Matos was moving around the chamber, chomping on some food as he past her.
“What are you looking for?”
“Nothing. Keeps my blood flowing.”
Avery pulled out the wrapped bread and cheese from her backpack. “It’s cold in here” she said, between mouthfuls.
“Need to stay for a while, throw off the bloodhounds.”
Avery grunted assent.
She curled up into a ball and pulled over the space blanket. Rocking and trying to think of anything but reality. Counting sheep but losing concentration. Her mistakes flared up and buzzed like stinging wasps in her mind. Accepting the bunker command. Allowing Cain to control the neuro lab. Failing to keep Burns alive. For long tortuous hours she sat curled and rocking. Counting stinging mistakes rather than jumping sheep.
Matos passed her a pack of energy gel and two cookies. She nibbled the cookies and chewed slowly, taking her time. She had as much time as she wanted now, no rush for duty or a meeting. The energy gel went into her side pocket. No point having more energy when you’re static.
She finished the cookie meal and propped herself against the wall. Pulled the space blanket over her head and tried to think not to think of anything.
Painful sunlight zipped into the room and Avery covered her eyes. She had been asleep and her stiff body cracked as she shifted position. Matos was at the top of the ladder, peering out of the open hatch.
She pulled herself up and squelched towards the opening. With a gesture, he climbed out of the hatch and disappeared. Avery climbed the ladder then flopped out onto the concrete above. Breathing in the fresh air and staring blearily up at blue sky. All was quiet except for the trickling of water.
Matos crouched and stared at the reservoir. “It’s beautiful.”
Sucking up an energy gel pack, she nodded without enthusiasm. “Let’s move.”
They climbed a grass covered embankment at the side of the slipway. Avery used tree branches to haul herself upward, scents of grass and flowers puffed up around her. She breathed them in to clear the moldy smell of the cavern.
At the top, she followed Matos through a copse of trees and out onto open ground. They stood opposite an abandoned building, ravaged by years of neglect.
Matos walked towards it, hand on his head. “That was a restaurant two years ago.”
“The weather was extreme post lockdown.”
He gave a shrug. “Yeah, the weather.”
She caught him up as he slowed to a stop. The roof had collapsed inwards. Missing window panes revealed a black interior. There was no chance of supplies within. Matos was shaking his head and began walking round the perimeter.
“We can’t stay here,” Avery said, lifting a sheet of timber to look below.
He disappeared around a corner so Avery jogged to catch him up. “Matos,” she hissed.
There was another derelict building to the rear and Matos stood staring at it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Didn’t expect this amount of damage.”
The buildings seemed unremarkable. Probably damaged by the snow, rain and wind, or possibly even an internal explosion. After nearly two years of neglect, nature starts to eat.
“What were you expecting?”
“Where are all the people?”
“Local shelters I don’t know. Let’s put some distance between us and the bunker.”
They began jogging until the lake became visible on their right. Avery dropped back to follow a few yards behind, saving energy by adjusting to his route. Her trainers squelched in the muddy road, soaked through and becoming looser. They passed more houses, abandoned and derelict. Some still standing but sending out a damp aroma, like a barrel of rotten apples.
“Nature reclaims the world,” Matos said.
Avery nodded towards his back. Society did keep the environment in check with constant effort. But there was much more damage than a few years of neglect. Too many buildings were fire damaged and collapsed.
They broke away from the lake and jogged across a field of long grass. The flora reached up to their waists, dragging at Avery’s legs and soaking her already damp clothes. Their tracks were visible even at ground level. A drone would have no problem picking up their trail.
Matos followed the road as it turned left, running until they approached an estate of houses. A broken sign for Sleepy Hollow Road lay wedged against a tree stump. From their limited view, it seemed that a giant foot had squashed and pulverized the houses of Sleepy Hollow. Wounded trees surrounded the estate, their branches blackened on one side and green on the other.
Matos paused at a fork in the road, glancing both ways before plunging forward along the right branch. They jogged past empty suburban houses. Upside down cars and trucks lying on their sides, suitcases, plastic bags, fridges, ovens and furniture. A soft mud lay over everything and collected in drifts. All seeded with a fine grass.
They left the houses behind and entered a woodland road. The trees on either side almost meeting above their heads and sunlight flashed between gaps in the canopy. Avery could hear her own ragged breathing as she trotted along. With every other stride her right calf throbbed and sweat trickled down her face.
Matos glanced occasionally in her direction, as if to let her know he was watching. There was barely a bead of sweat on his brow and his breathing was slow and even. Avery cursed him, stewing on the fact her life was based on a lie. Invisible strings moved her like a puppet. She fought against the hopelessness by pounding the ground even harder as she ran.
For the remainder of the day Avery followed Matos though woodland, across fields and past small towns. Sprinting, jogging and walking. In failing light, they emerged from a treeline onto the shore of Lake Oneida.
The lakeside snaked around in both directions with houses dotted along the shore. The abandoned houses were relatively undamaged, compared to others they passed on the way. Grass grew in the gutters, paint was flaking from rotten window frames and roof tiles were missing. But it was repairable damage.
