Aftermath

half the climb still to complete. His lungs felt as if they were full of smoke, and every step took a massive amount of effort. His thighs burned but he kept on moving, refusing to stop.
    He eventually reached the roof and crossed the tarmac to stand with the others who were looking out over the burning town. Heavy palls of black smoke continued to rise up from the area along the sea front which was on fire. The dark, billowing clouds were blowing this way, almost blocking out the sun. From up here the world looked decidedly apocalyptic—like Judgment Day. What am I thinking? he asked himself wryly. This can’t be Armageddon. The world ended months ago .
    “You lot took your time,” a voice said. Kieran spun around, his heart thumping, and found himself face-to-face with a familiar, scruffy-looking figure with a duffel bag over one shoulder and a newspaper tucked under his arm.
    “Fuck me,” he gasped. “Hello, Driver.”
    “What the hell are you doing here?” Lorna demanded.
    “What do you think I’m doing here? I heard there might still be people around who needed a lift.”
    “But what about the others? Didn’t they get to the island?”
    “I presume. I volunteered to stay back here.”
    “You volunteered? Why?”
    “Because I knew there’d be more of you to come. There’s times recently when you’ve been almost as slippery as me,” he said, pointing at Harte. “I thought if anyone could get away from that castle again, it’d be you.”
    “But why here?”
    “Harry said it’d be the safest bet. He said you’d probably end up back here looking for the helicopter, and he was right.”
    “So where is it?”
    “What, the helicopter?”
    “Yes, the helicopter. What did you think I meant?”
    “Oh, it’s still on the island as far as I’m aware.”
    “So what are we going to do? Are you planning to bus us all over there?”
    “Something like that. I’ve got another way out.”
    Caron walked toward Driver, her mind a whirlpool of conflicting emotions.
    “I could kiss you…” she said.
    “Maybe later,” he said, quietly pleased, as he led them back toward ground level.

 
     
    60
     
    The descent took less than half the time it had taken them to reach the top of the car park. Introductions and explanations were quickly completed on the way back down. Once they’d reached ground level the mayhem out on the streets immediately refocused Michael.
    “So what’s the plan?”
    “We head for the boats,” Driver replied.
    “No use going down there,” Kieran said, “Jas totaled the place.”
    “I know, I watched him. Can’t abide vandalism like that. Now I know you lot have just torched half the town, but I’m guessing you did that for a reason. What he did was just plain stupid.”
    “So where are we going?”
    “I had a word with your mates Richard and Harry before they left,” Driver said to Michael. “There’s another option, providing we can get past this lot.”
    He watched the nearest of the corpses with the same nervous distrust they’d seen Jas display.
    “They won’t hurt you,” Caron said.
    “And you expect me to believe that after everything wea word 19;ve been through?”
    “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t true,” Michael said.
    “Fair point,” Driver agreed, knowing he’d no choice now anyway. “Right, this way.”
    He led them down toward the marina, carefully skirting around the edge of the vast crowd of corpses which were still swarming out of the station, all of them moving in the direction of the fire. They paid no attention to the living, the fire now their only focus. The air was dry, the smoke increasingly dense.
    Less than ten minutes’ walking and they entered the marina, quickly making their way past the ruined boatyard they’d seen yesterday on their return to the town. Michael thought he knew where they were going. Driver led them past the gap in the moorings where the Summer Breeze and the Duchess had been moored, then into the more exclusive area where he’d spent his first night here on the luxury cruiser. Surely he can’t have got that started? he thought as he ran toward it.
    “Not that one,” Driver said, gesturing a little farther along the jetty. “That one.”
    He pointed at a boat just a fraction of the size of the first. It was beautifully appointed, but barely looked big enough to take the seven of them.
    “Lovely,” Harte said sarcastically. He turned to look at Michael. “Think we can get it going?”
    “We