‘I think that should hold.’ She knew the flat was not safe. They had to get somewhere else. Somewhere others could protect them. ‘We need to leave, get where the army is.’
‘Out there?’
‘The sooner the better. What if all my neighbours are like him?’
Stacey let out a loud breath. ‘Alright.’
‘Go to my bedroom and grab all the warm clothes you can find. I think we’re better travelling at night. The hospital isn’t far.’
‘That’s the best place to go?’
‘That’s where the DSD are. Surely they’d be protected the most?’
‘People will die tonight,’ said Stacey, her voice flat.
‘Hundreds,’ agreed Gemma.
‘I’ll get the clothes.’
‘Change from what you’ve got on. You’re covered in blood.’
***
PC Galloway sat by himself at the window. Only the flickering of the television caused any illumination in the room. He watched the snow falling outside. He guessed that the window looked out to the front of the hospital.
‘Mind if I come in?’
‘Not at all.’ He waved for Jane to sit next to him. ‘How’s things on the ward?’
Jane peeled a banana. ‘Everyone’s holding up well enough. A lot of the nurses are worried about their families. Not being able to get through on the phone. It’s tough for them.’
‘How about you?’
‘Fine.’ She took a bite of the yellow fruit. ‘My cat’s at home, but he’ll be alright. My family lives down south. What’s going to happen? We can’t stay here for long.’
He looked out the window. ‘I don’t know. Wait … did you just see that?’
‘See what?’
A slight break in the snowfall opened up giving PC Galloway a brief glimpse of the front of the hospital. He could see a group of men moving through the snow. Two military trucks were parked at the entrance.
‘The military! We need to get their attention!’
‘How?’
‘The lights.’ He flicked the switch on and off repeatedly. ‘Do they see?’
‘I can’t tell.’ Jane pressed her hand against the glass. ‘I can’t see them. The snow’s too thick.’
‘Dammit!’ PC Galloway left the lights on. ‘At least they’re here. Maybe they’ll get to us by morning.’
‘What if they don’t? What if those things are crawling all over the hospital?’
‘Then I’ll have to go for help.’ A chill crawled up his spine at that thought. The military would get to them first. It would not come to that.
***
The soft breaths coming from the figure across the room irritated Eric. It was nothing he didn’t expect. Bunking with someone was always an interesting challenge for the first day or two.
He shifted in his bed, pulling the covers up further. He played with the dog tags at his chest. He had tried not to think of Martin, but his mind drifted to his fallen friend. They always bunked together. Martin was a huge chunk of his life, a lost part he thought he could fill with anger and the new mission. There was something else, too. He thought of Jacqui and the kids. In the dark of the lonely night, everything seemed to morph, the choices he made. Jacqui, Martin, Jason and the kids, all played on his mind. He could rebuild the family. It would not be easy, but deep down he believed it possible.
A series of cracks from outside made him sit bolt upright. His roommate did the same. Neither spoke. Both listened. Eric could have passed it off as thunder, or perhaps an engine backfiring, but when it came again, he was in little doubt.
‘Gunfire.’
‘Gunfire,’ echoed Eric.
Someone out there had real firearms and was using them. Eric did not relish the idea of walking into a warzone, holding a stun gun. Both men climbed from their bed and dressed.
***
‘You sure we shouldn’t wait until morning?’ Stacey tied a woollen scarf into a snug knot and pulled a matching hat over her head.
‘Less people will be about tonight. We can get there without trouble.’
‘You still taking that?’ Stacey pointed at the digital camera hanging around Gemma’s neck.
‘You never know.’
‘Just promise me we’re going out there for the right reasons.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘That we’re heading out to find help, not photo opportunities.’
‘Of course.’
Stacey pulled Gemma’s scarf tight and fixed her collar. ‘What do we tell the police about what happened here?’
‘The truth. Besides, something tells me that this type of crap is going on elsewhere.’
Stacey nodded a couple of times. ‘Got your keys?’