Avery bent over to massage her calf. Kneading the stiff muscle and wriggling her toes. She glanced up at the sky then along the shore. “We need to find somewhere to rest.”
The closest house was a squat bungalow with dirty white timber boarding across the front elevation. The front door was open but she made a full perimeter sweep before entering.
Her trainers crunched on broken glass, a sound loud enough to wake the dead. To her right, the sitting room door was open, blue sofas and wooden tables were covered with a green mould. The opposite door opened into a bedroom. She jerked back at the sight of two bodies, covering her mouth and slamming the door.
The rear door was partially glazed, allowing Avery a view into a kitchen. A mess of rotten food, smashed plates and cups covered the floor. The door opened easily to slight pressure, releasing a sickening odor that hit the back of her throat. Covering her nose and mouth with a sleeve, she entered the room.
Contents of the lower cupboards were either smashed or missing. Packets and boxes shredded, covered with a mushy brown fluid. She flicked open the upper cupboards with a fingertip. Tea and coffee were of no use. Bags of pasta, flour and an assortment of canned vegetables. She pulled out six cans and dropped them into her backpack.
Matos was waiting for her when she arrived outside. “Found us a bed for the night.”
“I’d rather sleep outside if it’s like that place.”
Matos led her towards the tree line. He skirted around a large garden then to the rear of a two storey house. Opening the back door and gesturing Avery inside. She stepped into the hall and shivered. It was warmer outside.
Pushing open a side door to a sitting room, she cautiously walked inside. There was a sharp damp odor. Sofa and chairs faced a large screen TV with a coffee table between them. Everything was covered with a fine layer of dust. She propped herself on the edge of a seat and dropped her bag.
This was her new life as a fugitive. She looked arou
nd the drab room and photographs of a smiling family. They could stay here for a while, scavenge for food and find a water supply. What more could she hope for?
Avery pulled out a can of tuna that opened with a ring pull. She gobbled the moist juicy meat, passing another tin to Matos. He took the can and offered her peaches in syrup. Avery held the syrup in her mouth before swallowing.
Her head dropped and she groaned. A sudden hopelessness strangled her mind.
“What is it?” Matos asked.
Rubbing her head, Avery fought for breath to steady herself. Matos pulled her upwards slapping her face. She was numb to his words, letting herself fall to the filthy carpet. Exhausted and powerless she adopted the foetal position with her eyes tightly closed. The crushing despair wrenched at her, a migraine headache drilled into her head. Two burning eyes pierced her.
A slap brought her back to the world. She shivered then screamed at the top of her voice. Matos delivered another painful slap.
“Stay with me, it’s the nanos, they’re trying to reactivate inside you. Fight it.”
She opened her eyes and Matos’ face hovered close to her own. There was a black chasm inside her. A yawning hole below her consciousness. It would be easy to fall into the darkness forever. She pushed back her hair, blinking tears from her eyes.
“How can they reactivate?” she gasped.
“They get signals from some kind of machine.”
“Haarp,” she whispered.
He held her upright and for a moment she rested her head on his shoulder. She trudged outside to gulp fresh air, continuing away from the decaying house and into a copse of trees.
Birds tweeted and chirruped in greeting. She held out her arms out to feel the leaves as she passed, stopping by a large tree with thick fractured bark covering its trunk. Her fingers dug into the moist green gouges.
“How you feeling?” Matos asked.
She sensed him behind her but didn’t turn. “Sad, angry. Shame for turning my back.”
“What could you have done?”
“I had command of two hundred soldiers.”
She turned towards him. Hoping for comfort but finding only indifference, as he stared back towards the house. His face taut and watchful, athletic body tensed below his black combat suit. There was a powerful darkness in him, an intensity drifting off him like steam.
The birdsong fell silent and there was a subtle change in air pressure.
Matos pulled out his pistol and signaled for silence. In the distance, there was a muffled explosion. She reached instinctively for a side arm and her hand brushed an unarmed hip. The pistol was still in her backpack.
They edged closer to the treeline, crouching to survey the area. In the distance, a bloodhound drone swung out above the lake then banked towards the shoreline. It hovered while scanning the land.
Cursing, Matos ran in a half crouch towards their refuge house. Avery kept her eyes fixed on the drone as she followed. It was circling now, but coming in their direction.
“We need cover to disrupt our heat signature,” Matos said, pulling out his space blanket.
Bloodhound drones can see a heat signature through windows. Depending on the wall type, they could see everything. Avery followed his lead, hauling out her blanket and pistol.
Together they pulled off a large mirror from the bathroom wall. Matos dropped to the floor, squeezed below the mirror and covered himself with the blanket. Holding it up for Avery to join him. They adjusted their blankets and positions then huddled together
“Get comfortable, we’re going to be here for a while,” Matos said.
Avery froze in position, her dark chasm still in reaching distance. She needed to think positively about her future. Otherwise she may as well just get up and talk to the drone.
The house shook with an explosion, a second louder explosion followed and then another. There were tiny impacts on the bathroom door like thrown gravel. Avery gasped for breath, oxygen below the blanket running out. She focused on shallow breathing and maintaining her position.
