Beat Surrender

By Bob Stone

“Something came from somewhere else and crashed onto Trafalgar Square.”

Joey Cale thought he was going home but instead has ended up on another version of Earth just as dangerous as the last.

Aided by his friends, he must discover the cause of one of the greatest disasters Britain has seen. But a threat as old as time is pursuing him and will do anything to stop him.

Who are the sinister Green Jackets? Why are the birds gathering and watching? And what is buried in a wall deep beneath London?

Beat Surrender is the second book in the heart-stopping trilogy which began with Missing Beat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
• Release date: Mar 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781786452870

Bob Stone

Liverpool born Bob Stone is an author and bookshop owner. He has been writing for as long as he could hold a pen and some would say his handwriting has never improved. He is the author of two self-published children's books, A Bushy Tale and A Bushy Tale: The Brush Off. Missing Beat, the first in a trilogy for Young Adults, is his first full-length novel.Bob still lives in Liverpool with his wife and cat and sees no reason to change any of that.

Book preview

Part One

Chapter One

Joey Cale stared out at the grey River Mersey, watching a huge white liner ease past on the horizon, its movement so imperceptible at that distance it looked like it was standing still. Joey didn’t recognise the blue logo on the side, perhaps because he only knew the names of a few liner companies, or perhaps because this one only existed in this world. He didn’t know.

There were a great many things Joey didn’t know anymore. He’d spent the first seventeen years of his life firmly believing that, no matter what you saw in TV programmes like Doctor Who, there was only one planet Earth, only one universe. Then, for reasons he still didn’t fully understand, he had discovered that other versions of Earth did exist, all with their own rules. At least, that had been the case for the world in which he had found himself. Now, he was somewhere else again, and he had no idea where.

He had been standing staring out across the river all morning, trying to get his head together, trying to ignore the pangs of hunger reminding him he hadn’t eaten since…when? It was hard to say. The shock of finding someone else living in his parents’ house—his house—had sent him into a blind panic. Desperately seeking the familiar, he had come to the river to think. But not about Emma. There were some things he just couldn’t think about right now.

By his reckoning, it had been about a week since he’d left the familiarity of his house to get his A’ Level results. It had been a couple of days at the most since he and his new friend Raj had stood on the beach below, talking to a man—whose name probably wasn’t Remick—and learning the truth.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d watched Emma die in front of him.

All Joey had wanted was to go home, go back to something approaching normal life. Now, that seemed further away than ever, and he had nowhere to go, nobody to run to. He didn’t know where Raj or Anna and the kids had ended up. They could have landed anywhere. Joey was alone in another strange world with no idea what to do next.

Despite his best efforts, his mind kept taking him back to Emma. He had known her for such a short space of time, yet all they had been through together had forged a bond between them. Whether that bond would have grown into something more, he would never know. He had watched in horror as the demon calling itself Saunders had lashed out at her. He had cradled her dead body in his arms and tried to bring her home. He had felt the void in his heart when she had disappeared. And he had started to grieve over losing her, not once, but twice.

And yet…

It had been her. The girl he had bumped into when he backed away from what was no longer his house was definitely Emma. Nobody else looked like that. Admittedly, the Emma he’d known had been living on her own for a while and she looked like it, whereas this girl was somehow neater; her clothes were newer.

But the most significant difference was that she appeared to have no idea who Joey was. When he’d called her name, she’d stared at him in horror, told him he had the wrong person and then hurried away, leaving Joey standing on the street feeling like an idiot. All he knew for sure was that this version of Liverpool clearly had its own Emma Winrush, but she had never known Joey Cale, and he had no place in this world.

So, Joey stood looking out onto a Mersey that wasn’t his Mersey under a sky that wasn’t his sky. All around him, people were getting on with their lives, walking their dogs or just taking in the air. A large gull landed on the railings nearby and fixed its yellow eyes on him with an unnerving stare. It stayed for a while, but its conversation was minimal, and eventually, once it realised Joey had nothing good to eat about his person, it flapped its wings and flew off.

A noise cut through the swish of the waves and the seagulls’ squawks. Tinny music, coming from somewhere nearby. It was a sound Joey hadn’t heard for a while, and it took him a second or two to figure out it was coming from his pocket. Somehow, impossibly, his phone, which had remained silent and devoid of signal all the time he had been away, was now ringing.

Chapter Two

Joey fumbled his phone out of his pocket and dropped it onto the sand-drift at his feet. He snatched it up again and hit the answer key before it stopped.

Hello? he said hesitantly.

There was a burst of static on the other end, and then a male voice spoke. It sounded far away, almost as though it was someone speaking in another room.

Joey?

Who’s this? The voice sounded vaguely familiar from somewhere.

Don’t talk, just listen. You’ve got to move. You’ve got to get away from there.

Why? What—

"Just do it. Go anywhere. We’ll find you, but go now. Oh, and Joey? Look out for the Green Jackets."

Before he could ask anything else, the phone went dead. Joey checked the call log, but the screen displayed an unknown caller message. Green Jackets? He put his phone away and looked around.

