Wrong Place Wrong Time
Chapter Five
After the first good nights sleep for some days Tim woke to find Sarah packed and ready to go.
“Come on sleepy head lets get going,” said Sarah.
“What’s the hurry?” asked Tim.
“According to Google map, Glen’s bolt whole property is seven and an half hours away and we need to be there before dark and we will need to stop somewhere to buy a sat nav, so we need to get moving,” replied Sarah.
“Your right, I’ll just be a minute,” said Tim.
Tim went back into the bed room and then returned with his overnight bag and said, “Ready.”
After buying some petrol they headed south on minor roads to minimise the chances of being pulled over. If pulled over for a minor traffic problem they would be in big trouble.
“Turn left at the traffic lights, we should be able to buy a Sat Nav in that shopping centre,” said Tim while pointing at towards a Westfield shopping centre.
Sarah turned into the multi story car park adjoining the shopping centre and drove up a number of levels before finding somewhere to park.
“Do we need anything else while we are here,” Asked Sarah.
“It might be a good idea to get some food,” replied Tim, he then added, “can you get some gaffer tape and cable tires, they might come in handy.”
“You get the Sat Nav and I’ll get the food, meet back here,” said Sarah.
“OK,” replied Tim.
Sarah picked up Tim’s floppy hat and glasses and said, “don’t forget your glasses and hat, we don’t want to get recognized,” she then added, “remember we are parked on the pink level.”
They headed into the shopping centre, Sarah had to go up one level to the super market while Tim needed to go down a level to find an electronics shop. Tim did not think too much about which Sat Nav to purchase he just bought a mid range model of a popular manufacture. As he left the shop the security guard at the door looked at his purchase and checked the receipt. The security guard looked at Tim and then seemed to take a second look which unsettled Tim. As he walked away from the shop Tim looked back to see the security guard on his phone.
Tim headed back to the car park with a degree of urgency, he tried to ring Sarah but the phone rang out, she must have left her phone in the car. He went up one level and walked out of the shopping centre onto the pink level of the parking station. He could see that Sarah was not back yet so he stoped and waited for her. It was a nervous wait and it seemed a long time, he thought about going to look for her but thought better of it.
Finally she appeared with a full shopping trolley and walked toward him, she could see he was anxious and asked, “what’s wrong?”
“I might have been recognized,” said Tim.
“Lets get out of here then,” replied Sarah.
As they started to walk toward the car a motor bike stoped a few metres in front of them, the rider pulled a gun from his jacket and fired a shot at them but it missed. The gun was fitted with a silencer so it did not make much noise. Tim picked a bottle of water from the shopping trolley and through it at the bikie, it hit him in the head and burst spraying water all over him. This coursed him to loss his balance and fall off the motor bike, which fell on top of him. Tim and Sarah both ran toward the bike as the bikie tried to take a second shot but Tim stomped on his hand before he could.
Sarah picked up the gun and pointed it at the bikie and said, “don’t move.”
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere, he is well and truly pined under the bike,” replied Tim.
Tim emptied the contents of one of the grocery bags into the trolley and put the bag over the bikies helmet.
“Who sent you?” demanded Sarah.
But the bikie just said, “piss off.”
“Lets get out of here,” said Tim.
Tim and Sarah started to walk away as the bikie attempted to remove the bag from his helmet.
“I wouldn’t do that mate,” said Tim.
Tim looked at Sarah and winked before saying, “We can’t just leave him here, may be we should finish him off.”
“Big Willy Jones, Big Willy Jones,” called out the Bikie.
Tim lent down near the bikie and said, “Thanks for that.”
Tim stud up and took Sarah’s hand and said, take everything and load it into the car, and you better give me that,”
She handed him the gun and walked away pushing the trolley towards the car.
“Before you go, did you buy some gaffer tape?” asked Tim.
“Yes,” she said as she search around in the shopping trolley and then added, “here it is.”
She handed Tim the tape as she walked towards the car.
Tim walked over to the bikie who was trying to get out from under the bike.
