So much for making a run for it on the way to the Collider, Tom thought despondently. He glanced over at Serena, who was stirring from her sleep. Her expression changed from placid to consternation as she became aware of her situation.
‘Morning, darling. Coffee?’ Tom whispered.
She managed a weak smile, which vanished the minute she saw Deiter. Frederick was also awake and eyeing his captor warily.
‘I trust you all slept well?’ Deiter enquired. When nobody answered he continued. ‘As you can see, the experiment is progressing as planned.’ He turned to the TV, which was showing the devastation caused by the floodwaters along the Gold Coast. ‘It’s a pity that none of you will be around to see the final conclusion.’
He watched the scenes intensely, enraptured by the catastrophic damage caused by the tsunami. He forced himself to turn away. ‘Still, look on the bright side. At least you won’t have to spend years in a maximum security prison for a crime you didn’t commit. Inspector Gervaux is convinced that the three of you, along with Ajay, are some sort of scientific terrorist cell. He suspects you are on the run and has set up road blocks, closed the airports and train stations and has hundreds of men combing the countryside looking for you. You’re quite famous, really. All the news stations are running the story, along with the pictures of you that I kindly provided Inspector Gervaux with. So, when your bodies are discovered in the Collider, it can all be explained away as a tragic accident. Unbeknown to anybody, you must have holed up there, waiting for the heat to die down before you made your getaway – all very dramatic stuff. The media are going to lap it up.’
‘Leaving you in the clear to wreak havoc on the world,’ Tom concluded.
‘Precisely,’ Deiter beamed.
‘And what if we don’t go along with your plan?’ Serena asked.
‘Then I’ll shoot you here and drag your bodies into one of the service tunnels.’
‘Won’t that look a bit suspicious?’ she countered.
‘Not really. The public have already been warned not to approach any of you as you are armed and extremely dangerous. So, all we have to do is tell the authorities that we discovered you whilst doing a routine inspection of the tunnels and tried to apprehend you. You resisted, shots were fired, but thankfully you were the only casualties. I don’t think there’s going to be much sympathy from the general public about your demise. In fact, I can see myself as being a bit of a hero.’ Deiter seemed to thrive on this idea. ‘Your choice. Shall we go?’
Tom couldn’t see much of a choice. He had never really considered how he would die. He had always assumed that it was far enough in the future not to worry about it. But, at the moment, that future was beginning to look decidedly close. He certainly didn’t want to be shot where he sat, like a rat in a trap. And, whilst he was still alive, there was always the possibility that he could escape. No, he had to escape. Perhaps there would still be an opportunity for the three of them to overpower the guards on the way down to the Collider. It had to be worth a risk.
‘Okay, let’s get on with it,’ Tom instructed, with as much courage in his voice as he could muster.
‘Good, I’m glad you’ve seen sense. Who wants to go down first?’
Fuck! So much for plan A.
CHAPTER 30
Inspector Gervaux had commandeered the whole floor above his office and turned it into an incident room, much to the chagrin of the filing clerks who had previously occupied it. He had direct communication with all points of exit from the country. Roadblocks had been set up on all major and minor roads. Photos of the four terrorists had been widely circulated, the media doing their bit for once. He had requested and been granted additional personnel from the Swiss army to strengthen the border crossings. He had over a hundred officers on the ground conducting door-to-door enquiries. Helicopters had been deployed to carry out wide-sweeping aerial searches. This was the biggest manhunt that Switzerland had ever seen. So why wasn’t there so much as a single sighting of the fugitives?
‘Are you certain you covered off every single inch of the complex?’ Gervaux must have asked this question of Sergeant Lavelle over a dozen times during the last twenty-four hours.
‘Yes, I told you. I supervised the search personally,’ Lavelle replied exasperated.
‘Then where are they? Not a single sighting, not even a hoax call.’ Gervaux turned back to the whiteboard on which the four individuals’ photographs were pinned at the top, the rest of the board being completely blank.
‘How are we getting on tracking their mobile phone signals?’ He was staring searchingly at the photos in the hope they would give up their owners’ whereabouts.
Lavelle shifted uncomfortably. ‘Nothing. There hasn’t been a signal transmitted since around midday yesterday, which was when we saw them last.’
‘How many officers did you leave at CERN?’
‘Two at each entrance and a four-man dog team patrolling the perimeter.’
‘Something doesn’t stack up. We follow them into a disused building and they just vanish off the face of the earth. We’re missing something.’ Gervaux ran a hand through his receding hair, then seemed to make up his mind. ‘Get your coat, Lavelle. You and I are going to have another look at that building.’
CHAPTER 31
As Gervaux and Lavelle were leaving the office for the short drive to CERN, Serena’s hands were being re-tied above her head to TIM – or Train Inspection Monorail, to give it its full title. The ‘train’ itself consisted of three stainless steel wagons, each about the size of four microwave ovens laid end to end: control, motor and battery. A pan-tilt zoom surveillance camera, spotlight, anti-collision detector and emergency stop button were fitted to each end of the train. The rail, which was anchored to the roof of the tunnel, ran around the entire length of the Collider. The train was piloted remotely from the safety of the control centre and had a top speed of 10km/hour. TIM could send back crucial data on environmental conditions within the tunnel, a task that would otherwise be impossible to achieve manually due to the extremely high levels of radiation whilst in operation.
