“Is there any chance of getting my M4 back, the one I had when I arrived yesterday before we went into quarantine?” I ask the Lieutenant as we climb the stairs.
“I’ll have to see on that one, Captain, I am not sure what happened to weapons that were brought in. The equipment in the hangar includes M4s?” he says looking a bit bemused.
“See what you can do, as I doubt if anyone else arrived with an M4 Carbine and I’m quite attached to mine.”
“I’ll make some enquiries,” he volunteers and I thank him.
Having reached the top of the stairs, we walk across the departure lounge and the Lieutenant leads me to the stairwell that we could have used instead of climbing down the escalator earlier this morning. We go up one floor and come out at the same level as the top of the escalator, but instead of going down the same corridor that leads to the conference room area, we go left down another corridor and not far along, I start to hear voices.
An over-elaborate, ostentatious sign tells me that our destination is the First-Class lounge, which I suppose makes sense. The people in there will feel comfortable, with the facilities they need, while not feeling they are been held—effectively under house arrest—but if they did try to leave the two uniformed guards, one either side of the entrance would have something to say about it.
As we approach, one of the guards reaches for the door handle and pulls the door open for us, not saying a word as we go into the lounge.
With the fair amount of overseas travelling I did for Orion Securities, I am well used to these lounges; they are all much the same, although I’m not sure I have been in this one before. It has the same large windows, comfortable sofas, tea and coffee facilities, food counter and bar area as the rest of them. In here, however, all the large television screens are blank, switched off, so as not to upset or excite the ‘inmates’.
I see Emily, Catherine, Stacey and Stan immediately, but there is no sign of Lindsay, so maybe she is in the toilet or somewhere?
Catherine gives me one of her stunning smiles when she sees me and Emily who was sitting down gets up and comes over to me as I walk towards them.
“Finally, Dad,” Emily says as she gets near to me, “it’s boring in here, can we go now?”
“I missed you too,” I joke to her as I lean down and pick her up into my arms.
“Well can we?” she persists.
“I’m afraid not, I’ve got some more meetings and work to do.” There really is no point in me telling Emily the real reason we can’t leave, getting her upset and worried; it would be too much for her to process. I am going to totally play it down to her, tell her that I am just helping out with planning and other boring stuff. Emily protests more and asks more questions but I stick to my guns, play it down and tell her she will have to stay with Catherine and Stacey, for the time being. Eventually, Emily calms down and accepts that we can’t leave yet.
Lieutenant Winters has taken himself off into another part of the lounge with his phone stuck to his ear, hopefully making enquiries about my M4, although he may have more important matters to deal with.
“Where is Lyndsay?” I ask as I put Emily down.
“She left about ten minutes ago; her mum is coming to get her,” Catherine tells me.
“That’s good news,” I say, “how about you Stan, did you have any luck with your family in Bristol?”
“Yea, I’m due to leave, soon, I hope. I’m getting the train to Bristol.”
“At least the trains are still running,” I joke, badly.
“Have you seen Josh?” Catherine asks me.
“I’ve just left him, he is busy working. In fact, we are going to be working together, so at least I can keep my eye on him,” I say, mostly for Emily’s benefit. “How are you holding up, Stacey?” She has been very quiet since I arrived back.
“I don’t really know, Andy, I feel a bit numb about everything, I suppose it will take time to process.”
Stacey sounds tired and looks pretty down. She can’t know what to think; are her parents dead, infected or still holed up and hiding somewhere? The poor girl must be in turmoil, trying to figure out what has happened to her parents and to make matters worse, she is stuck in here with nothing else to do but think about it. It must be constantly going around in her head.
“I wish there was something I could do, Stacey,” I say, feeling very helpless and sorry for her.
“I know you do, Andy.”
“Catherine, can we talk for a minute?” I ask, indicating with my head for her to come with me.
She uncurls her legs and gets up from the sofa to follow me the short distance to one of the empty sofas, and she sits next to me, taking my hand in hers.
“This is a very strange courtship isn’t it?” Catherine says to me, smiling.
“I know, I’m sorry,” I’m suddenly worried that she has had enough of this situation, of me and my baggage already. “I wish things were different, normal.”
Catherine must have seen the worry cross my face, and her hand grips mine tighter and she looks deep into my eyes.
“That was a joke, Andy. You must admit it is strange though, and that’s not your fault; if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be stuck at Orion with everybody else who was there, and heaven only knows what would have happened. Anyway, if things were still normal, I’d still be waiting for you to make a move, if you ever did, and you should know me well enough by now to know I don’t do normal,” Catherine says and I feel myself blush slightly.
“That’s lucky then because I don’t
