All previous chapters - CHAPTER 1 - CHAPTER 2 - CHAPTER 3 - CHAPTER 4 - CHAPTER 5 - CHAPTER 6 - Chapter 7 - CHAPTER 8 - CHAPTER 9 - CHAPTER 10 - CHAPTER 11 - CHAPTER 12 - CHAPTER 13 - CHAPTER 14 - CHAPTER 15 - CHAPTER 16 - CHAPTER 17 - CHAPTER 18 - CHAPTER 19 - CHAPTER 20 - CHAPTER 21 - CHAPTER 22 - CHAPTER 23 - CHAPTER 24
Previously on “The bomb in the shed…”; Arthur and Jacob arrive in Finchley by helicopter to join Ramirez at the forward command centre. Ramirez briefs Arthur as he strips in preparation for going fece to face with Fitzpatrick.
And here we go with CHAPTER 25…
Chapter 25
“Are you ok, Arthur? Can you do this?”
It was Jacob asking him, but the same thought had been there in Ramirez’s expression just a few moments before. She hadn’t said anything though, probably because she couldn’t afford the answer to be no. Hardly surprising she’d left it to the last minute to complete her briefing. Read the situation, read the man. Make a call on whether to send in the troops… or fire in the missile. Live or die. How was he supposed to make that kind of decision? He’d found it hard enough to decide what tie to wear to work each day or what to have for breakfast. He was the last person who should be doing this. But it was less than five minutes to Fitzpatrick’s deadline.
What choice was there?
“Yes I can,” he replied. “Just make sure my family are taken to safety.”
“I promise.”
They were both standing outside the truck, watched by Ramirez and the two soldiers. It was grey and cold and invisible spots of rain started to land on Arthur’s skin. He was shivering in his pants and vest, feet bare against the hardness of the road.
“Time to go,” said Ramirez.
“Good luck,” added Jacob.
As Arthur turned he feigned a cough, which wasn’t hard to do in the circumstances. Holding his hand to his mouth he transferred the kill switch onto his tongue and then guided it into place between his jaw and cheek. It was a small thing, but felt cold, hard and foreign in his mouth, an uncomfortable and constant reminder of what he had to do. If he could get the chip into Bella then there would be no need for the raid or the missile. He could give the all clear.
Arthur must have walked up this road towards his house about a thousand times over the years, but never like this. And it wasn’t just because of the stones digging into the soles of his bare feet with each step and the pinpricks of cold rain on the bare skin of his arms and legs. He felt exposed and lonely, even with so many unseen eyes on him. And he’d never dreaded coming home before. Except maybe once before. When he’d arrived back the day after Elizabeth had died. In a car full of his family. Together yet feeling totally isolated and afraid.
He saw snipers on the roofs of some of the houses, lying completely still, scopes of their rifles trained towards his house, presumably waiting for the signal to deliver a kill shot if the chance arose. Would they kill him if they got the order? Or his family? Of course they would, if Ramirez thought it would help stop the bomb. There would no doubt be special forces somewhere too, waiting to storm the place if she gave the word. And there would be cameras, providing the visual feeds to the monitors that Ramirez and her team would be pouring over right now. At least one would be tracking his progress. Those watching might be holding their breath, hoping Arthur wouldn’t lose his nerve at the last minute. But he wasn’t going to. The closer he got the house, the harder his resolve became.
This is what he had to do. It was his responsibility.
The house looked perfectly normal from the outside, as if it was an ordinary Sunday afternoon. But inside Fitzpatrick would be there with a gun on his family and a remote trigger in his hand. Arthur walked up the driveway and passed the truck parked in front of the shed. It wasn’t the one that Gibson and Fitzpatrick had driven away in with Bella, the one abandoned by the roadside. But just seeing the windscreen and the cab reminded Arthur of bullet holes and blood he’d seen in the photos. And the bodies left in the lab. However ordinary a person Fitzpatrick might seem it was good to have this reminder of what he was capable of.
The shed was closed, so Arthur lent down to lift the door. Then paused and looked up again. He could feel eyes on him. Fitzpatrick was watching him through the kitchen window, his face impassive. Arthur’s family was there in the room with him, sitting around the table, but he couldn’t see their faces, or if they were ok. He felt an urge to rush in there, to try and protect them from Fitzpatrick, but how could he? Fitzpatrick was ex-army, he had a gun, and the remote trigger.
Arthur lifted the door of the shed and went inside.
---
Jacob had watched Arthur on the monitors as he made the slow and uncomfortable walk from the forward command centre to the house. It was impossible to know what Fitzpatrick had planned for him, but regardless it was clear that much rested on what Arthur did over the next hour. Which was a worrying thought. The old man had been through so much recently, mentally and physically. Jacob had no doubt that his heart was in the right place. But what if he couldn’t handle it all, what if he fell apart? Ramirez was stood alongside Jacob watching Arthur, emotionless. How did she feel about all their hopes resting on him?
