Chapter 3: Chris Beaker

The train ran over some points waking Chris. He looked around wondering just where he was, glancing up there was a display telling him that the next station was Swindon. So he was heading into the West Country.

A ticket inspector was walking through but he seemed to miss Chris completely, it was almost as if he didn't see him. 'I used a hiding spell' Sar'ha's voice said into his mind.

"A what?" Chris asked as this didn't rock any memories for him and then he remembered what had happened before. "We got away?"

He felt the smile from Sar'ha. 'Of course, once you were unconscious I was able to use your body, I had to draw power from you to fight the drug that you'd been given'. Sar'ha told him.

"Oh, I did wonder how you managed to move so well. But I need more energy." Chris muttered a phrase and the train lights dimmed for a few minutes.

'What did you do?' Sar'ha asked him.

Chris smiled, "I drew on the electricity that is powering this train, transforming one form of energy into another, it's just like making my body a storage battery."

'Another Black Book Spell? I thought you couldn't use them for personal gain?' Sar'ha asked him surprised.

"Material gain, not power, there is a difference but mainly it's in intent. I have to be fit to face whatever is going to happen so I need the energy. So where are we heading?" He asked Sar'ha and then glanced at his ticket, "Cardiff Central, hmm. I don't really know anywhere in Cardiff, and I don't think there's actually a Torchwood place there." He added with a grin.

'What is a Torchwood place?' Sar'ha asked not realising she was the victim of a joke

"It's a science fiction show, don't worry I'm just being flippant. It seems that I've gained more energy than I thought." Chris concentrated and the lights brightened, his head cleared and he nodded. "Balance is what's required here, enough for me and for the train." He said.

He closed his eyes and pictured Sar'ha in his mind, he muttered a phrase and she was there before him. "What is this?" She asked him puzzled.

"It's a variation of the 'Condor plain separatus' spell, but it allows us to see each other in the real world, nobody else can see you except me, so if anyone's watching they'd think I'm talking to myself." Chris smiled when he said that and looked around the carriage where he was seated.

The train arrived at Swindon and people got on, Chris watched as two men started walking down the carriage looking at all the men there while referring their faces to a photograph they were holding, Chris started to look around worried but couldn't see anyway of them missing him.

The men were three seats away, then two, then one ... then they passed Chris without even looking at him, he managed to see the photo as they passed him. It was his picture. They were looking for him — but why didn't they stop him, they must have noticed him sitting there?

Sar'ha smiled at him, "It's the hiding spell, you are invisible to them, I mean they can tell that someone is there but it's nobody they should be concerned about, unless you want them to see you and then they will." She explained.

Chris looked around, "Then lets stay hidden. But won't somebody try to sit here?" He asked puzzled.

The image of Sar'ha shook its head, "No, they will see that someone is there but it's nobody they are concerned about. That's how the spell works." Chris was about to return when the two men came back into the compartment, they looked at the seat where Chris was sitting and then at each other, confusion on their faces.

"But that's where the CCTV showed him to be sitting; maybe he's got up and walked off?" One suggested turning his head to where a small camera was focusing on the carriage.

The two had a short conversation and then one of them walked back out of the carriage. Chris took the chance and moved out of his seat. He reached to where the camera was installed — it was covered by a dome of plastic — and then spoke a phrase, there was a spark from behind the plastic, a spark that was repeated further along the carriage and then went to the other carriages.

Chris moved further down the train and found another empty seat. After a few minutes the men met up and Chris was able to overhear their conversation. "He was there! The guard could see us and him, but when I left he got out and then the cameras went down."

"What? All the cameras? But how?" His partner asked.

"Sod if I know. So what do we do now?" the man took out a radio and started speaking, "Control this is 87"

"Go ahead 87, do you have the suspect?" the male voice came from the man's radio.

"Err no boss. He's eluded us. He's definitely on the train but we can't locate him, over."

"Jones! There's no way he could hide there, have you checked all the toilets? What about CCTV does it show you where he is?" Jones' chief was sounding annoyed and Chris couldn't blame him.

