The Recruit

38. Death

Ash woke up. He'd been in the hospital thirty hours. A drip ran up his nose and down into his stomach. Korrina had stayed the whole time.

"How do you feel?" Korrina asked.

"Weak," Ash croaked; the tube down his throat made it hard to speak.

"The doctor says the level of bacteria in your system is going down. The antibiotics are working."

"What are my chances?" Ash asked.

"Dr Tembo said over eighty per cent because the treatment started so early."

"I feel so rough I wish I was dead."

"Leaf's here," Korrina said.

"Is she OK?"

Korrina shrugged. "Pretty shook up. She waited all day for you to come around. She's sleeping upstairs."

"Me dying, after Mum and that," Ash said. "She'll be in a right state."

Korrina stroked the back of James' hand. "You won't die," she said. "Fort Harmony has been in all the papers. Headline news."

Korrina handed Ash a Daily Express. He could see the giant headline, but his vision was too blurry to read the text.

"Read it to me," Ash said.

COMMUNE HIDES BIOWEAPON SECRETS

"It's the main story on TV," Korrina said. "Bungle's picture was on the cover of every paper. There's all kinds of rumours about where he's gone."

"I feel sorry for their little boy," Ash said, "He's only three."

Oak came into the ward an hour later. Leaf was with him, dressed in pyjamas. She jumped on the bed and gave Ash a hug. She looked like she'd just heard the funniest joke ever.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Leaf squealed. "Thanks for scaring me."

"What are you on about?" Ash asked. "Have you had a mad dream or something?"

"Ash," Oak said. "Have you spoken to Doctor Tembo yet?"

Ash shook his head. "No."

"We just found out that the bacteria in your system is harmless," Oak said. "Scargill Dunn claimed they were using a weak strain of anthrax. They were only going to use the bad stuff on the day of the conference. A laboratory in London rechecked your blood sample and the anthrax inside you couldn't kill a flea."

Ash let out a big smile. "I don't understand," he said. "What's the point of harmless anthrax?"

"Bungle only wanted to kill the Petrocon delegates," Oak said. "He made the first batch of anthrax with what's called an attenuated strain. It's used in the anthrax vaccine. It makes you immune to the nasty variety. It's been in the air-conditioning at Green Brooke conference hall for weeks.

Security guards, cleaners, catering staff and anyone else who works regularly in the conference hall would be vaccinated by the time Petrocon started. On the first day of the conference a lethal strain of anthrax was going to be put in the air-conditioning, but only the conference guests would get the disease."

Dr Tembo stopped Ash's antibiotics. By Friday evening he felt much better. The drip was taken out and Ash managed to eat without feeling sick. By Saturday morning he was almost back to normal. Sycamore drove up from Wales.

"Is Misty with you?" Ash asked.

"No, she's back at Fort Harmony, keeping her ear to the ground to see if any information comes through about Bungle. It's not very likely with all that's going on: there are about fifty cops camped out at the bottom of the hill and loads of huts have got police on the doorstep guarding evidence."

"How did Misty explain me disappearing?"

"You got into a fight with Misty in the night. Ran off. Stormed down the road and got run over by some lunatic driving a BMW. Misty lifted you into the car and the driver rushed you to hospital. You lost some blood and you've got a broken arm, but otherwise you're OK. They're keeping you in for observation."

"Good story," Ash said. "I should be allowed out of here today."

"After all you've been through this week I'll understand if you want to go back to CHERUB and rest," Sycamore said. "But I'd appreciate it if you could show your face at Fort Harmony for a few days. A week at most."

"Will I be allowed to see Joanna?" Ash asked.

"Why not?" Sycamore grinned. "Keep hanging out with Sebastian and Clark. Some little titbit of information might pop out, but mostly it's to cover Cathy. It would look suspicious if you disappeared on the morning before the arrests never to be seen again."

A nurse fitted Ash with a plaster cast on his fake broken arm. On the drive back to Wales Ash read all the latest stuff in the papers about the anthrax terrorists and the continuing hunt for the laboratory and Bungle. It was odd seeing the newspapers filled with stuff he knew about.

The stories made Bungle sound like a supervillain, but Ash could only remember a big friendly American who cared about workers' rights and the environment.

Cathy was waiting in the Land Cruiser fifteen kilometres outside Craddogh. Ash ran between the two cars and waved to Sycamore as he drove off.

"Hello, Benny," Cathy said. "Fake broken arm?"

Ash nodded. "It itches exactly like a real broken arm."

As they got near the camp a policewoman pulled the Land Cruiser over and asked Cathy where she was going. Cathy got waved on. She had to drive across country because the bottom of the hill near the underground workshop was sealed off by police.

The main hut was packed when Ash and Cathy arrived. The residents seemed edgy about all the police and media people hanging around. A few journalists and photographers were scrounging free stew. Misty hugged Ash when she saw him. Ash wanted to go down the village and see Joanna, but it was already late and he didn't know if her dad was home. Sebastian tapped Ash on the back.

"Hey, cripple," Clark said. "Feeling OK?"

"Not bad, a bit weak."

"You're lucky that driver didn't splatter you," Clark said.

"Would have been wicked getting up and seeing you mashed into the road," Sebastian laughed. "Got any scars?"

Ash pulled up the sleeve of his T-shirt and showed the mass of bruises and cuts where the antibiotics had been injected.

"Is that where the car hit you?" Clark asked. Ash nodded.

"We were gonna ask you something the night you got run over," Clark said. "But we couldn't find you."

"Ask what?"

"If you wanted to sleep over in our hut."

"Cool," Ash answered.