by S G Read
‘I lost my wife and the baby she was carrying, so I would like to ask him some questions but there are rules we abide by.’
‘Like what?’ Gareth asked.
‘Anything goes, as long as he talks.’
‘It’s a bit of a narrow band but I’ll try to keep within it.’ Gareth replied suppressing a smile. ‘I think we will get along.’ He held out a letter. ‘This is for you to read after we have gone, it is a request.’
‘Okay I will read it later.’ Ray answered with the question ‘can you read’ close to slipping out but he forced it back inside, it was not a question you asked; even now. ‘Will you stay and eat?’ Came out instead.
‘I will, Brad told me about the food here and I am looking forward to it.’
‘You are welcome here whenever you want to come and there is always food!’
The meeting broke up and Ray took Gareth on a tour, introducing him to anyone they met. They even went down to the hospital where Ralph was working, not doctoring just cleaning and setting up equipment.
‘Just the man.’ Ralph greeted. ‘I have been thinking.’
‘That bodes evil.’ Ray warned.
‘If we have any children born with this plague about they might succumb to it in three days, not a long time to stay in this world.’
‘And?’ Ray asked.
‘I think I can use this equipment to make a serum, one which should protect them if the show signs of contracting the disease.’
‘How?’ Ray asked.
‘Using our blood, we all survived!’
‘Mine as well then?’ Gareth declared.
‘This is Gareth, the leader of the group Bradley was with.’ Ray explained.
‘Definitely; if you don’t mind!’ Ralph declared. ‘Nice to meet you Gareth: Yes I can use your blood to make you some serum in case you have babies.’
Gareth smiled. ‘Be a bit hard at the moment as we are all fellers. Still if we do free some girls and they want to stay with us, it might happen.’
‘It will need to be stored in a fridge for the best chance of it working in a years time but I will keep making fresh batches until the plague is no more, or we are all immune to it!’
‘We’ll go back and wash up Ralph, food will be on the table soon.’ Ray said and steered Gareth out again.
‘I’ll follow you up.’ Ralph called after him.
They returned to the main house and sat round the dining table to eat, unusual for midday but Donna had made an executive decision, as they had visitors. Bradley ate well making all those watching think that his stomach wound had healed, or at least, was healing well. It was not the slap up meal they had in the evenings but Donna and Lulu had made a few extra things as a treat for their guests. Being a brunch they brought in other tables to seat everyone in the same room so that everyone ate together.
‘We are getting low on bread.’ Donna commented during mouthfuls.
‘Not likely to find any good bread about now.’ Will replied.
‘If we get flour and anything else you need can you make some?’ Ray asked.
‘We can, I like fresh baked bread.’ Lulu answered.
‘Make out a list then and I will send out a party to fill it for you.’ Ray replied. ‘What about those bread maker things, are they worth while?’
‘Some are.’ Lulu answered. ‘You bring them; if we use it, you will know it was a good one!’
‘Are you short of anything else?’ Ray asked.
‘You name it and we are short of it except for mouths to feed.’ Donna answered.
‘We will take stock after our visitors have gone, I have been so tied up in this clan business, that I forgot the food situation. When I collected what I did, it was for my consumption and anyone else I came across: I certainly did not think it would be this many and when we sort out the clan, the numbers might go up dramatically.’ Ray replied.
‘Perish the thought.’ Donna retorted. ‘Not that more aren’t welcome but we can only do so much in this kitchen.’
‘What say you Jethro?’ Ray asked. ‘Any chance of an extension for a larger kitchen or even a purpose built canteen somewhere.’
‘I don’t think we will have any trouble with planning permission,’ Jethro replied, ‘but we do need to think it out properly and put it in the best position for everything and everyone. It also has to be designed by someone.’
‘Any architects here?’ Ray asked.
John Lacey put up his hand. Ray looked round the rest, to make sure there were no others hands up before he spoke.
‘Looks like you and Jethro need to get together and decide what, where and how. As for planning permission, I pass it now, okay?’
A ripple of laughter ran round the room then things returned to normal, with people talking to those nearest to them.
When Gareth and Bradley drove away again, in Brian’s car the rest watched in some way, some out of windows and others spreading out like a carpet over the drive. Jethro and Jeremy followed them to open the main gate and close it after they had gone; the rest waved then went about their appointed tasks. Ray and Will walked into the first garage and lifted the lid on a freezer, it was empty. Of the ten freezers only four had anything in it! One was full of milk, one was full of fish one had several loaves in it and the last one had frozen meat in packets or just wrapped in it, as well as three turkeys.
‘We have to keep them for Christmas.’ Ray declared. ‘I like Christmas!’
‘Not too far away now really, is it? We should get some cards in and decorations and such.’ Will replied.
‘What do we do about food though; we have nothing growing although Jeremy and Jake have it all in hand. The apples on the trees in the back garden will soon be ready for picking but Jake said they needed work last year to make them fruit better so we aren’t expecting a bumper harvest from them.’
‘There looks to be a lot of apples on them.’ Will declared.