"The system's down, it did show him here but when we looked again he must have moved, then the system failed. And yes ... we did check the toilets. There's something wacky going on here Chief we need more men at Bath." (Bath being the next station for the train to stop)

"We haven't got the men in position yet! I'll talk to Great Western and tell them keep the train running to Cardiff Central; we'll have people there checking everyone. You'll have to talk to the train staff to keep the train running. Understood?" Jones' chief waited for Jones to acknowledge and then signed off.

Chris thought for a few minutes, he had to get off the train but how? And then he had a thought, he leaned forward so that he could be heard by the people sitting in front of his seat. "Did you hear that? There are terrorists on the train; they're going to keep it running to Cardiff where they're going to blow it up." He said and then he sat back and listened to the rumour starting its rounds.

All too soon people were muttering Chris could get snatches of the words, " ... there's eight of them all over the train" " ... I heard that they're taking us all hostages." " ... We've got to do something."

Chris could see that several people had mobile phones out and were busy dialling.

Sar'ha was watching Chris. "Just what is it that you've done?" She asked him.

"The police are going to make this train run all the way to Cardiff. But some of these people won't want to go there, if they listen to the guard then they'd accept that there's a problem which means the train has to keep going, but if they believe the rumour then they're going to think that the train is dangerous and want to get off at the first station. I think we're going to have to hold on." Chris said and sat back as the background noise started to rise.

The intercom clicked on and the Guard's voice came over the speakers. "Attention please, attention please. Due to circumstances beyond our control this train will not be stopping until Cardiff central. Great Western Railways apologises for this and alternative transport will be provided free of charge. I repeat due to circumstances beyond our control this train will not be stopping until Cardiff Central."

The muttering in the carriage was now a protest of people; several went forward passing on the information and starting plans. Some more went back down the train with the same intention. Chris smiled at Sar'ha. "There are always those who are willing to listen to the worse case and want to take action, when this train goes through Bath I suspect that somebody will start pulling the emergency paddles, others will take the secured glass hammer and start smashing windows. They will do anything to escape from the terrorists, and in the confusion we will leave with the masses." He explained.

Sar'ha frowned, "But how? I didn't see what spell you used and won't you have any comeback over that?" She asked.

Chris almost laughed out loud and shook his head. "I haven't used any spells. Just using the knowledge of peoples reactions. The police and government have been stirring up the public about the hidden terrorist within our midst, all I've done is to make the suggestion that they are on board, and the Police and the train guard have done the rest. Human nature will then take its course.

The train didn't slacken speed as it approached Bath Station, but as the front carriage passed the boundary of the station people started pulling the red alarm levers, sounding alarm throughout the train and into the driver's cab.

Contrary to the orders he'd received and following the normal procedures the driver applied the emergency brakes, the train stopped.

A group of people tried to open the doors to the platform but found they were still locked, and so instead the passengers started breaking the windows and jumping from the train onto the platform, or down onto the track —luckily there were no trains coming from the other direction and also the West Country Trains relied on Diesel fuel to run — so although there were some injuries there were none serious.

Chris was one of those who ran onto the platform side and made his way to the exit of the station with the crowd who managed to escape, he noticed a television camera crew arriving as he left the station and moved away from them before he was spotted.

"So where do we go now?" Sar'ha said as her form floated beside Chris

He looked to where a CCTV camera was hanging, "somewhere away from those things, it seems the spell works on the mind, but not the cameras, so anybody can see me through a television screen. I think we have to go to ground." He said.

"Welcome to the Crescent Hotel Sir, do you have a reservation?" The receptionist asked taking in Chris's appearance and back-pack.

Chris muttered a few words and the receptionists' manner changed. "Certainly sir, I understand, hiding away from the fans. Well we're able to help you there. I'll have your room information kept private." She said and handed Chris a key. "You're on the third floor sir, and don't worry, we'll keep your secret." She added.

Chris thanked her and made his way to the lift; the receptionist made a note in the register and then went back to her duties.

Sar'ha appeared as Chris entered the lift. "Just who does she think has come here?" She asked him

"Daniel Radcliff, - she thinks I'm resting after doing some filming. It was the only person I could think of." Chris said with a smile.

They entered the room and Chris went straight to the television and turned on the news. "We're getting reports of a disturbance in Bath, at Bath Spa Train Station. Our reporter there Simon Windrush, Simon just what has appeared to have happened?"

