I’m hurting and spent, with no more energy to fight. My arms flop down either side of my body, now useless limbs. My head goes back and eyes close as exhaustion takes me in. Unconsciousness comes again; nightmares or not, it doesn’t matter—there is no stopping it. The vision of my family takes me into the darkness, easing my passing, overriding my agony until they too fade into black.
Chapter 7
“I have something, Major,” one of the analysts across the table from Winters and Major Rees announces, lifting a file above her head as if she is at the bingo hall.
“Show me,” Major Rees replies, not looking up from the file he is studying.
The female analyst, with short blonde bobbed hair and glasses, rises from her chair. Winters has found himself sneaking looks at her whenever he can, which is very unlike him. He has tried to stop himself, especially after she caught him gazing at her. She has the look of intelligence that Winters is drawn to and her pretty face only adds to the attraction, Winters has to admit to himself.
She comes around the table and stands in the gap between where he and Rees are seated, with her back to him, to show the Major the data she has discovered. Winters receives a waft of her perfume as she stands there, and he finds his eyes have left the file in front of him.
“Have you found something, Lieutenant?” Major Rees asks bluntly.
Winters finds himself staring at the analyst’s bum, tightly packed into light blue jeans. Flustered for a second—which rarely happens to him—he nearly drops the file in his hand.
“No, Sir, not yet,” he manages to blurt out as he regains his composure. He scolds himself for letting his concentration lapse and worse, for getting caught.
“Be sure to let me know if you do, Lieutenant, won’t you?” Rees adds.
“Yes, Sir, of course.” Winters feels his face flush with embarrassment as he scolds himself again.
Rees and the analyst study the file she has brought around for a good few minutes, discussing the contents, and their voices have excitement in them. Winters has his eyes under control again but still finds himself more interested in her voice than in the mundane information in front of him. He hopes that she has indeed found the data they have been searching for and that they will finally have something to take to Colonel Reed.
“Lieutenant?” Rees says.
“Yes, Sir,” Winters replies, looking directly at him.
“It seems that Sam has possibly found some of the data we are looking for. That’s not to say other relevant information isn’t here that we haven’t discovered yet, but I would say that this file is related to the type of virus we are dealing with. Wouldn’t you agree, Sam?”
“Yes, from my understanding, I would agree,” she says as she turns in Winters’ direction.
“Excellent, Major and well done, Sam,” Winters says, looking up to Sam, feeling his face redden slightly as their eyes meet.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Sam acknowledges with a broad, enticing smile.
“I shall inform Colonel Reed immediately, Sir?”
“We still have about thirty minutes until I have to report to the Colonel, Lieutenant. I would like to double-check the data and Sam is going to go through the other files in that batch to see if there are any others that are related. Can you hold off reporting to the Colonel until then?” Rees asks but knows the answer he will get.
“I am afraid not, Sir; I am under direct orders to inform Colonel Reed the moment anything is found. Sorry, Sir.”
“Well at least inform him what we plan to do now and ask him to give me until the time is up so that I can give him the most comprehensive report possible. I will need at least some time to digest what Sam has found.”
“Of course, Sir. Now if you will excuse me, I will have to make the call.” Winters gets up, brushing past Sam on his way out.
Winters leaves the conference room for the corridor to get some privacy for his phone call. He has a second ulterior motive for leaving.
“Yes, Winters.” The Colonel answers his phone bluntly.
“Major Rees has found some information in the files that he thinks is related to the virus, Sir. He is evaluating it now, Sir and will make his report as ordered, Sir.”
“Excellent, Winters; is the information going to be of help?”
“Unknown at this time, Sir. It has only just been found and there could be more information, Sir. They are checking related files now, Sir.”
“Understood, make sure he is on time, Winters. I have to report to the Home Secretary.” The Colonel hangs up.
The phone call went exactly as he expected. Winters is well used to short abrupt phone calls with the Colonel and gave up on expecting anything other a long time ago.
His phone stays in his hand as he moves screens to missed calls, where Josh’s number sits at the top of the list.
“Thanks for calling me back, Sir,” Josh answers the phone almost immediately.
“Sorry I missed your call; how is your sister?”
“She is as well as can be expected, upset but okay, I think?”
“Good, I am pleased to hear that. What can I do for you, Josh?”
“Can you arrange a car and clearance for us to leave the base, Sir We need transport out of here.”
“What is your plan?”
“Catherine, my Dad’s, err, girlfriend—” Josh pauses for a second, wondering if that is the right term.
“Yes, I know Catherine, please continue.” Winters helps Josh out.
“Oh, okay, good, Catherine has a friend in Devon with accommodation that we can use, so we plan to go there and then see how things go.”
“Sounds like a good place to start, Josh. I am sure I can help but you will have to give me some
