was.

  ‘So we’re both here. Why haven’t you killed us?’ Ben pointed a finger at Brian.

  ‘We’re both here. You kill him, I get the money, you kill me. Claim to be my brother or something, you get the money. Whatever you plan is, do it now. No time like the present, right?’

  ‘It’s not that simple, there has to be a big reveal first, tell people the great Cameron Bishop is still alive.’ There was something grand about Brian, you could see how people could follow this man. Brian reminded Bishop of a priest he’d met in the U,S one time on tour.

  There was a huge noise, the beating of wings at an impossible speed. It circled above like vultures.

  ‘Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.’ Brian yelled, his face contorted.

  Now the five of them were all been shot, not how they’d gotten used to, now a camera lens focused on them from the helicopter, it was sleek and black but small logos scattered over it, adding color to the bird from above.

  ‘They know were alive.’ Mary looked down at her feet.

  ‘So that was your plan, show us on TV? Poor effort on your part. I was really warming to you, on the whole evil genies thing, but this is just poor, D for effort.’ Bishop talked, that’s what he did best. Talk, even Bishop watched spy movies, he thought they were shit, but he did watch them. The rule was the bad guy talks, and talk, and talks. Now it was his turn.

  ‘I’ve been all over this town now, I’ve learnt a bit. One thing I do know is, this town is covered in impersonators. Me impersonators, how do they know this isn’t just a stunt, you’ve hired an impersonator to sell records, or a you’re filming a doc. Or whatever.’ Bishop still pointed at the vultures in the air.

  ‘They don’t, but after this they will. I’ll just tell them, DNA will do the rest.’

  ‘Good point.’ Bishop backed down.

  ‘If you kill any of us, you go to jail.’ Ben spoke up, he found a problem he’d over looked before.

  ‘I’m not going to kill Cameron, you are.’ Brian explained.

  ‘No, I’m not.’ Ben replied.

  ‘Yes, you are. Else I kill you, the gun I killed Allen with, that was yours. The rounds, the barrel, it’ll all point back to you, I could say it was defense. A son finds his Dad, kills him, very poetic, right?’

  ‘Mary give him the gun.’ Cameron spoke up.

  ‘Dad no.’ Ben barked, a small smile crawled over Cameron’s face.

  ‘I’m not letting you die, or go to jail, you’re going back to your mothers. Promise me you’ll go back to your mother.’ Bishops face went red, his eyes sank four inches deep into his face. He was that kind of guy who didn’t show his emotions much. Cameron’s face knew it, and tried all it could to hide its true feelings.

  ‘I’ve lost two friends today, I can’t lose my son, there is no chance in hell I’m losing anyone else. I’ve never had anything before. Mary give him the gun.’ Cameron stood up straight, taking huge deep breaths in and out through his nose.

  Mary handed over the gun. She did it softly with more care than anybody should give a dangerous piece of metal.

  She itched her face, at least this is what it looked like.

  ‘I’m dying anyway, have been since I was defrosted. There no point pretending I was going to get out of this alive anyway.’ Cameron spoke softly.

  ‘What does he mean?’ Asked Brian.

  ‘We’re dying. Both of us. Insomnia is burning through us, breaking down our minds and our cells.’ Mary explained.

  ‘I did not know that. Handy. Can’t you just sleep?’ Brian crossed his arms.

  ‘Can we focus here?’ Bishop spoke up.

  ‘Oh, yeah sure, shoot him.’ Brian pointed.

  ‘What?’ Ben was shocked.

  ‘I’ve told you, kill him, he says, he’s dying. These TV guys are probably getting bored up there.’

  Silence fell, it was an unsteady silence. Just starting to walk.

  Bishop closed his eyes, black filled his mind. Little white sticks danced through his vision, or lack off.

  When you close your eyes, all your other senses are heightened. That’s what people tell you at least, and people commonly believe it. Cameron was one of those people, the people who believed that now his eyes were shut he could smell the dew which lay on the grass. Feel the breeze which fluttered through his facial hair and brushed gently past his cheek, it felt amazing. He wanted to remove his shoes, feel the grass and the dirt under his heel.

  The one thing which filled him with fear, more fear than he’d ever understand, was the silence. There was too much silence. Bishop hated the silence. It filled him up, thick and uneasy like treacle.

  ‘I will not and will never lose my son.’ He spat under his voice.

  ‘And Brian if you want my money, you can take it, money doesn’t make you happy. People do. It sounds like the bullshit your parents tell you, be honestly, I’ve never been happier as I was meeting my son. That had nothing to do with how much money I have or had or will ever have. It just about being with somebody you can see pieces of yourself in, knowing that even if I die now, some of me still goes on after on. Money makes monsters, it doesn’t make people happy.’

  There was an explosion, the type that would take your head off. It didn’t though, it didn’t take anybody’s head off.

  Cameron Bishop opened his eyes. Squinting, the sun blinded him. On the floor still lay Steph, she didn’t seem as wounded. She radiated a little, a glow which she’d never emitted before, it was a
new sensation which made her skin tingle.

