by Gavin Zanker
‘I left a present for Blanc. With any luck, it should hold her up for a while and give us time to get a lead.’
‘What sort of pres-’
Leigh was cut short by an explosion behind them. They both dived to the grass instinctively. Hitch began jumping around and barking. Aiden picked himself up and calmed Hitch down, patting the dog’s flank.
‘Wow, you’ve got to teach me how to do that,’ Leigh said staring at the rising black smoke to the south.
‘We get through this and I’ll think about it.’ Aiden glanced east at the threatening clouds still skidding towards them across the bleak sky. ‘Come on, hopefully that bought us some time but we still can’t afford to stop.’
As if on cue, the wind picked up, violently whipping through the sparse grass around them. Leigh shivered in the fading light, pulling the sleeves of her fleece down over her hands, and the three of them continued north.
LEIGH’S LEGS ACHED with every step now, and Aiden had only let them stop for a rest once. The sun had fallen below the horizon a few hours ago, but it turned out the flashlight the old woman had accused her of breaking back in Carson Waters still worked. Despite the beam of light it cast, she still kept tripping over unseen rocks in the darkness. Her legs were bruised and painful and she wondered how much further the bunker could possibly be.
Aiden stopped suddenly, causing her to walk into the back of him. ‘Ssh, you hear that?’ he said, holding up a finger.
Leigh held her breath and strained her ears. From somewhere in the distance, she could hear a droning sound. ‘It sounds like a car engine,’ she whispered, ‘but I thought you said it was too rough for cars to travel here.’
Aiden paused and tilted his head. ‘It is. Switch off your light.’
The droning sound grew louder as they stood there listening. The noise seemed to echo itself, as if it wasn’t just one engine but multiple.
Then she recognised the sound.
‘It’s bikes,’ she hissed, panic creeping into her voice as she grabbed Aiden’s jacket. ‘Val and her scrambler bikes!’
Aiden pulled Leigh down into a nearby verge and whistled Hitch. The dog ignored him though, staring off to the north. Aiden whistled again, but Hitch wasn’t paying attention and began barking furiously at the approaching engines.
Aiden jumped up and ran towards the dog, but before he reached him, headlights flicked into life, bathing Aiden in yellow light. Grabbing Hitch’s collar, he dragged the dog back to the cover of the verge.
‘Hey, someone’s here,’ a voice shouted. ‘And he’s got a dog! This must be the guy!’
More bike engines revved nearby, a guttural metal sound that still flooded Leigh with anxiety.
Aiden turned to her. ‘Stay down, stay quiet,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll be back.’
‘No no no, don’t leave me,’ Leigh pleaded.
Aiden unshouldered his pack and hefted the assault rifle he still carried before disappearing into the darkness. Leigh was left with Hitch in the overgrown verge. She gripped his fur tightly, her heart hammering through her chest as she listened to the engines gunning from every direction and watched lights strobed back and forth across the fields. The verge offered little cover, and if a light fell on her, she would be seen for sure.
At least Hitch had stopped barking, though she could feel a low growl coming from his throat and vibrating up her arms. She tried to shush him quietly. Where was Aiden? Why did he go out alone? A burst of gunfire erupted from somewhere behind her and she let out a small yelp before covering her mouth with both hands. No longer restraining Hitch, the dog bounded away into the night leaving her totally alone.
As more spats of gunfire came from all around her, a torrent of panicked thoughts rushed through her mind. She took deep breaths and fought to stay calm. She was alone. She had to be smart. She unholstered the gun at her waist and clicked the safety off as Aiden had taught her, gripping the pistol with white knuckles.
‘Where did he go?’ a voice shouted from nearby.
‘Does anyone have eyes on him?’ another said.
Leigh closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Slow, deep breaths to try and keep calm. A rustling came from behind her and she whirled around to see a light flick on, blinding her.
‘Hello, pet,’ a familiar voice said. ‘What are you doing here?’
Panic overwhelmed Leigh as she recognised Val’s voice. She scrambled away, trying to get her feet beneath her, but sinewy arms wrapped around her torso and lifted her from the ground.
