Level Four : Part Two. 'Charlie' by Suzanne Hudson

“He was here a second ago…where’s he gone?” Julie seems mildly irritated and gulps from her water bottle.

“Was he?” asks Jemma. “I was talking to Seamus, I thought he was behind us.” We look up and down the road but there’s no sign of Clive.               

“Are you sure that he was here a second ago?” I challenge Julie.  I can’t stand vagueness. 

“Well I thought he was, but I was walking with Pam.”

“So you can’t be sure?”

“Well no…”

“Oh for goodness sake, who was the last person to see Clive?” I ask. God these people irritate me.  They speak slowly, they think slowly. No wonder none of them have achieved anything in their lives. Everyone looks at each other blankly. A mild look of panic crosses Jemma’s face. She reaches for her phone but can’t get a signal. We all check ours but to no avail.

“Someone must have seen him leave the path…he can’t have just vanished.” She tries to keep her voice steady, but I can tell she’s concerned. Blank faces again.  Natasha looks puzzled, but stays perfectly calm.

“Has he gone off to do a…you know?” she asks Jemma.

“A what?” Jemma replies, her voice rising now.

“A pee pee?”

Michael, the games designer, snorts with laughter. He sets me off. I have to stuff the collar of my polo top into my mouth.

“Well if he has, he’s been a long time,” chuckles Seamus. “Unless it was more than a pee pee!”

That sets us off again. Natasha doesn’t laugh. Her pretty face has hardened. Jemma grabs Natasha’s arm. 

“What about the hunters? Could he be in danger?”

“He should be okay, but we need to find him quickly,” Natasha says, pulling her rucksack on. The rest of us start to do the same.

“No, no…you must stay here,” she says.

“You’re not serious?” exclaims Diana.

“Yes, that is the correct procedure.  You stay, I look.”

“So this has happened before?” I ask incredulously. In my head I am already composing my email to the Managing Director of the company.

“Well, not to me, no,” Natasha admits starting to walk back the way we just came.

“Hang on a minute, I’ll come with you,” Michael says, going into hero mode.  I knew he fancied Natasha.

“Absolutely not. Please stay.” There’s a new firmness to her voice that we haven’t heard before. “This is the best way. You will all be safer here.”

“Without a guide?” Diana looks anxious.

“Clive might come back here, trust me, I know what I’m doing,” Natasha replies, and with a swish of her long blonde ponytail she is gone, heading back down the path and disappearing from view.

We retreat a little way into the wood to shelter from the hot sun.  Diana looks like she is about to have a panic attack. Jemma looks stricken. Seamus puts his arm around her.  

“This is crazy!” I say, mopping my sweating brow. “God knows when we’ll see her again!”

“Don’t say that!” gasps Jemma.

“Look, I’m sorry but you really need to keep a closer eye on your husband.”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t even know he was missing!  I wouldn’t call that paying attention to him, would you?”

“I told you I was talking to Seamus.”

“Yes well…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Charlie!  Lay off her will you mate, will you?” Michael puts his arm around me and guides me away from the group as Jemma starts to sob in Seamus’ arms and Julie and Pam glare at me in disgust. I can feel my blood pressure rising. My doctor advised me to go on a walking holiday to help with the stress of running a multi-million pound company, not to give me a heart attack.

“This is bloody ridiculous!” I realise I’m pacing up and down. How the hell did I end up in the forty degree heat with this bunch of middle-aged no-hopers? And where on earth is that loser Clive?

“Look mate, we’ve just got to sit tight, okay?” Michael’s a nice guy but he’s as obedient as the rest of them.

“No way,” I say. “We can stay here and fry or we can do something constructive.”

“Like what?”

“We all need to retrace our steps until we find phone signals again. Then we can call for some proper help, get the emergency services involved.”

Michael looks unsure. “But Natasha said…”

“For God’s sake Michael, do you really think you’re going to sell that game to anyone if you don’t learn how to take charge of your own life?”

“Alright then mate, but on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re telling them.”