Rogue Evacuation

by Simon Neilson

  “Tested?”

  “You remember getting the blood tests. Well that was so they could test people’s blood and find out who might be immune.”

  “Yeah, I know Maria worked in a lab that was hit in Scotland.”

  “That’s right and every blood sample was given a number and a location. She knows where everyone was when tested. You think it was just coincidence that Duncan asked you to join us?” Jackson tapped his temple.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Your wife and daughter are immune.”

  DIARY ENTRY 42

  I slumped into the wooden chair and stared at Jackson.

  “How?” It was the only question that sprung into my head.

  “Don’t ask me, I’m just a soldier not a scientist.”

  “Duncan and Maria knew all along?” I asked.

  “What? You think Duncan grabbing a train at Kings Cross and heading in exactly the same direction you live was a coincidence do you?” Jackson shook his head.

  “Well at the time I did, yes. But now you say that….”

  “So the chances are they are still alive,” Jackson said cutting me off.

  The hope of them being alive re-ignited inside my body, but I also thought back to what Maria said about having to be killed so the blood could be extracted.

  “My wife and child will die,” I said.

  “Yeah, I know. I suppose that’s why I was never told about Lana. I would never have let that happen.”

  “I can’t let that happen to my family,” I said, still stunned.

  “Well, Kaleb. If Duncan and the rest don’t get to your family, the IGS will. You need to find them first.”

  I stared down at the table top for a moment trying not to believe that Maria who had a daughter of her own would allow such an atrocity to happen.

  “That’s…that’s just evil,” I said eventually.

  “We only have one option.” Jackson poured us both a drink.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “We link back up with them and see if they can lead us to your family. That could be the only way you will find them.”

  I slowly picked up the glass of whisky and this time and I gently sipped it.

  “But they don’t know where they are,” I said.

  “No, but Lance does. That’s why we’ve headed back this way. I think your family is close by.”

  Jackson got up from the table, the bottle of whisky was nearly empty and he staggered behind the bar to retrieve another bottle.

  “Why would Lance know? Actually, why are you telling me this?” I asked.

  “Because, I would not have let this happen to Lana.”

  “But even if I do find them, we’re going to be on the run from the security forces, from Duncan and dodging infected. It’s an impossible task.”

  “Not if you make it to the coast,” Jackson replied.

  He returned to the table with a new bottle of whisky with the sealed label still intact. Jackson started to tell me how the United Kingdom had been sealed off completely, nothing was moving in or out. The military were controlling everything which would leave the country and they put politicians, scientists and rich business people above every other citizen. There were no evacuation centres. The compounds were built to keep a check on those who may be immune to the infection so they could be used to find a cure. The others were just treated like animals, even killed if they became too ‘costly’. It sounded like an extermination of a country to me.

  Jackson told me about some small ports which were not as guarded by the IGS as some of the main ones. He suggested that once we found my family, he was confident they were still alive, the only chance we would have was to make it to the coast and get a boat out of the country.

  I thought about what he said for a few moments. This soldier who I had believed would not give me a second thought if the time came was now telling me everything that I craved to know. I couldn’t help but think it was probably guilt over shooting Lana which made him tell me all of this, that and copious amounts of whisky.

  “Will you help me?” I asked.

  “To be honest with you, Kaleb, I don’t see any hope. I don’t mean to be the lord of doom, but the odds are stacked against you.”

  I looked out the window and jumped back slightly as I saw the infected figure from earlier staggering outside not more than twenty feet from where I was sitting. It stopped for a moment and carried on walking by until it was out of sight.

  “If those things don’t get you, the IGS will,” Jackson said as he rested his head down onto the table.

  Maybe he was right, but with the renewed hope my family was alive and the fact I now knew they were immune to this infection I had to find them.

  DIARY ENTRY 43

  Jackson had managed to find himself a comfy spot in the corner on the sofas. I think the drink had got the better of him. For a change it was me who was on guard.

  A jeep drove by after dark, no spotlight and it was moving at speed down the road. I had ducked behind the curtain just in case the spotlight was activated, remembering my times back at the bedsit in London. I saw a few infected wandering around up near the old warehouse, they didn’t move down in our direction which was a relief. I knew we were hidden away in the pub, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

  Jackson’s words from earlier were rolling around in my head. Finally I knew what made this group strange. I wasn’t a complete idiot and it did not take a lot to work out that Duncan and Maria were just as much a risk to me as the IGS were, each one was looking for the cure. I knew one thing for sure, Jackson was right. We had to link up with the group so I could find my family, it was the only way. I decided there and then that once the sun came up we would move out from the pub and try to locate the others, this way they wouldn’t suspect anything either.

  Lana had been the third person in the group to die since we started our journey from South London, I wondered how many more would perish before this would all finish?

  I must have caught at least a couple of hours sleep. I woke to Jackson shaking me. He had a coffee at the ready and looked a little worse for wear.

  “Hangover?” I asked.