Leigh cried out, struggling wildly. She bit down on one of the arms, and managed to squirm out of Val’s grip. But before Leigh could run, something struck her in the back of the head and she fell to the floor, losing her grip on the pistol.
She felt dizzy, like she was floating. It passed quickly, and as everything came back into focus she found herself pinned to the floor by Val. Leigh tried to scream as the snake-like birthmark rippled inches from her face, but Val clamped a hand over her mouth.
‘It was very naughty of you to run away, pet. I’m going to have to punish you for being so bad.’ Val’s warm breath reeked of rancid meat as her face loomed so close. ‘In fact, let’s start now while everyone is busy looking for the dead man.’
Val began fumbling with Leigh’s clothing, the woman’s sharp nails digging into her flesh. Leigh flailed her arms, lashing out at Val’s eyes as hard as she could. Val backhanded her across the face, and she fell back again, stunned as a wave of nausea swept up through her stomach.
As she lay there with Val ripping at her clothing, Aiden’s lesson echoed around her head. ‘Survival comes from here first,’ he had said tapping her forehead, ‘not from the strength of your arm.’ She wasn’t strong enough to hurt Val, not without a weapon. Where was the gun? She dropped it, so it must be on the floor nearby. She tried to feel around through the grass as Val continued clawing painfully at her.
‘Keep fighting,’ Val hissed, clamping a hand around Leigh’s throat and squeezing. ‘I like having a reason to beat you.’ She leaned in close and whispered in her ear. ‘I’m going to hurt you until you love me again.’
Leigh’s fingers touched metal, and she grasped the pistol. She jabbed it up into Val’s ribs and pulled the trigger. There was a flash and the woman tumbled back screaming. Leigh scrabbled backwards, watching in horror as Val held her hands over the wound, trying to stem the gushing of blood.
‘You’re fucking dead, you bitch!’ Val snarled, her face contorting in fury. She pulled out a pistol from the holster at her belt and aimed it directly at Leigh’s head.
Leigh froze.
There was another flash of light.
Then Val pitched forward, face down onto the verge. Aiden strode into view out of the darkness, rifle still aimed at the Viper leader, flecks of blood on his face.
‘Are you hurt?’ he asked Leigh.
Leigh shook her head and jumped to wrap her arms around him, but he held her back. ‘Later,’ he said. ‘We need to move before the rest of them get organised.’
‘Are you… hurt?’ Leigh managed to croak through her swollen throat, seeing the dark stains on Aiden’s jacket.
‘I’m okay, it isn’t my blood. Hitch is fine too, he’s been giving me a hand.’ Hitch padded into view, panting heavily. In the moonlight, she could see black stains around his powerful muzzle. ‘We must be close now, but we still need to get there before Blanc or it’s all for nothing,’ Aiden continued as he shouldered his pack before passing Leigh hers. ‘You think you can jog?’
Leigh nodded, still too shocked to speak. They set off heading north again, leaving the dead Viper leader behind in the long grass of the verge.
CHAPTER 33
AIDEN KNEW THEY were closing in on the bunker when the trees began to grow denser and the moonlight took on a surreal tone. The sounds of owls and crickets fell away, leaving a muted atmosphere as gusts of wind shifted the leaf litter underfoot.
‘We’re close now,’ he said, the taste
of metal lingering on his tongue.
Leigh gazed around, casting furtive looks at the faraway sounds that filtered through the trees. ‘What is this place?’ she asked.
‘I’m not sure, but hanging around isn’t a good idea.’ Despite the darkness, Aiden slipped his sunglasses into place and turned to Leigh. ‘We move quickly and carefully, it’s the safest way.’
‘Everything feels… corrupted. Like the trees aren’t really trees, like they’ve been taken over by something else.’
‘Cover your mouth, and step where I step,’ Aiden said, leading them forward.
