Down: Trilogy Box Set (148 page)

“Welcome home, Angus, your parents are inside,” the secretary said. “Mr. Jones, congratulations on your accomplishment.”

Neither Angus nor his parents ran toward each other. The boy had to approach them where they stood in the sitting room.

His mother began to cry, “Oh, Angus, look at you.”

The boy looked at a mirror and said, “Lost a bit of weight.”

She gave him a quick hug and overcome by his body odor, she let go.

“Welcome home, son,” his father said, reaching for a hand. “We were very worried.”

“Four didn’t make it,” Angus said.

“So I understand. I’ve reached out to the boys’ parents. I’ll need an account of what happened, of course.”

Trevor jumped in, “Bit early for that.”

“Yes, when he’s able,” Slaine said. “Mr. Jones, I’m sure it wasn’t easy to accomplish what you did.”

“Yeah, definitely not easy peasy,” Trevor replied, “but Angus and the lads have been through more than me. More than you can imagine.”

“Well,” his mother said to her son, uncomfortably, “why don’t you run upstairs? First door on your right. Have a good wash and put on some fresh clothes. When you come down cook has prepared your favorite—beef lasagna.”

Angus blinked a few times and began to cry.

“It doesn’t have to be lasagna,” his mother sputtered.

Trevor put his arm around the boy and said, “It’ll be okay, Angus. Give it time. Lots of time. I’m sure you’ll have people to talk to about all of this.”

Jeremy Slaine looked on helplessly as another man tended to his boy.

“Will I see you again?” Angus asked.

“’Course you will. I’ll give you my details and when I get back we can text and all.”

“Back?”

“Yeah, I’m just going to nip over one more time. Frankly, I’m already missing the food over there.”

The crying turned to laughter. Angus imitated his father and extended a hand.

“Sod that,” Trevor said, giving the boy a giant hug instead.

Trevor’s meeting with the prime minister and Jeremy Slaine was winding down. He had felt awkward smelling like a pig in muck and scarfing down tasty but ridiculously delicate finger food, and now he was itching to get back down south.

“So you’re committed to returning,” the prime minister said. “No one in Britain would fault you for standing down and having a rest. No one individual can be responsible for the success of a mission.”

“You know how it is, sir,” Trevor said. “When you’re in the army and you’re up against it, you’re not really thinking about the mission so much as the man next to you. John Camp and Emily Loughty and the others are still there, still in harm’s way.”

“Well, it’s really very admirable,” Lester said.

“And you’ve no idea whether Dr. Loughty was able to find Dr. Loomis?” Slaine said.

“None whatsoever. As I said, the last I saw them, they were on the way to the continent.”

“Well, I don’t need to tell you,” Lester said, “but we’re in a bad way here. Hellers continue to come through via Upminster particularly, London is a no-go zone under military control, our economy is in the crapper, and morale is beyond terrible. If and when you see Loughty and Camp, please tell them that speed is of the essence.”

Trevor used the latter as an excuse to say he needed to be on the move.

The prime minister said, “And thank you for bringing Jeremy’s son home.”

Slaine seemed surprised by the comment and said, “Yes, thank you, Mr. Jones. I may have neglected to express my gratitude sufficiently.”

Boarding the helicopter on the roof of the Town Hall, Trevor asked one of the crewmen if he could use his mobile phone. He had gotten her number from one of the PM’s staff and he eagerly punched it in.

Arabel answered.

“Hey, it’s me. Trevor.”

“Oh my lord! You’re safe.”

“Yeah, how are you?”

“I’m still up in Edinburgh with my mum and dad and the kids. I’m okay.”

“How’re they doing?”

“They still have nightmares but during the day they seem all right. Where are you? Is Emily with you?”

He told her what was happening and wished he could have been more reassuring about Emily.

“I’m going back via Dartford. I’m hoping she and John’ll be along soon. I just wanted to hear your voice before I left.”

“I miss you,” she said.

“I miss you too.”

“Please come back to me.”

“The thought of that’s the thing keeping me going.”

The winds were favorable and the seas were calm enabling the French galleon to make the crossing in less than two days.

Captain La Rue knocked on the door to his own cabin.

