Something was wrong. As the Prime Minister of Great Britain stood on the stage, smiling wide for all to see, he couldn’t shake off that feeling of unease. He slowly scanned the crowds, looking for any sign of disruption. Something out of place. Someone moving too quickly. All seemed fine, for now. He shuffled the papers of his speech, out of habit. His team had worked on this for hours. An apology for the bloodshed caused in another futile war. This was not what he had signed up for. Ever since he was a child, he wanted to help people. Change lives for the better, not take them away. A naïve thought, perhaps. But ever since he acquired the position of Prime Minister, he could not help feeling like there was something deeper going on, that was being kept from him. Sometimes he felt like a puppet on strings. If only he knew who was pulling them. As he cleared his throat, ready to begin his speech, a small movement caught his eye. Before he could raise the attention of his guards, a deafening sound rang out. His whole world went black. *** The summer sun beat down on him relentlessly. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead, into his matted, greasy locks. Quasim glanced at his watch out of the corner of his eye. He knew he had to remain subtle. Trained eyes scrutinised every corner of this rally. Tensions were high. He could not be stopped now. A car drove past and Quasim caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. A lump got stuck in his throat. How did his life end up like this? When the news footage plays for months afterwards, they will talk about what a monster he was. A loner. Evil. Perhaps they would be right. But they would never talk about his childhood. How his mother was killed in Afghanistan by the British soldiers. His father, too consumed by grief, sent him to live at the religious school. A small tear slid down his cheek as he remembered what those so-called teachers of God did to him over the years. A baby crying nearby brought him back to reality. No matter. Those teachers are not the enemy, he thought, angrily wiping his pain away. Looking up at the podium, only one thought crossed his mind as he set off the deafening explosion. It was because of you. *** Maria stood amongst the crowds, basking in the suns radiance. Today was going to be a great day, she could feel it in her bones. Excitement filled the air as she gently rocked her sleeping baby. Dark hair framed her olive skin. She wore a long floral printed dress, with soft white trainers. Maria scanned the crowd, looking for her husband. Work had consumed him recently, but he had promised he would come. She was just happy to be here on such a beautiful day. Although he had made a few mistakes in his time as Prime Minister, Maria still possessed great faith in him. Since coming into office, employment had risen, the quality of education had improved and her husband had received a pay rise. Her baby’s future would be bright, she just knew it. As she turned to look for her husband again, she noticed the man - well, boy really - standing next to her. He wore a jumper too thick for a day like this. And…was he crying? Just then, soft mews sounded from the pram. Her baby was awake. Maria scooped her bundle of joy up into her arms, bounced lightly and sang their favourite nursery rhyme. She did not make it to the end. *** In an unknown location, far from the buzzing crowds, a slender figure with cropped blonde hair stared at the screens in front of her. On the left, she watched the witless Prime Minister gazing at his deluded followers. On the right, she saw Quasim wipe a layer of sweat off his face. Who was to know that a single bullet released on the dusty plains of Afghanistan years ago, could lead to this. Well, she did. It was her idea after all. Years of meticulous planning had led to this moment. Her heart stopped as she watched a tear roll down Quasim’s face. The tiniest mistake could ruin everything she had worked so hard for. She grabbed her phone, ready to initiate plan B if he failed her. As the bomb detonated, a wicked smile grew on her face.