by Hatchett
Daniel looked at his watch. “It’s only 8pm, so we’ve got an hour before the curfew starts.”
“Yes, but there’s hardly anyone wandering around outside so it might look a bit suspicious,” Shauna continued.
“I’ll go,” Nelson piped up. “You’re all doin’ things to help and I’m sittin’ on my arse doin’ nothin’.”
“I’ll go with you,” Grace quickly added.
“Are you sure?” Daniel asked with concern.
“It’ll be betta if we go rather than you. Don’t forget, we’re part of the gang.”
“Ok but be careful and get back as quick as you can.”
Grace grabbed her coat as Nelson stood up from his seat and stretched. He accepted the keys from Daniel and made his way to the door to wait for Grace.
“Good luck guys,” Isaac said before adding, “perhaps me and Zak should also take a stroll in the opposite direction? Might divert attention.”
“Good idea,” Daniel replied, “go and have a look at the Crown Jewels. In fact, why don’t Rhys and I come with you and we can make a big song and dance of it. Once we’ve gone, Nelson and Grace can sneak out and go the other way.”
“What about me? Shauna asked.
“You’re welcome to come with us,” Daniel advised.
“Ok, I’m coming,” Shauna said, quickly rising to her feet.
Daniel made his way to the door, Nelson stepping aside. He opened the door and walked out, quickly followed by Rhys, Isaac, Zak, and Shauna.
As soon as he stepped outside, he cursed himself under his breath for not checking if the coast was clear before they left the cottage. They walked straight into the Judge and Jury, with Bill and Ben following. Daniel could see that the Judge had the sceptre in his hand and had also found a few rings and other trinkets to adorn his body. The Jury was likewise covered in jewels.
“Hello Judge, Jury.” Daniel nodded as they came towards him. “The sceptre suits you Judge, and as for those earrings and bangles,” he added as he turned to the Jury, “they look great.”
The Jury enjoyed the compliments and the Judge smiled. “Like Aladdin’s cave that buildin’,” the Judge commented, “although easier to find. There’s a lot of shit in there, so you have to be a bit selective. We’ve just been for another look around.”
“Nothing for you guys?” Daniel asked, turning to Bill and Ben with a grin on his face. There was no answer nor even any acknowledgement from them; they both looked exactly the same as when they had entered the Jewel House the previous day.
Out of the corner of his eye Daniel saw Mamba approaching with Ahmed. ‘As if things couldn’t get any worse’ he thought to himself, but kept his smile plastered on his face.
“What am I missin’?” Mamba asked as he approached. “Looking good Judge, Jury. Where’d you get the bling?”
“In that buildin’ over there,” the Jury replied, pointing in the direction of the Waterloo Block. “Help yourself.”
Daniel saw an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. “We were just on our way to have a look if you fancy joining us?”
Mamba looked at the five of them, a slight smile brightening his face when he spotted Shauna. “Where’s the other two?”
“Didn’t fancy it,” Daniel quickly put in.
Mamba considered the option. “Ok, sounds like a plan. Ahmed, you go and check the guards.” With that Mamba started walking in the direction of the Waterloo Block while Ahmed turned and walked in the other direction.
Daniel, Rhys, Isaac, Zak, and Shauna hurried to catch up with Mamba as the Judge, Jury and Bill and Ben headed back to their cottage.
43
Day 6 – 20:20
Tower of London, Inner Ward
Nelson and Grace had been listening carefully to the conversation outside the door. Bumping into the Judge and Jury had not part of the plan, and when Mamba appeared they thought that their opportunity to sneak out was lost. Thankfully, Daniel’s quick thinking had resolved the situation, although they’d still have to be careful of Ahmed doing his rounds.
Nelson checked that the way was clear and couldn’t hear anything before he opened the door wide enough to let himself and Grace slink out. Grace quietly closed the door behind them and they started walking towards the main path by the White Tower, moving as quickly and as quietly as possible and keeping to the grass and shadows where they could.
