Sleeper

by J. D. Fennell

  ‘Anna, it’s me, Will!’

  ‘Violet!’ she calls, ignoring him.

  Will has lost the handkerchief in the charge and covers his mouth and nose with his arm, his eyes stinging and streaming. Bullets fly past their ears.

  ‘We have to go!’ shouts Will, and hauls her to a halt beside the fireplace. He hears the voices of other students arriving in the hall and hopes they are armed. Groping the wall above the chimney breast, he searches for the unlocking mechanism. He pushes and fumbles blindly for what seems like an age until eventually something clicks. The wall inside the fireplace opens.

  They stumble through. Will presses the closing mechanism. The wall starts to close agonisingly slowly. As it does, Will sees emerging through the smoke a figure carrying a sniper’s rifle. It is not a masked man but a pupil.

  Horne.

  ‘Get out of here, Horne!’ cries Will, coughing.

  Horne looks around him searching to pinpoint the location of Will’s voice.

  ‘Run, Horne!’

  Horne raises the rifle and swings it across the room.

  The wall slides shut. Will hears the sound of rapid gunfire and wonders if Horne has killed someone, or has been killed himself. But something niggles at him. Why was Horne not shooting at the masked men? Did he hate Will so much that he was taking the chance to hunt for him?

  Will and Anna stand for a moment coughing and wiping their eyes, listening to the gunfire on the other side of the wall.

  ‘What’s happening?’ says Anna.

  ‘The school is under attack.’

  ‘From whom?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ says Will, though he has no doubt VIPER are behind it.

  ‘How did you know about this place?’

  ‘It’s a long story.’

  ‘I have to go back out. Violet is still out there.’

  ‘Anna, we have to leave.’

  ‘Not without Violet!’

  ‘We can’t go back out there.’

  ‘Open the door!’

  ‘It’s too late!’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘We should just go.’

  ‘Not without Violet!’

  ‘She’s dead, Anna!’

  There is a stillness in the air between them; the only sounds are the muffled blasts from the other side of the fireplace.

  ‘She… she can’t be. We were just… You’re lying!’

  ‘I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I was. But you must trust me. If you want to live, then come with me.’

  Anna says nothing for a moment.

  ‘Who did this?’

  ‘I think it is VIPER. Please, come with me.’

  Anna says nothing.

  ‘Fine! Stay here then.’ Will points the torchlight down the passage and glances at Anna. In the briefest of seconds he sees the grief on Anna’s face transform to a cold determination.

  ‘We should hurry,’ he says.

  Thankfully, Anna allows him to lead her away through the underground tunnel. He tries to get his bearings and takes them up a stairwell that he hopes runs up the west turret. Through the walls, he can hear more gunfire and explosions and feels sick with guilt that he is not helping.

  He stops at the top of the stairs, places his ear against the wall and listens. There is nothing. He shines the beam on the unlocking mechanism and pushes it. There is a creaking sound and a portion of the wall opens. He peers cautiously up and down. They are in the boys’ bathroom. The light is bright and it smells of stale, damp towels.

  They climb through the opening and run down to Will and Edward’s room. He stops at the bedroom door and listens. There is silence. He peeks inside. Edward is huddled in the corner, trembling, his face pale. Will looks around him. There is no one else there. He breathes a sigh of relief and grabs the papers, stuffing them into the fireplace and lighting them with a match. He takes off the Beaulieu blazer, puts on his old one and slips the notebook into his side pocket. Looking at Edward he says. ‘We have to get out of here.’

  But Edward shakes his head. Will walks toward him and speaks calmly. ‘If you stay here, you will almost certainly die.’

  The sound of gunfire is drawing closer but still Edward does not budge.

  ‘Edward, come with me. I will keep you safe, I promise,’ says Will, even though he knows it is a promise he may not be able to keep.

  Anna takes Edward’s hand. ‘It’ll be fine, Eddie. Just come with us.’

  Edward trembles and then nods his head slowly.

