Radical Reaction

by Dawn Marsanne

  Chapter 49

  After allowing her emotions to break through, Maureen seemed more able to think through the recent events and come up with a plan. She had to speak to Ron and hear the full story. It had only been a fleeting conversation on the phone and it was always possible she had misinterpreted things, Ron should have the chance to explain things. She had to be completely certain she wanted to end what had seemed to be such a promising relationship. Until this morning she’d only experienced his good character traits. Ron had only shown generosity towards her and the support group wouldn’t be able to continue without his donations.

  Suddenly she picked up her mobile and rang his number.

  **

  Nick and the team from IndSyn were enjoying a sumptuous meal at the Spice Den restaurant. They had each chosen a main course and there was a whole series of shared dishes which they could all sample as accompaniments. Nick had chosen a vegetable panaeng curry made from sweet potato, aubergine and tofu. It was amazing, he’d never tasted anything so exquisitely spiced. There was a subtle heat from chilli but it wasn’t overpowering and the other spices blended together so well giving depth which seemed to change as the food reached different regions of the tongue. The restaurant had a stage with some live musicians providing authentic Indian music which meant that the group didn’t have to try to make conversation all the time.

  By 9 p.m. Nick was beginning to feel tired and at times had to stifle a yawn. His body clock still hadn’t adjusted and he’d had a long day concentrating on chemistry in meetings. Sanjay noticed Nick glance at his watch, he realised that Nick probably wanted to get back to his hotel and rest.

  ‘Nick, you are looking a bit tired. Would you like to leave soon?’

  ‘Oh, I’m fine but it’s been a long day so yes, soon I’d like to go back to my hotel. It’s been a super meal though. Thanks so much for inviting me.’

  ‘Our pleasure. We wanted to show you some of our culture. There is a taxi rank just around the corner so we will take you to one. They are official ones, there is no need to worry.’

  ‘Thank you, that’s kind of you. Please don’t rush your meal, I’m enjoying the music.’

  ‘Glad you like it. This group is well known in Mumbai. Very popular.’

  ‘I’ll just go to the loo before I get my taxi, excuse me,’ said Nick.

  Whilst he was out he checked his phone and saw that Polly had sent a couple of texts. He texted her back to say that he should be able to phone in about an hour or so as he would be back at the hotel. He was so looking forward to hearing her voice.

  When he returned to the table the dishes had been cleared and Sanjay was paying the bill. They left the restaurant and took Nick to the taxi rank. After a long session of shaking hands Nick climbed into the taxi and relaxed back into the cool air-conditioned interior and fastened his seat belt. He realised he should update Matt and Brett before he phoned Polly and now that he was starting to relax he felt exhausted. He could easily have closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep then and there in the taxi.

  **

  ‘Maureen, are you OK? You left in such a rush. You’ve been very hard to contact today, I was beginning to get worried.’

  ‘Oh, sorry, my memory. I’d forgotten about my appointments. And you were busy with the garden people. Is that all sorted out now?’

  ‘Yes, it took a while but they seem to be able to measure properly and work out which direction is north. Goodness me, what a bunch of idiots. I had to get in touch with the manager of the company in the end. Anyway, hopefully, very soon we will be sitting on the veranda. Let’s hope it doesn’t all collapse around us!’ he joked.

  ‘No, quite. Perhaps I better wear a hard hat in that case?’

  ‘Good idea.’

  They were enjoying their usual relaxed banter which made Maureen feel even more guilty for doubting him.

  ‘Ron, would you come to dinner here tomorrow evening?’

  ‘I can but you are more than welcome to come here. I’ve something to discuss with you.’

  ‘I’d like you to come here if that’s OK?’

  ‘Well, I won’t argue if you want to cook for me. What time shall I come over?’

  ‘About 7 ish?’

  ‘Perfect, I’ll look forward to it.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Maureen, are you sure you are OK? Is something troubling you? Was everything OK at the doctor?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow then,’ and she ended the call before she had to face any further probing questions.

