SAFE HAVEN: REALM OF THE RAIDERS

by Christopher Artinian

  Mike sat on the edge of the table and folded his arms, making his muscles ripple slightly in his tight black T-shirt. “Raj, would there be any reason we couldn’t take the boat all the way up to Scotland?”

  Raj let out a small laugh, thinking Mike was joking, but then he realised he wasn’t. “The main problem would be fuel. The diesel consumption on a motor cruiser is very high, about 1.3 miles to the gallon, depending on weather and current. My cruiser could hold just over nine hundred litres, so we would need to refuel to get up to where we’re wanting to go. When I suggested making our escape, I was just thinking of a few miles, not a few hundred.”

  It was almost like Mike wasn’t listening. “Yeah, but think about it, Raj. We wouldn’t have to worry about RAMs or raiders at sea. If we can find a way to get enough fuel, it could be our ticket to safety.”

  “Please think about this,” began Raj. “The country’s fuel stocks have been dwindling for months. This is why there have been no planes in the sky. This is why the army has been overpowered. It is because there has not been enough fuel for reinforcements to reach them, not enough fuel for air support. As well intentioned as you are, Mike, to think that you can procure enough fuel for a journey of this type is... it’s madness.” Raj put his head down, ashamed. The last thing he wanted to do was cause offence.

  “Does your boat have fuel in it?”

  “It does. A small amount. Maybe two hundred litres or so,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Okay. If you’ve got fuel, the chances are all the other boats will have fuel in too. We siphon what we need, and we refuel on the way.” Mike began folding the map as if everything had been sorted out. “Where’s your boat parked?”

  “It’s moored near Blackpool. There is a village near there that has a small dock. It saves on harbour fees.”

  “How many people can it transport?”

  “It has seven berths, but it is quite a size. It could take considerably more people on board,” Raj replied.

  “Good, that’s settled then,” said Mike, walking away from the tables.

  “Wait a minute, Mike, nothing is settled. Didn’t you listen to what I was saying?”

  Mike turned around and put a reassuring hand on Raj’s shoulder. “Raj, chill. Look, we take your boat, rescue Lucy, make our escape. Like you say, there’s no way they can follow us out to sea. Then we just head north. We get fuel where we can and if we run out then at least we’re further on than we were, but most importantly, we’ll all be together.”

  “But what if we do run out of fuel? We can’t very well walk to your Gran’s house.” Raj replied with concern in his voice.

  “First things first, Raj. Let’s get Lucy back. We’ll figure out the rest of it as we go.” Mike smiled. He could see that his self-confidence and startling lack of detail was making Raj very uneasy. “Raj, don’t worry, mate, it’ll be fine.” He turned and carried on walking, leaving Raj looking at his keys and wishing he’d never said anything.

  Mike walked into the staff room where Ruth was putting a kettle onto the small gas camping stove. “The very lady I was looking for,” he said as he walked in.

  “Really? What can I do for you, Mike?” she said, surprised that he would need her for anything.

  “I need to talk to you, Ruth. It’s something really important.”

  “Oh. Okay, just give me a minute.” She removed the kettle and turned off the flame. The pair of them sat down in the comfortable but worn staff room chairs. “What is it?”

  Mike thought back to the last time he was at the library. He had offered the librarians the chance to accompany him to Candleton but they already had plans. They had made a suicide pact. The world had always been hard for them, and people had invariably been cruel. They were going to spend the last few weeks of their lives together, while the supplies lasted, then they were going to organise their own exits. It was what they wanted, it was the only thing left they could control. “Ruth, I want the three of you to come with us,” blurted Mike as he fixed his gaze on her.

  Ruth smiled gratefully. “That’s very kind Mike, but nothing has changed since you were last here.”

