TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

Spiller sighed.

"I've no time to listen to two stupid boys confessing to some prank" he said wearily. The Chiltern incident had upset him more than he cared to admit and he was not in the best of moods lately.

"They said it was a matter of life and death, Captain" Sergeant Dean insisted.

"Oh, let them in. If it's a prank I'll have them for wasting army time."

Lloyd and Jamie sidled in, both looking at each other in terror. Lloyd's eyes were still red.

Jamie leapt in before Lloyd could change his mind.

"Please Sir, we did something bad. We planted a device on Miss Ashbie-"

-"If this is some schoolboy prank-"

"Please look at it, Sir."

Lloyd looked on the verge of tears again.

"I need to know why you planted this on Miss Ashbie, and where you obtained it in the first place."

Lloyd and Jamie had no intention of surrendering their secret hideaway just yet.

"In Mr Chiltern's pocket. We nicked it. We know we were bad."

Spiller felt sick and disillusioned. More evidence against Chiltern. He supposed he'd better see it.

Fifteen minutes later, his face pale but his eyes alert, Spiller was on his way to Dr Keogh's lodgings.

"Doctor Keogh, why in hell didn't you tell us your friend was working as a counter spy?"

Dylan didn't understand, but Ethan did. He was determined to win back some Kudos for Ben.

"Because Ben was willing to die rather than mess up the operation."

Spiller was wise enough not to say what the camera revealed in front of Ethan, who he privately and unjustly thought was a bit of a nincompoop, but he knew what he'd seen. Chiltern wasn't the spy, far from it. It was Taylor Ashbie and the bitch had planted the evidence on Benjamin. Fortunately that young man had been ahead of the game.

"Where's the telephone?" he snapped. Dylan told him and Spiller rushed out. Five minutes later he came back, his face grey.

"The bloody gales have brought the phone lines down. I can't reach London."

No, thought Dylan, not when there was almost a miracle.

Spiller's face was animated.

"If I leave now I should reach London before dawn."

"I'm coming with you" Dylan told him.

"And me!" Ethan chipped in.

"YOU have a pregnant wife; you stay with her."

Ethan's face fell at Spiller's order but he nodded.

"Dr Keogh, it's going to be a hellish ride in these gales."

"Captain, please understand. I gave up all hope of seeing my friend again. I need to come."

Spiller nodded.

They were soon on their way to London. Spiller knew they were cutting it very fine and prayed they would make it on time. Dylan was beginning to plan his future with Ben once more. It gave him strength as the car rocked from side to side and screeched round corners on the dimly-lit country roads.

Ethan ran to tell the joyful news to Jess and found her in Cal's arms.

"It's not what it looks like" Cal informed him, and Ethan could see his brother's shirt was wet from where Jess had been weeping on him.

"I'm not angry" Ethan said miserably, "I've deserved this. I've thought about myself for so long, no wonder you turned to Cal."

Jess lost her temper.

"Ethan, you prize fool! Cal's like a brother to me. But it's you I love, with all your selfishness, your whining… and your being so bloody adorable! Now come here. I need comfort and I need it from my husband."

Cal smiled and was about to leave the room.

"Oh that reminds me" said the irritating Ethan, "There's just been evidence handed in that's proved Ben's innocent. Captain Spiller and Dr Keogh are off to London because the phone lines are down."

Cal held out his arms and they all hugged in relief and hope.

Meanwhile, Taylor was gloating in her luxury appointment. A fat fee from Heinrich, and Chiltern paying in blood shortly for his insult. Things couldn't get better for her.

Ben's eyes had widened in shock on coming face-to-face with Fletcher.

"Mr Schoolteacher, or should I say Mr Spy? I told you I'd get even with you, didn't I, but who would have thought I had a chance to send you straight to hell?"

Ben, determined not to show his fear, had looked straight through Fletcher.

"You'll be looking me in the face soon enough, sonny. When you're grovelling for your life."

He left the young man to contemplate his forthcoming death. Ben had two hours to live.

Taylor lay in her bath, feeling soporific and contented. Heinrich had already offered her another job and she had earmarked two pretty dresses that she liked the look of.

There was a sudden loud knocking at the door.

She smiled. Let the fools wait.

The rapping became more urgent. An admirer of hers coming to bother her, no doubt. She flung on a bathrobe, pouting.

Sergeant Dean and Lieutenant James Powell stood there.

"Taylor Marianne Ashby, we have evidence that proves you are involved in espionage, in the pay of German and that you attempted to plant the evidence on an innocent man."

So they knew.

"Please don't hurt me" she said in a little-girl voice, deliberately letting the bathrobe fall open to reveal the curves of her full breasts.

"Get dressed, Madam" said Dean coldly.

Taylor trembled but did as she was told. Suddenly she bit her knuckle in what looked like a childish display of fear. But the ring on her finger containing the cyanide powder had done its job. Taylor fell to the floor and died in seconds, escaping the more violent death that she had passed on to Ben.

"Damn" Powell snapped.

The car rocked alarmingly but Dylan stayed calm. He concentrated on the little talk he'd have with Ethan when they were all back in the village again. Ethan had to understand that there was no way Ben would accept a medal for being a counter-spy. Ben would find another reason for having the camera on him, but wouldn't turn this into a way to glorify himself. That was one of the reasons Dylan loved him. Dylan was glad that Lucius was being looked after by kind-hearted Miss Seabrook, the school's cook, who still provided meals for the hospital staff that had moved in since the school had been requisitioned. Miss Seabrook was discreet and would not tell the little boy anything he didn't need to hear.

Ben sat thinking about Dylan, about his parents who were worlds away, about little Lucius. There was a gentle rap on the door of his cell.

"Already?" he thought, surprised. Well, better get it over with. There was no way he'd be leaving this place alive.

But a gentle, middle-aged man in priest's clothing walked in.

"I wondered if you'd like to talk, Ben."

A/N Sorry for being really evil and making you wait for the next part.

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