Tunnels 03, Freefall

want his father or Drake to see him choking back his emotion. But the taste of the ice cream just made it worse -- a far-off taste of childhood, of lost years. He got up from the table and tore towards the door, wanting to speak to his mother one last time before she went.
    But once he was outside, he couldn't see her, or the van Drake had said would be picking her up. He ran over to the filling station to check if his mother was there, then he came back to the Little Chef, where he desperately searched the car park. But again there was no sign of her. He was too late.
    Drake and his father would be waiting for him in the restaurant but, at that moment, Will felt too upset to face them. Instead, in a corner of the car park, he ducked behind a large rubbish bin on wheels where no one would be able to see him. He looked up into the sky and cried and cried.

    * * * * *

    By late afternoon, they arrived at the perimeter of the old airfield. Drake steered the Range Rover into a side track and stopped. Will was sitting up front with Drake, while Dr. Burrows was stretched out on the back seat. Will and Drake could hear his steady breathing as he slept.
    "Are you okay with everything, Will?" Drake asked him in a quiet voice.
    "I think so."
    "Once you're back down, your first priority is to link up with Elliott," Drake said.
    "I'd do that anyway," Will put in. "And Chester."
    "Yes, of course you would. But when you find her, brief her on what I want done. We have to be certain the Rebecca twins and their remaining Limiter aren't still operative, and that any risk of the Dominion virus resurfacing has been neutralized. You, Elliott and Chester have to do whatever it takes. Don't let anything get in your way." He stopped speaking as Dr. Burrows stirred in his sleep and made some snorting noises. "Or anyone ," Drake told Will, and glanced at Dr. Burrows on the back seat to emphasize who he was referring to. Then he sighed. "I'd be coming with you, but there are a few things I have to see through up here."
    Will nodded as Drake continued.
    "And afterwards, if you, Chester and Elliott decide to return Topsoil, I'm sure we can work something out. I can't say it will be easy for any of you, but--"
    "Thanks," Will said, not needing to hear the rest. "But what about Dad?" he asked.
    "I get the feeling he wants to be as far away from the surface as he can get, after the way things have turned out with your mum. I don't think he's planning on coming back for quite some time." Drake consulted his watch. "Right, we'd better rouse Sleeping Beauty so we can get the gear sorted out, and you on your way again."

    * * * * *

    On the open tailgate of the Range Rover, Drake checked that they had everything they needed for the trip. He'd brought large military rucksacks for Will and his father, which he referred to as Bergens , each holding considerably more than the one Will had been using.
    "And now we get on to the interesting stuff," Drake announced. He pulled a holdall on to the tailgate and unzipped it. "Here's the headset, Will. It's fully functional again."
    "What was wrong with it?" Will asked.
    Drake showed him where there was a ring of plastic heat-wrapped around his repair to the lead. "Someone made a tiny incision to sever the circuit. No way was this from wear and tear -- it was tampered with."
    "Rebecca One," Will said slowly. "Bloody hell!" She must have nobbled both my headset and the rifle scope. Chester was dead right to suspect she'd done it. The twin obviously didn't want us to spot that a Limiter was following us!"
    "You got it," Drake said, then yanked out a box of what appeared to contain aerosol cans, although they were plain grey and without any markings. "We ran some tests on the sample of Aniseed Fire and found that on oxidation it releases large amounts of N,N-Diethyl- meta -toluamide."
    "That's easy for you to say!" Will laughed.
    "DEET, for short. It's a common garden insect repellent, but the stuff in those aerosols is industrial strength. Handy if you come under attack. You could also try spraying you clothes and kit with it. Should keep the spiders at arm's length, and your friends too. Just avoid getting it on your skin. Understood?"
    "Got it," Will said.
    "And the fuel for the outboard?" Dr. Burrows chirped up.
    "All in good time, Doc -- I'm not finished yet." Drake held the holdall open so Will could see what else was in it. "I've given you some climbing ropes. And because you're so fond of your fireworks,