At first light, he loaded up the car.
Although Ash had very few possessions these days, Magenta had kindly organised a care package. She presented it to Ash and Ivy, urging them to take it with them on their journey.
Ash still had his mobile phone too. He’d been locked out of the network for months, but he couldn’t bring himself to throw the device away. He held onto the hope that someday, things would change.
Gizzy, Magenta’s Rottweiler, had been following him in and out of the house all morning, as if sensing the impending departure.
Ash loaded the last box of fresh fruit into the boot of the car. Even though bringing organic fruits and vegetables from state to state was highly illegal, Ash figured it wouldn’t matter considering he planned to fly under the radar.
Ivy leaned against the bonnet of the car, holding her walking stick between two hands. She was still unwell, and as a result, she’d spent a lot of time in her own mind, blocking everybody else out.
“I think that’s the last of it,” said Magenta, peering into the boot. “It’s not much, but at least you’ve got all the basic necessities.”
Aside from food, Magenta had also provided them with eight litres of water, clean clothing, blankets, torches, a first-aid kit, a tool kit and a spare tyre.
Ash was preparing to make his farewell when Magenta handed him a folded-up piece of paper. He unravelled it in front of her.
“I’ve drawn you a map,” she explained. “It’s only free hand as I tried to copy it from an atlas – but it’ll give you a rough route to Perth and an indication of the best places to refuel the car.”
Ash smiled and glanced down at the paper. There were several places – many that he’d never heard of – highlighted on the page. The route took them from Silverton, across the border to stop overnight at a place called Quorn, then Ceduna, before crossing into Western Australia. From there, they would have two more overnight stops at Eucla and Coolgardie, before finally arriving in Perth.
If they followed the suggested route, they would be in Perth within the week.
Other than the highlighted towns, Magenta had also taken the liberty to list twelve separate petrol stations they could stop and refuel at during their journey.
Ash was most grateful, but then a sinking feeling struck him – he would have no money to pay for petrol refills. He had left the stolen bankcards behind in their original Skye-car, as his adopted identity had been exposed.
Thankfully, Magenta had come to their aid one last time.
“I want you to take this with you too,” she said, handing over a bankcard. “It’s been pre-loaded with five thousand dollars, which should be more than enough for you to make it to Perth. The pin is four zeros, hopefully that’s easy to remember. I don’t expect any of it back – and it’s not charity either – it’s just my way of saying thank you, especially for all your hard work in the greenhouses.”
At first, he wasn’t sure he could accept it, but Ash knew he wouldn’t get very far without it. He took the bankcard, and then wrapped his arms around Magenta, pulling her close.
When they broke apart, he gave her a message of thanks and made one last inquiry,
“Now that Ivy and I are leaving, how long will it be before your water supply runs out?”
“If it rains soon, there will be no issue and I’ve always been great at water conservation. If it doesn’t, on the other hand, I reckon I’ve still got enough water to last me until mid-April, maybe even May.”
“If it hasn’t rained before April, I’ll send out a water-aid request on your behalf.”
“That’s sweet of you to think of me,” said Magenta, smiling. “Thank you.”
With one last parting embrace, Ash and Ivy made their goodbyes to Magenta and climbed into the car. Ash slipped behind the wheel as Ivy sat beside him. He adjusted his seat, clicked on his seatbelt and slotted the key in the ignition. The engine came to life.
Ash pushed down the handbrake, put the car into gear and then applied pressure to the accelerator. The car began to climb the hill, away from the property, towards the unknown. He glanced in the rear-view mirror to catch a glimpse of Magenta waving as Gizzy barked at her feet.
Even though Ash was happy to be on the road and moving forward, it killed him to think he may never see her again. He truly had grown attached to her.
Ash wasn’t the only one touched by her generosity either.
“You know, I think I’m going to miss Magenta,” said Ivy, speaking for the first time that day. “Apparently, there are still some good people left in the world after all.”
***
Ash found the terrain challenging, to say the very least.
He had expected a dirt road, but the secret trail was far worse than that – it was rocky, uneven and borderline dangerous.
The Holden Commodore grunted and roared as it rolled up and over the knolls, and although he could handle it, Ivy could not.
“Slow down, please,” she winced. “I’m on the verge of spewing. Not joking.”
Ash tried to drive over the inclines as carefully as possible, hitting the accelerator in timed intervals to appease Ivy. It made no difference though, Ivy groaned every time the car hit the slightest bump.
