A Very British Witch Boxed Set

by Isobella Crowley

  As they opened the door, a loud alarm started to sound. “Let’s move,” yelled Tim.

  Once outside, Scarlett doubled over and took a deep gulp of air. “I am never stepping foot in that place again.”

  Raven looked up at her, grinning.

  +++

  Outside RAF Bicester, Launton

  Staring through the windscreen, Karl saw some movement outside the base.

  “What is it, Karl?” Tabitha said, leaning forward. “You seen something?”

  “Not sure just yet.”

  “Oh, well let’s hope.” Tabitha leaned forward as far as the gap between the front seats would allow her.

  After five minutes of staring in silence, they heard footsteps, followed shortly by voices.

  Karl unlocked the door. “It’s them.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Tabitha looked up at the ceiling.

  Waiting for them to emerge through the gates, Karl opened the door and stepped out into the night. Before he’d even taken two steps, he heard Tabitha telling Tarquin how worried she’d been, with concern rather than panic in her voice. Although Karl couldn’t hear exactly what was being said, Tarquin’s tone of voice suggested he was offering some reassurances.

  “Scarlett!” Karl dashed towards them feeling an unusual and overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. “Thank God you made it out in one piece. And Ronnie, oh my, you’re a mess aren’t you? Come on, let me help you.” He took his arm to help Ronnie get steady.

  Something furry brushed against Karl’s leg, making him jump. “What the—”

  Ronnie grinned at Raven, then looked at Karl. “This is Raven. She helped us escape, we wouldn’t have got out at all if it hadn’t been for her.”

  Karl looked down at the cat, confused.

  Raven grinned at his expression. “Don’t mind me. I’m just a talking cat.”

  Karl smiled. What a strange night it had been.

  The back door of the car opened and Tabitha stepped out. “Oh, I’m so glad you made it! We were so worried when the spell quit.” She rushed towards them and wrapped her arms around Scarlett. “Come on, get in and warm up. You’re shaking with cold aren’t you?”

  Scarlett nodded.

  In no time at all, Scarlett, Ronnie, and Raven were all crammed in the back seat with Tabitha.

  Tarquin was now up front with Karl.

  “I’ll see you later alright?” Tim leaned in and kissed Scarlett on the lips.

  “Yes, please. And Tim, thank you so much for doing this” She squeezed his hand.

  “Oh well, no time for this now. I’ll go get my car now and follow you.”

  Scarlett smiled at him. “Drive carefully.”

  As soon as the door thudded shut, Karl fastened his seatbelt, reversed and turned the car round. “Okay, hold on to your seats everyone.”

  They all went quiet and, although he couldn’t see it, Karl got a sense that each of them looked terrified.

  Rushing along the road, the car clunking every time Karl changed gear, Scarlett looked out through the window, wanting to be the first to see if Tim passed them. The hedges separating the road from the farmers’ fields passed by. Taillights out in the distance got closer by the second, but still no Tim.

  “Where is he?” Scarlett asked, worried.

  Karl shot a glance in the wing mirror. “Oh, he’s behind us, don’t worry.”

  When they reached a set of lights, a streetlight shone in on Tabitha. Noticing her weary expression, Scarlett leaned in to ask if she was okay.

  “Yes, I am now. Now you’re all safe. But it was a close thing and it took an enormous amount of energy.”

  Scarlett gasped. “Yes, I can see that.”

  +++

  Secure Facility, RAF Bicester, Launton

  Moseley chinked his spoon around the mug and was about to head back to his desk when a strange sound pervaded the heavy fire door. He held his breath and decided that he must be imagining things. Too much coffee with too little sleep. Stepping from the mess, he told himself that he’d make this his final mug of coffee and then head off home. He owed it to his hostiles to be at his very best, he thought, grinning.

  The hot, bitter liquid swirled round in his mouth as he headed towards his cubicle. The he heard the sound again, louder this time. He paused, rooted to the spot, blanking out all the night time noises coming from inside and outside the lab.

  It was still there. Quickening his pace, he got back to his desk and had just placed his mug down on his desk when the sound got louder. Definitely the alarm; either someone had broken in, or one of the hostiles had broken out. As grave a security breach as this was, Moseley grinned. When he got hold of the culprit, he was going to have a lot of fun punishing them. He reached for his electric cattle prod by the wall.

  He looked around to get an idea of where the alarm might be coming from. Hopefully, he’d catch them red-handed and he could administer some punishment before he went home.

  The alarm grew louder. This was serious. If whoever it was had managed to break out of the facility, it was going to be his head on the block. And if they went on some kind of killing spree... He couldn’t let that happen. He’d be stripped of his position, he’d never get to work with hostiles again, he’d…

  The alarm blasted out around the facility, full force now. Covering his ears, Moseley left his office and dashed along the row of glass enclosures, heart pounding, mouth dry, expression awash with panic. Everything appeared to be to be in order. Assuming the breakout to be on another floor, he continued straight for the door without noticing the two empty cages.

  He’d only taken a couple of steps into the neighboring laboratory when he came across a group of soldiers, laughing and joking, strolling towards him without a care in the world. They saw Moseley and saluted.