  Will glances out of the bedroom door. Smoke is rising from the west turret stairs. Their only choice is to run in the opposite direction. They hurry up the corridor. He hears a shot and a bullet embeds itself in the stone inches from his head. He turns to see a man, broad and well-built with dark hair, his face obscured with a gas mask, emerging from the smoke. Will has seen him before. He feels his mouth drying. It is Colonel Victor Frost.

  Chapter 21

  Exploding Rats

  Frost points his gun at Will but the billowing smoke obscures his aim. Will wastes no time. This is their only chance.

  ‘Run!’ he shouts.

  Bullets fly in their wake. Turning a corner, a window looks out over the grounds. The moon shimmers on bodies lying on the ground near the garage. He is unsure if they are students, teachers or the enemy. He catches sight of the vivid green turban of Mr Singh. He is brandishing a pistol in each hand, shooting without conscience at two masked men. Will feels a glimmer of hope as he sprints up the corridor.

  They turn a second corner and his heart sinks. It is a dead end. He spins round to see Frost and two other men in masks. Frost removes his mask and stares cold and hard at Will.

  ‘Give me the notebook, Will,’ he says.

  ‘No,’ says Will. ‘Never.’

  Frost smiles calmly. ‘Kill them,’ he says to his companions. The two men raise their guns. Will steps in front of Anna and Edward, shielding them. He has to think fast. ‘Wait. I’ll give you what you want. You don’t need to hurt them.’

  ‘How good of you to give me an option.’

  Will feels a draught and hears a ticking sound from the floor. Two small clockwork rats scuttle from either side of his legs towards the three men. They are the low-impact explosives type. Enough for a diversion. He throws himself back as they explode, narrowly missing a volley of gunfire.

  ‘Will, this way,’ says a voice to his left. He turns to see a narrow opening in the wall that Anna and Edward have already entered. Eli is standing just inside. Will leaps into the passageway and slams the door shut behind him.

  He hears Frost’s guttural voice. ‘You cannot escape me, Will. Not now. Not ever.’

  Will feels his blood run cold.

  Eli is holding a lantern. It lights the dark space with a dim, shadowy light.

  ‘You need to get far away from here,’ he says. ‘Take Miss Wilder and Edward, too. Go to the garage – a driver is waiting for you in Eoin’s Embiricos. There is a radio in the boot. It is charged and ready. Once you’re safe, send out the distress call, “The birds have flown the nest”. Let us know where you are and we will find you. Got that?’

  ‘Yes. But what about you?’

  ‘Never mind me. I can look after meself.’

  Eli pulls some coins from his pocket and hands them across.

  Will frowns.

  ‘Just in case. There should be enough here to tide you over for a day or two.’

  There is a battering sound from the corridor outside.

  Will takes the coins.

  ‘I will hold off our friends. Follow the stairs all the way down. Mr Singh will cover you.’

  Will removes the torch from his pocket and switches it on. ‘Good luck, Eli.’

  The old poacher smiles. ‘You might find something useful in the back of my old van, if you have time to look.’

  ‘Thank you.’ But Will is not sure what he means by this.

  ‘Mind how you go, now.’

  As the pounding increase
s, Will hurries down the stairs with Edward and Anna behind him. Around them, on the other side of the walls, he can hear the sound of shouting and gunfire. He hears the Major barking orders and then a rally of gunshots. He hopes they all come out of this alive. Then, suddenly, they reach a stone wall at the bottom of the passageway stairs; it seems they can go no further. He shines the torchlight over the wall, searching for the unlocking mechanism. But it is just stones and nothing else. He starts pushing them randomly and is joined by Anna and Edward who follow his lead. At last something clicks. The wall opens under their collective weight and they fall out into the path of an armed man wearing a mask. Edward stands up and backs away. The man raises his gun.

  ‘No!’ cries Edward, and then a shot drowns out his voice.

  Will’s heart pounds.

  ‘Edward!’ he calls, but Edward is still standing. The masked man falls to his knees and crumples forward on to the ground. Behind him, Will sees Mr Singh approaching with his guns pointing at the man. Mr Singh kicks the body, confirming he is dead and then looks towards to the garage where the Embiricos and the old Post Office van are parked.

  ‘The driver is dead,’ he says.

