“Hurst, Bowman—you’re back. Come into the situation room so we can debrief. Race, you come too.”
Surprised, I fell in behind John and Bowman who gave me a nod. His eyes had a haunted quality that I hadn’t noticed before and I began to wonder what they had seen outside. Meeks turned to follow as well.
“That will be all Meeks, go and have some leisure time.”
Meeks looked at me with a vaguely resentful expression and I shrugged to say sorry, even though I had nothing to be sorry for. The colonel told us to sit as he closed the door behind us. I followed and sat on the opposite side of the table to the two men. Now that I had a chance to look more closely at them, both Bowman and John Hurst looked a little worse for wear.
“Give it to me,’ said Colonel Randall, as he sat down next to me.
“They’re gone, sir. We found three dead…two missing—presumed captured. Based on what was left of the vehicle, it looks like they were involved in a heavy firefight. I’d say they gave as good as they got. We found one wrecked Chinese vehicle too.”
“Where?”
“A house about a mile out of Lincoln. It was the last of the stops on their mission.”
“Ambush?”
“No, I don’t think so. The house is off the main highway from the South. More likely they were spotted and intercepted. More bad luck than design.”
“Dammit, we couldn’t afford to lose anybody, let alone five in one hit. Who were the dead?”
“Somerton, Anders and Beth Langdon.”
Randall seemed to consider this for a while before speaking. “John, make sure the guys in the control room are informed of this new development. If the Chinese have their hands on the other two it is certain they will be interrogated, we have to assume that our location could be compromised. Even if it’s not, we can expect a lot more heat from the Chinese now that they have spotted surviving adults, and soldiers at that.”
“Yes Sir.”
We were dismissed not long after and I invited Bowman to come up to Midlevel for a meal after he’d showered. Twenty minutes later we sat down with our meals in the cafeteria. I had two reasons for inviting him. One, I felt like it was the right thing to do, he looked like he could do with the company; and two, I wanted to sound him out, subtly, about the possibility of him helping us escape.
“So what do you think of the Professor?” I began.
“He’s an asshole,” he said with no hesitation.
“Really? You think that too? I got the feeling him and Randall only tolerate each other…”
“Oh yeah, there’s bad blood there. I thought that last incident with Ragg would blow it all up, but the problem is he holds all the cards. And, as much as Randall hates him, he is old school when it comes to chain of command and right now, the Professor is the supreme commander.”
“Why doesn’t Randall just take command? Surely he can’t agree with policies like separating the women and … well it just doesn’t seem right.”
I had almost mentioned the experiments on Sonny and mentally kicked myself. Luckily Bowman was busy eating and didn’t ask me what I was going to say.
“He doesn’t like it any better than any of us, but as I said, old school.”
“What if someone decided they wanted to leave? You know, because they didn’t want to live like this and thought they would rather take their chances outside?”
Bowman’s fork halted on the way to his mouth. I had his attention now and wondered if I had said too much.
“Well they’d be crazy, why would anyone want to go out to that? Look at what just happened to the scouting party. The Professor might be an asshole, but it’s safe down here. Besides even if someone did want to leave, there is no way they would allow it. It would be too big a risk for the facility. It’s bad enough the Chinese got two of our soldiers, but a civilian would definitely crack under torture and give away our position.”
I didn’t say anything.
“Please tell me you’re not thinking of trying to leave?”
“Oh…no, of course not. Was just curious, is all.”
“Good, it would be a dumb move.”
Bowman went back to eating his meal and I mentally scrubbed him off my list. There would be no one to help us. In fact, if push came to shove, it may be that we would also have to fight Randall’s men on the way out. I hoped it didn’t come to that.
Our discussion sobered me a little. He was right, there was only a 50 percent chance of escape. It would be even less if Homeland or Randall were alerted to our escape. I felt a black cloud of doubt settle over me as we finished eating and went into the rec room where Luke and the others were already relaxing. Having Bowman there as well meant that I probably wouldn’t get much of a chance to talk with the others. It didn’t improve my mood.
Luke took the opportunity when it presented itself. Ben had invited Bowman to partner him in a game of pool and Luke made his way to me and guided me into a corner of the main room.
“Why the long face, Chief?” He asked.
I shrugged. “I was thinking, is all. I’m not sure we even have a small chance of succeeding.”
“Dude, it’s been that way all along. Don’t get all hopeless on me now. What are our alternatives?”
“Maybe we should just be thankful for what we have? We’re safe, fed and have a roof over our head.”
“I’m sure that’s what the Jews thought when they were taken to those nice safe camps by the Nazis.” He paused and let that sink in. “You know, I saw footage once. It was a group of Jewish men being lined up, told to kneel in the street, before one soldier, just one with a pistol, walked up behind them one by one and shot them in the back of the head. Not even the last guy, knowing what was coming, stood up and fought or made a run for it. What did he have to lose? He could have at least made the bastard work for it.
