‘Simple really.’ Mickey replied. ‘If the virtual machine, or the server it’s running on, gets shut-down without the password, it can trigger certain events. In this case detonation of each bomb linked to a running virtual machine.’
‘Shit!’ Said Dave as he stared at Mickey’s screen. He had a glazed look on his face while he tried to process this new information.
‘So, we can’t just shut them down and job done?’ He asked.
‘If only.’ Mickey replied. ‘I need to get into each virtual machine, make the software think it’s detonated its device, then force a shut-down. One bomb at a time.’
Lucy Green added. ‘On the bright side, we’re blocking the return signal, so the bombs won’t detonate.’
‘Unless he starts using a standard mobile network, of course.’ concluded Mick.
They remained silent for a moment. Each asking ‘What now?’ with their facial expressions and shrugs. Mickey finally broke the silence.
‘Well it looks like I’ll just have to stop the fucker then, doesn’t it?’ He concluded, as he interlocked his fingers and stretched.
Dave suddenly straightened and looked left, right and then toward his desk. He reminded Mickey of a meerkat.
‘Can you hear anything?’ Dave asked.
‘No, why?’ replied Mickey.
Realising what he could hear, Dave sprinted across the room to his desk. Sam was still on the line, the phone receiver left loose on the desk next to its base-unit. Dave grabbed the receiver and held it to his ear.
‘Sam, sorry mate, had a bit of an issue.’
‘Forget that, what’s going on with these bloody traffic lights? And where’s Raynor?’
‘Calm down mate. Mick has to hack these servers, they’re really complicated. And as Raynor doesn’t need his own frequency anymore, he could send the texts at any time.’
‘Yeah, sorry mate. I came to that conclusion as well. Bloody scary.’
Sam was interrupted by Mickey shouting across the office.
‘Dave, another VM has fired up.’
‘What’s he on about?’ Sam asked.
‘Raynor’s using virtual machines, one for each bomb. I’m guessing, as another one’s just started, that he’s just activated and left another device somewhere.’
‘Shit. Will this ever end?’
‘I hope so, Sam. All I want is a nice cool beer.’ Replied Dave.
‘So where is he?’ Sam enquired.
‘At Lucy’s desk, trying to take down the virtual machines.’
‘Not Mickey, you Muppet, Raynor!’
‘Oh, hang on. He’s outside The Globe theatre. Where are you?’
‘I’m on The Strand. What’s my best route?’
‘Well, you’re probably best off staying on The Strand, double-back around Blackfriars Underground, no, wait. I’m talking bollocks. Head for Southwark Bridge. That’ll get you south of the river, to the east of The Globe.’
Chapter Forty-Seven
Raynor was having a dilemma. He’d parked the bike and was standing, staring at the replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. His crash helmet once again resting on the bike’s fuel tank. He loved Shakespeare. At school, other than physical education, studying Shakespeare in English Literature was the only other subject he had the slightest interest in. He was simply too bright to take any notice in other lessons. He’d listen and take them all in, but it was merely information he could store for when needed, like data on a hard drive.
But when he started reading Macbeth his mind was opened up. The tragic lead character, driven, ruled and defined by ambition, but ultimately not up to the job of ruling. Raynor had met a few people with those traits over the years.
While Macbeth was his favourite of Shakespeare’s plays, Raynor had read and enjoyed most of the playwright’s works. The tales of war, murder, revenge and love seemed to strike a chord.
He wasn’t gazing at the original building. The original Globe had burned down in 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII. A misfired canon, a prop, had set fire to the beams and thatch. It wasn’t even the site of the original theatre. In fact, the replica had only been there since 1997. Raynor was finding his decision easier as he took a bag from his rucksack. He was down to his penultimate device and his final target had already been decided. He’d be heading there shortly.
In around fifteen minutes time the London skyline would light up. Thames House, the National Gallery, Piccadilly Circus, Old Compton Street, and now Shakespeare’s Globe. It would be spectacular.
He’d managed to lose Edwards too, which saddened him a little as he was enjoying the cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of London. Oh well. In the next hour he’d be out of the city and heading for a new life. And it would be a good one. Six million pounds was a nice figure to live on. He stood, trancelike, staring at the theatre in front of him for a moment longer.
The car approached Southwark Bridge where the buildings gave way to a view across the Thames. It was impossible to miss the Shard to the east. The flames were still licking the side of the glass building, plumes of smoke billowing through the hole in the side. There was no doubt the firefighters would be working for a long time trying to control the flames and put the fire out.
The top of the building was swallowed by the low cloud which was still having its tantrum. Still crying onto the London streets. Sam got to the other side of the bridge and took the next right onto Park Street. Another right, twenty metres on, took him onto New Globe Walk where he parked the car in a space reserved for disabled drivers. He got out and walked the short distance to Bankside.
The rain had kept the people at home tonight, banal soaps and reality shows the order of the day for most. When Sam got to Bankside he pressed himself up to the wall of The Swan restaurant. He slowly made his way down Bankside, keeping as close to the building as was possible. He stopped when he spotted Raynor leaning back on his bike, simply staring at Shakespeare’s Globe.
The bike was adjacent to a set of steps that gave better views of the Thames as well as the theatre. Sam sneaked across the path and up the steps to the raised area. Keeping low down, he kept tight to the riverside wall as he stalked his prey. Sam deliberately took his time as he made his approach. If Raynor were to start looking around Sam would surely be seen.
Sam got closer. Raynor was still leaning against his bike, his back to Sam. When Sam was directly behind his target he stood straight and ran toward the edge of the steps. He launched himself, stretched out his right leg and bent his left leg under it, left knee pointing toward the ground, left foot flat against his right leg behind the knee, completing a triangle.
Sam flew over the parked bike and the flying side-kick connected with Raynor’s back and sent the large man flying forward. He stumbled and fell. Sam landed well after the impact, managing to miss the bike and to remain on his feet. Hopping forward, Sam attempted a sickle kick. He swept his left leg in a high arc in front of him, the intention being to bring it down onto Raynor’s knee, breaking it and immobilising his opponent.
Raynor was too fast, he saw Sam’s leg raise in a high arc; impressed by the height the small man could stretch. He was kicking well over his own height, possibly a good six feet in the air. Raynor rolled back and Sam managed to pull back the blow before he smashed his heal on the pavement where Raynor had just been.
Raynor jumped to his feet and threw a right-hook, but Sam saw it coming and used a double-forearm block before the fist connected with his left temple. Trying to block that swing with one arm would have been like trying to stop a freight train with a piece of tissue paper. Sam now had an opening as Raynor’s momentum was stopped by the block. He raised his left leg, snapping it forward at the knee into a front-kick that connected with Raynor’s chest and knocked him off-balance again. As soon as Sam’s foot was back on the floor he used it as a pivot for his next kick. He swivelled round raising his right leg for a roundhouse kick. Raynor had read the move and leaned back letting the foot fly past his head. Sam was already a move ahead and he used the momentum of his right leg to spin himself around. He jumped and continued spinning, tucking his right leg back and extending his left into a flying-spinning kick that connected with the side of Raynor’s head lifting him from his feet, sending him flying through the air. He landed heavily and stopped moving.