‘In my pocket.’
The hallway was quiet. Crimson-coloured handprints made grim decorations on the walls. They stepped over the dead body and made their way outside. The blast of cold was intense. Gemma pulled her coat tight and flicked the falling snow from her face.
A snowplough cleared the road earlier in the day. The excess snow had been pushed tight to her car, and now the Vauxhall was imprisoned.
‘Is that your car?’
Stacey kicked at the low wall of snow. It budged a little but not enough to be optimistic about digging the car out. ‘We’re walking.’
‘Looks like it.’
Chapter 12
Escalation
‘What do you think the temperature is?’ Stacey chuffed through clenched teeth.
‘Low.’ Gemma stepped over a lump of rolled snow.
‘It’s weird seeing the streets like this, nobody about, no cars, and no noise. It’s almost peaceful. Makes me want to whisper. Don’t you think?’
‘Only whisper?’ Gemma snapped a few camera shots of the deserted streets, the road plastered with a thick layer of pristine white. It really was striking, and quiet, except for the occasional whipping of the wind … and Stacey’s chatter.
‘How much longer do you think it’ll take us to get to the hospital?’
The constant questions grated. Gemma didn’t remember this of her friend. ‘Maybe you should keep the talking down to a minimum, yeah? We don’t know who’s out here.’
‘Sorry, I’m just scared.’
‘I know you are. Everything will be alright once we get to the hospital. Trust me.’
A distant humming from behind the two reporters caused them both to turn. Their footprints were already covered.
‘What is that?’
Gemma readied her camera, believing it something worth capturing.
The humming resolved into the pounding of powerful rotors. Two lights, bright and low appeared, moving towards them at speed. Stacey scooted to the cover of a car. Gemma poised her finger over the button on her camera. Helicopters. Gemma snapped as many pictures as she could. Two military machines sped overhead.
‘Are they going to the hospital?’
‘They must be. C’mon!’
Figures appeared, pouring out of a side street. Gemma snapped a few pictures before realising the movement of the group was … unusual.
‘Gemma.’
‘Yeah,’ she replied, knowing her thoughts were the same as Stacey’s.
‘They’re like your neighbour.’
‘Run!’
***
Magarth spent much of the night on the sofa, taking occasional sips from the whiskey bottle. He didn’t want to get drunk, but he didn’t want to be sober either. Just enough for the panic to subside. The hours dragged, each one a lengthy sentence in a book as he waited for the morning and hopefully the use of a telephone. He wiggled his tingling toes. He knew what was out there, and what he would have to risk to see Maria again. He closed his eyes, wanting to see her face, to gain some comfort from memories, and there she was, at the kitchen bench preparing his favourite dish; roast pork with apple sauce. She smiled, as she tasted the sauce, announcing it to be
perfecto.
Thundering came from outside. The whiskey bottle clattered to the floor. He pushed the blinds aside. Nothing.
‘What was that?’ Terri appeared in the doorway, pulled a nightgown about her and tied it off.
‘No lights,’ he warned.
They knelt at the window.
Two women, one with a camera held to her face. A frenzy broke towards the women.
‘We’ve got to let them in.’
‘We can’t.’
‘We have to.’
‘We won’t be safe. Your baby won’t be safe.’
Terri ran down the stairs. The sounds of the latch and lock being undone followed.
‘In here! Hurry!’ she called out.
‘They’ll hear you,’ Magarth growled in a coarse whisper, but no one heard.
The door closed and within seconds, he had three women with him looking out the window.
‘No noise,’ he ordered.
The infected seemed to be confused, unaware of where the two girls had escaped. They circled, then slowed, then disappeared from sight.
Terri lit the candles, and waved the two women to the sofa. They both removed their coats.
His fingers touched lightly at his belt. The taser was still there. ‘Did they touch you?’
‘No,’ the two echoed.
‘I’m Terri.’
