‘Come closer, children, I wish to talk to you.’
His affected way of speaking would be laughable if we weren't in so much danger. The two guards at our shoulders push us forward and force us to shuffle up until we’re close enough to smell his scent. A repugnant odour of soap and something else, something sour and rank which rises up above the smell of fried food. I lean back a little.
‘Leave us please.’ He waves the guards back and I hear them softly swoosh away. ‘I see you inspecting my breakfast. Are you hungry? We can remedy that in a moment, but first I need you to understand something.’ He pauses and stares hard at each of us. ‘My disciples want to be here. I am their saviour. You run from me now, but soon you will run towards me. You think I am taking you against your will, but you are young and you have no idea what you want from life.
‘It's an evil world out there and I can save you from it. In a few weeks you won't want to be anywhere else, I guarantee it. Just one month, that's all I ask. Embrace my way willingly for thirty days and if you still want to leave after that time, you will be free to go.’
‘A month so you can brainwash us, I don't think so,’ Luc spits out the words. I silently cheer his defiance, but it also scares me. I don't want to see this man turn angry.
Grey holds up another forkful to his mouth, unfazed by Luc's outburst. He closes his eyes, anticipating the flavours. He’s enjoying our discomfort and revelling in his power. I can tell there is something really wrong with him. Not just the obvious power trip, but something more. It’s like he’s a totally different species to us, as if his brain is wired in another way. It is paralysing and terrifying to be in his presence. The one word replaying in my mind is evil. This man is evil.
The room remains silent, apart from Grey's hypnotic voice and the occasional clink of our shackles. Grey is unhurried in his sermon. He takes long pauses to savour his breakfast, his fork held to his lips, his eyes closed again.
Luc glances at me and I have the nervous feeling he’s about to do something.
I’m right.
As Grey holds his fork aloft, Luc lunges forwards with his shackled hands stretched out in front of him. He shoves as hard as he can and sends his whole body weight forward, towards the fork poised in front of Grey's open mouth. Luc rams the loaded fork down Grey’s throat with gruesome consequences. Grey gurgles and chokes, grasping at the fork and at his neck.
I cry out. I can't help myself. But that wasn't the smartest thing to do in the circumstances, as it instantly alerts the two guards who come running in.
Before they can grab us or check on Grey, Luc seizes one of the heavy pewter candlesticks from the table. He has to hold it in both hands because of the shackles. He spins around, swings it upwards and catches one of the guards under the chin with it. The man instantly goes down.
At the same time, the other guard grasps me around the neck and tries to pull his gun out from his robe. I elbow him backwards in the stomach as Luc shoves the end of the candlestick into his face. The man releases me and doubles up. Luc then brings his metal cuffs down onto his head with a dull thud.
The guards are both out cold in under thirty seconds. I can't believe it. I know that, as a trained guard, Luc knows some stuff, but I’m shocked to witness it first hand. Luc doesn't stop. He reaches down to the first guard's waist, trying to get the keys off his belt.
Shaking myself out of my shocked stupor, I shuffle over towards him. I hold my shackled hands out next to the guard's belt as Luc goes through the keys. At the sixth attempt we hear a beautiful click and my hands are free. We soon unchain our hands and feet.
Luc swiftly disrobes both guards and tosses me one of the cloaks. I put it on and try to block out the sickening sounds coming from Grey, who is writhing on his back on the floor, his hands still clutching at the fork. Luc throws me the guard's pistol and picks up the machine gun. We hide the weapons under our cloaks.
‘Mustn't forget this,’ says Luc, picking up the AV keycard from the table. ‘Let’s go.’
We race back through the empty antechamber and across the echoing hall, through the maze of buildings we hope will lead us back to the AV. Luc seems to know exactly where he’s going and only pauses briefly, before resuming his confident navigation. Then I hear the inevitable – hurried footsteps and loud, gruff voices behind us.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Riley
*
‘Run!’ Luc shouts.
