Lia's files 2_Heading down south

by Kathrin Kilambya

  “Shall we close the doors? Can we leave things just as they are?” Yuki sounded stressed out.

  “Why, what do you want to do?” Nin asked a bit puzzled.

  “Destroy everything? Maybe? Like setting it on fire so that nobody can use it anymore and nobody can find clues as to who we were and what we did…” Her voice trailed off.

  It hadn’t occurred to me earlier, but she had a point. Or did she?

  Alice looked suddenly scared and shook her head. Nin and Josh, too, didn’t like the idea.

  “I think it is better to leave everything as it is. But we will lock the doors. If we were to set things ablaze the smoke would be noticeable and would give us away, I think.” Josh said.

  “And we need some more time without being noticed to get all these things down to the airport. It would be a stupid and dangerous move, my love, even though I understand your motives.” Nin added.

  “Okay, that’s settled, then. Now let’s move. It’s already way past ten.” Winter urged.

  With one last look at our temporary home of so many weeks and a very strange feeling inside, I left the central room and headed for the door. We’d never ever come back here. What would happen with this place? With all our things? Would somebody ever find his or her way in here? What would they think? How would the place look then?

  We stopped again by the tunnel entrance, both to check for danger as well as to lock the door. Nin turned the key and then, on an impulse, hid it on the left side of the entrance, deep in some low growing bushes. When he saw Yuki’s and my reaction to this, he sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and murmured. “You never know. It’s safer that way.”

  Our luggage was piled just outside the exit, next to the little path leading down to the river. I loaded my backpack and grabbed the bags I was to carry. I took one away from Yuki. She shouldn’t carry too heavy a load. She rolled her eyes at me, but let me get my way.

  Paul led the way. He had loaded a big backpack and was carrying two smaller bags in each hand. He also had three guns slung over his shoulders. I wondered how he was going to carry all this down to the airport.

  “Will we have enough food?” Yuki suddenly asked. “Shouldn’t we go back and take some of our fresh things with us, like eggs or so?”

  “No, leave everything here, we have to carry enough. And the way down to the airport is long.” Josh replied. He carried most of us: his backpack as well as two huge bags and Alice’s big backpack. He looked like a walking mountain of bags. How on earth was he going to make it down to the airport like this? Winter was ready, too, by now, carrying a backpack and two bags. So were Rob and Nin. They, too, carried more than seemed humanly possible.

  Would we be able to get all those things down to the airport?

  It being just a bit past new moon, we needed our flashlights to find our way. But we tried to use them as little as possible.

  Winter, Rob and Paul had already started down the hill; and after one last glance at our place and our destroyed house, we quickly followed her. Josh first, then Alice, Yuki and I, with Nin bringing up the rear.

  I was glad that Josh led the way, because my thoughts were elsewhere. I wondered about Mum, Nate, the twins, Uncle Phil and Aunt Kamene. Where were they now? Already in Kenya? Would we see them soon like Alice hoped? Or were they still further away from our new home in Kenya than we? We would never again see this place, our home of so many years. We would never return to these temperate zone again, if everything went right. From now onwards, we would live on another continent.

  It felt crazy. Everything was suddenly happening so soon.

  “Are you alright, Lia?” Josh’s gentle question penetrated my rather gloomy thoughts.

  I smiled at him. “Yes, just trying to wrap my head around the speed with which this is all happening.”

  “I know. I’d never thought we’d head off so soon after arriving here. I had imagined several days of careful preparations and discussions. Never did I expect us to leave within hours of having seen your plane. But it is an opportunity we just have to grab.”

  “I know, I know. I am not complaining, just trying to cope.” I answered, wondering whom he was trying to convince that we did the right thing. Himself or me? I, for one, was all for taking this window of opportunity we’d been granted. I really was, as I had said, just trying to grasp the speed of how quickly things were happening now.

  “I am sure that I forgot something very important.” Yuki muttered to herself.

  “Like your toothbrush or your ticket?” Nin teased.

