Cherry Picking

by Tim Heath

  The Government has put the country on a state of high alert…’ Robert switched off the radio, having heard enough. Viewing London as a clock-face, the first bombs had landed in the ten or eleven o’clock position and had since swept around to about three o’clock. The village of Dunsfold, where Robert’s Door existed, was at about the eight o’clock position. Robert had no way of knowing if Dunsfold was in the firing line, or even if he could get there in time.

  There was no doubt though that Nigel was directly behind this attack, out somewhere in Europe or beyond, fighting from afar, giving it everything he had in one desperate last effort to stop Robert.

  With the radio off and the isolation of the sea now calming Robert, he knew it was time to speak to Brendan again. Maybe he held the one final chance to stop all this from continuing by getting to Nigel, though part of him doubted that. He did however want to know that Tommy and Jessica would be safe, as it would clearly soon come to light, if it had not done so already, that they’d helped him.

  Brendan answered the call quite quickly, sitting in the back of one of Nigel’s chauffeur driven cars, on the way to Nigel’s house.

  “You have some nerve calling me,” Brendan said in surprise, once he was aware it was Robert.

  “Well, I wanted you to know that I’m not holding a grudge.”

  Brendan smiled at the comment of a man he’d two days ago tried to have killed. Robert continued:

  “Have you been watching the news?” Actually he hadn’t, never really one for TV at that time of day and with the car coming to pick him up he’d been surprisingly cut off from everything.

  “I’ll take the pause to mean you haven’t. Nigel is setting the country ablaze in his desperate race to stop me. Half the suburbs of London have been bombed, with a dirty but lethal weapon he bought back here with him for this very purpose.”

  Brendan now had heard it all and though it sounded unheard of, it also sounded plausible. Nothing really shocked him any more, his emotions pushed too far in all directions to ever be the same again.

  “I’m sorry for what happened, you know,” he said, the first sign that there were cracks beginning to appear. “I genuinely meant what I said that I’d work with you. It’s just that Nigel knew all about it, had even planned for it. He threatened my whole family, told me of the illness that would kill them all. He played your life off against theirs and millions of others. What was I to do? I guess it’s all lost now anyway if what you’ve just said is true?”

  It was all starting to come together in Robert’s head as the boat pressed through the sea.

  “He told you about the Digital Disease, right?”

  “Yes, everything. The millions that would die, including my family. How I’d be old and alone. How he had the cure with him and would release it years earlier, in this time, saving them all, including of course my family. And he’d do that if I handed you over. That was when you then asked to meet me. He knew about it and ordered that I carry out his wishes.”

  Robert shook his head as Katie’s face flashed once more into his mind, the waste of a life in such an incident. Of course, it was quite obvious now, a half truth said like that would have a massive impact on such a man that valued his family above all things, including wealth. Brendan always had, which Nigel clearly knew would be his weakest point.

  “Look, he lied to you, Brendan, as always. Whatever he said, forget it, not that it’ll matter much now, and listen to this. It’s true about the disease and that millions were infected, and while the cure doesn’t exist today as he had told you, it is only about ten years or so before it will be discovered and made widespread. That would be plenty enough time for your family to be made well, without any loss.”

  Brendan sank his head into his hands, coming to terms with what he had done, the truth knocking great holes into his heart even at that moment, completely aware that what Robert was telling him would indeed be the truth.

  “And what’s more, Brendan, he clearly didn’t tell you about the tumour in your brain that if untreated kills you in twelve years time, leaving your wife and kids alone.”

  “I have a tumour?!”

  “I’m sorry to tell you this, Brendan, but you have to trust me here.”

  “I can’t believe I listened to him and yet he knew exactly how to stop me.”

  “Don’t blame yourself. He targeted you, so your life was screwed the moment he showed up.”

  “So there’s no hope then for any of us?”

  “Oh, believe me, there’s hope.”

  Robert wasn’t about to say anything more, aware that the call would at some point be listened to. Brendan also remembered at that moment where he was heading.

  “Look, Robert, I think I can help. Good luck to you wherever you end up.”

  “Be careful, Brendan,” Robert finished, the line going dead. Brendan’s driver pulled into the main gates just moments later, through the security controlled entrance and up the long drive, the first time Brendan had seen his boss’s residence. Now was the perfect time to settle the score. Whatever happened, Nigel would be finished.

  Pulling up to the main door, the driver jumped out and opened the rear passenger door for him. Brendan got out slowly and stretched after the long drive, looking up at the large and beautiful house that stood before him.

  He walked up the steps alone, opened the main doors and worked his way down the corridor, ready for anything, more focused than he had ever been about anything in his life, finally about to rid the world of Nigel Gamble. Pausing at the door, he pulled a knife from his pocket, hiding it in his hand, took a breath and opened the door.