Serena’s bodyweight was being supported by the platform she was standing on, some ten metres above the floor of the tunnel. Her arms were stretched to capacity and secured to the control section of the small train by PlastiCuffs, forcing her onto tip-toes to relieve the burning sensation in her shoulders.
She glanced back and could see Frederick about four feet behind her; he was bound to the motor carriage and was also finding it difficult to alleviate the discomfort. A further four feet beyond him and, hitched to the final wagon, was Tom. Being that much taller than both of them, he didn’t appear to be having the same issues. He nodded a reassurance to her, but she could tell from the fear in his eyes that the gesture lacked sincerity and did little to console her.
‘As you’ve probably worked out, you’ll be going on a little ride,’ continued Deiter. ‘Unfortunately, I could only get you one-way tickets.’ He stepped back from the passengers, admiring his efforts. The two armed guards were already making their way down the metal ladder to the safety of the control room, having performed their duties impeccably.
It had taken nearly thirty minutes to get to where they were now. They had avoided the most direct route from the Bunker, which would have taken them less than half that time, through the main tunnel; instead, they had traversed through a warren of deserted corridors and service shafts, in order to elude detection.
Whilst waiting for the other two to join him, Tom had already run through the probable scenario of his demise in his mind. The proton beams would travel along low magnetic permeability stainless steel tubes for the majority of their 27-kilometre journey around the Collider and, as such, present little risk to life. However, at the four points where the two opposing beams impacted, the composition of the tubes would change to Beryllium, a metal chosen for its transparency, to radiation.
The detectors here would monitor the aftermath of the collisions and ma
p the radiation fields generated by the sub-atomic particles. The detectors themselves were surrounded by reinforced concrete seven metres thick to prevent any radiation leakage. Deiter would, most likely, remotely manoeuvre the train along the tunnel to one of these detectors. Once the train was in position, he would fire up the Collider and it would then be only a matter of milliseconds before the fallout took its toll, the equivalent of six atomic bombs exploding in a space no bigger than a church hall. Death would be instantaneous – no pain, no cognitive awareness, no memory.
‘If you can, try and think of this as your final experiment,’ Deiter continued, walking down the line of captives, strung up like carcasses of beef in an abattoir. ‘We have never been able to assess the aftermath of the Collider on the human body; your contributions will be invaluable.’ He looked each one of his colleagues in the eye and seemed to feed off their distress. ‘I’d just like to say that it’s been a pleasure working with you all. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my objectives without you.’ With that, he turned his back on them and descended the metal ladder.
‘You’re insane!’ Serena screamed after him. However, the only response she received was the retreating sound of leather on metal.
***
It had taken Gervaux a lot longer than normal to reach the main entrance to the complex; the road blocks that he had set up to trap the fugitives were causing massive delays on all routes. Twice they had to use their blue lights and sirens to jump to the head of the queues. It also didn’t help that the roads from the police station to CERN were covered with impacted snow and, although Lavelle was an expert driver, they were held up in several sections by less experienced motorists.
Gervaux jumped out of the car and made his way over to the two officers that were guarding the gate. ‘Where’s the Chief Security Officer?’ The inspector had phoned ahead and requested that he meet him onsite.
‘Keeping warm in his office,’ the younger of the two replied, gesturing to the small, innocuous-looking concrete hut with his eyes.
Gervaux marched over to the building, closely followed by his sergeant, and rapped on the door. After several seconds it opened, revealing the rather sleepy features of the head of security.
‘Not disturbing you, are we?’ Lavelle asked sarcastically.
The Chief Security Officer, ignoring the jibe, turned his attention to Gervaux. ‘More security videos?’ he asked with a pained expression.
‘No,’ replied the Inspector. ‘I want to do another search of the disused building and service tunnels leading to the Collider.’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible,’ replied the security officer. ‘Well, not until this afternoon, anyway.’
‘Why’s that?’ the sergeant asked, his irritation evident.
‘Because we’re testing the Collider this morning, and protocol dictates that no personnel are allowed below ground during its operation.’
‘But that doesn’t stop us searching the unoccupied office building,’ Lavelle retorted.
‘Be my guest,’ replied the officer. ‘I’ve got some paperwork I need to catch up on, so I’ll give you a ring when I receive the all-clear from the control room.’ With that, he stepped back into the warmth of his office and closed the door on the two policemen.
***
‘What are we going to do?’ The defiance and composure that Serena had exhibited in front of Deiter was now slipping and Tom could detect a note of desperation in her voice. He had spent the last thirty minutes trying to loosen his ties, which had resulted in his wrists becoming bloodied and raw, but there was no give.
‘Can you swing your legs up and hit the emergency stop button on the front of the train?’ asked Frederick. ‘It may give us a bit more time.’ He had also been trying to free himself, but soon realised the task was futile.
