Day three underground and the only member of the group that did not seem to mind in the slightest was Bob. He was merry as ever, shuffling around in his slippers and slipping between quite simply lounging around enjoying books, board games and various assortments of tinned foods, alongside bouts of becoming a combat and fitness instructor for Archie, Wren and Lara. His calmness helped keep the newly formed group dynamics flowing.
It was clear Lara was the fittest and strongest of the group, but Bob had lived a life of elite level service with the Special Boat Service. Lara took the study very seriously and took a significant volume of notes, scribbling down every word Bob spoke when he sketched out or talked through example combat scenarios, tactics and approaches to different situations.
“You really should be writing this down” Lara said to Archie and Wren on the third evening.
“What’s the point, you’ve written it all down, we can just read your notes” Archie snorted.
“Damn right!” Wren beamed, high-fiving Archie.
Maureen and Archie were both tearing their way through nicotine patches and vigourously chewing on nicotine gum to help keep their moods in order. Lara broke up her day with multiple bouts of cardio or weight-training sessions, Wren and Archie stuck to just one workout per day so far.
Wren just seemed quite bored with being cooped up. Archie gave her the occasional nervous glance, expecting her own withdrawal symptoms to kick in at some point, after her admission in Great Bardfield, but it was yet to come. Perhaps her self-purge ability did more than its description had let on.
At 20:00 hours Maureen gathered the group to go over their plan for the next day. “So. We are all agreed, a short scouting mission, away from the roads heading West to St Marys church. The objective for today is to understand whether all residential areas around us have been evacuated, or just those that have been subjected to the magic of this alternate world.”
“Yes Maureen, if I see anybody, hide. If I get into trouble, run. Turn on this radio and tune into our channel if I’m stuck or going to have to return later than four hours from when I set off.”
“That’s the ticket, my girl” Maureen chimed.
“I really think I should go with you” exclaimed Archie to the group
“My dear boy. You will only slow Lara down, this time around. Lara could handle herself, before she got these powers. Now she is pretty much a damn superhero” Bob said, looking at Archie with apologetic eyes.
Archie hung his head. He knew in his heart this was true, he didn’t like it, but he could change that over time. “Ok, I will stay back, that’s fine… but if there is any trouble let us all agree that I should go out there to bring Lara home”.
“How chivalrous of you” Wren teased “but if she is in trouble or hurt, it has to be me, surely? I can mend a sprained ankle or broken bone”
“It has to be both of you” stated Maureen. “You both are a team, with some complimentary-ish skills. Archie on the front-line and Wren at the back. The best combination is actually Lara and Wren at the moment, but eventually, the three of you together should gel very well.”
Archie was kind of pissed that he was considered surplus to requirements right now, but he let it go, without this team he would have died…Twice. “Right. I’ve got a full body weight session on the menu tonight. Time to up the ante so I am ready for future missions” Archie half whispered as he walked over to the training area.
“So your secret cameras, Maureen. Are you certain the military units have left now?” Wren asked
“Yes my dear, the final squad moved out earlier this morning and haven’t returned. I will keep an eye overnight, but I think their resources will be stretched and setting up camp at a little farm for a family that has potentially been eaten by wolves is definitely a waste for them”.
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“Also, Lara will take our second exit which will take her above ground, outside of the area of our campsite. The troops that were here walked right over it in their initial sweep and were none the wiser, they didn’t return to that area either.” Bob said.
“Ok” chirped Wren as she went over to join Archie with no further explanation needed “If he is going to start training twice per day, then so am I”.
After some training, and in Bob’s case jig-saw puzzling, Lara, Archie and Wren went to bed. An early night for an early start tomorrow. She didn’t let it show, but Lara was wracked with nerves; not for her own safety but for the simple fact that she did not want to let her group down. Archie and Wren immediately began to snore away, their bodies exhausted from the unusual amount of physical activity they were putting onto themselves for the first time in decades. A smile and a small chuckle escaped Lara’s lips and with that she rolled over and fell to sleep, put at ease by their deep soothing breaths.
