‘But you don’t, do you? You think I’m a liar!’
‘No I don’t. I just think you are confused.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘It means I think there’s more to you than we think.’
‘So you do think I’m lying?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘But it’s what you meant.’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Then why don’t you just say what you mean?’ Will’s anger is at tipping point. Suddenly, the events of the last few days hit him hard and he cannot contain his patience any longer. He wants to let rip and get everything off his chest, but Eoin turns casually away and looks out the window. ‘Thank you, Will.’
Will’s hands curl into fists. ‘Is that it? Is that all you have to say?’ He desperately wants to kick something but turns and heads for the door.
‘Ich habe nicht gesagt dass Sie gehen können!’ says Eoin.
Will stops, his heart pounding, his hand grips the doorknob hard. I did not say you could leave.
‘Tout n’est pas fini entre nous,’ says Eoin.
Will trembles. I’m not finished with you. Eoin had just spoken in German and French and he had understood every word.
‘Sit down, Will.’
For a moment he feels paralysed and unable to move from the door. But then a warm hand rests on his shoulder and Eoin guides him to a chair. Will does not protest. He sits down, his mind a flurry of confusion. He hears the sound of liquid pouring and suddenly there is a glass of water in front of him.
‘Drink this.’
Will drinks slowly, one sip, then two, before downing the lot. It makes him feel a little better, ‘I… I don’t understand what is happening to me.’
‘Don’t try to yet.’
‘But I have to know. I feel like I’m a stranger in my own body.’
‘You’re not. Trust me.’
Will looks at Eoin with a sense of hope. ‘What happened to me? How did I get to this point?’
‘I have a theory. If I am right, then we are all in terrible danger.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We’ll talk about that later. For the moment, come with me. I have something to show you.’
Eoin locks his office door from the inside then shifts one of the filing cabinets away from the wall and pushes his hand against one of the wooden panels. There is a clicking sound and the panel shifts slightly, revealing the faint outline of a door. He pushes it open and a rush of cold, musty air sweeps into the office. Will can see a dark and narrow stairwell with a lantern on the top step.
‘Beaulieu is a honeycomb full of secret passages and tunnels,’ says Eoin, lighting the candle in the lantern.
‘But what are they for?’
‘In days gone by they provided an easy escape from the enemy. Nowadays they are useful for getting to class ahead of the students. Only certain teachers know of these passages. Let’s keep it that way.’
‘Yes, of course.’
Will follows Eoin down and across a series of linked stairs and passages all of which are narrow and tall. Straggly cobwebs hang everywhere like deadman’s bunting, wafting against his face and hair. Here and there he hears the sound of muffled voices and laughter as they pass dormitories and classrooms. The deeper they go, the colder it becomes. The air is damp all around them and the walls are dripping with moisture.
When it seems they can go down no further, Eoin stops and points to the end of the passage. ‘There,’ he says.
As they draw near, Will can make out a heavy, wooden cell door reinforced with steel bands. There is a small barred window. He steps closer and peers inside. The cell seems empty except for an old table.
Eoin reaches into his pocket, takes out a large key and unlocks the door. He hesitates and stares into the cell, his face gaunt and troubled. He steps inside and places the lantern on the table. Will follows him.
In a far corner, Eoin pulls a flagstone up from the floor. Underneath is a shallow hole. From it he lifts an old wooden box and sets it on the table. It looks like something a cobbler might house his tools in.
But then the box begins to tremble and the table begins to shake. Will hears a humming sound and notices flickering movements as insects begin crawling out from the cell walls seeking a way out.
‘What’s going on?’ says Will.
Eoin cautiously opens the lid.
An unearthly blue light erupts from inside and floods the cell and the corridor beyond. Will raises his hand to shield the glare. When his eyes adjust he sees a glowing shard of blue stone, about two inches long, inside the box.
‘It knows we are here. It can feel our presence, our energy, our emotions.’
‘What is it?’
Eoin lifts the stone from the box and holds it up, between his thumb and index finger. ‘It’s a fragment.’
Tiny lights like miniature fireworks begin sparkling around Eoin’s fingers and hand. Will notices his face is beginning to shine with a layer of sweat.
‘A fragment of what?’
‘A fragment of the Stones of Fire.’
A memory stirs in Will’s mind, the muscles around his spine tighten in a snag of knots. The notebook and the Stones of Fire. They are related. But how? And then he remembers something. Something he has known. The notebook is the key to finding the Stones.
‘Please hold these and go and stand the other side of the doorway,’ says Eoin passing the box and the lantern from the table. Will does as he is told.
Then Eoin sets the fragment on the table and takes out a pistol from a shoulder holster under his jacket. He holds the gun by the barrel and slams the butt of the pistol down onto the fragment.
A booming sound envelops them, so loud that the walls shake. The fragment sparks furiously and streaks of blue lightning snake up and across the cell.
Eoin runs outside and closes the door. They both peer through the small window. Will watches the fragment shake angrily. The lightning sparks and surrounds the table and dry smoke fills his nostrils as the blue flames begin to consume it. In seconds the table is reduced to ash. The fragment lies among the remains, its unearthly blue light dulling to a low throb until it stops and goes out.
