The Genesis Inquiry

by Olly Jarvis

  ‘Yeah,’ said Lizzie. ‘She very nearly pushed them off the island but got defeated in one final battle. Tens of thousands died. She was captured, topped herself after they raped her daughters.’

  They were all silent.

  ‘Do comets change history? Jay asked, turning to Ella.

  Ella didn’t know how to answer. She tried to remain objective, then, staring at Lizzie, said, ‘It’s so weird. Napoleon’s Comet of 1812.’

  Lizzie shook her head and laughed. ‘Seen by him and everyone else as a portent for his invasion of Russia.’

  They fell silent again, trying to comprehend.

  Broady took a few steps and stared up at the heavens. ‘Tecumseh,’ he said to himself, barely audible. Then, his voice louder, he said, ‘Can’t believe I didn’t see it.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Ella asked, trying to hear.

  ‘Tecumseh.’ He turned to face her. ‘A great Indian warrior chief. He united the tribes to fight against the United States with the British in the War of 1812. His name, it’s Shawnee, it means shooting star.’

  The others stared at him, at a loss what to make of it.

  Broady looked back up. ‘Because he was born in the year of the Great Comet of 1769.’

  Jay looked at the laptop. ‘That’s one of the dates – one that we couldn’t fit with an invasion.’

  ‘We should go.’ Broady started to dismantle the telescope in the darkness.

  Ella watched him for a moment. ‘Shouldn’t we wait until morning?’

  Broady zipped up the case. ‘We’ve got what we came for, right?’ He climbed up into the van, grimacing as he bent down to put it under the bunk. ‘It’s not safe to stay in one place so long.’

  Ella knew he was right. She’d come to see the island of Lindisfarne as a sanctuary, a bubble, immune from danger. The revelations had brought them all back. She suddenly realised she’d stopped checking the tides. She looked at her watch, then cursed. ‘The sea will be over the causeway in a few minutes.’

  ‘Then let’s go,’ said Broady, his voice conveying a sense of urgency.

  ‘We’re cutting it fine,’ she said, squeezing past him and getting into the driver’s seat.

  Lizzie poured the remnants of the tea onto the sand and walked through to the passenger seat as Jay secured the back doors.

  They were ready to leave.

  Suddenly there was a tapping on the passenger door window.

  Everyone jumped.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Ella looked over.

  Glare from a torch obscured the face at the window.

  Her heart was pounding.

  Lizzie, who was closest, squinted to get a better look. ‘It’s Greg.’

  ‘Just drive,’ Jay said.

  ‘No,’ said Broady. ‘We don’t know who else is out there.’

  Ella glanced at Lizzie for a reaction. She nodded.

  Broady opened a door at the back.

  Greg appeared, then, as Broady stepped aside, climbed in. He had a small knapsack on his back.

  ‘What are you doing here? How did you find us?’ said Ella, who had swivelled around in her seat.

  ‘It wasn’t hard,’ he replied, switching his attention to Lizzie. ‘I never had a chance to explain.’

  Her brow furrowed. ‘Explain the lies, you mean?’

  He winced. ‘I’m so sorry, I—’

  Ella cut across him. ‘You bastard.’ She got up and punched him in the face.

  Broady and Jay, who were standing behind him, exchanged glances.

  Greg steadied himself. ‘I deserved that.’

  ‘What do you want?’ Ella asked, still seething.

  He held up his arms. ‘To help.’

  Jay put a hand on Greg’s shoulder and turned him around. ‘We don’t need your help.’

  Greg turned back to the women. ‘Just hear me out.’

  ‘Who do work for?’ Ella demanded.

  He kept eye-contact. ‘David Kline.’

  Lizzie’s eyes moistened.

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  Ella checked her watch again. ‘You’ve got two minutes to make your case.’

  Greg took off his pack and perched on the edge of one of the bunks. ‘I’m sorry I lied.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You’re not safe, there’s no balance.’

  ‘Balance?’ Ella repeated.

  ‘All British and American.’ He gestured at Broady. ‘The only nation to have used a nuclear bomb in anger.’

