Chapter Twelve.
I'd been living off adrenaline and nerves for the last few days, and now, in the flat above the restaurant, sitting opposite Karim, the King of Takkar, I lost it. If Martin hadn't been with me, I think I might have slipped into a fugue state. It was all too weird; it was all too much. People were dead, friends; and rightly or wrongly, I was the cause.
Sellick started it. I was staring in a blank fashion at the screen of the new laptop as Martin plugged it in, when Sellick picked up a wooden spoon from the draining board, sat down across from me and started chanting.
"Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem!" At the end of 'requiem' he hit himself on the head with the spoon, and grinned at me. I looked at him bemused, so he did it again, and I started giggling. I couldn't help it, and I couldn't stop. The giggles led to full-on hysterics, tears started to pour down my cheeks, and I didn't care. Martin was right there with me, and as his tears mingled with mine and we hugged each other, unashamed, Sellick, Jamal, Karim and the room seemed to vanish.
Amid the continuing horror, Sellick, a friend who I'd come to regard as almost a brother, was playing the fool, and I had no idea why. I could feel Martin's body against mine and hugged him to me with all my might, imagining a far different outcome. I closed my eyes and saw Jamal lying in a pool of blood, while Valerian, his face hidden in shadow, took aim at Martin and calmly pulled the trigger.
"NOOOOO!"
I fought Selllick and Jamal as they pulled me off Martin. Blinking, I came to, and realised that in my panic I'd nearly crushed Martin, who was looking at me with a shocked expression.
"I'm
I'm
so sorry, Martin," I said, as the room started to spin and I collapsed.
Confused, I woke in the dark to the sounds of a muted conversation coming from close by. My eyes became accustomed to the low light filtering though the door jamb, the memories of the last few days sweeping away any sense of peace I'd brought with me from my dream state. I tried to will myself back to sleep. I tried, but my mind and body would have none of it, and then my bladder kicked in. I fought it to the point of being about to wet the bed before I got up, slipped on my clothes, padded to the door and, as quietly as I could, opened it. The conversation stopped.
The room was lit by a desk light, the curtains drawn, and they were sitting around an old kitchen table. Martin and Jamal had their backs to me, and Sellick was at one end, so it was Karim's face I saw first. By the time my eyes had adjusted to the light he was on his feet, smiling with the rest of them, but the look he'd given me when I came through the door sent a shiver down my spine.
Sellick got to me first. Playfully pushing Martin out of the way, he hugged me tight.
"It was Python, you know, Monty Python's "Holy Grail", Gabe. I'm so, so sorry!"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Sell?" I said, pushing him away. Jamal got to me next; though his hug was less effusive than Sellick's, it was somehow more personal, since he'd never hugged me before. He ended by holding me at arm's length.
"Are you okay now, Gabriel?"
"Umm
." Martin stopped me answering, his lips firmly covering my mouth, his arms crushing me against him. It was my awkward dancing that made him let go. He raised an eyebrow.
"Gotta pee," I said. "Where's the bathroom?"
"Up the stairs, first on the right," Karim said, amused. I ran.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror I realised it had been less than a week since it all began, yet I didn't look anywhere near as different as I felt. I had some dark bags beginning to appear under my eyes, but I felt that at the very least I should have had white hair, and I didn't. There was a gentle knock on the door
"Come in," I said, sliding the bolt. I turned back to the mirror and examined my teeth. They needed a good clean. The door creaked open, and Martin came in and handed me a shopping bag.
"New clothes, and bathroom doo-dads." He sat on the edge of the bath, put the plug in and turned the water on. I watched him in the mirror and blinked. If he'd turned into a revolting green-skinned space monster I would have been upset, but I wouldn't have been surprised. It must have showed.
"What?"
I shook my head. "Nothing."
"Nothing? Then why are you giving me that look?" Steam was now fogging the mirror, so I turned around and watched him add some bubble bath, froth the water, then turn off the taps. "Your bath, sir," he smiled.
