The Tower Grave Read online

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “No you won’t,” Pete interrupted, “I’ve trained and worked for twenty years with martial arts and weaponry and even I would be concerned with going back there. You have three weeks, pal. Where do you get this attitude from?”

  Jake glanced around at each face in the room watching him curiously, and made a decision to himself walking back onto the mat without saying a word.

  “Well that’s two minutes, I guess,” Pete said, shrugging, and walked back on to the mat with the rest of the team. As they re-paired, he stood in front of Jake and smiled as he took a deep breath. “Same again,” he shouted once. “Begin!”

  The rest of the team set about their drills as Pete threw a relatively hard jab at Jake who blocked it easily and stood still, rooted to the spot. Pete watched him closely as he stood with his arms by his sides and then went in again with another punch. Jake once again moved minimally and blocked the punch with ease then stood still, staring blankly at his instructor. Pete smiled, then threw a series of punches at him, causing him finally to move from his position in order avoid them. He did so, but moved fluidly from one place to another, blocking and moving from the strikes and avoiding them without worry. Pete paused only for a second before lunging into Jake with a series of fast and hard strikes using both his arms and legs. The determination was clear in his eyes as he tried to hit the man, but Jake still reacted quickly despite showing strain and concentration in his defence. He moved at a blinding pace to block and dodge the strikes, but still refused to fight back and stood still between each burst to wait for the next. As the pressure stayed on and his options to avoid being hit dwindled, Jake deflected a wide kick with his thigh and stepped forward to hammer Pete in the mouth with his elbow. The sweating instructor stepped back and stopped, lifting his fingers to feel the touch of blood dribbling from his lip. He smiled at Jake with a grin that the younger man hadn’t expected, and then burst into a short bark of a laugh.

  The rest of the team stood around watching the exchange, and Pete kept his grin as he took off his gloves and nodded for Jake to do the same.

  “Grappling,” he said as he lunged at Jake once both of their gloves were off.

  They moved around for a moment until they collided and locked up in the centre. Their arms entwined around each other’s, slipping in and around their waists and necks. Pete attempted to trip Jake with the inside of his foot but failed and allowed himself to be moved off balance in the process. He quickly managed to recover but was kept off centre and one more failed attempt to trip was enough to allow Jake to turn inside and attempt to throw him over his hip. He turned and pulled, getting close to the throw, but lost his grip as Pete dropped into a squat and lifted him clear of the floor from behind. He twisted his body as he hoisted the young agent, and then landed on his shoulder as Jake slammed squarely onto his back on the mat. Pete quickly moved on top of Jake but found his head tucked into an armpit as a sweaty forearm slipped under his chin and tightened, locking him down and choking him simultaneously. His breath was sharply cut off as the arteries of his neck were blocked, and he tapped his hand on the mat, signalling his submission. Panting with exertion, Jake released the big instructor immediately and allowed him to roll onto his back next to him. After a few moments of silence, they both began to laugh out loud and Pete jumped to his feet, pulling Jake after him.

  “I’m impressed!” he exclaimed in his big, broad accent. “How long have you trained?”

  “Judo and karate all my life; jujitsu I learned on the job.”

  “Grades?”

  “No grades, no comps,” he replied, still panting. “My Dad taught me and my brothers from the moment we walked, and it’s always been just us.”

  “Wow, I must meet this father of yours.”

  “He would’ve liked that, but put it this way, it may be me who meets him again if this operation goes wrong.”

  “Ah, I understand. Sorry, pal.”

  Jake shrugged in response, smiling and putting his hand on Pete’s shoulder.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said, and then turned to his team. “Come on you lot!” he shouted, grinning widely. “Let’s get training! You don’t want to die, do you?”

  Charlotte smiled back kindly, meeting his eye for a moment; then laid into David, laughing as he flapped in panic to protect himself from her flying fists.

