Games Lovers Play (24 page)

When Kay heard the news of the pregnancy, she was happy for her ex-husband and sincerely hoped he'd learned his lesson, but deep down she felt doubtful. After so many years of infidelity, she doubted that he could change that much. She just hoped that he'd be as happy as she was. Edward was everything she'd hoped for. He made her happy, and Susan loved him too. Her life was now complete.

Jake Barton's life was far from complete. He hated every minute of his waking hours. The only time life was tolerable was when he was asleep, and that wasn't easy inside a prison. When the lights were out at night, the noise began. The incarcerated men made their feelings felt once they were in the dark. Some yelled and cursed, others groaned in their sleep. Others held arguments and shouted insults through the locked doors. Some nights it was just mayhem. The only way Jake could sleep was with his pillow over his head, which didn't improve his temper, and one day, outside, during the exercise period, he found one of the prisoners on his block who'd often ruined his sleep and attacked him.

The other prisoners surrounded the two men, forming a circle, cheering them on, excited by the fight, yelling encouragement at both men. ‘Kick him! Kill him!' It was the best entertainment they'd had for a long time.

Eventually, the two men were separated by several warders armed with truncheons and marched away to see the governor. Both were bruised and bleeding from their encounter.

Jake was first to face the governor. His lip was bleeding, his eyes were beginning to swell, his prison clothes were torn. But his anger had far from abated. He glared at the man seated at the desk, who was looking at him.

‘You can take that look off your face, Barton,' the governor said. ‘Your temper won't get you anywhere in here! Now perhaps you'll be good enough to explain to me what happened to cause such behaviour on your part, because I'm told you started this fracas.'

‘That bastard keeps me awake every night with his yelling. No matter how many times he's told to shut up he carries on. Well, I'd had enough!'

‘I can understand how difficult this can be, Barton, but I'm afraid it's part of prison life. You just have to suck your teeth and get on with it.'

‘You wouldn't if you were in my place!'

‘But I wouldn't be in your place! You are here, Barton, because you broke the law! Life in prison isn't meant to be a bowl of cherries. You are here to serve time for a crime. It isn't meant to be comfortable. For the next month your exercise will only be for thirty minutes, and it will be on your own.' He nodded to the warder. ‘Take him to the nurse to be cleaned up!'

Inside the prison hospital, the nurse attended to his wounds while a warden who'd taken him there stood by. He flinched as she bathed the cuts on his lip and his eye.

‘Keep still, Mr Barton, don't be a baby!'

He muttered beneath his breath. But as she worked, he gazed around. He was in a side room, and through the open door he saw the ward with several empty beds lined up and beyond – and two that had patients in them.

‘What happened to them?' he asked.

‘One has a broken leg from falling down the stairs, and the other's had an operation for appendicitis.'

Lucky devils, he thought. The ward was clean and spacious, unlike his cell which was claustrophobic. Although the main door was locked and a warden sat on duty, there was a feeling of freedom and peace here, and Jake longed to climb into a comfortable bed. Here he could get a good night's sleep. The thought nagged at him as he was led back to his cell.

His mood didn't improve when at lunchtime he lined up with the other prisoners for his meal and sat down at a table. The man next to him was reading a local paper, and Jake saw an article about Sam Knight. Barton asked to look at it.

Knight had been interviewed and there was a picture of him standing in front of his new premises with a racing car and a well-known driver. Sam had told the reporter he'd retired from the racetrack and was now working on racing cars for other drivers – and that business was brisk.

Barton's heart sank. Without Sam Knight racing against him, Jake was aware that he could have shone, could have more than likely been a winner. He would have been the one holding the trophies, not Knight. But what chance had he now? Yet again Sam Knight was courting success, whilst he was rotting away in prison!

Sam and his boys were working on a car that was to be driven in the next twenty-four-hour race at Le Mans. It was the most important job he'd been given, and he was thrilled. The driver was internationally famous, and Sam knew if the man did well in the race, he'd be made. He had another month to complete the engine he'd built especially for the vehicle.