  Will sees the bloodied body of the driver at the entrance to the garage. In his hand are the car keys. Will glances at the Embiricos and back at the keys. He has no memory of learning to drive, yet he knows that somewhere in his hidden past he has been behind the wheel of a car.

  ‘I can drive,’ he says.

  Mr Singh looks at him, his brow furrowed. Then he nods. ‘Go. I will cover you.’

  Will turns to Edward and Anna: ‘Wait here both of you!’

  ‘Where are you going?’ says Anna, but Will scans the area for any signs of hidden gunmen. There seems to be none, but it is dark and they could be hiding.

  ‘Ready?’ says Mr Singh

  ‘Ready,’ says Will, running furiously toward the garage. Bullets pelt the gravel in his wake as he snatches the keys from the dead man’s hand, dives inside and rolls across the floor between the Embiricos and Eli’s van. Panting, he lies low for a second. He crawls to the rear of Eli’s van, curious about what he meant by something useful. Inside are a stack of rat bombs. He grabs four of them and tosses them into the Embiricos.

  When he jumps into the driver’s seat he feels an immediate familiarity with the wheel and controls. Relieved he starts up the engine. It rumbles into life like a growling lion. Slipping it into gear, he accelerates and speeds out of the garage, swerving in the gravel to stop beside Anna and Edward. Bullets prang off the bodywork, much to his relief. They might just get out of here alive. He leans across and pushes open the passenger door: ‘Get in!’ he shouts.

  They clamber inside. Edward squeezes himself into the back and lies down for cover. ‘There’s rats in here!’ he cries.

  ‘Go, now, quickly!’ Mr Singh shouts. Will glances in the side mirror and sees him face off three gunmen who are running towards them.

  Anna pulls the door closed and Will slams the accelerator and speeds away from the house and on into the night.

  He throttles the Embiricos through the dark country lanes, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his concentration firmly on the road ahead. He is not sure where they are going but he knows he has to get far away from Beaulieu. His pulse is racing, blood pounds in his ears, drowning out the barrage of questions from Anna and Edward.

  He knows Frost’s cars will follow them soon enough. They must keep going, but to where? Think. Think. Of course! There is only one place. He glances at the petrol gauge, sees it is almost empty and swears under his breath.

  ‘What’s the time?’

  ‘Will, tell me what is going on?’ demands Anna.

  ‘Who were those people?’ Edward stutters.

  ‘The time… what time is it now?’ says Will, raising his voice, his patience thinning fast.

  There is a pause and Edward speaks, ‘Forty minutes past nine.’

  Will nods. ‘We have time.’

  ‘For what?’ says Anna.

  The road widens, clear in the light of the half moon. Will spins the wheel, tossing his passengers to the side as the Embiricos skids and faces the direction they have just come. In the distance, he can see the outline of Beaulieu. The west turret is on fire and smoke is billowing from other parts of the house.

  They say nothing for a moment. Then Edward breaks the silence. Do you think they are all dead?

  ‘I hope not,’ says Will. ‘But we can’t worry about that now.’ Part of him regrets not staying to fight but he knows it was too dangerous. The notebook would be in the hands of the enemy and he, Anna and Edward would also be dead.

  He sees the beams of three cars leaving Beaulieu and driving quickly in the direction he had driven. He takes three deep breaths and rolls the car forward into the shadows of a small copse. He switches off the growling engine.

  ‘Get down, you two,’ he says, and slides down the seat himself.

  With hooded eyes, peeking over the dashboard, Will watches three Austin 8s fly past. He breathes a sigh of relief but freezes as he hears the screech of brakes. From the side mirror he sees the rear lights of the last car as it stops dead in the middle of the road. He holds his breath and waits. The door opens and a man gets out and peers in their direction through a pair of binoculars.

  They have been spotted.

  Will closes his eyes in an effort to think. What can he do? And then he remembers. ‘Edward, pass me two rats.’

  Edward hands them across and Will turns the clockwork keys just as the man jumps back into his car.

  He starts up the Embiricos and drives out of the copse. Opening the driver’s door, he places the rats on the ground, their wheels carrying them obediently toward the car that is now reversing towards them.

