Project - 16 (36 page)

“
Is it on? Good. Okay, here goes - if you're watching this
then you've found this vault behind me and the disc I'm going to
leave along with the key to another vault. I'm recoding the door to
only accept my own DNA and that of my son who I hope is the one
watching this. Son - if that's you then I'm going to have to guess
that I'm dead... Man, that sounds really creepy... Well I must be
because you've found this disc and the key without me. Right now
you're just over 10 years old and I’ve left you with your Uncle
Piotr upstairs. I'm sorry I had to hide this part of my life from
you, but it was too dangerous to let you in on it. I don't have
much time and I'm afraid you're going to have to live without all
the answers - I know I’ve had to over the years...

“
Anyway - the top and bottom of it is that during The Panic
the US tried to cover up one of its secret joint projects with us
Brits. It was called Project 16 and it's a nasty biological weapon
that they were keeping down here when the bombs fell. They took it
back ages ago and I think that somehow they've let it loose. It
might have been an accident, I don't know. We've seen the effects
already and we think they're looking to use this to their
advantage. The cure - that's what this is all about...”

Alex came in and stood with us, looking over Saska's
shoulder.

“
What's going-?” he said.

“
Shush!” cried Saska.

“
...day they'll come looking for it. We've hidden it for now
until the plague begins to reach full strength. We're not
scientists, son, so we're guessing here but if we release the cure
to either the NSU or the US at this delicate stage it might do more
harm than good. Either side looks ready to blackmail the other just
to cut a better deal... The point... Jesus - people are going to
die because of this...”

Dad went quiet but the camera continued to record. There were
mutterings from the cameraman, then he seemed to gather his
thoughts.

“
It might not make much sense right now but we can't let the
US get it. Russia will pay - they've never been able to put aside
their differences and they still can't. I'm sorry but I'll have to
leave the decision with you. The US can't form their own cure - the
creators all died during the bombing and without this sample it'll
take years to get a workable treatment. By then... Son - when the
time is right - give it to the Russians. It's their time now. The
days of the Empire and the United States are over. Russia holds all
the cards and I think... The decision must be yours, I'm sorry,
none of this must be making much sense. I’ve got to go. I love you,
son. I hope I did okay by you. I moved the cure samples to the
second site - a different bunker and I hope by now you've found it
in my notebooks. It was the only one with a working freezer vault.
You'll be able to open it with this key. Do what you think is
best...”

The image stood still and the audio went silent.

“
That's it,” said Saska, turning to me. I felt something,
sadness, deep, deep sadness that I suppressed as best I could but
Riley saw it straight away. There were tears in her eyes but I
think they were for me, not for Dad.

“
That's why the sample wasn't here,” said Alex, grinning. “I
should have guessed - I'm such a douche!”

“
Alex - show some respect for Miller, please!”

“
Miller. I'm sorry,” he said, flushing red. “I-”

“
It's fine,” I lied. “At least we have answers.” Riley's hand
was in mine and she squeezed it and smiled as best she could. It
was more than enough for me. It always would be.

“
Let me guess - this bunker is the one you just came from,”
said Alex. “The one crawling with Corban's hired men.” We nodded.
“Fuck.”

Alex and Saska argued for the next hour about what to do. I
would like to say that Riley and me helped but we didn't really. We
sat back and let them get on with it - I think we both thought that
going back wasn't an option for us.

“
Even with Corban dead it doesn't mean they've left the site,"
argued Saska. "They might have sent another leader to organise the
dig - if they're based on the
Revenant
then they might have even
more forces at their disposal!”

“
But the cure - it's in there and eventually they'll get it.
Then what? We're not talking about a Government any more - we're
talking about a crazy dictator in the making with some serious
backing. We can't let it fall into his hands,” said
Alex.

“
Let me-”

“
NO!” he raged. “Never! I don't trust them. I'm sorry Saska, I
know he's your Father but I just can't agree to it.”

“
What choice do we have?”

"We have your cure, don't we? You said it was almost
complete."

It was Saska's turn to blush. "Miller's Father-"

"What?"

"He was right - I can't do it," she said.

"What do you mean? I thought-"

"I did too - I really believed I'd cracked it. But I haven't.
All my results have come back negative. All my work - it's for
nothing. You don't understand, Alex - we need that cure
or-"

They separated after that and stormed off to opposite sides
of the lab, both locked in their thinking and oblivious to our
existence for a time. Riley saw it as our chance to
escape.

“
Besides,” she whispered. “It's long past their
bed-time.”

“
Yeah, let's get out of here,” I said, sneaking back towards
our bunks.

When we got there, Riley flopped onto the bed opposite mine
and led with her hands folded behind her head, kicking off her
boots which she hadn't tied all day.

“
I was hoping to be on our way by now," she said. "It looks
like the whole thing got a whole lot more complicated."

“
I'm not sure I can just walk away now even if I could. I
didn't expect Dad to be involved - man, it's difficult to get my
head around."

"And he never gave you even so much as a hint about any of
this?"

"Nothing," I said. "I didn't even know about the 20 years
before we came here. I didn't ask either. It was clear he didn't
want to talk about it and I never pushed him. Now I kind of wish I
had."

"So we carry on with this?" she said. "See it
through?"

"Look, I know you want to get back - god knows I do.
But..."

"Yeah. I get it. And I still have a responsibility to get
Alex out of this so you can still count me in. Then we'll go home
once we've saved the world."