‘I’m Gemma, and this is Stacey.’ Gemma swept back her hair, her breath coming in a rush. ‘Thanks for letting us in. I don’t know if we’d have made it to the hospital on foot.’
‘You were heading to the hospital?’ asked Magarth. ‘Why?’
‘It has to be safe there,’ explained Gemma. ‘The army surely will have it locked down for casualties. Besides, the two helicopters, they had to be heading to hospital.’
Helicopters? Heading to the hospital?
It wouldn’t be safe. Magarth’s heart sank. It was his fault. He abandoned all those at the DSD building too quickly. He should have alerted the authorities, yelled a warning. He pushed the rising guilt down, and tried to convince himself he had done what was needed, what was needed to survive. He focused. If the military were locking down the hospital, and with helicopter transport, he was sure he could use his DSD position to wangle a way out, but was he game enough to head back towards the hospital? If he wanted to get home, he had no choice. ‘When are you thinking of heading there?’
‘Let them rest, Tim, and see what the morning brings. We’re safe for the moment. I’d offer you a warm drink, girls, but Tim thinks it’s too risky to put the kettle on.’
‘Too noisy,’ said Magarth.
‘You’re with the DSD?’ Gemma pointed to his ID.
‘What? Oh, yeah.’ He hooked the badge back under his shirt.
‘So you can shed some light on all this?’
Magarth shrugged. ‘Not really. I’m an administrator. I don’t know a whole lot.’
Gemma seemed to study him. He didn’t like it.
‘I’ll take the sofa downstairs. You girls can have this room. Get some sleep.’
Magarth settled on a sofa downstairs. He kept his shoes on, and again touched the taser tucked into his belt.
***
The gunfire roused most of the company. The men headed to the lobby and into a side room. Tables had been set, and staff hurried about with plates, mugs, and cutlery. It looked like they were preparing to feed a small army.
A man with dark bags beneath his eyes approached. He gave a smile that held no warmth. ‘Eric Mann?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m Andor Toth. I’ll be coordinating with Black Aquila. May I have a word with you?’
‘We heard gunfire.’
Toth looked over his shoulder at the door as uniformed men entered the hall, men not newly roused from their beds. ‘Yes. We’ve been getting reports of live fire for the last hour.’
‘It’s close.’
‘To be expected, I’m afraid.’
‘Should we prepare?’
‘For?’
‘What do you think?’ Eric said impatiently.
‘No, Mr. Mann. We’re safe. Follow me, please.’
The two men moved to a corner table, and the smells of cooking drifted their way.
‘Ah, breakfast is on its way.’
‘Tell me what’s going on.’
‘Your mission. I want to go over a few details with you. You’ll hear all this again in a few hours, but I wanted to give you the chance to ask any questions, off the record.’ Toth pulled a tablet computer from its protective sleeve and laid it on the table. He tapped the screen a few times bringing the device to life. ‘How many men are here with Black Aquila?’
‘One-hundred-and-forty-seven operators, plus pilots, engineers and support staff.’
‘Good. That’s good. Now, listen.’ He pushed the tablet across to Eric. ‘You and your men will be taking over protective duty from the military. Currently, we’ve got three areas of control. The first is the train station. Second is Union Terrace Gardens. Third, The Arena.’ A manicured finger hovered over a map. ‘We’re trying to establish control of the hospital. I expect to hear soon from the teams sent there. At the station, we’re using trains to transport equipment and people in, and things out. The garden is a staging area. The arena, a displacement centre for refugees.’ As he spoke, the tablet displayed each location at street-view level, and then rotated to give a
three-sixty
view.
‘You and your men will be responsible for securing each location, deterring any civilian intrusion, and, the taking down of all infected who move against your position. You’ve been briefed on the infected?’
‘Not officially.’
Toth stabbed at the screen, and a video came to life. A semi-naked and bleeding man being restrained. Two men used long poles with cords at their ends that looped around the bleeding man’s neck like a captured dog. A third man stepped forward with a stun baton and brought the infected down.