  ‘Watch your mouth,’ Broady growled.

  Greg ignored him. ‘We don’t want anything to get in the way of our mission.’

  ‘What mission?’ Ella was still weighing him up. ‘Tell us what you know?’

  Greg looked around at the others, his eyes finally settling back on Ella. ‘I don’t know, I’m only a level five. I know Matthew Shepherd is a dangerous man. He used history to study the optimum time for change.’ He paused. ‘He was working with the Chinese, planning something. Only Kline can stop him.’

  Ella couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Planning what?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Greg replied.

  This didn’t sound like the Matthew she knew about. ‘What’s your evidence?’

  ‘We know he was in communication with another polymath at UCL, a Chinese national called Ying-Kwong Chan.’ He reached into the side pocket of his bag, took out a photograph and handed it to Ella who looked at the picture of an old man, then passed it around. ‘We’ve been looking for him. He disappeared at the same time – we think they’re working together in China.’

  Broady reached up and grabbed the frame of the top bunk, pulling himself to his feet. ‘This is bullshit.’

  Ella didn’t know what to think. ‘What else do you know?’

  ‘That’s pretty much it.’ Greg shrugged. ‘My people have been watching Shepherd for years, bugging his room, but he never spoke to anyone so all they got was him talking to himself – nonsensical mutterings.’

  ‘Stop lying,’ said Lizzie. ‘This is about Kline and Genesis. You actually believe that rubbish?’ There was a hint of pity in her voice. ‘Do you even know what Kline’s mission really is?’

  For the first time, Greg looked like a confused kid. He reminded Ella of young gang members she’d defended during her career. Young assassins, so indoctrinated, they’d serve life in jail for a boss they hardly knew.

  She looked over at Lizzie, who was clearly uncomfortable with Greg’s presence. Her daughter gave an imperceptible sideways movement of her head.

  That was enough for Ella. ‘I’m sorry, we don’t trust you.’ Her tone was cold. ‘You can go now.’

  Greg’s head dropped. ‘I don’t think you understand.’ He stood up and took a couple of paces towards the front and pointed out of Ella’s window. ‘Kline’s got people out there, on this island.’ He lost his composure. ‘They’re waiting to see if you let me join the team, find out what you know and who you’ve told.’

  Ella instinctively looked out into the blackness, then back at Greg.

  ‘If you kick me out, then…’ His voice trailed off.

  Ella studied his face. ‘Then, what?’

  His tone lowered. ‘Then, you’ll be eliminated.’

  Ella looked at him in disgust. ‘Wake up, you know they’ll kill us anyway.’

  ‘Is that what you want?’ Lizzie fumed, jumping out of her seat. ‘To get us all killed? I thought Kline was supposed to be about climate change?’

  ‘He is, but these are desperate times.’ His voice cracked.

  ‘It should be about preserving life, you idiot.’ Lizzie looked him up and down, her face full of contempt. ‘You can’t think for yourself.’ Dismissing him with a shake of the head. ‘You’re just a robot.’

  ‘I’m not,’ he protested, the stress showing for the first time. ‘I want to help you.’

  Ella knew how painful this was for Lizzie.

  ‘You really want to help?’ demanded Broady.

  Greg spun around to face him.
‘Yes.’

  ‘Then you stay onboard until we get across.’ Broady glanced over at Ella for approval. ‘We’ll drop you somewhere, when we know there’s no one following.’

  ‘But I need to go back and tell them you’ve let me join up,’ Greg replied, looking over at Ella.

  ‘Forget it,’ Lizzie cut in. ‘We don’t trust you.’

  Greg’s eyes moved from face to face as if searching for a weakness. Eventually, he replied, ‘OK.’

  Full of apprehension, Ella checked her watch, concerned that they might’ve missed the tide. She got back in the seat, turned on the ignition and skidded off the sand for the causeway.

  Greg stood in the galley, a hand on either bunk, looking through the rear window panels, watched by Broady and Jay.

  Ella sped along the road with the sea on her left, only the immediate patch of road in front illuminated. As she reached the causeway, she slowed. Waves were already lapping over the road. ‘We’re too late.’

