NO ESCAPE

NO ESCAPE 

By Jane Scoggins

Jackie was glad that she had pre-booked her ticket on the train from Newcastle to Kings Cross as it was already pretty full when she got on. A lot of holidaymakers and tourists coming back from the Edinburgh Tattoo perhaps. Settling down at her window seat with a book, she anticipated a good uninterrupted read on the three hour journey. The seat next to her was quickly taken by a young girl who she guessed was a student. They briefly acknowledged each other with a smile before the girl attached earphones to her mobile phone. The sound almost noiselessly emanating Jackie recognised as the voice of Ed Sheeran. They sat in silence until Durham when the girl got off. An elderly gentleman replaced her in the newly vacated seat. He smelled faintly of peppermints. He nodded off almost as soon as the train started moving. He reminded Jackie of a contented baby asleep in a car seat. Not that she knew anything about babies really. She was not married and had no children. Well not yet. Time for that. First, she had to meet Mr Right. She did not want to dwell on this, and quickly got back into her book and was soon totally absorbed in Jack Reacher. The elderly gentleman had finished his catnap by York, in time to organise himself to get off 20 minutes later at Doncaster. The seat beside Jackie remained empty until Peterborough when a flurry of activity on the platform resulted in quite a lot of people getting onto the train. The majority had football scarves and hats, and were all in jovial mood with cans of beer. Must be a game on London way Jackie surmised. Disinterested, she returned to her book, shut herself off from the chatter and lowered her head to the page. The plot was getting exciting and she was quickly reabsorbed in the story. Soon after the train left the station, Jackie was aware of someone sliding into the seat beside her. Not wanting to be distracted she did not turn to look directly at the passenger, but briefly looked sideways to see if it was a man or woman. She did not raise her sight higher than waist level to see the person’s face but enough to know it was a man wearing good quality trousers and fashionable leather shoes, and smelled faintly and pleasantly of lemons. The lower arms were encased in the sleeves of a dark puffa type jacket, and the hands elegantly slim, with well manicured nails. The man put a black canvas bag at his feet. Such beautiful hands Jackie thought I wonder if he plays the piano? So lovely were his hands that she felt too shy to raise her eyes to his face, in case that too was as attractive and he would see her blush.

After a few minutes, when Jackie had returned to her reading, the man leaned-in slightly towards her, and in a soft voice in a foreign accent said

  '' I have a gun, so don't move, don't speak, don't scream. Stay still and silent''

   Turning slowly to meet his gaze, Jackie was shocked to see his face. It was neither beautiful or handsome as she had anticipated. His dark eyes were cold and his lips had a cruel twist. His jaw was set in a way that compounded her rising terror. Her slight involuntary move away prompted him to push something hard and gun like into her side between the adjoining seats. Surprised she was able to speak at all, and in her shock momentarily forgetting his hushed words to keep silent, she ventured in a whispered stammer

  '' What do you want?''

   ''Nothing. Just sit tight until we get to Kings Cross. I will tell you what to do''

    He paused before continuing in a thick measured possibly eastern European accent. He was cool,  professional, coldly dominant.

     '' You will walk with me from the train when we arrive at Kings Cross, and then with me through the barrier. I will hold your arm as if we are friends, or partners, and you will say nothing, and will not draw attention in any way at all. I will tell you what to do after that. Just be ready to do exactly what I tell you, and when I tell you. If you do not follow these instructions I will shoot you dead and let you drop to the floor, and walk away amidst the crowds. The gun has a silencer so you see it will be very easy for me. I have used a gun many times before, I am very good, and very accurate.

So do not think for one minute, or even one second, that I will not do it.''

He smiled with menace close to her face, to confirm his confidence and his intent, leaving Jackie under no misapprehension that he would not carry out his threat. To make sure that the horrified young woman was crystal clear about his intentions he pulled the gun away slightly from her side, enough to give Jackie a glimpse of the weapon, and confirm to her that it really was a gun. He then pushed it more purposefully back into her side.

To maintain Jackie’s terror the man continued to whisper cruel threats, and to describe tortures and rape. Jackie had no idea whether any of this was to be his intention for her, or whether he was just enjoying the gratification of telling her and to watch the terror on her face.

 As the train got nearer to London Kings Cross railway station Jackie’s thoughts turned to the canvas bag at their feet. Did it contain a bomb she wondered? Was this man a terrorist? What was going to happen to innocent people milling about in their hundreds on Kings Cross station when they arrived arm in arm, him carrying a canvas bag in one had and a gun in the other pressed into her side and ready to shoot her and maybe others, dead. She tried not to think of her family, her dear kind parents and her sister. They would be devastated. So frozen with fear she could do nothing but sit rigidly in her seat and wait for instruction from her captor, and pray to God that she, and possibly others would be spared a terrible ending.

As the train pulled into one of the largest busiest railway stations in the country, there were so many passengers getting their belongings and suitcases ready to get off as soon as the train stopped at the platform, that no one noticed as the man helped the woman from her seat and with bag in hand guided her like a friend or lover from the train, and along the crowded platform towards the barrier, tickets ready. Jackie moved as in a dream. The man reminding her constantly to look ahead, not speak or draw attention. His grip on her arm was vice-like just in case she tried to pull away or faint in terror. He continued to steer her zombie like through a crowd of football fans even when they were through the barrier. No one took any notice of them, Jackie felt completely invisible. In such shock and fear as she was, and had been for the last hour, it was a few seconds before she realised when the vice like grip had loosened. In fact it had gone. Standing still she realised that the man beside her had disappeared, somehow melted into the chaotic throng of passengers on the station concourse. Still unable to move, and terrified of the man’s return or what he had gone to do, Jackie remained motionless for sometime. Then turning slowly on the spot she looked around her. She could not see him, but dare she move. After a minute she moved slowly away to stand by a group of people checking a timetable. After some time and feeling a bit more brave about observing her surrounds she saw a Community Police Officer but did not feel safe enough to approach him initially. Eventually she attracted his attention when he walked close by, but was still in so much shock she didn't know what to say, or how to say it. Realising the woman was upset or traumatised, he guided her to a quiet area and in faltering words of one syllable Jackie indicated her situation. The police officer quickly escorted her to a private office and phoned for help to interview her. This all took some time and although officers were dispatched, the man Jackie had described had long gone from the station. He had disappeared. Even CCTV was not helpful. The man was clearly a professional and knew how to camouflage himself and cover his tracks.

  Six months on and the man had not been found or even identified. Jackie remained in an acutely anxious state from her ordeal, knowing he was still out there. Taking medication and receiving counselling Jackie was unable to return to her job. Instead, she took part time work in a small office where she could walk to and from avoiding the use of public transport. She knew that for some time to come she would not escape her fears. Looking for Mr Right was put on hold.

Copyright Jane Scoggins