9
The Mystery Man
I got out of the abandoned house as quickly as my arms could push my wheel chair. Out of breath but now out of sight of the abandoned house I pushed myself slower down the hill onto the road. As I started to calm down I heard the roar of a helicopter engine start up back towards where the plane had landed. I began to quicken my pace, fearful that the helicopter had been sent to look out for me. A moment later I heard another engine rev up behind me, it was a stretched black Mini. A blonde haired man stepped out the Mini with mirrored sunglasses. His hair appeared to be bleached rather than natural blonde he was fairly well built and he was dressed in a suit top with a pair of salopette type trousers. Which led me to ask “what have you been up to? “There will be plenty of time later on to ask me later, but we have to be off now!
“Quickly get into my car I will take you to safety” the man demanded.
“Do you really think I am stupid enough to get into a car with a total stranger, especially after what I have just witnessed” I said with sarcasm in my voice.
“Hi, pleased to meet you, my name is Ben, now I am no longer a stranger!” he said.
“You are in danger. I have been keeping these guys actions under heavy surveillance for some time, you were lucky to get away from them alive. We have lost some of our best men trying to spy on them”
Possibly against my best judgement I believed his story and jumped into the car whilst he slung my wheelchair into the mini’s back seat.
“After what I have witnessed of your escape I believe you have the potential to be a good spy. I work for an organisation that could use someone like you. Take my number; ring me as soon as you can.” Ben insisted.
We had almost reached the entrance to C.H.I.S when Ben slowed down and gestured towards the car door. I started to get towards the edge of the car as Ben got my wheel chair out of the back seat for me and before I knew it he was gone. “Just ring me!” I heard from the distance.
Pat my Physio had just stepped outside for a cigarette break. Pat had obviously seen me leaning into Ben’s car window before he drove off.
“Who was that?” she asked, “An old girlfriend?”
“No, I’m not quite sure who it was” I said with a puzzled expression on my face.
I pushed myself through the main doors of C.H.I.S, there didn’t seem to be anybody about, so I quickly went back to my room and waited for the others to return. About half an hour later Mattie popped his head around the door of my room.
“Oh” I said “I was getting worried, I am glad that you got back okay, and how is Patrick’s ankle?”
“I think one of the nurses is looking at it now I don’t think he has done any real damage, as the closer we got to C.H.I.S the more he could weight bear on his left foot”
“That’s good, what a weird night” I said not daring to tell him about my strange meeting with Ben.
“I think we need to do some more research and visits to that house” suggested Mattie.
“Well it can all wait, I am absolutely knackered, I’m going to bed ”I said.
I was desperate to get into bed and quickly wished Mattie a good night’s sleep.
At first I quickly fell into a deep sleep, but something was obviously playing on my mind and I woke up with a start. I tossed and turned, unable to get what Ben had said out of my mind. As all of the other patients were tucked up in bed I sneaked out of my room towards the end of the corridor towards the nursing station. I was sure that I had timed it right, the night staff where receiving their hand over from their shift, there would be no one about for the next thirty minutes. I pushed myself closer to the nurse’s desk and grabbed the telephone. With excitement but with apprehension I punched out the mobile number Ben had given me.
“This is the Orange voice mail service for the S.P.O.P.R, push one if you want to leave a message.” a recorded voice instructed me.
It suddenly dawned on me that C.H.I.S may be able to trace the call if I was on the phone too long so I decided against leaving a message. Who on earth was the S.P.O.P.R? Besides I could feel myself drifting off to sleep, so with heavy eyes I pushed myself back towards my room at the other end of the corridor and was asleep soon after getting back into bed.