The
sun was high in the sky as the grey 1957
“Bloody townies, come speeding along here
in their flash cars, nearly a goner that one. Almost mangled up in my combine
harvester” grunted the farmer. The combine continued its journey uninterrupted,
disappearing round the curve and along the road to the next field.
Blake though a little shaken started the
car’s engine, reversed out of the gateway and drove on but at a much slower
speed. A signpost at a ‘T’ junction pointed one mile to
“Excuse me” said Blake stopping his
roadster “could you direct me to Foxley Manor.”
The
young woman looked at the man sitting in the grey car.
“Are you one of them?” asked the young woman.
19
He gave her a puzzled look.
“One of who?”
“Doesn’t matter, carry on along the lane
and the Manor is half a mile on the left.”
“Thank you, it’s a lovely village and what
a beautiful day” remarked Blake.
“Showers later” was all the girl replied.
Blake looked up into the pale blue
cloudless sky.
“Really how can you tell?”
“There’s always showers later hereabouts,
you staying at the Manor?” replied the young woman, rising from the bench and
walking over to the girl on the swing.
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“So were the other two” retorted the young
woman, taking the little girl’s hand.
“Other two?”
“Yes, the two men who looked like
undertakers. They were asking for the Manor” returned the woman.
That must have been Hyde and Grimsdyke,
they were here already, as the Colonel said they would be.
“Well thank you” said Blake engaging first
gear.
“Be seeing you” saluted the young woman in
response.
As he drove off along the lane, he looked
in the mirror and watched the young woman looking at the car as it went. It was
a strange salute she had given, using thumb and fore finger to the eye.
About half a mile down the lane a high wall
appeared and set in that wall were a huge pair of black wrought iron gates. Turning
off the lane Blake brought the
“What do you want then?”
“The name’s Blake, Silas Blake I’m expected.”
A second man appeared and opening the gates
approached the car. Both men were dressed in brown working clothes one
brandishing a shot gun, game keeper or guard Blake wasn’t sure.
“Plenty of poachers hereabouts” Blake
quipped looking at the man with the shotgun.
“Can’t be too careful, all sorts try to get
in here, private you see” returned the second man.
“Yes but I am expected, if you could
contact the Manor.”
“That’s as maybe sir but you see we have to
be sure that you are who you say you are, have you any form of identification?”
asked the man with the shotgun.
Blake took out both his driving license and
his MI9 identification card which the two men both studied carefully.
“That’s fine mister Blake, the General is
expecting you. Straight up
the drive to the house if you would sir” replied the man with a pointing shotgun.
20
Blake drove through the gates and along the
tree lined drive to the house. In the mirror he could see one of the men
speaking into a radio, no doubt alerting the General of his arrival.
Foxely Manor was a large gothic building,
built of solid stone, it stood tall and imposing and in several acres of its
own grounds. As he parked he climbed out, collected his suitcase from the back
seat and looked up at the faces gazing down upon him from beneath the parapet….
Gargoyles! Ugly, devilish looking faces some with bared teeth and horns. A set
of steps led up to a large portico and a stout oak door beyond, which suddenly
opened and a man dressed in a tweed suit stepped through the portico and down
the steps to greet him.
“My name is Simmons, Alex Simmons, I run
admin here at Foxley and you must be Blake” said the slim built man offering
his hand.
Blake shook the offered hand “That’s right.
I understand two of my colleagues have already arrived.”
“Who do you understand that from?” asked
Simmons.
“From a young woman in the Village, I
stopped and asked directions. She said that two men had also asked for Foxley
Manor, she said that they looked like two undertakers. I took them to be Hyde
and Grimsdyke” returned Blake with a smile.
“Your men are here and have been waiting for
some time mister Blake. Will you follow me please” asked Simmons, leading the
way and making a mental note about the young woman.
“What
exactly do you do here?” asked Blake approaching the steps.
“I told you, I run administration” replied
Simmons.
“No I mean at Foxley Manor” corrected Blake,
as they climbed the steps to the portico.
“Oh we do all sorts here Mister Blake we
are always busy at Foxley. Training, seminars, conferences, briefings,
debriefings, we get all types here sir and from varying departments.” Simmons
replied.
Entering through the large doors Blake found himself standing in a huge elaborate entrance hall, military paintings of Generals adorned the walls. To his left was a staircase, to the right a corridor which lead deep into the building. There were four oak doors at various intervals along the walls and a reception desk. Simmons stepped behind the reception desk and opened a leather bound ledger.
