The Buried Ark

by James Bradley

  I was used to the effect of the news on people by now, the way they resisted and then gradually gave way. Also used to the reactions to the news about my father’s vaccine. And I knew the kind of reaction Matt would provoke, the hostility and anger. Yet with time so short we couldn’t do more than field their objections.

  ‘The personnel guarding the installation,’ said one of the officers, a young man called Li, ‘they’re not aware of any of this?’

  Kostova shook her head. ‘Possibly, but probably not. It’s more likely they think the weapon is designed to harm organisms in the Zone.’

  ‘Perhaps we should speak to them, try to convince them to help us.’

  Ben stepped forward. ‘We discussed that and we don’t think it’s worth the risk. If we don’t convince them, all we’ve done is give up the element of surprise.’

  ‘What happens if they start shooting?’

  ‘We’re all praying that won’t happen,’ Kostova said. ‘But if it does we have to go through with it. The cost of failure is too high.’

  29

  With the information sent and calls made, Kostova explained her strategy for disabling the facility. She had established that the installation drew its power from a solar array at its centre; shut that down and they wouldn’t be able to launch the missiles, at least in theory. But because we couldn’t be sure we could shut it down – or that there wouldn’t be some kind of backup if we did – a second team would try to secure the command post at the same time.

  None of us were under any illusions about how difficult it was likely to be. Although the installation was not large, it was well defended, its perimeter secured by a cyclone fence, and the main structure housing the missiles and the solar array protected by huge concrete bollards, as well as a garrison of about twenty, all of which meant the first challenge was going to be getting past the fence and the guards.

  We had discussed using the helicopter, but it only seated eight, and Glass and Kostova were concerned about it being shot down or damaged before it could set down, so we had decided on a two-pronged approach. Two vans would approach the main gate and demand entry. Meanwhile Glass would approach in the helicopter and try to set down inside the fence. We anticipated that the arrival of the helicopter would distract the guards, at which point the vans would push past the remaining guards and make for the missiles and the solar array.

  Kostova would command the team in the first van, who would have responsibility taking out the array, while the team under Egan’s command in the second van would try to interrupt the countdown by seizing the control centre.

  Because Ben had military training he was assigned to Egan’s team, but Kostova was resistant to the idea of me and Matt joining the assault.

  ‘We can’t risk something going wrong because you aren’t properly trained,’ she said.

  ‘I didn’t need training to survive on the other side of the Wall. Or to escape the Ark. Or even to break out of your facility,’ I said.

  Kostova regarded me carefully. ‘People will be shooting. You could be injured, even killed.’

  ‘I know,’ I said. ‘But I want to help.’

  She nodded. ‘Okay. Callie and Matt will join the first team, under my command.’

  While the officers checked their weapons and got ready to leave I approached Ben. He had picked up a rifle and was checking it.

  ‘Are you ready for this?’ I asked.

  He didn’t look up. ‘I have to be.’

  ‘Whatever happens I want you to know how grateful I am to you. Not just for helping me but for everything.’

  He looked up. ‘You too,’ he said. With his free hand he reached up and gripped my forearm, and I leaned against his chest and closed my eyes. For a second or two neither of us spoke. Then Kostova appeared at the door. I stepped back.

  ‘Okay!’ she shouted. ‘Time to move out.’

  Matt and I climbed into the first van with Kostova and Klein, while Ben and the others clambered into the second van and the helicopter. Nobody spoke as the van bumped its way back out toward the main road.

  The installation was less than twenty kilometres away, connected to the main road by a dirt track cut through the grass and trees like a scar. As we rounded the corner onto the dirt Kostova touched her goggles and spoke to Egan.

  ‘You okay back there?’

  ‘All good,’ Egan replied.

  ‘Glass?’

  Glass’s voice cut in. ‘On approach.’

  ‘Okay,’ Kostova said. ‘Let’s do this thing.’

