8
The Airfield
We made our way back along the corridors towards the laundry room where we had discovered the intriguing hatchway. Together we tried in vain to get the hatch to move, when I saw there was a large iron lever. We pulled it together, there was a jolt and the hatch opened. As it started to open we glanced at each other guiltily, as if we felt like we were being naughty little children. Mattie went through the hatch first, as he was the smallest, followed by Patrick and then me. We looked around; we were inside a ventilation duct, with strange steel murals on the walls. Patrick suddenly started to quicken his pace; he had obviously heard or seen something he didn’t like. Was it a security camera on the wall or a guard? We both noticed the alarm on Mattie’s face and started to follow him as quickly as we could. We reached a corridor with five separate doors coming off of it. The last door on the left was the largest, a double steel door. Above the door there was an emblem of an eagle, its wings were splayed out and it had what seemed to be a rolled up parchment between its claws. We gingerly pushed open the door, trying to keep as quiet as possible to avoid getting caught.
Directly in front of us we saw a set of narrow steep stairs that on further investigation seemed to go up into the roof of the house. Patrick and Mattie started to climb the stairs while I stayed at the bottom to keep watch. As I did a bright light appeared to be coming from a small window in the corner of the room. I moved towards the window, squinting my eyes. As I did so I was able to glance into the fields behind the house. The field was lit up with two vertical lines of lights spanning out into the distance. Then with a roaring sound a huge freight plane flew over just skimming the top of the abandoned house. I suddenly realised what that old spotlight we discovered earlier was for, to guide the planes in.
I watched the plane circle around the field before coming in to land. When the plane came to a halt the door opened and three people stepped off the plane. I looked closer trying to look at their faces and realised that they were three of the world’s most deadly assassins Edward Ellis, Becky Dark and Harry Howler who I had heard Pat informing us about in orientation. I recognised their faces from their mug shots in the national newspapers describing that they were suspects in numerous terrorists’ plots. I wanted to alert Mattie and Patrick to what was going on so I looked up the stairs and whispered their names but they were nowhere to be seen. Where had they gone? Had they been captured? I knew that for my safety and theirs I needed to find Mattie and Patrick, so I decided to come out of hiding. I opened the window as far as it would go; I was sure I could fold up my wheel chair and throw it out of the window. I looked down the wall to see if there was anything I could use to scamper down. All I could see was a precarious looking down pipe and I didn’t fancy taking my chances. Suddenly my attention was drawn back towards the planes cock pit, where a heated argument between the pilot and his navigator had ensued. They continue to argue while the pilot removed three large bags from the cock pit, while the navigator winched an Avario Computer system out of the tail compartment of the plane. Once the computer system had been removed from its hiding I realised how surprisingly long it was, it must have been about five metres in length. Once the computer system was safely on the ground, several men in white coats stepped out of the tail compartment, their attire reminded me of the technician assistants that worked at my school.
I resolved myself that our only means of escape would be to back track. I went to the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the top of the house and shouted with all my might.
“Mattie, Patrick where are you? We need to get out of here”
To my relief within minutes two scared faces appeared from the darkest corner of the house.
“What was all that about?” asked Mattie
“We managed to see everything from a gap in the roof tiles” said Patrick
“Why didn’t you answer me the first time?” I asked crossly, “I was so worried”
“We couldn’t hear you over all the noise from the roof, we had to stand right next to the gas boiler to get a clear view” Mattie said.
“Well it doesn’t matter now, just get down and let’s get a move on” I said.
Mattie scampered down and stood behind me ready to help me push my wheelchair for a quick getaway. Patrick on the other hand had different ideas. He jumped down from the last few steps and landed awkwardly on his left foot, bending it the wrong way. Patrick was obviously in pain but managed not to scream out, biting his lip instead.
“I think I have sprained my ankle”
“Do you think you can walk on it” I asked him.
“Yes” Patrick said pressing his left foot to the floor, his face contorted in pain.
“But I need to go slow and I think I need help, Mattie can I lean on you”
We made our way back towards the hatchway; I pushed myself while Mattie struggled to support Patrick. As I reached the hatchway first I poked my head back through into the laundry room of the abandoned house, I sighed in relief, the coast appeared clear of any dangers. As I turned the door knob of the laundry room I froze in stop motion, like an old cartoon, I had relaxed too soon, Mario was wandering around the corridors. He spotted me but said nothing, I knew that we had to get out of there or else I would be in trouble with the team at C.H.I.S. I shouted back towards Mattie and Patrick, to let them know about my fears. They agreed that I should go ahead and that they would come as quickly as they dared. I felt guilty leaving them behind but consoled myself that they had each other.