Boredom was getting the better of all of us. We spent countless hours playing Monopoly and Cluedo. In each game of Monopoly I ended up severely bankrupting every other player, but after a while even winning got boring. Andy and Nick had taken up playing chess; they both got really into it, and were always competitive.
“Tell you what we would go nicely with this game” Andy said half way through one of their many chess games “A nice glass of Hennessy Brandy, vintage of course”
“More of a whiskey man myself” Nick added, advancing his way to Andy’s Queen. “Glenfiddich single malt, straight on the rocks”
“God, you two sound like such old men! Get a grip” I interrupted, stopping them before they drooled over the chess board.
“It’s a man thing” Duckface added “wouldn’t mind a nice glass of Pinot” she carried on.
“Sounds simple, but a hot shower would make me happy” I added in.
We spent the next few hours reminiscing of the old days, the days before the virus took over. We talked about holidays we had been on, places we’d visited and happy memories we shared.
For the first time in a long time, we were all getting along well. We laughed and joked with each other, it was starting to feel like the good old days.
We were brought back to reality by an almighty bang, coming from the guest room. We ran in to find out where the noise was coming from. It was the other side of the wall that we share with our neighbour.
It was a constant bang, as if someone was punching the wall trying to make their way through.
The noise from inside was stirring up the infected outside. They became more animated, looking around trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. They gradually started to walk towards our building. They made no attempt to open the doors, however started banging on the doors in time to the bangs that could be heard from next door.
It was as if they were somehow communicating with each other. We were surrounded. Both our exits out the building were surrounded. The banging could still be heard from next door. The banging was now going on all around us, perfectly in time.
We heard the glass downstairs smash, still the banging carried on going.
“What are they doing?” Duckface whispered, her voice shook. We were all huddled together on the living room floor. We stayed away from the windows not wanting to make our presence known.
“Do they know we’re here or something?” she asked, trying to make sense of it all.
Nick got up and went to check out the window in our bedroom, it directly faced the entrance door outside. He came back after a few minutes. “There not attempting to get in at all. The glass smashed over the door, and they’ve moved away from it, if they wanted to get in they could easily climb through.” He looked at us all completely baffled. “They’re just banging on the walls and windows, just making noise”
We all looked at each other. We needed to stay as quiet as possible. We knew hardly anything about the things outside. We didn’t know how clever they were, how long they would live or how they communicated, if they even communicated at all.
The only things we knew about them was from what we observed. They moved very slowly, and were slow to react. Walter the warden was the only one of them that seemed to have any sense, if you could even call it that. Between us we had limited experience, only a few of us had been within close proximity of them and we had all been able to avoid close combat.
We sat on the living room floor for hours, holding onto our partners. We were silent. The only noises that could be heard were the on-going bangs from around the building.
We were all terrified. I grabbed onto Nick burying my head in his chest trying to block out the sound. What the hell were they doing? This didn’t seem normal at all. I kept racking my brains trying to come up with a logical explanation for all of this. But there was no explanation, at least not yet.
After a couple of hours the banging died down. Within 2 minutes it went from full on banging on the walls to complete silence. We looked out the window. The infected had all gone back to wandering around the streets, exactly as they were before the banging started. It was as if nothing happened.
Nothing could be heard at all from the inside; however, we had made the unanimous decision to stay clear of next door. Whatever supplies we needed, they weren’t worth risking our lives for.
“I don’t understand” I whispered “why spend hours banging on the doors but make no attempt to go inside?”
“I know, I don’t get it either” Duckface agreed.
“Maybe they’re just trying to scare us” said Andy. “Who knows if their that clever, but it’s the only thing I can think of.”
“You might be right, but I don’t want to sit around here and find out, we’re like fish in a barrel here” Nick replied.
Duckface interjected “I’ve been checking over my page, a few people have said a shelter has been set up in Woodford. It’s safe and there’s food and water, what do you guys think?”
“I don’t know, sounds like a good idea but it depends who’s there. More people will attract more of these things” Andy replied
“Not sure who, but people have said they making their way there. Has to be better than this, it’s at the old airfield”
“OK, were going to have to leave sooner or later. If there’s a chance I say we take it.” For once I found myself agreeing with Duckface. “We already have our bags packed. Let’s wait until we see an opening and we’ll go”
We all agreed, we needed to wait for the opportune moment. There were still around 20 infected wandering about outside.
We decided to leave the next day, as early as possible. After observing the infected, they seemed to be less active first thing.
After having an early night, we all got up that morning at 6am. After we got changed and unbarricaded the door, we took a look outside. The atmosphere outside was surreal, clouds covered the whole of the sky, it was a typical September morning. The grass was damp with dew and a cold breeze ran through the trees. There were only three of the infected left outside; they were at the opposite end of the car park. As far as we were aware, the coast was clear.
