Part 30 (1/2)

”A jet,” Tane said, ”moving fast.”

”More than one,” Fatboy said. ”Sounded like fighters.”

”Oh c.r.a.p,” Tane breathed. ”It's already started.”

As if to confirm his a.n.a.lysis, a sound of distant thunder rolled in from the north. Through the smashed window, the skies lit up with brilliant flashes.

”They're bombing the h.e.l.l out of something,” Fatboy said.

”We're all out of time,” Rebecca whispered. ”We've got to get moving. We may already be too late.”

”I'll get the Chronophone,” Fatboy said. ”Tane, find me a backpack of some kind to put it in. Rebecca, you've got to take the Jeep. Get to the Devonport Navy Base, find the submarine. I don't imagine it will be difficult to spot. Bring it across the harbor and we'll meet you down by the waterfront, at, say, the end of Princes Wharf. That's easy to find from the sea. On the way, try to raise Crowe on the radio.”

”What about Mum?” Rebecca asked quietly.

”Take her with you. You can explain about her new home on the way.”

Her new home. A little tin tube on the floor of the ocean.

Fatboy raced out to the Jeep to get the Chronophone and Rebecca disappeared upstairs.

Tane opened a few cupboards, trying to remember where he had seen Rebecca's schoolbag, a black backpack.

He had found it by the time Fatboy came in with the silver briefcase.

”Have we got time to run a test?” Tane asked.

”No. Where's Rebecca?”

”Still upstairs with her mum,” Tane replied ”Go and hurry them up. She's got to get moving.”

Before he could move, he heard Rebecca's voice, shrieking from above them.

Tane bounded up the stairs and down the hallway to Rebecca's mother's room. The door was wide open.

The television was on. Helicopter camera shots showed the fog creeping over the top of the Albany hills. The view cut to the black silhouettes of warplanes streaking overhead, just visible in the moonlight, then back to the hillside. Ma.s.sive explosions rocked the camera, and the whole hillside shook in front of their eyes. Rivers of fire exploded in the treetops as breathless reporters tried to explain in voice-overs what was happening.

”Mum!” Rebecca shrieked once again. ”You have to come with us. Now!”

”Don't be silly,” her mother replied calmly, her eyes glued to the images of fire and fog. ”This is the news. This is important.”

Tane looked out the window. The sky to the north was ablaze, ma.s.sive tongues of flames leaping up into the black air from the conflagration on the ground. There were more flashes, more thunder, and he saw the silver flash of a jet caught for a second in the moonlight.

Rebecca turned to Tane in anguish. ”She won't come!”

”I'll get Fatboy,” Tane said calmly. ”We'll carry her out.”

Rebecca had one last try. ”Mum, if you stay here, you will die!”

”Ssshh,” her mum said irritably. ”I can't hear what they're saying.”

”I'll get Fatboy,” Tane said again, turning to go.

”No.” Rebecca's hand was on his arm. ”No. We don't have the time.”

Her legs seemed to be unsteady, and Tane put his arm around her shoulders to support her.

She slowly backed out of the room, one small footstep after another, her eyes never leaving her mother, washed in the soft light from the television set.

Tane, by her side, had no words of comfort.

Rebecca said again, her voice just starting to crack, ”We don't have the time.”

THE B BATTLE FOR A AUCKLAND Tane rode on the back of Fatboy's motorcycle with the cool night breeze on his face and the touch of Rebecca on his lips. of Fatboy's motorcycle with the cool night breeze on his face and the touch of Rebecca on his lips.

She had been strangely calm as they had come down the stairs from her mother's room. Strangely accepting.

Fatboy had given him the backpack containing the Chronophone and handed him a spare helmet, but before he could put it on, Rebecca had been in his arms, her hands around his neck.

She wasn't crying. In fact, she had seemed stronger, more determined than before. She had spoken quietly, her lips right next to his ear. ”What I said this morning, about not knowing you, it wasn't true. I wanted to hurt you. I was angry.”

After a moment's hesitation, Tane had put his hands on her arms.

He'd said, ”You were right to be angry. I was stupid.”

”You weren't stupid; you were hurt. I knew that and I should have accepted it.”

Tane had started to say something, but she had put a finger on his lips to hush him.

She'd said, ”I've known you all my life. I've always known you. I will always know you. But I'm not strong.”

Tane began, ”You're the strongest-”

She hushed him again and said, ”I'm not strong. But you make me strong.”

Then her lips had brushed in pa.s.sing against his, and the engine of the Jeep had roared and she was gone.

Tane had looked up a little guiltily at Fatboy, but there was no anger on his brother's face, just a quiet smile.

I will always know you.

For the first time, right then, it had occurred to Tane that he might never see her again.

The engine of the Harley gave its usual throaty chuckle, and Fatboy swerved in between two deserted cars and up the motorway on-ramp, heading toward the city.