Dan, driving the 4x4 was able to take the left-hand turn at a faster rate than Pamela in the camper, helped by the fact that she had cleared the way by ploughing a path through the Infected, he flew around the corner and straightened up, reselected four-wheel drive, and rammed the back of the campervan, the impact being cushioned by the crush of the Infected between the two vehicles.
Pamela was petrified, and her eyes were moist with tears, although she was doing all she could the van was not making any headway, and from her elevated position in the cab she could see more Infected joining the peripheral of the crowd that was surrounding her. She had only been in this predicament for a few seconds, but it seemed like an hour, and she was rapidly losing hope of getting out, then she felt the impact. Her head was slammed back in to the head rest, but her van jumped forward and then continued to do so, building up speed. The faces contorted with rage that were looking through the driver’s window were whipped away, only to be replaced by others with the same demeanour. Slowly, as the speed built up, the faces were changing at a faster rate, and, much to her relief she did not become acquainted with them. The campervan lurched violently from side to side as its wheels bumped over the bodies of the Infected that were forced to the ground but, crucially, it remained upright on its wheels and the speed continued to increase.
Pamela’s van cleared the crowd of Infected, only the odd one flew off the side as it was hit by the van, then she realised that she was travelling along at thirty miles per hour and could hardly see where she was going through her tears. She blinked rapidly and wiped the tears away as she drove out of the built-up area and on to the country road. Dan’s voice emitted from the radio, saying “Well that went better that expected.” Pam was not given to profanity, so she did not reply via the radio but said out loud, in a voice that was sobbing with relief, “Better than expected! That’s it, he is fucking nuts!” but she smiled and thought “And all the better for being so, a mad person in a crazy world, a perfect combination!”
Dan used the 4x4 to push the campervan forward and slowly made headway. The Infected that were trapped between the rear of the van and the front of Dan’s car were howling with rage and clawing at the widows of the van and the bonnet of the 4x4. As the speed built up he allowed the van to pull away, with the consequence that the released bodies to fell to the ground, and Dan bounced about on his seat as the 4x4 drove over them. This is turning out to be a good day he thought and expressed this sentiment as he spoke over the radio “Well that went better that expected!”
Pamela drove up towards the ambulance and stopped, staying in the van she waited for Dan to catch up, a short woman wearing a Paramedics uniform appeared from the ambulance carrying a bag of medical supplies. Pamela opening the sliding side door of the van and the Paramedic threw the bag in and said. “four more trips should do it.” She turned and jogged back to the ambulance. As Dan parked the 4x4 next to the campervan, Pamela looked back the way they had come and was shocked to see a horde of the Infected still running in pursuit. They were only 200 hundred metres away and were coming on fast, Dan had also seen them and said, “I assume you really want these supplies?” “Yes, we may be thankful for them at some stage.” replied Pamela “Okay, pass me the rifle then help Amanda, but when I shout ‘move’ you leave whatever is left, and drive away!” He took the rifle, loaded a round in to the breech, then took up a prone firing position on the ground. He had not fired a rifle in twenty years, but the firing position and principles of marksmanship were once so practiced that as soon as the butt was in his shoulder it felt like only yesterday that he had fired his last round as a sniper.
He breathed in, then let half a breath out, the Range was 200 metres so he aimed in to the centre of the leading Infected’s chest and took up the slack in the trigger, then gently squeezed a round off. The target dropped, taking three others with it as they stumbled, then being pushed over by those flowing behind, but the rest kept on coming. Firing again and again, each time the Infected dropped but still the rest came on and they were now less than one hundred metres and still coming on strong. He was just about to tell Pamela to move but he heard the horn of the campervan blaring away and looked round as Pamela shouted “Move!” “Okay, go, go, go!” Dan shouted as he applied the safety catch on the weapon and jumped up. The Campervan sped off with Pamela at the wheel and Amanda as passenger. He got into his 4x4, slammed it into gear, and set off after the Camper just as the leading Infected reached the rear bumper, “You have got to admire their persistence!” he thought as he drove away with the Infected still running after him.
