I hoped that Roland would forgive me – I hoped that they all would forgive me. I could never tell them the truth, about why I was about to abandon him to the others in the dark of the abandoned workshop. About the secret capsule I was holding close to my chest, and the secret it might hold to saving us all.
‘Give us what we want,’ the Others’ voice echoed around the dark room, lit only by small patches of moonlight leaking through the rust-drilled ceiling.
‘I don’t have it!’ I called back, stalling for time. ‘I don’t even know what it is! Hell, all I’ve got back here is some sort of guide to who qualifies for the energy saving scheme – what do you reckon that meant? Back then, I mean?’
‘You stall,’ the voice hissed, and I felt a pair of shapes slip away from the shadows – hunters, no doubt, to flush me out and lay me at the feet of their leader.
‘I don’t think that’s fair!’ I cried out, feigning indignation. My eyes lit up as I spotted the remains of a rusted ladder propped up against what had once been a window.
My exit.
‘Look,’ I shouted back quickly, before they could reply. ‘I just think we should go over these numbers, you’d be surprised what solar can do for a small business–’
‘Enough!’ the Other growled, more animal than man. He made an obscene clicking sound, and I felt the shadows shift again, closer to me. I had to move – and quickly.
I bolted, feet pounding ancient metal as I made for the ladder.
A huge thing emerged out of the darkness in front of me, and I reacted without thinking, hurling a fistful of paper in its face and following it up with a right hook. He went down with a thud.
‘Solar panel calculator tool,’ I murmured, as the pages settled. ‘I knew that one would be my favourite.’
‘Stop him!’ the leader croaked.
‘Mac, wait!’
I turned to see Roland, shaking in the dark, a huge hand wrapped around his neck – and I froze.