The Darkness Below

Chapter Forty Three - 1970

Mick Gregory strode into work early in the morning trying to appear confident. He arrived at the door to his office at the London Underground HQ in Victoria which was a short walk from Buckingham Palace and the corridors of power at the Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament.

Mick's confidence faltered as he arrived at his office door and found it unlocked and the door ajar. No one else should have been in there and Mick distinctly remembered locking the door prior to leaving yesterday afternoon.

Mick felt a shiver go down his spine as he pushed the door open then stood back as if he expected someone to leap out and attack him. The office looked exactly as he had left it the night before and after a pause Mick grew more confident and stepped over the threshold but he was still ready to run at a moment's notice.

Micks nerves had not been good ever since he had been visited a number of times by a particularly sinister character from the Internal Investigations Dept. Mr Smith was his name and it was clear to Mick that he enjoyed his job and his favourite part was intimidating people and holding power over them.

Mick cursed his stupidity in allowing John Wood into the top secret White Room which had been the reason he had come to the psychotic Mr Smith.

With a fright and a beating heart Mick collapsed into his office chair and felt as if the wind were knocked out of his lungs as he saw the hastily scrawled note on his desk. It read "Make sure you're in as I'm coming to see you" and was signed "Smith".

Mick figured it must have been Smith who broke into his office yesterday evening and would be back to see him today. Mick was frightened. He had done everything Mr Smith had told him, he'd made sure he had no contact with John Wood and had not tipped John off that Mr Smith was on to him and that he should be careful.

***

A couple of days went by and John had yet to hear anything from Robbie the Tout. John had tried to ring his friend Mick Gregory for the last few days and had left a number of messages with the Reception staff at London Underground HQ but to no avail.

John wanted to see Mick to discreetly warn him not to say anything to anyone but if he couldn't get him on the phone he had no choice but to pay an unscheduled visit to the London Underground HQ.

***

John arrived in Reception for the large stone building that was the HQ of the London Underground. The receptionist called up for him and after waiting a few minutes a tense looking Mick Gregory appeared and took John roughly by the arm and escorted him outside and across the road. John went to talk and Mick told him to wait and took him down an alley way toward St James's Park.

'What is going on Mick? You lost your mind people are looking at us!' John said exasperated with the rough nature of Micks escort.

'Let's walk through the park where we will be less easily observed' Mick responded sternly. John had never known Mick to be like this and John was frightened especially after his conversations with Robbie the Tout. Had Robbie blown their cover already by talking to the wrong people or by being indiscreet?

***

They walked on for a few more minutes in silence Mick looking around furtively.

'Are you going to say something?' John said with distress clear in his face to which Mick soon became aware.

'I'm sorry John. I haven't been totally honest with you but I have to come clean to cover both our arses. An investigator from the London Underground Internal Investigations Dept. came to see me a while ago after your last visit to the White Room. He knew I'd let you in there and it was clear he had some suspicions that you were part of a wider plot as information has been leaking out of the LU HQ for some time now. He threatened me so in the mean time I have been doing my best to tip you the wink and keep you away.' Mick said so quickly he almost lost his breath.

'Ok and is he watching you at the HQ now?!' John responded whilst looking all around him which caused a few raised eye brows from the other people walking through the park. John was by no means subtle as he was too frightened to think about subtlety.

'No, that's the thing...he has gone missing! A general alert has gone out through the Internal Investigations Dept. and I have heard unofficially that the British Security Services have been informed. There is a theory going around that he may have been the person leaking information. It doesn't appear as if he had told anyone else about me as no one has come to question me. I think he may have been investigating you and me on the quiet, why I don't know. The rumour mill is abuzz are lots of wild conspiracies even some suggesting that he has disappeared as he has defected to the Soviets or he has been murdered by the Soviets as he out grew his usefulness or posed a threat to the KGB.' Mick said whilst also glancing around as they kept a quick pace walking around St James Park.

Mick looked over at John with an odd expression which made John even more nervous. Could Mick tell that there was more going on in Johns mind? John started to put two and two together, was the man he witnessed being murdered by Vince Taft the same man who Mick says is missing from the LU HQ? It couldn't be though as the murdered man identified himself as a police officer.

John was caught in a moment of indecision, should John tell Mick his suspicions that the murdered man may actually be the man missing from London Underground HQ? No he must talk to Grace first and see what she thinks, he can always tell Mick later but he can't un-tell him once he has told him!

'What is it John? You're acting like you know more than you're letting on?' Mick said with a raised eyebrow.

'No, I'm sorry Mick I'm just surprised by all this. I understand why you couldn't tell me before. What I can say is I did find some information in the top secret tunnels and it is potentially....dangerous' John said as he stopped himself from saying potentially explosive as that was too near the truth.

'What sort of information?' Mick enquired.

'I think it's best I don't tell you any more than necessary. If you don't know anything you can't be accused of being part of a conspiracy. Probably best we don't talk for a while and if you do need to speak to me drop by the station and we can bump into each other and make it look like an accidental meeting. Don't call or leave any records of contact from now on.' John instructed Mick.

John could tell Mick was taken aback. 'I thought I would be the one saying that to you John! If I hear any news which I think might help you I will do as you say. I don't want either of us being arrested.' Mick responded.

'Ok thanks. I'm sorry I have got you involved in this. Thanks for all your help' John said as he turned and strode away from Mick. John turned back abruptly and said to Mick 'what was or is should I say the name of the missing London Underground investigator?'

'His name is Smith, a frightful fellow that if you met him in a dark alley would kill you as soon as look at you!' Mick responded.

With that John tried to mask the expression of recognition on his face and waved goodbye and quickly walked away from Mick and headed for Green Park.

Smith was a fairly common name John Wood thought to himself as he walked across the park alone. But the chance that two people called Smith went missing around the same time seemed unlikely.