Will swallows. He thinks about the dream he had with a thousands voices calling out in terror. His mind swims. Many must die for the world to change. Where had he heard this?
‘If that is what can happen with a fragment, then what are the Stones capable of?’ asks Will.
‘The Stones are a weapon capable of causing mass destruction. If VIPER find them, the world will be in a lot of trouble.’
‘They won’t find them.’
‘What makes you so sure?’
‘The notebook is the key to finding them. They don’t not have it. We do.’
‘You are correct.’ Eoin re-enters the cell, places the fragment back in the box, which he places back in the hole. He slides the flagstone on top, then covers the area with dust and ash. Locking the cell, he takes the lantern and leads Will back via a different route.
‘The fragment belonged to Tim Chittlock. Tim was a good friend of mine. He was a clever man, considered a crackpot by many in the service. He was a scientist, but he also believed in mysticism and magic. The Stones of Fire was a pet project of his. He was certain they were hidden somewhere in this country. But he became convinced he was being watched and followed. In our job, paranoia comes with the territory, but Tim believed he was on to something. Something bigger than all of us. Something more dangerous.’
‘The Stones of Fire?’
‘Yes. I didn’t believe him at first – until he showed me what the fragment could do. I was shocked, but still I did not believe that the Stones would present any danger, if they could be found. He told me about the Fellowship of Fire, a secret society who guard the Stones. I thought it was more nonsense, but when the agents of VIPER started snooping around, I knew something was wrong.’
They stop at the end of a passageway, blocked by a b
ricked-up wall, where the acrid smell of soot claws at Will’s nostrils and throat.
Eoin continues, ‘Tim hid the fragment in the cell and disappeared for days. We were used to him doing this because he was often hidden away researching. Then one day he called me. He sounded erratic and hysterical and I did not know what to make of it. He said they had found him and he was in terrible danger. He was frantic. I had never heard him talk like that. I rushed to his home and found him. He had been tortured and was barely alive. I knew it was VIPER – I recognised their handiwork. He held on to me and told me he had given his notebook to the Fellowship for protection. VIPER had forced this information out of him. And then he said, “Help him…” “Who?” I asked. “Among them is a sleeper… Help him.” He died moments later without saying any more.’
‘I’m sorry your friend died.’
‘I’m sorry too,’ says Eoin. ‘Tim had a man working within VIPER. He is our only hope. I believe only he can crack the codes in the notebook and find the Stones.’
Will’s mouth dries. ‘Do you know who he is?’
Eoin ignores the question and takes something from his pocket. It is wrapped in pale linen. He unfolds the material and reveals the notebook. ‘I’m leaving for London immediately. I’d like you to take this and look after it.’
Will takes the notebook and stares at it, relieved to have it in his hands again yet overwhelmed at the secrets it contains. The thought of the Stones and the damage they can cause terrifies him. He wonders about the Fellowship and how they fit in this expanding spider’s web. Timothy Chittlock clearly trusted them. But why?
How could anyone trust an organisation with someone like the Pastor as a member?
Eoin turns towards the wall, pulls out a loose brick and peers through to the other side. He pulls a metal catch above his shoulder and the wall turns inwards. Will is surprised to see the Great Hall on the other side. They are in the fireplace.
‘Whoever killed Tim did not get what they wanted. I told you Tim was clever. He was always one step ahead of us, and them. Somehow he managed to plant a spy in the Agents of VIPER camp; a double agent training to be one of them and learning all their secrets. This person patiently and calmly waited to carry out his mission. People like this are known as sleepers. Tim’s double agent would be an unknown, someone outside the norm. Someone whom no one would suspect. Who better than a young man such as yourself?’
Will feels his muscles coil. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I think that person is you, Will. I think that you are Tim’s sleeper.’
Chapter 20
The Siege
That evening Will is lying on top of his bunk, basking in the warm yellow glow from his bedside lamp. His mind is racing. Eoin’s theory that he is a sleeper agent turns over and over in his mind. It seems preposterous, but it would explain his fighting and shooting abilities. These are not the skills of an average sixteen-year-old. But why would his parents let him be an agent – and a sleeper agent of all things? People are trying to kill him. Wouldn’t those dangers have crossed his parents’ minds? What sort of parents would let their children do that sort of thing? He feels an ache for the family he does not remember and shifts uneasily in his bunk. He wonders if this ache is because he does not remember them or, worse, because they are dead. He hugs his arms and tries to think about something else.
He hears Edward stirring in his bunk at the other side of the room. He thinks he may be waking. He could do with someone to talk to right now, even if it is Edward, but seconds later his roommate snores quietly.
Will sighs and thinks about the fragment, the Stones of Fire and their disturbing ethereal power. He is still not entirely sure what to make of it all. But seeing what the fragment is capable of has made him think there is more in this world than he thought possible. It is exciting and terrifying. Because of the notebook there have been three deaths already and, if Eoin is right, and VIPER get the notebook and Stones, there will be many more deaths too. He looks at the notebook resting on the bedside table. The location of the Stones is hidden somewhere in the coded text. For a moment he thinks he should destroy the book, burn it to ash so that no one will ever find the Stones. But what if someone already knows where they are? What if they find the Stones and sell them to VIPER? His gut twists at the thought and then something clicks inside him and he realises what he must do.