The scene on the screen changed to that of the station that Chris had left, "Yes Robert, well the three fourteen London to Cardiff train stopped in Bath Spa Station here following reports of terrorist being on board. We have unconfirmed reports that bombs have been planted and the army are on their way to investigate, an exclusion zone has been placed around the station and all trains have been stopped from travelling through Bath, this has caused disruptions which is expected to last for the rest of the day."

The scene changed back to the Newsroom, "Right Simon, I understand that there had been several calls to the emergency services before the train arrived at Bath, have you any news about that?"

"Yes Robert, this is where the terrorist alerts came from, it seems that passengers had overheard the plotters planning to take the train all the way to Cardiff before setting off the bombs, when the train failed to stop at Bath the passengers set off the alarms and made their escape, the doors of the train were controlled by the guard and had not been unlocked until after the majority of passengers had left."

"Simon? I understand that the train originally failed to stop at Bath, was there any reason for that given?"

"Well Robert I've tried to talk to the Station Master but he has no reason for that at this time."

"Thank you Simon, we'll return to you later. In other news..." Chris turned the sound down and laughed.

"I didn't think that would work, we've got them so tied up they don't know what they're doing." He said to the image of Sar'ha who was frowning at him. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "People were hurt because of you." She accused him.

"No they weren't. People got hurt but that's because they were stupid. If they had left where the platform was then they'd be okay. I didn't do anything directly to hurt them." He pointed out.

"But you were the one who told them they were in danger. You encouraged them to panic," Sar'ha said but her tone was more questioning than anything.

"You know what I told you about spells, how you couldn't kill anyone directly with a spell, but through the effects of the spell a person could be killed?" Chris asked her

Sar'ha nodded and spoke a very dubious, "Yes."

"Well then that is what happened there. Yes I told some people that there were terrorists on board and that they were going to blow up the train at Cardiff, but that was all I did, the effect ran on without any more input from me, cause and effect." Chris pointed out but realised that Sar'ha wasn't really listening anymore, he noticed the television changed to show his picture and turned the sound up.

" ... have been looking for this person, Chris Beaker, he is currently thought to be in Bath and requires medical help, he went missing from his home in London where he left his medication, if you see him please call the police and do not approach. Now the weather..." Chris turned the sound down

"I should have expected that, oh well I'm going see what's available from room service." He said to himself and went to check the menu.

"So Jones what the hell happened? How is it that a simple seek and arrest turned into a full blown riot? I have to explain this to the Chief Constable not to mention the Army." Detective Andy O'Neil turned to face his two Detective constables.

"I donno what happened Guv. We followed your instructions to the letter, got on at Swindon and started checking the passengers for this Beaker bloke, couldn't find him and so we checked the trains CCTV. We found him just sitting as if nothing was wrong and so we went there to grab him, but when we got to the seat he wasn't there."

O'Neil looked at him, "So who was there? When did he get the seat? You might have just missed Beaker by seconds, didn't you ask them?" he asked.

Jones and his partner looked at each other nonplussed then the partner spoke up, "It wasn't him Guv, the daft thing is just before the CCTV went down the Guard was saying that he hadn't moved, but he just wasn't there."

O'Neil looked between the pair of them, "So who was sitting there, what did he look like?" He waited but there was no reply to that and so he carried on, "alright, so what happened at Bath and where did that terrorist nonsense come from?"

"Well Guv, the Guard gave the message that we were going to Cardiff direct and then it all went to pot, The Railway company phoned through to check on why there was a terrorist on board and how did he get the guard to co-operate and when the train got to Bath then all hell broke loose.

"Somebody pulled the alarm levers which caused the driver to brake, and then windows were going out left, right and centre. We had no chance to do anything. If we could have just stopped at Bath and kept the doors locked until reinforcements arrived then we might have contained it." Jones pointed out.

"Are you trying to say it was my fault?" O'Neil said in a dangerously low tone.

"Not at all Guv, just that something else could have been done." Jones tried to backtrack from his remarks.

"If you and Hamilton hadn't let Beaker escape then none of that would have happened at all, did you see this?" He pressed a button on a video recorder it showed Jones and Hamilton walking up to and then pass Chris Beaker. O'Neil stabbed at the pause button. "There he was in plain sight and you just walked passed him. WHY DIDN'T YOU ARREST HIM?"