Chapter 25
“Where is he?” asked Lanegan.
“He’s in Lymington,” replied Ken. “We had him dropped off by helicopter. Conveniently, the military have been using the local police station so he is waiting there. Ironically, this was his part of the plan, as Lymington port was to be used to evacuate ‘important people’, such as you and I, to the Isle of Wight. Don’t underestimate him, he’s not stupid, Tom. He’ll be wondering why he wasn’t dropped off nearer Cadnam.”
“I don’t honestly care what he knows. I’m going to make this quick.”
Lanegan and Ken arrived at Lymington police station within minutes. As they walked into the building, Bukewitz stood from his chair and raised his hand. Lanegan looked straight at his grinning face and walked past him into an empty office.
“When you’re ready Bob,” he called.
Bukewitz walked in closely followed by two members of the military police.
“Is there something wrong, Tom?” he asked.
“Prime Minister, if you don’t mind,” said Lanegan sternly.
“Okay. Mr Prime Minister. Are the MP’s necessary? You asked me for help if I remember correctly.”
“New information came to light, Bob. We know about your plans. I’m not sure how you kept them from us but I assure you, anyone who was involved will face the consequences, just as you will.”
“Which plans do you mean? The plans that would have saved us from a plague of violent thugs who are out there burning down our homes? Anything that was done was in the best interest of the nation. You will see that eventually.”
“They are not thugs, they are people, driven to rage without any choice or knowledge as to why. Your plans were entirely unlawful. You took advantage of the trust that I put in you, Bob. And you would have broken international laws if you had been allowed to continue.”
“You can’t stop this without force - are you blind to what’s happening? What do you think is going to happen when you march into London with flags and horns? NOTHING - that’s what. The only reason anyone out there is still eating and drinking is because of me. You remember that. And the plans you think you know so much about are not remotely close to the full picture, are they, Ken?”
Ken did his best to avoid eye contact with Lanegan who was now looking at him.
“Trust is a funny thing, Prime Minister,” continued Bukewitz. “Even those closest to you aren’t always what you think.”
“Ken, did you know about all of this?” asked Lanegan.
Ken turned his head and looked straight into Lanegan’s eyes.
“We keep things from you for your and national security. It’s not a new tactic; if you don’t know, you can’t be guilty of any wrong doing. It’s as simple as that,” said Ken.
“Were you involved in this, Ken?” asked Lanegan.
“I knew nothing of any prison camps or anything illegal. I did have knowledge of Bob’s planning to a degree though,” he replied calmly.
“He’s a clever politician, Tom. Lets you know just enough. If I was now in your position, as I believe I should be, he would be at my side – you can believe that.”
“Bob, you are not the only person who has worked in secret,” said Ken. “We let you continue so that we could keep an eye on you. It was always within our powers to stop you when we wanted to. We let you think you were acting autonomously when in fact you achieved many of our objectives for us.”
“Rubbish. I had you in my palm. Who do you think you are? If you knew what I was going to do …”
“With the New Forest and many other National Parks, Bob?” interrupted Ken. “We knew. It was put to bed after the principle party donor threatened to withdraw his funding if your proposal continued – wasn’t it, Bob.”
“Fucking Wilf,” Bukewitz growled. “They are nothing but soppy environmentalist morons, who care more for trees than our national security. Why these outsiders have to interfere I’ll never know; they should leave national politics to those of us who are capable of making the decisions that count. Although it is apparent we are few and far between these days.”
“We know when and how to make the big decisions, Bob,” said Ken. “Who do you think told them about you and your plans to kill the forest? That’s right, me. There are ways of making things happen and there are ways of making things not happen. You wanted to use the forest for your own purposes and we knew how to stop it. We would never have allowed it - and no, I wouldn’t be by your side if you were in charge.”
Lanegan was shocked, but happy to have Ken on his team.
“Bob,” Lanegan said. “If you had stopped your obsession with taking us down a violent path you would have been a hero. Just like the heroes you read about and admire so much. But you went too far. You could have been the great general of your time, but what you attempted would have resulted in tyranny and death. We agreed that while people were not being hurt physically, we would do everything in our power to stop this by non-violent methods. That was our agreement; not some disturbed culling. You are relieved of your post as Secretary of State for Defence and you are under arrest. You will be transported to HM Prison Albany immediately.”
“You can’t do this,” Bukewitz stated. “You need me more than you know. When you fail, Tom, you can come and beg for my help - you know where I am.”
Lanegan walked out of the police station and stood in the middle of the road. He inhaled deep breaths of cool air and immediately felt better.
“Are you alright?” asked Ken.
