Read Online Soft Target (Major Crimes Unit Book 2) by Iain Rob Wright - Free Book Online
Authors: Iain Rob Wright
Ads: Link
about it. Terrorists want to cause terror.
What better way than to make the entire country afraid of being attacked? No
place is safe anymore and the public are going to know it. The whole of the
United Kingdom is about to become terrified. ”
“ Shit, ” Bradley said.
“ Yeah, ” Sarah agreed. “ Shit
is the right word because it just hit the fan. ”
SITTING THE TEST
P alu turned on the
television and a breaking news report came on. A BBC journalist stood rigidly
before a scene of devastation.
The quaint fishing village of
Dartmouth was aflame. Its picturesque harbour had become ground zero of a
devastating attack. Bodies cluttered the marina, floating face down in the
water. Further out, a blackened ferry sank into the River Dart ’ s estuary, yachts and pleasure cruisers went down beside it. Dogs
howled from the wooden jetties, while shell shocked survivors wept in the
street. An ash-covered child wandered around, with no parent or guardian to
watch her. The little girl repeatedly cried out for her mummy.
The reporter wiped a tear from
his eye and cleared his throat before speaking. “ T-Today,
as I report to you, I am truly lost for words. After the events of this past
Sunday, Britain was a nation already in mourning. Yet, today, the tragedy
worsens, as yet another mass killing has occurred. Worse still, the village of
Dartmouth behind me was not the only target. The villages of Studley and
Arborfield have also been hit by what appears to be a co-ordinated terrorist
attack. Whether or not today ’ s atrocities are linked to Sunday ’ s
incident in the village of Knutsford is, as yet, unclear, but the death toll
and devastation Britain has witnessed in the last forty-eight hours is the
worst in its entire history. The Prime Minister is due to give a speech within
the hour, but right now the question on everybody ’ s
mind is: who is behind this? I ’ m Jack Millis, reporting to you from the village of Dartmouth,
Devon. ”
Sarah felt winded. If
anything, Britain had recently started to put the fear of terrorism behind it.
Bungled attempts at carrying bombs aboard planes in shoes and other useless attempts
had reduced the modern-day terrorist to a cartoonish villain foiled at every
turn. They had become fodder for South Park and Private Eye newspaper — a joke, not a threat.
Someone had screwed up. Sarah
clenched her fists as she thought about the three men in the room. This was
their job. They were supposed to stop things like this from happening. “ Did you people know anything about this? Was there anything you
could have done? Did you let this happen? ”
Palu answered the question in
a firm, authoritative voice. “ No, we did not. If there was anything we could have done, we would
have. ”
Sarah shook her head and tried
to understand. “ You tell me that your job is to catch terrorists, so how the hell
did this happen? Why didn ’ t you know about this? ”
Bradley still had tears in
his eyes. “ Captain, I promise you that we do all we can. ”
“ Shut up! ” Sarah shouted. “ People are dead because none of you caught this. Why did you people
even bring me here? You ’ re too late. The damage is done. ”
Palu strode towards Sarah.
For a moment it looked like he might strike her, but instead he looked her
square in the eye. “ If you think we ’ re all a bunch of idiots, Captain, then help us. Help us find who ’ s responsible. ”
“ No, ” Sarah said. She couldn ’ t help these people.
They were undermanned and ignorant. And she was … broken,
and of no use to anyone. They called her Captain, but the truth was that she
was nothing anymore. The thought of diving back into that dangerous world,
filled with murderous men and their cold, callous actions was enough to make
her feel faint. Her father has warned her not to get involved in such serious
business, and when she ’ d
What better way than to make the entire country afraid of being attacked? No
place is safe anymore and the public are going to know it. The whole of the
United Kingdom is about to become terrified. ”
“ Shit, ” Bradley said.
“ Yeah, ” Sarah agreed. “ Shit
is the right word because it just hit the fan. ”
SITTING THE TEST
P alu turned on the
television and a breaking news report came on. A BBC journalist stood rigidly
before a scene of devastation.
The quaint fishing village of
Dartmouth was aflame. Its picturesque harbour had become ground zero of a
devastating attack. Bodies cluttered the marina, floating face down in the
water. Further out, a blackened ferry sank into the River Dart ’ s estuary, yachts and pleasure cruisers went down beside it. Dogs
howled from the wooden jetties, while shell shocked survivors wept in the
street. An ash-covered child wandered around, with no parent or guardian to
watch her. The little girl repeatedly cried out for her mummy.
The reporter wiped a tear from
his eye and cleared his throat before speaking. “ T-Today,
as I report to you, I am truly lost for words. After the events of this past
Sunday, Britain was a nation already in mourning. Yet, today, the tragedy
worsens, as yet another mass killing has occurred. Worse still, the village of
Dartmouth behind me was not the only target. The villages of Studley and
Arborfield have also been hit by what appears to be a co-ordinated terrorist
attack. Whether or not today ’ s atrocities are linked to Sunday ’ s
incident in the village of Knutsford is, as yet, unclear, but the death toll
and devastation Britain has witnessed in the last forty-eight hours is the
worst in its entire history. The Prime Minister is due to give a speech within
the hour, but right now the question on everybody ’ s
mind is: who is behind this? I ’ m Jack Millis, reporting to you from the village of Dartmouth,
Devon. ”
Sarah felt winded. If
anything, Britain had recently started to put the fear of terrorism behind it.
Bungled attempts at carrying bombs aboard planes in shoes and other useless attempts
had reduced the modern-day terrorist to a cartoonish villain foiled at every
turn. They had become fodder for South Park and Private Eye newspaper — a joke, not a threat.
Someone had screwed up. Sarah
clenched her fists as she thought about the three men in the room. This was
their job. They were supposed to stop things like this from happening. “ Did you people know anything about this? Was there anything you
could have done? Did you let this happen? ”
Palu answered the question in
a firm, authoritative voice. “ No, we did not. If there was anything we could have done, we would
have. ”
Sarah shook her head and tried
to understand. “ You tell me that your job is to catch terrorists, so how the hell
did this happen? Why didn ’ t you know about this? ”
Bradley still had tears in
his eyes. “ Captain, I promise you that we do all we can. ”
“ Shut up! ” Sarah shouted. “ People are dead because none of you caught this. Why did you people
even bring me here? You ’ re too late. The damage is done. ”
Palu strode towards Sarah.
For a moment it looked like he might strike her, but instead he looked her
square in the eye. “ If you think we ’ re all a bunch of idiots, Captain, then help us. Help us find who ’ s responsible. ”
“ No, ” Sarah said. She couldn ’ t help these people.
They were undermanned and ignorant. And she was … broken,
and of no use to anyone. They called her Captain, but the truth was that she
was nothing anymore. The thought of diving back into that dangerous world,
filled with murderous men and their cold, callous actions was enough to make
her feel faint. Her father has warned her not to get involved in such serious
business, and when she ’ d
Similar Books
