Tunnels 03, Freefall

say something else, but instead rubbed his forehead. When he finally spoke again, his voice was almost a whisper. "And I have to see if your mother is all right. She must be worried sick by now -- after all, it's not just me that's gone missing -- there's you and Rebecca too. She's all alone up there."
    Dr. Burrows wouldn't meet Will's eyes, which made him instantly suspicious. His father had never seemed overly concerned about his mother before, and Will wondered why he should start now.
    "Besides," Dr. Burrows blurted, as if he'd only just thought of it. "I thought you had to get that virus to someone on the surface. You said it was vital you did?"
    "S'pose so," Will said, feeling as if he'd just been dragged back to reality. He had been so carried away by the prospect of new adventures with his father that he'd pushed the Styx plot to the back of his mind. His father saw the turmoil in his face.
    "What's the matter?" Dr. Burrows asked.
    "Only that it might not actually be the Dominion virus," Will replied. "It might all be a waste of time."
    "Why do you say that?"
    Will frowned even more deeply. "Because just about everything else the Rebecca twins have done or said has been either a trick or a lie, and I still think it's weird that Rebecca One gave it to me. It's even weirder that Rebecca Two knew she had -- remember she asked me for it at the submarine?"
    Dr. Burrows thought for a second. "That aside, it seemed important to them to get it back, so maybe it is the real McCoy? And if you really believe it's so damned dangerous, you have to give it to the authorities and let them take care of it."
    Will nodded resignedly. His father was absolutely right. While there was a chance, however slim, that there was Dominion virus in the phial it was his responsibility to make sure it was put in the right hands so the Styx plot could be neutralized. "Okay... but once we've got Topsoil and I've dealt with the phials, I will be coming back with you, won't I? I want to help you see this through, Dad," he asked, his voice wavering slightly.
    "Of course, of course," Dr. Burrows replied, still avoiding Will's gaze as he stooped to retrieve a black file by his feet. "But, right now, I've got something else for you to do."
    Will took the folder and studied the plastic cover of the file, which was cracked where it hinged. The front was plain except for some letters and numbers, so he flipped it open. He was greeted by an exploded schematic of a piece of machinery. "What's this?" he asked, and then, as he thumbed back to the first page, he read, " Outboard Motor Operation Manual? Are you expecting me to read this or something?"
    "You know I don't get on with anything mechanical. Perhaps you could bone up on it, while I get the boat ready. If it's the wrong manual for the outboard we found, there are others in a bookcase in cubicle twenty-three, along with a whole load of novels by Alistair MacLean... and some weapons manuals."
    Wills ears perked up at the mention of the weapons manuals. "I'm your man," he said.

    * * * * *

    Will spent the next forty-eight hours reading about how to prime and operate the outboard motor, occasionally nipping out to the quayside where he and his father had dragged it. Unbeknownst to Dr. Burrows, Will also sneaked into the armory to help himself to a selection of the guns, which he taught himself to field strip on a blanket laid on the floor of one of the side rooms in the fallout shelter.
    At the same time Dr. Burrows was doing his bit. He'd used a rusting trailer to haul the fiberglass launch to the quayside and then put it on the water. Making sure it was tied securely to the pier, he proceeded to load it with provisions. He was just returning to the stores when he bumped into Will at the main blast door.
    "Hot water's on," Will announced. His hair was slicked back and his face -- for the first time in a long time -- was clean from the shower he'd just taken. He was also wearing a fresh change of clothes, an olive-green shirt and matching trousers.
    Dr. Burrows stared at him open-mouthed.
    "You want cubicle thirty-one for the quartermaster's stores and the clothes, and cubicle twenty-seven for the showers. I've left some shampoo and soap in there for you," Will merely said, continuing on his way outside. As Dr. Burrows watched him go, he spotting the Browning Hi-Power tucked down the back of his son's trousers.
    "Will! I told you not to--"
    "It's not loaded," Will replied without missing a step. He