River Mersey

148

     The drive south to Stockport had not been without incident either, as the driver of a Ford Fiesta in Highbury would testify, after Bond had failed to stop at a give way sign, causing the Fiesta driver to crash into a lamppost and sustain a broken leg. If asked to comment on the incident Bond would have said that although the cost was much greater in this instance, a British broken leg as opposed to four French lives, the price was still fully justified.
     “We’ll need the assistance of the RAF, sir.”
     M frowned. “Well if you’re sure. You know what I feel about involving the military unless it's absolutely necessary.
     “It is sir.” Bond explained. “I’m pretty sure the floor of the cavern that houses the superlocusts is well below the level of the River Mersey, which is hard by the cavern if not directly over it. Dropping a powerful bomb, or bombs, would breach the river bed and the Mersey would flood the cavern. And unless our friend Goldnojaws has taught his superlocusts to swim that would be the end of them.”
     M looked thoughtful. “Well there’s little doubt that the RAF could do that. Dash it all, they can land the smart bombs they have nowadays on a sixpence. But it would take a hell of a lot of organising. We can’t just start dropping bombs in the centre of Stockport. Even if you wouldn’t notice the difference after we’ve done it,” he added. “ I mean there’s the possible loss of life to consider.”
     “There’s the definite loss of life to consider if we don’t, sir. I’m afraid it’s a case of damned if we do and damned if we don’t.”
     M chewed on it for a moment. “We could clear the area I suppose. Say a half mile radius; the military would know definitely. It would be hell to organise but I don’t see any alternative.”
     “How long, sir? To organise it?"
     M opened his hands. “Two days, three?”
     “I wouldn’t like to delay it any longer.”
     “No.” M came to a decision. “Right, that’s what we’ll do. But you said you had a couple of ideas?”
     “To my certain knowledge there are four of the superlocusts in the Pyramids building already. Even now there could be lots more of them that have made the trip from the cavern. Lord knows how many of them will be there in two or three days time. Fifty? A hundred? They’ll all have to be eliminated.”