Tunnels 05 - Spiral

news of these assassination attempts has been suppressed because of the sensitivity surrounding them — they all originated from here.”
    “From Britain,” Parry clarified. “Ordinary English people have become suicide bombers. . . . They’ve turned into walking bombs. The nature of the explosives inside them — no ferrous components — means that conventional detection equipment is useless.”
    “Walking bombs? How does that work?” Mrs. Burrows asked, frowning.
    “A botched attempt at the German parliament in Berlin resulted in the capture of a live bomber,” Mr. Rawls said. “The woman was found to have had major body organs removed from her thorax and abdominal cavities.”
    Parry reached over to the opposite side of his desk to retrieve a printout from the telex, then put on his glasses to read from it. “
Lobectomy of the right lung.
” He looked up as he explained,
“
The medical inspection revealed that an entire lung had been surgically removed from the woman.” Parry consulted the printout again. “And a
cystectomy, splenectomy, cholecystectomy
— that’s removal of the bladder, spleen, and gallbladder, respectively. Lastly, and this is the really grisly part, just about all of her upper and lower colon were missing and replaced with a makeshift bypass. Her intestines had been whipped out.”
    Will noticed that Chester was grimacing and looking a little pale.
    “She would have died anyway?” Mrs. Burrows asked.
    “Yes, in a matter of days,” Mr. Rawls answered. “She was still able to drink and take in fluids, but she couldn’t digest any solids. Without specialist medical care, though, infection or the massive trauma she’d suffered would probably have killed her off even before the lack of nutrition did.”
    “Like a fish that’s been gutted, she was eviscerated . . . emptied . . . ,” Parry said, removing his glasses and rubbing his brow. “Instead, inside her were a pair of plastic containers filled with chemicals. When mixed by means of a mechanical pull at the waist, the chemicals would’ve detonated with considerable force. And ceramic shot was packed around the explosive mixture to widen the kill radius.”
    Mrs. Burrows was shaking her head. “So the Styx did this — they Darklit innocent people and then butchered them to turn them into these body bombs. But why?”
    “Why?” Parry boomed with such ferocity that everyone in the room was taken aback. “So the British government can’t offer the world any explanation as to why its supposedly nonradical, run-of-the-mill citizens are embarking on these wanton acts of terrorism,” he growled. “Because of our lax border policies in the past, the US and many other nations have always regarded our country as a melting pot for dissident groups, anyway. The Styx are just fulfilling a prophecy.”
    He regained his composure as he went on. “Accordingly, all UK borders are to be closed at one p.m. today — and all flights suspended. And it’s very likely that the country will be put under martial law.”
    There was a chiming sound, and Parry slipped something from his pocket. The size of a pack of cards, it looked more like a paging device than a cell phone as he glanced at its small LED display. “Won’t keep you a moment,” he said as he leaned over his desk to glance at the computer monitor on it.
    Chester took the opportunity to speak. “But what does all that mean?” he asked.
    “It means that the shutters will come down on our small island, and we’ll be completely isolated from the rest of the world . . . and under military control,” Parry said, replacing the device in his pocket. “The army will take charge of the streets.”
    “Then the Styx will make their move,” Elliott said in a low voice. It was the first time she’d spoken a word and she had their full attention. “I know how the White Necks think. They’re going to invade your country using all the New Germanians they’ve brought up with them. And your own soldiers, too, once they’ve been Darklit.”
    “But even if they did command significant land forces, they’ve got one heck of a job on their hands.” Parry looked mystified. “No, it can’t be just that. There must be another ingredient in their plan that I’m missing. And it’s driving me bloody mad trying to figure out what it is.” Parry pushed himself upright from his desk and stood before them. He appeared to be extremely weary and not at all the bastion of strength