The Pact by John L. Probert Page B

Jocelyn.
    “Have you found it, then?” Parva asked. The twitch at the corners of Amanda’s eyes told her that she hadn’t. “Wouldn’t it be helpful if you told us what it was and then we could all help you look?”
    Amanda forced a laugh. “No, Dr Corcoran, that wouldn’t help at all.”
    “I see.” Parva reached into her pocket. “In that case, would you mind if I answered my phone? Someone seems to be desperate to get my attention.”
    Amanda looked only slightly perturbed. “Why not?” she said. “The condemned woman deserves a last wish. If it’s Willoughby you can say goodbye, after you tell him what a silly boy he’s been for trying to contact you again. If it’s anyone else...” Amanda paused and looked around her, “...they’ll never believe whatever it is you tell them.”
    Parva lifted the buzzing phone to her eye line and pressed the ‘Receive’ button.
    The first text message of the evening appeared. As she might have expected, it was from Jack Willoughby.
    Don’t do anything stupid.
    Parva shook the phone as it continued to vibrate. Why hadn’t it picked up? She pressed the button again.
    The message that must have followed appeared.
    Under no circumstances put yourself in danger .
    Yes, fine, I already am in danger, thank you very much, she thought, thumbing the button once more.
    “Problems?” Amanda was starting to grin now.
    “Oh, you know,” said Parva as she stared at the final two texts, “technology.”
    Cool as a cucumber.
    Keep calm and remember your initial training .
    Parva blinked. What the hell was Willoughby on? This was just nonsense.
    Or was it?
    Was it possibly a code?
    Parva looked at the messages as Amanda tapped her foot.
    “I’m starting to get bored, Dr Corcoran.”
    “Sorry.” There was something hidden here, something Parva needed to decipher quickly. She found her eyes straying to the final message.
    Remember your initial training.
    She’d never had any initial training, or at least it hadn’t been called that.
    Initial.
    Parva looked at the first letter of each text.
    D
    U
    C
    K
    The phone was still buzzing. Parva pressed the receive button one last time and the message was there, over and over.
    Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck.
    Parva threw herself to the floor as the windows of the biology laboratory exploded inwards. Tear gas canisters hit the floor, oily smoke already pouring from them. Parva gripped the legs of the chair on the right and pulled as hard as she could. The chair fell backwards with a crash, as Parva did the same to the left. Both Emily and Jocelyn disappeared beneath a sea of choking fumes. Parva heard a gunshot and winced but felt no pain. She looked up but by now her eyes were filled with tears. She had a vague sense of someone pulling her away and then everything went black.

 
    13
     
    “Are you feeling all right now?”
    Parva struggled to focus on the face of Matron Waters as she willed the pounding in her head to go away. She tried to rise from the bed she was lying in, but that just made it even worse. Parva coughed, and wished she had died rather than survive whatever toxins had invaded her system and were making her feel so abominable right at this moment.
    “You’re going to feel rough for a little while,” said a man’s voice as Jack Willoughby came into view, his face full of concern. “But once you’re able to walk we’ll get you back to Bristol.”
    Parva tried to swing her legs out of bed and immediately wanted to throw up.
    “I don’t think I’m ready quite yet,” she croaked. The words echoed around the inside of her skull.
    “I’m not at all surprised,” said the DCI, motioning to the matron that she could leave them to it. “That was pretty toxic stuff we sent in there. I needed to knock everyone out quickly and that was the best we could drum up at