Silent Cries: Consequences

By Rob Joy

Breanna arrived home from work, she had had an extremely busy day at the hospital, several emergencies keep the ER full of patients. The house she shared with John Evans was silent, most unusual, as John was always there to greet her. She showered and changed. Breanna headed down the internal stairs to the house on the ground floor. This house b

• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Lacquer Press & Marketing Inc.
• Release date: Aug 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948288057

Rob Joy

Rob Joy is a passionate evangelist, speaker and author. He is founder of Storming the Nations, a ministry committed to seeing a social and cultural change in the UK for the glory of God. He is married to Lydia and they live in the South of England.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Breanna arrived home from work, she had had an extremely busy day at the hospital, several emergencies keep the ER full of patients. The house she shared with John Evans was silent, most unusual, as John was always there to greet her. She showered and changed. Breanna headed down the internal stairs to the house on the ground floor. This house belonged to Steven Evans, Johns brother, well, adopted brother and his partner Alexis, John’s biological sister. Making her way down the stairs Breanna could see Alexis sitting at the dining table drumming ©her fingers. ‘Something’s wrong, isn’t it?’ she asked tentatively.

‘It’s not like them to be late. They should have been home by now. John wanted to be here when you got home,’ Alexis explained, ‘I was working, they were bored, annoying me, I set them for a walk.’

‘It’s only hour, should we be worried?’ asked Breanna.

‘I don’t know,’ Alexis answered but by the look on her face Breanna could tell that she was worried. Breanna had moved in with John several months ago, so this was a new situation, she thought that Alexis may be overreacting. She knew John and Steven had a past that they hadn’t yet shared with her. Breanna had told John that she didn’t need to know if he couldn’t tell her. Breanna knew a little more about Stevens past abuse as she had nursed him in hospital and been his confidant once he got home.

In his C & C Security office Tony Harris looked at his watch for the twentieth time, they should have been home by now, why hadn’t he received a text. The last text said they left the café before four, it’s now six. Tony walked the route he knew they walked, to the café and back, no sign of either of them. Steven and John had always been able to make contact somehow, something must have happened. Now what was he to do?

Steven and John often changed their mind, changed their plans, but they always let Alexis know. Four days turned into five and still no word. No text, no phone call and after checking the computer, no email. Alexis was now very worried. Likewise, Breanna had received no word, now she was as worried as Alexis. Having known John for such a short time, Breanna had no idea who to turn to for help.

Walking home from a meeting, ten days after Steven and John failed to return home, Alexis arrived at the garage side of the house at the same time as Breanna’s motorbike roared up the street. The front of the house face one street and the rear of the house, the garage, faced another. Alexis waved and opened the garage door for her. Still in her nurse’s uniform Breanna waved back as she rode into the garage. Alexis waited for her to emerge, when she didn’t Alexis walked into the garage to find Breanna standing, frozen still with her helmet in her hand. Alexis followed her stare to see what she was looking at, or rather what she wasn’t seeing. Two motorbikes that were present when they both left earlier in the day were now gone. Breanna had parked her 998cc Honda next to Alexis’ 750cc Yamaha, missing were Steven’s black and John’s grey 1352cc Kawasaki’s.

In the house Breanna and Alexis as they had been doing several times a day, dialled Steven and Johns phones. The phones were still turned off. Waiting for Stella to return home Alexis and Breanna talked, had they come home and if it wasn’t them, then who took the bikes and how did they get in? It seemed impossible for anyone to break in with all the security devices installed around the house. When Stella arrived, and was updated the three women searched both homes for any signs that Steven and John had returned. They found nothing obvious and there were no messages left either. Alexis and Breanna were now really beginning to panic. if it wasn’t Steven and John, then who had got into the garage and helped themselves to the motorbikes?

Leaving Breanna with Stella, Alexis made her way around the block to the offices of C & C Security. C & C Security was owned by Steven, John and two brothers Tony and Rob Harris. Although she had never met them Alexis knew of Tony and Rob and how important they were in Steven and John’s life. For some reason Steven and John had always kept her away from that side of their lives. Steven never encouraged her to get to know them over the years, almost as if he wanted to keep them separate. Luckily both Tony and Rob were not with clients and they recognised Alexis as soon as she pushed open the front door. Following quick introductions, as if he knew why Alexis was there, Tony ushered her into his office and shut the door. She sat opposite Tony and Rob and explained what had happened over the last ten days and the discovery of the missing bikes. Immediately Alexis understood that they knew Steven and John were missing and that they were also concerned with the disappearance.

