David sat in First Class his eyes darting around. He knew
the twins were on the train but that they wouldn't do anything until it arrived
in London. At High Wycombe he toyed with the idea of jumping off the train at
the last minute but he knew one of them would just wait for him and the other
would have a head start that would be impossible to assail. He looked at the
text message 'I'll be waiting by the tube entrance in a light green top'. He
hoped he could trust her, but using total strangers seemed to be the only way
the twins and their network could be beaten. It had been five years and they
were still very much at the top of their game. Could this year be David's year?
As the train pulled into the
station he hung out of the window and pulled the handle to release the door.
The train was still slowing as he jumped, stumbled and then started to run. As
he got to the end of the platform he nervously glanced behind, vaulted the
turnstile and continued to run.
There were shouts from the
platform attendants and Clare noticed the two men chasing him from the train.
They were tall and wearing badly cut business suits. They looked like twins but
then don't all city slickers these days? It was however less usual to see two
of them chasing a third through Marylebone Station on a busy Monday morning.
The first man passed by, stopped at the left luggage lockers and pushed a
carrier bag into one of the lockers before rushing on. Suddenly a transport
policeman appeared from nowhere and tried to block David's way. He stopped and
started looking around him; he spotted Clare and rushed back to her. He grabbed
her around the waist and kissed her passionately. He forced her mouth open with
his tongue and the kiss lingered for longer than was probably safe for him.
Suddenly there was shouting and they were bustled, the policeman grabbed David
pulling him away. The man looked relived as the two pursuers were still
struggling to get through the turnstiles and he was now safely in the arms of
the law. The two chaser ran passed Clare but when the saw their prey they
slowed down, looked at the ground, then at each other and slunk down into the
underground station.
Clare carefully held her handkerchief to her mouth and spat
out the small key. She hoped he wasn’t in too much trouble, but for
now she had the key and the next task was hers to complete.
She rushed out of Marylebone
station down towards Baker Street. She knew at rush hour this would be quicker
than trying to get on a tube train at Marylebone. Once she got there she bought
her day travel card and quickly rushed through the turnstiles heading for the
escalators, faltering only slightly, her fear of escalators holding her back
for a second, her excitement of the task in hand pushing her forward. Once she
was down on the platform she jumped onto the first south bound jubilee line
train and pushed her way to the only available seat. She knew once they found
out David no longer had the key they would make the connection and be after her
quickly. Hopefully the fact he was now in police custody would slow down the twins
finding anything out, but you never knew. From what she had heard they had
connections in some strange places. She looked around and tried to see if there
was anyone she recognised or anyone who looked out of place. The main give away
would be someone looking at her, no-one made eye contact on the tube,
especially not at this time of day when the only travellers were commuters. At
Green Park she waited until the very last minute and jumped from the train just
as the doors were closing. She rushed to pick up the Victoria line train down
to Stockwell and then took the Northern line to London Bridge. At London Bridge
she jumped back onto the Jubilee line and headed out to North Greenwich. She
knew that all this zigzagging was slowing her down but she had more than enough
time and she needed to ensure they were not following her. Positive she was in the clear she exited the
North Greenwich tube station and started walking over towards the Emirates
Airline, the new range of cable cars that had been built especially for the
London Olympics. This was the one place she was vulnerable. She was out in the
open and she had a five minute walk to get to the cable car where they could
easily see her.
She stopped in Costa and
ordered a cappuccino. As she considered her next course of action, out of the
window she saw one of the twins talking to a tall blonde woman. The woman was
wearing an Emirates uniform and must have worked at the ticket booth, where
Claire would need to go if she were to make it across. The twin wasn't looking
at her and had probably not yet worked out that she had the key. Clare could
just make out that he was showing the woman a photo on his mobile phone that
must have been David. Just then he lifted the phone to his ear, the look on his
face made it clear things had changed. He suddenly started shouting down the
phone. With any luck they had not yet realised that she had been passed the key
but she couldn't to be sure. She left her coffee on the table and headed
towards the bathroom, just as the twin and his female companion walked in and
sat down.
'We'll have to wait for the
photo to come through,' the tall man muttered to his companion.
'How can we be sure that it
will be correct?' The elegant woman asked.
'We have the technology to
compare all his known associates with all the people in that station. It won't
take long and we still have another two hours until the deadline.'
As Clare emerged from the
toilet wearing sunglasses and a long floral scarf wrapped over her head,
looking strangely conspicuous in her attempt to look inconspicuous, the twin's
phone bleeped and both he and his partner stared intently at the screen.
'What do you mean they can't
find her in the database?' he shouted into the mouth piece
'Calm down Johnny,' she gently
placed a hand on his arm. 'We know what she looks like and I can keep an eye
out at the ticket booth. Let's get over there now.'
Clare started to run as soon
as she was out of sight of the Costa. As she approached the cable car she was
relieved to see a large American lady and her tiny husband arguing with the
ticket attendant. Clare rushed over to the self-service machine and purchased
her one way ticket. She rushed up the stairs and jumped into the first car that
came round. The couple already seated looked at her with disgust but she just
waved her ticket at them, 'Spot check to ensure the booths are clean.' She
quickly sat down and tried to ensure the couple were between her and any spying
eyes that might be looking from the viewing platform.
Ten nervous minutes later she
was off the cable car, rushing to get on the DLR and trying to remember the
quickest way back to Monument. She carefully placed the cable car ticket in the
see through plastic document wallet she had on a lanyard around her neck and
settled down to wait for the train to trundle back into central London.
