Numbers 3: Infinity (16 page)

The guard outside our room is still there, though.

‘I’ve got orders to evacuate these two further away from the entrance,’ Adrian says to him. ‘Can you lead the way? We’ll head for the medical wing.’

The guard doesn’t question him. ‘Prisoner coming through,’ he barks, and sets off against the flow, expecting others to get out of his way. Adrian and I follow in his slipstream.

I’m having trouble keeping up. The further I drop behind the more I’m getting bumped and barged by people coming the other way. I can see Mia’s face looking for me over Adrian’s shoulder, then she disappears behind a sea of faces.

‘Adrian!’ I call out.

He checks behind him and stops.

‘Wait!’ he shouts at our escort, who also stops.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘I keep getting a stitch. I can’t go very fast.’

‘It’s okay. Walk in front of me. We’ll go at your pace.’

We’re nearly at the medical wing when there’s another volley of explosions. This time the floor shakes and everyone stops running for a second or two. Then a voice booms along the corridor: ‘Code 5. Code 5. Entrance 1 is a code 5.’

‘What does that mean?’ I ask Adrian.

‘It means this place is in trouble.’

Our guard is pushing back past us.

‘You all right from here?’ he says. ‘It’s a code 5.’

‘Yes, sure,’ Adrian says. ‘We’re fine.’

The soldier heads off at the double. We watch him go and then Adrian says, ‘You’d better put that coat on now, get sorted out.’

‘What’s happening, Adrian? I don’t want to go to the medical wing.’

‘We’re not,’ he says. ‘We’re heading to the stores. Come on, this way.’

‘The stores?’

I’m trying to talk to him as we walk, but I’m puffing with the effort of keeping up.

‘It’s the only other way out. They start off in a corridor and then lead into a network of caves going right through the hill. People have been coming in and out that way since the bunker’s been occupied. They get stuff from the stores, medicines, all sorts.’

We’ve turned into a side corridor now.

‘This is where I say goodbye,’ Adrian says, and puts Mia
down. He strokes her cheek. ‘Bye, sweetheart. Just keep moving, Sarah. You’ll find the way without me. And there’ll be someone to meet you at the other end.’

But I’m not ready to let him go yet. Suppose there are more explosions. Suppose Mia gets so frightened she won’t walk. I can’t carry her in this state.

‘Won’t you come a bit further?’ I say. ‘Just a bit. Let me get my breath back.’

‘Okay, but not far. I ought to be back in post before they realise you’ve gone.’

Chapter 36: Adam

T
he concrete vibrates against my cheek. Once. Twice. Then the noise comes. Two bangs, like car doors slamming.

I sit up. That weren’t no car doors.

There are people running down the corridor, officers yelling out orders, an alarm ringing. I lean against the door and listen to the panic outside. After a while the sound of boots on concrete is gone, but the bell keeps on and on and on.

It feels like it’s inside my head.

Then the door opens. By the time the crack of light widens into an oblong, I’m on my feet and ready to thump whoever’s coming in.

‘Adam!’

A man calling my name – that’s odd. They don’t normally speak and the light normally flickers on before they come in.

I stay silent, back pressed to the wall next to the door, so he has to come right in to the room to see me.

He’s hunched over, dragging something behind him. The light from the corridor outside shows army kit, but he’s shorter than most of the squaddies here and his hair’s tied in a pony tail. This ain’t no soldier. And the something he’s dragging into the cell is a body.

He turns to face me and his face widens to a grin underneath the dirty beard.

‘Adam … Adam, are you all right?’

‘Daniel?’

‘Let me park this …’

I help him lug the body clear of the door. It’s a guard, unconscious.

Daniel straightens up, steps over the guard and pushes the door nearly to. Then he finds me and wraps his arms round me in a man-hug, slapping my back. I hold onto him for a minute, hardly believing he’s here.

‘I’ve come to get you out. You ready?’

‘God, yeah. Yeah! We got to get Sarah, though. They’re after our baby, Daniel. It’s sick in here, a sick place.’

He looks grim. ‘You can fill me in later. Someone else is helping Sarah, my contact here, my supplier – Adrian. We’ll meet them if we’re lucky. If not, we’ll see them outside.’

‘I gotta see her.’

‘Adam, it’s under control. Trust me. Put this on.’

He hands me an army jacket. The pockets are bulging. I feel inside. There’s a knife and a torch and all sorts in there.

‘This isn’t going to fool anyone.’ I point to my face, the face that was on the telly in a million front rooms.

