Free 2041 Sanctuary (Dark Descent) by Robert Storey Page A

its centre, a German address and a set of numbers:
     

     
    ‘This person wants us to go here,’ she said, ‘to Berlin? You do remember I have no passport; getting out of the country is going to be a bit of a problem, especially since the GMRC locked down every nation’s borders.’
    Without a word Martin placed a brown padded envelope on the table and pushed that across to her, too. Jessica glanced at the bar, suddenly feeling her actions were very conspicuous. Picking up the packet, she looked inside to see a set of documents. She looked up at Martin, who returned her gaze expectantly and flicked his eyes to the envelope indicating he wanted her to extract its contents. She did so and found herself holding a folded piece of paper and a British Passport. Opening the paper out first, she saw that it was a GMRC border pass, a blank one at that, ready to accept whoever wanted to use it. All she needed to do was fill in her details. Wondering how her old producer had got his hands on such a thing she opened the passport, expecting it to be his, but the image inside made her catch her breath. It was a photo of her … well, a photo that had been doctored to give her short, bright red hair, glasses and a large dose of make-up she wouldn’t want to be seen dead in.
    ‘How?’ she asked.
    ‘I have my sources. All you need to do is make yourself look like that,’ he indicated her new passport photo, ‘and you’re good to go. Your new pseudonym is Eliza Sterling. I think the name fits the new you, don’t you think?’
    Jessica stared at the passport photo again. ‘What about yours?’ She knew that the UK Government had confiscated his travel documents, as the U.S. authorities had hers.
    Martin withdrew some more paperwork and waggled it in front of her. ‘I have a flight and train booked in our new names. Your Eurostar ticket is in that envelope. You leave next week and I fly out to Berlin tomorrow.’
    Jessica didn’t know what to say. She knew he wouldn’t rest until he’d found out what happened to his brother, but she had other priorities to think about.
    ‘I’m going with or without you,’ Martin told her as he finally realised her zeal for the plan didn’t match his own.
    ‘Martin,’ Jessica said, her voice heavy with a mixture of emotions, ‘I want the GMRC to answer for their crimes as much as you, but I just can’t leave my family, not now.’
    ‘I thought you of all people would want to take this further.’ His smile was bitter. ‘Obviously I was wrong.’ Martin got up, reclaimed the piece of paper with the address on it and made to leave.
    Jessica grabbed his arm. ‘Martin, wait!’
    He looked down at her. ‘For what?’
    Again, Jessica couldn’t find the words, an anguished expression her only answer.
    Martin shrugged off her arm. ‘Goodbye, Jessica,’ he said and stalked away, leaving her alone in the pub once more.
     

Chapter Four
     
    The rest of that week Jessica fretted about not helping Martin track down his lead, but she knew she’d been right to turn him down. His motivations dwarfed her own and right now she needed to take stock of recent events and to nurse her mental wounds rather than make any rash decisions. It hadn’t made her feel any less guilty, though; to let down a friend in need weighed heavily upon her, not to mention the frustration of passing up on the chance to expose the GMRC for what they were and to get some payback both for her and her colleagues. Ex-colleagues now , Jessica thought sadly as she made her way down the stairs of her London home.
    It was Saturday evening and she’d just spent time reading a storybook to Victoria and Daniela. She’d then sung the prerequisite Purple Ducky song she’d made up especially for them. The two girls had giggled in sheer delight when Jessica had carried out the accompanying dance moves. Kissing them both goodnight, she’d switched off the light in the large shared room and then decided to rejoin Evan, who rested