Dana returned a look of contempt as she pushed her visor back down over her face. ‘You should study the tricks the instructors use to motivate us,’ she said harshly. ‘What little boy wants to get teased by his mates?’
James nodded. ‘Look, Dana. I know it’s awkward me being in charge when you’re older and more experienced than me.’
‘It’s not awkward, James, it’s idiotic. So spare me your stupid pep talk and let’s get this over with.’
6. YOLK
The urban warfare compound was a rectangle one kilometre by one and a half. It was designed for soldiers training in attacking or defending built-up areas. Teams A–C had already been dropped at their starting points. Mr Large pulled the canvas-covered truck up sharply and Mr Pike – who’d ridden in the back alongside the kids – slid a bolt, allowing the rear flap of the truck to slam down.
‘Team D,’ Pike shouted. ‘What are you waiting for?’
Pike handed each kid a box containing six unbroken eggs before they jumped down. James was first out, followed by Jake, Lauren, Bethany and Dana.
James glanced around as the truck pulled away and Bethany unfurled the map. The artificial town had a surreal air. Rusted cars lined the streets, with all their windows removed to avoid any danger from flying glass. The buildings were finished in bare concrete and were designed to simulate different kinds of environments: shops, homes, offices and warehouses. Some were as much as four storeys tall.
The legacy of thousands of mock battles lay everywhere: black scorch marks on the walls, metal shell casings in the gutters and everything spattered in brightly coloured paint. With no moving vehicles and a population of twenty kids, the compound was eerily quiet. All James could hear were the footsteps of his team-mates and the passage of each nervous breath around the inside of his helmet.
‘Any bright ideas?’ James asked.
Lauren pointed at a building a few hundred metres into the distance. ‘I like that one,’ she said. ‘It backs on to the corner of the compound, meaning we only have to defend it from two sides. It’s also nice and high, so we can station a lookout on the roof.’
Dana tutted. ‘Yeah micro-brain, but it’s also blindingly obvious.’
Lauren reared up. ‘Who are you calling micro-brain, Cheesy?’
‘You try calling me Cheesy again,’ Dana screamed, facing Lauren off, ‘and I’ll rip off your head and spit down your neck.’
James placed himself between the two girls. ‘Calm down and stop yelling. We’re supposed to be killing everyone else, not each other.’
‘Suppose someone comes after us,’ Dana spat. ‘They know we were dropped in this area and that’s the first place they’ll come looking.’
‘Well that’s where I think we should go,’ Lauren said, sounding narked.
‘OK, OK,’ James said, feeling the pressure of being in charge. ‘What if we station a sniper on the roof of Lauren’s building, then we’ll barricade the door so that it looks like we’re all in there? But really, all except one of us are in the low building opposite.’
‘That might just work,’ Dana nodded. ‘If anyone comes by and tries to storm the building with the sniper inside, you lot can steam out from behind and ambush them.’
James looked at Dana. ‘Do you want to go up the stairs and be the sniper? Are you a good shot?’
‘Better than any of you, I expect,’ Dana said. ‘Though it’ll be pitch dark soon and we haven’t got night scopes.’
‘If you hear anyone, start shooting so that they think we’re in there.’
‘What if it’s one of you guys?’ Dana asked.
James looked blank.
‘We need a signal,’ Bethany said. ‘Meow like a cat or something, then you’ll know it’s one of us.’
James nodded. ‘But if you hear a meow, return with a bark, like a dog. That way we know it’s not someone ripping off our noise. And remember, once it gets dark, sound is the best way of tracking us. Only call out if you absolutely must.’
‘OK,’ Dana said, as she set off towards the high building. ‘You’d better not make a mess of this. I’ll see you losers later.’
Lauren waited until Dana was out of earshot before responding. ‘Not if I see you first, Cheesy … And thanks for taking her side, James.’
James tutted. ‘It’s not a question of taking sides, Lauren. Face facts, Dana was right.’
‘This is all very well if your plan to lure the opposition towards the big building works,’ Lauren sniped. ‘But what if they see through it?’