I hitch up my robe with one hand and clutch my weapon in the other. We run along a narrow hallway and Luc shoves open the door at the end. It leads out into the courtyard where our AV gleams in the sunlight. The footsteps behind us are growing louder now, crunching across the gravel. A shot rings out. I don't dare turn around. I hear shouted instructions and a burst of machine gun fire, but we don't stop. Luc pushes me ahead of him and at the same time he presses the keycard into my hand. He turns and sprays bullets in an arc around him.
‘I'll drive,’ Luc shouts to me. I wave the card at the vehicle and see the lights flash. I leap into the passenger seat and slam the door shut. Never have I been so glad to smell the warm leathery interior of that vehicle. It feels like home.
I push the card in all the way and the engine purrs to life. I inch down my window and fire a few shots in the guards' direction. I know I’ll never hit them from this distance with such a small revolver, but I hope it’ll delay them until Luc’s safely in.
Luc dives into the driver's side and pulls his door shut. I bang on the blackout mode switch and Luc activates the shockplates. The guards re-enact their original manoeuvre, starting up their spooky chanting and glide forward to surround the AV. The main difference is that this time we’re inside the vehicle, shielded by heavy armour and high voltage shockplates.
‘Hold on!’ Luc yells and slams the vehicle in reverse, knocking down several of the dark-robed figures. Sparks fly, where the shockplates have buzzed into action. The guards’ frenzied chanting soon degenerates into shouts of alarm and warning.
My stolen gun has no more bullets, so I scrabble down into the footwell, under the mat and find the catch that opens the hidden cavity where our emergency provisions are stashed. My shaking fingers eventually close around cold smooth metal and I lift out the small loaded revolver and click off the safety. Luc screeches to a halt and accelerates hard to the left. He guns it across the courtyard.
With immaculate timing, the gates are already open and a dark green delivery van has its nose through the opening. A couple of robed figures run across the courtyard to try to close the gates. Our engine roars and I poke the barrel of the gun out through a crack in my window. I fire a couple more shots, immediately triggering a volley of machine fire in response.
‘You don't need to shoot anymore, Riley, they can't get us in here,’ Luc says. I close my window as shots ricochet off the electrically charged AV.
The green van slowly enters the courtyard and I see the driver staring around in confusion. He stops midway through the gates, unsure how to proceed. He glances from our vehicle, to the robed guards. Luc puts his hand on the horn and holds it down, flashing his lights and driving directly towards the van. It works, and the driver reverses out of the courtyard. Our AV is almost on top of him and we power our way through the gates, smashing into the front corner of the van as we go. The van spins around and careens into a shallow ditch outside the gates.
Luc turns right onto the bumpy road, away from the bright morning sun in the east and towards Warminster and Gloucestershire to the west. In the jumbled chaos of my mind, I hope this is a conscious decision to carry on with our quest and not head back home.
Glancing behind, I see a few robed figures flapping and gesturing like demented crows. Shots still follow us and I wait for vehicles to zoom out in pursuit, but miraculously the road behind stays clear. For now, we are safe.
After a manic fifteen minute drive over the potholed road, there’s still no sign we’re being followed. We hope that with Grey
seriously injured, perhaps even dead, they’ll have more important things to deal with than a couple of escaped kids. Although our reacquisition of the AV will be a serious loss to them.
I peer into the back of the AV and see nothing. They've taken all our possessions. I hadn't expected anything less, but it’s still a huge blow to know we’re miles from familiar territory with only limited emergency provisions.
‘It’s all gone,’ I say.
Luc looks at me with a resigned shrug.
‘All of it,’ I repeat.
‘We've got our lives, Riley, and that's more than I thought we'd have a couple of hours ago.’
‘You're right.’ I sigh. ‘I don’t know how you were so calm back there. You didn't freak out at all. I don't know how you thought of that thing with the fork. I feel ill just thinking about it.’
‘It was a spur of the moment thing. An opportunity. And well, you saved me from psycho raiders, so I thought it was only fair to save you from religious nutters.’
‘Cool.’
