An Old Acquaintance Part Two

Passendale , Passendale ,  the thought of the battle , all his comrades ,  gunpowder , tanks was racing in his mind . It felt like his brain might explode any minute , he moved towards the Basin  but fainted and dropped dead on the Kitchen Floor .

9.00 P.M

Phillip wakes up and sees blood protruding out from his skull , he takes the support of a chair and stands on his feet . Looks at the mirror which reflects a deep cut on the left side of his forehead.   " God Dammit " he shouts . He goes back to the room and finds that Damned Note . The thought of his pregnant wife in trouble infuriates him to such an extent that he squeezes the glass of  water in his hands , resulting in deep cuts on his left hand .

His patient attitude and insight , gave him the much needed composure required at the moment.  He went to the nearby doctor's clinic , got his wounds stitched and headed straight back to his home . Calling the police was not something he wanted to do , because he understood the note properly . He knew that cops served as  the last resort for any sensible chap on this planet . 

Sitting on his chair ,  thoughts flashed by in  his mind . Something that he had repressed for years and years . H.F. , H.F.  Hank Friedrich was the name that shook him completely . Like a thousand volt current  coursing through his body.  Hank Friedrich , the comrade in arms with whom he had served in the War was back , in his life at such a moment .

Hank Friedrich was from Liverpool , and had met Phillip at the recruitment drive in London . Both of them served together in the War , after the Battle at Passendale , all the soldiers returned as mere physical entities not as humans anymore for their humanity died somewhere on the battlefront fighting the so-called "enemy".

Hank was untraceable , the moment the battalion arrived at Felixstowe , he vanished in thin air . And now after 6 years he was back with God Knows what sort of Vendetta .

29th November 6.30 A.M 

For the whole night he couldn't sleep , ravaged by the thought of his Wife he was tensed and thought about locating Hank Friedrich , but how he thought . "How to look for a man who seems to be intraceable and invincible ."

Suddenly he heard an odd noise around his apartment , he rushes to the door and finds an envelope addressed to his name . In the wintery mornings the whole of Queen's Road was fast asleep . He went inside and opened the envelope , a note was wrapped in Emily's rosy checkered Shirt which had blood stains over it . 

"This was what Emily was wearing yesterday" , he thinks and looks at note which reads .

" A day's absence from Work won't kill you . I understand you have a loan to repay . But we have something to discuss and as you can see Emily is in safe hands ... In another 15 minutes you leave your house and walk southwest towards the Factory " .

"15 minutes , 15 minutes I'm ready  come and deal with me you bastard  " . Phillip screams .

Phillip leaves his house in a black overcoat and a cap over his head , he takes his pistol with him . He wanted to put a bullet in Hank's head  and  he was ready for any sort of consequences that he had to face .  He kept walking in the southwest direction towards the Factory. After walking for about half a mile . He sensed something wrong . Before he could turn around he was attacked by a man from behind , he shoved him down to the ground . Phillip tried to turn to see his face but he was drugged and fainted instantly .

9.00 A.M.

Phillip wakes up and finds himself  gagged and tied to an armchair , the place looked like an unused godown .  

Hank entered the room and exclaimed "Philly how you been , long time eh ?"

Hank removes the tape from Phillip's mouth and says "shall we begin"...

Phillip shouts "You bastard  , what  is it that you want from me ? "

Hank looks him in the eye and says " Oh nothing just a small favour from you comrade ". 

Phillip demands where is Emily ? 

Hank replies " She is a strong lady I'll give you that   , I had to be tough with her to get to you ".

Phillip tries to stand but helpless as he is he screams 

"I'll kill you , I'll kill you with my bare hands if you even go close to her ". 

Hank apologetically waves his hand and grabs Phillip by his throat and screams

"Oh Philly , you don't get to shout at your own comrade ". 

He opens his bandaged forehead and tears the stitched wound and cuts it . Phillip wails in pain , in a matter of seconds his face is covered in blood . 

Leaving him unattended , Hank disappears into the darkness  remarking  

" Get ready brother , for we have a long road ahead of us " .

*****

11.00 A.M.

Phillip wakes up feeling dizzy and nauseous. His wounds are patched , Hank was  wearing a long overcoat  standing near the rectangular glass window overlooking a rail track , he was attentively looking at Phillip and when his comrade brother was awake . 

Hank said , "To my surprise the War did change you , you're a family man now" .

 Phillip in his poor state only had one question " Where's Emily ?"  

Hank replies  "Ah ,  she's alright !"

He pulls out his pistol from the holster and fires a bullet straight out of the window . Phillip felt a tremor at the sound of the Gun . He heard footsteps approaching the room , he was shocked to see Emily in that condition . 

Her face had deep cuts , she was unconscious and couldn't even stand on her feet . She looked starved , poor woman's body was literally giving up on the tortures she was undergoing . 

Before he could utter a word , Emily was dragged back from the room .

Phillip gaining some strength to speak , called out 

"Hank , Hank listen to me what ever you want to do , you do it to me . Leave that girl out of it . I beg you".

Hank in a serious tone commented ,

" You know,  I enjoy being a free and independent man. No attachments , no concerns , just myself . Don't cry foul for what I had to do to get to you . That's how the world works , "leverage" he exclaimed , today it is your wife .

Moving away from the window he approached Phillip, and said , " You have been hired by  organisation X  . You and I will work together  for no cause can be greater now ." 

Phillip demanded "what organisation , what job , what cause . "

Hank sitting on a stool in front of Phillip burnt a matchstick , and lighted a  cigarette. "You see Philly , I'm not a man of many words" . 

He took out a photograph from his inner coat  pocket , the man in the photo looked in his late 30s . Phillip couldn't make out the face at once but with a little bit of concerntration he shouted "Edmund Potter ! What about him ? "

"He needs to be eliminated !" Hank replied .

" But what for " . Phillip demanded . 

"Because he is the Minister of Industry and you lot of workers are not feeling happy about the present conditions . Time for things to change. " 

Then he showed another photograph , the man in the picture was Samuel Beckett , the country's Home Minister . 

"Are you out of your mind , Hank ! These people are powerful , government officials what is it you have with them.  "

"Oh Phillip , they have eaten and snatched from the hands of the people for a long time now . It's time we shall return the favour.  "

"I better kill myself , then work with you on this  Hank " Phillip shrugged.

"Oh you don't understand do you , there's no way out for you in this . Imagine your pregnant wife being killed in her sleep , Imagine your mother never making it home from the grocery store . Imagine your father being  bludegoned to death in the Steel Factory . Do you want any of it .You work with me and they shall live . 

We go tomorrow, for everyday signals a new beginning ". Hank left the room , leaving Phillip numb .

As seven years ago during the War , Phillip had no choice but to fight for the Crown . The situation today was also somehow the same , he had to think about the consequences of his actions , his wife and their kid .

After a month of training , Hank and Phillip set out on the task which Hank referred to as a "Holy Work ". Phillip was dead from inside , the soldier's spirit who served in Passendale had returned and conquered his soul again .

July 1925 , Charlesville , Ipswich County

Emily  just tucked her baby into the bed . The newborn was a girl whom she named Barbara . Walking towards the kitchen , she heard some unfamiliar sounds near the door . She ran to see who was it . To her amusement, she found a letter addressed to her .

Dear Emily ,

"I hope by now you would have given birth to our child . I know you'll be a faithful mother . I can never free myself of the guilt , of all the pains and torture you underwent because of my past.   Today It is my past which  has summoned and  gripped me completely.  I have walked on this path , but it's different from the War days , for I will never return . For the good of you all .
Forgive and Forget about me for I'm no longer the man you knew and loved ."

Phillip.