‘The most advanced stage makes them unpredictable and uncommonly strong. They tend to gather in groups and won’t hesitate to attack. We’re still learning how to deal with them. Any questions?’
Eric stroked his chin. What he saw chilled him to the bone. He had fought fanatics, professional soldiers and militia, but nothing like this before. ‘We’re to take down the infected. What happens when we do?’
‘Restrain. Hands and legs bound, mouth-guard inserted, and put into a temporary containment centre.’
‘Temporary?’
Toth showed a still of the containment area. It looked like a circular fish tank, sunk a few feet into the ground. The captured figures didn’t look human, perhaps as Martin looked just before his death. Dark with wounds? Dark with blood? Dark with burns? Did Martin jitter like these … these people? Did he jitter with pain, hoping for death to come, and soon?
‘That’s in one of the railway tunnels, kept away from prying eyes.’
‘What are they doing?’
‘Doing their thing. They’re infected, no longer coherent.’
‘So, what do you do with them?’
‘We still hold hope that a cure can be found.’ Toth spoke blandly, only the slight accent bringing any measure of life to his words.
‘You’re lying.’
‘I’m hoping.’
‘If we’re to take these things down with tasers, why did I just hear live rounds being fired?’
‘Warning shots from the military blockades. When martial law was declared, people rushed to beat the curfew, to get out of the city. Sometimes they fire a few rounds, to turn them back.’
‘What if they don’t turn back?’
‘I assume what is necessary is done.’
Things didn’t feel right. Toth was concealing something, but he would not reveal his suspicion. Not yet.
‘Any further questions?’
‘Questions, no, but if my men walk into trouble underprepared, underequipped, heads will roll.’ He spoke as blandly as Toth.
‘Brutus said the same thing to me.’
‘You know Brutus?’
‘We go way back.’ Toth’s accent grew thicker. ‘Way back.’
He left the curious Toth to his own company.
***
A gentle rocking woke Magarth. His hand went to the taser below the covers.
‘Relax. It’s me. Gemma.’
‘You just about gave me a heart attack.’
‘Budge up.’ She moved down and slapped at his feet.
Magarth swung them from the sofa but kept the duvet over him. He was cold.
‘What do you make of all this?’
‘I’m not really in the mood to chat. I’ve had a pretty horrible few days.’
‘They were chasing you, too. The infected, I mean. Terri told me.’ Gemma didn’t once look to Magarth’s face. ‘Must have been pretty scary out there on your own.’
‘You’ve no idea what I’ve seen.’
‘You think so, huh?’ She now looked at him, her eyes showing a faint glean. ‘What if I told you one of them broke into my flat?’
Magarth moved away. ‘Did you come in contact with it? You said last night they didn’t touch you.’
‘They didn’t. Why?’
‘Did the neighbour touch you?’
‘No.’ Her reply ended on an up note as if she was thinking.
‘You sure?’
‘Course I’m sure.’
‘Blood contact. You can catch the infection and go mad like them.’
‘Look at me. I’m fine aren’t I?’
‘Did you come in contact with their blood?’ he asked more forcefully.
‘No.’ Her tone matched his.
He believed her.
‘So what’s going on with the DSD? Where are they? I can’t prove anything, but something must have happened. If individual cases were taken and isolated, why the sudden spike in cases and such a heavy response from the government?’
‘What are you? A reporter?’
‘Yes, actually. Local paper here in the city.’
‘So what is it that you want from me?’
‘I want to know why this city’s gone to hell. C’mon, give me something. Anything.’
A plan started to form in Magarth’s mind. If he made for the hospital tomorrow, having someone with him increased his chances of getting there in one piece. An extra set of eyes to watch for trouble. Maybe if he gave her a little, it would be enough to encourage her to come. She seemed hungry for the story.
‘So you think the military helicopters were heading to the hospital?’ he asked.