We grabbed our bags and carefully made our way outside. Glass still sat in a pile at the bottom of the stairs; we carefully stepped over it, trying not to make any noise. My car was directly outside the door, which was easy for me and Nick. Duckface and Andy had a bit further to walk, but the infected hadn’t seen us yet, so we all had time.
As soon as we got outside, the three infected turned to us alerted to our presence. They started making their way towards us. As they started to move we noticed more coming out from all around us, at least four were by the side of the building; another five came out from the street opposite us. One even came out from behind the oak tree.
If I didn’t know any better I could have sworn they were waiting for us. We all stood looking at each one of them as they walked towards us. They seemed more eager than usual, they picked up their pace considerably, compared to the last encounters I had with them.
We all raced to our cars, I got in the driver’s seat as Nick threw the bags in the back. He ran round the car, into the passenger’s seat, just as I heard the first bang against the car. As soon as he closed the door I locked the car.
I fumbled putting the keys into the ignition; I prayed that the car would start. As soon as the car sprang to life I threw my gears into reverse as I backed over one of the infected. There were more making their way towards us, at least 30 of them now, closing in from all different directions.
I looked over to Duckface and Andy to check they had made their way to the car ok. There were five infected all around their car, vigorously banging on the doors and windows, trying to seek purchase on their prizes they had waited so long for.
Just as I had, Andy threw his car into reverse, the infected stumbled trying to regain their balance as both cars shot off into the distance.
Chapter 6 – The Flight Path
Our route was easy enough. It was a straight road to get us there, besides Woodford wasn’t known for being a well-populated area. It was full of grand houses, set far back from the road. It was an expensive place to live; all the houses must have had at least 5 bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. The houses were stunning.
As we made our way to the airfield, the roads were dead. No one could be seen or heard. We had to weave our way through a multitude of abandoned cars, which were blocking the road ahead.
As we neared the airfield we saw a large crowd gathering outside. There must have been at least 50 infected pressing against the chain link fence which separated the airfield from the main road.
The entrance to the airfield originally had an automatic arm barrier for cars to be let through. By the looks of it, it had been reinforced, now a 20 foot tall steel gate stood in its place.
We peered out the car, trying to get a closer look. We saw a military 4x4 with a machine gun turret along with some sort of carrier lorry.
There were no signs of survivors or the military, but we felt confident they were inside.
We stopped the cars 100 yards down the road. It was clear we wouldn’t be able to gain access through the entrance. There were too many of them outside, even if we did get in, we would end up letting a few of the infected pass through the gates which we knew simply wasn’t an option.
We turned around as Nick suggested we go down Old Hall Lane instead. As we turned into the road, there was an old church surrounded by graves on our right hand side. There was a blue sign on the corner which read ‘Welcome to Christ Church’. A restaurant I had passed many times stood opposite. Both buildings had an eerie feeling to them. We could not see or hear a single person, so we carried on down the road.
The further we drove into Old Hall Lane, the narrower the road became. As we pushed forward it became a single lane road. Hedgerows blocked our view on either side as the smooth tarmac disappeared. The road soon turned into an extremely bumpy dirt track.
Eventually the hedgerows disappeared as the road curved to the left, revealing a warehouse sized barn, made from brick and corrugated metal. There were two openings to the barn, both had green metal doors. The smaller door of the two looked like it had been kicked through revealing part of the frame work within the door. I still couldn’t see any sign of life, it was completely silent.
We carried on past the farmhouse and various outbuildings. As we passed the farm, fields opened up on our left hand side, spanning for miles. We searched for an opening in the airfield, but it was still all fenced off.
We drove up to an old rusty gate. Hanging from it was a green sign with yellow writing which read ‘Keep Clear Emergency Exit Number 1’ the gate had a chains wrapping round both gates, no one was getting in through there. We carried on going, still not having any luck. A few yards down the road and we came to Woodford Golf Club. Cars were still parked in the small car park, however still no one could be seen. The whole place looked abandoned.
We pulled up next to the golf club . There, across the road, was another rusty gate with the same sign as before ‘Keep Clear Emergency Exit Number 2’
We got out of the cars for a closer inspection. Although the gate was closed, it was unlocked. Nick started to open the gate as I got back into the car. As soon as we had both cars through the gate and into the airfield Nick secured the gate and jumped back in.
“Where the hell do we go now?” I asked him looking around at the vast amount of runway laid before me. There were various buildings and hangars leading off in all different directions.
Nick pointed straight ahead “Let’s try that one, it looks safe enough and it’s far enough away from the entrance that if those things get in, we have time to escape.”
I agreed and with that, we drove towards the hanger as both cars did a lap of the building, trying to find a way in. It didn’t look like anyone was around, we were about to give up and check the next building when we heard the sound of metal shaking and parting. We drove back round to the front. There were 2 men in military uniforms on either side of the door ushering us in.
As we pulled in the light blinded us. The whole of the hanger was painted white, even the floor. Sat in the middle was a large plane. It was the size of a large jet, it was glistening white. It looked as if it had never been used. The side of the plane read Airbus A350 Prestige. The door was open on the front right hand side with steps leading up to the door.