His footsteps crushed the dry leaves as he carefully picked his way around the trees. Hitch followed so closely that Aiden nearly tripped over him a few times. As they walked, he began to catch glimpses of static on the edge of his vision and he picked up the pace.
Soon Aiden recognised the bunker entrance and pulled them behind a screen of bushes to watch from a distance. The entrance was as he remembered, except for the three men lounging outside. None sported a Crimson Wolf armband, so they must be mercenaries hired by Blanc. They each carried what looked like shotguns built from scrap. Aiden still carried the assault rifle Ellis had given him, but he had spent the last rounds during the encounter with Val. If there was any shooting, he would have to make do with his pistol.
‘So how do we get in?’ Leigh asked.
‘We don’t,’ Aiden said. ‘I go in while you stay here with Hitch.’
‘But-’
‘No arguing, it’s too dangerous. I want you to stay low, stay out of sight. Here, take these.’ Aiden took off his sunglasses and slipped them over her eyes. ‘I won’t need them inside, and they’ll help protect your eyes against the storm. If I don’t come out of there, I want you to take shelter until the storm passes then get as far away from here as possible.’
‘Don’t say things like that,’ Leigh said, her tone wavering.
‘Hitch will lead you back home if you can’t find the way. Just… be safe.’
Aiden paused, studying the girl. She had changed so much since their first meeting, back when she had been just a stubborn, naive waif. Over time she had become more equipped to deal with the world, both physically and mentally; the way she held her chin higher, had a gun strapped to her waist, and even her clothes showed the change in her, from tattered rags to practical comfort. She looked like an entirely different person as she crouched before him.
‘I trust you to come back,’ Leigh said firmly. ‘So I’ll be right here waiting until you do.’
Aiden smiled at her then turned to Hitch, who looked up at him with tongue lolling. He reached out to scratch behind his dog’s ear. ‘Behind his ears like this, right?’ he asked.
Leigh nodded.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. ‘Be safe,’ he said, then he dropped his pack, collected the rifle, and left the two of them behind.
He edged around the tree line, keeping the guards in view as he considered his options. He needed to get inside fast, before Blanc arrived with the decoder. He could storm the entrance, but even if he took out the trio of guards he had no idea how many more could be waiting inside.
The three men chatted between themselves. Aiden couldn’t make out what they were saying, but their body language betrayed their unease. No doubt at the strangeness of the area around the bunker. The storm was closing in now too, the wind gusting around them and reducing visibility as it whipped dirt around.
One of the men wandered away from the group and disappeared into the trees. Aiden followed him, finding him facing a thick trunk with his back turned as he splashed his bladder to the floor. Aiden crept up to him, careful not to be heard, and slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of the man’s head. Unconscious, he crumpled without a sound. Aiden stripped the man’s clothing and changed into it himself. Then he secured his bandana over his face and pulled on the man’s cap. The disguise might be enough to get him inside, but if not it would at least get him near the entrance.
He checked the magazine of the man’s shotgun, there were only a handful of junk rounds in there but it was better than nothing. He tossed the empty assault rifle aside, hefting the scrap shotgun instead.
Then he checked the pockets of his field jacket before ditching it, finding the flare gun Ellis had given him as well as the ID card which he had been hanging on to. He tucked the flare gun into the back of his belt and pocketed the ID card.
He took a deep breath to compose himself. He would only get one shot at this.
He sauntered towards the bunker entrance, doing his best to imitate the unconscious man’s swaggering walk. Ignoring the other two men, he made to enter the bunker.
‘Where are you going?’ one called over the rising wind. ‘Changeover isn’t for another hour, man.’
‘I left my flask inside,’ Aiden said, his voice muffled through his bandana. ‘I’ll go grab it and we can share a drink against this storm.’
The two guards looked at each other, then back to Aiden. His grip tightened around the shotgun he carried.
‘Well be quick about it then,’ the guard said finally. ‘You know Val will string you up by your guts if she catches you inside.’
Aiden nodded, then ducked through the doorway. He followed the spiral stairs down, deep into the heart of the underground facility.