‘I could if I was a Russian gymnast,’ replied Serena sarcastically.
‘Perhaps we can shake it off its rails. On the count of three we should…’
Tom’s suggestion was interrupted by the gentle hum of the motor starting up in the carriage above Frederick’s head, followed by a jolt as the wheels engaged the track. Serena let out a scream as her body was jerked forward, the sound echoing down the tunnel in front of them. Another jolt, another scream, but this time the wheels above their heads continued turning, advancing the carriages and pulling its payload towards the end of the gantry. Serena had to walk on the balls of her feet in order to prevent herself from being dragged along. The end of the platform was fast approaching. Three feet… two feet… one foot.
‘Tom, what do I do?’ Serena cried over her shoulder.
‘Try to stay calm,’ was Tom’s only advice.
She was now at the edge of the gantry, resisting the final leap off. She looked down and could see the floor of the tunnel some ten metres below. The train above them carried on its inexorable journey, unfazed by its free-loading cargo.
‘Tom!’ Serena’s shoes could grip the metal grid of the platform no longer and she was yanked off. She swung out, her arms stretched straight by the full weight of her body, the plastic handcuffs biting into the flesh of her wrists. Her body twisted, her legs kicked and then she was still. Tom thought that she had passed out; but then, over the sound of the motor, he heard an almost animalistic whimper coming from her direction.
‘Serena? You alright?’ This time, he could make out her gentle, child-like sobs. He tugged at his restraints, but the pain was excruciating. He could see Frederick in front of him. He was shuffling along, keeping pace with the train. It was almost as if he’d resigned himself to his fate.
When it was his turn for the platform to run out on him, he didn’t falter; stepping over the edge, he allowed his weight to be transferred to his bindings. His body went limp and he let out a low moan.
Tom had never been one to pray; but he told himself that, if he was ever going to start, now would be a good time.
***
Gervaux, Lavelle and one of the four-man dog team had assembled in the disused building’s underground car park. The dog, a pitch-black Labrador Retriever with liquid brown eyes, could sense the tension in the air and was anxious to get on with its work. It had been given the scent of its quarry from clothes retrieved from Tom’s apartment. Gervaux was well aware that the trail may have already gone cold. Out in the open, the human scent would dissipate within a few hours; but, in the enclosed spaces of the offices, he was more hopeful that the scent would linger longer.
He pressed the button to summon the elevator, which seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to arrive. Finally, the doors opened and immediately the dog became more agitated, straining at its leash, barking excitedly and sniffing the air. The handler gave it some slack and it headed directly into the lift, tail wagging.
‘Looks like he’s picked up a trail,’ the handler said, stating the obvious.
They followed the dog into the lift and pressed the button for the first floor. During the few seconds it took for the lift to stop, the handler had unleashed the Labrador. As the doors opened, all three waited with baited breath to see what its reaction would be. The dog darted out into the office, its nose inches from the ground. It did a full sweep of the empty space and quickly returned to its master. It was obvious from the dog’s body language that its prey hadn’t been here.
They repeated the procedure on the second and third floors with similar results. On the way back down to the basement, Gervaux queried the handler. ‘What do you make of that?’
‘It’s bizarre,’ he replied. ‘From the dog’s reaction, it was obvious there was a very strong scent when the lift doors first opened, and I would have expected him to pick it up on at least one of the floors. The only way I can explain it is that our guy must have got in the lift, changed his mind and got out again.’
‘Is it possible the scent is strongest in the lift because it’s in such a confined space?’
‘Yes, but I’ve never seen him react so positively to a trail and then just l
ose it.’
Gervaux inspected the stainless steel panels that made up the interior of the lift, first visually and then with his hands.
‘What are you looking for? A secret trap door?’ Lavelle scoffed.
The elevator came to an abrupt stop. The dog and its handler got out. Lavelle positioned his body to stop the doors closing again, whilst the inspector carried on with his investigation.
‘How long would you say it took us to get from the third floor down to here?’ Gervaux asked, scrutinising the button panel.
‘Five, maybe six seconds,’ Lavelle replied, unsure where this was going.
‘And how long did it take for the lift to arrive when we first got here?’
The truth was that Lavelle hadn’t been paying much attention. ‘Longer?’ he ventured.
‘A lot longer,’ Gervaux corrected.
Still baffled by what his boss was intimating, Lavelle fell silent, trying to join the dots in his head. Then it struck him. His face lit up and, like an excited schoolboy trying to impress his teacher, he blurted out the answer. ‘You think there may be another level above the third floor that we haven’t been able to get access to.’
Gervaux shook his head in exasperation. ‘Don’t you think we’d be able to see that from the outside of the building?’
Crestfallen, Lavelle turned to the dog handler, who was trying, and almost succeeding, to suppress a laugh.
‘I want detailed plans and drawings of the entire complex, above and below ground,’ Gervaux ordered.
Lavelle passed on the command to the only person he could. ‘You heard the Inspector. Don’t just stand there sniggering. Go get the drawings.’
The God Particle Page 23
