Daz frowned. ‘Why’s she so upset?’
Claire watched Sophie walk away. ‘I think all this has reminded her about Jake and her friends, and how they’re all gone. And how many kids just like her are now dead … or worse. I’d better go after her.’ She glanced at Mitch. ‘Sorry. It’s not your fault. She’s not dealing with all this very well.’
Daz, looked at Claire. ‘I thought she was doing okay.’
‘She’s not; she just hides it well: she always has. It was the same when her father died.’ Sophie was now standing at the end of the quay, staring out towards the boat. ‘I really need to go after her.’
‘I’ll go.’
We all turned and stared at Daz as he carried on. ‘I know how she’s feelin’ an’ I’m closer to her age; she might find it easier to talk to me about it.’
Claire considered this. ‘Maybe you’re right.’
This was all the encouragement Daz needed and he set off down the road. We watched as he reached Sophie; they talked for a couple of seconds and then sat down on the quay, legs hanging over the end; Daz tentatively put one arm round her and in response she let her head fall onto his shoulder.
I turned back to Mitch, and saw her wiping her face. ‘Who’s clothes were they?’
‘My god-daughter’s.’ She cleared her throat. ‘She was so great: I used to take her up in the plane all the time. She loved it; she loved how everything appeared so different when you were looking down on it. She wanted to be a pilot, just like me.’
Tom stepped forward to comfort her. ‘How did she die?’
‘That’s the worst thing.’ Mitch sniffed and wiped her face. ‘She didn’t, but she might as well have. She got infected; I know because I’ve seen her, attacking the barricade, trying to get in. This sounds terrible, but I wish with all my heart she had died: it would’ve been painful, but at least I’d know how to deal with it. I mean how do you deal with something like this?’
Chapter Fifteen
Within a week of our arrival in Tobermory, we’d settled into a routine of sorts. Since we could sail, rather than having to rely on our engine, we didn’t have to waste precious diesel, which could be better used in generators and other equipment, when we travelled around. We were also the largest sailing vessel which was at the disposal of the local communities, so we could carry the most. This meant we were quickly engaged to run food and other supplies, between the different communities of survivors. With no other options, Claire’s skills were also in great demand, and wherever we went, she’d set up a temporary clinic to deal with any medical problems which had arisen since our last visit.
We also took part in foraging expeditions. Together with Hamish, Mitch and the other locals, we fished for mackerel, raided seal haul-outs for meat, and seabird colonies for eggs. I staked out the creels we’d pulled up off Jura and was able to provide a regular supply of crabs, lobsters and other shellfish. This meant that while we only retained the slightest of toeholds on the land, we were never short of food.
For the most part, Tom, Daz, Claire, Sophie and I stayed together, but if it looked like it wouldn’t be a difficult trip, I’d leave some of them behind so they could get a day off to relax … as much as anyone could relax given all that was happening around us. This also gave me a break from them, and every now and then, I couldn’t resist taking the boat out on my own just to be alone. After all, on a forty-five foot boat with five people living on board, it was difficult to get any sort of personal space. Out on the sea, all on my own, I could pretend — at least for a short while — that everything was the way it used to be before the virus entered our lives.
It was while we were returning from a raid on a fish farm, which had netted us several thousand fresh fish that would be smoked or dried over fires to preserve them, that we finally ran into the naval personnel Hamish had complained about when we first arrived. Daz was the first to spot them. ‘Hey! What does that remind you of?’
I took the binoculars and saw a familiar-looking black rib cutting through the sea towards us, the silhouette of a large gun near the bow clearly visible. My first instinct was to avoid them, but when I changed course, the rib changed its course, too: there was no doubt they were specifically heading our way. Knowing we couldn’t out-run them, I turned the yacht into the wind and prepared for their arrival. ‘Daz, you’d better go and get the others.’
A moment later, a sleepy looking Tom climbed through the companionway, rubbing his eyes, followed shortly by Claire and Sophie: all three had been making the most of their time off watch to catch up on some much needed sleep.
