When they reached the living quarters she began to wonder whether they would ever be able to escape.

  ‘After you,’ Noel said. He held open the door for them, and Beth slipped inside, followed by Dawn. ‘I think it would be better if we split up.’

  ‘Whatever you think is best,’ she said.

  They climbed the stairs together and split up on the fourth floor. As Noel opened the door to walk through a sudden thought occurred to Beth, and she called him back.

  ‘What is it?’ he said.

  ‘No one from the convoy.’

  He frowned at her. ‘Why not?’

  She glanced at Dawn and that seemed to be enough. He nodded and went on his way.

  When they reached the next floor she led Dawn to her room. Once again she opened the door and looked around as if she expected someone to be waiting inside. It was empty. The air was cool and settled.

  ‘Wait here,’ Beth said.

  Even Dawn didn’t argue with her.

  She closed the door behind and went to do as Noel had suggested.

  Beth walked quickly along the corridor. She wanted this to be over so that she and Dawn could be on their way. It didn’t seem likely that anyone would want to leave with her: they were safe in the compound, and all she could offer on the outside was insecurity and risk. They had almost died of starvation the last time they had followed her.

  The first room she reached belonged to Rachel. She knocked gently, and the door opened a split second later. David stood in front of her. He was dressed in the same clothes that he had worn when they’d left Harmony, his shirt had been cleaned and ironed since their arrival at the compound and his hair had been cut, but other than that he was the same.

  ‘Sorry to disturb you,’ Beth said. She assumed that David had just arrived at Rachel’s room and that she was getting in the way.

  ‘We’ve been waiting for you,’ David said.

  Rachel appeared behind him. She was fully dressed as well and carrying two bags. She handed one to David.

  ‘We’re ready to go when you are,’ Rachel said.

  Beth hadn’t expected this.

  ‘What about the children?’

  ‘They’re in the dormitory. We can get them when we go down.’

  She felt herself on the verge of arguing. Instead she nodded and turned away.

  The next room belonged to Simon. He was an older man and surely he knew that he stood a better chance of surviving his remaining years if he stayed in the compound. However, she also found him waiting by the door, fully dressed and with his bag packed.

  ‘You were right to take us out of Harmony,’ Simon said. ‘I’m sure you’re right about this as well.’

  Beth didn’t agree with him, she didn’t feel like she was right, but she simply nodded and let him follow along. If he wanted to leave the compound that was his business. She wasn’t a leader, she was just a catalyst.

  There were only three more people to visit on the fifth floor, and she found them in the same state as David, Rachel and Simon; packed up and ready to go. She began to realise that Noel hadn’t been completely honest with her; he must have prepared people for this.

  It made her wonder what Russell, Colette, and the others were doing. Had Noel prepared them as well? She didn’t believe that they would want to leave, but would they try to stop her? Would they know that she wouldn’t leave without Dawn and that this would be their chance to get revenge for Toby’s death?

  The thought was too uncomfortable to dwell on for long. Once she had visited all of the rooms on the fifth floor she returned to her quarters to collect Beth. Then they made their way downstairs to the dormitory where they found the children waiting to be collected.

  Noel stood in the shadows of the building with half a dozen people beside him. They remained silent but there were enough of them that Beth had no trouble seeing them. If her memory was correct then everyone who had left Harmony with her, and survived, had decided to leave the compound. She hadn’t expected anything like it.

  ‘All set?’ Noel said as she walked towards him.

  Beth nodded. ‘Lets go,’ she said.

  Dawn walked behind her amongst the other escapees. She would be harder to spot there and easier to defend. In her mind this had become less like a jail break and more like a heist.

  Noel walked beside her, but he wouldn’t take the lead. She wanted to cede responsibility for the group to him, he had already done a better job of it than her, but he was unwilling and unmovable. Instead, they walked side by side towards the wall.

  Nobody spoke, and she thought that was for the best. What could they say to one another now? They were probably regretting their decision to come with her and maybe a few of them would drop out along the way.

  ‘Hold on,’ Noel said.

  Beth stopped and the others stopped as well.

  ‘What is it?’ she said.

  There was a light in front of them. Three lights to be precise. They were bobbing up and down and glowing orange. Cigarettes.

  ‘Are they coming this way?’ she said.

  ‘I think so.’

  She watched them for a moment and thought he was right. One of the lights fell to the ground and went out. The other two would likely follow soon and then they wouldn’t be able to see them at all.

  ‘Soldiers?’ she said.

  ‘Yes,’ Noel replied.

  They stood for a moment until a second light disappeared. It would have been comforting to believe that they had stopped there and that their paths wouldn’t cross, but it seemed unlikely.

  ‘We need to hide,’ she said.

  Noel nodded.

  She looked around but, even if it had been light, she knew that there was nothing there to see. The buildings were clustered in the middle of the compound and there was a gap of about a mile between them and the wall. The only thing they could do was go back. Or try to sneak past the guards.

