“All right.” Connor studied each of their faces in turn. “Phoebe, it’s good of John to offer, and he’d be an asset to the team, but he isn’t a patrol leader, and I have to show proper respect for those who are. John has already done a great deal to help, and I’d like him to carry on that good work by staying here.”
“But–“ Phoebe started.
Connor raised his hand to cut her off. “There’s something else you need to know. I assured the council that I would be leaving some good people behind to help them maintain order, and I told them that I’d leave at least one patrol leader here. I’m sorry, Phoebe, but it’s clear to me that I should leave you and John here, and then I can rest easy knowing that the settlement is in good hands. I’m sure that between you, you can handle anything that might happen while we’re away.”
Phoebe pursed her lips. Then slowly, she nodded. “All right. I can see the sense in what you’re saying. John isn’t going to like it, but if I’m the only patrol leader staying behind, I’m going to need him by my side.”
“Thanks,” Connor said. “As for the rest of you, I’d like you all to come along. Assuming you’re ready, willing and able.” He turned to Parry. “How about it? It’s going to be a long and bumpy road. Are your ribs going to hold up?”
Parry smiled. “No sweat. It’s nothing serious. Helen gave me some of her famous tea, and it works wonders.” He screwed up his face. “Tastes like hell, but it sure does work.”
“Cate? Ben? Are you sure you’re up for this?” Connor asked.
“Definitely,” Cate replied. “I wouldn’t hear of you going without me. No one knows how to run a rover better than me.”
“Count me in,” Ben said. “I can be ready in ten minutes.”
“I think we can give you a little longer than that,” Connor said. “How about we meet in the square in half an hour. That should give you plenty of time to pack what you need. Space on the rover will be limited, so only bring essentials. You must bring your weapons and make sure that they’re fully charged.”
“Connor, is there any chance we can get our hands on some rifles?” Parry asked.
“I’ll try,” Connor replied. “I’ll have to check with the council, but with Evelyn on our side, it shouldn’t be a problem. She’ll come through for us.”
“Fair enough.” Parry slapped Ben on the shoulder. “Let’s go and get ready.”
Cate stepped forward. “See you in half an hour.”
Connor nodded. “Thanks. Any problems, come and see me immediately, otherwise, I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
The patrol team leaders filed out of the house, but the door had no sooner shut than it opened again, and Connor’s wife, Helen, walked in. She gave Connor an uncertain smile. “Is everything okay? How did it go?”
“Don’t worry, it’s all fine. They’re keen to get going.” He looked down at his hands. “I just hope they know what they’re letting themselves in for.”
“They know.” Helen crossed the room and took his hand. “And they’re right to place their trust in you.”
“Are they?”
“That’s not like you, Connor.” Helen tilted her head to one side. “What’s the matter?”
Connor let go of her hand and stepped back, then he looked at Helen, willing her to understand the feelings he couldn’t put into words.
Helen’s hand flew to her mouth. “Stop it, Connor. You’re scaring me. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I don’t know. I’m just not sure.” He paused. “You know I’d do anything to protect Siobhan, but Ben, Cate, and even Parry—they’re going to be relying on me too. If it comes down to it, if I have to choose between saving my daughter and bringing everyone home…”
Helen stepped forward and held onto his arms, looking up into his eyes. “You’ll do what you’ve always done. You’ll do the right thing.”
Connor met her gaze. “Will I?”
“Yes. But it won’t come to that. You’ll bring them all home. I know you will.”
Connor heaved a sigh, and Helen reached up and placed her hand gently on his cheek. “There’s something else I have to say. I want you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“These people, these strangers who’ve taken our daughter, I want you to promise me that they will never come back and bother us again.”
For a moment, Connor narrowed his eyes, but then he understood.
“I don’t want to live out our days worrying that they might come back,” Helen said. “So I don’t want you to say that they won’t come back, I want you to make sure that they can’t come back. Not ever.”
And slowly, Connor took her hand and said, “I promise.”
