Book Read Free

Guy Fawkes Day

Page 68

by KJ Griffin


  ***

  PC Brett was caught in an indecision they had taught him not to get caught in and his finger reflected his uncertainty, bouncing on and off the trigger in compulsive nerve twitches. He had rushed upstairs to the Ministers' Rooms the moment he had heard the first blast coming from the direction of the Lords, but having escorted a collection of civil service types to the safety of New Palace Yard, he then returned to double check. The air traffic on his radio was so insane he switched it off temporarily. That was when he saw the first figure jog across to a hole in the middle of Speaker's Court, clutching some sort of assault rifle in his right hand.

  Brett had gently eased open one of the windows overlooking the court when he noticed a second figure stepping out of the shadows towards the drain. The man stooped down by the manhole cover and strained under the weight of a large canvas bag.

  Brett raised his firing arm and trained his machine pistol on the man with the bag, but by the time he was ready to fire, the man was well on his way towards the Commons.

  The blood throbbed around his temples and his breath was almost stifled. Brett lowered his firing arm and noticed it was shaking, then he saw the second man come to repeat the process with the bag. Bett traced the man's movements with his gun, lowering the weapon fractionally as the man stooped for the bag. Go for it! a voice screamed inside his head. And so he did, squeezing off four shots in rapid succession across the courtyard. His second shot caught the target in the throat, which the figure clasped desperately as he fell on top of the bag. There was no time to see more. The returning fire erupted from the drainhole cover and the doorway leading back towards the Commons, shattering the window panes all around. Brett dropped to the floor and crawled away from the windows, wishing he had some support. But at least he had done his bit!

‹ Prev