³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Crash. Splintering wood. Everywhere. The doors bursts open. Thump. A shattering sound as a rifle is hurled against a window. Glass raining down. Pain. Blood everywhere, all over the floor.

'You're under arrest...' A British voice. A man comes in, gun pointed at my head. Hopeless. No escape here. Better put up with it. Pray you're lucky. Good old saying. Better born lucky than rich. You're telling me.

Hand on my arm. Daisy. 'I'll be back soon lass,' I say. Get a thump over the head for that. Daisy cries, and I'm marched out of the room. Hordes of them. Everywhere they are. In the street, in the houses. Security checks too. Takes twice as long to get anywhere, it does. Think we're all terrorists. Rubbish.

The street is busy. Lots of them like me. Faces contorted with pain. Fear in the air. Expectancy. We've all heard the stories. Torture. Call it interrogation. Load of tosh. Or whatever they'd call it. Sense probably.

Big trucks on the road. To get over the blockades. Lots of barbed wire. Don't see why they bother. Sure, they could just leave us be. Cars are armoured as well, of course. Couldn't have their precious men getting killed now, could they?

Ouch. Guy next to me gets a rifle over the head. Out cold on the street, and if it isn't a freezing day... Gotta tread carefully. Stay in line. Do as they say. Up to a point anyway. I'm not gonna let them boss be around too much. Sure, a man's got pride.

Load us into trucks they do. Like we're cattle. It's them who's the animals. See my friend being shoved into another truck. 'Tommy!' Another thump on me head. See stars. Whack. I'm falling now. Darkness. Relief.

Wake up in a cell. Under guard. Got a terrible headache. Roaring in my ears. Everything's moving. Groan. Guard comes in. He's got a rifle in his hand. Points it at me. He's got violent eyes, dark and brooding. Angry. Groan again. He smiles. Thinks he'll be able to get information out of me.

'There's a hard way or an easy way to get this over with.' Darn man again. Hate his voice. Gotta be the easy way. Sure I'm beat. Don't fancy more. Just want to get home. See Daisy again. Love that kid. Always smiling. Candle in the darkness. May God watch over her forever.

So the easy way. Inform? Never! Sure, I'm no informer. Get killed for that, you can. Hard way then. Sigh. Half an hour to make up my mind. Decide in a moment. Sleep on it. Darn headache.

Someone shaking me. Him again. Wants an answer. I tell him. Give him the two names. Most well known ones. Cheeky. Damn! Shouldn't have done that. He's angry. Very. Here it is. A fist coming my way. Duck, try and jump sideways. Not a chance when you're hands and feet are tied. Thump. In the jaw. Pain. Blood trickling down my neck. Something bright in his hand, shining. Hey! This is supposed to be interrogation. Not murder.

Don't know much more. Throbbing all over. Head aching, real bad. Blood everywhere, in my mouth, in my hair, on the concrete beneath me. Think I'm dead, except the dead don't feel pain. So I'm alive. Just.

Hear a voice. Distant and distorted. Words all mangled.

'Now shall we try again?'

I open my eyes. By now I know who it will be. He's smiling. Victory. And he's got me now. Say their names like I don't care, but it won't fool him. He knows.

Lets me go now. Can't even walk. Get someone to carry me. Tommy. There's blood on his face, a gash on his cheek. Sadness and fury in his eyes. Can't believe it.'Animals,' he hisses. I don't really hear. Everything is cold. Darkness coming for me again. Let it. Welcome sleep. Drifting away from the pain. Then nothingness.

Open my eyes. Room's dark. Don't know where I am. No one else in here. I'm alone. Frightening thought. Curtains are drawn across the window. Breeze coming in though. Windows must be smashed. Move my head towards it. Wish I hadn't. See stars again. Painful. Don't know why. Can't remember.

Door opens. Daisy. Smile through the pain. Pretend you're okay. Can't have the little lass getting scared.

'Mummy! Daddy's awake!' she cries. Holly comes in. She's smiling but she looks worried. She comes over with Daisy, sits on the bed, rests a hand on my shoulder. Grimace. That hurts. Don't know what's wrong with me.

'What happened?' I ask. Voice is weak. Scarcely a whisper.

'Tommy brought you home.' Hits me then. All comes back. Feel tears in my eyes. Can't cry here. Not in front of Daisy. Holly understands, shoos her away. Finally let it out. Sobbing. Can't speak for tears. Don't need to, not really. Injuries speak for me. Pain all over. Close my eyes. Light headed. Pounding headache. Not surprised.

Run out of tears. Eyes swollen and puffy. Tell her the story. Slowly. Feel her sadness. Don't need it, got enough myself. Could do with a good drink. Drown my sorrows. No chance in this state though. Got to rest. Yawn. Tired. Almost asleep before I even realise. Holly leaves me to rest. Darkness as she closes the door. Then I'm asleep.

Epilogue

3 months later. Walking down the sunlit street with Holly. Daisy between us, her blue eyes sparkling. Mischief. Love her to bits though. She looks up at me and smiles. A happy smile. Her small hand in mine. Full of energy, skipping along. Love the new house. Love the new town. Love the new life.

Smile. What's the secret of happiness. A mystery eh? Just got to remember: Yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, so make the most of today!