There was a hushed silence as everyone turned and looked at the speaker on the wall.
“But I’m not the enemy, I promise.” the girl continued. “You listened to Olly, so you can at least listen to me.”
“Took. Switch off those speakers right now!” Dunwoody shouted. But Took hesitated, his hand hovering over the transmission switch.
“Listen to me. We’ve made a wonderful discovery down here.” May-Rose carried on. “And we want to share it with everyone. But Lieutenant Dunwoody and his men have been sent to prevent that. They’re here to kill you all.”
“Shut down that communication!” Dunwoody commanded, his voice as stern and official as he could make it. “That is a direct order, soldier!”
Firm as it was, Dunwoody’s tone was nowhere near as imposing as the child’s voice wafting across the room. Heads were beginning to turn in the Lieutenant’s direction. Looks that were a horrific mixture of blankness and hostility.
“Dunwoody and his men are the enemy,” the intercom whispered seductively. “You must destroy them and set us free. You must kill them. Kill them all and let us share our discovery with you.”
The Lieutenant and his men had been trained in a way the base personnel could not even imagine. They knew how to withstand the severest interrogation, to shut their minds and bodies from external pressures, to withdraw into a secret part of themselves.
Dunwoody narrowed his eyes and tuned May-Rose out, though it was harder than he could ever have believed. With a snarl he unleashed a burst from his automatic weapon into the console where Took was seated. The operator fell backwards, warding off a shower of sparks with his arms. May-Rose’s voice was cut off in mid-sentence.
Took struggled to his feet, fury etched across his face. Other technicians were rising from their consoles, turning towards Dunwoody with the same look. A few took tentative steps towards him.
“This is what Olly was talking about!” he shouted. “Commander Saunders, order your men to stand down right now!”
But the commander also had an angry, faraway look. With trembling hands he slowly unholstered his sidearm◦– he seemed to be fighting against some horrible, overpowering urge he couldn’t control. Biting his lip he swung the pistol towards Dunwoody.
The Lieutenant had been trained in much more than interrogation techniques. He had been trained to survive and to kill.
Without a blink he opened fire, cutting down the Commander and Took where they stood. Howling their fury, the rest of the Ops room rose from their seats and surged towards the Lieutenant, some peeling off to reach the gun rack on the far wall.
Dunwoody took up a combat stance, legs apart.
He raised the gun to his shoulder and began shooting.
18.21
Jimmy Hicks had reached the well. He rummaged around inside his parka and brought out Simon’s formula, wrapped in tin foil and packed in a sandwich bag. As he raised his hand to throw it into the dark hole, he heard a click behind him.
Cruikshank was standing a few feet away, pointing a rifle.
“Hand over the formula, Hicks.”
Jimmy tried to keep calm. In truth, he was as surprised as he was afraid.
“Don’t be stupid, Cruikshank,” he said quietly. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“I think I will. But your escape plan has gone badly wrong.”
Jimmy looked sourly at the weapon. “I can see that myself.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Cruikshank jerked his head in the direction he had come. “People are dying back there.”
As if on cue, they heard the putt-putt of a machine gun from the direction of the base. Jimmy’s started at the sound.
“Leslie is safe outside, I take it.” Cruikshank didn’t even look in the direction of the gunfire. “But I wouldn’t hold out much hope for the rest of your pals.” He motioned with the gun again. “I’m taking the formula and getting out. You’re welcome to follow… after a decent amount of time. Now drop the damned bag.”
“You won’t shoot me.”
“You think not?” Cruikshank was well aware he had no bullets but Jimmy didn’t know that. “Hicks, you’ll just be another dead body. I’ve witnessed plenty in the last half hour.”
Despite his feigned nonchalance, Cruickshank was obviously fighting to control his emotions. His breath was coming in short sibilant bursts and he looked ready to snap. He gave an angry jerk with the gun.
Jimmy reluctantly dropped the bag and stepped back. The boy limped over and picked it up.
“I need ten minutes to get clear then you can make your choice. Get out or go back, it’s all the same to me.”
“You harm Leslie and I’ll kill you.”
“I have no interest in Leslie. If we cross paths, I’ll tell her to run and never stop.” The boy was still backing away, still keeping the rifle trained on Jimmy. “After what I’ve just seen I don’t think the army will let any of us live. Trust me on that.”
More gunfire drifted across the snowy waste behind them.
“I’m sorry, Jimmy.” Cruikshank said abruptly.
It was the first time he had ever called Jimmy Hicks by his first name.
Then he headed towards the rear gate.
18.25
Lieutenant Dunwoody staggered from the Ops Room and into the passageway. He was soaked with blood, white eyes staring from a mask of crimson. One arm hung limply by his side but most of the gore covering him came from the people he had just cut down. He sank to the floor, pulled the walkie talkie from his belt and opened a channel to his team.
“This is Dunwoody,” he croaked. “I haven’t got time to explain but all personnel at Pinewood base must now be treated as hostile. I mean all of them.” He stopped, looking in horror at the red rivulets dripping from his hands. “Everyone on this installation who is not part of my team are to be terminated with extreme prejudice. Do I make myself clear?”
There was a crackle from the radio as his sergeant came on the air.
“Say again sir?”
“You heard me,” Dunwoody replied furiously. “You shoot anyone you meet on sight. Anyone not on our team. Men. Women. Children. Is that understood?”
There was silence on the other end.
“I said, is that understood!?”
“Understood sir. Sir?”
“Yes sergeant?”
“What was going on with that message on the intercom? It made me feel very… strange.”
Dunwoody pressed his bloody fists against his forehead. Then he spoke into the walkie-talkie again.
“You ok.?”
“As far as I know we all are.”
“Then secure the upper levels. Once you’ve done that, lead a small team to the surface and disable all the base vehicles.” He hesitated for a second. “Wreck ours too. And search the surface buildings. Terminate anyone you encounter with extreme prejudice.”
“There are only a group of kids up there.”
Dunwoody was relentless. “It’s a child who’s causing this Sergeant.”
There was silence again. Finally his subordinate spoke.
“I’ll get it done, Sir. Over and out.”
18.30
“Dave, Simon. Are you there? Come in. It’s Jimmy!”
There was no answer from the walkie talkie in his hand. Jimmy sat on the ground, Cruickshank’s words chasing each other round his head.
- Leslie is safe outside.
He looked towards the woods the fence and freedom.
- But I wouldn’t hold out much hope for the rest of your pals.
There was almost constant gunfire coming from the direction of the base. Jimmy slammed a fist into the snow, then picked up the walkie talkie again.