Chapter 29
The intensity of the rioting grew as they approached Westminster. The fires became more frequent and the roads and paths less accessible. The smoke-filled streets caused reduced visibility and heightened their responsiveness to the noises that surrounded them. The sound of distress grew louder. Voices from all directions called out for loved ones and for help. People wandered aimlessly or sat in groups on the pavement, helpless and homeless, with not an idea of how to leave. The number of injured had grown significantly since they had left London. There was no one left to maintain the services and infrastructure of the city, and things deteriorated quickly. Gas explosions were becoming more regular. Water poured out of broken mains’ pipes that should have been isolated. Lanegan guessed that people were trying to reinstate the services they were so reliant on out of desperation, without much success.
Green Park gave them brief respite from the smoke and allowed the newly clouded sky to present itself. They reached the centre and breathed in the noticeably cleaner air.
Suddenly, Jacob noticed a peculiar sight of swirling smoke, high above the buildings in front of them.
“Look up there,” he said pointing.
They all looked up to see distinct patterns of black against the grey clouds.
“What is it?” said Isabelle.
“It’s right where we’re heading. If that’s the station we’re in trouble. Radio ahead and ask what’s burning,” Lanegan instructed.
“It could be Westminster Palace or the station or the Abbey,” said Stephanie.
“There’s no point guessing, we’re not far away,” said Lanegan.
“It’s not the station,” said an agent. “They can see the smoke but can’t get a visual.”
“Okay,” said Lanegan. “Tell them to stay where they are; after our experience earlier I don’t want those trains without protection.”
They pushed on, using the smoke as a guide. They reached the cluster of historical sites that form Westminster and were relieved to see them all intact except for some superficial damage. The momentary relief was quickly replaced, however, by a stunning and distressing site as they reached Westminster Bridge. Collectively they turned to see a spinning ring of fire with each pod of the London eye set a blaze. It was spectacular and stunned everyone into silence. Moments passed as the wheel had them hypnotised. The wind travelled south, ensuring waves of heat reached them with the passing of each car.
“That is beautifully tragic,” said Stephanie.
“We have to stop it spinning – don’t we?” asked Ken.
“I’m not entirely sure it would make any difference,” Jacob replied.
“We can’t do anything now,” said Lanegan. “Nobody could get within a hundred metres of it anyway and we need to move on.”
The scene held them there for a few seconds longer as they were unable to resist its visual power. It was a site as strange and unique as it was unexpected; a homing beacon and a warning for those returning.
They continued to Westminster Bridge, beginning to run slowly. As they crossed, the great bell, Big Ben began to chime. They turned to see the foot of the Elizabeth Tower, the bell and clock dressed in black - the ghostly chimes marked ten o’clock.
“Ten,” said Lanegan. “The first trains will arrive soon. Let’s keep going.”
As they got closer to the station, the constant hum of noise that was present throughout the city started to break down into decipherable slices of sound. Children crying and glass smashing were suddenly recognisable amongst random shouting. It was instantly clear that people had travelled to Waterloo in the hope of finding a way out of the city. The gates were locked and guarded from within in an attempt to prevent any damage to the incoming trains and passengers onboard. Outside people sat waiting, hoping that the trains would return to take them away from a place that was deteriorating before their eyes.
As they approached the crowd they stopped, immediately recognising the problems now facing them.
“If they see the trains arrive there will be chaos,” said Ken. “We either need to get them moved or stop the trains earlier down the track.”
“If you were here and all of these military personnel turned up, wouldn’t you think to yourself that something was happening? I can’t believe this has gone unnoticed,” said Stephanie.
“You’re right,” said Lanegan. “That’s probably why they’re here. We need to move them away somehow.”
“How many people are there?” asked Isabelle.
“Thousands; too many to move,” said Ken.
Lanegan thought for a moment.
“Get Morrison on the radio,” he said.
The security agents quickly got hold of Morrison who was guiding Wilf and the other vehicles through the city to Hyde Park.
“Morrison, I need you to meet me at the helipad at St Thomas’ Hospital,” ordered Lanegan.
“On my way,” Morrison replied.
Lanegan and one agent left the others and sprinted south to the hospital. The area outside of the main entrance was swarming with injured and desperate people, making it impossible for Lanegan to enter without detection.
“I can’t walk in there,” he said to the agent. “They’ll never let me past.”
“What shall we do?” asked the agent.
“I’m not sure,” replied Lanegan. “I need a decoy to get inside.”
“Are you happy to go in alone?” asked the agent.
“I am. Why, what do you have in mind?”
“I’ll be your decoy. Get ready to run. You’ll know when.”