  “What in the devil’s going on?” he demanded.

  The soldiers shrugged.

  “Can’t you hear the alarm?”

  “What alarm?”

  Moseley thrust out an arm towards the source of the noise. “That alarm.”

  “Oh, that.” The soldiers chuckled.

  “Yes, that.” He glared at each of them I turn. “Do none of you have any idea of what happened? How can this be?”

  “Well, I think it came from down that way, sir.” The soldier pointed in the direction of the alarm. “That’s where we were heading.”

  “Well what are you doing just standing here? Go and have a look already!”

  He continued to stride through the deserted laboratory, finding the secure elevator to be on the top floor. He pressed the button and waited patiently for it to descend. It was only once it pinged and came to a halt that he delved into his jacket pocket. “Damn,” he muttered to himself, “I must have left it back in my office.” There was no time to go back to fetch it.

  A soldier saluted as he passed. “Hey there! Do you have your badge with you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Moseley held out this hand. “Give it here.”

  The soldier fumbled around in his pocket, dropped the pass onto Moseley’s sweaty palm and grinned, nervously.

  “Dismissed. Go on, about your way. I need the culprit found before it’s too late. God only knows what will happen if there’s an escape.”

  Moseley held the card against the pad and waited for the elevator to return, glancing across his shoulder every few seconds, wringing his hands behind his back.

  Another group of soldiers was waiting for the elevator on the upper floor. “Does anyone know what’s going on?” Moseley barked.

  They shook their heads. “Nothing to see on this floor, sir. We were just on our way to the basement to see what we can find down there.”

  “Nothing to see down there either, but you go on. I may have missed something.”

  Strolling along the assessment aisle, Moseley let his mind wander. If no one had seen or heard anything, maybe it had been a false alarm. He’d meant to have the engineers in to give the thing the once over, but had kept
putting it off. First thing in the morning, once the emergency had been dealt with, he was going to arrange for it to be done.

  In contrast to the basement, everyone in assessment was awake. Some of them ran around in their cages, thumping and clanging on the glass. Some of them crouched, cowering at the back of the enclosure. Coming across one of them that looked like he had his wits about him, Moseley banged on the bars with his baton.

  “Come here.”

  The man, elderly, with long gray hair and wild eyes, crawled towards the front of the cage.

  “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  Staring right through Moseley as if he didn’t exist, the man shook his head.

  “Well, did you see who escaped?”

  The man shook his head again.

  Moseley reached through the food door of the cage, grabbed a fistful of hair, and pulled the man towards him. “Listen, if I find out you’re lying to me, I’ll make sure your assessment is extra painful and your tests—let’s just say it will be an experience you’ll never forget. Now then, freak, can you tell me what’s going on?”

  The man stared at him with a blank expression.

  “Oh—” Moseley shoved the man, sending him tumbling down on his ass, “you’re no good.” He continued along the aisle, looking out for anyone that might be with-it enough to tell him what had happened.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Secure Facility, RAF Bicester, Launton

  Moseley reached the end of the assessment aisle and turned around, eyes darting around as he walked, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything the previous times he’d passed. And just as before, everything looked in order. By the time he approached the end of the aisle for the third time, Moseley’s expression had turned to one of resignation. He reached out and clanged his baton against the glass of one of the cages. The inhabitant sprung to its feet, ran to the front and glared at Moseley through the glass.

  Moseley opened one of the hatches for delivering food and struck him across the shoulder with his electric probe, laughing when it screamed. For two minutes, he stood watching it writhe around its cage in agony, before continuing towards the elevator.

  Everything had gone quiet in the basement, the alarm reduced to a periodic whimper. Passing a group of soldiers on the way to his desk, he stopped to ask them if they’d seen anything.

  “No, sir.”

  “Oh well, I thought not. On your way.”

  Moseley marched back into his cubicle, sat down at his computer. He wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his white lab coat and reached over to switch on his computer. It seemed to take longer than normal to start up.

  “Come on,” he growled in frustration. When finally, the computer declared itself ready for use, Moseley leaned over, grasped the mouse and began checking the system files, trying not to breathe in the smell of coffee that was emanating from the cold mug in front of him.

  Shaking his head, he clicked on the button, proceeded to the next record and shook his head again. It seemed like ages since he’d sat at his desk, going through the images of the tortured hostiles with Tim, though he knew it had only been a few hours. Now he was searching for something altogether different.

  “What the…?” Moseley narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, peering at the screen in front of him. This can’t be right. The number on the screen corresponded with his own. No, this can’t be right. Leaning right in, he re-read the number for a second time, and then a third, comparing each digit with the corresponding number etched in his memory.

  There must be a malfunction. The alarm must have got into the system in some way. Or maybe the alarm was the result of a system malfunctioning. He sat staring up at the ceiling, his mind flicking over all the possibilities. But it always came back to the same thing. His card had been used to open a series of access points, including two of the cages.