Between the beach and the road, there was a grass-covered field. It was a popular destination for dog walkers, and on a warm, sunny morning like this, it was already starting to get busy. A man threw a Frisbee for an enthusiastic border collie while two Jack Russell terriers rolled over each other in a play-fight to reach a ball. But in the distance, Joey spotted them: three men in long, green coats.

Pleasant as the weather was, it hardly called for sunglasses, yet all three wore them, and they had the same hairstyle, slicked back harshly from their foreheads. Two were dark and one was blonde; even from a distance, Joey could tell the blonde was dyed rather than natural, but the hair, the shades and the coats seemed to be some kind of uniform.

The three men climbed onto the field from the car park and walked in a rough triangular formation, one in front, the other two slightly behind. They weren’t talking to each other but were quite clearly looking for something. Or someone. Joey eased through the railings that bordered the coastal path and dropped down the short distance to the beach below. Keeping close to the wall so he couldn’t be seen from the path above, he moved off, not running but moving as quickly as he could, glancing back towards the steps that led down from the path to the beach. When he was sure nobody was watching, he broke into a run.

He ran for maybe five or ten minutes before he felt safe enough to slow down. Behind him, the beach stretched out, but there was no sign of the men in long coats. He stopped for a moment, bent over, his hands on his knees, getting his breath back. Once his breathing and heart rate had slowed to something approaching normal, he started to walk. The car park receded behind him, and to his right the grass was replaced by sand littered with bricks worn smooth by the tide where, according to his father, houses built too close to the river had crumbled and collapsed.

Joey kept going, knowing the beach would take him past Hightown and Formby and all the way to Southport. He was just wondering how far he should go when his phone rang again. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it immediately.

Did you get away? asked the voice on the other end.

Yes, but—

Did you see them? The Green Jackets? Guys in long coats and shades?

Yes, there were three of them. But… Joey stopped. "Look, who is this?"

Where are you now? the voice wanted to know, ignoring Joey’s question altogether.

On the beach, he began, but stopped again, suddenly suspicious. Tell me who you are first. You could be anyone. How did you get my number?

You don’t know me, the caller said. But we have mutual friends. We’ll tell you all you need to know when we find you, but for now, you’ll have to trust me.

Why should I? Joey demanded.

Because Raj will kick my arse for me if I lose you. Is that good enough?

Raj? Joey repeated. "He’s here? He had an idea. Has he still got his dog? Did Sheba make it here too?"

Don’t know about any Sheba, but Misha’s here. Nice try, though. Now, where are you?

Just past the coastal erosion, Joey answered, a little more reassured. Heading towards Hightown.

Okay. Hang on.

Joey heard muffled voices in the background, then the caller came back on the line.

Double back but take the upper path along the side of the golf course. You know the one I mean?

Yes, I do.

Cool. There’s a footpath that brings you out by the entrance to the golf club. Wait there. We’ll be ten minutes.

The line went dead as the caller hung up.

Joey followed his instructions. He picked his way over the eroded bricks up to the path at the top. Following it, and keeping a lookout for any men in long coats, he passed through what had probably at one time been a narrow gateway. To his left was the entrance sign for the golf club. He stopped there as instructed and waited, with no idea who he was waiting for or how they were coming. Cars went past, but none of them stopped or even slowed. A movement behind startled him, but it was only two crows, fluttering down on inky-black wings to settle on a fence. Joey was briefly reminded of The Birds—a film his dad had been watching one night a few years back, in which Joey had become engrossed—but he pushed the thought from his head and concentrated on the road.

True to the caller’s word, just over ten minutes after the phone call had ended, Joey heard the sound of an engine slowing and saw a large black people carrier approach. Keeping the path behind him in case he had to turn and run, he waited as the car pulled up alongside him. The tinted front window opened, and Joey saw a face he didn’t recognise: a man probably in his fifties with a shaved head and a small beard.

Jump in the back, Joey, he said.

Joey hesitated.

Come on, the man urged. It won’t take the Green Jackets long to suss out which way you went.

Joey hurried over and slid open the car’s rear door. As he climbed inside, he discovered he was not alone in the back.

About time! Raj said with a grin. What kept you?

Chapter Three

Raj! Joey shook his friend’s hand. Thank God you’re okay! When did you get here?

Six months ago, Raj said. When he saw Joey’s confusion, he added, It’s a long story. I’ll tell you as we go.

Six months? Where have you been?

All in good time, Raj replied and then said to the driver, We need to move, Geoff.

Geoff nodded and eased the car into gear. As it moved off, Raj leaned back in his seat and seemed to relax a little. I suppose this is all a bit weird for you, he said to Joey.

Yes, it is. I mean, six months? How? You went through that portal thing yesterday.

For you, maybe. Not for me.

What about Anna? Did she make it? And the kids? Ruby and Evan?

The kids are fine, Raj assured him. You’ll see. Anna—well, that’s a bit more complicated. I’ll tell you everything in a bit.

Joey sat in silence for a while, taking it in. He toyed with mentioning Emma but decided against it for now. His thoughts were interrupted by Geoff calling out from the front seat.

Level crossing’s down.

