THE RED MIST TRILOGY: The Box Set

by R T Green

  ‘Oh Coop. Zana... she’s dead again...’

  Miles ran to Zana’s lifeless body. I could see his hands, touching her, doing something frantically. Then he stood, threw her roughly across his shoulder, and ran back to us.

  ‘She’s alive, Madeline, but only just. If we don’t get her to the shuttle quickly, it’ll be too late.’

  Chapter 126

  The tiny medical room in the shuttle was silent. Everyone else had gone, leaving Zana and me in peace. She lay on the couch, her body still, lifeless. The dapples on her skin had darkened, just like they did on Dawson’s Hill. Her eyes were closed, not even a flicker to say she was still with me.

  Looking at her, holding her cold hand, the memories of that night played out in my mind, over and over, like a looped videotape. I tried to shut them away, but it was impossible. They were back to haunt me, pounding my spirit to pulp.

  Are they there for you too, Zana? Somewhere in your subconscious, are we sharing a ghostly recall together?

  I ran gentle fingers across her cheek, the sight of her bruised face stabbing into my heart. Her whole body was a mass of cuts and bruises, and I couldn’t even imagine what horrors Tiri had inflicted on her.

  I wish now I had pulled the trigger.

  Why didn’t I?

  Has your love changed me so much Zana, that I am no longer capable of taking a life?

  I glanced to the VSM, beeping away quietly to itself. Her vital signs were steady but weak, and showing no improvement. Thank god for Tami’s medical training, giving her the skills to work out how to operate an alien version of a vital signs monitor, fortunately not a world away from a human one.

  And thank you too Miles, for carrying Zana on your shoulder most of the way back, until sheer exhaustion had overtaken him and Coop took over. You really are a good guy after all.

  Coop hadn’t said a word about my secret rendezvous with Tiri. He knew there were far more important things right then. We would discuss my indiscretions, of course. But he couldn’t argue with the fact both his girls were safe... even if one of them was almost dead.

  Oh Zana... just how much punishment can your Calanduran body endure? You survived a bullet in the chest, but did that take too much out of you to survive this?

  I could feel my eyes misting up again, turned away from her and sat on the single chair, buried my face in my hands. I was exhausted beyond exhaustion, fighting to stay awake. But there was no way I was going to succumb to a trivial thing like sleep until I knew Zana was going to pull through.

  I’d almost gone, but a gentle knock on the door brought me back to reality.

  ‘It’s Coop.’ His head peeped around the door. ‘Ok to come in?’

  I nodded, glanced up to him. He looked as shattered as I was. ‘You should be sleeping, Coop.’

  ‘Sure, dreaming about fluffy white rabbits running around in a summer meadow?’

  I found a smile. ‘Ok, get your point.’

  ‘But talking of sleep, I’ve come to relieve you.’

  ‘No way, Coop. I’m not letting Zana out of my sight again, not for a single minute... ever.’

  He grinned. ‘Now you’re talking impossibilities, kid.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe. But do you get my point?’

  He nodded, stood next to the VSM studying the readouts. ‘No real improvements, but that’s likely a good sign.’

  ‘It is?’

  ‘Yeah. When I took her body back to HQ from Dawson’s Hill, she seemed totally dead, right up until the moment she opened her eyes and spoke to me.’

  ‘Kind of wish I’d been a fly on the wall... would love to have seen your face!’

  ‘Kind of glad you didn’t. One embarrassment I could do without.’

  ‘Wish I could see that stupid face now though, Coop.’

  He knelt down in front of me, took my hands. ‘Tell you what, kid. When she comes back to us, you find me straightaway, and I’ll pull it again just for you.’

  I reached out, hugged him tightly. ‘Ever felt like you’re in a déjà vu moment, Coop?’

  ‘Not this time, Madeline. You’s just hugging me right now while we wait for Zana to wake. That’s totally different to the last time.’

  ‘It’s still you who’s there for me when it matters though.’

  ‘Yeah well, as I said back then, I’m just a fucking moron! Just wish you’d go get some sleep.’

