by Ian Chapman
While she ferreted around I checked over the Scrambler. There was a dent on its tank from where a something had hit it, probably thrown by one of the mob in town. Several stones had jammed between spokes and there was a piece of wood wedged in the cooling fins. I picked them all out and bounced the bike on its forks. Set it on its side-stand.
Becky was still poking around under the hatch. Casper stood at her side but didn’t do anything.
After a while she straightened up, holding a blackened wire with a lump of melted plastic at the end. ‘Guess my patch-up didn’t hold.’
‘Can you fix it?’ I said.
‘We need parts. The right parts.’ She stared at Casper, like the was something they knew but didn’t want to tell me.
‘Go on,’ I said.
Becky looked down at the busted part. ’We’ll have to go to The Graveyard.’
For a moment none of us spoke.
Of course I knew of The Graveyard, everyone who worked the borders did, but I’d never been tempted to go there. It had once been a military base, full of activity in the last century and up until the twenties. But after the wars they’d used it as a dumping ground, one of many round the country. They’d left equipment there that couldn’t be easily fixed. Once Collapse came the place was abandoned, the weapons were disabled or taken off for reuse, some in central Europe, others God-knows where. But they couldn’t neuter everything and there were stories of a few gems still lying around.
There were also rumours about the gangs who hung out nearby, watching the place, using it as a lure to add to their booty. I’d heard enough about what they did to unwanted guests so I’d steered clear in the past. There were safer ways to make a living.
‘Does it have to be The Graveyard?’ I said.
‘We’ll find the right parts there. Proper military stuff.’
We’d have to double back to go to there, clipping the western edge of the Border Forest.
‘The Graveyard’s not somewhere just to drop into,’ I said.
‘That’s the only place we’ll find parts.’
‘It’s too dangerous and we’re losing time. We can take it slowly. Not go.’
Becky stared at me. ‘We need the parts.’ She turned to Casper. ‘What do you think?’
‘Let’s get the parts,’ he said.
‘I need to take a leak,’ I said.
I went over to one of the nearby pines and pissed against it. Above me dead branches rattled against one another as the piss hissed down the trunk and onto the dry earth.
I did up my trousers and walked back over.
‘Look,’ said Becky. ‘The Graveyard isn’t a great place but we need to go there.’
‘I thought you’d fixed the problem.’
‘So did I.’
I was happy to hitch a ride in the Eblis but I wasn’t interested in getting drawn into something else. Go somewhere like The Graveyard. The bike ready to run and I had all my kit. I’d be able to grab fuel somewhere else. This was a sensible time to leave.
‘Tell you what,’ I said. ‘I’m off.’
‘What?’ she said.
‘I’m leaving. Going off alone.’
‘Come on, Trent…’
‘I told you,’ said Casper. ‘I said he’d bail.’
I stared at him. ‘Did you? That’s good.’
Becky raised her hand. ‘Trent, think about this. We’re close to the Border Forest here. You don’t want to be wandering around. On your own.’
‘I’ll be all right.’
Casper smiled. A nasty grin. ‘What about fuel? Nowhere sells petrol round here.’
‘And there’s Round Up. They’re probably still on our tail.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Let’s fix the Eblis. Get away from here. If you still want to leave you can. Don’t rush off. Not yet. At least wait until we’re further north.’
‘I’ll see.’ Actually, she had a point. I didn’t want to run out of fuel near the Border Forest. But it was good to let off a little steam. Show Becky and Casper I had options.
I stared off across the moors. Dark clouds hung over the hills in the distance. Looked like there was a storm on the way.
‘So, Trent?’ said Becky.
I shrugged and she returned to the tank. Waited as she slid in. Dropped into the hatch before Casper. We all took our places and set off again.