Once she arrived at the bottom
of monument she couldn't believe the queue. It was 11am and she only had one
hour left to finish her task. She rushed to the front of the queue but there
was no way anyone was going to let her push in, no matter how French she tried
to look. Just then a family came down the stairs and started to exit.
'Would you like your
certificates?' The attendant asked.
'Oh yes please.' the mother of
the group said, wanting the family to have something to remember their trip by.
'Oh Mum do we have to? I need
to sit down,' A large red faced boy had obviously not enjoyed the walk up all
311 steps to the top of Monument.
'You can take them and fill
them out at your leisure.'
The family filed out each
taking a certificate as they went. Clare smiled and followed them. At the first
cafe they passed the large boy, whose name appeared to be Simon, complained to
such an extent that his mum gave in and took them inside for a sit down and a drink.
Clare went inside and managed to grab the next table along, nearest to Simon.
'Pssst,' Clare tried to
attract Simon's attention.
He turned and looked at her,
opening his mouth to call his mother.
'Shush and you could make a
tenner.' Clare said
He raised his eyebrows.
'I need your certificate.'
'What certificate?'
‘The one you just got from Monument.'
'Why?'
'I just do and if you give it
to me I will give you a tenner.'
'Twenty'
'No ten.'
'No then.' He turned his back
to her.
'Fine twenty.'
As his mother returned Simon
was stuffing something into his pocket and the door was swinging shut behind
Clare as she rushed out.
She started heading back towards the tube station and just
in time spotted one of the twins queuing at the bottom of Monument. She darted
in the opposite direction and headed over to Canon Street to avoid being
spotted. She carefully placed the certificate in the clear plastic wallet and
breathed a sigh of relief.
There was a long line of people standing facing the luggage
lockers when the policeman walked David back into the station. He sheepishly
stood there as the twins and five other couples all stood in a row.
'Right now David is here we
can begin,' said a woman dressed in bright flowery clothes who sounded a little
too jolly to face people who had been madly running over London for the last
three hours.
She turned and faced a camera,
'So the final challenge is this years' scavenger hunt has now been completed
and we shall see which team have won. As usual the items have to be inside the teams’ nominated locker before noon and we will now open them and
check the details.'
'Kevin and Debbie are
currently in last place so let's check their locker first.' The presenter took
the key from them and opened the locker. She then took a ridiculous amount of
time removing the items and displaying them for the camera. First a ticket to
Blenheim Palace and a bookmark bearing the famous house's logo from the well-stocked
gift shop, then an bus ticket to Thame, a train ticket from Thame to London, an
all-day tube ticket and a ticket for the Emirates Airline. She then
dramatically searched the locker and turned to face the camera with a look of
sad disappointment.
'Well Kevin, Debbie not
everything but that still gives you a good standing so far.'
'Thanks Kelly,' said Kevin.
'Unfortunately we just ran out of time.'
The theatrics were continued
as each locker was opened and none of the other couples had the final item on
the list.
'Finally we come to David and
the Butler twins. Johnny, Steve, shall we start with you first?'
'Why not?' said Johnny smiling
smugly.
'Now as we know,' Kelly
addressed the camera head on, 'David and the Butler twins were neck and neck on
the challenge after the last checkpoint. We have never had a tie break ...'
'I don't think we will this
time,' interrupted Johnny
Kelly opened the locker and
showed its contents to the camera.
'We're still missing that
final item so if David has all items on the list he is the winner. If not the
title goes to the twins for the sixth year running. David you key please.'
David looked at the policeman
who had him in handcuffs and smiled. The policeman slowly undid one of the
cuffs whilst David looked at all the faces in the crowd. David couldn't see
her, he was done for. He started patting his pockets to try and waste some
time.
'Come on David, no key, no
win,' Kelly said.
Suddenly the crowds started to
part and Clare pushed her way through. She deftly vaulted the barrier set up to
keep the crowds back and rushed towards David. Steve Butler grabbed hold of her
as she rushed passed him and wrestled her to the floor, but not before she had
time to hurl something small and silver into the air. Whilst everyone was
staring at the small woman on the floor being forcibly pinned down by the six
feet tall twin, not the best image for a previous winner to display, David
managed to step on the key were it had fallen. In the commotion as Clare was
being dragged away he quickly bent down and popped it into his pocket.
'Right David, your key
please,' Kelly said
David again felt through all his pockets before finally
producing the key out of his back one.
'Let's see how you got on.
First a ticket to Blenheim Palace and a bookmark bearing the famous house's
logo from the well-stocked gift shop, then an bus ticket to Thame, a train
ticket from Thame to London, an all-day tube ticket, a ticket for the Emirates Airline.
Looks like it's a tie.'
The twins couldn't believe how
David had done this, but the rules stated that if there was a tie and the
previous years' winners were involved then the trophy stayed with them. A silly
grin was just starting to appear on their faces when...
'Wait a minute, what's this,' the
presenter turned to the camera and slowly lifted a role of paper from David's
locker. 'I do believe it's a certificate to say you climbed to the top of
Monument. Well done David, I don't know how you did it but you're this year's
winner.'
David looked over at the
Butler twins and smiled. The look of astonishment on their faces was worth more
that the five thousand pound prize and the television exposure put together. As
he stood in front of the cameras to accept his prize he saw Clare in the
background, waving as she went through the turnstiles to catch her train home.
Once on board she could count the two thousand pounds David had left in the
locker for her to collect as she put the last three items needed for the
scavenger hunt inside.