By the time they had transferred all of the kit to the shelter, it was getting dark and was time to settle down for the long night ahead. The electricity had failed that afternoon and as the retail park had no gas supply, Jeff had to learn how to operate a GAZ cooker. Luckily, Lyndsey was an expert! She had camped with her parents in her youth and knew exactly what she was doing. Although the modern GAZ ‘Bistro Stoves’ were slightly different, she adapted quickly and soon there was a tasty looking supper bubbling away. A GAZ Lumostar Plus lantern lit the area and if the situation wasn’t so serious, it might have been quite romantic. The ration packs were pretty comprehensive and contained full meals with lots of options – including vegetarian. There were main meals, breakfasts and energy drinks. They weren’t cheap items to buy, and the nourishment contained therein would amply fulfill their dietary needs.
They passed the evening sitting on their improvised bed and after a while, it was quite warm and snug inside the igloo. They had a bright lime green compact camping heater to huddle around, but it wasn’t long before they could turn it down, as it got quite warm in the entire office.
They planned their missions for the next day, even though they hoped that the snow would have stopped by then and they could get back to normal. By 9pm, they were tucked up in bed, wearing the appropriated thermals and slept soundly until daylight.
Although it was quite warm enough in the ‘igloo’, the remainder of the office was freezing. Jeff quickly lit three of the gas heaters and jumped back into bed until it was safe to venture out. After about half an hour, heat seeped into the room and it was warm enough to get up, get dressed and cook breakfast – more camping rations - Menu seven: hot breakfast cereal with sultanas, chicken and vegetable pasta and chocolate chip creme dessert with the last of the potato crisps from the vending machine. The electricity was still down and Jeff didn’t reckon it would return again. These ration packs were a Godsend and without them they would have been going hungry!
After tidying the shelter, they dressed, turned down the heating and crossed over to the catering unit. They had to clear a fair amount of snow from the front entrance, which took a good thirty minutes of hard slog with shovels from their own store. Jeff broke in again using the small lump hammer, and they assessed the contents of the unit.
It was basically a very large kitchen, with food preparation areas to one side. They checked out the numerous fridge-freezers and discovered amongst other items: milk, butter, cheese, eggs, ham, salads, bacon, and meat. It was all still cold – the ambient temperature in the unit was well below four degrees C – normal fridge levels – so all of this would be usable. Fresh food would complement their ‘Rat Packs’ and make a welcome change. They took a box full of assorted items – including coffee, left a note, ensured that the fridge and freezer doors were ajar, pulled the shutter down and returned to the ‘igloo’ for lunch. The bacon and eggs had Jeff’s taste buds going, so a large fry-up was definitely in order.
They considered checking out the other units but decided that there was little more that they needed – especially supplies of cat food or plumbers mate!
And so Jeff and Lyndsey continued in this vein on a day to day basis, hoping each night that the morning would bring relief from the weather. They survived in their ‘igloo’ and occupied themselves with cooking, reading, sorting out the company paperwork – which was well overdue – and playing cards. It was incredibly boring most of the time, but they were alive after nine days and could only imagine what was happening outside their personal bubble. The snow was up to the first floor windows by now and forays outside were all but impossible. Jeff had tried climbing out of an upper storey window but sank quite deeply into the snow – so he gave that idea up very quickly indeed, and retreated to the safety of the ‘igloo’.
Their supplies were sufficient for another couple of weeks at the current rate of usage – but they would stretch a bit further if rationing became mandatory. Heating was not an issue as the GAZ was plentiful – Jeff had ‘borrowed’ all he could find from the camping store! Water was not an issue either. They had filled numerous twenty five litre containers with water before the external supply had frozen up – and were able to melt snow in the warmth of the igloo. The toilet was also still useable and half a bucket of melted snow washed away the waste. So, all in all, they were comfortable. Fear and trepidation filled their minds, but they had each other for mutual support and were making a damned good effort at surviving – and they probably would.
Nevertheless, they had one minor scare. Jeff had fallen into the habit of opening the office door whilst they slept, to provide ventilation for the gas heater. He was well aware of the dangers and was meticulous in his nightly drill to ensure that they didn’t suffer fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. Nevertheless, on the fifth night, for some unknown reason, the office door remained closed when they retired for the night and it was only the CO alarm, which they had taken from the camping shop that saved them. Lyndsey awoke and managed to ventilate the room and rouse Jeff before disaster struck. After that, Jeff became almost paranoid regarding ventilation and Lyndsey was never as warm again! Better safe than sorry was Jeff’s perennial motto after that.
The snow continued to fall and the couple continued to survive. The only question in their minds was – how long would they have to?
Day 10
Christmas Eve
En-route to Boston – 10:00am
Mike rose early to find his new guest – and old friend - already sitting in the kitchen, warming his feet by the fire. It was a fire that never went out. Mike had rostered duties within the household – one of which was a 24-hour fire watch, which meant full responsibility for keeping the flames going – day and night. The duty family member often slept on a camp bed in the kitchen so as not to disturb anyone else during the night. He or she was also responsible for keeping the stack of logs re-supplied from the cellars. Mike insisted on a permanent fire because a back-boiler also provided the entire building with central heating and hot water.
