“Good idea,” Josh says, getting his phone out.
“What the fuck was that?” Colonel Reed demands to know from whoever is in earshot in the command room when the first explosion happens. Nobody knows; everyone looks confused and looks at each other for an answer.
Major Rees was just about to start giving his report to the Colonel but now he and everyone else is following Colonel Reed. He pushes and barges his way to the windows, shouting ‘Get out of my way’. One man in his haste to get out of the Colonel's way falls over a chair that has strayed into the walkway. The man goes arse over tit and lands heavily on the floor with only the fallen chair for company. Nobody goes to see if he is okay as he struggles to get up. Everyone’s attention is on the explosion that’s just rocked the command room.
A new flash of light reflects in everyone’s faces as they approach the windows, whilst keeping out of the Colonel's way.
Lieutenant Winters is hot on the heels of the Colonel, knowing full well that will be the easiest and quickest path to get to a viewpoint.
More explosions rock the command room as Winters and the Colonel reach the windows. No one who is already there volunteers their opinion as the Colonel finally gets to see what is happening.
The view they receive is about the same angle as Josh’s and Catherine’s, but the command room is one floor above the high-ceilinged departure lounge. That means they get a clearer view of where the explosions are happening.
“It is the helicopter landing zones,” Winters says.
“Thank you for stating the fucking obvious, Lieutenant!” Colonel Reed barks at him.
“Sorry, Sir.”
A massive blast ignites the night sky, causing everyone to duck. Everyone, that is, apart from the Colonel who doesn’t flinch; he stands there staring out of the window with a fierce look fixed on his face.
“Winters!” Colonel Reed growls.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Find out what the fuck is going on down there and report back to me, A-sap.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Colonel Reed turns away from the window, his piercing eyes moving, looking at all the personnel gathered around as they try to see what is happening.
“Get back to your stations. We have an active operation in progress. Move it!” Colonel Reed bellows.
The personnel immediately scatter, going back to work, some looking worriedly over their shoulders at the explosions as they go.
Only the Colonel’s hierarchy is left standing around him, waiting with bated breath for his next move or order. He turns his back on them, as if in disgust. He stands tall, looking out of the window at the destruction taking place. His hands are clasped so tightly behind his back that his knuckles whiten.
“Major Rees, give me your report.” Colonel Reed orders, not turning away from the windows.
Lieutenant Winters can guess what has happened over at the landing zones. An accident, possibly a refuelling accident or a crash has caused a catastrophic chain reaction. But as the Colonel has just torn into him, that’s stating the obvious. He will want details, facts and solutions, not assumptions.
Winters rushes back to the central area of the command room, where Major Rees was about to give his report, picks up the nearest phone and dials 111.
“Central Comms,” a young male voice answers. “What department do you require?”
“Flight Command, Terminal 4,” Winters answers.
“Putting you through.”
The line clicks and then goes silent. Winters’ eyes wander around the command room as he waits to be connected. All of the personnel are back at their stations and many more are working, carrying out their tasks. As they do, Winters can see them talking amongst themselves, worried looks on their faces as they try to figure out what is going on. A few people are gathered in small groups debating and pointing here and there, mostly pointing towards the windows where flashes of light and cracking sounds are bursting through the glass. The distant battles in the centre of London that they have been watching on screens, gathering data on and reporting on, have suddenly arrived on their doorstep. Winters sympathises with their concerns, suddenly the danger is very close to home.
“Yes, who is this?” a panicked voice shouts down the phone.
“Lieutenant Winters, who am I speaking to?”
“This is Group Captain Taggart; what do you want?”
“I need a situation report, Sir.”
“The situation is, we have got a breach, now I have got to go.”
“A breach?” Winters says, shocked. Is this more than just an accident? “Explain, Sir, hello?”
The line has gone dead. Taggart has hung up, for fuck's sake. Winters slams the phone down and picks it straight back up, dialling 111.
“Flight Command, Terminal 4!” Winters says into the phone as soon as it is answered before the operator has a chance to say anything.
“Putting you through,” Winters is told.
Winters waits again for the phone to connect. A breach. The words stick in Winters’ mind. Taggart had to mean that the ‘infected’ had breached; what else could he have meant and why aren’t they answering the fucking phone now? Fear and panic start to rise in Winters as he waits.
“I cannot get an answer from that connection,” the voice tells Winters.
“Well try again, this is top priority!” Winters shouts down the phone.
“There is no answer to that connection.”
“This is Lieutenant Winters at Command. I am ordering you to try again!”
“Yes, Sir, trying to connect.”
Winters waits and waits to be connected. He looks over to Colonel Reed, who is still standing at the windows, with Major Rees talking to him. Giving his report on what he found in the files no doubt.
“I’m sorry Sir, there is no answer from that connection. Can I try another for you?”
“What other departments are over in Terminal 4?”
“Erm, there is Field Hospital 4, Sir, Air Combat Support… Engineering?”
“Try Air Combat Support.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Winters waits again, his impatience growing.
“I’m sorry, Sir, no answer there either, shall I try Engineering?”
