Outside

Chapter Twenty Eight

‘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 start to 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 looks from our vehicle, to the robed guards. Luc puts his hand on the horn and holds it down. He flashes his lights and drives directly towards the van. It works, and the driver reverses back out of the courtyard. Our AV is almost on top of him and we power our way out 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 on his part, to carry on with our quest and not head back home.

I glance behind us and 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, with Grey seriously injured, perhaps even dead, they will have more important things to attend to than a couple of escaped kids. Although I know 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 our limited emergency provisions.

‘It’s all gone,’ I say.

Luc looks at me with a resigned shrug of his shoulders.

‘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 quiet contemplation, 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 falling in love with him instead of concentrating on avenging Skye’s murder. Guilt for making my parents sick with worry. Everything. I choke back another sob. 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 and holding my fingers 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. Anyway, we haven’t got enough supplies or fuel to get back home. Or even to get much further than Warminster. So, we’ve got to stop at Century Barracks to re-stock. Are you ready for us to get back on the road?’

‘Yeah, let’s go.’ I sniff and wipe my soggy face with the back of my hand.

On the way to Warminster, we see little sign of life. Dense, overgrown greenery borders the road, concealing the surrounding countryside. The route occasionally leads past a walled compound or perimeter of some kind. We can only wonder and guess at what lies behind their blank exteriors. Are they like our own Talbot Woods Perimeter, where the inhabitants live in relative peace and safety? Or do they hide something more sinister? After recent events, I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.

How 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 before 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’s now occurring to me that each time he scouts for new business he’s travelling into the complete 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’m starting to fear 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.

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 a lot more tiring than I thought it would be. Luc’s taking a nap on the back seat. When we reach the turning which will take us up to the entrance, I stop the AV and shake Luc’s arm.

‘We’re here,’ I say. ‘Wake up, Luc.’

He opens his eyes and stretches out across the back seat. ‘Can we wait here a minute, while I wake up and get my head straight?’ he yawns. Pillow creases line his cheek and his hair sticks up on one side.

‘Yeah, course,’ I reply, pleased to take a moment before we meet yet more strangers. I’m still freaked out from the last few days, and from this morning’s events, in particular.

‘Don’t worry,’ Luc says, catching my expression. ‘I’ve been here before with my father. They know me. The Major seemed like a really decent bloke from what I can remember.’ We’ve already discussed what we’ll say when we arrive and decided that Luc will do most of the talking.

‘Good. It’ll be nice not to have any drama for a change.’

I shuffle across to the passenger seat and Luc climbs into the front. We both check our appearances and I help Luc to smooth his hair down. We’ve removed our guards’ robes but Luc is still dressed in his grey outfit from Salisbury and I looked ridiculous in navy jogging bottoms, and a white cotton nightshirt.

I’m nervous but excited that we may finally be able to get some positive information on where Chambers might be. This could be the first step towards justice for Skye – the very reason we embarked on this journey. I try to put all the drama 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.