17.45
Cruikshank was observing the observer. According to the men who found him, he’d been raving mad. He didn’t look insane now, more like a tortured soul fighting to stay in control of his emotions. His jaw was twitching and he stared straight at the wall, not at his superiors.
Cruikshank put his hand up. He wasn’t sure what the appropriate protocol was with Major Cowper, so he thought he’d try politeness.
“Major, Sir. May I ask a question?”
Cowper glared at him. Then he shrugged. The Commander and this upstart Dunwoody were having private conversations in the corridor and he felt he was getting cut out of the loop. For once, he could appreciate how the kid felt.
“Be my guest,” he said.
Cruickshank turned to the observer.
“Why did you break the intercom system?”
The observer kept staring into space. Cowper tilted his head, curious as to where this was going.
“Answer the question soldier,” he snapped.
“I hit it when I was hammering on the door,” the observer said.
“If you were trying to attract your team’s attention, why didn’t you hammer on the glass?”
The man hesitated. “I hammered on everything,” he said finally.
“You said the team were asking May-Rose questions,” Cruikshank pressed. “You must have heard what she was saying. Until you broke the intercom.”
The observer looked dourly at the security officer.
“That’s more than one question, Major Cowper.”
Cowper narrowed his eyes. He was intrigued, despite himself.
“Just humour the boy,” he said.
“What did May-Rose say to your team?” Cruikshank repeated.
The observer gripped the arms of his chair. Beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.
“I don’t remember.”
“We already know what you saw. What did you hear?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” The observer was trembling all over. Cowper rose and took a slow step towards him, letting his hands relax and fall by his side. He knew the boy was on to something.
“What was May Rose saying?” he repeated.
“Did she say something that made these men go mad?” Cruikshank broke in as Cowper leaned threateningly over the seated man. “Something so terrible that you smashed the intercom before it did the same to you.”
“Please stop asking me questions.” The man’s voice was harsh and cracked. “I don’t know anything.”
“What did you hear?” Major Cowper insisted.
“What did she sound like?” Cruikshank added.
The observer launched himself out of the seat, arms outstretched, straight at the boy. Major Cowper moved forwards too, fast and loose, head low and fists bunched. His shoulder connected with the observer and both spun away from Cruikshank. Monk looked stunned.
“Guards!” Olly shouted. “In here!”
The door burst open and the two soldiers rushed into the room in time to see the observer grab Cowper by the throat. The Major slammed one hand on his opponent’s face, pushing the assailant away, and scrabbled for his holstered pistol. The guards hauled the observer off and pinned him against the wall. His face was a mask of frozen hate, lips pulled back over bloody teeth, snarling like a rabid animal.
“SHE HAD THE VOICE OF GOD!” he screamed, spittle dripping over his quivering lips. His knees buckled and he began to cry. Only the grip of the guards kept him upright.
“She had the voice of God and it was terrible,” he sobbed.
“I can’t get it out of my head.”
17.50
“I have one question.” Simon was making minor adjustments to the walkie talkie in an attempt to improve reception.
“Shoot.”
“I wish folk in the army wouldnae say shoot all the time,” Dave moaned. “Do ye no get enough o that here?”
“Leslie’s got a fake security disk and now we’ve got the codes to the base,” Simon said, ignoring Dave’s protests. “But they change all the time and we won’t be able to access those changes in the future. So how can we use this escape route twice? It’s only going to work for one night.”
“Final part of the plan,” Jimmy said, taking off the headphones for the last time. “Leslie’s going to put that fake security disk in the gate console, but she’s not going to punch in the code.”
“I don’t get you.”
“In ten minutes I’m going to use our security access to shut down every electronic lock on the base.”
“What!”
“Only for a split second.” Jimmy held up his hands. “They’ll lock again immediately. Nobody will even notice.”
“What good will that do?”
“When the locks go off line, Leslie will insert the fake disc in the back gate. When they come back on, that disc will automatically be part of the security system. Since it’s a blank disc, whatever code she then punches in will work. What’s more, it will always work◦– hard-wired into base security◦– unauthorised and undetected.”
“That’s pure dead brilliant, man!” Dave enthused.
“We can use our own code anytime we want and it won’t show up on any surveillance data. Our personal access to any lock, gate, computer… whatever.”
“I take my hat off to you.” Simon said, his normally taciturn face split by a wide grin. “Except I don’t have one, so I’ll take Dave’s hat off instead.” He knocked Dave’s Burberry cap across the room with a well aimed swipe.
“Do that again, ya wee gadgie an I’ll take your head aff.”
“This next bit has to be timed perfectly,” Jimmy said. “When Leslie gives the signal, we shut down the locks and turn them on again, just long enough for her to stick that disk in the back gate.”
“An you’re sure this isnae gonnae backfire?”
“Pinewood’s locks will be open for a millisecond,” Jimmy said confidently. “What can go wrong that short time?”
17.55
Cowper and Cruikshank sat opposite each other in the interview room. The Major tapped a large fist against his chin while Cruikshank played nervously with the lead of his MP3 player. The observer had been taken away and placed in confinement. Monk and Olly stood behind the Security Chief, looking slightly stunned.
“Let me start by saying I underestimated you, son.” Cowper managed a grudging compliment. “Though I still don’t understand what just happened.” He turned to Monk and Olly. “Gentlemen?”
“Haven’t got a clue.”
Cruikshank was trembling all over. He looked balefully at the adults.
“May-Rose didn’t bite any of that team, did she?”
“Not according to the observer.”
“Changing someone’s genetic makeup by biting them is hard enough to accept,” the boy continued. “I can’t believe she infected them with an airborne gene. Besides, May-Rose didn’t go mad, just the others.”
“That’s true,” Olly agreed, glancing at Monk for support. The Doctor looked away, still perplexed. It was a feeling he was getting used to but he certainly didn’t relish it.
“So we’re back to the mouse,” Cruikshank continued. “You said the creature had its DNA altered and it became smarter. Much smarter.”
“Yes.”
“And, somehow, May-Rose has the same alterations?”
“Again, yes.”
Cruikshank put his MP3 player on the table and stopped fidgeting.
“But May-Rose was a genius to begin with.” he said.
“Wait a minute kid.” Comprehension began to dawn on Monk’s face and he expelled a puff of derision. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? That May-Rose has become so smart she talked those men into murdering their companions?”