  Up ahead the installation had come into view, a low jumble of structures surrounded by the pale bulk of the concrete bollards, in the middle of which the white shapes of half-a-dozen missiles were visible. In front of us a boom gate blocked the road, a small building to its right.

  ‘Here we go,’ Kostova said as we drew up to the gate. A soldier stepped out and hurried toward us. Kostova lowered the window.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ the soldier said. ‘You have to leave.’

  ‘Can’t do that,’ Kostova said. ‘We’ve detected Changed material inside the base.’

  The soldier was young, younger even than Ben, and it was clear he didn’t know how to respond. He turned to look at the base, then back to Kostova.

  ‘You’ll have to speak to my commander.’

  ‘Then get your commander,’ Kostova said.

  ‘That’s not possible. We’re in the middle of an exercise.’

  ‘Then we’ll come in and wait.’

  Leaning back, I peered up, searching the sky for Glass and the helicopter. Next to me Matt slid his hand across and touched mine. I turned to him. He looked pale, but determined.

  A second soldier stepped out of the building and approached.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ she demanded.

  ‘No problem,’ Kostova said. ‘We need to get in, deal with an outbreak.’

  ‘You’ll have to get clearance,’ the second soldier said.

  Kostova was about to reply when there was a chudding sound and the helicopter passed overhead.

  ‘What the . . .’ the second soldier said, looking up. With a scream of turbines the helicopter swung around and set itself down in an open space a little way to the left.

  ‘You,’ she said to Kostova. ‘Wait here.’ Already in motion she pointed at our van. ‘Make sure they stay there,’ she said to her colleague, and headed toward the helicopter.

  The first soldier nodded. But as we had hoped, his attention wasn’t on us. Instead he had moved away to watch the helicopter.

  As the second soldier reached the helicopter half-a-dozen more emerged from the building behind the bollards. We watched them hurry out across the open space.

  ‘Wait for it,’ Kostova said. ‘Wait for it.’

  As they reached the helicopter several of the soldiers gathered around the door. For a moment nothing happened, but then it swung open and Glass and one of the Quarantine officers burst out, guns raised.

  ‘Now!’ said Kostova. She slammed her foot down and threw the van into gear. The wheels skidded on the dirt, then we leapt forward, narrowly missing the first soldier, who jumped sideways, losing his balance and tumbling sideways into the grass beside the track. There was a deafening clang as the van struck the boom. We were thrown forward, then there was a grinding and a screaming of tyres and the van forced itself through. Finally there was one last crunch and we jolted forward and on.

  ‘We’re through!’ Klein shouted as Kostova swung the van across the grass between the fence and the installation. Behind us the second van was racing toward the gap in the bollard that served as the main entrance, but several more soldiers had appeared in front of them, three of whom were chasing after us; with a sick jolt I saw they had their guns out. I had time to see Kostova had registered the same thing before there was a burst of gunfire, the sound choppy, loud, almo
st unreal. The window beside Matt exploded, showering glass across us, and Matt was thrown sideways. I dropped as well, trying frantically to see if he was hurt. There was more gunfire and something struck the roof above me.

  ‘Get down,’ Matt was shouting. I could see blood on the seat but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. The van skidded to a halt beside the bollards.

  ‘Get out!’ Kostova screamed. I slammed my shoulder into the door and slipped out onto the ground, Matt behind me. There was another burst of gunfire, but at least for now the van stood between the soldiers and us.

  Matt was bleeding from a cut on his head. ‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

  He wiped his hand across the cut and looked at the blood. ‘I think so,’ he said.

  Next to me Klein and Kostova were already in motion, racing toward the bollards.

  ‘Come on!’ Kostova shouted. Bullets smacked into the van, the sound so sharp it stung. I flinched, then grabbed Matt and raced after Kostova and Klein.

  The bollards were massive, each one almost two metres tall and constructed of solid concrete. As we pressed ourselves against them I was reminded of the structure of the Wall, the impassive bulk of it.