Rob began to explain, Steven and John had always let one of them know when they would be away from the house, for a night or even an hour. A message was always sent when they returned home, that’s how Tony knew they never arrived home ten days ago. Often, we are told before you, Rob told Alexis. Even when undercover or as Chalk and Cheese, Tony and Rob always knew where they were. This pattern started when they were kids, Tony explained, the boys would message them when they went out on jobs, returned from jobs, left the city and when they left or returned to the beach. This system had only ever failed three times, during the Hong undercover assignment, their bashing by the drug dealer and when Steven went to Radcliffe.

Alexis could tell by the tone of Tony’s voice and his body language that these failures, even though not his fault, ate at him and he felt enormous guilt that he could not protect Steven and John. From this brief conversation Alexis could tell how connected the four of them were and how important they were to each other. It occurred to her that these two men were probably the only ones who knew the complete story of Steven and John and Chalk and Cheese in detail. As Steven and John did, she found that she trusted them both completely.

Tony and Rob asked a few questions and then had Alexis ring Stella with further questions while they did something on the computer. They were still quietly discussing whatever they were doing on the computer when Alexis hung up the phone. As Alexis watched them she saw Tony’s face change. Whatever they found, now had him scared. He tried to alter his expression when he turned to Alexis and asked for Stella’s response to his questions, but it didn’t work, his face showed his fear. Tentatively Alexis told them that Stella was home till noon when she left for her studies and she heard nothing. Rob said that he was working in a building opposite the garage till eleven and he saw nothing, so whoever took the bikes did so between noon and four when the girls returned home. Tony punched at a few keys on the keyboard and then shook his head as the result was displayed. As Tony looked up and into Alexis’ eyes he jumped out of his chair, moved around the desk and pulled the other chair close to hers. He held his arms open and Alexis fell into them sobbing.

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

‘Although we have never met, I feel as though I know you. Steven and John talk about you all the time. There is no way they would leave you voluntarily, not without letting you know. Someone else is involved here,’ he said quietly.

Rob spoke forcefully, ‘we will find them and whoever is responsible for this!’ Rob paused then he asked if anyone had contacted Peter, ‘you do know their adopted father?’ he asked.

Alexis nodded and then shook her head as Tony hugged her tighter. ‘I know Peter, but I haven’t rung him yet,’ she said through her tears.

Rob moved away from the computer and placed his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands. Alexis pulled out of Tony’s arms and sat up in her seat. As she wiped away the tears from her cheeks she asked, ‘what did you find on the computer?’

Rob stopped rubbing his face and looked to Tony, who nodded. Rob didn’t beat around the bush, he told Alexis exactly what they had found. ‘John had written a tracking program, like a GPS, but one that cannot be manipulated, or so we thought. It had been installed in both their phones, Steven and John’s.’ Rob breathed a large sigh. ‘This program on their phones has been turned off. To be exact at 4.24pm the day they disappeared. Last position on the phone has them walking along this street about two blocks away.’ Rob pointed with his arm.

Alexis sat stunned as she took it all in, new tears ran down her cheeks. Tony reached over and held one of her hands as he continued with the news, ‘I just checked Chalk and Cheese’s phones, the program was switched off today, at 2.30pm. In your house.’ He let that sink in before he continued, ‘I checked the cameras, all footage from every camera for a three-hour period has been erased. From 12.30 to 3.30.’

‘Someone knew what they were doing,’ said Rob flatly. ‘I’ll ring Peter and have him come over to the house,’ said Rob as he left Tony’s office and went to his own office to make the call.

Tony and Alexis spoke for a short while. When she was somewhat calmer Tony and Rob walked with her back to the house. Tony reported that he had put an alert on the program should it be turned back on.

Peter arrived at the house shortly after Alexis, Tony and Rob. After the introductions Breanna was a bit confused as Tony and Rob seemed to know about her but she had no idea who they were or how they were connected to Steven and John. Peter knew of them and the business, but they had never met. Peter had also never met Stella and did not know how she fitted into Steven and John’s lives. It was left to Alexis to give a brief, summary of each’s relationship. Stella as street mother to Steven and John as teenagers, this just doubly and triply confirmed for Peter that the boys did make it back to the streets when they were living on the farm. For Breanna, Alexis told her that Steven and John owned the business of C & C Security with Tony and Rob, she said nothing more about their relationship. Breanna did not know Johns history or how many businesses he owned. That was up to John.

