Read Online The Day Before Tomorrow by Nicola Rhodes - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicola Rhodes
Ads: Link
hesitated. He was not sure it was in him to kill a man who was not actively trying to kill him. And yet, he thought. Technically any armed American soldier was trying to kill him, wasn’t he? Weren’t his side at war with this lot? And wasn’t it supposed to be his job to kill American soldiers?
‘Sod this,’ he thought. What had this man ever done to him?
The Private was looking at him perplexedly. ‘Sir?’
‘Over there,’ Denny pointed with his rifle behind the man, who turned to look.
Denny brought the rifle down on the man’s head, just behind the ear, as the Cap had taught him (a man who had a surprising repertoire of dirty fight moves for such a peace lover). The soldier went down like a sack of potatoes.
‘Thanks Cap,’ breathed Denny under his breath.
He then had the most unexpected good fortune. Right there completely unguarded at the edge of the compound was one army jeep – regulation – fully fuelled – escapees for the use of.
Denny hopped in. As he drove away, he was singing in his peculiarly melodious voice – “California Dreaming”.
* * *
‘All the leaves are brown … And the sky is Gra-a-ay,’ warbled SL Jamie Adams mournfully and tunelessly. He had passed homesickness three stops ago and was now at that point where he was making everybody around him feel sick as well, although not necessarily home sick, just sick of him.
‘I’d be safe and warm – if I was in E-E-L. A-A-A-A. Ca-a-a-alifornia Dreeemin…’
Who can say what subtle influences are brought to bear on the new owner of a relic that was once an integral part of another’s life. What indefinable, tenuous connections might be brought about by the possession of said relic, between the new owner and the old?
It was not that Jamie hated the army. But he had joined up to defend his county not to push civilians around. Where was the honour and glory in that? And what had the Limeys ever done to threaten America anyway? Part of him – the career soldier part – knew that it was not his job to reason why. Soldiers took orders; that was it. But the human part of him tended to want to know the reasons and even had a treacherous habit of sometimes, in his secret heart, questioning the wisdom of the orders, although he had never been known to go as far as actual disobedience – yet.
* * *
Next, Tamar wanted to go back to her flat in London, just to pick up a few things, she said, but Cindy was not falling for that one again. Over the last few days, Tamar had wanted to go to various places “just to have a look”, or “just to see something”, or even “just to do a bit of shopping”. Even though, to be honest, she could not see the danger of going to an empty flat, or the point of it to be frank, nevertheless, she decided to put her foot down. She was not going anywhere without an explanation this time.
Tamar sighed; one of her more serious shortcomings was her lack of patience with intellects less sharp than her own.
‘Isn’t it obvious what I’m doing?’ she said.
‘No, not really.’
‘I’m trying to sort out one set of memories from another. I have plenty of memories of that flat. It’s been my home for three years. But some of the memories don’t fit. At least I don’t think so, it’s so hard to tell, so I want to go back home and just see … see … if anything comes to me. You see?’
‘I – I – think so.’
‘It’s so hard to know what’s real anymore,’ said Tamar with a sigh. ‘What about you,’ she added suddenly, ‘don’t you feel like this, like there’s something you’ve forgotten about?’
‘Constantly,’ said Cindy.
‘I mean, you’re in some of my memories. I know that we must have known each other before. Don’t you feel it too?’
‘I try not to think about it,’ said Cindy, which was as good as an admission.
‘Well don’t,’ said Tamar, because if I’m right, then
‘Sod this,’ he thought. What had this man ever done to him?
The Private was looking at him perplexedly. ‘Sir?’
‘Over there,’ Denny pointed with his rifle behind the man, who turned to look.
Denny brought the rifle down on the man’s head, just behind the ear, as the Cap had taught him (a man who had a surprising repertoire of dirty fight moves for such a peace lover). The soldier went down like a sack of potatoes.
‘Thanks Cap,’ breathed Denny under his breath.
He then had the most unexpected good fortune. Right there completely unguarded at the edge of the compound was one army jeep – regulation – fully fuelled – escapees for the use of.
Denny hopped in. As he drove away, he was singing in his peculiarly melodious voice – “California Dreaming”.
* * *
‘All the leaves are brown … And the sky is Gra-a-ay,’ warbled SL Jamie Adams mournfully and tunelessly. He had passed homesickness three stops ago and was now at that point where he was making everybody around him feel sick as well, although not necessarily home sick, just sick of him.
‘I’d be safe and warm – if I was in E-E-L. A-A-A-A. Ca-a-a-alifornia Dreeemin…’
Who can say what subtle influences are brought to bear on the new owner of a relic that was once an integral part of another’s life. What indefinable, tenuous connections might be brought about by the possession of said relic, between the new owner and the old?
It was not that Jamie hated the army. But he had joined up to defend his county not to push civilians around. Where was the honour and glory in that? And what had the Limeys ever done to threaten America anyway? Part of him – the career soldier part – knew that it was not his job to reason why. Soldiers took orders; that was it. But the human part of him tended to want to know the reasons and even had a treacherous habit of sometimes, in his secret heart, questioning the wisdom of the orders, although he had never been known to go as far as actual disobedience – yet.
* * *
Next, Tamar wanted to go back to her flat in London, just to pick up a few things, she said, but Cindy was not falling for that one again. Over the last few days, Tamar had wanted to go to various places “just to have a look”, or “just to see something”, or even “just to do a bit of shopping”. Even though, to be honest, she could not see the danger of going to an empty flat, or the point of it to be frank, nevertheless, she decided to put her foot down. She was not going anywhere without an explanation this time.
Tamar sighed; one of her more serious shortcomings was her lack of patience with intellects less sharp than her own.
‘Isn’t it obvious what I’m doing?’ she said.
‘No, not really.’
‘I’m trying to sort out one set of memories from another. I have plenty of memories of that flat. It’s been my home for three years. But some of the memories don’t fit. At least I don’t think so, it’s so hard to tell, so I want to go back home and just see … see … if anything comes to me. You see?’
‘I – I – think so.’
‘It’s so hard to know what’s real anymore,’ said Tamar with a sigh. ‘What about you,’ she added suddenly, ‘don’t you feel like this, like there’s something you’ve forgotten about?’
‘Constantly,’ said Cindy.
‘I mean, you’re in some of my memories. I know that we must have known each other before. Don’t you feel it too?’
‘I try not to think about it,’ said Cindy, which was as good as an admission.
‘Well don’t,’ said Tamar, because if I’m right, then
Similar Books