‘What’s going on?’ Tom stretched, ‘How come we’re not mov—?’ His eyes came to rest on the rapidly approaching rib. ‘Is that who I think it is? What do they want?’
That was what I’d been wondering, too. So far, we’d only heard rumours about what the naval personnel were like from the communities we’d visited and the reviews were, at best, mixed. Now, it looked like we’d get to find out for ourselves.
‘Ahoy there! I thought I recognised the boat.’ The rib was now pulling alongside and the first officer from the frigate was hailing us, smiling as he did so. ‘Good to see we’re not the only ones who made it out of the Clyde in one piece. We’d have come back for you, but I thought if we’d been overrun, you lot would’ve had no chance.’
I crossed my arms, annoyed that they’d simply given up on us and saved themselves. After all, they were the ones who’d brought the person carrying the infection to the holding area in the first place, and I felt they owed it to us to have at least tried to see if we needed help rather than just abandoning us.
The first officer took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair. ‘We only made it out by the skin of our teeth.’ His voice sounded flat, as if he still couldn’t quite believe what he was saying. ‘We were up on deck preparing to go out on patrol when a strange noise came echoing up from below. At first, it sounded like animals, but I knew that couldn’t be right. Then, all of a sudden, there were people everywhere, but they weren’t people anymore; they were attacking everyone they could get their hands on. We had to fight them off, kill them, but no matter what we tried, we couldn’t hold them back, not for long. In the end, we did the only thing we could, which was get the ribs into the water, and get the hell away from there.’ He hung his head.
I regretted jumping to conclusions before I knew the whole story. They’d been struggling to keep themselves alive, just like we had, and who was I to judge them? We’d abandoned the others in the holding area just as readily as the first officer and the marines had abandoned us. I pushed these thoughts from my mind and surveyed the men on the rib. Despite all that had happened, they looked well-rested and well-fed. Unlike Tom and me, they were also clean-shaven, and had maintained their short, military hairstyles. The uniforms they still wore were clean and the first officer’s looked freshly pressed. I couldn’t help but think that whatever they were doing, given the circumstances, they were doing it well.
‘What about the others who were there with you?’ The first officer seemed genuinely concerned. ‘Did they get out too?’
I thought back to that night and all who’d died. ‘They weren’t so lucky.’
‘Damn!’ There was a moment’s silence. ‘Look, since we’ve run into you, there’s something you might be able to help us with. I’m sure you’ve heard we’re trying to set up a safe zone on Rhum, and to get as many of the other survivors there as possible. That way, we can protect them better, but it seems the locals aren’t too keen on the idea.’ As he spoke, he replaced his cap on his head and straightened it. ‘I can kind of understand their point of view. They think we’re just coming in and ordering them around, but we’ve been on the front lines, we know what we’re dealing with, and we think getting everyone in one place is by far the best way to protect them until ...’ He hesitated as he tried to think of what until might be. Eventually, he gave up. ‘Well, until what, I don’t know, but it’s our duty to do all we can.’<
br />
There was a derisive snort from behind me: I turned and glared at Claire. It seemed to work because she didn’t say anything further.
Nonetheless, the first officer must have heard her, ‘Okay, so I can see you’re sceptical, and you’ve got every right to be. All I wanted to do is to invite you to come up and see what we’ve been doing, and judge for yourself. We can’t even get the locals to come and take a look, and I think that’s the biggest stumbling block. Once they see how well we have it set up, I think they’ll see we’re right. What do you think? Would you be up for checking it out? If you think we’re doing some good, you can let the locals know, and maybe that will help get them on side. You’ve managed to fit in in a way we haven’t. From what I hear, people around here respect you; they might listen to you if you say it’s a good idea.’
I tried my best to look noncommittal, but he could clearly tell I wasn’t sold on the idea. He continued anyway. ‘You don’t have to decide right now. Maybe just drop by sometime if you happen to be in the area. There’s no pressure, honest. We’re just trying to do our bit.’