‘Tie this scarf round. It’ll get you past a first glance. That’s all we need. They won’t be looking at you – the focus will be somewhere else.’

He holds his arm up to catch the light seeping in round
the door and looks at his watch.

‘Let’s give it a minute.’

‘What are we waiting for?’

My answer comes in the form of a massive series of explosions.

Immediately sirens start wailing and there’s the sound of running in the corridor again. I hope to God no one sees the cell door is open.

Daniel edges towards it, and peers out.

‘Let’s go. We’re running with the herd to start with.’

And then we’re off, breaking into a jog, soldiers in front of us. Daniel’s limping, and then I remember – three days ago Saul shot him in the leg. Must have just been a flesh wound, ’cause it ain’t slowing him down much. We run for a few minutes – at the back of the pack – then Daniel slows, letting the soldiers ease ahead before he darts down a side turning. I follow him, checking over my shoulder. We’re okay – no one’s behind us.

‘Not far now,’ he says, as I catch up.

‘Where we goin’?’

‘Same way I came in. Through the back door.’

‘And Sarah?’

‘She’ll be there too. Sooner or later. Try not to worry.’

There’s another series of explosions and the whole place shakes.

‘Fuck! What
is
that?’

‘Friends, Adam. Friends. They may get in this time, destroy the place. But even if they don’t, it’s the perfect diversion.’

‘I can’t believe you’re springing me.’ I put my hand up and he meets it with a high five.

‘Believe it, Adam,’ he says. ‘I told you – we need you. We
couldn’t let you disappear. Here we are.’

We turn a corner into another corridor.

Halfway down there are three people with their backs to us, a soldier and a woman and a girl. They must have heard us. They spin round. The soldier draws a gun from his belt. Just as he lifts his arm to take aim Sarah shouts, ‘Adam!’ and Mia screams, ‘Daddeee!’

Adrian relaxes and puts the gun away, and I’m running to Sarah and Mia. Sarah looks exhausted, huge rings under her eyes, but her eyes are blue as ever and they’re sparkling now. She puts her hands round my neck and draws me down for a kiss.

Mia’s clinging to my legs, begging to be picked up. I keep one arm round Sarah and reach down to her.

Sarah looks past me. ‘Daniel, is that you? You’re alive! Oh, thank God. Where are Marty and Luke? Are they safe?

‘They’re fine,’ he says. ‘You’ll see them soon. But we’ve got to get through these caves first. It’s a bit tight in places, but you’ll be okay. There are white marks on the wall, you just have to follow them. Here—’

He digs in his pocket and gives Sarah a torch.

‘Now let’s get out of here. Are you coming, too?’ This to Adrian.

‘No, Daniel,’ Adrian says. ‘I’m staying. What would I do outside? Good luck, though. I’ll see you in a couple of months.’

‘This place might not be here by then.’

Another explosion booms through the bunker.

‘I’ll still be here. Safest place in England.’

We start walking away from him down the corridor. At the end of it is a door. It’s open.

Daniel stops dead. ‘That’s not how I left it,’ he says. ‘I’ve
got a key. I locked it.’ We look at each other. ‘Someone’s been in there, or come out. Maybe more of our people have got in, but I don’t think that was the plan.’

I set Mia down, so I can go in with Daniel, see what the problem is. But he’s already dodging back, running towards Adrian, who’s still standing where we left him, leaning against a wall, head tilted to the ceiling, eyes closed.

‘Adrian,’ Daniel says, and he jumps out of his skin. ‘The door’s open. Was that you?’

‘No,’ Adrian says, holding both hands up. ‘I didn’t do anything.’

‘Come and look.’

‘I’ve got to get back, Daniel.’ Even at this distance I can see his face is flushed.

‘Daniel,’ I call. ‘Leave him. Let’s just go.’

But he’s pulled a gun on Adrian now. I don’t get what’s going on – I thought they were mates – but I’m not going to argue with Daniel in this mood.

‘Adrian’s going to go first,’ he snaps. ‘Aren’t you?’ He walks him towards us. As they pass, I can smell the sharp whiff of fear coming from Adrian. There’s sweat trickling down the side of his face.

An open door to an unguarded exit. It can’t be that easy, can it?

Daniel takes the gun away from Adrian’s neck and gives him a shove in the back of the ribs with it. Adrian walks into the room.

‘It’s clear,’ he shouts. ‘There’s no one here.’

