Chronicles of Revenge

Chapter 2-2

“Miss Young, I see you’re awake. How are you feeling? Well I hope.”

“Come out and show yourself!” she replied, her voice was pitched higher and with more panic than she would have liked, but it was out now. Without any sound the image of a man started to come through the foliage. Straight away she knew who he was. Captain Matt North. Apparently one of the world’s most elusive and wanted men. Sue had never seen the man before, but by the descriptions she had been given it could only be him. As she watched he just faded out of the jungle foliage, soundless. It seemed quite eerie to Sue that such a large man could move so silently. As he entered the clearing right behind him came an extremely large, grey wolf. It stopped alongside him and for a few moments neither Sue nor North spoke. Sue decided to describe to herself the man she was looking at. He was around 6ft3 tall with the physique of a boxer. He was broad shouldered and narrow at the hips with thick, dark blonde hair, short at the sides and combed front to back. His skin was tanned and he had chiselled good looks. But by far the most striking thing about his face was his stunning blue eyes. She had never seen anything like them before. The phrase ‘ice on fire’ sprang to mind. He was dressed in a jungle combat shirt rolled up at the sleeves, green khaki trousers with army boots. He wore no watch or jewellery that she could see. What she could not fail to notice was the two pistols; one under each arm in a double shoulder holster. The black, menacing grips jutting out. She also saw a large knife on his right hip. So the large grey wolf that was rumoured to be with him was true, as it was right there in front of her.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Ice cold blue eyes, unblinking, and thin lips gave him a menacing expression. Sue thought to herself, no matter what I’ve heard about him, he is good-looking. She must have said her thoughts out loud because his eyes seemed to warm and a smile started to form. As it grew across his face, a set of pure white teeth appeared. Within seconds he had transformed from a cold, hard killer, into a warm and welcoming, long lost friend. As he walked towards her Sue took a half step back and firmed her grip on her club. His eyes went from hers to the club, then back again. Matt put out his hand in a handshake gesture and waited. Sue looked at his big hand, then at the club. She gave him a silly grin and tossed the club away. At that moment she had never felt so stupid in her life. There she was, four feet from what was reputed to be the world’s most feared killer. Sue slightly c****d her head and with a small shrug of a shoulders she said, “Sorry,” and smiled weakly. Sue was also becoming aware of the fact that she wasn’t afraid anymore, even though she should be.

“It’s customary to give one’s name when introducing oneself.”

“Oh, yes right, sorry, Sue Young,” she said, gripping his right hand. Sue shook it. He was still smiling.

“North Matt North and this is Wolf” he replied.

“Don’t you use the Captain anymore?”

“No, not since I retired. I prefer it that way. I know you probably have a thousand and one questions to ask, but may I suggest we eat and drink first?”

“Sounds good. Where’s the menu?”

This comment made him smile. A big, broad smile that she’d heard so much about.

“If you can see it you can eat it. Please take your pick.”

“Is that true?”

“No, not really. You can eat a lot of what you see if you know what you’re looking for, but personally I would rather have what they're eating.”

“Who are they?” she asked, her head going from side to side but not seeing anyone. “There’s no one there.”

“Yes there is, you just can’t see them. I have some native friends who will look after you while you are here in their part of the jungle.”

“Okay then, as you have chosen the time and place it’s only fair that you choose the food.”

“Good choice. I’ll go and place your order.”

As he got up and headed for the edge of the clearing Sue called, “I’ll have an order of fries on the side.”

“I don’t know about that, will fried tree grubs do?”

“You can forget the fries and I’ll take a rain check on the grubs.”

As he disappeared into the jungle Sue again noticed he moved without a sound. Moments later she heard muttered voices, then he returned back into the clearing.

“Take a seat,” he said, then sat himself in the chair. It creaked slightly under his weight, then Wolf went and lay next to him, just like a normal house dog would.

“I believe that you are interested in writing about me, or so I’ve heard.”

“Yes, I am. If I get past this interview.” Sue smiled in a friendly fashion.

“If I didn’t think you were up to it then you wouldn’t be here. So while we’re waiting, why don’t we start with what you think you know about me and go from there?”

“It seems as good a place as any to start, but I’d rather start at the beginning.”

