by Robin Crumby
“I know Zed, but just for once, let someone else worry about it. We could be happy here. Maybe settle down, live a simple life. I don’t know, start a family, raise kids, grow vegetables, look after some sheep and cows.”
Zed leaned back, resting his head against her puffer jacket. She stroked his face tenderly and he looked up at her and smiled.
“Until I find out what happened to my family, I’m still married Riley,” he said twirling his wedding ring with a grimace. “Anyway, that life may be enough for normal people, but not me. You know me better than anyone Riley. I’m not capable of settling down, I’m a restless soul, a nomad. I was never good at being tied down.”
He paused, as if replaying the events of the previous night in his mind. He straightened, remembering something.
“You know we had Briggs in our sights and we let him slip away. We could have ended him right there. Maybe that would have changed things. Next time, he won’t be so lucky.”
“He’ll keep. Sometime soon, he’ll get his comeuppance. I just worry what they’ll do to Jack.”
“We can only hope the soldiers stepped in. It was his own fault. He was so stubborn and proud. He failed to adapt. Jack still clung to the belief that good would prevail. Real life is not like that anymore. People like Briggs will rule this land. Anyone who stands in their way will fall.”
“Well, revenge is a dish best served cold. He won’t know when it’s coming, but by God, he’ll get his.”
“You can say that again, Karma has a warped sense of humour,” laughed Zed.
“Sometimes, before I open my eyes in the morning, just for a second, I think I might have imagined this whole thing, that I’ll be back in my own bed in my city flat with my cat purring at my feet, living my own quiet little life. Then, when I do wake up, it takes me a few minutes to gather myself. There are days when I don’t think I can go on. If it hadn’t been for you and Jack, I probably would have done something stupid, taken my life, I don’t know.”
“You can’t think like that Riley. None of us can afford to think like that.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I guess we all have moments of weakness and self-pity. We’re only human. Sometimes I find it unsettling to think that God could have allowed this terrible situation to happen. I prefer to think that the virus is in some way our own creation, an experiment gone horribly wrong. Isn’t that somehow more palatable?”
Zed sighed but didn’t respond for a few seconds, looking out into the distance as a lone pair of seagulls swooped towards the cliff edge, before soaring high on the wind.
“I’m fairly certain it wasn’t an accident. This all happened for a reason. I just can’t figure out why or who was responsible. Who could have possibly gained from the death of hundreds of millions of people, maybe even billions? Trust me, someone somewhere must know what happened. If I can find hard evidence of a link with a bio-weapons programme, then we’ll have our answer. In the meantime, the important thing is that we develop an effective vaccine.”
“I trust you Zed. I know a lot of people think you’re crazy and they’re probably right, but I believe you.”
“Thanks, sometimes I don’t know what I think any more. Part of me thinks that this was just a natural disaster that no one could have foreseen or done anything about. I hope I’m wrong, I really do. The thought that some organisation was responsible for this genocide, it does my head in.”
Behind them, someone was ringing a handbell and calling them into the hotel.
“Must be breakfast time,” said Riley looking over her shoulder. “Come on, give me a hand would you, this leg is killing me.”
Zed got gingerly to his feet, stretching his arms out wide. He looked tired, thought Riley. A tiredness that sleep would never wash away. She inserted her arm under his shoulder and around his back. She gave him an affectionate squeeze, as he supported her back towards their new home. As they approached the terrace, Sam was coming down to meet them holding in his hand what looked like a letter.
Sam stopped beside the pool and waited for Zed to deposit Riley in an iron-framed chair set round an outdoor table. He handed Zed the letter.
“We found this on the counter. It’s addressed to you, care of the Freshwater Bay Hotel. They knew we were coming, but don’t know how long it’s been there.”
He took the letter and turned it over, unsure what to do with it. It had been a long time since any of them had seen a letter, let alone been the recipient of one.
“Go on, aren’t you going to open it?” implored Riley impatiently.
