The Dust: Book Three - Sanctum (19 page)

‘Because I’m bored.’ Travers lifted his foot. ‘This is like looking for a raisin in a sea of porridge.'

‘Patience is a virtue.’ Davis reached down to check her hand gun was still in her hip holster. She had toyed with the idea of popping one into Travers, and feigning an accident. With the helicopter landed, she could take Willoughby out and leave Gilman to Waters. She hadn’t told Waters anything of the plan to kill Willoughby, but he would go along with it. Especially when he knew what he would get at the end of it all.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Gilman’s voice screeched through the handset.

Davis grabbed it and held it close to her mouth. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘The rocks; don’t go near the rocks.’

With that instruction Travers brought the truck to halt.

‘Why, what’s happened?’ Davis looked up, but couldn’t see the Sea Sprite.

‘Infected everywhere.’

‘What, how?’

‘We cleared them all out.’ Travers opened the driver’s door.

‘Are you fucking mad?’ Davis leant over and slammed it shut. ‘Did you hear what he said? Infected everywhere.’

Travers sat back in his seat. He pressed the central locking button and the doors clicked.

Willoughby came over the radio. ‘Must be seventy, maybe eighty. Crawling all over the rocks like ants.’

‘How many went missing from the camp back in Taunton?’ Davis asked.

‘Forty four.’ Willoughby answered.

‘We obviously didn’t get rid of them all then.’ Davis said to Travers. Clicking the handset back on, he spoke into the metal grill. ‘What do you want us to do?’

There was a pause for about a minute. Gilman then came back onto the radio. ‘Turn around and head south. We will investigate this on the way back.’

‘Roger that.’ Davis answered.

‘Priority is to find the renegades.’

‘Roger and over.’ Davis placed the handset back onto the dashboard. She then made a note on the map. ‘Let’s head south.’ She told Travers.

Travers swung the Hilux around. ‘Fucking infected scum. They make my skin crawl.’ He then sped back down the road and across the moor.

***

‘This place is idyllic.’ Angel held Jake’s hand as they walked out of the large garden and into the orchard.

‘I use to count the days to my summer holidays. I loved coming down to Old Mill.’ Jake swung Angel’s hand.

‘Shall we run through the grass?’ She laughed. ‘A bit cliché.’

Jake stopped Angel and pulled her close. ‘We could lie down in the grass.’ A cheeky smile appeared. ‘No one could see us down here, beneath the daises.’

Angel smiled, she like that idea.

Children’s voices, followed by Young Red barking, could be heard down by the river. Both of them turned to see Lou, Amber and Oskar trying to make a dam in the river.

‘Maybe now isn’t the right time.’ Angel slid her hand from Jake’s.

‘That’s a pity, I’m in the mood.’ He went to kiss Angel.

She playfully pushed him away. ‘You’re always in the mood.’

The two stood in the orchard and passionately kissed. Old Mill had been everything they had wished for, and more.

After the search of Haytor they had all decided to retreat back to Old Mill. It was a big problem, but nothing they couldn’t handle. Jake and Roger drew up another patrolling plan, and a search for more weapons was number one priority. Rifles were needed; and when everyone was fit, a programme of picking off the
infected
would begin.

In parties of three, a sniper, a spotter and a standby, they would take part in dawn raids at Haytor. This was to try and reduce the numbers of
infected
. The natural camouflage Old Mill found itself in was to their advantage. Hit fast and then retreat. All had agreed this was the best way forward.

When it was thought safer to move freely, that is when Yanto would be rescued.

Angel ran her hand down Jake’s cheek. Her smile turned to anxiety. ‘I have something to ask you.’ She could barely get the words out.

Jake could see Angel’s mood change. ‘What’s wrong?’

Angel, who was always strong and never let emotions get under her skin, felt uncomfortable. Jealousy was something that didn’t sit well with her.

‘Have I got anything to worry about?’ She asked.

Jake looked surprised. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Klaudia?’

Jake was now confused. ‘Klaudia, I don’t understand?’

‘The two of you are very close. She obviously fancies you.’

Jake laughed. ‘What?’

‘Don’t laugh.’ Angel walked back a few paces. ‘This is really hard for me.’

Jake walked forward and held her shoulders reassuringly. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.’ He paused. ‘I don’t understand though. Where has this come from?’

