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NEW AUTHORS SHOWCASE
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08-10-10 6M P2 |
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The Road to Revolution by D C Brockwell |
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Synopsis: The PRP promise lower living costs, less unemployment and happier living conditions. In eight years the PRP has become the most popular party and the New Coalition are in a desperate position. Then Ethan Brook, founder and leader of the PRP, is brutally assassinated outside his home in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. Suspicion is thrust upon the Coalition leaders. Civil unrest erupts as protests and demonstrations disrupt business and riots break out from the South East to the North of England, Wales and Scotland. The New Coalition find themselves dealing with the single biggest threat to Britain’s national security the country has ever witnessed, but are powerless to do anything. The Police are overwhelmed. Calling a state of emergency and handing power over to the army seems their only remaining option. Their only hope lies with Mike Martin, deputy leader of the PRP, to ease the unrest and call for calm. Then other senior PRP administrators are assassinated. As the military seizes control of the streets across the country, a new militant group appear, intent on freeing the interned protesters and gaining a following for their cause of ousting the New Coalition, allowing the PRP to govern Britain. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos and bloodshed, a new terror emerges. An unidentified biochemical weapon is released on an unsuspecting populace. It is a race against time to prevent civil war and eliminate the terrorist threat. Daniel Campbell, the Coalition leader, strode purposefully into a conference room in ten Downing Street. His seat at the end of the table was waiting for him. All the cabinet ministers stood as he entered. This was an emergency meeting, an unusual gathering of top government personnel. Campbell wiped his face with his hands. It was the most important meeting he had ever chaired in his short career as Prime Minister. The room was silent. No one spoke, as they all knew what had happened late last night. They also knew what a desperate situation they were facing. They had all been watching BBC or Sky News, shocked. “I’ve just spoken to the chief constable of West Sussex”, started Campbell, the youngest Prime Minister Britain had ever had. He was a good-looking man in his late thirties with a full head of brown hair and an athletic physique. “She tells me that at half twelve this morning outside his home in Burgess Hill a five man gang opened fire on Ethan Brook’s car, killing all three occupants, Ethan, his driver and an unidentified girl. Ethan was hit five times. These assassins left nothing to chance, according to the police a total of two hundred rounds were recovered. Automatic weapons were used and the five men were wearing masks. There’s no doubt that this was a professional execution.” No one spoke; some shuffled in their seats uncomfortably, others simply thought about Ethan Brook brutally slain outside his own home. “Do the police know any more?” asked Neil Cresswell, the Liberal Democrat leader and co-deputy leader of the New Coalition. Cresswell was a very charismatic and photogenic man in his early forties, who always wore designer suits. He had a full head of dark brown hair cut in a very trendy fashion and impossibly straight white teeth. They seemed to sparkle when he smiled. He was by far the most attractive to the female electorate. “Do they have any leads yet, Dan?” “The police have been knocking on doors all morning. A neighbour of Ethan’s said she saw a white transit van heading along Folders Lane towards Ditchling Common. Police say they could have gone in one of three directions, towards Lewes if they went straight over the roundabout, towards Brighton, if they turned right or towards Haywards Heath if they turned left”, replied Campbell. “What about CCTV?” asked George Smith, the Labour leader and co-deputy leader. Smith was a dinosaur in comparison to his two peers. He was sixty-two and balding. What little amount he had left was silver grey and swept back. He’d hated having to join The Coalition under the leadership of Campbell, but pressure from the PRP had made it essential to keep Britain safe and in its current form. Smith hated the PRP and couldn't let them take power and ruin this once great country. “They re checking every camera now. According to Helen Rooker there aren't many cameras in that area. They’re going to keep me posted every hour.” “I’ve heard reports of rioting”, said Cresswell, as though he was giving Campbell new news. “I’ve had confirmed reports of rioting from Sussex to Lancashire. The three of us have a press conference in under an hour”, said Campbell to Cresswell and Smith. “I need reports on how bad this rioting is by twelve today”, said Campbell to Leanne Evers, the Home Secretary, a very round older lady in her mid fifties. She was attractive and motherly in appearance and was always immaculately dressed. Leanne nodded. She was a former Labour minister, who’d moved over to the Conservatives. There was no love lost between her and George Smith; she’d hated his temper tantrums. “We’re two weeks away from the most important election of our lives”, complained Smith. He never failed to show his resentment at being told what to do by a Tory . “I’m fully aware of how important this election is, George”, said Campbell, trying not to lose his temper in front of his honourable friends. “I really think it’ll be better for Neil and I to be out canvassing”, challenged Smith. “Duly noted, but what we need to do is show a unified front in giving our support to Ethan’s family and friends.” “You don't need us there for that, Dan.” “This isn’t a matter for negotiation”, snapped Campbell. “We are leaders of our party and we’re going to appeal for calm. We can’t have rioting and looting in the run up to the election; it’ll make us look incompetent.” Smith nodded sulkily. “You’ll have the report before twelve, Dan”, said Leanne. “I’ve told the chief constable that we need this one closed hastily. We need to know who did this and why and who paid them. Someone out there obviously thinks they’re going to benefit from Ethan’s death. If any one has any ideas, I’m all ears.” No one spoke. They all knew that Ethan had made a lot of enemies through the party's policies. However, all policy decisions were voted for by the members and the majority won. Leanne Evers had almost moved over to the PRP six months ago, but had decided not to when she'd seen the salary. Ethan had a very stringent policy that no minister would receive over a hundred thousand a year. Ethan himself only took seventy thousand. Her salary would have been fifty-five. “Judging by the silence, I’ll take it that no one has any ideas on this?” Campbell wiped his face in frustration. Every minister in the room could remember the day The Sun newspaper had printed The Positive Revolution Party’s manifesto and how they’d all laughed at the prospect of a new party forming to take on the two main parties, the Coalition and Labour. The prospect had seemed preposterous in September 2012. And now, eight years later, they were two weeks away from the 2020 election and defeat at the hands of the PRP. What they had all failed to realise was that Ethan Brook had been deadly serious when he and three friends had written the manifesto in The Railway pub in Burgess Hill. Comments and donations had come flowing in after Ethan had appeared on This Morning, GMTV and various other daytime TV programmes. According to Ethan, on his first appearance on This Morning with Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, he had first thought of the idea of starting a non-profit organisation on a drunk Monday night in June in The Railway in 2010. He had been discussing politics with three equally drunk friends when he’d proclaimed that what this country needed was a revolution to wash away the vile stench of corruption in British politics. His friends had all laughed while agreeing, had said it was a great idea, but would never happen.
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