I took a deep breath, puffed up my cheeks and made 'popping' noises as I drew a heart on the mirror. "Is my back scrubber on standby?"
"I am." He was forcing a straight face.
"And my de-rober?" He leant across to the mirror and added an arrow with our initials.
"I am."
"Simon says stand still." Martin smiled. I reached out and removed his glasses, folding them up and putting them next to the sink.
"What are you
."
"Simon says shut up!" I unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off him, watching his expression while I worked. The sensible part of me was starting to complain, knowing this should happen later. Afterwards, when the danger was over: when we could take our time, and get to know each other better.
I reached for his belt buckle, surprised when his hand slapped mine away.
"Simon says my turn," he said, taking my shirt at the collar and ripping it open, the buttons pinging in the sink and plopping in the bath. "Heh, you should see your face!" he chuckled and kissed me gently on the lips, his hand snaking behind my head and pulling me into him. We froze, hearing footsteps on the stairs. I turned my head.
"Simon says lock the door," I muttered, doing just that as the door knob turned, then rattled.
"There's only one bathroom," Sellick said.
"And it's occupied," I replied, feeling Martin's arm sliding around my waist and pulling me into him. "I'll be out soon." We waited a beat.
"Oh, okay then," another beat, "have you seen Martin, Gabe?"
"Yes," I answered, feeling Martin start to chuckle. "Shhh," I whispered, leant in and covered his lips with mine as I grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt, then stepped back and in one swift movement pulled it over his head. He squealed.
"What was that?" Sellick's concerned voice came through the door.
"Nothing, go away."
"Sorry?"
"Oh, go away, Sell, please." Martin sounded petulant. There was a moment's silence in which I heard the tap dripping.
"Oh
OH.
okay, then." We could both hear the smile in Sellick's voice, followed by retreating footsteps. The tap dripped some more.
"Now, what was Simon saying?" I asked.
***
Sellick was sprawled on the couch watching TV when we came downstairs.
"Pizza in the oven, and Pepsi in the fridge," he started, "or we could sneak out like the others have and grab a steak."
"They've gone out?" I said, amazed at the stupidity. Sellick grinned.
"Yeah, well, they took what you said too seriously, if you ask me. They were dressed like a pair of chavs. You'd never know they were royalty in a million years."
"Good," Martin said. He opened the oven, taking out a singed pizza box and hurriedly depositing it on the counter top. "Damn, that's hot!"
"'s what ovens do, dude," Sellick proffered, getting up to grab a bag of corn chips off the table before leaping back onto the couch and watching me fire up the pc. "So you gonna do the thing you do so well?"
"Yep, we surely are," I replied, hunting round the available wifi networks. "Wow, lotsa choice here, Martin."
"It's not surprising, seeing as how we're in the heart of town," he said, cutting fat slices of pizza.
"Idiots!" I muttered under my breath.
"Who?" Sellick said, sitting up and watching me.
"People who don't password-protect their networks," I answered. "Lovely fools. There, I'm in
and on."
"Umm
so what're you going to do?" Sellick said, bright-eyed.
I coughed, and cleared my throat. "The jip-jam-jump is a jumpin' jive," I sang, slightly off-key.
"Makes you dig your jive on the mellow side," Martin sang back, putting a plate and a can of Pepsi in front of me.
"Huh?" Sellick looked confused. I grinned at him, and clicked my fingers.
"The jip-jam-jump is a solid jive," I sang, closer to pitch.
"Makes you nine foot tall when you're four foot five!" Martin and I finished in unison.
"You're mad."
"We're hackers."
"So really, hacking songs apart, what are you going to do?"
"Firstly, grab some very naughty software I've got stored, then run said software and trap the bastard who goes by the name Valerian, and then
Martin?"
"Then
Sellick?"
The door opened and Jamal walked in, looking livid. "I've lost Karim," he said, slamming the door and dropping a pharmacy bag on the table.
"Shit." Sellick leapt to his feet and peered through a chink in the curtains. "Nothing's different that I can see. What happened, Jamal?"
