Salby Damned (20 page)

Come on, you can do this. Pull yourself together, girl.

“Honey, are you alright? Meriam?” he queried, seeing her looking a little pale.

“I am fine,” Meriam said, stronger now, “It’s very warm in here. Would you mind if I open a window?”

“No, of course not, would you like me to see to it?”

“No, Colin, it’s okay. I’ll use the bathroom if I may and then we can continue. I won’t be a minute,” she said, rising quickly.

She moved quickly towards the window, pushing it open, eager to feel the cool night air on her skin. Without a word, she turned and pushed the door to the bathroom wide before closing it behind her. She walked towards the small white basin, filled it with cold water, and cupped her hands, bringing them to her face.

“Damn it, Meriam pull yourself together, woman, you’re going to blow it if you’re not careful,” she whispered.

She scolded herself in the mirror as the droplets of water trickled back into the basin from her cheeks. Using toilet roll to dry the remaining moisture away and adjusting her hair, she opened the door to find Snape sitting on the edge of the bed, busily pressing the keyboard of a laptop computer.

“Where did you get that?” she asked, trying to sound surprised.

“I liberated it from the dorm hangar,” Snape replied. “It is password-locked and someone has tried to access it a few times already. I think it’s the machine assigned to Garrett, the chief wellhead foreman. I didn’t know he was smart enough to password-protect anything, bumbling idiot. I should never have trusted him to do anything. He couldn’t tie his own shoelaces without written instructions.”

“Colin, what do you mean? Trusted him to do what?”

“For now, the less you know the better. When we are far away from here, sipping cocktails on a beach, I’ll tell you all about it then,” he said, sidestepping her question as he snapped the laptop lid closed.

“You’ve a plan then, to get us out of here?” she asked, feigning innocence to push him to share his thoughts with her.

“I’ve to do some more spying first, but I think I have an idea, yes. Do you have any idea what password Garrett would use? What’s the most likely thing? Isn’t there anything on his personnel file, something relevant perhaps?”

“I have copies of the file in my room. I’ll go check it out and see what I can find,” she said, grateful for the excuse to leave.

“I could come too; save you coming back here,” he offered, keen to see the file himself.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just be a minute, Colin, and then I’ll be back. I need an early night tonight. I’m exhausted after everything that has happened. Let me go and see now as it is getting late,” Meriam said, standing to walk to the door.

Colin pushed himself up, grabbing her left arm and pulling her around to face him. Before she could react, he had put his arm around her waist, and she felt his mouth against hers, tasting the beer he had drunk.

She pushed hard into his chest, forcing him backwards, regretting the move almost as quickly as she had done it.

“What’s the matter? You’ve been acting very strange all night, is something wrong?”

“I, I’m sorry, you caught me by surprise then. It’s just, well, you’re my boss after all, and it’s kind of a cliché. I guess it’s taking a little time to get used to seeing you as a lover instead of head honcho,” Meriam said, thinking on her feet. Colin smiled at the comment.

God, he thinks I just complimented him. What a piece of slime he is.

Across the hallway, Brian paced his room; he couldn’t sit still, knowing she was there with him.

Don’t be silly, you fool, she loves you not him, trust her! But what if he ...

He paced some more and would have paced all night except that Meriam burst through the door, slamming it behind her. She felt sick, physically sick, and rushed to the bathroom to swill out her mouth.

“He kissed me, Brian; the asshole grabbed me and kissed me!”

“Oh, baby, come here, I’m so sorry. This is getting out of hand. We need to act before he tries something terrible. I’m terrified of him hurting you for I’d surely kill him!”

“No, no, you mustn’t, not yet. We’ve come this far, and he’s almost ready to tell me his plan. Then we can use it to bargain our way out of trouble. We could be free of him soon. How about a fresh start, some place new?”

He wiped a tear from her cheek and, pushing the hair from her eyes, kissed her softly.

“How did you manage to get out of there?”

“He started talking about something he was into with Garrett. He’s up to his neck in something big, Brian. He went on about the laptop being password-protected, and I said there might be a clue in the personnel files. I have copies of the ones I gave to the colonel.”

“Ah. I see, I think. You told him you’d go and find the file?”

“Yes. He wanted to come with me, but I managed to dissuade him. I just need him to tell me his escape plan, that’s all, and then you can take him apart in strips for all I care. Can I sleep here with you tonight? I need you near me, need to feel you close to me.”

“Yes, of course, you don’t need to ask.”

“I best go, I won’t be long, just going to give him what he wants, and then I'm leaving,” she said, with conviction.

“Don’t forget the files. Here, I’ll come with you for moral support.”

They left quietly, and as Meriam found the files and walked towards Snape's room, Brian watched helplessly as she knocked again on his door. He'd stay close by, in case Meriam needed him.

Snape didn’t come to the door this time, but instead shouted for Meriam to enter. He was in the bathroom when she entered the room, and when he appeared, she noticed that the laptop was missing from the bed and the covers were neatly folded back.

He'd taken off his shirt and suit trousers, revealing his slight frame. His skin was lily-white and he looked skeletal; even his shorts waged an invisible war with gravity and were struggling to keep a grip on his hips.

