Sand Glass (24 page)

At Midday we
had reached the little narrow cut that Andre had brought us to in
the past. We decided to park the buggy deep in some bushes further
up the track. The idea was to make a quick getaway.

Jared outlined
his plan. It was simple enough. We got inside just as they were on
their way out, and we went to find Elland and his men. We would
give them some of the drugs we carried that would enable them to
deal with Alexander’s people as they saw fit. Then Jared would keep
his appointment. It seemed that Marcia’s fall had proved one thing,
that you could make a jump as it were between two points with a
fairly exact margin instantaneously. “The act of falling resolves
gravity” Marcia had told me and Janey. It was easy to understand.
You were not touching something therefore you could jump to
something. I reckoned that we could do this again. I had a
different place that I wanted to jump to. Straight into Base. I was
told this was impossible by Janey and Marcia. Jared said that it
would work if we all went together. It seemed to make sense. We
needed to get the people out and then simply unplug the machine
that had caused all this trouble in the first place. Of course it
wasn’t as simple as that, these things rarely are. But at least we
had a plan. It relied on Mr Alexander being a bastard, and trying
to kill us; and I personally couldn’t see a flaw in that logic.

This time we
didn’t wait for nightfall. We took the things we needed and started
to approach the cave entrance. We knew they could see us. But
Jared’s deal meant that perhaps they weren’t looking for us quite
this early. I saw Marcia slide her hunting knife out of the sheath.
She certainly was looking to be attacked at any moment.

As we rounded
the rocks that led us into the Jungle strip I heard an odd noise.
At first I didn’t recognise the sound of an engine. We all sank
into the undergrowth without a whisper.

Jared risked a
whisper: ‘This may be an opportunity. Marcia!’

The two of them
slithered out of sight. We stayed still for several minutes, just
listening. The day was becoming heavy with an oppressive electrical
charge. I felt the sweat trickle between my shoulder blades. At
that moment a low rumble of thunder was heard. Distant…. But for
how long? The sun was seen through a hazy veil, and strange steaks
of clouds could be seen on the horizon, looking back through the
trees.

Jared and
Marcia slid down next to us; ‘There’s a truck there with the keys
in the ignition. I think it’s a delivery for the lab.’ Jared was
amused, and added, ‘there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that
whatever happens, the post will always get through.’

‘We’re not
going to steal the truck?’ I asked.

‘No point. I
would be fun though.’ Jared pointed at the entrance, as soon as he
comes out for the next package, we’ll go in. then we keep out of
his sight. There is a turn on the corridor that we can use to get
into those back alleys that Elland’s people use.’

We eased
ourselves out of the deep green hollows and quickly slipped in. At
once that sense of oppression doubled. The air in this particular
corridor was stale and uncirculated. It might only be that it was
rarely used, but that didn't seem to square with the number of
tracks at the entrance. And now, come to think of it where had all
the vehicles gone?

Marcia prodded
me. My eyes took in the distant sight of the technician with a clip
board.

'Post Man?' I
said.

'Quiet!' warned
Jared, as the four of us sank into the shadows.

The man
strolled past us whistling cheerily. He stopped, turned slightly
and came towards us. As he did so Janey pulled the top lace of her
right-hand boot loose.

'Oh! Hello
there! Are you lot lost? I took a while to get the hang of it
too.'

Jared went
forward: 'Yeah,' he said casually, 'the girls left the map in the
car.'

'Oh?' the man
seemed puzzled, 'I didn't see another transport.'

'We got round
the wrong side of the strip of jungle. We had to park at the edge
of the plains.' Jared was perhaps a bit too specific. I stepped
forward slightly.

'But isn't that
outside the prescribed area?' the man was becoming suspicious, as
Janey retied her bootlace. She glanced upwards at him.

'We really
thought that's what it was,' I said 'but it must just be further
along the track. The road is really churned up there.'

'Oh yeah! I
know the place,' the man relaxed, 'Look, if you just take a right
and a left, then second on the left past some big boxes is the
quickest way in. Why it had to be such a bloody maze! I tell you
what. You lads take the last parcel in for me. Ed is coming with
the “milk float” in ten minutes. Then I can get off.' He shuddered,
and then added, 'this place gives me the creeps.'

