CHAPTER 43

2001, somewhere in Virginia

‘What? Did he just say we lost them?’ Liam swung a leg over the back saddle of the huff and dropped down on to the ground. The creature – half buffalo, half horse – snorted irritably at his sudden ungainly dismount.

Captain McManus nodded. ‘Yes, it seems we have. Clever creatures, these ones. They split up and one group left a dead-end trail for us to follow.’

White Bear, on his haunches studying footprints in the hard soil, nodded. He looked up at them. ‘They very smart.’ He shook his head, disgusted with himself. ‘Trick me.’

McManus patted the Indian’s shoulder. ‘It’s OK, White Bear. We’ll pick their trail up again in the morning.’

Liam stepped forward. ‘You can’t stop now!’

‘Yes, we can … and we should. We’ve lost them. We’ll end up spending the night chasing shadows and have nothing to show for it come sunrise.’

‘But … they’re going to get away! Please! We have to –’

‘We’ll make camp here. First light –’ he tapped the earpiece in his helmet – ‘I’m calling in the regimental carrier. We’ll have some more hooves and boots on the ground. I assure you, we’re going to find them.’

‘Find them?’ Liam’s voice rose, angry, exasperated. ‘But you’ve just lost them!’

‘On the contrary, Mr O’Connor, I’m almost certain they’re headed that way,’ he said, pointing to the horizon. ‘I’d say it’s less than ten miles from here.’

‘What is?’

‘The Dead City, what used to be known as Baltimore. We’ve had genics go rogue on us before … that’s where they tend to head. They know we prefer to steer clear.’

‘Why?’

‘Surely you know?’ He shook his head. ‘Good God, where exactly have you spent your entire life, Mr O’Connor?’

‘I just … I …’ Liam shrugged, ‘a priory. Kirklees Priory.’

‘Ah, Catholic, are you?’

‘Aye, something like that.’ Liam nodded impatiently. ‘What’s wrong with this city?’

‘The North poisoned it with virals. Killed thousands of innocent civilians with Habsburg’s disease. I know it’s been nearly twenty years since then, but they say the rats and wild dogs carry the spores. You really wouldn’t want to go in there if you can help it. That’s why the feral genics use it as a refuge.’

‘I’ll go in! Me and Bob, we’ll go –’

McManus patted his shoulder reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry. If that’s where they’ve gone, and I do suspect it is, I shall be taking a company in there to flush those vermin out. My boys are all inoculated against Habsburg. We’ll find them all right. Now, if you don’t mind, matters to attend to …’ McManus turned away from Liam and began issuing orders to his walrus-faced sergeant who barked them out again in a parade-ground voice. The platoon dismounted and began to make preparations to camp where they were for the night.

Bob joined Liam. ‘McManus is tactically correct with this decision, Liam.’

‘But –’ Liam balled his fists – ‘she’s out there. She needs us!’

‘Both of them are. It is our mission priority to retrieve them both.’ Bob was right, of course. They needed Lincoln to be alive too, if they had any hope of putting history back where it belonged.

Bob had a go at a reassuring wink. ‘I calculate a high degree of certainty that we will retrieve them unharmed.’

Liam looked up at the support unit and realized he was doing his best to be supportive. Even though his mind was little more than looping strings of computer code, somewhere inside his coconut computer head was a friend, reaching out and trying to help.

‘Yeah … maybe you’re right, you big ape.’