Quicklinks:
|
Great Writing - Home > Short S. > A soft target.
| READING ROOM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| COMMUNITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ABOUT GREAT WRITING | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| WORK AWAITING REVIEW |
|---|
|
| GW IS... |
|---|
|
Great Writing creative writing community is designed to prompt ideas
and provide inspiration and motivation within aspiring and amateur
authors. Whatever your topic; from love poetry to Doctor Who or Harry
Potter fan fiction, Great Writing's online writing group is where you
can make new friends and improve your creative writing. |
| WHO'S ONLINE |
|---|
| We have 873 guests online and 7 members online |
Shorts
| print friendly version | |
| A soft target. | |
| By BrianRobertNeal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 August 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Karl Popper considered man's most dangerous invention to be metaphysics. When he thought of the centuries of suffering imposed by the barbarian invader; his blood boiled. Despite the armed struggle which had freed part of his homeland, some of his fellow countryman still struggled under an alien yoke. He would do all he could to free his land from foreign dominion. He was a fervent patriot, his love of his homeland meant that he would do anything for it, donate money to the cause, sing the songs and wave the flag. Anything that is which did not involve having to live there. In fact he had been born in the land of the barbarian to a barbarian mother. And only his father’s father had actually been born in the land of myth and legend. Furthermore he was only too happy to have a barbarian lover whose knickers his gentle brogue, deep blue eyes and dark hair had caused to fall effortlessly to the ground. However he was a man of action, and had carried out “errands” for the big boys. This meant that he would on occasion provide a home for small handguns, explosives, detonators and similar items. So he was not surprised when he received a coded phone call. This when interpreted, told him to report immediately to the premises of a Groundworking Construction Company, at an address in Park Royal. He made his excuses to his parents and then drove off to his assignation. He parked between JCB 360 Excavation Machines and waited. Two men got into the back of his car. One of them instructed, “Don’t look round or use your mirror”. He did and they were wearing Balaclavas, so he was none the wiser as to who they were. One of the men continued, “On the back seat of the car you will find, three simple components, which when screwed together and primed will form an effective device that on detonation will pepper an area of twenty feet in all directions with shrapnel. This is your big one, you’re to go to the Ideal Home Exhibition and place the device in the waste bin that is at the head of the escalators that give access to the Food Hall. You’ll find full instructions enclosed with the device. Now go home.” The two men got out, slammed the doors shut and banged on the car’s bodywork. He shot off and out from between the Diggers, then made his way home. When he’d parked and got out of the car, he saw and then retrieved a small duffle bag that was now lying on the back seat. In the security of his bed room he read his brief. Amongst the detail was an instruction that he should take his girl friend with him as single men on their own might attract attention at such an event. So he phoned his girl friend up and to his delight found that she, her Mum, Dad and Gran were already planning to go to the exhibition next week. “I‘ll tell you what, I’ll come along and take you there in my car. I’ll use my connections and get us “trade passes”. I’ve a customer who’ll let me park in his yard and this is no more than a five minute walk from the Exhibition Centre.” So on the fateful day, he, the others and the Bomb made their way to the exhibition. At about noon he suggested that they should go up to the Food Hall as he was feeling peckish. He eyed the waste bin which was surrounded by elderly men and women, mothers and mothers to be and children. He treated his party to the food of their choice. When they’d finished eating, he collected up all the empty containers and put them into a plastic bag, at whose bottom was the Bomb. He shepherded his party to the head of the down escalator. Shuffling in the bag he set the Bomb’s Timer for twenty minutes. The innocuous bag was put into the bin. He followed his party down to the floor below and ensured that when the device exploded they were as far away as was practicable. They all heard a sound that resembled a drum that been dropped and then screaming. Finally music was played on the PA system and an instruction was given that everybody should stay where they were. They were informed about ten minutes later that there had been a small explosion, security had carried out checks and that all persons should now leave the building using their nearest exit. The voice added that no warning had been given that a bomb was to be planted at the Exhibition. He and his party went straight home. On his arrival his distraught mother told him that amongst the Bomb’s victims were her eldest sister, Sadie and Sadie’s three children, none of them were expected to live. She screamed, “If I could get my hands on the cowardly bastard that did this I’d rip his balls off.” However in some eyes he was a hero.
Only registered users can rate and write comments. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Previous item
|
Next item
|
|---|