“Now I don’t think that is a very good idea do you?” Tim said to the Bikie.
Tim bent down and took the bikies hand, who resisted.
“Have you got some sort of death wish?” asked Tim.
The bikie stoped resisting, Tim gaffer taped his hand to the bikes handle bar, he then taped his boot to the foot peg. The bikies other leg was jammed under the bike. Tim removed the magazine from the gun and checked the chamber was empty, wiped it clean, and then gaffer taped the gun to the bikies other hand.
“Now you just relax there, I’m sure someone will be along soon,” said Tim.
Tim checked the bikie for a phone and found one in his jacket pocket, he wiped the magazine and put it in the bikie jacket pocket. He then walked back to the car and Sarah and Tim drove away counting there luck stars that the bikie had missed and that know one had come along to see them.
“Where to,” asked Sarah.
“Just keep heading south while I set up the Sat Nav,” replied Tim.
Tim played around with the Sat Nav and once he got it working he entered the address of Glen’s bolt hole property, he also clicked on, ‘no highways’ which made for a longer route but hopefully a safer one. The Sat Nav was now saying that the trip would take twelve hours.
Tim got the bikies phone and rang for the emergency services to attend the bikie at the parking station. He then looked through the last received calls and he pressed ‘return the call’. Someone answered the phone and said, “is it done?”
“Sorry Willy, your friend is all tired up, may be I will repay the visit soon,” said Tim, he then hug up.
Tim wound down the cars window and when they stoped at a set of traffic lights he through the bikies phone into the back of a four wheel drive ute.
They continued following the Sat Nav as it took them on a scenic trip through the southern high lands, only stoping for petrol and lunch as well as now and then to swap driving duties. The big Falcon eat up the km’s and if it was not for the situation they found themselves in, it would have been a great road trip. They stoped in a small town to get something to eat as they started to loss the light but there was still two hours togo before reaching their destination. They didn’t know what to expect at Glen’s bolt hole property, for all they know someone might be there, an employee or it might rented out, so they decided to pull over and spend the night in the car. Sarah pulled into a side dirt road and after a few km’s turned onto a dirt track where she pulled over.
“This will have to do,” said Sarah.
“You know I have never spent the night in a car,” said Tim.
“Nor me, done other things though,” replied Sarah.
“In a Falcon as well, look at the size of that back seat, you could play a game of foot ball in that back seat,” said Tim.
“I’m taking the back seat and there will be no foot ball playing tonight,” replied Sarah.
It was a long stressful day and they were very tired but sleeping in a car is not that comfortable and on top of that it was a cold night but they did manage to get some sleep.
As the sun came up it shined straight in through the windscreen waking Tim and Sarah early. They both got out of the car to stretch their legs and walk around the car to get everything moving. The car was parked on the side of a dirt track in a bush area, it felt like they were in the middle of no where.
“Did you hear all that noise last night, I thought the beast from the black lagoon was coming to kill me,” said Sarah.
“I know, I thought the bush was a quite and peaceful place,” replied Tim.
“What time is it?” asked Sarah.
Tim picked up his phone from inside the car and turned it on.
“Five thirty,” replied Tim.
“I’m not sure I have ever been up this early before,” said Sarah.
“No point hanging around here, lets get moving,” said Tim.
“Lets find some civilization, I need a coffee,” replied Sarah.
Tim had to do a six point turn to get the car turned around before they could get on there way. After a few km’s of dirt road they were back on the bitumen road with the Sat Nav telling them that there was a town about an hour down the road.
It was just on seven as they approached the town, well to say town is perhaps over stating it a bit, there was not much to it, a few houses but it did have a garage come Café. They took the opportunity to fill the car with petrol and to get something to eat.
After a good breakfast and for Sarah a wake me up cup of coffee they were back on the road. Their destination was still a little over an hour away which would put them there around eight thirty.
As they got closer the Sat Nav was showing that the destination was not near anything, no town. With a km to go Tim slowed down and with five hundred metres to go he slowed to around fifty kilometres per hour. They did not know what to expect but just a gate and mail box in the fence line was a bit underwhelming.
