What James Did: The Accidental Time Travellers-Book 3 (14 page)

Jacob laughed.  “You don’t have it in you.”

“You think?”  Chase replied.

“Yes I do.  I think that you are brave but highly incompetent.”

“I think you are a scumbag.”  Chase snapped.

“Maybe I am, but caring about others is not necessarily a good thing.  It gives me the freedom, to do what must be done.  People like you and Bobby do not have such freedom.”

“But we have friends.” 

“Where has that gotten you?  We are both in the same place and I do whatever I want.”

Chase was silent.  “Consider this Jacob, if something goes wrong tomorrow and the others have to save me, then if they could do it they would. Do you think anyone would risk their life to save yours?”

Jacob laughed.  “I think I can look after myself.  Tell me, what if Sarah is captured, are you going to risk your life to save hers?”

“Yes.”

“Even though she doesn’t care about you?”

“She does care about me.”  Chase snapped.

“Do you think Bobby would come back for you?”

“Yes.”

Jacob chuckled.  “I suppose he would, bloody fool.”

Chapter 25

Over the next few days, the Auld Hole in the Wall remained closed to the public.  Abaddon’s visit to the Wallace Monument was in three days’ time, on Monday, 31
st,
August, 2015.  Faraday and Jane had left early in the morning and Guy was left with Clint and Scarlett in the flat.  They were sitting in the living room, moping.

“Why is it that you are both so down?”  Guy asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Clint looked at Scarlett who answered.  “They are such hypocrites. They tried to change world events so many times, and then we want to save the First Minister and all of a sudden we can’t intervene because it is too dangerous. It’s so annoying.”

“I assure you, I am quite capable of doing this myself.”  Guy advised.

“That’s not the point.  I am an adult, I can do what I like.”

“I would agree with you.”  Guy smiled.

“So you think we should just do it anyway?”  Clint asked.

“Do you think that they listened to their parents before they tried to change things?”  Guy asked.

“No.”  Clint replied.

“Then why should you?”  Guy asked.

“So how do we kill him?”  Scarlett asked.

“You showed me that tower the other day, what was it called?”

“The Wallace Monument.”  She replied.

“Well, I presume they will be going up the Monument?”

“Yes, I would think so.”  Clint replied.

“Well, we blow it up.”  Guy stated.

“It’s a Scottish landmark, we are not blowing it up.”  Scarlett protested.

“As I recall William Wallace was essentially a freedom fighter, killing these rulers would surely be something he would approve of.  It would be incredibly symbolic to kill them there, especially with a huge explosion.”  Guy continued.

“He has a point.”  Clint said, looking towards Scarlett.

“Blow it up with what?”  She asked.

“Do you have access to gunpowder?”

“No.”

“Do you have anything explosive?”

“We have alcohol?”  Scarlett replied.

“I don’t know if that would work.”

“Wait I know, a few years ago there was that weed killer that was banned, I can’t remember the name.  We have a regular in the pub who is a farmer, he was complaining because he had just bought loads of the stuff from the wholesaler and it was going to be made illegal.”  Clint spoke excitedly.

“Are you talking about Chris?”  Scarlett asked.

“Yes, I don’t know if he still has it, but it would be worth a shot.”  Clint stated.

“Let’s go and see him.”  Scarlett suggested.

Clint drove them from the flat to the farm in little under half an hour.  The farm house was beautifully built.  Chris had gotten rid of the old farm house and built a new one.  He had designed the house himself and he had droned on and on about it during his frequent visits to the pub.

When they arrived on the chipped driveway, Chris was standing watching an Alsatian running around the garden.  He was a tubby man, with a thick grey beard, he wore an orange jumper that was caked with mud and light blue jeans.

As they stepped from the car, Chris smiled.

“Are you delivering my drinks now?”

“We aren’t selling today Chris, we are actually looking to buy.”  Clint replied.

“What do you want from me?  You looking for fresher beef?”  Chris chuckled.

“This is a little awkward to tell you the truth.”  Scarlett began.  “Clint remembered that a few years ago you bought some weed killer that was later made illegal.”

“Why would you want that?”

“An experiment.”  Clint replied.

Chris eyed them suspiciously.  “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“To make it easier for you.  How about no questions asked and free drinks for a year.”  Scarlett replied.

“Two years.”  Chris said.

“If it’s two years then we get the weed killer free.”  Clint suggested.

Chris chuckled.  “You have yourselves a deal.”

Chapter 26

Jane and Faraday took their seats in the First Ministers office. Faraday could not help but stare at the man, he was very charismatic.  Alex Salmond was a rotund man, he had brown hair that was thinning slightly, and he wore a navy suit, white shirt and a tartan tie.

“Thank you for seeing me at such short notice Alex.”  Jane began.

“I always have time for you Jane, who is your friend?”

“This is my husband, James Faraday.”

Salmond looked surprised, he rose to his feet and shook hands with Faraday.

“I had no idea you were married?”

“He works away from home a lot.”  Jane explained.

“I never even noticed the ring on your finger, my apologies.”

“You are a busy man.”  Faraday said.

“That is true.  So what line of work are you in Mr Faraday?”

“Security work sir.”

“Are you here for a job?”  Salmond asked.