  “It feels a bit like that, doesn’t it?” Josh said; a smile in his voice. “It was the same for me when we left England. I kept wondering what I had forgotten.” He gave me a passionate glance and went on. “But then I decided that only thing I absolutely couldn’t leave behind was your necklace, Lia.”

  “Uh! How very maudlin!” Nin mocked. “Anymore schmaltzy and …”

  “Oh, just you shut up, Ninian!” Yuki scolded him in a stern voice. “I could tell them some things you said to me that would make you blush. That Josh and Lia love each other is simply beautiful and you don’t have to spoil it for them with your mocking comments. And, you never made me a present like that necklace and medallion Lia got. I’ll forever be jealous of it, Lia. It’s simply marvellous. Not only are the medallion and the necklace exquisitely made and totally beautiful in themselves, but the thought and the message they convey. It’s sooo romantic and wonderful.” She glared at Nin. “You never did anything like that for me, you know.”

  That temporarily shut him up. But he grinned affectionately at her. She didn’t really mean what she’d said. She’d just defended me as if I were her cub and she the mother lioness.

  Josh chuckled, too. He clearly enjoyed the friendly banter.

  “Hey, look, the others are already down at the bridge, we had better hurry.” Alice shouted and shocked us into action.

  “Shush, Alice, not so loud.” I cautioned her.

  But we all hurried down the path now. Winter, Rob and Paul were about fifty metres ahead and waiting for us at the foot of the bridge.

  “We’re coming, Winter.” I said apologetically when we’d finally reached them. “Sorry for the delay. Is the coast clear? Can we cross the bridge?”

  “Everything is okay. We’ve watched the other side, but we couldn’t see anything. Though, you all made quite some noise. If someone were around and heard you, it would be so easy to set up an ambush. Especially with you all shining your lights about! I don’t like it. Let’s get going.”

  “Hush, Flo.” Rob soothed her. “We’ll be there in a minute, no need to panic now.”

  We hurried across the bridge as quickly as our heavy loads allowed us to. It was harder going now. Walking downhill with all the baggage had been a lot easier than walking down here in the plain. By the time we’d reached the edge of the trees I felt like I couldn’t possibly move any further. And I wasn’t the only one huffing and puffing. Everyone else also looked like they found it difficult to go on. Only Alice and Yuki who both had relatively lighter loads were walking briskly ahead of us. Down here it was easier to find our way and we switched off our lights.

  As we were getting closer to the hangar, I was determined to make it. I could feel the sweat running down my face and my back, and my breathing was coming in gasps, but I carried on.

  And then we were there, the hangar just around the corner. We stopped and set our luggage down. Paul and Rob carefully proceeded to check out the situation. But no need to worry. Just a few minutes after they’d disappeared inside the hangar, they were back and reported that nobody had yet returned to the plane. The coast was clear and we hurried over with all our luggage.

  We got into the hangar and left the doors open. After all, we’d be leaving within a few hours. It was just a bit past midnight now.

  Before, when we’d had dinner, it had been decided that we’d head out around six in the morning. Paul and Josh now jumped up into the plane and Rob and Nin sta
rted handing them the bags with our luggage.

  “Wow, we’ve really managed to bring a lot. “Rob commented. “The plane is nowhere near fully loaded and we can fit everything you like.”

  “We couldn’t carry a lot of weapons or ammunition. That’s what’s worrying me, honestly. But at least we took along some very useful other things.” Josh answered.

  “No problem there.” Paul who’d just reappeared from within the plane, replied. “We found some boxes with guns and ammunition among the things the Nemesis guys loaded.”

  “This seems almost too pat, you know, Rob. The plane having been loaded for us. The men disappearing instead of staying with it to guard it. Us having enough time to go and get our own gear. And now even this, getting enough guns and ammunition courtesy of the Nemesis. It seems almost too good to be true.” Josh mused; half teasing, half worried.

  “No, you shouldn’t see it like this.” Paul answered him confidently. “We have risked a lot to come here. They think that they are the only humans around. So, how should they be able to factor us into their calculations? As far as they are concerned, we don’t exist. What has me worried a teeny bit, honestly, is what will happen once we take off and are in the air. Especially the first and absolutely crucial ten minutes.”