They had driven a mile along the now quiet country road when Dan called Pamela over the radio and asked her to pull over. Once they had got out of the vehicles Dan removed the magazine from the rifle, ejected the round from the breach and placed it back in to the top of the magazine. Then double checking the chamber was empty, he let the working parts slide forward, aimed the weapon in a safe direction, turned off the safety catch and pulled the trigger. There was a “click” as the firing pin was thrust forward onto an empty chamber, he then reapplied the safety and inserted a full magazine. Handing it over the Pamela saying “I fired ten rounds, we have 140 remaining. I’ll give the vehicles a quick check, then we can move on. Please, both of you, keep a good look out.”
He checked the campervan first. The bonnet was massively dented and there was blood dripping on to the floor, blood had also been forced upwards along the windscreen and had been smeared by the wipers as Pamela had attempted to clear it. The radiator grill was smashed but fortunately the radiator itself was okay. The 4x4 was in much the same state but the damage was superficial and both vehicles were still serviceable. Dan took a quick look around and then said, “Good to go?” The women nodded, and Dan said this is our meeting point or rendezvous (RV) should we become separated. Next scheduled stop is where I stashed the shotgun, shells and food, let’s go.” They all climbed into the vehicles and with Dan taking the lead, they drove off.
This drive was less fraught, and it gave the women a chance to talk, Amanda looked across to Pam and holding out her hand said “Hi, I’m Amanda.” Pamela glanced across and replied, “Doctor Charles.” Even without seeing the crestfallen look on Amanda’s face, Pamela immediately regretted her aloof response, she had to remember that the old world was gone, and along with it the old social etiquettes and the perceived class system. “I’m sorry!” she said “Let’s start again, please call me Pamela! And I’m very pleased to meet you Amanda!”
After the initial false start, it did not take the two women long to melt the ice, they chatted almost non-stop, only stopping to acknowledge Dan as he pointed out the latest “RV”. It took less than an hour to get to their objective, and by the time they arrived the two women were behaving as if they had known each other for years.
Dan loaded half the food and shotgun shells into the 4x4 and the rest into the campervan, then replenished the supply of shells in his pockets. It was getting late and he knew they would soon be losing daylight, so he said to the girls “Shall we find somewhere to stop?” They agreed, so with Dan leading in the 4x4 they drove off in search of a safe refuge for the night.
They found an isolated rural garage, but Dan drove straight past it and continued for half a mile before stopping. After making sure that Amanda could drive his car he took the shotgun, sword and radio and walked back towards the garage. As he approached, he left the road and crossed a field and stopped to observe, there were a few cars for sale at the front of the forecourt and a tanker was parked over to the far side as if ready to deliver fuel. He watched for fifteen minutes but could see no movement. He retreated and then took a long route around and then made his way towards the rear of the garage, then settled down to observe again. Still he saw no movement. Dan did not want the radio to suddenly burst in to life and give his position away as he got closer to the garage so he called Pamela, “I’m going in to take a closer look and see it I can get inside, don’t call me on the radio
unless you absolutely have to!” he said, to which she responded “Okay, take care!”
Dan crept forward cautiously keeping a good lookout in all directions but especially on the garage, a movement caught his eye, he stopped and slowly lowered himself to the ground keeping his eyes on the spot where he had spotted the movement. He saw it again and this time recognised the shape of a man. Dan crawled forward very slowly, not making a sound, from his new position he saw the man was wearing a set of overalls as worn by the fuel company’s drivers and Dan knew instantly that the driver was infected. Dan knew he would have to deal with him, and quietly, so as not to alert anyone holed up in the garage to his presence. He crawled forward again until he was just behind the driver who was clawing weakly at the rear door, focusing on something inside. In a single movement, Dan stood up and swung the sword at the neck of the Infected, dropping it to the ground with a dull thud where it lay still. Dan was about the peer through the window, but the door opened and in the threshold stood a young man of about twenty years of age. They just looked at each other, then the young man said, “Thank you that “thing” has been creeping around here for days now.” Dan said, “You are most welcome, I’m Dan by the way.” “I’m Peter, it is good to see a friendly face. I have been on my own since this whole thing started.” said the lad, “Me too!” lied Dan. Peter looked around and said, “Please come in.” and he stepped back in to the building. Dan sheaved the sword and held the shotgun casually in a manner that was not threatening but in such a way that he could bring it to bear quickly if he had to, then he stepped through the door.