  “Actually, Ruth, it has.” Her forehead wrinkled. “It’s what I was talking about earlier. About the stuff with the books, everything we’d need to learn from scratch. I saw your reactions, all three of you. That’s the kind of nerdy task you guys live for,” he grinned, and Ruth let out a small chuckle. “When I was in Candleton it dawned on me that our continued existence is in the balance. For us to survive past a couple of generations, we’re going to have to learn everything from scratch. We’re going to need intelligent people like you, Richard and David to know where to find the knowledge and help teach others.”

  “We’re not teachers, Mike. We’re just three socially inept misfits whose love of reading got us jobs in the library of a small market town. Our lives have been uneventful and relatively fruitless. We couldn’t command enough respect to teach a dog how to sit, never mind children how to read.” She grimaced a little as she heard the stinging appraisal of her own life stumble from her lips.

  “I don’t accept that. Since I came here, you’ve shown me that you’re knowledgeable, enthusiastic and empathetic. I honestly can’t think of three more important qualities in a teacher. Just because you’ve never had confidence in your own abilities doesn’t mean you aren’t capable. And just because nobody has ever taken the time to tell you how important you are, it doesn’t mean that’s not true either. If you come with us I can guarantee you will be respected. I can guarantee you will be vital and needed and cared for. If I’ve learnt one thing since our journey began it’s that the people you stand side by side with when the chips are down become a part of you. If you came with us, Ruth, I couldn’t guarantee that life would be plain sailing. I couldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be times when we’d go cold or go hungry. But I could guarantee that you’d always have a purpose, you would always be respected and you’d always have a place, because if you came with us, you’d be one of us. And if you were one of us, nobody would ever mess with you again, because if someone had a problem with you, they’d have a problem with me, Em, Lucy, every damn one of us. Everything up to this point was just a rehearsal, Ruth. Everything up to this point was a Sunday afternoon drive in the country. Getting to Scotland is going to be tough, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead once we arrive, because if we don’t get things right, if we don’t make the right decisions from the outset, then a hundred years from now, that could be it. Humans will have just been a short chapter in the history of the world.” Mike hadn’t realised, but he’d leaned further and further forward in his chair to breathe more passion into his speech. He leaned back a little in fear that Ruth might find his posture intimidating. “There’s no point in me getting my family to Scotland if it’s going to be short-lived. This new world needs people like you, Richard and David, just as much as people like me. More so, in fact. Anyone can fight. Very few can provide the building blocks for a new society. That’s what I’d be asking you to do if you came with us, Ruth. I’d be asking the three of you to help give us a future.” He paused and rested his hands on his knees. “What do you say?”

  Ruth gulped. Her imagination had begun to run wild on hearing Mike’s impassioned plea. “I... I wasn’t really prepared for that, Mike. I’m a little dumbfounded, to say the least. How can such a young man have such a mature outlook, such an ambitious vision?”

  Mike considered giving a glib answer, but then he realised that Ruth deserved the truth, and if she knew the truth, she might think harder about her decision. “Me and Em had a different father to Sammy and Jake. He was a violent drunk who got as much pleasure out of dishing out emotional and physical pain as he did out of getting smashed. I learnt early on that he was never fussed about who he beat, just as long as he could take his venom out on someone. I’ve never had a problem taking a beating to protect the people I love, Ruth.” He looked into her eyes and she had to look
down at the floor to avoid choking up. “The thing is, though, you take enough beatings and you become numb to the pain, but all you wish for is for your childhood to be over. So you kind of bypass it. Don’t get me wrong, when my dad was no longer around, me and Em enjoyed some good times, but when you’re a ten-year-old kid and you deliberately pick a fight with your dad so you’re the one who’ll get battered instead of your mum or your sister, you don’t really get to understand the magic of childhood. So I suppose that’s the reason I don’t think like most lads my age.” Ruth’s eyes were still fixed firmly to the floor. When he stopped talking she moved them up to meet his. “I think I’ve told maybe two people that in my life. I want to be honest with you, Ruth, because honesty shows respect and I want you to feel respected. You, Richard and David. I would really like all three of you to come with us.” Mike stood up and headed to the door. “I know it’s a lot to take in and I know you’ll have a lot to discuss, so I’ll leave you to talk things over with Richard and David.”

