Extract; No Place Like Home

“Look at the hill on the horizon” Nathan said, tired of giving exposition “I’d point, but…y’know” he raised his hands to point out to Vaughan that he was still handcuffed, in the vain hope that he’d be freed. “Okay, I’m looking” Vaughan growled, his eyes barely focused on the mound that lay a mile ahead of them. Its surface was of a bare black soil and a few trees dotted the perfectly flat peak. He saw nothing else, save the grey sky which stretched far beyond the hill. “You’d better not be fucking with us” he snapped, while in his pocket he reached for the small device designed to activate the shock collar. He also gave a subtle raise of the eyebrow to Carmilie, telling him to be prepared.

“No sir” Nathan replied, trying his best not to stutter and betray his nervousness. He coughed and tried to regain his composure, “now, look back at me” he continued. Irritated, Vaughan turned his gaze back to his prisoner, he fantasized about clubbing him to death right now, no one had to know. The shame and terror of a nation could die right now, in the middle of nowhere. In a pool of his own blood, unable to defend himself. Karma. But instead protocol beckoned.

“I’m going to tell you something, and you need to listen very carefully” Nathan’s voice was barely a whisper above the rustling of the long grass which waved at them from their left, while the stagnant pond to their right did nothing but offend their nostrils with its various smells. “On top of that hill is a large Naval Camp from the forties”

Vaughan smacked Nathan across the face with his shock remote, “don’t waste my fucking time boy!” he spat as his victim fell to the floor. Dust flew up around them as Nathan hit the ground. “Sir! Sir!” he heard Mr Carmilie’s voice ring out above the throbbing in his head and the pain in his chest as Vaughan kicked him in the ribs. His aggressors body eclipsed the sun as he stood over him. Suddenly the kicking stopped as Vaughan was pulled away from Nathan. “Look sir!” he could hear Mr Carmilie shouting, but his head was ringing too much for him to care. He just wanted to lie in the dust and await his execution.

Vaughan was about to reprimand his underling the second he’d placed his hands on Vaughan’s usually immaculate suit and forcibly turned him to face the hill. It was then that he saw it. Sticking high above the tree-line on the aforementioned hill. It was a series of large buildings including what looked like a red brick tower. Even from that distance he could make out the corrugated iron roof, it was semi-circular like a small-scale aircraft hangar.

“There’s no way that was there before” Vaughan spluttered to Carmilie. Nathan pulled himself into an upright position and smirked at the two men’s faces, both wide-eyed and the perfect picture of Hippos at feeding time. He saw the familiar shape of HMS Gosling through the trees and a shiver rocketed up his spine. He knew what lay in the decrepit building, the horror he was about to unleash on Mr Vaughan and Mr Carmilie, deep down he felt it would be retribution.