Chapter Seven.
The full complement of emergency services arrived at last, including the Army bomb disposal unit, a police van with 'SWAT' on the side in large white letters, and a lot of men in unmarked cars wearing suits. Police in flak jackets with sub-machine guns roamed the area, and we had retreated a safe distance to the bench by the skate park and re-grouped. Martin stayed with me, and I think Sellick had been told to watch over us, as he stayed, too. The rest of 'The Boys' disappeared, off doing God knows what.
Some time after three in the morning, Ray arrived back and handed Sellick a radio and a torch; then had a few hushed words with him before leaving again. Sellick came and sat on the bench next to Martin and me, the same bench I'd sat on the day I met Nick. Martin had dozed off, still holding my hand, but woke up as Sellick prodded his arm. He yawned.
"The entire street's been taped off and the residents of all the other buildings have been put in the local sports center, which, Ray says, has pissed them off royally." I looked at him dully. More bad news I could do without. I didn't want to ask the question, and Martin knew it.
"Any news on Brian and John?"
Sellick shook his head. "I didn't ask, but he'd have said if there was. We're to go downstairs, Jamal says." I frowned.
"Downstairs?"
"The bunker," Sellick and Martin said together as the radio squawked. Sellick hurriedly plugged in the headset. Martin gave me a reassuring smile and squeezed my hand.
"Is that it?" Sellick spoke into the microphone, "Ok, Sellick out
." He looked at us, frowning. "There's no real news, except they've sent in a robot that sniffs explosives." He got to his feet. "Come on then, let's go."
"Uh uh." I shook my head, and both Martin and Sellick looked at me in surprise. "I'm not going into a place I can't get out of. 'sides which, I want to be doing something, not sitting safely hidden away while everyone else is in danger. No, you guys go." I wormed my hand out of Martin's, which was harder than I thought it would be, and stood up. They were both looking at me: Martin with pursed lips, frowning, and Sellick with his head cocked to one side.
"So what are you going to do?" Martin said, still sitting, now examining his hand.
"I
erm
well, I'll do something." I paused, looking at Martin. "Go and see what's going on for a start, and then go home and find Valerian
and probably kill him." Martin looked up at me.
"You know for a fact it was Valerian, do you, and not the political faction that's been trying to kill off Jamal's family since before he was born?"
"I
well, I
."
"Or those apartheid lovers who have been trying to off my father and me?" Sellick added, frowning.
"Well
ok then, I get the point, but I want to be doing something, and I don't want to be locked in."
"Ah," Martin said, "I was going to put you on the biometrics, but circumstances got in the way. Besides, if you think the bunker is a nasty, damp little air raid shelter, you have another big surprise in store, my friend." He smiled and held out his hand. I looked at him and without a second's thought grabbed it and pulled him into a hug.
"Sheesh, why don't you both get a room?" Sellick said, though his amusement was obvious as I caught him winking at Martin.
"Is he your pimp?" I whispered in Martin's ear, and he started shaking with laughter before pushing me away, pretending to look fierce.
"You have no idea, Gabe. Twenty percent and always more, more, more. Save me, save me!"
It was a pressure release: we were all basically terrified, and needed something to relieve the tension. Laughing and joking, we walked back through the awful-smelling outer bunker to the rusty-looking door. Sellick kept watch whilst Martin knelt down and put his thumb to the middle of a brick three rows up from the floor and seven to the left of the handle. A hidden scanner took his thumb print, and seconds later the door clicked open and we all trooped through, closing it behind us. The lights were working normally this time, though the tunnel still seemed to stretch into the gloom as we walked.
"It's left, right and left to the first inset door on the right," Martin started, "so that would be
."
"Right, left and right to get back?" I interrupted.
"Yah, but didn't your parents tell you it's unbelievably rude to interrupt?"
"I think I'm an alien in a strange, strange place, or some such," I replied, "though if I'm an alien I dunno what that makes you two."
"Different planets, prolly," Sellick said. "Like men from Mars and women from Venus," he coughed, "and we all know what Venus rhymes with." He chortled.
"What's funny about Jesus? Hmm?" Martin stopped next to a rough wooden door inset into the tunnel wall and again knelt down and gave his thumb print. This time, however, a section of wall slid back, revealing a control panel with what looked like voice print identification.
