meat loaf and vegetables.’
Josh complied and the boys sat back, giving each other cheesy grins and staring at their bags as if they were television screens.
Vicky picked up the odd-looking can and examined it. ‘Minced beef and vegetables,’ she said, reading the label. ‘This our lunch?’
‘I haven’t seen one of those in years,’ Stratton said. ‘It’s a selfheating can. Same principle as the bags but a different method. See the ring on the bottom?’
Vicky turned it over to reveal a ring at the end of a piece of string whose other end disappeared inside the can.
‘Pull it,’ Stratton said.
Vicky tugged at it but it wouldn’t budge.
‘Harder,’ he urged.
Vicky yanked harder on the string. It gave way as a small rod slid out. The can began to hiss. Vicky gasped and dropped it onto the bench.
‘It’s not a bomb,’ Stratton said, grinning as he placed the can in the upright position. ‘There’s a small thermal element running up through the centre. Wait until it stops hissing, then pull back the ring on the top and enjoy.’ With that, he took a plastic spoon from the carrier bag and offered it to her.
She took it with underwhelming enthusiasm, forced a smile and watched her lunch as it hissed away on the bench.
Stratton reached back into the bag and took out a couple of protein bars.
‘You’re not having an army meal?’ Vicky asked.
‘I’ve had enough MREs to last me a lifetime.’
Vicky gave him a suspicious look, then carried on watching her can as the hissing reached a climax before at last petering out.
‘Go ahead,’ Stratton said. ‘It’s ready.’
Vicky gingerly picked up the can that was now quite hot and, wrapping the empty carrier bag around it to protect her hand from the heat, took hold of the ring on the top. She pulled it back to reveal a dark brown stew-like substance. ‘Hmm,’ she said sarcastically. ‘Yummy.’
Stratton grinned. ‘Go ahead. Try it.’
‘It looks like dog food.’
‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’
‘If I was adventurous I’d have been an astronaut.’
Nevertheless, Vicky took a firm hold of her spoon and gingerly dipped it into the slush as if the can contained a mash of maggots. She scooped out a spoonful and held it up to inspect it. She looked away to see the others watching her: Stratton grinning and the boys chuckling as if she was about to eat a worm.
She put it to her lips. Then, deciding that she was being pathetic, she placed it in her mouth and chewed. She nodded as if it tasted okay, although her expression indicated otherwise. ‘Not bad,’ she said. ‘And our guys go to war on this stuff ?’
‘Not any more. The MREs are new but that’s got to be from the Korean War. Nineteen fifty-two or thenabouts, I reckon.’
Vicky’s reaction was immediate and involuntary. She spat the food several metres away and grabbed the bottle of water to wash out her mouth as the three boys burst into laughter. She pulled open one of the accessory bags and took out some toilet paper. ‘Apt,’ she mumbled as she wiped her mouth and exhaled as she looked at the grinning faces.
‘Am I just here to entertain you three?’ she asked, acting seriously before a genuine grin formed on her face. ‘To be honest, it wasn’t that bad – but I’ll pass on the rest if that’s okay.’
Stratton offered her one of the protein bars, which she took.
‘Can we eat ours now?’ George asked.
‘Sure,’ Stratton said.
The boys opened the heating bags and carefully removed the foil packets of food. Stratton helped George open his and dig out a spoonful. The boy put it in his mouth. ‘It’s good,’ George said, digging out another spoonful by himself.
Josh tasted his and agreed with George. The boys went right back to their game while they ate.
‘Can we go for a walk?’ Vicky asked Stratton.
‘Sure,’ he said getting to his feet.
Stratton unwrapped his protein bar and took a bite out of it as they strolled around the edge of the park. Vicky unwrapped hers but started to speak before eating any.
‘I have some good news for you, though you don’t deserve any after trying to poison me.’
‘You’re a good sport.’
She smiled at the compliment, remembering how she used to be and how much her job had changed her over the years. But she pushed the self-pity aside, not wanting to spoil her afternoon. ‘Josh’s move back to the UK is almost finalised,’ she announced. ‘He could be out of here in three or four days.’
Stratton was pleased to hear it. ‘Will I be able to take him back?’
‘Technically, no. He’ll be escorted onto the aircraft and the airline staff will look after him during the flight until he’s met by a social worker at the other end. But I don’t see why you shouldn’t be on the same flight – I’ll let you know the details as soon as I get them.’
‘Thanks.’
Vicky smiled at him but couldn’t hold the expression for long. Something sad inside was tugging at her.
Stratton noticed but didn’t want to ask what was bothering her, suspecting that he knew. ‘Would you like to have dinner with me?’ he asked.
Her smile returned. ‘Sure. I’d like that very much.’
‘So would I,’ he said.
Vicky looked at Stratton softly and for a second he felt like a kid on his first date. It was a nice feeling although at the same time rather awkward. It seemed silly to think of the young woman and himself in any kind of a relationship but it was impossible not to toy with the idea. He was a man, after all, and she was attractive, intelligent, fun and easy to be with. Still, there was no way he would be able to come back to this town again, not for years, if ever.
He wondered what it would be like to be with Vicky in England. But as soon as the notion occurred it crumbled under the weight of reasons why it would never work. It was difficult enough to have a relationship with a local girl who had friends and family and probably a job to occupy her while he was away. But it would be selfish, maybe even cruel to bring home someone from a foreign land and expect them to wait around while he disappeared for weeks and often months at a time. Besides, Vicky was married to her job anyway. Still, undeniably, there was something very pleasant about being with her. For one thing, he seemed to be able to forget his troubles when they were together. ‘Oh, Vicky,’ he sighed out loud, not meaning to.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘Nothing – I was just thinking how very nice it is to know you.’
‘I was thinking the same thing.’
Stratton took her hand in a spontaneous gesture and kissed it. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Why don’t we just forget all the problems we have at the moment, and the world’s too for that matter, and just – well, I don’t know. Forget them.’
‘You know something, John Stratton? If there was anyone who could do that for me it would be you.’
They drew an inch closer together, brushed shoulders and carried on walking, enjoying each other’s company. But in the back of Stratton’s mind he was aware of a certain vulnerability that affection for a woman exposed him to. The feeling of endangerment had been bad enough where Josh was concerned but it was worse now. The uneasy premonition of earlier that morning was suddenly stronger than ever.
Valon Duka sat in the back of his nondescript blue van, watching Stratton and Vicky through a pair of binoculars from two hundred metres down the street. He had watched the child-protection centre for several hours that morning as instructed by Cano before the man who matched the description he’d been given had arrived on
