8: Inside MI5

The MI5 building was one of the old university colleges, taken over and modified after the seat of rule had been moved here from London. It still kept many of the original features, and I peered through the thick layers of bulletproof glass at the grassy quadrangle and fine stone buildings beyond.

The guard on reception wore full body armour and a hostile stare. He put down his superhero comic with a thud.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a gruff voice.

“We’d like to speak with Lucy Munroe,” Gracie said, taking on the adult role. Her voice had risen a note or two.

“We don’t allow anyone in without an appointment,” said the guard. “Please leave quietly.”

I stepped forwards, “She knows we’re coming. I’m Danni Rushton. Please at least ask her.”

The guard scowled at me. He checked his computer and grunted.

“Oh, yes. But it doesn’t say anything about your friend.”

“Please.”

He looked Gracie up and down. “ID,” he said at last.

I looked across at Gracie.

“Look. This is a secure building. I need ID. I can’t let you through without it.”

“You can wait for me here,” I said. “I won’t be long.”

But Gracie had already handed over her ID.

I watched as he put it through the scanner. Then he moved away behind the glass screen and I could see him talking to someone on the intercom.

“Please see us,” I whispered.

I had nowhere else to go.

A few moments later the guard came back. His eyes hadn’t softened, and I steadied myself for rejection. But instead he nodded towards the door.

“Go on through.”

Lucy was waiting for us in the corridor on the other side. She looked older than I remembered: her hair now cut short, her suit sharp and tailored, heels high, lipstick severe. She eyed Gracie up and down.

“This is my friend Gracie,” I said.

Lucy smiled. “This way.” She ushered us into her office. I stared around at the plush furnishings and the carved oak desk.

“Thank you for seeing us,” I began as she gestured for us to sit. I lowered myself onto a leather sofa.

“It’s good to see you again, Danni.” Lucy perched on the edge of her desk. “I’m so sorry about Kris. I really liked her.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Okay then, how can I help you? Your email sounded urgent.” She glanced at her watch. “I don’t have much time.”

“It’s Uncle Robert.” I began.

Lucy’s smile widened.

“Did Robert send you?”

“No.” I lowered my eyes as the ache in my heart intensified. It never really went away but at moments like this, it threatened to smother me.

“Danni, what’s wrong?” Despite the make-up and the smart clothes, she was the same Lucy I had known before, back before grief, before loss. I looked up at her.

“We were at Robert’s dig site in Greenland. It was really amazing, and then there was a raid by MEXA agents, and they took Robert, and…”

“Wait, wait.” Lucy held up her hand. “Slow down.”

I took a deep breath and Lucy moved across to crouch down before me. She took hold of my hand.

“He found something, didn’t he?” There was a strange intensity in those brown eyes. I glanced across at Gracie, then nodded.

“And MEXA? What did they want?”

I shook my head and the ache was crushing me again. Tears welled. Suddenly, I didn’t feel very brave anymore. “I don’t know. They took everything, all the finds, they took Robert.”

“We only just managed to escape,” said Gracie.

“I’ve got to find him,” I said. My voice cracked as I spoke.

Lucy squeezed my hand. “I know.”

“You’re the only person I could think of. Before the raid he said he wanted to ask you about the writing.”

“Writing?” Her eyes were blazing with interest. “You found writing?”

“Yes, it was all over the walls. And there were these strange pieces of rock and they had it on them, too.”

“Do you have any of these rocks?”

“MEXA took them all.”

“Oh,” Lucy sighed.

The lights in the office flickered and died. Another power cut. We sat and stared at each other in semi-darkness. The disappointment on her face was still visible, even in the dim light.

Lucy gave us a reassuring smile. “The emergency generator will kick in in a minute.”

I took a deep breath.

“Lucy, what do you know about all this?”

She stood up and straightened her skirt. “When we were at university, Robert was studying AE: alternative energy. He was looking into some really bizarre ideas. Energy sources that everyone said were impossible, like rain power and bovine biogas. Then he found this old thesis. It was hidden in the library, tucked away behind some old journals that nobody ever read.” She glanced around, then lowered her voice. “He sat up all night reading it, over and over again, until your mother took it off him and refused to give it back until he got some sleep. I’d never seen them so excited.”

“What? Mum? Did Kris know about it, too?”

“They all did. Didn’t they tell you?”

I shook my head.

“That’s why Robert got interested in archaeology. That’s what took him to Greenland. He was looking for something – an ancient artefact that could change the world. And I think, from what you just told me, he found it.”

“We found it for him, me and Gracie.” I grinned at her.

Lucy smiled.

“So what was in this thesis?” I asked.

“It was a translation of some ancient texts, all about an ancient civilisation. I thought he was crazy, mind.”