LEIGH WATCHED AS Aiden walked past the two guards and disappeared into the bunker. She felt a chill run down her spine, as if she was watching her friend descend into his own grave. She buried her face in Hitch’s fur, holding him close as she tried not to think about what was happening inside. She tried to think about being back in the greenhouse at home, eating potatoes, and listening to the rain on the windows.
A few moments later, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a rumbling engine. The two guards jumped to attention as Blanc’s SUV rolled into view and came to a stop outside the entrance. Blanc climbed out, her hair dancing in the wind, as the massive henchman Adam stepped into view beside her. She approached the door to the bunker and engaged the guard. The conversation was lost on the rising wind, and Leigh heard none of the exchange, but she could tell Blanc looked angry as she gestured wildly.
A gust of wind carried a sheet of soil and leaves into Leigh’s face, forcing her to cover her eyes despite Aiden’s sunglasses. A muffled gun shot rang out, followed quickly by a second. Leigh’s heart raced as she rubbed her stinging eyes. Still blind, she pulled out her pistol in one hand, and her music box in the other, gripping them both tightly.
When the wind eased off a little, she squinted towards the bunker and saw the two guards lying on the ground. Adam stood by the doorway, his arms folded, swaying slightly as the strong winds buffeted him. Blanc was nowhere in sight.
Leigh was torn. She hated leaving Aiden alone down there with Blanc, but he’d told her to stay put. Maybe she could find a way inside to help him, but then she might just be a burden. She tossed the idea around in her head until she decided she had to at least try and warn him about Blanc.
She got to her feet and took a step forward into the face-stinging wind, but was immediately blown over. She slumped back to the floor. Hitch whined and licked her face as frustration and fear threatened to overwhelm her, but she took a breath and forced herself to stay calm. She wound the music box in her hand, and focused on the familiar tune. Aiden needed her, and she refused to give up. Her fear turned to determination, driving her to stand again.
She kept low as she walked into the growing storm that constantly threatened to knock her over. After a few steps forward, visibility dropped to almost zero and she lost sight of the bunker. She couldn’t even see Hitch, and had no idea if he was still at her heel. She forced herself on regardless. Reaching ahead as she moved, she followed the distorted sound of the music box. Her hands brushed against something solid and she frowned. She couldn’t have reached the entrance already, and there was no other obstacle between her and the bunker.
She squinted up to see the large, flat f
ace of Adam looking down at her. She swallowed hard and tried to speak, but her meek voice was lost on the wind. Adam raised one of his huge arms, and she flinched, covering her head with her hands. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and peered up to see Adam waving at her.
Leigh smiled and waved back at the giant.
AIDEN REACHED THE bottom of the circular metal steps to find the air strangely still and the sound of the storm above muted. Some overhead lights were lit in the corridor now, and though many of the doors were still sealed tight, a few had been pried open since he was last here. He ignored them and ran straight for the control room at the end of the corridor, his boots thudding over the smooth concrete.
He pulled out the ID card as he neared the double doors, but found them already open. He stepped into the control room to find it empty. The rows of control panels were still dark, and a few of them looked like they had been smashed since his last visit. Under the wall-mounted screen, the small monitor still blinked the same error message he had left behind when he first took the decoder.
He had no idea how to disable the weapon, but assumed breaking the monitor wouldn’t be enough. He walked up to the terminal and began flicking through the menu options. He didn’t understand most of the scientific jargon that flashed up though.
Then he came to the final option which read, ‘FACILITY DESTRUCTION FAIL-SAFE.’
He selected the option and hit return, but after a second the screen returned to the usual message.
‘ERROR. DECODER MISSING. PLEASE SELECT COMMAND OR REINSERT TO CONTINUE.’
He slammed his fist down on the table. It all came back to that damn decoder.
‘Hello, Aiden,’ a voice said.
Aiden turned to see Blanc stood in the doorway with a pistol trained on him.
CHAPTER 34
‘OH HAVE I BEEN looking forward to this,’ Blanc said, her eyes dancing in the dim light. ‘Drop the gun.’