Richard Wiseman - To Kill Or Be Killed

At the shore the tall man and the small old lady stood looking out into the channel.

“So you see David it’s always a matter of needing people with a good soul. You naturally want to protect. You’re a good soul. From what you told me, Sternway pushed his family away to protect them. You would have stood in front of them and shielded them. You’re a natural protector” They both looked back at the family on the bench then back out to sea.

“I suppose if you put it that way I should stay on.”

“You should David. As is always said in times of war and don’t forget we are at war ‘your country needs you’ and your country does need you David. Good men are hard to find especially those who in service of their country are willing to kill or be killed.”

Shores Of Loch Carron Scotland

April 20th

Sunset

At the very edge of the Atlantic coast of Scotland, near Port an Eorna, a black and white border collie snuffling the deep green bumpy ground looked up and barked at his master.

Michael Dewey stood watching MOD officials and divers drag dumped diving gear from the water near the shore. There were four official Land Rovers, Highland police men in black uniforms, plain clothes men and two men in Navy uniforms. Half a mile away off the shore a Navy Corvette sat rocking on the swell and five metres off shore a hard shell dinghy sat anchored with a diver and his support colleague looking to a small marker buoy with a red flag on it. The stark primary crimson seemed unnatural against the blue green of the water. Two divers surfaced, their masks catching the blood orange light of sunset, and together they held up a black bag, which was dragged into the dirigible.

Suddenly bored by the scene that had held his attention for an hour Michael looked over at Paddy. He took one last look to the setting sun on the western horizon and turned to the dog.

“Come on boy let’s go home.”

They got back in Land Rover and drove back to the house in Drumbuie with the large white satellite dish on; the house that was an electronic ‘pin’ on the DIC map of England, one amongst hundreds of ‘pins’, each one representing a dedicated watcher.

Night and day the watchers of DIC scan the electronic and digital networks for any signs of plots against the stability of the society they serve. Unallied to governments, security services or military forces, beholden to no group of officials the Department for Internal Concerns continues it’s work dedicated to protecting the way of life and values of the United Kingdom. Since 1940 to the present day they ‘stand to’ with teams ready to eradicate threats against the lives of the citizens and the stability of the government. Patiently they wait and always they watch.