Amanda looked sternly ahead as they drove, they were just reaching the outskirts of London.
"You're very quiet. . ." Adam looked.
"I'm thinking." She didn't take her eyes off the road.
"Penny for them?"
"I don't know. Are we doing the right thing? I mean facing them like this, what are they going to do? What is going to stop them just grabbing me and you and that would be it. . ." Amanda was silent, she indicated and moved into the inside lane.
"This is a wine bar in the middle of London. I don't think they can just bump us off without anyone noticing."
"Thanks Adam but you haven't convinced me."
"I haven't even convinced myself. Here we are with no one knowing where we are just attacking the cobra in its den. I just hope we can catch them unawares. Perhaps if you can reason with them, maybe we can save Kate." Adam stopped. "Look we have to do something, even if I get killed. I couldn't just let myself sit back while they. . .-"
"You really love her don't you?" Amanda looked briefly across towards Adam.
"Above everything else. . .. She's not going to die is she?"
Amanda remained silent.
The yard was quiet. Caroline sat in the tack room polishing a saddle. The door opened and Karen walked in.
"Hello Caroline." Karen smiled.
"Oh it's you. . ." Caroline shook her head and went back to work.
"What sort of welcome is that for a friend?"
"Friend! Friend? Where? I only see someone who got me deliberately drunk just to get me into trouble. If it hadn't been for you Kate would still be here!"
"What the hell do you mean?"
"Adam and Kate wouldn't have gone out together, they wouldn't have argued."
"What are you talking about?" Karen sat on the floor in front of Caroline.
"It's what the police said, that Adam and Kate argued, that she hit him. They think she must have thought that she had killed him, so ran off. . .. They were so happy together. The only thing they could have argued about was what you did to Amanda."
"And did you tell the police that?" Karen snarled.
"I. . ."
"You did, didn't you?" Karen stood up sharply. "You had better be very careful Caroline. You know what happened to the person who cried wolf. . ." Karen raised her voice.
"What are you telling me?" Caroline shuddered.
"I wouldn't help the police with their enquiries, because people have a strange way of disappearing from this yard. Now we don't want that to happen to you, do we." Karen spoke softly, close to Caroline's face.
"No. . ."
"Good. . . What did the police say. . ."
"They said that there was very little they could do. Unless they found Kate." Caroline whimpered. "I didn't want to get you into trouble. . . Honest."
"I know. . . I'm just a little on edge, what with Adam being attacked and all that. . . I'm sorry I shouted at you." Karen smiled warmly and left the room, leaving Caroline on the verge of tears."
"We're almost there. . ." Amanda parked the car beside a parking meter in a side street and switched off the engine. "We can walk to the wine bar from here."
They got out of the car and walked along the busy street, completely ignored by the crowds who pushed past them. Within a few minutes they arrived. The front of the bar had been blacked out, except for a neon sign whose cold blue neon letters flickered 'The Blue Moon' in a scrolling script.
The interior was dark, small lamps on each table formed glowing circles of light. There were very few people around, the lunch time rush had come and passed and now the mid afternoon was running slowly. Amanda stepped towards the bar. The bartender opened a hatch in the bar and walked towards them.
"Look I'm going to have to ask you to leave, this is a high class establishment."
"I need to speak with James."
"He certainly will not speak with you. Now can you leave!" The bar tender reached under the bar and pushed a button. A door at the back of the room opened and two large men in dinner jackets and black bow ties appeared, they walked slowly towards Amanda and Adam.
"He will talk to me. . . Just tell him its Amanda." At that moment she one of the large men forcibly picked her up. "Put me down! Adam do something." Amanda looked towards Adam who was being held by the other man. They were dragged towards the front door. Just as they reached the door, it opened. "James?"
"Do I know you?" The man looked towards Amanda. "You! Put her down!" The bouncer dropped Amanda like a hot potato. "Are you all right? I'm so sorry about this. Please come with me. . . I think we should talk."
Adam and Amanda were escorted to a small office at the back of the wine bar.
"You can wait outside." James nodded to the two bouncers. He stepped back into the office and sat down behind his desk. "What are you doing here? I had heard that you had been kidnapped."
"No. . ." Amanda paused. "One of my staff has been kidnapped. I think the kidnappers must have thought they had me." She stopped. "I thought it might have been you." Amanda laughed nervously.
"What! Please Amanda I am a gentleman." James smiled and took her hand.
"But the money?" Amanda paused. "You know the bank account. . ."
"That was a mistake. . . An error, the funds were processed to the wrong account. I hoped that you would be able to just look after it for a short while. While I was unavailable." James smiled. "We saw that you had closed the account, my people were worried that you had left us. I knew that you would come back though. . . Where are you now?"
"I am running a. . .-"
"Nowhere in particular." Adam cut in. Amanda stared at him. "No we're all over the place, never in the same place twice. Isn't that right!"
"Is he your bodyguard?" James laughed.
"You haven't met my brother. Adam this is James. James this is my brother Adam." They stared at each other, but did not shake hands.
"I see that your dress sense hasn't changed much. . ." James smiled. Amanda looked down at her jodhpurs and boots. "You didn't take any of the clothes I bought for you."
