Light At The End | Book 2 | Light To Dark

by Benson, Tom

  Bill whispered so low that only Flint heard him. “Are you picking up on anything?”

  “Yes, sometimes it’s one side and then the other. It could be monkeys, something bigger, a pair or a pack of animals.”

  “Are you okay, mate?”

  “Yeah, I’m just apprehensive about us being the only ones who can provide a defence.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Bill whispered, “though I haven’t felt this alive for a long time.”

  Flint briefly rested a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “In that case, if we’re both on high alert, we’re good to go, mate.”

  Bill stood slowly and set off, rapidly but quietly followed by Tina and Norman. Flint waited until they’d passed him before he stood, looking around constantly as he moved once again as the rearguard—Tail-end Charlie.

  An hour later, they arrived at the freshwater pond, which the trail passed. Bill glanced at the variety of prints around the softer earth near the edge and though he made a mental note of what he saw, he didn’t make it obvious but kept moving. He brought the team to a halt a few metres away.

  They sipped water again, this time using Bill’s bottle. He suggested they take a break at the exit from the forest and then make a stop on the lowland before the effort to go up the mountain in stages. Occasionally, the birds were slightly quieter, but only two of the four people in the team noticed the difference. One of the two was a young man who had only ended his military service six years earlier. He had landed in water after being pulled from a doomed heli-pod. The other person who was on high alert was a man whose service had ended many years before, but he had at one stage, taught others how to track, observe and blend in with nature.

  “I can feel your presence,” Bill murmured under his breath. He advanced, his head moving slightly but his eyes, ears and nostrils taking in everything around him. His mouth was slightly open to improve his hearing. Where his eyes looked, his laser pistol pointed, and he gave the impression of being ready to respond—a sure way to prevent an attack.

  Within the perimeter of the forest but with a clear view of the lowlands, Loch Awe and the mountains ahead of them, they crouched down to enjoy their final pieces of fruit and more water.

  “From here,” Bill said, “we’ll make good ground getting out across the open area and after a while we ought to see a hint of our new pathway higher up the mountain.”

  Tina said, “Do you think we’d see it from here?”

  “Yes, if the team worked on it yesterday and used some of the stone chips we stored in the main tunnel we’ll see patches where the path changes direction.”

  Norman said, “I wondered if it might be easier in some areas to construct a sort of straight line of steps with maybe occasional small platforms for resting.”

  “It sounds good, and might work in forestry,” Flint said, “but when you have to ascend something as high as a mountain the best method is to walk across the gradient from side to side. The climb may be slow and gradual, but it’s easier to maintain.”

  “Another consideration is the stability,” Bill said. “A long and winding structure will bed itself naturally into the mountainside, whereas, a straight-up route would be more likely to fail over time and become a slide.”

  The team were out on the open hillside when Bill called a halt. “Not far now, people, and we’ll start the climb.” He sat on a large boulder and pulled out his bottle. “Everybody take a few sips, and as we go from here, I’d like you two guys with the poles, to give us the nod when you’d like to stop.”

  Tina said, “Now that we’ve got the steep final approach looming do we opt for regular, short stops?”

  “Yes, it’s by far the least tiring if you’ve got a load. Before we start the climb, Flint and I will take over the multi-backpack cargo.”

  “We can carry on—”

  “No, Tina, you two have done a great job, but there should be no need of a front or rearguard action as we start the ascent. You two guys can concentrate on enjoying the walk.” He laughed and was joined by Flint.

  Half an hour after setting off in long sweeping lengths up the side of the massive mountain, they paused, and Bill pointed upward.

  “I see it,” Norman said. “There’s a definite pattern of small patches, so that must be where the path is changing direction left and right.”

  Tina said, “Will we eventually create a fully gravelled path, Bill?”

  “No. The aim is to maintain it as naturally as possible. There will be small patches of stone chips here and there to create stability, all to combat the effects of damp weather.”

  Tina raised her head and nodded. “Have you seen how those two big gaps are getting closer to becoming one?” She grinned. “It may be my imagination, but I think the gaps have got slightly bigger since we left yesterday morning.”

  Norman said, “If we take care of what’s left of nature, it will take care of us.”

  On that bright note, the group set off again.

  Bill had been looking around generally during their break. He’d been aware of Flint staring back over the large open area towards the forest. He didn’t say anything in front of the others, but he’d have a quiet word with Flint later.

  Several stops and a couple of thousand feet later, Bill pulled out the radio. “Hello, Auchcarn.”

  “Hi, Bill,” came Paul’s voice. It was always special to hear him. It had been Paul’s quick-thinking and skill which had saved their lives. He’d taken the touring coach from the vulnerable wide-open mountain roads to the safety of the disused railway tunnel those few years earlier.

  “We’ve got about four hundred metres to climb up the path, Paul.”

  “I’m on the way, Bill. Craig is with me, and he’ll take over in the Control Room.”

  “We’ll see you shortly, mate.”

  During the afternoon, the treasures brought back from the two-day expedition were kept out of sight and stored in the Control Room. Following a brief discussion, it was decided to delay the update until an hour after the evening meal.

