‘Can you vacate the vehicle,’ one of them says.
I look at Luc who nods. We get out and stand by the hut as they thoroughly check over the AV.
‘It’s just routine,’ Luc says. ‘They would do it whoever we were.’
‘Okay,’ I reply, only slightly reassured.
They complete their task quickly and efficiently, even using small mirrors on sticks to check the underside of the vehicle. They finish their search and take the machine gun which we hadn't been able to fit in the hidden compartment.
‘You’ll get this back on exit, Sir,’ one of the soldiers says to Luc, completely ignoring me.
Next, they pat us down, making us stand with our arms out. It’s humiliating and I flush with discomfort. When they’re done, my heart rate speeds up. What if they don’t believe our reason for being here and they contact Eddie? We can’t be turned away now that we’re so close to getting somewhere. But I needn’t have worried. The soldier in the hut soon returns.
‘You’ll be escorted through in a moment. Please get back in your vehicle.’
After about five minutes, we see two soldiers in a jeep driving towards us. They turn their vehicle around before they reach us and the soldier at the checkpoint, motions for us to follow them.
We drive through what appears to be a small well-tended, but bleak, town, made up predominantly of black and green prefabricated buildings. It’s good to be gliding along a smooth road for a change and my body welcomes the transition from the relentless bone-jolting it’s become accustomed to.
We pull up behind the jeep in front of a long, low, single-storey brick building. The two soldiers exit the jeep and come to greet us. We both get out of the AV and stand awkwardly waiting to make our introductions.
‘Hello, Lucas, Miss Culpepper, I’m Major Robert Cornell and this is Captain Michael Lewis.’
The Major is a tall, thick-set man in his fifties, with a florid face and broken veins that suggest he likes a drink or two. The Captain is of a similar build, but with a healthier tanned complexion and small, piercing blue eyes, which he trains on Luc and me with suspicion.
‘This is an unexpected pleasure,’ the Major continues with false cheer. ‘Good to meet you. What brings you all the way up here?’
‘I’m meeting my father, Eddie Donovan here. He should arrive tomorrow. Could we wait for him?’
‘Your father? That is a surprise.’ He smiles at his colleague as he shakes Luc’s hand and nods in my direction.
I take an instant dislike to both of them. It’s as though they’re in on some private joke at our expense and I feel out of my depth and ill-at-ease.
‘I met Major Mark Driscoll when I was last here with my father,’ Luc says, his voice strong and confident.
‘Yes,’ replies Cornell. ‘He is no longer with us.’ He doesn’t elaborate. Does that mean he’s dead or merely stationed elsewhere? ‘You must be tired after your journey.’
Another soldier appears at our side and Major Cornell gives him orders to show us to our accommodation.
‘A bit basic I’m afraid, but with such short notice …’ He tails off. ‘Anyway, freshen up and Rogers here will bring you to dinner at twenty hundred hours. Until then.’
Rogers shows us to a small dilapidated terrapin which is to be our guest quarters. It consists of a bedroom with two single beds and a grotty bathroom that smells damp despite the hot summer. But it’s spotlessly clean, even if it is in dire need of redecorating.
We each take a hot shower and then sit on our beds to rest for an hour or so. Neither of us mention what happened between us. In fact, Luc hardly says a word. He closes his eyes and lies back on the bed until we’re summoned to dinner in the Officers’ Mess. But over the past few minutes a banging headache has been building over my right eye and then my left. I suddenly feel light headed and I can hardly see.
‘Luc, I don’t feel well.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s my head … it’s pounding and I feel like I’m going to throw up.’
‘Can I get you anything? Water?’
I nod. ‘Please.’
I close my eyes again and after a moment, Luc returns with a bottle of water. He sits on the bed next to me and rubs my shoulder while I sip the lukewarm liquid.
‘You better stay here,’ he says. ‘I’ll go to dinner. Don’t worry, Riley. Take it easy. I’ll try and get the information we need. Just ... just try and get some sleep.’
‘You can’t go on your own. That’s not fair. I’ll be okay.’ I swing my legs around and try to stand, but my legs buckle and the room sways. Luc catches me before I hit the deck.
