year. It would have wiped the floor with other press agencies.”
“What, a witness to an explosion in the back of beyond in Africa? I think perhaps they were sensationalising just a touch.”
“Not just any witness,” explained The Chairman. “Donald Kennedy himself!”
Beaumont’s brain computed this information and before he knew what he was saying, he blurted out.
“Call them back quickly, get them to run the story, this is brilliant!”
“What the hell are you saying Beaumont! Pull yourself together, do you want this story quashed or not?”
“Not!!!” he almost screamed.
“Fine, consider it done.” The Chairman hung up.
Five minutes later, a breaking news story interrupted the evening news. Donald Kennedy’s face filled the screen as his photo accompanied his voice speaking to a reporter and relaying his account of the strange object falling to earth.
Beaumont raised his glass and toasted himself again. The operation could not have gone any better.
Chapter 16
Tom woke up with the TV still on. He had missed the breaking news story the night before but he couldn’t fail to miss his father’s report when he woke up. Every news channel in the world was playing and replaying his father’s VT. The images on the screen also showed the specialists from the UK and the US sifting through the debris. The speed at which they had been deployed was truly remarkable and was heralded as a triumph of global unity.
When the story began to repeat, Tom’s attention turned to the stream of planes landing on The Academy’s runway. At the beginning and end of each term, the small island became the busiest airport in the world, not that any records would ever show it. The school remained a closely guarded secret.
Lela knocked on Tom’s door.
“Are you awake?” she asked.
“Yep, come in,” he replied.
She opened the door and walked in.
“Come on, hurry up. The planes have started landing and the first carts are heading down the road.”
“OK, OK. Have you seen the news?” asked Tom pointing at the TV.
“Yes, it’s terrible, they’ve still not found any survivors.”
Tom had meant Donald’s piece but thought better of saying that was what he meant. “I know,” was all he could think to say in agreement.
“Well come on, get ready,” instructed Lela as she headed downstairs.
Five minutes later, Tom was showered, dressed and on his way downstairs to catch up with Lela, arriving just as the first cart pulled up to their block. Tom and Lela strained to see who it was.
“It’s Chen!” exclaimed Lela.
“The real one I hope,” joked Tom who received a playful punch from Lela. Chen had been held captive at the start of the previous year while an impostor had taken his place. Once freed and allowed to take his rightful place at school, he had soon become close friends with Tom and Lela. Lela also enjoyed the fact that Chen was a martial arts student and although not in her league, he was a useful sparring partner. He, on the other hand, had been known to complain that she made him feel like a complete novice and not the 5 Dan Black Belt expert that he really was.
Before they had a chance to say a proper hello to Chen, other carts began to arrive and discharge their passengers. Within half an hour, the old friends were reunited and it was almost as though they had never left.
“So what do you guys want to do today?” asked Tom.
“Sleep,” was the unilateral answer. Only he and Lela had had a decent night’s sleep and before they knew it, they were left standing on their own as all their friends had gone to unpack and get some sleep.
“What shall we do?” asked Tom.
“A bit of newbie spotting at breakfast?” suggested Lela.
“Sounds good to me,” replied Tom.
The pair walked towards the restaurant which was already buzzing. Students were arriving in droves and would continue to do so for the next 36 hours. They selected their food and picked a table which offered them the best vantage point for people watching.
Within five minutes, the happy, almost party atmosphere was shattered when the restaurant doors flew open and the queue was barged into by a gang of thugs. Tom and Lela recognised the leader instantly. They also noticed that his entourage had grown, a number of oriental students having joined his gang.
“What the hell is he doing here?” asked Tom, referring to the hulking lump of oxygen waster, Yuri.
“God knows but do you know what that means?” asked Lela.
“Yep, trouble and plenty of it,” replied Tom, remembering his dunking from the previous year. Yuri was the older step-brother of their good friend Oleg. He had been expelled the year before for attacking Tom, Chen’s impersonator and Oleg.
Lela looked at Tom with a glint in her eye and rubbed her hands together.
“No, not trouble,” she said. “Practice and plenty of it,” she added, eyeing up her new sparring partners.
Chapter 17
Smith was back at the Guinean President’s side in order to be aware of all developments as they unfolded. The rescue operation had swung into full force with incredible efficiency. Of course, it always helped to know where a disaster was going to strike and it was no coincidence that a full battalion of US army engineers were on a training exercise less than 10 miles from the scene. Within two hours of the explosion, their enormous ground- moving machines were in place and helping the relief effort aided by the Guinean army who ‘just happened’ to have been part of the US training exercise.
The forensic experts from the UK and the US had arrived during the night and had begun the task of investigating the cause of the massive explosion. With the revelations of a possible meteor strike, NASA had also dispatched a team of experts to investigate the scene.
Smith had just heard that the lead scientist of the NASA team was on his way to update the Guinean President on his preliminary findings. Nobody yet knew what the findings were and Smith had issued orders to rush the scientist to them as soon as he arrived.
Smith and the Guinean President heard the helicopter land in the courtyard below them and less than thirty seconds later, a man dressed in forensic whites was ushered into the room.
“Good morning Doctor,” said Smith.
“Good morning and it’s Professor actually,” replied the NASA scientist.
“Good morning Professor, what’s the news?” demanded the Guinean President.
“All I can tell you just now is that the explosion was not caused by anything which originated from outside our planet. That is, no meteor struck the site.”
“You can say this categorically?” asked Smith.
“Without a shadow of a doubt. We have scanned the entire area, taken samples from the centre of the explosion, examined satellite scans and imagery and absolutely nothing indicates the existence of extra terrestrial material near the area, which means there was no meteorite.”
“Did you find anything that you believe may have caused it?” asked the Guinean President.
“That, Sir, is a question I cannot answer. My expertise is meteorites, not explosives. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the explosives experts, there is nothing further NASA can offer.”
“Thank you again for your prompt response and assistance.”
“Not at all Mr President, the President of the USA is very keen to assist in any way he can. We were contacted before we’d even heard about Mr Kennedy’s sighting.”