‘Yes I thought so as well but Jake said if they were his he would leave them to rot as they would not be acceptable by the EU.’
‘Well they don’t exist anymore, thank God. If it is big enough to eat or cook we will use it.’ Will said happily. ‘Any marked ones will be cut about and drops can be used or we can make cider with them.’
‘That is one thing there isn’t a shortage of Will, drink. They might have drunk London dry but there are bottles on shelves all over the country just waiting to be collected.’
‘Tins as well I reckon.’ Will added.
‘What we need to do is to go to each shop and see if anyone has been in it, there must be more survivors about we can help.’ Ray agreed.
‘Like you did with Donna and the kids?’
‘Just like that but preferably without a run in with the clan!’
‘Amen to that.’ Will replied.
‘I was also thinking that we need more storage for frozen food.’
‘What; like more chest freezers?’
‘No I mean like taking the deep-freeze cold room from the supermarket and putting it up in here somewhere; and the cold room!’ Ray answered.
‘Yes, we were going to do that but do you know how to get it working then?’
‘Haven’t a clue but it hasn’t stopped me from doing anything up to now!’
‘A visit to the library is in order then?’ Will concluded.
‘Yes a book on refrigeration principles and practices would be helpful!’
‘What was the outcome of your meeting?’ Will asked.
‘He will do what I asked in the letter.’
‘Never, what a hero: Is Friday still on?’
‘Yes, his timing and ours falls into line quite well. To wait another week would mean he was in there for another week and neither of us wanted that. I just hope he can enlist some help by the time we attack or it could cost a lot of lives because once we start we are not stopping, for them it will be surrender or die!’ Ray answered.
‘Quite right as well. I have an idea some of the women insid
e would rather be dead than stay in there a day longer!’
‘And some of the men as well. Some will be forced to fight to the death on Saturday, so the sooner we can go in the more we can save!’
‘So we have from now until Friday to get things ready.’ Will concluded.
‘And to find some more food for us to eat.’ Ray added.
‘Plenty of dogs about, I reckon!’ Will declared.
‘I would have to be very hungry before I did that but there must be some deer about on these big reserves or the farms and someone with a snipers rifle could pot one for us.’
‘If that someone used a silencer he could bag two or three for the farmers to prepare for the table.’
‘Why the farmers?’ Ray asked. ‘They probably sent their animals to the slaughter house and it came back ready to eat!’
‘I never thought of that. Still if it is only a matter of cutting them up I could always have a go but what comes first!’
‘We need more bicycles and room to put any fresh food we bring back, so that comes first, the rest will follow when we have the time or after the attack on the clan’s headquarters. We need the van one of the big lorries with the crane and two more men!’
‘Coming right up. Barry only said yesterday he could do with a run out and Jason can drive the big lorries better than me and Clem is busy so we can’t ask her!’
Ten minutes later the lorry drove out, followed by the van but with five people on board the two vehicles. They had looked at the yellow pages for bike shops and both Will and Ray knew where the superstore was. Some of Will’s tools were taken out for an airing and they were soon dismantling the freezer. With no idea what they were doing they cut the pipes and received a face full of refrigerant. They hammered the pipes flat either side of the cuts to stop it but only slowed it down, the pipes turned white and frost built up on them for a while. Then the gas stopped and the frost disappeared so that they could finish cutting them. The cold room was interlocked and a large Allen key undid each section of wall, which was then hoisted onto the lorry. They lifted the roof up with the evaporator still attached to it and stored carefully on the lorry so that they still had room for the rest of the walls. The floor went on last, then they started on the cold room with the knowledge gained from taking the freezer to pieces put to good use. They marked all the part, to make sure that they knew where they belonged.
When they drove back into the compound they had two cold rooms piled on the lorry, one a deep freeze. They also had several bicycles on top. The van was full of tins from where ever they found them, some from houses and some from small shops which had remained undisturbed since they were closed. It meant that there was no one around the area as no one had sought food in there, by breaking in.
They took the bicycles off the lorry but the cold rooms were left tied on it where it was parked with a tarpaulin over it in case it rained. After the tins were stored in whatever remained of spare room, they unloaded the bicycles. That night they discussed where to put the cold rooms and they all thought the area next to the garage on the opposite side to the house would be best but they had to lay a concrete base to sit them on.
From then on the people going up to fight the clan practised on the bikes, whether they had ridden before or not. Some fell off, some wobbled but stayed on. Others rode round the house without trouble and then let someone else try. The ones who fell off got up and tried again. As it was going to be a stealthy approach and too far to approach on foot, they had to ride bicycles!
When darkness threatened to stop their attempts they rigged up flood lights to give them light to see by, not that they would have any light when the rode across the airport to take out the sentries on the M4 bridge. Ray expected it to be completely dark when they rode across unless there was a moon that night and that did not seem likely.
Finally the last riders gave up and came in doors; the flood lights were turned off and they turned to other ways of passing the time.