Before Sue could start asking any questions a voice from the jungle called out. Matt went to the clearing edge, stepped into the dense foliage and moments later returned with a sort of wooden tray. On it were two palm leaves, on which was some meat and what seemed like vegetables. Also on the tray was a large slab of meat. After handing Sue one of the palms he gave the slab of meat to Wolf, who instantly started to tear it apart and gulp it down. By the time he had returned to his seat with his food Wolf had finished the meat and let out a loud belch. Matt looked at Wolf and said, “Manners, Wolf, manners. We have a guest with us.” Wolf looked up at him, and with an almost human shrug of his shoulders laid back down again. Matt shook his head and smiled. Sue immediately knew that there was a special bond between them, one far greater than just friendship. Having finished the meal she put the empty palm down and took up a flask of water. Without thinking she emptied the entire contents, not realising just how thirsty she was. Leaning back in the chair she felt good for the first time.

“That was great, what kind of meat was that?”

He turned to her and gave her one of those ‘you don’t want to know’ looks.

“Okay, okay, don’t tell me, but it was very nice all the same, and it seems that your wolf enjoyed his as well.”

“Just to set the record straight, Wolf is not mine. I don’t own him any more than he owns me. He is free to come and go as he pleases.”

“You know, I thought the wolf thing was rubbish, just part of the myth and legend, but I seem to have been proved wrong.”

“I don’t think it will be the last time. There are many misconceptions about me. I hope you’ve come with an open mind.”

“I have heard some really bad things, and some really good things.”

“I don’t doubt that for one moment.”

“So, have I passed the interview, and if so, when can we start?”

“Yes, and any time you wish.”

“Before I start, can you tell me where we are and why I was drugged?”

“Our whereabouts for the moment will remain secret. Things will become clearer in time. As for the drugging, it was necessary. It’s best that you are unaware of where you are.”

“Well that sort of clears that up. One more thing, do you have my backpack?”

“It’s in the back of the hut. Wolf, would you kindly retrieve Sue’s backpack?”

Wolf disappeared into the hut. Moments later he returned with her pack. Sue opened it and started checking the contents, looking for her digital Dictaphone.

“If you’re looking for any electrical devices that you may have had, they were removed and disposed of back in Bangkok, but I have brought along another Dictaphone that you may use. I had to be sure that you’re not able to be tracked. I’m sure you’ll understand.” He took a digital recorder from his top pocket and gave it to her.

“This comes with rules; I will not answer any questions that may put others in danger, or any state secrets. I’m not at war with any government or the world, just those who had a hand in the murder of my two sons. Do we have an understanding, Miss Young?”

“Yes, and please call me Sue. If I ask the wrong type of question tell me and I will either rephrase it or forget it altogether, is that okay?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Sue paused for a moment before beginning, trying to make sure she worded her first question correctly. In her experience it is vital to get the first few questions right because this would set the tone of the interview.

“What’s it like to know that the whole world wants you dead?”

“The world doesn’t want me dead, just a very small part of it. In fact, most of the world doesn’t even know I exist.”

“Okay,” Sue conceded, “but people still want to kill you. Do you know why your son’s deaths and the others that you have killed have always been attributed to Al Qaeda terrorists?”

“Simple really, none of the governments would like the truth to come out, and I believe it will stay that way. Many things are done by western governments that are blamed on terrorists, it’s very convenient to do so. You would be surprised if only you knew the truth.”

“I take it you’re not going to tell me about that?”

“That’s correct. As I said, this comes with rules.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that people are trying to kill you?”

“It concerns me, but doesn’t bother me. People have been trying to kill me all my life, so it’s perfectly normal to me.”

“I would have thought that it was only since you joined the SAS…”

He chuckled, “No, ever since the day I was born people have been trying to kill me.”

“Oh come on, I was told that you don’t exaggerate.”

“I’m not. It’s true. I did not agree to this just to fill you with lies. Everything I tell you will be the truth. I have nothing to gain by lying.”

“I was told that as well. So, what age were you when the first attempt was made on your life?”

“The first attempt on my life was when I was twenty-six hours and forty-seven minutes old.”

Sue gave a short laugh, and while laughing she said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not.”

For the first time that she could remember she stuttered a reply, “Who, what, why… when?!” Sue stopped herself, put both her hands palm up as if she was warding off something. She took a deep breath, giving herself a momentary pause so she could take this extraordinary statement on board and give a sensible reply.

“Sorry, not very professional. Would you please tell me more about this incident and how it happened?”