‘The flirting; the way she looks at you.’

Jake was dumbstruck, he didn’t know what to say.

‘Look, if anything happened before we came, I don’t want to know. All that matters is that we are okay now.’ Angel swallowed hard trying not to cry.

‘No, no.’ Jake started to panic. ‘Nothing has happened, I wouldn’t want it to.’

‘If anything has happened though, she will have to go.’

Jake pulled Angel close. ‘Nothing has happened. I promise you.’ He looked deep in her eyes. ‘You are the one for me, I love you.’

Angel sunk her head into Jake’s chest. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders. ‘I love you too.’

The two of them stood holding each other for a few minutes. Jake rubbed Angel’s back. ‘I think she is just thankful.’

‘Thankful?’

‘Yes, because I took them in. We do get on well. Maybe the Polish are more expressive than us. I’m sorry if it looked like something else.’

Angel burst into tears. ‘I missed you so much. I thought we would never see each other again.’ She ran her hands through his hair. ‘I couldn’t bear to be without you, not for a second.’

Jake kissed his girlfriend. ‘You won’t need to. We are home now.’

Angel smiled, and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She felt a bit silly. ‘This bloody world we now live in. It fucks with your mind.’ She forced out a small laugh, trying to disguise her insecurity.

Jake put his arm around her. ‘Well you know what? I haven’t been this happy in years.’

Angel kissed her man. ‘Or me.’

They watched as the kids ran along the riverbank, chasing Young Red. Lou was holding his lead.

Amber was complaining that Young Red was her dog, and not Lou Pepper’s. The two girls both folded their arms and turned their backs on one another, Jake laughed. He tugged Angel closer. ‘And so it begins.’

Then they both walked back towards the cottage. Lunch was beckoning.

***

‘I can see some buildings, a church on top of a hill.’ Waters pointed to his left.

‘Yes, roger that.’ Gilman confirmed. He picked up the radio handset. ‘Ground crew, can you see the church on top of the hill? Over to your left.’

Emma Davis wound down the window of the truck. She stretched her neck a little to get a better view. ‘Yes, I can see it, just about.’

‘We will fly over, see if there’s any movement.’ Gilman signed off.

‘Roger that.’ Davis placed the handset back onto the dashboard.

‘Park up by the church?’ Travers asked Davis.

‘As near as we can. The light is fading, so whatever we find we will have to return tomorrow.’

‘Why?’ Travers couldn’t work out why the light would make a difference.

‘We can’t take people on in the dark. Not on their turf, it’s suicide.’

Travers shook his head. ‘Let’s just see if they find anything.’

‘My stomach is telling me that it’s nearly the end of today’s shift.’ Willoughby shifted on the hard seat he had been perched on for the last nine hours.

Waters ignored his superior’s grumbling and started his account of the buildings below.

‘Church and church yard, small car park, all clear.’ He looked out of the other side of the cockpit. ‘Small public house, still no movement.’

Gilman scribbled the verbal account down on a notepad.

The helicopter swung right. Hovering only meters from the buildings below, the untethered hay scattered across the fields.

‘Many farm buildings.’ Waters continued. Some sheep grazing in a field. A couple of dead cows.’

‘There!’ Gilman shouted. ‘Infected male wandering from hay barn.’

Waters moved to the left to get a better view. ‘Roger, he must have been sheltering there.’

‘Out of the way.’ Willoughby barged past Gilman to get a better look.

‘Excellent, this one is mine.’ He grabbed snipers rifle. ‘You bagged the last one, now it’s my turn.’ He slid back the side window and hung the barrel out into the air.

Waters got as close as he could without putting themselves in danger. ‘Take your shot.’

Willoughby squinted through the telescopic lens and lined up the cross hairs.

‘Shoot him.’ Gilman urged, knowing the dangers of hovering at such a low height.

Willoughby’s heart thumped as he squeezed the trigger.

The gun exploded into action; Gilman jumped, even though he knew the sound was coming.

The Infected male’s head popped as the bullet whizzed through it. He fell to the ground. Lying motionless, arms outstretched, his hands covered in dust.

‘Bingo!’ Gilman patted Willoughby on the back.

‘Good shot sir.’ Waters turned around and smiled.

