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Authors: Johnny O'Brien
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perched up in the cab ahead. The bus was crawling forward at an agonising pace.
“I’m trying, but this thing’s got a gearbox like a bowl of Mum’s porridge…”
There was another painful mechanical crunch as Angus discovered second gear and, with a belch of diesel smoke, the bus staggered its way up from ten miles an hour to a heady fifteen. The driver made a heroic leap for the pole at the rear of the bus. He caught hold, but couldn’t run fast enough to jump onto the platform. As his hand slipped down to the bottom of the pole, he clung on desperately and was dragged along the road.
“I’ll get you, you little…” the driver spat through his teeth as Jack loomed over him.
Jack looked down in alarm as the driver pulled himself forward and managed to wrap his right arm around the pole. He was going to try and climb back on.
“Sorry, sir,” Jack said, “we’re commandeering your bus in the interests of, er, national security…”
Jack didn’t like what he was about to do, but he knew he didn’t have much choice. He kicked the bus driver’s elbow hard.The driver yelped and lost his grip, then tumbled back onto the road. Jack looked on as the man pulled himself to his feet, clenched his fists and screamed a string of expletives as the bus lumbered on.
Jack rushed to the front of the bus, where Angus wrestled with a giant steering wheel. He sported a huge grin.
“All clear back there?”
“Someone refused to pay, but he was good enough to get off…” Jack looked through the windscreen. “Can you see Pendelshape’s car?”
Angus nodded. “Yes – they’re up there… I’m just managing to keep up. No sign of that motorbike guy, though. What a lunatic!”
“Have they noticed us?”
“Don’t think so. What are we going to do – just follow them?”
“It won’t be long before the driver tips off the police or something and then we’ve had it.”
The number thirty-two rumbled on, with Angus at the wheel. The suburbs had already thinned out and now they were in open countryside.
“He’s going faster now. Where’s he taking us?”
“Well I hope we find out soon, because I think we’re in trouble.”
Jack looked down towards the rear of the bus. Behind them he could see a police car, its bell ringing out over the sound of the engine.
“Police.”
“We can’t stop – we’ll lose Pendelshape. Hold on, he’s turning in… there.”
Jack looked out of the side window of the bus.
“It’s an aerodrome. There’s perimeter fencing and big hangers and stuff. I can see some aircraft parked up. Look – they’re letting Pendelshape’s car through…”
Angus slowed down. They watched as the black car pulled up to a sentry box which guarded a large gate. Sandbags were stacked up all around. The sentry leaned in to the car and then stepped away. The gate started to open. They were only a hundred metres from the aerodrome gate as Angus pulled up. The arrival of a double-decker London bus was starting to cause some interest from the sentries and one of them left his post to walk up the road towards them. Just at that point, the police car pulled up beside the bus. Two burly policemen got out.
“Switch off your engine and get out.” Jack stuck his head out of the window.
“Officer, there’s a man in the back of that car – we think he’s been kidnapped, er, or something.”
The red-faced policeman yelled at them through the side window.
“Don’t give me a cock-and-bull story… you two are in serious trouble – now do as I say and GET OUT OF THE BUS!”
Jack looked at Angus, expectantly.
But Angus didn’t need to be told. He gunned the vast engine of the bus. The whole thing started to shake as it shot off towards the aerodrome gate, belching black smoke. The sentry leaped to the side and the bus swung in to the entrance. It crashed through the gate, which was still partially ajar, and headed into the aerodrome. They did not have time to notice the helpfulsign
“I’m trying, but this thing’s got a gearbox like a bowl of Mum’s porridge…”
There was another painful mechanical crunch as Angus discovered second gear and, with a belch of diesel smoke, the bus staggered its way up from ten miles an hour to a heady fifteen. The driver made a heroic leap for the pole at the rear of the bus. He caught hold, but couldn’t run fast enough to jump onto the platform. As his hand slipped down to the bottom of the pole, he clung on desperately and was dragged along the road.
“I’ll get you, you little…” the driver spat through his teeth as Jack loomed over him.
Jack looked down in alarm as the driver pulled himself forward and managed to wrap his right arm around the pole. He was going to try and climb back on.
“Sorry, sir,” Jack said, “we’re commandeering your bus in the interests of, er, national security…”
Jack didn’t like what he was about to do, but he knew he didn’t have much choice. He kicked the bus driver’s elbow hard.The driver yelped and lost his grip, then tumbled back onto the road. Jack looked on as the man pulled himself to his feet, clenched his fists and screamed a string of expletives as the bus lumbered on.
Jack rushed to the front of the bus, where Angus wrestled with a giant steering wheel. He sported a huge grin.
“All clear back there?”
“Someone refused to pay, but he was good enough to get off…” Jack looked through the windscreen. “Can you see Pendelshape’s car?”
Angus nodded. “Yes – they’re up there… I’m just managing to keep up. No sign of that motorbike guy, though. What a lunatic!”
“Have they noticed us?”
“Don’t think so. What are we going to do – just follow them?”
“It won’t be long before the driver tips off the police or something and then we’ve had it.”
The number thirty-two rumbled on, with Angus at the wheel. The suburbs had already thinned out and now they were in open countryside.
“He’s going faster now. Where’s he taking us?”
“Well I hope we find out soon, because I think we’re in trouble.”
Jack looked down towards the rear of the bus. Behind them he could see a police car, its bell ringing out over the sound of the engine.
“Police.”
“We can’t stop – we’ll lose Pendelshape. Hold on, he’s turning in… there.”
Jack looked out of the side window of the bus.
“It’s an aerodrome. There’s perimeter fencing and big hangers and stuff. I can see some aircraft parked up. Look – they’re letting Pendelshape’s car through…”
Angus slowed down. They watched as the black car pulled up to a sentry box which guarded a large gate. Sandbags were stacked up all around. The sentry leaned in to the car and then stepped away. The gate started to open. They were only a hundred metres from the aerodrome gate as Angus pulled up. The arrival of a double-decker London bus was starting to cause some interest from the sentries and one of them left his post to walk up the road towards them. Just at that point, the police car pulled up beside the bus. Two burly policemen got out.
“Switch off your engine and get out.” Jack stuck his head out of the window.
“Officer, there’s a man in the back of that car – we think he’s been kidnapped, er, or something.”
The red-faced policeman yelled at them through the side window.
“Don’t give me a cock-and-bull story… you two are in serious trouble – now do as I say and GET OUT OF THE BUS!”
Jack looked at Angus, expectantly.
But Angus didn’t need to be told. He gunned the vast engine of the bus. The whole thing started to shake as it shot off towards the aerodrome gate, belching black smoke. The sentry leaped to the side and the bus swung in to the entrance. It crashed through the gate, which was still partially ajar, and headed into the aerodrome. They did not have time to notice the helpfulsign
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