By this time, Connor had opened one of the large steel doors. It was dark inside. He slipped a knife from his pocket and entered at a cautious crouch. He sensed Noecker moving in behind him, crossing the floor to take up position on the other side of the open blackness.
They both paused, senses straining to pick up any signs of life or imminent death. The only thing Connor could see was a tiny glint of reflected moonlight, dead ahead. Shoulder height. Could be a pair of eyes. Or polished steel.
Francina moved behind them and he caught another glint as the moonbeams spread across the room. This one was off to his left. He glanced across, and knew that Noecker had seen it too. The old man moved, surprisingly quick for an old fart, his arm whipping forward to release what Connor knew would be his trademark Bowie knife. It hit with a shattering of glass.
Then Francina found the light switch and Connor had to blink repeatedly while his hypersensitive retinas adjusted back to normal levels. Even half-blind, there was no mistaking the sight before them. Or the unmistakable scent that now flooded the room.
“Well done, you old coot. You just killed a six-pack.”
So this was where SAB had stashed the millions of litres of beer they weren’t allowed to sell. All those rumours, horror stories of beer poured down drains while the nation was forbidden to buy, make or even drink any kind of alcohol…
Connor tossed a Castle quart to Noecker. The old man caught it lovingly in both hands.
“Cheers.”
Francina tapped her foot in the doorway. “We don’t have time for –”
But the rest of her words were drowned out as Connor popped the cap and delighted in a sound and a taste he’d never expected to experience again this side of heaven.
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Read Big Day Out in weekly installments on FaceBook or WordPress. Receive notifications via Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads, or Amazon, where you’ll find the whole mad mercenary romp through the dystopian nightmare that Covid-19 might have become. Might still become, if we don’t keep our self-appointed leaders on a very short leash.
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www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q
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Cheers.
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