Life Goes On by Tayell, Frank (large ebook reader txt) 📗

“Yeah, but this is money, isn’t it?” Zach said. “It says so. One dollar.”

“Not after you’ve eaten the contents,” Oakes said.

“Everything’s worth something to someone,” Zach said. “That’s what Ms Godwin said.”

“Twenty minutes, people!” Hawker said. “Clear the room. This is the front line. Major, would you mind scoping the perimeter.”

“Clyde, please,” he said. “I’ve been a civilian for years.”

“Clyde, you go north. Nicko, south,” Hawker said. “But Nicko, disable the bus first. I want to make sure no one else drives it away from here.”

Avalon tugged a table from beneath the fallen roof, righted it, picked up a fallen chair, and sat. She opened her bag, and withdrew her laptop.

“Aren’t you helping, Doc?” Zach asked.

“This is helping, Zachary,” she said.

“Zach,” he muttered.

“What are you working on?” Tess asked quickly, in a bid to stop Zach engaging in an impossible-to-win battle.

“I’m eliminating the unfeasible alternatives,” Avalon said.

“Alternatives for what?” Tess asked.

“The weapon,” Avalon said.

“You really can make one?” Zach asked.

“Of course,” Avalon said. “But lethality is less critical than subject-targeting, hence my current studies, which would be easier without distraction.”

Tess tugged at the fallen mat of grass, but it was more tightly bound than it had first appeared.

“Try this,” Leo said, opening his pack and pulling out his weapons-belt-tool-holster. “Hatchet?”

“Worth a try,” Tess said.

“Someone lit a fire here,” Zach said, shoving aside the large pile of sand close to the wood panel bar. “Shall we do the same?”

“It won’t get cold enough tonight,” Avalon said. “This close to the equator, it will never get cold enough.”

“Are you missing Canada?” Tess asked. Beneath her feet, glass crunched. She bent down, and picked up a photo-frame showing happy tourists. A dozen similar photos still clung to the wall, and many more lay broken among the debris.

“Homesickness is merely a manifestation of regret and fear,” Avalon said.

“Yep, that sounds about my current mix of emotions,” Tess said.

“This place won lots of awards,” Zach said, pointing his broom at one of the frames.

“They’re fake,” Tess said. “Two things give it away. I don’t know if the Seoul Star is a real paper, but I’m reasonably confident they wouldn’t print in Portuguese, and certainly wouldn’t stick a restaurant review on the front page.”

“Dunno,” Zach said. “Ms Godwin said newspapers were getting so desperate they’d print a lie today just so they could print the apology tomorrow.”

“Who’s Ms Godwin?” Tess asked.

“Oh, a librarian,” Zach said. “Those photos must be real. They’re all of this restaurant. This place looked nice. Look at the crowds.”

“The pictures all look pretty empty to me,” Tess said. “A couple, or a small group, always by the bar. Drink in hand, sometimes coffee, sometimes not, but always smiling.”

“Yeah, but look at this one, you can see beyond the restaurant, to the beach, and the sea. There’s lots of people at tables and… ah, yeah.” He sighed, and continued sweeping.

“You’ve got a good eye,” Tess said. “We’ll make a copper out of you yet.”

The air shook with a cannon’s roar. Everyone stopped working and moved towards the door.

“It’s the frigate,” Tess said.

“Shooting at infected ships,” Hawker said.

“Teegan, take watch here,” Tess said. “Everyone else, back to work.” Tess went to join Hawker by the bar. “What do you think of this place?”

“For defence? It’s terrible,” the colonel said, pulling out his water bottle. “For sleep, it won’t be much better. Keeping people here simply avoids too much pressure in the city. More refugees will depart overnight.”

“I don’t think we can stop them,” Tess said. “Morally, or practically.”

“No, but that’s why I had Nicko disable the bus. It’ll slow our escape, but guarantee we’ll get back to the city.”

“The ship’s engineers are extending the runway,” Avalon said. “From the description, I would describe the activity as clearing, rather than extending. Suitable for twenty landings at most.”

“When did you hear that?” Tess asked.

“Laila was discussing it with her nurse-friends,” Avalon said.

“In Arabic?” Tess asked.

“And Portuguese,” Avalon said.

“What were they saying about Sergeant Nicko?” Zach asked.

“Just keep sweeping, Zach,” Tess said.

The job was half done when the nurse, Laila, returned.

“I bring you dinner,” Laila said, entering with one of her fellow warrior-nurses and with two large saucepans.

“Ace,” Zach said.

“Zachary, finish sweeping,” Avalon said.

“What’s the point, the wind only blows it back in,” Zach said, but continued his Canutian chore of brushing the sand toward the beach.

“Did I smell tucker?” Oakes asked, re-appearing absurdly fast.

“If only your eyes were as good as your nose—” Hawker began, but was interrupted by a shot. Not a cannon’s roar, but a rifle’s bark. Then another, followed by a short barrage.

“Rest time’s over,” Hawker said. “Oakes, up front. Zach, secure the saucepan. Avalon, secure your notes. Form up on Nicko, but hold your fire until we’re certain of the target.”

Chapter 10 - Waves of Death

Tofo Beach, Mozambique

The setting sun cast a prismatic sheen on the oil-drenched sands. Small wrecks filled the shallows, while the shoreline was dotted with metal and timber flotsam. Ragged sails and bright rags floated on the surface, while the surf continually dragged rotting corpses ashore. Those buzzing with insects had recently been the living, while those with crushed skulls were the recently living dead.

The rifle fire had now ceased. The target was as unclear as who had fired, though the man walking towards them carried his gun close to his shoulder, the barrel aimed at the sea. It was Clyde.

“It gets worse after dark,” Laila said. “I shall return to my sisters. Dawn will come, and we will see you then.”

“It’s a date,” Oakes said.

“No, it will be breakfast,” Laila said.

“What were you shooting