  But Nin had thought about this a lot and while lifting the last bags into the plane he told Paul how he planned to fly out of here without arousing too much suspicion.

  “We heard that they would fly east. So that’s just what we will do. We will take off in a southern direction and then head east until we’ll be way over the Alps. Even if they should see us, they’ll most probably think that the ‘boss’ got in earlier than they thought. It will take them hours to figure out that someone has actually stolen the plane. And, they’ll never guess who did it, let alone where we’re heading.”

  “Sounds convincing.” Josh scratched his head pensively, as if he liked the idea but couldn’t quite believe we’d be that lucky.

  “And where will we be waiting now. Until it’s time to get going?” Yuki asked, a bit anxiously.

  “Two of us must guard the entrance. I suggest that Nin and Paul are excused from this task because they will have to fly us out of here.” Josh suggested.

  “And we can all settle back there, on the boxes in the rear of the hangar. And try to get a bit of sleep.” Winter added.

  I didn’t think that I would be able to sleep that night. Alice was very sleepy. She clung to Nin’s hand and yawned; but she wasn’t whiney. Brave little tiger that she was!

  Paul and Nin made her a kind of a nest or bed on a pile of empty bags at the back of the hangar. They covered her with one of the blankets we’d carried along. She was fast asleep before they were even done with this. Nin made sure that Yuki was equally comfortably settled for the night. Rob and Winter sat next to each other on a box.

  Josh took over the first watch and I went to sit by his side. We didn’t talk, just sat there, looking out and listening to the noises of the night. Not that there were many. It was eerily quiet. And we didn’t want to disturb that quiet with our voices. But Josh held my hand and he kept tracing circles and patterns on my palm with his fingers.

  I felt the cold creeping up my legs and that’s what kept me awake. But when Rob and Winter came to relief us, I was glad that we could snuggle up on the pile of bags the others had earlier created. It wasn’t exactly comfy, but at least warmer than out there by the open door of the hangar.

  The cold and weariness must have gotten to me sooner than I thought, because the next thing I knew was that Josh was kissing me, whispering that I must wake up.

  Eh? Already morning?

  “You look adorable when you are sleepy.” Josh’s hoarse voice sent shivers of delight all over my body and I raised my arms to embrace him.

  What a wonderful way of waking up!

  Then I remembered and sat up with a jolt.

  “It’s morning? Are we too late? Mustn’t we get going immediately?”

  Everyone else had already woken up and was now chuckling at my rather disorientated speech.

  “It’s alright, Lia.” Paul grinned. “It’s only just past six o’clock. We have ample time. We can even put in a spot of breakfast.”

  “Uh, I don’t think so, mate. I say, let’s get ready and then head out. It won’t hurt if we gain a bit of time.” Rob answered.

  We tried our best, but it took us another 30 minutes to get all ready, what with Yuki feeling sick and Alice being difficult.

  It was 07:10 now and a brilliant morning sun was shining when we were finally ready.

  “Let’s get going now. We’re getting late.” Nin exclaimed as he climbed into the plane and headed for the cockpit. Paul followed him with Alice. Rob and Josh went to push the hangar doors open. Winter, Yuki and I also climbed into the plane and took our seats along the windows. I hugged Alice close. But she needed no emotional support from me. She was as excited as was Nin. I guessed that she still thought we’d be with Mum within just a few days. I only hoped it would turn out to be true. Otherwise she’d be very difficult to live with.

  Josh climbed in now and came over to sit with Alice and me. He gave me a brief kiss; then he took my hand and clutched it tight while glancing intently out of the window.

  Rob climbed in last, carefully closed the door and sat down by Winter’s side. They exchanged a brief, intense glance. They too stared attentively out of the window.

  Nin and Paul were busy in the cockpit and suddenly the engine roared up and the plane inched forward. My heart jumped into my throat and I felt very nervous and exposed. It was still about 200 metres from the hangar out to the runway and to take-off. It would take us some minutes to taxi to the runway! Would we make it there before being detected?

