4: Accident
With two extra flags secured for their team, and a good defensive position secured, June wasn't willing to take any more risks. When Debbie got back from the infirmary, partly defrosted, they huddled together in the hangar for warmth and did their best to pass the time, making occasional trips out to collect more firewood from the trees at the edge of campus. By four p.m. it was beginning to get dark and, with four hours to go, their thoughts were turning to the hot meal they'd be getting soon.
"This will be the coldest part of the day, though," Elaine complained, banging her gloved hands together.
"And the light from the fires will attract attention," Katherine added.
June shrugged. "I think the other teams will be tired, cold and ready for the exercise to end. The chances of a major attack don't seem high."
There was a slight rumble in the air and high-pitched noise, putting everyone on edge for a second.
"What was that?" Elaine asked, looking around. "Sounded like a bomb going off, or something."
"Maybe one of the unexploded ones over on the other side of campus?" Katherine suggested.
"Or one of the heating boilers breaking down," June added. "Or even something to do with the exercise. I'm not endangering our flags by investigating."
Debbie was fairly content. Although squatting in the hangar for four more hours in the cold and the dark wasn't attractive, passing the exercise would feel good and she'd be able to gloat to whichever team got the punishment. The only thing weighing on her mind was the extra cleaning Madame Bechard had handed out that morning, but that would only take an hour or so.
"What are you smirking at?" Elaine asked, nudging Debbie in the ribs with her elbow.
Debbie smiled. "I'm just thinking about Jennifer getting surprised when we attacked earlier. Felt good to get one back on her."
"She deserved it for all the misery she puts us through," Elaine declared, smiling too. "I only wish I could have been there."
There was a momentary lull in the wind and they all heard three long blasts on a whistle.
"That's a ceasefire, right?" Katherine asked, lifting up the flap on the side of her hat to hear better. There were another three blasts shortly afterwards.
"Repeated blasts means a distress call," June reminded them. "We'd better go and find out what's going on."
It was a pain to get all dressed up to go out in the snow again, but Debbie was secretly thankful for something to do. Every minute the ceasefire lasted meant a minute less that they had to hang around in the darkness, waiting for an attack to come any second.
It was hard to see in the half-light of twilight, but June spotted someone waving a torch and they headed in that direction, especially since they couldn't tell where the whistle was coming from with the wind whipping in all directions.
"Looks like Bivott," June shouted back to the others as they got close. "Something must have happened."
Instructor Bivott was standing in front of the Nissen huts, waving his torch towards anyone he could see moving around. His usual cool seemed to have disappeared and he looked anxious as they closed in.
"June, girls, we've got a problem," Bivott said, shuffling a few steps closer so they could hear him better. "One of the other teams has reported seeing smoke coming from the south east side of campus, beyond the fence. There's a railway line over there and with the weather like this, things don't just spontaneously combust."
"We did hear a rumble earlier," Debbie said. "We thought it might have been one of the unexploded bombs."
Bivott shook his head. "I've checked myself, the smoke's coming from the wrong direction. I want you four to head for the main gate and join the boys."
"Is the exercise suspended?" Elaine asked.
"For now," Bivott said, but he'd spotted another team approaching and his attention had shifted.
"Come on, we'd better see what the fuss is about," June said, striking out in the direction of the main gate. They made faster progress on the paths around the huts instead of the open fields, and it was easy to see where the boys were because of how much noise they were making.
Instructor Takada was marshalling the boys into lines and handing out torches and shovels, as well as whatever leftover cold weather gear they had in the stores. He nodded approvingly when he saw the girls approaching.
"Already dressed, good," he said, thrusting four shovels in their direction. "Join the front column."
They got jealous looks from the boys wearing regular jackets and combat boots, several of whom were jogging on the spot to keep warm. After a minute of trying to keep the rows of Cherubs in shape, Takada gave up.
"Okay, we go now," he shouted, taking the lead. The road leading away from the main gate had been cleared of the worst of the snow and Takada kept up a brisk pace, leading them off campus in single file. Debbie had ended up at the back of their team, with her shovel tucked under her arm and the large snowshoes slowing her down.
"Have you got any idea what's going on?" a black shirt boy called John said, jogging up alongside her. "We just got pulled out of lessons with no explanation."
"Bivott said there was smoke coming from something," Debbie said, breathless from the speed they were moving. "He wanted us to check it."
"Thanks. Probably just some farmer having a bonfire to thaw his sheep out, I reckon," John grumbled, dropping back to pass the word on to the rest of the Cherubs.
Takada skirted the woods which surrounded campus, then struck out directly for the railway line, climbing over a wooden fence into a large field covered in snow. It was completely undisturbed, which made Debbie grateful for the snowshoes again, and as they climbed over a slight rise in the terrain, they could suddenly see a column of smoke rising into the darkness, thick and black even in the fading light.