Joey had a flashback to the last time he had seen this particular level crossing. There had been a train paused right across it, going nowhere, and he, Raj and Misha the dog had jumped over the barriers. But it wasn’t this level crossing. It was another one in another world, even though Joey could still feel the ache in his wrist from his bad landing.

Try and do a U, Raj advised. He reached down onto the floor of the car and picked up a new rucksack. This is for you, he told Joey. There’s stuff you might need. I don’t imagine you have any money for a start. Not the right money, anyway.

Before Joey could ask what the right money might be, Geoff swore loudly. Joey looked out of the car window; they were side-on to the crossing gates, and a white van was heading rapidly towards them.

Move it! Raj shouted. Come on, Geoff!

Geoff tried to slam the car into reverse but stalled instead and swore again.

Joey, get out and go, Raj said. Go over the bridge. We’ll hold them off.

But who—

Don’t ask. Just go!

Joey grabbed the rucksack and opened the door, fumbling with the handle. The white van was almost on them as Joey took off for the railway bridge. As he neared the top, he heard the impact of the van hitting Raj’s car and shunting it into the crossing barrier. He peered over the side of the bridge and saw the van doors open, a flash of green coats as men climbed out. Then he ran across the bridge and down the stairs, leaping two at a time.

He reached the bottom and looked back, nearly jumping out of his skin when a horn sounded, followed by a roar as a train pulled into the station next to the crossing. On an impulse, Joey raced onto the platform and boarded the train, pushing his way through the bewildered passengers trying to get off. He found a seat and sat low in it, pulling up his coat collar as he watched anxiously out of the window, desperate for the train to depart.

A man in a long green coat charged along the platform, knocking people out of his way to make the train. He got close enough for Joey to see his face. The man was younger than Joey had first thought, his forehead peppered with acne. Despite the hair and the sunglasses, there was something vaguely familiar about the face, but Joey couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

The man almost reached the open carriage door, but he was too late. The doors slid shut, and the train moved off without him. Joey relaxed slightly once the train began to move. Now all he had to do was decide where to get off and what to do next.

Chapter Four

Emma Winrush put the face she saw in the mirror down to the fact that she was still shaken up from her encounter. After all, her hands had been trembling as she’d poured the uneaten cornflakes into the bin. It was all so weird. If she hadn’t gone to the corner shop to buy the milk for her cereal in the first place, she would not have bumped into the boy, the strange, intense boy, who knew her name even though she had never seen him before in her life.

And yet…

Emma didn’t know him. She knew she didn’t know him, but there was something about his face that nagged at the back of her mind. It was that feeling, along with the fact he clearly knew her, which disturbed her. Had to be.

She’d washed her cereal bowl and come upstairs to clean her teeth, watching her reflection in the mirror above the sink as she did so. Her purple hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Her black eyeliner was toned down as it always was for school these days—ever since Mrs. Bowes put her on report for it. Her face was pale, but no paler than normal. Then suddenly, and just for a second, she thought she caught a glimpse of a different Emma. Same purple hair, though not tied back, no eyeliner, and even though there was no sound, the face seemed to be shouting.

Then it was gone; Emma’s familiar face looked back at her. She shook her head. She must have been more tired than she’d thought, but one thing was for sure. If she ever saw that boy again, she would probably kill him.

She hadn’t slept much last night, which didn’t help matters. Her mum had stayed up after Emma had turned in, but Emma always remained awake and alert, ever since the night her mum had fallen out of her armchair and pulled it down on top of her. She hadn’t been hurt, but Emma had to come down and lift the chair off her. Now, whenever her mum stayed up—drinking—Emma couldn’t sleep until she’d heard her stumble up the stairs. Last night, it had been nearly half past two, according to the alarm clock she kept by her bed. No wonder she was tired.

As she washed her hands, she was faced with another mystery. On the side of her wrist, there was a scar she’d never noticed before. She often found bruises she didn’t remember acquiring, but very rarely a cut, and this was an old one too, long healed. She shook her head. Too much on her mind.

Emma went downstairs and picked up her school bag, which she’d packed the night before, as she always did. On the increasingly rare occasions when her mum got up before school, Emma liked to be ready to go as quickly as she could, but after last night’s late session, there was no chance of that today. Emma pulled on her coat, grabbed her keys and phone and left the house. Time was, her mum and dad would both have called goodbye to her and told her to have a good day. But no more. Her dad was out of the area; her mum was just out of it.

Emma looked around cautiously as she left the house. No sign of any strange boy loitering, she breathed a sigh of relief and went to catch her bus to school. It wasn’t that she was in any hurry to get there; she hated the place and all the fake idiots in her class, but it was somewhere to go that wasn’t home—until she left at the end of the year, at least. There was even a possibility she might still pass some of her exams and make something of herself. She wouldn’t be going to uni, she knew that. There wasn’t much money coming in since her dad had left, and anyway, she knew if she left too, it would destroy her mum. But at least with some exams behind her she might have a better chance of finding a job, not like some of the other wasters of her age, who had left after their GCSEs and now just hung around the shopping area in Crosby, doing nothing, going nowhere.

The bus arrived as Emma reached the bus stop; she showed her pass to the driver and found a seat near the front. Behind her, she could