“Just to set the record straight, Matt North is my English name, but not my first name. It’s the one on my British birth certificate and English is not my first language. My first language is German and my German name is Varrior von-Hall. When you say this in English it comes over as Warrior from Hell due to the way the vowels are pronounced when taken from German to English. My mother had a strange sense of humour, but somehow it turned out to be a very appropriate name for me. To understand the reason an attempt was made on my life at such an early age, you have to know about life before I was born, and something of my parents and grandparents.”

“If we are going that far back before you were born I take it this is going to take longer than a couple of days?

“I was thinking of around three weeks. If that’s not agreeable then I see no point continuing.”

Sue was thinking quickly. This whole story could be over before it had begun. Three weeks were not what she was originally thinking, but as she had always said, the story comes first, no matter what.

“If I had known I would have packed some more underwear,” she joked.

“Doesn’t concern me, I don’t wear any. So let’s begin. Germany had lost the war, the Nazis had been defeated but not beaten. The Nazi view of the Aryan race and pure bloods still lived on for some people. These were not Nazis, but they still believed in some of their values and the highest of all of these was to keep the blood lines pure. My grandmother was one of these. Teutonic’s was the name they were known by. My grandfather was not one of these, he had been through both wars and just wanted to get back to normal, making money and enjoying life.”

“I take it your grandfather ran his own business, like a shop or something like that?” she turned to look at him and she found he was grinning from ear to ear and chuckling away.

“Are you laughing at me? It’s not polite to make fun of people.”

“No, not at you particularly. It’s just that I have realised how little you know about me and my family.”

“Well,” replied Sue in a very indignant tone, “you’re not the easiest person to get information on.”

“It’s the nature of my business, but I apologise, bad manners on my part.”

“No problem, I believe you were discussing your grandfather.”

“Yes, that’s right. Grandfather Hines and his shop,” he smiled broadly. Sue threw him a stern look and then she smiled.

“Okay, so it was obviously bigger than a shop.”

“Have you ever heard of a company called the Gross Hart Organisation?”

“No, not to my knowledge. Should I have?”

“Maybe and maybe not. It’s one of the largest organisations in the world. It probably owns shares in the biggest companies that you would know, like BP Shell, Coca-Cola, Ford and VW, plus numerous others. Well, that’s what Grandfather Hines started. The von Halls are a rich, powerful and well-connected family in Germany, even before the two wars they were.”

Matt’s Grandfather Hines was not so hung up on class distinction like his wife Ingrid. There was uproar when Matt’s mother, Lisa, fell in love with an English solider. All hell broke loose in the family, and after many arguments which culminated in a huge row between Lisa and her mother, Lisa left home and took a room in Spandau where Matt’s father was based. Hines was away on business and would not be back for another week. It was while staying there that Matt was conceived. When Hines returned, he and Albert went to see Lisa and convinced her to return. It was while she was back at home that Matt’s father got posted back to the UK, and in time met his wife. When the family found out she was pregnant they wanted her to have an abortion, but she refused. In her mind he was going to be her little piece of George North, and no one was going to take that from her.

“She must have been a very brave woman to have a baby out of wedlock in those days. I imagine it couldn’t have been easy for her.”

“The family was enraged. Mum told me that three men from the family tried to take her forcibly to have an abortion, but unfortunately for them Albert was there and convinced them that trying to do this would not be a very good idea, and it would be an even worse idea should they try to return.”

“How did he manage to do that?” Sue asked.

“In ways that only Albert could. You see, you do not cross Albert Steiner. I don’t think there is a man alive today could claim to have done that, not to my knowledge anyway.”

“I take it that this Albert was an employee of your grandfather and a friend of your mother? Judging by what you have said here he must be a pretty scary character. I’m guessing a huge bodyguard type of person.”

“Albert and my grandfather had been friends for a very long time. You’re right about the body guard, but wrong about his size. Albert was head of security, but to look at the two of them together you would have thought that my grandfather was the bodyguard rather than the other way around. Grandfather Hines was a huge man, around 6ft10 tall, and about twenty stone. Albert was 5ft6 and about ten stone. But as the old saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover.”

“Albert was a highly skilled killer. I learned a lot from him. Like my grandfather, Albert was no Nazi, but he would kill anybody he had to and no questions asked. Albert would have gladly given his life to save Grandfather Hines if necessary.”

“That’s true dedication,” Sue replied.

“Not really. Grandfather Hines would do the same. Their friendship and dedication to each other was founded in the trenches of World War I, which is where they met. I remember Albert telling me about the day they first met. Both men gladly volunteered to go to war with their heads filled with glory and honour, romanticising about how it would be, but there is nothing romantic about war. Not in real life anyway.”