“Ah, you got the files. Good girl. Just put them on the side there, sweetheart,” he said, pointing to the small bedside chest.

“Do you want to freshen up?” Meriam knew what he was thinking, only it wasn't what she was thinking.

“I can’t stay, Colin, sorry. I’m dead beat tonight and don’t think I’d be good company. You’ll want to look through the files, no doubt, and I really need my bed.”

He looked disappointed but said, simply and surprisingly, “I understand. We’ll have plenty of time once we’re out of here, probably the day after tomorrow. One more day of scouting should do it.”

“Day after tomorrow, right, I’ll make sure I’m set. I’ll leave you to it for tonight. If you need any help tomorrow, come and give me a shout,” she said and pulled away from the bed to turn to leave.

Summoning up every ounce of willpower, she turned around and bent forward, knowing that he could see down her top. She placed her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, making sure to keep her lips part closed.

“Goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and left.

Closing his door, she stood outside for just a minute to regain her composure. She felt dirty inside and out; everything about the man was just wrong.

Meriam pushed open the door to Brian’s room. A small reading lamp was lit but he wasn’t there. She walked into the bathroom to find him running a hot bath, complete with bubbles, and he’d found a candle from somewhere too. How did he manage that? Meriam thought.

It was exactly what she needed, to scrub herself clean and to be with him. Brian came to her, kissed her mouth and neck, and started undoing the buttons of her blouse, sliding it off her shoulders to the floor. He unzipped her skirt at the back, letting it fall where she stood. Meriam stepped sideways out of the crumpled garment, pressing her body into him as her hands unbuttoned the shirt he wore, now needing to feel him skin-on-skin.

Having fully undressed, he bent slightly as he lifted her and gently lowered her into the water, the bubbles crackling at the intrusion, before he stepped in behind her with his legs on either side, pulling her back so that she lay resting her head upon his chest.

The warmth of the water soothed her body; the feel of him against her took away the revulsion that had invaded her from Snape. Brian wrapped his arms around her, gently running soapy hands over her skin.

*******

The intermittent gunfire from the fences through the night reverberated around the base. Sunrise would see many more bodies littering the perimeter, with more work for the clean-up crews. By 0600 hours, the two Puma helicopters had landed, ready for the flight to Salby. They would carry the team of doctors and armed personnel for their attempt to enter the facility buried deep below the surface.

Flight crews scurried about doing checks and re-fuelling the aircraft. Those volunteering for the new daytime supply recce were also preparing; they would be going out once the helicopters returned from Salby. Guard duties changed as fresher faced soldiers and civilians ready for the day shift replaced the night watchmen. The cookhouse was a bustle of activity as the catering staff worked tirelessly to provide hot meals for the tens of thousands of base residents.

At the base medical centre, the duty doctors and nursing staff tended those who needed medication and used Land Rovers for rare “house calls” around the vast area of the base. The laundry workers loaded and unloaded the washing and drying machines, sorting and piling military and civilian kit for owners to collect. Litter pickers and cleaners kept the base in operational condition, ferrying tons of discarded boxes, paper, wrappings, bags, and other rubbish to the huge dug-out incinerator, powered by jet fuel, beyond the tree line.

The fire had been burning for days now, the bodies of the infected dead reduced to ash in a growing pile at the seat of the blaze. Situated behind a tall row of trees, as far out of sight from the civilian refugees as possible, at night, only the orange hue lighting up the sky could be seen.

Evie walked across the parade square to the dorm hangar, carefully winding her way through the slumbering bodies to the allocated bed spaces. She checked on the children, thanking the sitter kindly for taking care of them. With both children now sleeping soundly, Evie pulled the covers over them to keep out the chill of the cooler night air.

She lay on Nathan’s fold-up bed, staring at the ceiling of the huge aircraft building. She could smell his scent on the pillow and top sheet as she pulled it up under her chin. She would have an hour's sleep, that’s all, she thought. Then, it’ll be time to ready herself for the mission to the facility. She thought it would be good to see her team again and was hoping, beyond reason, that they were still alive.

Her mind wandered to Nathan, hoping that he was okay, having not heard any news from the front gate yet. She remembered their moments of intimacy; it seemed like a lifetime ago.

As she lay there in the chilly hangar, on a military base in the middle of North Yorkshire, she realised just how much she missed him. She had no idea, as sleep pulled her down, that Nathan was already back from the sortie and only a few hundred yards away.

***

Their cleaned weapons were safe in lockers within the armoury, so Nathan, Chris, and Susan made their way to the cookhouse for some much-needed food. The main bustle of people had now left, allowing them to discuss the mission.

It was always good to talk about operations with those who had actually been there at the time; nobody else would understand fully. They talked softly, making sure that no one overheard the conversation and feeling better for time to relax and unwind, before it all started again.

Nathan eventually stood, took his plate to the pot wash area, scraped it clean, and added it to the pile awaiting washing. He looked back at Chris and Susan and was grateful they had been there with him.