“Would you sign in mister Blake, then I’ll
take you to your room.”
he
did as he was bid, noticing that Hyde and Grimsdyke had indeed signed before
him. Yesterday in fact!”
“When can I meet Hyde and Grimsdyke?”
“You haven’t met them?” asked Simmons.
“No, I understand they are two of the
General’s men” returned Blake, putting the pen down.
“They are indeed two of his best men, and Foxley Manor is part of the General’s department. Do you know the General?” asked Simmons, stepping from behind the reception desk.
21
“We have met, once. Is he here now, the
General?” Blake asked picking up his suitcase.
“The General is very busy, and this being
only a small part of his total department we are rarely treated to a visit. However
should he drop in unexpectedly I will be sure to draw his attention to your being
here.”
“I’m sure that he knows that I am here”
retorted Blake, having been used by the General before.
“Everything
has been prepared for you. All your equipment is here and has been checked, but
no doubt you would wish to make your own inspection, for your own satisfaction.”
“No doubt about it” returned Blake.
“Transport details have also been arranged,
for your departure, arrival and extraction, I’m sure they will meet your
approval. Once you have refreshed yourself from your journey you can meet your
men, now if you would follow me please.”
Simmons led the way along the corridor to a
door at the far end. Grasping the handle firmly he opened the door and stepped
inside.
“This is your room mister Blake, I trust
you will be comfortable.”
Simmons closed the door behind him as he
left. Blake placed his suitcase upon the single bed, and looked about the room.
A wardrobe, wash basin with a mirror above it, two casual chairs and a chest of
drawers. Upon the walls two pictures, one of a sea battle, Trafalgar he thought,
and the second was a landscape of which he didn’t know where.
Something was puzzling Blake, if Foxley
Manor was such a busy place with training, briefings, debriefings and the like,
then where was everyone?
After half an hour, Blake came out of his
room, not with the intention of meeting Hyde and Grimsdyke but to have a nose
around.
Walking along the corridor to the entrance
hall he paused at one or two doors along the way, this to listen for voices on
the other side. Even to try one or two doors, but each were firmly locked
against him.
Then a voice spoke to him from the end of
the corridor, it was the young woman from the Village who was now wearing a housemaid’s
uniform.
“Can I help you sir?”
“Oh it’s you, no it’s alright, I was
wondering if one of these rooms belonged to two colleagues of mine, John Hyde and
Paul Grimsdyke” returned Blake walking towards her.
“Their room is in another part of the
building sir, but if you are looking for them they are at this present time in
the great hall, through the double doors passed the staircase sir” replied the
maid politely.
“You work here?” Blake asked.
22
“Only in the afternoons sir, will there be
anything else?” asked the maid.
“Tell me, why is it so quiet here, I mean
shouldn’t there be more people around, I thought that a place like this would
be bustling with activity.”
The maid looked at him “Sometimes it’s quiet
like this sir, when there’s something special on’.
“And is there something special on now?”
asked Blake.
“Well there must be sir it’s a quiet time.
If that’s all I’ll be seeing you” returned the maid as she walked off to be about
her business.
Blake carried on to the entrance hall,
passed the staircase glancing at Simmons standing at the reception desk as he
went, then up to the double doors, where upon he grasped firmly the handles and
turning them pushed open the doors and entered the great hall.
The great oak lined hall was a cavernous
place, or at least that is the impression it gave, obviously used for
conferences, briefings, meetings. There was a stage at the far end with a
rostrum and screen, chairs stacked together along one wall, lights suspended
from fixtures in the vaulted ceiling.
In the centre of the hall, tables had been set
up and laid out was all the equipment he had ordered. Two men, one gaunt, the
other on the short side, were occupied checking that equipment.
“You must be John Hyde and Paul Grimsdyke,
I’m Blake, Silas Blake” he said announcing himself.
Hyde and Grimsdyke looked up from their work
and at the man now walking towards them.
“Blake, we have heard much about you” said
Hyde stepping forward to shake him by the hand, as indeed did Grimsdyke.
“You’re both eager I have to say. All the
equipment here, it certainly appears to be?” asked Blake, walking the length of
the tables.
“All here and in good order” returned
Grimsdyke with confidence.
“How long have you men been here?” Blake
asked picking up a digital camera.
“Long enough” came the reply
“Smile” said Blake pointing the camera “that
seems to be working okay” he said replacing the camera on the table.