“It made me angry Isaac. Angry that he would just take that bullet in the head. But you know what? When I calmed down, I thought to myself that he couldn’t fight. He was defeated. Defeated in spirit…he’d probably already seen his family killed and was happy to be out of it. Well we’re not defeated. And I’m not going to kneel down and wait for these assholes to impregnate the girls and make virtual slaves out of us. Neither are you. We’re going to do it for Sonny.”
I must admit his little speech gave me goose bumps. Luke would have been a great motivational speaker. He held out his fist and I gave him a knuckle bump. “Okay…you’re right. I guess I just didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“Neither do I man, but even if we stay down here in the ground like moles, what sort of life is it? You’re already starting to look like Gollum.”
“You oughtta talk, ‘ghost that walks’.”
We laughed and stood up. The game had finished, and I could see Bowman looking around.
“Let’s do it,” I said quietly as we walked to the table. “Four more days and we’re outta here.”
“Good call. By the way, Paul has talked to Toby and Beau, we didn’t want to leave it any longer and sooner or later they would have caught us smuggling weapons into the room. They’re ready to roll and have no qualms about getting the hell out too.”
“Great.”
“Did you get a message to the girls yet?”
“Not yet, I’ll get it written tonight and slip it to Indigo at the breakfast line up tomorrow, I’m on early patrol.”
15
I retired early that night, I wanted to be back in the barracks before anyone else, so I could get our plan on paper as well as write the note for Indigo.
Thankfully the rooms were empty. Apparently, the colonel had given permission for drinks in the lower level breakout area that night. I thought it was a smart move, a way to say goodbye and remember the fallen from the scouting party.
When I had heard about it, I had actually considered moving forward the escape to the next morning. It would certainly help if half the soldiers in the facility were sleeping off a heavy night. In the end I di
smissed the idea. We just weren’t ready yet. I sat on my bunk and took out the stub of pencil and carefully jotted down a rough timeline of our escape plan on a few sheets of toilet paper.
0245 - Get up and use the cargo lift to get onto the middle level
0250 - Let the boys out of their dorm, Paul, Beau and Toby to remain with door propped open
0300 - Luke, Ben and I head to the North Wing to free the girls
0305-10 arrive back with the girls and all head to the Square and then into the Lobby
0315 - Neutralize any resistance in the lobby, freeing up the way to the exit
0320 - I head to the lower level and take the control room while the rest make their way to the exit and neutralize the guards there.
0325- Check monitors to ensure the group is ready and make sure no Chinese presence outside or in the Lodge before opening both doors of the sally port.
0325 - 340 make sure the group is away safely and close the sally port and if possible sabotage the controls so that the group can’t be followed.
Stay as long as possible in the control room before handing myself over when the escape is discovered. Take what is coming.
When I was done I read over the timeline and felt another wave of doubt wash over me. The plan for the escape and survival of my group was written on something I would normally use to wipe my ass. Toilet paper and stolen cutlery. Our whole plan, our whole escape depended on toilet paper and sharpened butter knives and if we were lucky, a couple of guns against trained, well-armed fighters. Before despair could again take me, I pushed those dangerous thoughts out of my mind and began to write my note to Indigo. I would hand it to her the next day. I couldn’t write everything I wanted to, but my note was longer than the last one.
Indigo
We are getting out of here. Luke, Ben and I have come up with an escape plan. It will begin at 3am the day after tomorrow. I need you and the other girls to be ready and I need you to let the girl called Ava know as well. Her brother and his friends are coming with us. We’re all escaping together. If you hear any sort of alarm or shots before we come for you it means we’ve failed and you should take the girls back to bed immediately.
If it all goes well though, the first thing you’ll see or hear is us opening the doors to let you out. Remember, 3am – be waiting for us.
If things don’t go well, I want you to know that I love you. That will probably creep you out and I’m sorry, but I needed to say it. If I don’t see you again, please do everything you can to protect the girls.
Isaac xx
I folded both the timeline and the note to Indigo and slipped them inside the cover of my pillow before laying down and trying to get to sleep. It was an impossible task, knowing that some of the people I loved could be dead within forty-eight hours.
My partner for the morning’s patrol was Meeks. If he had an issue with me being invited to hear Hurst’s report by the colonel, he didn’t show it that morning. Even though I was sure he had drunk lots the night before, he was talkative. Too talkative, in fact. His chatter about stuff from ‘before’ didn’t bore me exactly, because he could actually tell a really good story, but it certainly interfered with my ability to think, and I felt like I needed every second I could get.
We circled Midlevel for the fourth time, looking at the same walls, floor and ceiling that had been my entire world for nearly a month. There is no way I would be able to do this for the rest of my life, I thought to myself.
Even if things were idyllic. If the Professor wasn’t some sort twisted despot, and we were all living together happily, at some point not too far in the future, I’m pretty sure I would’ve had to leave. It was a big, empty country and the Chinese couldn’t watch all of it. There had to be somewhere we could go to live in relative peace and safety. A hideaway, but not like the facility. Not a concrete box, but a place where we could feel the sun on our faces and the grass under our feet. Funny how in my mind it was still we, even though I would not be going with them.
I looked at my patrol partner. I’m pretty sure Meeks didn’t have the same problem. With the help of his hip flask and a friendly ear, he would have been happy circling the facility like a hamster on a wheel forever.
