Aftermath

43

“What do you mean, you can’t find them?” Jas demanded. Ainsworth was standing in front of him, his face aching, his mouth dry with nerves, not knowing what else he was supposed to say.

“We’ve checked everywhere … all the caravans, all the rooms. We’ve been twice around the ruins. They’ve disappeared.”

“They can’t have. Look again.”

“But Jas, it’s pitch black, mate. We’ve blocked the gates. Let’s wait until morning. They’re probably hiding around that well Jackson was working on, or somewhere near the toilets. If we wait until the sun’s up we’ll have a better chance of—”

“Keep looking,” Jas ordered. Ainsworth just stared at him. What the fuck is wrong with you? He wanted to ask the question out loud but couldn’t. To his relief, Will Bayliss and Paul Field came running over. Hopefully they’d found something.

“Mel found a climbing rope,” Bayliss said, breathless.

“Where?”

“Hanging over the wall, over by the shit-pit.”

“So is that how they got out?”

“I doubt it. It’s too high.”

“Where the hell did they get a climbing rope from?”

“There was other stuff as well,” field continued. “Harnesses, belts, stuff like that.”

“So what are you saying?”

Field shrugged his shoulders. It was starting to make sense to Ainsworth.

“That’s not how they got out,” he said. “It’s how they got in. Someone must have come in over the wall, then tried to get them all together in one truck and get them out.”

“Those fuckers from the island? I thought they’d have long gone.”

“The helicopter was back earlier, don’t forget,” Bayliss said. “It must have been them.”

“With a little help,” Ainsworth said.

“Your girlfriend Lorna?” Jas sneered. Ainsworth didn’t bite.

“I was thinking more about your friend Harte.”

“Well, at least we know where they’ll be heading,” Jas continued. “They’ll be on their way to Chadwick. We can cut them off.”

“What’s the point?” Bayliss said.

“What?”

“Why bother?”

“Because they’ve got our supplies.”

“Then we’ll get more.”

“Are you fucking stupid? I thought he was the dumb one,” Jas said, pointing at Ainsworth, who stared back at him, doing all he could to stop his bottom lip from quivering. All he could think about was Lorna, and how empty and foolish he felt at having let her take advantage of him like that.

But the worst part of all, he thought sadly, is that I’d let it happen again in a heartbeat. I’d give anything to be close to her like that again. All the pain and the grief I’ve had since from Jas was worth it for that one kiss …

Melanie jogged over.

“Can’t find any of them,” she said. “They’ve all cleared out. Looks like Kieran’s gone too.”

“Bastard,” Jas yelled, kicking the ground with frustration. “That little shit has sold me out.”

“But if they didn’t get out over the wall,” Bayliss said, “and we know they didn’t all get out in the truck, then they must still be here.”

“Check the caravans again,” Jas ordered.

“What for? We’ve checked them already.”

“Just fucking do it!”

They grudgingly headed over to the caravans and split up, happy to put some distance between themselves and Jas. Ainsworth checked the caravan he’d been guarding once more, staring at the bed where Lorna had been lying and wishing he could turn the clock back so that none of this had happened. And not just tonight, either. He wanted to go further back … back to when he’d first arrived here. Maybe he’d have chosen his friends differently if he had his time again.

“Anything?” Jas said, standing in the doorway behind him.

“Nothing,” he replied dejectedly, trying to get back out. Jas was blocking the door, and Ainsworth was relieved when he moved on to the next caravan. He sat down on the step, held his head in his hands, and listened as J yelled at the others when they also reported back that they’d found nothing.