The CHANGI BULLET

Chapter 23 - Amsterdam

All around the world, people tried to get out of the cities before lockdown rules came fully into place. Health services were quickly overwhelmed with cases of the "animal flu", as it became known. The main symptom was intense heat and sweating, which medication could not control, until the person simply burnt up inside.

Dmitry had relatives who lived in a small town, some sixty miles east of Amsterdam. He suggested that as an option to Dinah, but she wondered what they would do there. He gave her a naughty grin.

'I mean, apart from that,' she chided him. 'We could study, but then we might feel cooped up.'

'I have good friends near Brussels,' he came up with, as an alternative. 'They have a little farm, like a smallholding, we could help out with it. Imagine being out in the countryside, Dinah. And they are not much older than us, Oleg-Paul and Liza. It's a two-hour drive, I think.'

She was excited by that. 'I prefer that idea, Dmitry. More than being with your possibly stiff relatives.'

'Then, that's good.'

So, they packed their bags with all their clothes and possessions, and whatever food they had in the apartment, and fled in Dmitry's little car. After a good spurt, where they got far away from Amsterdam, they encountered clogged roads. It was so bad at one point that they picnicked where they remained stationary for an hour. It was a beautiful day, with the doors and sun roof open. A fleeing four-piece orchestra put on a mini-concert, several cars back, and there was a badminton practice between two family members on the side of the road. Dinah and Dmitry fed each other and continued to kiss at random moments in time, or he moved a strand of hair from her eye, or she snuggled against his shoulder.

'Will your friends mind us just showing up?'

He hesitated over his sandwich. 'They might be a little put out with us coming from the city. But, you know, we will isolate in one of their cottages, and when we prove to not be infected, we will have good fun with them. We will help them. We will have a summer in the countryside. They are very cool people, don't worry.'

'How long must we stay, Dmitry?'

'We stay until things improve. The doctors have been trying to prepare a vaccine for this eventuality. It might not be too bad. You will see Moscow, soon, as we planned.'

They exchanged words of love. Then they saw the badminton game being hastily abandoned, and the traffic began to move.

SEASA went into lockdown, and everybody settled into a new way of life, living in the self-contained world of the Changi base. The work had to continue, at an even faster pace now. The newly announced Director of SEASA was Leo Dovo, the late John Tian's assistant. Dovo thanked everybody involved with the Izzati program, from the Chief Designer down to the potwash guy in the canteen, and extolled them to even greater efforts for the security and prosperity of mankind.

Elizabeth Henderson felt some relief from the stress of waiting for bad to happen. Everybody tested negative for the animal flu, so she was happy to get on with life in the married quarters, as usual. Her best friends were there, and she had a job in the laundry. During the terrorist attack, she had feared for her husband's life. But with the Marines confined to base, she was satisfied that they would all survive the first wave of infections in England.

Marine Allen Henderson worried about extended family in the city. He had heard nothing terrible up to that point, personally, despite the television news reporting one thousand deaths a day. Apparently, nothing was moving in England, or Asia, or most of the world. Ironically, New Spain had not recorded a single case. He hoped the Izzati program would be stepped up a notch, and they could get away sooner.

One morning, patrolling the coast path with two fellow Marines, he saw a jeep approaching. His commanding officer, Major Carlo Tappy, was alone, driving himself. Tappy stopped the jeep, hopped out and exchanged salutes with his men. Tappy was a well-liked officer, with a handlebar moustache that would have been better suited for the air force.

'Henderson, walk a bit with me, son.'

Wondering what he had done wrong, Henderson got in step with the officer and they walked along the path.

'I thought I'd come out and get some sea air, son. Anything happening out here?'

'No, sir. All quiet.'

'Beautiful part of the country. I've been based in some bloody awful places down the years, I can tell you. I'm glad to be home. I shall be sad to leave it, eventually.'

'Me, too, sir.'

'How's your wife doing? Elizabeth, isn't it?'

'Yes, sir. She's okay, all considering.'

'Well, I've good news for you, Marine. You've been assigned to security detail on Izzati II. You'll be going, as soon as the Izzati sends back a positive report.'

Henderson was overwhelmed with relief. Major Tappy beamed his happiness for his marine.

'Oh, was I clear? Elizabeth has a berth, too, as a matter of course.'

'Thank you, sir!'

They shook hands, then saluted. Major Tappy set off back to his jeep, saluting the other Marines as he went. Henderson was clenching his fists in delight, so keen to tell Elizabeth. His Marine colleagues caught up with him, and offered hearty congratulations when he told them his news.