The next day dawned cold and grey, fog making the trees into ominous shapes around us. It burned away quickly as the sun rose and by the time everyone was up, visibility had much improved. There was the occasional yawn as we all trooped off towards the dam, Malcolm quizzing Carver at the front while I hung back, lost in my thoughts and dragging my feet. Ellie occasionally looked back at me, but I avoided her gaze until I saw her stiffen out the corner of my eye. Looking up, I found her gaze fixed on something behind me, and whirled around.

I took several seconds to search the apes' faces for a scarred face and white eye, but Koba was not to be seen. Relaxing, I lowered my eyes to the horses' hooves as they carried the apes towards us. I heard Ellie trip, not looking where she was going and kept my face down to hide my smile.

Caesar drew level with me and slowed his horse's pace. I glanced up, wondering why, and was surprised to see a much smaller face peering around Caesar's elbow. He'd brought his son along, the inquisitive little eyes looking all around. I just had time to smirk before he'd turned to stare at me, and then made a huge leap. I gasped in shock, but he knew what he was doing, landing perfectly on my shoulder, albeit with one hand grabbing my hair to steady himself.

"Hello, munchkin," I chuckled quietly. "Whacha doing here?" He just hooted in response, swinging around, snuffling over my backpack before moving on to the other shoulder, to see what he could see from there. I glanced up at Caesar, but, though he was watching, he didn't seem overly concerned.

"Just don't go falling off," I warned the little one mildly, as he crawled down my arm, "you'll get us both into trouble."

I let him romp around as he liked, trying to make sure he didn't fall down and glanced up once to see Ellie looking back at us, the grin on her face making it clear that I wasn't the only one with a weakness for his cuteness. He retreated back to his father as the trees opened up, and the dam came into view. I exchanged one last glance with Caesar, then lengthened my stride to catch up with the others, and hear the plan of action for the day.

.

.

I didn't much like the plan, failing to see how blowing anything up would make it any better. I was half convinced that the whole dam would come down around us.

Malcolm, Carver, Foster, and Kemp had all disappeared head first down a small tunnel, Carver going on and on about an 'impassable blockage'. I was crouched at the entrance, gloved hands braced on a thick metal cable, ready to pull them back out once they'd set the charge. I could hear Ellie and Alex's quiet voices above me but ignored them as best as I could.

The vibrations along the cable stopped and I tensed, listening hard, but their voices were too distorted by the tunnel for me to make out any words. The cable jerked suddenly in my hands, twice. I reaffirmed my grip as it began to slowly recoil back towards me. Adding my weight to the line, I leant back, using my height as a lever against the wall, pulling the cable back through its pulley.

"Whoa!" The shout reached me and I halted my efforts, dropping back into a crouch. I could see Kemp's feet now, his eyes as he turned his head back to face me. "That's all the wire we've got," he called back. "We're going to set it off from here."

I grimaced, but pulled out of the tunnel, glancing up. "Brace yourselves," I warned the two above me, as I retreated, putting my hands over my ears and turning my face away. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the world exploded in sound, my face was thrown against the wall, and a cloud of dust embraced me from behind.

.

.

I managed to open my eyes as Ellie reached the bottom of the ladder. One of my ears was ringing and my cheek hurt from where it had smacked against the wall, but other than that, I was okay.

I could stand up, at least, and only swayed a little. Ellie looked over at me, but I deflected the unnecessary concern by lurching over to the tunnel entrance, half blocked by debris. Taking a breath, I immediately started coughing on the dust hanging in the air. Ellie and Alex did the shouting for me until I could breathe again. Alex was halfway into the tunnel, but I pulled him back.

"Hey!" His face was angry.

"Too dangerous," I wheezed, "we need to clear this first."

"That's my dad in there!"

"And he won't thank you for getting stuck too! Come on!"

Together, we heaved at the rock. Again, he tried to push forwards and again I pulled him back.

"I'm taller than you!" I snapped. "I can reach further."

His jaw clenched, but there was no arguing that point.

"Pull me back out," I instructed them both, then dived down the tunnel.

