Chapter 73

The news from the government was being spread to the public in both The OWG Times and The Military Times. It was important to let everyone know that following the departure of Salter and the inner cabinet, things were going to change. The dismissal of colluding ministers, army officers and civil servants had been widely reported.

The heroes who had exposed Salter and his coterie were finally named in the newspapers. Photographs showed Dan's group smiling and shaking hands with members of the OWG. Everyone in District 31 and the surrounding labour zones claimed to know at least one, if not all, of them.

Bert was sitting in a café with the paper in front of him. He gripped the edge of the table as he read the names and looked at the photographs. Dr Derek Frobisher, he didn't know him. Corporal Sebastien Becker was another one he didn't recognise. There were more military men one of whom was Colonel Ryan Anderson and one was General Leon Markov.

Eric McBride was smiling out at him. The brave minister who had got the incriminating photographs. He had been a staunch OWG man. What had made him change his mind? Bert had killed two members of his family, but somehow the man had shown great resilience and had turned into a champion of the people.

The rest of the people were horribly familiar. His parents Phyllis and Peter Crawford were there. Their deceased murderous son Albert Crawford got a mention. He was amused by that. The picture which made him shake with fury was the one of Serena and Dan. They were holding hands and she was gazing lovingly at him.

The article which told about their undercover operation to infiltrate the inner cabinet was fascinating. The ingenuity of the scheme was appreciated by Bert, although he hated it, too. There was an interesting section about how Dan and Ryan worked together at an army base. Thank you very much. Bert would be heading there very soon.

He needed some transport. Catching buses and trains or hitching a lift was inconvenient. Bert was on the move. He walked until he found himself in a familiar place. The house where he had woken up on the day after the revolution. The man who lived there had a car, he remembered. He knocked at the door.

"Hello, Sir. I'm sure you remember me. I wanted to apologise for being in such a state when you last saw me. Like the rest of the population, I got a bit carried away with the celebrations. It was very kind of you to look after me."

"It was a grand day. Like you say, we all got a bit carried away with the booze. Come in, son. I'll put the kettle on."

Bert did not take up his offer of a cup of tea. He did help himself to a sharp knife from the kitchen drawer and then plunge it into his hosts chest. Looking at the man crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood, it was hard for him to find any guilt about what he had done. There was a car. He needed a car. It had been necessary to kill him.

Ransacking the house came next. Bert looked for anything that might be of use. He took some items of clothing. He kept the bloody knife. He found the stash of drink and helped himself to 2 bottles of whisky.

He had a vague sort of plan. He would follow Dan when he left the army base and find out where he lived. If Bert knew where he lived he would know where Serena was. From that point it was straightforward. Kill Dan, get Serena and then find somewhere to live out the rest of their lives.

He found a place to park near to the base and then waited. He had arrived at around 4pm. He should catch Dan driving home and would hopefully be able to follow him. Once he found his home, then he could scout the area and make some sort of plan. He would be using the gun which he had brought with him. If you had a gun, you were the one in charge. He couldn't wait to see Dan squirming with fear. He wouldn't be so brave then.

Nearly two hours passed before he caught sight of his target. He tailed him at, what he hoped, was a safe distance, although it was not absolutely necessary. All the cars on the road looked the same, so he was not going to stand out. Bert had to be more cautious as he turned off the main road. He saw Dan pull into the drive of a large house and he drove on by.

More waiting around. He didn't like to be inactive, but he was keeping his goal in mind. The light faded giving him the cover he needed to leave his car and have a look around. The memory of the alarms by the windows came back and he was wary of getting too close. He would be able to walk around the back of the property as there were no fences. He might just walk straight up to the front door.

He would not do that yet. Everything had been on the spur of the moment, but he should be a bit more organised for the finale. He would stay at the bed and breakfast and then, in the morning, he would pack up the car and head to Dan's. It would be a Saturday and the family would, no doubt, be at home together.

The items that he had stolen from the house included two bottles of whisky. Bert would have a little drink before bed to help him sleep. A celebration, relaxation, Dutch courage, he didn't know which one it was. At 8pm he took his first sip. He soon lost all track of time as he swigged and brooded the night away.

When he awoke it was late morning and he felt like hell. Bert was slumped on the bed fully dressed. He wanted to get on with his plan, but what would Serena think if he turned up in this state? He had to take a shower and make himself presentable. He had to make it to the bathroom before he was sick.

The landlady where he was staying was less than impressed with his behaviour. Bert had been sick in the bathroom and he had only made a half-hearted attempt to clear it up. He had not got around to having his shower as intended. He was in his room way past the time when he should have vacated it as well.

Her voice was rising as she listed his transgressions.

"I'm sorry Mr O'Neill. I want you out of here. The mess in the bathroom, that you left for me to clear up. It's just not on. This room is disgusting, as well. It reeks of whisky. You are a right state and should be ashamed of yourself."

It was fortunate for her that he had somewhere important to be. Bert couldn't afford to draw attention to himself otherwise he would have given her a slap. He threw some extra money at her and left without saying a word. He sat in his newly acquired car and took a moment to focus.

He checked his gun. He pulled on his hat after smoothing down his hair. He practised a smile in the, rear view mirror. He would be using that later when he found Serena. Bert set off to the home of Daniel Ellis. He would be going for the direct approach, he had decided. He would have a gun in his hand and that tended to make people cooperate.

Despite his hangover, Bert felt more positive. He was finally doing something. All that worry about going soft and prevaricating. There had been a pause, he conceded that, but he was a man of action once more. He glanced in the mirror and knew he looked pretty rough. All the better to terrify his victims.

The next glance in the mirror showed his smile again. Not put on for effect, but because he was having fun. A gun in his pocket, a destination and a target. He began to sing a tune that had been popular in the labour zones. It reminded him of where he had come from and passed the time as he approached Dan's house.

Driving was difficult when one wasn't feeling well, he decided. He crunched the gears and had to swerve when he nearly hit a car coming the other way. He had somehow drifted onto their side of the road. Concentrate, Bert told himself. He didn't want to end up in a ditch and scupper his plans.

He was pulling up outside. He checked his gun and smoothed his hair. Marching straight to the front door, grin in place, he pressed the bell. There were voices and then footsteps. The anticipation was building and Bert could hardly stand still. Who would he see? Dan, maybe Serena?