  “I’m sorry things were so bad for you, Mike,” said Ruth as she looked apologetically towards him.

  “If they’d been better for me, they would have been worse for my mum and my sister and, like I said, Ruth, I’ll always take a beating for the ones I love. Any man who would do less isn’t a real man.” He pulled the door open and left, leaving it to swing shut on its squeaky hinges.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Shaw hurriedly pushed through the double glass doors of the infirmary, marched into the small reception area and barged through the fire door to the ward. A grin appeared on his face as he neared the bed and saw Hughes with three pillows wedged behind him.

  “Hughesy. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” he said, not realising that Thomson and Hooper had joined Carter at the entrance and were all talking in hushed tones. “How’re you doing, buddy?”

  “What the fuck are you playing at, Jim? Since when do we fucking kidnap people?” He peered at Shaw, his voice not betraying the pain he was hiding.

  Shaw sat down on the chair next to the bed, leaned his elbows on his knees and swept his hands tiredly over his face before running them through his short blonde hair. He took a deep breath, exhaled and looked down at his shining black boots.

  The muted conversation back at the door had come to a halt and the three men were glancing across to get the gist of what was being said. Both Hughes and Lucy were awaiting a response from Shaw, but Lucy kept her eye on the men at the door. She didn’t trust any of the soldiers and the all-too-obvious way the three men were trying to look inconspicuous raised her shackles.

  “I fucked up, Hughesy. I fucked up big time,” Shaw said quietly. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I screwed up royally. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry, Hughesy. I let you down.”

  Hughes turned his body a fraction so he could see Shaw more clearly and hoped the pain didn’t show on his face. “It’s not me you should be apologising to, is it? Y’soft bastard!”

  Shaw straightened his back and looked over the bed to Lucy. “I’m so sorry, Lucy. I was under pressure and I made a really stupid decision. I guess I’m not really the right material for a leader. I’m really sorry. I’ll try and make it right somehow. I don’t know how, but I’ll think of something.”

  “You’ve done enough thinking for a while,” said Hughes. “Look, when I’m back to health, you can come with me to get Lucy back to Mike. You can apologise to him as well if he doesn’t fucking kill you first.”

  Shaw nodded. “Yeah, alright Hughesy, whatever it takes. I’ll do whatever is needed to make this right.”

  “Good lad. Now fuck off, I need to get some rest.”

  A wry smile formed on Shaw’s face. “It’s good to have you back, Hughesy.” Shaw stood up and headed out with an air of relief, like he’d just attended confession and received a much lighter penance than expected.

  Lucy gently angled Hughes’s head up and made him sip some more water. She watched as Shaw walked towards the other men and when she was confident no-one was looking, she quickly bent down and gave Hughes a peck on the forehead.

  “What was that for?” he croaked.

  “Stepping up and doing the right thing even when you’ve got a bullet hole in you. You’re a good man, Private Hughes. There aren’t many left.” She placed his head back down on the pillow.

  “Jim’s a good guy, he’s just a bit of a fuckwit sometimes,” he said affectionately.

  “I’ll reserve my opinion of him until I’m back with Mike.” She turned to put the water bottle back down when she heard a scuffle at the door. She swung back round to see two of the soldiers removing Shaw’s sidearm and manhandling him out of the door. He raised his fist, ready to punch one of the soldiers, but Thomson pistol-whipped the back of his head. He would have crumpled to the ground if it wasn’t for the two men dragging him to his feet.

  Hughes caught only the back end of the silent coup. He tried to shout across to find out what was going on, but the shout manifested itself as a quiet gasp as Lucy tried to restrain him, to calm him, for fear he would rupture himself. Thomson whispered something to the guard before leading the two soldiers and Shaw out of the building.

  When Hughes had regained some of his composure he called across to the young, frightened-looking guard, Private Tuttle. “Turtle, what the fuck’s going on?” he asked with tremendous effort.

