Carnage

by Heather Atkinson

  Leah nodded and again ran off to obey, so glad her Aunty Jules was here to arrange everything and she was determined to do all in her power to help her. Her family needed her and she would not let them down.

  CHAPTER 22

  Everyone inside the barn had worked together to shift enough rubble to create a gap wide enough for even the largest of them to slither through, three feet high and four feet wide. Jez was still lost in his own world, suffering from concussion, Beth by his side monitoring his condition. Daina and Rachel tended to the injured DJ while the two waiters and the waitress finished putting together the makeshift stretcher for him formed from a smashed section of the wooden bar and tablecloths.

  “It’s going to be close,” said Mikey, regarding the tunnel with dismay. “I hope no one suffers from claustrophobia.”

  “I hope to Christ this works,” sighed Shane, not liking this plan at all.

  “It will,” said Mikey. “It’s Jules’s idea and she’s literally a genius.”

  “It’s all we’ve got,” replied Ryan, regarding the spitting electrical cable and the dripping pipe with dismay. The leak was getting worse and he knew soon it would burst, saturating the floor they were all standing on.

  “Kevin needs to go first,” said Rachel, indicating the DJ. “He needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible.”

  “Alfie, you go first,” said Riley. “With these two,” he added, indicating the waiters. “We’ll slide Kevin and the stretcher into the tunnel and you three will need to pull from the other side.”

  “What about me?” shrieked the waitress. “I need to get out of here.”

  “You’ll go through once they’re through.”

  “But I need to go.”

  “You’re not the only one,” he snarled in her face, silencing her.

  There came the revving of an engine and the door started to move, raising up, letting in a small shaft of light.

  “Mark, Shane,” said Ryan. “Watch that side of the tunnel. Any movement in the rubble, let us know.”

  “Will do,” said the two men, kneeling down on the left side of the tunnel.

  Ryan and Mikey took the opposite side.

  “It seems to be holding,” said Mikey.

  “Alfie, you’re up,” said Riley.

  Beth threw her arms around her son, going up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Be careful.”

  He nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before kneeling down and tentatively poking his head under the door, heartened when he saw daylight and felt the fresh air wafting over his face, Leah and Jules on all fours, peering back at him from the other side.

  “Come on, it’s safe,” said Jules, extending her hand.

  Alfie crawled on his hands and knees under the heavy door, trying not to think about the fact that if this went wrong he’d be crushed beneath its weight. The rubble was densely packed either side of him, the door wobbling slightly, like the most terrifying seesaw in the history of the planet.

  “Hurry Alfie,” said Leah.

  He scrabbled faster, ignoring the pain in the palms of his hands and his knees as he dragged himself across the rough ground. Then he was outside, Jules hauling him to his feet, Leah flinging her arms around his neck.

  She released him so they could assist the two waiters through, who immediately turned, awaiting the stretcher, which was shoved through the small opening by Riley, Mark and Ryan.

  “Oh thank you God,” cried the DJ. “Ow, watch my fucking leg,” he snapped at the waiters.

  “Get him well away from here,” Jules told them. “Take him into the trees. The building could go at any moment.”

  “Well don’t just stand there, you heard her,” shrieked the hysterical DJ.

  “Shut it or I’ll fucking slap you,” Leah hissed at him, causing him to go quiet.

  “Right he’s out,” said Riley, peering through the tunnel. “You’re next,” he told the waitress.

  He’d expected her to leap forward, she’d been so keen to get out but on the contrary, she started to panic.

  “I can’t go through there, it’s too small.”

  “You have to. It’s the only way out.”

  “I can’t,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “I can’t.”

  Bruiser pushed her aside and pulled Daina forward.

  “I don’t want to leave you,” she told her husband. “I’m afraid if I go, you won’t come out.”

  He took her hands and nodded, eyes sad.

  “You really think so?” she said.

  He smiled and nodded again, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “Okay, I do this for you and our children.”

