Chapter 5

Archie Malcolm changed to a lower gear and swung out to overtake the long vehicle that had been holding up his progress. He had the top down of his Mazda MX5. His friends joked that it was a hairdresser’s car. Well, he wasn’t quite a hairdresser, but it was his affordable fun and this was his day off.

He nipped in front of the HGV, now rapidly disappearing in his rear view mirror, and smiled. He was close to singing to the CD mix collection he had been compiling over the last few weeks but since he really could not sing, he hummed along and put the volume up a notch.

The Downs came and went as Archie hummed along to the eighties pop music he liked so much. The chalk cuttings cast a swathe through this beautiful rural landscape and enabled the little Mazda to make quick progress up to the M4 and onwards West over the Severn Bridge. He paid the toll to enter Wales but then headed north, destination Ross on Wye.

Archie had been invited to a close friend’s birthday and Emma was going to be there. Clearly, it was important to be at his friend’s party and support David whom he had known since school, but the reason that he had been humming so well was because all he could think about was Emma.

He could not remove the vision from his mind. The fun and energy, the lovely locks, the style and sophistication yet hands on approach to life. They had been friends for the last couple of years through David, yet he so wanted more.

This helped to make the drive fly by. All those invited to the birthday party were to be Canadian canoeing at Symonds Yat on the River Wye. In the back of his mind Archie was thinking that if he couldn’t woo Emma Canadian canoeing, with a warm up drink with the rest of the crowd afterwards in a comfortable hostelry, with a roaring fire burning, then he might as well give up. With his background, Archie was a dab hand at outdoor pursuits, but always the gentleman, very modest with it. This was his real chance, doing an activity where he really would not have to worry about anything and could leave his attention on only one thing.

He turned off the main A-road that he had been following for the last thirty minutes and wound the car down into the valley of the Wye. Surrounded by woodland, it was a peaceful, tranquil setting. A wonderful break from the frantic comings and goings of the last couple of weeks. His operational agenda was buried deep away from his current thoughts.

David, the birthday boy, stood tall and was wearing a party hat that had somehow been made to fit over his canoe helmet. He was surrounded by a mixed crowd of friends and relations of all ages and laughed in amusement as someone slapped his wetsuit cladded posterior with the back of a paddle blade.

As Archie pulled up close to the birthday party group he spied Emma standing on her own, her hair flowing in the breeze and catching the dappled light. Archie caught a lump in his throat and looked down slightly.

Emma played mixed-hockey each week. It was at her hockey practices that she had noticed a very talented hockey player who was athletic and funny. He always had people hanging around him of both genders. They seemed to be attracted to his invisible magnetism and enormous sense of humour. Emma was also affected by his warmth and character. He was a vital member of the team and never missed any practices or matches.

She had gone on to befriend David over a number of weeks and it was when she stopped round for a quick cup of tea after a hockey practice session that she first met Archie.

Plucking up his courage, Archie waved and to his joy Emma and David waved back simultaneously. Then Archie’s phone rang; it was Commander Edgar Bennett. Archie’s smile evaporated and his waving hand fell to his lap. He took the call and listened intently.

The Commander confirmed his worst suspicions. “We need you to report in immediately, Lieutenant. There have been developments.”