Grimsdyke glanced at Hyde, then back at Blake
“We arrived yesterday, thought we should busy ourselves, seeing that we leave a
little after dawn tomorrow.”
“Doesn’t leave us much time, does it?”
Blake said.
“Everything’s arranged. The General has
seen to that. Grimsdyke and myself have studied the file on The Village,
checked the equipment.”
“Really, and I am supposed to take your word
for that?” asked Blake.
‘It said in your file that you find it difficult to trust people” offered Hyde
23
“Well gentlemen, there you have the
advantage of me, my not having the privilege to have read your files!” returned
Blake.
“You can trust us sir, we will not let you
down” Hyde assured him.
Blake
had had previous experience with other of the General’s men. Upon these two he
deferred judgement until the results on the picture he had taken.
The
rest of the afternoon was spent with Blake satisfying himself with the equipment
supplied.
Three
day rations of, coffee, food packs for three days, chocolate, Kendal mint cake.
Bottled water.
Two
digital cameras
Three
sleeping bags
Two
lengths of rope, each of thirty feet
Three
Machetes
Good
old fashioned notebooks and pencils.
Flares.
3
mess tins.
Three
Lanterns.
3
torches.
Binoculars,
and night vision goggles.
Three
Swiss army knives.
A
compass.
Three
two-way radios, with spare batteries.
And The Village file.
Each man was also supplied with a pair of boots,
polo neck sweater, a pair of blue overalls.
“What about weapons and ammunition?’ Blake
enquired.
“It’s not a war zone Blake, it’s a deserted
village. This is simply a reconnaissance mission!” Hyde told him.
Grimsdyke grinned.
“I have learned gentlemen that nothing is
ever simple, and if you have read my file then you will know that I like to be
prepared for the unknown. Besides, in unknown situations, it’s best to have
some sort of edge” returned Blake.
“Always the same, eh Blake” came the voice
from the door.
The General, a well built man with a
booming voice stood framed in the doorway.
Blake was not at all surprised by the
voice, and turned round to greet the man “Good afternoon General, just
arrived?”
“There is no need for weapons Blake, as my man said this is simply a reconnaissance mission. Seeing as you will be leaving early in the morning, I shall carry out the final briefing over dinner this evening” explained the General, who turned and departed the hall with no further comment. Blake observed the reaction of both Hyde and Grimsdyke, they were just as surprised as he was to see the General, if ever so briefly.
24
Having been left to pack their kit and
equipment, the three men discussed the mission. Blake trying to get as much
information from his men as he could. But it seemed that they knew nothing more
about The Village than he did, like himself having only read the file. But the
General’s men were as he was, well trained in giving little or nothing away. Departments
are loathed to give anything away to each other, even when working in
collusion. And Blake he was still unsure if he could trust them, he would feel
more comfortable with his 45 automatic under his arm. Simmons came into the
hall to see how things were progressing and announced that dinner would be in
one hour. Hyde and Grimsdyke returned to their rooms, while Blake made to leave
the hall, but instead returned for the digital camera. Removing the memory card
containing the picture he had taken of his two colleagues, with the intention
of emailing it, along with a report on the General to the Colonel at the first
available moment.
Dinner was an informal affair, the General
sat at the head of the table, Hyde and Grimsdyke at his right hand and Blake on
the left. Simmons and the maid served dinner. Leek and potato soup, main course
of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and a selection of vegetables. Black forest
Gateau for pudding, followed by crackers and stilton cheese, all with a light
white wine and deep red claret and the usual dinner small talk. The General
doing most of the talking and Hyde and Grimsdyke only too happy to sit and
listen, and agree from time to time but never to contradict the General in
anyway. Too better yes men Blake was yet to meet!
The General wanted to know how the Colonel
was, and if Blake was still happy working for him in MI9. If not, he suggested
that he would be pleased to find a position in his own department for such a
loyal and most capable operative. Indeed Blake’s recent escapades had not gone
unnoticed by the General’s department. Blake thanked the General, but said that
he was more than happy with his position in MI9, and that the Colonel would
take a very dim view if someone was to attempt to poach a member of his staff. And would make mention of it in his
report to the Colonel. To which the General took a very dim view, he had never
been accused of poaching before!
After dinner came coffee and cigars. Two
copies of The Village files were placed open upon the table together with an
open ‘Map of Your Village.’
“I’ll
take it that you have all studied the file on The Village” the General asked,
puffing on his cigar.