Whoever was on duty in front of the monitors watched idly knowing full well that any movement would trigger the night cameras to come on and show them who it was or what it was at the gate.
Tonight it was Brian and he sat there admiring his handy work, he had wired the whole network and it was working well. A bell went ding and he looked at the main gate camera as it switched on. Another ding and the camera on the tower the other side of the gate dinged and came on.
‘We have trouble!’ He shouted and heads raised with ears poised to listen. ‘I think Nelly wants to come in the gate!’
‘It can’t be Nelly!’ Will called as he stood up. ‘Not with a plonker that size!’
‘I haven’t seen one of them yet!’ Brian replied.
Four men scrambled outside into a car and raced to the main gate, the other gates opened as they approached them so that they could shoot through without wasting any time. As they drove up to the gate the elephant was pushing at it. Will who was driving flashed the lights and honked the horn in an effort to send him on his way and it worked, as they reached the gate, making as much noise as they could the elephant turned and ambled away. They stood by the gate watching it walk away, by the headlights of the car.
‘I think Brian was right.’ Barry declared.
‘Yes she is definitely a Nellie.’ Jake agreed.
‘If those two get together we might have little elephants running around the countryside.’ Will exclaimed.
‘Plenty of room for them as long as they don’t want to come in and eat our fruit.’ Jake declared. ‘Then we will have to have words!’
They watched her walk away until they could no longer see her, then they piled back into the car and Will drove back to the main house.
‘Could have been worse.’ Will declared as he locked the car. ‘Could have been the clan attacking.
‘Why do you lock it?’ Barry asked.
‘Force of habit I reckon.’ Will answered.
They walked back inside and settled down to whatever they were doing before the elephant tripped the sensors. Half an hour later the camera dinged again. Brian looked up from his book and watched as the camera turned it self on.
‘Oh no. I think Mr. Elephant has caught wind of Mrs. Elephant and wants in, to where he thinks she has gone!’ He called.
The same team raced to the main gate again and chased the elephant off in the same manner.
‘If they keep this up we will have to man the towers round the clock to stop them.’ Barry declared as they returned to the house.
The following morning Will was sent into the garage to connect up the power cable to the towers; at the same time a team was fitting floodlights on each tower with an alarm klaxon as well. As the noise and lights had sent the elephants packing it was worth a try to save men having to rush out there and chase them off.
Now that the towers had time for the cement to go off it was time for a decision on the gates but rather than remove the existing gates they decided to make new ones. There were enough trees to supply the wood and they had the tools to do it with. Work started immediately and Jethro started on the wall next to the second tower in case the elephants decided to go round them and push the fence over. The farther he could get the more likely the elephants would be kept out. If they did get in, the whole area would have to be swept for dogs again!
During the day there was more bicycle riding, some chose to ride to the main gate to work and to ride back again after work, for the practice. Ralph was seen riding up and down the main road as far as the gate and back out of sight again, even though he would be with the ambulance when things started, he hoped he would still be with the team when they put the tower out of action.
The women were sent to clean the other houses and try to make the garage into some sort of accommodation, as they did not know how many they would be freeing and how many of them would come back with them. Every house had as many beds as they could possibly fit into it until there was no more room. The garage had the workshop turned into a dwel
ling and the pit carefully covered over so that no one would fall into it.
There was no electricity going to those places but with Will busy wiring up power to the towers there was no possibility of getting any there in the short term but he had said it might just be possible to do it before Friday. Ray had no idea how but then he would not be doing it!
As they worked on the new gate the temporary gate opened and closed with people going in and out all day. Some collecting more beds, others collecting cleaning equipment; something Clem and Ray had not thought to collect and some collecting sheets and clothing. They had no idea who or how many might end up back there and thought it was prudent to have too much, instead of not enough!
When Will finished connecting the two towers by the gate to their own supply via the cable running through the footings, he drove over to the houses which had no electricity to see the lie of the land.
He looked at where their supply came from and how he could somehow connect them to the generator for now. In the end he found that it was possible by digging a hole where the main supply cable ran into the area, he knew where that was as they had found it when they were digging the footings. He cut the cable and made it safe on both sides then did the same where it left the area. Now all he had to do was to connect the generator to the incoming main of the main house, then any place connected to the main wire would have electricity.
It did mean that the houses connect temporarily now could rely on the main connection in the house but he did not envisage him changing the connection for the moment. It would do for now!
Will threw the switch and the lights came on in all the houses in the settlement. They also came on in two houses outside the settlement and he had to drive to them and turn off their main switch. They could house any overspill if there was any after their battle with the clan so he did not disconnect them. Instead he looked at ways of making them part of the settlement but Ray had thought it out well and the best they could do was to put a fence round each one to make it a bit safer. He drove back in time to help them stand the first gate up and attach it too the tower with huge hinges which had been specially made for the job. The digger did the lifting and all they had to do was to guide the gate on to the hinges and stand well back as the digger lowered it down until the hinges took the weight. It stayed put and Jethro walked forward to swing it open. One man could move it; it was a work of art.