Winters slams the phone down again without answering. His mobile phone starts to buzz against his thigh, he ignores it. He is too busy thinking of how to find out what is going on over at Terminal 4.
Colonel Reed sees Lieutenant Winters jogging across the command room and towards to exit. His confusion doesn’t break his concentration on the report Major Rees is giving him, however.
“Lance Corporal,” Winters says to the highest-ranked sentry posted at the entrance to the command room as he gets to the exit.
“Yes, Sir.”
“What is your name, Lance Corporal?”
“Broad, Sir.”
“Give me your phone, Broad”
“Sir?” the Lance Corporal says, confused.
“Just do it, soldier.”
Lance Corporal Broad fishes his phone out of his pocket and hands it over.
“Take one of your men, find a vehicle and get as close to Terminal 4 as you can safely. I need a report of what is going on over there.”
“Sir, I cannot leave my post.”
“That is an order, Lance Corporal, there are enough men here to guard the door without two of you.”
“Yes, Sir, where do I get a vehicle from, Sir?”
“Use your initiative, Broad. I’ve rung my phone from yours, so you have my number. Phone me as soon as you are in position, understood?”
“I think so, Sir.”
Winters looks at Lance Corporal Broad. “Just get as close as you can; no heroics, phone me and tell me what you see. Can you do that, Lance Corporal?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good, report back as quickly as you can. Dismissed.”
Winters turns back into the command room slowly, thinking if there is another way to get information. A drone would be i
deal but the place he could arrange for one of those is Air Combat Support in Terminal 4.
He wanders back into the command room, knowing Colonel Reed is eyeing him for answers. He will get his report shortly.
Winters goes over to the head of Tactical, a Captain Myers, whom Winters has dealt with on many occasions. She is a very intelligent and decisive operator who gathers all the data coming into the tactical department for an operation, in this case, Operation Denial. She then either acts on that information or if it is out of her remit, she will pass it up the chain of command and then implement any orders received.
“Have you got anything, Ma’am? I have heard that there may have been a breach?”
Captain Myers sees Winters coming and is ready for his question.
“We have nothing concrete, Lieutenant, but we think you have heard correctly.”
“Please elaborate, Ma’am.”
“We have a report that one of the incoming helicopters was compromised. The helicopter crashed, causing the chaos in the landing zones. The report also says that at least some of the infected people on that helicopter jumped out before it crashed. So, it looks like we have infected inside the perimeter, Lieutenant.”
“Thank you, Ma’am, I will report the same to the Colonel.”
Major Rees is still at it when Winters arrives to report back to the Colonel, who is walking up and down alongside the windows with his hands still clasped behind his back, listening.
“Excuse me, Sir,” Winters says after waiting for a pause in Major Rees’s speech.
Colonel Reed makes a show out of not acknowledging Winters immediately. He pauses his walk and turns to look out of the window as if contemplating something the Major has just reported to him. It is an act, and one Winters is well used to. So he lets him get on with his show and waits patiently until Colonel Reed has finished his act and has everyone’s attention.
Major Rees’ eyes give a sideways look in Winters direction. He is not so used to Colonel Reed’s little games and is not sure whether he should carry on with his report or give way to Winters. The analyst Sam who is assisting Rees and standing next to him looks completely bewildered by the situation. Two of the Colonel’s men are waiting to give important reports and yet he is standing gazing out of the window as if he has just arrived in his hotel on the Las Vegas strip and is taking in the view.
Finally, the Colonel turns back around but still doesn’t say anything. Major Rees opens his mouth to continue but he doesn’t get past the first half word out of his mouth before he is cut off by the Colonel.
“What have you got, Winters?”
“Sir, unconfirmed reports indicate that an incoming helicopter was compromised by the infected and crashed into other grounded helicopters. That caused the initial explosion which spread to other grounded helicopters and the ordinance they were loaded with, Sir.”
“Is the fire contained?”
“I don’t believe so, Sir. Communication with Flight Command and Air Combat Support in Terminal 4 appears cut off, Sir. Either the fire has spread to the terminal building or worse, Sir.”
“Worse? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Don’t speak to me in riddles, Lieutenant! Explain yourself, man.”
Winters couldn’t help but pay some back to the Colonel, even if it is only a small fraction and leave the best to last.
“Sorry, Sir. Again, this is unconfirmed, but we have a report that suggests at least some of the infected on the helicopter bailed out before it crashed. We could have a breach inside the perimeter, Sir.”
Major Rees next to Winters isn’t the only one to gasp at the news. Everyone looks shaken, and even Colonel Reed looks uncomfortable at the thought.
“We need confirmation as to whether the perimeter has been breached. An outbreak on this base will not only compromise the base, but it will also move the virus to a completely new area, way outside the current quarantine zone.
What are you doing to get confirmation, Winters?” Colonel Reed demands.
“Sir, up to now I have despatched two personnel to get as close to Terminal 4 as possible and report back what they find. I would like to get a camera drone in the air, but I can’t get through to Air Combat Support to arrange it, Sir.”
