by Paul Gait
As a precaution, whilst the Officer was digging, Frank sheltered the bomb from small earth falls with the aid of a small, specially designed umbrella type device.
Stripped to his waist, it took William an hour of energetic digging to reduce the pile of mud over Frank. The task took longer than usual because he was shoring up his excavation as he dug down to prevent any further collapses.
Finally, he was able to see the hair on top of Frank’s head. Carefully, he knocked through the hardened shell of the mud cocoon that had been Frank’s tomb for so many long hours.
‘Doctor Livingstone, I presume,’ he said, thrusting his hand into the gap.
‘I wondered what you would look like,’ Frank said tearfully, grasping the other’s hand, relieved at last to feel the touch of another human being. And to breathe fresh air again.
‘Right, let’s see if we can get you free of this lot then,’ William said, examining the mud pile.
‘I think my leg is squashed against the side of the bomb,’ Frank volunteered.
‘OK, I’ll go carefully.’
William dug into his back pocket and fished out a squashed mars bar and offered it to Frank. ‘Do you want this?’ he asked.
‘Yes, please,’ the other replied taking it off him hungrily. ‘I could murder a pint though.’
‘All in good time,’ William said, surveying the mud and deciding his best approach.’ All in good time.’
It took William another half an hour to uncover the bomb, complete with its safety magnets.
‘This is where I earn my Blue Peter badge,’ he said, removing some plasticine from the small tool pouch at his side.
Quickly he surrounded the two magnets with a circular shape dam of plasticine and then gently sprayed them with quick setting foam. Finally, he used long lengths of gaffer tape to secure the complete ‘ensemble’ to the bomb case once the foam had hardened.
‘Well, that should do it,’ he said, starting to move mud away from Frank’s legs.
Frank was able to help as the weight of soil was removed from his legs.
But as he did so the bomb moved slightly, and to their horror it started ticking again.
‘Oh god, don’t say we’ve got this far and now we’ve blown it,’ William thought.
He looked at Frank briefly and then resumed his frantic digging.
‘Get out. Save yourself,’ Frank said desperately.
The officer ignored him and increased the pace of his digging. After 30 seconds the ticking stopped and a fizzing noise emerged from the bomb, accompanied by a small cloud of acrid smoke, which started escaping from the damaged casing where Frank had scuffed it with his JCB.
‘God, this is it,’ Frank said, his mouth dry.
The officer continued to dig even more frantically. ‘Don’t worry. It’s probably only the detonator. Hopefully we’ve made sure it won’t trigger off the main explosives…and I think the chemicals have degenerated too, judging by the wet fart noise that it’s making.’
Frank could feel the warmth of whatever was going on inside the bomb conducting itself through the casing to his calf.
‘Sorry to be a wimp, but my leg’s getting hot,’ he informed the other.
‘OK, we’ll just get this last bit away from your leg and you ought to be able to shuffle away from it.’
Carefully, William dug the last remnants of mud away from Frank’s leg and gently lifted it from the contact with bomb. Frank cried out in pain as his trapped foot was finally released from the mud.
‘Oh God! That feels painful now that I’m getting the circulation back into it.’
‘Right, control, lets have the tripod manned again. I shall be ready to get him out of here in a second or two,’ ordered William.
His request had already been anticipated by his team, who immediately leapt into action.
William reached into a large holdall which he’d put on the edge of his excavations and pulled out a climbing harness.
‘I’m going to put you in this harness and get the boys to pull you out sharpish. OK?’ William told Frank.
‘I can probably crawl out,’ Frank said.
‘No. The guys will be here any minute.’
Even as he spoke, a rope snaked down into the hole and Frank could see the tripod above.
Quickly Frank donned the full body harness, William connected it to the rope and gave the sign to haul Frank up. As Frank was lifted out however, the bomb moved too and started to roll over.
