Smuggle Trouble – Chapter 5 & 6 21 November, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Night had fallen, and the only sounds inside the car were the spluttering of the engine, and the sobbing from Clara.
“No matter how much you cry, it won’t bring him back.” He was trying to console her, but all he got was a punch on the arm.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Saying stupid things.”
He tried to punch her on the arm in return, but punching sideways whilst trying to pay attention to a dark road isn’t always the most successful. He missed her arm narrowly and the result was more painful for Clara than he intended. It was also more painful for Lukasz when slaps started raining down on him.
“Ow! Sorry! Stop it! I’m trying to drive here!”
She stopped and went back to her sobbing. He wasn’t sure if he preferred her violent or crying.
“Have you quite finished?” he asked.
She delivered a sharp jab to his arm before confirming she’d finished.
Now he was sure he preferred it when she was crying.
She was still sobbing when he saw a road block up ahead with about 5 soldiers standing around.
“Hold on tight, I’m going to crash this road block!”
A soldier stepped in the road.
“Halt please!”
The car slowed to a halt. Clara looked at him with pure disdain.
“What happened to crashing it?”
“I didn’t expect him to say please?”
“Of course, you can’t hit anyone who’s being polite.”
“It would have been rude.”
The soldier stood next to the window putting an end to their exchange over the issue of the soldier being saved by manners.
“Papers please.”
“I think I left them at home.”
The guard lent down and shone a torch inside the car.
“Oh, sorry sir, I didn’t realise it was you.” He gestured to another soldier who lifted the barrier. They all saluted as a very confused Lukasz drove through.
The sobbing had stopped, this time due to confusion rather than violence. Lukasz decided he liked her best when she was confused.
“Friends of yours?”
“Not that I know of. Did any of them look like a Mr Johanson?”
“I don’t think so, would it explain it if one of them did?”
“I’ve just saved Mr Johanson 20,000 on his taxes, that’s about the closest I have to a friend I can think of.”
“I don’t think any of those looked like they have 20,000 to save.”
“You’re probably right.”
They drove in silence for a mile.
“Lukasz”
He looked at her and her entire expression had changed, there was a concern in her eyes, “Yes?”
“I’m having a baby.”
He looked at her, looked down at her bump, and back up to her face.
“Erm, I know. Victor told me some time ago, and the bump was a clue.”
“No you idiot, I mean I’m having a baby. Now. It’s coming.”
“What?!”
He slammed on the brakes. Clara jerked forward, hit the dashboard and then fell back to her seat holding her head.
It was Clara who recovered first, Lukasz was still starring straight ahead with white knuckles.
“I think it’s a bit too soon for the anaesthetic, but thanks for the thought. For now, if you stop being an incompetent twerp and find somewhere I can have this badly timed baby, then that would be sufficient.”
Lukasz was still just starring ahead, so Clara seized the opportunity and the excuse and punched him on the arm again.
“Now would be better than later!”
After a few odd noises and mouth gaping in a poor impression of a goldfish, Lukasz found the ability to string words together.
“Okay, lets get this straight, we’ve got Nazis behind us, a plane somewhere ahead of us, and you want to stop somewhere to sit down, have a rest and pop out a kid? Can’t you wait till we’re on the plane? Ow! Stop hitting me!”
“You think we just ‘pop it out’ whenever we feel like it?”
“Well I don’t know how you people work!”
“You people? I would give you the benefit of the doubt, but every interpretation gives me justification to hit you for being an obnoxious twerp! Now drive and find somewhere!”
Now his brain was in gear, he managed to put the car in gear as well, and drove on muttering. It wasn’t long before Clara spotted a farmhouse and asked Lukasz to drive up to it.
She asked in the same way an executioner may ask for the condemned head to fall off. With a very swift blow.
Chapter 6
“Any progress Sargent?”
“Some. We’ve been trying to track down this ‘Lukasz’ character, but he’s vanished.”
“Do we know where he’s gone?”
“The only lead we have is the location the driver gave us.”
“So you’ve sent an alert to all check points between here and there?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Then we’ve done all we can. Good work.”
“Actually, I’m going to go there with my squad. If we’re right and this guy has been organising everything, then he’s worth stopping.”
“Very good Sargent. I trust you won’t object if I come along? I’d like to see this case through to its end.”
“…Of course sir.”
