in charge. I never really did the church thing before, but you know what he says seems to make so much sense. When I think about it, it was all so messed up . . . and . . . and, wrong. You know? I could imagine God was furious with us. Why not? Why not wipe the slate clean and start again?’
The other woman chuckled as she said something.
‘Oh, but, he is, isn’t he? I think if I was just a little younger . . .’
The two women giggled like schoolgirls as they finally finished feeding the chickens. He heard the wire mesh door to the chicken deck grate across the crap-covered floor and rattle shut behind them.
Walter felt a cold twist in his chest as he imagined others all over the platforms having this kind of conversation. He replayed in his mind every exchange he’d heard this morning, doing the rounds for Jenny, issuing the work tasks. All of sudden every reply, every half-smile offered to him, seemed to be tainted with the slightest hint of distaste.
Is that it? Is everyone saying that I’m a pervert?
But worse than that, if Alice was to be believed. Far worse than that.
Saying I killed Hannah?
Chapter 44
10 years AC
O2 Arena - ‘Safety Zone 4’, London
‘Jay? Jay, man. Wake up.’
Jacob felt fists pummelling the side of his head; the knuckles of some playground bully needling his soft temple. He winced from the pain, groaned and slowly opened his eyes and squinted at the foggy shape leaning over him.
‘Jake, man.’ It was Nathan. ‘How’s the head feelin’?’
His mouth was tacky and dry, his lips stuck together. With a little tug of effort they parted. ‘My . . . head . . . really hurts.’
Nathan laughed, not unkindly. ‘You got whacked well-hard.’
His eyes were focusing - not entirely, it was never going to be 20-20 without a new pair of glasses and he’d lost those long ago. Nathan’s face, grinning down at him, sharpened. Over his shoulder Jacob could see a pale milky white sky . . . no, not a sky. He saw a stretching arc of material. Like sail canvas taut with a strong breeze.
‘Where are we?’
‘The O2 Arena.’
Jacob’s eyes narrowed. For a moment that meant absolutely nothing to him.
‘The Millennium Dome, Jay?’
Dome?
Then he remembered . . . the dome. One of the safety zones.
He struggled up onto his elbows, wincing from the thudding pain in his head. Around him, across an open floor, he could see a dozen or so mattresses; several of them occupied. Surrounding them, a wall of neck-high partitions just like ones you’d find in an open-plan office; businesslike cream cord material surface, perfect for tacking-on Dilbert cartoons and cute kitty calendars.
‘This is the infirmary,’ said Nathan.
Jacob’s hand wandered up to the side of his head to caress his needled temple, only to find cotton wadding and a bandage wrapped around his forehead.
‘You had a real big bump on your head, like a tennis ball. And a nasty cut.’
It felt like a hangover. He’d had only one of those before - one time in Bracton when Walter had found a crate of Glenfiddich and they’d all toasted each other in the yacht’s cockpit into the early hours.
‘Where’s Leona?’
Nathan hesitated.
‘Nathan?’
‘I think she . . . escaped.’
Jacob only had a hazy memory of what preceded his world going black. A large exhibition hall full of computer games. And . . . and pale, long-haired children, a whole crowd of them chasing them through the dark.
‘We were rescued by some people from this place. They were nearby an’ heard our gunshots.’
Gunshots . . . yes, Jacob definitely remembered gunshots.
‘There was a bit of a fight an’ stuff and they rescued us,’ said Nathan, helping Jacob to sit up. ‘And Leona . . . she, well I reckon she escaped out the other way.’
Jacob closed his eyes for a moment. Relieved. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yup,’ Nathan replied quickly. ‘She’s probably halfway home to let your mum know. Thing is, she’ll be okay, right?’ He grinned again. ‘Anyway, Jake, man, you really, really gotta get up an’ see this place.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Oh, yeah. It’s the fucking business. Got lights and ‘lectric and everything. And there’s like, thousands of people. You feel like gettin’ up yet?’
Jacob nodded eagerly. His head hurt like a bugger and he felt nauseous enough to hurl. But sitting up on the mattress he felt a little better . . . and excited.
Nathan offered him a hand and pulled him up off the cot.