“Come back Cruikshank!” May-Rose screamed. “Cowper will kill me!” Her voice rose in pitch and volume till it finally drowned out the ringing in his ears.
“YOU COME BACK! COME BACK AND SAVE ME!”
The words were like molten metal, burning inside his head. He barrelled into the elevator and hit the far wall, clutching at his temples.
Major Cowper was still facing him, headphones on his head and a satisfied smirk on his face.
Cruickshank gasped in horror.
Behind the Security Chief another group of soldiers had appeared. May-Rose gestured angrily and the men moved towards the Major. With music blaring into his ears, Cowper couldn’t hear them approaching.
“Behind you!” Cruickshank screamed waving his arms. “Look behind you!”
“What?” Cowper frowned. Too late, he realised what the boy was trying to convey.
One of the soldiers opened fire.
Cowper sank to his knees with a cry, arms outstretched in a futile attempt to slow the troops pushing past him towards the elevator. Cruikshank reached up and punched the top button.
As the doors slid together, he caught sight of the Major for the last time, lying face down on the floor. The elevator shuddered and began to ascend.
The boy picked up Cowper’s rifle and paced back and forward until the lift reached surface level. As soon as the doors opened, he darted out and into the nearest cupboard, quietly shutting the door behind him. A few second later, footsteps rattled along the corridor.
“The elevator is empty,’ a voice rasped. “Thank God.”
“Call it in, then disable the damned thing and let’s get back to our stations,” another said. “Nobody is getting out of the lower levels this way and we’ve got a battle on our hands.”
The footsteps retreated again, leaving Cruikshank crouched in the darkness.
18.16
The Operations Room was in chaos. Commander Saunders and Lieutenant Dunwoody were shouting orders to the technicians and alarm lights were ringing on every console.
“Status report!” the Commander yelled. “What the hell is happening in the lower levels?”
“It… seems to be some sort of mutiny sir,” Warrant officer Took stammered in disbelief. “We’ve monitored our own men breaking the security cameras down there. There’s gunfire too, but we can’t get a coherent report because all the intercom systems are offline in the bottom level. Looks like they’ve been sabotaged too.”
“What in God’s name is causing this?”
“Before the cameras went down, we spotted the girl, May-Rose, in one of the corridors.”
“She’s out?”
Took hesitated. “She appears to be in charge of the rebels, sir.”
“Change all security codes right now!” Commander Saunders bellowed. “We have to keep her trapped.”
“I’m on it sir.”
“This has got to be the result of some virus.” Dunwoody looked up. He had a radio in his hand that he had been speaking into. “There must be a contamination down there driving your men mad.”
“Are your soldiers ready, Lieutenant?” the Commander snapped.
“With the codes changed, nobody down there will be able to use the lifts anymore, so I’ll deploy my men to cover the stairs. It’s the only exit left.”
Dunwoody pulled himself upright. “And I’m formally requesting that you put your remaining military personnel under my command during this period. Those that are still obeying your orders,” he added pointedly.
The Commander swallowed hard.
“Agreed,” he said finally, motioning to Took. “Raise all the troops you can. Place them under Dunwoody’s command.”
“Will do sir.”
The Lieutenant took the Commander gently aside.
“My men can stop people getting out but we can’t stop a virus spreading,” he whispered. “What’s the protocol in the event of a contagious leak in Bunker 10?”
“We seal off level six with blast proof vacuum doors. The air pressure in the bottom of the base is kept at less than the surface. Air flows downwards, keeping any airborne contagion from spreading.” He spread his hands in exasperation. “But we don’t know if this is a contagion. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“We need to get in touch with High Command. Let them know what’s going on.”
“Yes. That’s right.” The Commander was blinking rapidly, rubbing one hand up and down the side of his leg. “They have to be told.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Dunwoody snarled. “Things to get worse?”
The Commander swallowed again. “Open a link to HQ,” he said.
“Yes sir.” Took was about to obey when he gave a start.
“Someone’s trying to communicate with us from Bunker 10,” he said in astonishment. “Using the intercom.”
‘I thought it had been sabotaged?”
“So did I.”
“Patch him in on the loudspeaker.”
A cracked, pain filled voice suddenly filled the Ops Room. “This is Oliver Torrence…. Olly… from Project Flower… I haven’t got long.”
“Where are you Olly?” The Commander said loudly.
“He can’t hear you sir,” Took interrupted. “It’s a one way communication.”
But Olly was ahead of them. “I’ve barricaded myself in Bunker 10,” the voice said. “But I’ve been shot. Badly I think….” There was a burst of wet coughing and a low groan. “You have to listen to me,” Olly continued. “I know what you’re thinking, but there is no airborne virus down here, do you understand?” There was another violent bout of coughing. The Commander ran a hand over his face
Olly gave a ragged intake of breath. It was drowned out by a hammering sound.
“Someone’s trying to break into the lab to reach that man,” Dunwoody said.
“I repeat. There is no danger from a virus!” Olly’s voice was weaker now and slightly slurred. “It’s May-Rose.”
“Explain yourself,” the Commander urged, forgetting that Olly couldn’t hear him. But the injured man was getting to that.
“May-Rose can control others simply by talking to them. Don’t ask me how, but she can!”
A rasping whine spun into life, as if someone had turned on a power tool.
“I disabled the lower intercom systems except the outlet I’m patched into, but it won’t take her long to get them working again. You have to shut them down entirely. And for God’s sake destroy any means of communication with the outside world.”
Olly rallied himself for one final plea.
“If May-Rose can transmit off the base, she’ll be able to control anyone she reaches. I’m begging you, Commander.”
The whine had reached an unbearable pitch, as nerve shredding as nails across a blackboard.
“They’re almost in!” Olly cried.
“I think we should do what he says,” Dunwoody urged. “Just in case.”
Saunders was rigid as a stick of ice, his jaw working silently.
“But there’s something you don’t know about Pinewood,” he whispered. “There’s a secret protocol that is activated when…”
“Commander!” Olly shouted above the shuddering drone. “May-Rose has power beyond our imagination. You must not let her get out! Don’t let her talk to the outside world!”
There was a loud bang and then silence.
“What do you think?” Dunwoody urged.
“I can’t cut communication to headquarters, not without the authorization of my Security Chief, as well.” the Commander fumed. He grabbed Took by the shoulder. “You sure you can’t raise Major Cowper?”