They stoped in front of the gate, got out and had a look around, if was obvious that know one had been through this gate in some time. There was a pad lock on the gate but it was rusty and looked unused. There was not much traffic on this road but Tim felt uncomfortable as he did not want to be seen. He noticed that the gates hinges were of a pin and eye design so it would be possible to just lift the gate of its pins and open it from the other end. And that is what he did, Sarah drove through the gate and Tim closed it behind her.
They then just followed the track, it had not been used for some time but it was in good condition. After about a km the track descended into a gully, at the bottom there was a dry rocky creek crossing but passable. The track was a bit rutted on the other side of the creek crossing and the further they went the worse it got.
“This might not be a bolt hole, it might just be a bush property,” said Sarah.
“You might be right,” replied Tim.
But then as there came over a rise they could see a house and as they got closer they could see that it was not that old. They pulled up outside the house, it looked un-cared for but sound. They got out of the car and walked around, it was obvious that know one had been hear for some time. The house was new but built in an older style, verandas all the way around, very in keeping with its location. It was not what you would expect a rich man like Glen to own but may be that was the point. They found their way to the back door which was locked, Sarah looked around for a key and found one under a rock.
After opening the door they entered to find it fully furnished, all the furniture was covered with sheets and the whole place was a bit dusty but not as bad as you would expect. They explored the house, checking each room, it looked like a show house, like know one had ever lived in it. It was a three bed room house, open plan kitchen, dinning, living room with a large open fire place.
Tim went outside to have a look around there was a large shed about fifty metres from the house and like the house it was new. He opened at side door and found three cars, a new four wheel drive a restored Ford Escort and a Ford Falcon XR6. It brought back memories for Tim of a time, while sharing a cup of tea with Glen and John, late one night, when he talked about wanting to own a Ford Escort like his first car and here it was. It made Tim feel sad but it also reminded him of his own situation.
In a separate smaller shed he found a diesel generator, the shed had solar panels on the roof so there was a chance the batteries still had some life in then so he pushed the start button. The engine roared into life, he let it run for a while before turning it of.
Tim wandered back towards the house where he found Sarah sitting on the front veranda looking out over the valley, he joined her.
“Are we staying the night?” asked Sarah.
“Yes I would like that,” replied Tim, he then continued, “Howard’s place is about five hour from here so we do that tomorrow.”
“The gas stove works and there is hot water,” said Sarah.
“And the generator works as well,” replied Tim.
“I know, the place lit up like a Christmas tree when you started it,” said Sarah.
“I will put the car in the shed out of sight, even though I don’t think that is necessary as I think the nearest house is a very long way away,” replied Tim.
“I found the safe, its in the main bed room,” said Sarah.
Tim got up and said, “well lets get the bugger open.”
“It’s a key pad type safe,” said Sarah.
I’m sure the combination will be in Glen’s lap top, its just a matter of working it out,” replied Tim.
They both went into the main bedroom and just stood in front of the safe looking at it.
“Do you think the key pad needs power to work?” asked Sarah.
Tim touched the key pad and it lit up, “I guess its got its own battery power,” said Tim.
“How many digest do you think?” asked Sarah.
“Four,” said Tim.
“What makes you say that?” asked Sarah.
“I don’t know, saw it in a movie,” replied Tim.
“What will we try first?” said Sarah.
“How about the number of this property,” said Tim, as he typed 1264 into the key pad then OK, but the key pad lit up red, “I guess not,” added Tim.
Sarah sat on the bed with the lap top next to her and scrolled through the files.
“There is a file here called, ‘play it safe,’ may be there’s something in here,” said Sarah as she continued to click on the lap top.
“Anything?” asked Tim.
“It looks like a quote, ‘winning is the only safety,’ do you know what that’s from?” asked Sarah.
“Yes, its from a TV show called Blake’s 7, it was said by the character, ‘Avon,’ replied Tim.
“How on earth do you know that?” asked Sarah.