  She didn’t know what to do and found herself not doing anything as the third cigarette disappeared and the guards continued coming towards them.

  ‘Beth?’ Noel said.

  She shook her head. Her mind was blank. What did he want from her? She had never claimed to be a leader, had, actively fought against it. Now they were in trouble and he expected her to have a solution.

  The guards were getting closer and she could feel the group gathering more tightly around her. Whether she liked it or not the decision was hers to make.

  A moment later the opportunity to decide was taken out of her hands.

  ‘Who’s there?’ a voice from the darkness called. One of the guards, she assumed.

  She looked at Noel and could see him well enough to know that he was shrugging.

  The click and clack of machinery was enough for her to know that the guards had raised their weapons. If she didn’t say something, then there seemed like a better than average chance that they would all be shot.

  ‘Identify yourself,’ the guard said.

  At the moment, she found that she was able to make a decision. Maybe it was easier to do when she was only thinking about herself and about Dawn, about what would be the right thing to do for them. If it was the right thing for everyone else as well then so be it.

  Beth walked towards the voice.

  ‘My name’s Beth Malone,’ she said.

  ‘Beth wait!’ Noel called his voice a hushed shout.

  She ignored him and continued towards the soldiers. She didn’t hear anything so could only assume that they hadn’t lowered their weapons.

  ‘We arrived with the convoy and now we’re leaving.’

  ‘Stay where you are,’ the guard said.

  Beth continued walking towards them with the appearance of bravery, which she didn’t really feel. She knew that they might decide to shoot her, but what else could she do? It seemed that even she was capable of making decisions when there were no other options.

  ‘Not one more step,’ the guard said.

  She stopped. ‘Are you going to shoot me?’ she said.

  There was a pause in which she imagined the guard conferring with his colleagues. Were they going to shoot her? It seemed like an overreaction to the situation.

  ‘Not if it can be avoided,’ the guard said.

  Beth considered her options. If she went with the guard then they would all return to the living quarters and in the morning she would get a visit from Velma, maybe along with Harold. On the other hand, would the guards really open fire on a bunch of unarmed civilians who were, ostensibly, there of their own free will?

  She decided that the risk was worth taking.

  Noel caught up with her and walked on her right, Dawn came to walk on her left. They went towards the guards, with their guns, and she could only hope that it was the right thing to do. If not, then she might never know about it.

  Despite her conviction, she felt relieved when she heard the guards lower their weapons. As they got closer, she saw that there were actually more than three of them, closer to a dozen, but they had stood down.

  ‘I can’t let you leave,’ the guard said.

  ‘Will you stop us?’ Beth said.

  She hoped that he wouldn’t, but all she could do was keep going forward, leading her people towards the wall where they would likely be stopped again. But that didn’t matter now. She felt a courage that she hadn’t realised had died with Dale, and if that could come back then what other miracles might be possible?

  They reached the guards and she didn’t know what she expected to happen, but the surprise with which she screamed out suggested that it hadn’t been that.

  The guard grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back. Beth struggled, but that only seemed to increase the amount of pain she felt. She heard other people shouting as well and then a child started screaming.

  ‘Let go of me!’ she shouted through gritted teeth. She wriggled and turned, but the guard was much stronger than her and there was nothing she could do.

  She stamped her feet, but she was wearing lightweight walking boots and the guard was in heavy steel toed boots. He probably didn’t feel a thing.

  ‘You’re coming with me,’ the guard said and Beth realised that they didn’t have a choice. They weren’t capable of fighting the guards, there was nothing they could do except go with them and hope that an opportunity to escape presented itself later. Although she thought the chances were unlikely. She had kept herself a prisoner since they had arrived, but now, she suspected, there would be someone else to do it for her.

  The guards marched them back towards the living quarters. Some of the group continued to struggle, but Beth realised it was futile. The only thing it was likely to achieve was exhaustion. The best thing they could do now was wait and bide their time. She didn’t say as much, her first act as a leader had been a disaster and this one hadn’t been much better.

  At least no one was dead.

  Yet.

  At first, the sound was a distant and indistinct rumble, but as it got closer, she realised that it was the sound of engines. It got louder and, a moment later, there was a blinding flash of light. The whole world seemed to disappear as effectively as in darkness. All she could see was white, but, gradually, her eyes began to adjust.

  Beth blinked into the light and made out the shape of a jeep, but it wasn’t the only vehicle there. Others followed behind it. They were caravans and trucks and she knew who she would see behind the steering wheel when they arrived. It was the convoy and the only possible explanation was that they had come for Dawn.

  The arrival of the jeep and caravans distracted the soldier for long enough for Beth to make her move. She twisted suddenly and wrenched her shoulder but the soldier’s grip loosened and she was able to get clear of him.

  She stood panting in the darkness and looked around for Dawn. It was impossible to make her out amongst the large group of people who were now gathered there and she didn’t have the luxury of taking her time. She was sure that the guards would have already radioed ahead to let the base know they were coming.

