Read Online A New Dawn Rising by Michael Joseph - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael Joseph
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girls stopped and gazed over at Sam. They looked confused. Molly ushered them inside the house with some urgency.
'Do you want me to take you?' asked Sam.
'No,' replied Carl sternly. 'I'm getting the train, but I do need you back here at seven. I need you to take me over to the factory to pick up some paperwork. Okay?'
Sam nodded but he was taken aback. This wasn't the easy-going, friendly Carl he had come to know. He wondered yet again what had been said during that phone call yesterday. Whatever it was, it had changed Carl overnight, leaving him tetchy and nervous.
'Carl, is everything okay?'
They both turned in response to the noise of a vehicle coming down the driveway. A taxi cab appeared.
'Right, there's my lift to the station,' said Carl. 'I'll see you back here at seven.'
Sam watched him dive into the back of the taxi and issue instructions to the driver, who nodded and turned the car around briskly. The taxi then sped off, its tyres screeching on the gravel. Molly had stayed on the steps to see her husband off.
Sam went over to her.
'Hello, Molly.'
She turned to him. Concern was etched on her face. She looked distracted.
'Sam, I've got to go in and see to the girls.'
She went inside, gently closing the front door behind her.
Sam wasn't sure what to make of it. Molly appeared as pre-occupied as her husband. Had Carl confided in her about the phone call?
Chapter 16
With hours to pass until he was needed again, Sam left Carl's property and headed towards town. Within seconds, a silver Audi appeared in his rear-view mirror. Sam watched it close up right behind him. He counted four men in the car. Were they interested in him? Sam laughed at himself. He was getting paranoid.
Despite having a lengthy stretch of straight road ahead of him, Sam cruised along, keeping to the speed limit. He was in no rush. The Audi was right up his backside now. With nothing coming the other way, Sam waited for it to overtake him. It didn't, though. It stayed right on his bumper.
The hedgerow flanking the side of the road disappeared and gave way to a ditch. With a rev of its powerful engine, the Audi suddenly accelerated and drew up alongside Sam. The passenger gestured to him, making it clear he wanted the Capri to pull over. Giving the man a baffled look, Sam eased off the gas and slowed his car down. He steered it as far over to the near side as he could, until his wheels were almost hanging over the precipice of the ditch. As he brought it to a standstill, the Audi pulled over in front of him. Three of its occupants got out, leaving the driver in the car. Sam watched them approach. None of them were as big as the two he had encountered at Carl's house, but they were still nasty looking individuals. In particular, the scrawny character walking around to Sam's side looked an evil piece of work. He had a tattoo on his neck and an impressive scar above his left eye. Sam noticed him slip his hand into his trouser pocket while the other two men made their way round to the Capri's passenger side. Now he had got a good look at them, Sam decided it was time to leave.
With the Capri still in gear, he floored the accelerator. Caught out by the sudden move, the men were forced to dive out the way to avoid being struck. Sam got a fleeting glimpse of them in his mirror, getting back to their feet, charging back to the Audi with a mixture of shock and anger on their faces.
Sam swung his car round the Audi, its surprised driver hurriedly motioning for his mates to get back in the car. Fortunately, he had done exactly as Sam had hoped and parked the Audi right in line with the Capri, over to the very side of the road, allowing Sam enough room to get past. It was a common mistake. That, in itself, told Sam these men were amateurs.
He got the Capri up to speed as quickly as possible. He knew he couldn't outrun the Audi, but he could give himself a decent head start. With another glance in the mirror, he saw the men climb into the Audi and
'Do you want me to take you?' asked Sam.
'No,' replied Carl sternly. 'I'm getting the train, but I do need you back here at seven. I need you to take me over to the factory to pick up some paperwork. Okay?'
Sam nodded but he was taken aback. This wasn't the easy-going, friendly Carl he had come to know. He wondered yet again what had been said during that phone call yesterday. Whatever it was, it had changed Carl overnight, leaving him tetchy and nervous.
'Carl, is everything okay?'
They both turned in response to the noise of a vehicle coming down the driveway. A taxi cab appeared.
'Right, there's my lift to the station,' said Carl. 'I'll see you back here at seven.'
Sam watched him dive into the back of the taxi and issue instructions to the driver, who nodded and turned the car around briskly. The taxi then sped off, its tyres screeching on the gravel. Molly had stayed on the steps to see her husband off.
Sam went over to her.
'Hello, Molly.'
She turned to him. Concern was etched on her face. She looked distracted.
'Sam, I've got to go in and see to the girls.'
She went inside, gently closing the front door behind her.
Sam wasn't sure what to make of it. Molly appeared as pre-occupied as her husband. Had Carl confided in her about the phone call?
Chapter 16
With hours to pass until he was needed again, Sam left Carl's property and headed towards town. Within seconds, a silver Audi appeared in his rear-view mirror. Sam watched it close up right behind him. He counted four men in the car. Were they interested in him? Sam laughed at himself. He was getting paranoid.
Despite having a lengthy stretch of straight road ahead of him, Sam cruised along, keeping to the speed limit. He was in no rush. The Audi was right up his backside now. With nothing coming the other way, Sam waited for it to overtake him. It didn't, though. It stayed right on his bumper.
The hedgerow flanking the side of the road disappeared and gave way to a ditch. With a rev of its powerful engine, the Audi suddenly accelerated and drew up alongside Sam. The passenger gestured to him, making it clear he wanted the Capri to pull over. Giving the man a baffled look, Sam eased off the gas and slowed his car down. He steered it as far over to the near side as he could, until his wheels were almost hanging over the precipice of the ditch. As he brought it to a standstill, the Audi pulled over in front of him. Three of its occupants got out, leaving the driver in the car. Sam watched them approach. None of them were as big as the two he had encountered at Carl's house, but they were still nasty looking individuals. In particular, the scrawny character walking around to Sam's side looked an evil piece of work. He had a tattoo on his neck and an impressive scar above his left eye. Sam noticed him slip his hand into his trouser pocket while the other two men made their way round to the Capri's passenger side. Now he had got a good look at them, Sam decided it was time to leave.
With the Capri still in gear, he floored the accelerator. Caught out by the sudden move, the men were forced to dive out the way to avoid being struck. Sam got a fleeting glimpse of them in his mirror, getting back to their feet, charging back to the Audi with a mixture of shock and anger on their faces.
Sam swung his car round the Audi, its surprised driver hurriedly motioning for his mates to get back in the car. Fortunately, he had done exactly as Sam had hoped and parked the Audi right in line with the Capri, over to the very side of the road, allowing Sam enough room to get past. It was a common mistake. That, in itself, told Sam these men were amateurs.
He got the Capri up to speed as quickly as possible. He knew he couldn't outrun the Audi, but he could give himself a decent head start. With another glance in the mirror, he saw the men climb into the Audi and
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