  Taking a deep breath she knelt down and crawled into the tunnel, looking back at Bruiser before crawling forward. When the door groaned and shuddered she released a yelp and increased her pace, ignoring the gravel jabbing into her bare knees.

  “Thank you,” she breathed shakily, offering up a prayer in her native Latvian when Jules and Alfie pulled her out from under the door.

  “You okay?” Jules asked her.

  “Y…yes, I think so.”

  “Good. Go to your children. They’re in the woods with Cathy.”

  Daina nodded and tore across the grass towards them.

  After cuddling her children Daina flung her arms around Cathy, the two women crying and hugging.

  “I’ve been trying to call for help on this,” Cathy told Daina, holding up the phone. “But I can’t get a signal. There’s a house over that hill,” she said, pointing behind her. “About a mile away. I’ll go and get help, if you could watch the children?”

  “Of course. Go.”

  Cathy nodded, Daina watching as she disappeared through the trees.

  Hayden was forced to admit Jules was one smart lady as he called Katia.

  “What’s happening?” she demanded in his ear.

  “Jules has found a way out for those still trapped inside.”

  “Fuck,” she yelled, making his ear buzz. “The stupid interfering tart.”

  “Actually she’s not stupid, she’s very clever.”

  “I don’t want to hear good things about her. Who has got out so far?”

  “None of our targets. They’re all still inside, apart from Jules of course. Just Alfie Maguire, a few members of staff and that bint who married Bruiser.”

  “They are nothing. I do not care about them. Wait and see how many come out before firing. If they do get out they’ll be confused and hurt. It will be easy for you.”

  “Will do,” said Hayden before hanging up, smiling to himself. His wife was smart too.

  “You’re next,” said Ryan, urging Rachel forwards.

  She shook her head and stalked up to the waitress, who was quietly sobbing. Rachel slapped her across the face, snapping her out of it.

  “Get your arse in that tunnel lady before I kick you the fuck through it.”

  The waitresses’ eyes widened, hand going to her reddening cheek before she decided Rachel was being serious. She knelt down and scurried into the tunnel.

  “We’ve got movement,” said Mark, his words causing the waitress to scream and move even faster.

  “We need to shore it up with more rubble,” said Riley.

  Mark nodded and together he and Shane began gathering up fallen masonry and packing it against the rubble supporting the door, Mikey and Ryan doing the same on the other side.

  “We need to get everyone out faster,” said Riley. “Beth, you’re next.”

  Beth hesitated, looking to Rachel.

  “I’ll slap you silly too if you don’t go,” Rachel told her.

  Beth nodded at her friend, who nodded back, grasping Riley’s hand before she climbed under the door.

  Jules anxiously studied the part of the tow rope that was over the girder. Leah’s jacket had done nothing to protect it, torn in two down the back. The rope was already quite badly frayed and they were only halfway done.

  “You two, keep an eye on Beth,” she
told Leah and Alfie before jogging up to Jacob, who was doing a great job at keeping the car balanced.

  “The rope’s starting to fray,” she told him.

  “Can’t you wrap anything else around it?” he said.

  His face was covered with sweat, brow furrowed with concentration and Jules felt bad for putting this burden on his young shoulders but she was confident he could handle it. “Not without slackening it and I’m afraid that if we let the door drop the vibration will cause more rubble to come down on it and we won’t be able to lift it again.”

  “Then tell them to bloody hurry up in there.”

  “I will. Just keep doing what you’re doing but when that rope snaps for God’s sake take your foot off the accelerator or you’ll shoot down that embankment and wind up in the river.”

  “So no pressure then,” he muttered.

  “Aunty Jules,” cried Alfie.

  Jules looked round to see the door violently wobbling, although thankfully the rope didn’t appear to be any more frayed.

  Jules raced up to the door and peered under it to see Beth’s terrified eyes. “Hurry,” she told her.

  “I can’t, my dress is stuck on something but I can’t see what,” she cried, panicking.

