Much to my surprise I got four votes as I almost scrubbed my story as not that good.
Must remember the formula if I don't like it they do if I like it ................
Next month at Sue's (perhaps)
"Soft enough" 23rd March
My story
How easy is it to do
it?
The rain came down
in sheets, the low blanket of cloud made the streets dark The dim
lights sent long shadows against the buildings . The man a thin
figure slumped against the corner of the building fronting the
quayside carefully scrutinised the foreground . It seemed devoid of
life although he could hear sounds that came from the sheds where the
dockworkers were engaged in separating the personal baggage of the
passengers who would disembark at six am. The ship a cavernous cruise
ship had come in during the early hours. Only the baggage was being
removed the passenger allowed to sleep on. He could see the glow of
the cigarette held by the man guarding the gangway to the ship.
James Fenshaw had
reached here after taking the train from Paddington and then a taxi
to Western Docks. He had tipped the driver, proceeded the short
distance to 109 berth where the Mandela was berthed. He carried with
him a small black suitcase Carefully making his way along the side
of the terminal until he encountered the half open shed door.
Inside was a hive of
activity fork trucks bustling among the stacked lines of luggage. The
whole place lit up by giant lights suspended from the roof. Giving an
eerie atmosphere of another world. Glancing around he picked up a
discarded clipboard with an attached pencil. He assumed a confident
air and walked along the lines of baggage head down studiously
checking the label names.
Seeing a small
number of suitcases further along the shed he made his way over to
them and as he guessed it was for the passengers who would arrive in
the afternoon. They had already been screened similar to the airport
security. Looking around to see if anybody was taking an interest in
him he dropped his own small suitcase amongst them it was clearly
labelled S. Parks for the Mandela. Discarding the clipboard he strode
purposely out of the shed his job was done.
The cruise ship was
well out into the channel heading for France when a siren like sound
shrieked out from the baggage room. A crew member was hurriedly
dispatched to investigate the baggage room. He soon found the cause
of the noise and nervously he brought the suitcase before the chief
engineer who had been fetched to see what it could be.
Hesitantly he opened
the suitcase up, inside was a battery and timer with a loudspeaker
and a recorder. With it was a note that read BANG you are all dead.
That day James
Fenshaw reported to the company that hired him find out how easy it
was to overcome the security of the cruise liner. He added his
summary of how improvements could be made.
He enjoyed his role
as a James Bond.