“I am actually,” he replied. “I could tell by the look in his eyes he still wanted to take this to a new level. He’s willing to sacrifice all of them. He has no empathy or sympathy for a single one of them.”
“He’s an asshole,” said Ken.
“He’s definitely that,” agreed Lanegan.
“We’re doing everything we can, Tom; and in the right way. You do know that, don’t you?” said Ken.
“I’m more certain and more determined than ever. This has to work,” Lanegan replied.
“And if it doesn’t? People will look to us for an alternative.”
“From now on it’s about the future, Ken. Whatever course we take, our children will ultimately inherit what we leave. All we can do is make everything as good as possible for them. If that means living in the woods – so be it.”
“Survival,” said Ken.
“Survival,” agreed Lanegan.
The journey back was one of reflection and thoughts of missed opportunities. Lives had begun and ended without experiencing anything similar to what they had seen and heard over the last two days; generations of families had passed that only knew one way to live. Wilfred Appleby and some of his community had dared, and now they appeared essential for success.
They arrived back at the camp and found everyone huddled together. Willow was telling a tale to the children about the forest and how it was used by smugglers to move contraband.
Lanegan sat down quietly.
“How did it go?” asked Ella.
“He’s gone,” Lanegan replied.
“What did he say?”
“That we are wrong and that he will be proved right. He was utterly remorseless. Not even an admission that he was wrong to scheme behind my back.”
“It’s done now,” said Ella. “Look forward. Do what you feel is right.”
“I tried that and look where we are.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. These are lessons for everyone. We’re being tested by our own nature. We are not perfect and there will not be a perfect solution; but we’re trying and all the time we’re getting closer to finding an alternative way of living. Doing your best is as much as anyone can rightfully ask of you. And you have always done your best for what you believed was the greater good. Change is necessary, Tom; nothing stands still forever.”
“I’m still troubled by the prisoners we saw earlier and their reluctance to be set free. I can’t understand it – it doesn’t matter, we’ll hopefully
start the journey back in a few days and then who knows.”
He smiled at her and held her hand.
“What’s Willow talking about?” he asked.
“Smuggling.”
“Smuggling? What’s being smuggled?”
“Booze.”
“That explains a lot, it seems to be endless.”
Willow’s story ended with the general opinion that he had divulged too many details for young ears concerning the fates of apprehended smugglers. His argument was that if a story was to be told, then no details should be omitted. The consequences of this would be the passing of an incomplete tale, and that, he believed, was a worse outcome than a few terrified children. Everybody reluctantly agreed.
Suddenly Wilf appeared with a grin as wide as a tree.
“I have something that may interest you,” he said.
“Sounds intriguing,” said Lanegan.
“If you would follow me, please,” said Wilf.
Wilf led them back towards the vehicles before taking a small path that ran parallel to the road. Soon they arrived at an open area that banked up towards the forest, away from the road. On the road was a large white lorry, of some significance. Wilf walked below a catenary wire that supported electrical cables to a table in front of the lorry.
“What is going on?” asked Stephanie.
“I’m not sure – he has something to show us?” asked Isabelle.
Wilf strolled back casually.
“What do you think?” he asked expectantly.
“Sorry Wilf, but what do we think about what?” asked Stephanie.
“About this - about my cinema,” he said.
“Cinema? I have no idea what you mean,” said Stephanie. “Do you mean the lorry?”
“Yes the lorry. As I sorted through the things we brought with us I found this old projector and had an idea. If I could find something to project onto, maybe we could watch something.”
“You’re some sort of genius, aren’t you?” said Isabelle.
“I would never make that claim – but you’re not the first to say those words to me,” replied Wilf.
“Does it work? Have you tried it?” said Stephanie, excitedly.
“Yes – and yes,” replied Wilf.
“What are we going to watch?” asked Jacob.
“Well, the choices are limited - actually the choices are very limited - in fact there is no choice as I can only find one film that will play on the projector.”
“A film? What do you mean a film?” asked Stephanie.
“You’ll have to watch and find out. It’s called Mary Poppins,” said Wilf.
“Have you seen it? What’s it about?” shouted Stephanie.
“No and no idea. I know it was quite popular a long time ago. Shall we give it a go, then?”
“Yes,” said Lanegan.
An announcement was made that the film would begin at ten o’clock. People began filling the natural amphitheatre and sat awaiting the first public showing of a motion picture in decades.
The film was faded and slightly distorted against the side of the lorry, but everybody sat in awe, fascinated by a piece of history. The children were drawn to the songs and copied the dancing they saw on the makeshift screen. It was a temporary remedy for an uncertain time. A fictional musical masterpiece that felt no less unlikely to anyone than what they were presently experiencing. For two hours, their thoughts were free of the troubles surrounding them. All except Lanegan, whose mind could not escape the reality of the hardships that awaited them. This dark reality was now clouding his mind and causing doubts within him as fear took hold: a fear of failure and of making the wrong decisions.