CHAPTER 6
Truck Two
Alec checked the truck’s control panel and allowed himself a small smile. After spending the first forty-five minutes of flight time working his way through the panel’s settings and undoing Kyrksen’s inexplicable alterations, he finally had the controls recalibrated, and the truck was cruising nicely, responding to his every command. “This is more like it,” he murmured. “Nice and smooth.”
“Yeah, it’s running okay,” Jim said. “Not sure how you got power back through panel five—I thought it was shot to hell—but whatever you changed, it certainly did the trick.”
Alec tutted. “The power wasn’t routed properly. Someone must’ve messed with the settings. Was it you?”
Jim held up his hands. “Of course not. It was all Kyrksen. I tried to tell him, but you know what he’s like. No way he was ever going to listen to me.”
“Even so…” Alec left the words hanging in the air, an unspoken accusation in his frown. Jim looked crestfallen, but so what? Let him squirm, Alec thought. He deserves it.
They traveled in silence for a while, but when Jim tapped the control panel, Alec shot him a look. “What are you doing?”
Jim pulled his hand away as if he’d been stung. “I was checking the fuel levels, that’s all. Kyrksen always liked me to—”
“You can forget about whatever Kyrksen said,” Alec interrupted. “He’s finished.”
“I guess so. I can’t say I’m surprised. After the way he went off the reservation like that, Lyndsey had to do something.”
“That’s Doctor Teare to you,” Alec said, “and I’m sure she’ll be glad to know she has your full support.”
“Yeah, sure. Goes without saying.” Jim looked down at his hands.
Alec took a breath. “Why don’t you go and take a break?”
“Really? I should stay in the cockpit while we’re flying.”
“No need for that,” Alec replied. “Everything’s fine here. There’s no point in you hanging around.”
“But—”
“That’s an order,” Alec snapped. “Take a break. You’re not needed here.”
Jim stood stiffly, his lips set in the firm line. He moved slowly to the cockpit door, but he paused at the threshold. “If anything changes…”
“I’ll let you know,” Alec said. “Now, go and take a break.” He refocused his attention on the control panel, and when he heard the cockpit door close, he breathed a sigh of relief. Jim was clearly going to be a pain in the ass, and it was going to take some work to get this truck and its crew back into shape. God knows what Kyrksen has been doing over here, Alec thought, but it’s up to me to put it right.
***
Siobhan stared at the bowl of pale green liquid sitting on the small table in front of her. Across the table, the woman who’d introduced herself as Sue Hodgeson gave Siobhan an encouraging smile. “It tastes better than in it looks. Think of it as vegetable soup—it helps, believe me.”
Siobhan glanced at Milo. He was already tucking into his bowl. “I don’t remember vegetable soup,” he said. “But this stuff isn’t bad.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Siobhan said, pushing the bowl away. “I’m not hungry.”
Sue sighed. “Okay. If you change your mind later, I can always hea
t it up for you. But we can’t let it go to waste. We synthesize what we can, but resources are scarce. We have to account for every scrap.”
Just like home, Siobhan thought, and she closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the scent of fresh-baked root bread, recalling the way her mom would sometimes add some dried creeper berries to the mixture to make it sweeter. She heard someone moving, and when she opened her eyes, Sue was already walking away from the table.
“You ought to at least try some,” Milo said. “They’re sharing their food with us. You should appreciate it, Shiv.”
“Why? In case we offend them?” Siobhan asked. “Are you serious?”
Milo shook his head and went back to his food. “You need to eat.”
Siobhan sat back and folded her arms. She didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. Perhaps if she went hungry, Alec would be concerned. He might even be worried enough to take her home. It’s a long shot, she thought. And Milo was right for once; if she didn’t eat, she wouldn’t have the energy to change her situation.
“Are you eating that?”
She looked up with a start. She hadn’t heard Jim Clennan approaching, but he was standing over the table, his eyes on her bowl. “If you don’t want it, I’ll gladly take care of it,” he said, “but I’ve nothing to give you in return except maybe a dry biscuit.”
