CXVI The Beginning of the End (Book 1): A Gripping Murder Mystery and Suspense Thriller (CXVI BOOK 1) Read Free Page B

his assailant, trying to fix a description in his memory. About
six-foot medium muscular build. Blonde neatly trimmed hair, blue eyes, tanned,
well-spoken, possible ex-public school. Black lycra cycling shorts, a bright
orange high visibility cycling top, black cycling gloves, and black training
shoes. Hussain wondered if he knew the man. I don’t think I’ve ever seen
him before, he concluded. What does he want? And who is he? “Woo rrr
woo?” he muttered.
    The man ignored the question and sat silently
watching him.
    Oh fuck, he’s going to burn the
car, with me in it, Hussain thought, noticing a petrol can on the back seat. He started jumping
around, frantically trying to free his hands and feet.
    “Sit still and be calm,” the man demanded. “There’s no
use wasting your energy, you’ll need it later, it won’t be long now.”
    Realising the futility, Hussain acquiesced.
    What’s he going to do? he thought, as his imagination
went into overdrive. Is he going to kill me? Why? What have I done wrong?
Has he mistaken me for someone else? Who? Is this about money? Is he going to
hold me to ransom? Why’s he chosen me? Work, work, he must think I handle money
at work, or that I can get my hand on some. How the hell did I end up in this
mess? Oh my God please help me… Hussain glanced out of the passenger window
and looked around. Oh thank you, he thought, as through the gloom he saw
a four-by-four parked at the far end of the car park. It must be a dog
walker, they can’t be far away, and they’ll be back soon. Somehow I’ll attract
their attention.
     
     
    Hussain had been praying; all to
no avail, and by now the car park was in complete darkness, the only
distraction the lights of the vehicles travelling along the motorway. Then, he
heard a noise and spun to face his captor. In the darkness he managed to see
the man glancing at his watch, and, stretching forward, pick up a mobile phone
from the car’s instrument panel. The man switched the phone on and started
keying in a message.
    What’s he up to? Watching closely Hussain
realised the man was using a Blackberry. That’s mine… What’s he doing? “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” he mumbled, nodding his head towards the device.
    The man ignored him and continued clicking away. When
he had finished he held the device up to Hussain’s face so he could read the e-mail
he had just composed.
    Hi
Jules, I’m so sorry, but I can’t carry on with the deceit. I feel I’m ruining
everyone’s life. I’ll always love you, but I have to go. This is the only way
out for me now. Goodbye.  Abdul (MCXVI).
    Hussain read it twice, his eyes widening as he felt
the numbness setting in. This is about Julie. That’s why he’s brought me
here. Oh for fuck’s sake, I thought no-one knew about us. Has her husband found
out? Is this him, or has he paid someone to kill me?
    As the Blackberry was moved away, it suddenly
started ringing and Hussain spotted ‘Home’ on the screen. In a futile attempt
to get through to the unanswered caller he cried out a muffled scream.
    The man smiled and pressed the reject call button;
he checked his watch, waited a few more minutes, and checked it again; he pressed
the send button, dispatching the e-mail, and then turned the device off and
zipped it back in Hussain’s bomber jacket pocket.
    “Wrrr?” Hussain yelled.
    The man ignored the question and looked out of the
windscreen across towards the B6114 and the impressive Scammonden Bridge.
    The pair sat in silence for another half hour and by
now Hussain accepted the grim reality that something terrible was going to
happen; he started praying again, asking for forgiveness. No-one as yet had
returned to the four-by-four and the crushing realisation that it might actually
belong to the man sitting next to him hit home.
    “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” he mumbled, looking out towards the
vehicle.
    The man smiled cynically.
    Hussain slumped down in the seat. “Yet mm grw, uu
fkn bstd,” he called out.
    “It