"All in a days work for a Hermit and a retired
Ranger."

She laughed - a soft, gentle chuckle that made my heart race.
What if things had been different, I wondered. What if I'd never
met Riley. What would my future look like now? It wasn't a place I
wanted to go to.

“
Options?” I asked.

“
Two. Fuck and all. We had surprise on our side when you
pulled off your little stunt and opened up Corban's brain pan, but
they'll be on high alert now. I was shocked how easy they'd been to
attack but I'm not about to underestimate them this time. If
they're being supported by a ship - a carrier - then we won't stand
a chance.”

“
What about Saska's option?” I said.

“
What? Bring in her NSU Father?” She shrugged. “Who knows what
might happen? Your Dad did say to give the cure to them, but even
he had his doubts. You might find we're prisoners and this country
becomes property of the NSU.”

“
You really don't trust them?”

“
Miller - I was breast-fed distrust of the Russians. We grew
up on baby-food made with distrust of Russians. Hating Russians is
the cream that runs right through the American Twinkie.”

“
Riley - that was almost poetic of you."

"Thanks - I've been working on that one for a
while."

"So you're saying you distrust Russians?” She stuck her
tongue out at me and smiled. “Do you think Saska might make the
call anyway, without Alex's consent?”

“
Oh yeah,” she replied with a firm nod. “Too fucking right. In
fact I wouldn't be surprised if the General was on our doorstep
tomorrow.”

13.

The General met us outside the entrance to the bunker with
twenty more NSU soldiers - all armed and all appearing to have been
carved from the same lump of granite. Alex and Saska rode the lift
to the top with us but Alex refused to leave it.

“
You went behind my back!” he said as Saska saw her father. “I
don't know where this leaves us...”

“
Right now, Alex, I don't care. You know as well as I do that
the only chance we have is him and you're too fucking stubborn to
realise that.”

Alex made no reply but rode the lift back down once we were
outside. It was still early dawn and the rotors of the attack
helicopter cut thin slivers of it in ever decreasing frequency. The
snow was all but gone, save for a grey sort of dirty slush that
gathered in places around the camp.

The General stood in immaculate fatigues of Russian DPM with
his hands clasped behind his back and his hat in the crook of his
arm. He fixed his daughter with a cold stare and she in turn folded
her arms against him. They'd have made quaint book-ends.

“
Papa,” she said.

“
Saska,” he replied. “This is where you've been
hiding.”

“
It isn't hiding, Papa. I’ve been busy trying to find a
cure.”

“
Yes. So you say.”

“
Papa,” she said, softening. “Piotr-”

“
Yes?”

“
He's dead.” There was a flicker of emotion somewhere in that
stony expression but it was quickly brought under
control.

“
How?”

“
They murdered him, Papa. They murdered our Piotr.” Saska was
struggling to hold it all in, to keep her exterior as hard as his.
It was a battle of parental will power.

“
Who?” he growled.

“
The Americans on this island. They burned him from the sky.
They're at the bunker and the cure is in there. If they get it...”
The General raised his hand and she fell silent. His gaze turned on
me and the full weight of it dropped onto my whole body.

“
Miller. You saw all this happen?” I nodded. “And you - former
US Ranger Claudia Riley. Were you there?” Riley nodded also,
unruffled by the dangerously accurate information the General had
on her.

He turned back to his daughter.

“
What would you have me do?” he said.

“
We need your help, Papa. We must get into the bunker and
retrieve the cure before the Americans do. With it they will hold
us to ransom.”

“
Perhaps we should go inside,” suggested the General and he
waved to one of his subordinates and gave him the order to secure
the camp. The soldiers saluted and began running back to the
chopper to get their gear.

Saska led the General back to the lift and he brought the
cold in with him. It was an awkward ride down and not a single word
was said until we entered the lab where Alex was
waiting.

“
You must be Saska's father?” he managed to stammer. “My name
is-”

“
I know who you are,” barked the General. Alex started to say
something but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I know that
this was my daughters doing - she is as headstrong as her father,
but let us not try and be friends. Once this is over your
relationship with my daughter is over. Do you
understand?”

Alex looked ready to object but it was Saska who fired a
glare at him and he immediately fell silent. I decided that I'd had
better days and from the expression on Riley's face it was clear
she felt the same.

“
Perhaps some tea?” suggested Saska, leading the way to the
canteen. We allowed them to walk on ahead of us and Alex fell in
step.

“
He's such a prick,” he whispered. “Look at him.”

“
It's hard not to,” said Riley. “He won't hesitate to snap you
in half, nephew, so I suggest you shut that mouth of
yours.”

“
Why oh why did she have to bring him here?” he
moaned.

“
We're out of options,” I said. “What choice did we
have?”

“
We could have tried something.”

“
Be my guest," said Riley. "The last time I checked we were
outnumbered and out gunned I'll take an NSU battalion any day of
the week."

Saska set two pots of water boiling on the stove and offered
the General a seat. We joined him, reluctantly, seeing that even
when he sat down he still commanded the room. It was hard to
imagine him not commanding anything he wanted. He placed his hat
neatly on the table, brushing crumbs onto the floor while we all
looked on in silence. His expression was one of global
disgust.

“
Tell me about this bunker,” he said. “Who commands the forces
there?”

“
Until recently a man called Colonel Corban gave the orders
there,” I said.

“
I assume he is dead?”