Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [74]
Vollmer was glad to be away from Corra Linn. Word of the dead officer, had spread quickly through the ranks of the new troops, casting a pall over the encampment. General Doulton's behaviour had also been troubling, more aggressive and less willing to listen. The sergeant had been proud to serve under the general in the Crimea, but Doulton had been a different man since injury forced him away from the battlefield.
The man seemed to be spoiling for a fight, all too eager to prove himself still the warrior he once was. That could only lead to trouble, especially with no other officers around to contradict him, nor offer alternate counsel.
But most of all Vollmer was glad to get away from the flooded river valley, with its steep hills and oppressive atmosphere.
Since arriving he had felt as though his every move was being watched, as if someone was peering over his shoulder.
When Doulton had asked him to detail men from the lower ranks to evacuate New Lanark, Vollmer had taken the job for himself, even though only half a dozen troopers could be spared for the task. Another half dozen had been sent to Lanark to collect yet another piece of diving equipment. Why this was necessary when most of the troops were busy lowering the water level at Corra Linn escaped the sergeant's reasoning. But the general was determined to go back through this gateway today, taking at least a dozen men with him.
So Vollmer was left with six men and a village of more than a thousand people to evacuate in just a few hours. Doulton gave him a signed letter from Her Majesty requesting that any and all assistance be given to whomsoever bore the missive. The sergeant had taken that directly to the Walker brothers, who owned the cotton mills. They had grumbled about lost productivity but eventually agreed to evacuate the community for two days while water was temporarily emptied from above the dam. Their mood had improved when Vollmer offered to seek compensation for any losses and made assurances armed troops would protect all the property left behind - particularly the antiques the Walkers had in their home.
Once the announcement had been made to the workers, the evacuation began in a surprisingly orderly fashion. By midday most of the workforce and their families were making their way up the hill away from New Lanark, taking just a few clothes and belongings with them. Vollmer was happy for the Walker brothers to take charge of finding billets for their workers until the emergency was over. Once the evacuation was under way the sergeant initiated a room by room search of the empty village to ensure nobody was left behind. When he saw the simple lodgings occupied by most of the workers, he realised why there had been so few protests at leaving their belongings behind - they didn't have much worth stealing beyond clothing and the few possessions they were carrying.
He knocked on the entrance to a single room dwelling but got no response. Vollmer was about to move on when he noticed a curious odour seeping from inside - sweet and sickly, like toffee burning over a fire. He crouched on the floor and pressed his head against the flagstone so he could peer beneath the wooden door, its underside chewed away by vermin years ago. The sergeant could not be sure but he thought there was a woman's hand splayed out on the floor inside. He called out to her several times but got no response.
Deciding there was nothing else for it, Vollmer kicked at the door with his heavy boots, the old wood splintering inwards with little persuasion.
The woman was dead, of that he was certain after a glance.
Her glazed eyes, the trickle of blood from her nostrils, the gritted teeth and the way her lips were drawn back from the gums spoke volumes in the empty silence.