The agent walked calmly towards the accident and emergency entrance, where six ambulances were parked. He tried his luck and tried to open the door of the first one he came to. The door opened, but there were no keys inside. He had no idea whether the siren would work without the key, but flicked the switch in hope. The siren wailed and sent the whole crowd in to a fury. For some, the noise had awoken them from their feeble state, but for others, they acted as though they had found a potential exit from the city. It was exactly the response Lanegan needed. He ran into the building and climbed the stairs to the roof. He stood on the giant painted H and looked to the sky. The smoke and cloudy sky obstructed his vision. He could hear the propellers, but didn’t see the helicopter arrive until the smoke began to stir above him. It would have been impossible for the crowd below, not to have heard the helicopter arrive, so Lanegan quickly wedged the door shut from the outside. Through the window, Lanegan saw Morrison. It seemed to take an age for the helicopter to land, as Lanegan’s eyes focussed on the door. As Lanegan jumped aboard, he noticed the door begin to rattle and then burst open. On this occasion, he didn’t feel guilt. There was no space within him for emotions that might slow him down.
They gained height and saw the trains arriving in the distance. Lanegan told Morrison to fly low over the crowd so that they could try to engage with them. The noise of the helicopter was loud enough to cover the sound of the trains which meant the attention of the crowd was focussed entirely on them. Many reached up in desperation, shouting and begging in vain under the sound of the rotors.
“Morrison, is there a PA system onboard?” asked Lanegan.
“Yes,” he answered.
Morrison passed Lanegan the microphone.
“Just click the button on the side,” he said.
Lanegan looked down to the crowd and pressed the button, instantly causing a squealing noise that got everyone’s attention.
“Please listen carefully,” he began. “This is Tom Lanegan speaking. You are in danger if you remain here. Please move carefully and slowly over Westminster Bridge and meet us at Hyde Park where you will be given further instructions. Follow this helicopter if you are unsure of where to go.”
The helicopter moved away slowly and the crowd began to follow. They flew over Westminster Bridge, hovering near the middle. Lanegan watched with relief as thousands of people began to fill the bridge on their trail. J
ust as they thought they had succeeded in luring the crowd away, the crowd stopped and turned suddenly as the London Eye came into view. Those not yet aware of the spectacle surged forward causing a crush. The ensuing panic forced people to scale the walls on both sides of the bridge in a desperate attempt to escape.
“This is bad,” said Lanegan, watching helplessly. “We need to get them off that bridge before people start dying.”
“What shall we do?” shouted Morrison.
“I don’t know,” Lanegan replied. “We need something quick though.”
Morrison moved the helicopter forward in the hope that the crowd would follow. They were hardly noticed anymore as people could be seen being forced to jump from the bridge into the river. They looked down helplessly.
“We need to move them forwards,” said Morrison. “If they head back to the trains they are going to meet thousands more people head on,” said Morrison.
“We’re done for,” said Lanegan. “If they get off those trains and see a pile of injured and dead bodies, this whole thing falls apart – SHIT - what have I done?”
“Wait,” said Morrison. “Look at that.”
“Look at what?” asked Lanegan.
“The windscreen.”
“The windscreen? Be more specific. What am I looking at through the windscreen?”
“No - the actual windscreen.” Morrison shouted.
Lanegan looked at the windscreen; confused as he tried to focus on the glass.
“Is that – rain?” he said.
The smoke was so intense that they had not noticed that rain clouds had built up above them. They watched closely as one drop after another slowly fell on the glass.
“Please let there be …”
But just as Lanegan began to talk it began to pour down all over the city. The rain fell at such a force that the helicopter shook momentarily and the sound was almost unbearable.
“I’d almost forgotten what rain looked like,” said Lanegan, as Morrison regained control.
They watched as the initial downpour slowed and their visibility increased. Looking down, they saw a sea of faces all looking upwards. The rain had been such a surprise that the surge had stopped. It was cleaning off the dirt and smoke that had covered the city for weeks. Polluted lungs and throats sensed the change, relieving the choked feeling that had become normal.
“Prime Minister,” said Morrison. “Look at the Eye.”
Lanegan looked out of his window to see the fire was extinguishing, producing a combination of smoke and steam as the rain hit its hot metal frame.
“If the rain continues,” Lanegan said. “Then most of the fires will go out. We got lucky but it needs to continue. Get us back down Morrison, they may need a personal appearance this time and I’ll need you as security.”
“Right away,” replied Morrison, as he manoeuvred the helicopter down the river towards Jubilee Gardens.
On the ground, Jacob looked up to the grey sky. They had all been frozen to the spot despite the rain and were now soaked to the skin.
“Did nobody look at the forecast,” he joked.
“I honestly didn’t think we would ever see rain again,” said Stephanie.
“Do you think this will change anything?” asked Isabelle.
“It’s the first time it has rained since the beginning.”
“It may have been a factor – who knows?” replied Jacob.
“Do you know what this reminds me of?” asked Stephanie.
“I have no idea,” said Jacob.