The following few days, work began collecting and sorting the items Wilf and his Bagshot friends had brought. There wasn’t much in relation to the population of the New Forest, but, Lanegan’s message had spread and now people were turning up in their hundreds with similar loads. The forest became a giant workshop where people stitched and wove; glued, painted and repaired. The spirit and optimism created by participating in these ordinary tasks made everyone feel like they were already part of a movement, or an event. It focussed their minds and distracted them briefly from the journey that lay ahead.
As the numbers grew the population of the New Forest and the other sites had outgrown what nature could sustain. People were arriving quicker than the camps could be erected. Lanegan’s fears that word of mouth would be an insufficient tool to rally numbers were unnecessary; this basic method of communication proved to be an unexpected and overwhelming success that proved to be the camps downfall. Lanegan was informed by the military and government advisors that the resources available could not sustain the evacuees and the local population. Factors such as clean water and hygiene were becoming serious concerns. The options were examined, which led to the only realistic course of action. The movement to retake the towns and cities would have to begin as soon as the trains were ready.
A constant flow of trains rolled in to the New Forest and were slowly filling up the track. Lanegan and Ken had spent time watching them arrive, hypnotised by the constant flow of carriages that formed a chain further than the eye could see.
“What state are the trains in?” asked Lanegan.
“Not great,” replied Ken. A lot of the carriages we found were waiting to be repaired. They will hopefully be fine for this journey.”
“Good. When do you think we can realistically leave?”
“It will be difficult to coordinate it around the country. In some areas they are finding it more difficult to locate the number of trains needed and not all of the evacuation sites have a track running through the middle of them, as we do here. We seem to have better fortune than many other sites. It is possible that we could start moving people back to London in a couple of days.”
“The sooner the better, Ken. The last reports were not encouraging. If we delay too long, we will miss our opportunity to have any real effect.”
“We are doing well.”
Lanegan looked at his watch. The afternoon had arrived. He knew that Ken and the military personnel were in control of the trains and so left them and returned to the camp. It was now important, he felt, to be present as everyone prepared for their departure. His job now was to reassure and motivate people as he knew they would be nervous and scared. He walked around the camp with a few military personnel following from a distance and was impressed at how relaxed and friendly everybody was. At no point did he feel that anyone treated him differently. Conversations flowed naturally and many people were happy to talk about their lives and where they came from. It was also noticeable that the majority of people were excited and enthusiastic to return to London. The camp served a purpose, but everyone was keen to go home and assess the damage. If there was a way to end the troubles, most people were willing to try it.
The camp was organised well and had the essential facilities to maintain a basic standard of living. An area of significant size was designated as a first aid centre and offered assistance to those who needed extra care. Hospitals within the towns and cities were still active on a much smaller scale, with volunteers looking after the critically ill and those who could not physically leave. Despite this heroic dedication, many people were suffering and many had died through the lack of supplies, equipment and medical professionals available. The site aid centre could only provide a very limited service and even the basic level of care couldn’t last for ever though. Lanegan had visited this part of the sight everyday since they had arrived and once again spent a couple of hours there, helping where he could. He had witnessed in the short amount of time they had been there, that the pressure was growing and that it would not be long before they were overwhelmed.
Lanegan would have happily stayed and helped for longer, but more pressing tasks were ahead. A radio message was received, asking Lanegan to return to Cadnam for an update from Morrison. Lanegan reluctantly jumped aboard a jeep and they set off at high speed.
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br /> The main roads were clear and gave a beautiful, undisturbed view of the camp. It was vast, but at certain points on the road, most of it could be seen clearly. It was an impressive site. Lanegan couldn’t keep his eyes from the sprawling sea of white. It reminded him of city blocks, each containing a small community of its own. The site was full of activity as people prepared to leave, with thousands of people moving in different directions. The site buzzed with excitement and anxiety.
As the jeep cruised steadily along, Lanegan let his head rest back and looked up to the sky before momentarily closing his eyes. He drifted into a brief moment of sleep, only to be awoken suddenly by the radio in the front, crackling into life. The noise of the jeep and the wind blurred the sound, making the words unclear. Lanegan looked at the face of the driver in the rear view mirror and could see concern in her face. He immediately leaned forward in an attempt to hear the conversation. As soon as he was in ear-shot, three more jeeps came in to view up ahead and were moving at a great speed.
“What’s going on?” Lanegan shouted.
The jeep slowed down to a speed where a conversation was possible.
“We have a situation in the camp. Someone has turned and has started a fire. These jeeps are going that way, as soon as they pass, we’ll follow them,” said the driver.
