‘Like I said those files have been locked up.’
Teller shook his head. ‘You were sent to that area to bribe local tribal leaders. Your unit had a quantity of gold and diamonds which they were given as an advance.’
‘How could you know that?’ Sam said.
‘Nothing is ever locked away. I have all the information regarding your statements during your trial. Your arguments with your superiors about handing over the gold and diamonds. Your warning about how your unit was walking into a trap. If you help me then I will distribute this information to every media source going. I know it’s what you want. I know you claim you were tried unfairly and that you should have had a public trial.’
‘If I would have had a public trial I would have been rotting in a jail cell now.’
Teller shook his head. ‘No, you would have been a heroine to the people. An inspiration to those who survived the war. Those who created the mess out in Afghanistan would have been exposed.’
Sam thought about what Teller had revealed to her. ‘Ok Mr Teller, how can you stop Dystopia?’
‘I know who is behind it.’
‘I want a name.’
Teller hesitated.
‘Mr Teller, Dystopia have shut down all the petrol pumps across the UK. This country will descend into chaos within twenty-four hours. Your prediction that more innocent people will die will happen if you don’t help me.’
‘His name is James Parker.’ Teller revealed.
‘And who is this James Parker exactly?’
‘He’s a government bio-chemist and what we call a techno-chemist.’
‘What is a techno-chemist?’
‘It’s someone who is an expert in the field of combining chemistry with technology.’
‘I’m sorry Mr Teller but I’m not a computer expert. If you want me to help you then you’ll have to be more specific.’
‘Have you ever heard the term nanotechnology?’
Sam thought for a moment. ‘Yes I have heard the term used.’
‘James worked in this field as well as others. He worked on a microscopic level with machines less than a millimetre across which are capable of delivering things like medicines around the body. It’s all cutting edge stuff at the moment but in years to come medicine as we know it will change dramatically.’
‘Is Mr Parker behind Dystopia?’
Teller nodded.
‘Where is he?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t know or don’t want to tell me?’
‘I haven’t seen him in over three months. He vanished off the grid.’
Sam thought for a moment. ‘How well did you know James Parker?’
‘Very well.’
Sam noted the expression on Teller’s face. ‘Were you in a sexual relationship?’
‘Yes.’ Teller admitted. ‘I met James through facebook about eighteen months ago. At first we were just two people with similar interests. Then he asked to meet up, said he had something to show me. When we met he told me what he did and what he was working on.’
‘Which was what?’
‘He was working on a way to connect the brain to a computer. He was advancing a microchip the government had been developing for years. James said that this chip would revolutionize the human condition. He believed that a chip could be implanted at the base of the brain and rewrite their neural pathways. It could help brain damaged patients and people with dementia. James believed that he could reprogram the brain to act normally. He then started to have other ideas.’
‘Other ideas?’ Sam quizzed.
‘He wanted more than just medical applications. James believed this chip could be made to improve the human condition. He believed that it was possible to make humans smarter. Able to make rational decisions based on the needs of the planet.’
‘So what are you saying, he wanted to save the world?’
‘Yes but he also wanted to improve on it. James began to get more obsessive with his plan, working long hours. Sometimes I wouldn’t see him for days on end. Then several months ago he began to have arguments with his superiors at work. He came to me one day and told me that they wanted to shut him down.’
‘Then what happened?’
‘He left his job taking with him materials from the project he was working on. Just before he left his work he said that he had made a breakthrough. James said he had found a way to replicate what he had done. He said that he was going to start up on his own and revolutionize humanity.’
‘What’s your role in this Mr Teller?’
‘I set up the computer side of things. Did all the programing and wrote some software. I thought he was brilliant. He could actually change the world. I was on board at first. We set up a secret lab to manufacture the chip.’
‘Where was this lab you set up?’
‘Witney, about twelve miles west of Oxford. James had money and connections. I helped make sure the company we set up remained off the grid until we were ready to reveal it to the world. We even came up with a name, Euphoria.’ Teller paused. ‘Then James began to want something else.’
‘What?’
‘James hated the world, he said it had become diseased. He was a bit of an idealist. He hated social media with a passion. He used to say it was one of the many cancers that blighted society. Along with the want for money and a decadent lifestyle. He hated authority and how society is monitored everyday. James started to get obsessive with redesigning the chip he had created. He said he could use it to create an army which could change the world.’
‘An army, you mean the mindless attackers who killed all those people yesterday.’
Teller nodded.
‘How is he able to make those people what they did?’
‘James started to work out a way to combine the chip with genetic samples he had acquired from the lab he worked at.’
‘Where is this lab?’
‘Boscombe Down.’ Teller replied. ‘He had been given access to a vast archive of information and materials. Because of his intellect his superiors let him off the leash.’
‘What do these genetic samples do?’
‘They help the chip graft itself to the brainstem.’ Teller seemed to get agitated. He looked towards the window. ‘We can’t talk here, it’s not safe.’
‘Mr Teller, you need to accompany me to the police station. No one will know you are with me. I promise I will help you but you must turn yourself in.’