  Seven

  John made the most of his first drive alone in the Range Rover. He’d chosen the black Range Rover Sport and taken the long route back and forwards across the fields as he headed towards the outbuilding that housed the gym and pool. He hadn’t had the chance to train for a week, so made sure to fix a quick two-hour gap before they were called for dinner.

  He pulled up outside the building and left the keys in the ignition as he walked into the gym and put down his bag. The place seemed empty and bigger than he’d expected, but with a fully equipped gym, he got straight to work until the aches and pains of the two day’s riding and sparring started to come out. He persevered through a few moderate sets of weights before dropping the iron and searching out the pool for some rehab instead.

  Through a door from the gym, he came to a rectangular, twenty five metre pool with changing rooms along its edge and what looked like a Jacuzzi and sauna in a recess at the far end. Rehab was what he needed, so as soon as he had changed into his swim-shorts, John walked straight past the pool and round to the Jacuzzi for a soak. The sauna door opened as he approached and Jane stepped out making him jump and rendering him speechless. She wore her hair down for the first time since he had known her and it was wavy and damp, falling gently around her flustered and smiling face. Her body was tanned and glistened with the heat of the sauna making John fail miserably in keeping his gaze above her neck. Her delicate shoulders tapered gently into full breasts, sitting discretely but temptingly inside her understated bikini. The dark, pink top matched her small and neat bottoms, tied in bows at her hips; and the contrast of the bright pink continued against her tanned and smooth legs, which clearly held toned muscle from riding.

  She smiled nervously as he looked over her body, but didn’t shy away.

  “I was just thinking the same about you,” she said, trying to catch his eye.

  “Sorry, Jane,” he replied. “You look, well...”

  “I was just getting in the hot tub. I take it you were too?”

  “Yeah, I was. Here, let me give you a hand in,” he said as he stepped over the side with one foot.”

  Smiling, she took his hand and stepped in, sitting down next to him. John became aware of how long he had been without intimate contact with a woman. But he was a free man, he resolved, and he knew that he wouldn’t be facing many opportunities like his present one.

  “How are you finding the course?” she asked.

  “Tiring!” he replied. “But it’s good fun so far and it’s nice to meet new people.”

  “Yeah it is. Where I normally work, I coach riding competitors and haven’t gotten to train anyone new for a long time.”

  “Does your husband ride?”

  “Ha! I’m a long way from being married, John.”

  “Are you with anyone?”

  “No, work hasn’t given me much time and I’m not a fan of internet dating! These are intimate questions for a hot tub, aren’t they?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Well, what about you? Attached?”

  “No.”

  “Good, so you’ll be able to concentrate properly.”

  “Concentrate on what?”

  “On your training, of course.”

  “There are some distractions.”

  “Such as?”

  “Someone I can’t take my eyes off.”

  “Well, I have experienced the same problem recently and I’ll admit I am struggling to manage it.”

  “Problem is she seems more than just something to look at. I fear that the distraction will become even bigger.”

  “Maybe it will.�
��

  “It just has.”

  He turned to Jane to find her leaning in close to him already. She looked closely at him and he felt her inhale deeply as she shifted slightly under the water.

  “Maybe you should satisfy your curiosity,” she said, looking down at his lips and biting hers.

  “Would she mind?”

  “She can’t wait.”

  At the same time they leaned together and kissed gently. John’s shorts became tight and uncomfortable in seconds as he reacted to the feel of her lips, and she teased his mouth with her own before it opened and a hint of her tongue touched his. He began to stir and twisted further towards her as their kiss grew in passion and her tongue grew stronger with her desire. Taking her slim waist in his hands, he pulled her on top of him and held onto her as she straddled him in the bubbling water. She groaned softly as he pressed himself against her and she moved as she felt the hard bulge of his shorts between her legs.

