“What is that?” asked Simon seeming slightly bewildered with his superior now looking like a spy with various gadgets now on display.
“It’s a magnetic satellite receiver” replied Montgomery putting his finger up to his mouth to indicate to Simon he wished him to remain silent.
Simon seemed stunned that all of a sudden this experienced, slightly old fashioned and predictable doctor who moved slowly and drank excessive amounts of whisky was now showing a different side. It was pretty evident to the young lad that this old guy had done this type of thing before.
“What does it do?”
“Nothing at the moment” replied an anxious Montgomery as he fiddled with the receiver then replaced it back onto the phone. He then re-dialled Alex’s mobile number and immediately the red light on the side turned to green then blue.
“We have already tried his number but it’s pretty obvious he has no reception or his phone is turned off” said Simon waiting with intrigue at what would happen next.
The ringing tone could be heard and after only three rings Alex Richards answered his phone in a hushed tone.
“Well this is a surprise Dr Montgomery. I can’t believe you still own one of these”
“Listen Alex you need to get the boy out of there quickly. The poor lad is full of explosives. I think
Bostock is planning to blow somebody up. I’m going to go back to the hospital now to prepare a blood transfusion for the boy……that’s if we’re not too late”
“Any idea how he is planning to set the explosion off?”
“No but the mixture is very unstable. I’ve never seen anything like this before. As a guess I would say an electronic device…..probably a phone. Do you know who the target might be?”
“Yes!” said Richards confidently and ended the call straight away.
“What the hell is going on here?” said a shocked Simon shaking his head.
“Let’s hope he can save the boy” replied Montgomery as they prepared to go back to the hospital.
*
“Andy can you hear me?” whispered Richards into his earpiece.
“Yes!” whispered Andy.
“We have to get Wyre and Oliver out as quick as possible”
“How quick?”
“Like yesterday quick”
“What’s happened?”
“Bostock is planning an assassination”
“Who’s the target, the Prime minister?”
“No, everyone in the room”
“Son of a bitch, How?”
“He’s pumped Oliver full of Glycerine”
“Jesus Christ!”
“I’m going in now!” whispered Richards calmly.
Suddenly Andy heard the fire alarm burst into life and as he watched through the skylight from his hidden vantage point on the roof he could see everyone at first just ignore it as most people do when they hear an alarm, reluctant to leave the party but staff members slowly and steadily started ushering everyone out of the grey room towards the fire exits. He could also see the security readying themselves by drawing their weapons knowing that something was about to go down. His heart skipped a beat as he could see Wyre and Oliver looking unsure of where to go. At first they were following an usher, then what could be assumed to be one of Bostock’s men pulled them to one side. “Shit!” mumbled Andy as he put his weapon to his eye and prepared himself.
*
“Excuse me sir you have to wait here” said the guy placing his hand on Wyre’s shoulder.
“That’s the fire alarm, I think we should leave” replied a concerned Wyre just now desperate to get out of there knowing something was going to happen and this being the perfect opportunity.
The guy just shook his head and slightly tightened his grip on Wyre. For survival reasons Wyre was determined to spot Cameron and the Syrian guy he was yet to meet, at least then he was sure nothing untoward could happen as long as they were near. Glancing around Wyre spotted Cameron being led out through one of the entrances but the Syrian guy could be seen, also being delayed in his exit. Wyre took his chance and pushed the guy’s arm away and keeping Oliver close made his way towards the Syrian guy. Bostock’s man was about to indiscreetly give chase when a hand came across his chest to stop him.
“No let him go” said the voice.
The voice was Bostock and he watched as Wyre and Oliver disappeared around the corner and steadily made their way towards Mustafa Sousa.
“Are you ready Jim?” said Bostock into his earpiece.
“Yes sir!”
Bostock walked up to a metal plate on the wall, placed a key in the hole which in turn opened a cover. There underneath were various switches and buttons and in a matter of seconds Bostock had turned the fire alarm off. Loud voices could be heard near the exits calmly explaining that there was no need to leave as there was indeed no fire and everyone could return to the gathering. David Cameron could be seen being re-assured by members of his staff as various other staff cracked jokes and led by example by returning to their drinks and conversations. The worried faces began to relax once again as Cameron glanced at Bostock to get confirmation it was nothing to worry about. Bostock smiled and nodded then with hand gestures indicated everything was fine. Unknown to Alex Richards he had inadvertently grouped everyone together as a smaller target.
Calmly walking around the rooms, Jim took out the mobile phone and carefully began to dial a phone number. The number was accurately synced to specific instructions that would be received by a tiny microchip under Oliver’s skin that had gone undetected by all his examinations. As soon as the phone started the sequence of events, the chip would create a connection with the explosives in Oliver’s bloodstream. Oliver would know nothing about his demise but anybody stood within at least twenty foot would be torn apart. Wyre and Oliver were now only fifteen feet away as Jim entered more numbers. Mustafa, with other various members of the party were still jovial as silence then the sound of chatter and drinking descended back on the party. People began to tell stories of how the last time a fire alarm had gone off half way through previous meetings and occasions.
