Chapter 23

Bertie was deep in thought during their journey back to the countryside. He and Serena had arranged to get a lift in a transport lorry which was going their way. He was thinking through his options and he had come up with a plan. Two recent pieces of information which had been given to him could be combined to great effect.

He did not have a lot of time so he would set things in motion immediately on his return. It did not matter that it would be the middle of the night. He would rendezvous with one of his sleeper cells to carry out the important task. Serena would not be accompanying him on this expedition. He was not best pleased with her at this moment in time. He didn't really want her himself, but it annoyed him that she liked Dan.

Bertie was also angry that Serena wouldn't do what he asked. He'd seen her and Dan kiss, but she had made it clear that it was nothing to do with his suggestion. He would have to think about keeping her around all the time, if she wouldn't help him when he asked.

A phone call was made in which a code word was spoken. The recipient already knew that he was to gather his group and head for a location which had been chosen ahead of time for just such a call to action. They would wait there for the arrival of their leader and would then receive their orders. The group was based in Wiltshire.

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Dan had to admit that Sam looked beautiful in her long aqua coloured dress. Her hair had been swept up in a chignon and she had a string of pearls around her neck which she had borrowed from her mother. He was in a dinner jacket and bow tie and was feeling uncomfortable in many ways.

The levels of anxiety had been building for the last couple of weeks. Sam worried about what she was going to wear, what she was going to say, how much to drink, how much to eat and Dan. Most of the things on her list she could control, but not him. Since his accident she was not always sure how he was going to behave.

She had told her husband several, dozen, times not to embarrass her or her father. Dan was feeling trussed up in his suit and knew he would be under constant observation from Sam. He was aware that he would be expected to bring back some news of some sort to report to the group as well.

He could picture his evening. Dan would be sipping wine and being tracked by Sam as he tried to eavesdrop on conversations. It would be like having a posh game of tag. He would be introduced to some of the beards who he already hated. He would have to shake their hands and make small talk knowing that they had killed the soldiers. They were responsible for a whole lot of other deaths too.

They were picked up by a driver and made their way to the large house where Sam's parents lived. Her mother Sarah and her had spent hours making the arrangements and Dan had to give them their due. The room looked magnificent and the buffet was sensational. He couldn't wait to tuck in to some of the delicacies on offer.

The first hour was excruciatingly stilted as people were polite and sober. The formal manners expected led to a reluctance to talk about little more than the weather. Eric chose to give a speech thanking his guests for being there and mentioning those who had helped and guided him. Dan did not get a name check, but Samantha did.

Champagne was poured and a toast was made and then everyone loosened up a bit. Dan had been on his best behaviour all evening so Sam was beginning to relax too. It meant that he could leave her side without nervous glances and hissed instructions. He had been introduced to a number of people and was most interested in a man who worked at the Ministry of Defence.

This was not the type of party he was used to attending. Dan was not casually dressed listening to loud music and drinking shots. He grinned as he thought how some strong alcohol would change the rather formal atmosphere. He desperately wished he could ditch his tie and jacket, but that was not the, done, thing.

Dan made another raid on the buffet and managed to then linger close to his target. The MOD man was talking to another beard and they were clearly upset about something. He edged closer and got into a position where he was able to hear what was being said. What he heard was most disturbing.

"It's caused a lot of headaches. Firstly, how did anyone know about the base and what was stored there. Secondly, who has the ability to make some sort of a bomb. The guards there, were just not prepared for an attack of this kind."

"Did they take the, stuff?"

"Yes, they took a number of the things. Very bad news. One can only assume that they knew exactly what they were looking for."

"Rebels, I suspect. They're getting bolder. They need to be found and dealt with."

There had been an incident at one of the bases. Whatever had been taken was dangerous and it was not an accident. He moved away when one of the men noticed him and was frustrated by what he had not been able to hear.

He processed the snippets that he had caught and tried to piece them together. It seemed that an army base had been attacked and that a bomb of some kind had gone off. Something had been stolen from the base and the man from the ministry was extremely worried about it. As Dan came to his conclusion about what these details meant a loud crash echoed around the room.

A small window had been smashed and a canister was thrown through it into the middle of the room. Dan knew exactly what it was. He was close to the door which led into the hallway. He ran through it and headed for the front door. He pulled the big door open in an effort to get air circulating to disperse the gas.

Now he was heading back in.

"GET OUT. EVERYBODY OUT. DANGER."

The coughing and choking had started and this made people move. He scanned the room and saw Sam on the other side. His Sam, the other Sam, in that moment it did not matter. He was running towards her.

She was frozen near to French windows and as Dan neared them, he grabbed a chair. He hurled it at the glass and was relieved to hear the window shatter. He grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her to the door. He kicked out the remaining shards and unceremoniously shoved her through.

Other people were heading for the new escape route and he hauled them out when they reached the opening. Looking back into the room he could see a number of bodies on the floor. Those who had been nearest to the canister were the first to succumb and nothing could be done for them.

One of the bodies was Sarah and Dan pulled Sam away as she saw her mother. He herded the escapees to the front of the house where there were hopefully others who had got away. He was relieved to see Eric amongst the survivors. Someone had been sent to a neighbour to telephone the authorities.

A crowd of stunned, angry, hysterical people had gathered on the road outside of the house. Names were being called out as they desperately searched for friends and family. The broken window, French doors and the open front door would have sent a breeze through the house which should have got rid of the gas. No one wanted to check inside until they were sure it was safe.

The police had arrived and medical assistance was on the way. Eric had been looking for Sarah and he could not find her. Dan had to tell him that she was still inside and that it was likely that she was dead.

"I'm really sorry, Eric. I saw her as I was getting Samantha out of the place. She was on the floor next to the canister. I don't know what was in that thing, but it appears to have poisoned people. I don't think she was alive."

Many people had approached Dan and thanked him for saving them. Eric set his stiff upper lip in place, thanked his son in law and went to talk to the police.

Sam was in a state of shock and Dan had to stay with her. She knew her mother was dead and she was almost catatonic as a result. He sat down on the pavement next to his wife and took a moment to think about what had just happened. There was no doubt in his mind that this was all to do with Bertie.