The three men looked at one another and
agreed that they had, but that most of it was still a mystery and that there
was much they did not understand. The General was not at all surprised to hear
this, but would have been had it not been so.
“Well that’s no matter gentlemen. As what you do not understand is none of your concern” the General told them. “Gentlemen this will be a three day reconnaissance mission, to carry out a survey of the installation known only as The Village. Lastactive in the late 1960’s”
25
“It was evacuated in late nineteen sixty
seven” interrupted Hyde, who had obviously done his homework.
“In December of that year to be precise”
Grimsdyke added, winning the point.
“Quite so” confirmed the General “To
slightly quote one of the citizens at the time, The Village was a place where
people would turn up, people who knew too much or too little. A place which had
many means of breaking a man. It was seen as cosmopolitan, an International
community, even as a blue print for world order.”
Grimsdyke had a question “Why put people who
knew too little in The Village?”
The General ignored the question and looked
at Hyde, who looked as though he had a question to ask.
“Yes, well my question is a simple one.
What went wrong?”
“Revolution, bloody and violent revolution,
which culminated in the launching of a rocket, and the eventual evacuation” the
General explained “that single act could have instigated World War Three. It
certainly put both sides on alert.”
“Why should The Village have a rocket?”
asked Hyde.
“Bet that question comes under the heading
of what you don’t understand is none of our concern!” quipped Grimsdyke in
return.
The General gave Grimsdyke a look of
annoyance, then moved on.
“You are to take photographs, record
anything and everything you see and find. The Village has suffered more than
fifty years of neglect. It is over grown and many of its buildings have fallen
into decay and dilapidation, probably fit only for demolition. Certainly as it
stands The Village will be uninhabitable” the General went on to explain.
“We can observe this from the recent aerial
photographs, and if you know all of this already, doesn’t this make our mission
rather obsolete?” Blake asked, studying the photographs.
Both Hyde and Grimsdyke had to agree.
“Gentlemen, no one has set foot in The Village
since its evacuation, we have to put boots on the ground” the General assured
them.
“To what end General, even by these aerial
shots I can tell the state of this Village which has been left abandoned and
uncared for. What more could be gained by a ground survey?” Blake argued.
“To the end of discovering whether or not The
Village is capable of being restored to its former state and with the proposal
for its eventual reactivation” returned the General, realising that he was
saying more than he should.
“It’s a waste of someone’s time, if you ask
me” said Grimsdyke.
“Yes ours. Just show them the photographs!”
suggested Hyde sarcastically.
That was not the talk of yes men, it was part of the game thought Blake and if so what game were they playing?
26
The General ignored the comments of his men and carried on with the briefing “Gentlemen, there are three ways into The Village, by sea, by air and through a tunnel.”
“Tunnel!” exclaimed Hyde, he had not
observed that on the map.
“Yes, the tunnel leads into an underground
cavern beneath The Village. Although in all probability the tunnel has
collapsed, so you will be flown to Lisbon airport, and from there by helicopter
to The Village. Four days later the helicopter will return in order to extract
you from your location. Then back to
“You make it sound so simple” was Hyde’s
comment.
“So
“Only in colour” returned the General, handing
over a second Map of Your Village.
Blake
unfolding the map found it exactly the same as the black and white one, only
larger!
“No General, I meant a larger area.”
The General allowed himself a moment of
amusement “Sorry Blake I couldn’t resist that, you see there was never any call
for larger area maps in The Village.”
“And so the location of The Village would
be?” asked Blake coldly.
“On page forty-eight in the file” returned
the General, rising out of his chair.
“Yes, but I’d like to see a map of the
terrain around The Village.”
“The Village is surrounded on three sides
by woodland forest, which in turn is surrounded by mountains. Along the fourth
side is an estuary, and beyond that hills and more mountains.” replied the
General “don’t worry, you’ll be in good hands. An excellent helicopter pilot
and navigator have been assigned, and have been supplied with the coordinates
of The Village. Just as long as you have a good pilot and navigator nothing can
go wrong.”
There came a knock on the door and Simmons
entered carrying a piece of paper.
“Sorry to interrupt General, but there is
an urgent message for you.”
The General took the slip of paper upon
which were two words ‘Yellow Alert.’
“Apologies gentlemen but I have been
recalled to my department. Well I think you have all the necessary information.
From here on in it’s up to you. I’ll leave you to work out your own plan of
action, and if all goes well I shall be seeing you back here in a few days.
Good luck.”
