On the opposite side of the road, a police car appears with its blue lights flashing. The car is only moving slowly and as it gets closer, the sound of a loud voice can be heard coming from the car’s loudspeakers. The voice is instructing people to leave the streets and return home immediately, or risk being arrested. The people all now look even more rushed and panicked, some breaking into a run even with their arms full of supplies.
As the police car approaches and comes level with us, it sounds its siren for a couple of seconds and the driver’s window goes down. I slow our car and reach into my inside pocket to retrieve my Military ID card, then—rolling down my window—I flash the card to the police officer driving. With a cursory look at the card, he waves me on, neither of our cars even stopping.
I accelerate, leaving the police car behind, and press the button to put my window back up. A glance into my rear-view mirror shows Emily with her head down and looking at her iPad, while Stacey stares out of her back window looking slightly dazed.
As the Finchley Road turns into the A41, we accelerate further, reaching sixty on my speedo. There are still a few cars and people around, but I ignore them, concentrating on driving while I pick up my phone.
My first call again is to Josh. I am absolutely desperate to speak to him now; is he in the middle of this? Hopefully, he has been stationed somewhere away from the immediate danger. I also want to tell him our plan and where we are heading, but again there is no answer and I leave another message for him, telling him where we are and what we are doing, and asking him to please call me as soon as he can.
My next call is to Orion. The phone is answered again in good time by Lindsay, and I ask to be put through to Dan. She connects us, and this time he is in his office and answers his phone on the first ring.
“Hello, Boss, where are you?” he immediately says into my right ear, straight to the point, thankfully.
“I’m coming down the A41 and just passed Hampstead Cemetery. ETA is fifteen to twenty minutes. Report on the situation there and anything else I need to know?”
“We are still on lockdown. Sentries are guarding the main gate and the perimeter wall, they are armed only with side arms. I can’t get into the armoury; Sir Malcolm won’t give me his authorisation saying he cannot risk its knowledge getting out unnecessarily. Bloody idiot, I nearly knocked his block off, Boss. Anyway, we have had no contacts here as of yet, but it’s only a matter of time; the action is getting closer, we can hear it. I will go to the gate in fifteen minutes to prepare opening it for your arrival. Get here as quickly as possible, Boss. We need more firepower.”
“That’s the plan, Dan, let me know if the situation changes immediately.”
“Will do.”
“Is Catherine there?”
“Yes, she is in her office I think?”
“Good, put me through to her please, see you shortly.”
I’m put on hold to the sound of some nondescript music.
Catherine is my secretary, my right-hand at the office. I rely on her immensely; after all, I’m just a soldier in a suit and my typing skills don’t go past two fingers at a time, one on each hand.
She is a very beautiful woman, but very down to earth and has no side to her. We get on extremely well and to be honest, we have had quite a few ‘moments’ together but I have always pulled back from them, to be professional. I don’t know how much longer I can keep pulling back, though.
“Hi, Andy,” her voice fills my ear.
“Morning, Catherine, are you okay? I know this situation is very worrying.”
“I’m okay Andy, but will feel better once you get here.”
“Will you?” I say
“Yes, yes I will.”
Slightly flustered, I continue. “We should be there in about twenty minutes, I have Emily and Stacey with me. I wondered if you could get some food and drinks ready for when we get there and set the TV up for them in the lounge. I have got a lot to do when I get there, what do you think?”
“Yes, that sounds fine, Andy, I’ll do that now and I will sort them out when you arrive, okay?”
“Thanks, Catherine, I have to go, see you soon.”
“Yes, see you soon—and be careful,” She hangs up.
For the next couple of miles heading deeper into London, I start to hear faint cracking sounds. Immediately knowing they are the sounds of gunfire, I keep my window up so as to not alert the girls for as long as possible. When we reach a crest of a hill on the road, billows of smoke are visible over central London.
The situation is bad, that much is plain, and I only hope we can make it to Orion without incident. Is it the right decision to be moving closer to the immediate danger however secure and well-armed the Orion Building is, or should we turn around now and get as far away as we possibly can from the epicentre?
As my mind works, right overhead in front of the car a formation of helicopters glides past on a flight course towards the city. There are at least six Apache, four or five Lynx and three Chinooks bringing up the rear. The Chinooks have bay doors open with manned M60D machine guns at the ready, capable of firing 550 rounds per minute. Jesus. My foot pushes the accelerator down and our speed increases yet further.
As we approach the Swiss Cottage Junction of the A41, I make out a military checkpoint together with a barrier blocking the road. Slowing, I again get my spare military card at the ready. Getting closer still, it’s easy
