21st May
Joan’s satnav warned her that she was exceeding the speed limit but, more helpfully, added that she would arrive at the Meadowcote Estate in one minute.
Her passengers – Paul Maple, Robin Marsh and Robert Faraday – checked their weapons.
The tyres of the car squealed on the entrance tarmac as Joan turned into the drive of Meadowcote Hall. She brought the car to a halt on the gravel area behind the mansion.
Robert unrolled a scroll of paper. ‘These plans from 1938 show the World War Two bunker complex to be beneath a grass area over there,’ he said, pointing along a track that lead from the gravel hardstanding.
‘I can’t believe that the UK control room was here all along,’ said Joan.
‘We’re not totally alone,’ observed Robin, pointing down the hill towards a small van that was parked outside the church. ‘It’s moving,’ he noted as the vehicle pulled away at high speed towards the gate.
Paul pointed a camera in the direction of the speeding vehicle and took several automated, high speed shots. ‘Let’s hope some identification shows up on one of the images,’ he said.
‘I don’t know who’s in the bunker, if anyone,’ said Joan. ‘In a perfect world, Vladimir Paulov would be there. We need to warn him about the risk and reassure him that we’ll not be disrupting his plan.’
They hurried onwards along the track.
‘Those boxes that have “Danger – Electricity” written on them are the entrances,’ said Robert as they began to walk uphill towards one.
Suddenly, they heard a muffled boom and felt the sensation of the earth lifting beneath their feet.
Two seconds later, the nearest bunker door was blown outwards, and a billowing cloud of smoke and flame was expelled from the bunker.
They ran back towards the car, conscious of further explosions behind them.
Flames rose into the sky as other bunker entrances were blasted away.
~*~*~*~*~
‘I guess that proves it,’ said Robin as they drove from the estate.
‘Proves what?’ Joan replied.
Robin looked at Joan. ‘It proves your theory that MI5 has been infiltrated by WAR.’