Jamal sat down, and slammed his hand on the table top. "Damn! We had some food in one of those awful McD's
then Karim said he some more bits to buy, so he got me to stand watch outside while he went into a phone shop. Then we went into a chemist, and a department store, where he vanished."
"Vanished?" Sellick, Martin and I said together.
"Yes, vanished. He went to try on a pair of trousers and didn't come back. They must have been following us, and taken him from the changing room."
"Why him, not you?" I asked. They looked at me as if I were stupid.
"He's the King," Martin replied.
"Yes, and being the King what possible good would he do them, unless they've changed their goals and want to ransom him?"
We'd been talking around and around in circles for an hour when the door opened and Karim walked in.
"Karim!" Jamal squarked and knocked his chair over in his haste to hug his uncle.
"Yes, is there a problem?"
I couldn't help laughing. They were standing together, both wearing jogging pants, tweed jackets and caps.
"Chavs!"
"I told you," Sellick said, chuckling.
"Yeah, but
but
that style went out with the ark," I said, then coughed and went back to the computer, as it was obvious neither of them were amused.
"Sellick suggested this 'get up'," Karim said, his tone icy.
"Oh, well
um
at least it worked," Martin put in.
"'course it did," Sellick added, and winked at me. "Tea, anyone?"
***
It was two in the morning by the time I was ready. I'd have been ready sooner, but I wasn't used to 'working' with a room full of people, and not sure enough of myself to tell them.
Except for me they were all tired, and one by one they went to bed, Martin choosing to sleep on the couch, 'in case you need to wake me up to help', Karim taking the small single room at the very top of the house, whilst Sellick and Jamal shared a twin room on the floor above.
I turned out all the lights, except for a small desk lamp, and pulled back the curtains. The flickering neon sign on the strip club opposite set the tone, and I began to feel like Philip Marlowe. I cracked my knuckles and began.
It took me much longer than I thought it would to get through the protection around MSN, but once I did I hid my piggyback tracker, routing its output through a public satellite imagery system, then logged on, hoping Valerian would be on-line too. Almost immediately I got an instant message.
Valerian: hello fucker
Seraph666: ???
Valerian: you've caused me problems. ready to deal now?
Seraph666: is john ok?
Valerian: they both are ;) eating me out of house and home
Seraph666: both?
Valerian: stupid?
I'd been so angry at Brian back at Jamal's apartment: so sure that he had been involved that it hadn't crossed my mind he might be innocent. Without thinking I typed:
Seraph666: who are you?
Valerian: really stupid!!! I want my goods!
Seraph666: the device is yours
when I have them back, it's yours.
Valerian: brb
I waited, watching the street below as tourists and Londoners alike queued outside the strip club. A taxi pulled up, and I watched a couple -- who for a brief moment looked like Nick and Celia -- pay the driver, then join on the end of the line, the man talking in an animated fashion into a cell phone.
Valerian: this is John, Gabe. Brian and I are fine.
Seraph666: John? sure you are. nice try Valerian.
Valerian: Dungeon, song
blush. So sorry.
My hands began to shake. It was him, and though Valerian could have tortured them he'd never have known that particular series of words would have made me believe. I was so emotional I forgot what I was supposed to be doing, and it was Martin's hand on my shoulder that pulled me back to reality.
"How's it going?" he said, massaging my neck and peering at the screen.
"'s okay." I gulped, tears blurring my view of the screen.
"What's the tracer say?"
"Shit!" I checked the satellite imagery. It showed a map of central London. "He's close!" MSN beeped.
Valerian: well?
Seraph666: Thinking
I looked at Martin. "We need somewhere with lots of people around." He shrugged.
"Difficult at this time of the morning, unless we pick a club." I shook my head, then it came to me.
Seraph666: Leave them both by the fountain at Trafalgar Square in 30 mins. Once I have them, you'll have your bomb.
Martin inhaled in shock. "Bomb! Are you mad, Gabe? You can't trust him."
