The Hundred Year Wait Page 7

  Somehow she'd managed to get tied up in all this. Normally she was a story writer who left the adventures to her characters but now she found herself on adventures of her own. One learning from a genius who, according to his younger brother, ran the entire government, and the second, helping them both keep her country safe. The adrenaline that buzzed through her was enough to keep any normal person awake, long after they would normally be sleeping.

  All she could do to try and quiet her mind was write for a little while. She hoped Myron would understand she'd tried to sleep if he noticed her tiredness the following day. She knew Sebastian would.

  She worked on her previous novel for a few hours, taking a look at where she could change it if she needed to. Myron's assistant had emailed her some guidelines to work with for the re-writes late on Friday but this was the first time she'd looked over them.

  By the time she'd distracted herself she felt like she might be able to get some sleep but her alarm was set for less than five hours later. When it went off she felt like only seconds had passed.

  She hurried to make herself presentable and wolf down some breakfast before gathering all her belongings up and getting a taxi to Sebastian's. Just in case she wasn't needed much longer she checked out of the hotel. There was almost always space if she arrived before it got too late and she didn't want to pay for another night if she didn't need it.

  Mrs Wintern let her in and smiled at her, patting her shoulder on the way past. The elderly woman seemed to have a soft spot for Amelia and welcomed her into the building with a warmer greeting than she probably deserved. She wasn't there for Sebastian as Mrs Wintern wanted.

  Both Myron and Sebastian were in the living room when she walked in. They turned to her.

  “Have I missed something?” she asked.

  “Nothing in particular yet.” Myron glanced over her and frowned. “You look very tired, Miss Jones. You can't have slept much.”

  “Not for lack of trying. I spent plenty of time in bed, but my mind didn't want to stop.” She hoped her explanation would satisfy him but couldn't be sure it would. As she'd expected, he'd noticed her tiredness right away.

  “My network are only now reporting in and so far nothing,” Sebastian said as he got up from the armchair and passed her a cup of tea. She took it grateful for the drink.

  “Has anywhere been ruled out at least?”

  “A few places.” He pointed at several areas of London on the map. “Nothing that gives us much to go on.”

  She sighed. With both of them working on finding answers she'd have expected more information by now.

  It took them a few minutes to pass on the few findings they already had and then the three sat and tried to suggest what was the most likely target.

  Thankfully, Mrs Wintern came into the room with several pieces of paper, stopping them from wasting more time.

  “They said, these were the last,” she explained before she handed them over and hurried away again.

  Sebastian read through them before passing each one to Myron. All Amelia could do was wait, but none of them came her way. She wondered if he was punishing her for not getting enough sleep before putting the thought out of her mind. She knew it was unlikely.

  “This isn't that helpful, brother of mine,” Myron said a few minutes later

  “There do seem to be several locations.” Sherlock shook his head in frustration.

  “Which ones?” Amelia asked, fed up of not being included.

  “Silvertown, Teddington Lock, Dartford and near the Thames in Greenwich.” Myron threw the pieces of paper down on the coffee table and stood up. “This is a waste of time.”

  Amelia grabbed each one and read the the information.

  “No it's not,” she said as her eyes fixed on the same details. “These are all the locations of the Thames barriers. The main one is in Silvertown, then there's...”

  “We know where they all are, thank you.” Myron rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. A second later his call was connected to someone. He repeated the information to them and then listened for a few seconds.

  “Understood.” He hung up and looked at his brother. “I've got teams going out to two of the major barriers at Dartford and Greenwich. We should go to the other two.”

  “I'll head to Teddington. You should go to the main barrier at Silvertown, you know its construction better than I do and it's the most important.” Sebastian grabbed his coat and put it on before Amelia could move.

  By the time she was suitably attired he was already rushing down the stairs and Myron wasn't far behind, leaving her to trail after.

  She walked outside in time to see the taxi Sebastian had hailed pull off, giving her no choice but to hurry after Myron.

  “I guess that means I'm coming with you,” she said loud enough that his chauffeur would hear. Within seconds Daniels was holding the door open for her whether Myron wanted her company or not.

  Chapter 8

  Mycroft almost swore as Amelia got into the car with him. He knew his brother had left her behind because she would slow him down and that just meant Mycroft now had the same problem. While they travelled she had the sense to keep quiet, however.

  Just as they got out at the other end he received a phone call from his assistant.

  “The first team have found evidence of tampering at the King George Lock.”

  “What kind of tampering?” he asked as he waited by the car. He noticed Amelia lingering nearby.

  “Alone it wouldn't cause any problems and the next inspection would have picked up on it, but the gates wouldn't have held against an abnormal tide or flood waters from upstream.”

  “All right, it looks like a multilevel attack. Do what you can to get it repaired.”

  He hung up and put his phone back inside his jacket pocket.

  “Stay here with the car, Daniels.”

  Mycroft surveyed the area, trying to remember where he needed to go to check the mechanism. He hadn't been here since they'd built it.