  Will pushes his foot down on the accelerator and, through the rear-view mirror, watches with a measure of satisfaction as the rats explode under the car, causing it to swerve off the road. The three men escape, shaken, and stumble onto the road, coughing.

  ‘Where are we going?’ asks Anna.

  ‘We’re going to catch a train.’

  Chapter 22

  The 9.59 to London

  Will knows that the Embiricos’ beautiful styling and fearsome engine will not allow them to disappear quietly and unseen. He drives cautiously towards the station and parks off the road in a concealed spot, a short distance away. He is relieved they have not been followed, but knows that could all change in a moment. They have to be quick. He opens the driver’s door and turns to Edward.

  ‘Bring the other two rats. Just in case.’

  Edward’s face is grave but he lifts them tentatively as if they might explode at any minute.

  Will opens the boot. Inside is a small suitcase containing the radio, which is much heavier than it looks. There is also a shoulder bag, made from battered brown leather. He fishes it out, pulls the strap across his shoulder and puts the rats gently into the bag. He closes the boot, locks the car doors and rests his hand on its warm bonnet, caressing it. He does not want to leave it, but they have no choice. He reaches for the radio, but Anna beats him to it.

  ‘It’s heavy,’ says Will.

  Anna’s right eyebrow arches. ‘You think because I am a girl, I can’t carry a radio?’

  ‘Erm… no,’ says Will, ‘That’s not what I meant… Sorry.’

  ‘Good,’ she replies, tartly.

  Will looks away quickly then leads Anna and Edward towards Brockenhurst Station.

  ‘What is the plan?’ says Anna

  ‘We go to London.’

  ‘Why London?’

  ‘Eoin is there for a start. And the churches mentioned in “Oranges and Lemons” are there.’

  ‘“Oranges and Lemons”?’ asks Anna.

  ‘I’ll explain later. We need to hurry,’ says Will, stepping into the station office. Anna follows, but Edward doesn’t budge.

  ‘We should stay here and wait for a rescue party,’ says Edward.

 
‘Edward, we had a lucky escape,’ says Will. ‘Those men are looking for us and will be here very soon. By the time a rescue party arrives, we will be dead.’

  ‘You don’t know that!’ snaps Edward.

  ‘I’m not prepared to risk it!’

  Edward trembles in silence.

  Will takes a breath, and tries to remain calm. ‘We are going to London, Edward. You are not staying behind.’

  Anna speaks up. ‘Will’s right, Eddie. We have to get out of here.’

  Edward fidgets with his blazer. ‘I’m not going to London and that’s that.’

  ‘They will kill you like they did the others,’ says Anna.

  A whistle blows. ‘Last train to London,’ calls the guard.

  Will glances at the station clock. It is 9.59. In the near distance, he hears the sound of speeding cars approaching. ‘They’re coming!’ He tries to grab Edward’s arm but Edward pulls away and runs toward the station exit.

  Anna drops the radio and runs after him but he is gone.

  ‘There is nothing we can do, Anna,’ says Will. ‘We have to go.’

  She rounds on him, her eyes wild and furious as if this is all his fault. He turns away and looks toward the platform. ‘Stay if you want to!’ he says, picking up the case, but Anna takes it from him and together they run towards the train.

  ‘You’re too late, you’re too late,’ the guard shouts, his arms out blocking their path, but they push past and sprint to the door of the last carriage. Will is first and pulls it open. Anna climbs up, heaving the radio with her.

  Will watches as Frost and his men run onto the platform. The train rolls forward gaining speed. Steam billows down the platform and through it Will can see a furious Frost, baring his teeth and running ahead of the others, but he is not fast enough and skids to a stop as the train hurries away from Brockenhurst. Will can just make out Frost’s angry face melding into the swirling steam and breathes a sigh of relief. He sits down and wonders where Edward is. He hopes he has the sense to hide long enough to survive this.

  The train rumbles into the night. The carriage is quiet, with only a handful of occupants who glance suspiciously at Will and Anna, huddled together and whispering. Will is mindful and keeps an eye on them as he explains as much as he can about the notebook, the Stones of Fire, his memory loss and what has happened to him.