‘You’ll have to wait for breakfast, I’m afraid. No special treatment – even for guests at Christmas,’ quipped Mike.
‘No problem, I was just mulling over my plan. Any chance of a cuppa? That can’t be against the rules – surely?’ begged Brady.
‘OK, just this once,’ he smiled.
Mike turned to his eldest son, on fire watch today and lying in his cot.
‘Put the kettle on will you and make us all a cup of tea? I think we can spare a mince pie as well.’
The boy stoked up the fire before setting about brewing some tea. Mike glanced at Brady with a puzzled look.
`
‘Andy, why are you so determined to press on to Boston? You must realise the chances of getting away are minimal. Why not just stay here and help us through this damned weather? We could really use your expertise around the place and we’ve got enough resources to last months.’
Brady was philosophical in his reply.
‘You might well be right, Mike; in fact you probably are, but I’ve decided to give it a go. Someone needs to get to the European mainland and let them know just exactly what's been happening here. I’m certain that they do not realise the magnitude of the disaster. I need to get that information across to the people who are going to try and pick up the pieces – wherever they might be.’
Mike nodded.
‘Well, it's your decision, but surely you're not going to drag that poor girl along with you. She’s already suffering from the first signs of frostbite, and she’s close to exhaustion.’
‘I totally agree. She should definitely stay here – but how can I stop her? She's pretty determined and very much her own person. I’ll take her if she wants to come.’
Mike shook his head.
‘You're both mad! But I can't stop you either, so I’ll do all I can to help. Do you want to go over any of your route? I assume you are going to rest up here until tomorrow. You never know, it might stop snowing today.’
/>
‘I don’t think so,’ said Brady, ‘the UK is trapped in a vicious circle of low pressure and it appears to be getting deeper and deeper. I’ve looked at your barometer in the hall and it's firmly at the bottom of the scale. The pressure must be down in the 960’s! Of course, it has to start rising at some time – but when? Are you sure you can last out another week, or fortnight or month?’
Mike replied confidently.
‘Yes, I am. We have enough food here to last months. This is a very large pub-restaurant and we were stocked up with food for Christmas when all of this started. We have enough water and other liquids to last a couple of months at least. Fuel is not an issue either. We have a double Propane cylinder in its own protective brick-built shed – and the gas will flow in any temperature. Naturally, I ration the gas, but using it domestically will give us at least a month. We have enough burning wood to build a small log cabin – no – a large log cabin – and we are all together mentally. I see no major issues until it stops and that can't be more than another month – not unless the next Ice Age has arrived. If that's the case, then God help us all.’
Brady grinned. Good old Mike, he was the same self-assured personality that Brady knew of old, absolutely certain of his own ability to cope and survive. Good for him, thought Brady.
‘OK, there's not much else you can do, maybe you and I can spend the day together, talking things through to see what we can come up with. I might have missed something important.’
‘Agreed,’ beamed Mike.
The rest of the family, and Jane, started to filter into the kitchen for breakfast. The ‘duty cook’ was soon busy preparing a full fry, with toast, jam and tea for all. After eating the sumptuous fare the family addressed their allotted tasks for the day. Mike had pre-prepared a daily work sheet allocating tasks to everyone – including the three elderly family members. Mike reckoned it would stop them brooding - and grousing - if they were busy. He was quite right of course.
Brady was surprised at how well the family was coping with the stresses of the situation. It was all down to Mike really, who tried to keep them all occupied for every waking minute. Specific meal times, duties and responsibilities for all. Leisure periods were rostered, when all the family played cards or board games. Occupying everyone’s time was Mike’s number two priority.
His main priority was keeping them alive. Ventilation was a serious issue – certainly now that the snow was up to the first floor windows. There were three main chimneys in the property, and Mike ensured that the flues were clear and that the cowls on the pots were not blocked with snow. This job was completed twice daily by his son who also cleared the roofs of snow, to prevent overdue stress on the rafters. He knew that much more than four feet of snow lying on the roof could cause structural failure – and that would be a disaster. This regular maintenance sustained the integrity of the building, and most importantly kept the dreaded carbon monoxide at bay.
Brady was duly impressed. Mike had given him the full tour and it was apparent that he had forgotten very little. He'd even had the capacity to put up the Christmas decorations – which although limited to the kitchen reminded everyone that it was the festive season. Brady made the odd observation and Mike made notes – he would implement the objective and useful suggestions as soon as practicable.
‘Well, you seem to have thought of nearly everything, Mike. What are you going to do when the snow lies higher that the roof ridge? Do you think you can keep the roof intact?’
Mike was uncertain.