‘Okay,’ I shifted uneasily. ‘We might be able to do that.’
With that, the rib circled round and disappeared in the direction it had come, the first officer waving to us as they disappeared off into the distance.
‘Ever get the feeling they weren’t just passing?’ I looked at Claire. Her cynicism got to me sometimes, but on this occasion I was pretty sure she was right.
‘Rhum’s not going to be that much out of our way.’ I pointed to a loose cluster of islands on the chart I’d laid out on the table. ‘All I’m saying is that we could swing by and take up that invitation before we come across to Canna to pick you up.’
It had been four days since we’d run into the rib and we’d got word from Mitch that there was a woman on Canna who was about to give birth. Mitch was going to fly Claire up there and we were going to follow the next day to pick her up and bring her back. In the meantime, I was trying to persuade the others we should at least check out what the navy personnel had been up to on Rhum.
‘You never know, they might be onto something.’ Claire and Mitch both gave me withering looks. ‘Well, okay, what I mean is we should at least keep our options open. You never know when we might need them.’
It looked like I was facing a losing battle until Tom chimed in. ‘You know, I think I’m with Ben on this one. Claire, you’re judging them based on your past experiences in completely different situations, and I know you’ve been right a lot of the time, but you’ve not been right every time. I mean look at Port Ellen; what you thought there almost got Ben killed.’
Claire started to protest and Mitch shot me an enquiring glance, but Tom didn’t let either of them get a word in. ‘And Mitch, what’s your biggest problem with them? That they’re outsiders? So what? So am I, and Daz, and Claire and Sophie, and even Ben for that matter. Yet, you’re quite happy for us to help you out when you need it. When you really think about it, how different are they? They’re just trying to stay alive, the same as the rest of us. The way I see it, we need all the help we can get to keep things running in the face of everything that’s happened. If they’re able to help in some way, shouldn’t we let them?’
Before Mitch could say anything, Daz joined in. ‘I think you need to at least give them a chance to explain what they’re up to, an’ see what they have to say for themselves.’
‘You know, Mum, he’s got a point.’ Sophie was now standing next to Daz. ‘You’re always telling me I shouldn’t judge people before I get to know them properly.’
Mitch and Claire looked at each other, and then at the rest of us: they knew when they were outnumbered.
‘Okay you win. I’ll head off to Canna with Mitch now and you can visit Rhum on your way to pick me up tomorrow,’ Claire hesitated for a moment. ‘But Sophie comes with me.’
‘Mum!’ Sophie whined as she crossed her arms.
Tom jumped in before the spat could develop into an argument. ‘Look, Claire, we’re not going anywhere near any infected, so it’s not as if we’re likely to run into any trouble, and there are going to be three of us with her all the time,’ Tom smiled at Claire. ‘You do trust us, don’t you?’
Claire gave a resigned sigh. ‘I suppose so.’
‘Yes!’ Sophie punched the air in delight: it would be the first time since we’d fled Glasgow that she’d be spending time away from her mother and she was clearly relishing the possibility of a little freedom.
***
At first light the next morning, I stood at the helm as Daz pulled up the anchor, and Tom and Sophie set the sails. We were soon slipping out of Tobermory Bay and into the sound between the island and the mainland. By breakfast time, the seas were starting to build as we moved out into open water.
With the winds picking up out of the south-west and all the sails raised, we started making good speed, clipping along at four knots. As Tom fried up some eggs and bacon we’d traded for lobsters the day before, Daz took the wheel, and I went below to the chart table. I marked out our route for the day and worked out how long it would take. If we could keep up our current pace, we’d reach Rhum by three in the afternoon. From there, it was only another twelve miles or so to Canna, meaning as long as we left Rhum by five, we’d arrive at our final destination before dark.
I was just putting the charts away when there was a shout from outside. Back in the cockpit, I found Sophie scampering along the side of the boat. I shouted after her. ‘Hey! I’ve told you before: no running on deck!’
