The younger soldier rose, following the slim female and her dogs, his voice strained, ‘I don’t think there are many on the island or they would have hunted us down by now…most are in the city. They have a couple of beasts with them, powerful hunting animals…and we only have these useless pistols. Do you have a boat…or know of one?’
The girl hesitated, turning her head in the darkness, the dogs still panting as her shoulders shook, tears in her eyes, ‘I have a boat…my father’s. He was at work in the city…I don’t know where my mother and younger brother are.’ She drew a sharp breath, ‘I went home but they had gone…then I heard more shooting. We lived south of the main apartments…further along Long Island Road…’
She turned back, leaning against the tugging leashes as the two marines trudged after her, speaking over her shoulder, ‘I hope my mother did not go to the ‘village’ as we called it…she is a nurse, so I fear she might have…our small car was gone.’
The young marine rested his hand on Rodrigues’s shoulder, both stepping at her increased pace as she cried softly, ‘I always said it was laziness having a car here…it’s an island. I wanted a horse and trap like the retired couple next door, but my father insisted…’ She shook her head, realising the relief filling her frame upon finding others, and luckily soldiers, unaware she was talking incessantly, the shock apparent to the young marine, ‘Still, hopefully we will find the car at the mooring…it’s only a small boat, but will get us across to Moon island. My father shares the boat trips with his boss…their family had gone too, so they maybe together. They had a bigger launch…very expensive, but my mother loved it here, so when my father became a junior partner he bought a small house here with his inheritance…we are poor in comparison with the neighbours.’
They continued walking along the coastal path, the teenager talking continuously as she cried, drawing sharp breaths between each sentence, a cool breeze blowing in from the water. Rodrigues stared out into the darkness towards the tall burning buildings in the distance, oblivious to the cracks of sniper fire and dull explosions, his head dropping despondently as he glimpsed a billowing mass of fire rising, the gas mains fracturing in the lower city.
The stars sparkled above as they trudged on, a city burning fiercely to the north, bitter street fighting slowly pushing the human defenders from their defences and back northwards and westwards.
The three figures stood at the end of a sturdy wide wooden jetty, shivering in the cooler breeze and glancing round into the darkness, the waves lapping against the rocks behind them, many of the moorings empty from boat owners that had already departed from the island. In the distance to the south west, the swinging dock lights of Moon Island and a road link to the mainland beckoned, almost within reach albeit for a narrow strip of water, the Sculpin Ledge Channel.
The young marine pointed out across the lapping waves, his voice lowered to a startled whisper as the two panting Boxer dogs whined once more in fear, ‘There is movement in the water…I don’t want to cross. We can’t get a motor boat; the enemy will hear the engines…we will not be alive long.’ He stared further, straining his eyes and seeing the water’s surface breaking occasionally, swallowing hard as the nausea rose from his stomach in dread.
Rodrigues shook his head in frustration, unable to hear his colleague, ‘I remember Boston Police firing range is on Moon Island…we challenged them to a shoot off some time ago…there may be guns there.’
The teenage girl pulled on the leashes once more, running her hands fondly across the frightened dogs’ heads, ‘There are usually some sailing or pleasure boats on the next jetty, mostly for hire or charter to tourists…there were also some rowing boats on the beach for fishing…we could take one of those?’
The young marine nodded nervously, ‘Rowing boat then…that will be quieter and I know how to do that…’ He glanced around nervously as a distant shrill shriek from the interior of the island rang out, a blood curdling howl accompanying it as the Morgon patrols began to spread out and investigate the southern buildings. Turning, he reached for his pistol, fear beginning to fill his chest, ‘Perhaps we need to move now…they may be hunting us…the beasts may have our scent…’
Rodrigues slowly lowered to a crouch, staring into the lapping waves, the wood creaking beneath his weight as he drew breath, pointing outwards at the numerous breaks in the surface of the waves, ‘In the water…dead bodies…hundreds of them.’ The Latino gasped, straining his eyes, ‘They must have floated down from Boston…the tide is taking them out…’ He glanced round at the other two, wincing in despondency, ‘We take a boat without a motor…no propellers, they could cut open the bodies or worse, get jammed…the blood would attract the enemy or even sharks!’
Chapter Twenty One: Arrival
Several Hours Later…far away in Deep Space
Galactic Freedom lower deck
The lights began to shimmer off the darkened walls, David Bland staring in intrigue at the seemingly mottled surfaces, his eyes widening as he realised the surface was uneven, that the lighting effect was as a result of dull spots set into the ceiling sparkling off minute gems or clear stones within the walls themselves.
Stepping forward to examine the surfaces more closely, he heard the muffled voices behind, captain Dugachard stepping through the thick deep red back curtains to join Riaz, Shino and
