The Whitehall Syndicate: A time travel conspiracy thriller by Malhar Patel Read Free Book Online

maintain his calm. Just as he was starting to relax, he heard footsteps and everyone immediately froze, ears strained intently and hearts racing.
     
    It was her lunch break and Gina was casually walking down the road, on her way to the market. She'd long since given up taking lunch from home or buying overpriced processed food from the nearby shops. Getting fresh fruit from the market had become her routine, and no-one questions somebody with a routine. She checked for anyone following her and after a few seconds was convinced she was alone. She hoped that shopping might ease the tension that was strangling her, but in the back of her mind she knew that it wouldn't work.
    Every now and then she looked back at her phone. Still no word from Anisha. She wondered if anything had happened. Anisha was usually the first person to call you up for any reason. She shuffled those paranoid thoughts out of her head. There was probably nothing to report, that's all. Wandering through the stalls, Gina's gaze was directed to a black ski mask. She was tempted and made a mental note to come back later on.
    As she continued through the market she got the feeling that someone was watching her. It was just jitters of course, but it didn't make it seem any less real. To reassure herself she reached into her purse and felt the cold handle of her ZGH-47 pistol: an old present from Anisha. If it came down to it, she knew what she had to do.
     
    Tap Tap. The footsteps were definitely getting closer now, accompanied by the off key whistling of a security guard. Jack knew they couldn't talk to each other without giving away where they were but he had to do something, so he began gesturing emphatically, only to be met with faces of confusion. They all ducked low and stacked up behind the far wall of the minute room. There was a tiny table just to the left of the door and they struggled to pack themselves underneath it, clamouring desperately to get out of the line of sight.
    The tapping was getting louder. Peeking out through the wire-enforced safety glass, Jack suddenly saw a face. He jumped back and nearly let out a small shriek, with Anisha managing to cover his mouth just in time. The guard shone his flashlight from outside the window, so far unaware of the three people just outside his view.
    Inside, the light danced around as if it were possessed, flying over the matt grey-blue walls, delving deep into the boxes stacked up by the far wall and finally wandering over the top of the battered old table.
    Jack's eyes began to wander and in a split second he thought it was all over: he was staring straight into the guard's eyes and the guard was staring straight back at his. His heart sank and his body numbed as he imagined what would happen now. This was it. For sure it was all over now. Not being able to move or say anything, he just stood there waiting for his fate.
    A few long seconds passed. Maybe the guard hadn't seen him. Maybe he was looking at something else. As the footsteps began again, Jack let out a sigh of relief. Glancing back at the others, it was clear from their expressions they were still waiting; cautiously making sure the guard was well clear.
    Jack was sweating again, his nerves frayed and Anisha's hot body pressed up against his, burning him up. A tickly feeling began to grow in Bob's nose. He tried to ignore it. It grew more and more forceful, etching at the skin. Moving it from side to side didn't help. His hands were wedged in an awkward position and he couldn't get them free.
    A second went by and it became just too much for him to contain; with an almighty sneeze, he shattered the still silence. Everyone became rigid, beads of sweat trickling freely off their worried faces. The guard was still close, and they could hear the patting of his feet stop. Had he gone? Was he frozen in his tracks?
    The next few seconds seemed to drag on for an eternity. Silent prayers cycled through Bob's head. Finally the patter began again, fading