Teller put his finger to his lips and pointed towards the doorway. ‘Is there a fire escape to your flat?’ He whispered.
‘Mr Teller, you’re being paranoid.’
Before Sam could say anything else the front door to her flat burst open.
‘Your fire escape where is it?’ Teller demanded to know.
A man suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Sam instantly recognised him. ‘Tom.’ She called out.
The man marched towards her.
Sam glared at her neighbour noting that his eyes were white.
Teller grabbed her hand. ‘Which way is your fire escape?’
‘The bedroom.’
The man who had smashed the door in followed Sam and Teller through the hallway.
Teller grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and pointed at the man. He squeezed the trigger on the nozzle letting off a jet of CO2. The vapour seemed to disorientate the intruder for a few moments.
‘This way!’ Sam ordered pointing towards the bedroom.
Both Teller and Sam clambered out of an open window onto a metal walkway. They started to descend a metal staircase. Sam looked up and saw the man she had known for several years chasing them.
Once they had reached ground level Teller sprinted towards the front of the building where an electric mini was parked.
Sam gave chase and jumped into the passenger seat. She relayed the last few minutes in her head. ‘I don’t get it, that was Tom my neighbour.’
The man suddenly appeared in front of the car.
<
br /> ‘Hold on!’ Teller shouted as the car lurched forward.
The man stood his ground as the car hurtled towards him.
Sam closed her eyes. She held out her hands, bracing herself on the dashboard.
The car struck the man throwing him over the top of the roof.
‘Jesus fucking Christ!’ Sam screamed looking behind her at the man Teller had just hit. ‘You’ve killed him.’
‘He was dead already.’ Teller said.
‘What do you mean he was already dead?’
‘He had taken the drug that is used to deliver the chip.’
‘Tom never took drugs, he’s clean. I’ve known him for six years.’
‘Then you’ve been blind.’
‘I’ve been to his flat, I saw no evidence he was taking drugs.’
‘Many people who have a habit hide it. He probably wasn’t in to the street drugs you’re familiar with but he could have been addicted to antidepressants or other legal drugs readily handed out over a counter.’
Sam glanced back and saw that several people had already gathered around the body of her neighbour. One woman pointed down the street at the fleeing car.
‘We have to call this in.’ Sam said producing her mobile phone. ‘The police will help you. They can give you a safe place to hide.’
Teller grabbed her phone out of her hand and tossed it out of the window.
‘What the fuck are you doing?’ Sam shouted. ‘We have to make contact with my superiors.’
‘How do you know you can trust them?’ Teller asked. ‘One of your own police officers gunned down over one hundred people yesterday. How do you know someone else isn’t infected with the chip?’
‘I don’t know.’ Sam replied. ‘But we can’t run like this, we have to contact someone.’
‘We will.’ Teller replied. ‘In the meantime we have to get out of the city. Every camera on every street corner and in every shop will be on the hunt for us.’
Sam sensed her heart pounding. She knew deep down that she was too far gone to get help. She glanced at Teller. ‘I hope you know what you are doing otherwise we are both in the shit.’
Chapter 37
Sky News – 4:30pm
‘Good afternoon, you’re watching sky news. The fallout continues regarding the travel ban that Tessa Mayflower put in place yesterday. Airports across the country are in total meltdown as passengers turn up for flights which have been suspended for forty eight hours. We go across to our travel correspondent Stephen Pritchard who is at Heathrow Airport. Stephen, what is the mood at Heathrow this evening?’
‘Kay, the mood this evening at Heathrow is an ugly one. Although many passengers who were due to fly out of this airport today have stayed at home. There have been many others who have still shown up fully expecting to board their flight. There have been a number of incidents involving passengers and airport staff. Earlier this afternoon I was told that six people had been arrested after a drunken brawl in one of the many bars located within the airport. I have spoken to people here this afternoon who are both angry and frustrated at the travel ban. Most have pointed their fingers firmly at the Prime Minister blaming her for all this chaos. I have been told that there are similar scenes at the main airports across the country. We are halfway through the forty eight travel ban and there is no sign both the anger and frustration of passengers will go away.’
Holgate Avenue – Battersea – London – 5:26pm
Jack Bishop looked around the kitchen. A number of forensic officers were putting items into bags. Daniel Teague entered the room holding a tablet.
‘Just pulled this off the CCTV downstairs and outside sir.’
Bishop looked at the video on the tablet.
‘I believe that this is Mathew Teller, the man that Sam issued a warrant for earlier today.’ Teague explained as the video played footage of a man entering the foyer of the building.
‘Why would he break into her flat?’ Bishop questioned.
‘This is video taken outside the building during the incident with the man who was found dead at the scene. As you can see Teller is driving the vehicle.’
‘Do we have a name for the dead man?’
‘Tom Asker, he’s a construction engineer for a building company. Since his condition matches the same as the attackers we can only assume he was about to carry out another attack.’
‘No.’ Bishop said. ‘This is something else. Have you got footage of the corridor just outside Sam’s flat?’
