M. Marshall - The End Is Nigh

“Great.” Shit. That was going to be an issue.

Walking back to the sleeping quarters I stopped on the way to collect Rosa. How was I going to be able to talk to him without them hearing everything we said? At such short notice planning an escape wasn’t going to be easy. I cringed to myself thinking about what I had signed myself up for. Wouldn’t he think it odd? Me coming on to him when he knew I was grieving for my husband.

I was painfully aware of the fact that I hadn’t thought this through correctly. Or at all actually. Worse still, I was not very good at playing the seductress. I’d even go as far as to say that I was pretty bad at it. The first time I’d gone home with Matt I fell over the end of his bed trying to get my foot out of the bottom of my jeans.

My heart wasn’t in this and I was seriously out of practice.

THE NEXT MORNING my time in the nursery came and went much faster than any other shift I’d done since arriving here. Typical. I was not prepared for this. After signing out on the shift sheet, I rushed back to my quarters and got changed into the only clean clothes I owned. The pair of Levi’s I had on when we’d entered the bunker and a pretty sleeveless vest top which I had asked to borrow from Emma. It was a little low cut for my taste, but I needed all the help I could get.

In my mind, there were the beginnings of a plan. It was vital that I tried to get as much information out of this first visit as possible. My plan wasn’t a great one, but I had concluded that the best way to get a message to him would be a note explaining everything. That meant however that I would need to get close enough to Liam to slip a note into one of his pockets without being seen on the camera.

In the note, I explained what I knew about the BNW program. What I suspected that meant for him. I told him that Rosa and I were leaving and if he needed to get out, then I was working on the way to do that. Awkwardly I explained that we needed to be seen to be interested in each other sexually on my next visit otherwise they wouldn’t allow us to meet again. I paused a moment after writing it. What he would think of me after reading this? If the situation were reversed, I’d want him to get me out. So I would try.

Debbie put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and tried to put me at ease as I waited outside a locked door at the far end of the medical corridor.

“Don’t look so nervous, you met him above ground didn’t you?” I nodded. “Well, at least you aren’t total strangers. Don’t feel awkward that I’m watching. If things start getting intimate, I immediately switch off the monitor. We aren’t interested in the method, only the end product.” She winked and laughed at my reaction. “Relax!”

“Oh okay, that makes me feel better. Thanks.”

“Just be grateful I’m not a bloke. I don’t think they would afford us the same courtesy.” She gave me a stern look then and flicked the sign on the door to occupied. “There’s a clock inside at 6 pm you’ll need to leave and report back up to the canteen for dinner. You remember the way back to the living quarters from here?” I nodded.

Interesting. They would just leave me to find my own way back with no escort. “He obviously must stay in here when you leave. So be sure to lock the door behind you. He can not come up with you under any circumstances and most importantly remember that you don’t mention anything about the real reason you are visiting the men’s quarters. To anyone.”

“Even to him?”

“Especially to him.” I nodded again to show that I had understood and Debbie unlocked the door pushed down the handle and gestured for me to walk inside.

Closing the door behind me, my eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the change in the light. Mood lighting I thought grimly. This whole thing felt wrong on so many levels. Everything depended on me being able to deceive Liam into thinking I was propositioning him. I had the note stashed safely in the cup of my bra, that seemed the safest place for it. I wasn’t sure if they were planning on searching me before allowing me inside, but they hadn’t. I needn’t have bothered. Now I just needed to get it from my bra into his pocket without him or anyone else seeing. Crap.

“Long time no see.” The sound of his voice woke me from the thoughts whizzing around in my head; I glanced up from the floor where my eyes had been fixed since entering.

Liam was sitting on the edge of a single hospital gurney in the far corner of the room. He looked directly at me; between us, there was a table and two chairs. An old battered sofa was rushed up against the wall to my right. I took a step forward towards the couch but before I could sit Liam was in front of me.

“Wow, you shaved. I almost didn’t recognise you.” It made a big difference. He looked much less like the scrappy survivor who had grabbed me in the tunnel and more like a tidy school teacher. His tattered clothing had been taken away, and in their place, he wore pale green scrubs. Everything in the room was so clinical, including him. If it hadn’t been for the familiar blue eyes searching mine, I would have thought that I’d got the wrong person. I preferred the previous version. This guy creeped me out.

He placed his hands gently on to my shoulders and held me out in front of him at arm’s length and continued to stare. I felt so uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to see you sooner, but we have so much to do to keep the bunker running down here. I’ve met a few good people since we arrived but was hoping I would get to see you again and Rosa. Where is Rosa?” His speech was slurred.

The words forming in his mouth sounded all wrong like he was fighting to get out what he wanted to say. There was no doubt that he been drugged.

“She’s upstairs in the playroom. How are you feeling?” He didn’t look great. Even in this low light, I could see beads of sweat on his temples, and the circles under his eyes were much darker now than they had been when we had arrived.

“I’m great. Lonely at times but…” His hands dropped from my shoulders, and his fingertips lightly traced the outline of my figure down to the hands at my sides. He was too close and acting wildly out of character. This was scary. What the hell had they given him? He had never been this friendly with me before. I had only just walked into the room.

I sided away from him to sit down on the sofa; I needed some space. This was too intense. It didn’t feel right to be close to another man that wasn’t Matt; it had been almost two weeks since we found his motorbike buried under his parents house.

For all his understanding at the time, Liam seemed to have forgotten all about it. Despite being right there beside me when I made the devastating discovery of my husband’s death. He inched over towards my end of the sofa and began telling me about his time in the Bunker.

“When I first arrived here every day was more exhausting than the last, so much so that I must sleep for almost 12 hours a day. Things have gotten better lately since they’ve put us on a daily dose of vitamins to keep us going. Hopefully, it should reverse any effects of radiation poisoning. I was above ground for a long time it was bound to affect me sooner or later. I’m just glad we were here when I started to get sick.”

“You think you might be sick? Weren’t you feeling well when we arrived here?”

“I’m not sure now. It’s hard to remember that far back.”

“Liam. It’s been two weeks.” I needed to get him out of here and fast. Whatever medication it was they were feeding him was having some terrifying effects. “You, me and Rosa arrived here over two weeks ago. Shadow isn’t a big fan of it down here. Every day when we go into the upper tunnels for his walks, he barks at the exit to be let outside.”