“I guess I’m just a science fiction nerd,” replied Tim.
“It doesn’t help us though,” said Sarah.
“Hang on, Avon has four letters, try numbers for letters, like the old phones” replied Tim.
“That will test my memory,” said Sarah as she looked around, “I need a pad and pen,” she added.
“Wait here I’ll get then,” replied Tim.
Tim went to the living room and returned with a pad and pen.
“There you go,” said Tim, as her handed them to Sarah.
“Thanks,” said Sarah, as she started to draw a key pad from an old mobile phone, “lets see, each number represented a number of letters,” she added.
After a bit of time drawing and thinking Sarah said, “try this, 2866,”
Tim typed the numbers into the key pad and then said, “cross your fingers.” as he pressed OK.
The screen lit up green so Tim opened the door of the safe, it was full of papers which Tim removed. They took the papers to the living room and spread them out all over the dinning room table.
“My goodness, where do we start,” said Tim.
“Lets sort everything into groups like, bank stuff, property stuff, you know what I mean?” replied Sarah.
“Good idea,” said Tim.
They spent the next few hours reading and sorting through all the papers and putting them into groups.
“Well that is the last one for me,” Tim said, as he placed some papers with some others, he then added, “what do you make of it all?”
“Glen was one smart cookie, is what I think,” replied Sarah.
“I think your right,” said Tim.
Sarah stud up and moved to the other side of the dinning table facing Tim put her hand on one of the groups of papers, and said, “OK, these papers deal with this property, which belongs to Mr George Caplin and Mrs Eve Caplin.”
Tim smiled and said, “Glen was not only a science fiction nerd, he was also a movie buff, George Caplin is a character in a Gary Grant film.
“How do you know this stuff?” asked Sarah.
Tim just shrugged his shoulders.
“That brings me to these papers,” she said as she placed her hand on the next pile of papers, “which have to do with ‘ID’s, false ‘ID’s. Again in the names George and Eve Caplin.”
“The next group of papers deals with money, bank accounts and the like, all I can say is that George and Eve Caplin are a very rich couple.” said Sarah.
“How rich,” asked Tim.
“Over three million,” replied Sarah.
“Yer, that’s rich all right,” said Tim.
“Now this last pile of papers has to do with miscellaneous stuff like cars rego’s, insurance and phones, all that stuff that makes up someone’s life,” said Sarah.
Sarah came around to Tim’s side of the table and sat next to him.
“The only thing not here is ‘drivers licences’, I guess he didn’t get to them,” said Sarah.
“So, could we take over these identities?” asked Tim.
“Yes, no problem at all,” replied Sarah.
“What about drivers licences?” asked Tim.
“We would have to do a driving test but that should not be a problem all the things needed are here, off course we would have to pass the test,” replied Sarah.
“I guess the big question is, do we want to take over these identities?” asked Tim.
“Are, well, that is the big one,” replied Sarah.
“OK, what are the advantages?” asked Tim, before continuing, “there’s the money and all that goes along with it but who cares about money. But it would solve the being on the run, Police, under world, problems.”
“Money, no one trying to kill us, the chance to start a new life, there all good things,” replied Sarah.
“Then there are the disadvantages, we would have to make a complete break from all family and friends, all that is our old life,” said Tim.
“The only family I have is my Aunt Mary and she is not a problem, she doesn’t know I know but she has a bloke in South America and if it wasn’t for me I think she would stay in South America,” replied Sarah.
“What about friends?” asked Tim.
“I don’t really have any close friends and the chance to start a new life is a positive not a negative,” replied Sarah.
“As you know I don’t have any family or close friends, so it all sound pretty good to me,” said Tim, he paused for a moment and then added, “how do you feel about being Mrs Eve Caplin?”
Sarah just looked at him before saying, “is that a proposal?”
“Yes I guess it is,” said Tim.
Sarah got up from the table and started to walk away, Tim got as well but was unsure what to do. Sarah stoped and reached out her hand, Tim took her hand and they walked down the hall towards the bed room.
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