‘You’re not going anywhere,’ he says, helping me back onto the bed. ‘Sleep. I’ll be back soon.’ He takes my hand and kisses my cheek. Then he leaves to join the soldier who will escort him to dinner.
I lie back on the bed on top of the scratchy brown blanket. My head feels like it’s being tightened in a vice and I try to relax. But there’s so much stuff swilling about in my brain that I’m sure it’s about to explode. Ma says she thinks of the sea when she wants to unwind. I’ve never seen the ocean in real life. Only in DVDs and maybe in my dreams.
I close my eyes and try to picture myself there: Honey-coloured sand, wet and smooth and cold. Next I think of blue green water lapping at the shore. Soothing. Restful. Calm. It works and soon I am asleep.
*
I can’t breathe and I’m struggling to remember where I am in my semi-conscious state. I feel like I’m suffocating and now, with rising panic, I realise someone’s hand is covering my mouth. I open my eyes.
‘Mmmphf!’ I try to scream, but the huge hand is clamped too firmly. Bewildered and terrified, I stare into the dark eyes of a black, uniformed soldier. To him, I must look like a frightened pony - eyes wide in fear and hyperventilating through my nose in noisy puffs.
‘Quiet!’ he whispers loudly. ‘You’re in ...’
‘Mmmmph!’ I try to yell for somebody to help me. His hand is still over my mouth and I do my best to open it so that I can bite down along the side of his forefinger. But he gets wise to this straightaway and squeezes my mouth closed with his fingers, bruising my cheeks painfully.
‘For Christ sake, just listen a minute or you’re gonna get hurt,’ he hisses with a strong country accent I can’t place. He pulls my face up close to his and I try to twist away. He looks African or Jamaican. I’ve never even seen a black man before.
Sleep still clings to me and I feel disorientated, wondering where the hell I am and why I’m being attacked. Then it all comes flooding back: I’m at Century Barracks, Luc is at dinner with the big brass and I fell asleep. Now, here I am, being jerked awake by this huge soldier who’s in my room with his hand crushing my face. I stop struggling for a moment, so I can breathe through my nose and also because I need him to relax the grip he’s got on my cheeks.
I realise my headache has gone.
‘God, that’s better,’ he relaxes too. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t let you scream or they’ll have us both.’ He glances anxiously towards the door. ‘You’re in the crapper if you stay here. I can help you and your boyfriend get out, but we haven’t got much time. They‘ll be here in a minute and you won’t like what they got planned for you.’
His words start to register and a new kind of fear replaces the one I felt just a second ago.
He seems genuine. Scared and anxious, but with a kind-ish face. But, what do I know? He could just as easily be a mad man out to kill me. After the last few days, my mind is all over the place.
‘Right,’ he says, ‘I’m gonna let you go and then I’ll back away from you. Please God don’t scream or we’re both finished, okay?’
I nod and show what I hope to be assent in my eyes.
‘And letting go, and backing away,’ he says slowly with a sardonic half smile.
We stare at each other warily, for about five seconds.
‘Right. Hello, Riley, I’m Den
zil. Here’s the short version.’ He speaks quickly and quietly. ‘As of about three months ago, Luc’s dad became Century Barracks’ number one enemy. I don’t know the details, but he must’ve done something to seriously piss off the Major because, for weeks now, they’ve been planning some kind of retaliation.
‘Your bloke obviously has no idea of this or he wouldn’t have brought you within twenty miles of this place. They can’t believe their luck up at the mess hall and they’re humouring him till they decide what to do. They knew he was lying about meeting his dad, and now they’re dreaming up how they can use him to ruin Eddie and get some revenge.’
‘We‘ve got to get him out of there,’ I whisper back. ‘But do they know who I am? My father’s on really good terms with the army. He’s one of their main suppliers.’ Even as I say the words, I know I’m kidding myself.
‘Who knows you’re here?’ asks Denzil.
I don’t reply.
‘Exactly,’ he says. ‘They’ve guessed you’re AWOL. Your parents would never in a million years let you out of your Perimeter alone. Right now, you’re a fine-looking young female in a barracks full of frustrated men, whose boyfriend’s family business is seriously irritating them. I don’t fancy your chances.’