  ‘We’ll have to use the van,’ Kostova said. I looked at the van, the bonnet of which stood nosed into the wall. If we went that way we’d be sitting ducks, but the bollards were too high to climb over and we probably only had a few seconds before the soldiers who had been firing on us came around the van.

  ‘I’ll go first,’ I said. Kostova nodded. There was another burst of gunfire from somewhere further around, perhaps near the helicopter. Somebody cried out in pain. I was shaking, but I tensed and in one quick movement bounded forward, up onto the bonnet of the van and, placing my hands on the top of the bollard, up onto the wall. A bullet cracked against the wall behind me, but I was already over, slipping and tumbling down the other side.

  There was a shout and then Matt appeared as well, dropping down next to me. A moment later I heard a crash, and Klein and Kostova appeared above us. Kostova rolled forward and over, but just as she did there was another burst of gunfire and Klein grunted and disappeared back the way she had come.

  ‘Klein!’ I shouted as Kostova landed heavily beside me. I heard a moan from the far side.

  ‘Leave her,’ Kostova said, her face pale. ‘We have to get under cover.’

  We were in an open space bordered on one side by the wall. A hundred metres or so away several prefab buildings stood in a line, while to the right an overturned bollard lay in front of a fenced area containing a small building and several rows of solar panels.

  ‘That way,’ Kostova said, pointing to a gate in the fence. We raced toward it, but before we had time to reach it a pair of soldiers appeared at the far end of the prefabs.

  ‘You!’ one of them shouted. ‘Stop!’

  I slowed in time to see him lift his gun to his shoulder.

  ‘Get down!’ I shouted, grabbing Matt and diving for the cover of the overturned bollard. Bullets smacked into the bollard and Kostova skidded in beside us.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she asked.

  I nodded. The gate to the array was still ten metres away.

  ‘What are we going to do?’

  Kostova raised her gun and lifted her head slightly. Shots cracked and she dropped. Further away there was a sharp retort of gunfire, a scream. Kostova touched her earpiece.

  ‘Egan, Glass. Can you hear me?’

  There was silence for a moment, then Ben’s voice.

  ‘Egan’s down.’

  Kostova took a sharp breath.

  ‘What about Glass?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘What’s your situation?’

  ‘We’re just outside the control room. You?’

  ‘We’re pinned down by the array.’

  There was a burst of gunfire, a squall of sound. Several seconds passed in silence, then Ben’s voice came again.

  ‘We’re in. Li is injured but the control room is secured.’

  ‘Can you override the countdown?’

  ‘I don’t know. Just wait.’

  ‘Lower your weapons and stand up,’ shouted one of the soldiers on the far side of the bollard.

  Kostova ignored her. A moment later her earpiece crackled again.

  ‘The system is centrally controlled. We can’t turn it off from here.’

  Kostova closed her eyes and cursed.

  ‘No!’ said Ben. ‘No, no, no.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘The countdown, it’s more advanced than we thought. We’ve got less than twelve minutes until launch.’

  ‘That can’t be right,’ Kostova said. ‘It’s not supposed to launch for another three hours.’

  ‘Perhaps we made a mistake, perhaps our original information was incorrect, perhaps they realised we were on our way and accelerated the process. The why doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have to cut the power now.’

  ‘We’re pinned down,’ Kostova said. ‘We need support.’

  ‘Affirmative. Li and Shamsie will stay here. I’m going to come to you.’

  ‘Look out!’ Matt shouted. Kostova and I turned in time to see one of the soldiers coming along the wall. Kostova shot once, twice, aiming high so the bullets went over her head, and the soldier dropped back out of the way.

  Ben cursed.

  ‘Miller?’ Kostova said. ‘Are you there? What’s going on?’

  ‘The door, it’s locked. We can’t get out.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The control room. It has some kind of security device. We’re trapped.’