  ‘You know my answer to that. But I need to ask you something... something that’s bugging me.’

  ‘Fire away.’

  ‘Why did Tiri say, “I’ll see you back in London?”.’

  ‘That’s bugging me too. For a whole heap of reasons. I’m just hoping she doesn’t know something we don’t. Not been a word from Scott, so I guess he’s as clueless as us on that one.’

  ‘Seems my ex-mistress likes to have the last word.’

  He nodded. ‘And she knows how to make it count.’

  Alone again, I stood next to the couch, took Zana’s hand once more. Still it felt cold, still there was not a single sign of life in her. The only way I knew she wasn’t dead was the VSM, still beeping steadily away to itself.

  I kissed her fingers, held her hand next to my cheek. What would the future hold for us, Zana? For the moment we are safe, but you are only just alive, and I am now the captured fugitive. I will have to pay for my crime in some shape or form, and that could well be one more harsh fact of life that will keep us apart.

  So many unanswered questions, still.

  My legs would hardly hold me up. I slumped back down onto the chair, not because I wanted to, but because there was no choice. My eyes were as heavy as my legs, shouting at me to close them, allow myself to drift away into desperately-needed sleep.

  Stop it. Sleep is a luxury you can’t afford right now.

  I guess I could tell myself that all I wanted, but a body has a habit of not taking much notice of its heart, when push comes to shove. When a need becomes an essential.

  I could feel my eyes closing, the room growing foggy around me. I tried to summon everything I had to stay awake, but it wasn’t enough. Consciousness was slipping away.

  And then, through the mist of half-sleep, something happened to change all that.

  I heard the tiniest of movements from the couch.

  ‘Madeline...’

  ____________

  EPISODE THREE: FEARLESS

  A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT

  London, December 26th

  Duncan Scott pulled the gold-rimmed spectacles from his face, wiped away the snowflakes on the lenses with cold, nervous fingers. He shook his head grimly, glanced into the dark sky. Mother Nature seemed determined to agree with the dread filling his stomach, making sure he knew this was indeed the coldest of winter nights.

  He climbed over the low metal railings separating the Thames from the wide river-walk, looked down ruefully as the soft mud squelched around his pristine black shoes. His feet sank a couple of inches into it, but then the ground seemed firm enough to support his weight.

  A sub-zero wind whipped the snow into a crazy dance around him as he walked gingerly to the two small craft sitting on the mud a few yards away, the river water just lapping the bottom of their hulls.

  He shivered, unsure if it was the arctic conditions or the fear of what he knew he would find.

  He panned the powerful torch in his hand across the first of the pods. The occupants were gone, most likely some time ago. The small black hull was turning white, the layer of snow sparkling in the beam of the torch, the myriad of tiny reflections almost magical.

  But there was nothing magical about the alien craft he was standing next to.

  A shout, muffled by the snow. He flicked the beam to his left, and could just about make out the shape of his team leader Peter Wilkes, standing at the end of the disused landing stage a few yards away.

  ‘There’s no sign of any more, sir,’ he called out.

  ‘Ok, Peter. Get yourself back here, and give the crane a call, see how muc
h longer. The sooner we get these away from here the better.’

  The figure in the hooded winter coat raised a hand, turned and began to walk cautiously back to the safety of the asphalt river-walk. Scott turned back to the pod, wrenched open the access door and leant inside. Four seats. He pulled back the sleeve of his long black coat, pressed a button on the watch around his wrist.

  It did tell the time, just as any other watch. But like the one Ryland Cooper possessed, it had a far more important role. It told him when DNA or radiation was present it didn’t recognise. He nodded slowly to himself. There hadn’t been much doubt, but now there wasn’t any at all. The two tiny red lights on the watch face were flashing faintly. Just the slightest of readings, from all four seats... but enough to tell him what he needed to know.

  When the huge Calanduran spaceship crumbled to dust over central London five weeks ago, not all of those on board perished.

  He squelched his way to the second pod, nodded grimly again. It was looking very much like at least eight aliens were now running around London.