‘Okay.’ I swing my legs off the bed, so glad I’d kept my clothes on. ‘How do we get out?’ I hear the shake in my voice. ‘What’s the time? Is Luc still eating with them?’ I bend down and slip my flip flops onto my feet. ‘Why are you doing this anyway? Helping us, I mean.’
‘Selfish reasons,’ he replies. ‘I’ll explain later, when we’ve got out of here.’
‘You mean you want to come with us?’
‘You won’t escape without me.’
Chapter Thirty
Eleanor
*
Calling Abigail from my mobile, I swallowed my anger and tried to adopt a friendly, apologetic tone. I asked if she’d meet me at the recreation ground that afternoon. She agreed. I waited for her in the deserted playground and sat on a cold, wet swing. She was twenty five minutes late, but I smiled at her when she arrived, hands in her pockets, the hood from her parka covering her platinum hair. She glanced at the swing next to me, but it was covered in raindrops so she stood where she was.
‘Grotty day,’ she said.
‘Hi Abi,’ I said, trying to be breezy. I brought my swing to a stop and stood up, forcing myself to say the next few words. ‘I’m sorry I slapped you before.’ I gave her what I hoped was an apologetic smile. ‘I must have been in shock or something.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I knew you weren’t yourself.’
I tried to restrain myself from slapping her again.
‘You know,’ she continued. ‘I get you were upset about Connor. He tricked us all and you must’ve felt pretty used and stupid when you found out.’
Good God, it took all my strength not to punch the smug smile off her face. I took a deep breath and hummed a tune in my head trying to ignore the self-satisfied crap pouring from her spiteful mouth.
‘Finding out he was a terrorist must have been such a hideous shock.’
I stifled the many retorts that came to my lips and just nodded my head.
‘I feel like I haven’t seen you for ages,’ she breathed. ‘Let’s forget about boys and do something fun.’
‘Yeah, good idea. But do you know what actually happened to Connor? Is he still under arrest or have they let him go?’
‘Oh for God’s sake,’ she said. ‘Connor, Connor, Connor! You’ve only known him for a few weeks and it’s all you go on about. It’s so bo-ring.’
‘I know.’ I smiled and tried to stay upbeat and act like I didn’t care. I knew if she sensed my desperation, I wouldn’t get anything out of her. God, why had I had her as my friend for so long? I must have been blind. She was a monster. ‘I just want to know so I can put him out of my head. It’s bugging me, you know?’
‘Yeah, fair enough. But you won’t like it, Ellie.’
I heard the blood pound in my ears. What was she going to tell me? I swallowed down bile in the back of my throat.
‘Look, Abi,’ I pretended to be bored. ‘I don’t really care, but I need to know for Tom. Connor’s a good friend of his and he wants to know what’s going on.’
She eyed me sharply.
‘Anyway,’ I tried a lighter tone. ‘I’d like to know if I’ve been going out with a convicted terrorist or not.’ I pulled a lopsided face.
‘Yeah, not cool,’ she relaxed her gaze and actually laughed. ‘Look, he’s dead okay? There, I’ve said it.’
Her words hung between us.
‘I’m sorry. I know you liked him and everything.’
‘Liked him,’ I repeated. ‘Liked him? He’s the love of my life. I love him and he’s not dead. You’re lying.’
‘I thought you said you didn’t care ...’
‘Liked him?’ I stared at her with what must have been pure loathing, because she backed away. ‘You are a jealous, vindictive cow. This is you and Bletchley pretending to be soldiers. What I want to know is why I ever had you as a friend in the first place?’
‘Now hang on,’ she interrupted. ‘If it wasn’t for me ...’
‘If it wasn’t for you, I would never have gone out with Johnny in the first place. You only hooked me up with him so we could be a foursome with you and Bletchley. If you hadn’t been such a bossy cow, I would’ve been free to see Connor …’
‘Don’t call me a cow, you psycho bitch …’
‘… and Soldier Boy Sam wouldn’t have had some pathetic idea about avenging Johnny’s hurt pride.’
‘Yeah, well blame me if it makes you feel better, Ellie.’
