Capital Falling Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3]
the TV is quite low. Emily, however, has moved onto the kitchen floor, lying on her belly with her iPad on the floor. It looks like she is drawing a picture on one of the clever Apps these things have. Her legs are waving in the air behind her as if she hasn’t a care in the world.“Right, girls, we are going out, so have you both had enough to eat? I’m going to get some food together for us to have later; is there anything else you two want to take?”
I try to sound as casual as possible and move towards the fridge to start getting the supplies ready. As I do, it’s Stacey who speaks first.
“Andy,” she starts, “I don’t think we are allowed to go out. At least, that’s what they’ve been saying on the news?”
“Why aren’t we allowed to go out, Dad?” Emily pipes up. “Where are we going to go, anyway?”
Thinking the girls wouldn’t have any questions or need an explanation was foolish of me. So again, deciding on telling the truth, or a version of the truth, I do give them an explanation.
“Well, girls, as you know, there is some trouble at the moment in the city, which is why the police have asked everyone to stay at home, but I am sure they will sort the problem out very soon. I’m afraid I do have to go into work because there are some documents that the police need from me to help them, and so they’ve said it’s okay for us to travel to the office.”
Stacey is looking at me strangely, obviously having some doubts about my explanation, but I press on, nonetheless.
“So, we are taking a trip to the office to send these documents over to help the police. Emily, can you go upstairs and pack some toys and maybe your colouring things into your pink bag, and anything else you want to take?
“Do we have to go into your work, Dad?” Emily says, pulling a face.
“Yes, darling, I’m afraid so, so pop up and get your bag ready. I’ll be up in a minute to help you.”
“Okay,” is the only response I get from her. Stacey then volunteers to go and help Emily, but I ask her to stay here to give me a hand. Emily drags herself up from the floor, leaving her iPad exactly where it is, in the middle of the floor. She goes out of the kitchen door and can be heard stomping up the stairs.
Leaning down to pick up the iPad, I start to give Stacey a more accurate explanation, telling her that we don’t know what is going to happen with the situation in the city and that getting to the Orion Building is the best and safest place for us to be.
“Do we really have permission to travel to your work?” she asks.
“Not strictly, speaking,” I reply, “but it is going to be the safest place for us. I know a lot of the police if we run into any, and it should only take us about fifteen minutes to get there because there won’t be any traffic.”
“Okay," she says, “what do you want me to do?”
Smiling at her, I ask her to get the big reusable Sainsbury’s shopping bags from the cupboard and fill them with as much food as she can from the fridge and cupboards, then get my car keys and go to the garage. There, she should put the bags into the boot of the Land Rover. I ask her to also fill as many bottles as she can find with water, telling her to pour away any bottled pop or juice, fill them with water and put them in the boot as well.
Stacey is now looking a little concerned, but I reassure her it’s only a precaution, just in case we need it. This seems to ease her mind a little.
My logic behind going to the Orion Building is as follows:
The building is extremely secure, both structurally and electronically. The company commissioned the new building over three years ago, designing it to be a virtual fortress to ensure the security of the sensitive data, kept on site for Orion’s “customers”. I had a fair amount of input in designing the security features of the structure and once the building is locked down, it will take a small army to breach it.
The personnel on site, many of whom are either ex-soldiers or highly trained security operatives and there will be a good few hands-on-deck by now.
The building is self-sufficient with its own generators and stores, enough to last a week or two if rationed properly.
The Armoury. Orion holds its own clandestine weapons locked away in a vault. These are strictly 'off book' and only known to members of staff with high enough security clearance. They are there so they can be moved quickly to operations, in theory abroad but also at home if ever necessary. The contents of the vault, which are considerable, are highly illegal in the UK but are kept there under the noses of visiting dignitaries to the company, including MPs, PMs and even members of the Royal family.
Am I overreacting, this could all be cleared up and go away as quickly as it seems to have arrived? Maybe the authorities are overreacting too or being over cautious, maybe this is not as serious as it is looking to me right now? The news tomorrow could be reporting that the whole incident was blown out of all proportion, that a few Members of Government’s heads have rolled and that the usual costly, lengthy and futile enquiries have been launched to investigate the whole debacle and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Let us all hope this is the case tomorrow, I think, so we can all still carry on with our lives as we always have. I truly hope this great capital city called London is back to its usual hectic bustle!
This may well be the