It was during this time that there was a riot at the prison. Prisoners had taken over a block inside and were holding several warders as hostages, and it was rumoured that a couple of prisoners had escaped. The papers were full of it, as was the radio and television.

RIOTS AT LEWES PRISON. WARDERS HELD AS HOSTAGES. Those were the headlines in the local paper.

Inside the prison it was mayhem. Guns were issued to the prison warders, who donned padded body armour in readiness. The governor was giving his orders, but the prisoners were relentless, threatening to kill the warders if anyone tried to enter the block. They had demands – better food and more time with their families on visiting days were but a few of them.

Fires were started in some of the cells, furniture was broken. Beds were overturned and bedding shredded.

During this time Jake Barton and another prisoner had taken the keys off one of the warders and made their way to another room, where they managed to climb through a shaft which eventually led them on to a roof overlooking the entrance to the prison. It was getting dark, and below them was a large van which had brought in clean linen. The driver and his mate had unloaded the van and were inside the office, where they were told to drive out whilst they could do so safely.

Jake felt this was his only chance, and he jumped on to the top of the van just before the two men walked out and climbed into the vehicle. The other prisoner was too late to do so. He saw Jake lying flat on the roof, hanging on to a bar which ran either side of the roof as the van drove out of the gates to freedom.

In the gathering dusk, Jake clung on to the bars as he lay on the roof of the van, keeping flat so as not to be seen. The vehicle eventually pulled into the yard of the laundry, turned and parked up against a wall. It was quiet as by now the occupants of the main building had finished work for the day. The two men climbed out of the vehicle, locked it and walked out of the main gate. Barton was alone.

He quietly sat up, flexing his fingers, which were stiff, having gripped the rail hard during the journey. Barton looked around. The laundry was in darkness. Other delivery vans were parked alongside his. To the left was a small building, also in darkness. Barton climbed down and stretched. He was free! He was bloody well free!

He walked over to the smaller building and peered through the window. He could just make out several brown overalls hanging up against one wall. He wanted one to cover his prison uniform before he dare walk on to the street. He tried the door but it was locked. He walked to the side and saw a window, which was closed. His eyes narrowed as he collected his thoughts. Then he peered round the building looking at the street for passers-by, but everything was quiet. Removing one shoe, he smashed the window and waited. There wasn't a sound to be heard. He removed the broken glass from the frame and hoisted himself over the sill. Once inside, he took out his lighter, flicked back the top and lit it. Then he found an overall that fitted and put it on.

He rummaged around the place, pocketing various things he thought might be of use and happened upon a piece of equipment that was just what he needed for the plan he had in mind. Then, climbing back out of the window, he walked out of the gate.

Sam and Connie were dining at their favourite restaurant at the Cowherds Inn. Sam was telling her how pleased he was with his work in progress.

‘The engine is so sweet,' he said. ‘She seems to purr when you start her up.'

‘Her?' Connie chuckled. ‘It's a she? The way you talk about her makes me quite jealous!'

He was highly amused. ‘And so you should be! She does whatever I want. She purrs when I switch her on, and when I press my foot on the accelerator she roars into life, which excites me. I love the sound of her voice.'

‘But she can't do the things that I can to excite you, darling. And … you can't cuddle up to her in bed, feel her warm body against yours!'

Laughing, he said, ‘There you do have a point.' He reached across the table and took her hand. ‘Things are going really well now, sweetheart. Business is brisk, our future is now secure. I think it's time for us to make our own plans.'

Her breath caught in her throat. ‘What are you saying, Sam?'

‘I'm saying, will you marry me?'

How long she had waited to hear these words, yet when she did, she was taken aback. ‘Marriage?'

‘Yes, you silly woman. Marriage.' He grinned broadly at her. ‘Unless you just want us to live together … in sin, as your grandmother would put it.'