Peter explained to Dan that he had been on his own since the start of the outbreak as his parents had gone to the city on a shopping trip that day leaving him in charge of the garage, they had never returned. Peter had been listening to the radio and was, to a certain extent, aware of what was happening, so he had closed the garage, but he did have to wait for a delivery. At around mid-morning the tanker had arrived, but almost as soon as it had the driver had got out of his cab he collapsed to the ground, then after a short while he had turned in to the “Thing” and “it” had been stalking Peter ever since.
The whole time that Peter was taking Dan was looking around, checking the place out. Peter said, “I really am pleased to have you here, so please do satisfy yourself that this is a safe place, then you can invite your friends in” and he pointed at the radio that was clipped to Dan’s jacket. “Clever boy.” said Dan, smiling, and set about exactly that, making sure the place was safe.
The garage had a workshop with two steel roller shutter doors that permitted access to vehicles, Dan asked if they could be opened. Peter replied “Yes, I have the key and the shutters are opened by pulling on those chains.” Dan checked the outside was clear then said, “Let’s get these doors open.”
As soon as the doors were open Dan stepped outside, it was fully dark now, Dan was keen to get the girls in to safety, so he called them on the radio, and asked them to drive the vehicles slowly back towards the garage but to keep the headlights off. As they pulled onto the forecourt he told them to reverse into the workshop, and as soon as the vehicles were in the building, he and Peter closed and locked the shutters.
Introductions completed, Pamela and Amanda cooked a meal using the stove in the campervan, while Dan checked the security of the building with Peter. They sat down to eat taking it in turns to keep a lookout, it had been a long day so once the meal had been finished, they sorted out a rota so that someone would be on watch all night, then settled down to get some sleep.
The following morning, they had breakfast, with someone keeping watch on the outside. Dan, who was oblivious to this sort of thing, did not notice, but Pam smiled to herself as she watched Peter and Amanda together. It was obvious they had a mutual attraction, they were of roughly the same age, so it made perfect sense.
The Garage turned out to be a good place to stay, it was not a long-term solution, but it was off the beaten track and quite secure, so it would be good base to operate from while they searched for provisions and a more suitable place to live. Given the fact that they would be staying at the garage, Dan and Peter removed the body of the infected driver and buried him without ceremony in a field behind the garage. As they were filling in the grave Dan wondered how the man had become infected and asked Peter “Were there any other infected people around at the time this guy turned?” Peter replied, “Not that I could see.” “Then how did he become infected?” mused Dan.
They walked to the tanker and Dan looked around it, there was no sign of damage to the outside, so it did not look like the vehicle or driver had been in an altercation with the infected on route to the garage, so how had the driver succumbed to infection? Dan climbed up into the cab and noticed some dried blood on the seat and the inside door handle, there was also blood on a smart phone that was lying on the dashboard, the same type of Dan had seen before in abandoned cars and in the bushes near to Amanda’s ambulance. Dan wondered if this could be more than just a coincidence, prodding the smartphone with a pen and slowly turning it around, he looked very carefully. Then he saw it, a tiny needle sticking out of the side of the device, and the method and rate of infection suddenly made perfect sense to him.