  Despite the slight awkwardness of the exchange, Maureen felt so much better that she had made contact with him again. Hopefully, all would be sorted out one way or another tomorrow and she would know where she stood. She felt more confident broaching the matter on her home ground rather than in the imposing surroundings of Brensford Manor. She needed every ounce of confidence she could muster.

  **

  Nick felt his head lolling forward a couple of times in the taxi and he rubbed his eyes to try to keep himself awake. He recognised some of the buildings and guessed they should be there in a couple of minutes. The traffic was much lighter at this time in the evening than it had been when he had left the hotel over twelve hours ago. He felt very thirsty after the meal and began to crave an ice cold lager.

  The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and Nick handed over his business credit card to pay the fare. As he climbed out of the car the heat and humidity enveloped him once again and he hurried into the sanctuary of the cool lobby. He looked in his wallet for his electronic room key but couldn’t see it. He was sure he’d put it in there when he left but he was a bit anxious about the day ahead so it was possible that he’d just dropped it in his bag. He started to rummage amongst his things but it could have got inside all the sheets of papers. He looked across to the bar area off the lobby and decided that he would have that lager he so craved whilst he looked for his key.

  The cold lager was wonderful and Nick quickly drank half the glass in a few gulps. He took everything out of his bag and the room key dropped out on the floor. He put it in his pocket and tidied up his papers. The bar was about half full with a mixture of local businessmen and Westerners. Once he had finished his drink he would take a cool shower and then phone Polly.

  He was conscious of a commotion out in the lobby area and some shouting which was a bit surprising as the hotel didn’t appear to have a rowdy clientele. People in the bar appeared to become agitated and then there were some loud cracking noises. People began to scream and stand up discarding their drinks. Panic ensued. The hotel was under attack.

  **

  Ron was eating his microwaved ready meal whilst watching television. Breaking news had just reported a terrorist incident on a hotel in the business district of Mumbai. It was a confused situation and there were conflicting reports as to the number of assailants and casualties. It was an unfolding situation and the newsreader promised updates as soon as they were available.

  Ron had seen that Maureen must have answered his phone and he recognised the caller’s number. He had phoned Lindsey Saunders back and she had told him how his secretary had taken a message. It was going to be an interesting dinner with Maureen tomorrow evening. However, he planned to take charge and would open the bidding so to speak. To that end, he’d paid a visit to his regular jeweller in Persford and had made a very handsome purchase.

  He’d been over to ClinTry this afternoon and was pleased to see that Christian had seemed much more relaxed and able to concentrate. He’d casually asked him whether Laura had been in touch and Christian had confirmed that he’d not heard from her for several days. Ron chuckled to himself at the memory of this conversation. He hoped that Christian had learnt from this episode and wouldn’t be so reckless in the future. If he did it would be the last mistake he made.

  As Ron poured himself another glass of red wine, the newsreader reported that the police had arrived at the hotel and were trying to regain control
. There could be many more hours of the drama to run before it concluded and there was no knowing how dreadful it would be.

  Chapter 50

  Nick realised that a gunman or perhaps several were at work in the lobby area. He was paralysed with fear. Should he stay put and try to hide but where? The small tables didn’t give much protection. The bar staff began to shout but Nick didn’t understand them. Some of the drinkers had fled out into the lobby but were now running back into the bar as smoke started to waft through and then there was a terrific bang where the whole hotel shook. A grenade must have been thrown.

  Nick followed the others obeying the instructions of the bar staff who were marshalling people through a door behind the bar counter. Another blast shook the hotel. Parts of the ceiling of the bar area began to drop to the floor. Tables were overturned and people tripped over chairs. Once they were all through the door the bar staff locked it and urged the party of terrified customers along a corridor. Women were screaming and men were swearing.

