Doctor Who_ Beyond the Sun - Matthew Jones [82]
His rage subsided. He had done that. He had killed it. Oh my God!
Emile kicked it off the armoured vehicle and it bounced once on the road and then flopped into the gutter.
The car moved on. The body of the Sunless was eaten by the shadows and then Emile couldn’t see it at all.
The smoke in the cabin began to clear and Tameka saw Bernice suddenly drop down on to the floor, landing in a crumpled heap. She was rasping and coughing and looked surprised to be alive.
Emile swung down next to her, a metal bar in his hand.
‘It’s gone,’ he said through gasps for breath. ‘It’s gone.’
Tameka stared at the boy for a moment. There was blood on the metal bar.
Tameka finally brought the car to a standstill by forcing it down through its drive modes. After the grinding roar of the damaged engine the quiet was tangible. They sat in the darkness for a little while saying nothing. Her ears were full of high-pitched whines and the back of her mouth was raw from swallowing bile.
Bernice didn’t seem to be able to speak. She tried to give Tameka what was obviously meant to be a reassuring smile but just looked scared witless. Tameka thought that it was typical of Bernice to try to look after them when it was so obviously she who needed to be taken care of.
Every muscle in Tameka’s body ached from being tensed up. She climbed out of the vehicle and shook her limbs. She assessed the damage to the vehicle to distract herself from her dizzi-ness. The braking system was damaged but Tameka was able to do a lash-up job, salvaging parts from what remained of the weapons gear. The work took about an hour.
Occasionally Emile would stand and watch her. He didn’t say anything, though. He’d wiped the make-up from his face, but was still in the ragged remains of his frock. She was so used to seeing him in the dress now that he didn’t look dragged up. Just looked like Emile.
With the vehicle fixed, she drove out of the city, towards the orange ocean. She wanted to see the sea. The coastal road was completely clear and the car cruised alongside the beach. The smell of salt was strong in the air and she felt the skin on her face tighten as the salty air pressed against her face.
She could taste the sea on her dry lips and suddenly felt like laughing. She was alive. The feeling was strong. It felt like triumph but it was probably only shock.
They sat on the beach for a while, watching as lemon-coloured light began to trace a line along the horizon. Bernice watched her students paddling in the calm ocean, splashing each other and chasing waves. They looked exuberant, but there was an edge to their play. They were laughing a little too loudly, teasing each other hard. A release, she supposed.
She remembered Emile standing over the Sunless – a wild, uncontrolled expression on his chubby face. Hate and fear and determination. That look scared her almost as much as the blank expression of the Sunless.
Tameka and Emile were just standing in the ocean now, the remains of their dresses trailing in the water. Tameka was standing behind Emile, her arms around his shoulders. They were staring at the cool dawn light, not talking. Bernice remembered the first time she had met them on Apollox 4 – how different they had looked. She remembered how Tameka had taken charge in the armoured car. They weren’t her students any more and she wasn’t their tutor. They were friends
– no, maybe not friends: friendship suggested choice, and they hadn’t chosen each other. They probably wouldn’t have chosen each other in other circumstances. But they were companions in this terrifying adventure. She found herself wondering whether they would remain as close when they got home.
If they got home.
***
Emile explored the armoured car as they drove back towards the town. He found a pile of Sunless uniforms stowed in a locker in the vehicle. They were plain grey and rough to the touch. He gave Bernice a set and brought an outfit for himself and one for Tameka up to the front of the vehicle.