He lifted the flap and inserted his index finger, tearing it open. Inside was a plain-white card with an address at the top. He read the note quickly, looking up at Riley with a puzzled expression.
“Come on. What does it say?”
“It’s unbelievable…” he stammered, “read it for yourself.”
Riley snatched the card and read it aloud:
Ryde School, Queen's Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight.
Dear Mr Samuels,
I am delighted to let you know that your daughter Heather is alive and well.
She is being looked after by the staff at Ryde School along with all the other unaccompanied minors who arrived here over the last few weeks.
It was only by chance that we were alerted to your presence on the island. All new arrivals are subject to medical tests and we just found out that Heather shares the same rare blood type, AB minus, with you, her father. I am told there are only four others with that type on the whole island.
I would be extremely grateful if you can come and collect her at your earliest convenience. As I’m sure you can understand, we have not let Heather know that her father is still alive. So many of the children we see here are orphaned and we wanted to be one hundred per cent sure before we tell her the good news.
I look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Principal Jane Shirley,
Ryde School.
“My God, that’s incredible, Zed, I’m so happy for you.”
“I don’t know what to say or think. I can scarcely believe it. I’m numb,” he said flatly.
“It’s the best news ever,” laughed Riley, but her thoughts were going in a dozen different directions all at once.
Zed grabbed the card and reread it quickly.
“It doesn’t say anything about the rest of them, just Heather.”
Riley sighed, suddenly realising why she felt so conflicted. If his daughter was still alive, then why not his wife and son? It meant that the one person Riley had allowed herself to care for, might still belong to another. It was another cruel twist of fate that seemed to make a habit of puncturing her hopes and dreams.
Sam and Zed got to their feet. She closed her eyes, cursing her luck. She had promised herself she would not get upset and yet tears started streaming down her face. As Zed stooped to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way to their new home, he noticed her crying softly. She buried her head into his shoulder, hugging him tighter.
“I’m just so happy for you, that’s all,” she smiled as he lifted her off her feet. There was a bounce in his step for the first time Riley could remember. At least one of them would have a chance of happiness. She would never give up hope that her turn would come.
***
The next morning, just before dawn, a commotion outside the hotel woke Riley from a restless sleep. The painkillers she had taken in the night had only succeeded in taking the edge off the throbbing in her calf. By the time she dressed and hobbled down the sweeping staircase to the lobby, there were already raised voices from below. She pushed open the swing doors to a well-appointed drawing room and was surprised to recognise Colonel Abrams and the disheveled grey hair of Doctor Hardy. The Colonel was remonstrating with Will and Tommy.
“What’s going on?” asked Riley, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“These men are demanding to see Zed,” postured Will, his arms crossed. “I’ve told them that he’s not to be distur
bed. Perhaps you can make them see sense.”
“It’s alright Will, I’ve got this,” she said, stroking his arm. Zed appeared at the doorway and the group fell silent.
“Finally,” sighed the Colonel, with some relief. “Can we have a word?”
“Good to see you Colonel, what’s got you out of bed in the middle of the night?”
“Is there somewhere more private we could talk?”
Riley gestured for Tommy and Will to leave them and the Colonel closed the door, leaning his body against it, composing his thoughts.
“We heard what happened at the castle. I’m so sorry. I came as soon as I could.”
Zed looked at the ground and then back at the Colonel. “We were lucky to get the team out when we did. We have the Americans to thank for that.”
“Is there any news about Jack? He was the only one who didn’t make it out,” asked Riley.
The Colonel hesitated. “I’m sorry, no. There’s still some confusion about his whereabouts. We’ve been trying to raise Sergeant Flynn all night, but the comms are still out. I fear Jack may have been captured. We’ll send news as soon as we know more.”
There was something about the way he avoided eye contact that made Riley suspicious. From what she knew first-hand of Briggs, she was understandably concerned but didn’t want to give voice to her fears.
