“Dad, been unable to use phone n shouldn’t now, shit is on but I’m fine. My Company has been tasked with guarding Tower Bridge and my Battalion is using the Tower of London as FOB. Will phone ASAP. You and Em okay?”
The text message only came through twenty minutes ago, which is positive news. And he is still with his Company. I have met quite a few of the lads there; they all seemed switched on and capable, and Josh is quite close to some of them. They will have each other’s backs, that’s for sure.
Emily’s sobbing has calmed somewhat but she is still sniffling quite loudly into my neck.
“Hey Emily, ssh. We’re inside now, and all the doors are locked. We made it to my work and look, Josh has sent us a text message to see if we are okay! He says he is okay too. Shall we send him a message back? What would you like to say to Josh?”
Emily lifts her head a little bit, her sobbing dying down more, and she turns slightly to look. Her long blonde hair, wet from her tears, sticks to the side of my face and neck.
“Look, we are all stuck together like a sticky thing!” I say lightheartedly with a slight laugh. “Let’s put you down and get your hair sorted. You have been so brave. I’m very proud of you and Stacey; you were both incredible.”
Emily makes a couple of grunting noises as I lean, supporting her back with my right arm to put her down. As I lower her, her arms and legs briefly grip around me more tightly for a moment but then they relax and her body swings down, her feet finally touching the floor.
All this time, Stacey has been holding onto my hand tightly, but she too now relaxes her grip and lets go. She comes around the front of me and leans to give Emily a hug.
“Yes, look at the state of your hair,” Stacey says. “This just won’t do.” She goes about brushing it with her hands.
I go down on my haunches, putting my hands around Emily’s cheeks and lift her face gently to me. Her eyes are red and puffy, her cheeks wet. I give her a smile and she gives me a small one back.
“Now, shall we send Josh a message to tell him we are okay and where we are?” I ask Emily. She nods, which makes me smile even more.
“Boss,” Dan says, approaching.
“One minute please, Dan, Emily and I have just got to send a message, then I’ll be with you.”
“Okay,” Dan replies. He is a good mate and adores Emily but a major part of the reason for him putting his neck and the necks of his team on the line, was because he knew I had access to the not unsubstantial armoury two floors below us. And I don’t hold that against him in the slightest.
Still on my haunches with Emily, I start typing a reply to Josh.
“Hi Son, Emily and I are relieved to hear you are Ok. We are 2 and made it inside Orion Building, now locked down. Phone me ASAP, and same if you get into trouble. When we have plans this end, will let you know. Love Dad and Em.”
As I'm typing, I read it out to Emily and when I'm done, ask her if it’s okay. She says 'Yes, Dad,' so I press send. I lean and give Emily a kiss then get up to properly survey our situation. But as I do, my phone rings. Catherine.
“Hi, we are okay and in reception,” I say.
“Thank God,” she replies. “I was watching from up here and didn’t think you were going to make it for a minute. It was awful.”
“You should know me better than that,” I joke. “Although… it was pretty hairy, I must admit.”
“To say the least, Andy! Are you coming up now? How is Emily, frightened to death I shouldn’t wonder?”
“Yes, you could say that, but she was very brave. We will be up in a minute. I have just got to speak to a few people down here first, okay?”
“Yes, see you in a minute then.”
“You will.”
Taking the phone from my ear and seeing Emily and Stacey seem to be alright, I go over to talk to Dan and take in as much of the surrounding situation as possible.
There are six men in the reception area around me, three I know, including Dan, all top-notch men. Lindsay is still sitting in the reception booth, looking up to the bright first-floor foyer which is partly open plan, with a staircase leading up to it overlooking the Reception. The first-floor foyer is where the glass facade of the building starts, the floor-to-ceiling windows helping to light up the Reception area. I count another two men up there, both scanning the outside courtyard through the large windows.
“Mate, thanks a lot for waiting for us," I tell Dan, "I was worried that you may have thought we weren’t coming.”
“I knew you would make it, Boss, you have a tendency to. Anyway, I only want you for your guns,” Dan says with a big smile on his face.
“Well they’re all yours, buddy; you've earned them.” I laugh and slap him on the shoulder. “I just need to get the key from upstairs. What’s the situation here, how many men do we have, where are they and how many civilians are in the building?”
“We have eleven good men, the five here and there are six patrolling the first floor. Two you can see and the other four are patrolling the canteen, kitchen and perimeter offices. All have sidearms…oh, and there is Stan, of course.
“There are only thirteen ‘Civvies’ including the two girls, Catherine, Sir Malcolm and Lindsay. Most employees have stayed home as instructed to on the television, and some phoned to see if they had to come in but we said no. The others that are here were all here very early
