Their own story wasn’t to dissimilar to how Richards’ camp had grown; the main difference being that this groups core was military with an established hierarchy whereas their own was based more on a civilian government style. Both ways seemed to work. Richards had established a guard, trained capable civilians in weapon drills, fortified their position and sent out scouts just as they had and brought back more and more survivors. They hadn’t encountered the same problems of having to liberate others from slavery – a story which intrigued Mitch mainly for the use of the big machine gun – and there seemed to be less resistance to their recruits here perhaps due to the harsher terrain and the need for shelter taking over.
The more they spoke, the more Steve wanted to form some link with this group. Not that he wanted to join, but more that he felt that he could in some way help them. He tried to convince himself it was something other than the lure of getting behind the controls of an aircraft.
“There are other airfields in Scotland you know…” he said.
THE FACILITY
It took them another two days to find it. They did so just as the light was starting to fade after they had covered the same patch of ground repeatedly looking for it. No handy signposts gave directions to the secret biological weapons development lab; that might have caused local residents to write to their MP’s. Not that there were any local residents as the land was bleak and empty.
The doors were unlocked, and the ships-style airlock door swung open with a groan after the locking wheel was spun. No electricity as they expected, and they cleared the place as best they could with torches before finding the generator room deep underground. A jerry can of diesel and some encouragement finally sparked it up with a series of threatening spluttering coughs. Slowly, the lights began to blink on and machines made whirring noises as they came to life. Steve and Mitch cleared the whole bunker, which was made up of ghostly labs and dusty glass doors.
They found no trace of anyone there, and assumed that they too had abandoned their haven when the power ran dry. Emma was lost in a rare moment of introspection wondering if there were a huddle of decaying scientists in a building nearby, having escaped to certain death in excruciating pain. Her reverie was disturbed by the two armed men declaring that their temporary home was devoid of life other than their own. They set up in the living quarters, using their own sleeping bags and discarding the duvets belonging to the former inhabitants. Water was boiled, food was prepared and Emma formed a plan about the tests she wanted to run. Mitch gave her another sample of blood for her subject pool, and the lab was set to be reinvigorated the following day.
Steve tried to offer his help, but after the third polite refusal Emma allowed her exasperation to show.
“It will take me longer to explain the very basics of how to run a single test than it will to do it! Now please; let me work!” she snapped, softening her outburst with a smile and a drop of her shoulders. Truth was, she was very stressed. She knew where to start, but she didn’t know where to end.
Steve got the hint and said that one of them would stand guard whilst the other scouted the local area.
Her analysis and comparison of blood samples between the immune and the now dead were the obvious initial places to look. She ran every kind of test she could; haemoglobin levels, white cell count, potassium levels, enzymes, platelets, and a dozen other checks. Each sample was carefully catalogued and the results were recorded in a large notebook as well as on her voice recorder.
After almost an entire day running the same tests repeatedly and hunching over the worktop, she finally gave in to her aching back and growling stomach. There was probably another four days left just doing the basics before she even started work on the microscopic analysis of each sample. She left the lab to find Steve; they were going to be there maybe ten days and the others needed to bring in supplies and more fuel. She found them both sat in the communal area, decorated like an early nineties government canteen, and explained the timeframe to them.
Steve and Mitch looked at each other, as though her declaration had touched upon a subject she wasn’t aware of. Steve nodded to Mitch.
“I’ll go” said the soldier “First thing in the morning and should be back in three days. You stay local and look for food and fuel”
Steve agreed, and turned to Emma to explain.
“During my service I spent some time up here; it’s one of the reasons I volunteered to come but I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up by saying why.” He told her, almost cautiously “There is another Air Force base just over a hundred and fifty miles north east. I’m hoping there is a smaller helicopter there that is preserved enough to get in the air. The chinook is too big for me to fly alone, and the engineering required for it is extensive; plus, I’ve never even been in the cockpit of one as flying them was always done by dedicated squadrons. Something smaller like a Sea King or a Puma or a Merlin would be much easier and I’ve flown them all enough to know a bit about their engineering requirements. I want to get in the air again, if I can”
Emma understood. In her own way she was enjoying what she was doing now; she had an expertise and this was probably the last time she would get to use it. Steve was a pilot, and he felt like he’d lost the use of his legs since he’d last flown.
She raised no objection, and Mitch began preparing for a solo trip as they all pored over a large scale map of the Highlands. Unlike their current location, the base would be well signposted which would save a lot of searching. Steve planned to stockpile all the diesel he could find locally having given Mitch his Land Rover for the journey, and Emma went back to her lab tests.
IMMINENT ARRIVALS
Dan relented and allowed the logistics crews to load enough baby equipment to last their growing colony for years. With all the powders and bottles and equipment he reckoned they could raise kids for years, but still more was needed. Kate and her team wanted more and more medical equipment, and a return run to the hospital was suggested. Dan was not an advocate of ever visiting the hospital again, and was supported by Lexi as she absent-mindedly rubbed at the thick scars on her chest.
