Mr Seddon
Issue 1 – conventional trouble
The hotel stood gallantly in the direct centre of Crosby, that was a small town in the borders of Liverpool. It was designed with every luxury in mind and has top notch security for when the CEO of LeightonX.co is present. The building was huge but only accommodated for 20 different rooms.
At the very top, was a penthouse. The penthouse was completely off-limits for anyone else other that Leighton Sealeaf and Mr Hamish Seddon. It had its own private cinema, bar, pool and more, however it isn’t showing any importance at the moment.
Inside the room was Leighton, trying to decide what tie would not only look the best on him, but would spark the most controversial attitude towards him, something he loved to do. Outside the room was Hamish, who constantly kept checking his watch as they were supposed to be at the Leighton centre of production and officers at half nine, when he was going to give a speech to news reporters and potential investors about a new product that they have been working on, his watch displayed five past nine and he would prefer to of left the hotel five minutes ago and arrive at ten past so that he could personally inspect all the security protocols that he had ordered to be put in place.
You may be wondering, why all of these precautions for this one, rather annoying but good looking CEO? Well several weeks ago he was visiting the new offices in Liverpool when he was shot. The doctors said it was nothing major but it did force him on crutches for the next week. The sniper was caught and arrested where he was sentenced to a psychiatric institution, despite Leighton’s determination that he wasn’t going to press charges. Ever since he has been receiving hateful letters from a newly formed terrorist organisation named Tyrone. That’s why so much security is being implemented in any events that he may be seen in public.
Hamish turned around to the wooden door, that had been reinforced with metal, and knocked 3 times politely on the door. The door was then opened by Leighton who looked distraught with a pink and black spotted tie that had been placed in a weird way as a miserable attempt to tie a tie. “Do you need any help?” Hamish asked as he looked at the tie. Leighton gave a silent nod and Hamish placed his hand around the tie, quickly tying it in a presentable way.
Leighton stepped out of the door way and they both walked together for a couple of feet until they arrived at an elevator that had its doors wide open for them to leisurely enter. Just before he tapped the button to go down, Hamish pulled his arm up and began to talk into his sleeve, “Retard is in the elevator, going down.” The information was immediately relayed to the support van that was several cars behind the primary limousine in the motorcade that awaited them outside the hotel’s lobby.
After tapping ground floor on the touch screen panel, the elevator quickly made its way down to the ground and the doors opened once again. “Time?” Leighton asked whilst making his way past the five security guard, that where smartly dressed in black suits in the lobby, and two scruffy mercenaries that held assault rifles.
“8 minutes passed nine,” Hamish replied calmly but looking at the visible roof tops outside. They reached the traditional style limo that was randomly placed in the order of about three other identical ones that even had the same amount of people that had almost identical heights to th occupants of the main car. The vehicles where replicas of the Beast that drove the American President around, but these ones where more advanced with technology.
They both sat in the limo and the door slammed shut with a special lock that was only able to open from the inside. The car was fitted out with leather seats and a computer that was able to come out from under the floor with the touch of a button that also could allow the backseat passangers to lie their seats back enough to have a small nap, for the longer journeys they used trucks.
Leighton picked up the file from the table, that sparkled and he flicked through the pages, in order to get a rough idea on what he was talking about. The car journey had some orchestra music playing in the background that came from a playlist that he had made himself.
The car and motorcade waited for Hamish to give orders, once he did the first car moved and all the others followed in an orderly fashion. The car didn’t make much disturbance to the passangers as they took the very short journey to the centre, that was also Leighton’s old high school, and the motorcade all split off leaving 2 cars to go to the barriers that opened automatically for them both to go through and for them to arrive at the back entrance.
The back entrance had 4 mercenaries guarding it with similar load outs to the hotel ones and 3 bodyguards were also stood there. Hamish stood out first and scanned the area for any plausible threats before raising his arm again and informing the mobile command centre that they had arrived safely. Once it was safe, Leighton stepped out and was greeted by the mayor of Bootle, who was interested in this latest advancement.
They firmly shook hands before entering the building into the sights communication sight. The employees all looked up at Leighton as Hamish hustled him out and into the brightly lit, clean corridor that was lined with pictures of the company along with other important items.
“So Leighton, I’m glad to hear that you have backed my re-election campaign” the mayor said joyfully on their way down the corridor,
“Well, I liked your thoughts on budget changes,” Leighton replied with the most subject knowledge he’d had in a while. Just before they entered through the back, several keen, young fans stood there with images of Leighton, begging for them to be signed.
Leighton rose his hand and Hamish sighed as he grabbed the pen, that was hanging from the clipboard of one of the event planner’s clipboard, and he handed it to Leighton who then signed the photographs with two different, but lovely messages.
“Sir, the cameras are rolling in the hall,” A different event manager informed, who had just appeared from behind the door and who had also been sent to see what’s taking them.
“Oh sorry,” Leighton said as the group walked through and they all sat on the chairs that had been placed especially for them, except for Hamish who stood behind the curtains, looking both at Leighton and the computer monitor that displayed many camera feeds of the hall and the surrounding corridors.
They sat for a few seconds and everyone was staring at Leighton, who was in a world of his own. An event manager ran across the stage and whispered into his ears, “Your meant to be there.”
Leighton suddenly got up and slowly approached the stand that had microphones from different news corporations messily placed all over it. He looked over the horizon that had the flashes of cameras and his eyes got caught onto screen that showed his words.
