She smiled at the blinking yellow eye as she was dragged closer. ‘Fancy a bellyful of wind Mr Octopus? Well take that.’ She yanked the pin from the black handle of the extinguisher and pressed to set it off. A spume of white powder rushed from the nozzle as she thrust the cylinder deep between the sharp curves of the beak. As the octopus tried to fully close its jaws, she heard the grinding noise of the extinguisher as it was crushed. Then the screeching began in multiple echoes that resounded around the cave but the extinguisher was still spurting the CO2 into the beast’s gullet. The tentacles suddenly retracted allowing her to grab Techno under his arms and pull him to safety as the octopus thrashed around the pool, poisoned by the CO2, which was now expanding violently inside its guts. She lay gasping, covered in wet green slime but still wary of the octopus that beat itself around the pool. Cradling Techno’s head in her arms, she willed him to revive. The beast reared into the air, half out of the water, a giant balloon with trailing tentacles that flapped helplessly and then suddenly it exploded. Puss and guts showered everywhere, the stench of decomposed fish was mixed with the rotten eggs of the volcano, making it a smell from hell. She vomited until her stomach was empty and then lay retching for a minute or two without bringing anything up.
Techno stirred and looked up into her eyes. ‘You saved me Kate. Why?’
‘Because my mum told me to be myself. Kind, giving and loving. You should try it, it makes you happy.’ They both struggled to their feet, sliding on the copious amount of octopus guts and black ink that was spread across the cold smooth rock.
Kate pulled her hair back into a wet bun and stared into the waters, wishing the boys back. What had the octopus done to them? ‘Where are you boys?’
‘They are dead Kate, come on let’s go. MM will send Biceps down after all this rumpus and then we’ll be dead too.’
‘No, I’m not leaving without them. They took The Reason down there and therefore they will come back.’ He stepped away and sat on a rock ledge by the metal door.
He thought she must be deranged. ‘The Reason? What was that?’
Kate continued to stare into the pool. She thought she could see a few bubbles. ‘Do you have a torch Techno?’
‘No, I have better than that.’ He rummaged in his rucksack and pulled out what looked like a firework, a roman candle. ‘This is my own design of flare, it works underwater too.’ She grabbed it off him and holding it at arm’s length, she pulled the red cord to set it off. The bright magnesium light was so intense, it temporarily blinded them both. Quickly she threw it into the centre of the pool and watched the whiteness disappear downwards.
‘Come on, give me all the flares you brought with you.’ Three times she sent the flare towards the depths but there was still no sign of Roger and Jack. Her bravery was spent and she slumped to the floor and started to cry.
Techno came close and put a comforting arm around her. ‘Come on Kate. We have to save ourselves.’ As he hauled her to her feet, they both jumped in alarm as there was a giant hiss of escaping air. They turned back to the waters, expecting another octopus but it was only the two divers surfacing in the centre of the pool.
A smiling face emerged from beneath a mask. ‘Hoy you! What are you crying for Kit Kat? Have you messed up your dress?’ Jack threw his mask away into the water and pulled himself ashore, quickly followed by Roger who was shaking and white with fear. ‘I said, are you alright Kate?’ He stared hard at Techno, who still had a comforting arm around her. Techno saw the look and released his grip before backing away. They were nominally enemies after all. His brother and mum were Techno’s only concern now.
‘I’m fine Jack, just fine.’
‘Thanks for the flares, they are the only way we could have found our way to the surface. There must be miles of cave down there.’
‘They were Techno’s flares.’ Jack looked at Techno.
‘Thank you both then.’ He paused and held out a steady hand. ‘I mean it, thank you. You saved our lives, we were low on air.’ They shook hands firmly and then Jack turned his attention to Roger. Helping him to remove his scuba gear, he talked constantly to his friend. He had read in an adventure book that it would help reduce the shock. ‘Come on splodger, we didn’t get splodged by Mr Slime, the power suits helped us...by the way, where is the octopus Kate?’
