by RR Haywood
‘Someone do an inventory of what we do have,’ I mutter the words out while getting most of the first pile splodged into the yellow bin liner. We work from pile to pile, smearing the shit over the rough concrete floor but getting dollops at a time into the bag.
‘Right,’ I stand up and look round at the smeared patches, ‘what have we got?’
‘Case of water,’ Paula replies, ‘clothes and boots have been taken. We’ve got no food, no toilet roll left…’
‘No cigarettes,’ Nick continues, ‘we’ve all got our assault rifles and the magazines that were in them. Pistols but no hand weapons…they were left in the main room.’
‘Cunts,’ Blowers seethes, ‘cleaned us out while we fucking slept…’
‘We’ve got water and we’ve got weapons,’ I nod quickly, ‘the rest will have to be bargained for.’
‘He’s a cunt,’ Blowers says again, ‘I can’t believe they’ve done this.’
‘They think we’re infected,’ Roy states, ‘you can’t really blame them for taking precautions.’
‘Roy,’ Paula says gently, ‘this might not be the time to take their side,’ she looks round at the thunderous looks being sent towards Roy.
‘He’s right,’ I say quickly, ‘Maddox has thought this through. If he had come to us and said we still would have gone out to find Marcy.’
‘Why didn’t they let us leave then?’ Cookey asks, ‘we’d have been out there and away from everyone.’
‘Because, mate,’ I say slowly, ‘if we turned out there we’d still pose a risk to the fort. We know the layout, how to get inside…and he’s right, the skills we’ve picked up make us too dangerous to be trusted anywhere but in sight and under armed guard.’
‘You’re taking this very well,’ Clarence says to me while looking ridiculous in his underpants.
I snort with dry laughter, ‘I had my hissy fit earlier, that’s enough for me for a while. Right,’ I say decidedly, ‘we need options but before we have options we need information. I want every inch of this place examined for a possible exit point or something we can use to our advantage. Look at the walls, the floor and the ceilings. Look for anything broken or eroding. Blowers and Cookey, you two first in that room,’ I point to the room behind them, ‘then Nick and Clarence will check the same room followed by Paula and Roy and then me and Dave. We’ll all check every room so there is no doubt of anything being missed. Go,’ I nod at them to start.
‘I see your point,’ Paula says, ‘but why don’t we divide the rooms up and all make a start and then cross check each as we…’
I hold my hands out, ‘you sort it out then, but I want every room checked by each pair. Keep it simple and check properly…you two,’ I point at Blowers and Cookey, ‘make a start now and no fucking about.’
‘On it,’ Blowers says as they head off into the first room.
‘I’m going outside, everyone else stay here.’ I head to the door feeling utterly stupid in just my underwear. Once outside I close the door behind me and watch as the crews suddenly notice me and start lifting weapons up to aim in my direction, ‘lads,’ I tut and shake my head, ‘who is meant to be watching?’
The teenagers glance guiltily at each other but I notice most of them are aimed towards the middle.
‘You?’ I point to an older looking girl, ‘you’re the crew chief right? You should be watching us and not chatting. If we’d have burst out we’d have been on you by the time you got those guns up.’
‘Sorry,’ she huffs and looks quickly away.
‘Sorry is not good enough,’ I say firmly, ‘if Maddox tells you to keep watch then you keep watch and the rest of you can stop gawping too,’ I look at the rest and the confused but slightly guilty expressions they offer back.
‘You heard, Mr Howie,’ Maddox’s voice booms out as he walks through the ranks towards me, ‘I said I wanted a close watch and that means you keep watch…’
‘I’m coming over,’ I call out and start strolling as Maddox walks free from the first rank to meet me halfway.
‘What’s up?’ He asks stopping a few feet away.
I peer round him at the crews and lower my voice so just he can hear, ‘don’t be a dick, Maddox. We need a mop and bucket. It fucking stinks in there.’
‘Weapons.’
‘Be decent, mate,’ I say quietly but with an imploring tone, ‘fuck me, Maddox. We’ve been non-stop for sixteen fucking days now. Snatched sleeps, shit food and constant fighting. Downtime will do us good but leaving us in underwear without food, smokes or coffee will drive them nuts…’
‘Weapons.’
