it.
Lauren tried to force the glass cover up, but it wouldn’t budge. Jake tried with her, but even with their combined efforts the glass case remained firmly closed.
So near and yet so far, thought Jake. We’ve come this far, we can’t go without it. He looked at his watch. 11.46. Four minutes before the place went into lock-down. It would take them two minutes to get back to the exit door. If they didn’t leave here soon, they’d be trapped.
Jake cast his eye around the room, and saw a large stone with ornate carvings on it. They looked as if they were Celtic. It was possibly some other ancient artefact that had been brought in for examination. Jake picked up the stone and felt its heaviness. Lauren was still trying to heave the glass cover off. Jake lifted the heavy stone, and then swung it hard at the glass.
The glass shattered, and as it did the ear-splitting sound of an alarm blared out. Lauren swung round, shocked, but Jake was already reaching into the shattered glass cabinet and snatching up the book.
Let’s hope that alarm hasn’t brought the security system back in! he prayed urgently. He ran to the door and tugged at it, and it opened. So far so good; but the alarm was still sounding out, the noise filling their heads.
They ran down the corridor and reached the exit door. As they pushed it open, they ran straight into a security guard standing just outside, and heard the vicious warning growl of a guard dog on a lead right beside him. The security guard seemed as shocked as they were, but he reached out and grabbed Lauren’s balaclava and tore it off her head. Acting instinctively, Jake leapt out and swung his fist at the guard’s face, connecting with his chin. The security guard stumbled back with a cry of pain, and the dog leapt at Jake. Jake felt the dog’s teeth rip at his sleeve.
Acting out of survival instinct rather than with skill, Jake shoved the dazed guard into the building. The guard still had the dog’s lead wrapped round his wrist, and the dog was pulled after his master; but he dragged Jake with him. Desperately, Jake slipped out of his jacket and pushed both the dog and the guard inside, then leapt back, slamming the door shut. There was a click, and Jake tried the handle again. It was locked once more!
Jake and Lauren ran back towards the manhole cover. The rain was much heavier now, the grass slippery, but they skidded to a halt beside the cover, and then slid down into the drain. The base was alive with activity now: lights coming on all over the place; sirens blaring; people shouting; dogs barking.
Jake followed Lauren into the drain and pulled the manhole cover into place. The heavy rain cascading down had turned the drain into a waterslide and they half slid, half scrambled along the narrow tunnel towards the culvert.
They forced their way through the bent wire grille, then out to the culvert, and along the ditch. Now the ditch was deep in water, and getting fuller, but they made it to where Parsons was waiting with the car.
‘What happened?’ he asked as they reached the Mini. ‘What went wrong?’
‘We’ll talk as you drive,’ said Lauren.
Jake and Lauren tumbled into the car, their clothes and faces soaking wet. Parsons slid behind the wheel, started the car up, and drove out of the small clearing into the narrow road. Jake noticed he was heading away from the main Aylesbury road.
‘I’m using a different route, off the main road,’ said Parsons, as if reading Jake’s thoughts. ‘We don’t want to get stopped.’
Parsons waited until they’d driven for about half a mile before he switched on the car’s lights.
‘So, what happened?’ he asked.
‘We got the book,’ said Lauren triumphantly.
‘You did?’ said Parsons, and for the first time the usually cool and calm tone in his voice broke to show excitement. ‘Incredible! Fantastic!!’
‘The alarm went off,’ said Jake. ‘The one protecting the glass case where the book was. Jo said
Lauren tried to force the glass cover up, but it wouldn’t budge. Jake tried with her, but even with their combined efforts the glass case remained firmly closed.
So near and yet so far, thought Jake. We’ve come this far, we can’t go without it. He looked at his watch. 11.46. Four minutes before the place went into lock-down. It would take them two minutes to get back to the exit door. If they didn’t leave here soon, they’d be trapped.
Jake cast his eye around the room, and saw a large stone with ornate carvings on it. They looked as if they were Celtic. It was possibly some other ancient artefact that had been brought in for examination. Jake picked up the stone and felt its heaviness. Lauren was still trying to heave the glass cover off. Jake lifted the heavy stone, and then swung it hard at the glass.
The glass shattered, and as it did the ear-splitting sound of an alarm blared out. Lauren swung round, shocked, but Jake was already reaching into the shattered glass cabinet and snatching up the book.
Let’s hope that alarm hasn’t brought the security system back in! he prayed urgently. He ran to the door and tugged at it, and it opened. So far so good; but the alarm was still sounding out, the noise filling their heads.
They ran down the corridor and reached the exit door. As they pushed it open, they ran straight into a security guard standing just outside, and heard the vicious warning growl of a guard dog on a lead right beside him. The security guard seemed as shocked as they were, but he reached out and grabbed Lauren’s balaclava and tore it off her head. Acting instinctively, Jake leapt out and swung his fist at the guard’s face, connecting with his chin. The security guard stumbled back with a cry of pain, and the dog leapt at Jake. Jake felt the dog’s teeth rip at his sleeve.
Acting out of survival instinct rather than with skill, Jake shoved the dazed guard into the building. The guard still had the dog’s lead wrapped round his wrist, and the dog was pulled after his master; but he dragged Jake with him. Desperately, Jake slipped out of his jacket and pushed both the dog and the guard inside, then leapt back, slamming the door shut. There was a click, and Jake tried the handle again. It was locked once more!
Jake and Lauren ran back towards the manhole cover. The rain was much heavier now, the grass slippery, but they skidded to a halt beside the cover, and then slid down into the drain. The base was alive with activity now: lights coming on all over the place; sirens blaring; people shouting; dogs barking.
Jake followed Lauren into the drain and pulled the manhole cover into place. The heavy rain cascading down had turned the drain into a waterslide and they half slid, half scrambled along the narrow tunnel towards the culvert.
They forced their way through the bent wire grille, then out to the culvert, and along the ditch. Now the ditch was deep in water, and getting fuller, but they made it to where Parsons was waiting with the car.
‘What happened?’ he asked as they reached the Mini. ‘What went wrong?’
‘We’ll talk as you drive,’ said Lauren.
Jake and Lauren tumbled into the car, their clothes and faces soaking wet. Parsons slid behind the wheel, started the car up, and drove out of the small clearing into the narrow road. Jake noticed he was heading away from the main Aylesbury road.
‘I’m using a different route, off the main road,’ said Parsons, as if reading Jake’s thoughts. ‘We don’t want to get stopped.’
Parsons waited until they’d driven for about half a mile before he switched on the car’s lights.
‘So, what happened?’ he asked.
‘We got the book,’ said Lauren triumphantly.
‘You did?’ said Parsons, and for the first time the usually cool and calm tone in his voice broke to show excitement. ‘Incredible! Fantastic!!’
‘The alarm went off,’ said Jake. ‘The one protecting the glass case where the book was. Jo said
Similar Books