We drive on in silence for a while, each adrift in our thoughts. After a while, I speak.
‘I know it's probably too late to ask this question, but do you think it's too risky to carry on? I mean if I knew what it was really going to be like ...’
‘Put it this way, if we head back home we'll have to go past James Grey's place again and then we'll have to try and get past the raiders, who'll want a bit of revenge for the shockplate thing. And didn’t you say you drove over a couple of them?’
‘I'm so sorry Luc.’
‘Why are you apologising? It's not your fault.’
‘I mean for suggesting we come on this trip in the first place. It's been a nightmare and we haven't even got anywhere near finding out about Chambers.’
‘Riley, don't be stupid, I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to. I think we had to make this trip ... Hey!’
I have rather annoyingly started to cry. Luc pulls over to the side of the road and switches off the engine.
‘I'm sorry,’ I sob. ‘And now I feel really pathetic for crying. I feel so guilty.’
‘Guilty about what?’ Luc’s eyes widen with worry.
I feel like such an idiot and a drama queen, but I can't put into words the panic that’s clutching at me and the guilt that’s hovering above me, ever present, always poking and prodding at me. Guilt for putting him in danger. Guilt for making my parents sick with worry. Guilt for being alive when Skye is dead. Everything.
I choke back another sob. And now I feel like a fraud for getting his sympathy with my distress.
‘Hey, Riley, don't cry.’ He clumsily tries to wipe away some of my tears. ‘We're so close to Warminster. It would be a waste if we gave up now. Maybe we can get some information when we get there and then we can, I dunno, either follow it up and try to get Chambers, or … we can accept the trail's gone cold and head straight to your grandparents' place. Okay?’
I don't reply.
‘Okay?’ he repeats. He’s staring at me, holding both my hands in his, but I can’t look him in the eye.
‘Okay,’ I agree. ‘Sorry.’
‘And stop saying sorry, you've got nothing to be sorry for.’
He kisses my cheek and smoothes a stray curl away from my face. I look up at him and he smiles, his fingers still on my face. Then he leans forward and kisses my lips. Gently. Softly.
I sink into his kiss. It makes my body feel light as though I might float away. Everything else disappears. It’s just me and Luc and this kiss. And I want more. But then I realise what’s happening and immediately pull away. I’m out of breath. Shocked. It felt so right, but I can’t do this. Luc isn’t mine to have.
‘I’m sorry,’ Luc says. ‘But you must know how I feel about you? How I’ve always felt about you.’
‘About me? No. I don’t know anything about that. I can’t. We can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘You know why not,’ I say.
‘But, Riley. You kissed me back. It felt amazing.’
He’s trying to make eye contact but I can’t look at him. If I look at him my resolve will crumble.
‘Tell me why we can’t,’ he says again.
I take a breath.
‘Riley …’
I finally look up at him and utter one word. ‘Skye.’
There’s nothing he can say to that. After a moment he starts up the engine and we get back on the road.
*
On the way to Warminster we see little sign of life. Dense, overgrown greenery borders the road, concealing the surrounding countryside. The route sometimes leads past a walled compound or perimeter of some kind. I can only wonder and guess what lies behind their blank exteriors. Are they like our own Talbot Woods Perimeter where the inhabitants live in peace and safety? Or do they hide something more sinister? After recent events, I’m sure it’s the latter.
It’s strange to think of all these hidden communities dotted around the country. What problems do they face? What are their means of survival? These are all thoughts and questions that have never troubled me before.
It suddenly dawns on me, the dangers Luc’s father faces in his job. I’ve never questioned what he does for a living. It’s just something he’s always done - organising security for wealthy compounds and setting up new perimeters. But it now occurs to me that each time he scouts for new business he’s travelling into the unknown and risking his life. He has no notion of what he’ll find inside each one. This danger is going to be Luc’s career too and I worry for his long-term safety.
I’m also realising that, for most people, living inside a secure perimeter doesn’t come easy or cheap. The majority have risked something big in order to afford to keep their families safely inside.