Nobody had strayed far from home since Steve and Emma had left, and there was a slight air of anticipation about their expedition. Dan wondered why, as there could surely be no great revelations coming from the results. There could be no cure, nor was there anyone to be cured. They were what was left, and the only answers that could matter were to the questions of how and why.
On one of the morning tasking meetings Joe and Lexi went out and Leah asked Dan for a minute of his time.
“I’ve figured it out” she said.
“What?” asked Dan, confused.
“The tyre changing problem. You said I could go out alone if I could repair a flat tyre. I’ve figured it out”
Dan had completely forgotten about her driving assessment and felt bad as she was so disappointed that she couldn’t lift the spare wheel down. After her recent performance he trusted her abilities, but was still reluctant to let her out alone purely because he wanted to keep her safe. The tyre problem was a good excuse to hide behind until now.
“Tell me” he said, worrying that she had indeed surmounted the last remaining obstacle to her freedom.
“I’ve got a pump and some of that stuff you inject in so the puncture fixes itself. The pump runs off the car so I can repair a flat and get home without having to take the wheel off” she said proudly.
As much as Dan wanted to find fault with it, she had presented a valid argument. He sighed with his head down, thinking.
“Dan?” she asked, concerned that she had got the answer wrong or had upset him “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, kid” he said, giving in.
“It was nearly a year ago when I found you” he said wistfully “You were a scared little girl, and now… Well, now you’re just scary” he said, investing the last word with pride and admiration. She beamed, pleased with the compliment.
“Let me run your id
ea past Neil, and I’ll let you know” he finished.
“Today?” she pushed.
“Maybe. No promises”
She nodded and went back to looking busy over a map. His little girl was all grown up, in a way. He suddenly felt very sad that she was no longer vulnerable and weak, that she could look after herself despite her age. Modern society had made children stay dependent for so long; just a few hundred years ago and she would be expected to be getting married soon, so really was it so bad that she was doing adult work now? She had adapted so quickly and efficiently to their new situation, and he couldn’t hold her back much longer. Not without her resenting him. She’d trained intensively over the last nine months without taking a day off just to be the best she could be, and he couldn’t deny that she was good.
With a heavy heart he stood and left the house, Ash following at his heel without a command. He smoked as he walked slowly up to the farm, delaying the conversation as long as he could in good conscience. He found Neil with a hot drink and his feet up on the rear step of a Land Rover. Ash went straight to him and gave him an expectant stare until Neil’s had went to a pocket and came out with something for him. Dan sat heavily and let out a long sigh.
Neil sipped his tea and guessed his friend’s problems.
“She asked you about the tyre pump then, mate?”
“Yeah” Dan said with a tired smile “she did”
“It’s viable. I’ve got the stuff and as long as she doesn’t rip a wheel off she should be fine. I’ve fitted a CB to her motor, and was planning on repainting it black like yours” Neil said, way ahead of him as always “Ready in two days”
“Thanks” Dan said “Am I wrong? Is she ready?”
“She saved your arse didn’t she?” he replied “Twice as I recall!”
Dan smiled and leaned his head back “She did, but I worry about her. She scares me a bit”
He meant it. Leah’s abilities were impressive, but her cold attitude towards what she was becoming was his greatest concern. She had killed people. Killed people with the weapons he had given her and the training he had provided. She had calmly assessed situations and made ruthless decisions without hesitation, just as he did. The only difference was that he struggled with the decisions sometimes, where she seemed not to. He had had this discussion with Marie more than once. In her counselling sessions Leah was very matter of fact about it and the taking of a life was pure logic to her; necessary to protect the group, hence acceptable. She didn’t have trouble sleeping, she showed no signs of post traumatic responses.
“In a way” Marie had told him “She’s better equipped to deal with this as she has less to forget about from before. This is her life, and we are expecting her to still act like a child. She isn’t, not anymore”
Dan had to accept it; she wasn’t a little girl now. He had to let her go out into the hostile wasteland that was their home, and trust that he had prepared her enough.
He left Neil with the project to finish Leah’s vehicle and went to find Andrew to find out what stores were the next priority. A supply run for clothing and bedding was planned for three days’ time.
SOLO MISSION
Leah’s Land Rover was prepared and found sat proudly with a new mat black paint job and a comedy set of pink dice hanging from the rear view mirror. Just after six in the morning she shuffled in to Ops with her boots unlaced and a coffee in her hand, dumped her operational bag in the corner near the door and sat at the table.
A casually lazy salute was thrown Dan’s way and followed by a sarcastic grunt of “Boss”.
Very similar to him; it was unwise to speak to her until the caffeine had soaked in.
He regarded her critically. She was thirteen, tall and very leggy for her age, but her thin frame was wiry and strong. She moved like a predator; muscles taught like cables, but there was a kindness and compassion to her. Behind the façade lay an analytical mind capable of complex problem solving, but her personality showed with her love for film quotes and sarcastic retorts. She was a product of their environment. An amalgamation of himself, Neil, Penny, Marie, Steve and others. It was time he trusted her.