With Breanna and Stella, Alexis, Tony and Rob sat at the dining table explaining to Peter what had transpired during the last ten days. Peter was angry at first that they had not told him straight away. Tony and Rob told Peter all they knew from the security side and about the phones. Peter asked them all to put what they knew or had done in the past ten days in writing as statements would be needed if he was to begin a formal investigation. This was when Breanna learnt that he was a police officer. She had been listening intently to all the information being passed around the table and she was now more confused than ever.

Alexis was shocked to learn from Peter that Steven and John had resigned from the police force. They had resigned after the Queensland assignment and for fifteen months received their wages as they used up all their leave entitlements. Alexis realised that their resignations became official about fourteen or fifteen months ago, while they were dealing with the discovery of Paul Thompson and revelations of Radcliffe’s sharing of their abuse. She had not even thought about them working at the time all that was happening, and they had never mentioned work. Mind you they didn’t talk much at all during that period.

Tony and Rob showed no reaction, so it was obvious that they were privy to that information. Now Breanna was even more confused, she had no idea that they were police officers, and stunned to learn that they worked undercover. Listening to everyone’s concern about the disappearance and the possible involvement of criminals, Breanna felt the tears building. There was so much she did not know about John. She knew that she had told him that she didn’t need to know, especially if he was uncomfortable telling her, but at this table she was learning so many bits and pieces, nothing made sense.

For Alexis, it seemed that all aspects or parts of Steven and John’s lives were coming together, merging with Chalk and Cheese. The conversation around the table died down as everyone had said their piece and discussed a plan moving forward.

Breanna cleared her throat and asked, ‘who is Chalk and Cheese?’

Alexis looked at everyone sitting around the table before she met Breanna’s eyes. In those brief seconds, she decided to stay with the undercover story, explaining to Breanna that those were the names that Steven and John used when working undercover as police officers. Everyone around the table nodded, indicating by silent, mutual, agreement that that description would not be going against John.

Peter also expressed his concerns, giving their lifestyle and work history, what type of people could be involved in their disappearance. It shocked everyone when Peter said that for the eleven or so years since attending the police academy, Steven and John as Chalk and Cheese had spent nearly eight of those years undercover or in prison. Doing quick calculations, all around the table understood that most of their adult life has been spent in the criminal world. The list of suspects would be long and varied.

For Alexis and especially Breanna it explained why Steven and John were so concerned with security, both at home and their personal safety.

Getting his kit from the car Peter brushed fingerprint powder over the prints scanners and computers in the offices. The security system showed that it was Steven’s prints used to enter the house. That was confirmed by what Peter found with his fingerprint power, but he also found tiny bits of latex embedded in the keyboard for Steven’s computer. This made it obvious that a latex fingerprint had been used to gain entry to the house and computer system. Steven and John had not returned. Once Peter had finished, Tony and Rob removed Steven and John’s access to the security systems. If they returned home they would be denied access, this also meant that using latex prints, anyone else would also be denied. Before he left Peter asked about Chalk and Cheese’s clothing.

Alexis had not thought about the clothing, Peter followed her into the bedroom only to find that Chalk’s black clothing was gone. Explaining that Chalk and Cheese wore only black clothing and black beanies to a bewildered Breanna, she followed Alexis and Peter into the room she shared with John. Bending down to the bottom drawer, Alexis pulled it open only to find it empty. Even their black boots were gone. Steven and John had two sets of black clothing, black beanies, a black backpack and a flick knife, all of it was gone. This told everyone that whoever was involved with the disappearance were after Chalk and Cheese not Steven and John.

Listening to how everyone spoke about Steven and John and then Chalk and Cheese as if they were two different people told Breanna that there was probably more to the story than just names used when working undercover. Maybe Alexis would explain more when they were alone, Breanna hoped.

Call it a gut feeling, but at this stage Peter did not want the police involved. He felt that with his contacts along with Tony and Rob’s they would get a lead eventually. With the taking of the motorbikes and clothing, someone wanted to use Chalk and Cheese, they would emerge at some stage. Chalk and Cheese had a habit of being noticed.

