been just a place to eat and sleep recently. On a clear day y ou can see as far as the Mendip Hills .”
“Do you remember hiking and camping down there?”
“Yes, they were great days, when it didn't pour with rain and water got in to absolutely everything! ”
“Don't seem to have time to do that kind of thing these days,” I sighed.
After a few moments silence we moved on to talk around some of the recent events, trying to make sense of them, until Lisa came out and joined us.
“Let's have no more business tonight, dinner will be about half an hour, so lets have another drink,” she said looking at Alec, who obediently got up and went off to refresh all of our glasses. “So Martin how is the social life at the moment? I know you have all been very busy, but you must have some time off . Whatever happened to that girl who came with you to dinner last time, she was very nice, Jackie wasn't it?”
“Jasmine,” I said. “ She’ s OK, I think. I had an email from Egypt a few weeks ago. You will remember she is an archaeologist, and is out there on a dig at the moment. No idea when she will be back. Apparently they have used US spy satellite technology to identify vast areas of hidden ruins that have been swallowed up by the desert. A combination of high-resolution satellite photography and infrared scanning can detect the ancient mud bricks under the sand. She could be out there for the duration as far as I know.”
“Don't be so blasé,” said Lisa, “don't you get lonely?”
“Too busy,” I replied, anxious to change the subject. Fortunately Alec returned to say that there seemed to be things going on in the kitchen and with an exclamation she was gone.
It was a pleasant evening, but feeling very tired and still sore I made my excuses and left early. Alec came down with me to the parking garage to let me out of the secure gate. “Thanks for dinner, see you in the morning,” I said out of the window before driving the car up the ramp.
Turning right as I came out of the garage I saw a set of headlights come on to my left. The streets were quiet and driving along I thought back over the evening. ‘ I wo nder what Jasmine is doing now ? P robably sitting round a camp fire exchanging n otes on the days dig I expect,’ then , remembering the t ime difference revised that to ‘ sleeping out in a tent under the desert sky.’
A set of traffic lights brought me to a halt, and a car pulled up behind me. I pulled away and the car followed. I turned on to the motorway and looking behind could see no further sign of the car. I scolded myself; my imagination was running away with me. In a few miles I turned off and was quickly in to the West Country lanes that lead to my house, an old converted barn that I had spent some time lovingly converting to my specifications. It would be good to get home.
As I turned in to the narrow lane a mile from the house there was suddenly a set of car headlights behind me. “Stop being paranoid,” I said to my self, bu t my heartbeat was faster never the less ; it was unusual to get traffic on this road this late. I turned a bend in the road and another set of headlights was coming towards me. It was a single-track road and I slowed, but the nearest passing place behind me was a good half-mile back so it would have to be the car in front that would have to reverse. But he did not stop, he came right up to the front with his headlights on full, so I could see nothing. I opened the door and got partially out of the car so I could gesture to the driver to back up. As I did so a car door slammed behind me. A chill went up my spine and I jumped back in to the car and locked the door. There was a few seconds of silence and then a smash as the rear window behind me was broken. The doors were u nlocked and a big burly gorilla- like figure opened the driver’s door, grabbed my coat, and dragged me out of the car on to the grass verge. I stumbled to my feet and by this time
“Do you remember hiking and camping down there?”
“Yes, they were great days, when it didn't pour with rain and water got in to absolutely everything! ”
“Don't seem to have time to do that kind of thing these days,” I sighed.
After a few moments silence we moved on to talk around some of the recent events, trying to make sense of them, until Lisa came out and joined us.
“Let's have no more business tonight, dinner will be about half an hour, so lets have another drink,” she said looking at Alec, who obediently got up and went off to refresh all of our glasses. “So Martin how is the social life at the moment? I know you have all been very busy, but you must have some time off . Whatever happened to that girl who came with you to dinner last time, she was very nice, Jackie wasn't it?”
“Jasmine,” I said. “ She’ s OK, I think. I had an email from Egypt a few weeks ago. You will remember she is an archaeologist, and is out there on a dig at the moment. No idea when she will be back. Apparently they have used US spy satellite technology to identify vast areas of hidden ruins that have been swallowed up by the desert. A combination of high-resolution satellite photography and infrared scanning can detect the ancient mud bricks under the sand. She could be out there for the duration as far as I know.”
“Don't be so blasé,” said Lisa, “don't you get lonely?”
“Too busy,” I replied, anxious to change the subject. Fortunately Alec returned to say that there seemed to be things going on in the kitchen and with an exclamation she was gone.
It was a pleasant evening, but feeling very tired and still sore I made my excuses and left early. Alec came down with me to the parking garage to let me out of the secure gate. “Thanks for dinner, see you in the morning,” I said out of the window before driving the car up the ramp.
Turning right as I came out of the garage I saw a set of headlights come on to my left. The streets were quiet and driving along I thought back over the evening. ‘ I wo nder what Jasmine is doing now ? P robably sitting round a camp fire exchanging n otes on the days dig I expect,’ then , remembering the t ime difference revised that to ‘ sleeping out in a tent under the desert sky.’
A set of traffic lights brought me to a halt, and a car pulled up behind me. I pulled away and the car followed. I turned on to the motorway and looking behind could see no further sign of the car. I scolded myself; my imagination was running away with me. In a few miles I turned off and was quickly in to the West Country lanes that lead to my house, an old converted barn that I had spent some time lovingly converting to my specifications. It would be good to get home.
As I turned in to the narrow lane a mile from the house there was suddenly a set of car headlights behind me. “Stop being paranoid,” I said to my self, bu t my heartbeat was faster never the less ; it was unusual to get traffic on this road this late. I turned a bend in the road and another set of headlights was coming towards me. It was a single-track road and I slowed, but the nearest passing place behind me was a good half-mile back so it would have to be the car in front that would have to reverse. But he did not stop, he came right up to the front with his headlights on full, so I could see nothing. I opened the door and got partially out of the car so I could gesture to the driver to back up. As I did so a car door slammed behind me. A chill went up my spine and I jumped back in to the car and locked the door. There was a few seconds of silence and then a smash as the rear window behind me was broken. The doors were u nlocked and a big burly gorilla- like figure opened the driver’s door, grabbed my coat, and dragged me out of the car on to the grass verge. I stumbled to my feet and by this time
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