Thank you everyone!

Happy New Year !

Chapter 13

Getting To It

1715 – Hereford, UK

Georgie pressed end but could still hear the haunting misery in Debbie's voice. She knew what Elvis was capable of but that by no means brought her peace. She had placed the call to Debbie from Elvis' office. Somehow she felt close to him here. The musky scent of his cologne lingered lightly in the air and he had touched everything in the room at one time or another. She carried Daniel against her hip as she walked around the heavy wooden desk. It was pristine. Everything was neatly in it's place. Elvis was methodical and precise. He would notice if anything was disturbed, and she smiled, running her finger along the border of the blotter which was aligned exactly with the edge of the desk. She moved to the wall where his medals were displayed, bouncing a restless Daniel.

"Look at all your daddy has done. He's such a brave man," she said softly.

The baby pulled two fingers from his mouth and reached to touch the glass on one of the shadow boxes. Georgie smiled at the damp finger marks he left behind. She could see Daniel and her own reflection in the glass and her thoughts deepened. Debbie's words taunted her, "it's not a good day for either one of us…"

Xxxxx

1720 - Undisclosed Location

Spunky and Jackson had three passenger cars to clear. Given what Elvis had observed, each one was kept under control by one heavily armed guard. Peering through the tempered glass Spunky could see said guard moving down the aisle, assault rifle held casually in his arms, head moving from side to side as he visually inspected his charges.

"Should be textbook," Spunky said.

Jackson grunted a smirk and re-positioned his rifle for easy access. Spunky effortlessly spun a silencing device over the muzzle of his pistol then pressed the door release with a fist. In the moment their target turned around to see who was entering, Spunky fired off a lethal double tap, pitching the man backward and down. Amidst shrill gasps the two operatives moved in, ordering the passengers to remain calm and in their seats. Spunky headed for the next connecting door as Jackson pulled the target into an unoccupied area. A middle-aged man sprung from his seat and followed behind.

"Are you stopping the train then? Are we getting off?" the man said.

"Negative! Get back in your seat!" Jackson ordered.

"They're going to kill us if we don't get out of here!" the man said, his eyes wild and bulging.

"You let us worry about that. Now sit down sir." Jackson's voice was soft and restrained but his eyes promised repercussions if the directive was not obeyed.

"Now see here….."

"Get him down mate. We got trouble next door," Spunky called out over his shoulder.

"Alfred! Sit down you fool!" came a woman's voice along with demanding slaps to a seat cushion.

"Wise woman," Jackson said pushing the man back. "Don't become responsible for a mistake here. Now get back and sit down." This time the man relented. The passengers were clinging to the hope of their rescue and the tension in the car felt like a prickly shroud.

"What do we have?" Jackson asked aligning himself next to his partner.

"Two tangos mate. Fore and aft," Spunky said.

"Shit. Reckon one moved over from the end car?"

"That would make it sweet eh? Then we could get home sooner."

"There is the matter of taking the entire train if I recall," Jackson dead-panned.

"Just like you to go all serious on me…." Spunky said pressing down on his comms mic. "Boss. In position to clear second car. Two tangos in sitch however," he said.

"Copy 'at. Do you need one of us?" Came Elvis' voice back at him.

"Negative."

"Copy. Engage and move on. Time's against us." The captain ordered.

"Roger. Out."

"Incoming," Jackson said, slapping the slide back on his pistol to chamber a round. Spunky spun away from the window and drew his pistol against his chest, poised to strike when the door opened. Jackson remained low to the ground to take down the target at the far end.

Xxxxx

Elvis and Spanner advanced through four cars. It was almost too easy and that concerned the captain. Of even more concern was the absence of the black clad target who put on quite a show after the train was hijacked. He had to be the ring leader and probably was terrorizing the engineer.

"Stay alert. The main target will 'ave a section with him." Elvis said.

"Roger, but we have our back up." Spanner said.

Elvis grinned. "At we 'ave mate. At we 'ave," he said. "Give me a couple flash bangs."

Spanner plucked two from his vest and tossed them over one by one. "Let's move," Elvis ordered and after a cursory check through the window, he punched the door release and darted into the next car palming his pistol with deadly aimed precision. Car number nine was cleared.

Xxxxx

Spunky and Jackson sped past them. Drew Woods stood to watch their backs disappear through the sliding door. It was as if they were an apparition. Looking up and down the aisle he gripped the mobile seated in his left hand. He gazed at the blank screen. Laura's eyes were on him.

"Daddy said that was for an emergency."

Woods curled his upper lip at her. "I know exactly what he said."

"Best put it in your pocket then," Laura chided.

"Is that so?" Woods said with a sniff. "And suppose I don't. What then?"

"Don't be stupid," Laura responded.

"Excuse me? Just who do you think you are? A brat it would seem to me." Woods said swiping the screen open. He tapped and swiped again but Elvis' mobile was locked. The only feature Woods could activate was an emergency call.

"Told you." The smirk in the child's voice angered him.

"Shut up!"

"What did you expect Drew. He told you it was your lifeline," Penny said.

Woods' lips pressed out thinly across his face and he dropped into his seat, leaning in towards Laura he said, "What is your father's real name?"

Laura stared back. She barely blinked. "It's Elvis. Just like he told you."