  As Bill had briefed anyone who went on a trek, there were to be no conversations about it on their return. All information was to be passed on in an organised way.

  Bill went for a stroll with Flint along the main route inside the installation and towards the glass corridor. They walked halfway along the corridor and stared out to the south, looking down from the mountains to Loch Awe. The enormous natural loch was a prominent feature. The loch narrowed as it stretched to the west of Auchcarn, but the waterway widened in the easterly direction. Two miles to the east, Loch Awe stretched in a long diagonal but appeared to be much bigger than it had ever been before the apocalypse. Many villages were believed to have disappeared along the coastal road and around the massive waterway.

  It was in the saddle between mountains that the power station’s immense and ingenious two-way plumbing and pumping system had been created. Back in the 1960s a conventional hydro-power station would have had the water released from a reservoir via a damn providing the needs of the system. When Auchcarn was designed, it went against convention. The water could be used on its way from the reservoir to Loch Awe but also be pumped back. The reversible pump system was more efficient, and the reservoir would never run dry.

  Bill said, “What did you see in the forest, mate?”

  “I didn’t see anything, but there was a presence.” Flint glanced at Bill and then gazed down at the water.

  Bill continued to stare through the glass at the view of green slopes and Loch Awe to the immediate front, beyond which was the frozen nuclear wasteland to the south. “It wasn’t the monkeys you thought you saw on the way out the other day?”

  “No, mate,” Flint said, “and I don’t think it was wolves.”

  “Go on.”

  “You know when you’re on special ops, and the birds and other wildlife settle if you’re sitting still?”

  “Yes, I know what you mean.”

  “I had a sensation that even after
we’d passed certain points, the birds went quiet again … as if there were two groups of us.” He turned to look at the older man.

  Bill turned to face Flint. “Exactly like being followed—well done, mate.”

  “It’s that murdering bitch, isn’t it—she’s survived somehow, and she’s stalking us?”

  Bill nodded. “I saw knee and toe prints next to that freshwater pond on our first trip out. I think she’s got a child with her.”

  “How could that be?”

  “Patsy was conspicuous as a loner before she left the tunnel, so I have a feeling that either she has a man out there or had one with her at one stage. I can’t imagine her adopting a feral child who’d somehow survived.”

  “A child being raised in the wilderness by somebody like Patsy would be as dangerous as she is.” Flint looked down at the loch for a moment. “Who else knows?”

  “Fiona, but I’ve asked her to keep it quiet for now.”

  “What about when there’s a team working on the mountain pathway?”

  “We’ll have to make sure that we have somebody out there with them who can shoot.”

  “They didn’t have anybody with them yesterday while we were away.”

  “No, I know, but I was hedging my bets. I figured that with the team being close to the entranceway and us on the move, our wild ex-companion would be more likely to follow us.” He paused. “Besides, the forest is about two miles from our new pathway. Anybody approaching would be seen.”

  “How long do you think she’s been in the forest or nearby?”

  “I first saw something suspicious down at the lochside five years ago, but it was a single body. Why is that significant? It means that the father of the child isn’t one of our community. Where could she, or they live? There is that massive forest, and the forest extends up from the foothills to caves. That, my friend, is where I would set up home if I were out there living wild.”

  “Apart from you going out, and me and Sandy dealing with burials, we’ve only started going outside the mountain in recent weeks. Do you think there’s a possibility that she’s not alone and there could be a wild community out there?”

  “That’s what we have to establish, Flint, but on this particular matter I don’t think we should enlighten everybody.”

  “Why did you tell Fiona?”

  “As you might already have discovered with Noreen, your lovely partner, a woman has a way of reading your mind, or knowing when you’re pre-occupied.”

  Flint smiled and nodded. “Yes, I think I know what you mean. Even though she’s a midwife, she’s able to handle us not producing a baby yet, but she knows how it bothers me.”

  “I know it’s been a few years now, but you’ve probably still got some psychological issues about how things worked out to land you here.”

  “Yeah, when you lose so many of your mates in such a way it never leaves you. Noreen helped me to talk it through, and that has made it easier to handle.”

  “I took part in a couple of missions which went pear-shaped, mate. I know it’s a small consolation, but those guys you lost would have been oblivious to their end—that was as close to mercy as they could ask for.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Flint said. “They didn’t suffer. One minute there were three heli-pods of us heading over an expanse of water—the next minute I was in the reservoir. Sandy had grabbed my combat jacket and pulled as he jumped.”

  “Sandy has his own issues now, of course. He has young Peter, but the little boy’s mother is out there lying under a pile of stones.”

  “Sandy was so pleased when Chloe got pregnant. We both used to joke about not being mature enough individuals to be suitable parents.” He laughed. “Sandy would say that he’d rather be in the heat of battle than dealing with a small child.”

  “It’s awful to think about him as a single parent, but I sometimes wonder how hard it would have hit them if Chloe survived and the baby had died.”

  “You and Fiona lost your baby, so quickly none of us can understand how you’ve both dealt with such a thing.”