She pointed to the ceiling and walls. ‘Splattered everywhere, can’t you smell it?’
‘No my lovely, I can only smell your gorgeous perfume!’ He smiled widely. ‘Nice one Kit Kat. Very skippy that, splattering an octopus rather than barbecuing it like in Spain. A bit of batter, a squeeze of lemon and it would have been really tasty.’
‘Jack for god’s sake, please stop joking. Anyway, even you couldn’t have eaten that much octopus.’ She giggled at him, his comment had done the trick, it had helped lessen the shock that was overwhelming all of them. They all stared at Roger who never used a nasty word.
‘Well I’m glad that gruesome bugger copped it.’
Jack was happy, his friend was alive and kicking again. ‘We were lucky down there. It came at us as we entered a narrow section.’
Kate hugged Jack close. ‘What happened?’
‘The power suits gave us the extra speed to swim away from the groping tentacles.’
‘Thank The Reason Jack.’
He glanced at her before helping Roger to stand up and thought how pretty her hair looked. ‘In our case,’ he said ‘you have to believe don’t you?’ He moved away from her and Roger. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here guys.’
‘And the key? Did you find it?’ Techno was now in their power.
‘The SD card was hidden in a plastic float about a kilometre away. It was attached to the wall of the flooded passageway and immediately behind it was a metal grille.’
Roger completed Jack’s description. ‘The grill had been left open to deter visitors, inside was was the beast.’ He patted the zip pocket on the chest of his power suit. ‘The card is safe with me now.’
Jack let Techno lead them through the door and back onto the spiral staircase. The four of them crept quietly upwards, not knowing what to expect. Nerves were on edge as they mounted and then Roger screamed and screamed again.
‘Rats, two rats went up my leg.’ He turned to see Kit Kat behind him. She was in hysterics.
‘Told you I would get you back splodger!’ As she carried on laughing, with tears coming down her face, he turned away imperiously.
‘I think a little decorum at such a serious time would be a better idea Ms. Shore.’ But it did relax them all after their terrible scare. It was Jack who reminded them of the task ahead. They were close to the door leading out into level one and MM’s and Bicep’s living quarters. He glanced at Roger’s watch that he had forgotten to return. It was a Rolex, an expensive present from mother and father when Roger had left home for his first term at Eton. It was now 7 am on MD day. Techno had told them that 10 am was go live. That meant the world markets would have melted down by noon.
It was a dangerous moment as they were about to leave the staircase. Jack turned and spoke quietly. ‘Just remember the SAS motto “who dares wins” and we dare don’t we?’
‘Yes’ came the emphatic reply from Kate and Roger.
Roger made a joke. ‘Who’s scared swims, don’t you mean mate?’ They all laughed, it had been a close call. ‘So we have the SD card and now all we have to do is pull the plug on 95 brains, free Mrs Hines and escape the volcano. Right?’
‘Right.’ But all their replies were doubtful behind the bravado. Just one of the tasks would have been hard on its own.
Jack saw the hesitation. ‘Well let’s make it happen then. The world is relying on us.’
Chapter 12
Battle for the volcano
Techno slowly opened the black door at the top of the staircase. He wasn’t too worried about himself, both Biceps and MM usually slept until 8 am and he could make an excuse for being on level one. However, Jack’s gang needed t
o make it down the lift unseen by the ninja guards or the mission would fail.
Techno signalled the others to follow him out with a quick wave of the hand and tip toed towards the lift in the dim light. After a few tense moments, they heaved a sigh of relief as they all stood safely facing the lift door, its stainless steel polished to a mirror. Another ten minutes and they would be back in their accommodation.
Grey shadows flashed across the mirrored surface and merged into the darkness of the reflected rocks. They all saw them and hoped it was in their imagination, but when each child turned, their stomachs lurched with fear as they faced the four ninjas who stood motionless just 20 metres away. Techno and the gang fanned out in a small crescent shape, shoulder to shoulder and then the lift door softly sighed open behind them, giving them a chance to escape. They all flicked a quick glance over their shoulders and saw the ugly smiling faces of Twip Twop and Biceps who stood with their arms crossed within the recess.