He headed for the dorm hangar to make sure that Tom and Holly had made it to their beds. He peeped around the corner, looking into the bed space and seeing the two small figures tucked under the sheets. He kneeled to kiss each small forehead and turned, staying low, towards his own folding bed.

He saw her hair first, draped at the edge of the pillow and barely covering her face. She looked peaceful and beautiful in her sleep. He noticed the shoes that she still wore, peeking out from under the covers. He kissed Evie's cheek softly, and she turned her head slightly, finding his lips as her arms lifted from the bed to embrace him.

She leaned out, almost falling off the bed and sending them both backwards. With his hand down to steady them, he pushed back against her kiss and wished the bed were big enough for them both. He could easily have climbed in and drifted off to sleep with her wrapped in his arms, as if everything had been perfectly normal.

Her eyes opened to look at him and she smiled, not quite fully awake. Evie brought her head forwards for another kiss, just to make sure it was him.

“Hey, how you doing, what time is it?” she whispered, mindful not to wake the children.

“Hello, beautiful you. It’s not every day a man comes home to find a beautiful doctor in his bed, now is it? It’s midnight, the witching hour.”

“Midnight? Really?” she blurted, louder than she'd meant. Evie was surprised that three hours had elapsed. She continued, “I better get going; I’ve to prep for tomorrow yet. I stopped by to see the kids to bed and it looked so inviting. I’ve missed you, Nate.”

“I've missed you too. It’s been a busy night and not pretty. It’s a story for another time perhaps. I thought of you, of what you mean to me. Afterwards, I mean, after the things we saw. I’m glad you’re here. I really needed to see you,” he said, sincerely.

Evie pulled herself reluctantly away from him; her eyes alight at the affirmation of his feelings for her. She so wanted to remain there, to explore their growing relationship further, but duty called, and he needed rest.

“Get some rest now, eh? Doctor’s orders! I’ll come and get you at dawn.” With a gentle brushing of her mouth against his and a wry smile, he watched her weave her way towards the hangar doors.

***

Several hours later, youngsters began to stir, subdued but rising volumes of chatter evident as excited children awoke, full of energy from the refreshing sleep.

Parents hushed in warning as they led them to the washrooms. Others prepared the makeshift teaching areas for another day’s activities. With the coming of the sun, the day sprang into life; for many people, it had begun many hours before.

The mission teams assembled kit and supplies, loading the helicopters ready for flight and checking and double-checking inventories to ensure that all went to plan. Nathan hauled himself from his bed at the sound of Steve and Janey waking up the kids.

He nodded his appreciation as Tom and Holly came to him for a morning hug before being led to the washroom. He stood, stretching tired, aching muscles from the night before, and turned, just in time to see Evie approaching with the laundered clothes for the children draped over the crook of her arm.

A plastic cup of steaming coffee was in her other hand.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, smiling from ear to ear.

“Good morning, Doctor,” he said and winked.

“You’ve just about got time for some food, but it’s pretty rammed in there at the moment. You look like you could use some coffee,” she added, taking a sip of the hot caffeine-laced liquid herself, before handing it to him.

“You know me so well already, love,” he said, kissing her softly.

The coffee tasted good despite the lack of sugar, and it melted away the dry feeling inside his mouth. The last lingering tendrils of sleep left as the caffeine kick-started his system.

“I’ll wait for the kids to come back and get them dressed and washed. I've time. You go get yourself ready, love,” Evie said.

“Steve and Janey will take them at the moment, and we’ll need their help for most of the day today. What say I meet you at the helipad when we're both ready?” Evie asked.

“Sounds like a plan. I need more coffee.” He smiled with a wink to her, hauling himself from the relative comfort of the bed and watching her leave.

He stretched to loosen up his stiff joints, willing the inclination to return to his body before pulling on his boots to head to the cookhouse. As he entered, he noticed the sheer volume of people; breakfast was always the busiest time of day.

***

At the landing pad, people had assembled and kit had been loaded onto the support helicopter, the rotors of which were already beginning to turn. With both teams now ready to go, the first helicopter lifted off, sending clouds of dust outwards as the rotors fought for lift against gravity. The medical team on board watched as the ground began to recede.

The interior of the aircraft was a dull metal grey colour with the bare minimum of necessities to reduce weight. The airframe could be seen in places with smoothed rivet heads holding it all together. With such a massive engine above them, it seemed almost impossible that it could fly at all.

Moments later, the second aircraft rose into the sky, taking up a heading in line with the first, slightly off to the right, for the twenty-minute flight into the private estate near the centre of the town of Salby.

The effect of the virus on communities below was all too clear to see; bodies littered what used to be thriving villages. Looters could be seen ransacking shops, in groups of four or five. They looked like they were running from shop to shop, entering through windows only to re-appear moments later with armfuls of goods. Sometimes they fought each other for items of value to them.

Some had remained in their own homes; for them it had become a daily and deadly game of chance to survive. Occasional smoke rising from still burning chimneys sent plumes into the sky, visible from the helicopters.

In some places, entire communities had been burned to the ground and it was soul destroying to see. With no visible authorities present, here was now a land of anarchy where survival was the only game. For anyone on the outside of a secure base, life or death was a throw of the metaphorical dice

.

*******