  “Just a little one,”

  “You regret telling me everything you did?”

  Jackson shook his head and pulled up a chair to the table I had been leaning on.

  “Not at all. I knew you had to know but there was just never a time or a reason to let on.” Jackson sipped at the hot coffee.

  “Thank you,” I replied.

  “I take we are going to move from here soon?” Jackson asked.

  “I think that would be a good idea. Do you think they will still be on the hill?” I asked.

  Jackson nodded and gazed out the window as a single infected figure staggered down the road, its nose twitching in the air.

  “I hate those things,” he said quietly. “I’ve dispensed of so many,” he continued.

  We finished our coffee and made sure the ruck sacks were secure. We carried tins and water bottles, the rest of the group needed the supplies and I also had to think of Lizzie who had no connection with this group whatsoever.

  Jackson was the first to leave via the front entrance. He checked both ways waved his arm at me to signal the coast was clear and I moved out from the pub.

  We moved off towards the old warehouse, there was a breeze blowing and I could hear the metal chain clanging against the side of the girders. That was why the infected gathered at the top of the road during the night. They could hear the noise but could not make out where it was coming from.

  The road bent round and we stuck against the bushes and the low wall until I could see up the slip road into the station. There were a few infected gathered around the ticket office. Jackson moved off down the road and I trailed behind with a rifle at the ready.

  I had never fired a weapon before and I was truly hoping I wouldn’t have to. The first place of significance we reached was the old garage.
The shutters were up and I could still see a car jacked up ready to be worked on. Unfortunately, I don’t think the owner would be returning to collect it. Inside the small office at the back of the garage I could see a figure banging on the glass, its face was distorted and it looked angry. It was definitely infected.

  Jackson whispered anxiously to me to move on. I ran to catch up with him and we continued down the road until we reached the junction where Lana and I had started our supply journey. I gazed up the long road leading to the department store at the bottom. I could just imagine Lana’s half eaten body lying on the pavement down there.

  Jackson pulled the binoculars from his jacket and looked up the hill and back at me. He nodded and I took this to mean the others were still there.

  It was a struggle, but we jogged up the steep hill, keeping close to the bushes so that we would not be seen from below. Eventually we reached the top and Duncan was the first one to meet us. Looking behind he have us a puzzled stare.

  “Where’s Lana?” He asked.

  Jackson was just about to answer. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say so I had to jump in quickly.

  “She’s dead,” I said.

  “What?” Duncan asked amazed.

  “IGS, took her out as we left the mini-market. Fortunately for me, Jackson was there or else I think I would have been next.”

  I’m not sure if Duncan bought my story or not, he just turned away without replying and wandered back to the truck where the rest of the group had gathered. Lizzie walked over and smiled at me.

  “Sorry to hear about Lana, that’s horrible news,” Lizzie said.

  Jackson nodded at me to say thank you and walked up to join the group by the truck.

  “I know.” I looked up the hill. “Listen to me, we’re in danger. I can’t say too much now.” My voice was low so nobody else could hear.

  Lizzie glanced behind and then back at me. She gave me a curious look but I just shook my head.

  “My family. They are alive,” I said.

  DIARY ENTRY 44

  Duncan made the decision to move out. Jackson had spied some IGS patrols down in the town centre and they were paying particular attention to the hill.

  Lance took the role of driver again, Duncan sat up front and I jumped in the back with everyone else. Jackson had been very quiet ever since we arrived back on the hill.

  The truck moved out onto the road, I leaned forward and tapped Jackson on the knee.

  “Any idea where we’re heading?” I whispered.

  Jackson shook his head and looked down the truck. Maria was looking in our direction so I sat back and decided to take in the scenery that was going by. Lizzie was sitting next to me. She held onto Bruno and Jesse was eating some biscuits from one of the ration pouches.

  The truck moved down the hill and we soon came to a roundabout. We stopped for a little while as Duncan and Lance surveyed the area. Duncan shouted back for Jackson to go up top with the binoculars.

  Climbing out of the truck he was soon scrambling across the canvas roof. I heard him shout down to the front cab.

  “We got two jeeps heading our way from the town centre.”

  Lance ground the truck into gear and sped off straight over the roundabout, with Jackson still on top.

  “Hey! Jackson’s still up there!” I shouted.

  Nobody took any notice and the truck went speeding off. As we got halfway down the road I saw the two jeeps come into view around the corner. The mounted machine guns were manned and it was obvious they were not paying a social visit.

  I could hear Jackson frantically trying to hold up top when suddenly I saw his legs dangle down to the opening at the rear of the truck. I grabbed hold of his waist and slipped him inside just as the truck went over a bump which most certainly would have seen Jackson going tumbling onto the road.

  Reaching a junction in the road the truck moved left and Lance swerved to the right at the next turning. We kept on speeding down the lane but I could not see the jeeps following. As we turned left into another road I saw the jeeps behind us, they were someway back but could still see our truck.

  “They’re following us!” I shouted up to the front.

