Tunnels 03, Freefall

had a place to sit. "Sorry, they're my husband's," she apologized as Ben Wilbrahams studied the spine of one of what was obviously a self-help book from its cover.
    "The Power of ME -- Exercises in Self Belief , he read, raising his eyebrows quizzically.
    "Well, a few of them are mine," Mrs. Burrows said as there was a blinding flash of light in the room, even though the curtains were closed. Then came the most incredible explosion. One of the curtains billowed out as if the wind had caught it, followed by the tinkle of glass.
    "What the hell was that?" Mrs. Burrows cried, racing over to the window and yanking the curtains aside so she and Ben Wilbrahams could see outside. The roof on the end of the terrace opposite was completely wrecked, flames leaping from the remaining timbers. Car alarms were sounding as tiles and pieces of the roof rained down throughout the rest of the square.
    "Somebody might need help," Ben Wilbrahams said. "I'm going down there."
    Mrs. Burrows was scanning the pavement in front of the house. "I don't think anyone's been hurt. But what in God's name could have done that?" she asked, noticing that the blast had shattered a pane in one of her windows.
    "I don't know. Perhaps a gas leak," Ben Wilbrahams replied, slipping on his jacket as police and ambulance sirens sounded in the distance.

    * * * * *

    "I don't get it," Dr. Burrows had been saying to Drake. "With what you know about the Styx and the Colony, you could give the whole game away. Why don't you just go to the authorities?"
    "You really aren't grasping the scale of it, are you, Doc? The wolf is inside the house, and has been for centuries," Drake replied. "They've got their claws into people at all levels of the police and the Government."
    "Then go straight to the newspapers, and make them run the story," Dr. Burrows suggested. "Make it all public."
    "It's been tried. Any proof mysteriously goes missing, and people end up getting killed," Drake said. "Good people."
    At that moment there was a tremendous explosion. Will and Dr. Burrows jumped to their feet. They could see that an area of the night sky was suffused with light.
    "Is that coming from
    Martineau Square
    ?" Dr. Burrows asked.
    "Yes, I rigged a grenade on the door into the duct," Drake told him.
    As the light faded away and the sky was returned to darkness, there was a quaver in Dr. Burrows' voice. "But... you can't go around blowing things up... this is Highfield... this is London ... not some war zone."
    "No, it's a war zone," Drake said.

27

    Drake took Will and Dr. Burrows to a rather drab semi-detached house in a neighboring borough. Although it was a short journey, Will and his father were both so exhausted that the motion of the vehicle had lulled them to sleep. They came to as Drake parked the car behind a tall hedge. There were no lights on in the property as he shepherded them inside. The interior was dirty with only a stained carpet and a few articles of battered furniture.
    "You don't live here, do you?" Dr. Burrows asked, a little taken aback as he dragged himself lethargically into the scruffy sitting room and dumped his kitbag on the floor.
    "I don't live anywhere," Drake said, already making towards the door. "It's just somewhere for tonight. There are blankets and a sleeping bag on the sofa, and you'll find food in the fridge."
    "Want some help?" Will volunteered, through a gaping yawn.
    "No, that's fine, thanks. I'm going to call in an old favor and get the contents of these phials checked." Drake said, parting his jacket pocket.
    "But after everything that's happened, is this place safe?" Dr. Burrows exhaled as he flopped down on the sofa.
    Drake nodded. "Yes, it's all right for a while. Just keep the curtains closed," he said. He was about to leave when he clicked his fingers. "Will, while I think of it, give me some of that plant... what was it called? ...Aniseed..."
    "Aniseed Fire," Will reminded him.
    "Aniseed Fire," Drake repeated. "I'll get it analyzed at the same time."
    "Right," Will said, frowning because he wasn't sure why Drake should consider it important. He began to unpack his rucksack, careful to put the carton of ammunition for his pistol out of his father's sight. Then he pulled out the night vision device.
    Drake smiled. "Ah, there's an old friend -- my spare headset. Did Elliott give you that?"
    "Yes, but it's stopped working."
    Has the element been exposed to bright light?"
    Will shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I didn't use