Part   Seventeen   "Coast To Coast"

 
Monday 5th December 2016 (Continued)
 

Tammy had a fair idea what the message meant, even if it was a bit obtuse for Dave Brown.

"Sir, are you certain it was Dave who called?"

"I am, I started as a boy here when he was in the sixth form. He came back most years on reunion days."

"What about his phone number?"

"He called through the switchboard and no number was logged."

"Okay, I'll have to travel South, but I need a valid and veritable reason, one that would stand up to scrutiny."

"This week?"

"Yes."

"There is a private education exhibition in London, hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society at the Lawrence Hall in South West London, would you care to attend that?"

"That would put me in the right area? How do I get a ticket?"

"We're sent a pair every year but seldom manage to get anyone to go, I suggest you take both tickets."

"Thank you, but why are you doing this?"

"Because it's clearly something that you need to do and I can tell that you are troubled."

"Too true!"

"Okay, Tammy, go home. I'll have Janet confirm your and Dave's attendance on Thursday and Friday, then we'll email you the details."

"Please don't email me, I'll remember."

Tammy escaped from St Andrews school just before the final bell went and as such wasn't seen by too many. She was entering dangerous territory and didn't know whether to trust Dave Brown or not.

Her father was indoors when she walked in.

"I'm going to be away for a few days, I'll be in the smoke from Thursday."

"London? Why, Tammy?"

"Mike has just asked me to attend a educational exhibition on his behalf."

"That's a bit short notice?"

"He knew last week but walked to speak to me today, it seems someone pulled out?"

"I remember him mentioning this exhibition a month or so back, I don't recall any names being put forward?"

"Whatever, I'm available and I'd like to get out of town for a few days."

"More hassle?"

"Yes, but Jeremiah and the university are dealing with it."

"Okay, don't bottle it up in yourself."

"I won't, I'll go to the Uni in the morning but I want to head South on Wednesday morning."

"How?"

"Let's just say I want to travel as quietly and incognito as possible, for a quiet life you understand?"

"So security checks at airports are out?"

"Correct."

"I spoke to John at Wick Airport earlier, we are collecting a passenger from Aberdeen on Wednesday morning around ten if that helps?"

Tammy checked the train times. "There's a direct service to Kings Cross just before ten that morning."

"Okay, I'll have Jim pick you up here, he's the pilot allocated to the Aberdeen job."

"Thanks, Dad."

Richard paused and waited until Tammy was about to head upstairs. "Now, are you really going to the exhibition?"

"Maybe."

"Can you tell me the real reason?"

"Sorry, no."

Tammy went to book her train tickets then realised she shouldn't leave a paper trail. There was a risk that she'd be seen at Aberdeen or on the train but there were few ways out of the Highlands.

She called the salon, Debbie answered.

"It's Tammy, any chance of an appointment tomorrow?"

"We have nine in the morning or three thirty in the afternoon, nothing else I'm afraid. How much do you need doing?"

"Colouring."

"That's not a quick job, let me check with mum?"

"Okay, Debbie."

Tammy waited for a minute, wondering if she should hang up and call back?

"Hi Tammy, Sandy here."

"Oh, hi."

"Look, I can't fit you in for a colour but Tanya can do the colour and I'll have you at three thirty for a cut?"

"Beggars can't be choosers?"

"Hey, that's my daughter you're talking about!"

"Okay Sandy, what time?"

"Two thirty."

"See you then."

Tammy checked that her bedroom door was locked then pulled the steel box out of her wardrobe. She hadn't opened it for several weeks and struggled for a moment to remember the combination.

One piece of advice she'd been given during a recent training course was to have the means to travel under the radar, inside the box was a purse holding £500 cash as well as the documents for her latest alternative identity - Rebecca Simpson.

She changed the combination, as per security instructions and locked the box, she didn't need the money or the equipment yet.

Next, she booked a flight from Inverness to London Stansted for Thursday morning, returning on Saturday using her usual credit card; it was time to start laying a few false trails. The choice of Inverness was simple, it was within driving range and there were many more flights from there than out of Wick. She chose a hotel near Earls' Court and booked for the two nights.