‘Look around you. Look at what we gained and what we took. We got this, Maddox and we took you in…’
‘It’s simple. Weapons.’
‘I get it mate,’ I keep my tone level despite the rising anger within me, ‘keep the crews watching us. Keep us under observations and we’ll do whatever tests you want with the doctors but for fuck’s sake don’t treat us like this…mate, be decent.’
‘Pass the weapons out disassembled and you will be provided with everything you need.’
‘Ah you see,’ I screw my face up and shake my head, ‘it’s when you talk to me like that it starts niggling. Do you understand? Don’t talk at me, Maddox. Don’t tell me what we’ll be provided with. You got the power now, mate. But what if the doc’s do tests and find out none of us are infected? What then? You wanna go back to be best mates after treating us like this?’
He holds still and shows no visible reaction to his thoughts.
‘Whatever you think we are,’ I rush on hoping he’s taking it in, ‘just remember what we’ve done. We got the doctors. We got the ammunition. We got the food you are eating and the weapons you’re pointing at us. Send Lilly over with a mop and bucket.’
‘Howie,’ he says as I go to turn away, ‘we’re gonna be needing those weapons. You’re too dangerous to be left with them.’
‘And you don’t get to dominate this entire situation,’ I reply, ‘you don’t treat us like twats and expect we’ll do exactly as you say. Behaviour breeds behaviour, mate. Yeah you’re switched on and you run this place brilliantly and yeah I can see why you’re doing what you’re doing…but you’re still young and despite the confidence you portray you don’t know everything. Your idea is excellent, the execution of the idea is poor as shit. Now get a fucking grip and do things properly!’
Now I walk off and head back in to find the main room empty and everyone off in the side rooms examining them inch by inch
‘Anything?’ Paula steps out leaving Roy running his fingertips over the wall behind her.
‘I tried reasoning with him.’
‘And?’
‘He’s young,’ I sigh and rest my backside against the edge of the table, ‘he’s fucking good at what he does but…you know, I think he realises he’s done this wrong but doesn't know how to fix it or be seen as weak by relenting or changing his mind.’
‘You asked for clothes?’
‘And coffee, food and cigarettes. He just kept saying he wants the weapons.’
‘Can we give them over?’
‘Bad idea,’ Clarence says from the doorway of his room, ‘we’ve got something to bargain with and he won’t come in while we’re still armed.’
‘Makes sense,’ she says, ‘I don’t think there will be a way out of here.’
‘Probably not. It was the armoury,’ I say glumly and fold my arms.
‘We can always think of a distraction to get one out when it’s dark,’ Clarence suggests.
‘Yeah,’ I nod and glance up sharply at a soft knock at the main door, ‘who is it?’
‘Lilly,’ a female voice says muffled by the thick door, ‘Maddox sent me down with a mop and…’
‘Hi,’ I pull the door open smile as Lilly gives me an embarrassed look while holding two mop buckets each with a mop wedged into the soapy water, ‘thank fuck for that, are you allowed in?’
‘I think so,’ she shrugs.
‘Hang on, don’t make things worse,’ I step round her and see Maddox stood amongst the ranks of his armed youths, ‘can she come in?’
He nods but doesn't reply.
‘Lilly!’ Nick comes rushing to the door and takes the buckets from her hands, ‘you okay?’
‘Fine,’ she says and steps into the room with a grimace, ‘nice pants by the way.’
‘Sorry,’ he smiles sheepishly.
‘Nice pants, Nicholas,’ Cookey says as he grabs one of the buckets, ‘hi, Lilly.’
‘Oh my,’ Lilly blushes furiously as the room fills with the team all dressed in various forms of underwear.
‘You get used to it,’ Paula tuts, ‘they’re nice lads really.’
‘No we’re not,’ Blowers laughs, ‘we’re contagious animals that need locking up.’
‘Is Lilly safe?’ Cookey asks with a mock sideways glance at her, ‘we might eat her!’
‘Gobble her all up,’ Blowers says then notices the look on Nick’s face, ‘or we won’t do that at all,’ he adds quickly, ‘will we, Cookey?’
‘Eh, oh…oh no…not at all…’
‘Alex, Simon. Clean please.’