They passed under a couple of large oak trees before reaching the pathway and doubling back, quickly descending the steps which would take them back towards the Bloody Tower. It was pitch black except for the light coming from the various buildings and the moon and stars above. As they moved along, they looked around and could see some guards on the inner and outer ramparts, silhouetted against the night sky. There didn’t appear to be anyone else around.
Thankfully the guards on the inner rampart were currently closer to the Lanthorn Tower than the Bloody Tower, so there was not much chance they would be seen in their quest to reach the Outer Ward.
They reached the gate under the Bloody Tower without incident. It was closed but not locked, so they carefully opened the gate, trying to make sure there was no clanking or squeaking of metal. They managed to open it a couple of feet and edged through the gap. They then kept close to the wall as they edged towards the Outer Ward. At the corner, they looked both ways, and again, the way appeared clear.
Nelson nodded to Grace and they moved into the Outer Ward in the direction of Henry III’s Watergate. It was only about twenty metres up a slight incline and it didn’t take long to reach. They both settled into the alcove and Nelson pulled the bunch of keys from his pockets. They made what seemed like a loud noise in the silence and Nelson quickly grabbed them in one hand to silence them as Grace grimaced. They both stood still for a few seconds before Nelson opened his hand and looked at the keys in his palm.
“Fuck,” he whispered, “do you know which key we need?”
Grace lent forwards and looked, but it was difficult to see in the darkened alcove. She tugged Nelson’s arm to guide him out of the alcove into the Outer Ward where she might be able to see what she was doing. Once there was some better light, it didn’t take Grace long before she selected the key she felt sure would open the gate. Nelson was about to go back into the alcove when someone shouted, “Who’s there?” Grace and Nelson stood still but the voice came again, louder this time. “I said who’s there!”
Grace stepped further into the Outer Ward and looked up towards the ramparts. “It’s me, Grace,” she said, as Nelson sidled towards the alcove.
“What the fuck you doin’ girl?” came the voice from above.
“Just takin’ a walk,” Grace replied.
As she finished what she was saying she heard footsteps and turned to see Ahmed approaching with half a dozen guards.
“Caught in the act,” he stated as he came up to Grace. He looked into the alcove and ordered Nelson to join him. Nelson slowly slid the keys into his pocket as he turned and walked over to where Ahmed and Grace were standing. “We thought someone had unlocked the gates because we were sure they were locked before. The question is why you would wanna unlock them. You tryin’ to escape? There’s nothin’ out there but death. You tryin’ to let them monsters in? Why would you do that?”
Nelson and Grace remained silent.
“Take them and put them in the cells next to the other prisoners,” Ahmed ordered.
Grace found her breath. “You can’t do that! We’ve done nothin’ wrong!”
“We’ll let Mamba decide,” Ahmed replied with shrug. The guards grabbed Nelson and Grace and started marching them towards the White Tower. Ahmed set off in search of Mamba.
44
Day 6 – 20:40
Tower of London, Tower Wharf
On the other side of the gate at Henry III’s Watergate, Issy had been listening to events unfold inside the Tower. She heard Nelson and Grace as they were taken away and knew that the teams couldn’t stay where they were.
“Bravo Team here,” came the response.
“The gates aren’t going to be opened and we can’t stay here. We need to move back. Let’s head for the boats.”
“Wait a moment. We’ve got a hotel next door, why don’t we head there and regroup?”
Issy considered the suggestion. “Good idea. Let’s meet outside the entrance. Snipers, are you ok to stay where you are? Is it safe? You could be there for twenty-four hours at least.”
“Alpha snipers here, we’re fine, we’ve got all we need to stay here for a few days if necessary.”
“Bravo snipers here, no problem for us.”
“Ok, stay where you are and await next steps. If things take longer than expected, then you can join us at the hotel. Everyone else to the Tower Bridge hotel entrance.”