Bob finished making his tenth round of tea for the day and took two warming cups into the office, settling himself for another long night on the monitors with Maureen. They would sleep in shifts.
*****
The next day was the first time the group had set an alarm, it startled Archie and Wren awake from their drunken dreams. Lara was already dressed and lacing up her boots at the central oak table. Rubbing eyes and scratching at his floppy black hair, Archie tried to scramble out of his bunk-bed, temporarily forgetting he had the top bunk.
With a thud he landed, mid-sentence “shiiiii-iiiiiiiiit, ah for gods sake”. With a groan he got to his feet. Lara rushed over, concern etched across her face, Wren giggled uncontrollably in her bunk. Maureen stared over the fresh pot of coffee she had brewed for the group and Bob came bumbling, filling in the doorway to the office space.
“That’s one way to wake yourself up, lad” Bob laughed as he caught Archie slowly getting to his feet. “Time for breakfast, a final review of the maps and then our first mission. My first one in twenty years! I am kind of excited… I hope that’s ok?”
“You are not going out there Bob” Maureen scowled “you’re too big and slow these days for espionage”
“I know” he replied “just nice to feel like I’m part of a crack team of the finest people this country has to offer”
Wren jumped to attention “Sir. Yes. Sir”
Lara felt warm, Archie and Wren had immediately put her at ease. She had woken up and just lay silently in bed hours before the alarm buzzed at 06:00am, tension building up inside her. She was so relieved to have met them and have them here in the absence of Christian who was most likely busy running logistics and transportation, hopefully looking after her mother, just like he promised. Lara did worry about her friend, Wilton. He was a librarian and academic, a few months ago he had moved out of the local area but was connecting with survivalists in and around Manchester. Hopefully he would make contact soon.
The “sausage and bean from a can” breakfast with a slice of well-buttered toast was a treat for the group. Conversation was quite sparse as the worry had now settled in for everybody, just wishing that Lara got out there and came back safely with no drama. The clatter of knives and forks on their plates subsided. It was time to clean up and recap the plan and execute.
Maureen had set the plan, but it was Bob who ran through it, writing and sketching on the large white walls of their bunker, which were coated in whiteboard paint.
“Alpha unit, that’s you Lara, moves out first. You know the path to Spains Hall Estate. Down the river to the fork, from the fork head West until you reach the estate. There is plenty of tree cover. There is a small housing estate between here and there, utilised the cover, move through the fields.”
“Omega unit, that’s you Archie and Wren” Bob smiled as they both straightened up, trying to be as serious as they could. “You will await a clear response from Alpha unit that our hatch is clear. Ten minutes after this, you move out. Your objective is to see if any more of our food stores in our shop and, or house, are available and haven’t been taken by the forces. You will exit from our emergency hatch, circle round the tree line that surrounds our campsite and make your way into our house for the search. Whilst out there check on the nearby houses, from afar to see if they have been evacuated also. Based on the comings and goings over the last three days, we believe all these residences to now be empty.”
Bob had sketched out an enlarged version of the map he had also placed at the centre of their giant oak table. A table that would become their centre for Operations. He indicated the tree lines, paths to safety, contingency plans and hypothetical scenarios. Finally, one last equipment check to ensure their long-range walkie-talkies worked and were purposefully set to the wrong channel, in case of capture. Lara, Wren and Archie all had to go over their backstories, in the event they were caught. Where had they been for the last three and a half days had to be compelling and based in truth to seem real.
Finally at 07:30am they were ready. Lara made her way nervously toward the ladder at the back room of their base, which was where their toilet and shower rooms were located.
“It’s time, honey” Maureen said calmly, steel in her eyes as she looked at Lara, filling her with confidence and grit.
“Yes. Let’s get it over with then.” Lara climbed the ladder, opened the hatch and stuck her head above the parapet.