Over the following week, Dan trained everyone in the use of the weapons and taught them some tactics that would help keep them alive, both Peter and Amanda were bright and picked up the training well. Pamela was spending a lot of time with Amanda increasing her medical knowledge and they were both giving Dan and Peter a crash course in First Aid. Throughout the week, they were making plans and discussing what sort of place they would be looking for, and with each of them contributing they made a list of items that they thought they would need in both the near and long-term future. This grew on an almost hourly basis and proved to be a very long list indeed! Weapons were at the top, being Dan’s first contribution, then there was food, water, more medical supplies and antibiotics too. Peter added wind turbines and solar panels to this ever-growing inventory.
Peter turned out to be a very handy, he could weld and was a good mechanic, he worked on the campervan and the 4x4, fitting them with “Bull Bars” to push the infected out of the way, then fitting grills over the windows. Dan, working with him, commented “This is like a scene from the “A-Team.” referring to the old TV show, but the reference was lost on the younger man and Dan just said, “I must be getting old.” When they had finished the “armouring” of the vehicles Dan said, “You are a good mechanic.” “Thanks, my Dad taught me all I know.” said the younger man and then he was silent for a while before asking “Do you think my Mum and Dad could still be alive?” Dan did not hesitate “There is always a chance, but if you are asking me what I think then the answer would be ‘no’, I’m sorry.” Peter said, “I think you are right, but I cannot help hoping they may still be out there somewhere.”
Dan and Pamela were sleeping in the campervan and Peter had turned the garage office into his bedroom. Amanda also had her own place to sleep but when Pamela pointed out that over the last couple of nights she had been unable to find Amanda in her own sleeping area the younger woman’s cheeks flushed, and when Pam added condoms to the very top of the ever-growing provisions list, Amanda’s cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red!
They had been at the garage for a week and not a car had driven past. The only sound of modern life being the sound of helicopters that seemed to be crisscrossing the countryside as if they were looking for something. The quartet ensconced within the garage did see the Infected, sometimes individually, but mostly in smaller or large groups. They kept out of sight and most of the Infected passed by, those that did take a prolonged interest in the garage were dispatched with the shotgun, or if possible, silently with the sword and buried next to the tanker driver in the field.
It was time to start collecting the items on the list, Dan said “If we were going to have a chance of getting any of this gear and surviving in the process, we are going to need to be
able to protect ourselves, so we are going to need more weapons.” They could all see the logic in this, so they set about planning.
The next day at first light, Dan and Peter set off in the 4x4 to the nearest Army barracks, leaving the girls with the shotgun and all the shells. They parked well away from the camp and slowly walked in towards the camp, Dan showing Peter the finer points of patrolling as they went. Dan was carrying the sword and Peter was armed with the SA80-A2 assault rifle.
The camp was a total mess, rotting bodies were everywhere and one was even hanging from a lamppost by its neck. Some of the buildings were burnt out and the perimeter fence had been breached in several places by vehicles that had been driven through. Dan took the rifle from Peter and looked through the telescopic sight, its 4-x zoom afforded him a better view of the landscape. None of the bodies of the soldiers had weapons lying near to them, either they were killed by the infected before they could arm themselves or someone had removed the weapons after they had died. Dan whispered, “I think we should stay here and observe for a while.”
Dan instructed Pete to face the other way so that no one, or anything could approach from the rear unseen, they then settled down to wait and watch. After an hour, Dan whispered “There is movement in the camp, so keep still!” he had seen an armed man leaving a building, escorting a woman at gunpoint and taken her into another building. “This is no good, we are leaving.” he handed the rifle back to Pete and said, “Follow me, and keep low!”
Once they were clear Dan told Pete about the armed man and the woman, “We could talk to him.” said Peter. Dan replied “We could, but we don’t how many there are. We should try for weapons elsewhere first, as we need to be able to protect ourselves, meaning all four of us with a weapon and plenty of ammunition. Once we are stronger then we can investigate what is going on here and maybe talk to them, but I would like to covertly observe this place for long enough to establish what is going on here before approaching the camp, this is a different age we are living in. We must not be too trusting!” “Okay” said Peter “Let’s go then.”
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