We pulled up opposite the plane, and cautiously opened the doors. The two men were walking towards us, the way they walked, showed they were clearly on duty.
“Good morning. My name is Sergeant Jeff Tanner, and this is my second in command Corporal Ryan Jameson.”
“Hi” I replied weakly. The Sergeant was a middle aged man; he wore a navy blazer which accentuated his broad shoulders, underneath he had a black tie and sky blue shirt, all in pristine condition. He stood with his hat tucked underneath his arm. His whole demeanour seemed to command respect. He was definitely a man of authority.
His Corporal had the same posture and uniform as the Sergeant however he seemed to have a younger and kinder face. He smiled as he shook our hands.
The sergeant continued “Please do not be alarmed, we wish you no harm. We are part of the Royal Air Force. There aren’t many of us anymore, but we can provide you with shelter, food and water. Our main base was compromised, so we have been positioned here for the last week. We have a lot to discuss, please come this way”
We all looked at each other confused, but followed the sergeant as he led the way. “When the outbreak first hit Europe we reopened the airbase, under the command of the Ministry of Defence. We were positioned here to provide support to the British Army, and to help prevent the infection.”
“So where’s everyone now?” Nick asked as we walked around the back of the plane.
“When the outbreak hit the capital, the majority of our squad were redeployed to the Midlands, to try and stop the outbreak on its journey North” The sergeant continued “I was put in command of the remaining troops, as we continued to establish a containment area. This whole airbase had been designed as a safe place, our aim was to use this area as a refuge, a safe place for survivors.”
He stopped when we reached the far wall of the hangar where wooden crates lined the wall. Next to the crates were multiple gas canisters. “These crates are filled with MRE’s. This stands for Meals Ready-to Eat; they have been used in the army for years now. They aren’t the most appetizing foods in the world. But they are substantial.”
“If this is a safe place, then where are the rest of the survivors?” I asked, thinking that clearly something wasn’t right.
“Our main base was the building towards the entrance. Within the base we established living quarters, a canteen, showering facilities and a medical centre. Shortly after the infection reached us here, we started to take in more and more casualties. The MoD had warned us not to take in any survivors who had been bitten or seemed to be contracting a fever; however they refused to tell us why. We followed our orders at first. After a few days a private brought a young boy to my attention. He was only 4 years of age. He had a small bite. The private explained to me he had been bitten by his mother and that he couldn’t leave him behind.”
I looked at the sergeant, understanding where the rest of this story was going.
“I made an exception for the little boy and sent him to the medical wing, where he developed a fever and infection. After 4 hours the boy was pronounced dead. Within 15 minutes of death, he became animated. He started to infect the other survivors, who then infected my men. I had no choice but to lock the whole building down. The corporal and I were on the other side of the air base when I got the call. I made the decision there and then.”
The Sergeant looked to the floor, shaking his head.
The Corporal spoke up “You see, it wasn’t just the survivors and our men that were in there, our families were there too.”
I loo
ked closer at the two men standing before us. Beneath the military exterior, I could see the pain in their eyes. They were both family men at heart. Although their job was to serve our country, they lived for their family. For the first time since the virus took over, I felt lucky. Although I didn’t have my family, I had my fiancé, he was my future family. I squeezed his hand tighter.
“I’m so sorry. You made the right decision. If you hadn’t, the chances are you wouldn’t be here today.” I told them.
“Shall we continue with our tour?” the Corporal asked us all, changing the subject.
We followed them to the other side of the building, where the Sergeant stopped outside two metal double doors. There was an electronic keypad on the side of the wall. “We used this particular hangar to store supplies, you have already seen our food supply, well that’s not the only thing we kept here.”
Punching in the code the Sergeant opened the doors. “This is our ammunition store.” He announced.
All the walls inside were steel. Lining each wall were a range of guns varying from assault rifles, submachine guns and pistols. I even spotted my favourite gun of all time. A Barrett 50 Cal. Boxes of ammunition lined the room, all different shapes and sizes. Grenades and knives were laid out on multiple tables around the room.
“Only the Corporal and I have the code for this room. As you can appreciate we are currently strangers to one another, the only rule I have in this hangar, is that no one enters this room without myself or Jameson here.”
We nodded, it was fair enough. We were just grateful they had let us in.
“As you can see we are very well equipped, we try not to use any weapon unless we need to. There is more to see, but for now, would you like to see your living quarters?” The Corporal asked.
He led us to the plane. The Sergeant went into the plane first, while the Corporal stood by and let us all past.
“This plane has been here since we took over the base. We tried to trace the owner, however the company say it is simply in storage, it has yet to be sold. Given the current circumstances, I don’t think there will be any buyers anytime soon”
E Virus: The Diary of a Modern Day Girl (The Beginning of the End) Page 6