Aftermath

36

Cooper wasn’t a natural captain, and Donna freely admitted she didn’t have a clue. Richard had guided them close enough so that they could see Cormansey in the near distance—a beautiful, inspiring sight, a few fires and the first lights of early evening burning through the endless darkness of absolutely everything else—but it had taken several hours longer for them to navigate around to the small port near Danver’s Lye. By the time they were finally ready to disembark, a large crowd of villagers was already waiting on the jetty.

Jackie Soames and Jack Baxter were near the front of the group. Jack caught the landing rope Cooper threw to him, and tied up the boat.

“Good to see you back,” Jackie said, helping Donna onto dry land, then hugging her affectionately. “We were starting to get worried. What’s with the helicopter turning back again?”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Cooper said, sounding subdued.

“Nothing to worry about?” Donna yelled at him.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked. “Where’s Michael and Harry?”

“We need to get the boat emptied so we can head back,” Donna said, ignoring his question.

“We’re not going back,” Cooper told her. It was clx201Cfrom the tone of his voice there would be no negotiation.

“I am. I’ll take someone else if you won’t go.”

Donna and Cooper stood on the jetty meters apart, barely able to maintain eye contact with each other. Jackie pushed her way between them.

“Look, will one of you please tell us what the hell is going on?”

“Michael, Harry, and Richard are fine,” Cooper explained. “We found more survivors. We were hoping to bring them back with us, but there was a complication.”

“A complication?”

“A couple of egos facing off against each other. Nothing too serious.”

“Nothing serious?” Donna protested. “Fuck, were you listening to the same radio message as me? Harry said someone had been killed.”

A ripple of low noise spread through the crowd gathered on the jetty.

“So where exactly are the others?” Jackie asked.

“They’ve gone back to try and get them out,” Cooper replied. “There’s no point us going back to help. There’s nothing we can do. They’ve got enough room and by the time we get there they’ll be on their way over.”

“Jesus,” Jackie said. “And Michael’s gone too? Bloody hell, what will poor Emma say?”

“Do we have to tell her? I mean, they should be back sometime tomorrow and—”

“Of course we have to tell her,” Donna yelled at him, barely able to believe what she was hearing. “Michael’s the father of her child. She’s got a right to know.”

“Did you bring me back any fags, Cooper?” Jackie asked.

“Plenty, why?”

“And booze?”

“Loads, as ordered.”

“Good, because I think I need a drink. Anybody care to join me?”

“Not for me,” Cooper said. “You’re right, Donna, I’ll go and see Emma and let her know what—”

“You stay away from her,” Donna interrupted, pushing past Cooper and moving through the crowd on the jetty. “Leave her alone. I’ll go.”