Teague tapped the screen.
Bishop watched the man kicking the door in. ‘He must have been under the same influence as the other attackers. The door to these flats are reinforced. It would take either a battering ram or a huge amount of strength to breach them. This man broke into Sam’s flat for a reason. I’m guessing it wasn’t Sam he was targeting, it was Teller.’
‘So Teller isn’t behind Dystopia.’ Teague said
‘No.’
‘So why are Dystopia targeting Teller?’ Teague asked.
‘Another puzzle to this case.’ Bishop replied. ‘I want every scrap of CCTV footage pulled off cameras from the surrounding area. We need to know where Teller is heading.’
‘Why do you think Sam left with Teller?’
‘I don’t know but it’s obvious Teller was in her flat when she arrived home.’
A police officer entered the kitchen holding a clear plastic bag containing a phone. ‘We found this further down the road sir. Forensics have already had a look. It’s Detective Drake’s phone.’
‘Shit.’ Bishop cursed. ‘We can’t track her phone which means she’s off the grid.’
‘What do you think Teller wanted with her?’
‘Your guess is as good as mine at the moment Detective Teague. I suggest we assemble a small team of officers to look through CCTV footage. We may be able to plot a route of where they might be heading.’
Teague’s phone buzzed loudly. ‘This is detective Teague.’
‘Daniel it’s me Mark. I managed to get a location for where they have been manufacturing Euphoria.’
Teague snatched a notepad out of his inside pocket and began to scribble down an address. ‘Thanks Mark I owe you one big time.’
‘Anything interesting?’ Bishop asked.
Teague handed Bishop the piece of paper. ‘A snout has come through for me. He says this address in Oxfordshire may be the source of the drug that is believed to have been used by the London attackers.’
Bishop studied the address. ‘I’ll get in contact with the police in that region. If we can crack the bastards who supplied the drug then we’ll find Dystopia.’
Chapter 38
Afghanistan – 20th September 2007 – 2:57pm
The afternoon desert sun cast long shadows created by an ancient ruin that consisted of four stone pillars. Corporal Samantha Drake looked out across the arid desert landscape. After six hours of trekking deep into enemy territory the small unit had reached their destination. Sam and three other soldiers took shelter in an abandoned tin shack while their team commander sat with local tribal leaders. However, the shelter did nothing to ease the desert heat.
‘How long is this going to take?’ Simon Lewis complained.
‘As long as is necessary.’ Sam answered.
‘I don’t know why we’re even talking to these people. All they want to do is fucking kill us. Command is stupid by opening a dialogue.’
‘Enough!’ Sam stated. ‘Think about where you are will you. We are deep behind enemy lines and you’re moaning. If someone overhears us this whole mission could go south very quickly. Don’t forget, we are hell and gone from any support.’
‘She’s right Lewis.’ Richard Bowman said. ‘We need to sit tight. Command has promised an evac as soon as we’re done.’
‘Fuck, I’d kill for a pint of cider at the Kings Arms back home.’ Lewis said wiping his brow with a dirty rag.
Sam smiled at him. ‘I think we could all use a drink.’
S
ergeant Tim Pearson suddenly appeared in the opening of the hut.
‘What’s the situation sir?’ Sam questioned.
Pearson took out his canteen and took a swig. ‘They’ve agreed to help us. They say this area is crawling with Taliban fighters. The local tribal leader said they would use the mines we have supplied them with to mine the valley pass to the north of here. That should be enough to slow the local insurgents that have been giving our forces a hard time.’
‘When’s the evac sir?’ Lewis asked.
‘Not until tomorrow morning. Command say there are too many Taliban units armed with surface to air missiles. The elders say they are spoils of war after the Russians left in eighty nine.’
‘Are you sure we are safe here sir?’ Sam asked.
Pearson nodded. ‘There have been no Taliban fighters through here in a few weeks now. There is rumour that they are massing for a counter offensive against US forces two valleys to the west. At least this will give our forces breathing space. This is valuable intelligence. As soon as we get back to command we will brief them on the situation.’
‘In the meantime we bunk here for the night.’ Lewis said.
Pearson nodded. ‘I know none of you signed up for this. Special Forces should be doing this kind of job not the regular army. But command is overstretched as it is. When we get back to base you will be allowed to fly home.’ Pearson looked at Lewis. ‘You’ll be able to enjoy that pint of cider. There is one little hiccup. The tribal leaders have requested that we join them for their evening meal.’
‘But command stated that we are not to engage socially with these people.’ Sam pointed out.
‘I know what command said Corporal.’ Pearson barked. ‘These people are proud people, they want to break bread with us. If we refuse, we will be insulting their culture. I have sent the others to set up a perimeter around this camp. We should get plenty of warning if things get ugly.’
‘We’re in a narrow pass sir. If things get ugly then it could be over very quickly.’
Pearson nodded. ‘Come outside we need to talk.’
Sam and Pearson stood several yards away from the shack. ‘How are you holding up?’
Dystopia Page 20