The General departed the room without a
further word, he seemed nervous, there was certainly an anxious, worried look
upon his face. No doubt he has his own superiors to face was Blake’s thought.
“It seems that the General has other concerns more important than this mission” began Blake “look I don’t know how much more the General has told you about The Village, but seeing that we are supposed to be on the same side, there is an anomaly that I think you should be made aware of’.
27
“What, only one?” queried Hyde.
“Rover, The Village Guardian. It is not known
whether or not the proper de-activation procedure was followed. If the
membranic life form wasn’t deactivated, it means the thing is still on the
prowl, and poses a very great danger” Blake informed them.
Hyde and Grimsdyke gave each other a look
of concern. They had read of the Guardian in the file, but the thought that it
might still be prowling the ruins of The Village had never once occurred to
them.
“Once we’ve arrived, we will be on our own
so we work together. The General, the Colonel they will not matter, we must be
able to rely upon each other. As an added precaution, I have organised
satellite telecommunications, just in case.”
“Has the General been made aware of this?”
asked Hyde.
Blake smiled “What the General doesn’t know
about doesn’t concern him, besides I told you I like to have an edge.”
Hyde and Grimsdyke were beginning to like Silas Blake, but they wouldn’t admit to it even if pushed!
The night turned out to be an active one, Blake
had returned to the great hall, this to add two vital pieces of personal
equipment to his backpack, the satellite telephone, and a 45 calibre Glock
automatic pistol. Then as he zipped up his pack there came footsteps from
outside the room. He took advantage of cover behind some packing cases, just as
the door of the Great Hall opened, it was Hyde and Grimsdyke who quickly turned
their attention to one of the pair of steel cylinders packed with much of the
equipment, which included the satellite telephone link up system supplied by Blake.
He watched from his place of concealment as Hyde removed the back of the
communications system and removed a transistor board before replacing
everything else back as it was, and closing the cylinder.
Suddenly a mobile phone bleeped loudly from
Grimdyke’s pocket. Taking it out and turning it on he listened to the voice of the
caller before replying.
“Of course sir…. no sir he doesn’t suspect
a thing….. no sir we will carry out instructions, but our loyalty is with you
sir…… I guarantee that the mission will be a successful one…… no he has no idea
of our ulterior goal I assure you sir………… yes sir, but don’t you think Blake
could be of some use……” the phone went dead before Grimsdyke had a chance to
finish.
“He rang off, must be in one of his moods” Grimsdyke
told Hyde, placing the phone back in his pocket.
Blake waited for the coast to clear before making his way back to his room. So much for the wrecked communications system, and thank god for the back-up satellite telephone. What’s more, it was all too plain to him that by the action he had witnessed and judging by what he had heard, that once again he was involved in a mission where he had only himself to trust!
Dawn arrived remarkably early, but the team
of Blake, Hyde and Grimsdyke had been up for a good hour earlier, having carried
out their ablutions, followed by breakfast, and having made a final check of
all equipment, they were just about ready when the truck arrived to take them
to the airfield. Each member of the team looked neat and tidy in their uniforms
of black berets, blue overalls and shiny black boots. They put on their
haversacks and the pair of heavy steel cylinders were loaded onto the truck. Simmons
was there to see them off on the first leg of their journey, he had a sheet of
paper in his hand.
“Mister Blake, I’ll take your copy of The Village
files if you would be so kind.”
“On whose authority?” snapped Blake
sternly.
“I have a signed authorisation from the
General to relieve you of the file mister Blake” Simmons said holding out a three
sheet paper document “you will no doubt recognise the first name on the top of
the first page.”
Blake took the document from Simmons and
studied it closely.
“There is an even more influential name on
page two, which I am sure you will also recognise” said Simmons, with a knowing
smirk.
Blake saw that Simmons was quite right,
both names were equally impressive and so regrettably he had no choice but to
hand over The Village file, signing it off in triplicate! As he climbed into
the back of the truck alongside Hyde and Grimsdyke, he felt that somehow things
were stacking up against him, but he had no idea the reason why. After all
everyone was supposed to be on the same side.
Simmons with The Village file grasped tightly
under his arm stood watching as the truck pulled away along the drive towards
the pair of large wrought iron gates. The gates opened automatically for the
truck to pass through. Then turning he walked back inside the manor through the
large portico as the gates slowly closed behind the now departing truck.
Back in reception Simmons picked up the receiver
of the red telephone upon the desk and made a call without pressing one single
digit.
“Number one please….. urgent.”
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