“All of this; the rain, smoke and grey clouds. It looks like Mary Poppins.”
“Who is Mary Poppins?” asked Professor Kilmister.
“It’s an old film,” said Stephanie. “I think you would like it.
They looked up as the sound of the helicopter went over their heads. Stephanie stayed focussed until it was out of sight.
“You’ll see him real soon, Stephanie. Don’t worry,” said Isabelle.
“I know. It hasn’t been long, but …”
Before Stephanie could finish they all turned as the sound of the helicopter was replaced by the distinct noise of trains coming to a halt. Their heads turned to see if the crowd had noticed. Thousands of heads turned to look in their direction. The crowd’s excited response to the rain turned into light mumblings that grew louder as the prospect of a way out became a reality. Jacob instinctively jumped up onto a wall and pleaded with the people at the front not to move towards the station, but his voice quickly became lost.
“If I was you I would get out of the way,” he shouted back to the others.
They all jumped up onto the wall where Jacob stood and watched as the crowd edged forward, unsure of their next move. The rain had had a calming effect creating a hesitant atmosphere. There was no pushing or shouting, just a general curiosity.
All of a sudden a low rumbling sound began and slight vibrations filtered up through the ground as one of the trains began to leave. This caused a brief stir amongst the crowd that twitched in unison. It was an agonising few seconds that felt like minutes as the crowd decided its next move.
A woman pushed her way forward to the front.
“I can’t stay here anymore. I need to get on one of those trains,” she shouted.
She began to run ahead towards the station before stopping suddenly. As she reached York Road a sound appeared that resembled a marching army. She began to walk slowly backwards, unable to look away from what was coming. Suddenly a blast of noise appeared that sounded like a trumpet or horn - and then voices: lots of voices. The lady was shocked to see a large, determined crowd returning to the city, streaming into the streets with loud and joyous singing. What appeared from Waterloo station had not been seen by anyone alive. Thousands of people arm in arm, together, and the more the rain fell, the louder they sang. They filled the street from side to side, consuming the tarmac. Attempting to stop them or pass them by to reach the now departing trains was a futile exercise. The only option was to join the parade and move forward with them.
Lanegan reached the entrance to the station and was shocked to see Ella and the children leaving the station. He joined them with Morrison and walked towards the bridge.
“What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to wait until we knew it was safe?” he asked.
“You’re not the only one gets to escape their security whenever they feel like it,” she said. “And besides, the kids wanted to bang some drums.”
“Well, who wouldn’t want to bang some drums?” he replied.
Lanegan had to remind himself that they were trying to start a new way of life with an attitude that promoted positive change. By letting his children join in and take part in building their own future, he would be releasing them into finding new discoveries about themselves and the world. He hoped they would embrace the opportunities that were presented to them and not face the horrors of history that he feared so much; he also hoped he could do the same and release himself from all that he knew.
As the procession continued past the confused and stunned crowd they handed out food and water. The sick and injured were helped back to the trains for a journey to the New Forest where they could receive medical attention. Lanegan and his family reached the wall where the others were reaping the advantages of a high viewpoint.
“Glad to have you back on the ground,” said Ken.
“It’s good to be back; it almost went very wrong though,” Lanegan replied.
“Saved by the rain,” said Ken.
“I’ll certainly never complain about it again, Ken. That’s for certain.”
“It was good fortune that they turned up when they did. We were about to have a situation.”
“It has been a lucky day, so far,” agreed Lanegan. “A downside is we don’t have eyes in the air anymore.”
“Why so?” asked Ken.
“The weather, funnily enough; it’s been a blessing and a curse. It’s not safe up there and fuel is low.”
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br /> “So how do we do this?” asked Ken.
“How we said. We meet them in the streets and see what happens,” said Lanegan.
Stephanie stood on the wall and watched as the bridge filled with beautiful colours to rival the stifling grey and black smog. A new found joy was cast across the faces of those who believed they had been abandoned. Some wept, while others joined in the carnival spirit, dancing and singing. As she smiled quietly to herself, a voice spoke quietly behind her.
“So - have you done anything interesting today?”
Stephanie recognised the voice but didn’t turn.
“No - not really,” she replied. “ I got attacked with bottles of fire and walked through a city that which was partly on fire; then witnessed a famous London tourist attraction – on fire. What about you?”
“Nothing much - I spent the day directing traffic.”
“That sounds boring.”
“It was, a little. How are you?”
“Better,” she replied grabbing his hand and pulling him next to her.
They leant against each other, swaying in time with the music and the movement of Westminster Bridge. Stephanie looked up and saw the smoke had cleared revealing the clock tower of Big Ben. She thought how great landmarks such as this would inspire people to not give up and remind them of what they were trying to salvage. Through change and difficult times, they stood as symbols of a past that could become the present. As Professor Kilmister had said, ‘Everything old can become new again.’