‘I'd rather not,' she said quickly. ‘You have no idea the comments I get about that. It would be worth getting married just to shut her up.'

‘I was hoping you'd say yes because you loved me and couldn't live without me!' But his mouth twitched at the corners as he spoke.

‘I do want to marry you, Sam Knight, and it
is
because I love you and can't live without you.'

‘That's a yes then?'

‘Most definitely!'

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. ‘That's wonderful. Tomorrow we'll go and buy you a ring, then you can flash that in front of Madge's eyes. Now let's have a glass of champagne to celebrate.'

Later, as they left the restaurant, Sam said, ‘If you don't mind I want to call into the garage. I left some papers there which I need for the morning to take to the bank. Do you mind? It won't take a minute.'

‘No, of course not.'

They climbed into the car and drove away.

When they arrived at their destination, Sam said, ‘You stay there, I won't be long.'

Connie didn't object. She wanted to be alone to digest the fact that she was now officially engaged to the man she adored – and had so nearly lost.

Sam took out his keys to the garage as he walked up to the door. He went to unlock the padlock when he noticed the chain which held the doors together with the lock had been cut. Putting the keys into his pocket, he opened the door slowly and quietly. He was shocked at the scene before him as he crept inside.

Jake Barton was holding a can of petrol and pouring the contents over the racing car that Sam had been working on, unaware that in his frenzy he was splashing the fuel on himself too. Sam realized the danger they were in.

‘What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Barton?'

Jake, shaken by the sudden voice, stopped and turned.

When he saw Sam standing there, he put down the can, took his lighter out of his pocket, flicked the top back and, lighting it, held it high.

‘Don't come any closer, you bastard!' His laugh had the sound of hysteria in it.

‘Don't be a fool!' said Sam, quietly. ‘You'll blow us both to kingdom come.'

‘What do I care, Knight? No way am I going to stay locked up for another two years in that hellhole! You have no idea what it's like. There's no way I'm going back inside, so I've come to settle a score.'

‘I wasn't aware we had anything to settle,' said Sam, trying to calm him.

Jake glared at him with unconcealed hatred. ‘You have been a thorn in my side ever since you started racing. But for you I too could have made a name for myself, been the local hero, but no, it was always you. I am a better driver than you any day.'

‘You might be right,' said Sam. ‘If you had concentrated on the race instead of me, you might have been the one to stand on the podium with the trophy. But you were full of hate and spite.' He paused. ‘It could have been so different, Barton. We could have been friends.'

‘Ha! Never! Now you're set to make a mint and I'm here to stop you. Once this car is destroyed no one will give you the time of day. If you can't keep their precious vehicles safe, they won't want to trust you again.'

Outside, Connie was getting restless. What on earth was keeping Sam? He'd said he would only be a minute. She got out of the car. As she walked to the door she heard voices and frowned. As she was about to walk in, she heard the voice of Jake Barton threatening Sam. She pushed the door open and when she saw what was happening and realized the danger her Sam was in she screamed.

Taken by surprise, Jake's attention was distracted, and Sam took advantage of it. Leaping forward he grabbed Barton by his clothes and drew him away from the car, throwing him towards the door. The lighter fell from Barton's fingers on to his petrol soaked clothes, which ignited. He screamed as the flames touched his flesh.

Sam dived for the fire extinguisher that was by the door and covered the blazing figure with foam.

‘Ring for an ambulance and the police!' he yelled to Connie.

She was so shocked she just stared at him.

‘Now!'

It was enough to get her moving and she ran towards the phone.

Sam then sprayed the car and surround with foam just in case it too caught fire, and then he turned his attention to Jake Barton. As he knelt beside him, he was appalled at the sight. Barton's face was blistered, his hands burnt, his clothes scorched to ashes, showing the injured flesh beneath. Quietly Sam said, ‘You bloody fool, Jake.'

The ambulance arrived within minutes. ‘Jesus!' exclaimed the driver when he saw Barton. ‘What happened here?'