  “I’ve tried to be philosophical and told myself that I was never intended to be a dad. For Fiona, it’s much harder. It took me a long time to bring her back from a very dark place. I finally got her to believe that fate must expect us to be there for other people. I suppose it’s my way of dealing with the loss of our baby and I need to have Fiona believe it too.”

  For a moment, the two men were silent as they stared down at the loch.

  Bill said, “Do you think Sandy ever had doubts about going it alone with Peter?”

  “Sandy is a strong guy and always has been since I’ve known him. A short time after finding himself on his own with the baby, it was easy to see that he was devoted to that little lad.”

  “What made him choose to go to Harry and Victoria to be his regular babysitters?”

  “Soon after losing Chloe, Sandy came to our place to ask for Noreen’s advice. She said if he wanted to do well for his son, it would be helpful for the child to be with other children. Of course, Harry and Victoria only have little Laura, so Peter has become a sort of adopted brother as they grow up.”

  “If I thought Sandy was up to it I’d involve him in our quandary about the wild woman.”

  “What’s on your mind, Bill?”

  “I’ll not be content until I know the status of Patsy and whoever the youngster is who’s with her.”

  “Are you talking about conducting a recce?”

  “A recce, first of all, to take a good look around but I’d like to be sure we don’t have to do more.”

  “I know she might be dangerous but—”

  “Flint, the woman was a murderous bitch when living with people, so try to imagine what her mindset will be out in the wilderness and her only care is survival.”

  “Yeah, you’ve got a point. How does Sandy fit in?”

  “I think we’re the only three who could look at such a thing with an objective viewpoint. If Patsy has gone completely out of her mind, I want one other person to go out with me to deal with her. I’m either accompanied by Sandy or you—nobody else.”

  “What if she does have a child with her?”

  “My greatest worry is that the deranged woman is worse than she was a few years ago. My next worry is that she is bringing up a child to have a similar disregard for life that she feels.”

  “Bloody hell, Bill. I thought that a child might settle Patsy and bring her around … it never occurred to me that she could raise a youngster to have murderous intent.”

  “We’ll keep our thoughts to ourselves, mate. It’s between you, Sandy and me. Whoever goes out, we perform a recce first, and then we’ll decide whether we need to conduct a hunt.”

  5 - Upbeat Updates

  Calvin stood and raised his hands for quiet, but it still took a few minutes. “I know you’re all excited, but until you calm down, we can’t tell you anything.” He laughed. “By now, most of you will be aware that our reconnaissance team became more of a raiding party. Behind me on the tables, you’ll see that the treasures are arranged for all to see. I’ll hand over to Norman.”

  Norman stood. “We may be six years along the road but I still feel privileged to be a member of this special community. As you’ll recall, when Chloe and I first stepped out of the forest and saw your coach approaching the tunnel, we feared for your lives and ran in behind you to offer assistance.” He slowly shook his head. “We couldn’t have known that by doing so, you were saving our lives. Sadly, Chloe is no longer with us, but she lives on in young Peter. I know Sandy will tell the little boy how proud he should be of his mother, and in the past couple of days, I was reminded of her often.”

  There was hardly a sound from the gathering as Norman stopped to sip water.

  “You might wonder why I’m reminding you about someone we lost too early in her life. Chloe came to mind because there has been a massive recovery in the forestry. We worked on it together for years. Where there was
once a network of narrow footpaths is now new growth. Mother Nature has developed the efforts made by people like Chloe. I suggest that as you become braver and have the opportunity to reach the forest, think about Chloe—she had a lot to do with that regeneration.”

  As Norman moved back to his seat, there was spontaneous applause in the room. He nodded and smiled briefly at the group of people.

  Flint stood, and nodded to Norman. “Well said, mate.” He turned to face the gathering. “I don’t do much of this stand-up front stuff, but it was suggested that I did it today.” He half-turned and glanced at Bill, who winked at him.

  “I know I’ve been out twice now and trust me; each time will continue to be an adventure. We stayed out overnight on this most recent trip because we wanted to investigate the buildings in the wildlife reserve. It may be several miles away, but it stood to reason that there might be useful items there and as you can see behind me, we liberated quite an assortment.”

  Flint paused, and got a subtle nod from Bill.

  “There are only three of us who are proficient in the use of firearms. As much as we want to produce a new generation which feels no need for aggression, we must be prepared to defend ourselves. Why do I mention such things? We recovered three more weapons on our trip and in due course when we’ve got them working efficiently, those of us who can use them will teach others how to shoot. Not everybody will be comfortable with firearms, so training will be for those who wish to take part.”

  A few murmurs went around the room, but instead of asking for silence, the young man waited.

  “You’ll never find yourself outdoors without protection because until we have other people who are capable, at least one of us three will be available.” He smiled. “And now, a word from our vet and wildlife specialist.”

  Tina took the floor and whispered a ‘thank you’ to Flint before facing the main group. “Calvin, our present community leader, has mentioned the treasures we brought back, Norman has talked about the regrowth of the forestry and Flint has talked about firearms. What can a vet tell you of any interest?” She paused and smiled. “My part in the proceedings today is twofold. I’ll talk about animals which are my speciality. I’ll then put my observations and knowledge into context with what Norman and Flint have talked about.”