For prompt 14: Can't go home


11:54

Smithers looked at his screens in disbelief. Several hundred thousand pounds worth of uniquely modified equipment surrounded him – more advanced than anything the public would see in the next decade – and at this moment he wished they were all malfunctioning.

The connection to his drone held, the image didn't flicker, and the screens continued to broadcast the flames climbing up the sides of the building in such high resolution, Smithers could nearly taste the ash.


FILE: 156-87-B

TRANSCRIPTION OF RADIO TRANSMISSION

11:15 [S] RADIO CHECK.

11:15 [W] READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. WE'RE IN POSITION. OVER.

11:15 [A] SOUNDS FINE, SMITHERS.

11:15 [W] I KNOW THEY TAUGHT YOU THE CORRECT PHRASES, CUB.

11:15 [A] SO?

11:15 [W] CUB, THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER. WE'RE ABOUT TO BREACH—

11:16 [A] OVER AND OUT.

[]

11:21 [W] WE'RE IN. OVER.

11:21 [S] COPY THAT. OUT.

[]

11:22 [A] I'M IN AS WELL, THANKS FOR ASKING.

[]

11:25 [W] FIRST FLOOR CLEAR. MOVING TO SECOND FLOOR. OVER.

11:25 [S] COPY THAT.

11:26 [A] ALREADY FOUND THE SAFE. NO NEED TO COME UP.

11:26 [W] STAY WHERE YOU ARE. ONE MINUTE. OVER.

11:27 [W] CUB, COME IN.

11:27 [W] CUB?

[]

11:31 [A] PAPERS ARE EN ROUTE.

11:31 [W] NEGATIVE. STAY WHERE YOU ARE.

11:31 [A] NEGATIVE POSITIVE. PAPERS EN ROUTE AND I'M CHASING THEM.

11:31 [W] SAY AGAIN.

11:32 [A] NEVER MIND. PAPERS WENT BOOM. I'LL TAKE THE COMPUTER.

11:32 [W] CUB, STAY PUT. THAT'S AN ORDER. OVER.

11:32 [A] THAT SOME KIND OF JOKE?

11:32 [W] CUB. CONFIRM YOUR POSITION.

11:33 [W] CUB, COME IN.

[]

11:45 [W] CODE RED. EXPLOSIVES RIGGED INSIDE PIANO ON SECOND FLOOR. REQUESTING BACKUP. OVER.

11:45 [S] RETREAT TO SITE B AND STAND BY. OVER.

11:45 [W] WILCO. OUT.

11:45 [S] YOU AS WELL, ALEX.

11:46 [A] NEED A FEW MORE MIN.

11:46 [S] ALEX, PLEASE GET OUT.

11:47 [A] SORRY, SMITHERS. I NEED TO DO THIS.

11:47 [S] BE CAREFUL, MY BOY.

[]

11:47 [S] BOMB SQUAD EN ROUTE. ETA 8 MINUTES.

11:47 [W] COPY THAT.

[]

11:49 [W] ARRIVED AT SITE B. NO SIGN OF CUB. OVER.

11:49 [S] COPY THAT.

11:49 [S] ALEX, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT. NOW. OVER.

11:49 [A] NEARLY THERE.

[]

11:49 [W] CAN'T SEE YOU, CUB. ETA?

11:49 [A] WHAT? Y … FA ... ING O...

11:49 [W] SAY AGAIN.

11:50 [A] ... OH.

11:50 [W] CUB, COME IN.

11:50 [A] …

11:50 [W] S?

11:51 [S] WORKING ON IT. SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. STAND BY.

11:51 [W] COPY THAT.

11:52 [S] NO SIGNAL FROM ALEX. WAIT OUT.

11:52 [W] COPY THAT. OVER AND OUT.

[]

11:54 [S] WOLF AND ALEX COME IN. WHAT HAPPENED?

11:54 [W] BOMB WENT OFF. BUILDING ON FIRE. NO INJURED. NO SIGN OF CUB. OVER.

11:54 [S] COPY THAT. ETA ON BACKUP IS FORTY SECONDS. STAY PUT. OUT.

11:54 [S] ALEX, ANSWER ME. ARE YOU OKAY?

[]

11:55 [W] CUB, COME IN.

11:55 [W] CUB?

END OF TRANSMISSION


12:01

Alex stood on a hill about half a mile from the estate he had just narrowly escaped from. Soot covered his face and clothes, and his shirt sported a few holes from wayward embers.

He could still feel the heat as he had run from the flames devouring everything in their path. There would be nothing left to salvage.

Pieces of electronics crunched under his borrowed combat boots when he turned around. Unrecognisably as the sophisticated radio transmitter it had been a few seconds ago.

Nothing broken on that hill was worth salvaging, and Alex was tired of trying.

He walked away without a second glance back.


Themes: a faked death