Lanegan’s stomach sank.
The last of the three jeeps slowed to let them join the convoy. As they turned, Lanegan looked over to see Ken sitting in the back seat with an expression of great concern. The jeeps accelerated and quickly caught the two up ahead. From the road they could see the smoke beginning to rise from the camp. Because of their distance, it was difficult to see individual people and what was happening around the fire. They entered the camp and struggled to make any progress through the thick mass of people who were attempting to move away from the fire. The smoke was now obvious from any position in the camp. Instantly there was a mixture of curiosity and panic. Nobody knew what to do. As organised as the camp was, there were no procedures or information for any of the numerous potential threats the camp faced. The jeeps came to a grinding halt and the passengers all continued on foot, fighting the crowd as they ran. Random blasts from a foghorn warned people of their presence, which created a path between the people. The closer they got, the more the noise grew. Voices shouted from all sides and the military personnel could now be heard asking everyone to stay a safe distance away. They reached an area with a barrier of tape and vehicles which had been able to gain access through the crowd. Small military fire trucks were fighting the fire that had already consumed a dozen shelters and was spreading. Lanegan watched as the military acted as a security team, trying to prevent people from returning to their shelters in an attempt to save their belongings, or look for friends and family who were missing. The shelters in direct line of the fire were being evacuated and doused in water to try and stop the fire’s progress.
Lanegan saw a woman screaming at the fire. Her distress was felt by all who could see her as she begged to be allowed to look for her father. She turned and looked him in the eye, pleading for help without saying a word. Lanegan was frozen. He was helpless and couldn’t allow her to pass by the barrier.
A sudden gust of wind rushed over the plain making the fire roar, breaking their silent communication and relieving Lanegan of his paralysis.
He reached a lieutenant at the barrier, who looked shocked at his sudden appearance.
“Prime Minister, you probably shouldn’t be here,” he warned. “There’s a lot of tension and we are only just keeping the situation under control.”
“What happened?” asked Lanegan.
“Someone turned and started tearing down shelters. She was wrestled to the ground, but managed to struggle free and kicked a log from an old fire that must have still had hot embers burning. Nobody noticed it land in an empty shelter and then it just went up. The wind did the rest. It was pure luck we were so close. We managed to contain it to a degree and section of the area. We also detained the person.”
“Injuries?”
“Yes – some bad.”
“Okay, you’re doing a good job lieutenant. How do we progress from here?”
“Our only real option is to have a controlled fire. Fighting it is almost useless. We have evacuated the shelters directly in the fire’s path and we will let it burn until it comes to a natural stop, as a path divides the shelter zones.”
“And how far is that?”
“About two hundred meters, that way,” said the lieutenant, pointing.
“Two hundred meters?” asked Lanegan in disbelief.
“I’m afraid so, Prime Minister.”
Lanegan walked to find Ken, who had just received the same information.
“I’m putting a stop to camp fires,” said Ken bluntly. “We can’t risk this happening again.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Lanegan. “This is terrible, Ken. We clearly need to re-house all those who have lost theirs. Find them all a house they can stay in, the pub if necessary. They can’t go back into one of these, not after this.”
“It’s done,” replied Ken.
“What are our options, Ken?”
“I don’t see that we have many. I think it might be time to leave the New Forest.”
“I think you’re right. Are the trains ready?”
“There are enough to begin. Some people will have to be patient. Our return was always going to be staggered, so it won’t affect us too much.”
“What about buildings that are usable, did we find enough?”
Ken looked Lanegan in the eye.
“Not nearly enough,” he replied. “Nobody will be safe.”
Lanegan looked up to the sky. He now knew that he had out of time, ideas and was taking a gamble that could lead to catastrophe. His pride wouldn’t allow him to back down. He looked back to Ken.
“Then we leave as soon as possible.”
Lanegan felt the fire had forced them to leave. An announcement was made that everyone should begin preparing for the return to London. It was decided that the New Forest and the other evacuation sites could continue to be used for aid centres, outside of the towns and cities. Rebuilding would be a long and hard, and the evacuation sites would be vital for keeping stocks and provisions. The citizens of Britain would have to accept that for a long time to come, items that had previously been taken for granted, such as certain foods, clothes and medical supplies, would be rationed and distributed as they were seen fit by the government.
The fire was a disaster. Up until that moment, they had witnessed those on the evacuation site showing considerable strength and courage. Lanegan’s personal experiences had produced mixed emotions. He had felt at times liberated, only to be repeatedly crushed by the force that fought against them. He saw the good he knew was within people, and also their hopes beginning to fade. They had lost much of their momentum, and it would be difficult to build it up again.