Siobhan pushed the bowl toward him. “Take it.”
Milo gave her a disapproving frown, but she ignored him and locked eyes with Jim. “Please, sit down. Help yourself.”
Jim licked his lips. “Thanks.” He sat down and started eating. “This is good. I think Sue must’ve been trying to cheer you up.”
Siobhan forced a smile. “How come you’re not in the cockpit? We’re still moving.”
“Taking a break,” Jim said between mouthfuls. “Got to eat sometime.”
“So, Alec’s flying this thing on his own?”
Jim grunted. “Golden boy doesn’t need a co-pilot apparently. Reckons he can dispense with my services.”
“Is that safe?” Milo asked. “What if something goes wrong?”
“Exactly,” Jim said. He went back to eating.
Siobhan watched him slurp the thick liquid and fought the urge to grimace. ”You really like that stuff, huh?”
Jim nodded, concentrating on scraping the last dregs of soup from the bowl. “I hate to tell you this, but this is just about as good as it gets.” He raised his spoon and drank every last drop, reminding Siobhan of the way her little brother, Calum, attacked his food. And there was something almost endearing in the way Jim’s face fell when he regarded the empty bowl: a kind of youthful openness in his expression. He’s like a little boy, Siobhan thought, a little boy who wants to play with the big kids.
“Jim, I’ve been wondering,” Siobhan said slowly, “what happened just before we came on board?”
Jim shrugged. “What do you mean?”
“There was a lot of noise,” Siobhan said. “I thought it sounded like gunfire.”
Jim sat very still for a moment, then he shook his head vigorously. “Nothing. Nothing happened.”
“I told you at the time,” Milo put in. “I told you it wasn’t gunfire.”
Jim said nothing, but a muscle twitched in his cheek, making it look as though he was attempting to wink.
“Come on, Jim,” Siobhan coaxed. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
Jim pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “I have to go. I need to check the…communications equipment.”
“Jim, what happened?” Siobhan demanded, but Jim gave no sign of having heard her.
“I’ll send someone over to show you around,” he said, then he turned and walked away.
“What the hell was all that about?” Milo asked. “He told you, nothing happened.”
“You can’t expect me to believe that,” Siobhan said, and she stared after Jim, watching his self-conscious movements as he settled himself at a workstation and pretended to concentrate on the bank of displays. “He knows something, Milo—I’m sure of it. And I’m going to find out exactly what it is.”
CHAPTER 7
The Hill
Connor halted on the hillside and rolled his shoulders against the weight of his rucksack while he waited for Parry, Ben, and Cate to join him. He shifted his grip on his sonic rifle so that he held it in one hand, then he pointed to the mouth of a cave.
Parry stood by his side and peered at the cave. “The rover’s in there?”
Connor nodded. “Been there since we landed.”
“I won’t believe it until I see it,” Cate said. She slung her rifle’s strap over her shoulder and wiped her hand across her forehead. “And I really won’t believe it’s still running until I hear the motors for myself.”
“But I’ve been up on this part of the hill,” Ben put in. “I’ve been on patrol all around here. We were warned not to go in the caves in case…” He let his voice trail away. “Oh, I get it!”
“Was it the council’s idea to tell everyone the caves weren’t safe?” Parry asked.
“Yes,” Connor said. “And to be fair, most of the caves around here don’t last long. Usually, when they get to a certain size the roofs collapse, but this one is different. Matt Pierdew took a good look, and he was sure it would stand the test of time, but a few of us worked to shore up the roof, just to be on the safe side.”
Cate rubbed her hands together. “Okay, what are we waiting for?”
“Be my guest,” Connor said.
Cate grinned and started walking, but as she led the way toward the cave’s mouth, a dark figure emerged from the shadows within, and Cate froze.
