Read Online The Few (The Abductions of Langley Garret Book 2) by Derek Haines - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Derek Haines
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sat on the terrace under a wide awning, shading half of the table.
'I'd better sit in the shade. Bloody skin cancer,' he said, as he found the chair he preferred and slowly lowered his frail body into it. I decided on the sunny side, opposite him. 'It's easier getting down into these damn chairs than it is to get back up out of them'. I nodded. 'You met Giovanna I presume.'
'Eh yes, your housekeeper.'
'I told her to retire, but she won't.'
'So she's been with you for a long time.'
'Too damn long. I'd hoped to get a younger and better looking one for years, but I've given up now. She'll probably outlast me anyway,' he said, as I noticed Giovanna walking the short distance from the door.
'You're far too old for young women, and very lucky I stay and put up with you,' she said, winking at me.
'Ahhh! You're lucky to have a job at your age!' he guffawed.
'Well, at least I don't need a walking frame yet. So what can I get you?' she asked me, smiling.
'Whatever you're ….,' I started.
'Beer. Cold beer,' he said firmly.
'Um yes, that's fine,' I said.
'Yes, I know. And damn the doctors,' she said, with half a laugh.
'Women! Phhft!' he said, as she walked off, still laughing a little.
'Is it just the two of you here?'
'Most of the time now, but there's still work to be done, so we have visitors.'
'Yes,' I said, and held myself back from asking about who visited.
'You must be all at sea.'
I looked at him and nodded just a little.
'How old are you now. Forty-five or so?'
'Forty-six.'
'Too damn old to finally meet your father, isn't it?'
'If it's true,' I said, finding some resolve and firmness in my tone.
'I don't blame you for being cynical about it. It was my fault, well, and your mother too, for making a mess of your life for so long. No excuses though, it's just the way things happened and once mistakes are made, there's no undoing them.'
'And what if I don't believe you're my father.'
'Doesn't really matter what you believe now, it won't make a shred of difference.'
'To what?'
'Whether you live or die.'
'That sounds familiar,' I said, with probably too much sarcasm.
He waited for some moments. 'Why didn't you call the number you were given when you got back to Switzerland?'
'How do you know about that?'
'Just answer me,' he said, with the first hint of authority and impatience in his voice.
'I wanted an end to everything that had happened and wanted to be me again. It was all just a mistake and whoever took me, finally realised they had the wrong man.'
'It wasn't a mistake and you weren't the wrong man. You're my son, and if it weren't for that fact, you would've rotted to death in Turkey.'
'At least I know where I was now.'
'About all you know. You really are bit pig-headed, like your mother.'
I was about to answer, but saw Giovanna at the door bringing the beer. She waddled over slowly and placed the tray on the table. He sat silently as she poured both glasses, and she seemed to understand intuitively that it wasn't the time to make small talk. She smiled at me before turning to leave. He waited for some time, studying the glass of beer in his hand.
'Good health,' he said, quietly, before taking a sip of his beer. I only lifted my glass to him in response. He nodded, and waited. 'My name is Nelson Garrett.'
'Not Kratos?'
'As much as yours is Soter.'
'So what do I call you?'
'Anything you like, it doesn't matter. It's only who I am and who you are that does.'
'And, who are we?'
'Puppets. Just puppets. Everyone has someone or something that controls them, and we're no different. If you do as you're expected to do, all is well.'
'So I didn't?'
'It wasn't your fault. You had no idea of what was expected of you, where you came from or who you were. Then when it was time for you to find out all of this, well, there were complications.'
'Can I have a guess at this point? Leda?'
'One of the complications, yes.'
'And another guess. You had me taken in the first place by a hazel-eyed bitch
'I'd better sit in the shade. Bloody skin cancer,' he said, as he found the chair he preferred and slowly lowered his frail body into it. I decided on the sunny side, opposite him. 'It's easier getting down into these damn chairs than it is to get back up out of them'. I nodded. 'You met Giovanna I presume.'
'Eh yes, your housekeeper.'
'I told her to retire, but she won't.'
'So she's been with you for a long time.'
'Too damn long. I'd hoped to get a younger and better looking one for years, but I've given up now. She'll probably outlast me anyway,' he said, as I noticed Giovanna walking the short distance from the door.
'You're far too old for young women, and very lucky I stay and put up with you,' she said, winking at me.
'Ahhh! You're lucky to have a job at your age!' he guffawed.
'Well, at least I don't need a walking frame yet. So what can I get you?' she asked me, smiling.
'Whatever you're ….,' I started.
'Beer. Cold beer,' he said firmly.
'Um yes, that's fine,' I said.
'Yes, I know. And damn the doctors,' she said, with half a laugh.
'Women! Phhft!' he said, as she walked off, still laughing a little.
'Is it just the two of you here?'
'Most of the time now, but there's still work to be done, so we have visitors.'
'Yes,' I said, and held myself back from asking about who visited.
'You must be all at sea.'
I looked at him and nodded just a little.
'How old are you now. Forty-five or so?'
'Forty-six.'
'Too damn old to finally meet your father, isn't it?'
'If it's true,' I said, finding some resolve and firmness in my tone.
'I don't blame you for being cynical about it. It was my fault, well, and your mother too, for making a mess of your life for so long. No excuses though, it's just the way things happened and once mistakes are made, there's no undoing them.'
'And what if I don't believe you're my father.'
'Doesn't really matter what you believe now, it won't make a shred of difference.'
'To what?'
'Whether you live or die.'
'That sounds familiar,' I said, with probably too much sarcasm.
He waited for some moments. 'Why didn't you call the number you were given when you got back to Switzerland?'
'How do you know about that?'
'Just answer me,' he said, with the first hint of authority and impatience in his voice.
'I wanted an end to everything that had happened and wanted to be me again. It was all just a mistake and whoever took me, finally realised they had the wrong man.'
'It wasn't a mistake and you weren't the wrong man. You're my son, and if it weren't for that fact, you would've rotted to death in Turkey.'
'At least I know where I was now.'
'About all you know. You really are bit pig-headed, like your mother.'
I was about to answer, but saw Giovanna at the door bringing the beer. She waddled over slowly and placed the tray on the table. He sat silently as she poured both glasses, and she seemed to understand intuitively that it wasn't the time to make small talk. She smiled at me before turning to leave. He waited for some time, studying the glass of beer in his hand.
'Good health,' he said, quietly, before taking a sip of his beer. I only lifted my glass to him in response. He nodded, and waited. 'My name is Nelson Garrett.'
'Not Kratos?'
'As much as yours is Soter.'
'So what do I call you?'
'Anything you like, it doesn't matter. It's only who I am and who you are that does.'
'And, who are we?'
'Puppets. Just puppets. Everyone has someone or something that controls them, and we're no different. If you do as you're expected to do, all is well.'
'So I didn't?'
'It wasn't your fault. You had no idea of what was expected of you, where you came from or who you were. Then when it was time for you to find out all of this, well, there were complications.'
'Can I have a guess at this point? Leda?'
'One of the complications, yes.'
'And another guess. You had me taken in the first place by a hazel-eyed bitch
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