“Supply run going out after breakfast” he said “Make sure you’ve had something to eat”
“I know, I mapped the route” she said after blowing her drink “That’s yours isn’t it? Why do I have to eat now?”
“Because it’s not mine” Dan said as he rose to his feet followed by Ash “It’s yours” he finished as he slid the Defender keys across the table and walked out to hide his smile.
Leah sipped her drink and watched the keys slide to a halt just out of her reach. She processed what Dan said twice over, looking for the joke at her expense. She finally understood that he had just given her her own vehicle and her first command. She was going out, and not as anyone’s sidekick. She was going solo. She sipped her drink again, watching the unmoving keys as it sunk in properly. She finished her drink in one large gulp and stood, stretching. She walked outside and stood gazing at her own car, taking a slow lap around it to inspect the paintwork. The back section proudly showed a rank of puncture repair bottles next to a large air pump, and a new CB radio was screwed tightly to the dash.
Still not quite believing the turn of events this early, she walked back inside and got herself a breakfast of thick toast and eggs. She washed down another coffee and stood, catching Jimmy’s eye.
“Thirty minutes?” she said, trying to convey calm confidence and not let out the bursting excitement she was starting to feel.
Jimmy raised his cup in acknowledgement and she left the room. She went back to her own quarters after a visit to the bathroom and tied her hair up high in a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror, having a silent conversation where she reassured herself that she was ready. That she could do this. That she wasn’t scared. She had been nagging to be let off the lead for weeks, and now she had been the doubts hit her hard. She thought of going to find Dan and asking her to shadow him, but stopped herself. Drawing up to her full height she held a long breath and let it out slowly.
“You can do this. Woman up!” she said quietly to herself before turning abruptly away and walking back downstairs. She strode confidently into Ops and donned her kit vest, pulling the velcro tight with her diaphragm inflated. She checked the chamber of her Walther, screwed on the suppressor and flicked the under barrel light on and off to test it. She pressed her thumb down on the top of the two spare magazines she carried for the sidearm and secured the flap on top of the pouch. She retrieved her desert-dappled carbine and went through the familiar routine of checking the gun’s action and the three spare magazines she carried for it before loading one into the breach and racking the bolt to seat a bullet into the chamber.
She applied the safety and slung the weapon over her body in completion of her ritual, then slowly walked towards the door stopping only to write R5 in the ‘out’ section of the chalk board. She picked up her kit bag, always ready to go, and went to start up her vehicle. Rich stood leaning against the doorframe of the office and offered her a simple gesture as she walked by. She bumped his fist gently and left the house as he called, “Stay safe, Nikki”
Jimmy and his team of three others in their two small lorries were ready soon after, and all three vehicles met outside the front of the big house. This was Leah’s first shot at taking the lead, and her mentor was nowhere in sight. Intentionally, she suspected.
“Morning everyone” she started with confidence “Dan’s not on this run; I’m taking the lead instead” best get that out first, she thought. She saw Jimmy smile, but one of the others pulled an obvious face at a teenager being in charge of them. She had to carry on before her confidence evaporated.
“I’ll lead the route, clear the target and we should all be back safely this afternoon. None of us are new to this” she said, hoping that nobody pointed out that she’d never been out on her own before “so let’s get it done”
She nodded, and thankfully Jimm
y filled the immediate silence by encouraging his teams to get moving. He shot her a sly wink and a warm, proud smile as he turned to his truck. Thank God that went ok, she thought as she climbed behind the wheel. She would genuinely rather face armed attackers than have her confidence burst by people not wanting to go with her.
She peeled out, leading the convoy on a winding journey to their target. At about nine miles out she picked up the mic and keyed it to call the house. Rich came back, acknowledging her transmission.
“Almost out of CB range, will shout up when we are on the way back” she broadcast with partly faked confidence.
“Roger” said Rich “Bring ‘em home safe, Nikita”
The journey was uneventful, other than having to nudge one husk of a car out of the way to make space for the bigger vehicles. They arrived at their target and stopped in the car park of the small retail park. Leah got out and readied her weapon, nodded to Jimmy who stood guard by the entrance with a shotgun. She checked the large sliding glass doors and found them locked. Conscious of the others watching her she went to the large plate glass window and looked though before stepping back a few metres and flicking off the safety catch. She fired a single round into each corner from her suppressed carbine and watched in satisfaction as the glass shattered into a million pieces and cascaded down in a flow of small beads. She went through the wide gap, boots crunching on the shiny fragments, and set about clearing the warehouse-style showroom quickly and efficiently. It took her no more than five minutes to return and call the others inside.
“All clear” she announced “Showroom and stockroom with no upstairs” She turned to Jimmy and told him she would clear the next building as they took what they wanted. Jimmy waved his team inside to collect beds and mattresses. She walked the short distance to the next building and repeated the entry process, taking longer to clear this time as there was a door leading to a narrow stairway and a series of small offices on a mezzanine floor. The wooded door with its keypad lock yielded to a single round from the carbine.
Society: After It Happened Book 3 Page 11
