Chapter 17

I turned as a figure approached me and smiled up at my Dad. He looked as cold as I felt, but I knew he'd walked down the beach to remind me that it was time to leave. Once back in his taxi he turned the heat from the fan up to full and started the drive back to Trenton.

"You've got that look about you Pumpkin"

I turned to look at him surprised at what he'd said.

"What look?"

"The look that you get when you're up to something, a look that says you're determined whatever it might take"

I didn't have a comeback for that. He was right though, but it surprised me that he could read me so easily. Maybe I needed to start practicing on a blank face like Ranger would wear when he wanted to hide his thoughts or emotions away.

"Whatever it is, if you need me then all you have to do is call"

"Thanks Dad"

I never asked about my Mum, maybe because I didn't want to spoil the time I had with my Dad, though he was keen to tell me all about the new place Grandma was going to. I think he was as excited about her leaving as she was about going.

My Dad dropped me off at one of the side entrances to the station, driving away as soon as I entered through the door. I didn't look back or wave him goodbye because my memory of him was of him smiling as he'd talked about the ways in which his life would improve.

Once inside I checked the departures screen and was pleased that my train was going to be on time. I collected my bag from the locker and was soon stood at the back of the platform, waiting. I didn't have any feeling that I was being followed but knew that I'd have to be careful. I just hoped that the hat and hood that I was wearing was enough of a disguise. Ten minutes later I was sat on the train on my way to New York City. You may think that going there wasn't that far, but it had everything that I needed.

The journey was fast and there weren't that many people on the train. I daydreamed as I looked out of the window, part excited and part scared. Excited because I felt that I was doing something and had a vague idea of where I was going but scared because I really wasn't too sure what would happen. Stupid right, but that was how I operated, I had an end game that I was aiming for and some things worked out. It was the details that were eluding me.

All too soon I was alighting onto a busy platform at Grand Central Terminal, trying to get my bearings. For the next three hours I walked down streets, through shops and travelled on the subway, my way of ensuring that no one could follow me. I even remembered some of the ways that Ranger had told me about on how to spot a tail!

I had one visit to make before my final destination, somewhere I was really dreading going to, but knowing that I had to get it over and done with as soon as possible. I left that place rubbing my arm and with a pack of tablets, minus the one that I'd taken, in my bag but proud that I hadn't caused a scene. Now though my feet were aching, I was feeling cold and my shoulder was aching from carrying my bag with me. I made a quick stop in a diner for something to eat and drink before I reached my destination for the day.

I'd booked a room at a Holiday Inn for two weeks, mainly because it was cheap but also for its location. As I registered, I pulled out an id and bank card that I'd found in one the envelopes that Ranger had left for me. The three envelopes contained three different id's all with a photo of me with passports and bank cards to match. Each envelope also contained a large amount of cash, I presume so as to not attract attention if using the card. I'd been totally amazed when I'd found them but not surprised. I knew Ranger used different id's, like he had when we were looking for Scrogg. It made me realize just how far Ranger would go to protect me and to keep me safe.

I used the first id for this hotel, Carrie Emille, so glad to get to my room and lock the door behind me. Looking around I wasn't surprised at how small it was, but it looked clean and had its own bathroom so would be suitable for what I needed. I kept my bag with me in the bathroom as I showered, tomorrow was going to be a busy day and I would need to be up and moving early in the morning. With a chair under the handle of the door I set the alarm next to the bed and fell into a restless sleep.

It seemed I'd only just fallen asleep after tossing and turning most of the night when the alarm started buzzing in my ear. I was so tempted to hit the snooze button but knew I couldn't do that. Sitting up I rubbed my hands over my face, wiping the sleep from my eyes before getting out of bed to get ready. I took the new set of clothes from my bag and dressed, almost on auto pilot and then went into the bathroom to finish my look with my hair and makeup. Once done I looked in the mirror to examine the look, pleased with the end result. My hair was in a neat French roll at the back of my head and my makeup was subtle, giving me a sophisticated look, exactly what I wanted.

I put on my jacket to conceal the clothes underneath, clothes that matched the style of my hair and makeup. Tailored trousers and a silk blouse with a matching fitted jacket would give the impression that I needed. With my bag on my shoulder, I walked along empty and quiet hallways, passing the unmanned reception area and out onto the street. When I was far enough away from the hotel, I hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address of a very expensive hotel several blocks away. While the driver was maneuvering amongst the early morning traffic, I removed my jacket and hid it in the footwell. There was nothing in the pockets that would lead it back to me and by the end of the day I would have replaced it.

