The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1188 (99 Dozen) by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I kept my Blackberry with me all day. About four o’clock, I had a text to unlock one of the outhouses and leave the key in the door. On no account were any of us to venture outside during the night. I did as I was told, wondering why the shed was wanted–perhaps for someone to doss down–except it would be very cold, the weather was not very good at all, with snow forecast in Scotland and the North of England.

“What’s happening outside, Mummy?” asked Danny.

“The people who kidnapped Julie might well be about, so we are to keep indoors–that means everyone.” There were some groans but they all agreed–why they grumbled, I have no idea as they don’t usually go out at night anyway–it’s cold and dark.

“Can we use your night thingy, Mummy?”

“What night thingy, Trish?”

“The one where you can see in the dark?”

“The image intensifier?”

“Yeah, the image in the tensy-fire?”

“I don’t know, if the bad guys think they’re being watched they might start shooting.”

“They won’t see us, we’ll look through the bathroom window.”

“The bathroom window has frosted glass, darling.”

“Yes, so they won’t be able to see us.”

“Um, sweety-pie, you won’t be able to see them either.”

“Oh damn.” Trish actually stamped her foot, just like a six year old–I had to think for a moment–she is a six year old.

“I think for the moment it might be best to stay away from the windows.”

“Mummy, I just seen a man disappear.” Billie came dashing to tell me.

“Saw,” I tried to correct her appalling grammar.

“No it was definitely a man.”

“You saw a man disappear.”

“’Tswot I jus’ said, innit–I just seen ’im disappear.”

I gave up on the syntax, after all I did understand what she said, “What d’you mean, he disappeared?”

“’E was trying to ’ide behind a wall–an’ ’e just got pulled behind the wall an’ didn’t come back. I think ‘e ‘ad a gun like Grampa’s.”

“Like Grampa’s shotgun?”

“I dunno, it ’ad a long barrel thing.”

I had a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even with one or two Special Services men out there, the odds were surely in favour of the bad guys. I mean how many of each were out there? It would only take one with a gun to kill all of us.

My Blackberry peeped and I checked the text message. ‘I know who we’re up against–a nasty lot. Keep everyone in doors, even the dog. Jim.’

Simon and Tom had just come home. I called for everyone to meet me in the dining room. “Everyone has to stay indoors.”

“Why–apart from the fact it’s flippin’ freezin’ out there?” I hoped Si wasn’t going to get awkward.

“There are criminals out there, the ones who tried to kill, Julie and I.”

“I seen one disappear, Daddy,” boasted Billie.

“’Snot fair, they won’t let me look.” Trish stamped her foot again.

“Look at what? Who disappeared?”

“I asked Henry for some help, he put me in touch with a chap who’s ex-Commando. He’s out there with some of his friends.”

“What?” Simon almost went ballistic. “Don’t they know there are children here?”

“That’s why they’re out there, trying to protect us.”

“Can we shut the shutters, Tom?” he asked.

“Aye, we cood.” He and Simon began to pull back the curtains and the shutters were soon closed.

“I wondered what those were for,” said Danny, watching them. He followed them into the lounge and I heard a yell.

“What’s the matter?” I asked rushing after them.

“There was a man at the window and hand grabbed him round the face and he disappeared into the dark–it was horrible,” said the sobbing boy.

“Hurry up and shutter them,” I said to Simon and Tom who were standing facing the window with mouths wide open.

“Bloody hell–did you see that, Tom?”

“Aye, I did, I hope he’s on oor side.”

“Now you see why you’ve got to stay in?” I said, comforting Danny.

Both Simon and Tom nodded without saying anything, but they did hasten to close the shutters on the big bay window and the other smaller window.

“Even the dog has to stay in, okay, Daddy.”

“Aye,” he said nodding. He went into his study and I heard the shutter in there being closed.

“How about upstairs?” asked Simon, and we both ran up the stairs and started to close up the shutters there too. The second floor is attic, really and they don’t have shutters, but it would take someone with the climbing powers of Spiderman to get up there.

“Are those men being killed?” asked Danny.

“I don’t know–I hope not, but I don’t know.”

“Are they like ninjas?”

“Sort of, they’re special forces.”

“Like soldiers?”

“Yes, like soldiers, super soldiers.”

“What like Superman?”

“No, he’s a comic book hero, these are real men, who are trained in all sorts of things.”

“Like killin’ people?”

“Including that, yes.”

“I’m scared, Mummy,” he said clinging on to me. “It was frightenin’ to see the black hand grab the man round his face.”

“It’s okay, Danny, no one is going to hurt you.”

“But was the black hand on our side?”

“I hope so, I think so.” Actually, I couldn’t say one way or the other, except I couldn’t see a gangster from London taking someone out quietly, he’d just have shot them and possibly shot through the window at us as well. It was much more likely to be one of Jim’s friends.

I suddenly thought about the cameras we’d fitted before. I tried to find them on the computer but they weren’t working, maybe the Special Forces are camera shy–yeah, I think I know the answer to that question.

What I didn’t know was that there were raids being organised in London by some of Jim’s friends and some heavyweight thugs were being rounded up and evidence being collected. By the morning, MI5 were informed and very busy swarming all over various venues including our house, but I’m jumping the gun here.

During the night, Danny and Meems had bad dreams about giant black hands grabbing them. They woke the baby up so I had to feed and change her. It was a nightmare for all concerned. I awoke with a banging on the door. I ran down and shouted at Trish who was about to open it.

“Don’t open the door, we don’t know who it is.” I yelled at her.

She burst into tears and ran off. Just what I needed.

“Who’s there?”

“The police.”

“Can you show me some form of identity?” I yelled back through the still closed door. A warrant card popped through the letter box, it was the woman CID officer.

“Hurry up please, Lady Cameron, it’s freezin’ out here.”

I pulled back the various bolts and chains we rarely use, and opened the door, Simon threw me my dressing gown.

“We have a warrant to search the outhouses.”

“Hold on, I’ll get the keys.” I said and trudged off to the kitchen to find them. “What are you expecting to find?”

“We’ve had a tip off.”

“In which case I have a feeling the one you want is already open.” I pointed to it. She nodded and two uniformed constables ran up and threw open the door.

“They’re in here, ma’am.”

“We’ll check the others, just in case.”

Apparently they found six, bruised and bound thugs, all of whom were rather cold, and whom they took off in a police van. As it was departing two unmarked cars screamed into the drive and four men in suits got out of each. They showed some ID to the police inspector and she shrugged and left.

“Lady Cameron?” said the obvious leader of the suits.

“Yes, who are you?”

“Nigel Larsson, MI5. We have some questions to ask you.”