Ep 1

The dark suited figure made its way over the dark path that followed the line of the stone built church. To the left, neglected war graves were covered in weeds and detritus. As he neared the apex of the Norman tower, he swung right and stopped dead.

Below his field of view, a small, blue coloured marble head stone displayed the names of his late parents. He saw the dead flowers, replacing them with living daffodils.

As he knelt in that sad, lonely place, he spoke.

“Sorry for taking so long mum and dad. I could not bring myself to visit until today. Grant is looking after Christine, at least he will look after her.”

He stopped as tears welled up, as they trickled down his ashen cheeks.

“I suppose my bedroom must be ready by now eh? The good news is, I’ll see you both sometime today. Cuddle me, won’t you? Allow me to be that child again, building sand castles.”

He stood solemnly, tears pouring down before turning away. In the far distance stood Jubilee Tower, and his final date with destiny.

As Charly entered the main foyer, he walked slowly and deliberately toward the security desk. He reached inside his funeral jacket and handed over the small, white card.

“Tell them I need full powers mate.”

As other guards watched, the receptionist dialled the seven-digit number, and spoke to the woman who took the call. A few moments later, the card was handed back. The receptionist called across a small chap in a gleaming green uniform.

“He’s with military intelligence George. Do as he asks.”

Charly tried to smile, but it died at once. They walked toward the silver lift and entered quietly.

“What floor?”

“Top mate.”

The guard punched twenty and the carriage moved slowly skyward.

“Strange place to encounter you chaps,” George said.

“We turn up in the oddest places.”

The lift stopped and Charly stepped out into a modern office. At every desk, people stared into a cold, dead, computer screen.

“Insurance?” Charly asked.

“Yes,” George replied. They occupy the top four floors.”

“Below them?”

“NHS Direct, HMSO and of course the post office.”

“So the bottom thirteen floors are empty?”

“We are new here,” George reminded him.

“Of course you are.”

Charly walked slowly toward the far wall and stopped in front of the fire alarm. Before he could be stopped, he balled his fist and smashed the thin glass. Bells rang throughout the tower and on this floor; the operators shut down their computers and stood to leave.

“What on earth did you do that for?” George asked.

“I want everyone out of here, apart from the receptionist and you.”

As the staff filed past slowly, Charly asked, “How long till the tower is empty?”

“Fifteen minutes mate. That alarm shut down the lifts.”

“That’s long enough,” Charly muttered.

The guard had a sudden thought.

“Are we facing a bomb threat?”

Charly shook his head.

“I really don’t know mate. We will have to see eh?”

With the office empty, Charly turned and saw a familiar figure staring back at him.

“Who can you see?” George asked.

“Never you mind. We should go this way I think.”

He followed the doppelganger toward the stairs and down three floors. At the far end of a corridor, the figure pointed at the wall.

“What’s behind this?” Charly asked.

“The air shaft of course. You simply remove the plate.”

Charly walked over and pulled the facia off. He found himself gazing at a huge chasm and a ladder that went in both directions. He peered and saw himself heading towards the basement.

“Come on then,” Charly said. “We have to climb now.”

The horrified guard followed the strange man into the shaft. As they headed down, the guard’s radio activated.

“Hang on a second. I have to answer this.”

Charly waited as George took the call.

“There are police and fire engines outside. They want to know what the problem is.”

Charly snatched the radio and barked, “On no account allow people inside. We don’t know what we are dealing with yet.”

A familiar voice replied at once.

“So it is you Charly.”

“DI Nixon, good chap to hear. Just keep the clots out will you?”

“I’ll try. Anything more we can do?”

“A few prayers would be in order sir.”

He switched the radio off and handed it back.

“It’s a ruddy long way down.”

He started descending rapidly, keeping the dark thoughts to himself.

Ep 2

The ladder led down the long shaft until Charly stepped onto the floor of the generating floor. He saw his angel pointing toward a series of pipes. As George joined him, the figure faded from view.

“You get all your power from here?”

“We certainly do. It’s the latest tech too. No human intervention.
All computer controlled you know.”

“Sounds quite jazzy.”

George smiled as Charly walked over to the pipes.

“What’s in those?”

George looked at the yellow colour and said, “Gas of course. We use that for heating.”

As Charly looked, he spotted something, which sent a shiver down his spine. Strapped to a hidden pipe was a small clock, embedded in a blue paste. This could only be one thing. Semtex.

Charly turned slowly.

“I’ll need your radio and a pair of wire cutters.”

George handed the radio over as Charly saw the clock hands.

“You had better hurry mate. Less than fifteen minutes to go.”

“It’s a bomb?”

“What else? Now move your arse eh?”

As George dashed off, Charly calmly activated the radio.

“Is that you Nixon? Good. Listen. We have a damn bomb and I need you to clear the area.”

He switched it off and watched as the clock ticked rapidly down. As George returned with the cutters, Charly was sweating.

“Now get yourself out of here.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Try and defuse it of course.”

George took his sweating palm.

“Good luck mate.”

As he ran back to the ladder, Charly gazed at the two wires.

“If I had built this ruddy thing I would contra connect. So, red should be neutral and blue should be live.”

He waited, hearing the clatter as George climbed the ladder toward the ground floor. As minutes ticked down, he activated the radio once more.

“Is everyone out Nixon?”

“Some bloke is running out now.”

“That is the guard. Can you do me a favour?”

“Anything. Just name it.”

“Tell my cat that I’m sorry.”

The radio went dead as Charly shut it off.

Memories of childhood flooded through his tortured mind, as the clock reached thirty seconds. With trembling fingers, he moved the cutters around the red wire.

“Here goes for naught.”

Back at the flat, Grant was watching the entire event upon the television screen. The female reporter was giving a blow-by-blow account.

“It seems that a member of military intelligence is still inside. DI Nixon has confirmed a bomb has been discovered, and that an attempt is being made to defuse it. As you know, this tower was opened just in time to commemorate the queen’s diamond jubilee. I can see the sleek tower now, cold and silent, as everyone prays...Oh my god!!!!!”
Grant screamed too, as a huge explosion blew the monstrosity to kingdom come.

Watching from the sofa headrest, Christine yelped and meowed her sad lament....