He spends the next few hours poring over the text, trying to decipher the codes. He scrawls on sheets of paper and places the sheets on the floor, rearranging them into some sort of order.
Wrapped up in the job at hand, he does not hear Edward rising, nor does he realise his roommate is standing behind him studying the sheets of paper and trying to unravel the mystery code.
‘Move the top sheet two to the right and then move sheet four to the bottom and then…’ says Edward.
Will jumps and spins round, ‘What are you doing?’ he snaps.
Edward jolts. ‘I… I was just trying to help.’
Will stares at him for a moment and then looks back at the papers. This was taking him a long time and he didn’t seem to be getting very far. What harm would it do to have a second pair of eyes?
‘I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t mean to shout. I could really do with some help.’
Edward beams, crouches down, and begins rearranging the sheets.
‘Look at the code. It has a rhythm. Do you see it?’
Will studies the lines and begins to see a repetition of some symbols. But that is all he can see.
‘It could be a prayer,’ says Edward, tapping his head. ‘Or a poem.’
Edward smiles.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a song.’
‘A what?’
‘A song.’
Will frowns, not quite believing him. Edward begins writing on one of the sheets while humming a tune. Will recognises it immediately.
Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St Clement’s.
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St Martin’s.
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.
I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow.
Will stares at the words on the sheet. It is the tune from his dream only two nights back. Of course. That is it. He rubs the back of his neck, trying to imagine what its relevance could be.
There is a knock on the door. Will opens it. Violet is standing in the doorway. ‘Hello handsome,’ she says.
‘Erm… hello.’
‘There’s a telephone call for you in the Major’s office.’
Will’s eyes flash. It could be Eoin. He glances back at Edward. ‘Keep at it. I’ll be back soon.’
At the Major’s office he stops outside and knocks twice.
‘Come,’ she calls.
The Major is sitting at her desk and talking into the phone. ‘Yes… yes… of course,’ she says, her face grey and solemn. She looks up at Will. ‘He’s here now, Eoin. Would you like to speak to him?’ She hands the phone to Will.
‘Hello…’ says Will.
But there is no answer.
‘Eoin… It’s me.’ Silence. And then Will can hear voices shouting, followed by gunfire. His grip on the phone tightens. ‘Eoin! Eoin! Can you hear me?’ he shouts.
Eoin does not respond. There is more gunfire and, in the distance, a great bell chimes. Will has heard it many times before. It is Big Ben.
Will glances at the Major. Her face has clouded over.
‘What did he say?’ says Will, his stomach a storm of knots.
‘He has discovered more about your past and believes the school, and you especially, are in great danger. He says we have to get it out of here immediately. They are coming. They might even be here already.’
‘Who are they?’
/> ‘That remains to be seen. Eoin requested I take you away from here immediately.’ The Major opens one of the drawers in her desk, takes out a revolver and starts filling it with bullets. ‘Do not worry about Eoin, Mr Starling. He is a remarkable man. Now, would you like to explain to me what this is all about?’
But Will is only half listening. Through the window he can see shadows moving quickly across the school grounds. He feels the hairs on his neck rising. Something is not right. And then he hears the sound of glass breaking from the direction of the Great Hall. It is followed by several gunshots. Someone screams.
The Major’s eyes widen. ‘Good Lord, he was right. They are here!’
Will feels himself go cold. He has left the notebook unprotected with Edward. He runs to the door and pulls it open.
‘Will, wait!’ calls the Major, but he is already out of the office and sprinting towards the Great Hall.
Smoke is beginning to fill the area. Several gunshots ring out and he hears more screaming and shouting. He can see several canisters strewn across the floor with smoke billowing furiously from them. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and covers his mouth and nose. He hears voices and looks in their direction. Through the haze, he sees Anna and Violet fighting a man with a gas mask covering his face. In one hand he holds a torch, in the other, a pistol. The smoke is getting the better of Anna and Violet. Will can see they are weakening. A shot rings out. Violet stumbles into the smoke and Anna falls to her knees coughing. The man in the mask looms over her, his pistol pointing at her head.
A surge of anger grips Will. He charges forward, stiffening his muscles in preparation for maximum impact. The man does not see him coming. Will hits him full pelt in the ribs. The gunman grunts as the air expels from his lungs as if from a burst tyre. He topples back, dropping the torch. Will falls to his knees and gasps. Violet is lying on the floor with a bloody chest, her lifeless eyes stare blankly into the smoke. He scrambles back and collides with someone.
‘Violet. Is that you?’ says Anna.
Will’s heart pounds in his chest.
The gunfire starts again from all sides of the Great Hall. Picking up the discarded torch, and stuffing it in his pocket, Will ducks and grabs Anna’s hand. ‘Come with me!’ he says, pulling her across the smoke-filled room. She resists.
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