“Actually no, we came here to warn you about something.”  Jane replied.

“I think I know where this is going, we have known about the assassination for weeks.”

“You have?”  Jane asked in surprise.

“Yes, they plan to assassinate me on my way to the Scottish Parliament on Monday morning.  I will not be going, I had a better idea.”

“What idea?”  Faraday asked.

“I will go to the Wallace Monument like they are. After Abaddon has made his speech condemning me, I will tell the world what he planned to do to me.  It will not come as any surprise, the man is corrupt and so is his lapdog George Bush.”

“To what end?”  Faraday asked.

“How do you mean?”

“Well, what will that accomplish, he is all powerful, who cares if he tries to assassinate you?”  Faraday continued.

“James, how can you say that?”  Jane asked.

“It isn’t an insult, but what difference does it make?  With all the people he has had murdered, outside of Scotland, who cares if you are added to the list?” 

“Well, I don’t understand, what it is you want me to do?”  Salmond asked.

“What if you do as you intend to, go to the Wallace Monument and make your speech, then when he is leaving we assassinate him.”

“How?”  Salmond asked.

“Shut up James.”  Jane instructed.

“Car bomb.”

“We don’t have explosives Mr Faraday.”

“Then what do we have?”

Salmond was silent for a moment.  “Nothing really, the police here don’t even have truncheons.”

“Is he going by car?”  Faraday asked.

“Faraday what are you saying?”  Jane snapped.

“I imagine so.”  Salmond replied, ignoring her. 

“Well then put me in the driver’s seat.”    

“What?”  Jane asked in astonishment.

“You heard.”

“What do you intend to do?”  Jane asked.

“I’ll drive them into the Forth River and leave them to drown.”  Faraday declared.

“He’ll recognise you.”  Jane argued.

“I’ll drive a limousine, he won’t even see me.” 

“I think this may be a little drastic.”  Salmond said.

I agree, what about you James, how do you intend to survive?”

“I’ll jump out just before we head into the water, I’ll be okay and he won’t suspect a thing.”

“I don’t want to lose you again.” 

“You won’t, I promise.”

“But he will see you before you go to the Monument, you will be collecting him from his hotel.”  Salmond stated.

“Well then I can replace the driver whilst Abaddon is at the Monument, you can ask him to do something Mr Salmond, and I can take the car.”

“You aren’t serious!”  Jane barked.

“Yes I’m serious.”

“After what we told the kids?”

“This is different, it is practically risk-free.”

“Risk-free are you crazy!”  Jane snapped.

“Jane what Guy said was right.  I was being short sighted, if we let him live then you know what he will do.”

“Faraday I have been living here for over twenty years and he has never once come near me!”  Jane yelled.

“But he thinks that you are dead.  You didn’t know anything that could hurt him.”

“Would you two like some privacy?”  Salmond interjected.

“No Alex its fine, he is not doing it.”  Jane shouted.

“Someone needs to do something or this will go on forever.”  Faraday shouted back.

“There really is no need.  I will make my speech and we will leave it at that.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that will make a difference!  He is the President of America, the most powerful country on the planet.  With the touch of a button he could destroy the entire world and everyone in the world knows that. But you making a speech stating that he wants to kill you is supposed to cause the people of earth to rise up against him?”

“Faraday who the hell do you think you are?”  Jane yelled.

“Jane I am doing this for us.”

“I don’t understand, what does Abaddon have against you?”  Salmond asked.

“It’s complicated.”  Jane replied.

“He wants me dead, I know too much about how he got to power.”

“How could you know that, you must be in your twenties?”

“Don’t!”  Jane yelled.

Faraday looked at her, he had never seen her angrier than she was at this moment.  He understood why she was upset, but he needed to correct his mistake, he owed it to David.  “Leave it to me Alex, come Monday, Abaddon Wolf will be at the bottom of the Forth River.”

Chapter 27

Bobby, Will and Emmerich stared at the car, not quite sure what they should do.  The piles of metal and wood lay beside the door to the cabin.  The morning sun was almost blinding, it was just after 09:00. 

“So what do you want us to do?”  Emmerich asked.

“Well, we can’t build a time machine, I suggest we turn this into a good getaway car.”  Bobby replied.

“And how do you intend to do that?”  Will asked.

“We cover the windows, first with wood, and then with metal.  At least the bullets might not get through.”  Bobby replied.

“What about the tanks?”  Will asked apprehensively. 

“What choice do we have?  Why should we wait around here to be killed.”  Bobby stated.

“So when do you want to make a break for it?”  Emmerich asked.

“Today.”  Bobby replied.

“What?”  Will asked, sounding exasperated.

“Well, why not?”  Bobby replied.  “There’s never going to be a good time to do it.”

“We’ll never make it.”  Will argued.

“What is the point in staying here?”   

“I agree with Bobby, this is the only chance that you have to escape from here.”

“Don’t you mean?  This is the only chance that we have?”  Will asked.

“Not without my family, I have told you.”

“Give it a rest!”  Will shouted.

Emmerich walked towards Will aggressively.

“Calm down both of you.  If they see you fighting, they will kill you!  Let’s just get started and then we can see where we go from there.”  Bobby interjected.