Invitation

"Ah, good morning, officer," said the Major.

Phil had to hand it to him, the flash git didn't look in the slightest bit fazed to see the police on their doorstep.

"Hello sir," replied the policeman. "As I was just saying to Mr Armstrong here..." he paused. "Can you hear something...odd?" he asked. Phil noticed he sounded suddenly distracted, and when he looked at the man's face, he noticed something absent in his expression.

"Can you hear something, officer?" the Major asked. "That's good. Perhaps you'd like to bring your colleague over, see if she can hear it too?"

The policeman nodded, and went to do just that.

Suddenly it dawned on Phil Armstrong. "You're surely not..." he asked the Major. "You're not using the equipment on them?"

The Major flashed him a thin, completely humourless smile. "And what else do you suggest, hmm? What's your plan for getting us out of the shit?"

Phil wasn't having this. "We wouldn't be in the shit if you hadn't left the sodding doors wide open, pal."

The arrival of the two police officers gave the Major the perfect opportunity to cut the conversation short.

"There, Sue. Do you hear it? Like a kind of murmuring?" the policeman was saying.

"Hmmm?" she replied, clearly lost in listening to something. "Do you see a kind of blue light?" she asked, almost to herself.

"Ah, perfect," said the Major, smiling. "I think you'll both want to come inside now. I think you'll find it fascinating in there."

With that, he led them both inside. Phil looked nervously at the squad car, parked at the kerb. He hoped this wouldn't take long. He wanted them to drive away from here as soon as possible.



Part Two begins here.