"That's definitely not a bonfire," Debbie yelled in John's direction, but she couldn't tell if he'd heard her.
Takada picked up the pace again and the long line of Cherubs started to straggle, the boys struggling to cross the deep snow in the field without proper footwear. The four girls were faster, but Katherine was tiring and June had to keep dropping back to help her. Takada reached another fence and paused, surveying the situation.
"Fire!" he shouted, looking back at the column, his gloved finger pointing at the smoke. "Big fire! Hurry!"
Debbie felt her heart start thumping and she put on an extra spurt of speed, overtaking June and Katherine and drawing level with Elaine as they reached the fence. She didn't really know what she'd expected to see, but it certainly wasn't the chaotic sight spread out in front of her.
The railway line passed into a cutting where it reached the woods, two high earthen embankments hemming the line in on both sides. Clearly the snow had built up on one side and had now fallen onto the tracks like a miniature avalanche. Unfortunately, a train had been travelling up the track and had hit the wall of snow, derailing the locomotive and half of the carriages, which were lying in a heap against the embankments, while the rear carriages had stayed on the tracks. The engine was burning fiercely, sending up the plume of smoke.
"People will be hurt," Takada shouted into her ear. "Go and help."
Debbie looked at Elaine, who was staring dumbly at the sight. When June and Katherine arrived, Takada grabbed June's arm.
"You must go back to campus, call the police," he said. "Bring everyone."
June shook her head. "I can help here," she said, but Takada shook his head.
"No, you are a strong runner, you must go back," he said firmly, and after a moment's hesitation, June just nodded and turned to go back the way she'd come.
"Go, girls," Takada said, pointing at the train. "I will send the boys after you."
Debbie was the first to climb over the fence, leaving her shovel planted in a snowdrift, then paused to give Elaine a hand getting over. The snow leading to the railway was especially deep where it had drifted, and at times she felt more like she was sliding through the snow than walking. When they reached the tracks, a man waved and came in their direction, and when Debbie shone her torch on his face, she was shocked to see blood coming from a cut on his cheek.
"I'm the guard," he said quickly, peering at their faces in the torchlight. "How old are you girls?"
"We're army cadets," Debbie replied, giving their standard cover story. "We're camping nearby and saw the smoke. Someone's gone to call the police."
"Blimey," the guard said, blinking a few times.
"We're trained in first aid, though," Elaine added, raising her voice to shout over the wind. "How can we help?"
"There's lots hurt in the carriages," the guard replied, dabbing at his cut with a handkerchief. "We haven't got many supplies, though, and it's very cold."
"We'll see what we can do," Debbie said, determinedly. As she took a step in the direction of the derailed carriages, the guard stopped her.
"Don't go up near the front, love," he warned. "That fire's pretty fierce."
Debbie froze again, but Elaine grabbed her arm.
"Don't worry," she said, walking determinedly in that direction. "We'll just see how we get on."
It seemed clear that the most seriously injured passengers would be in the derailed carriages, but the mangled metal and thick, acrid smell of diesel smoke almost made Debbie think twice. But Elaine tugged at her arm, and she thought about the people who might be lying there, injured, and she made herself go on, even though she was starting to feel sick.
They arrived at the front most two carriages, which were lying on their sides up against the embankment. Elaine looked at Debbie, blinking hard to keep the smoke from stinging her eyes.
"One each?" she suggested, and Debbie nodded. She gave Elaine a hand climbing up onto the first carriage, heading for a broken window, then took a few steps back through the thick snow to climb up onto the second carriage. The doorframe had buckled from the impact and the door was partly open, so Debbie planted her feet as best she could and wrenched the heavy door open a couple of inches so she could squeeze inside, imagining all kinds of horrors.
"Who's there?" someone asked in a weak voice, and Debbie could vaguely see a pale face looking out of a compartment along the corridor. Everything was twisted and lying at a weird angle, with splintered wood scattered across the floor. Debbie paused at one end of the corridor, taking some deep breaths to steady her nerves.
"Everyone, please listen," Debbie announced, as loud as she could manage, hoping that her voice didn't wobble as much as she thought. "Someone's gone to fetch the police. If anyone is hurt, I have done first aid training, so please let me know."
"This lady is," came a worried voice from the nearest compartment, so Debbie pointed her torch and followed the sound, her boots crunching over broken glass. Inside the compartment were two women, one dressed in smart business clothes, the other an elderly woman who was lying on the floor, unconscious.
"Right," Debbie said, kneeling on the floor next to her and shining her torch over an array of cuts and bruises, including a deep-looking cut on her forehead. "I need you to get me some strips of fabric to use as bandages. I want to stop the bleeding from her head."
The businesswoman seemed dazed and took a stumbling step towards the door, before stopping and reaching for a suitcase instead, which she pulled clothes out of to give to Debbie.