The bunker had to be in complete disarray with her gone, Kaya dead and the outside world opened up. If Cain was still alive, it was her who would be in command now. Avery pictured the bulky spiteful doctor, shuddering at the image of her leading the bunker.
“No more explosions,” Matos whispered.
“Could be waiting for us to move?”
They lay in uncomfortable silence until Matos lifted his blanket. He pushed away the mirror and scrambled to his feet. Avery rose on stiffened legs and brushed down her tracksuit. Dust swirled towards them as the door opened. The hallway was like an old photograph in sepia tone. Part of the roof had caved in, collapsing the lounge ceiling. Fallen timber joists locked into position, preventing access.
Matos kicked open the front door, as Avery glanced nervously around the interior. The building could collapse at any moment. She squeezed into the lounge and crawled towards her backpack. Grabbing a strap and pulling it towards her. The house gave a groan as she scrambled out into fresh air.
She almost tripped on the wreckage of a drone as she ran. They both pulled up at the sight, bending forward to inspect the debris.
“What the hell,” Matos said.
Avery crept back towards the road and found the wreckage of another drone. Matos squatted down to examine it, fingers tracing the outline of blast damage. She looked around at the trees and houses then froze as movement caught her eye.
Five grey clad figures emerged from the surrounding ground, merging with the late evening light to form human shapes. Their faces hidden in the shadow of hoods, black weapon barrels poked out from inside flapping cloaks.
“Matos,” she said. “We’ve got company.”
Chapter 22
“There’s a breach in the mine,” Logan said. Water dripping from his clothes onto the workshop floor.
Jarod frowned then threw across a towel. “Where?”
Logan made a pointless wiping gesture before dropping it to the floor to soak up the puddle. “Show me that mine map.”
The yellow tinged plan was spread out on a workstation. Jarod marked their position and other buildings used by the miners. Logan traced his route from memory with a pencil then drew a large X.
“X marks the spot,” Sean said, joining them on the opposite side of the bench.
“I don’t know how far it’s spread,” Logan said. “Half the mine could be flooded.”
Jarod shaded the plan between Logan’s X and the lake “It must be coming from the lake.”
“It depends on the penetration point and tunnel levels,” Sean said, rubbing out the shading. “We need to map it.”
Logan followed Jarod and Sean to the Jeep, carrying a bag of floodlights and rope. Jarod drove with Logan shotgun and Sean in the back. He guided their route using the map and his memory. After the rise of a tunnel and right turn, their headlights reflected back from shimmering water.
“That’s a lot of water,” Sean said.
Logan set up two floodlights angled towards each corner of the tunnel junction. Jared pulled on boots and tucked in his overalls. Sean produced a pair of waders and eased on the shoulder straps.
Logan marked their position on the mine map. “Move forward.”
They waded out until the tunnel branched. Jarod went left and Sean right. Logan eased the Jeep forward until the wheels were covered by water.
“Can you see how far it goes?” he shouted
“It’s everywhere,” Sean’s voice came back.
“Get back here and we can try a different route.”
They continued a survey of the tunnels for two hours moving around the water and mapping out its penetration of the mine.
“I’ll take the map back to Ortiz. Keep this between us three for the time being.” Logan said.
Jared parked at the workshop and unloaded the vehicle. Logan left them and walked through to the central cavern, continuing down the barracks tunnel. He was waved through the sentry
position and pointed towards the briefing tent.
Ortiz opened the flap and lifted his chin slightly. “We still have a guard on Doctor Sarin.”
“I’m not here for that. We have bigger problems.”
Ortiz stiffened and straightened his back. Logan grabbed a cup from the table and filled it water. He took a slug and placed it back down.
“There’s water in the mine and we need to start planning.”
“A surface recy?” Ortiz said and then added. “Reconnaissance,”
“You and I will lead a team up to the surface. Head to Geneva and have a look around.
Logan left the Sergeant to prepare and drove towards the school. In some ways, Heather was the real power in the mine. She was the person everyone turned to and she had turned to Ortiz. Perhaps the stoic solider offered her a rock to cling to after days of listening to problems.
He opened the classroom door and gestured Heather to keep going. She was taking a group reading session, children sat in three rows on low benches. They took turns reading the text, encouraged by Heather to add accents.
He pasted a smile onto his face and waved at his boys. Gradually all the children lost concentration, staring across at Logan as the readings trailed off.
“Hello everyone, how’s school today?” Logan asked.
They all answered together, shouting to be heard above each other.
“That’s enough children. Logan will be starting math lessons soon,” Heather said.
The children groaned in response.
“It will be fun, I promise. I’ll take you all to the workshop as well,” Logan said.
Mrs Draper will take you for dinner now, please stand and find you partners,” Heather said.
The children stood obediently, lining up in pairs. Adam and Gregor were together but didn’t hold hands. They seemed to be arguing about something, Gregor broke away running towards him.
“Adam’s being mean,” he said.
“I’m sure he isn’t that bad. Go on Gregor, line up for dinner and I’ll see you later,” Logan said.
Gregor ran towards the line, avoiding Adam and standing with another child of similar age. Mrs Draper guided the children past Logan, who mouthed ‘be a good boy’ to Adam.
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