Thorne: Far Horizons -2

by Atonia

part 1

He was neither asleep or awake but somewhere in between, he could not focus his eyes on anything or put together a thought, water squirted into his mouth and he drank thirstily. It would come now he waited for it, wanted it, the burning up his arm was sweet the rush took him and his eyes rolled back he just wanted to run, had to run he could run forever…and ever into the white…the white.

“The official position is,” Wyatt explained, “until we have contact we can do nothing. We don’t know for sure who has him.”

“Bollocks.”

“I quite agree Max and some progress has been made, I have a list of boats spotted on the Thames in this area between five thirty and six yesterday. None of them would raise an eyebrow. There are tapes we have watched along with the Thames Police this morning.”

“I want to see the tapes Wyatt,” Dino spoke up. “Jack and I walked under the bridge this morning, there’s an old wooden wharf under there, perfect place for a boat to stop for a passenger.”

“All right, I’ll go down to the station with you. Also tenants of this building have been questioned and of course no one saw anything suspicious, no one was around between 5:30 and 6:00, disgusting really. All up and down Waterman’s Walk has been searched all the way to London Bridge. There is nothing to be found. The shop owner says he left there right after making his purchases and he saw him cross the street that’s as far as he got he had another customer. We talked to the pub owner, gallery owner and a souvenir shop owner those were the only shops open during that time came up with nothing.”

Dino stood up and put his jacket on, “I want to see the tapes, you coming Jack?”

“Oh, well yes of course.” He looked down at his clothes, Terry’s running clothes fitting tightly around him, and straightened up, no time to be worried about appearances. “Max you will stay?”

“Yes, I don’t think Toni should be alone.”

“Good man, let us be away.”

Toni had been silent during the discussion and she wearily got up and walked over to the window, she could see the bridge they were talking about just to the right of their building, maybe a half a block away. If she’d only been awake.

“See how wide it is,” Max spoke beside her, “a boat could be under there for some time and would not be spotted from the street because of the wall around that area blocking the site.”

“Where does it go, Max all the way to the ocean?”

“Yes, it winds and twists and turns and finally spills out at Southend.”

“Oh, why would anybody want to do this to Terry, he’s harmed no one”

“The rebels might not agree with you but I don’t think they are behind this.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know, love but I think Dino and Jack are on the right track. Finding Terry is the most important thing now, finding the culprit will come later.”

Jack was totally out of his element, he understood about cameras but he’d never seen anything like this. They watched an hour’s worth of tapes taken from the bridges. “Wait…oh it’s gone.”

“What, Jack?” Dino asked.

“That boat there with the blue stripe down the side, he has veered off leeward as he comes back into view.”

Dino had them back up and roll it again. “I see he comes in under the bridge on this side and comes out on the other, what an odd thing to do, as though he went straight across the river.”

“Impossible to tell how long he stopped if he did, he cracked on to the other side you can tell there, look at the wake, he’s slowed.” Jack continued to watch the boats progress until the tape ran out.

“What do you have on this boat?” he asked Wyatt who’d been watching closely.

“It’s a water taxi, privately owned. He may have been in a hurry to get out of the way of the barge that passes.”

“Well then he could have stayed put.” Jack replied.

“He could have dropped somebody off on the other side too.”

“He would have had to be quick about it, hardly time to jump ashore.”

“I say we find this boat and see what the taxi driver has to say.” Dino stood up convinced there was nothing else to be gained from watching it over and over.

“You can’t do this as an SI employee, Dino.”

“I’m fuckin’ doing this on my own, Wyatt; and Wyatt pay close attention at the office today, who’s there who isn’t how interested who is you know what I’m talking about.”

“You think it’s come from inside.”

“A hunch, Wyatt you remember hunches don’t you, before you mentally retired from this business?”

Wyatt picked up his jacket, “Retirement is a myth, Dino, I retired a long time ago and have worked more since then than you have. I thought you had a broken jaw?”

“Magic fairy dust; does it every time.”    

“I was going to ask you,” he said quietly, “about the other brother, he’s well, he’s different ain’t he?”

“Who Jack? You have no idea just how different, but he’s one you want on your side, it was his ship’s doctor that found us in Brazil.”

“Oooh, right, he was a bit different too as I recall.”

Jack had waited patiently in the hall for Dino, “Do ye think I might find a pair of trousers?”

“Your brother’s missing and you want to go shopping?”

Jack pulled the knit pullover as far down his front as he could, “It’s not a question of wanting to Dino but if I have to be out on the streets in this day I cannot go around in these tight knitted pants. I’m getting a few strange looks.”

Dino laughed.

Max had cooked Toni a boiled egg and some toast and with another cup of tea she was feeling better. “My body still is on EST but at least I’m feeling human again, thank you, Max. I had no idea you were so handy.”

“Well I’m no chef but I won’t starve with a stocked pantry. We may have to make a food run today unless you want to eat out?”

“I honestly don’t want to go anywhere. I guess it’s crazy but I keep hoping he’ll turn up at the door.”

“I can understand that, Toni.”

Dino knocked on the door and they came in, Jack with shopping bags. “Had to take him shopping, worse than a woman.”

“I beg your pardon,” Toni said, “what have you bought, Jack?”

“Trousers that fit, small clothes and a shirt.”

“He was tired of the pinches on his bum from all the blokes at the station.”

Toni smiled, knowing exactly what Jack’s problem was. She was so glad they were here; she would have been lost, completely lost, without them to relieve the worry. “What did you find out, Dino?”

“It’s down to a water taxi, and Jack and I are going to find it and take a ride.”

Jack took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue shirt, Terry’s shoes would do. He tied his hair back and came out of the bathroom still uncomfortable in the jeans but there was nothing for it. He would blend in now and that’s what he wanted to do.

Max was on the phone strolling around in the kitchen, “It’s up to you, I know it’s a long haul for you.”

John was on the line with him, “That doesn’t matter I’m coming anyway, I’m at the airport now, so I’ll see ya when I see ya.”

“John’s coming,” he told Toni

She nodded, “I thought he would.”

“We’re going to do whatever it takes, Toni, I want you to know that,” Jack told her.

“Thanks, Jack I know you will.”

He stood up, “Are we away?”

“I’m ready.” Dino picked up his jacket and followed Jack out of the door.

“When is John coming?” Toni asked after they left.

“He was at the airport trying to get a flight, poor guy; I told him it wasn’t necessary but you know John.”

“Yes, he told me in Virginia he didn’t feel a part of it anymore because he left at the beginning of his season. Did I tell you what Jack said about the elements, about water blocking fire and that’s why Terry couldn’t remember me?”

“No, you didn’t. Strange isn’t it,” he sat down on the sofa next to her, “the power of the elements, Terry scorched John you know, I think I only fanned the flames,” he smiled slightly.

“But you as air could also put out a flame; you didn’t you never have.”

“No, because you loved him, and I love you too much to blow out that candle. Now Jack on the other hand will do what he wants.”

“I’m not so sure about that, when he realized what was happening at the House after you left he made quick work of our wedding and was off.”

“Wedding?”

“Oh you don’t know; well let me tell you…”

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