  He replayed the night’s events. He’d been sitting at his desk. Tim showed up. He got up to make a coffee. The night watch came through a few times. Maybe he’d dropped the card when he was pacing along the aisle earlier. But then if he had, surely he would have noticed it. Or someone would have picked it up. Sitting down, he dropped his chin into his hands and tried to recall the last time he’d seen it. He checked his desk drawer where it was usually kept, not actually expecting to find his card, yet it was there. The system must be malfunctioning, and maybe it was this that had caused the alarm to trigger.

  Wearing a smug grin, Moseley sat back down at his desk. In all likelihood, it was a malfunction, but he had to make absolutely sure. Once this got out, he’d have some explaining to do so he had to ensure he’d covered all angles. Thinking back once more, he recalled in more detail the conversation he’d had with Tim.

  He remembered how strange it was that Clarke had spoken with him, for almost no reason. Then, he hadn’t been here when he’d returned from the kitchen.

  Nah, Clarke would never do that. He took his job far too seriously, a kindred spirit. Still, this was an avenue he had to explore.

  Placing the card on his desk, he ran a duster over it. If Clarke had taken his card, then surely his prints would be everywhere.

  +++

  Jones’s Residence, Bicester, England

  Turning off the main road, Karl raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the streetlight. As each house moved towards him, he strained to read the number on the door. Half way along the street, he slowed right down and came to a halt outside Ronnie’s.

  “Right, let’s get on with it.” Back to his ornery self, Karl glanced at his watch. “Nearly three. I might get to have some sleep after all.” He looked at Scarlett. “I’ll be expecting you in the shop, bright and early as always, Scarlett.”

  Scarlett nodded. “I didn’t think anything else, Karl.”

  Scarlett gave him a polite smile. It was true that she had been expecting Karl to tell her he was opening up the shop as normal, but part of her, a very naïve part, had hoped that he’d show a kind-hearted side and give her the morning off. No such luck, it seemed.

  Tarquin stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Come on then, Ronnie. Time to go to bed. You’re home.”

  Ronnie snapped out of his trance and swiveled round. Putting one foot in front of the other, he staggered, prompting Tarquin to lunge forward and steady him before he fell flat on his face.

  Tarquin tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. “Hello?” He called out through his hands.

  A light illuminated the living room.

  Tarquin thrust out his arm behind him. “Shhh!”

  They held their breath, standing in the darkness until they heard someone padding around in the room beyond the door in front of them.

  The door burst open and Amanda appeared, wearing her dressing gown, looking like she hadn’t slept for days. “Ronnie? Is that you?” She rubbed her eyes.

  Tarquin switched the hallway light on.

  “Ronnie!” Amanda ran towards him, arms wide open in front of her. Flickering a half-hearted smile at Scarlett as she passed, she flung her arms around him, pressing her nose against the zip on his tracksuit top. “Ronnie, I’m so glad you’re safe.” She stood back. “Look at you. What on Earth has happened?”

  “It’s a long story,” Tarquin said.

  Karl glanced at his watch. “Come on Ronnie, let’s get you up the stairs to bed. Tarquin?”

  “Ronnie!” Amanda called, running up the stairs to catch them up.

  Scarlett stood at the foot of the stairs, watching them help Ronnie up to bed. A cold, wet nose pressed into the back of her leg, followed by a scratch. “Raven, I forgot all about you.”

  “Oh, forget it. It happens all the time,” Raven replied, laughing.

  Soon they were all congregated in the small space that separated the living room from the kitchen.

  Scarlett turned to smile at Amanda. “Glad he’s home safely at last. You must have been worried sick.”

  “You can say that again.”

&nb
sp; “Amanda?”

  “What?”

  Scarlett leaned in and sniffed her breath. “Amanda, have you been drinking?”

  “Never mind that now. What happened with Ronnie?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, I’ve got all night and think I deserve an explanation, don’t you?”

  “Tell you what, why don’t I make us all a coffee? And I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “I think that is a very good idea. I will help.”

  Scarlett nodded. “Aunt Tabitha? Karl? Tarquin? Want a coffee?”

  They nodded their heads.

  “Sure, the things are in that cupboard, there.” Amanda pointed into the kitchen at a wooden cupboard on the wall above the worktop where the kettle stood, plugged in.

  “Well, you all go in the living room now and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll bring the coffees in soon.”

  Scarlett walked into the kitchen, switched on the light and set about making the coffee. Amanda stood by pulling mugs from the cupboard.

  “Amanda, are you okay?” Scarlett asked, taking a sniff of the coffee grinds. She grimaced. “Errgh. Where does he get his coffee from?”

  Amanda waved a hand. “There’s some of mine in the cupboard. Use it, much better in my opinion.”

  Scarlett grabbed the other coffee canister and prepared the water.

  A few moments later they went with a tray of hot mugs into the living room.

  “So, go on, what in God’s name happened with Ronnie?”

  Scarlett glanced at the others who were sprawled out on the couch.

  Tarquin coughed to clear his throat. “Apparently, the other night, he was out running and collapsed.”

  “Collapsed? That doesn’t sound right. He’s been running for years and that’s never happened before.”

  Scarlett leaned forward to place her mug on the table. “Well, he did have a fever, didn’t he? Had to be why.”