  Kostova closed her eyes for a second. ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘I might be able to override it but not in time.’

  Kostova lay back and looked at the sky. It was so blue, its surface ribbed by high cloud. She seemed to come to a decision.

  ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’m going to stand up. You two get ready, and when I say, make for the gate.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’ I asked.

  ‘That doesn’t matter. You just concentrate on getting that array offline.’

  I looked at Matt. He gave me a small nod.

  Kostova smiled. ‘Good luck, Callie.’ Then she looked up and shouted, ‘Okay, I’m about to stand up. Don’t shoot.’

  ‘Okay,’ said the soldier who had spoken before. ‘But make it nice and slow.’

  Kostova let her gun fall loose in her hand and raised her hands slowly into the air.

  ‘That’s right,’ said the soldier. ‘Now stand up.’

  Kostova slowly got to her feet.

  ‘Now the others,’ the soldier said, but Kostova ignored him.

  ‘I’m coming toward you,’ she said, stepping around the bollard in the direction of the wall. Suddenly I realised what she was doing.

  ‘Stay where you are,’ shouted the soldier.

  ‘It’s okay,’ said Kostova. ‘I surrender.’

  ‘I said stay where you are!’ shouted the soldier again, but Kostova ignored her.

  ‘Now!’ she hissed, and in one fluid motion she dropped her arms and, swinging her gun up and firing, began to run toward the wall. There was a burst of gunfire, but I was already on my feet, racing toward the gate, Matt behind me. There was another series of shots, the sound of somebody yelling at us to stop, a cry, and I glimpsed Kostova spinning sideways as I reached the gate and grabbed frantically at the latch.

  If that gate had been locked I have no doubt I would have died there and then: bullets sang past, so close I felt them split the air. But it wasn’t locked, and Matt and I dove through it and into the array.

  ‘Make for the building!’ Matt said, but I didn’t need to be told, I was already racing toward it. Matt opened the door and crawled in, but then I heard a voice behind m
e.

  ‘Freeze.’

  I turned to see one of the soldiers standing behind me, her rifle trained on me.

  ‘Get your hands up or so help me I’ll shoot you now,’ the soldier said.

  I lifted my hands.

  ‘And you, in the shed. Get out here.’

  She took a step forward.

  ‘Please,’ I said. ‘You have to understand. We didn’t want to hurt any of you. But we have to stop the launch.’

  ‘Shut up,’ she spat. ‘I don’t want to hear it.’

  I heard Matt step out behind me. The soldier’s face contorted.

  ‘What the hell?’

  She lifted her rifle, ready to shoot.

  ‘No!’ I said, moving toward her. Whether intentionally or simply because I had distracted her, she swung the gun toward me. I had time to see her finger closing on the trigger when her face suddenly contorted and her arm swung out wide, a shot smashing into one of the solar panels. Then she slumped forward, convulsing. Behind her, at the gate, Kostova was kneeling, her left arm hanging loose, the blunt shape of a taser in her right.

  I stared at her, unable to speak. She just nodded and slumped forward. I started toward her but Matt grabbed my arm. ‘There isn’t time,’ he said.

  I looked at Kostova lying sprawled on the ground and then back at Matt. Finally I pushed past him into the building.

  It was just a single room. On one wall stood a series of lockers, on the other a desk with a screen on it and some kind of machine. I crossed to the desk and placed a hand on the keyboard. My earpiece crackled.

  ‘Callie?’ said Ben. ‘Are you there?’

  ‘I’m here,’ I said. ‘We’re in the power room. There’s a control panel.’

  ‘Thank God,’ Ben said. ‘There isn’t much time.’

  I activated the screen and pulled up the interface. A light blinked and I swore.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s asking for a password.’

  Somebody said something in the background. ‘We’ll have to do it manually,’ Ben said.

  ‘What? By cutting the cables?’

  ‘Perhaps. There should be a switch there somewhere.’