Off towards The Graveyard.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Graveyard
IT WAS ANOTHER HOUR before we came close to the place, old MOD signs marking its location, mist drifting in from the moors as sound dipped onto the moors in the west. Becky stopped us on the road in front of the entrance. There was no movement, nothing on the screens or the through the headphones. Maybe there was no one here. If there was, maybe they’d leave something like the Eblis alone. Maybe.
Becky turned towards me. ‘We’ll be straight in, pick up the parts and off.’
‘It’ll be easier in better light.’ I said. As the mist thickened and rolled in around us.
Casper laughed. ‘You scared, Trent?’
‘Being stupid doesn’t make you brave.’
Casper took a breath ready to say something smart.
‘Look Trent,’ said Becky. ‘We’ll be no time. And we’ve got enough kit here to look after ourselves.’
‘Yeah Trent. Don’t worry.’
I didn’t even bother replying. I was stuck with the two of them for the time being and there was no point winding Casper up. Not yet.
Becky drove off but slower than ever. ‘We’ll keep down to crawler speed. It’s quieter.’ We passed a bust up gatehouse, its barrier lying at the side. The road was chewed up and where there’d been a car-park there was now an untidy field dotted with barriers. We faced a row of low buildings, some of the windows boarded and others smashed. To the right was a small housing estate, many with doors kicked in and tiles missing. The road carried on round to the left. Wrecked equipment emerged from the fog: a burnt-out car, stripped of parts. A pile of odd shoes in a misshapen cairn.
When we came round the building there was a flat open space, probably once the parade ground. In the distance were the frames of hangers and warehouse, all without walls and roofs, open to the moors and stunted trees that surrounded the camp. Before us were rows of vehicles, armoured cars, tanks and aircraft, all mottled with corrosion, panels missing.
Becky stopped the Eblis before them, shutting down the motors and watching her own monitors. ‘Any movement out there?’ she said.
‘You asking me?’ I said.
‘Flick the switches. It’ll give you different views.’
I pressed buttons under the screen and the images changed colour. Got bigger and smaller. Apart from weeds moving in the breeze there was nothing. ‘All clear,’ I said.
‘And me,’ added Casper.
Becky grabbed a pistol, jumped out of her seat. I moved aside and so did Casper to let her out. The two of us watched our screens as she slid down off the tank and made towards the vehicles.
‘Are you joining her?’ I said.
‘You kidding?’ He grinned like he’d said something funny. When I didn’t smile he looked more serious. ‘I’m on the guns. Just in case.’
‘Yeah? Think I’ll head out.’ I took the revolver out of my bag, pushed past him and went out after her.
The damp air muffled my footsteps as I clambered down the tank. Becky was ahead of me, scanning the wrecks. I joined her on the cracked tarmac, amongst the rows of vehicles, decaying buildings and abandoned clothing.
‘Trent?’
‘Thought I’d tag along.’
‘Keep your eyes open.’
Apart from a sigh of wind through the undergrowth, there was no sound. With my pistol raised I walked over to the derelicts. There were dozens of them, great beetles that disappeared off into the mist. The paint was burnt off most to show white-corroded alloy and orange rust. Those with wheels wore tireless rims and the tanks had snapped or missing tracks.
‘Se
ems deserted,’ she said.
‘Seems so.’ Maybe I’d worried about nothing.
‘Casper can stay in the Eblis. Watch the monitors.’
‘Very brave.’
She ignored my dig and walked around the ruined vehicles, tapping the flank of a tracked personnel carrier. ‘Looks like they’ve been used for weapons testing.’
The rear end was blasted clean of paint and melted round the edges, the metal warped. ‘Take some weapons to do this.’
She turned and marched back to the tank, disappearing into the fog. A minute later she came back out, shaking her head. ‘I’d not thought to check the readings. They’re high.’
‘Readings?’
‘They’re radioactive, Trent. They’ve had nuclear weapons tested on them. Part of the Final Push.’
I stepped back from the nearest tank, as if that would make any difference. I knew about some of the stuff the military had got up to. The last phase had been called the Final Push. Everything had been thrown at that. Nearly everything.
