Helix Nexus, Chris Lofts [best android ereader .txt] 📗

‘Sir Aubrey Crisp,’ the man replied. ‘The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.’

‘We’re needed elsewhere to provide a report on the events at the MoHD earlier this morning.’ Helix exchanged glances with Ethan. ‘No doubt you’ve seen the news.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Crisp replied. ‘To whom?’

‘To whom?’

‘Yes. To whom are you providing your report? General Yawlander’s replacement hasn’t been appointed, the Home Secretary is, err… so the next one in the food chain is the PM.’ He held his hand out towards the Foreign Office. ‘Shall we?’

Helix had never met the PM. Following Wheeler’s downfall, the party hadn’t been able to agree who else to put in her place, so they’d decided the decent thing to do would be to give her another shot. As with most things in Parliament these days, it had been the easy option. The short, grey haired octogenarian always reminded Helix of their granny but with a full set of teeth and a sharper mind. Many a leader of the opposition and members of her own party had mistaken her frail frame as weakness, only to be torn apart at the dispatch box or in cabinet.

Their short procession snaked its way through the crowds and into the Foreign Office building. Pausing outside a pair of heavy oak doors, Sir Aubrey gave a firm double tap, stepped back and straightened his tie. He moved between the open doors and came to attention. ‘Major Helix and Lieutenant Helix, Prime Minister,’ he announced.

Helix took Crisp’s standing aside as an invitation to enter. With Ethan at his shoulder, they marched into the room, came to a halt and saluted.

‘At ease, gentlemen,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘You’ve had quite a year so far, haven’t you?’

‘Ma’am?’ Helix said.

‘Please. Take a seat,’ she said, gesturing towards a pair of high-backed armchairs. She leaned back against the moulded front edge of the Victorian pedestal desk. ‘You can go, Crispy.’

‘I thought I might stay, Prime Minister.’

The look over the top of the glasses was enough. The Chief of Staff eased the door closed behind him.

Pushing away from the desk, the Prime Minister sauntered around to the office chair and sat. ‘Yes, quite the year. First there was the Wheeler, Stepper and Lytkin business, and now this,’ she said, leaning her elbows on the brown leather desktop. ‘I should thank you for the former, by the way.’ She smiled.

Helix removed his cap, placing it in his lap. ‘By this I assume you mean the death of the Home Secretary, ma’am?’ He coughed into his hand. ‘We can provide a summary and then a fuller report once we’ve collated all the evidence.’

The Prime Minister nodded. ‘Go ahead.’

Together they summarised the previous 48 hours. By the time they’d finished, were it not for the red lipstick providing some contrast, her features might have been as grey as her hair. She rose from the chair as they concluded. Helix shot a sideways glance at Ethan as she crossed to one of the tall windows, her hands clasped behind her back.

‘What is the likelihood of someone else getting their hands on Stepper’s research and completing the work?’ she said.

‘Until Lytkin’s backups are destroyed, there remains a possibility, albeit a small one,’ Helix said. ‘Doctor Stepper and her sister are living off grid and without one of them the pathogen can’t be unlocked.’

‘We need to neutralise the threat, Major.’

Helix swallowed. He shot a questioning glance at Ethan.

‘There may be a way, ma’am,’ Ethan said. ‘With full access to all of the Home Secretary’s data, I may be able to unearth a connection between her and her brother and access the backed-up research. Valerian Lytkin was originally planning to go with Doctor Stepper to Berlin to complete the work.’

‘Are you asking for permission, Lieutenant?’

Ethan laughed. ‘Sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness, but yes. With your permission, I believe I can eliminate the risk.’

‘OK. You’ve got the gig. You will report to me directly,’ she said, pulling aside one of the net curtains. ‘I also need someone to put the brakes on Gaia before we end up with an all-seeing eye on the top of Big Ben like some psychotic Lord Sauron.’

Ethan raised his eyebrows at his brother. Helix nodded. Now wasn’t the time for modesty.

‘That might be a little more involved, Prime Minister. I can undertake a review and put together a proposal.’

‘Very good.’ She turned back from the window. ‘I see you’re carrying a General officer’s ceremonial sword, Major Helix. A little above your paygrade, isn’t it?’

Helix cleared his throat. ‘Ma’am, I thought it a fitting—’

‘I liked Yawlander,’ she interrupted. ‘And he always spoke highly of you.’ She propped her glasses on top of her hair. ‘You’ve done this country a great service. Another great service. Both of you,’ she said, taking a graphene tablet from the desk. ‘I never liked Ormandy. But she could have been PM.’ She scowled. ‘It would have made her double life more difficult. But, with little old me as the focus of attention, she could plan and prepare her coup unnoticed. I always wondered why she didn’t throw her hat in the ring after you hung Wheeler out to dry. Now I know.’ She glanced up from the tablet. ‘And she was far too keen to install that snake Ortega as Yawlander’s successor,’ she added. ‘OK. You’ve got work to do, gentlemen.’

Helix and Ethan took that as their cue and rose to their feet. ‘Thank you, Prime Minister. Who should we notify when we have all the—’

‘Me, Major.’ She sighed. ‘Thanks to you, I don’t have a Home Secretary, or a Secretary of State for Defence.’ She pressed her fingers to her lips. ‘There was one other thing.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ He put on his cap.

‘Not only do I need two new cabinet ministers, I also need a replacement for General Yawlander.’ She dropped her glasses to her nose and pushed them up. ‘Someone I can rely on.’

Helix shuffled on his feet. ‘General Moore-Hyland, from the north would be my suggestion.’

‘I was thinking of you,