‘But, Ben, dolphins! Look! They’re all round us: they’re everywhere!’ By then, she’d reached the bow and was leaning as far out as she dared. ‘I can hear them! This is amazing!’
I glanced across at Daz and saw he was split between dashing forward to join Sophie and his responsibilities at the helm. I nodded towards the front of the boat. ‘Go.’
‘Thanks!’ With that, Daz sprinted along the deck.
‘Don’t run!’ I called after him.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ He didn’t even slow.
At that moment, Tom’s head appeared in the companion way. ‘You lot ready for food?’
‘I am,’ I looked towards where Daz and Sophie were now jockeying for the best position to see the dolphins, ‘but I think those two will be a while.’
Leaving their food below, Tom brought mine and his up and joined me in the cockpit. He surveyed our surroundings. ‘This is some place.’
Off to the east, on the mainland, lay a squat lighthouse surrounded by a cluster of white-washed buildings. To the west was the island of Coll, its northern tip marked by another lighthouse. Ahead, rising up over the horizon, I could already see the distinctive outlines of Rhum and its neighbouring islands. In the waters around us, the school of dolphins played, a pale hourglass pattern visible on their sides each time they surfaced. Looking round, I found it hard to find anything which had changed since the infected took over. While almost all the land had been lost, the sea was like it had always been, and I couldn’t see any reason why it wouldn’t continue that way forever. Out here, I felt safe. After all, there was little chance of running into any infected this far from the shore.
With breakfast finished, Tom turned to me. ‘So, how are you doing these days?’
I smiled. ‘A lot better now we’ve found other people; I think we’ve got a real chance. I don’t mind saying it now, but there were times when I really thought we weren’t going to make it.’
‘I thought you were doing better. There’s a lot less pressure on you now, isn’t there?’
‘Yeah.’ I nodded in agreement ‘What about you? How are you doing?
Tom leant back. ‘Not bad … all things considered.’
‘How’s your shoulder?’
He lifted his arm and rotated it backwards. ‘It’s almost as good as before. The chest wound gives me a bit of trouble every now and then though, especially if I try to lift something that’s a bit too heavy, or if I
turn over too fast in my bunk.’
Tom took out the tobacco Mitch had given him as a welcome present when we’d first arrived in Tobermory, and carefully rolled his single cigarette for the day, making sure nothing was wasted. He was doing his best to eke it out; making it last as long as possible, knowing there’d be no more once this packet was gone. It reminded me of something I’d been meaning to ask him. ‘By the way, how are you and Mitch getting along?’
Tom grinned sheepishly. ‘You noticed then?’
‘It’s hard not to. She’s the first woman I’ve seen make you happy since …’ I didn’t really want to bring Jane up, not now.
‘You mean since Jane?’ There was a pause as he thought about this, then he smiled. ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ He looked off into the distance. ‘I don’t know. There’s just something about her; it’s … it’s like we just clicked.’ He lit his cigarette and took a draw. ‘Who’d have thought, after all these years, the only thing it needed to make me finally move on was the world coming to an end!’
I reached out and patted him on the shoulder. ‘It’s good to see you like this again. It’s been a long time.’
‘Looks like I’m not the only one, though.’ Tom nudged me and tilted his head towards the bow. ‘Those two seem to be getting rather friendly.’
At the front of the boat, Daz and Sophie were pressed closely together, Sophie leaning over the guard rail, the ill-fitting clothes she was wearing flapping in the wind. I shook my head: despite all attempts to change her mind, Sophie still refused to wear the clothes Mitch had given her, and had reverted to wearing mine. As I watched, Daz put his hand on her shoulder and whispered something into her ear. I couldn’t hear what he said, but I saw the look she gave him in return. I chuckled and turned to Tom. ‘I wonder what Claire’s going to make of that when she finds out.’
For Those In Peril (Book 2): The Outbreak Page 23