She wandered off between the vehicles and I followed.
‘Is this safe?’
‘For a short time,’ she said.
Maybe that was what had finished off the gangs. They could have fallen sick. Died.
As we walked around she gave me a running commentary on what she thought had been done to each of the vehicles. It seemed not all of them had been nuked. Some seemed to be just worn out or damaged in practice sessions. She guessed they’d originally planned to use some for parts, but The Collapse had meant that had never happened.
Then she stopped. We were beside a huge wreck, bigger than the Eblis. Bigger than anything else. She circled it and her hand reached out as if she wanted to touch it but was afraid to.
‘Is this useful?’ I said.
‘No. It’s the FV5035. Came out before the Eblis. Different mechanicals.’
‘Tell me about the Eblis.’
‘You know all about it.’ She moved off then stopped at another vehicle. It had a bulldozer blade and no turret but otherwise was similar to the Eblis. ‘This was the 5050AVRE. Earlier model but close. Might be able to get something from it.’
‘You know your stuff.’
‘Hope so.’
Although the paintwork was stripped, the panels were still intact. There were a couple of wheels missing and no tracks.
She climbed onto it and tried to open the hatch. She pulled at a lever and poked around the hinges. After a minute of messing with it she swore and came back down.
‘All sealed up.’
I waved the pistol. ‘Can’t we shoot our way in?’
She shook her head. ‘No chance. But I think I can get in.’
I followed her back to the Eblis where she went inside and rummaged around. The light was fading as I shuffled on the overgrown parade ground. There was no sound from Casper inside. With the mist around us, the moors and buildings had already vanished. The tanks were just dark outlines.
Becky appeared with a multi-metre and some wires. She had a torch but no pistol. ‘This should help.’
‘Maybe we should head off. Come back tomorrow. Leave it for now.’ Running away wasn’t what I usually did but this place had too many dark corners. Maybe the gangs had gone. Or maybe they were still here. Watching us.
‘Be finished in no time.’ She walked back to the big tank, her footsteps light, unaffected by the creeping darkness.
I stood at the side as she climbed up and messed with the hatch, holding the torch in her mouth as she poked wires into something. Her torch made a pool of light in the darkness. Hopefully the mist would conceal it from onlookers. If there were any.
The air was heavy with moisture and the vehicles had a damp sheen, water running down them.
She tutted and muttered.
From far off there was a crash. I turned towards it and waited for another sound. Something that would let me know if it was an animal. Or a person. There was no other sound but I walked in the direction it had come from with my gun raised.
There was an old transporter with a crane on the back, its arm raised up like gallows. It was surrounded by debris: shredded tyres and coolant hoses. Beyond the transporter there was a Land Rover with the bonnet gone, much of its mechanicals stripped. As I passed it a crow burst out, flapping wildly, cawing. The bird disappeared off into the fog and I waited to see if there were others.
There was nothing else so I walked back.
Becky had gone, the wires and meter still hanging there. I stood there in the damp air, twisting my head to pick up sounds. A low drone came from way off but there was nothing else. No voices or sounds of movement. I went over to the Eblis and the hatch opened. Becky popped out.
‘It’s this I need,’ she said, holding some more wires. ‘The set-up was wrong.’
‘It’s getting too dark. You won’t be able to see anything.’
‘We need to do it now.’
Then there was a thud from the building, like something had been knocked over.
‘Probably animals,’ she said.
‘Probably. But it’s sensible to get out of here. Before it’s properly dark.’
She shuffled around for a minute then there was another thump. ‘It won’t take long.’ She walked down the row back to the tank. I scanned the area, watching out for movement. Listening for more sounds.
She fiddled around in her patch of light for ages. Then there was a click and the hatch open. She disappeared into it, talking to herself. Now and then the torch beam flicked up and there were rattles. No sounds came from the abandoned vehicles, just Becky as she poked around. I kept the pistol tight in my hand and stared across the heavy shadows in the mist.