She walked down to speak to her father as the secure phone rang in the study, Tammy answered it whilst also trying to open the office safe.

"Hello?"

"Can you go secure?"

"Hang on, I need both hands."

Tammy recognised the voice and wondered if it was a social call.

"Okay Suzie, we're secure."

"Are you planning to come down here soon?"

"Why?"

"Jenny is putting out a travel advisory."

"Well I've been asked to attend an educational exhibition on behalf of St Andrews. It's on Thursday and Friday of this week."

"Have you booked?"

"Of course, I'm coming down on Thursday afternoon and returning on Saturday."

"Did Pru book it?"

"No, she's not here today and I was only asked today to do it, so quite last minute."

"Okay, Tammy, keep your phone on in case there's a travel advisory?"

"Sure, I'm keeping an eye on the weather too, naturally!"

Tammy pulled the key out of the secure phone, cutting the call. She hadn't liked fibbing to her sister but then it was likely Suzie hadn't been told the whole story.

Dinner and the rest of her missing coursework beckoned.

 
Tuesday 6th December 2016
 

There was another lecture this morning, with Donald Templeton taking it. Tammy again sat near the front but couldn't detect any issues from Lorna or the two boys who had caused her stress the day before.

The lecture was addressing a theme of how society itself had changed the laws of Scotland, and the rest of the United Kingdom, forcing the law makers to listen to the public rather than being told what was best for them. One key example were the suffragettes of Edwardian England making the issue so hot that women, at least those over the age of thirty, could have the right to vote. Of course that law has changed since then several times.

Tammy considered how odd it would have been, she'd been legally male on her eighteenth birthday and as such had the right to vote in local, national and European elections but if as a woman she had to wait another twelve years?

As they headed out for a coffee break, before a seminar on the same topics, Tammy was followed into the ladies loo by Lorna.

"Look bitch!" She screamed, "I can't see my boyfriend and I got hauled into the Principal's office yesterday because of you!" She went to push Tammy but two more girls came in so Tammy dived into a cubicle.

Tammy quickly finished what was necessary but grabbed two sprays out of her bag before flushing the loo. A hand had snaked under the partition and grabbed Tammy's leg although nothing was being said.

Tammy uncapped both sprays, held her breath and very lightly pressed both, aiming at floor level by the partition. She quickly exited and washed her hands, exhaling slowly as walked away..

She was in a queue for coffee when a first aider was seen running into the ladies loo, and Lorna was helped out a few minutes later, by which time an ambulance had arrived. Comments heard around Tammy suggested Lorna had a panic attack.

The two lads were subdued when they reached the seminar room, pausing to let Tammy by, she wondered if Lorna was the driving force in this abuse aimed at herself? Without her, the boys seemed quite meek.

The session was good and constructive, although they had moved onto the abolition of slavery and then the ban on smoking in pubs, stores and so on. It was a lively discussion with views from all sides, in the case of smoking anyway, and Tammy left the room at lunchtime in a positive mood.

She found Donald Templeton in his office.

"Ah, Tammy, any trouble today?"

"None at all, I quite enjoyed this morning."

"Excellent, now what can I do for you?"

Tammy explained the invite she'd been given and how she'd be absent later in the week.

"I don't believe you're needed tomorrow so we're only talking about one session on Thursday?"

"Indeed."

"Considering that you are up to date, and I have no doubt you'll submit the next work on time, I think we can accommodate your invitation."

Tammy found James waiting for her.

"Done for the day?"

"Yes, why?"

"Darling Tammy, how about lunch?"

"I fancy Italian?"

"Buona idea, signorina!"

"Not too bad, are you learning Italian?"

"No, I just remembered those words in case you ever said you fancied going to the Italian restaurant!"

Tammy lightly slapped him, they parted company so each could drive into town, heading for the convenient port carpark, a short walk from their destination.