“Where’s Jim?” whispered a voice from behind one of Bostock’s men manning one of the exits.
“Fuck you!” said the guy as he turned around after feeling the silencer of a weapon being forced into his back. Bostock had pre-warned his men Alex Richards would certainly make an appearance.
“Ok let’s go for a stroll” said the voice.
“You’re having a fucking laugh if you think you can get out of here alive” whispered Bostock’s man.
Richards pushed the weapon into the guys back harder forcing him to wince in pain before calmly answering him.
“Oh don’t worry about me. I have no intentions of leaving here alive. I’ll leave you to decide your fate”
Richards casually walked across the room with Bostock’s man at gunpoint but made it look like he had a friendly arm around him, smiling at anyone who seemed to look at him with intrigue.
“Jim what the fuck is happening? I haven’t heard a bang yet”
“I’m putting the last number in now sir…..there it’s done……shit I’ve lost Sousa, I’ll sort it”
“Jim do not fuck this up. How long have we got?”
“One minute!”
The rooms were nearly full again as the chatting and drinking continued as Richards led Bostock’s man out towards the landing in the hallway. In full view if Andy on the roof, Richards put a shot through the rear of the guys kneecap and pushed him through the gap in the ornate stairwell to the basement floor three stories below. This was Andy’s signal to fire at will if he thought Wyre, Oliver or himself were in danger of being taken out. Richards had made the first move and there was no going back now.
Re-entering the quietest of the three rooms, Richards directly made his way towards Wyre and Oliver drawing the attention of the guy also approaching them. Alex immediately lifted his weapon and fired it killing the guy instantly. The guest
s remained oblivious to the carnage that was beginning to unfold in one of the other rooms as Wyre dragged Oliver down to the floor to protect him as the familiar sound of a silencer thumping its bullets towards its targets could be heard and the sight and sound of people falling or diving onto the wooden floor around them had Wyre looking for a clear exit but there wasn’t one. On the roof Andy had removed strategic panes of glass and was manoeuvring himself into positions enabling him to take out designated targets. It was only a matter of seconds before he would start to take rounds and had to stoop down and change positions to avoid being hit. He knew he only had minutes before the roof would be swarming with Bostock’s men and risked being shot on sight.
“Jim the meeting needs to happen now. Cameron and Sousa are together so get that bloody kid in there and finish this. Leave Richards to me. Bob will take out the Russians” said Bostock pushing another mint into his mouth.
Richards reached Wyre and aggressively pushed him away from Oliver. With no hesitation Richards pulled a flick knife out of his pocket.
“What the fuck are you doing?” said Wyre as Richards pinned Oliver to the floor and held up the blade.
“Oliver please forgive me for what I am about to do. This will hurt but you have to trust me”
“Jim I’ve got Richards and the boy here so please tell me there’s time”
“Yes sir we just need the boy in here now”
“Fuck it bring Sousa and Cameron to the boy”
Jim approached the prime minister and the Syrian diplomat to calmly inform them that the meeting with Wyre Davis and his son would be in the next room and if they could follow him it would be greatly appreciated. By now the large wooden doors to the next room were closed and as Jim opened them they were greeted with a sight that had Mustafa frowning in horror and the prime minister scowling with anger and glancing at Bostock who had also just entered. Jim went straight for his weapon.
“Jesus Christ Alex” gasped Wyre as Richards grabbed at Oliver’s jeans and pulled them down leaving the boy sitting there in his underpants.
“You’re too late Alex” shouted Bostock approaching the scene in front of him and glancing at Jim who nodded in agreement.
Mustafa looked on in amazement and horror.
“What is this? You expect the Syrian government to talk to you after this. He is a child, what is this?”
The familiar thump and then the sound of a body falling to the ground after being shot was heard and had Richards looking up from his position.
“Jesus Christ!” mumbled Wyre, as he stared at the body of Mustafa lay twitching on the floor with his eye sockets bulging and swollen having been shot through the side of the head.
“Fuck you Bostock not this time!” replied Richards now concentrating on the job in hand.
Holding the small flick knife, Richards knelt on Oliver’s leg whilst Wyre comforted him still unsure about what was happening and having to put his total trust in the man who had got him this far. Although Oliver was now Wyre’s main concern he still managed a glance in the direction of Bostock almost transfixed by the man who had caused him so much pain. The anger grew inside as he watched Alex carefully make an incision in Oliver’s groin. No matter how much Wyre comforted him the boy still screamed out in pain as Jim now pointed his weapon to the back of Alex’s head from about ten feet away, waiting for the ok from Bostock to pull the trigger. Bostock glanced at Jim and nodded to give him the ok but the sound of Cameron shouting stopped him from pulling the trigger.
“Please no more killing in here! What the hell is going on Ron?”