I had to say that I was impressed with the new hotel, it looked bigger and grander than it had done on the internet. The door was opened for me by a porter allowing me to enter into a grand lobby and walk across to the reception desk. A young girl looked up at me as I approached and smiled.

"How can I help you Ma'am?"

"I need a suite for a week, maybe longer"

"Certainly Ma'am, let me see what we have available. When will you be needing the room from?"

"Tonight"

I watched as she started typing onto a computer, crossing my fingers behind my back that they had one that was available. She looked up and smiled and brought out a pad of paper.

"We have one that's free from today. Could you please complete the form for me while I process your payment?"

I passed the card I was using, the second id from Ranger, and started to complete the registration form. Everything I needed was there from a driving license to a passport and an address that I had no idea where it was. Once I'd completed the form, I passed it back to her as she gave me my bank card back to me.

"Here is your key card Ms. Aspenall"

I took the card in my hand and placed everything into the wallet in my bag, I was going to have to be careful that I didn't mix up the two id's that I was currently using.

"Anything you need, room service or meals we'll charge against your room"

"Okay. I need to buy a few things today and really don't want to have to carry everything around with me, is it possible to have them sent here and placed in my room?"

"Of course, Ma'am. Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Not at the moment, thanks for your help"

"No problem, have a nice day"

The first thing I needed was something to eat and a coffee, so I walked through to the restaurant that seemed to be serving breakfast. After helping myself to a buffet I sat down with a plate in front of me, only raising my head when the waiter brought over a pot of coffee. I totally enjoyed the scrambled eggs and toast that I had eaten, yeah for once I was going to control what I ate and the quantity. I couldn't afford to put on weight or let myself feel lethargic and even I knew that was what could happen if I overindulged in the sweet sugary items that I loved so much. As I drank my coffee, I watched the people moving around me, not getting the feeling that anyone was aware of who I really was.

Once I'd finished, I went back through the lobby and asked the porter to hail me a taxi. My first destination was an Apple store where I chose a new laptop and 2 new iPhones. The cashier was surprised when I paid for everything with cash but didn't say anything. My instructions were for them to be delivered to my suite at the hotel under the name of Lilian Aspenall.

That done I got another taxi to a place called Rei, apparently the place to go for outdoor apparel. I wanted the young traveler look, someone who was travelling around the world and the assistant couldn't have been more helpful, especially as she'd just returned from a gap year herself.

I had everything that I could need, from boots and socks, combat trousers to shorts, T-shirts to thin sweaters and even a mosquito net and insect repellent. I had to admit that some of the things she suggested had never crossed my mind, like swimwear and flip flops. She chose a rucksack that she was sure I could carry and a smaller matching one that I could carry around on any days sightseeing. We packed everything inside the rucksacks, and she agreed to have it boxed and delivered to my suite.

That took longer than I expected it to, but I was pleased with my purchases. Now I needed some specialized equipment, a small but high zoom pair of binoculars that could also be night vision. After managing to find a small set of binoculars I was actually shopped out, something I never thought would be possible.

I stopped at a café for a drink and to decide what else I would need to do before returning to the first hotel. There was the beginning of a plan forming in my head but as was me, it didn't include a lot of detail. As I sat inside and ordered a hot chocolate and picked up a local newspaper that someone had left behind, I scanned some of the articles as I turned the pages, nothing really catching my interest. Most articles were concerned with things happening in New York from politics to police incidents.

I did though look back to an article on the latest attack on a pharmaceutical company by a group of activists calling themselves AfA, Action for Animals. What caught my attention was what they'd done. They'd managed to close down a pharmaceutical company by sabotaging their computer system with a virus. That had light bulbs flashing through my head. Ranger had sent me a hard drive so I had an inkling of a plan start to form inside my head. If I had access to a copy of that virus, well two copies to be on the safe side, then maybe I would have something that the baddies wanted. What better way to get revenge for Ranger than by causing them chaos?

I quickly finished my drink and left enough money on the table to cover the bill and started to head outside. I needed to get the laptop set up as quickly as possible because I had a lot of work to do tonight.

Once back at the second hotel I was taken aback by the suite that I had been allocated. I walked into a lounge area that had thick dark red carpet and matching drapes. A couch and chairs were placed around a coffee table with a large TV on the wall. Turning I saw a work desk and chair and then a glass topped dining table with matching chairs. There was coffee making facilities and a small fridge. All I could think was that this place was bigger than my apartment in Trenton. Wandering through a door I found the bedroom with all of the things that I'd bought placed on the floor next to the bed. A king-sized bed at that. I so wanted to appreciate the comforts of the room but knew I just didn't have the time.

