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The noise of the phone ringing woke John Blazer, who on seeing what time it was hesitated before answering the call, as it would almost certainly be bad news at so early an hour.
“John Blazer here, who on Earth is it calling at this time of the morning.” He finally said into the mouthpiece of the phone.
“Mr Blazer, this is the Collingswood Clinic, Doctor Frazer, I`m on night duty here. I have to tell you that there was at least one intruder in Mr David Charlton`s room this morning, but he didn`t appear to have had the time to do anything. Our medical staff were alerted by the alarms on the monitors around your godson going off, and managed to scare him away. Unfortunately the security guard at the reception desk wasn`t quite so lucky, he was killed.”
Blazer felt his blood run cold at the thought of something happening to his godson. “I`ll be there in thirty minutes Doctor.” Blazer replied anxiously.
“I don`t believe that they actually harmed your godson, so you don`t need to rush straight over Sir. I only called as you left strict instructions to do so, should anything happen in the proximity of you godson.” Doctor Frazer assured Blazer.
“Never mind that, I`ll be there in thirty minutes.” With that, he put the phone down for a second, and then called Richard Charlton who answered with a groan as he struggled to wake up.
“Charlton here, who the blazes is ruining my night`s sleep?”
“Richard, it`s John Blazer, there was an intruder in David`s room this morning, I`ll pick you up in ten minutes.” Without giving his friend a chance to reply, Blazer put the phone down and hurriedly dressed. Richard Charlton was just closing his front door as the sleek limousine belonging to Blazer pulled up in front of the building; soon they were on the way to the clinic.
“Richard I`ve been thinking about the possible reasons behind the intruder, but I am baffled by it, if they had wanted David dead for some reason then he would almost certainly be dead by now, killed by an energy bolt fired from a Phaser. Instead they just set off all of the alarms of the monitors in his room, why?”
“I don`t know John, but why else would they be there, not just for a prank that is for certain, there must be a logical reason for entering into David`s room, and then not actually doing anything?”
They were just approaching a turning that would take them to the clinic, when Blazer pulled in to the side of the road. “Richard what if this is all an elaborate means to get the two of us together at a place of someone else`s choosing?” John Blazer asked quietly.
“What on earth are you getting at John?” Richard Charlton asked just a little perplexed at his friend’s question.
“So far we have had an attempt on my life which caused the loss of Patricia, and then there was the attack on you which put David in hospital, when the car struck him instead of you. There was the terrorist attack on the Explorer and now we have this intruder. Maybe this time they mean to ensure that they kill you and maybe me as well. Maybe someone doesn`t want our expedition to go ahead.” John Blazer replied.
“I`m not saying that I agree with you John, but it certainly makes sense, assuming that you are correct how do you want to proceed?” Richard Charlton asked.
“Let`s leave the car here and proceed to the clinic on foot Richard. I think that we should slip across the park, as that is as likely a place as any for any assassin to be hidden, but we must be careful to be as quiet as possible, and also to keep our eyes open and our ears alert for the slightest of sounds.” John Blazer said.
“I think that you are mad John, but alright.” With that the two men got out of the sleek limousine and entered into the park.” I just hope that we don`t meet up with any muggers John.” Richard Charlton whispered as he looked around them at the many dark shadows that were waiting along the narrow path that they trod.
“What at this time in the morning Richard, they are all safely tucked up in bed.” Blazer said smiling at his friend. “Richard, after all that has happened lately I would welcome meeting a mugger, should one be foolish enough to try and get in our way.” With that, Blazer pulled out a Phaser weapon and showed it to Charlton.