“Hello there,” Mac called out. He stepped into the daylight, grinning and wiping his hands on an oily rag, but he hesitated at the cave’s entrance, his sharp eyes darting from side to side. “I see you’ve come fully armed. Did the council let you loose with those rifles?”
“Of course they did,” Connor stated. “What’s it to you?”
“All right, I was just asking,” Mac said. “No need to get tetchy. I’ve got her all ready for you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Cate said. She looked back at Connor. “I’ll need to run through a complete system check. Ideally, I’d like to strip out the casing from each motor and check all the seals. And then there’s the vents and the—”
“No need,” Mac interrupted. “I had Derek helping me earlier, and we ran through some tests together. She’s ready to go. Purring like a kitten.”
“Derek came up here?” Connor asked.
Mac nodded. “Turns out he’s quite a useful guy. Helped me run through the diagnostics. But he’s gone now.” He flashed them a wolfish smile. “I don’t think he cared for the dark in there. He made his excuses and left a while ago. In fact…” Mac peered over Connor’s shoulder. “I’m surprised you didn’t meet him on the path.”
“Maybe he saw us coming and made himself scarce,” Parry put in. “If he has any sense, he’ll keep out of my way for a very long time.”
“Yeah, I got the distinct impression he’s not exactly a big fan of this mission,” Mac said. “But don’t worry about that. He’ll come around, you’ll see.”
Connor narrowed his eyes. “And how about you? Where do you stand?”
“I’m right behind you,” Mac replied. “In fact, if I was a bit younger myself, I’d be champing at the bit, begging you to take me with you.”
Parry let out a snort. “You? You don’t even volunteer for the patrol team.”
“I do my bit,” Mac said. “I contribute plenty, in my own way.” He glanced over his shoulder back into the cave. “Like keeping this little beauty in full working order.”
“Speaking of which…” Cate said.
Connor acknowledged her with a nod. “You’re right, Cate. Let’s get in there and load up. You can run through some preliminary checks but there’s no need to go overboard. We haven’t got time for you to start stripping things down and putting
them back together.”
“Okay, boss,” Cate said. “Lead the way, Mac.”
“My pleasure.” Mac extended his arm as though inviting them into his home, then he turned and walked away, vanishing into the gloom.
Before Cate could follow him, Connor put his hand on her arm to stop her. “What you were saying before, about taking things apart, were you serious, or were you just trying to wind Mac up?”
Cate pushed out her lower lip. “A bit of both, perhaps. But I would like as much time as possible to check the basics before we set off.”
“I can give you ten minutes,” Connor said. “Is that enough?”
Cate nodded. “That should be okay. I can do a quick walk around and then check the rest from inside. To be honest, most of the essential systems are sealed away, and I doubt Mac could find them if he tried.”
“Okay, Cate, let’s get to work. Ben, I’d like you to help Cate. Parry, you’re with me.”
Connor led the way into the cave, and they marched forward together into the darkness. Parry produced a flashlight, and its beam picked out the rover’s hulking form.
“Now, do you believe it, Cate?” Parry asked. But Cate didn’t reply, she was already moving alongside the huge vehicle, running her hands along its panels and muttering under her breath.
Mac was waiting by the steps that led up to the cabin. “You’ll need to unlock her, Connor. I don’t have the code.”
Connor lowered his rucksack to the floor and propped his rifle alongside it, then he climbed the steps and unlocked the cabin door. “Cate, join me in here as soon as you’re ready,” he called.
“Give me one second,” she replied, her voice strangely distant, the sound swallowed by the cave’s echoing emptiness.
Connor stepped inside and felt his way along the wall, trying to recall the cabin’s layout. He’d left his flashlight in his rucksack, but before he could head back to the door, he heard someone clambering up the steps behind him. Cate’s dark form appeared in the rover’s doorway, and a second later, the cabin was flooded with light.
“That’s better,” Cate said. “Why didn’t you turn the lights on?”
“I forgot where the switch was,” Connor replied. “I guess it’s been longer than I care to admit since I stepped into one of these things.”
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