“Air Commodore?” Colonel Reed asks, looking at the highest-ranking RAF officer in the command room.
“I will get straight on it, Colonel.” The Air Commodore leaves to make arrangements.
“Sir, we need comms to try and get in contact with anybody in Terminal 4 who can inform us of the situation there, Sir,” Winters suggests.
“Yes Winters, get on it.” Colonel Reed orders.
“Yes, Sir. A new perimeter needs to be installed around Terminal 4 immediately, Sir. All the troops we can muster, with heavy machine gun placements, if it’s not too late already, Sir.”
“Very good, Winters, I will oversee the troop movements.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Anybody, anything else?” The Colonel asks, but nobody adds anything further. “Right, get to it, bring any updates to me immediately, dismissed.”
“Sir?” Major Rees says.
“Yes Major, walk with me,” Colonel Reed says as he moves off his perch.
“If I may, Sir, I need facilities and experts to process the data we have discovered and that cannot be done here. I need to take all the information to Porton Down, immediately, Sir.”
“Indeed Major, make your own arrangements. The Air Commodore will facilitate your transport, yes?”
“Yes Sir, thank you, Sir.” The relief in Major Rees’s voice is plain to hear. Whether that is from a professional standpoint or because he will be leaving Heathrow that may now be compromised, is another matter.
Operation Denial has entered a new phase, one that could threaten its very existence. Winters is sure of that as he heads over to the comms stations in the command room. It was Josh who tried to phone him, his phone screen tells him as he walks. As soon as he has the task of trying to get communication with Terminal 4 active, Winters will phone him back and try to get his transport out of here arranged.
Chapter 10
Lance Corporal Broad and Private Penn descend the stairs, arriving at the ground floor of the Terminal 5 building, all too quickly for their liking. As they have come down lower, the smell of burning has increased, as has the sound of explosions. Now standing in the tight conclave at the bottom of the stairwell with only a fire exit door between them and the outside, they both look nervously at each other. Neither of them in any rush to push the steel opening mechanism that runs across the width of the door.
“I don’t fancy this one bit,” Private Penn says.
“Look, Colin, you heard the Lieutenant; no heroics, we just got to see what’s going on.”
“It sounds like a war zone out there, who knows what the fuck is going on? Lambs to the slaughter, that’s what this is. And where are we supposed to get a vehicle from?”
“Calm down, Colin, let’s have a lookout and see how it looks, okay?”
“Okay, let’s get on with it and thanks for roping me into this, mate. My mum will kill you if anything happens to me.”
“You reckon? She likes me more than you,” Broad tells him, trying to smile.
“Funny fucker,” Colin says. The two young mates look at each other as Broad’s hand goes to push the release.
The fire exit door clicks open and the sound of chaos rushes in to fill the small area. The sounds are instantly followed by acrid smoke which fills their lungs, making them both cough.
“Bloody hell, mate, is the air any better out there?” Colin asks as Broad sticks his head around the door.
“Not really, smoke is everywhere, but the coast is clear.”
“What do you mean, the coast is clear? What were you expecting to see?” Colin asks.
“I dunno; come on, let’s go,” Broad replies.
The two men exit underneath the departure lounge. Parked up airplanes of different sizes are parked along
the front of the building a short distance in front of them with their air gates protruding out from the building above. If it weren’t for the strong smell of smoke, you could be fooled into thinking none of the airplanes is moving because they are grounded due to fog. A thick haze of smoke hangs in the air and wafts around the airplanes’ landing gear and the various service vehicles scattered around and parked up.
“How we going to get back in if this door closes?” Colin asks, reluctant to release the door.
“Jam something into it so it stays off the latch,” Broad tells him.
“It’s like a ghost town; where is everyone?” Colin asks when he finishes fiddling with the door.
“Doesn’t look like any of these planes are military. They look like abandoned civilian ones,” Broad points out.
“It’s fuckin’ creepy, like the apocalypse has happened,” Colin says.
“Maybe it has happened, mate, maybe it has?” Broad answers.
“Well, there is plenty of transport here to choose from. Wonder if they need keys?”
“Let’s check that baggage cart out,” Broad says, pointing to a small white truck with cages attached to the back, nearby.
Broad goes over and opens the door with Colin close behind.
“We’re in business; the keys are in it, get in.”
“Hold on. Let me see if I can detach the cages.” Colin goes to the back of the cab to have a look. “The pin is stuck.”
“Stop messing around, and get in,” Broad tells Colin as he turns on the cart's engine. “I always wanted a go in one of these,” he tells Colin as he gets in the passenger side.
“Me too, I’ll drive it on the way back, okay?”
“I’ll think about it,” Broad says.
“You’d better after getting me into this.”
“Come on, mate, you wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
The cart jerks forward as Broad puts his foot on the accelerator.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Colin asks.
“No, not really. What you reckon, shall I follow the sound of the explosions or possibly the light from the fire? Knobhead,” Broad laughs.
“Alright, I was only asking; you’re the boss, wanker.”
Capital Falling Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 54