  Heartless warriors, who for sure weren’t going to take the destruction of their ship very well at all.

  He stretched back up, cast his eyes across the Thames. It was impossible to see the lights on the opposite bank, the falling snow so thick. Just two of the silver domes of the Thames barrier were visible through the murk, thirty yards away to his right.

  He said a silent thank you to the barrier, knowing the swirling eddy’s created by its submerged structure were responsible for the escape pods getting washed ashore right next to it. If they’d made it through and out to sea, there was a high probability they would never have been discovered.

  And no one would have known the alien invasion they thought they’d averted was still alive and well.

  Until it was too late.

  ‘Sir?’

  As he joined his boss, Peter Wilkes’ single word was tinged with a question.

  ‘Yes, Peter. Alien presence confirmed... likely eight of them.’

  His head lowered. ‘We could do with Coop and Miles back, sir.’

  Scott nodded. No one had been told where his first team were, just that they were on leave. It was Christmas after all. ‘Yes, we could. I’m heading back to HQ now, give them a call. How long until the crane gets here?’

  ‘Ten minutes, boss. That was five minutes ago.’

  ‘Good. Make sure these pods get loaded with a little fuss as possible. Although...’ he glanced up again into the sky. ‘In this weather from hell there won’t be many onlookers. I’ll meet you back at base.’

  He squelched back to the railings, climbed over and gave the shoes a disgusted look. He could hear the muffled sound of revving engines coming from a large building the other side of the river-walk. The sign told him it was an indoor go-karting track. He could just make out a few cars in the car park.

  Seven in the evening. There wasn’t a soul around, not outside at least. Hopefully it would stay that way for the next half-hour or so. The foul weather had been a bonus... with the whole of the population still on a panic-fuelled alien-watch, at any other time it would have been impossible to keep the discovery under wraps.

  The news would break, of course. But at least DIAL might have a few precious hours to prepare for the worst before it did.

  He walked slowly back to the Thames Barrier car park. As he blipped the key fob to unlock the Jag, the crane drove through the gates, closely followed by a flat-bed. He spoke to the driver, reminded him to load up as quickly and as quietly as he could, and sank into the driver’s seat of his car.

  The heater blew much-needed hot air around his freezing limbs, but it didn’t have a hope in hell of taking away the chills inside him. Mother Nature had got her opening scene dead right... it was going to be a long, hard, and very scary winter.

  He pulled the burner phone from the glove box, keyed in the quick-dial for Coop. He was going to need his team back, right away.

  All four of them.

  Chapter 127

  Tobago, The Caribbean

  Coop left Madeline in the med room, and headed to the bridge. Coffee seemed like a good idea. Thinking everyone else was asleep, he was surprised to find Miles sitting at the small table.

  ‘You need your sleep too, mate,’ Coop said.

  ‘Given up on that one, bud. How are they?’

  ‘Madeline’s dead on her feet, but she won’t leave Zana. She’s still out, no change.’

  Miles nodded sadly. ‘You think she’ll pull through?’

  ‘Yeah... yeah I do. Don’t ask me what scientific fact I’m basing that on, but somehow my gut tells me she’ll be back with us. Hell only knows how long it will be though.’

  And then the phone rang. The burner phone, which couldn’t be traced to Coop or his boss. He frowned. He’d used it to call Duncan Scott four hours ago, bring him up to speed. But he wasn’t expecting a return call; they’d agreed to only communicate when there was something that really needed saying. He picked it up hesitantly, flicked it to speakerphone.

  ’Sir?’

  ‘Sorry if I’m disturbing much-needed sleep Coop, but there’s been a development.’

  His heart missed a beat. ‘No worries, sir. Can’t find sleep right now anyway.’

  ‘And I’m afraid I’m not going to make that any easier. We’ve just discovered two tiny craft, washed up on the mud near the Thames barrier. I’m there now, just about to head back to HQ.’

  ‘Craft, sir?’