‘Don’t really know. We have to maintain the ventilation flow circulating though, and that's a bigger problem. Have to cross that bridge when and if it comes. However, it does occupy more of my thoughts the longer it keeps snowing. Jesus, it must stop soon – surely?’
‘Let's hope so, for the country’s sake. I just wonder how many people are still alive? How many people have adapted like you? How many people had the resources you have? How many people have the knowledge, skill and resolve to cope as you have? What is the Government doing? I can only assume that they are doing their best in extreme circumstances. Individual politicians must be in the same situation as we are. However, I don’t think we can really expect any immediate assistance from that quarter.’
Mike nodded assent.
‘I agree. You make some valid points. However, what we do not know is the extent of the weather. Is the entire UK affected? Is mainland Europe affected? Is the world affected? I suspect not because of the weather reports on TV before they went off air. It appeared to be a one-time phenomenon affecting only the UK. If so, we should expect limited assistance from Europe when the thaw begins. And that's another worry – what damage will the thaw reveal – catastrophic and tragic I suggest!’
‘And corpses by the thousand,’ weighed in Brady, ‘the public health issues don’t bear thinking about. The thaw itself will cause horrendous damage. The country – or what remains of it – will be swept into the sea!’
‘I know,’ sighed Mike, ‘I need to think very carefully about a strategy for coping with extensive floods. We might need a bloody Ark!’
‘It's one of the reasons for getting away to Europe. Any rescue or salvage effort must be organised from there. There must be a whole bunch of ex-pat Brits marooned in France just itching to get back home. I don’t think that will be possible for a while – but anyone in charge will need experienced leaders to help. Maybe I can contribute in some way?’
Mike led the way back into the kitchen.
‘I’d be obliged if you kept the end-game apocalypse scenario between us. I don’t want to worry the family until I have to.’
Brady nodded. ‘Of course, Mike. Mum’s the word, but I reckon your boys have worked it out already!’
They encountered Jane in the kitchen, helping with dinner. She was peeling a mountain of potatoes.
‘You’ll have washday hands if you're not careful,’ joked Mike.
‘Too late for that,’ retorted Jane, smiling.
‘Are you still game for tomorrow, Jane? How are your fingers and toes? I can see that your hooter has recovered its normal glow,’ bantered Brady.
‘I'll be fine, Andrew, you're not getting rid of me that easily! I plan to match you stride for stride. Just try stopping me!’
Mike and Brady exchanged glances.
‘Told you!’ said Brady, ‘I'm lumbered with her!’
After lunch, Brady, Jane and Mike went over the route several times, trying to identify nightstop locations. Normal housing would be useless. They would need to identify and find at least three-storey buildings for overnight shelter. Mike suggested that Brady repacked the backpacks and got rid of the sled. It would become increasingly difficult to pull, and most of the essentials could fit into the rucksacks. Brady agreed and after transferring the contents of the sled from the roof into the attic bedroom, they selected the items they considered most important. GAZ burners, packet soup and food, some spare clothing and brandy were first on the list. When they'd finished, the packs were relatively light – Brady had really over-estimated their needs in Grantham. But better safe than sorry, he argued glibly– and promptly donated the excess to Mike’s store.
Mike also suggested that they take a mini self-erecting pup tent for stops when they couldn’t find shelter. He had a two-man example which he used for fishing trips. He rescued it from a cupboard in the cellar and proceeded to give Brady and Jane a comprehensive lesson on how to erect it. After several rehearsals, the pair could erect the tent in less than sixty seconds. It took up very little room and fitted easily into Brady’s backpack. It was a very good option for the pair to have. Shelter would be harder and harder to find. All they would need to find now was a wall giving protection from the wind.
The rest of the evening was given over to several games of ‘Clag’, an old RAF crewroom card game similar to whist. By 10pm everyone except Mike, the duty fire watchman, had gone to bed. Brady thanked him again and indicated that they planned to be away by 0930 hou
rs and hoped to reach Hubberts Bridge before dark. He didn’t want to impinge on their Christmas celebrations – however muted they might be – after all it was a time for family, and Brady didn’t really want to be overly reminded of his personal loss and grief.
‘I’ll be here to help you on your way. Breakfast is at 0830 hours. Try and get a good nights’ sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.’
Brady settled into bed mulling over the events of the day. They were well prepared for their journey and the end was almost in sight. Just two more days and they'd be in Boston. Once safely holed up near the port, he could set about finding a boat.
He fell asleep praying that the sea wasn’t frozen.
Day 11
Christmas Day
En-route to Boston – 9:30am
The entire family had gathered for breakfast, but were strangely subdued for a Christmas morning. Nevertheless, after a round of bacon sandwiches, Jane and Brady prepared themselves for the journey ahead. After saying their goodbyes to the assembled throng, they dressed and checked their rucksacks one final time, before proceeding upstairs to the ‘escape hatch’ in the attic room. Mike’s son had already been on the roof and cleared the area around the window. It was still snowing, but the wind was not too strong.
Snow! The Series [Books 1-4] Page 37