With that, Issy turned and saw that some of Team Alpha were already shuffling off in the hotel’s direction, merging with the hordes of zombies along Tower Wharf. Issy followed and was soon following along in their wake. It was only around sixty metres to the East Gate under Tower Bridge then a further fifteen metres to the hotel.
The two teams congregated just outside the hotel, staring up at a large Starbucks on their left. The lights were off in the coffee shop but Issy could see figures wandering around inside as she caught up.
She noticed a signpost to the entrance and carried on moving in the direction indicated, effectively walking along a driveway parallel to the river, the teams following her. They passed the hotel’s brasserie on their left and could clearly see zombies milling about between the tables and chairs before they reached a set of motion-sensor glass doors leading into the brightly lit reception area of the hotel.
Issy waited for the rest of the teams to catch up, making sure she was out of range of the door sensors but scouting the reception area through the glass. Thankfully, there were very few zombies in the sheltered area where they were now standing. While she waited, Issy took out her bowie knife and dispatched a couple of zombies while some of the other soldiers followed her lead and took out a few more.
Once she was satisfied everyone had caught up, she walked off a few yards to a wall, speaking into her microphone as she went. “Form a barrier around me so we don’t get any unwanted visitors.” The teams did as they were told and Issy looked into the faces in front of her. She was proud to see that there was no fear in their eyes, just fierce determination.
“Perhaps a stupid question but does anyone know the layout of the hotel?”
One of the soldiers clicked their microphone and started to move forwards. It was one of the three females in the group, a woman Issy eventually recognised as Sally Gardiner from Team Bravo once she was able to look past all the gore covering her face. Sally or ‘Sal’ as she was known was in her late twenties, had short brown hair and was about Issy’s height at five feet five inches tall. Issy didn’t know much about the woman except she was a good, dependable, and skilled soldier who wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, or face in this case. Sal moved up to Issy and Issy asked, “What do you know Sal? Anything might help.”
“I was here for a long weekend with my boyfriend a couple of years ago, so things might have changed, but I think this is a second entrance because the one we used was around the corner by the cark park. If you go through the other door, I remember the concierge desk and lifts are on the right and there’s a lobby bar area on the left. The reception desk is just past the lifts on the right.”
“You can see the reception desk from here,” Issy noted pointing through the glass. All heads turned in the direction she was pointing as they listened to the commentary coming through their earpieces, building a picture of the building they were about to enter.
Sal was also looking through the glass, “That’s right, and you can also see the stairs leading up to the mezzanine floor; that’s where the main bar is, looking over the Thames and Tower Bridge. I think the restaurant was also on that floor.”
“Thanks Sal. Right, Team Bravo, you’ve got the second entrance around the corner. Team Alpha will take this entrance. Get your knives ready, we’ll take it nice and slow. The aim is to clear the reception area and block the doors, then we can regroup and go up the stairs. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Team Bravo started shuffling off further down the driveway, following Sal who had taken the lead.
Issy and Team Alpha moved up to the glass to take a better look of the reception area and stairs; there were plenty of zombies milling about and plenty of blood splashed generously around the marble floors and walls.
A few minutes later they all heard ‘Team Bravo, ready’ before Issy ordered, “Ok, take it slow, there’s a marble floor in there and plenty of blood on it so it will be slippery. There’s also quite a few zombies in there as well, and they’re bound to be attracted to us when the doors swish open. We go in ten.”
Issy started the countdown and when she reached zero, both teams simultaneously moved forward and triggered the doors. There was a rush of fetid air as they entered the reception area, spreading out and stabbing any zombies within range. Their arrival attracted the level of attention they expected, and zombies headed in their direction, only slowing, and losing interest as they got closer.
Within just a few minutes the two teams met up with each other just off the reception desk, the light marble floor now a shade of red and littered with bodies.
