AWARENESS BY SAMSON KING

Sunday 21st February

CHAPTER 31

Timothy drove for hours until he was clear and away from danger. He drove south till he was on a motorway service station south of Lancaster.

They stopped and walked into a cafe at a motorway service station that was open with no one around. They sat on brown plastic seats. Paul had remained silent and wondered if Jasmine was alright. He was alone, his only help a man he barely knew and didn't trust.

Timothy sat still for a moment and he looked around "We're safe."

Paul looked to him and his eyes were frozen in shock "What now?"

Timothy shook his head "I don't know. This weekend we hoped to begin recruiting you and Jasmine to help start bringing this group down."

Paul was angered and he did little to contain it "You brought me here wanting my help to bring down the Brethren and now that lies in ruins."

Timothy was equally angry "My brother, Peter, is caught up in this and is possibly dead."

Paul was taken aback "Your brother, Peter Lancaster. I didn't know."

Timothy replied "Well half brother. He had a different father but we were close."

Paul looked to him intensely "You know things and have held back. What is it that you are hiding?"

Timothy sat as two coffees were brought over by a freckled lady with ginger hair "I was like you once, a journalist investigating the Brethren."

Paul was intrigued "What happened next?"

Timothy continued as he began to speak with passion "During the time Peter was driving Giovanni their was a name that kept cropping up. That name led me to our friend. You've met her."

Paul's eyes narrowed and it came to him "Isabella."

Timothy continued "Her middle name is Patrice. Anyway as I was investigating the lead it turned out she worked at the French Embassy. I went to the embassy but there was no one there with that name and the trail went cold.

Then a few days later I got a knock on my door. I answered it and saw our friend standing there in the doorway. She came in and introduced herself as Patrice and warned me to stop looking for her.

Paul carried on listening as he stirred sugar into his coffee.

Timothy looked around and he continued "I asked her why and she said that people she was involved with wouldn't like it. That was nearly six years ago."

Paul replied "What happened next?"

Timothy put his coffee cup down "She said she knew that I was a journalist and she knew about Peter and that Giovanni was already suspicious.

Anyway she then disappears four years ago before coming back and she says that its time for things to change. Isabella told me about the Brethren and the horrors that they had done. She knew of the group because Giovanni was apart of it, though he kept out of the violence. He would help them out by acting as a go between using his diplomatic status to spy for them and to pass packages to different people."

Paul was intrigued as he sat back into his seat "Did you and Isabella become close?"

Timothy's face lit up "We began to see each other until about four years ago when she disappeared. The Brethren were always suspicious of her but kept their distance. That was until."

Paul interrupted the silence "Until what?"

Timothy continued "Giovanni started to put out feelers to leave about two years ago. The Brethren weren't happy and you only left when they decided. They staged a meeting in Southampton and the rest of it you know."

Paul drunk up his coffee "Why did you guys stop seeing each other?"

Timothy sank into his seat "It was Isabella's decision. She came to me four years ago and said it was over and she was afraid of something happening to me. Today proves her fear."

Paul "Its one of those things. Is their nothing left of your work?"

Timothy shook his head "I moved everything to Dukes Hall out of London. I only knew about the place as did Isabella. The only person."

Paul looked to Timothy sensing their was more going on "Who else knew?"

Timothy's face was one that look liked it had been betrayed "That Lucille. She came to me in London a year ago and Giovanni introduced her saying that she could be trusted to help us. We checked her out and she was clean and had worked for French intelligence and so we disclosed what we knew. I should have seen it coming."

Paul said "You can't see everything."

A few seconds later, Timothy looked around and saw a familiar face and smiled. They exchanged hellos. Isabella sat next to Timothy.

Her face was full of relief "It is good to see that your both alive."

Paul waited a moment still surprised at seeing Isabella.

Isabella turned to Timothy saying "He knows everything?"

Timothy nodded in agreement "He knows."

Isabella's eyes locked onto Paul's "Mr Spencer. I do regret that you are involved in this. My brother was a member of the Brethren."

Paul replied accepting defeat "Their is little I can do now if everything is gone."

Isabella smiled "Not everything."

Isabella pulled out of her bag a piece of paper and it was handed to Paul. Paul realised it was one of Giovannis missing pages from his journal. He saw the word Athena and the mention of a great sin.

Paul looked to Isabella intrigued "What does this mean?"

Isabella lied and continued to use Paul "This is the extent of what I know about the Brethren. Mr Spencer my brother kept this under lock and key for fear of it coming out. This is why he was killed. I want you to go to Livorno and dig around."

Paul changed the conversation "I am sorry about your daughter."

Isabella said "Thank you Mr Spencer but she is still alive out there."

Paul didn't ask why.

Isabella continued "Listen to me carefully. Take Timothy's car to Lancaster. You are booked on the night train to London. You will then be driven to Heathrow. Once you land in Livorno wait for instructions."

Paul looked confused "Instructions. Why are you not involved with this?"

Timothy sat sternly "We are both to well known. Their are only a few of us who know who you are, you will have to take care of yourself."

Isabella looked to Paul and her voice was urgent "Paul, go now."

Paul got up and he left. He was unsure of what to do or what to expect. He got into the car and drove to Lancaster station and he left the car park and headed south on the night train, the Caledonian Sleeper to London.