  ‘Escape pods, Coop. Alien ones. Without question they were from the mother-ship. Seems a few of our warrior friends had time to get themselves strapped into them. Each one with four seats... so a possible eight Calandurans running around somewhere.’

  ‘But... how did they survive a half-mile fall?’ As soon as he said it, he knew the answer. ‘They dropped into the Thames.’

  ‘For sure. So now we’ve got a real-life invasion on our hands. Small-scale, but potentially no less threatening.’

  ‘What do you want us to do, sir?’

  ‘I need you back here as quickly as you can. And by ‘you’, I mean all four of you.’

  Coop put the phone back onto the mess table with a shaking hand, looked at his partner. Miles’s face had gone white. ‘Bloody hell, Coop,’ he whispered.

  ‘Well bud, I guess now we know what Tiri meant, telling Madeline she’d see her in London.’

  ‘Zana...’

  My hand was in hers almost before she’d finished whispering my name, all thoughts of precious sleep gone. Her head was turned towards me, her beautiful eyes half open, their gaze blank as consciousness slowly returned.

  My tears came, tears of relief and tears of love that I couldn’t seem to stop. ‘Zana... I’m here.’ I lifted her hand to my face, kissed her long fingers, felt my tears fall onto them and tried stupidly to wipe them away with my other hand. Her lips moved, trying to form words she wasn’t able to speak.

  ‘Don’t talk yet... you’re safe now. There’s plenty of time.’

  She turned her head away from me, eyes that were beginning to see more clearly taking in her surroundings. Her hand was limp in mine, her fingers unable to find the strength to curl into my own. She spoke, a tiny whisper, hoarse and broken.

  ‘Am I... am I on my shuttle?’

  ‘Yes. We’re all here... Coop and Miles, and my father and Tami. Everyone is safe.’

  ‘But... Tiri...’

  ‘Tiri is gone, Zana.’

  Her eyes closed again. ‘I am so tired, Madeline. I must sleep...’

  ‘Please...’ I stopped myself from begging her to stay awake. My own selfish needs weren’t important. Allowing her what she needed was.

  I slipped her hand back beneath the blanket, pulled it up to her chin. Still she felt cold, in need of all the warmth she could get. I leant over her, kissed her gently on her bruised forehead.

  ‘I love you, Zana.’

  She’d slipped away again, I knew she hadn’t heard the words. But perha
ps somewhere inside, she would know I’d said them.

  I found Coop and Miles sitting at the mess table. I didn’t think to greet them, or wonder why they weren’t wrapped up under their duvets.

  ‘Zana woke up.’

  Miles’s face broke into a big grin. Coop started to smile, then remembered his promise. He leapt up, backed away like he was scared to death. ‘Wh... what? This isn’t possible... you’s giving me a fucking heart attack here, Maddie...’

  His eyes were as big as saucers, his mouth twisted by a crazed, manic fear. Miles’s face changed, looking almost as shocked as his partner at his reaction. But then Coop couldn’t keep up the pretence any longer, let out a laugh and pulled me into him. ‘So happy about that, kid,’ he said, his eyes misting up as he held me tight.

  ‘Would someone like to let me in on the joke?’ said Miles from somewhere in the background.

  I gave him a hug too. ‘Coop made me a promise a few hours ago. I said I would love to have seen his expression when Zana came to life back at HQ. He said when she woke up, he’d pull it again just for me.’

  ‘Makes a weird kind of sense now.’

  Coop grinned. ‘So did I do good, Maddie?’

  ‘Oh yeah. That was for sure the most stupid, inane expression I’ve ever seen. You a man or a mouse?’

  ‘Give you that one,’ he laughed.

  They wanted to go see Zana there and then, until I explained she’d fallen asleep again and that I was now the sister-in-charge, wielding the visiting rights register with a strict and slightly-biased hand.

  Coop grinned, understood. Then he told me to go get some sleep. I protested, knowing in my heart it was futile. Now I knew Zana was back with us, sleep would find me soon enough. But I gave Coop as good as I got, virtually bundled him and Miles into their quarters, telling them I would refuse a direct order unless they obeyed it too.