“Hi,” Leighton informally said, “I’m Leighton Sealeaf, the man in charge of LeightonX.co and we have recently developed this new taxi like service. With some funding from the local council, we will launch it in Liverpool and we will charge the same as busses with one…” before he could finish saying the appeasing one hundred percent of profit, Hamish rushed onto stage, accompanied by a few body guards that had drawn their weapons.
The noise of a sniper firing a bullet was distinct, and it ran through the air, only missing due to Hamish throwing Leighton onto the wooden floor of the stage. Leighton took a quick glimpse of the hole in the huge windows, that Hamish so desperately wanted removing because of this risk. Hamish used his own body to hide Leighton as they ran off stage and out of the room.
The mercenaries jogged past them and into the room. Sirens wailed throughout the building and Hamish directed Leighton to the place they came in from. The room was filled with people in the middle of a panic and the security guards that stood outside, took attention to the suspicious people that where walking past the barriers. They both watched as some silent, one-way dialog occurred and then a hail of gunfire pierced holes into them. “FUCK!” Hamish shouted impulsively as the one and only safe escape route was compromised.
“Language” Leighton said to Hamish in a more comedic and sarcastic sense than a parent would have said. Hamish ran onto the on suite kitchen and used a key to open the old medical container and pulled out a pistol with two magazines of ammo. He already had a fire arm, so he handed it over to Leighton who gave a confused look of uncertainty.
The staff in the room all followed protocol of hiding under the tables. Both Hamish and Leighton knew that the attackers would easily see them and shoot them without any remorse, but it would unfortunately act as a few extra moments for them to escape. Leighton hesitated for a moment before Hamish forced him out of the room with a great big tug.
“This is S2-12, I’m with retard requesting immediate evac,” Hamish said into his sleeve again, “Moving to evac point now.” They both crouch ran passed, the now quiet, hall and they arrived at the studio.
The studio was empty and heavy footsteps came from down the corridor, they both ran into the studio and looked around, it took them a short moment to realise that the X-Radio staff where all hidden underneath the desks and in the tall locker at the very corner of the room. “Psst, down here.” Someone softly said to them.
Leighton looked down to see Marcus Kindle, an extremely famous radio presenter and actor only thanks to the company, but mainly Leighton’s determination to make him a celebrity, Leighton knelt down onto his knees to be at a level height, whilst Hamish looked around the room to make sure it was safer.
“Where are you off too?” Marcus quietly, but distinctly politely, asked.
“The laboratories,” Leighton replied in a calm tone but with adrenalin pumping through his veins,
“Go through music and development,” Marcus informed confidently as he knew there was a disguised corridor back there that they could take that led directly into the other half of the centre.
“Leighton we have to go,” Hamish said as he grabbed Leighton by the arm. they both approached the door and Hamish kicked it open, a cry of blunt force pain came from the other side and when they investigated it, they found out the terrorists wore bomb vests.
Meanwhile, whilst Leighton informed Hamish of the abandoned corridor…
The sirens rang off in the SCAR-14 air base near South port.
Callum had already put his gear on and waited in the G-model aircraft that was capable of entering VTOL. As he sat there, he flickered through the building schematics.
2 of the British SCAR members arrived, late, and boarded the aircraft. It steadily took off and they slammed the door to prevent them from falling out. On the short journey Callum informed them that they were going to rappel over the farm, that was right next to the science area and also the evacuation point, and they would split, one would stay at the evac point, but the others would split in order to find Leighton, leaving the rest of the civilians for the police to rescue.
“2 minutes out,” The pilot informed as they slowed down and they could see the old school from out of the windows, guarded by flashing lights that created a festive fuzz from above.
They hovered above the evac area, and each of them attached their rappel rope and jumped out of the aircraft and onto the concrete pavement. “I’ll go right, Wendy left and Tommy stay here.” Callum informed the team as he fixed his microphone on his headset that was connected entirely onto his helmet that also had an anti-EMP device installed so that his latest gadgets weren’t affecting him or his team mates that much.
As Callum entered and went right down the infamously cold and smelly corridor, Leighton and Hamish had just about entered the corridor and Hamish was like he was on a swivel chair, constantly looking from side to side to make sure they weren’t going to be ambushed, at least any time soon.
They reached the end of this forgotten corridor and then some memories of what’s going to be on the other side came back, to both of them. It was a glass corridor with many vantage points clearly visible.
“Follow me, quickly” Hamish ordered as his guts reached maximum capacity of willingness and he opened the door, still keeping Leighton right behind him and he looked to make sure it was clear. After a few seconds, they both ran to the left and busted through the locked door and into a slightly safer area that was the reception. Or so it seemed, as when they made that ruckus, a single terrorist heard and came out of the reception.
He held an LMG firmly in his hands and wore a bomb vest that had a trigger dangling from it. Hamish lined up his shot and fired at the terrorist, unfairly missing his head, but landing a solid hit in the shoulders. The crazy-man laughed it off and couldn’t even be bothered to look for them before just firing all around him.
“Shots fired!” shouted Callum,
“Shots fired!” yelled the police outside.
To be continued…
By Leighton Lee James Sealeaf
Published, on e-book, by LeightonX.co
Part of the Mr Seddon, series.
Special thanks to Hamish Seddon for permission to use his name and key attributes that helped the character creation phase of the story.
©Leighton Sealeaf
Texte: Leighton Lee James Sealeaf
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 15.01.2020
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