they were marched up to the Land Rover and bundled in the back.
‘Don’t you know there’s a war on?’ Private Cooper said.
Chapter 11
T HE BACK OF THE LAND ROVER WAS CRAMPED and uncomfortable. There was a wooden bench seat running along each side. The tarpaulin that covered the top was rolled up at the back, so at least Ben and Rupam could see out as they bumped across the fields.
‘That went well,’ Sam said. She was sitting opposite Ben and Rupam.
‘Don’t start,’ Ben told her.
‘I didn’t say anything,’ Rupam protested.
‘Sorry. I was just thinking – that went well.’
Ben checked his phone. It still wasn’t getting a signal. He stuffed it back in his pocket. His clothes were ripped almost to pieces and he was covered in cuts and scratches. Rupam had fared no better.
‘So what now?’ Sam asked. She looked as immaculate as ever, of course.
‘What do you suggest?’ Ben replied.
Rupam shrugged, still assuming that Ben was talking to him. ‘We have to convince Colonel Greene to help. You met him – what do you think? Will he listen?’
‘No chance,’ Sam said. ‘You might do better to jump out now and hope no one notices.’
‘And hope no one breaks a bone.’ Ben sighed. ‘Sorry,’ he said to Rupam. ‘I was just thinking, we could jump out, but it’s probably not a good idea. You’re right. We need to convince Greene there’s a problem. And no, I don’t think he’ll listen. But we have to try.’
‘He knows that Knight and the others are in Templeton. We just need him to hold off the tanks, or use them to mount a rescue mission.’
‘But if Growl is right, they have to get to the bottom of what’s happening in the village and sort it out. Otherwise those plants and things won’t stop at the village. They could spread everywhere.’
The Land Rover was on a narrow track now. It was still bumpy, but not so bad. Sam had shuffled along to the far end of the bench seat and was looking out of the back of the vehicle. Ben moved along to sit opposite.
‘What if Colonel Greene won’t listen?’ Benmurmured, just loud enough for Sam to hear. ‘What if he’s infected or whatever as well, and thinks he’s training for the D-Day invasion?’
Sam turned to look at him. She replied at normal volume. ‘Then we need to get away. Contact Mrs Bailey, Madam Sosostram or someone. There’s only so much we can do.’ She turned away again. ‘That you can do,’ she corrected herself. ‘I’m useless … worse than useless. Forget I’m here.’
*
Private Cooper escorted Ben and Rupam to Colonel Greene’s office. Once they were inside the base, there didn’t seem much point trying to escape. Even if they got away, they’d be stuck in the middle of a restricted military area anyway. Besides, Rupam was right – their best option was to try to persuade Colonel Greene to help.
Sam walked with them. She said nothing and Ben guessed she was still sulking at not being able to do anything to help.
‘It’ll be OK,’ he told her. ‘We’ll manage.’
Sam smiled her thanks, but still she said nothing.
‘I know,’ Rupam said, assuming that Ben was talking to him. But he didn’t sound convinced.
The soldier who had come for Ben, Gemma and Knight in the canteen was sitting at his deskin the room outside Colonel Greene’s office. Ben remembered his name was Jenkins.
‘Are these the children?’ Jenkins asked as Cooper led them in.
‘No,’ Sam said. ‘They’re a completely different couple of kids who wandered in from a restricted village. What do you think?’
Ben stifled a grin.
‘We need to see Colonel Greene,’ Rupam said.
Ben could hear the nerves in his voice.
‘Oh, you’ll see the colonel, all right,’ Jenkins told him. He sent Cooper on his way, then turned to Rupam and Ben. ‘But he isn’t here. You might as well sit down. It could be a while. I doubt you’re his absolute number one priority right now. He’s got an important training exercise just
‘Don’t you know there’s a war on?’ Private Cooper said.
Chapter 11
T HE BACK OF THE LAND ROVER WAS CRAMPED and uncomfortable. There was a wooden bench seat running along each side. The tarpaulin that covered the top was rolled up at the back, so at least Ben and Rupam could see out as they bumped across the fields.
‘That went well,’ Sam said. She was sitting opposite Ben and Rupam.
‘Don’t start,’ Ben told her.
‘I didn’t say anything,’ Rupam protested.
‘Sorry. I was just thinking – that went well.’
Ben checked his phone. It still wasn’t getting a signal. He stuffed it back in his pocket. His clothes were ripped almost to pieces and he was covered in cuts and scratches. Rupam had fared no better.
‘So what now?’ Sam asked. She looked as immaculate as ever, of course.
‘What do you suggest?’ Ben replied.
Rupam shrugged, still assuming that Ben was talking to him. ‘We have to convince Colonel Greene to help. You met him – what do you think? Will he listen?’
‘No chance,’ Sam said. ‘You might do better to jump out now and hope no one notices.’
‘And hope no one breaks a bone.’ Ben sighed. ‘Sorry,’ he said to Rupam. ‘I was just thinking, we could jump out, but it’s probably not a good idea. You’re right. We need to convince Greene there’s a problem. And no, I don’t think he’ll listen. But we have to try.’
‘He knows that Knight and the others are in Templeton. We just need him to hold off the tanks, or use them to mount a rescue mission.’
‘But if Growl is right, they have to get to the bottom of what’s happening in the village and sort it out. Otherwise those plants and things won’t stop at the village. They could spread everywhere.’
The Land Rover was on a narrow track now. It was still bumpy, but not so bad. Sam had shuffled along to the far end of the bench seat and was looking out of the back of the vehicle. Ben moved along to sit opposite.
‘What if Colonel Greene won’t listen?’ Benmurmured, just loud enough for Sam to hear. ‘What if he’s infected or whatever as well, and thinks he’s training for the D-Day invasion?’
Sam turned to look at him. She replied at normal volume. ‘Then we need to get away. Contact Mrs Bailey, Madam Sosostram or someone. There’s only so much we can do.’ She turned away again. ‘That you can do,’ she corrected herself. ‘I’m useless … worse than useless. Forget I’m here.’
*
Private Cooper escorted Ben and Rupam to Colonel Greene’s office. Once they were inside the base, there didn’t seem much point trying to escape. Even if they got away, they’d be stuck in the middle of a restricted military area anyway. Besides, Rupam was right – their best option was to try to persuade Colonel Greene to help.
Sam walked with them. She said nothing and Ben guessed she was still sulking at not being able to do anything to help.
‘It’ll be OK,’ he told her. ‘We’ll manage.’
Sam smiled her thanks, but still she said nothing.
‘I know,’ Rupam said, assuming that Ben was talking to him. But he didn’t sound convinced.
The soldier who had come for Ben, Gemma and Knight in the canteen was sitting at his deskin the room outside Colonel Greene’s office. Ben remembered his name was Jenkins.
‘Are these the children?’ Jenkins asked as Cooper led them in.
‘No,’ Sam said. ‘They’re a completely different couple of kids who wandered in from a restricted village. What do you think?’
Ben stifled a grin.
‘We need to see Colonel Greene,’ Rupam said.
Ben could hear the nerves in his voice.
‘Oh, you’ll see the colonel, all right,’ Jenkins told him. He sent Cooper on his way, then turned to Rupam and Ben. ‘But he isn’t here. You might as well sit down. It could be a while. I doubt you’re his absolute number one priority right now. He’s got an important training exercise just
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