  Light suddenly poured through the back.

  Broady squinted, putting a hand above his eyes to shield the glare. ‘We’ve got company.’

  Ella could see headlights in her mirrors – two dark four by fours. Her mouth went dry.

  ‘Go,’ shouted Broady. ‘We’ve got no choice.’

  Ella hesitated.

  ‘Go,’ he shouted again.

  She released the clutch and put her foot down. As she hit the causeway, spray shot up on either side, getting thicker as they moved further across towards the mainaland. The van juddered, straining to push on through the sea water.

  ‘Faster,’ shouted Jay. ‘They’re gaining on us.’

  ‘It won’t go any faster,’ came Ella’s panicked response.

  In the rear-view mirror she saw a figure put his head and an arm out of the passenger window. There was the sound of a bullet ricocheting off metal.

  Broady ducked down. ‘Your friends are firing at us.’

  ‘Everyone get down,’ said Greg, reaching for the rear doors.

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ shouted Broady, lunging for the handle.

  ‘Telling them to stop,’ Greg replied, pushing them open and waving at his pursuers. Suddenly, his head jerked back – a bullet in the forehead. His frame crumpled in an instant, rolling out into the road, his body forming an island in the shallow water.

  Jay stood frozen to the spot, blankly staring out as the car following them drove over Greg’s lifeless body. The open door swung out, banging against the back of the ambulance, leaving Jay exposed in the line of fire.

  Broady yanked him out of the way. ‘Pass me the stove,’ he yelled, causing Jay to come to his senses. He pulled it out from under the bunk and handed it to the American.

  More gunfire hit the back of their vehicle.

  Broady stood up, his face contorted under the weight of the cooker, then moved into the open doorway. Straining, he launched it at the chasing vehicle. It landed on the bonnet and bounced up, shattering the windscreen.

  The car lurched from side to side, then skidded, coming to a stop, broadside in the road. The car behind it slowed, then screeched to a halt behind.

  The ambulance struggled on, putting more water between them and their pursuers. Ella could hear the sound of repeated attempts to start the engine receding into the distance. She pressed on, the spray gradually reducing as they made it to the other side.

  Finally across, the ambulance inched its way up the incline and off into the Northumbrian night.

  Lizzie twisted around from the passenger seat, terror still in her eyes. ‘Where’s Greg,’ she asked, staring at Jay.

  In shock, he stood mute.

  Broady reached around the outside and pulled the flapping door closed. ‘He didn’t make it.’

  Her face twisted in pain.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  The van pressed on up the lane and away from the coast, the engine gurgling. Ella glanced back to see Broady rummaging through Greg’s bag. He pulled out a small bugging device, just like the one he’d found at the Gonville. He held it between finger and thumb. ‘Looks like they weren’t sure they could trust him.’ He handed it to Ella who gave it a cursory inspection then threw it out the window.

  Nobody spoke, all in their own private worlds, trying to process what had just happened.

  The spluttering sounds from the engine became more acute. ‘It’s not going to make it much further,’ Ella said in an anxious undertone.

  Broady moved to the front and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘We need to dump it, anyway.’

  A few hundred metres further on, she took a left turn up a gravel track and stopped in some woodland. ‘I know a path we can take from here.’

  ‘OK,’ said Broady, turning to Jay, whose pupils were still dilated from the shock. ‘Take only what you can carry.’

  Ella pulled her daughter to her and kissed her head. ‘I’m so sorry.’ She squeezed her tight. ‘For everything.’

  ‘We need to go,’ urged Broady.

  Numb, acting on some kind of autopilot, they put some essentials in holdalls and got out.

  ‘You forgot this,’ said Ella, holding up the telescope carrier.

  ‘Leave it,’ he said, in military mode. ‘And no torches, our eyes will adjust.’

  ‘And turn off your phones,’ added Ella. ‘They can track us.’

  Ella took one last look back at the ambulance, then they set off down the path, using the treeline to keep their bearings.