“Is that why you fought?”

“I suppose that was the start of it.”

“So, what did it say?” I pressed.

She started pacing back and forth. “I’m afraid I don’t really know. It was all rather technical and didn’t make sense to me.”

“But it made sense to Robert?”

“Most definitely. He seemed to think it was really important.”

“Do you know where this thesis is?”

Lucy nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. “Yes. He was really worried about it falling into the wrong hands. He asked me to hide it for him and to keep where I’d hidden it secret. I thought he was being ridiculous, so I just left it on a bookshelf. Then Cambridge flooded and everyone left. It’s probably still there.”

“Then I’m going to find it,” I said. “I have to find out why MEXA took Robert and why they want his research so much. If I can find the original texts, they might give me some answers, and maybe lead me to wherever these MEXA people are holding him.” I lifted my hand to my chest, feeling the lump of the stone under my jumper. Half of me wanted to tell Lucy, but I’d made a promise and I wasn’t going to break it.

“The thesis is in Cambridge and I don’t think you’ll want to go there. The city was abandoned ten years ago. There’ll be scavvers.”

“I don’t care. Tell me where it is.” I looked her straight in the eye. “Please.”

Lucy gave me a broad grin. “You haven’t changed, have you Danni?” She glanced up at the lights.

“What happened to your emergency generator?” asked Gracie.

“I don’t know. It should have kicked in by now.”

She tried the switch. Nothing happened.

“Maybe the fuses have blown,” I said, but Lucy shook her head.

The phone started to ring.

Lucy didn’t answer it. I was about to ask her why, but then the voicemail clicked in.

The guard sounded no less gruff.

“Ms Munroe? Are you there?”

Lucy looked around the office as if ill at ease. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, I’m not going to take any chances.” She picked up a torch from her desk and gave the handle a quick wind.

“Come with me. Now.”

I stared up into her fierce eyes. I wasn’t going to argue.

“Where are we going?” asked Gracie as we followed Lucy to the door.

She pulled the door open a crack and peered out into the corridor. “It’s clear.”

Lucy led us along the passages, her high heels clicking on the stone floors. I had to half jog to keep up with her. She kept her eyes fixed ahead. I kept glancing over at Gracie, who just shrugged.

She stopped in front of a door and switched on her torch.

“Lucy Munroe.”

I looked round. The guard was waving at us from the far end of the corridor. “Ms Munroe, there are some people asking about your visitors.”

“Not now,” Lucy called back. She pulled the door open and ducked inside. Gracie and I followed, and the door clunked shut behind us. We were in a narrow stairwell, the light of Lucy’s torch forming a yellow pool in the gloom. Lucy clattered down the stairs without a word. We followed in silence, emerging at the bottom into a large, underground car park.

I had never seen so many cars all in one place. Most were electric but there were a few old diesel models. It was by one of these that Lucy stopped.

“Can you drive?” she asked.

Gracie nodded.

“Hop in,” she said. “It’s open.”

I took the passenger seat and Gracie climbed into the driver’s side.

“Is it yours?” I asked.

“Yes.” Lucy glanced back over her shoulder. “Listen, get out of here fast. You have to realise, there’s more to MEXA than meets the eye.”

“That’s what Robert said. I think they killed Kris.”

“In which case you’re probably being tracked. You have to go. Now.”

My mouth felt dry. “But Robert…”

She grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and scribbled some notes. Then thrust it into my hand.

“I’ve written down the name of a pub. It’s about fifteen kilometres east of here – go there as soon as you get the chance. There’ll be some fake IDs waiting. I’ll put as much credit on them as I can. Find somewhere to hole up and lie low until I contact you.”

“What about the thesis?”

“I told you – Cambridge is under water and crawling with scavvers. You can’t go there.”

“I don’t care,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m going to find it. You can’t stop me.”

Lucy shook her head, then took the piece of paper out of my hand and scribbled some more notes. When she handed it back to me, her eyes were stern.

“There’s the thesis title and the name of the college library where I left it. It’s hidden behind a copy of a book by Tacitus. At least, that’s where I left it. But that was ten years ago.”

Lucy was already backing away. The torchlight flickered into my eyes, dazzling me.

“I think it’s a really bad idea, going to Cambridge. You’re getting in over your head, just like your uncle. You should really lie low, out of sight of MEXA and let me see what I can do to help from this end.”

“Thanks, Lucy.”

“Go now, there’s no time,” Lucy said. “And don’t use your real ID cards. There’s some cash in the glove compartment.” She started towards the stairs, then paused.

“I always cared for Robert, you know.”

“When I find him you can tell him yourself,” I called after her. A wave of her torch and she was gone.