 
Wednesday 7th December 2016
 

Tammy was up early to shower and start packing her bags as she'd run out of energy the evening before. Her new hair colour, now a very deep auburn, had surprised Joan at dinner but Angela had just shrugged and Richard had simply nodded when he'd seen her.

Tammy had a feeling Angela was getting ready for a few changes in her life as it was now two years since Tim had morphed into Angela. Tammy tried to broach the subject at breakfast.

"Has Professor Roberts given his go-ahead?"

"Why?"

"I worry about you."

"Really, Tammy, you've barely said a word to me for weeks."

"I've been busy, the play and everything. It didn't stop me being concerned for you, though."

"Yeah, sorry, my surgery is next week."

"Next week? How come I didn't know?"

"Well, you hardly told me when you were going under the knife? AND that was over a year earlier than it should have been! By the time I found out you'd had the surgery you'd already road-tested your new equipment!"

"Oh."

"Yes, Tammy, I was hurt and that's why I haven't told you."

"I'm sorry, when are you going?"

"I have to be at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for for o'clock on Sunday so we're leaving here on Saturday morning."

"I might not be back by then?"

"Back from where?"

"London."

"When are you going?"

"About twenty minutes, I need to finish packing."

Tammy escaped back upstairs, now was the right time to take out the equipment she may need, this included her alias driving licence and banking cards in the name of Rebecca Simpson. She strapped a holster on and slipped the Glock 19 into it; whilst random bag searching at railway stations wasn't unknown, pat downs of young women was a lot rarer.

She'd just finished when she heard the rush of a chopper touching down. She slipped into a heavy winter count, picked up her bags and walked down to the front door, finding the helicopter sat in the road!

Jim took off as soon as she was secured in the co-pilot's seat, giving her a brief view of the coastline at the northern extremities of mainland UK, before they turned South East.

"Ever thought about getting your private pilot's licence then learning to fly one of these?"

"Maybe when I have more time, Jim, but who could teach me?"

"I'm qualified to teach in light aircraft and I work out of a school based at Wick Airport, for helicopters you'd have to go to Inverness or Aberdeen for tutoring."

"Okay, it's a thought, I could fly myself around?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, you can't just decide to land at Heathrow because you're going to West London!"

"So there's research to be done before each trip?"

"Yes, but that's a part of your basic training."

Tammy was dropped in the dock area of Aberdeen, at a designated heliport. She grabbed a cab and headed for her first train of the day.

Her travel had to include a fair amount of distraction, if anyone managed to find her. Tammy was following a few rules to make surveillance difficult, all her communication equipment was switched off and she would pay cash for everything.

At Aberdeen station she used a ticket machine for a ticket to London Kings Cross then boarded the 0952 that was a direct service to Kings Cross, albeit with a few intermediate stops. She pulled out a novel and started to read.

Her train pulled into Edinburgh two and a half hours later, as soon as the doors unlocked Tammy was off and through the gates, heading for a sandwich shop. She returned to he station at a quarter to one and paid cash, using the machine again, for a ticket to London Euston Station, then boarded the 1252 service.

Options were limited if you were travelling out of Scotland by rail as you had to travel via Edinburgh, Glasgow or both. Tammy had taken a chance no-one was looking for her today but her heavy coat and winter hat would obscure her face, although she'd chosen a knee length skirt and sheer tights that morning, with the intention of drawing attention to her legs - so far it was working!

There are many potential ways to get across England by rail and Tammy took advantage of this by hopping off at Wolverhampton, near Birmingham. Her intention had been to find a service to Oxford then get into London on the Chiltern Line, terminating at the lesser used Marylebone Station. However, on the board at Wolverhampton was a better option, a direct service to Bournemouth on the South Coast.

She quickly bought a ticket to the coast as the train was only minutes away. She had eaten her lunch as she'd left Edinburgh but it was now approaching five in the afternoon and Tammy was a little peckish. Fortunately there was a trolley service on this train offering coffee, a Cornish pastie and chocolate; Tammy was tired but at least she wasn't hungry.

So far, she was also safe, at least she had no information to say she wasn't currently safe.