Three weeks had past and still no word. Tony had made contact, with all his street friends and associates. Nothing! No one had seen Chalk and Cheese. No one had seen Steven and John. Taking the next step, Tony offered cash for any news. Through his contacts, the word spread, everyone was on the lookout for Chalk and Cheese. Tony made discreet enquiries within the security industry and with his police contacts, making it known that he wanted to make contact, with Steven and John. A harmless business venture, the lure. But not a single sighting was reported back to him. Peter also contacted some of the officers he trusted within the undercover unit but no one had seen or heard anything from Chalk and Cheese.

It was four months on when a rumour made its way to Tony’s ears. A sighting of Chalk and Cheese interstate. Following the lead, Tony met with a driver from one of the local bikie gangs. He was certain he saw them. It was only a fleeting glance but he was sure that it was Chalk and Cheese. In, of all places, a brothel in Canberra. The man wouldn’t say what he was doing, but he had made deliveries at several brothels and was sure he saw them at one, but now he couldn’t remember which one.

Tony contacted Peter and they planned a trip to Canberra. Max Bates and Aaron Smyth, ran through Peter’s mind. Peter did not believe that Bates would kidnap someone, but then, thinking about it, he wouldn’t put anything past Bates. He had no contacts there and didn’t want to tip Bates’s hand if he was involved, so he held off making contact, with the Federal Police Department.

For several days, they walked the streets with photos and made their presence known. If anyone knew of Chalk and Cheese they weren’t talking. Returning home disheartened, Tony, Rob and Peter went back to Canberra for three days every two weeks. Finally, a working girl from a brothel on the east side of the city confirmed their whereabouts. Well, sort of, but not exactly. She had seen them on the streets and knew they were working guys. She did not know what brothel Chalk and Cheese worked for, but knew it was in the centre of the city. At last Tony, Rob and Peter knew where to concentrate their search.

They found nothing during that visit, nor the next and each subsequent time returned home devastated. Tony, Rob and Peter were sitting at a café drinking coffee waiting for their taxi to the airport and home on the next visit when suddenly Rob kicked Tony under the table. The café was situated on a corner and had open doors onto both streets. Chalk and Cheese must have entered from the other street as they now exited from the doors on the street where the three men sat drinking their coffee. Peter went to stand but Tony’s hand on his arm stopped him. Chalk and Cheese, they knew it was them as they were dressed in black, so it wasn’t Steven and John they were looking at. Chalk glanced around at the tables on the footpath of the café, Cheese was just following behind and then they proceeded to walk away with take-a-away coffees in their hands. They gave no notion of recognition as their eyes moved over the tables. Tony, Rob and Peter watched them walk away and enter the chemist several doors away.

The three men quickly discussed the lack of recognition by Chalk and Cheese. Peter and Tony had to make the flight home due to Peter’s shifts at work and Tony had appointments the next day with clients at C & C Security. It was decided that Rob would stay and see what he could find out. As Chalk and Cheese exited the pharmacy Peter and Tony stepped into their taxi and Rob began to follow them. For three days Rob followed Chalk and Cheese but each day they lost him. Even if they did not remember him, they definitely remembered, their talent for losing anyone following them. The fourth day Rob never sighted them at all so he returned home. The one constant place they visited was the coffee shop and the chemist next door, so at least Rob was certain he would find them next time.

CHAPTER 2

Two weeks after Steven and John’s disappearance…

The man on the bed fought for control of his arm as he attempted to brush the long, very white blonde hair from his face. He opened his eyes, immediately closing them again as the sunlight sent a bolt of pain into his head that reverberated throughout his entire body. He shook involuntarily for several minutes until the pain subsided. A noise from the other side of the room caught his attention. Turning his head away from the window he opened one eye, just for a second. It didn’t hurt so much, so he tried it again. Through the slit of his eye he saw a person in white. A female, she was wearing a white dress, he could just make out her slim legs. The room darkened as she walked past and drew the curtains closed. Now, he could open both eyes.

‘Where …,’ his voice was scratchy. Clearing his throat, he tried again, ‘where am I?’

‘Welcome back,’ she smiled at him as she approached the bed. The man realised that he was lying in a bed, on his back. A thin sheet covered his naked body, shit, he thought, I’m naked under here. As the nurse walked closer he pulled the thin sheet up to his neck, he recognised a nurse’s uniform. For some reason, he felt at ease seeing a nurse. It hurt to move his eyes, his head felt heavy on the pillow, he tried to think, but his mind, his brain was hazy. The man had a lot of trouble focusing on anything, but the thought of a hospital went through his mind. What the fuck am I doing in a hospital, he wondered but found no answers.