“There are a lot of worried people here who would appreciate that. Last night’s dinner was like a wake,” admitted Zed. “So Doctor, what brings you all the way out here?”
“It would seem that the Doctor owes you an apology.”
“Really? I’m not sure I’m following you.”
“Perhaps you can tell Zed what you told me earlier.”
Doctor Hardy seemed more awkward than usual. Riley noticed him wringing his hands and scratching at some dry skin on his wrist.
“The team has been working around the clock for the last seventy-two hours. Look, I won’t beat around the bush. We’ve found evidence of genetic markers that could suggest some level of human interference.”
“You’re saying someone did bio-engineer the virus?”
“We’re not one hundred per cent sure, but it looks increasingly likely.”
Zed ran his fingers through ruffled hair and blinked back at them as if he could scarcely believe what he had just heard. He frowned and shook his head, trying to make sense of this revelation. His thoughts raced in a dozen different directions.
“There’s a team waiting for you at St Mary’s,” continued the Colonel, “I suggest we continue this conversation on the way.”
“What about quarantine? We’re confined to quarters until further notice.”
“You’ve both had your flu shots at Porton. I’m sure that we can dispense with the formalities. I’ll vouch for you.”
Riley seemed to come to her senses as if she had been numbed by what she was hearing. A single thought clamoured for her attention. “What about your daughter?”
Zed clasped his hand to his mouth. He appeared to have forgotten all about the letter.
“That’s right Colonel, they found my daughter. She’s safe at some boarding school near Ryde,” he said fishing the envelope from his back pocket.
“I could go,” suggested Riley. “Right now, she doesn’t even know you’re still alive, so a few more days won’t make too much of a difference. If you can lay on some transport, Colonel,” she said pointing to her bandaged calf with the trouser leg rolled up, “I could go collect her and bring her to you in Newtown later this week.”
“Perfect,” said Zed, shrugging his shoulders. “Then, what are we waiting for?”
The Colonel smiled, pushing back the sleeve of his uniform to reveal an expensive looking diver’s watch.
“With any luck, we can be back at the lab by dawn.”
Zed nodded excitedly and the three of them turned to leave. Riley laboured after them, out into the hotel lobby and through the double doors into the darkness beyond. There was a military vehicle waiting for them near the front porch with its engine running. Zed stopped in his tracks as if remembering something. It was clear that his mind was already elsewhere. He turned and hugged her tightly, squeezing the breath out of her lungs and lifting her off her feet before noticing her wincing from the pain in her leg. He lowered her gently and without a word climbed into the back seat and slammed the door.
Riley was left all alone standing outside the hotel as the car manoeuvred round. She angled her head to catch one last glimpse of Zed’s face through the window, but he didn’t look round. She wrapped her arms around her slender frame, shivering against the pre-dawn chill. The vehicle’s tyres crunched round on the gravel driveway and rolled slowly back down the hill before picking up speed and disappearing off down the lane into the darkness. In the silence that followed, she could just make out waves breaking gently against the rocks in Freshwater Bay. With a heavy sigh, she hobbled back inside to find the others.
Acknowledgements
Writing a book is a lot like starting and running a business. It takes a whole village! Thank you to the small army of people who supported me and generously gave up their time to read successive drafts of Sentinel. You all know who you are. I won't attempt to mention all of you. No Gwyneth Paltrow Oscar acceptance speech here. But as anyone who's been involved in writing will know, it's a long and iterative process. It takes hard work, dedication and an unfaltering belief that it's all going to be worthwhile in the end. So, a big thank you to all the friends and family who helped: Tor, Jake, Bea, Rose, Tom, Bobbie, Ems, Katy, CC, Pete, Dan, Jess, Bertie, Ed, Janet, Andrew, Serena, H, Sarah, Mark, Tina, Adrienne, Chris, Shona, Jim, Jane, Darren, Cameron, Derek, Raoul, Howie, Linda and Marlene.
Disclaimer
Sentinel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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