BooksBarbecue
Back The Game
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. NOW
  4. One
  5. BEFORE
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. NOW
  26. Twenty-One
  27. BEFORE
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. NOW
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. BEFORE
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-One
  50. Forty-Two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. NOW
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. Fifty-Three
  63. Fifty-Four
  64. Fifty-Five
  65. AFTER
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. About the Author

Kevin nodded, his hands linking together in his lap. The man looked to have aged at least a decade since Mark had arrived. ‘Andrew’s death is something that never disappears. No matter what you do, it’s always there, even if it’s faded. That’s what I’ve learned in the years since his death. All the people it affects, how they carry that forever.’

‘What happened in those sessions, Kevin? What was so bad that you pulled out from something that you had so much passion for?’

‘Some of them didn’t want help,’ Kevin replied, closing his eyes and leaning back into the sofa. ‘That wasn’t ever going to be enough for those who had tasted power and didn’t want it to end. They wanted something more.’

‘What was that?’

‘They wanted revenge. They wanted to make those who had treated them so badly pay for what they had done. In the end, it didn’t matter who their own personal bully was, they wanted all those who they believed had transgressed to pay. Even those within the group who were there for help – if they didn’t meet expectations, they were attacked. Not physically, but in other ways. The atmosphere was described to me as toxic. That was enough for me. That’s not what it was meant to be.’

‘Does the name Joanna Carter mean anything to you?’

Kevin thought for a second and there was a momentary blip of hope in Mark. Then he shook his head and seemed certain. ‘Sorry, doesn’t sound familiar.’

‘I’ll need the names of anyone you can remember…’

‘Okay, I’ll give them to you. I don’t think they’ll have anything to do with your case, but it can’t hurt, I suppose.’

Mark wrote down the names Kevin gave him, then an email address and a phone number that he found in his mobile. It was clear that Kevin was only the face of The Huddle. That he’d handed over responsibility to others, then shut it down when it became something toxic.

Absolving himself and moving on.

‘I hope you find her,’ Kevin said, as he was showing Mark out of the house. Outside, it had grown overcast, turning the world grey and dull. ‘I really do.’

Mark nodded, then turned and made his way back to his car.

Thirty-One

PLAYER ONE

It was time.

This is how it ends.

Game over.

Game completed.

She hoped, anyway.

It wouldn’t be over really. She knew that. Not with what they were making her do. It would just put her into another bad situation.

They wouldn’t believe her. That would be obvious. They would think her mad and that would be it.

She hoped.