William quickly jammed his spade against it to stop it rolling on the precious magnet assembly as Frank was rapidly pulled out of the hole and whisked away by the team. Although they were tempted to give him a rough time because of his affair with Liz, they desisted because the world’s TV cameras focussed on their rescue mission.
William was now alone in the hole nursing an angry bomb, wondering how he was going to stop it rolling any further.
CHAPTER 40
Frank had been hastily carried away from the hole by two of the bomb team and immediately placed on a stretcher where the paramedics were waiting for him.
After a cursory glance, they decided that there were no life threatening injuries that needed to be treated on site, so they took him towards the ambulance which was safely parked beyond the exclusion zone.
Liz had been alerted to the sudden burst of activity and watched fearfully as Frank was rushed away from the hole.
As the two paramedics carried him towards the ambulance Liz ran over to the stretcher.
‘Frank, Frank are you OK?’ she asked, softly.
‘Liz. What are you doing here?’ Frank said, feeling uncomfortable after William’s threats.
‘I had to come to be near. The waiting at home was torture,’ she blurted. ‘Are you hurt?
‘My legs are a bit buggered. I reckon I’ll be on the subs bench for a few games,’ Frank said, wearily. ‘But otherwise I’m OK.’
‘Oh I’m so glad you’re alright. You must have been so scared.’
‘Yeah, well, there were moments when I didn’t think I was going to make it, I must admit,’ he said, his lips a red slash in his mud coated face.
‘I bet you did,’ she said, holding his muddy hand. Still, you’ve had a mud pack that I would pay a fortune for,’ she added, trying to make light of his near death experience.
‘Yeah, it does feel a bit strange,’ he said, pieces of the dried mud flaking off onto the stretcher as he spoke.
‘It must have been awful down there?’
‘To say the least, but the worst bit was finding out that the bomb disposal man was…was…’
‘Yes, I know. It’s my husband.’
‘He knows about us,’ Frank said looking at her nervously. ‘I thought at one stage he was going to leave me down there.’
‘Oh God!’
‘Yes…Look Liz, I made a deal with him,’ Frank confessed.
‘A deal, what sort of a deal?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘If he got me out…’
‘Yes.’
‘I’d never see you again.’
‘What! You made a deal with William. That’s blackmail.’
‘He still loves you Liz.’
‘He’s got a funny way of showing it if he does,’ she said, subconsciously putting her hand to her cheek.
‘Why don’t you at least give it a try?’
‘It’s too late. We’ve grown apart. He’s had his life in the services and I’ve…I’ve waited a long time for him. No I’m looking for something different.’
‘Liz, I’m very fond of you, but…I’ve got to confess that I only dated you for a bet.’
‘A bet!’ Liz stared at him in disbelief. ‘A bet!’ she repeated, devastated by his crass admission.
‘Yes…I’m sorry. Anyway, it wouldn’t work. I’m a young guy. I need to have a few flings before I settle down. I’m enjoying life.’
‘And you weren’t enjoying life in my company?’ she said, shocked. His words twisted a knife in her stomach. She h
ad been a fool to think this young man would want to be associated with an older woman for anything other than sex. She had fantasised about romance, but now she felt used and ashamed.
After his ordeal, Frank struggled to find the right words.
‘No, I didn’t mean that… I don’t want to be tied down…not yet in any case.’
‘You’re not just saying this because of your promise to William are you?’ she demanded.
‘No, of course not,’ he lied.
‘Frank, you made me feel alive again,’ she blurted, ‘I’m different. I’m happy for the first time in a long time. I like seeing you. Please don’t walk away from me. Please.’
‘We can still be friends…’ Frank croaked.
‘I want more than friendship. I want to be loved. To be touched, stroked, hugged. I want to be cared for and to care for somebody else.’
‘You have William, now he’s back from serving abroad,’ he volunteered unhelpfully.
‘I don’t feel the same about William anymore. He is so…so staid in his ways. So unemotional.’