"I couldn't take those.."
"Amanda they are no use to me.. You can come and collect them, perhaps you would like to join me for some lunch. I own a wonderful little place just down the road."
"Well James. I really would. . ."
"We haven't got the time." Adam stepped towards the desk.
"We're not in any hurry." Amanda stared at Adam.
"I think you will find that we are. . ." Adam scowled.
"That is a shame. . . You see we have so much to talk about." James stood up and picked a book off the shelf above his desk. "You see, our people made an unfortunate mistake in transferring a large amount of money to your bank account. Now I am a very patient person, so when you disappeared and took the money with you I was willing to wait for you. But some of my people have not got the patience that I have, they are beginning to ask questions about that money. You see it was to be used to pay a debt. A debt to some rather unpleasant people, it’s an unfortunate business. But of course if you just pay back the money, the debt can be recovered and everything can be sorted out in a business like way."
"James. . .. I have a little problem. . ."
"Please Amanda, I know you are going to tell me that you have the money for me. You are just going to hand it to me and I will let you leave this room. . . Please don't disappoint me, because I don't want to have to pass you to my associates"
"Please let me tell you. I did have the money. . . But.-"
"But?. . . Let me make this simple for you. I will just ask you, do you have my money?"
"James. . .-" Amanda frowned.
"Let me ask you again. . . Do you have my money?" James sat down.
"No. . ." Amanda turned away.
"Oh dear!" James frowned.
"I can get your money. . ." Amanda stood up.
"I'm sorry Amanda. . . I would like to help you, but my associates are very persistent." One of the bouncers burst through the office door.
"It's the police!"
"You two stay here, I haven't finished with you yet!" He ran outside the door.
"Come on!" Adam grabbed Amanda and ran out of the office.
"Are you trying to go somewhere?" The bouncer slammed his hand into Adam's shoulder knocking him back against the desk. Adam grabbed a paperweight and ran towards the bouncer. He bowled the paper weight towards him, catching the man on the side of the head. The bouncer collapsed to the floor, dazed.
"Let's get out of here!" Adam put his shoulder against the fire door at the end of the corridor and smashed it open. He jumped onto a dustbin and swung his leg over the wall. Grabbing Amanda's arm he dragged her to the top of the wall before they both tumbled onto the pavement on the other side. They both ran down the street as fast as they could.
Amanda lent against the car with her hands on her knees breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" Amanda puffed. "You're bleeding."
"I'm fine. Let’s get out of here!" Adam pulled the door open and leapt inside. Amanda pulled sharply away, she sped off down the street, attracting a cascade of car horns. Adam handed her a tissue. "It's okay, wipe your eyes. I think we just won the chance to live for another day."
"Simpson here. . . She wasn’t lying, the girl you have isn’t the right one. I know what I said, but I've just had them both here today. . . Yes Miss Bishop and her brother. . . Yes, in London.” He paused. “No, they got away. Look shut it! I just want this sorted." He clattered the phone down.
It was dark when Adam and Amanda pulled up at the yard. "Are you sure you would like to stay here tonight?"
"It's okay. . ." Adam stepped out of the car.
"You can stay in the cottage tonight if you would like. . .."
"Go on I'll see you tomorrow. We can discuss things then." Adam closed the door.
Amanda drove away. She was nervous about going home alone. She sighed as she pulled up outside the cottage. Opening the door she was sure that she was not alone. There was a sound from the living room. Amanda froze.
"Who's there?"
Adam tried to go upstairs as quietly as he could. Caroline was sleeping gently on the sofa, he crept past her and into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he took out a bottle of milk. He popped the lid and started to drink the cold liquid. Looking out of the window there were only the grey silhouettes highlighted by the full moon that shone above. There was a gentle movement from the living room. He watched as Caroline yawned and stretched.
"How's it all going?" Adam spoke softly. Caroline jumped and turned round.
"Adam?" Caroline stood up and looked into the shadows. Adam stepped forward. "Oh it is you. . . You gave me a fright!" Caroline paused. "I thought that you would be still in hospital."
"I discharged myself this morning. . . I spent the day with Amanda."
"Oh thank goodness. When she didn't come back this morning. . . Well we thought. . ."
"I am sorry, we should have told you what we were doing, but we didn't want to worry you." Adam sat on the sofa next to Caroline. "How is everyone here?"
"No one really knows what's going on. We're all worried about what's happened." Caroline turned towards Adam. "Kate didn't just run away did she?"
"I don't think she did. . .."
"Will she come back?" Adam stood up and walked back to the kitchen, he stood silhouetted in the light of the fridge. He put the half empty milk bottle back inside and closed the door.
"Come on we both need some sleep. . ." Adam paused. "I'll see you in the morning. . . Things might be better then."
Amanda picked up an umbrella she kept in the hallway and edged towards the living room.
"I'm not alone! There are five of us out here. . ." Amanda tried not to show fear as she slowly opened the door. There was a loud crash from the other side. Amanda leapt into the room and was brought down. She fell heavily, knocking her head on the fire-place.
~~~