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A Highlighted passage from     

The Surveillance

the surveillance 2.jpg
 A Passage from  
The Surveillance

As I made my way back to the first floor I could just make out two dim figures at the far end. Obviously Gerry had returned by a different route. I got to within twenty feet of the two men when the inevitable happened and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

     

Gerry was standing in front of the receiver which was mounted on the telescope next to the window, and Ed passed the headphones to him. I called out in a loud whisper, "No! No!" but it was too late. The characteristic howl of acoustic feedback pierced the silence. Ed, who had been crouching looking through the scope was so shocked he fell to his knees, and Gerry just stood there petrified.

     

I covered the remaining distance like lightening and pushing Ed out of the way, scooped up the instrument in one hand, and the carrying case in the other. A quick glance through the window and across the yard, confirmed my worst fears. Some of the men were scattering in all directions, but two or three of them were scanning the area around the building.

     

Thrusting the empty instrument case into Ed's hands and still clutching the telescope with it's tripod legs dangling like a set of bagpipes, I ran towards the stairway, which was the only way out.  It would be disastrous to get caught up there.  Stopping momentarily at the top I turned to see Ed stumbling his way across the room.

     

"For God's sake Ed, get a move on or you'll get caught!" Panic was showing on his face, and his normally bulging eyes were now nearly popping out of his head. Gerry was nowhere in sight.  Where could he have gone? Ed was obviously out of condition, he had probably never run before in his life and the suitcase was a liability to him. I snatched it from his hands, at the same time, tucking the telescope under my arm.

     

"Try and keep up with me!" Ed did not reply and I could hear him panting and already out of breath. Breaking clear of the building, I turned towards the car. "No, leave the car," Ed panted.  My eyebrows wrinkled, questioning his logic. "It's a stolen car, they won't be able to trace it back to me."

     

I had no time to ponder the whys and wherefores of Ed's last statement. I could hear voices and the sound of running feet. "Quick, follow me through the buildings, not on the street!" and they set off as fast as they could with me in the lead, followed by Ed, his puffing and wheezing becoming more prominent with every stride. They had only seconds to spare and I knew that they had to keep that advantage, or suffer the consequences.

     

Once again, I realized that I would have to look after the welfare of a second person, as well as saving my own skin.  This was the story of my life!  The atmosphere was electric, all I knew was that I had to keep going in the direction away from the scene, and sooner or later they would come to the gardens.

     

Progress seemed painfully slow as I kept stopping to push Ed along. He would have been out of there by now, had he been on his own. The darkness was a blessing, but I could still hear voices and footsteps from a distance behind, indicating that they were still holding their own, but nevertheless, still being pursued.

     

The gardens were now ahead. I could faintly see the iron railings and I stopped to look left and right down the street.  It was deserted but open, there was only one way to go. Across the street, over the fence and into the gardens, but they would have to be quick.  Ed read what was on my mind.

 "I can't get over that fence."

 "If you can't I shall have to leave you behind. If we go up the street either way we could run into them." I threw the case over the fence and passed the telescope through the railings, into the shrubbery.  Clambering over I landed on soft earth.

     

Turning, I saw Ed frantically trying to scramble up to reach the top, but he was hopeless. I jumped back over and gave him a boost until he could get a grip, then climbed back over, picking up the case and telescope. Ed's progress over the fence was painfully slow, and he was hesitating, frightened of falling.

 "Jump man, jump!" What was that zinging and popping noise?   Ed fell off the fence into the shrubs below.

 "I've been shot in the leg!"

 "But I didn't hear any gunfire."

 "They're using high powered airguns!"

 

The gardens would have been a sanctuary but now that Ed had been seen they would be followed. He was limping badly and his mind was concentrating on his leg. 

"Forget about your leg, or you might get the next one in the back of your head!" My statement had it's effect and Ed got back up to speed again.

 

What looked like a maintenance building appeared ahead, and I skirted around the back finding a single entry door. It had a small window alongside. Quickly unscrewing one of the tripod legs, I used it as a tool to smash the small pane, adjacent to the latch. Reaching inside I unlatched the door and they scrambled inside, shutting and locking the door behind them.

     

They lowered themselves on to the floor in the darkness to wait, but as the seconds ticked by my eyes began to make out dim shapes and I could see a bench and some gardening tools leaning in the corner. I instinctively grabbed the four pronged fork, and they waited for events to unfold.

Within minutes I could hear activity outside, two men only I estimated. One came up to the door and tried the latch, pushing on the door a few times. "There's nobody in here, the doors locked." His accent sounded European, and he could have come from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, or anywhere in that part of the world.  As his footsteps receded I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank heavens he didn't see the broken window pane! He was obviously not a professional.

     

Reaching down, I pushed firmly on Ed's shoulder to prevent him from moving. His body was trembling, just like Gerald's when they were hiding in the bushes in Hawaii. "Stay put," I whispered. "When they can't find us in the grounds they will come by on their way back. They haven't had time to search the building back there, and the car will be discovered. As soon as they have gone by, we'll wait awhile, and then leave."

     

It seemed an age and I began to wonder whether they had gone back a different way. Not knowing where they were, would make leaving difficult.  Eventually, footsteps and voices were approaching, the two men appeared to be walking casually, and conversing with each other. They have given up searching I concluded, and my whole body, which had been stiff with tension, relaxed as the men passed, and the noise they were making became fainter, until finally all was quiet.

 

I waited awhile until I thought they would be back in the buildings, then standing up placed the fork back into the corner and turned to Ed. "Let's get going, we'll go to the opposite end of the gardens and find a safe place to get over."

 "My leg is stiff, I don't think I can walk."

 "You'll have to, I can't carry you and the equipment." I lifted the case on to the bench, and dissembling the unit stowed it away.   Ed got up and hobbled a few paces around the room.

 "I'll go outside first and decide what to do."

 

After a few minutes I returned and beckoned Ed outside. Pointing to the far end of the gardens I said. "Get going in that direction, I'll be right behind you," and I watched him limp away.  He was so quiet now, indicating his state of mind. It was tortuous getting him over the fence at the far end, but soon they were on the tramcar route, waiting at one of the stops. Looking at my watch, I was surprised to find that it was only 9.30 p.m. and that the general condition of their clothing was okay.  Ed seemed to be getting ready to talk.

    

 "I owe you for getting me out of there, Gerry just buggered off and left us to it. He knows the area better than any of us!"

  "I'll just ask you for one thing."

  "What's that?"

  "Just go and live up in the bush, or better still New Zealand, and don't bother me again."

           

Ed smiled, and I knew that this incident would bind me even closer to the organization

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