I let the drone of his voice wash over me as I began to fantasize about what might happen if we were successful. I imagined my group climbing out of a hatch on the mountain top and making their way into a green, lush valley where they would find a farmhouse surrounded by acres of tall wheat.
I knew it was impossible now that I had to stay behind, but I imagined Indigo and I were there together, holding hands on a veranda as we looked at children playing on the impossibly green grass of a neat lawn. Luke and Brooke were next to us, also holding hands. Allie, Ben, Paul and his group were there too.
The shrill noise of reveille snapped me out of my daydream and for the umpteenth time my hand went into my pocket and confirmed that Indigo’s note was still there. They would come through in about ten minutes. I picked up my pace a little to ensure that we would be at the right stage of our circuit when the girls filed past.
Meeks continued his monologue without skipping a beat. “…so we took the pickup and went out shooting hogs…”
I went back to my musings as he continued, almost subconsciously nodding and saying the occasional ‘really?’ at the right places. My Utopian daydream had given me food for thought. While I was under no illusions that my group would escape unscathed, if they did make it they would have to work out where to go. The farmhouse sounded great, but then John and Bowman’s story had spooked me a little. They would just have to make sure they were more careful than the party that had been attacked by the Chinese.
I decided that probably the best scenario would be for them to head back into Lincoln and lay low there for two days or so, until they were sure that the Drake Mountain personnel had given up on them. They could raid supermarkets and convenience stores…even homes, for supplies. All they would have to do is keep clear of the Chinese, which wouldn’t be easy considering the intel John and Bowman had brought back from their mission, and the possibility of newly alert Chinese on the lookout for survivors.
I also decided that no matter what, if I managed to survive the punishment after aiding my group’s escape, I would do everything in my power to get out of there too…no matter how long it took.
I would query Paul about the possibility of them returning to his home after they left the lodge. He might say no…we hadn’t really talked about what had happened to his parents, but I had to assume their bodies had been left behind. If not, I thought it would be easy enough to find somewhere else for them to hole up. Lucky the weather is still cool, I thought to myself. I didn’t like the thought of them walking into a house containing bodies in the middle of summer.
Finally, Meeks and I rounded the corner and were back in the main corridor of the Square. I slowed my pace as we walked by the cafeteria. Good, the girls hadn’t arrived yet. I initiated a new conversation with Meeks to hide my snail like speed.
“So, you used to hunt a lot?”
Off he went again, newly invigorated, as I saw the first Homeland guard come around the corner about thirty feet ahead of us. To allow them past, Meeks and I fell into single file. I deliberately let him lead and with my adrenalin pumping, I scanned each face as they came into view, only slightly distracted as Meeks doffed a non-existent cap.
“Ladies!” he said, in an unintentionally creepy manner.
There she was! I palmed the note and transferred it to my left hand. There was no smile from Indigo this morning. In fact, as we neared each other, I saw that Allie, who was directly behind her, had red rimmed eyes and only Brooke bringing up the rear was able to manage a smile, albeit a tepid one. I had to hope that it was only the news about Sonny that was upsetting them, anything else that might be happening didn’t bear thinking about.
Indigo’s hand brushed mine and I slipped her the folded message. I was about to congratulate myself when Allie crash
ed into me, sobbing heavily as her arms encircled my neck.
“Oh Isaac...Son...ny…” I held her tight as she cried into my shoulder. Thankfully her words were muffled and, for the moment at least, none of the Homeland guards had noticed her.
“Shhh…I know…” I whispered, as I saw Meeks turning to see why the line had come to a stop. To his credit he didn’t approach us, but instead moved to block the Homeland guard at the rear of the column who had started running for us.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make them pay,” I said quietly into her ear as Brooke and Indigo gently extricated her from me and guided her back into the line.
Brooke gave my arm a squeeze and they started moving again. I cursed myself for not asking Indigo to keep the news about Sonny from Allie. I should have thought about how upset the younger girl would be. Sonny had saved her life, and those of the other kids, while the flu decimated the country. Afterwards he had kept them safe from the Chinese and other dangers. She had been with him the entire time and he had become a surrogate father to her. Now, with Sonny gone and the others who had been killed or left behind, Allie was the last of her original group.
The Homeland guard finally pushed past Meeks, eyeing us threateningly. It was Maddox. He had nothing to confront us about though, the girls had moved on without any more fuss, the sound of Allie’s sobbing now receding into the distance.
I stared the bigger man down, almost daring him to make a move. Perhaps he saw something he didn’t like, or perhaps he didn’t think it worth the effort but eventually he shuffled past me without saying a word. I moved on as the last few stragglers, one of them Paul’s sister, went past. She looked even more pregnant than the last time I’d spotted her a few days ago, and even more unhappy.
Meeks waited for me and stepped in beside me as we continued on our patrol. I waited for the inevitable questions. He surprised me a little by not jumping straight in.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, surprised and embarrassed when tears sprung to my eyes.
America Falls (Book 3): Cold Comfort Page 9