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Invercharing Community
The Compound was a welcome sight after their day’s journey. Rory sighed. It had been a long walk. They’d tied Sundeep and Sanjay’s bodies over Boy’s back and periodically stopped to take them from the saddle and place them in a chilly burn to keep them from deteriorating too quickly. The odour of dead human was obvious, and Boy’s unsettled nickering became more frequent the closer they got to home.
George stood waiting at the gate. Having surrendered their CB radios to their early morning guests, Rory had no way of informing him of their soon arrival. The lookout in the watchtower would have told George of their approach—and their lack of horses.
Bullet holes pock-marked the walls of the compound’s buildings. They’d have to patch them up before winter. The smell of baking bread permeated the air. It was always the aroma of home. Government personnel walked between their vehicles carrying the large boxes that stored their gear. Vehicle doors were open and Government staff loaded the equipment into them.
Packing up already? They would’ve felt the reverberations of the underwater blast from here and decided their mission was completed.
“You look like you have a story to tell.” George stepped toward Rory, eyeing those who walked behind him, crumpled and dusty, dragging their feet and most looking up as they smelled the bread and sensed their hunger.
Rory nodded wordlessly. George looked past him, noting the bodies on Boy and the two restrained men, one of them Antony.
A tall man in camouflage gear walked toward them, followed by Brendan, Mandy and Christine, who had come out of the front building and now strode past him. Brendan approached Rory, and he grabbed his little brother in a tight hug.
“Ow, Rory. Good to have ye back, but dinnae break mine, aye?”
“Here, this is for you.” Rory handed Brendan the folded piece of paper Murdo had given him. “Memorise it, then eat it.” Rory said.
“What?” Brendan laughed.
“No seriously. Memorise it.” He nodded at his wee brother as a smile tugged at his cheek. Brendan frowned and unfolded the paper.
“It’s just numbers.”
“Aye, memorise. Eat.” Rory mimed putting food in his mouth.
“You’re weird,” Brendan said through a laugh.
Behind Rory, Kendra and Callum hugged their women. Every journey out posed the question of return, and every reunion was like a resurrection.
“Ms Kensington-Wallace, we are packing ready to return to the Bunker. We thought you wouldn’t want to delay once you arrived. Well done, everyone, on your successful mission.” The Government man lifted his head and directed his congratulations to them. Rory read his name badge. William MacIntosh.
“Thank you, Bill. As you see, we have less than we left with.” Siobhan’s gaze flicked to Boy. “We lost Sanjay and Sundeep.” Her voice broke. Rory placed his arm around her shoulder.
MacIntosh stiffened. Rory sensed the man’s displeasure at his open affection to Siobhan. They’d yet to inform those in the Compound and the Government of their relationship. What would be the political fallout from that?
George peered behind him, his eyes squinted over his glasses. MacIntosh followed his gaze.
“Yes, it is me,” McLellan stated from the back of the group.
“Well, you can remain quiet!” Siobhan had composed herself. “Major Antony McLellan is under arrest. Mr Stobbart, would you please find a place to keep Major McLellan and Mr McPherson detained?”
“Aye, Miss,” George answered Siobhan and then looked questioningly at Rory.
“I’ll fill you in, George.”
“And I will fill you in, Bill.” Siobhan said to her now second in-command. “But please may we all have a rest and a freshen up before we attend to those unpleasant tasks?” Siobhan watched Antony and McPherson as they walked past, escorted by Militia to a secure place.
“Ms Kensington-Wallace, may we leave as soon as possible? It’s barely midday and we would make it home to the Bunker before dark. It’s midsummer’s day and we’ll have plenty of daylight.” MacIntosh stood in front of Siobhan, as if to bar her way.
“Ms Kensington-Wallace needs time to recover from her journey, Mr MacIntosh.” Rory held Siobhan’s arm and ushered her past the large man. “What’s his hurry?” he whispered into Siobhan’s ear as he walked her into the main building.
Rory led Siobhan along the corridor to his rooms and they entered.
“Have a shower, Siobhan, and then we’ll sort out what we need to.” He kissed her gently on the mouth. “I’ll be back soon.” He left.
Rory made his way straight to George and found him in the now empty control-centre. The tables were back in their original positions prior to the Government visit. George noticed him the second he entered.
“Rory.” George strode across the room to stand next to him. “We have a problem,” he spoke into Rory’s ear. “Your big sister has divulged secret information.”
“What!” Rory couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice. “Where is she?” he roared.
“Rory, lad. Calm doon.” George’s eyes flicked to the two remaining Government personnel who picked up the last of the supplies to take out and load onto their vehicles. “The Government is packing it up.”
Rory blinked. “They’re taking it with them? That’s why MacIntosh is in such a hurry to leave.”
Rory’s breath came out in bursts as he stormed through the hall and made his way to the back of the Compound to his sister’s rooms. He bashed on her door with his fist.