Within the hour, the road seemed to even out a little more. Ash found himself rolling across an almost-flat plain with very few hills. Better yet, they were not far from the border. He even spotted a hand-painted sign by the side of the dirt road reading,
S.A. Border 3km
They were not far from crossing into South Australia. Ash’s adrenaline went into overdrive. The car heaved up a steep gradient. When they finally reached the top, Ash glanced towards the road ahead, feeling his heart sink.
There, stretching right across the road, was a towering wall.
He hit the brake. The car came to an abrupt halt.
“Hey,” cried Ivy, clutching her stomach. “What the hell?”
Without answering her question, Ash unclicked his seatbelt and yanked open the driver’s side door. He stepped out, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun, and walked towards the blockage. He left her there.
He ignored Ivy’s demanding howls and inspected the wall. It was built at least fifteen feet high and completely cut off the rest of the road. Worse still, there were hundreds of boulders and shrubs surrounding the wall, so driving around the obstacle simply wasn’t an option.
Ash put a hand on the wall. Solid metal. However, he also noticed thin gaps and hinges. It appeared the obstacle was capable of retracting, and then Ash spotted a control pad. There was a shimmer of hope after all. It seemed the wall would fold back once activated, but unfortunately, it required a four-digit combination.
He put both hands behind his head and exhaled. He then mouthed a curse word, and tried to work out his options. He could mindlessly enter different combinations, but he didn’t want to risk failing too many times. What if it locked him out entirely? Or, what if it alerted soldiers or Baibots?
There was no doubt in Ash’s mind that the wall had only been built in the last couple of months and clearly the British were still trying to stop people from crossing state borders, even through the most obscure routes.
Out of natural curiosity, Ash decided to climb around the rocks and take a gander of the road on the other side. He stepped off the dirt, carefully shifted his body over the boulders and glanced over the wall.
He only looked for half a second, before immediately dropping his head down. He waited, heart fluttering, and risked another look. He very slowly peered up. Beyond the wall, Ash would have to face yet another obstacle – an armed soldier.
Clutching a rifle between two hands, the British soldier stood in the shade of a tree roughly one hundred metres away from the barricade.
Aside from his weapon, the soldier also had a Skye-bike by the side of the road. Ash suspected he probably had a mobile phone device of some sort too. Calling for back up would be too easy for the soldier.
Ash scoped the rest of the surroundings. The soldier seemed to be alone.
In a moment of clarity, Ash also found it comforting that he’d finally seen a member of his army – in the flesh – for the first time in many months. There was no way Ash would eliminate his comrade, but even if he wanted to, he’d still be outmatched.
There was one option however; he could surrender.
Leaving Ivy in the car – not caring to give her the heads up or an explanation – Ash discreetly climbed over the boulder. Once he was in plain sight, he jumped down in front of the wall and put both hands in the air, as if admitting defeat.
Almost a full minute passed before the soldier realised, but he was quick to take aim, closing the distance between them.
As he ran closer, he shouted out orders. It was the usual protocol.
Complying with the instructions, Ash knelt down in the dirt, putting his hands on top of his head. Soon, the soldier was in point-blank range.
Ash didn’t even flinch.
“Where the bloody hell did you come from?” yelled the soldier, kicking dirt in Ash’s eyes.
He recovered quickly, blinking the soil away, but remained silent. The soldier probed Ash for a few minutes longer, desperate to get a response out of him, but Ash gave nothing away. Even when the muzzle of the rifle was placed against his skull, he kept calm. It just infuriated the soldier even more so.
“You’ll be taken to the camps,” he hissed, inches from his face. “The quiet ones are always the first to crack – believe me.”
The soldier then unclipped a pair of handcuffs from his belt. It gave Ash the perfect opportunity to strike. Like a slingshot, Ash lunged an arm out and seized a firm grip around the soldier’s leg, before pulling his feet out from under him. He went down.
Ash wasted no time as he disarmed him, pinned him down, and forced his arms behind his back. Ash then slapped the pair of handcuffs over the soldier’s wrists and switched the cuffs to the weighted setting, rendering the soldier unable to move.
Within the space of a few seconds, Ash had the soldier down and bound. He frantically tried to break free, but it worked to no avail.