There was a clunk from the rear of the tank. Becky came out with tools in her hand and torch held in her armpit. ‘Triggered the servo,’ she said, slipping down and round to the back. ‘Technical stuff.’ Raising up the engine cover she leant in and started to work on it. Her torch was balanced on the side as she felt around and muttered.
There was a rattle from way off to my right, away from the Eblis.
Becky whistled and the sound floated off across the camp. She popped the torch into her mouth and leant further in. For some minutes she shifted around as she undid something inside.
‘Do you need a hand?’ I said.
She grunted and carried on.
‘I could hold the torch…’
Then she stood up with a bunch of wires in her hand. ‘Got it.’
‘Great. Let’s go.’
She led us back to the Eblis, the torch flicking around the damp ground then up onto the tank. I kept the pistol raised as she clambered up and dropped into the hatch then I slid in after her. Once the hatch was closed Casper turned up the lights. They were dazzling after the being outside.
‘Did you get them?’ he asked.
‘Hope so.’ She held up the wires and connectors.
‘You think they’ll fit?’ I asked.
‘Yeah. It’s a similar design.’ She started up the vehicle’s motors, turning us round so that we left the parade ground. We passed the pile of shoes, burnt-out car and boarded up housing estate, now only visible as shadows even when I messed with the controls on the monitors.
When we joined the road she let the vehicle pick up speed and the camp disappeared behind us.
But after a mile or so she stopped us dead, swearing to herself, before turning the Eblis round to face back.
‘What’s up?’ I said.
‘The meter. The multi-meter and wires. They’re on the tank.’
‘We can get them in the morning,’ said Casper.
‘We need them. Can’t risk losing them.’
‘Really?’ I said.
‘Really. We need to go back to The Graveyard.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Return
SHE TOOK US BACK onto the rough track, past the buildings now invisible in the mist, to the parade ground. We stopped at the same spot.
We sat there with the motors off, no one moving, watching the monitors. There was no sign of anything.
‘I suppose I better go,’ she said.
‘I’ll do it,’ I said. Before I could change my mind I pushed past Casper and opened the hatch. I stepped out and he passed me the torch. I slid out the pistol as he sealed the vehicle behind me.
The light seemed to have faded in the few minutes we’d been away. Maybe it was because my eyes had adjusted to the inside of the tank or it was just getting dark. The nearest vehicles were shapeless shadows, the ones further off no longer visible. When I lit the torch it bounced back from the fog.
The vehicle I needed was somewhere ahead. I knew it had no turret and the tracks were bust. I couldn’t remember much else.
I walked down the row with the light pointed down, the dark shadows shifting around me.
One tank looked familiar so I clambered up onto it. There was a small turret with a bent gun, not right at all. I climbed up onto the next one, slipped on the damp metal, my left foot flying backwards. As I thudded onto the steel surface I gave out a sigh. My voice echoed back off the hulks of the Graveyard. This one had a turret as well.
A crash came from some way off, a loud sound. It could have been from the Eblis, if Casper had climbed out of it and slipped like me. Or it might have been from the buildings, where I’d heard something earlier.
I moved on.
The next two vehicles didn’t have turrets but were more like armoured cars. The wrong shape: I tried another row further on and shone the torch around, trying to recognise something.
This shouldn’t have been so hard. Jump out and grab the gear, that had been the idea but here I was wandering around in the dark.
Then there was another sound, this time several loud cracks, possibly wood being smashed. Or small-calibre gunfire. Shots from a pistol.
With the torch low I worked down the row, methodical. I needed to find the tank, pick up the wires and go. That was all. But they all looked the same. Big slabs of metal in the dark.
Then it came back to me — the bulldozer blade and shovels built into it. That was what I needed to find. None of the vehicles nearby had blades so I moved to the next row.