  “Please, please, let this work! Please!”

  “Hush, Lia, we’ll manage, don’t you worry.”

  I hadn’t realized I’d spoken out my thoughts. Josh smiled at me reassuringly and I bowed my head, touching, no clutching, my necklace for support.

  I closed my eyes for a moment because the plane was moving so slowly and we’d still so far to go before take-off could be contemplated. We were at our most vulnerable right now and time seemed to move too slowly by far. If anyone came down to the airport now. No, it just didn’t bear thinking!

  I opened my eyes again. I needed to see where we were headed, to face whatever was coming now.

  “Look, Lia, we are already out on the runway.” Alice exclaimed. She was fidgeting excitedly on her seat.

  “Do we have to fasten our seat-belts?” Yuki suddenly asked from across the aisle.

  “Why not?” Rob answered. “I for one put on mine, see.”

  So, we all fumbled with our seat-belts and I helped Alice close hers. By the time we were done, Paul shove his head through the cockpit door, beaming. “We’re about to take off! Get ready, everyone. Wow, I sure like this!”

  He disappeared back into the cockpit and suddenly the engine picked up several notches and the entire plane started to vibrate. It lurched forward and rolled down the runway, gaining speed quickly. I held my breath.

  We were about to leave our home of so many years! It seemed such a trivial act for something that momentous.

  Please, please, let this work! It simply must!

  Just moments later I felt the usual floating feeling as the airplane took off and we were in the air! It had all gone amazingly smooth. And it was just 07:25. We’d made it!

  Could it really have been that easy?

  There was a yell of pure joy from the cockpit. Paul, of course!

  We kept on gaining height quickly and I craned my neck to get one last glance at our house. But we were already too far south. We flew parallel to the highway now, gaining height ever faster. Soon we would be too far away to see anything. And also too far away to be in danger!

  Wow! We’d made it! It seemed incredible. And I cautioned myself that we’d only gotten this far, so remain careful and vigilant, will yo
u.

  “Lia, look, the river below us. And over there I can see the hills where we used to go and hike. Look, Lia, look!” Alice was jumping up and down on her seat, pointing at things as we flew steady in a south-easterly direction while continuously gaining height. The ground below seemed far away now and everything got tinier and tinier. Soon we’d not be able to make out details. After all this plane was destined to fly at high altitudes, reaching the jet-stream and covering long distances.

  But for now we were still ascending. I had no idea how high above ground we were, maybe five, six hundred metres, maybe a lot more. After all, it was notoriously difficult to judge height.

  Suddenly Nin shouted. “Watch out, Paul, on our right. Do you see those cars on the highway?”

  What! Cars! How many? And heading which direction?

  We all craned our necks trying to see what Nin was talking about.

  Josh saw them first and pointed for me and Alice to see.

  And indeed, there were four cars on the highway; heading toward Berne, coming from the South. Basically heading in the opposite direction than we flew. We were approaching them now, already quite high above them. Too far for a gunshot to reach us, please!

  “We’re safe up here. Don’t worry, they can’t reach us.” Josh assured me.

  The cars slowed down and stopped. We were basically on top of them now. What would happen?

  And then, suddenly and totally unexpectedly the plane tilted to the side, changing direction, heading northward!

  “What the hell are you doing?” Rob shouted. Both he and Josh started to get up and were groping their ways toward the cockpit when we heard Paul’s laughter.

  “Oops, sorry folks! Just trying to distract those idiots some more. Hold on tight now. I am going to do a loop over them. As a sort of greeting. Then we can head off and hope to never see them again.

  Josh sank back on his seat with an exasperated sigh. Rob, too, slumped back next to Winter. He looked over at me and said with a sheepish grin.

  “A dare-devil, not a show-off. Like I said. Remember.”

  With that Josh burst out laughing. “And if he manages to pull this off, we’ll have fooled them into believing that we are some of them, the “boss” probably. Look he’s completed the loop and we are heading southeast again. Really! Nobody but Paul would dare pull off something like this and with such aplomb. Hopefully, they are even less likely to suspect anything now! Keep our fingers crossed!”