“Who is it?” Angela’s voice concealed none of her alarm.
“Your brother!” Rory yelled, his chest heating with his rising anger.
No sound came from behind the door.
“Let me in, Angela!”
A member of the Militia who had taken the detained men to a secure section of the Compound, was passing. “You okay, Mr Campbell?
“I’m fine.” Rory’s answer was curt, sharp.
Angela’s door creaked open. Rory took another breath to stop the wave of anger about to break shore. It wasn’t working. He thrust the door open. Angela stood back, her wide eyes narrowing again to her lofty stare.
“What do you want, Rory?”
“What have you done?” Rory stepped forward, mentally pulling himself back from grabbing her.
He warned himself to not lay a hand on Angela. It would only give her more ammunition.
Angela stood taller and flicked her long, red hair over her shoulders. She remained silent.
“You told them?” His words spat in her face.
Angela blinked at his vehemence. “Aye, I told them. It’s a scientific discovery we need to share now we have an understanding with the Government.”
Rory shook his head in disbelief. “What are they doing with it?”
“They’re only looking at it.”
“No, they’re not. They’re taking it!”
“What?” Angela seemed genuinely surprised. She stormed past him. “Let’s go see,” she called over her shoulder.
Rory caught up. “What made you do it, Angela?” His voice thudded in his throat in time with his footsteps.
“I’m going to the Government Bunker.”
“And you sold us out for that?”
Angela stopped dead and turned. Rory had to scamper back to be face to face with her.
“You cannot understand how much it would mean to me, Rory, to be part of the Scottish Government. To be part of Scotland’s restoration. To be away from this middle-of-the-bloody-nowhere-Highlands Compound!” Her breathing shuddered.
Rory shook his head. “You don’t get it either, do you? They have a time machine. They can change the past now. What will they do? Do you know? Can you trust them?”
Angela didn’t speak at first, breathing heavily through her nostrils.
“It’s too late now. How am I going to get it from them?” she said at last.
“I don’t know.” Even his relationship with Siobhan wouldn’t help him get the Time Machine back.
They both continued their brisk walk to the barn in silence. The earthen floor was clear of the cubicle and two Government men packed up the console. Murray stood to one side with MacIntosh beside him. Rory strode up to them.
“You cannot take it. I do not give my permission,” he yelled into MacIntosh’s face.
MacIntosh stiffened and held his head higher. “Well, Mr Campbell. Your permission has nothing to do with it whatsoever. Apart from being a monumental scientific advancement, the Time Machine is an important resource for the Scottish Government.”
“No, it’s not.” Rory shook his head. “I’ll speak to Siobhan.” He turned aside to Murray. “What are you doing here?”
Murray opened his mouth.
“He’s coming to the Bunker with us,” MacIntosh spoke for him.
“No, he’s not. I definitely do not give my permission.”
“Your brother is over eighteen. He doesn’t need your permission.” MacIntosh took a step closer to Murray.
Rory blinked. “What do you want, Murray?”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the computers and stuff at the Bunker.” Murray sounded hesitant.
“Can you wait a wee bit? Go later on, aye?”
“Sorry, but he’s going now.” MacIntosh again.
“Why can’t it wait, MacIntosh?”
“We are here, we’ll take him with us?”
“No.” Rory was adamant.
MacIntosh pursed his lips and gave his head a slight shake. “Well, it’s not a request. It’s actually an order. From the PM herself. Murray’s coming with us.”
“Why?” Rory narrowed his eyes. Something was really up.
“They want me, Rory, because I’m good at maths and I know what to do for the calcs for the Time Machine,” Murray said.
Rory sensed in his brother’s tone that they’d put him under duress.
“Tell me,” Rory asked in the Gaelic.
“They’ll no’ ensure the safety of the Compound if I dinnae go,” Murray answered, also in the Gaelic.
Rory spun on his heel without a word. He ran to his quarters and slammed open the door.
“Siobhan!” His yell filled the old farmhouse.
Siobhan came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel; her wet hair dripped on her shoulders, her eyes wide and blinking.
“What’s the matter, Rory?”
He took some breaths to calm himself. It wasn’t her fault. Siobhan would know nothing of it. It had only been Angela and that MacIntosh guy.
“They’ve discovered the Time Machine and are dismantling it to take back to your Government Bunker. They are forcin’ Murray to go ‘cos he knows how to operate it.” He said, his voice firm, trying not to yell.
Siobhan’s eyes never blinked throughout the time he spoke, and her mouth remained opened.
“A Time Machine.” Her voice was awe-filled.
“Aye! Siobhan you cannae let the Government have it. Please speak to your PM. She’s ordered it!”
Siobhan shook herself. “Okay, let me get dressed and I’ll speak to Bethany Watts on CB radio.”
