[Dailydrool] London Adventure: Sunday, The Great Tower Adventure

[Sally King via Dailydrool]

Younger Clara here Rolph had just been arrested by elite British soldiers. The other hounds crowded around to comfort me, as Captain Thanet cast off the ropes and we slipped out of the harbour.
 I was so upset. He might be a pain sometimes, but Rolph is my brother and I couldn’t imagine life without him. And I couldn’t imagine his life locked up in the tower which is cold, dark and damp. And they might not feed him enough.

I don't like to admit it, but I suffer from separation anxiety, so even though I tell Rolph what to do all the time, I can't cope without him. 
Dexter came sniffing up to me. “Don’t you worry Miss Clara, “he said kindly, “I have a plan.”

I was far too upset to pay much attention to the instructions Dexter was giving the others. I snuggled up on my bunk and tried to sleep feeling very lonely and lost. 
When we arrived back in London, Duchess and Queen Poppy came to see me. “We have it all planned.” Woofed Duchess. “We’re going to the Tower of London, as tourists, to see the Crown Jewels. While we are there, we shall rescue Rolph.”
 “But then what?” I asked. “He will just be rearrested and sent back for even longer.”
 “Leave it to us,” said Poppy kindly. 
Later that day, we headed to the Tower. While I led a contingent around the grounds, sniffing the Beefeaters (one of whom told us he was a vegetarian!) and chasing the famous ravens, the hounds with the best noses were working their way around the outside of the Tower to locate Rolph. To any watchers, they were just admiring the ancient stone walls and looking for a picnic spot. 
After half an hour of recce, we merged into one party, with me in front acting as a bossy tour guide, complete with large umbrella. 

All the hounds had brought along as many bags, cameras, phones, watches etc as they could collect from their luggage. The result of this was we completely blocked the entrance while we loaded bags onto the safety scanner belt, and walked through, deliberately forgetting to take off watches, or still carrying cameras, which made all the alarms go off. 

This allowed the queue in front of us to clear out so we didn't get lots of other visitors involved. 

I kept barking at hounds, dropping my umbrella and picking the wrong bag off the conveyor belt to add my own level of confusion. 

Plucky Madden was the last dog through. She was playing on being blind, bumping into people and machines, almost knocking over the sensor arch and bumbling around. 

However, she also had a large knife, borrowed from the hotel kitchen, in her bag. This meant the crowds behind her were sent back behind an exclusion zone and we in front of her were hurried through, while she was stopped. searched and interrogated.

First part accomplished. We were alone in the tower.

We hurried up the steps to the viewing room, not pausing to read the information boards on the walls. Bored security guards merely smiled at a group of cute visiting hounds. Finally, we arrived in the viewing chamber, where the Crown Jewells are behind glass, guarded by two armed policemen. 

Now, the thing about British coppers is most of them are not armed and the very few who are, rarely shoot anyone and really don't want to shoot anyone. But the truth is, most of them would shoot another human, before they aimed at a dog.

Stuart, Bobo and Rudy fluttered in front of the CCTV cameras de-tuning them.

Pawtunia, Millie and Olivia went right up to the glass and placed their noses and paws on it "Look at those beautiful crowns" said Pawtunia. I think I should wear that one," and she indicated the fabulous crown which is made from over 2llbs of gold and jewells.
Twinkletoes and Olive flew into the jewellery enclosure and picked up the crown and some ornate necklaces bringing them towards their friends.
 As the police started to run forward to stop them, Stonewall and Samantha, hurled themselves at their feet. As they crashed to the floor, Mozart, Chunky, Mac, Tedward, Halfred and Heidi sat on top of them, while Rusty and Mollie Grace removed their firearms and passed them to Christmas, Ipo, Hooter and Tabby.

"Snatch party this way" barked Ipo, leading the armed hounds, along with Jed, Horton, Sasha and Horton, through a side door marked "staff only". 

The night before Daffodil had been on the Dark Web and found the schematics for the tower, so they knew a back route to the cells. 

"Lookouts with me!" barked Emma, who swiftly sent Mariah, Kaitlyn Skye and Kylee Dawn to particular strategic points.

Alarms were going off and the ATB crew were busy flying back and forth ahead of the snatch team to warn them of approaching guards and doors.

Cleo positioned herself at the door we had entered through and got ready to repeal attack from behind. There are some hounds who are just so formidable, people will always think twice before passing them.

Stonewall and Samantha had managed to secure the guards using clothing from all the bags.“Go on then” howled Cleo. “I’ll hold them back, you go and get Rolph.”

“This way” yelled Stuart. “We can definitely sniff him down on the ground floor.”

We remaining hounds all poured through the door and down the spiral staircases, with our angel chums making sure we all stayed on route, through the maze of stairs and corridors.

What little opposition we found, rarely stayed on their feet long enough to even call it in on their walkie talkies. as a pack of 30 hounds roared past them in full cry.

The hounds in front stopped. They were casting around for the scent. “I can smell him” yelled Dex and hurtled headlong towards a locked door with the rest of us at his heels.

The door looked really solid and I was a bit worried how we were going to get through it, but as we charged forwards, it suddenly opened leaving us all tumbling on top of one another in a giant heap.

Rolph was lying by an open fire, eating a bowl of roast beef. At least he wasn’t starving.

Then a voice cut in over all our greetings. “I guessed you lot would come and do something mad like this.”We looked round to see Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, standing by the door smirking.

“I had just come to collect him myself when all the alarms went off, so I thought I’d just sit here and wait.

“I’ve made it all good with granny. I swore you all received a proper welcome from us and the kids and that I had asked you to go to Ireland as my special envoy and there had merely been a massive misunderstanding.

“The Irish are mortified. They had no intention of chasing you guys when you took off, but you all just panicked - although frankly Mozart, your timing could have been better.”

“But those horrible placards..” I sniffled.“Don’t give them another thought. Most people in Ireland were only too happy to see you all. Now, could one of you go and call Cleo off, she’s terrorising the security staff.”

Clara, with Rolph and a Royal reprieve, with 30 of the best friends a hound could ever ask for, London.Where we went: http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/#gs.o031x


If you haven’t already, please consider sending a donation to to Basset Rescue Network Great Britain. You can Paypal payments at brngb.org.uk  or visit their Just Giving page to pay by card. Those who want to send a check can email me at bassetydogshomr at gmail.com for an address.
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