starting.’
‘At Templeton?’
‘That’s the one. We’re going to flatten that place like it never existed.’
‘But you can’t,’ Ben blurted out. ‘It won’t stop what’s happening there. It might just make it worse.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Jenkins said. He sat down at his desk and started working on his computer. ‘You should have stayed away, like the colonel told you. He warned you not to go into that village, didn’t he?’
Ben looked at Rupam, confused, then back to Jenkins. ‘No, he didn’t. He knows that Mr Knight and the others are in Templeton.’
‘Yeah, nice try.’ Jenkins didn’t look up from his screen.
‘What do you mean?’ Rupam asked.
Jenkins looked over at them, irritated. ‘Colonel Greene made it very clear that no one was to go anywhere near Templeton. He told me what happened in that meeting. And he told me that he sent Mr Knight and his children away with a flea in their ears and orders to keep well away. Because Templeton is going to be razed to the ground, along with anyone in it.’ He pulled his keyboard towards him and started to type. ‘So it’s a good job you got out when you did. And if there is anyone else there, against the colonel’s explicit orders, then I hope you said your goodbyes.’
Ben and Rupam exchanged worried looks, while Sam paced up and down. Rupam had his phone out. He showed Ben that he had no signal.
‘That won’t work,’ Jenkins said, without looking up. ‘No mobiles allowed on the base during an operation. We have a suppressor that blanks out any signal. When it’s turned on, all mobile phones are dead here.’
‘Useless,’ Rupam muttered, and put his phone away.
‘But we’re not useless,’ Ben said quietly. ‘We might think there’s nothing we can do, but there is always something .’
Sam stopped in front of him, hands on her hips. ‘Oh, yeah? What?’
‘Sure,’ Rupam replied quietly to Ben. ‘The question is – what?’
‘We do what we’re good at. Like remembering things. Or thinking .’
Rupam smiled. ‘You’re the thinker, are you? Genius?’
Ben shook his head. He looked straight at Sam. ‘Not me. But that’s what we need right now. A thinker. Someone who can come up with a plan, because you’re right – we’re never going to get Colonel Greene to help.’
‘Hey, keep it down, will you?’ Jenkins called across. ‘Just sit quietly.’
Sam said, ‘You won’t escape easily from here. Not without a massive distraction.’
Ben nodded. That was true.
‘So the only other option is to get a message out. Send for help.’
Ben nodded again. But how?
Sam sighed, as if her next point was obvious. ‘So you have to get him out of the room and use the phone.’
She meant Jenkins, of course. But what would make him leave?
‘How you do it is up to you,’ Sam told Ben. ‘I can’t be expected to think of everything.’
‘I suppose not,’ Ben said out loud.
‘What?’ Rupam said.
Jenkins shot Ben an angry look.
‘I said, I suddenly feel very hot,’ Ben said quickly. It was actually quite cool in the room. ‘I don’t feel good at all,’ he went on. He pulled off his jacket – scratched to bits by the plants and thorns. ‘Oh, that’s not good.’ He slumped forward, head in his hands. ‘Can I get a drink of water? I’ve not eaten or drunk anything for ages.’
Jenkins came over and looked at Ben.
‘He’s looking really pale,’ Rupam said, guessing Ben was up to something.
‘I’m not leaving you to run off,’ Jenkins said. ‘Nice try, but no chance.’
There was something in his tone – a lack of conviction, an uncertainty that gave Ben hope.
‘Please, just some water. Look – lock us in here while you get it if you want. I’ll be all right if I canjust get a drink …’ He let his voice tail off weakly.
‘There’s a water cooler down the hall,’ Jenkins said, straightening up. ‘I’ll be back in one minute, so no funny stuff –
‘At Templeton?’
‘That’s the one. We’re going to flatten that place like it never existed.’
‘But you can’t,’ Ben blurted out. ‘It won’t stop what’s happening there. It might just make it worse.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Jenkins said. He sat down at his desk and started working on his computer. ‘You should have stayed away, like the colonel told you. He warned you not to go into that village, didn’t he?’
Ben looked at Rupam, confused, then back to Jenkins. ‘No, he didn’t. He knows that Mr Knight and the others are in Templeton.’
‘Yeah, nice try.’ Jenkins didn’t look up from his screen.
‘What do you mean?’ Rupam asked.
Jenkins looked over at them, irritated. ‘Colonel Greene made it very clear that no one was to go anywhere near Templeton. He told me what happened in that meeting. And he told me that he sent Mr Knight and his children away with a flea in their ears and orders to keep well away. Because Templeton is going to be razed to the ground, along with anyone in it.’ He pulled his keyboard towards him and started to type. ‘So it’s a good job you got out when you did. And if there is anyone else there, against the colonel’s explicit orders, then I hope you said your goodbyes.’
Ben and Rupam exchanged worried looks, while Sam paced up and down. Rupam had his phone out. He showed Ben that he had no signal.
‘That won’t work,’ Jenkins said, without looking up. ‘No mobiles allowed on the base during an operation. We have a suppressor that blanks out any signal. When it’s turned on, all mobile phones are dead here.’
‘Useless,’ Rupam muttered, and put his phone away.
‘But we’re not useless,’ Ben said quietly. ‘We might think there’s nothing we can do, but there is always something .’
Sam stopped in front of him, hands on her hips. ‘Oh, yeah? What?’
‘Sure,’ Rupam replied quietly to Ben. ‘The question is – what?’
‘We do what we’re good at. Like remembering things. Or thinking .’
Rupam smiled. ‘You’re the thinker, are you? Genius?’
Ben shook his head. He looked straight at Sam. ‘Not me. But that’s what we need right now. A thinker. Someone who can come up with a plan, because you’re right – we’re never going to get Colonel Greene to help.’
‘Hey, keep it down, will you?’ Jenkins called across. ‘Just sit quietly.’
Sam said, ‘You won’t escape easily from here. Not without a massive distraction.’
Ben nodded. That was true.
‘So the only other option is to get a message out. Send for help.’
Ben nodded again. But how?
Sam sighed, as if her next point was obvious. ‘So you have to get him out of the room and use the phone.’
She meant Jenkins, of course. But what would make him leave?
‘How you do it is up to you,’ Sam told Ben. ‘I can’t be expected to think of everything.’
‘I suppose not,’ Ben said out loud.
‘What?’ Rupam said.
Jenkins shot Ben an angry look.
‘I said, I suddenly feel very hot,’ Ben said quickly. It was actually quite cool in the room. ‘I don’t feel good at all,’ he went on. He pulled off his jacket – scratched to bits by the plants and thorns. ‘Oh, that’s not good.’ He slumped forward, head in his hands. ‘Can I get a drink of water? I’ve not eaten or drunk anything for ages.’
Jenkins came over and looked at Ben.
‘He’s looking really pale,’ Rupam said, guessing Ben was up to something.
‘I’m not leaving you to run off,’ Jenkins said. ‘Nice try, but no chance.’
There was something in his tone – a lack of conviction, an uncertainty that gave Ben hope.
‘Please, just some water. Look – lock us in here while you get it if you want. I’ll be all right if I canjust get a drink …’ He let his voice tail off weakly.
‘There’s a water cooler down the hall,’ Jenkins said, straightening up. ‘I’ll be back in one minute, so no funny stuff –
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