"More security here," I murmured as he leant forward, then changed his mind.
"Yeah, more security for sure, you'll see why in a sec
erm
Sellick, show him." Martin was blushing.
"Na mate you do it, I've forgotten my phrase." Sellick was leaning with his arms folded against the tunnel wall, and smirking.
"Please, Sellick?" Martin whined, "please?" Sellick shook his head and stuck out his tongue.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused.
"Petards and hoists ring a bell, Martin, my young padawan?"
"Sellick! Please!" Martin was getting annoyed, was still blushing, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening. Sellick rolled his eyes.
"You owe me big time, buddy," he said, walking over to the panel, and pressed a button.
"Voice print authorisation active: please speak pass phrase now." The computer spoke with a female voice, and Sellick took a breath.
"Sellick likes Rocky Road mmmm, yummy." There was a brief pause.
"Access denied. Two more attempts before lockout."
"I told you it was a stu
."
"Access denied, one more attempt before lockout." Sellick shot Martin a filthy look, and tried again.
"Sellick Likes Rocky Road MMMM YUMMY!"
"Access Denied."
"Shit!" Sellick kicked the wall. "I told you I'm no good with computers, Martin, they hate me." Martin was still flushed and now looked into the middle distance, pulling at his ear lobe. Sellick walked over to him, slung his arm around his shoulder and whispered something in his ear.
"Yeah, that's all right for you to say, Sellick!
Why couldn't you get it right just once, hmm, why?" He walked over to the panel, looked at me briefly, flexed his shoulders and pressed the button.
"Voice print authorisation active: please speak pass phrase now."
"Sierra Oscar November Shift Comma Three Seraph." Martin spoke precisely, and waited.
"Access Granted." The panel slid shut as the door swung open, lights flickering on inside. Sellick bundled me in. He seemed nervous, though that was probably the result of nearly being killed rather than screwing up his voice recognition, I thought.
"So this is the bunker. Make yourself at home, and explore.
I'm gonna go see if there's any news." He paused, looked at me, and then over at Martin, who had just closed the door and was standing doing something at the interior control panel. "Sorry, Martin, guess I fucked up, but I
erm
I don't think there's a problem." He patted me on the back and walked over to a console at the far end of the room. Martin still had his back to me, so I chewed at my fingernails a bit, and had a look around.
The main section of the bunker was a square room about forty by forty, in the center of which sat a table and chairs and a seating area with couches. It was laid out as a living area. On the middle of the far wall hung three large plasma screens, with a door on either side. Along the left-hand wall a series of doors led into small single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, with the door to a kitchen at the end. Along the right-hand wall a communications console, where Sellick was sitting, along with another four doors, all shut.
One door had the universal icon of a man and a woman on it, and I went to relieve myself. I smiled: there was no marble in sight, just a bare concrete floor and the facilities, though there were fluffy towels. I looked at my gaunt reflection while I washed up, embarrassed to see tear stains on my face. I sloshed my face in cold water and cleaned my teeth, which brought me back to some semblance of normality, and found my stomach was rumbling.
"Food?" I said, re-entering the main room, and then remembered meeting Rajit's brother who had made me dinner in the kitchen. Martin was nowhere to be seen.
"Farzid," I said under my breath and walked over to Sellick, who was wearing a communications headset and talking quietly to someone. I prodded him.
"Sellick, Farzid cooked me dinner, just before Martin brought me to the room under the waterfall. Did he get out ok?"
"Did you hear that, Dan?
uh huh
thanks." I was trembling as he turned to me and shrugged, "We don't know yet, Gabe, the robot is still in there, and they won't let anyone in until it's finished in case of booby traps. They think the seat of the explosion was near the entrance to the big room, probably in the corridor."
"The trunk, speak to Dan about the trunk. He and John came up in the lift with a big trunk
." I realised the probable implications of what I'd said, and walked over to a couch and sat down, burying my head in my hands.
For the last three years I had thought my enemy was a boy who had done nothing except be loyal to his twin. We had loved one another as best friends, and I had turned my back on him without trying to get a real explanation. Had I caused him to become so embittered he'd killed himself blowing up an apartment to get even? Or had it been Brian, my two-faced supposed best friend, his twin? And what was I going to do when I saw Nick? And who the hell was Valerian?
