The sound of a fuel tank exploding boomed followed by a burst of black smoke. “Dear God!” Parkes said. They were pulled up in the middle of a dip. They could see the long line of traffic in front of them leading up to the brow of the hill on the other side, but then a slight bend in the road stopped them from seeing anything else but smoke.
“This is Olsen. Can anybody tell me what’s going on? Over.”
The radio hissed to life. For a moment, there were just the sounds of hell filling the air; men and women screaming in agony. “Ambush. It was an ambush,” the frightened voice of one man screamed.
More booms sounded as further vehicles succumbed to flames. Olsen peeked her head out of the door. “Where are my bloody drones?” she growled. A few seconds later, they were in the air.
✽ ✽ ✽
The bullets had got nowhere near them as they ran along the ridge. Robyn, Mila and Chuck had the furthest to travel as the black smoke and terrified screams accompanied them. There was a strong smell of fuel in the air, and even several metres away from the cliff edge, they could feel the heat like they were running along the rim of some bubbling cauldron. Most of the small group had already disappeared from the ridge back down the side of the hill beyond the barricade, but Wren had waited with Wolf.
When the other three joined her, she began to run too, and they headed back down to the rendezvous point in unison. “You did good,” she shouted over her shoulder as agonised and terrified screams still rose from below.
“Oh yeah, I’ve never been prouder,” Robyn replied in between gasping breaths.
Gradually, they realised that there was another familiar sound accompanying the cries. “Drones,” Mila yelled.
✽ ✽ ✽
Olsen and Parkes stood behind the two drone operators with their arms folded. The small video screens attached to the control panels began to show the full extent of the damage. Some of the vehicles had managed to barge their way out of the ambush, until one had caught fire and exploded, causing a complete blockage of the other entrance. Some soldiers were sprinting out on foot, braving the searing temperatures to escape through the narrow gap. Gradually, more and more vehicles succumbed to flames, and black smoke was rising higher into the air. “Take them up more. I want to see who did this,” Parkes demanded.
“Yes, sir,” one of the operators said.
The drones rose higher into the air, and the black smoke gradually thinned. The cameras angled down as they flew above the channel where the ambush had taken place. “It’s blocked. It’s completely blocked,” Olsen hissed. Bodies were strewn on the verges, some in flames, some clearly gasping for air.
“They’re going to die there unless we help them,” the younger of the two drone pilots said.
“Just fly the thing,” Parkes hissed.
“There’s no way we can get in there safely. We’d be putting more people at risk,” Olsen said.
“The choppers. We’ve got the choppers,” the young man replied.
The drones flew higher still, eventually catching movement. They closed in to see multiple figures running down the hill through the trees on the other side of the barricade. “Get closer. I want to see them properly,” Olsen said.
The drones hovered over the canopy, and the cameras closed in on the running figures as they made their escape.
✽ ✽ ✽
Chuck looked up. The drones were right above them. He unshouldered his SA80 and fired half a dozen rounds in quick succession. Wren, Robyn and Mila all stopped too, raising their weapons and firing in the direction of the second drone. Many of their shots went wide and way off course, but three hit, and that was all they needed. Both drones faltered for a moment, and the hum of their motors gave way to whines followed by nothing. They fell out of the air like stones; one crashed into the upper branches of a yew tree, the other smashed down on the ground, making the leaves around it whirl for a moment before falling still.
All four of them looked for a moment, shocked that they had managed to bring them down. “Come on,” Chuck said. “We can pat ourselves on the back later.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Olsen snatched the control from the older drone operator’s hand and threw it down onto the ground. It bounced onto the verge leaving thick pieces of broken plastic in its wake. “We’ve got two more drones in one of the trucks at the back,” the operator said, looking more than a little perturbed by Olsen’s outburst.
“What’s the point? We know who did this now.”
“What are we going to do about the people who are trapped in there?” the younger man asked.
Olsen didn’t say anything for a moment; she simply looked in the direction of the rising smoke. The smell drifted towards her on the breeze, taunting her, calling out the word failure time and time again as it washed over the rest of the convoy. She turned to Parkes. “Come with me.” They both climbed on board the bus and headed into the small room at the back once more. “I want the helicopters in the air.”
“By the time they get here, most of the people trapped in there are going to be dead. We might get a few out, but—”
“Not for them. I want them to go after our little band of ambushers. I want a team of armed men on each chopper. It doesn’t matter about the rest, but I want them to bring that girl, Wren, to me. We’re going to have a vulgar display of power just so everybody knows who is still in charge.”
“That’s…”
“What?”
“We don’t have a huge amount of aviation fuel left. We’re going to get these people in the end; wouldn’t it be wiser to wait?”
“You know I’ve always valued your opinion, Parkes, but never forget who’s in charge. Now get those choppers in the air. Get them in the air now!”
CHAPTER 27
Ruby, Tommy and Rosie were beyond ecstatic to see Wren, Robyn and the others return. They had hugged, and Tommy had almost refused to let go of Robyn, but eventually they were able to pry him off her.
Mila remained in the cargo compartment of the Luton van with the others and memories of being trapped in the lorry came flooding back to haunt her. Wren, Robyn, and Wolf squashed together in the cab while Chuck drove. His eyes kept glancing towards the fuel gauge.