Valerian: DO NOT CROSS ME!
Seraph666: I won't
Valerian: Wait.
Valerian: 30mins come alone.
He logged off.
"Shit," I said, looking at the satellite image, and recognising Valerian's location as the block bisected by the street the restaurant and the strip club were in. "He's here. He must know exactly where we are."
"But how?" Martin said, slipping into the seat opposite. "No one knows where we are."
"We've been careless. We must have been, otherwise
let's check on the others." Martin and I walked upstairs. On the first floor landing, he cracked open the door to Sellick's and Jamal's room. Both were fast asleep, Sellick snoring. The next floor up we peeked into Karim's room, and he was also asleep, his body an irregular shape under the blankets.
"So let's go, then," Martin said after we arrived back in the living room. "Trafalgar Square's a good fifteen minute walk, and we should be there before they arrive." He sat down to put his shoes on. "And don't even think of it."
"Think of what?" I said, feeling nervous.
"Of knocking me out!"
"I
erm
." I sat down beside him, slid my feet into my shoes and started tying the laces. "How did you know?"
"I love you. It's what I would have done," he said, standing up and offering me his hand. We were just about to leave when by some foul miracle of mental osmosis Sellick came down the stairs. He was already dressed.
"Ah, hell, guys. I'm supposed to be alone."
"Yeah, right," Sellick said, "and you are. Martin and I are just going out for a romantic walk, aren't we, Martin? By the way, where are we going?"
***
We cut through several side streets before joining the throngs walking down Shaftsbury Avenue. Sellick, looking for all the world like a wide-eyed tourist, kept glancing around. I was glad he'd come.
"What about Jamal?" I asked, as we approached Piccadilly Circus.
"My snoring sent him fast asleep," Sellick grinned. "I learnt that the weekend we became 'The Boys'."
"Good times." Martin laughed.
"Yep, they were that. So, Haymarket? Or cut across to Charing Cross Road?" Sellick asked.
"Haymarket's quicker, and I don't want to be late," I said, imagining Valerian's anger if I screwed up. "When we get there I'm going straight to the fountain, and you two hang back and see if you can spot anyone."
"That's the plan, is it?" Sellick said. I frowned, unsure if he was being sarcastic.
"He is," Martin chuckled. We turned into the road leading to Trafalgar Square.
"Is what?" I asked, the throngs of tourists getting larger, now being joined by a coach-load of sightseers.
"Sarcastic. Sell's always sarcastic, Gabe."
"Oh." I stopped and pulled Martin into a swift hug, looking up at the street sign while I held him, his warmth giving me faith. "I'll see you both back here at the corner of Suffolk Street. Be safe."
"You too," he said, his lips brushing mine, "you too."
I left them and crossed Cockspur Street: Trafalgar Square, complete with Nelson's column, lions and fountain, coming into view. I didn't hesitate crossing the busy main road, a taxi driver blowing his horn and swearing at me when he had to swerve.
"Fucking tourist!"
"Up yours, mate!" I hollered back, my mind on only one thing: the four people I could see next to the fountain. To others they might have looked like tourists. To me they were Brian and John, my friends, sitting on the edge of the fountain with two thugs guarding them. Ashmiel's expression of surprise almost made me laugh. His younger brother's hand slipped inside his jacket and I stood still while his Ashmiel warned him off, and waited until his empty hand re-appeared. Then I walked over and stopped a few yards from them.
"Good evening Ashmiel, Marhmoud," I nodded. "John, Brian, how are you?"
"You came," John said, tears evident as he looked up at me. Brian wouldn't meet my eye.
"I said I would." I glanced past them, letting my gaze wander around the Square. There was nothing untoward; just small groups of people taking photographs and the babble of their conversation vying for dominance with the sound of the fountain. "Now
if you don't mind letting my friends go?"
"As you say, Seraph
or should I call you Gabriel Dawson?"
"Either's good, Ashmiel. If I might suggest in future buying ordinary socks
the cartoon ones belie your nature." He looked bemused. "Okay, so I'm going to back away, and you're going to release them."
