replace with Shari’ah as soon as you Americans gone,’ replied Farid defiantly. ‘Your ways are not ours.’
Andy could see the exchange between the two men was going to escalate quickly, particularly given how strung out they all were. He pulled himself up to his feet and walked over, uneasily, wondering how he was going to calm him down.
‘Mike,’ he interrupted quietly. ‘Take it easy. I don’t think he means “nothing” in the same way we’d mean it. It’s a language thing.’
‘Yeah, right,’ he smiled dryly. ‘Tell you what, why don’t I just hand over this gun to him, or one of his little buddies? You heard him . . . we’re nothing to him, just vermin. You think that’s a good idea? Think your little old friend here will stand shoulder to shoulder with you?’
‘Look,’ Andy replied, ‘this isn’t helping anyone, Mike. Like it or not, Farid and these two boys are in this mess alongside us. They’re here because they’re just as big a target as we are. Think about it! They’re LECs - locally employed civilians. If the insurgents out there get hold of them, they’ll be made an example of. You can bet on that.’
Mike looked at him. ‘You trust them?’
Andy shrugged. He wasn’t sure what answer he could honestly give; trust them or not, they were all in the same boat right now.
CHAPTER 19
8.21 a.m. GMT UEA, Norwich
Leona smiled.
Two nights in a row now.
It was definitely looking very promising. She had half-expected Dan to make up some excuse yesterday, about not being able to get together again last night. Most lads his age were like that.
Break the glass, grab the goodies and run.
But it seemed not Dan. She hated leaving him this morning, dashing out whilst he was still stretched out and dozy in his messy bed. Staying over at his place hadn’t exactly been planned, and now she had to scurry over to her rooms on campus to get her books before today’s first lecture. It was only halfway back up the Watton Road entrance to the UEA grounds that she remembered she had left her phone switched off.
It rang as soon as she switched it on.
‘Leona?’
‘Dad?’
‘For crying out loud, Mum and me have been trying to get hold of you all morning. Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Listen, your mum and I have talked. We both want you to go get Jake and go home.’
‘You mean because of those riots?’
‘Yes.’ He sounded tired and stressed.
Leona ground her teeth with frustration.
Not now. Please, not now.
‘Dad, I’m right in the middle of some really important assignments, ’ she replied.
And I’ve finally landed Daniel, don’t let’s forget that.
‘Leona, I’m not going to argue with you, love.’
Love. Leona rolled her eyes. God that was irritating, Dad only called her that when he was about to blow off steam, like some flipping primeval volcano; annoying actually, rather than intimidating.
‘Look Dad, I’m not—’
‘SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN!’ his voice barked furiously.
Leona recoiled. The phone nearly slipped out of her hand on to the ground.
‘YOU WILL do as Mum said. Leave now, pick up Jake, go home, and get as much tinned food as you can.’
Leona was stunned into silence. Now, all of a sudden, sensing things had become serious.
‘Are we going to have riots over here?’ she asked. ‘I heard something on the radio yesterday about—’
‘Yeah, it may happen. Food shortages, power shortages, all sorts.’
His voice sounded stretched and thin, and worried - frightened even. She had heard that sort of fear in his voice once before, years ago.
‘Dad, did you get my email?’
‘What?’
‘My email. I sent it on Friday?’
‘What? Yeah . . . yeah I got it, but what’s—’
‘I saw one of those men on TV, Dad. One of those men I saw in New York.’
There was a pause, although she could hear a lot of noise in the background. Voices shouting and banging like someone hitting a nail with a hammer.
‘I’m not sure we should talk about this, Leona. Not over the phone.’
‘Why?’
Another long pause.
‘Leona, please just get your brother, and go home. Buy as much food and water as you can.’
In the background she heard voices rising in timbre; several of them, loud, insistent.
‘Dad? What’s going on?’
And then she heard the staccato sound of hammering again, more of it joining in.
‘Leona!’ Dad shouted, his voice distorted by the noise. ‘Leona! I’ve got to go now!’
She’d never heard him sound like that, not ever. Angry a few times, but never like that.
‘Dad! What’s going on?’ she replied, her