“Are we going to have enough to get there?” Wren asked.
“We didn’t use all the fuel from the jerrican for the Molotovs. I emptied the remainder in before we set off. Fingers crossed we’ll get there or thereabouts.”
“I hope so,” Robyn said. “I’m scunnered. I just want this day to end.”
“It’s only just begun,” Wren said.
“I know, but…”
Wren reached out and took her sister's hand. “I know.”
Robyn looked her sister in the eyes, and she knew that she did. She knew that even though those people were the enemy and they would have enslaved them or killed them, what they had done did not sit well with decent, normal people. Hearing the screams of men and women as they slowly burned to death wasn’t something that would ever leave them. This was the second time Robyn had endured this. When they had ambushed the lorries to find Mila, she had been responsible for people burning to death. It was a sickening sight… a sickening feeling. They were victorious, but it was not something to be celebrated. This hadn’t been like an honourable duel with muskets at dawn; they had won the battle the only way they could, but that didn’t mean they felt good about it.
Wolf flopped his head onto Robyn’s lap, and she let out a sad laugh. “He’s had quite a couple of days too,” Wren said.
“Your dog is seriously badass,” Robyn said, gently stroking Wolf’s head.
“Yeah, I’m not so sure Larry would agree with you,” Chuck replied.
“He was only playing. If he’d have meant it, Larry would have lost his arm.”
Chuck laughed. “All I’m saying is if you want anybody to dog sit, he’s not the person I’d ask.”
“Duly noted,” Wren replied with a smile.
They all fell silent a
s they sped through the countryside. It was an easy thing to get lost in the highland landscape. It possessed a unique beauty, and one could never be in anything but awe to experience it. The sun rose higher and a blue sky beckoned on the horizon. All three of them kept glancing towards the fuel gauge and the mileometer. Ten miles, twenty miles, thirty miles, and with each benchmark came a further dip of the dial. They entered another stretch of road surrounded by thick forest on either side, and the blur of the trees had a soporific effect on Robyn.
She sat back in her seat and closed her eyes, jutting forward again just as quickly as she pulled the Glock from the back of her jeans. “I forgot I still had that there,” she said, placing it in the glove compartment. Her bow, quivers and rucksack were squashed into the footwell with Wren’s backpack and Chuck’s rifle; there was barely any room for Wolf or their feet, but it beat sitting on the cold floor of the cargo compartment.
“When things get back to normal, I’ll get Lucy to teach us how to use those things prop—” Wren broke off as Wolf let out a high-pitched whine. “What? What is it, boy?” He barked loudly in reply. “Do you need to pee? Is that it? Do you need to pee?” He let out another bark.
Chuck looked at the fuel gauge irritably then pulled over anyway. Wren opened the door, and Wolf leapt down but did not go anywhere. Instead, he continued to bark, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road behind them.
“What’s up with him?” Chuck asked.
“There’s something wrong,” Wren said, jumping down to join him.
“Look. I don’t doubt he’s Super Dog, but there is not a cat in hell’s chance that anything is getting through that blockade, so whatever is freaking him out is—”
“Quiet!” Wren said as Robyn climbed down too.
They all listened intently for a moment then Robyn and Wren looked towards each other with dawning horror on their faces. “The helicopter,” Robyn said, immediately turning around to grab her kit from the cab.
Wren ran to the back of the van, banging hard on the side repeatedly. By the time she flung open the rear doors, everyone was on their feet. “We need to get into the trees now!”
“What is it?” Mila asked, but before Wren could answer, she heard the sound for herself. “Oh no!”
They grabbed their weapons and whatever they could sling onto their shoulders. Wren ran back to the cab to collect her own belongings, and no sooner had she flipped the rucksack on than the blades of one then two helicopters came into view overhead. “Oh crap!”
It was mayhem. While some were still climbing out of the van, others were running into the trees. Nobody had a plan except to survive.
The first helicopter turned in midair, hovering with skilful prowess as marksmen dressed in black police uniforms, vests, helmets and all began to open fire. One down, two down, three down. It was like something from Wren’s worst nightmares. The names of the people she had been introduced to when they had first arrived at the camp and had eluded her ever since now came flooding back to her. Jack, Dan, and Steve went down one by one as bullets ripped through them re-emerging in bloody explosions.
“RUN!” it was her sister’s voice. Two more shots. Tim crumpled to the ground; Clive’s head literally exploded like a small bomb had gone off inside. She felt a hand close around her arm, and finally she pulled her eyes away to see who it was. “RUN!” Robyn screamed again, dragging her, forcing her to start moving. It had been just seconds since the attack had begun and already five of them were dead.
Robyn did not release her grip, and the two of them sprinted towards the trees. Wren was still not fully able to believe what was happening. More gunfire rained down from the first helicopter while the second manoeuvred around it. Bill flew backwards onto the road. His body convulsed before it fell still forever.
Suddenly gunfire erupted from a different source. Wren wriggled her arm free and glanced back across the road. It was Chuck. He had taken cover and was now aiming up towards the first chopper.
