speak.”
“Oh , for crying out loud,” said Jillian standing up. “If there was a problem in the city, security would tell me and I would deal with it. They’re a bunch of kids, Jackson, you know what they’re like.” She walked over to Jackson ignoring Tom.
“Well , yes, I do know. Cindy and Parker are gossiping like there’s no tomorrow and I can’t shut them up. I’m worried half the office are about to walk out.”
Jillian ushered Jackson out of her office and followed him , leaving Tom sitting in an empty room. He wondered if he should sit and wait or see what the deal was. He decided sitting in an empty room didn’t show much initiative, so he followed Jillian out onto the floor. He headed to where a large crowd had gathered. They were clustered around one man’s desk. Tom could hear Jillian barking instructions out to sit down and monitor the phones, but nobody seemed to be taking any notice.
“Quiet!” shouted a man sat at the desk where everyone had crowded around. The man was dressed in a smart suit and had a telephone pressed to his ear, his finger stuck in the other.
“What’s happening, Benzo?” said a female voice from the back of the group. The speaker was hidden from Tom’s view. Benzo just flapped his hand in the air signalling them to be quiet.
“Why do they call him Benzo?” Tom whispered to Jackson.
“His real name is Marin Rakeen de Lakehal Benzema.”
“ Oh, right,” said Tom nodding. Jackson just winked at Tom knowingly.
“Al l right, everyone,” said Jillian, “let’s see what he can find out. Please sit down and be quiet.”
The office fell into a hush. A minute passed and Benzo said nothing. Then he slammed down the phone and stood up sending his chair wheeling back into Jackson’s shins.
“I’m leaving , Jill, and I suggest we all do the same.” There was a flurry of people standing up and gathering up coats and bags.
“Al l right, all right, hold on everyone. What did your father tell you, Benzo?” Jill stood next to him, her arms folded. The crowded office stopped again and Tom felt very self-conscious in the quiet room; as if it were him expected to make a speech. Benzo spoke slowly and clearly.
“I couldn’t get hold of my father. I got the pass off and they only do that when it’s important. Eventually, they put me through to the DCI. He knows me. He said...he said, there’s been an incident at St Thomas’, a bad one. He said there was some sort of infection spreading and quickly. He told me we should either stay where we are and lock the doors, or better yet, get home fast. He said it was coming this way. Then he got cut off, or hung up, I’m not sure.”
“Fuck this , Jill, I’m outta here,” said Rob. “Can you hear that?” He pointed to the far end of the office, toward the exit door. The sounds of hundreds of people running down the emergency exit stairs reverberated around the room. Nobody had even noticed it before.
“Hang on , everyone, I’m going to check with security,” said Jill, but it was useless. The panic had started and people began leaving. Rob marched out first, his leather jacket flying behind him, swiftly followed by Benzo.
“Wait, you can’t leave, there’s work to do. Stay here where it’s safe. Come on, what are you doing?” Jill tried to reason with them and a few listened, but most ignored her. They were used to ignoring her pathetic orders and now that their lives might be in jeopardy, they were intent on ignoring her even more.
Against the tide , Caterina resurfaced. Back in the office, she headed straight for Jillian’s office. “Jill, the lift’s broken, I’ve been waiting for ages and it ain’t coming.” She saw everyone leaving and suddenly realised that Eva might be in serious trouble: so might she.
“Is this a fire drill , or for real?” asked Caterina as Kyle bundled himself past her to the stairs.
“I don’t know , Caterina. Look, the lift’s probably been deactivated; it seems
“Oh , for crying out loud,” said Jillian standing up. “If there was a problem in the city, security would tell me and I would deal with it. They’re a bunch of kids, Jackson, you know what they’re like.” She walked over to Jackson ignoring Tom.
“Well , yes, I do know. Cindy and Parker are gossiping like there’s no tomorrow and I can’t shut them up. I’m worried half the office are about to walk out.”
Jillian ushered Jackson out of her office and followed him , leaving Tom sitting in an empty room. He wondered if he should sit and wait or see what the deal was. He decided sitting in an empty room didn’t show much initiative, so he followed Jillian out onto the floor. He headed to where a large crowd had gathered. They were clustered around one man’s desk. Tom could hear Jillian barking instructions out to sit down and monitor the phones, but nobody seemed to be taking any notice.
“Quiet!” shouted a man sat at the desk where everyone had crowded around. The man was dressed in a smart suit and had a telephone pressed to his ear, his finger stuck in the other.
“What’s happening, Benzo?” said a female voice from the back of the group. The speaker was hidden from Tom’s view. Benzo just flapped his hand in the air signalling them to be quiet.
“Why do they call him Benzo?” Tom whispered to Jackson.
“His real name is Marin Rakeen de Lakehal Benzema.”
“ Oh, right,” said Tom nodding. Jackson just winked at Tom knowingly.
“Al l right, everyone,” said Jillian, “let’s see what he can find out. Please sit down and be quiet.”
The office fell into a hush. A minute passed and Benzo said nothing. Then he slammed down the phone and stood up sending his chair wheeling back into Jackson’s shins.
“I’m leaving , Jill, and I suggest we all do the same.” There was a flurry of people standing up and gathering up coats and bags.
“Al l right, all right, hold on everyone. What did your father tell you, Benzo?” Jill stood next to him, her arms folded. The crowded office stopped again and Tom felt very self-conscious in the quiet room; as if it were him expected to make a speech. Benzo spoke slowly and clearly.
“I couldn’t get hold of my father. I got the pass off and they only do that when it’s important. Eventually, they put me through to the DCI. He knows me. He said...he said, there’s been an incident at St Thomas’, a bad one. He said there was some sort of infection spreading and quickly. He told me we should either stay where we are and lock the doors, or better yet, get home fast. He said it was coming this way. Then he got cut off, or hung up, I’m not sure.”
“Fuck this , Jill, I’m outta here,” said Rob. “Can you hear that?” He pointed to the far end of the office, toward the exit door. The sounds of hundreds of people running down the emergency exit stairs reverberated around the room. Nobody had even noticed it before.
“Hang on , everyone, I’m going to check with security,” said Jill, but it was useless. The panic had started and people began leaving. Rob marched out first, his leather jacket flying behind him, swiftly followed by Benzo.
“Wait, you can’t leave, there’s work to do. Stay here where it’s safe. Come on, what are you doing?” Jill tried to reason with them and a few listened, but most ignored her. They were used to ignoring her pathetic orders and now that their lives might be in jeopardy, they were intent on ignoring her even more.
Against the tide , Caterina resurfaced. Back in the office, she headed straight for Jillian’s office. “Jill, the lift’s broken, I’ve been waiting for ages and it ain’t coming.” She saw everyone leaving and suddenly realised that Eva might be in serious trouble: so might she.
“Is this a fire drill , or for real?” asked Caterina as Kyle bundled himself past her to the stairs.
“I don’t know , Caterina. Look, the lift’s probably been deactivated; it seems
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