.

.

The dust was unbelievably thick, and my eyes ran as they tried to clear themselves. I slithered forwards on my elbows, over the metal cable I'd been pulling on, trying to remember how deep in Kemp had been when he'd called back to me. Surely it hadn't been this far...

My reaching hand found something hard and I explored with my fingers, blind in the dust. A booted foot, leading to an ankle. Bracing myself on my knees, I heaved. The body slid a couple of inches, and I groaned silently. Baring my teeth, I pulled again, and the legs I was gripping suddenly jerked to life, kicking out against me. Gasping in pain as a heel connected with my arm, I shuffled backwards.

"Kemp! I cried hoarsely, and the motions slowed. "It's okay. Crawl backwards. Can you feel anyone in front of you?"

There was a pause, then some coughing. "Foster," Kemp choked out. "Foster was in front of me. Where are our lights?"

I scrambled back towards the entrance. "Have we got more flashlights?" I called behind me and heard Ellie and Alex jump to find some through my one ear that wasn't ringing.

"Here!" There was a flash of light across the tunnel. I dropped to the floor, rolling onto my side.

"Chuck it up!" I said, and the light flew towards me, skidding a little past me on the floor. I grabbed it and went forwards. Most of the light reflected off the fine dust that wasn't quite settled from the air, but eventually, there was a glimpse of a black boot.

"Here," I said, coughing a little more. A hand came snaking back down, and I passed the light up.

"Well at least it didn't all come down on us," Kemp said.

"Don't say that when we're still in here," I groaned.

He gave what might have been a laugh, but turned into coughing instead. "Foster?" he called after he'd stopped coughing. "Talk to me, man."

"Kemp?" The call came from further up the tunnel than I'd expected, the voice hoarse.

"Malcolm!" Kemp shouted back. "You okay?"

"Think so. There's a lot of rock down here. I can't see Carver."

My heart thumped once.

Good riddance? A voice inside me suggested, but I shut it down.

"Foster should be behind you," Kemp called down, and I heard Malcolm shifting around.

There was a groan and a sudden spate of coughing.

"Oops," Malcolm said. "Sorry. You okay?"

Another groan in answer and a dark shape rolled around ahead of me. More light spilt out into the tunnel. Apparently Foster had fallen on top of one of the flashlights. I could see Malcolm further up the tunnel, and several large shadows of rock past him. The dust was settling down.

"Dad?" Twisting around, I saw Ellie and Alex peering into the tunnel.

"I'm okay," Malcolm called back past us. "Everyone out, we need more space in here."

I began to squirm backwards at once, eventually tumbling back into space and light and air. The relief was enough to make me gasp, even as the room suddenly darkened. Squinted up, I saw three dark, furry faces looking down at us. I let my head flop back down, and let out a breath.

.

.

Leaving the apes to help clear the blockage, Alex and I made our way carefully back through the dam, assessing the damage. The blast had clearly rocked the whole structure; several pieces of fiddly wiring had come apart and the walls were cracked in places, falling down in others. When we got to a tunnel where the ceiling was still cascading dust, we shared a look and turned back, catching up with the others as they made their way back down to the water, Carver limping, supported between Foster and Kemp. Alex immediately split off to go and help Ellie work on his leg, and I sat down on the pile of driftwood that had gathered here from the river.

I rubbed my face, my fingers coming away stained with dust and blood, as I reported on the damage to the other three men. Malcolm's face was dark as he listened, watching Ellie work, occasionally glancing over towards the watching apes. I'd been silent for several seconds before Malcolm walked over to Caesar, who watched him impassively from atop his horse, his little son entrusted to the arms of the ape with slashes across his face and chest next to him.

"Thank you," Malcolm said to Caesar. "You saved our lives."

I smiled, looking away.

"There's a lot of debris to clear now. We might need a little more time."

My eyes flicked back, watching Caesar's reaction.

"How long?" he asked, and my heart leapt in hope.

This could be the start of something more than just a one-off repair trip. We could actually work together, with the apes. My eyes were drawn by the little Munchkin wiggling out of the apes of the other ape, shimmying easily down the horse's leg.