Jared and I
followed the man back out. He seemed in quite a hurry to get out of
there, and lifted the medium sized taped-up box out and handed it
to Jared.

'Just keep it
the right way up. It's all padded up. All these deliveries! Bosses
and their big plans eh? It's always us lot who have to do the real
graft.' with that he got back in the truck and roared off down the
track, kicking up a cloud of dust. We returned to the girls.

'What is it?' I
said to Marcia. Jared and Janey stared at me, then her. Marcia
traced her finger along the eight digit code, and her eyes
unfocused.

'She
remembers?' asked Janey.

‘Yes, she
does!’ said Marcia with a half-smile.

‘Sorry,’ Janey
said, ‘I was thinking.’

‘You will do in
a minute science girl. We’ve struck gold!’

‘Oh my God!’
Janey at once seemed animated.

‘Hey! Girls, I
hate to point this out,’ Jared changed his grip on the box, ‘but
I’m still holding this. And we’ll have company in just over five
minutes.’

‘Ed and his
milk float.’ I said. Jared put the box carefully down on the
floor.

‘The only way
to take something out without anyone noticing is to go in from
underneath.’ Janey’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

‘He said to
keep it the right way up.’ I said.

‘They always
say that,’ Janey prodded it with her foot, ‘but these are ninety
per cent padding.’

‘Okay,’ Jared
had his pack off and was fishing around inside; I have tape inside
here. How much packing is loose stuff?’

‘None. It’s all
connected air packs, and rubbery wrappers.’ Janey gripped the edge.
I helped her. We had the box onto one edge and then completely
turned over so the bottom was uppermost. Marcia careful slit the
tape with her knife. She passed it to Janey, who sliced very
carefully through the under packing that was behind the giant
sheets of bubble wrap. A smaller taped box was inside.

‘We haven’t got
long.’ warned Jared.

‘Just shut up!’
said Janey, ‘If I do this right they’ll never know it’s been
tampered with.’

‘Alright.’
Jared looked taken aback, as if this was the sister he had
forgotten for long time, ‘I’ll get a few rocks to weight it
then.’

‘Yes… good
idea. Thanks Jared.’ She looked up then, ‘got it!’ she eased the
rack containing the vials out of the pack. We all grinned at each
other.

‘Quickly now.’
said Marcia. She and Jared filled the little box, and then
carefully taped and rewrapped the whole thing. Janey and I folded a
cloth round the wire rack and put it inside the pack I was
carrying.

Jared and
Marcia were already taking the box up to the pile of others along
the cramped corridor.

‘We have to
find the hidden latch.’ I said.

‘There really
is another tunnel?’ Janey seemed animated by this piece of good
fortune. Jared and Marcia returned; ‘Come on guys!’ Marcia said as
the both ran their hands along the ledge above our heads.

‘He’s coming.’
said Jared, ‘or rather they’re coming!’

‘Who?’ I said,
as Janey grabbed Jared’s pack, and fastened it shut.

I could hear a
noise. It was the familiar sound of a crowd of people. The echo in
the right angled corridor beyond. There the floor was smooth and
the panels seemed metallic and militaristic.

‘How many
Davey?’ Jared looked at me desperately, still feeling round for the
hidden latch, ‘It must be here!’

I listened,
‘About thirty.’

‘Is that the
thing you need to press?’ Janey pointed to their right.

Marcia looked
at the spot. ‘Yes that’s it!’

Jared dived for
the latch. I could hear the stomping of feet getting closer. Jared
couldn’t quite reach it. He scooped Marcia round the waist and
lifted her. She pressed it and they both fell through. Janey jumped
right over them inside the smaller tunnel. I scrambled after, less
nimbly, but with equal speed. Jared jump up. He and I pushed hard
against the door. I could see through the crack, faint reflections
flickered from the tee junction. It wasn’t shutting. Janey and
Marcia added their weight to the heavy door and it moved suddenly
and dropped back into place.

The sudden
silence and the darkness were alarming. Jared had his torch out on
a moment.

‘We have to
break the latch mechanism. They will know someone’s been there. And
we can’t be followed.’

Marcia sat down
suddenly. The three of us ignored this. Jared lifted Janey; who had
dropped both her and his pack onto the floor; and she reached above
to the bar.

