The Darkness Below

Chapter Thirty Seven - 1970

John Wood was certain the man who had followed him must be a member of the British Security Services. How had they found out about him? Had they already arrested Grace at his flat?

John Wood was certain he had lost the man who had been following him up the hill but how many other security agents were waiting in the village to storm up here and arrest him?

John was panicked and decided to destroy the photos and then try and escape from the Redoubt to the farm over the hill in the opposite direction to the village.

John wished Grace had come with him now, so he could ask her what they should do. Instead he imagined her in the back of a Police van worrying about him. The thought deeply saddened him and made him realise he must not dally any longer over his deep feelings for her.

John was snapped out of his sadness and despondency by the sound of someone shouting. Was this the person whom John assumed to be an agent for the British Security Services trying to get John to surrender before the security forces stormed in?

Destroy the photos now and lose all our evidence and thus be forced to give up this quixotic plan to prevent the destruction of the Centre Point Tower and resulting conflict with the Soviets or surrender?

***

Mr Smith lay prone in the damp leaves on the ground and noted with a mix of emotions at the darkness that had enveloped them. The darkness had come particularly quickly as they were now under a thick canopy of trees which further drowned out the remaining gloomy light of the day. Smith's mixed emotions were due his delight at the greater fear it would inflict on John Wood when Smith leapt from the dark and confronted him.

Mr Smith was ready to pounce and very pleased to have maintained the element of surprise. John Wood obviously didn't think Smith would have been able to follow him here inside the strange fort complex. Smith was pleased to see John Wood make such a big mistake, he relished beating him and telling him how much of a fool he is.

Smith stood up and made himself appear as big as possible and then in a commanding and booming voice honed after years in the Army and Police called out in a calm yet authoritative voice 'Police! Stop and raise your hands, slowly!'

Smith smiled as John Wood froze but then didn't move. Smith followed up his initial command 'Raise your hands slowly! I'm armed and ready to shoot! Make no sudden movements!'

Smith was armed with nothing more than a heavy torch and his billy club but he had no qualms about bluffing. Smith switched the torch on and pointed its powerful beam at John as he slowly raised his hands.

As he raised his hands the beam enabled Mr Smith's eyes to fully focus for the first time and with horror Smith realised the person with his back to him wasn't John Wood!

Smith checked his six, which meant he looked behind himself to ensure John Wood was not sneaking up on him. This man in front of him must be John Wood accomplice which meant where had John Wood gone?

'Turn around slowly, keep your arms up!' Mr Smith announced trying to keep his voice calm and not allow his voice to betray his feelings of fear due to the uncertainty of the situation . The mysterious man turned slowly and Mr Smith tried to see behind him and what he had been touching.

'What are you doing here? What is your name?' Mr Smith called out calmly.

***

John crawls slowly to the top of a small hill and peers over the top to see two men but due to the encroaching darkness he could not see either clearly. The man holding the torch appeared to be the man who had followed him up the hill but who was the other man. John was left in no doubt that the man who had followed him was a police officer as he shouted out that he was.

John listened and watched whilst the police man continued to shout commands at the other man.

'Step to one side and show me the item behind you' the police man called out. The man in the torch beam didn't move which John thought odd and he felt the police man was becoming increasingly nervous.

Was this John's chance to escape whilst the police man arrested this other man? In the confusion he could slip away with the photos. John pondered it for a moment but was then transfixed by the strange scene unfolding in front of him.

'What are you doing here?' the police man called out to the strange man. The man didn't respond which was strange. The few minutes the police man had been talking to the strange man he had said nothing but stood like a statue.

Then all of a sudden the man spoke and sounded a little familiar to John.

'I'm sorry officer...?' the man wanted to know the police officers name.

'You can call me Smith now what are you doing here?' the police officer responded, well at least John knew his name now.

'I'm very sorry Officer Smith. I got a little lost whilst out for a walk then fell over this box that someone had left in the wood' responded the shadowy man in a tone clearly intended to ingratiate himself to the police officer.

'Step to the side and let me see what is behind you' the officer who identified himself as Smith responded with suspicion in his voice. John was getting increasingly nervous.

John watched and the strange man didn't move and Officer Smith's posture changed to that of a one of impatience and after another moment's pause the strange man moves with a slight limp to the side.

***

Instinctively Smith felt reassured by the slovenly movement of the strange man who moved with a limp. As the man moved to the side of the box Smith didn't notice that he moved aside and slightly closer to Smith.

Smith stepped and lent forward to get a better view and shone the beam of the torch at the strange box on the floor which looked like a jumble of wires and resistors. Smith was momentarily puzzled then it dawned on him in an instant it was a mobile radio, the only person who would have such a thing would be a Russian Spy!

In the moment of distraction the strange man leapt with surprising power and athleticism at Mr Smith and caught Smith totally off guard. Instinct kicked in and Smith swung for the man with his heavy steel torch but the man was already to close so Smith lashed out with his other fist.

Smith caught his attacker with a few good hits and in a futile moment of desperation called out for help before the man grabbed Smith's head and the last thing he heard was a loud click. Then nothing.

***

John Wood looked on in horror and managed to supress a scream by physically clamping his mouth shut with both of his hands.

In a flurry of movement John had seen the strange man leap at the Police Officer who had identified himself as Smith. As the beam of light from the torch had bounced around in a rush of movement John saw the man grab Smith by the head then violently yank his head to one side, turning it to an impossible angle at which point there was a sickening click and the whole head and neck went limp. The body of Officer Smith slid to the floor like a rag doll...Smith was dead before he hit the ground.

It all happened so quickly that John had no time to process everything he had seen and heard. John had been too busy trying to stifle his own screams of horror and shock that he felt dizzy. John realised he had been clamping his own mouth shut so tightly with his hands that he had bruised his lips.

The body of Officer Smith lay on the floor in a strange crumpled mess and the torch rolled onto Smith's side and shone up and briefly blinded his attacker. It was at that moment that John finally got a good look at the attacker. John's nerves were at breaking point and he thought nothing more could happen to strike any greater fear into his heart. He was wrong.

John grabbed his mouth to hold it closed and supress another screen.