  “I’m coming in for you,” Riley told her.

  The door began wobbling even harder, threatening to collapse, tears rolling down Beth’s face.

  “Mum,” cried Alfie, attempting to fling himself under the door, Leah doing her best to hold him back.

  Jules frantically searched for a way to save her friend. Then it hit her. She raced back to the car, wrenched open the boot and snatched out the jack stand.

  “Alfie, Leah, put that at the edge of the door,” she yelled at them, indicating a large concrete slab.

  Together they lifted it, Leah, staggering beneath the weight while Alfie bore it easily. Jules put the jack on it and started jacking it up.

  Riley had slithered into the tunnel to tear Beth’s dress free from the jagged bit of metal it had caught on.

  “Riley,” yelled Jules. “Get out from under there now and shore up your side with more rubble.”

  “He’s done as you said,” said Leah, peering into the tunnel. “Shit, it’s going to go.”

  As the door finally gave way Jules managed to jack the stand up to its full height, the door slamming down on top of it, preventing it from hitting the ground. She threw herself down to look into the tunnel, the height of which was considerably reduced, Beth pressing herself flat against the ground. “You okay?”

  “I think so,” she breathed.

  “Can you move?”

  “Too right I can,” she said, slithering forward on her belly.

  Alfie and Jules grabbed her hands and dragged her out the rest of the way, Alfie pulling her into his arms. She clung onto her son, shaking.

  “Alfie, Leah,” said Jules. “Check the other cars for jacks. We need a second one for the other side. I should have thought of it sooner,” she said, kicking herself but to be fair, this situation was incredibly high pressure.

  “What if they’re locked?” said Alfie.

  “Then smash the windows. I don’t care how you get them, just get them.”

  “Won’t that hold?” said Leah, indicating the jack already in place.

  “It should cope with up to two tons but that door has the rest of the building bearing down on it. I don’t know how long it will hold.”

  “On it,” said Leah, she and Alfie racing towards the rest of the cars.

  “Thank God,” breathed Riley. “She got through. Jules saved her life.”

  Ryan looked to Rachel. “Now you and no arguments.”

  There was a groan from above and they all looked up to see more masonry falling from the ceiling. They leapt backwards, Battler pulling Rachel out of the way, Ryan shoving Mikey backwards but Riley wasn’t quick enough and a large chunk hit him in the shoulder, knocking him to the floor.

  “Riley,” cried Rachel, rushing forwards to help him.

  Ryan threw himself down by his brother’s side. “He’s unconscious.”

  Rachel took his pulse. “It’s steady, thank God.” Next she examined his shoulder.

  “What is it?” said Ryan at her grim expression.

  “It’s dislocated. I need to put it back in place. Best to do it while he’s unconscious, it hurts like a bastard.”

  “You’ve to go out next.”

  “I’m the only one who can help him. Send someone else.”

  He sighed with frustration and got to his feet. “Jez, you go next. Jez,” he repeated when his brother just stared back at him with wide eyes, still lost in the concussion. Instead he looked to the youngest of their group. “Shane, get your arse out.”

  “Fuck that.”

  “Do one and that’s a fucking order,” Mikey told him.

  Shane looked helplessly at Mark, who nodded.

  With a sigh he began shuffling through the tunnel, having to pull himself along on his elbows because of the reduced height.

  “He’s through,” said Mikey.

  “Good. You’re next.”

  “I bloody well am not.”

  “You married my sister today and she needs her husband so get your backside out before I batter you.”

  “Better do as he says,” said Battler. “He means it.”

  “Yes I do,” said Ryan. “And we don’t have time for arguments or for being noble, so just do it.”

  “Alright but I want it noted that I’m not happy,” he mumbled before following in Shane’s tracks.

  Jules’s heart lifted when she saw Mikey was next. “Come on babe, get your arse out here right now.”

