'Right,’ replied Avedissian.
'How much further?'
'Not much. Take the next turning on the left. Crookham should be at the foot of…'
The direction became irrelevant as Kathleen turned left and came upon a police vehicle parked broadside in the road. A white-sleeved officer waved them to a standstill while two colleagues, both armed, looked on.
'This road is closed, madam,’ said one of the policemen, leaning on the roof of the car to speak to Kathleen through the open driver's window. Although it was Kathleen he was addressing, his eyes took in Avedissian and O'Neill at the same time. 'Where were you making for?'
'Crookham,’ said Avedissian. 'We have to contact security! It's a matter of life and death!'
The policeman looked uneasy and signalled to his colleagues to join him. 'I think you'd all better get out of the car,’ he said, taking one step back.
Avedissian got out first, saying, 'Contact Mr Bryant, it's urgent!'
'There's not a moment to lose!' pleaded Kathleen.
'You're Irish,’ said one of the armed policemen, hearing Kathleen's accent and taking out his revolver. 'Stand away from the car!'
'For God's sake!' exclaimed Avedissian. 'There's going to be a hit on the royals. Get Bryant! Warn him!'
The three policemen looked uneasily at each other. 'Who are you?' one demanded.
There's no time for all that! Call Bryant on your radio! Tell him that Avedissian says that Kell is already inside!'
Avedissian's persistence paid off. One of the policemen clutched his handset nervously and said, 'Urgent message for Mr Bryant!'
A Land-Rover screamed up the road in low gear and stopped at the barrier. Bryant jumped out of the passenger seat with his radio in his left hand and the jacket of his suit flapping open to reveal a shoulder holster. The policemen stiffened as he ran towards them but he ignored them and came straight up to Avedissian. 'Well, Doctor? What's this about Kell?'
Circumstances prevented Avedissian from lingering on the thought that this was the moment that he had imagined many times over since Harry's death, the moment when he would confront Bryant face to face. He said, 'Kell and two others are already inside. The IRA took over a handicapped children's home in Norfolk and travelled with the official party.'
Bryant paled visibly. He said, There are over six hundred and fifty people inside. They are all over the place…’
Avedissian said, The O'Neills know Kell's men. They can help.’
'Come with me!' ordered Bryant as he turned on his heel and hurried back to the Land-Rover.
The vehicle swept into the grounds of Crookham with Avedissian and the O'Neills aboard as the strains of the National Anthem drifted over the coloured marquees announcing the arrival of the Royal Party. 'What school was it?' demanded Bryant.
‘Trelford House… in Valham.'
They drew up outside a long caravan and Bryant jumped out to run inside. He returned with a sheaf of papers and got on board again. 'Trelford were listed to park in sector 'F'' he said to the driver. 'Take it easy, we don't want to scare them.'
'They were in the school minibus,’ said Avedissian over the driver's shoulder as he drove towards sector ‘F’ at a steady pace.
'Then it may have the school markings on it,’ said Bryant.
Bryant held his handset to his mouth and started issuing orders to unseen men, suffixing every instruction with the warning to act naturally.
'I've seen it,’ said the driver calmly, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
'Where?' asked Bryant.
'Up to the right with its rear doors towards us. It's white with the school name on the side.'
'Well done,’ said Bryant softly. 'Drive past and nobody look directly at it!' Bryant spoke into his radio again.
They drove casually past and Bryant said, 'Pull up behind the trees.’ The driver made a right turn and parked so that a clump of trees stood between the Land-Rover and the minibus. There were people in the bus,’ said Bryant. 'Everyone else is down by the house for the walkabout… If Kell is still in the bus it could be a mortar attack
… All they would have to do is fling open the rear doors and start firing… We're going to have to take it out.'
'But the children inside the bus… ' said Kathleen.
'We've no alternative,’ said Bryant.
'You could get the royals out of here!' said O'Neill.
'It's too late. Kell would start firing as soon as he suspected something was wrong.'
The others conceded the point.
Bryant used his radio to ask if people were in position. Two voices confirmed that they were.
'Murray, can you see anything?' Bryant asked.
A burst of static was followed by a voice saying, 'I can only see one man in the van with the children… and it looks like… one, maybe two women.'
The other two may be down on the floor,’ said Bryant. 'Jackson! If these van doors should open let them have it!'
'Understood,’ said the voice from the handset.
'We've got it covered,’ said Bryant quietly to the others in the Land-Rover. He checked the ground between the minibus and the edge of the garden where the children were waiting for the royal walkabout and saw that it was clear. There was a fifty-metre grassy slope leading down from where the vehicles were parked to the lawn of the house. Avedissian did the same but felt distinctly uneasy. 'Something is wrong,’ he said.
The O'Neills looked at him and Bryant said, 'What do you mean?'
‘This isn't it. This isn't what Kell meant.’
'What are you talking about?' demanded Bryant.
'Kell had something other than a mortar attack in mind, I'm sure of it. He was too cocky, too sure of success, and he was… more involved.’
'You're not making sense,’ said Bryant.
'I think I know what you mean,’ said O'Neill. 'All that business with Nelligan, saying that it was going to be like old times again, as if Kell was actually going to be doing something, not just coming along for the ride.’
'What could he possibly do?' asked Bryant.
'I don't know,’ confessed Avedissian. 'Ask your man if he can see the other two in the minibus yet.’
Bryant called Murray and got a negative reply. Avedissian looked down at the crowd on the lawn with growing apprehension. Rows of handicapped children waited with their nurses, attendants and teachers to meet the royal group as it made its way slowly along the line in the sunshine of the late afternoon. A party of blind children carrying Union Jack flags was at the head of the queue.
Avedissian looked down the line to the more severely physically handicapped in their wheelchairs and invalid carriages, some growing restless with the wait and being reassured by their nurses. He suddenly saw the nightmare that was about to come true. 'Kell's not in the minibus!' he hissed. 'He's down there in the line… in his pram!'
There was pandemonium for a moment in the Land-Rover as everyone realised that Avedissian had to be right.
'Hold it!' shouted Bryant. There was sudden silence. 'If that's so we've got to get him out of the line. It's our only chance. Any attempt to divert the royals and he will open fire.'
'We've got to find him first!' said Avedissian getting out of the vehicle and looking down at the throngs of people. 'We have to get down there.'
'Wait!' said Bryant. He turned to the driver and said, ‘The glasses. Quick!'
The driver handed Bryant a leather case and Bryant said to Avedissian, 'Use these! If Kell is in his pram he must have an attendant. See if you recognise anyone!'
Avedissian handed the glasses straight over to O'Neill who put them to his eyes and started scanning the line-up on the lawn. As the seconds passed anxiety grew to an almost unbearable level.