‘Yes, Dave.’
‘Sorry, Dave.’
‘I tried talking Maddox out of it,’ Lilly says quickly, ‘but I didn’t know until after they’d told Lani…’
‘Not your fault,’ I reply, ‘have you seen Lani?’
‘No,’ she shakes her head, ‘I can try after this. Maddox hasn’t lost it or anything…he seems really calm and…like normal?’
‘Yeah I know,’ I say, ‘I spoke to him.’
‘What about Lenski?’ Paula asks.
‘She agrees with Maddox,’ Lilly replies with another apologetic frown, ‘sorry.’
‘Lilly, you don’t have to apologise.’
‘Thanks, Mr Howie…er, I got these…for Nick,’ she pulls a packet of sealed packet cigarettes from her pocket, ‘not just for Nick, er…for everyone.’
‘Shit,’ Nick takes the packet and blinks, ‘bollocks, I mean…er…cheers.’
‘Awkward!’
‘Alex.’
‘Sorry, Dave.’
‘Not that I agree with smoking but I heard you ask for them outside.’
‘Do not light up in here until that stench has gone,’ Paula says firmly.
‘And Maddox said I could bring some coffee over next.’
‘Did he?’ I smile at the thought that maybe our chat had some effect after all, which also means he isn’t so stubborn as being unable to back down.
‘Interesting,’ Paula shoots a quick nod at me, ‘might be a way out then.’
‘Gently,’ I reply.
‘Not that’s it my place to ask but what will happen now?’ Lilly asks, ‘not that Maddox asked me to ask…’ she adds quickly, ‘I mean I’m not a spy or anything…I was just asking!’
‘Lilly, it’s okay,’ Paula smiles warmly at her, ‘we’ll work it out somehow.’
‘I’ll get the coffee and come straight back? Is that okay?’ She looks to me first then Paula.
‘Sure,’ I say, ‘that would be lovely…our door is always open.’
‘Okay, I’ll er…I’ll be right back then,’ she smiles awkwardly at Nick and blushes again before heading out.
‘Nick, close the door,’ I say quickly and wait while he crosses the room and pushes it shut, ‘listen up, keep doing what we’re doing. No aggression, no anger, no nothing like that. Whatever we do now will be fed back to Maddox.’
‘She said she’s not a spy,’ Nick says.
‘And I believe her, but she’s also very intelligent and will read our dynamics like an open book. She already said she tried stopping him and right now she’s about the only friend we’ve got.’
‘We should get her to pass a message to Lani,’ Paula says quietly.
‘That’s not fair, don’t involve her,’ Nick says.
‘We’ve got to do what we can,’ Paula explains, ‘just a message.’
‘Like what?’ Nick asks, ‘what can Lani do?’
‘Create a distraction,’ Dave says.
‘Then what?’ I ask him, ‘we get out of the armoury but then what? We’ve still got the whole of the fort to cross.’
‘Not unless we go out the back,’ Clarence says.
‘Up and over the wall?’ Roy suggests, ‘I could get up the side of the fort here and onto the top…maybe pull a rope up behind me the rest of you can use.’
‘We need to be clear on what we’re escaping from,’ I say to everyone, ‘there is always the option of simply handing our weapons over and staying here. Shit, we’ve earned the downtime and…’
‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Paula says with a glance at the door, ‘but no chance. I don’t know about everyone else but I’m not staying here as a prisoner under armed guard. Not after what we’ve done for them…no.’
‘I’m with Paula,’ Clarence says, ‘I’m not risking being a summary execution at the hands of a nineteen year old tyrant who wants to control this place for himself.’
‘I don’t think it’s like that,’ I say with a shake of my head.
‘What if that old man turns?’ Clarence says, ‘they’ll be gunning us down within seconds. Throwing bloody grenades through the door. Christ, it’s hardly a scientific study is it? Taking Lani’s blood and stuffing it in some other poor sod. We could have done that days ago.’
‘Fair one. Right, escape it is then and right now the up and over plan sounds the best. We get Lani to create a distraction then we get Roy out and up the wall. Then we try and get as many out as possible…those that get free sort something out to get the rest of us.’
‘Ssshhh,’ Nick rushes to the door.