Richards pinched the skin in Oliver’s groin and in seconds he was stood up holding a tiny, thin microchip half the size of a five pence piece. Totally ignoring the weapons now pointing at him Richards walked over to a glass of champagne on one of the tables and dropped the chip into it making the explosive relay set up now useless. Jim still stood with finger on the trigger just waiting for Bostock to re- give him the ok to kill all three of them but he didn’t. Cameron had now spoken and was now the alpha male. Even Jim could not act now. There was only ever one person in the organisation who never had to wait for any orders and he was now walking back towards Wyre and Oliver in the hope of protecting them. As Richards did this Andy was marched in at gun point with a bullet wound in his arm and ordered to stand in the group of captives.
“Well, Well! Look at this. We have a right fucking royal reunion now. Andy nice to see you again I think you owe me a large one for killing a few of my men” said a smug Bostock.
“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here” boomed David Cameron as he stood surveying the scene in the room which now had pools of blood and three or four dead or injured men in suits sprawled across the floor.
There in the middle of it all was Alex Richards, Andy, Wyre and Oliver. Again without batting an eyelid, Richards knelt down next to Oliver to check the tiny scratch he had made to remove the chip was not bleeding any more. It wasn’t but Richards removed his weapon forcing a nervous reaction from all those around him, meaning the five or six weapons with silencers pointing at him, such was his reputation, were now twitching. Alex had no intention of firing it just yet but instead opened up the weapon under the close scrutiny of everyone in the room and rubbed his finger on and around the firing mechanism. With a fine film of grease now on his finger Alex rubbed it over the barely visible wound of Oliver. Wyre could feel himself nodding in approval at the precision and thoroughness that comes with being a good doctor or surgeon. The fact Richards did it under difficult circumstances left Wyre speechless.
“That should seal the wound for the time being” whispered Alex as he smiled at Oliver.
“There’s nothing to worry about here sir” said Bostock calmly as he approached the prime minister. There was silence as Bostock whispered into Cameron’s ear forcing him to smile then frown. Making eye contact with all four of them including Oliver, Cameron glanced around the large room then thought for a few seconds before nodding.
“All the months of planning destroyed in a few minutes”
There was a pause as he studied Richards, Wyre, Andy and Oliver.
“You can’t stop what we’re doing you know that don’t you?”
None of them answered him as he turned and headed towards the door.
“Dispose of them quietly and I don’t want to hear nothing more about them or what happened here today. As for Sousa burn the body and I’ll sort out the Syrian government” said Cameron angrily.
Richards stood in front of Wyre as Bostock approached.
“He had no idea you were going to blow everyone up in here, including him did he?” asked Richards calmly.
“Oh come on Alex I don’t need to answer that one. Come on boys you heard what he said, let’s get them out of here” said a now angry looking Bostock.
Wyre was now consumed with rage and Cameron was his first target.
Chapter 21
“You murdering bastard!” shouted Wyre as he stood up and followed Cameron towards the door under the watchful barrels and silencers of various weapons.
“Excuse me sir but I warn you not speak out of tone to me. Under the circumstances I think it better you do not make it worse for yourself” replied Cameron not really wanting to get involved in a dispute and attempting to walk away.
“You’re the prime minister?”
“Yes!”
“You condone the killing of innocent people”
“You have no idea what you’re saying” replied a now angry Cameron.
Wyre’s blood was now boiling as Cameron’s protection allowed Wyre to get pretty close feeling confident he would not actually do anything.
“I have no idea what I’m saying” seethed Wyre “You ordered this man to kill my wife and torture my son you sick bastard”
Cameron seemed confused as he glanced at Bostock and the group in the middle of the room. He then paused as he took a closer look at Alex Richards who was letting Wyre get this out of
his system. He also felt confident Bostock would not do anything stupid as long as Cameron was still in the room.
“I know your face” said Cameron now pointing at Alex.
“Yes that’s right! I used to work, sorry I used to kill for you” said Richards expressionless. “I think you should know that my good friend Mr Bostock here pumped this boy full of explosives in the hope of blowing your good self, Mr Sousa and virtually everyone in this room sky high. I don’t know about you sir but I think that makes you expendable”
Cameron seemed bemused at Alex’s statement as Wyre approached Bostock and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, forcing him against the wall.
“You sick….”
Before Wyre could finish his sentence he was struck on the back of the head with a weapon and pushed onto the floor. Wyre remained conscious and felt the blood now coming from the wound on his head as Bostock walked up to Wyre and kicked him in the ribs.
“Stop this immediately!” shouted Cameron as he noticed Richards now pointing his weapon directly at Bostock.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance” whispered Alex.
All weapons were now pointing at Alex as he stood calmly fingering the trigger.
“Yes that’s right you should have but you couldn’t could you. Let me see, why couldn’t the coldest killer that has ever worked for me pull the trigger when he had the chance? Yes why couldn’t he? Maybe it was because intrigue got the better of you. Maybe you needed to find out who was really running the show…..oh wait you never told the others your suspicions. Well my boy, this is getting interesting”
Bostock looked at Cameron who was now stood holding his hands up with total dis-interest and preparing to leave the room and re-join his oblivious guests in the other two rooms that had now been shut off with huge soundproof sliding doors.
BEYOND THE SPRING Page 23