It was Twip Twop who spoke as he watched the group edge away from both the ninjas and him to form a wider defensive formation. ‘Treachery teaches us many lessons doesn’t it children? How loyalty is just a fleeting emotion. How colleagues can become adversaries. How friends can become enemies.’
‘You were never my friend Twip Twop.’ Techno’s voice was low and menacing. Biceps grunted loudly, he was ready to tear them all apart if given the order by the albino. Kit Kat grasped Jack’s hand, he could feel her shaking with fear.
He spoke to her as they all stepped further backwards. ‘Be yourself, was grandma’s advice. Forget anything else Kate and remember your training.’ She gripped his hand more tightly and then let it go as she raised her hands in a jiujutsu defence position. ‘Get behind us all Roger, keep “it” safe and make a run for it if you think you can make a clean escape alone.’
‘Will do Jack.’
‘Ninjas first, I like to be polite.’ Twip Twop ordered the attack. The four ninjas advanced, they stepped slowly and deliberately, always with their feet apart and their hands raised in a classic karate attack style. They knew they wouldn’t need to use their weapons to beat this rabble of kids.
Roger whispered from behind his friends. ‘Sergeant Sargent said attack was the best form of defence. Remember they don’t know about our training nor the power suits.’
‘One each then but not until I shout scones.’ Jack was smiling at the enemy who spoke no English.
‘What?’ Kate remonstrated, ‘scones? Why not cupcakes, they’re so much tastier.’
Roger added, ‘yes Jack, I like cupcakes better.’
‘Look you two, never mind arguing about cakes, so long as they’re Japanese, they won’t understand and neither will Twip Twop and Biceps.’
‘I beg your pardon Jack, but if they understand “ninjas advance” maybe they do speak English.’ Roger was always brighter than the others in the gang.
The ninjas were now within a few metres and saw their quarry had dropped their arms by their sides as a gesture of submission. The ninjas relaxed as they closed, it was to be a fatal mistake.
‘Just grab them and stop messing.’ Biceps deep voice boomed out. The ninjas stepped forward on his ill-judged command.
‘Cupcakes!’ Jack screamed loudly as his foot smashed into the leading ninja’s face, immediately knocking him unconscious. He turned to his right to see that Techno was lying on the floor face down with a ninja pinning him down. Jack attacked swiftly with a two-handed chop to the ninja’s neck making him roll off his friend and giving Jack a second to whirl around and look for the next opponent. Kate had thrown her attacker over her shoulder, leaving Roger to finish him off with a deadly kick to the windpipe. She was now sparring with the last ninja. He dropped and spun on one hand whilst stretching his right leg out to cut her legs from beneath her. By the time she hit the floor he was crouched above her and ready to deliver a killer chop to the windpipe.
‘Excuse me old chap!’ The ninja raised his eyes to see Jack’s foot slam into his nose. He fell back and lay still. The friends regrouped as Biceps roared and ran at them from the lift.
‘Victoria sponge!’ Jack and Roger understood Kit Kat immediately. Sponges are made of two parts with a filling. The brute had grabbed Jack by the neck and started to choke him with his massive bare hands. As Jack’s eyes bulged, Kate rolled forward and grabbed Biceps left leg and Roger did the same and grabbed the right, and then they twisted so their legs were parallel to the floor but with their feet pushed firmly together. They had made a human brace between Biceps legs, a human ram without any strain as their knees were bent.
‘The splits!’ Roger shouted as he anticipated the next move and started to straighten his knees. The power suits had never been used like this before but Kate and Roger knew the strength of their leg muscles was ginormous. Add on the basic mechanics of distance multiplying the force and the result was excruciating for their enemy and perfect mechanics judged by Roger. Biceps screamed with his mouth wide open as the pain seared through his groin. He instantly dropped Jack who was suspended a metre off the floor and now blue in the face through lack of oxygen. Bicep’s legs split wider apart as the children applied more pressure and his screams echoed off the roof of the cave as they became even louder as the pain increased. Suddenly his groin and hips separated into two unequal parts with a squelchy tearing noise coming from beneath his trousers. His screaming stopped as he lost consciousness but Kit Kat and Roger kept pressing until the giant had collapsed on his face with a thud and splat as his nose broke. Biceps, the terror of the volcano, overpowered by mere kids who had split his difference.