But all these thoughts are just a distraction to keep me from thinking about the one thing that’s pounding my brain like a jackhammer - Luc.
That kiss was the last thing I expected to happen. Part of me acknowledges that these feelings have always been here within me, but Luc was Skye’s crush. I never allowed myself to think of him like that.
My lips burn where he kissed me and I scrape my teeth over them, trying to erase the memory. It cannot happen. No matter how much I want it, I can’t give into these feelings.
By the time we approach the Century Barracks at Warminster, it’s late afternoon and I’m exhausted. My eyes are heavy with sleep and my body feels like it’s got no bones. I’m taking a turn at the wheel and it’s more tiring than I thought it would be. Luc’s taking a nap on the back seat. We haven’t really spoken since we kissed.
When we reach the turning to take us up to the entrance, I brake and pull over. I turn and look at him asleep on the back seat, his face smooth and untroubled.
‘We’re here,’ I say. ‘Luc.’
He opens his eyes and stretches out across the back seat. ‘Okay.’ He yawns. ‘Let me just wake up and get my head straight?’ Pillow creases line his cheek and his hair sticks up on one side.
‘Yeah, no problem,’ I reply, glad to take a moment before we have to meet more strangers. I’m still freaked out from the last few days and from this morning's events in particular. I turn away and stare out of the windscreen at nothing.
‘Don’t worry,’ Luc says, catching my expression. ‘I’ve been here before with dad. They know me. The Major seemed like a decent bloke from what I remember.’
‘Good,’ I say. ‘It’ll be nice not to have any drama for a change.’
We’ve already discussed what we’ll say when we arrive, deciding that Luc would do most of the talking.
I shuffle across to the passenger seat and Luc climbs into the driver’s side. We both check our appearances and Luc smoothes his hair down. We’ve removed our guards’ robes but Luc is still dressed in his grey outfit from Salisbury and I look ridiculous in navy jogging bottoms, and a white cotton nightshirt.
I’m nervous but hoping that we might finally get some positive information on Chambers. T
his could be the first step towards justice for Skye - the reason we embarked on this journey in the first place. I try to put all the chaos of the past few days out of my head and focus on the evening ahead and on how the army is going to help us.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Riley
*
After the repeated terror attacks all those years ago, most of the British Army was recalled from overseas to take care of the increasing threats to public safety. But soon afterwards, our government more or less collapsed into nothing. The cabinet ministers fled in panic from a decimated and dangerous London.
A new emergency Security Council established itself in the capital, made up of ambitious minor politicians and business tycoons whose empires had been destroyed. But the predominant members of this Security Council were, of course, the military men.
Over the years, the armed forces have been reduced to several ragged units scattered throughout the country, only as good or bad as the generals who lead them. The local Dorset Barracks liaises amicably enough with our Talbot Woods Perimeter guards and so I’m assuming the army is welcomed by most of the population.
A few secure compounds refuse to acknowledge the army’s authority and deny them access but in these situations the army’s policy is to back-off. Anything could be going on behind those walls, but the soldiers don’t interfere. They’re now the only remnant of legitimate power left in the country and they do a passable job of preventing the total disintegration of society. But chaos and terror are always simmering away beneath the scarred surface, ready to erupt given the tiniest exit to explode out of.
We drive alongside a double layered barbed wire fence until we reach a set of closed metal gates. The armed soldier at the checkpoint moves his finger up and down to tell Luc to open his window. Two other soldiers have their machine guns lightly trained in Luc’s direction. My nerves kick in. The soldier bends his head slightly, to hear what Luc has to say.
‘Hi, my name’s Lucas Donovan and this is Riley Culpepper. My father’s Eddie Donovan. We’ve come up from the Talbot Woods Perimeter on the South Coast. Could we speak to Major Driscoll please?’
‘Turn off your engine please and wait here,’ the soldier says, ignoring Luc’s question. He enters a small hut and speaks on the radio. I can’t hear the content of the conversation. While we wait in the AV, three soldiers approach us.