The Cure, стр. 48

‘Isn’t it obvious,’ said Goldsmith ‘I’m doing what I should have done myself years ago. I mean you do know that your father is responsible for everything. The Cure was his fault. His ego is the reason that we are all living down here under the ground and why everyone else is dead.’

‘Goldsmith, you know as well as I do both Brittle and myself weren’t responsible that day. We were given no choice,’ said Wanikiy.

‘We all have a choice. You chose to go down that path and get into bed with the government. You knew as well as everyone involved that there were risks and here we are.’

‘Yes, Goldsmith, here we are. I would do anything to go back and make a different choice, but that ship has sailed. All I can do now is try and do the right thing and try to be a better father,’ said Wanikiy.

‘I’m afraid old friend that ship has also sailed. You embarrassed me and you know I can’t let that go. It seems that your decisions have yet again led you down a rabbit hole, but this time one you will not be returning from,’ he turned to Logan and Tallulah ‘unfortunately you two have become loose ends and we all know what happens to those,’ he chuckled.

As he took aim at Logan, Wanikiy launched himself towards Goldsmith who in turn swung round and faced Wanikiy. The sound of a single gunshot rung out and both men fell into a heap on the floor. Logan stood still and waited to see any movement from either man, but both lay dormant. Then Goldsmith’s long thin hand appeared and pushed Wanikiy’s body off him and onto the hard floor of the infirmary. Goldsmith clambered to his feet with the gun still in his hand and smiling ‘No happy ever after ending here Logan,’ he said. He raised the gun again towards Logan then stopped. Goldsmith coughed and then his face started to contort and stiffen. He looked down towards Wanikiy, who had rolled over onto his back, and then looked at a syringe sticking out of his leg with the plunger compressed. He started convulsing and foaming from the mouth, the gun plummeting to the floor and then he fell to his knees before finally plunging headfirst into the ground before him. He was dead.

Logan rushed to Wanikiy who was bleeding from his chest. Logan looked for something to stem the bleeding and pushed bandage after bandage against the wound, but the bleeding continued. He shouted for help, but no-one was around. Tallulah moved from her bed to his side and they both looked at Wanikiy imploring that he knew what to do. He did. He knew that this was his time and that he would soon be with the love of his life again. ‘Take care of her,’ he smiled and closed his eyes. Tallulah held him and Logan placed a hand on her shoulder as she cried.

Wanikiy had died a hero, saving them and killing Goldsmith in the process.

Tallulah did not have time to grieve as an explosion sounded just outside the room ‘We got to evacuate now Tals. The whole place is going up.’ Logan jumped to his feet and pulled Tallulah away from her father ‘Tals?’ he said.

‘I know,’ she said pulling on a coat over her hospital gown ‘Let’s go.’

Halfway down the corridor the President turned the corner and almost ran straight into them. Logan beamed, ‘You’re alive.’

The President covered his mouth, exultant to see his son, but the reunion celebrations were short-lived as the ceiling started to collapse.

‘The General has escaped.’ he said.

‘We know, we’re leaving now. Is everyone safe?’ Logan replied.

‘Yes, follow me. You’re the last ones. Everyone has packed what they can, and we’ve salvaged as much supplies as we can, but the base has been compromised. We’re moving above ground.’

They started down the corridor either side of Tallulah helping her along. At the exit the Captain was still waiting for them. ‘Sir, we’ve evacuated everyone. We have managed to get a lot of the food supplies out, along with minimal transport and weapons. We have moved the rest of the community to half a mile outside of the town.’

‘Good good,’ he said, ‘You have any transport left?’

‘Yes Sir,’ he pointed to a Jeep

‘Help us get her to it before the whole place blows,’ said Logan.

Once in the jeep the soldier started it up and sped up the ramp, spiraling out into the town, which was also starting to crumble. They started heading to where the rest of the community had now gathered. Explosions were going off underneath them and the top surface of the base was starting to cave in leaving holes in the ground in front and behind them.

‘Drive!’ said Logan as the soldier dodged the openings in front of him.

Logan looked behind the car as the chasms joined each other becoming craters. In seconds they watched the remains of the base and the town falling into the charred ruins of where they had spent most of their lives.

The jeep sped towards the convergence of families from the base, who they could see were now shouting for them to drive faster, as the ravine chased them. Getting closer and closer those same people started to move as the jeep was coming straight towards them. The soldier put the brakes on seconds before reaching them and skidded to a stop, the huge gaping crater stopping only yards behind them.

They looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.