✽ ✽ ✽
From his position in the trees, Chuck had only been able to see one of his friends as they fell. One or all of them, though, the wrath that welled inside him was more than he could control. Larry had given him a chance to leave the ne’er do well roughneck behind. That kid had so much bad, so much hate, so much anger inside him, there was only one way things could ever go while he went unchecked. He had been given a life with the group that he never thought possible. These people had become family, closer than family, and to see this happening to them brought out the dark again. The dark was the mist that descended all around Chuck, blocking out all thoughts of decency and fairness. The dark was what pushed him to do all the bad he had done in his life, and now these people had hurt him, he was going to hurt them back.
His hands shook as he fired the first few rounds from his rifle. He emptied what remained of the magazine and pushed in a new one. Breathe. Breathe. The second chopper flew over his head, where it was going was not his concern for the time being. The first began to turn towards him. Breathe. Breathe. The riflemen leaning out of the opening in the side of the helicopter as it manoeuvred brought their weapons around to aim at him, but Chuck was not interested in them. Instead, he aimed his rifle up and right, straight at the engine.
One, two, three, four. The riflemen began to return fire towards him. Shit! I’m too exposed here. No choice; got to carry on. Five, six, seven, eight, nine. A small flame, followed by a burst of black smoke. The helicopter began to veer, and suddenly the shots that had been landing so close to Chuck started to go wild, hitting the road and trees all around him.
The chopper lifted, desperately trying to avoid further damage, but more smoke and bright orange flashes spat from the engine and it began to dip and bob like a gull caught in a gale. A loud whine drowned out the sound of the rotating blades, and the body of the aircraft began to spin below the blades as the pilot lost control. It soared a little further into the sky as more black smoke and flames poured from the engine before it eventually tipped onto its side; it lost all its height in the matter of a second and one by one the blades smashed against the road, shattering and careering off in different directions. The frame of the chopper eventually crunched down, and the body seemed to crumble momentarily before erupting into a giant ball of flames. Even from where he was standing, Chuck could feel the heat of the blast. It swept over him like a tidal wave. Need to find the others.
His senses were foggy as he stood from his crouched position. The heat, the sound, the smells, they were all overwhelming. There was something else though, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He looked down to see a patch of red on his stomach. He pressed his fingers against it, and an electrifying jolt of pain shot through him. The material two inches to the right burst open in a bloody explosion, and it was then that he realised what had happened.
Chuck turned slowly to see the second helicopter had landed further down the road. Five armed men donning the same black uniforms as the others had their rifles raised towards him. He tried to bring his own rifle up but suddenly realised that all his strength was gone. He staggered and felt the rough bark of a tree scratch against the back of his head as he slid down it. He remained there propped up for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Damn!
✽ ✽ ✽
The sound of the explosion had made them all pause. Wren, Robyn and Mila turned to look in the direction they had come from. They were well into the woods so could not see the road, but they knew that there was only one thing that could make that kind of sound.
“We should make a stand,” Robyn said.
“What? That’s crazy,” said Tess, Sondra’s friend.
“Yeah, that’s madness,” added another woman who Robyn couldn’t quite remember the name of.
“I’m sorry; I think Tess and Lottie are right. The last thing we want to do is get into a fight with these people,” said Sondra.
“So what? We just run. How long before they track us down?”
“N
ot long,” Tommy said. “Not long ’til they track us down. Then we’ll need ointment. Lots of ointment like Jax. Lots and lots of ointment.”
Tears began to run down Sondra’s face and she unstrapped the SA80 and threw it onto the ground. “I can’t do this. I’m not cut out for this stuff, I’m not like you.”
“You think I’m having fun? Guess what, lady, running for my life doesn’t even come in my top five hundred ways of having fun. I’m saying we’ve got one way to get out of this without getting a bullet in our back and that’s putting up a fight.”
“Yeah, well, you can do it without me,” Sondra said, turning to run.
“Son! Son!” shouted Lottie. She turned back to look at Robyn. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she said, picking up the weapon that her friend had dropped and running after her.
“Well, this is going well. Are you going with them?” Robyn asked, turning towards Tess.
“Tough choice. Dying of starvation or getting shot. All things being equal, I’ll go for starvation, sorry,” she said, running after them.
“Forget them,” Wren said angrily. “Only one of them had a rifle anyway. We won’t miss them.”
Rosie started crying again, and Ruby placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rosie. It will all be over soon.”
Robyn and Wren looked at each other. It would all be over soon … one way or another.
✽ ✽ ✽
Hepworth surveyed the chaos around him as he stood over the big man lying still on the ground. He kicked him twice with the toe of his boot, but there was no response. Olsen is going to be so pissed that we’ve lost one of the helicopters. There was no point in checking for survivors. The wreckage was entirely consumed by flames. If anyone had survived the crash landing, they would not have survived the inferno. He turned towards the other four men. “Okay, we know our orders. The girl, Wren, she’s got blondish hair that’s tied back in a ponytail. About five feet six and only sixteen, so check your targets before you fire. We don’t want to be taking any more bad news back to Olsen.”
The End of Everything | Book 9 | The End of Everything Page 23