‘It’s loose.
Pass me some rope.’

‘Davey! Get
it.’

I took the end
of the rope from Marcia’s pack and quickly passed it to Janey. She
fastened it firmly.

‘I can hear
them…’ I said.

‘Okay. Everyone
pull on three. And you!’’ Jared grabbed Marcia by the arm and
forced her to her feet.

Jared made the
count and we all pulled as hard as we could. In the semidarkness I
heard a creaking whine of grinding metal. We all pitched backwards
with a breaking force and slammed into an uneven wall and floor.
Jared grabbed his torch again and pointed it at the internal latch
mechanism. We all tried not to groan from the jarring crunch into
the rubble. Someone was pressing it from the outside. We saw it
move. The broken end waggled uselessly and the bolts remained in
place.

‘I think…’ said
Janey.

‘Shh!’ Jared
was motionless, then very softly, ‘don’t move. Wait.’ He clicked
off the torch. I heard a tiny sound from Marcia. But we remained
like that for several minutes.

It was if we
could sense the presence of someone through the thick impenetrable
wall. I visualised them listening just on the other side.

Some minutes
later Jared’s torch came back on. This time pointing into the gloom
of the dusty corridor. We all began to slip silently along. Marcia
grabbed my hand and squeezed it rather hard. This time I
understood. I wasn’t liking it myself, the thought of being
entombed; but I certainly was more afraid of what was on the other
side of the door. And the air in here was a lot fresher that it
could be if there was no way out. Something was circulating it from
somewhere. I sensed rather than felt the slight drift of the
airflow in these ancient fissures.

After Ten
minutes of walking we stopped. Marcia sat down. Jared got out the
little camping light and turned it up slightly, so we could all see
each other clearly.

‘I’m so sorry
sweetheart,’ he said to Marcia, ‘I know what you are feeling. Would
you like me to give you something for it?’

‘Yes please.’
said Marcia through gritted teeth. She was sweating and
trembling.

Janey helped
Jared get the med case out. We gave her what was known as a “B
dose”; it was in the second case Marked with “B” (I guess sometimes
we weren’t particularly creative about this). These were the
“downers”. They were either to counteract the effect of the
“uppers” in the “A” case, or for painkilling reasons. The “George
special” was in here too, my little dose of heaven at that time in
the past. This one was just a standard dose for exactly these sorts
of things. I supposed that it was a bit like the feeling I had up
that tree as a child. Abject panic coupled with a feeling of shame.
I didn’t know if it was a feeling like that. For Marcia was it
claustrophobia? I’d read somewhere that it isn’t the enclosed
space, so much as the feeling of not being able to get out of it.
My fear was of heights and falling. The effect of gravity. We all
had these things in there somewhere.

Janey sat next
to Marcia and hugged her tightly. I don’t know much about girls and
how these kinds of friendly gestures work, but she seemed instantly
cheered and calmer. The drug kicked in a couple of minutes later
and she took some deep breaths and rested her head on Janey’s
shoulder. I remembered the smoothness of the concoction I had been
given. This I guess rightly was rather like the nervous system
calming effect that a double of gin would give you, but without the
other unwanted results. This one was better than some of the drugs
in the case. They didn’t make you queasy or give you a headache
when it wore off.

We continued
with Marcia and Jared in front, and Janey and me behind them. The
narrow corridor began to open out and it was only a little while
later when we detected the definite movement of air flowing from
somewhere to our right. We stopped. Jared seemed undecided. We were
at a junction of two intersecting tunnels, both appeared to be
naturally formed and subsequently braced and cleared by the ones
who moved in secret around this place. The second tunnel came in at
a sharp angle from behind and to the left. So we were looking at a
straight on, or an almost straight on and to the right.

‘I can’t work
it out.’ Jared looked back at me and Janey, ‘this wasn’t here
before.’

‘It wasn’t.’ I
said, ‘we must be in a different time completely.’

‘That’s
possible.’ said Jared, ‘but maybe we just don’t know these caves as
well as we think.’ He took Marcia’s hand and drew her closer, ‘it
is ok. We will be with Elland soon. In less than an hour. We just
need to get near enough to him.’