CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
“Keep it Clockwise.”
As
the alarms sounded and the tannoy called New York Headquarters to the ultimate
level of readiness, Henn’s office remained silent. Tzavros paced the floor as
impatience, inactivity and the unknown rushed through his veins. Steele, as
Henn, looked imperturbable, but despite their calm appearance both men were
inwardly nervous and constantly watched the washroom door. In the short time
available Henn had attempted to prepare young Galloway’s father about the outlandish
claims and revelations his son would probably make. He told of their newest
equipment, of super drugs with the unfortunately side effect of causing the
taker to believe in the impossible. Yet, drugs that enabled the taker to travel
on their newest and fastest aero-rocket without experiencing any G-force.
The preparation was well founded, the
door opened and a disorientated Philip Galloway staggered out constantly
pointing to the washroom. Finally finding his voice he screamed, “Bastard! That
dirty bastard’s a demon. He’s bloody Dracula. Bayfield! I warn you, don’t start
with your childish sniggering because if you do, you’re as dead as that flying
demon is. Dad? Please don’t laugh, you don’t know what our Jodie is involved
with here. Do any of you? You, Tzavros, do you know what it is? I doubt it.
Henn! How about you? Did you know it’s a thing from the grave?”
“Calm it, young man. You had an
extraordinary hallucination, that is all,” explained Henn.
“A what!? Is that what you think it
is! A hallucination? Do you know what it did? It calmly walked in to rescue us
and walked out again... Through the
walls! Then it had the audacity to ask us to do the same. I said ‘piss off’
and it thumped me. I woke up in there, sat on the bog. It’s a...” His babbling was
interrupted by a loud cheer from Tzavros as the washroom door opened again.
“Brilliant, Vacily. You not splatter
them!”
“Or wall them up,” added Steele. Then
both men backed up at the sight of Paul Woods.
Klyne, despite Galloway’s constant
yelling and swearing from the furthest corner of the office about the two
terminally inconvenienced agents started his own outcry. “Guess what? I’m sane
you guys. Mr Henn? I’m not mad! I’m normal and I’m a member of Sepia, so’s
Phil.”
“You can get stuffed! You can take
that team and stick it right up...”
“What? Oh yes, I forgot, he doesn’t
wish to be a member, but I do, I flew... “ He gave a demonstration by skipping
around the office flapping his arms. “Well, I didn’t... Not exactly. Not by
myself. But I’m not mad, Mr Henn. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“I’m not mad, Mr Henn,” mimicked
Galloway. “Look I’m a bird...”
Klyne was too happy to bother about
the ridicule he was receiving, he was relieved that the dreadful dreams he had
been having–were true.
“Did you know that if you walk through
a wall it’s just like Jelly?”
“Stop talking…”
“What? Hey Phil! Didn’t you think it was fun?”
As Galloway shouted louder and Klyne
continued about flying, Sukoloff brought them both to silence with a low
growling shout.
“Shut up...
Thank you. Now a few words from me... If I may. We are on the verge of war and
must make preparation for such. Klyne, yes you are now a member of my team and
the first rule is... Never, ever,
repeat Special tactics in front of anybody unless that person is also a Sepia.
If you have something to say, you call a special meeting. Dwire and Mr Galloway
are not concerned with this unit and... Pardon?”
Woods slouched back in the chair and
with his feet upon the table said, “Dwire is an old friend of mine. We worked
together in Kenya and him being his usual incompetent self required me to
rescue him, special wise. He knows.”
Sukoloff managed a raised eyebrow,
then continued, “Top secret missions and the equipment we use must be kept
secret...”
“Top secret equipment? What’s that,
your bloody coffin or does Henn hang you up at night in a dark cupboard? Bloody
Dracula!”
“I am not Dracula nor is Mr Woods! We
use special effects to do what we do. Now back to the matter in hand... Klyne,
go to our boys downstairs and get that map on paper... Galloway! I don’t bite
people, that’s Henn’s job... Look, mate! I don’t want to do this, but if you
persist in calling me names I will have to send you down for little bit of
memory erasure... Thank you... Introductions, but brief, Paul Woods, Sepia
seven pilot, Kenya.”
“Fully trained!”
“A bit better flyer than me. Now for plan of
attack... Mr Galloway, I’m sorry but have to ask you to leave because of top
secret nature of this mission.”
Mr Galloway smiled and remaining
seated asked, “Don’t I qualify as a member of your team or is it for Pia only?”
Young Galloway started shouting again,
though still from the safety of the far side of the office. “Dad, I told you,
he’s... Well, he’s not exactly a human even if Jodie thinks so.”
