Capital Falling | Book 4 | Sever Winkless, Lance (most popular ebook readers TXT) 📖

“General Cox is waiting to debrief us,” Rees tells him.

“Now, Sir?”

“Yes, immediately. Unless you have another urgent matter to attend to?”

“No, Sir. Very good, Sir,” Winters replies, hiding his frustration.

Porton Down Central is busy, probably with people heading to get their dinner, even though they’ve all had their fucking lunch, Winters curses to himself.

Rees, unconcerned by Winters’ hunger pains, turns and marches off in the direction of the newish office block that sits on the other side of the square, opposite to the shuttle drop off point they have just come through. Some of the buildings in Porton Down MOD site are modern, especially the ones in the central area where they are now. You don’t have to wander far, however, to find the old brick-built buildings, some probably dating back to when the military first began their ‘testing’ on the site in 1916. Many of these old buildings are still in use and have an ominous feel to them, even if what goes on inside them is mundane.

The real sensitive MOD work goes on in areas of the site that Winters doesn’t have access to. He can only imagine what that part of the facility looks like from the ground. What he has seen of it, from the air, it looks nondescript, but flight paths are restricted above that area and so he has only glimpsed it from a very long distance away. Also, from gossip that he has heard, the majority of the sensitive facility is subterranean, but extensive nonetheless.

ID cards are inspected once again before Major Rees, his assistant and Winters are granted access to the building where General Cox’s department is housed. Winters is not looking forward to his debriefing by Cox, to the extent that he begins to get his story straight in his head as they travel through the oversized building.

Major Rees is invited into the General’s office before Winters, who takes a seat in the waiting area outside. He feels like a schoolboy waiting to be summoned in for a telling off by the school’s Headmaster. He eyes the General’s PA, another Lieutenant, who sits behind his desk near the entrance to the General’s office. The impeccably presented Lieutenant is younger than Winters. He reminds Winters of himself when he was first posted to become Colonel Reed’s assistant, which seems as though it was in another lifetime.

He takes the chance to go through his phone while he is waiting, first to see if he has any new messages and second to delete any incriminating evidence that might show that he has been in touch with Andy’s family or his associates. Winters realises that the process is futile, his phone records are readily available to his superiors if they decided to request them. It could, however, fool the Major and the General, if this time they call Winters’ bluff and order him to show them his phone.

“You can go in now, Lieutenant,” Winters is informed after about fifteen minutes of waiting, by the Lieutenant behind the desk.

Winters notices the faint smug look he is given by the smart-looking Lieutenant as he crosses the room to enter the General’s office. The young man is probably thinking, ‘look at how the mighty have fallen,’ which is probably true of Winters to be fair to the young Lieutenant, since Colonel Reed’s demise. Winters was once well renowned by his fellow Lieutenants of the British army, almost infamous. Winters wouldn’t change what happened to Colonel Reed though, and he brushes the smug look off.

Enjoy the sunlight while you can, Winters thinks in return as he walks past, because things are going to shit and that comfy chair under your arse won’t be there forever.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” General Cox orders Winters from behind her large glass desk as he comes to attention. Rees is seated to Winters’s right, in a chair positioned in front of the desk and his assistant is sitting at the back of the large office.

“Not a successful trip then, Lieutenant?” General Cox enquires.

“No, Ma’am,” Winters responds, standing with his hands behind his back.

“Did you know Captain Richards would not be attending his appointment at the hospital today?” General Cox asks Winters, her warm smile attempting to disarm Winters.

“No, Ma’am, I had no idea, I expected him to attend. From what I know of Captain Richards, he would be as eager as anyone to get to the bottom of what happened to him. He would also submit to the tests in the hopes that it can assist in stopping the outbreak, Ma’am.”

“I see,” Cox says, her finger tapping the glass below it. “And what if those tests went further than he was willing to allow? Would you say he would have foreseen that we may have had other plans for him?”

“That is certainly possible, Ma’am. As I said to Major Rees, there is nothing more important to Captain Richards than his family and his loved ones, Ma’am.”

“So, you’re saying that you didn’t speak with him prior to the appointment and that you didn’t warn him?” Cox probes, her eyes focusing on Winters.

“Certainly not, Ma’am. I have no idea of the plans for Captain Richards. I got an inkling from my discussions with Major Rees on the flight out, but I wasn’t privy to that information before the flight, Ma’am,” Winters insists, trying to look slightly offended by the line of questioning.

“Okay, Lieutenant. I have to ask these questions, you understand? Especially given everything that’s at stake.”

“Of course, Ma’am. I’m happy to answer all of your questions, Ma’am,” Winters lies.

“Good,” Cox says, giving Winters another one of her smiles. “So, what about after Captain Richards missed his appointment, I understand you couldn’t reach him on his phone?”

“Yes, Ma’am, that is correct, there was no answer, Ma’am,” Winters lies again.

“And what about his family and friends, did you speak to any of them?”

“No, Ma’am, I did not,” Winters replies bluntly.

“Have you tried to phone Captain Richards again?” Cox enquires.

“No, Ma’am. Major Rees hasn’t asked me to,