  Bishop looked over to his left. Where Brian once stood nothing but air filled that space. There was a muted silence, the only thing barely audible was a metallic shake. It stopped, followed by the clanging of a gun hit the floor, Steph’s are still out stretched, she’d shot him, Ben had moved, and Brian fell.

  ‘I had to.’ Steph mumbled, she scurried back a little, Brian’s hand had rested on her trainer, it flopped down back on the ground, red splashes circled his wrist.

  Chapter 21

  There was a huge thing, the police were involved, Bishop and Mary sat in a small room where a light flickered on and off. They felt like school kids who’d been fighting. Waiting to be picked up by their parent. Cameron sniffed up, his nose filled with spit.

  ‘I can’t believe she shot him.’ Cameron stared into a blank spot in space.

  ‘She shot him for Ben, not for you.’ Mary explained, sometimes the truth hurt, not this hurt and didn’t at the same time.

  They sat waiting still, there was no clock in the room, so time became this never-ending gap. Mary felt they’d been there for an hour, maybe a little more. If you’d asked Cameron how long he’d been there he’d answer “about three weeks.”

  Bishop got up to walk up and down, but he’d done this till his legs hurt already.

  Giving up, he fell back into his chair. He filled his lungs.

  The door opened. A tall man with a chubby face opened it. He was police man shaped, tall, with a barrel of a body and two little pin legs hanging below.

  ‘You’re free to go, a Dr. Hassan will be here to pick you up. I’d like to say he was on your next of kin, but according to all the files I’ve read on you two, your next of kin had been called years ago,’

  ‘I wouldn’t go looking in to it PC?’ There was breathy pause.

  ‘Pc Tolchard.’ The cop answered, a red T draw on his face where his brow met his nose.

  ‘Change your surname, you don’t suit it.’ Bishop brushed past the boy in blue. On a small bench two kids sat, they looked like kids, more than Cameron and Mary looked like kids at least. They kicked their legs under the chair. Ben and Steph sat, nothing more, just sat. They looked ragged, they probably were.

  Steph noticed the pair leaving the room first. Her face filled with colour and her legs filled with power and she was up like a shot. Then with no warning there was hugging. Bishop and Mary stood still as Steph’s short arms held the two together.

  ‘Hey you.’ Bishop whispered into her ear.

  ‘We’re okay.’ He finished, in this time Ben had trundled his way over to the group, he stood silently in the background.

  ‘Dr. Hassan is here for you.’ Said Ben, moving slightly to the left so Hassan was visible.

  ‘Mikey!’ Cameron called over to the doctor, it felt weird to Bishop calling the doc anything else.

  ‘So, this, is it?’ Steph held the two closer. Hiding her tears with Cameron’s shoulder.

  ‘I guess so.’ Mary answered. She sniffed.

  ‘You can come see us. I think, I don’t know, ask Mikey.’ Bishop suggested.

  ‘Yeah, we will.’ Ben spoke up finally. Steph fell back down to the ground. Giving space for Ben and Cameron to hug, or say good bye or something.

  Ben’s Adams apple bounced trying to swallow his fear.

  ‘Goodbye Benji.’ Cameron tapped him on the shoulder.

  ‘I hate that name.’ replied Ben, he hardly spoke, if he began speaking, he might not stop.

  ‘Right, lets, em.’ Bishop stumbled, he thrust a hand out to shake. Ben through his arms around him in a huge embrace.

  ‘My hands went in your shirt.’ Bishop whispered.

  ‘Don’t mention it.’

  Mikey wondered over in due time, the hugging stopped.

  ‘I pulled some strings.’ Mikey said as if he’d sorted the whole mess out.

  ‘They found eighteen illegal guns in the back of Brian’s car.’ Steph had been flirting with one of the softer police officers.

  ‘That probably helped.’ Replied Hassan.

  There was waving as Mary and Cameron left with Mikey. Lots of waving from Ben and Steph, the silent waving of sad children.

  ‘We’re going to try and reverse freeze you.’ Mikey explained to Bishop who had found himself back in a vase, this one made of glass and metal.

  ‘It’s hibernation.’ Bishop corrected.

  ‘That it is.’ The doctor smirked and closed the door.

  A thank you note.

  What can I say other than thank you! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it, I have other books you can read if you’d like. You can buy them over at karlbourdiec.co.uk (don’t worry about pronouncing it) there’s also a journal there, you can check up on how I’m doing on the next book or just in life. While there sign up to my mailing list. Any thoughts you can email me at Author@karlbourdiec.co.uk

  Thank you again Karl Bourdiec.

  About the author

  Karl Bourdiec was born and continues to live in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, a small ex mining town he continues to state ‘thinks it’s a city.’ Where he was raised by his father, a general entertainer and his mother a nurse. He recently was publicised due to his over indulgence with coffee and food that comes on small plates. Before writing Karl was considered a film-maker, which he quickly stopped due to having ideas to large to fit onto 35mm film. He now mainly writes and does little else.

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