Willoughby lowered his gun and sat back in his seat. ‘That was fantastic.’ He grinned. ‘Almost better than sex.’

‘Good work sir.’ Gilman took the gun from him. His stomach stirred as the helicopter rose high once again.

‘Another farm building, looks like a small holding.’ Waters again continued his account.

Willoughby wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
That actually was better than sex.
He smiled to himself. All he wanted now was a feast to celebrate his kill. And then maybe to do some more killing; he liked it, he liked it a lot.

‘We have movement.’ Waters words kick started more activity at the back of the Sea Sprite.

‘Your turn this time.’ Willoughby went to pass Gilman the rifle, which was now back in the rack.

‘It’s not infected, looks like kids.’ Waters added.

‘Kids?’ Gilman leant forward.

‘Down there, blink and you’ll miss them.’

‘Where?’ Willoughby scurried to the window.

‘Hang on, I’ll take another pass.’ Waters swung around again. ‘Look directly below, just past the Willow trees.’

Gilman pressed his nose against the glass; he still couldn’t see any children.

‘There!’ Willoughby shouted. ‘I can see them.’

Gilman moved over to Willoughby. ‘Yes, I have a visual.’

Down below they could both see three children playing by a river. A dog also ran free in the field opposite.

‘Any others?’ Waters asked.

‘Nope, just three kids.’ Gilman confirmed.

‘And a dog.’

Waters turned to his two passengers. ‘You can bet your bottom dollar that where there are kids, there are adults. It must be them.’

Willoughby grabbed the handset. ‘Davis, can you hear me?’

Emma Davis was brought out of her musings when the handset in the truck rattled into life. ‘Roger that, receiving you loud and clear.’

Willoughby’s voice came back over the handset. ‘We’ve found them, repeat we have found them.’

Davis swallowed hard, this was it. Show time had begun.

‘We will move away from the area, come back in the morning.’ Willoughby then signed off.

Travers hit the steering wheel. ‘What the fuck!’

‘Come on, you heard the boss, let’s go.’

Travers shook his head. ‘Madness; we should strike now.’ He turned the truck around.

‘They will still be there in the morning.’ Davis stretched her legs in the foot well. ‘Slowly, slowly catchy monkey.’

‘Whatever.’ Travers was not a happy man.

Davis sat back, now she had to break the plan to Waters.
Slot Willoughby tonight? Travers too?
There were plenty of questions to be answered.
Maybe call in at Taunton on the way back, slot the Doctor.
Davis loved that idea. All three in one swoop, that would put her in a strong position. The Doyen and then her. She smiled to herself.

‘Get in, get back to the cottage!’ Angel sprinted across the lawn towards the children.

She had been chopping onions when the noise of the helicopter shook the kitchen pots and pans.

Whoever they were, Angel didn’t want their position compromised.

Had they seen the kids?

She gazed up into the evening sky, the black dot had now disappeared.

Roger was close behind her. ‘What the hell was that?’

Angel turned to him. ‘Trouble.’

The Doyen cleared everyone out of his temporary office and closed the door. Doctor Robert, a little put out at being cut short and ushered away, stood by the water fountain. Irritated at not being heard, he frustratingly tapped the clipboard he was holding whilst waiting to re-enter the office.

The Doyen picked up the handset of the two way radio. It was slightly inconvenient that Davis should get into contact with him during such an important meeting. Nevertheless, he thought it imperative to get back to her.

He squeezed the handset. ‘Davis, can you hear me?’

Static screeched out of the small speaker of the main unit, which was sat on the desk. He knew that using this type of radio was pushing it. Just less than fifty miles was on the limit of the radio’s coverage. Both antennae needed a clear line of sight, so he was hoping Davis was in reaching distance.

The tall mast on top of the Taunton compound was erected when the Pureblood’s took over the small hospital, some eight weeks ago. It had provided great coverage from all over the South West, but it was Davis who needed to find high ground to connect to it.

‘Davis, are you there?’ The Doyen asked again. Still white noise filled the room.

Emma Davis moved to the top of the small hill. Using the fading light as cover, she had taken the radio from the truck only ten minutes previous. She had already tried to contact the Doyen, but only static was being received. Davis had noticed slightly higher ground to the east, so she had hot-footed it over to the summit of the small hill.