  The explosion knocked him to the ground, killing him instantly, his place in life gone in the blink of an eye. The whole middle section of the house started collapsing, bricks crumbling as fire raged around the expensive furnishings.

  Chapter 31

  Robert could see the English coast now in the distance, aiming himself somewhere west of Worthing. He knew the coast quite well from his youth, as he and the other parent-less children who had become his family, had been taken for rare excursions to the beaches and for walks. Just the other side of Littlehampton was a golf course and beyond that, further along the coast, the fields had still remained in Robert’s time, all quite peaceful, and so now if anything it would be even quieter. Boats were quite common off the shores there, as the marina in Littlehampton was another hot bed for expensive yachts.

  Slowing the engine slightly on the boat to call Tommy, the call was answered straight away as they’d had another stop, Jessica at that moment buying something to help in a local chemist.

  “How are you doing, Robert?”

  “I’ve made good time. I’m a few miles off the coast, south of Littlehampton. How are you getting on?”

  “We’re through the worst, probably about an hour from you now. Only one road block which we managed to avoid. Jess is just in the shop now trying to buy something to settle her stomach, I think.”

  “Okay. Look, when you get near, keep west of the river that runs by the town. You should see signs for the golf course which will pull you in near enough to me. There are a few roads that run right along the coast there, starting at the end of the golf course where it meets the fields. If you don’t see me, call me when you get there. I don’t expect any problems getting ashore but you never can be too careful.”

  “Great. Look, I can see Jess is paying for something now so we’ll get moving as soon as we can. You keep safe and we’ll see you in about an hour.”

  “Thanks, Tommy. It’ll all be over soon.”

  “And where will that leave us?”

  Robert thought about saying more but paused.

  “You’ll be okay, my friend, you’ll be okay. See you in an hour and don’t be late!”

  Robert hung up and looked out across the sea, spotting a ship in the distance that possibly could be the coast guard. Picking up speed again, Robert took over the manual controls of the boat as he headed in the last cou
ple of miles that would take him to the shore, not wanting to waste any time or take any further chances.

  **********

  The missiles into England continued to rain down, taking out the QE II bridge, before the area of destruction widened. In view of the vast number of outlying villages across north Kent, Nigel had decided to take no chances, laying waste a twenty mile area, reaching out from the M25 to Gravesend and Sevenoaks and destroying everything in between.

  As with a rampaging hurricane, people had started to predict the path of destruction and the surviving villages and towns were quickly abandoned by most. The few who remained were either too shocked or too old to move or wishing to loot the empty houses in some ill thought out plan. Most people had moved out away from London, fearing being cut off completely, but plenty also, for fear of not making it out in time, moved in towards the centre, the bustling millions now united in a way that nothing had united them before. The already over-stretched armed forces were at a complete loss as to what to do. They were on the streets, trying to help as much as they could, but each of them was only too aware of their own potential losses, scared for their own safety, against an enemy as yet unknown, with no idea as to how to stop them. The RAF were in the skies that were effectively shut down to any other traffic. The only confirmation that missiles were actually the cause of the on-going attack was when one of their jets was struck by one, exploding mid-air, with no hint of a warning of any incoming hostile fire.

  Public movement was effectively banned but with so few to enforce it, coupled with the human desire to save oneself when in the line of fire, the roads were busy, the brief roadblocks in place unmanageable compared to the sheer weight of the exodus of those wishing to flee.

  Robert turned the radio off again when he heard that the attacks were still some way from his village, slowing as he approached much shallower waters. Whatever boat he had spotted did indeed seem to be coming his way, gaining on him all the time as Robert came in as near as possible. He was cautious of the sharp and dangerous rocks that were not far under the surface. He was near enough to the shore to make a swim for it possible, but that was the less favourable option.

  Getting in as close as he dared, he grabbed his things and decided abandon ship, darting around the front of the boat, trying to remain undetected from his pursuer. He could clearly hear the sound of an outboard motor boat now coming towards him.

  Just before jumping in, he glanced back to see the Royal Navy boat some two hundred metres back and an inflatable boat racing towards him, only some fifty metres or so away. As he waded through the water, which came almost up to his neck, slipping on a rock and going under for a moment, he rose to hear them shouting from the boat, telling him they would open fire if he didn’t show himself straight away. They informed him that his boat had been tracked leaving France and any attempt to get ashore was a criminal violation. The water was so cold, and for a moment the voices faded, before gun shots were heard, clearly fired into the sky as they followed by saying this was his last chance and he should show himself with his arms raised. The instruction was then repeated in French, which made sense. It was only when he was through the worst of it, now wading just waist deep towards the shore, that they spotted him, the outboard motor boat picking up speed and able to come a lot nearer than he’d got, but even they would have to stop or go another way, the rocks just too dangerous to risk going all the way in.