  Building with urgency, she allowed him room as he took hold of her bikini bottoms and pulled free the bows holding them together at the sides. They fell loose at the back and he closed his eyes at the feel of her firm buttocks before a burst of laughter out of sight by the pool made them pull away in shock. They looked around and no one was in sight, but the sound of rushed voices followed by soft groaning told them they weren’t alone in their location or their activities.

  Jane turned back to John and smiled playfully. She rubbed her hands over the short hair on his chest and let her eyes close as she squeezed herself against him once more. Stopping still, she kissed him and sat back, tying up her bikini and pulling him up with her hand.

  “Looks like we’ve been beaten to it,” she said as she tip-toed to the wall and looked around the corner.

  John stepped up behind her and looked for the source of the sound.

  “Cheeky sods,” she whispered, looking across the pool at an open door to an equipment store room.

  John couldn’t believe his eyes. Facing directly towards them, a pale and naked female was clinging face down to a table, groaning as her face moved against it. She raised her ginger head, making both John and Jane flinch, but kept her eyes closed as she moaned and rocked against the wood. She arched her back with her eyes closed and bit her bottom lip, letting her small, pointy breasts swing wildly below her. Fully dressed behind, Paul, the history instructor on the course panted blindly as he manically held on to her hips and drove himself into her from behind.

  “Isn’t that...” John asked.

  “Paul?” Jane interrupted him. “Yes, and one of the lab technicians with him. I never knew,” she mused as she turned around and looked at him. “Next time,” she sighed ruefully and pushed him away. “Come on, grab your bag. We better get out and leave them to it.”

  “Jane, I, uhm…”

  “I know,” she interrupted, guessing his words, “And me too. All of a sudden and in a way that scares me to death, but me too.” She grabbed his cheeks and kissed him gently on the lips then stood back and smiled as she watched his eyes. “Come on,” she said, and she darted off down the side of the pool, leaving John looking longingly at her body as she ran.

  “Shit,” he said to himself as the noise began to rise and he ran after her, picking up his bag on his way out of the building.

  As he reached the door outside, Jane had slipped a pair of short, denim shorts over her legs and was pulling a now-wet white, linen top over her head. She opened her car door and looked back at John standing behind her.

  “It’s nice to finally chat,” she said, and she cupped his face, kissing him gently as he slipped his own trousers over his shorts. “Remember you still owe me,” she teased. “That doesn’t count as repayment and you owe me even more now.” She smiled at him, turning away and shouted over her shoulder. “See you at dinner,” she said as she jumped in her car and pulled away.

  “You can count on it,” John replied to himself as he followed suit and shot off across the dust and grass in his vehicle.

  Eight

  23rd June 2014

  Not ready to open his eyes and wake up, John’s hand scrambled for his phone to silence the alarm blearing in his ears. Putting a stop to the racket all too late, he moaned at the fatigue inside him and sat up through the protests of his shoulders and lower back. He was exhausted. For three weeks they had worked twelve hours a day, training and learning, barely stopping for a rest. They’d all lost considerable weight from the exercise they had been put through and John’s hand found his abs; now leaner and harder than they’d ever been before. He smiled to himself. Despite the hard work, he’d had a good time and was excited about the mission soon to come.

  The team had all trained hour after hour in the study of Fifteenth Century lifestyle, culture and communication. They’d learned to adjust their speech to match the structure of the middle ages; and had learned to fight, with weapons and without, shooting arrows and riding horses like their lives depended on it. ‘Just the basics,’ Pete had said. ‘We’ve got three weeks, so we’ll learn the basics in each discipline and drill them until they are second nature.’ Jake’s experience had stood out, of course, but no one had shown promise in archery apart from Chris. They’d learned to string and set a bow quickly, and to maintain a degree of accuracy, but Chris had taken to it like he had been raised by Robin Hood and was clearly a natural shooter. He had a good eye for a target and would always carry a bow once they were deployed on the job.