‘He saved my life, remember? Perhaps his job has made him that way. Let’s face it. I’ve seen him in action. I’m glad he’s cool. You wouldn’t want to get excited around those bombs.’
‘No, but it would be nice if he got excited about me though,’ she added wistfully.
‘He’s still down there at the moment. The bomb rolled over as they were getting me out. William was holding it with a spade to prevent the anti-tamper magnets being knocked off.’
‘Magnets!’
‘Yes. He talked me through putting them on the bomb to stop it blowing up. Something was getting hot inside and it was burning my leg. William sorted it. He was cool as cucumber, thank goodness. I hope he’s alright. I owe him big time.’
‘Sorry, Miss, we need to get Frank to hospital,’ the lead Paramedic interrupted quietly. ‘You can come to the hospital with him in the ambulance if you wish.’
Liz thought for a moment and said, ‘No, it’s OK. My husband is still working on the bomb. I should stay and support him. Thanks for the offer. Goodbye Frank, I’ll…pop in and see you sometime… when you’re settled.’ She let go of his hand. Frank looked at her briefly then closed his eyes, feeling guilty for leading her on.
Liz watched as Frank was loaded into the ambulance.
She was torn between loyalty for William and the happiness she felt with Frank. They had known each other only briefly, but she had really looked forward to being in his company. It was like having a first love all over again. Frank’s enthusiasm for life was infectious.
As the ambulance doors slammed, Joe came running towards her.
‘Is that Frank?’ he quizzed, panting.
‘Yes,’ you just missed him. Where have you been?
‘I had to have a whisky to steady my nerves. Is he alright?’ he asked cautiously.
‘Yes. He’s fine.’
‘I can’t believe after all this waiting I missed him.’
‘I shall miss him too,’ Liz said quietly.
CHAPTER 41
Liz turned back to look at where William was still working on the bomb.
Suddenly a huge fireball lit up the night sky and a plume of muddy water shot fifty feet in to the air, followed by a loud, ear-splitting explosion. Windows rattled several miles away from the noise of the blast.
The ‘Snow White’ bomb had woken noisily…
Liz was deafened by the explosion and nearly blown off her feet as the percussion wave hit.
‘Oh my god, William!’ she shrieked.
This was the moment that she had dreaded ever since he decided to be a member of the EOD team. She had often imagined the knock on the door and for the ‘uniforms’ to tell her about William’s death, but not to be there and actually witness him being atomised.
The shock was too much for her. Her senses overwhelmed and she passed out.
She surfaced slowly through the blackness. Had she died? She felt awful. Her vision was distorted. She could make out blurry faces. There was a rushing noise in her ears. Consciousness hurt. The back of her head painful. She wanted to go back to the blackness.
‘Liz are you OK?’ a voice asked faintly through the buzzing in her ears.
She was afraid to open her eyes. ‘What…what happened?’ she croaked.
‘You fainted,’ the voice informed her. ‘Just lie there for a bit and we’ll sit you up shortly.’
She was lying flat on her back. Someone had raised her feet. She could feel a stickiness at the back of her head. As her vision was clearing, she could make out a uniform. An army uniform. Suddenly she remembered the explosion. Her heart sank.
‘William, Oh my God, William!’ She started to cry.
She put her hands to her face and covered her eyes, her body now wracked by grief. It was only now that she realised she still loved him. It was as if a huge chunk of her whole being had been hacked away.
Her heart ached so much that she thought she was having a heart attack. They had been together for over fifteen years and now…
People around her looked away, embarrassed at her distress, not knowing what to do or how to comfort her.
She heard someone approaching, someone calling her name. Perhaps she had suffered the heart attack and she was dead, because it sounded like William but William was dead. The bomb had exploded.
‘Liz, Liz are you alright? Liz, it’s me,’ William said, kneeling down by her side. She opened her eyes. Was she imagining it? He was there, gazing down at her. Were they both in heaven? He touched her hand. It felt real.
He bent down and kissed her on the forehead and gently stroked her hair.