At last, Ash picked up the rifle, patted down his own pockets and pulled out his tablet. He gave his comrade an honest explanation,
“My name is Ashley Griffin, a Royal Marines Commando. I am unable to use my voice to speak but we are on the same side. I will not harm you, but I need your full co-operation.”
“You’re British?” asked the soldier, eyes almost popping out of his skull.
Ash nodded.
“I give you my word that I am telling the truth, but I need your help getting my car through the wall behind me. Once you have assisted me, I will set you free.”
Ash thought that perhaps the soldier would need more convincing, but thankfully he was quick to obey.
“OK, I’ll help,” said the soldier, nodding.
“What is the pin-code for the wall?”
There were no hesitations this time.
“Seven, six, nine, six.”
Ash approached the touchpad by the wall and punched in the numbers. A green tick appeared across the screen and the barrier began to retract. In the distance, Ash could see his car – right where he’d left it.
Pleased, Ash keyed in another reply.
“Thank you. I am returning to my car for a moment, but I will be back shortly to release you. In the meantime, please do not make a sound.”
The soldier nodded frantically, happy to oblige.
Ash ran back to the vehicle. Ivy had remained in her seat, with her seatbelt still untouched. She heard footsteps approaching.
“Ash! Ash?” she called. “What’s going on? Please! Tell me!”
Now only a metre away, Ash pulled open her door and gave her a brisk instruction on the tablet, purposely lowering the volume so that the soldier would never overhear,
“I have spotted British soldiers on the horizon. However, I have found a way to bypass them, but I want you to hide in the boot of the car – just in case.”
“Seriously? For how long?” she winced.
“Until I tell you it’s safe.”
Ivy unbuckled her seatbelt, and then Ash took her by the hand and then guided her to the boot. Although the space was already occupied with boxes and supplies, Ash managed to shift them around to give Ivy some space. Once she was lying down comfortably, he closed the trunk and all of the doors before climbing back behind the wheel. He was just about to put the car back into drive when a thought provoked him. Ash checked his pockets. He pulled out a picture of himself and Ivy. It was an instant photo, taken some time ago, but it was hard evidence to prove he had indeed survived.
The bound soldier gave Ash a golden opportunity to touch base with his army.
Acting quickly, he reached behind him to the backseat and raided his backpack. He plucked out a pen and a scrap piece of paper. He then jotted down a handwritten letter,
To whom it may concern,
My name is Ashley Griffin – 00751088 – born on September 28th, 2012. I am a Royal Marines Commando. Although many believed I perished aboard HMS Clementine several months ago, I survived. I’ve kept a low-profile as I’ve travelled across the country, gaining intelligence from the enemy, working on the inside. I have also captured Ivy Adoni, an Australian air force pilot and granddaughter to the late Prime Minister, Michael Adoni. I wish to aid my brothers in our quest to put an end to Operation Endurance. I have obtained confidential information, hinting the possible location of nuclear weapons, and I will release this information in exchange for an honourable discharge. Please decrypt my mobile phone so I can once again access the database as I wish to speak with Nigel Durham. I have attached a photo of myself, alongside Ivy Adoni, to prove the legitimacy of my survival.
Ash then made his signature, dated the letter and pressed an inked thumb at the bottom of the page. It made a print. He then tucked the photograph inside and folded up the piece of paper. Putting the car back into gear, Ash began to drive.
He made it through the barrier and then stopped by the bound soldier. A man of his word, Ash climbed out of the vehicle with the intent to release him.
However, Ash had one more request. Ash knelt down to the soldier’s level, typing words into his Skye-Scroll tablet, but he did not push enter. It read,
I need you to deliver a letter and a photograph to your commanding officer, at the first available opportunity. Nod to show me you understand.
He showed the words to the soldier, which he read, and nodded. Ash then deleted the text and typed in something else before presenting it to the soldier again.
I am taking your gun, as I require it on my journey, but I will now set you free. Please do not attempt to follow me.
The soldier nodded, but before undoing the soldier’s handcuffs, Ash also confiscated his walkie-talkie so he would be unable to call in reinforcements. A man of his word, Ash then deactivated the weighted handcuffs and let the soldier go.
Ash slowly backed away, just in case there was a reprisal, but the soldier remained sitting on the ground and let Ash drive away in peace.
The car kicked up a cloud of dust as the wheels rotated across the ground, but at long last, Ash finally made it across the border.