‘Doughnuts,’ choked Jack as he tried to make a dubious joke, ‘how appropriate, but now’s the time to run for it.’ Jack stood and rubbed his neck as he watched Twip Twop disappearing towards MM’s bedroom. ‘The lift, quick.’ They all raced to the lift and jammed at the button to close the door. As it sped downwards, the children and Techno collapsed against the walls, dragging deep breaths into their bodies and trying to steady their nerves.
* * *
J sat in the PM’s private office in Downing Street. It was a pleasant office, with a tall window that faced onto the garden and the second flush of roses. Many of the perennial plants like poppies already sported dried seed heads as autumn was fast approaching. The PM stood looking out, he had his back to J and Wolf who were sat in the worn leather chairs by his desk.
The PM spoke tersely. ‘We’re going in with conventional forces first.’
It was Wolf who was the first to object. ‘What about the children? There must a hundred or more lives at risk.’
The PM turned to face him. ‘The analysts believe that overwhelming force is the only way to guarantee entry into the volcano. A low key, quiet SAS attack in the middle of the night is doomed to failure. The volcano is too well protected, the reconnaissance teams have seen that over the last two weeks.’
Wolf continued to argue. ‘And what about what they can’t see? This woman is completely insane and has had ten long years to perfect her defences.’ J let the young whipper-snapper do the talking. He agreed with Wolf, but couldn’t speak to the Prime Minister in that challenging way. J’s long experience with the bad decisions of elected politicians always rankled with him but he had to toe the diplomatic line or lose his job.
‘It’s a risk we have to take. The President and I have sanctioned the attack for today at 10.30 am. The memory stick gave us the day and time for the terrorist attack and therefore that is the latest we can leave it. Overwhelming force is our only answer, just like in Iraq. We have two aircraft carriers, six cruisers and two subs in position close to the Kenyan coast at Mombasa. The subs will launch cruise missiles and their autopilots will guide them down the main passageways and into the heart of the volcano within five minutes. The auxiliary ships landed 10000 troops and their vehicles and tanks at first light and the men are now surrounding the volcano. There will be fifty harrier jump jets above them for simultaneous air attacks using sidewinder m
issiles or cannon. Therefore, it will be impossible for Madame Musseine to resist.’
‘But that’s madness!’ Wolf slammed his hands on the desk in front of him.
‘Quiet Wolf and that is an order.’ J turned to the PM. ‘Nick, please reconsider. Or at least wait a few hours longer in case Jack and his gang are successful.’
The PM turned a bleary eye towards J. He hadn’t slept the night before as the decision weighed heavily on his conscience. He felt defensive as he replied. ‘Johnson, I have always trusted you since we were at prep school together but your blind faith in five children is quite frankly astonishing.’
‘It’s not faith. It’s trust.’ J was too sharp with the reprimand to his old friend Nick Clegg.
‘There is no choice. There is no turning back. The attack is imminent.’ The PM turned away from the MI6 men and stared at the garden again. His mind was made up and they could change nothing in his and The President’s plan. ‘You did your best, now let it go.’
‘But that’s madness sir.’ Wolf stuck to his guns. ‘We all know the chances of success must be 50/50, like spinning a coin for heads or tails. Heads we save the world and tails...’
J completed his sentence. ‘And tails, a hundred children and a few thousand soldiers die.’
The PM couldn’t face them but he stood his ground. ‘Forget the betting game. The decision is made. Now go home and sleep, your jobs are complete. I want you bright and alert in the office tomorrow and working on another task. Forget project conman and that is an order.’
The Black Hand Gang Page 18