Exiting the room without answering his question, the nurse said, ‘I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.’

Spending the next few minutes looking around the room, the man deducted that he was, definitely in, a hospital and in a shared room. Some guy in the other bed was asleep. The blond-haired man was very tired, as his eyes fluttered closed he watched a nurse approach the other man’s bed, the man seemed to be waking up.

The man in the second bed opened his eyes, saw a nurse standing over him, ‘what happened? Where is John?’, his voice low and raspy.

The bed was raised up above the horizontal by the nurse but she gave no response to his questions. From his raised position, he looked around the room, obviously a hospital room, he thought. A second bed on his right, a very blonde-haired person seemed to be sleeping, the body turned away. There was no recognition, the man couldn’t even remember his name or why he was in this bed, this hospital. His head pounded and his brain didn’t seem to want to function. He didn’t have the energy to ask any more questions. Closing his eyes his drifted back to sleep.

Several hours later the two men rose to consciousness again. With their beds upright, their heads lolled from side to side on the pillows. They briefly looked at each other before that vision was blocked by two nurses standing next to their beds. The blond-haired man just lay on his bed starring into space.

To the man in the second bed the blonde seemed to be out of it. The nurses replaced the empty bags on the IV stand, replacing them with two full ones. A pair of headphones hung on the IV stand. To the black-haired man that looked out of place, he wondered why headphones would be on an IV stand. Because he couldn’t make any sense of it he let it slip through his mind. All, of a sudden, the man felt sick, sweat poured from his body as he felt like vomiting. The nurse saw him dry retching, she lowered the bed slightly which immediately eased the sick feeling. Then with a cool cloth she wiped the sweat from his face and torso. Goosebumps appeared on his skin as he now began to shiver. The nurse covered his coffee coloured skin with a heated blanket and the shivering eased. She ran a hand through his jet black curly hair as he closed his eyes enjoying the warmth that enveloped him. He heard voices not far away but his brain wouldn’t work as he tried to make out the words.

Speaking softly, whispering, Federal Police Commissioner Maxwell Bates and Inspector Aaron Smyth stood just inside the darkened room observing the two men.

‘You can’t do that Max,’ whispered an angry Aaron Smyth.

‘You said it yourself, John is a zombie, but Steven still has some awareness.’ Bates replied.

Putting John through the program again could do irreversible damage,’ pleaded Smyth.

‘So!’ whispered Bates back at him with raised eyebrows. ‘How long to run the program again, twice?’

‘The damages those drugs will do. You can’t do that!’ Smyth said, his voice rising.

‘Steven asked for John, you heard him. How long to run the program twice?’ snapped Bates.

‘Eighty-eight hours for one cycle,’ Smyth answered, ‘I register my protest at administering two more cycles.’

Bates ignored him and called over the two nurses, ‘sedate them again.’

Bates watched the two nurses inject the sedative into the IV lines of the two men. As soon as their vital signs showed that both men were in their respective deep sleep cycles the nurses replaced the medical restraints and headphones. An additional strap to keep the head still and the headphones secure was added to the restrained bodies of the two men. The nurses connected other tubes and bags to take care of their bodily functions. Bates waited until the two nurses had added the second bag to the IV stand and connected its plastic hose to the feeding tube inserted in the men’s arm. Then he turned to Smyth and said, ‘see you back here in seven days and eight hours,’ as he did the quick calculations.

Seven days and eight hours later the medical restraints, the headphones, the waste bags and the second IV bags were all removed from the room. The two men were allowed, to return to consciousness.

Still groggy from the sedative the blonde man had no memory of waking up in this room a week ago. Lying flat on his back in the dark room, the man looked around. The movement of his eyes hurt, the pounding in his head magnified. Feeling sick he shut his eyes. His body was stiff, it hurt to move. Why was he here, he wondered, is it a hospital? Am I hurt? With his eyes closed he imagined every part of his body, groaning softly as he attempted to move each muscle. His body parts seemed be where they should be and seemed to work. He shivered, running his hands over his chest he realised he was cold. There was a sheet bunched up, sitting just above his groin. With a shaking hand, he opened his eyes and reached down for the sheet. Pulling it up over his body, he felt a pain in his arm. Raising his arm close to his face he saw bruising on the inside of his elbow and upper wrist. The other arm was the same. Opening his eyes wider he saw something else, needle marks, six or eight puncture marks on each arm. His immediate thought was ‘drugs’. He dropped his arms back on the bed, confused, he didn’t do drugs, not with needles anyway. How did he know that? He couldn’t think, it hurt too much, so the blonde-haired man closed his eyes and dozed off to sleep.