  “I’m going as fast as I can!” Lance shouted back.

  “Thanks,” Jackson said to me.

  I smiled back at him and tapped him on the shoulder, Maria was again looking in our direction and I think she was getting a little suspicious about our new found friendship.

  The lane we were on reached yet another junction, this town was full of them. I saw a few infected curiously staring out at the speeding truck as we went by, way too fast for them to be of any concern. In the distance I could still see the jeeps following and by now they were gaining on us.

  The truck came to the top of the road and Lance moved right and as he did I could see another jeep coming from the other direction. In no time there were three jeeps following us. None of them had opened fire. I can only assume that they were going too fast to get a proper aim. The road we were on led into the village. I shouted at Lance to bear left as the centre of this little area was full of speed bumps. By taking the left route we were heading up to a main road but at the back of this was a huge wood where I had taken my daughter on many occasions.

  Driving at speed straight over the main road I had told Lance about we were soon making our way down the narrow lane towards the wood. We reached the entrance, pedestrian only and Duncan gave the order for everyone to jump out. The jeeps had kept time with us and in single file were moving quickly towards us. Jackson took point and crouched down in the middle of the lane, taking aim with his rifle. Duncan and Lance moved either side near to the bushes. I took up the position which probably would have been Lana’s, directly behind Jackson. I stood up straight and pulled the rifle tight into my shoulder. I was no soldier, but this was no time to squabble, it was a case of all hands to the pump.

  Jackson opened fire first. He took out the driver of the first jeep about a hundred yards away. The jeep veered over to the left, crashed through the humped undergrowth and spun over, crushing the machine gunner on the back. Duncan and Lance immediately opened fire on the next jeep, with direct hits on the driver and gunner. The second jeep came crashing to a halt against the raised hump on the side of the lane.

  This left the third jeep. It immediately slowed down and started to perform a hurried three-point turn. I took aim and as the jeep sped back up the lane I caught the gunner straight in the middle of the back, his body slumped down and fell out of the jeep.

  Jackson, Duncan and Lance eased forward to check all the bodies and removed ammunition from the pouches. Now the IGS knew where we were, it would be a good idea to have supplies.

  They came jogging back and I pointed to a dirt path which led down to an old farm and some prestigious barn-converted cottages.

  “Nice shooting,” Jackson said to me.

  Duncan glanced over and went jogging over to Maria and Jesse.

  “Right, let’s get in this wood. They will be back,” Duncan shouted.

  He wasn’t wrong as I heard the rotors of a helicopter getting closer. We needed to get into the wood under the cover of the trees.

  I used to love bringing my daughter to this part of the town, just outside the centre and surrounded by countryside. It was idyllic and the sort of place you just immediately felt at peace with.

  As we passed one of the cottages I could see an infected figure inside just staring aimlessly out the window as we walked by. It felt creepy with it just looking at us. We came to the wooden gate into the nature reserve. I was leading the group for a change as nobody else knew where they were going. Now we had to hide.

  DIARY ENTRY 45

  I saw the abandoned camp first.

  The tents were strewn across the grass, a circle of ash indicating where the camp fire had been and cooking utensils left all over the place.

  On the far side of the old camp a large noticeboard had been erected between two trees. Posted on
this board were photographs of missing people, notes from loved ones and poems dedicated to the dead. It was a very sad sight and I just stood there gazing at it.

  Jackson came over and stood next to me, he too just looked at this make-shift memorial.

  “Tragic,” Jackson said.

  “I know,” I replied, with a lump in my throat.

  Duncan strode over, walked between us and stood a few inches from the noticeboard, scouring the letters and studying the photographs.

  “Must have been some of the survivors before the IGS rounded them up,” Duncan said.

  “Or the infected invaded the place,” Jackson replied.

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  Jackson gazed at the camp and pointed to all the trees which were dotted along the perimeter.

  “No dead bodies, no bullet holes,” Jackson said.

  “Maybe they wanted them alive,” Duncan replied.

  “What would make them so highly sought after?” There was a hint of sarcasm in Jackson’s voice.

  Duncan spun round and stared angrily at Jackson who just stood, not flinching. He switched his gaze to me and I in turn just looked back, my gaze fixed.

  “This site is too open. We’ll go into the woods. Kaleb you’re on point.” Duncan walked off.

  Jackson turned and smiled at me. I couldn’t help but smile back. I thought that now Jackson had told me what was going on he felt more comfortable, as though he was relieved to have spoken to me back at the pub.

  I walked into the wood first. The trees lined the open field where the old camp had been. There was a narrow footpath which led along the top of the bank. This bank was quite steep and at the beginning of the wood it sloped down to the running stream. As we got further into the wood the stream disappeared and the bank moved down into a small valley covered by the trees.

  Duncan thought this was perfect cover to make camp. The trees were thick and in the dark it would be difficult to spot anybody that far down. Jackson was a little concerned about making camp in a valley, but he let Duncan go ahead with this idea.