Designated (Book 2): Designated Quarantined (12 page)

Laying his head down, he kissed her shoulder before closing his eyes and edging slowly into a fitful sleep.

Monmouthshire

Wales
 

The ground swallowed him whole as he dropped, the slick walls around him flashing past in a blur of bouncing torch light, the dazzling display of stroboscopic light making his stomach jerk slightly.
 

'I cannot believe you talked me into this.'
 

A deep rolling chuckle echoed up from below him as he dropped to the floor with a
thunk
, his feet shooting from under him, showering the other with a spray of ice-cold water as they laughed.

A sharp groan issued forth as his coccyx collided with a ridge of wet granite. The cave stretched, the hollow black maw drinking in the beam of his helmet-mounted torch as he gazed from one side to the next. His footsteps echoed around them as they ventured further into the twisting cave system.
 

'Okay, huni, you got your locator on?'
 

She stared at him, the pale yellow glowing halo of light making her squint as she listened to his reply echo off the walls around them. His words reverberated through the air until they chorused through the air, filling the silent cavern with a rolling wall of babbling voices; their formless words making her skin tingle as she looked about her.
 

His voice held a slight tremor as he replied, the words clipped and quick as she took his hand and pulled him further into the cave. A small smile slipped across her features as she led him through the slowly encroaching maze of tunnels, all the while the trembling in his hand and voice grew.
 

'Alexander Richards, you're not scared, are you?'
 

A flicker of pride-stung annoyance crossed his features as he pulled his hand away a little too sharply, leaving Susan more than a little perturbed. His eye caught the look as it skated through hers, the mixed pot of anger and worry, coupled with the slighted hurt of a lover on the cusp of scorn.

Pushing his male pride aside, Alex sat his backside into the soupy mess of silt and ice water in the bottom of the small cavern.
 

'Truthfully, more than a little. I don't do tight spaces very well. I have had ways of dealing with it. But this… it's a little more than I am used to.'
 

She looked at him, her head cocked slightly to one side as he spoke. The look on her face was a mix of annoyance and empathy. She reached out a hand and pulled him to his feet, the water pattering to the floor as it slid from the seat of his heavy reinforced caving suit, the coarse fabric grating slightly against his skin.
 

'Do you want to head back?'
 

His face held a dark look of determination as he squeezed her hand slightly, the simple act of assurance and comfort saying infinitesimally more than words ever could. Nodding, Susan turned, letting his hand fall from her grip as they pushed on. Their lights danced over the walls, the shimmering pools of white glazing over the crevices and crags as they moved on in the system.
 

'So tell me, wonder woman, how does a desk jockey go from punching a keyboard all day to sliding through the cracks and crevices of nature's stone innards?'
 

Richard's eyebrows rose as she simply shrugged, her reply short and tart on her tongue.
 

'Why do you have a job that involves, guns, bombs, and making things explode?'
 

Alex smirked, stepping forwards and running his hand over her backside as they neared the connecting tunnel. Crouching low, he swallowed slightly, his mouth as dry as sandpaper; he fell to his hands and knees and began to crawl.
 

'That is a very good question. I couldn't stand them as a kid—too noisy and cumbersome, but I guess once you try something and find you're good at it, well you can't see yourself doing anything else.'
 

A soft chuckle echoed off the walls as he realised just what Susan had done, turning his own question against him and finding her answer in him.

10
Bude, North Cornwall
Cory Farm, Stanbury Cottage
 

The soft crunch of gravel filled their senses, the warm scent of powdered stone and warm soil soaking their minds as they made their way to the small beachside cabin. The low veranda sat warm and enticing as they made their way forwards. The hushed almost scrupulous movements of the waiting staff was the only thing to break the silence as he hurried ahead of them, their cases held in his hands as he scampered up the small ramp and to the door.
 

Stopping at the foot of the non-slip ramp, he smiled; the soft tugging of his lips at the corners of his mouth made his eyes twinkle as she stared up at him. The vibrant hue of her eyes made him feel like a small child as she brushed her hand over his. Leaning down, he cast a soft, fleeting kiss over her cheek. Turning, he made his way back to the car and the two black plastic crates perched on the back seat. They sat heavy in his hands as he carried them to the cabin, his booted feet thumping against the slate tiles of the veranda as she turned, her chair hissing slightly as it skimmed against the sand under the wheels.
 

The sparkle in her eyes made him pause; a gentle smile played over his face as she turned away. The staff member held the door open for her as she rolled on into the spacious interior. Nodding his thanks, he set the cases down on the table as the young man handed her the door keys and bade them goodbye.
 

'Not a bad place; fairly squared away, but they could have dusted.'

Davies ran a finger over the fireplace's mantel as he turned back to the low-lying coffee table. He sat, simply staring at the two black cases as the clock over the fireplace ticked away, filling the slowly dimming silence; the only other sounds around him were the bubbling of boiling water and the soft humming of his companion.

The dull rumble of rubber over wood made him look up, her slim raven-haired form gliding towards him as she balanced a tray on her lap, the cups clinking together gently as she pushed herself along.
 

Anna's lilting accent made him smile; try as he did to hide it from her, it kept melting into his features, pulling the world-weary scowl from his face. She lifted the tray from her lap as he pushed the two black boxes aside, sliding her chair closer to the low-slung settee. She swung, suspending her weight on her hands as she shifted herself onto the small sofa. She curled her body into his after adjusting her position on the soft feather-filled cushions. He brushed his fingers against hers as she snapped the locks open on the cases.
 