  “Working on it,” he mumbled, suddenly wishing he didn’t spend so much time at the gym, it made him nervous to feel his back brushing against the door. Then he was out and Jules was pulling him to her for a kiss.

  “Thank you,” she breathed, burying her face in his neck, shaky with relief.

  “No way do you get rid of me that easily,” he replied, kissing her hair. “Grant?”

  She swallowed hard and shook her head.

  “Damn,” he sighed, hanging his head.

  “They’re all getting out,” said Hayden into the phone.

  “Who’s escaped so far out of our targets?”

  “Jules, Shane and now Mikey.”

  “Fuck,” she screeched. “But don’t shoot yet. It will alert them all. Let more come out or hopefully the whole building will collapse on the rest of them.”

  “Judging by the state it’s in that will probably be soon.”

  “You are doing very well my soldier. Just wait a little longer.”

  “Got it,” he said before hanging up.

  Mark prodded at his mobile phone, trying to get a signal. “I don’t like this,” he said.

  “None of us are particularly pleased with the situation,” said Ryan.

  “I mean the signal. I don’t just think it’s the blast. I reckon someone’s jamming the signal.”

  Ryan nodded. The thought had already crossed his mind. “Meaning they could still be here?”

  “If they are they’re a bit bloody daft. They couldn’t know whether the explosion would attract any unwanted attention. They could have just left a signal jammer nearby.”

  “Or they could be here,” said Ryan.

  Mark nodded, eyes clouded with worry.

  “We need to warn the others.”

  “The pipe,” said Battler.

  They all looked up at the pipe, the drip of which was now a steady trickle.

  Ryan glanced under the door and saw Mikey had got out safely. “Rachel,” he said “You’re out next.”

  “I can’t, I haven’t finished sorting Riley’s shoulder,” she said, pushing against his arm. Mercifully he was still out cold. There was a crack and it slipped back into place.

  “There, all done,” said Ryan.

  “I need to put it into a sling.”

  “Dammit Rachel, we can d
o that.”

  “It’ll only take a few minutes. If this isn’t done properly his arm could be permanently damaged.”

  Ryan huffed, knowing arguing with his wife was useless, neither did they have the time. “Bruiser, you’re out next. You’ve got a wife and kids.”

  Bruiser looked to his brother, who nodded.

  “Go on, I’ll be along soon,” said Battler. “Those kiddies of yours need you.”

  “And warn the others that the phones could be being jammed,” said Ryan.

  Bruiser nodded and patted his brother’s arm before crawling under the door.

  Ryan knelt before Jez, who gazed back at him with dazed eyes. “Jez, can you hear me?”

  He nodded dumbly, staring off into the distance.

  “You’re going next, do you understand?”

  Jez nodded once, still lost in his own world.

  Ryan sighed and looked to Mark. “Can you help get him through there? He’s not going to manage on his own.”

  “Surely you should go with him?”

  “I’m not leaving without Rachel. Plus your expertise may be needed outside.”

  “Okay, fair enough.”

  They manoeuvered Jez to his feet and steered him towards the door.

  Battler looked up at the pillar. The crack through it was now down to the floor and it was leaning slightly. Deciding it would be wise not to panic the others he placed himself beside it, leaning his considerable weight against it in the hope that it wouldn’t tip any more. The vibration he could feel running through the pillar from the shifting masonry above was disheartening.

  “Rachel love, you should go next,” he told her.

  “Not until I know Riley is stabilised,” she said, pulling back his lids to study his pupils. She gave him a few gentle slaps and he came round with a start.

  “What’s going on?” he mumbled.

  “You’re getting out of here, that’s what’s going on.”

  “There isn’t time to bandage his shoulder,” said Battler, glancing up at the water pipe.

  “He’s right,” said Ryan. “Beth can do it when he’s out.”

  “I suppose that would do,” replied Rachel.

  “Of course it’ll do woman.” He glanced through the tunnel. “Mark and Jez are out. You’re next.”