  “We should be careful,” he said and led her off towards the river. He heard her footsteps on the ground behind him and wished she'd stayed behind at the flat. “Do try to keep up.”

  The pattering pace increased and grew louder until she was beside him. They continued to the Thames Barrier information centre but rather than going inside he went off to the left and along a narrow walkway. The bottom was made of a metal mesh in square grids and as soon as Amelia stepped out her skirts were whipped around by the strong winds. It took her by surprise and Mycroft had to reach out to grab her arm and steady her.

  “Careful.” He sneered, growing even angrier at her.

  “Sorry,” she replied and took a step closer to shield herself from the wind behind him. His fierceness instantly softened and he let her hang onto his arm as they walked across to the nearest barrier house. The recent rains had made the metal slippery and even he wondered if he could keep his footing as they walked across. Thankfully he kept upright and protected Amelia from any further mishap.

  At the other end he expected to find a locked door but he noticed the metal that normally housed the lock mechanism was cut right out of the door. He pointed at it so Amelia would notice and then put his fingers to his lips so she wouldn't make a sound. She nodded and took a couple of breaths to steady herself.

  Given the time that had passed since the attack was meant to happen he didn't really expect anyone to be inside, but with Amelia at his side he needed to take more care.

  The door creaked softly as he pushed it open, but the wind howled enough inside the building that no one would have heard it. He stepped inside and Amelia followed close behind. One of the barrier's weighted mechanisms towered up in front of them. He glanced around the small room but didn't see anyone lingering, so he took another few steps forward.

  The wind howled around the structure so loudly he couldn't hear the sound of Amelia's booted feet coming up behind him. Wanting to make sure she still followed, he turned to
her just in time to see an arm snake around her waist and a gun appear by her head.

  “Don't move,” a male voice said in Korean. Mycroft gritted his teeth.

  “What did they say?” Amelia asked, barely above a whisper.

  “Just stay calm, and don't fight them, Amelia. They won't want to hurt you.” He put both hands out palms upwards and glanced between Amelia and the Korean behind her. Along the side of her neck he could see the rapid drumbeat of her pulse and knew she was afraid, but she allowed the Korean to pull her backwards out of the building.

  “Come,” the terrorist said. As Mycroft emerged in the light of day he saw another two burly men behind. Neither had guns out, but he wouldn't be surprised if they had them somewhere.

  They walked Amelia backwards along the whole length of walkway and then waited for him to catch up. As soon as he reached them his arms were grabbed and a gun nozzle was pressed into his back.

  A few seconds later both he and Amelia were marched off to one side and down a path to a small jetty floating on the higher tide. A boat waited, tied to the edge. Mycroft could only comply as Amelia, and then himself, were handed over to the men aboard. He listened as they talked to each other, catching a few words in Russian but nothing more.

  He frowned at the idea of this being a joint operation and furrowed his brow as both his and Amelia's hands were bound. They were then escorted below decks and shoved into one of the cabins. Hope filled him as it looked like they would be left alone, but one of the men came in as well and locked the door from the inside. He sat down so he could see them both and Mycroft knew they were going to be there until they were identified. Whether Amelia fared the worse after or he did would depend. The brute in the room with them didn't look to want any sort of violence but that didn't mean the others wouldn't.

  Being much calmer than Mycroft had expected of her, Amelia also sat down and gave him a small smile. He nodded at her and went to sit beside. The Russian lifted his hand and pointed at the other end of the bench to her. He huffed his annoyance at the arrangement but did as the guy asked, sitting as far from her as the wooden platform would allow.

  A minute later the boat started to move and he and his charge found themselves heading down river to the English Channel. Even though Sherlock and Daniels had known where he was they wouldn't much longer and the boat was unremarkable. It would blend in amongst the other vessels on the water and soon be just another in the mass.

  Time went past and all Mycroft could do was wait and plan. A few times he tried to engage the Russian in conversation and establish where they were and what the men wanted, but he was glared at or threatened until he became silent.

  Through the small window he kept an eye on the horizon and how much of the river passed them, but hours ticked by and he could do little to help rescue them. While they were kept there and simply stared at, there was little he could do.

  Several hours into their journey, as it was getting dark, they were brought water. He took the offered cup to drink, while Amelia fumbled over it, spilling a lot over herself. The Russian growled his annoyance and held the cup up so she could drink.

  Before Mycroft could blink she'd lifted the palms of her hands, the ropes falling off them and shoved them up into the Russian's face. It looked like a half hearted attempt to break the man's nose but it sent him flying backwards. Instead of continuing her assault, she rushed to Mycroft, grabbed his bonds and pried one of the knots apart with already bloodied fingernails. At the same time he noticed the painful mess around her wrists. She'd hurt herself to get her bonds undone and managed to do so without letting the Russian realise. Both he and their guard had been watching each other so much neither of them had noticed her.

  The Russian recovered before she could fully undo the rope binding his hands. She let out a cut-off grunt as he grabbed her around the stomach and lifted her entire body to one side. As soon as her feet were on the ground again she spun herself and brought her knee up into his family jewels. He hunched over as she brought her knee up again into his face. She then drove her elbow into the side of his back, near his neck.