“Are you awake?” he called out.

John opened the door.

“We are in the estuary,” the captain said.

“So I see,” John said.

“You may come topside whenever you are ready.”

“I’m sure you’re anxious to get your quarters back.”

“And my ship,” La Rue said. “You have no idea, monsieur.”

John had been pleased but not shocked to find La Rue still at anchor at Calais. A bucket of gold was too much for the Breton to leave on the table. It was enough to make him one of the richer commoners in Brest. The captain’s eyes had lit up as he counted the bag of coins and only then did he ask about the absence of Kyle and the two SAS soldiers.

“I am sorry for your brother,” La Rue had said, “but this Hell, she is a hard mistress.”

Loomis was still asleep. John hadn’t loved sharing a cabin with him but they weren’t about to let him out of their sight.

“Tell him it’s time to shove off,” John told Emily.

Emily nodded and poked his shoulder. “Paul, we’re almost here.”

Loomis opened his eyes. “Thank God. England.”

Lance Corporal Scarlet was the first to spot the masts. He raced around the hot-zone perimeter to Captain Yates’ lean-to.

“You sure it’s them?” Yates asked.

“Can’t be positive but it’s a four-master flying the same colors.”

“Have the men fall in,” Yates said, pulling up his tattered trousers. “If it’s them they’re going to need an escort.”

As the longboat was being lowered John tensed at the sound of a gunshot. His concern quickly melted away.

“Now that’s a lovely sight,” he told Emily.

The men of B Group had secured the riverbank and a few nearby Hellers were scattering at the warning shot.

The French oarsmen landed the boat and waited only long enough for John, Emily, and Loomis to jump off before pushing off.

Yates turned gloomy when he saw men were missing.

John pre-empted the questions. “I’m sorry, Captain. Culpepper and O’Malley didn’t make it.”

“And your brother?” Yates asked.

“No.”

“Is this Loomis?”

“Yeah, we found him.”

Emily saw him first. He’d been standing behind a taller trooper. “Trevor!”

Trevor smiled and waved then darkened when he counted heads.

He rushed forward and said, “Kyle?”

John gulped.

“I’m sorry, guv,” Trevor said. “Really and truly sorry.”

“Why are you here?” Emily asked, embracing him.

“I found what was left of the schoolboys and brought them home at Sevenoaks. I crossed at Dartford yesterday and here you are.”

“You’re mad to come back,” she said.

“Well, I missed you a lot and you weren’t answering your emails.”

“Trevor, I’d like you to meet my old boss, Paul Loomis.”

Loomis nodded at him. “Emily’s told me about you,” he said.

“Let’s get you folks back up to our camp,” Yates said. “I don’t like leaving the HZ unguarded.”

On the way back John walked with Yates and Trevor. He asked Yates how his group had fared. “It doesn’t look like you’ve lost any men,” he said.

“We’ve been fortunate. Two lightly wounded, is all. Not much ammo left though.”

“Have they been attacking?”

“At first. They’d mass and try to break through this way and that. We had success taking out the ones with firearms though it’s the bows and arrows that’ve caused us the biggest headaches. Crossbows are the worst. Funnily enough, we did well with a low-tech solution. Wooden shields believe it or not.”

“I told you you’d improvise.”

“So when can we pack it in and go home?” the captain asked.

“Hopefully soon. Emily’s going to go back to implement Loomis’ fix. We’ll ask her how long it’ll take when he’s told her the technical details.”

“You mean he hasn’t told her yet?” Trevor asked.

“He’s milking it.”

Emily walked with Loomis. “So, here we are,” she said.

Loomis looked around. “I was seized here by sweepers and taken to that loathsome man, Solomon Wisdom, who sold me to the Russian ambassador.”

“Yes, well, I’d like to reminisce, Paul, but it’s time you told me what I came for.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, Emily.”

“What’s there to think about? We agreed to bring you to Brittania. Now we’re here.”

“I’ve decided not to tell you …”

“What?” She said it loud enough for John to turn around to see what was happening.

“Yet,” Loomis said. “I’ll help you but not yet.”

She waved John off and said in a measured way, “Look, Paul, I’ve got to cross today. I’ve got to get this sorted.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Oh no you’re not.”