  They’d been given an extremely intensive riding course. Jane had been an exceptional teacher and had pushed hard at finer details of balance and leg control in close quarter and hand-free situations. With the help of Charlotte, they’d each picked up the skills quickly and through hard work, had become proficient enough for the journey to come.

  John rolled out of bed and splashed his face in his bathroom. He looked more chiselled than gaunt in the mirror, but it was still too thin for his liking, having been lean before they started. He eyed his bruised body, his callused hands, his reddened ears and swollen face. He’d pushed himself and in response had hardened in the short time. He nodded at himself in the mirror and gripped the sink-edge, grinning. He was ready to go back to the middle-ages.

  Dressed and walking down to the dining room for breakfast before their final briefing and portal rehearsal, John passed Jane’s door. He frowned to himself at how he’d missed out so far, but being exhausted and nervous, he hadn’t visited her room as invited. There had been moments where they’d stolen a few minutes alone and managed to get to know each other more. They’d even shared a kiss on occasions before more interruptions had occurred. He vowed to himself that he would pay back what he owed, and he smiled at the juvenile metaphor.

  He walked into the dining room as Derek stood up to speak. He grabbed some toast and eggs from the counter and sat down, waiting quietly.

  “I think we can just brief here,” Derek said. “We’ve done all we can do and we may as well be comfortable.”

  With the room more crowded than usual, John looked around and noted practically everyone from the compound was present. His whole team sat separately around the room apart from Jake and Charlotte who sat together. From what he could see, the technicians were all present including the ginger-haired girl John had seen too much of and had since learned was called Jessie. She sat looking teasingly at Paul who shifted nervously, smiling under her glare. They exchanged a wink, subtle enough that no others noticed but clear to John who knew their secret. Next to Paul sat the instructors together, including Jane who wore a white blouse and her hair tied up behind her. She caught John’s eye and poked her tongue out at him playfully, then grinned as he smiled back and winked.

  “In forty-eight hours at eight in the morning,” said Derek from the front, “Our friends John, Dave, Chris, Charlotte and Jake will use the portal to go back to fourteen eighty three. At seven-thirty, we will send your horses back, though they won’t arrive until ten minutes after you at ten past six AM.”

  �
��Why?” asked David.

  “We want to send them first, to make sure they don’t, you know, explode or anything. But we also want you to arrive there first so that you can surprise anything that may be unfortunate enough to be around you, and then gain control of the horses when they turn up. They’ll still arrive there in the same instant that they depart, and you will leave afterwards, but even so you will be there first.”

  “This is messing with my head!” said Jake, laughing.

  “I know. It’s hard to get your head around. In any case, we believe the altitude of the portal site will be a foot or so lower in fourteen eighty three, so we’ve set the portal at our exact ground level. Better to be a foot above ground than a foot in it when you materialise. Obviously we don’t know what will be there when you arrive, so we’ve tried to put you where there are no known archaeological finds, and far enough from London to be completely inconspicuous. As for the portal, well that won’t be visible as it won’t be there. Only the return gateway will be possible, and only things that have been through can come back to us; at least as far as we know. You’ll have to act quickly in case you are seen when you arrive.

  “So, get to London and get on with the job. You’ll have roughly five weeks. Not long for this type of full infiltration job, but a long time to survive undercover where everything you do will be alien to you. There will, after all, be no break whatsoever.

  “Rich?”

  “Thanks, Boss. On the morning of the travel,” said Rich, standing up, “We’ll meet with your belongings and equipment at six-thirty. We’ll prep you, test run, send the horses, and then you go. Chris will be in possession of the portal tracker and remote control, which will interact with the portal’s path of travel. Now come back when you have to, but be aware there will be no back and forth. To use the portal to come back will close the path and no one else will be able to get through it. It works on memory and will allow one journey back with all remembered elements entering as close to simultaneously as possible. If you get in trouble, or indeed when you get the job done, make sure you get back through together and we’ll see you exactly the same moment you disappear. Except you will be six weeks older than when you left.