Issy started issuing orders to the soldiers around her. “You two, check the lobby bar area, you two the concierge, you two the reception desk and offices, you four the lifts, you six the brasserie, you two the toilets, you two the seating area, the rest of you find things to block off the entrances.”
Issy watched the soldiers move off to carry out their orders while she and the leader of Team Bravo, a man named Don White, looked towards the mezzanine level at the top of stairs to see what might be awaiting them. Don was in his late thirties, with dark hair, beard, and brown eyes. He was a big man, just over six feet tall but also wide and strong. He had been a Staff Sergeant for years, generally whipping new recruits into some semblance of a soldier. They couldn’t see a great deal from where they stood, and even moving around didn’t help them much. The stairs doubled back on themselves about halfway up so all they could really see were marble tiles.
“What do you think Don?” Issy asked.
“I think we should clear the floor above then find some food a drink and some rooms which overlook the Tower.
“Sounds good, maybe we’ll……”
“Who’s down there and what do you want?” came a voice from somewhere above them.
The noise of the soldiers’ steps as they checked the ground floor stopped immediately and heads turned in the direction of the mezzanine floor.
“Army,” Issy responded. “Who are you?”
“I’m the hotel Manager.”
“What’s your status?”
“What do you mean?”
Issy rolled her eyes, “Are you alright? Are you alone?”
“Oh, I see. We’re fine for the moment. There’s about forty of us, but we’ve got a couple who are injured. How do I know you’re who you say you are?”
“How about I show you my gun?” Issy responded sarcastically. “You don’t have much choice with thirty armed soldiers down here.”
By now, the two teams had returned to where Issy was standing. She quickly indicated that some soldiers should split into three smaller groups of four and use the lifts while she would take the stairs with the remainder of the team. The twelve soldiers quickly moved over to the three lifts, pressed the call button, and climbed aboard.
“I’m coming up the stairs,” Issy shouted then walked across and started climbing, closely followed by the rest of the group, their automatics at the ready. She turned the corner halfway up and could see the top of the stairs barricaded, with a couple of heads looking over on the top.
Issy stopped. “Are you the manager?�
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“Yes.”
“Ok, move the barrier.”
The barrier turned out to be a chaise longue with a couple of sets of drawers sitting on top of it. Issy heard the grunts and groans of a couple of people pushing the obstruction out of the way as she climbed the last few steps. She held out her hand to shake hands with the Manager, but he just looked at all the blood and gore and unconsciously put his hand in his pocket. He looked to be in his fifties with greying dark hair and greying moustache and goatee beard. He was still in his suit and looked like a typical city type.
“What in God’s name happened to you?”
“Don’t worry, all this is self-inflicted,” Issy advised as she reached the top and lowered her arm, noting the two people with the Manager. The soldiers following Issy passed by and began to spread out, keeping an eye out for any danger. As they did so, the lifts pinged, and the other twelve soldiers emerged and spread out.
“Jesus, you lot stink,” the Manager opined, wrinkling his nose. “Are you sure you’re not injured?”
“We’re fine,” Issy replied. “you need to do this to be able to blend in with the zombies. I’m Issy.”
“Rather you than me Issy. I’m Geoff.”
“Good to meet you Geoff. First things first, where are the injured?”
“Just through here,” Geoff replied indicating a passageway which appeared to lead to some bedrooms. Come with me and I’ll show you.”
“Where’s everyone else?”
“In the bar over there,” Geoff replied, pointing to a pair of doors in the corner.
Issy nodded to Don to take the bar while she and four soldiers followed Geoff towards the bedroom.
“How many are injured?” Issy asked.
“Just two.”
“How did it happen?”
“A couple of guys went a bit stir crazy and tried to leave. Of course, they were attacked and quickly came back to us, but not before they sustained some injuries. They nearly got us all killed, those things crawling up the stairs to try to get to us. Luckily, we had some poles and managed to push them back. Once they fell back down, they seemed to forget about us.”