“Exactly, luv.”
Alfie tittered. “Should’ve seen the penis extension he was driving before he got the Range!”
“Shut your mouth, blud!”
“I didn’t bring a phone,” said Happy, tossing in only a wallet and a set of keys. “It broke down months ago, and I didn’t bother replacing it. I still prefer to view the world with my own eyes instead of through a screen.”
Cheryl smiled. It was a nice philosophy, but she wasn’t sure she could cope without her phone. Even with few friends, she had it on her constantly — if only to keep pictures of her father close by. She pulled it out of her coat pocket now, along with the small purse she kept her cards in, and prepared to discard it. She expected it to be a freeing act but anxiety took over, and she worried if she should call her mother and let her know she’d arrived safely.
No! She can cope without me for an afternoon. It won’t kill her. I’m here to have fun.
Cheryl tossed her belongings into the basket and stepped back. Everyone eventually gathered at the muddy patch of ground where Leo had parked his car. She wasn’t great with car badges, but she thought it was a Mazda or a Hyundai. Sitting between the Bentley and Range Rover, it looked rather common.
Alfie threw his dogend on the ground and stamped on it, then flicked a few loose strands of slick black hair behind his ear. “So what now?”
John turned on the spot. Once he’d completed a full circle, he grunted. “I’m not entirely sure.”
Maggie was rubbing at her shoulders and shivering, even though she was more warmly dressed than the rest of them. “Are they watching us, d’you think?”
Leo frowned. “What, like, hidden cameras?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“I don’t see any.”
“I was told not to expect help,” said John. “but I thought they would at least meet us here, or keep an eye on things. What if something goes wrong? They must be watching.”
Cheryl kept hearing a word, and she asked about it now. “Can I just ask who they are exactly?”
John cleared his throat and looked at his gleaming gold watch impatiently. “They are an events company, and they already explained that the game would be very hands-off as far as supervision went. We’re supposed to come together as a team and work this all out. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
Cheryl nodded. It made sense. “Okay, so how did you find this company in the first place?”
“Actually, they contacted me. They do corporate functions and want Alscon to sign up for an account. One of their reps came by the office and offered us a weekend free of charge as a way of showing what they can offer.”
“So, this isn’t costing the company anything?” said Maggie. “What about the hotel?”
“All part of the deal.”
“Oh.” Maggie seemed dejected. “I don’t feel treated anymore.”
“Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it has no value,” said Happy. “The fun we’ll have shall be no less.”
“What fun?” Alfie huffed. “We’re standing in the mud like spare pricks at attention. It’s cold, man. Is this company even legit? I’m getting a bad vibe about this.”
“Yes, they’re legit,” snapped John. “I had Happy check everything out. It’s all above board.”
Everyone looked at Happy who shrugged his shoulders innocently. “They had a website and an address. The business checked out with Company’s House, too, when I checked. I even called their head office and made some enquiries. This is all just part of the game. I know it feels odd but leaving our comfort zone is exactly what this weekend is about. We should embrace it.”
“Whatever, man.” Alfie rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get on with it because my nuts are freezing.”
Cheryl nodded in agreement. She’d already taken to cuddling herself to stay warm, but it wasn’t enough to keep out the morning chill. An icy sheen coated the steel frameworks of the farm buildings. This was supposed to be about escaping a room, so why were they standing out in the wilderness?
“Hey, bruh!” Monty shouted up at the tin roof of the hay store. “Whoever’s in charge of this thing, help us out, yeah? We’ve placed all our stuff in the basket. Now what?”
Nobody replied. Cheryl saw no cameras. It didn’t feel like anyone was watching.
A car alarm went off. Distant.
Leo frowned. “That isn’t coming from our cars.”
“It’s coming from the fields,” said Happy, pointing yonder with a great big grin on his face.
“It’s the next step,” said John. “We follow that sound and see what we find.”
Leo took off into the field, leaving the others with no choice but to follow. “Last one there has an STD!”
Once again, Cheryl wished she’d worn a pair of boots, but there was nothing she could do about it now.
Monty yelled. “Hold up! Shit, man, I’m wearing Gucci loafers.”
Cheryl had to cover her mouth to keep from sniggering. Fortunately for Monty, the mud fell away to thick grass and their footing grew surer. The deeper they headed into the field, the louder the car alarm became. After a minute, it caused them to cover their ears.
“We must be close,” said Maggie, pressing her mittens against her ears. “I’m getting a headache.”
John rolled his eyes. “Try to enjoy yourself, Maggie. You told me you were up for this.”
Cheryl followed right behind but couldn’t make out what Maggie muttered to John in reply. Were the two of them still carrying on in secret? Or was there a grudge developing? They seemed intolerant of one another.
Proof you shouldn’t shit where you eat.
“The alarm is coming from here,” said Leo, wheeling around and looking in every direction. “We’re right on top of it, I swear.”
The grass was particularly long where they now stood, and it left Cheryl with wet jeans around her ankles. She kicked at great clumps of greenery to get at the dirt beneath for, like Leo, she also was certain they were right on top of the noise. A few seconds later, she found something hidden beneath the grass. Or, more to the point, she tripped on something hidden in the grass. Her ankle struck an obstacle and she stumbled. Happy had to reach out and steady her. She thanked him.
“A rope,” said Leo, pointing at what had tripped her. “There’s a rope on the ground.”
Monty shuffled over and inspected the ground, then reached down and pulled up the rope with both hands. A great length of it erupted from the earth, tossing up clumps of mud and grass. Inch by inch, Monty slid his hands along the rope, shuffling along and trying to find its origin. All the while, the car alarm continued blaring.
Maggie moaned. “Please shut that wretched thing off.”
Alfie pushed his scarf up over his nose and mouth to stay warm. “I don’t see a car anywhere.”
“It has to be here,” said Leo.
Monty reached the end of the rope and alerted the others so that they gathered around. The rope was attached by a hook to something buried in the grass. Monty tugged it twice tentatively, then followed it up with a good hard yank. The ground erupted, and mud and grass spilled over his loafers, making him dance. “Sod it!”