I was feeling anxious as though time was slipping away, and I had so much still to do so got to work unpacking the laptop. Taking it back through to the lounge I sat at the desk following the setup assistant instructions. It was easy to do, and I found the Wi-Fi password in front of me on the desk. I sighed a breath of relief as I started to look at how I was going to get to Cambodia without drawing attention to myself.

An hour later I was booked onto an explore tour, visiting Cambodia and Vietnam. The web site had been easy to follow in order to book me onto it. It included flights, accommodation and a tour guide for the duration of 21 days. Not that I would be staying with the group for that length of time. I'd sort out a way of leaving the group when the time came. For now, I was going as Lilian Aspenall, everything was paid for, visas were being organized, I'd had the necessary inoculations and malaria tablets, but I only had two days before I left.

I found a store on-line and ordered two hard drives that looked very similar to the one that Ranger had sent me, and payed extra for next day delivery. I didn't think that I'd forgotten anything but no doubt it would come to me. I put all of the items I'd ordered into the closet, except one phone, ruffled the sheets on the bed to make it look like someone had slept there and went into the bathroom. I really wanted to use the facilities here, it was a large clean and modern space with a large walk in shower and tub. The towels were large and soft and the lighting almost subdued. There were even new candles spaced out on the glass shelves. In there I freed my hair and cleaned the makeup from my face, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I had a jacket on, my bag over my shoulder so locked the room and used the elevator to go downstairs and then left the hotel.

This time I walked several blocks to get back to my original hotel, constantly looking around me as people passed me by or walked in the same direction. I took detours into shops that were late closing but an hour later with my hair lose around my face I walked into the Holiday Inn, smiling at the young man behind the desk.

"Miss Emille, nice to see you. Did you have a good time exploring?"

"I did, there's so much to see here"

"Do you need anything?"

"I could do with something to eat"

"There's a number of take out menus in the room. Just order and I'll bring it to your room"

"Wonderful"

Once back in the room I looked at the menus, deciding against Thai because I'd be having enough of that soon, and opted for pizza. I ordered using the phone in the room and then decided that I had enough time for a shower before the pizza would arrive.

I was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts when the there was a knock at the door. Looking through the peep hole I recognized the man from reception and opened the door to take the box from him. I sat on the bed eating the pizza, regretting my choice because to be honest it wasn't that good. The base was soggy and there wasn't enough cheese, as for peppers or chorizo I could count on one hand the number of pieces. The overriding taste was tomatoes and garlic, something I'd probably regret in the morning. It had me remembering the time Hector had visited me and brought my meatball sub from Pinos and how he still wouldn't admit that Pinos was better than Shorties.

I was looking at the new iPhone sat on the bed next to me wondering why I would need to use it. I'd set it up for Lilian to use so had the email in her name. That meant that any documents from the travel company could be viewed from the laptop or on this phone. I hadn't added any contacts because I didn't want to call anyone and talk to them. Plus, if I called anyone at Rangeman they could probably get Hector to track it.

For the first time since leaving Trenton and relaxing, I felt so alone. I missed Ranger so much it hurt and was constantly running through the letter that he had left for me in my head, yeah I had totally memorized everything about it. I could understand why he'd kept his distance, hell, I was back and forth with Joe so often he couldn't have known just how deeply I felt for him. My biggest regret would always be that I hadn't told him, that he'd died not knowing that I felt the same way about him.

Was I already admitting to myself that he was dead and that I'd never see him again? My head was saying yes, that was how it was and I was going to avenge that death. My heart was saying the total opposite and that just maybe he was still alive. I pushed that to the back of my head as I realized those emotions weren't going to help me now. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes, now was not the time to feel sentimental. I needed to look at what I needed to do. There'd be time enough for reminiscing, well maybe there would be.

Much as I thought about abandoning what I was trying to do I couldn't. I knew that what I was trying to do was way beyond anything I'd ever attempted before and the doubts were there, telling me to just go back home where I'd be safe. That's when I thought of Ranger and what he'd written, he'd said to fly so maybe this was what flying was like. Having to deal with the doubts, fears and insecurity was really hard to overcome, but to wash those from my thoughts I knew I needed to focus on the goal. Maybe that was how Ranger did what he did and did it so well.

I needed to be strong and focused on what I wanted to happen next, once in Cambodia I'd rethink my plans from there.