First Response

TAVISTOCK SQUARE (3.02 p.m.)

As soon as they got within twenty feet of the bus, Biddulph could see that it was Kashif Talpur. There was no question about it. There was also no doubt that he was wearing a suicide vest packed with explosives. ‘What the fuck are you playing at, Kash?’ Biddulph muttered to himself.

Talpur was standing next to the driver and on his left side was a woman who had clearly been crying earlier on but now had a blank look on her face as if she had emotionally shut down. The woman’s right hand was chained to Talpur’s left and in his right Talpur was holding what was obviously the trigger for the vest.

Greene stopped and Biddulph almost bumped into him. He moved to Greene’s right side. Both men slowly raised their hands to show that they weren’t armed. ‘Kash! It’s me, Mark!’ shouted Biddulph.

There was no reaction from Talpur, though several of the passengers had already spotted them and were peering through the windows. Biddulph realised that his voice wasn’t carrying through the helmet.

‘Kash!’ he shouted, louder this time, but there was still no reaction. He was side on to them, saying something to the driver. Biddulph looked at the upper floor of the bus. Two black schoolboys were looking down at him. And further along he saw a young mother cradling a baby and rocking back and forth.

Biddulph began to remove his helmet but Greene realised what he was doing, put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. ‘No way,’ said Greene.

‘I have to talk to him,’ said Biddulph.

‘That’s what the phone’s for,’ said Greene.

‘I’ve known Kash for years,’ said Biddulph. ‘There’s something not right about this.’

As he was speaking, Talpur turned and spotted them. Biddulph saw the man’s mouth open and close but he couldn’t hear anything. He picked up the field phone with his left hand, held it up and pointed at it with his right, but that seemed to make Talpur even more agitated

‘I have to talk to him face to face,’ said Biddulph. ‘He can’t see who I am with the helmet on and he can’t hear a word I’m saying.’

‘If you take your helmet off and he detonates…’

‘If he was going to detonate, surely he’d have done it already.’

‘Your call,’ said Greene. ‘But it’ll be on your head.’ He grinned. ‘No pun intended.’

Biddulph put the phone down, straightened up, then slowly removed his helmet. It snagged on something and Greene had to help him wiggle it off. As soon as the helmet came free, Biddulph heard Talpur screaming at him: ‘Get the fuck away! Both of you!’

Biddulph put the helmet down next to the field phone. Greene was using the digital camera on video mode.

Biddulph held up his hands and took a step towards the bus. ‘Kash, it’s me, Mark!’

‘Fuck off!’ shouted Talpur. ‘Just get the fuck away before we all die!’

Biddulph took another step towards the bus. ‘Kash, mate, whatever the problem is, we can talk it through. I’m here to help.’

Talpur said something to the driver and a few seconds later the door rattled open. Talpur stood in the doorway, glaring at Biddulph. ‘Listen to me and listen to me good!’ he shouted. ‘You coming here is putting everyone at risk. Do you not understand that? You need to go away — get the hell away from here — because if you don’t this vest will go off and everyone dies.’ He turned and spoke to the driver and the door closed.

‘Looks like he doesn’t want to talk,’ said Greene. ‘But leave the phone where it is, in case he changes his mind.’

Biddulph picked up his helmet and the coil of wire attached to the field phone. The two men walked back to the cordon with Biddulph playing out the wire behind him.