  While this was happening, Mycroft worked the remaining knots free with his teeth. Instead of finishing the Russian off at this point Amelia backed off, uncertainty playing over her features. She'd known some basic self defence but had evidently hoped Mycroft would have done the rest, and now the Russian got to his feet in between them.

  Mycroft worked as speedily as he could as he noticed the Russian reach for a weapon concealed amongst his clothing somewhere. Although guns had been pointed at them earlier, the Russian appeared to be retrieving a bladed weapon of some sort. Amelia looked around frantically, and Mycroft realised she thought the terrorist had a gun.

  Just as the Russian raised a knife, Mycroft freed his hands and leapt up. Amelia ducked as he grabbed the weapon, and the pair grappled back and forth, obviously expecting a gunshot to ring out.

  The knife sliced into his side, making Mycroft flinch, but he rallied himself against the pain and grabbed the hilt to shove it back at the Russian. The burly man grunted as it cut his arm open from shoulder to elbow, spurting blood out on both of them.

  A second later a plumbing pipe came out of nowhere and knocked the terrorist out. As he slid to the floor Amelia came into view. The other end of the metal object responsible for relieving him was clutched in both her hands. A determined, wide-eyed look remained on her face, but she shook with the adrenaline.

  Mycroft took the makeshift weapon from her hands before she dropped it and then got to work tying the unconscious man with the rope that had bound them. He then gagged him and hauled him into the corner. It wouldn't buy them much time but it would be better than nothing. The whole time Amelia just watched. When she recovered a little, she pointed at his side, her eyes fixed on all the blood. Already he could feel his skin healing and sealing the cut shut but he couldn't show her that.

  “It's not my blood,” he said in a low voice to try and explain. With that he grabbed her arm and unlocked the door with the key he'd lifted seconds earlier. He worried she'd inquire further but she followed behind without making any fuss.

  “Stay quiet and close to me,” he said and led her along the corridor to the back of the boat. All the lights outside were dowsed and he could just see a pair of legs further up the deck. He leant out a little more and realised the two remaining kidnappers were drinking beer and chatting while the vessel was held on course.

  He turned to Amelia and grabbed hold of her hand before leading them both to the stern of the boat and helping her down the short ladder to the small platform used for diving. He joined her only seconds later and scanned their surroundings. Given how long they were on the boat he knew they were no longer in the Thames river but were at sea. Thankfully his watchfulness of the horizon let him know the English shore was off to their right and the boat had been hugging the coast. It wasn't a small distance to swim but he knew he could manage it, especially as the tide was coming in and would help sweep them closer to their destination.

  He unlaced his shoes, disgruntled to need to leave them behind and motioned for her to do the same. She reluctantly copied his actions until they'd both removed everything they didn't need to be decent. He crouched with only his trousers and socks left on and she kneeled in only her petticoat, corset and tights. As soon as they were done he put all their discarded items into the water and let them sink. It would help hide their tracks, but it also reduced the chances of Amelia noticing the slit in his shirt and the injury he'd sustained. It wasn't fully healed yet but it would be by the time they reached solid ground and he couldn't risk her realising he could heal much faster than the average human. His brother and him hadn't guarded the secret for over a hundred years for it to come out now.

  “Follow me,” he whispered and slipped his body into the water so it wouldn't splash. The salt water stung his side but he ignored it. The pain would pass soon enough. Amelia's reaction to the pain and the coldness of the water as
she joined him concerned him far more. Only then did he see her face in enough light to make out the fear. Instantly, he knew she didn't think she could manage the swim.

  He motioned to her for her to follow anyway, already realising he would need to leave her if she didn't get in the water soon. Going for help would have to be weighed up against taking her with him.

  After looking back up to the deck and then at the water again, he knew she was thinking similar thoughts. A second later she took a deep breath, fixed her eyes on him and slid into the water, even more gracefully than he had.

  His hand immediately rose to stifle her gasp at the cold and pain, and then he put it to his lips again before motioning for her to follow. She trod water well, which comforted him but, when he went to take the first stroke towards shore and away from the boat, she didn't copy his front crawl motion. Instead she did a sort of awkward combination of a doggy paddle and breast stroke. Swimming really wasn't her strong point.

  Without thinking, he put her hands together and then slid them over his head so she was behind him.

  “Hang on to me and kick your legs with mine,” he whispered near her ear. She nodded, her eyes full of gratitude. A large part of him wanted to leave her and get himself to shore, knowing helping her would drain him more than was wise, but she'd got them out of the locked room and he found he couldn't abandon her now.

  After swimming for several minutes Mycroft stopped and trod water to give his tired arms a rest. If the tide hadn't been coming in he'd not have bothered but he knew this way he would find it easier to get them to shore. Amelia instantly let go and copied his motions beside him. Relief flooded through him that she had enough sense and focus to help him where she could.