  A burst of fire sounded again, Robert feeling it not too far above his head, as threats were shouted, his pursuers now only just jumping out of the boat, still some twenty or thirty metres from shore.

  Robert didn’t waste time in looking around, running as fast as he could up the stony beach. He got to the road that ran along the edge, making to go left before darting into the cover of some trees, turning right instead along the edge of a field and up towards a house he spotted. There was clearly a camping ground alongside it and a wood of oak and ash trees beyond.

  Five minutes later he was in the wood, a small trail leading both left and right, and he paused behind a large tree, no sign of the Navy guys who’d been chasing, but he realised that the area would soon be in total lock down, with dogs and all sorts combing every inch. There was no way that Tommy would be able to get through. So Robert, having got his breath back a little, and taking off his top layer of soaking wet clothes, buried them as best he could for the dogs to no doubt find later. He then got moving again, heading east along the wood which came out after the large house that was obviously home to the camp site. Then there was a one hundred metre stretch of exposed road which he had no choice but to run across, getting away unseen, before he went up a hedge-lined track between two fields. The hedges gave suitable cover so that he could run quite fast, taking a right at the top and coming out eventually at the back of some houses, before making his way onto the road and then across a bridge that took him over the water again. The train tracks just ahead of him on the other side of the main road confirmed to him that he had made it into Littlehampton. The town spread around him now on every side, and it was the perfect place to dig in and wait for his pick up.

  **********

  Thirty minutes later Robert was sitting in the car with Tommy and Jessica, making their way north again towards the village that Robert had last seen a week or so ago, the day he’d raced clear with Katie Taylor next to him, her wild husband not too impressed with their escape.

  The pick-up had been reasonably easy, Robert reaching them on the phone while they were still ten minutes away from the agreed pick-up point, allowing Tommy the time to alter his route and avoid any trouble that might have been ahead. They’d stayed as short a time as possible in the town, Tommy parking the car in a remote little car park, before going to buy some fresh clothes for Robert, who hid in the back of the car, not wanting to take any chances. Jessica used the break to go and find a toilet, as she continued to battle the symptoms of what it was that had upset her stomach.

  They both returned at the same time, Jessica saying very little as she took her place in the front passenger seat, Tommy passing a bag into the back for Robert, who quickly changed out of his current things and into the new dry stuff, a cap being the final piece he put on, changing his image as much as possible in case they were unlucky on the way out.

  They got away all right and made great progress on the nearly deserted streets as, unknown to any of them, martial law was now in force in much of the area north of them, making movement nearly impossible. They’d spotted many helicopters and jets flying over head, racing around in a busy fashion but ultimately not really knowing what they needed to do as the missiles had continued to pound the northern part of Kent. A large section of the southbound M25 was taken out so that many of the cars that had been fleeing were now just stuck there, people not knowing what to think. All they could see on the horizon was rising smoke which filled the blackening sky. Another RAF helicopter came in low again over them, as if checking them out, though the section that they were driving on, while empty, wasn’t off limits quite yet. Tommy had been asking what the plan was and Robert explained about his house and how it had been when he left it although he had no idea what state it would be in now. Robert then mentioned more about the Door, both Tommy and Jessica listening intently.

  “So will we actually ever see you again?” Tommy said, trying to remain focused on the road as yet more RAF jets flew over at high speed and low altitude.

  “I was waiting for someone to ask that,” Robert said, thinking through his words carefully. “It’s going to get quite hairy for you for a while.”

  “Can’t we come through with you?” Jessica said.

  “No, that wouldn’t be good. Look, it’s going to be hard to understand, but once I’m back through to my time in the future, where I originally came back from, I need to make every effort to get back to Switzerland. I’ll be praying like mad that the Door there is still in one piece. Assuming it is, once it’s fired up and I walk through it, it’ll take me further ba
ck in time, some years before even Nigel Gamble went back to, and everything should start to undo.”

  “I don’t get it?” Tommy said, looking puzzled. Jessica turned to Robert as well, bewilderment also on her pale face.

  “I don’t really understand it all, either. But look at it like this. If I’ve gone back, so as to be there waiting for Nigel when he first came back, arresting him straight away, he would never go on to do all these things that he has done.”

  “So everything would revert to what it was before?” Jessica said. “It would play out as before, without the interference, but it would be in essence the third time round, though none of you would know it. I’m sure most things would be very much the same.”

  “But what would happen to us? What would we feel?” Tommy said, looking concerned, slowing the car somewhat before increasing speed again, his concentration back on the road.

  “When Nigel Gamble changed things here, doing so when I was in this time too, it was only me who noticed the changes when I went back. Somehow everyone else’s memories altered because I guess, in reality, the things that I thought had once happened to lead to that life experience didn’t end up happening, so that the people concerned had different memories. I don’t know how it felt, or how it happened, but it just seemed to happen. So I guess for you, they’ll just be a moment when it all changes back.”