  Beth went to the nearest guard and pulled the captive away from them without looking to see who it was. Together they went to two more people and then to four more. The convoy was approaching quickly, but the lights were so bright that all she could see was silhouettes and shadows.

  When they were all free, she started to move towards the wall again. She didn’t think that the struggle was over yet, but one thing at a time. Beth looked around for Dawn but didn’t see her. She called her name.

  ‘I’m here,’ Dawn said.

  Beth reached for her hand and pulled her sister onwards. Nothing else mattered if they were together. Together they could keep going and get through anything.

  It did not escape her attention that she had held similar sentiments to that about Dale, but she was determined not to let her sister suffer a similar fate.

  They ran towards the wall. There seemed to be many more of them now, and the convoy kept coming. At this rate, she thought, they would be lucky if they weren’t all killed before they even got out of the compound. She knew that Russell was not the kind of person to let his enemies go free.

  The high pitched hum of motorbike engines emerged from the cacophony of other sounds. Beth resisted the urge to turn back and see who was there. She didn’t need to, and it would only slow them down.

  She squeezed Dawn’s hand and tried to pull her faster, but they could only so fast on foot, and that was never going to be quicker than a motorbike. If they stood a chance against the convoy then they would have to stand and fight.

  The first shot rang out and she realised that fighting wasn’t a much better option.

  Beth couldn’t tell whether the gunshot had come from the soldiers or the convoy, but a moment later, it was answered and she no longer needed to wonder whether both sides had weapons or not.

  If they ran then they would be caught. If they didn’t run then, chances were, they would be shot. She didn’t like their odds either way, but she knew she wouldn’t hand Dawn over to either the soldier’s or Russell and, as they were already running, it was easier to keep going than to make the decision to stop.

  The motorbikes raced past them without firing a shot and, for a moment, she hoped that they might not have been seen. Then, instead of continuing on towards the wall, the bikes circled around so they were coming straight towards them.

  Beth realised that there was nothing that she could do. They had been caught.

  The bikes slowed to a stop in front of them and Beth stopped as well. The people from Harmony crowded around her, but she couldn’t let them become her shield.

  One of the riders climbed off his bike and came towards them. It was difficult to tell in the light, but she thought it was Darrel.

  ‘Get on the bikes,’ he said and when she heard his voice, Beth was sure it was him.

  She let go of Dawn’s hand and elbowed her way through the group until she was standing face to face with him.

  ‘We’re not going anywhere with you,’ she said.

  The engines continued to hum in the background.

  ‘This will be a lot quicker if we use the bikes,’ he said.

  ‘You think I’m in a hurry?’

  ‘Don’t you want to get out of here?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘Come with me. They won’t be able to hold off the guards for long.’

  Beth was hesitant. She thought she understood what he was saying, but she didn’t want to stake Dawn’s life on it.

  ‘Beth, we don’t have long.’ He reached for her hand, but she refused to let him take it.

  ‘What are you going to do with Dawn?’ she said.

  ‘Dawn?’ he said.

  ‘Don’t treat me like an idiot Darrel,’ she said. ‘She killed Toby. What are you going to do to her?’

  ‘Toby’s not worth getting worked up over,’ he said. ‘We know what he did.’

  Beth couldn’t tell if he was being honest.

  ‘Honestly,’ Darrel said. ‘You’ve got nothing to worry about... unless you stay here, then you’ve got plenty to worry about.’

  It seemed too good to be true but what other choice did she have?

  Beth nodded.

  There were enough bikes for them all to get on the back of one, even if the children had to share.

  She led the way, climbing on behind Darrel and only turning to make sure that Dawn had a rider willing to take her. Then they were moving back towards the convoy.

  Beth hurried her people into the last caravan. They seemed to fill it more completely now. She was about to climb in after them when she felt a hand on her arm pull her back.

  ‘At the front,’ Darrel said. ‘Dad wants to see you.’

  Beth turned to seek Dawn in the darkness. She was standing close on the other side of the door.

  ‘It’s okay Beth,’ Dawn said. ‘You should go.’

  ‘Are you sure? I can stay here… or you can come with me.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ Dawn said. ‘Noel’s here. He’ll look after me.’

  Beth hesitated for a moment longer and then nodded. She should have expected it. She pushed the caravan door closed and walked down the length of the convoy with Darrel, while all around her the convoy and the army continued to fire shots at one another.

  Darrel led her to the jeep and slapped the side. Russell, in the driver’s seat, turned around. As did Matilda, who was sitting beside him, and Colette and Tiffany, who were in the back.

  Russell waved her in with a hurry up motion. When she turned towards Darrel she found that he had gone back to the other bikers. Beth climbed into the back of the jeep and closed the door behind her.

  There was no time to talk.

  Beth held on as the jeep sped forwards. The wall grew larger as they approached it and she found that she couldn’t think of anything other than hitting it at what had to be close to 60mph.

 

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