I stood up, ready to intercept him, but he wasn't coming towards me. Instead, he leapt easily up onto Ellie's shoulder, his would-be keeper watching anxiously from a few feet back. Caesar slid off his horse too, moving more slowly to stand beside Malcolm, watching his son hop down into Alex's lap.

I smiled, watching the little ape charm them as thoroughly as he'd charmed me.

More of what might come perhaps? Our children interacting with theirs?

The dream was shattered quickly, as dreams always are. The munchkin, having explored his fill of Alex's trainers, was now investigating the rest of the area, while Ellie finished bandaging Carver's leg.

He gripped my knee, looking straight up at me, then moving on to the toolbox, hands moving quickly over the pliers and screwdrivers. I took a step closer, supervising, and Carver looked up at my movement.

"Hey!" He lunged upright and I flinched at the unprovoked movement, but he wasn't coming at me. "Hey!" he shouted again, swiping at the little ape with his coat. "Get out of there!"

I opened my mouth to shout angrily back, the little ape shrieking as it dodged Carver's wild attacks.

There was a blur of movement, and one of the other apes was there, shouldering Carver aside. He fell, rolling away and the ape turned, shoving Kemp backwards too.

I jumped away, hands up and empty, as I backed off. There was a little pressure on my leg and then Munchkin leapt up onto my back, hiding in my hair.

Carver regained his feet, lurching across to the toolbox he'd been so desperate to protect and snatching something out.

I thought it was an iron bar until he turned, and I saw the truth.

The short barrelled shotgun flashed menacingly as Carver turned it on the ape who'd pushed him.

I didn't stop to gape, didn't stop to cry out, didn't stop to think.

Making sure of Munchkin's grip on my back, I dug both hands down my trousers as I stepped forwards.

"I'll kill you!" Carver was screaming wildly, all his attention fixed on the hissing ape, and I stepped up behind him as calmly as if I'd done this a hundred times before.

"Stop." The word was harsh but clear on the air, but I knew it was the feel of the barrel of the gun against his head, more than the word, that made Carver freeze.

"Jac..." Malcolm said, but I ignored him, pressing harder on the back of Carver's head.

"If this was a movie, I would be cocking the gun now, pulling the hammer back, turning off the safety, something to show you I was serious," I said grimly. "But it's not, and that's passed us. The next thing I do will be to pull the trigger. Give it to me. Now!"

He hesitated.

I moved the barrel of the pistol to his shoulder and put my finger on the trigger.

"Alright! Alright!" he cried, lowering the shotgun and holding it out slowly behind him. I took it and backed away at once, flicking the safety back on the pistol and shoving it in my pocket. Caesar stalked past me, holding out his hand for the shotgun. I gave it to him, pulling Munchkin round into my arms as I backed away further.

There was silence as Caesar looked over the shotgun.

"Said... no... guns!" he growled.

There was a second when every pair of human eyes flicked to me, but then Caesar lowered the gun, holding it in competent hands as he pointed it straight at Malcolm.

Everyone flinched, hands fluttering uselessly. I swallowed.

He wouldn't actually... would he? Surely not. But it would be my fault if he did. I'd given him the gun.

Caesar turned the gun onto Ellie and Alex.

"No!" Malcolm cried, as they both stepped backwards, faces paling. "Please. I didn't know!"

"Caesar, no," I said, but my voice was weak.

My heart beat again as he turned his focus, but paused as he swung the gun towards Kemp and Foster.

"Caesar!" I cried, louder but more hopeless.

He gave no indication he'd heard me, but after a second he raised the gun, giving it one last contemptuously look before stalking away from us all to fling it into the river.

He didn't look at me as he walked back towards the horses, but he held out a hand, and I delivered Munchkin to him without hesitating, looking aside as he passed.

"Humans leave, now!" he snarled as he passed Malcolm. I flinched but didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

There was silence as the apes mounted up and left, then everyone looked at me. I didn't need to meet their eyes to feel their anger.