“I’m afraid I am. Listen to me, Emily; I want to see my children one last time. The day I killed their mother and took my own life was the day I turned them into orphans. They’re old enough now for me to talk to them. To apologize. To see what’s become of them.”

She was red in the face with anger now. “I sympathize, I really do, but this is simply unacceptable. We had a deal.”

“And the deal has changed.”

“Do you even know how to shut the portals down?” she asked. “Is all this pathetic bullshit?”

“I absolutely do know how it must be done and I will start working with you the moment we cross back to Earth. If I’m lying, send me back straight away.”

“Paul …”

“I’m sorry, Emily. I’m holding all the cards.”

“I wish you’d come too,” she said.

John and Emily were apart from the others, holding onto each other.

“You’ll be so busy you won’t even miss me,” John said.

“At least you’ll have Trevor watching your back. I’m frantic, but if it weren’t for Trevor I’d be more frantic.”

“We’ll pick up Professor Nightingale in Richmond, see if we can get a quick bead on the MAAC people, and cross over with or without them.”

“I’m sick about Matthew and David and all my people but we both know they may be already dead. Please don’t spend too much time looking for them. If and when we’re able to shut down the portals there’ll be enormous pressure to do it. Hellers will be trapped on Earth. Earthers will be trapped here. I don’t want you and Trevor to be among the lost. I couldn’t bear it.”

“We’ll move fast. At least Loomis told you how long his mystery process would take.”

“A week, maybe a little more if we can believe him. His credibility’s shot.”

“If he pulls any horseshit, kick his ass for me.”

“Believe me, I will.”

They kissed tenderly.

John ended the embrace and added, “Because I know you’re the best ass-kicker in both universes.”

Yates and his men took them as close to the perimeter as they dared and cut them loose.

Emily and John locked eyes one last time. Then she and Loomis began walking toward Dartford village. At the moment they disappeared in between one heartbeat and another, John let out a deep, melodic sigh and told Trevor it was time to hit the road.

Gazing upon the new, massive chimneystack, Cromwell admitted he was surprised.

He told William the forger, “Your progress is most impressive, Master William.”

“Do not look to me, look to this man.”

Campbell Bates acknowledged the compliment. Throughout the process he had taken to calling himself the Alec Guinness of Hell after the actor’s portrayal of the twisted, bridge-building colonel in
The Bridge on the River Kwai
.

“When will the great furnace be ready to produce steel?” Cromwell asked.

“It’s hard for me to say,” Bates replied. “There’s still much work to be done.”

“Well, keep at it, man,” Cromwell said. “When next I return I would see great slabs of molten metal emerging from the flames.”

Bates cleared his throat. “I’ve been asked by my colleagues to inquire as to the health and well-being of the women who’ve remained in London? We are very anxious to see them again.”

Cromwell pursed his lips. “You may tell your colleagues that they are well.”

Bates pressed on, “We would respectfully ask to return to the palace for a few days, maybe a week, to see them for ourselves.”

“You may return once your work here is done, not before.”

“Then could I ask whether there have been any sightings of the men who were sent to bring us home? We’ve all talked among ourselves and are prepared to reassure you that we will stay to finish the blast furnace. Then we would ask to be united with the soldiers who are looking for us.”

Cromwell turned and with his back to the American said, “Do you take me for a fool? Return to your labors.”

Trotter had been listening to the exchange and took the opportunity to catch up with Cromwell.

“You were right not to trust them,” Trotter said.

Cromwell ignored him as one might ignore a passing insect.

“They’ve been plotting, plotting, plotting,” Trotter said. “When they’re not working they’re trying to figure out how to escape but they’re not exactly men of action. They’re scared of your soldiers. They’ve asked me to help them because they know I am a man of action but I will not give them any assistance.”

Cromwell stopped walking. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’ve accepted what they cannot accept. We are not going to be rescued. We’re going to be here for the rest of our lives. We have to adapt, make the best of it, try to be useful.”

“Is that what you think?”

“It is. I’ll venture that your army has already defeated the soldiers sent here. Am I right? Did Suffolk find them at Leatherhead?”