Destruction Of Icarus Park

D. Rogers A.

Description

Jez Cooper considered himself to be a lucky man. A former member of a famous rock band, he had written and performed some of the most memorable songs ever created. He had a lovely wife and two great kids - he even owned his own island! Everything was great - until suddenly, his luck began to change...From the strife-torn streets of Ulster in the eighties to the storm-battered main stage at Glastonbury, Icarus Park quickly grew from humble beginnings into a worldwide phenomenon. For almost ten years they rode the wave of success - but then the cracks began to showIt had now been many years since the four members of Icarus Park had spoken to one other, but when they reluctantly decide to reconnect - in the Vatican, of all places - disaster strikes. With an unknown enemy on their tail, the band, united by a shared survival instinct, flee Rome and head for a remote Scottish island.But someone is watching, biding their time, waiting for a chance.The scene is set for a final showdown.At stake? The survival - or the destruction - of Icarus Park.

Sujets

• Highlands and Islands
• Northern Scotland

Informations

• Publié par: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 28 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781838597047
• Langue: English

Extrait

Copyright © 2016 A. D. Rogers

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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This book is dedicated to my wonderful granddaughter Evie, who fills our life with Joy.
I’m sure that one day she will take the time to read this – unlike her Father and Aunt Becky who still haven’t picked up any of my books!
Contents
Acknowledgement
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Epilogue
Acknowledgement
I would like to mention a few people who helped me during the planning, creation and editing of this book. First of all I would like to thank my two youngest nephews, Joe and Robert. They gave me a different perspective and provided much-needed feedback. Robert was also the first person to really get excited about the story and I’m very grateful for his enthusiasm.
I also need to mention the usual suspects – my wife Jane, her sister Clare and Lesley Gorham. They all took the time to help in different ways and as always I’m very grateful. And without the support of Jane, my daughter Becky and the rest of the family, I would never have got this far.
If I hadn’t had the help of Megan and everybody else at Troubador I would have been lost. This is the fourth time we have worked together and they have been fantastic – as usual. Thank you so much.
Finally, I would like to thank my best mate Keesha who has been beside me every step on my literary journey. As I type this she is lying on a cushion near my feet and seems to be chasing rabbits in her sleep. I reckon I have written around half a million words in the last few years and she has been at my side for every one of them.
Tavelay is an imaginary island – not based on any existing place but perhaps a combination of a few different locations. Icarus Park is a make-believe Rock group – with no connection to any existing band. This is a work of fiction which occasionally mentions real places and events – but we have done our very best to ensure that all characters are fictional and have no connection to anyone in the “real world”.
Thank you.
Prologue
Glastonbury 1998
Scott Flanagan appeared to be struggling to hold it all together. This should have been a defining moment. This group, his creation - stood on the brink of greatness. But it was all falling apart. During the last few years, Icarus Park had grown into one of the top groups in the world and today should have been their crowning glory – headlining at Glastonbury. Sadly, once again, the weather had blighted the festival.
The main problem was the mud. It grabbed cloyingly at everything, slowing everyone down and causing countless, niggling little problems. However, everyone somehow seemed to cope and all the bands went onstage more or less to plan. Unfortunately, as Icarus Park had taken to the stage in front of almost one hundred thousand delirious fans – the rain started again. But the wet weather didn’t worry Scott too much. His primary focus centred on the distant horizon where he noticed flickering tendrils of lightning. That sight caused his already queasy stomach to flip.
Standing on a platform made of steel and playing electrical equipment, surrounded by water and lightning, presented the perfect recipe for disaster. Scott started to feel more and more uneasy. He tried in vain to light yet another cigarette – but the wind and rain thwarted every attempt to strike a match. Snarling, he threw the soggy tobacco to the ground and took a deep breath. Maybe this was a sign. No matter how much he attempted to ignore it, he had reluctantly accepted that there were big problems within the band. Perhaps this storm was divine intervention to emphasise what he already knew, confirmation that Icarus Park were not exactly a group of saints. Scott finally forced a smile as he began to wonder how long he had been so superstitious. He needed to get a grip.
It hadn’t always been like this. For many years Icarus Park had been a close-knit unit. Four friends who had grown up together, they achieved the teenage dream of forming a successful band. Even better than merely successful, they had soared. Until recently, Scott had counted himself lucky to work with them as their manager. He looked back with fond memories at how easy they had been to deal with in the early days. Polite, hard-working, open to suggestions and more than anything – they were genuine and level-headed. However, over time, as their success grew, problems started to appear. Successful people inevitably attracted leeches who try to turn their heads. This group was no exception but Scott managed to warn off most of the worst offenders. Worryingly though, a few snakes slipped through the net and they dripped their poison into the ears – and more importantly into the bodies, of some band members. Drugs and jealousy were now equal threats – and Scott was running out of ideas. He also began to accept that he didn’t really care that much anymore.
But the most pressing problem at the moment was the approaching storm. If it came any closer, he would have to insist that the boys left the stage – and he these days he never knew how they would react. He watched them carefully and as expected, he realised that they were all behaving differently. Jez Cooper, the lead guitarist and main singer, remained oblivious to everything but the music and the crowd. He simply seemed happy doing something he loved. The same couldn’t be said, however, about the other three band members.
Karl Tanner, the drummer, focused all his attention on the stormy weather. Both he and Sam Lawson – the bass player, had obviously already made their minds up and they screamed at Scott and the road crew. The audience accepted this as part of the show and shouted along with them but Scott realised that Karl and Sam were on the verge of abandoning the performance. The fourth member of the group – Cam Kingson – seemed to be lost in his own world. He attacked his keyboard in a passionate frenzy – appearing to embrace the oncoming thunder and lightning. The crowd loved his enthusiasm; you needed to be almost stood next to him to realise that he was as high as a kite.
Scott made his mind up.
“Give them one more song.” he yelled to a nearby roadie. “Then move them away from the stage as soon as possible. If the weather improves, we can try to get them back on later.”
The roadie nodded his head and raced to other members of the crew. They moved quickly and unobtrusively across the auditorium and tried to speak to each band member – with varying degrees of success. Karl and Sam shouted and bawled – they demanded to come off straight away and Scott had to move to the side of the stage to order them to stay there for just a few more moments. Jez looked to be the complete opposite – he wanted to carry on and seemed angry that they were being closed down. No one knew what was going through Cam’s mind because, as usual, no one could get through to him. He swayed along, dazed by drugs and noise.
The next song finished and chaos ensued. Karl and Sam stormed off the stage without speaking to anyone. Jez reluctantly walked away after apologising at length to the distraught crowd. He promised them that the group would return soon. Cam had to be carried off by three roadies who pretended it was all part of the act!
Jez took his time travelling back to the dressing room. One of the crew threw a towel over his head and he muttered his thanks. He paused outside the door – knowing what he would find inside and not wanting to be involved. Finally, accepting he could not delay any longer, he squared his shoulders, sighed and pushed through the entrance. As expected, a scene of utter chaos greeted him.
Sam and Karl were screaming at Scott.
“We could have been killed out there!” Karl shouted. “All you’re interested in is making money – you don’t care about keeping us safe!”
“For once I agre