Aftermath

without a second’s thought—but this was different. Completely different.
    Less than a hundred people left alive that I know of, and I killed one of them …
    “What do you want me to do with them?”
    Jas, startled by the unexpected voice, quickly turned around. It was Kieran.
    “What?”
    “I asked you what you want me to do with them. Do we just keep them locked up in the caravans for now?”
    Jas thought for a moment. “Might as well,” he replied, trying not to sound as distracted and nervous as he felt. “Use the vans nearest the gatehouse. Let them calm down. We need to get everything back to how it was before those fuckers turned up here and screwed everything up.”
    Kiera paused before answering. “Okay. You’re the boss.”
    He turned to go back downstairs, but Jas called to him before he disappeared.
    “We’re doing the right thing, you know,” he said. Kieran nodded. “Look, no one meant for any of this to happen. Fact is, they’ll have fucked off back to their island again by now, so what’s done is done.” He walked over to the other man. “Get some food going. Get a couple of the girls working in the kitchen, and crack open a few bottles of booze, the best stuff you can find. Keep the people safe and warm and give them what they want within reason. Let’s not give them any excuses to try anything we might all end up regretting.”

 
     
    34
     
    The basic communications Harry had rigged up between the two boats and the helicopter worked intermittently, their efficiency steadily fading away with range. Between the frequent bursts of static and the increasingly long radio silences, Harry managed to get sufficient information to Richard, Donna, and Cooper so that everyone knew what was happening.
    With the Summer Breeze full of supplies, Donna and Cooper had little option but to continue back to Cormansey. There was nothing to be gained from them turning back. Richard stayed with them for a while, flying close and remaining in contact until he was sure they could reach the small port close to Danver’s Lye. He then flew back to the mainland, cursing the fact that, yet again, everything seemed to be down to him.
    Harry, Harte, and Michael watched the helicopter land on top of the car park. About twenty minutes later Richard returned to the marina, breathless.
    “Bloody hell, I hate being out there on my own,” he admitted. “It’s a ghost town. You turn any corner and there are still those things waiting for you. Good job they’re so slow. They scare the shit out of me, they do.” He stopped talking and looked at the others. “What?”
    “You finished?” Harry asked.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Bit nervous, that’s all.”
    He followed them onto the virtually empty Duchess , feeling self-conscious.
    “Donna and Cooper get back to Cormansey okay?” Harry asked.
    “I left them a few miles short. They’ll be there by now.”
    “Did you stop and land…?” Michael started to ask. Richard shook his head.
    “Wasn’t any point. I turned around and came straight back. They’ll explain to the others as soon as they’ve moored. So what’s the plan? I’m assuming that we do have a plan?”
    “Get back to the castle and get those who want out, out,” Harry flippantly replied.
    Harry">“Simple,” Richard said, equally flippantly. “I’ll just land in the middle of the castle and ship them out in threes and fours. No one will mind.”
    “How the hell are we going to do it?” Harte asked, nervously chewing his fingers. “Because you’re right, we’re not going to be able to just fly in. Jas is going to be seriously pissed off. He’s not going to let anyone in or out without a fight.”
    “Then we’ll have to find another way,” Michael said, stating the obvious.
    “Whoa … you’re not going anywhere,” Richard interrupted. “You can’t. You’ve got Emma and the baby to think about.”
    “I think about them all the time,” he said, suddenly sounding subdued. “Thing is, I’m here now, and it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere until we’ve got Harte’s people out of this castle. There’s no way I can’t get involved, is there?”
    “But you should stay out of trouble. Wait here for the rest of us to get back…”
    Michael was shaking his head. “There’s no point. I told you, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Things are different now. Believe me, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than back on the island with Emma. I fall asleep