  They made their way west, occasionally stumbling in the darkness and tripping over exposed tree-roots. Skirting open fields, then resting, they hiked throughout the night. Ella felt fear and confusion in every part of her, centred in the pit of her stomach. How she wished she hadn’t taken the job, hadn’t put her only child’s life at risk. She wanted to scream but was too afraid to make a sound. As soon as they had the chance, she resolved to contact Harris and get them out.

  After hours of walking, they saw some lights. As they drew closer, they could see a main road and a Shell sign, illuminated in the distance. They sat down behind some shrubbery to take stock.

  Broady put a hand on his wound and grimaced.

  ‘There’s only one thing to do now,’ said Ella, only just able to make out their shattered faces. ‘This is way out of control.’ Her voice was tense. ‘Not that it wasn’t already.’ She puffed out her cheeks. ‘I’m calling Harris to come and get us.’

  She could see Lizzie’s head drop. Ella looked to Broady for support. ‘Hank?’

  He sighed. ‘It’s not my call.’

  Jay hadn’t spoken since the van. ‘That’s up to you, but I’m not coming.’

  Ella could make out the determination on his face.

  ‘I have to know what this is all about. I have to.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Lizzie. ‘I’m not coming either.’

  Ella grabbed Lizzie’s shoulder and shook it. ‘Don’t be so stupid – we nearly got killed.’

  Lizzie’s body didn’t push back. ‘You need to stop trying to control people.’ Her voice trembled. ‘You’re always giving up.’

  ‘Where did that come from?’ Ella snapped back. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You know what I mean,’ Lizzie replied, getting up.

  Now that she’d broken cover, Broady checked the road.

  Ella stood up too. ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘You do, Mum,’ she said, oozing condemnation. ‘The Bar?’ Tears began to flow. ‘Me?’

  Ella could see her daughter’s face more clearly now that dawn was breaking. ‘I’ve never given up on you.’

  ‘I was sixteen years old,’ Lizzie replied, the strain and exhaustion audible in every word. ‘My father had just hanged himself in our hallway. You sent me away to boarding school.’ She began to shudder. ‘When I needed you most.’

  ‘No,’ said Ella, reaching out an arm. ‘I wanted to save you.’

  Lizzie took a step back. ‘From what?’ she hissed.

  Ella’s shoulders dropped. �
��From me. I was ashamed.’ She broke down. ‘I thought it was my fault.’

  ‘Your fault?’

  ‘I was a cold, selfish bitch.’ Her chest convulsed with the admission. ‘Too wrapped up in my career.’

  Lizzie watched her mother, dumbfounded. ‘That’s not true, you were the glue that held us all together. He wasn’t well.’

  Ella saw car headlights in the distance. Broady reached up and yanked them back down.

  The car drove on by.

  Crouching in front of her mother, Lizzie said, ‘I thought you blamed me?’

  An expression of horror spread across Ella’s face. ‘You?’

  ‘That’s why you sent me away.’ Then, in a whisper, ‘Because Dad didn’t love me enough?’

  ‘No. No. You were his world.’ She took Lizzie in her arms and hugged her. ‘And mine. You have always been everything to me.’ Tears streamed down her face. ‘I love you so much.’

  Her face pressed into Ella’s shoulder, Lizzie said, ‘I love you too, Mum.’

  They remained tight in the embrace, grief and conflict gently ebbing away.

  Broady put his arms around them.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Jay did the same.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Broady stood up. ‘It’s getting light. We need to make a decision.’

  Ella and Lizzie wiped their faces and composed themselves.

  Broady’s face was stern. ‘If they’re not going with you,’ he said to Ella. ‘I’ll stay with them.’

  Ella could see the answer on the young peoples’ faces. She was resigned. ‘We stick together.’

  Broady managed a smile. ‘OK.’ He bent down and opened his holdall, getting out a small kitchen knife he’d taken from the van. He began cutting open the canvas at the base until it exposed the metal piping that gave the bag its shape. He pulled out the metal wire. ‘Wait here,’ he said, moving gingerly across the road. He stopped at an old VW Polo, parked with two wheels on a section of pavement outside a row of houses. He loitered for a moment, peeking through the driver’s window. After checking both ways, he started to push the wire through a gap.