About forty-five minutes later a noise woke him. With the sheet around his neck the blonde-haired man was lying on his side with his knees tucked into his body, arms folded in front of him. The noise was coming from the second bed in the room. Opening his eyes slowly the blonde found he was facing that bed. The occupant was making a noise, not a groan, more like a protest type noise. Opening his eyes, he saw the man’s head rolling from side to side on the pillow. A few more seconds and the groaning stopped and the man stilled, his breathing steadied and he went back to sleep. With his face turned slightly towards him, the blonde could study his face. Fully awake now, the blonde looked, the man had long jet-black hair with tight curls. His face now peaceful as he slept. It seemed like he was also naked under the white sheet which lay at his waist. The blonde ran his eyes over the chest of the man, very fit, he thought as he studied the sculptured muscles on the chest, arms and stomach. The blonde was drawn to the man, he wanted to run his hands over that coffee coloured skin, he wanted to look, into his black eyes. A tingling in his groin was growing, lowering a hand he found that he was hard and erect. Fuck, he thought what am I doing, looking at another man like that? How the fuck do I know that he has black eyes, he’s asleep? Forcing his eyes off the body and back to the black-haired man’s face, his breathing quickened as his heart beat faster. Confused the blonde rolled over, moaning in pain as he moved. His muscles stiff, rolling until he was facing away from the second bed. This is ridiculous he said to himself. He allowed his body to settle, which it did eventually, but he was still drawn to the man in the other bed. The blonde rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Why am I here? Where am I, he thought as he stared at the white ceiling? His eyes followed the plastic tubing from his arm to an IV stand, hospital came to his mind. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the second bed. He must be waking up, no, I can’t look, he said to himself.

The black-haired man in the second bed woke and the first thought he had was pain. He tried to sit up, his arms hurt as he used them as leverage to raise his upper body. He lasted about four seconds before he fell back on the bed. His head felt like it was going to explode, sweat poured from his pores and he was going to vomit. Eyes closed he breathed deeply waiting for his body to settle. Very slowly he opened his eyes and ran them around the room. Heavy curtains drawn over the window kept the room in darkness. It looked like a hospital room, in fact it smelt like one too. Why, he wondered briefly? Why was he so sore, what the fuck happened? His brain wouldn’t work, he couldn’t think. He shivered, saw the sheet around his waist. Reaching down for it, he pulled it up under his arm pits. What’s that he wondered as something caught his eye? Lifting his head slightly off the pillow and raising his arm, as the two came together he saw bruising on his arm and needle marks. ‘Fuck’, he muttered under his breath. A memory came to him, he had stopped doing drugs, but he didn’t think he injected, did he? Christ, I can’t think straight. Pills, he thought, I do pills. How do I know that, why can’t I remember? Then it was gone and he couldn’t bring it back. His mind was blank. His attention was drawn to the other bed in the room. It was occupied by a man with very blonde, almost white hair. He was on his back just staring at the ceiling, he seemed out of it. The blonde turned his head towards him and for a fraction of a second their eyes met before the blond turned away. In that fraction of a second the black-haired man’s heart skipped a beat and then quickened. Even in the darkened room he saw the bluest blue eyes he had ever seen. My god, thought the black-haired man, he is beautiful. I love that face. Wait, his mind said, do I know him? A flicker of recognition, then nothing, the thought went nowhere. Fuck, it hurt to think, pain forced the man to close his eyes and he dozed off.

As soon as the black-haired man’s breathing became regular with sleep the blonde man turned towards him. Rolling on his side he felt comfort just looking at him. He soon closed his eyes and went back to sleep. About four hours later both men were awoken by noise in the room. Nurses were talking softly as they went about their duties. It was now pitch black and both men just saw shadows as they opened their eyes. The sedative had been removed completely from the IV bags and the nurses were injecting a new drug. One that would bring on symptoms of drug withdrawal. For another twenty-four hours or so the men drifted in and out of sleep as the sedative worked its way out of their bodies.