‘Coffee,’ Lilly announces brightly. She comes in carrying a big tray full of steaming mugs. A smaller cup is filled with sugar and she’s even put packets of biscuits and milk portions on there for us.
‘Lovely,’ Clarence claps his hands together and starts rubbing them as he heads for the central table, ‘everyone okay out there?’
‘Tense,’ she says quietly, ‘what do you want me to do?’
‘Do?’ I ask while grabbing a mug of coffee.
‘To help,’ she says quietly, ‘what can I do?’
‘What do you mean? We’ve agreed to stay here and do the tests.’
‘Hmmm,’ she looks at me then straight at Nick who tries staring back but blushes and quickly looks away, ‘no, no I don’t think so.’
‘Lilly, look we’re grateful for the coffee but we’d never ask you to do anything that…’
‘Nick saved my life,’ she fixed me with a level look, ‘and he went to rescue my brother. Then you rescued Nick and all of you got my brother out. I like Maddox and can see why he’s doing this but my loyalties are with you. What can I do?’
‘We need to get a message to Lani,’ Nick steps closer to Lilly, ‘if that old man turns they’ll probably try and kill us. So we can’t stay here.’
‘I understand,’ she nods and stares only at Nick, ‘what shall I tell her?’
‘We need a distraction,’ Nick explains, ‘something big enough to draw attention from us so we can get over the wall.’
‘You can’t,’ she says, ‘the wall is too smooth here, I looked when I was coming in. No footholds, no handholds…’
‘I can boost Dave up,’ Clarence steps closer to the conversation.
‘Dave?’ I look at him.
‘Yes, Mr Howie.’
‘Right,’ I take a breath, ‘is that yes, Mr Howie I can do it or yes, Mr Howie what do you want?’
‘Yes,’ he nods and stares at me, ‘I can do it.’
‘Good. Distraction. Get Dave up and we try and get out. The distraction will need to be big. Something that goes bang…’
‘Lani won’t be free to get out,’ Nick looks at me, ‘they’ll either have her sedated or restrained.’
‘I can do the distraction,’ Lilly says.
‘No,’ Nick says firm
ly.
‘Nick, I’m not feeble,’ she says gently, ‘you saved me and my brother, let me help.’
‘A distraction has to be something visual and something audible,’ Dave says, ‘and it must be enough to overcome the training of the soldiers to stay watchful on their posts.’
‘Did they bring the ammunition in yet?’ Blowers asks Lilly.
She nods before replying, ‘they’ve stored them at the back.’
‘The back? Which rooms?’
‘Er, they’ve got double doors.’
‘The workshops,’ I nod, ‘where they made the foot traps before Darren got here.’
‘Can you get in there?’ Blowers asks, ‘get a grenade or something?’
‘Fuck’s sake, Blowers,’ Nick says with a hard glare, ‘that’s asking a bit much.’
‘Sorry, mate,’ Blowers says instantly, ‘forget it.’
‘They’ve got a couple of the guards up there,’ Lilly replies, ‘if I can get in…what am I looking for?’
‘Grenades,’ Blowers ignores the look from Nick, ‘you know what they look like?’
‘Are they the same as on television?’
‘Exactly the same,’ Blowers nods, ‘get a few and head into the gap between the walls and find all the old vehicles that got mangled in the storm…chuck the grenades in that lot.’
‘Blowers,’ Clarence snaps, ‘that’s a bloody good idea…especially if they’ve still got fuel left in them.’
‘Are you right handed?’ Blowers asks, ‘good, hold the grenade in your right hand with your fingers holding the little metal bar in place. There’s a metal loop at the top, you twist and pull firmly. The grenade will not be armed until you release the metal bar which is only done when you throw it, you with me?’
‘Go on,’ Lilly nods and watches his hands as he pretends to hold a grenade and loop the forefinger of his left hand through the imaginary hoop, twist and pull it clear.
‘Big throw,’ he says, ‘but not like as hard as you can…that’s when mistakes happen and you drop it or fumble…throw it overhand like this,’ he mocks a throw with a smooth overhead motion, ‘it will detonate after about three or four seconds.’
‘Three or four seconds, got it.’
‘They won’t see it,’ Dave says, ‘it has to be both visual and audible.’