That stung. I knew in my heart it was my own stupid fault for being so easily led by her. I felt disgusted with myself, defeated, tired, bereft. There was nothing left for me, nothing that mattered anymore. I was too numb to even cry.
‘How do you know what’s happened to him anyway?’ I suddenly asked.
She looked angry and uncomfortable, shocked by the strength of my feelings.
‘Ellie, I’m sorry. Sam called me. Connor tried to escape at Portsmouth and a soldier shot him. I don’t know the details.’
‘It’s all gone mad,’ I muttered. ‘Connor wasn't a terrorist. It’s all bloody stupid.’
Abi turned to leave, but then she changed her mind and put her arms around me. But my body was stiff and unyielding, and I wouldn’t sink into her clumsy, cold embrace.
Chapter Thirty One
Riley
*
I study Denzil, taking in the intense expression on his face, and through my fuzzy panicked senses comes a cold knife-cut of realisation. I have no choice. No one else can do this for me. It’s up to me and I can’t afford to muck it up. I put my fear into a box and clear my mind of everything except what I know I have to do.
Our lives are at stake, but this time I’m not afraid. I feel like I’ve been plucked me out of reality and given a pure shot of calm.
Minutes later, I walk into the dining hall and up to Luc, who sits at the far end of the room next to some scarily important looking men in uniform. They blur into a sea of khaki and I’ve no idea who they are or what rank they hold. My heart thumps, but I do my best to plaster on a smile for everyone seated at Luc’s table.
‘Sorry to disturb you.’ I smile apologetically. ‘Luc, could I borrow you for a second. There’s some stuff in the AV I need.’
‘Are you okay?’ he asks. ‘Feeling better?’
I nod. All I can think about is getting us the hell away from Warminster.
One of Luc’s dining companions speaks. ‘Go on, son, help the young lady out. We’ll keep it warm for you.’ They all laugh at this, though what’s so funny, I can’t tell. They remind me of a pack of hyenas I once saw on a wildlife DVD, laughing hysterically before tearing into another animal’s kill.
As we walk out of the room, Luc hisses, ‘I think they were just about to give me some useful
info on Chambers. Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve got a weird expression on your face.’
‘Sshh,’ I answer. ‘We’re in trouble.’ I quickly fill him in on the details.
Like me, he doesn’t know whether to believe Denzil’s story or not, but if Denzil’s story is true then we’ll be in greater danger if we stay. We make up our minds quickly and decide to leave.
Luc and I walk the five hundred yards to the AV. It seems like five miles in the humid electrified air. We slide into the vehicle and Luc drives out slowly, back the way we came in, less than three hours ago. As we approach the checkpoint, Denzil emerges from the hut. Through the door, I can see the body of a soldier sprawled on the floor. Denzil sees us warily eying the body.
‘Don’t worry, he’ll live. I just clocked him on the back of the head.’ He jumps into the back seat, throwing us each a machine gun, one of which is our confiscated weapon.
‘Keep those handy,’ he says. ‘I’m deserting my post and I reckon we got about fifteen minutes before they realise you’re not having any pudding. I should put my foot down hard on that pedal if I were you,’ he says to Luc. ‘I’m Denzil, pleased to meet you.’
‘What the hell’s going on?’ asks Luc, clearly shaken by this turn of events. ‘Why do we have to leave? You said my father’s not welcome here anymore. It all sounds like a load of crap to me.’
‘Can we drive and talk?’ Denzil says.
Luc shakes his head but he does as Denzil asks and turns back onto the road.
‘I just need you to trust it’s also best for me if I get you out of here alive,’ Denzil says. ‘I know you got no real reason to trust me yet, but you must have known something wasn’t right back there or why would you be escaping with me now?’
‘I trust Riley. She said we needed go, so here we are.’
‘I gave you back all your weapons didn’t I?’ Denzil says. ‘I wouldn’t have done that if I was gonna hurt you.’
‘Well, it doesn’t look like we’ve got much choice now,’ says Luc. ‘Not now we're fleeing from our hosts and you did something nasty to that soldier back there. And Riley seems to trust you.’ Luc glances across at me and I shrug non-committally, which isn’t any help at all. He presses his lips together and his jaw tightens.