I had all these thoughts running around and around inside my head with no answers for any of them, except I was going to get to the bottom of it all, come hell or high water. I forgot about food as sleep took me away.
I woke up because I had a numb arm, and found I had a tickly nose too. Still half asleep, I discovered I couldn't move my arm and began to panic. I edged back a bit and opened my eyes, to see a pair of hazel eyes surrounded by long black lashes watching me. They blinked, and I couldn't stop myself kissing the lightly freckled nose. After all, I reasoned, if he didn't want it kissed he shouldn't have left it there. I'd noticed his eyes before but I'd never seen them this close, or without his spectacles. He looked sad.
"Hi."
"Hi yourself." His voice was husky, and as I watched his eyes seemed to grow bigger. "Is that
?"
"Is wha
oh!" I blushed, and he kissed me back on the lips, slowly, chastely. "I'm not the only one, you know," I murmured. He blinked.
"I know you're not. It seems they have minds of their own." I chuckled, and his eyes creased in a smile. "Perhaps we should leave them to it and get some breakfast?"
"Naa, where's the fun in that?" I said, then realised quite what it was I'd said and felt the heat rise up my cheeks. "I
." I felt his arm move and his finger settled across my lips.
"Should we be embarrassed?"
"Umm
no," but as the events of the night before came crashing in, my erection vanished. I blinked furiously, untangled myself and sat up. Martin looked up at me and sighed.
"How many?" I whispered.
"Three. They've found three unidentified bodies, and were still searching when I came to lie down."
"How could you! Why didn't you wake me?" I was suddenly appalled. Three people had died, and he'd come to my bed and
. "How did I get in here?" I saw a tear roll down his cheek, and without thinking wiped it off with the corner of the sheet.
"You were asleep and Sellick carried you
I couldn't cope, Gabe
I needed you, and then
and then
." I knew exactly what he meant and felt tears of my own begin to fall. I bent over and kissed him softly on the lips, felt his warmth, and tasted mint and Martin, an unbelievable combination that was making me wake up again below.
Lolly knocked on the door and walked in.
"Oh
sorry," and he backed out, closing the door halfway; "Jamal asked me to get you up," he squeaked, and the door clicked shut. Martin had gone tomato red, and I was probably much the same.
"Shit!" Martin pulled the sheet over his head. "Shit, shit, shit!"
"Yeah, but funny, did you see his face?"
"We're not all
well, they're definitely not, and they're kids as well."
"Lolly's my age," I said quietly, "and he saved my life
and anyway, you're only a year older." I pulled the sheet off him, mussing his hair. "So let's get up then." I couldn't resist mussing his hair some more. He frowned.
"Gerroffo me you
you
." His eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder. "Wha
what's that Gabe?" I turned to the blank wall behind me, and fell right into his trap as he tweaked my nipples and leapt out of bed, chuckling.
"Yeah, mister maturity, I think not." I sighed, relishing his touch, and then, remembering why we were there, I got out of bed and put on my clothes. I was starving.
The first person I saw on leaving the bedroom was Nick. He was standing by the table talking to Sellick, and as they were poring over a map they didn't see us. I felt awkward, really awkward, and rather than immediately walking over and saying hello, I grabbed Martin's hand and pulled him in the direction of the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
The kitchen was a third of the size of the main room, with its own table. Caitlin was sitting and talking with the woman who had been by my bedside at home with Nick -- and whose name I couldn't for the life of me remember -- and with a whip thin be-suited older man who had short greying fair hair, a weathered face, and an awful scar running down from eye to chin. They were drinking coffee.
Apollodoros, who was frying at the stove and humming to herself, saw us first. She beamed, but started to frown as she saw I was holding Martin's hand. Instinct made me let go of him, then I coughed.
Grey hair looked up at us and smiled.
"Hullo Martin, this is Gabriel, I assume?"
"Yes. Gabe, this is Commander Sterling
.
"Ooooh! G, are you alright?" Caitlin was on her feet and hugging me before I had a chance to reply. "I was so, so worried about you, wasn't I Apollodoros, and then Celia and Nick explained everything, and Mister Sterling's been ever so helpful, and
and
." She started sobbing and hitting me on the shoulders. "How could you, G, how could you? I was so worried. We all thought you'd been kidnapped."