  “I’m not meant to talk to you, Hughesy,” the soldier replied, the fear and uncertainty trembling in his voice.

  “What are you on about? We’re mates, for Christ’s sake. What the hell is this?”

  Tuttle stood up and went to the fire door. He looked through the glass panel and then out through the reception area to the main glass doors. Through those he could see the other three disappearing into the main administration building. He put down his rifle, clasped his sweaty hands together and then sidled across to Hughes’s bed. He looked at Lucy and ran his hand over the back of his neck like he was working out a crick. “It’s bad, Hughesy. Thomson’s taken over.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Hughes, wincing as he tried to lever himself up once again.

  “Shaw had a meeting with the villagers. It didn’t go well and Thomson decided he was going to take command. He’s got most of the soldiers behind him. There’s just me and Barney who think this is a bad idea. We’re not saying anything to the others.”

  “Keep it that way, Turtle. Don’t trust anyone.” The young soldier sat down by the side of the bed, looking forlorn. “I never liked Thomson,” continued Hughes. “I don’t know why Masters and Shaw rated him so highly, he’s always had cunt written all over him.” He turned his head to Lucy. “Sorry, Doc, I’ve got a bit of a gutter mouth.”

  “Don’t worry, I think that’s a pretty apt description,” she said, smiling and winning a small chuckle from Hughes and Tuttle.

  Tuttle was just twenty years old, slimly built with short ginger hair and a freckly complexion. He’d been in the army for two years and had faced some nightmarish situations in Afghanistan, but nothing had prepared him for this. He looked towards Lucy and then back at Hughes. “It was when he overheard your conversation about getting the doctor back to her group that he snapped. He said that he’s not letting her go anywhere.”

  Lucy looked deflated. The small glimmer of hope that had shone earlier when Shaw and Hughes were talking was now extinguished. Her sense of hopelessness was palpable and Hughes held out his hand. She took it gratefully. “Don’t worry, Doc, I meant what I said. I’ll get you back to him.” She forced a smile, but she knew that such promises were not within his control. Hughes turned back to Tuttle. “So what’s his plan?”

  “He said the army that attacked us had the right idea, they had what it took to survive and that’s what we now needed to do. The scary part was, the other guys were fine with it. They said they’d done their duty for Queen and country and then some, and now it was time they looked after themselves.” He looked down at the floor, ashamed that he hadn’t d
ared to speak up. “I don’t want to be like that, Hughesy. I want to live, but not like that.”

  “Don’t worry, kid, just the fact that you can differentiate between yourself and them means that you’re one of the good guys,” said Lucy.

  “Doc’s right, Turtle. Keep your ear to the ground, don’t let on that you’re not with them and we’ll figure something out. Don’t worry, lad, I’ve got out of worse scrapes than this before.”

  *

  Richard and David had been collating a list of books that they thought would be essential for the beginning of a new society. There had been minor arguments and tussles between the two of them, but the pair were confident that they were heading in the right direction. They were slightly irritated when they were told that Ruth needed to see them in the staff room, as they couldn’t remember the last time they had enjoyed themselves so much. Mike almost felt guilty breaking them away from their duties. The pair unrolled their sleeves and put their jackets back on as if they were heading to a board meeting. They were a strange pair, but Mike couldn’t help but like them. “Before you guys go, can you tell me if there is a B&Q or a Homebase around here?” The pair looked at each other and laughed in a nerdy kind of way.

  “What are you needing?” asked Richard, regaining his composure.

  “A hose pipe and some wire cutters.”

  “Milgrew’s Ironmongery, a hardware store on the High Street. I worked there as a youngster,” he replied confidently, “but you won’t get in from the front, the windows are caged. There’s a small car park around the back, and to the left of the fire exit there is a high toilet window. Someone with your breaking and entering acumen should be able to manage it,” he said, smiling and looking towards the skylight through which Mike had twice gained entry to the library. “I’ll draw you a map.”