"And if I don't?" Ashmiel said.
"Then I cry out for help," I said, raising my voice and hoping he wouldn't be so stupid. "This is central London. There are a lot of police around here, what with the threat of terrorism. Oh
and your boss won't get his toy."
"Let them go, Marhmoud." Scowling, the younger man pulled my friends to their feet and pushed them towards me. I grasped them by the hand and, walking backwards, watched Ashmiel turn to talk to his younger brother. It was because I was walking backwards that I noticed the groups of people who had been taking photographs behind the brothers were dissipating. I was horrified. We were now some hundred yards away, and I knew there was probably nothing I could do.
"Sorry, chaps," I said, tripping John and Brian and helping them as they fell to the pavement. "Stay down!" I was starting to run back towards the Ashmiel brothers to warn them when, with a look of utter surprise, they staggered back, their faces flowering red, and collapsed into the fountain like discarded rag-dolls, the crack of the shots coming almost like an afterthought.
"NOOOOO!" I screamed, watching their lifeless bodies bobbing on the clear water, blood flooding out of what remained of their shattered heads. I sank to my knees, the pounding of feet and shouting getting louder as the wail of police sirens echoed around and around the square.
***
I was dragged out of the back of a police van by an irate officer wearing full body armour. He spun me around and slammed me against the side of the van before a voice I recognised told him to be careful.
"Sorry, sir. I thought
."
"No, you didn't, officer," Nick said. "He's a civilian, an innocent civilian; just remove the handcuffs and hand him over."
"If he's innocent, then why's MI5 interested?"
"Not your concern if you value your job."
Once the handcuffs were removed, I nearly jumped into Nick's arms. It was only the continued interest of the policeman who'd removed the handcuffs, and the other police, firemen and paramedics milling around, that brought me to my senses.
"Thank you." I added "sir" for good measure, and Nick winked at me.
"Not a problem; if you'd care to come with me?" I followed him to a large racing-green people carrier with blacked-out windows. I was shocked to see Celia was driving.
"I thought she
."
"A new antidote, and a very rough night," Nick said.
I couldn't see the other occupants until Nick slid the side door open. Martin, with tears in his eyes, leapt at me, and gave me a crushing hug before pulling me inside.
"Never again, Gabe, promise me, never again," he sputtered. I nodded, too choked up to speak, then turned around. John and Brian were in the back, sitting side by side with Sellick next to them.
"Hi, chaps" was all I could manage before Martin pulled me back.
"I was so far away from the fountain. I thought
," he began before I put my forefinger over his lips.
"I'm fine, and all's well that ends well."
Nick got into the passenger seat and cleared his throat.
"We're de-briefing in Northolt before catching a plane."
"Oh, and where to, pray tell?" Sellick piped up.
"I can't tell you," Nick replied, "because I don't know."
"Dubai," I said under my breath. I felt Martin tense, and after the van pulled out into traffic he whispered in my ear.
"How do you know?" I turned to him, grinned, then turned back to the front, clearing my throat.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Nick, Celia; but I assume you missed Valerian." We watched with interest as they glanced at each other before Nick turned around in his seat and looked at me.
"How do you know?"
"Otherwise we wouldn't be leaving the country
am I'm right in thinking it's all of us going, not just those in the van?"
"Yes, you are: but again, how do you know?"
"And my parents, too?"
"Yes, but how
."
"Has Sterling been picked up?" Nick blanched at the question.
"No."
"Then I humbly suggest you organise it so we leave as soon as we arrive at Northolt, otherwise we'll probably be leaving in body bags."
"They wouldn't dare, not on a military base. Anyway, I can't, I don't have the authority."
"No, but Celia does, don't you
'C'?" I said. I was impressed. Considering she'd just recovered from M99, her control of the van never wavered; we just continued on our way.
"You are quite remarkable, Gabriel," Celia said, after silence had reigned for a good five minutes. Now we were travelling along the Westway towards the A40 and Northolt. "Make the call, Nick."