George Galloway began to laugh as he
stood and walked over to his dejected son. “Phil, I know what he is. I hope one
day he will be Jodie’s husband and my son in law.”
“What! You want that as a son-in-law?”
“Why not? Could be novel.”
“Dad! He’s dead!”
“Well actually that does explain why he sits on my
roof and why the only thing he breaks when he falls off are most of the tiles.”
“Dad!”
“Shut up,
son, and be happy for Jodie. Mr Henn, this battle that you are about to enter
into is dangerous. I would like to be allowed to stay here and help as much as
I can. I’m a quick learner and it would help both me and Jodie if I was part of
this. But, Vacily, I warn you, if you persist on landing on my roof you will
get a very weighty bill. Four re-roofing jobs is quite enough, don’t you
think?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“So really you knew about our Russian pixie all the
time?” asked Henn.
“No, not at all, I just thought he was
extremely stupid for climbing roofs at his age.”
“I’m sure when this battle is over you
can all hold a family party and get to know each other better. Now we must
prepare for battle. Vacily, this is your mission so start filling us in.”
Sukoloff slowly began. “I had hoped
that this would be job just for me. This not possible. The instant Klyne has
drawn base layout the whole of our fighting force must be made ready.” He
briefly looked into his friends’ eyes. “We might just lose this one, Alex. I
know from what I saw that only way in, is way we got out.”
“Not through the rocks! Please don’t
tell us that! How are we going to get an army through rocks?” asked Steele.
“We can’t, Steele, it’s impossible.
Only four men will be taken inside. Paul Woods and myself will take them in,
then leave to wait for whatever comes through on exit plate outside.”
“Why not blows up plate?”
“Can’t, Zav, there are many more of
them. Maybe one in every main city in the world. We want it to appear on the Arizona plate where we can deal with it.”
“What is going to appear?” asked Henn.
“And why not blow the plate once it has appeared?”
“Armageddon, Mr Henn!” answered Woods
slowly and sadly. “What’s expected is a creature, a being comparative to me and
Vacily. But it comes from the underworld and is far more powerful. Nothing
earthly will hurt it. Even a bomb will not leave as much as a scratch upon it.
That job will go to us because, only a Class One manifestation can kill its
like. Your job will be to remove the base.”
Sukoloff took over the conversation
again. “From what we know of this dreadful machine anything might appear, including
Beelzebub himself. Woods and I must hold this being inside exit plate until
Sasam is reversed. I say reversed because that is what must happen to send the
being back. Destroying plate will stop others arriving but allow the first
freedom of our world forever. Klyne has given me enough information to make me
think that, hopefully, reversing polarity of Sasam will do. If it doesn’t, then
we must find reverse code for computer, enter it in, then destroy.”
“Vacily, what happens to...” Bayfield
shuddered as he asked. “This exit point, you said... Mr Woods said, that both
you and him will hold the being there until Sasam is reversed. What happens to
the being once the reversal has taken place and you two... What if you’re there
as well?”
It was Woods who answered. “As the
beam is reversed, whatever is in the beam’s light, that’s the exit point, will
be sent back to their rightful place. In the case of the being, to Hell. For
us, it will be whichever place was chosen for us, not by us, at the moment of our
death. Be that to happy hunting grounds or the Hell-fires of the netherworld.”
“Cricky!”
“I know you’re all worried by this and
want to know of our chances should we be caught within that beam. You have a
right to know. I stand a faint chance of survival because of my age and the
friends that I have made. I know I look young, but that was the age I deceased
at. I have been dead for nearly sixty years. In ghost age that makes me just
about adult. I’m afraid Vacily is still only a baby and will be able to offer
no resistance. We have already talked about this and its risks, Vacily, as team
leader must take the team in.”
“Why? If it’s going to be so dangerous
for him, why don’t you take the team in?” asked Bayfield.
“Because it’s his destiny you see. I alone cannot hold that being and I doubt if the two of us can. What happens out there has already been written and marked down as the past. It cannot be changed if the future is to remain undamaged. Life, or living, is not forever, but we must try to ensure that the future is.”
Alex
Henn called the briefing to order. On hearing his voice, everyone within the
large hall became silent, all eyes focusing on the blackboard and the people
gathered near it.
“We are about to embark on what might
be the most dangerous task we have ever been assigned.” As Henn spoke he
scanned over the legion of young, excited faces and tried in vain to remember
all their names. He attempted to hold in his memory every young face.
“On the board you will see a map of
Kijac headquarters. To destroy it we have to get to the nerve centre deep
within the solid rock. Penetrating the thickness of the covering rock with
either conventional or nuclear weapons is impossible. High tech sensors on the
outside detect every approaching plane for miles and we will be eliminated long
before we reach the base. This isn’t the main reason that an air-strike is
impossible, but that it stands on sacred Hopi land.”