---
It was hard for Camilla, when she saw Arthur through the kitchen window. He looked drained and dishevelled and rather sad in just his underwear. What on earth was going on? Was Fitzpatrick trying to humiliate him? Even after all her husband had done he certainly didn’t deserve that. It was strange. Arthur was the cleverest person Camilla knew, but in some ways, like building the bomb, the stupidest. He could be bafflingly spineless at times, and in other ways so strong and brave, like now.
She had to look away.
Fitzpatrick was stood at the window staring out. “Wait until I’m inside the shed, then you can go.” He said it to them all without turning.
“Just like that?” asked Camilla.
“Just like that,” he replied. “Walk down the road and there will be people there waiting for you.”
“What’s going to happen to Arthur?”
Angela was already up on her feet with Gemma in her arms, on her way to the front door. David was following close behind. “Come on, Mum. Let’s go.”
Fitzpatrick didn’t reply to Camilla’s question. He kept staring out of the window. It didn’t look like he’d even heard her. Camilla followed Andrea and David with Alex. Outside there was a cool fresh breeze and a light drizzle of rain which as a relief after the stuffiness of the kitchen. It felt good to be away from the house, Fitzpatrick and the gun.
Except of course, Arthur…
“What about Dad?” asked Alex. “We can’t just leave him there with that man.”
Angela had set off down the road at a slow trot towards the safety of the tents and vehicles at the end of the road. Soldiers were there, beckoning them forward. Whatever was going on it had obviously got some serious attention
“Let’s just get ourselves safe,” suggested David. He pointed to the end of the road. “These guys are the only ones who can help Dad.”
“Your brother’s right,” said Camilla, although she didn’t necessarily share his faith in the authorities. Would Arthur’s safety be a priority? Not likely. But there was nothing they could do to help him. Not right now. They just needed to get away from the house.
It was eerily quiet as they walked down the road, even for a Sunday. All of their neighbours were gone and the only sign of life was the soldiers stationed at the end of the road. How had it all come to this? They were greeted with blankets and sent to a makeshift medical centre in a tent. Each of them was checked over by medical staff and questioned about their health.
“What’s happening?” Camilla asked the doctor who was shining a bright light into her eyes
The woman didn’t answer. Just put the light away and reached for her stethoscope. “I just need you to lift your top so I can listen to your breathing from the back”
Camilla lifted her top. “What’s happening with Arthur.”
“Great, that’s fine,” said the doctor, again ignoring the question. A moment later she was gone.
All the people that surrounded them, the soldiers the medics, were bustling about the place with busy industry. Like this was something they did every day. It would be all too easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, that everything was under control. But Camilla knew only too well that the bomb was back in their shed, and anything could happen.
---
“When do we fly out?” Jacob asked. “We should get going as soon as possible.”
He and Ramirez had just watched Arthur’s family emerge from the front door, pause then make their way back up the road toward the command centre. There wasn’t anything he could do here. He had to keep his promise to Arthur and make sure his family were safe.
“We’re getting the family checked over first. Make sure they’re ok.”
“Can’t that wait? I need to get them to a safe distance.”
Ramirez shook her head. “I need to debrief them. They might have valuable intel.” She was heading over to the door.
“What could they possibly know that could help?” Jacob was talking to Ramirez’s back. “You promised Arthur you’d get them to safety.”
She left without answering.
Jacob tried to follow but a soldier blocked his path, staring at him, face of stone. Jacob backed away. Ramirez had lied. She hadn’t had any intention of getting them to safety, that seemed certain. But why? She didn’t trust Arthur? That was the only reason he could think of. She didn’t really know who Arthur was or why Fitzpatrick wanted him there. She was holding his family at the centre of the blast zone as leverage, and Jacob was powerless to do anything about it.
---
Inside the shed the light was on and Bella was raised up on her platform, as Arthur had seen her countless times. He felt a familiar rush of emotion, a sense of love even, for this thing he and Elizabeth had created together. But he had to squash those feelings deep down. The kill switch was still in his mouth, its strange metallic taste a constant reminder of what he had to do.
“It’s an incredible achievement.”
It was Fitzpatrick’s who’d spoken, from just behind Arthur, almost at his shoulder, making Arthur jump and turn. He hadn’t heard a thing. Fitzpatrick looked perfectly calm, emotionless. Ramirez had wanted to know if he was unstable, but it didn’t look that way. Unless this eerie sense of calm was a sign of something worse.
“Where’s my family,” asked Arthur.
“I’ve let them go.” Fitzpatrick lowered the door closed, shutting them both in with Bella.
At least that was something, they were safe from Fitzpatrick. Hopefully they’d be far away with Jacob soon.
“What’s this all about?” asked Arthur. “What do you want?”
He was aiming for a casual and friendly tone. Two old chums catching up and trying to unpick how they’d all managed to get into such a pickle.
Fitzpatrick replied, “I want you to tell me about Elizabeth.”
That’s it for Chapter 25, I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to more. Chapter 26 will be out the same time next week, Friday at 4:00pm UK time.
I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Anything you like about the story, characters, plot and writing. Any questions…
Want to share the love?…
If you know anyone else who might like the book, share via this link…
Or send them this link to Chapter 1 - https://justbeyondordinary.substack.com/p/chapter-1-is-live
Thanks!