A new flash of light reflects in everyone’s faces as they approach the windows, whilst keeping out of the Colonel's way.
Lieutenant Winters is hot on the heels of the Colonel, knowing full well that will be the easiest and quickest path to get to a viewpoint.
More explosions rock the command room as Winters and the Colonel reach the windows. No one who is already there volunteers their opinion as the Colonel finally gets to see what is happening.
The view they receive is about the same angle as Josh’s and Catherine’s, but the command room is one floor above the high-ceilinged departure lounge. That means they get a clearer view of where the explosions are happening.
“It is the helicopter landing zones,” Winters says.
“Thank you for stating the fucking obvious, Lieutenant!” Colonel Reed barks at him.
“Sorry, Sir.”
A massive blast ignites the night sky, causing everyone to duck. Everyone, that is, apart from the Colonel who doesn’t flinch; he stands there staring out of the window with a fierce look fixed on his face.
“Winters!” Colonel Reed growls.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Find out what the fuck is going on down there and report back to me, A-sap.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Colonel Reed turns away from the window, his piercing eyes moving, looking at all the personnel gathered around as they try to see what is happening.
“Get back to your stations. We have an active operation in progress. Move it!” Colonel Reed bellows.
The personnel immediately scatter, going back to work, some looking worriedly over their shoulders at the explosions as they go.
Only the Colonel’s hierarchy is left standing around him, waiting with bated breath for his next move or order. He turns his back on them, as if in disgust. He stands tall, looking out of the window at the destruction taking place. His hands are clasped so tightly behind his back that his knuckles whiten.
“Major Rees, give me your report.” Colonel Reed orders, not turning away from the windows.
Lieutenant Winters can guess what has happened over at the landing zones. An accident, possibly a refuelling accident or a crash has caused a catastrophic chain reaction. But as the Colonel has just torn into him, that’s stating the obvious. He will want details, facts and solutions, not assumptions.
Winters rushes back to the central area of the command room, where Major Rees was about to give his report, picks up the nearest phone and dials 111.
“Central Comms,” a young male voice answers. “What department do you require?”
“Flight Command, Terminal 4,” Winters answers.
“Putting you through.”
The line clicks and then goes silent. Winters’ eyes wander around the command room as he waits to be connected. All of the personnel are back at their stations and many more are working, carrying out their tasks. As they do, Winters can see them talking amongst themselves, worried looks on their faces as they try to figure out what is going on. A few people are gathered in small groups debating and pointing here and there, mostly pointing towards the windows where flashes of light and cracking sounds are bursting through the glass. The distant battles in the centre of London that they have been watching on screens, gathering data on and reporting on, have suddenly arrived on their doorstep. Winters sympathises with their concerns, suddenly the danger is very close to home.
“Yes, who is this?” a panicked voice shouts down the phone.
“Lieutenant Winters, who am I speaking to?”
“This is Group Captain Taggart; what do you want?”
“I need a situation report, Sir.”
“The situation is, we have got a breach, now I have got to go.”
“A breach?” Winters says, shocked. Is this more than just an accident? “Explain, Sir, hello?”
The line has gone dead. Taggart has hung up, for fuck's sake. Winters slams the phone down and picks it straight back up, dialling 111.
“Flight Command, Terminal 4!” Winters says into the phone as soon as it is answered before the operator has a chance to say anything.
“Putting you through,” Winters is told.
Winters waits again for the phone to connect. Abreach. The words stick in Winters’ mind. Taggart had to mean that the ‘infected’ had breached; what else could he have meant and why aren’t they answering the fucking phone now? Fear and panic start to rise in Winters as he waits.
“I cannot get an answer from that connection,” the voice tells Winters.
“Well try again, this is top priority!” Winters shouts down the phone.
“There is no answer to that connection.”
“This is Lieutenant Winters at Command. I am ordering you to try again!”
“Yes, Sir, trying to connect.”
Winters waits and waits to be connected. He looks over to Colonel Reed, who is still standing at the windows, with Major Rees talking to him. Giving his report on what he found in the files no doubt.
“I’m sorry Sir, there is no answer from that connection. Can I try another for you?”
“What other departments are over in Terminal 4?”
“Erm, there is Field Hospital 4, Sir, Air Combat Support… Engineering?”
“Try Air Combat Support.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Winters waits again, his impatience growing.
“I’m sorry, Sir, no answer there either, shall I try Engineering?”
Winters slams the phone down again without answering. His mobile phone starts to buzz against his thigh, he ignores it. He is too busy thinking of how to find out what is going on over at Terminal 4.
Colonel Reed sees Lieutenant Winters jogging across the command room and towards to exit. His confusion doesn’t break his concentration on the report Major Rees is giving him, however.
“Lance Corporal,” Winters says to the highest-ranked sentry posted at the entrance to the command room as he gets to the exit.
“Yes, Sir.”
“What is your name, Lance Corporal?”
“Broad, Sir.”
“Give me your phone, Broad”
“Sir?” the Lance Corporal says, confused.
“Just do it, soldier.”
Lance Corporal Broad fishes his phone out of his pocket and hands