"Perhaps coffee wasn't such a good idea," Sterling said to Celia, who smiled.
Apollodoros and I exchanged looks. She knew how highly strung Caitlin could be, and was generally good at calming her down, though from Apollodoros' demeanour I think she was rather perplexed at finding herself in an old air raid bunker in the middle of the park.
I was feeling somewhat bemused when Nick came in, propelled by Martin, who I'd thought was still by my side. Martin winked at me, as with a squeak, Caitlin disentangled herself from my arms and almost leapt into Nick's, much to his chagrin. He began shuffling from foot to foot.
"Oh, Nick, I don't know what I'd have done without you to take care of me," she started. Without thinking, I took Martin by the arm and frog-marched him out of the kitchen.
"Hang on a second, boys." It was Sterling, who'd followed us out and now beckoned us towards the room to the left of the plasma screens.
"Oh, not now," Martin said, and when I raised an eyebrow he qualified it: "I'm hungry, you're hungry, and
."
"I'll make sure you get some food, ok?" Sterling looked at us both, then nodded and opened the door. It was a high end computer room, decorated in muted earth tones.
"XD1's?" I said, trying to appear nonchalant, while mentally drooling.
"Better!" Martin nudged me in the ribs, "'cause we've both got one and a server farm tied in. Plus T1's."
"Naturally," I kept a straight face, "but what about pizza? Can't do what we do so well without pizza."
"You wouldn't be having to if you hadn't fucked up in the first place."
Sterling's voice had a hard edge to it. He closed the door, waved us to seats and sat down himself on a couch against the wall. "I need to know wha
."
"Where are my parents?" I interrupted, suddenly aware I had no idea what had happened to them. The last time I'd seen them was when they'd left for a dinner party on the day Nick had arrived.
"They are safe with our cousins at 'Thames House'," Sterling replied, crossing his legs. I felt a burst of some brain chemical at the news, relief flooding through me.
"Thames House?"
"MI5," Martin said.
"And you are?"
"I'm not," he replied, pointing at Sterling, "but he is D27, along with Nick and Celia."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked, confused and feeling slightly betrayed. Martin frowned at me.
"You didn't ask."
"But I
." He was right; I hadn't asked. "Sorry."
"De nada."
"Are we all straight now?" Sterling asked. Martin and I looked at one another and couldn't help grinning.
"No!" We said, almost at the same instant. Sterling's face was a picture of confusion. He re-crossed his legs the other way, then cleared his throat.
"The situation is that a bomb blast has destroyed a diplomatic residence, and has killed three employees: two cleaners, and a chef." He paused, as I cried out, standing up.
"Farzid?" Something was crawling around in my stomach, and it was lucky I hadn't eaten, as I only puked bile in the litter bin Martin held for me.
"It's not your fault, Gabe," he murmured as he rubbed my back, "it's not your fault."
"And Brian and John?"
Sterling shook his head. "No news, I'm afraid, but Martin is right, Gabriel, it isn't your fault. The bomb bears the hallmark of the separatist faction Jamal's father has been fighting for the last twenty years. It is true that this bomb was far more advanced than their recent efforts, but it was definitely planted by them. However
," Sterling paused and studied us both before continuing; his eyes, slate grey, piercing, making me nervous, "
the bomb is not twenty-seven's concern, and is not the reason I am here. I need to know the dealings you've had with, and everything you know of, a character called Valerian."
"Valerian?" My mouth went dry, and I glanced at Martin, who was looking as uncomfortable as I was feeling. "I don't know
." A knock on the door interrupted me. Sterling sighed.
"Come in."
Nick entered, and handed Sterling a plastic evidence bag.
"This was handed to a policeman on vulture duty fifteen minutes ago, sir." He looked at me. "John and Brian have been taken." Sterling took a pair of glasses out of his inside pocket and examined the contents, a piece of paper. Finally, pursing his lips, he handed the evidence bag to me. Martin looked over my shoulder.
The note, which was in Brian's unmistakable handwriting, said simply: 'Don't fuck with them, and John and I will live.'
Chapter 6
Index
Chapter 8
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.