Sunlight streamed in through the open curtain compounding the pain in their heads. The two men were awake and lying on their backs. The nurses raised the top portion of the beds until their torsos were raised up, but not quite sitting. Sweat poured from their bodies, but they shivered and shook. Their heads pounded and their bodies were stiff. The nurses were wiping their bodies with warm sponges and drying them with fluffy towels. Then they were covered with heated blankets. Two more were needed to stop the shaking.

Federal Police Commissioner, Maxwell Bates stood outside the room. He was nervous, was three weeks enough? The staff assured him that both men were confused and showed signs of amnesia – as was planned.

The blonde man suddenly began to moan, he was in pain. Pounding in his head, cramps in his stomach, sweat poured from him despite the blankets. He couldn’t stay upright. The pain was unbearable. He rolled onto his side and slid down the bed, drew his knees up and crossed his arms over his stomach. His body shook and he was going to be sick. A nurse entered and placed a bowl next to his head. ‘Oh, god, stop the pain’ he mumbled.

Outside the room, Bates smiled. He waited for the black-haired man to be in a similar position before he entered the room.

Bates entered to see both men curled up in the foetal position, their bodies racked in pain. ‘Welcome back,’ he said in his most upbeat tone.

A pair of blue eyes and a pair of black eyes just stared at him blankly. Bates nodded to the nurses. ‘Your pain will ease shortly,’ he said as the nurses injected something into the IV line.

As soon as the stomach cramps lessoned and the shaking eased the black-haired man asked, ‘who the fuck are you?’

‘I am your boss,’ replied Bates. There was no reaction from the two men lying curled up in the beds. ‘Federal Police,’ stated Bates. Still no reaction from either man. ‘the staff said you may have amnesia.’

Eyes filled with water, tears of pain slowly rolled down his cheeks, the blonde man whispered, ‘who am I?’

Bates approached his bed, ‘you are Jack Cheese, and this is your partner’, Bates pointed to the other bed, ‘Stefan Chalk.’ Two blank faces stared at Bates, ‘and you two are my best agents.’

‘I need a fucking Doctor. I’m in pain and why do we have amnesia?’ spat Cheese between groans.

Bates ignored him and looked to the less vocal Chalk, ‘the nurses gave you medication to ease your pain, it will kick in shortly.’

Chalk viewed Bates with suspicion in his eyes, sweat ran down his face, he wiped it away with shaking hands. He began to dry retch. There was no food in his stomach, the cramps returned and he tried to curl up into a tighter ball.

Bates was talking but neither man was taking much notice. He was saying something about their work and the case they were currently working on. But none of it made any sense, both their brains were fried. Eventually he stopped talking and just stood watching them. Slowly the minutes dragged by and the pain eased, the cramps and shaking stopped. Both men were now able to sit back up in their reclined beds.

‘What happened?’ asked Cheese, ‘and why do we have amnesia,’ finished Chalk.

Bates grimaced, they were still able to finish each other’s sentences. Bates raised his voice and took on a stern tone, ‘I am disappointed in both of you. Seems you have been using, again. And heavily by the look of the needle marks.’

Chalk and Cheese instinctively looked at the inside of their arms that were crossed over their chests. Multiple needle marks clearly visible.

‘That’s against policy and the terms of your employment,’ Bates continued, ‘but I guess I should have expected some sort of setback.’

Chalk and Cheese look at him blankly.

As a way of explanation Bates said, ‘I found you on the streets, I moulded you, I trained you to become the best agents that you are.’ Maybe a guilt trip will work, thought Bates. ‘However, it also explains the changes in your behaviour recently.’

Chalk and Cheese looked at each other briefly before turning back to Bates.

‘You’ve missed schedules appointments, given sloppy reports or, none, at all.’ Bates put his hand in his jacket pocket and produced two photos. He placed a photo in each of the men’s laps. He walked between the beds and tapped the photo, ‘it might explain why you find yourself in here with amnesia.’

Chalk and Cheese looked briefly at the photo and then picked it up and studied it more closely.

‘Wrapped your car around a tree. Came in here full of drugs,’ said Bates crossly.

‘When?’ asked Cheese.

‘Eight days ago,’ Bates replied.

Chalk immediately looked at the needle marks on his arms, if we have been here eight days why do these look so fresh, he thought. As he tried to think on it further, it was gone. Try as he might the thought was gone. Chalk picked up the photo again. It was defiantly a car wrapped around a tree but that was the only thing it showed. The car was in too many pieces for it to be identified, there was no way