‘Are you OK?’ he asked, looking into her eyes.
‘I…I think so,’ she said, feeling light headed.
‘You must have been knocked over by the blast. Sorry the bomb went off before we could warn everybody,’ William apologised.
Liz sat up and touched his face.
‘It really is you?’ she said, overjoyed at seeing him.
‘Yes, it’s me. Snow White didn’t like being woken up. She was a bit grumpy.’
‘Snow White?’
‘Yes. It was Frank’s bomb,’ William said, uncomfortable at mentioning the other’s name. ‘It must have been awful for you hearing it go off like that. Of course we’re used to hearing explosions like that all the time,’ William added.
‘You’re alive!’ she exclaimed looking into his face.
‘Yes. Another successful job. Although you never know with these world war two bombs,’ he said flippantly.
‘You saved Frank.’
‘Yes. That was a bonus. She slept long enough to get him out…although it was touch and go a couple of times.’
‘Yes, so I gather. Thank you. He told me that you made a deal.’
‘A deal?’ Oh yes. That was purely to stop him freaking out. I didn’t mean it.’ William suddenly looked sad, ‘Liz, I…didn’t think you’d still be here…I thought you might have gone off in the ambulance with…with him.’
‘No, I couldn’t, while…while you were still in danger,’ she confessed.
‘He…and you are free agents. I can’t dictate how you run your life. Although I realise I haven’t actually given you much of a married life,’ he added awkwardly. ‘But I’m glad you could see me at work and…um give you the right result.’
‘Yes, you have given me the right result.’ She paused reflectively, ‘I realise what a stupid idiot I’ve been.’
‘Oh?’
‘There’s me imagining that a young man like that would want me for myself. What a fool. Why, I’m almost twice his age. No. It’s not him. What you’ve done is given me…you.’
‘I’m not sure I follow,’ he said, perplexed. ‘I thought you and him…’
‘There is no me and him…there never was. Will you forgive me William?’ she begged, ‘I realise I’ve been…been stupid, but can we give it another try?’
‘I think you know
the answer to that,’ he replied, squeezing her hand. ‘Now I’m home, perhaps it will be easier.’
‘I thought you’d died out there,’ she said quietly. ‘And I couldn’t bear that pain.’
‘I’m sorry if I frightened you,’ he apologised.
‘I didn’t see you leave the hole. When did you escape?’ she asked.
‘Well, I realised after they got him out, there was no way I could keep the anti-tamper stuff in place, so I hightailed it out of there as soon as my team confirmed that he was safely away.’
‘Here. How come you’ve got a clean face when Frank’s was filthy?’ Liz asked, examining his face.
‘I had a rendezvous with a damp flannel. After all, I have to look my best. I’m about to be interviewed on world-wide television,’ William said, lifting her into his arms.
‘Ooh, I didn’t realise I was married to an important TV personality,’ she said, snuggling up against him.
‘I love you Liz,’ William said, suddenly.
She looked into his eyes and for the first time in many years she was reminded why she’d fallen in love with him.
‘The eyes are the pathway to the soul,’ she recalled. She saw intensity in his gaze that made her heart flutter. It was hypnotic. ‘If love was a visible entity, he was exuding it,’ she thought, dreamily.
The headiness she felt meant the world and its problems were retreating in to a peripheral haze. He had become the centre of her being again.
She responded with a passionate kiss.
The small group of spectators, who had come to Liz’s aid when she’d fainted, applauded. Liz and William broke off their kiss and laughed, content in each other’s company.
CHAPTER 42
In Gottingen, Lower Saxony, overlooking the meandering River Leine, Franz Schmidt re-ran the interview with William and the bomb explosion for the tenth time.
‘Do you have to keep doing that?’ his wife bellowed.
‘This is great. Normally, we never got to see the actual explosion when we were on a bombing run. It was more important to escape from the flak. We only saw the bomb craters from later reconnaissance photographs.