Apart from the sound of a solitary vehicle, driving along the empty streets of Washington, all was silent as they walked quietly through the park. The way was lit by the occasional light along the path, but as they got near to the clinic, Blazer took them off the path that would take them right up to its doors. It was now that Richard Charlton saw something, or someone move ahead of them, then he realised that it was a body crouched down before some tall Rhododendron bushes. Luckily the person still hadn`t seen them, for they were still hidden by the darkness caused by a large oak tree that blocked out the light. Charlton reached out and put his hand on Blazer`s arm to stop him, and as Blazer looked enquiringly at his friend he put his finger to his lips in the age old sign that denoted the need for silence, and pointed ahead of them towards the crouching figure. On seeing the man, Blazer indicated to Charlton that they should approach the man from his right hand side, this was because the strong winds of two nights before had broken off the uppermost branches of a nearby tree, and so far the local municipal authorities hadn`t got around to clearing them away.
Charlton and Blazer were now just two feet away from the man whose complete attention was divided between the small screen before him, and the entrance to the clinic. Charlton attention was also on the screen, for he saw immediately that it showed his son David, lying still in his hospital bed. The first Gaudi knew of them was when they rushed him, and he only had enough time to get to his knees when Charlton hit him hard upon the jaw with a powerful uppercut that knocked Gaudi out cold.
“John, the little bleeder was keeping a watch on David`s room over in the clinic.”
Blazer quickly went through the other pieces of equipment; they were lying neatly upon a small towel that Gaudi had set upon the grass beside him.
“Richard, this looks very much like a remote control device, I think that we should get the authorities to check out David`s room before we do anything else.
Gaudi slowly came round, and when fully awake he glared up at them, and to Charlton his eyes seemed ablaze with the light of a fanatic, but what Charlton didn`t see was the fear that was also there, for Gaudi knew that he was soon to die.
“You may have me, but you cannot escape what fate has in store for you.” Gaudi said defiantly, but he couldn`t stop the tears that filled his eyes, for he knew that he would never see his family again. He refused to say another word to them or to the police when they arrived five minutes later. David Charlton and John Blazer had to wait a further five minutes for the arrival of the bomb squad, who then made the two friends wait outside while they went in to check the room over for any signs of a bomb, and also for any booby traps that may have been laid by the assassins. They soon found the device and they immediately decided to move David Charlton to another room for safety. The bed that he had been sleeping in was now taken away and blown up rather than risk the bomb, which was silently waiting its signal to destroy all of those near to it, being triggered by some anti-tampering device. To attempt to work on it in situ would endanger too many other peoples` lives inside of the clinic, for the bomb squad had determined that the device was easily powerful enough to destroy the complete wing of the clinic.
There was little for the detectives to go on now, but maybe they could discover where the parts of the bomb that had survived the powerful blast were purchased. Pictures of the bomber captured by Blazer and Charlton were soon passed around to all of the police stations in the city, and to every newspaper and television news show. A search for was underway for the terrorists’ lodgings in the city, unfortunately all the CCTV tapes that had recorded the men as they entered the reception area of the clinic had been destroyed, by Retz Pula while he had been guarding the front entrance to the clinic, and there were no CCTV cameras elsewhere in the building.
Richard Charlton and John Blazer were finally allowed in to check on David Charlton,
and were assured that he was fine, if you could call being in a coma fine.
“I shall be glad when you finally lift off Richard, then whichever crackpot fringe group is targeting us will have to leave you alone, they can hardly follow you to the middle of the galaxy, can they?” John Blazer declared.
“No they can`t John, and we should be ready to go in four days time, if the replacement airlock turns up as promised. Until then my crew will have to stay aboard the Explorer so as to limit the damage these madmen can do, hopefully inside the Explorer they will be safe from further attacks.” Richard Charlton stated firmly.
“Don`t you worry about the airlock it will be there on time and I will get our maintenance team to put in some overtime to ensure that the ship is ready when you are. I will also arrange for extra security Richard, both here in the clinic and around our hanger at the space port.” John Blazer promised his friend. “If we are careful we should be able to stop these attacks dead in their tracks.” At least he hoped that this would be the result.
“What about you John, they have also tried to kill you aboard your private jet, and now they appeared to choose a time when we would both be drawn to a spot of their choosing?” Richard Charlton asked.
“Don`t worry Richard, I will be extra careful when I`m out and about.”