  They scurried along a narrow passageway which had bare walls and metal ducts containing the services. At points, they had to duck down to avoid hitting their heads on pipes and large air-conditioning ducts. It was claustrophobic but at least they were safe, for the moment. They came to a flight of stairs and were ushered down it. The lighting was poorer here and the party slowed down to avoid losing their footing. Suddenly an even more intense wave of panic washed over Nick. What if the bar staff were in cahoots with the terrorists and they were being led to their death or a trap? For the moment he had to believe they were being rescued. To turn back would be to meet a hail of bullets or a grenade. At least this meant they had some chance.

  Once again they were heading along a corridor and then the barman opened a door which led into a sort of storeroom. They were in a modern type of cellar which contained spare tables and chairs. Ladders, spare light fittings and an assortment of discarded items. Old flower pots, vases, metal bracket, some pieces of scaffolding and so on. Finally, they could stop running. Nick was sweating profusely. Down here there was no air conditioning and no movement of air. The group began to spread out and they selected chairs to sit on.

  ‘You are all quite safe here. Nobody apart from staff knows about this place,’ said the barman.

  ‘But how long will we be down here?’ cried a woman.

  ‘That I do not know. We must be patient. Hopefully, the police and army will have arrived at the hotel by now.’

  ‘How many terrorists were there?’ asked another.

  ‘I have no idea. I did not wait to see.’

  ‘We are all going to die,’ wailed a woman hysterically. Someone went to her and tried to comfort her.

  Nick sat down and tried to breathe deeply. His heart was pounding and he felt sick. The rich meal which he’d so enjoyed was threatening to come back up again. Less than an hour ago he was having a relaxed meal with entertainment and now he was plunged into a nightmare. He thought back to the major terrorist attack in 2008 when the Taj Mahal Hotel was attacked and over a hundred people lost their lives. He remembered the news reports from people barricaded in their hotel rooms as the siege and attacks lasted for days. He took out his phone and cursed. There was no signal and no Wi-Fi down in the basement. He had no means of contacting Polly or of checking what was happening. She would be expecting him to call at this precise moment. Oh, God, he thought, what if this has made the news and she is frantically wondering what has happened to me. Finally the shock and panic overcame him. He put his head in his hands and wept silently.

  **

  Polly returned home exhausted. She’d read that the first few weeks of pregnancy were the most tiring and that certainly seemed to be true. It wasn’t long now until she could speak to Nick and relay the exciting news. She switched on the oven to heat up and selected a macaroni cheese from the fridge. Suddenly she felt the urge to pass water and rushed off to the toilet. It was a sure way to make the phone ring and she heard her mobile just as she was washing her hands. She rushed back into the kitchen whilst wiping her hands on her trousers.

  As she grabbed the phone her heart sank, it wasn’t Nick but Matt Pearson. What on earth did he want, surely he’d not forgotten that Nick was in India?

  ‘Hello, Polly, sorry to bother you.’

  ‘Hi, Matt, it’s no problem. I’ve just got home.’

  ‘Oh, good. I just wondered whether Nick’s been in touch?’

  ‘Er, well, he phoned earlier but I’ve been in meetings. The last text he sent said that he would be phoning, well, around now actually.’ Polly suddenly felt bad as soon as she’d said that as it did sound a bit terse. It was as if she was telling Matt to get off the line.

  ‘Oh, he’s not phoned this evening then?’

  ‘No, why, are you trying to get in touch with him?’

  ‘I take it you’ve not seen the news recently?’ said Matt hesitantly.

  ‘Not since mid-afternoon, I did look at the headlines then, just briefly. Why?’

  ‘Polly, I don’t want to worry you but there’s been a terrorist attack in Mumbai. It’s all very confused at the moment.’

  ‘Oh, God, no I didn’t realise!’ She went into the lounge and switched on the TV then put off the sound and activated the subtitles. She read with horror the unfolding story.

  ‘Polly? Are you still there?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve just put the TV on. God, it’s awful. Oh no!’ Polly screamed. ‘That’s Nick’s hotel!’