An atmosphere of excitement rose above the men as
they listened to their controller. Everyone seemed to hold their breath–not one
sound–no cough or sneeze broke the silence. Some had waited years in the hope
of breathing adrenaline laden air, this for all of them was a dream come true.
PIA was great!
“You young men will be dropped at map point 375 and
remain down until you receive the signal to go. The Sepias will go inside first
and their job will be explained by the team leader Mr Sukoloff.”
“We have discovered small loophole in
building layout,” explained Sukoloff. “Mr Tretow together with Mr Bayfield will
be in charge of Area One. Their job will be to clear first floor of Kijac
agents.”
Many had only heard rumours of the newly formed team
and watched in awe its team leader as he spoke. Each young face glowed with
excitement, each one hoping his name would be called to lead an assault. They
all wanted the chance to become a hero.
“You agents will be split into four main groups.
Group One will be led by Mr Proctor and go in immediately front door is opened.
We aren’t waiting for formal invitation. Mr Nutt, you take Group Two and
back-up Group One until inside. Then you will take your men upwards to Area
Five and remove all armoured vehicles and personnel.”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir,” replied
the grinning young man.
“Don’t thank me, I have just given you
responsibility of holding other men’s lives in your hands. No, please don’t
thank me.”
“I won’t let you down, Sir.”
“I’m certain of that. Group Three will
be led by Mr Dwire and will go to map code 374. They remove all fleeing Kijac
agents as they emerge from their ferret holes. Group Four, led by Mr Heru, will
do the same at map code 370.”
Sukoloff remained standing as Alex
Henn finished the briefing, telling the young men of the importance of their
training. He told of the consequences they faced if they should forget even the
smallest fragment of that training. Not only for themselves but others and in
due course endangering the whole mission. As he finished he turned slightly
towards Sukoloff and raising one finger he rotated it and said, “Keep it all
clockwise.”
There was no outward sign that
Sukoloff even understood the coded message, until he heard the far from
whispered comment from a fresh faced young man in the front row.
“Clockwise?
What’s this clockwise crap? We’ve trained for this day for years. We’ve waited
for it–longed for it and he say’s keep it clockwise? What is he, scared of
dying or something? Well, I’m not, I was trained to die fearlessly.”
Fury suddenly lit the Russian’s pale
face and the crystal blue of his eyes vanished to be replaced by deep violet.
“You damned idiot. You sit there and say that you fear not? You say you have no
fear of pain or of dying? Let me tell to you this.” He stomped to the edge of
the platform, arms sweeping a semi-circle to embrace them all.
“Listen all of you, all of you
fearless young men. In less than an hour you will go into battle. For most of
you it will be your first. For some, your last. Yes, you have trained for this
moment and we all know feeling of longing for it. I know the excitement that
running in face of death brings. You want a chance to become a hero. Your
adrenaline is running so high that pain not felt until after battle. But, my
friends, fear pain and death for yourself and your partner. Fear loss of life
and youth, but feel no shame in doing so. You must know that your youth is
irreplaceable as is each and everyone of your lives. To you and the people who
send you to fight, you are an important life not a pawn to move willy-nilly
across chessboard of life. You are Kings, everyone of you, to be cherished if
game is to be won.”
“But, Sir! We are replaceable. We
fight willingly for a good cause and expect death. That’s why we are agents.”
“No! Death will visit us all in turn
and not necessarily when our time is up for this world. He tries so often to
take unprepared soul and thrives on success of catching the unaware. None of us
knows when he will come, or how he will take us. Be it painfully today from
bullet or peacefully tomorrow in sleep. Some are lucky and go willingly. Those
who’s life has been complete or those who have reached old age and are content.
But believe me my young heroes, when he comes for you, fear will be at his
side.”
“I’m not afraid to die.”
“Then you are fool. I want you to be
afraid to die. I want you to live, or at least to try and live. I want you to
take care and go clockwise. You are all young. Have you done everything that
you set out to do? I think not. So when you feel hand on your shoulder–a
fleshless cold hand and you turn and look into the face of death, fear will be
there as you have never felt fear before. As fingers tighten around your neck
you will beg to be released. You will see your unfulfilled dreams running
before you. Hear your unborn children cry out to you in anger for leaving earth
and all her beauty before your time. Before giving them chance of life.
“None of you have been trained to die, just to survive and to be here to help others to survive. Be afraid and hold your heads up because of it. Go into this battle clockwise, my friends, and fight to live and to stop other battles.”