"Yes," Nick replied and picked up the van's encrypted handset.
The security at Northolt was fierce, and much heavier than normal. They let us through without stopping, though I saw Nick nod to a figure standing in the shadows at the back of the gate house. We picked up a guide in the form of a black Hummer that took us out to an apron at the far side of the hangars, where we drove up a ramp into the back of a waiting Hercules C-130 transport.
There were a few muffled shouts, and with a rattling of chains and some thumps and clunks, the van was secured. Then a man in a flight suit and aviator shades tapped on Nick's window. He rolled it down.
"The rest of your passengers are in the forward crew compartment, as requested. Please stay in the van until after take off." As he finished speaking the engines, which had been idling, took on a deeper, throatier roar. The plane lurched forward, manoeuvring onto the main runway, where it paused. The engines built to a shriek as the pilot gave them full throttle; then the plane started to roll.
"Time for take off!" Martin chuckled in my ear. I shut my eyes and clenched his hand in mine. I hated flying, and was looking forward to seeing my family again.
"I wonder why they haven't closed the rear loading ramp?" Sellick said.
I peeked and saw Martin smiling at me. I hadn't felt such a sense of peace in what seemed an age, and was about to lean over and kiss him when John seemed to freak out
"Get out of the van!" he shouted, scrabbling at his seatbelt. I turned to look at him, and saw Brian and Sellick staring as if he'd gone mad. Then we felt the van lurch backwards, patently not secured, and we all understood.
"Get out!" Celia and Nick shouted as one, opening their doors and leaping for it. I was closest to the sliding door, but the handle eluded me until Brian pushed by, grabbed the handle and pulled.
"It's stuck!" Brian yelled over the deafening sound of the plane's engines. Even so I could hear the panic in his voice, then saw him pushed out of the way by Sellick, who took the handle and, with an almighty tug, yanked the door open.
"Wuss," I heard Sellick say. Taking Brian by the arm, he stepped out, just as the plane reached V1 and took off. With an explosive 'twang' the handbrake failed, and the van started to roll towards the back of the plane with ever-increasing speed. I grabbed Martin by the collar and threw him out of the door, then turned to find John, his face horror-stricken, still trying to undo his seatbelt.
"Shit, Gabe, shit," he whimpered, his fingers missing the release button. We were now rolling backwards ever faster as the plane climbed into the night sky. I leant over the seat to help him and could see the runway lights twinkling through the open loading ramp, the van careering down the inside of the Hercules towards it. I managed to undo John's seat belt at the exact moment that, with a crunching sound of buckling metal, the van crashed against the gap between the fast-closing ramp and the roof of the plane. I hit my head.
"Ow, fuck!" I mumbled as John helped me out of the mangled vehicle.
"So
oh, damn that hurts
," I said, looking at the others who were now all sitting on jump seats, looking shocked, "you closed the loading ramp?"
"Uh huh," Sellick said, grinning at me, the volume of the aircraft's engines almost painful.
"Quick thinking, mate." I double-checked, but other than those who had been in the van and a firmly strapped-down Hummer, the rear compartment of the plane was empty. A reinforced bulkhead with a door in it was the only exit. I shivered, trying to fight off the onset of shock. "Now, drop the ramp: we need to dump the van, fast.
I was thankful that Sellick's expression changed from one of bewilderment to understanding so fast.
"Right." He strode over to the ramp's control panel, then paused. "What about people?"
I shook my head. "We're flying over open country for another few miles," I shouted. Sellick nodded, then pressed a button marked 'open'. With the additional weight of the van as it wrenched free of the plane's roof, the ramp descended fast. Then with a final squeal of torn metal as it teetered on the brink of space, the van vanished into the night.
Chapter 11
Index
Chapter 13
Seraph by Camy © 2006/2007/2008
Thanks to Kitty, for all the editorial input and tweaking.
She has made this tale much, much better than it was. Gassho.