“Strap yourself in,” Gracie said, and started the engine. It roared into life. I’d never heard anything so noisy. Lekkie cars are so much quieter.

We lurched forwards and stalled.

“Rats,” said Gracie and crunched the gears. Her eyes were wide, reflecting the dashboard lights.

“I thought you said you could drive!”

“Could you do any better?”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t about to tell anyone that Isaac and I had taken his mother’s car for a spin without her knowing the last time I’d stayed with him in Italy.

Isaac. I was meant to phone him.

It would have to wait.

We drove out of the car park, up a ramp and out into the street.

They were waiting for us.

Two black cars were parked across the road, armed men standing alongside. Emblazoned in red on the sides of these cars were the words MEXA.

“Oh, no!” I gasped.

Gracie crunched the gears. “Hold on tight and keep your head down.”

The engine screeched as we accelerated. A voice shouted, but I could barely hear. Gracie pulled hard on the steering wheel and we lurched up onto the pavement. I saw a look of rage on the face of one of the men. He raised his gun to his shoulder, but then seemed to think better of it. He lowered his weapon and ran for the nearest car. I felt a cold chill of fear.

Then we were back on the road, speeding between rows of parked lekkie cars and bicycles propped up against walls. Pedestrians stopped and stared. I looked round over my shoulder. The MEXA agents were back in their cars and they were not very far behind.

“Can you outrun them?” I asked.

“If I can get out onto the open road. This thing seems to have a bit more power than theirs.”

“So long as they don’t send a helicopter,” I whispered. I looked round. “They’re getting closer.”

The land rover lurched through a set of lights. Someone blared their horn and to the side was a screech of brakes.

We turned sharp left and jolted down narrow roads. I held on tight as I was bounced from side to side. We sped through more red lights and over junctions without stopping. But whenever I looked behind they were still there.

At last we reached an open road – a main trunk route – and the traffic cleared. Gracie put her foot down and the land rover pulled away. The agents were falling behind. I let out a slow breath.

“Are we clear?” I asked.

“I think so.” Gracie eased off the accelerator and we slowed to the pace of the normal traffic: buses and lekkie cars. Faces peered out of the windows at our diesel monstrosity.

“We’re a bit obvious,” I said, sticking my tongue out at a boy who was staring at me. He made a rude gesture.

We turned off the main route. I pulled a map out from the side of the door and put it on the dashboard in front of me, yanking the pages open. The jolting of the land rover jerked my head back and forth and made my vision blur.

“This road is heading the right way,” I said. “At least we lost MEXA.”

“Don’t speak too soon,” said Gracie. “There’s a helicopter.”

I peered out and up. A dark speck was approaching from behind, drawing closer with every second. I stared at the map, but all the roads looked the same. There had to be some way out – some short cut – somewhere we could lose them.

The effort made me dizzy. This wasn’t the time to get car sick.

And then I spotted something that wasn’t on the map. “We’ll lose him in the woods.”

I pointed to the map. Gracie stared at it.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a map, silly.”

“But what are all these weird symbols?”

I sighed. “Map symbols!”

“Oh, ha ha. How on earth do you know what it means? Nobody uses maps like this anymore.”

“Archaeologists do. Turn off here.” I pointed to a track heading off to the right.

We pulled off the road towards the trees. They were young trees growing on what was once arable land, now abandoned and left to return to nature. But they were big enough and they closed overhead like a green mantle.

“He can’t see us now,” Gracie said, looking back over her shoulder.

“I bet he can.”

She glanced round at me. “But how?”

“Infra-red heat-seeking equipment.” My mind was racing, panic starting to fog my thoughts. But Gracie still seemed calm.

“Then the trees won’t hide us.” She pulled over. “Here, show me that map.”

For a few moments she pored over it. Then she stiffened.

“There. Look.”

I leaned over to see what she was pointing at. The map was old – out of date – and I wasn’t sure of all the symbols. But there was something.

“That’s a tunnel marked there, isn’t it?” she said, jabbing with her finger. “We’ll hide there.”

I squinted at the symbols she was pointing at. “I thought you couldn’t read this thing. How do you know?”

“Because that word there says ‘tunnel’.” She thrust the map back into my hands and pulled away. I could see she was smirking.

We followed the woodland track for a couple of kilometres. The land rover bounced through muddy ruts and then the track vanished into an archway. Darkness closed in around us. Gracie switched on the headlamps and ahead I could see a dark tunnel vanishing into blackness.

We slowed to a halt.

“Where are we?” I asked. I could feel myself shaking.

“I think it’s an old railway tunnel.” Even in the pitch dark, I could hear the smile in her voice. “I don’t think their heat-seeking gear will be able to find us here. At least, I hope it won’t.”