The spring-loaded hinges pushed the lid back with a heavy clunk as it hit the top of the table. They both held a mild almost sarcastic grin as they gazed upon the black plastic crate's contents. The muted grey coveralls gazed up at them, the minute network of squares covering its rip-stop surface. She lifted the suit from its resting place, the heavy slash-proof fabric grating against her fingertips as she let it drape over her lap.
 

'Before you ask, babe, it is the same suit we wear, minus the impact resistant plates and reinforced joints; also the integrated water bladder in the back is missing, and if you look at the cuffs or neck, they aren't sealed from fluids.'
 

It fell from her grip, crumpling into her lap as she reached into box once more. The heavy square block sat in her palm as she tested its weight, her hand bobbing in the air slightly as she looked at it. The loosely woven loop of cord batting against the back of her hand, the steel clasp cool against the pinched skin of her wrist.
 

'G.P.S personal alarm, not too dissimilar to the Breitling watch developed for pilots, although it's not a one-use system and can send out a directional wall of disorienting sound by pressing the rubberised stud on the side there.'
 

Setting the alarm on the table next to the case, she reached in once more, lifting her hand out and setting aside the elasticated cloth mask and heavy-duty latex gloves that were in a small press-lock bag. She pulled free the inch-thick book that sat in the base of the box, its heavy binding and card cover stencilled with the words
Emergency Preparedness Manual
. She laughed at the moniker, its white lettering staring at her as she flipped through it.
 

'At least they paid attention to my reports, although they skimmed over a few of the symptoms, including the degree of violence they can display.'
 

He nodded as he watched her set everything back into the case, folding the coveralls neatly and precisely as the fabric hissed over her skin as she leant forwards. She set the folded bundle into its squat container. Turning to face him, she shrugged, her slim shoulder slipping through the neckline of the light-green, silk blouse she wore.
 

'Well, I can't say it's particularly impressive and it's less than I would have hoped they would send out, but it's something. I just hope it makes people aware of the seriousness of the calamity we are facing.
 

'It's only going to get worse from here on out; more and more cases are leaking out of China and Africa. Even the US has started to report cases of boats breaking through the interdiction cordon in place.'
 

A quizzical look passed over her face as she snapped the locks back into place, the lid popping into place with a soft thump. 'John, why do you stay with me?'
 

His face held a mixture of shock and questioning surprise. He slumped back into the sofa, running a hand over his shaven head, the stubble of his once black locks grating against his palm.
 

A soft sardonic chuckle flitted from his lips as she watched him intently.
 

'You're asking me this now, Anna? We have been together for just under a year and you're asking me that now?'
 

She held his stare, her gaze steady as he watched her face for any sign of a clue that she was joking. His heart dropped when none appeared.
 

'You're serious, aren't you? You can't understand why I have stayed with you.'
 

Again, she stayed mute, watching his face as he spoke. A sharp shard of pain lanced through his eyes, her heart blanching as she watched it ricochet through him, carving out chunks of his soul, but as much as it hurt, she had to know.
 

'It's simple; I love you, wheelchair and all. I couldn't care less about sex. It's not why I fell in love with you and it's not why I am here now.'
 

She never wavered as she watched his face, her hands trembling slightly as she held them clenched in her lap.
 

'I stayed with you because you... well... honestly you are unlike any other woman I have ever met. I look at you and I see the strongest person I have ever known. Yes, I have faced down all that humanity can conjure up—from religious zealots, despot, and crazed psychopaths and right through to plague-Infected civilians trying to chew my heart out of my arse. But, I look at you and know that if I were like you, bound to a set of wheels for the rest of my life, I couldn't do it; I would not be able to reconcile with it. That is what has kept me here. You give me the strength to face the day and carry on doing what I do, Anna.'
 

She didn't say a word; mute and unflinching, she reached out and clasped the back of his head, pulling him to her. She kissed him. It was heavy, laden with a longing she could barely contain, softly brushing her tongue over his slowly parting lips as he began to respond.
 

Pulling away, she looked into his eyes, her breathing heavy, his dark green eyes boring into her as she smiled softly.
 

'I love you too.'

Hainault Forest Country Park

Hainault, Essex
 

Solomon held the lead in his hand as he watched Angel's slightly limping form bound over the rutted ground, the grass catching at her fur as she chased after the neon-pink ball he had just thrown.
 

A memory tickled at him as he watched her leap over the deep groove carved into the soft, loamy soil. Sweat trickled down his neck as he stood there, the hot light of the midday sun making his brow crinkle under the battered baseball cap he wore. He cuffed the sweat away from his eyes as he held out his hand, her muzzle pushing against his palm as she dropped the saliva-dampened ball.
 

Heaving it over arm, he watched it soar through the air, the sun's glare blinding him slightly as he lost sight of it and Angel as she took off in pursuit. His mind swirled slightly as he watched her return, the limp slightly more pronounced as she drew closer. Dropping onto his backside, Kingsley pulled out a collapsible bowl and a bottle of water. He let the clear liquid fall from the neck, landing with a shimmering splash in the bottom of Angel's bowl.
 

His hand ruffled the fur on her neck as she drank, his mind drifting back to the hot, dry dust-laden road where she had truly lived up to her name.