  ‘Polly, calm down, please. We mustn’t jump to conclusions. He’s probably had to evacuate. Perhaps he’s left his phone behind. We don’t know anything. No casualties have been confirmed yet.’

  ‘Yes, but I’ve not heard from him, He said he would call. Oh God, what am I going to do?’

  ‘Listen. I’ll come around. Would you like that?’

  ‘Please, would you? I’m so worried. Oh, I feel faint. Wait a minute I need to sit down.’

  ‘Try to take some deep breaths, I’ll be with you in about a quarter of an hour, OK?’

  Through her tears, Polly mumbled thank you. She continued to stare at the TV. Suddenly a wave of nausea passed over her and she ran to the bathroom to bring up the remains of her lunch.

  **

  Silence had settled over the hotel guests hiding in the basement. Nick’s throat was parched and he could smell the sweat rising from his body. Was it sweat or was it fear? He strained his ears and thought he could hear shots being fired and some louder bangs which were presumably due to more grenades being let off. It was a reasonably large room but the ventilation was poor and the temperature was increasing all the time. He wondered how long they could survive like that before the air ran out. He scanned the top of the walls and to his relief saw some small vents.

  Some people had decided to lie down. It was unlikely that they would be able to sleep when their fate was so uncertain but perhaps they felt more comfortable than on the upright chairs. From time to time the barman opened the door an inch or so and listened for clues. Despite the tense situation practicalities had taken over and a few of the guests had managed to rig up a sort of screen using some portable coat racks and had thrown an old blanket over it. They had found a largish plant holder and a waste paper bin which were to suffice as toilets, male and female. Using these would be the last resort but they could be down there for ages yet and Nick himself knew that nerves would mean he would soon have to empty his bladder.

  ‘Everyone, please listen,’ said the barman. ‘We need to stay in here but I think I know where there is some water. We are not far from a storeroom and I might be able to get there to find some bottled water. Would someone come and help me? I don’t want to have to make multiple trips?’

  Everyone looked at each other then averted their gaze. It was a risky mission but on the other hand, they must all be becoming quite dehydrated due to the extreme heat and humidity.

  ‘I’ll go with you,’ said Nick.

  ‘Thank you. It is not far. I might need to forc
e the door. Is there anything here we might use?’

  Nick and a couple of others started to looked around the room, rummaging through the assortment of items. They managed to find an old screwdriver and a hammer. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing.

  The barman opened the door and looked out into the corridor. ‘Can you hear anything?’

  Nick craned his neck around and listened. There was a constant whir from the workings of the hotel, motors, pumps, machines but he couldn’t hear much else. ‘No, nothing.’

  ‘Let’s go. Follow me.’

  They ran down the corridor their senses alert. Nick’s heart threatened to burst from his chest. All he could hear in his ears was the sound of the blood pumping around his body. They reached the corner of the corridor and flattened themselves against the wall.

  ‘It is one more corridor and then we are there, OK?’

  Nick nodded although it was very much not OK. They continued on their quest and reached the door which was locked. With one tool each, they targetted the area around the lock. After what seemed ages Nick heard a splintering noise. That gave them the extra energy to carry on. Soon they had managed to prise away a section of the door frame. Nick kicked at the door and after three kicks and his accomplice using his shoulder it gave way and they fell into the room.

  They were both gasping and rested with their hands on their knees. They each grabbed two packs of a dozen small bottles of water which was as much as they could manage and slowly made their way back to the rest of the group.

  **

  Matt arrived at Polly’s just after 7 p.m. as he had been delayed by the end of the rush hour traffic. That meant it was now 1 a.m. in India and there was still no word from Nick. Polly had abandoned all ideas of having anything to eat and had switched off the oven and put her macaroni cheese back in the fridge. She had made a cup of tea and was sitting watching the news and checking all the news websites on her phone when the doorbell rang.