Daniel follows him in. I let Sarah and Mia go next and bring up the rear.

I freeze.

We all freeze.

The room beyond the door isn’t empty. Saul is standing in front of Daniel and Adrian and he’s holding a revolver.

‘Welcome,’ he says. ‘Do come in, all of you. Come in and shut the door.’

Chapter 37: Sarah

I
turn round and grab the edge of the door. It’s a huge, thick wooden thing, with rivets and old-fashioned locks. Sound-proof. As I swing it to, Adam suddenly lunges towards Adrian. He twists his left arm and pulls it up his back making him squeal. Then he reaches into his pocket, draws out a knife and holds it at Adrian’s neck.

‘Adam, stop it! Stop it!’ I scream, but Adam’s holding him tight and he’s not letting go.

Daniel’s standing next to them. His gun is still in his hand. He’s aiming at Saul.

‘Sarah,’ he says turning his head my way and speaking through gritted teeth, ‘start running. We’ll catch up.’

Adam yanks Adrian’s arm further up his back. ‘You knew,’ he says, thickly. ‘You ratted on us.’

I squeeze Mia’s hand and start edging behind Adam, Adrian and Daniel.

‘I’m s-s-sorry.’ Adrian can only just get the words out. His voice is staccato with fear. ‘I d-d-didn’t have a-a-a choice.’

Adam digs the knife tip in deeper. It’s not breaking the skin. Yet.

Mia and I are past them now and, keeping our backs to the wall, we sidle further into the cave.

‘I don’t want to hear your excuses. You betrayed us. Your mate, Daniel. Sarah and me. Even Mia.’

‘Put the knife down, Adam,’ Saul cuts in. ‘You know you’re not going to use it. Sarah, stay where you are.’

‘Keep moving, Sarah,’ Adam says. ‘I will use it, Saul. I’ll kill him if I have to, and I’ll kill you too.’

This is an Adam I haven’t seen before. I’ve seen him hit people in a temper. I’ve seen him throw objects around and smash things up, but I never thought I’d see him threaten someone with a knife. Looking at him now – with the hatred in his eyes, the sinews in his hand taut like violin strings, the vein in his neck pulsing with anger – I’m not sure he won’t use it.

It’s frightening seeing him like this but there’s something noble about him too. He’s defending Mia and me. He’ll fight to the death for us. I can’t tell what’s going to happen next, but I don’t want Mia to see any more. I ignore Saul and keep moving. We’re three or four metres away from them now.

‘Go on, then,’ Saul says. ‘Kill him.’

‘What?’

‘Kill him.’

Adrian squeals, a sound of sheer animal terror.

‘You want me to kill him,’ Adam says.

‘I don’t particularly want you to. It doesn’t bother me one way or the other. I just want this sideshow to be over with. Get rid of him. Get rid of the hippy with the six shooter as well. Then it’s me and you.’

It’s silent for an achingly long time, silent apart from the
sound of Mia and me shuffling along on the uneven stone floor and Adrian, panting like a dog, his breathing fast and loud.

Then Adam speaks.

‘I can’t do it,’ he says. ‘You’re right, Saul, I can’t do it.’

‘Let him go then.’

Adam moves the knife away from Adrian’s throat. Adrian staggers forward, arms flailing.

‘You can’t, but I can,’ Saul says. ‘This is how you do it.’ Still aiming the gun at Daniel, he squeezes the trigger.

It’s only a tiny movement, but the ear-splitting blast fills the cave, echoing off the walls so if you couldn’t see the smoke coming from the barrel you wouldn’t know where the sound had come from. Daniel’s gun flies out of his hand. He bends over clutching his wrist.

I put my hand over Mia’s eyes and I start running, dragging her with me. I glance back.

Saul moves the gun towards Adrian.

There’s another gunshot and another.

Adrian convulses where he stands and then folds forward.

I race deeper into the cave. I don’t look back any more. I can’t.

I follow the line of the rock wall, past the first white mark and on and on and on.

Chapter 38: Adam

A
drian and Daniel are both down. Adrian’s lying on the floor, face in the dirt. Daniel’s crouching on his haunches, squeezing his wrist, trying to stop the flow of blood.

‘Gun beats knife,’ Saul says, his voice as cold as ice. ‘Put it down, Adam, before you do yourself some harm.’

I drop the knife.

‘Now take the hippy’s belt off.’

‘What?’

‘Just do it.’

I duck down next to Daniel, undo his belt buckle and pull the belt out through the loops.