by Haywood, RR
through the deep countryside.
It went silent for a moment and I stared up through the window to the sun still climbing high. A day of days already. Not a breeze in the air. Not a cloud in the sky. I was choosing my moment, and it felt right to ask what was on my mind. ‘This isn’t revenge for us is it, Henry?’ I asked.
‘Of course not,’ Henry said while looking out of the window to his side.
‘Because I’m fine if it is,’ I said as Frank shot Henry another look and the silence once more came back as we followed the van onto Harbolets Road and through Broadford Bridge. A small hamlet of houses opposite a farm. Infected seen in the fields heading northeast.
The Saxon in the lead. Tappy holding the road squat and centre. Leading the charge as we went through Adversane. A country pub on the main road. A few infected outside. A couple of moments spared. A few words given.
We can’t stay. Head for the fort. Don’t touch the bodies.
Then we were back onto the road driving on. A mile or two and we saw thick smoke in the air ahead of us. Plumes of it coiling up into the sky from a lumber yard stacked with wood. The houses and buildings burning with it. But it was old. Not new. Maybe a day ago. The walls and structures had already crumbled in.
Of any survivors there was no sign, and we drove on with each vehicle slowing to look and ponder the fate of the people that lived there.
We hit the first roundabout at the edge of the town and once more proceeded without a briefing – much to Henry’s irritation.
But we did see more infected on the road, and more in the fields all roughly heading in the same direction. Tappy was killing the ones she could drive over, and I smiled with a grimace at the thought of her and Nick having to pick body parts and scalps out of the vents and pipes again. ‘Dick on a stick,’ I muttered with a laugh.
‘Pardon?’ Joan asked me.
I said it was just something one of the lads said as we went past some multi-purpose sports fields next to a set of larger buildings. A leisure centre and school side by side, and we could see tendrils of smoke coming from the buildings, plus the outer perimeter chain-link fence had been busted down in a few places.
‘We’ll go in and check,’ Howie ordered over the radio as Henry tutted again, but we followed the vehicles in and came to a stop on the concrete tennis courts. The fences ripped down. The nets hanging and broken.
The buildings looked silent, dark, and empty. The windows smashed. The doors broken, but it was recent. We could see that. Wet blood was on the walls and we could smell burning in the air and see smoke, but there were no obvious signs of fire.
‘Is that toast?’ Roy whispered, earning a sharp look from Henry once we’d all gathered together. ‘My arm was tingling.’
‘It’s from the medical bag you had on your back. The straps were too thin,’ Henry said, and I could see he was biting the frustration down. ‘Mr Howie?’ he prompted. Meaning can we go?
Howie nodded. ‘We’ll be quick. Tappy, drive around the outside. Paula, you and Marcy stay here with Reggie. Everyone else get ready to go inside and check.’
‘What for!?’ Henry asked. ‘The CP clearly isn’t here. You have to cease these constant stops. It’s bloody infuriating.’ He turned to sweep his eyes over the building line as Dave ordered Mo up front and everyone else started getting ready.
‘Wait!’ Henry said as the others paused and watched him pulling his rifle strap over his head and making ready as he tutted and huffed then walked out to address them all. ‘Right, listen in. The mission objective is to clear those buildings. Time is a factor so we will do a fast sweep through to search for survivors. There are three sets of buildings. The school. The leisure centre and those council offices. Frank, take Bash and clear the council offices. I will take the leisure centre with Carmen. Dave will take the school with Mohammed. Mr Howie. I propose you hold in readiness to give support in the event of a contact.’
‘Yeah. Sure,’ Howie said. ‘But er, I can go in though if you need more people. I mean. We’ve done this a lot now.’
‘This isn’t the time for another pissing contest, Mr Howie.’
‘Fuck’s sake. I didn’t mean that, Henry! I was just saying-.’
‘It’s hot as fuck!’ Paula said, glaring at both of them.
‘Make ready,’ Henry ordered with all of my team activating the red laser sights on our rifles.
‘Yo, Dave. Why’s don’t we have those?’ Mo asked, looking over at us..
‘Because we can aim properly,’ Dave said as we all blinked in surprise.
‘Did Dave just make a joke?’ Frank asked.
‘I think he did,’ I said, staring at Dave’s expressionless face while getting the impression he was smiling on the inside.
‘Move out!’ Henry ordered.
We started forward with Henry and I going for the leisure centre while Henry grumbled about Howie needing to check every bloody house in every bloody street and that at this rate we’ll never bloody well get anywhere. But, by the time we were nearing the first point of entry, he’d stopped moaning and was lowering into a combat sweep stance with his rifle up in the aim position.
I could sense him focussing too, and it was weird because it had been a long time since I’d done any kind of active role with Henry. His reputation in our world was unmatched, but then I wondered if he’d got rusty. It was also good that he split the teams up otherwise it would always be me and Frank doubling up and Henry and Bash. Henry never liked that. He liked to keep the teams mixing so we integrated. He said it prevented cliques forming.
We reached the first set of doors into the building and we both stacked up outside. Listening and letting our senses adjust to the specifics of this defined area.
‘I think Frank will like working with Bash,’ Henry whispered. ‘US special forces trained him, and guess who one of his instructors was?’
‘Stavi?’
Henry nodded, and I knew what he meant. It meant Bash was taught properly. Which is because Stavi was taught properly. Which is because he was taught by Henry. ‘Bloody pig farmer,’ he muttered before motioning that he will go first. I took his back and gave him the tap then we swept inside to a long entry corridor.
Squash courts to the left and a junction ahead that opened out to a reception area. Chairs overturned. Blood smeared over the walls.
A set of double doors. Henry went first. I paused for a second then followed suit. Aiming left while Henry aimed right. A modern gymnasium. Treadmills and rowers. Cycles and resistance training machines.
Sweat and detergent in the air. We clocked the bottles of cleaner used to wipe the machines down and figured people were still using the gym.
Out the doors. Back to reception and into the female changing rooms. A body on the floor. An infected with a knife handle jutting out of one eye. Blood on the floor from a fight. Another body in the shower amidst a large pool of blood. A woman in exercise gear with slit wrists. A dropped razor at her side. A bite mark on her arm. A nod from Henry to me. Both of us grasping the events. The woman used the gym then came for a shower when the infected got inside. She was bit and took her own life.
We swept through the offices moving low and fast and using hand signals at points of danger and I could feel that Henry was enjoying it. Being back in the field and on the ground. His senses primed. His breathing controlled. He’d spent too many years in an office. Too many years in London. Too many years of traffic fumes and grey skies.
But it was all gone, and he was back on the ground once again. Rifle in hand and sweeping through a building looking for the enemy. Like I said. I got the feeling this mission was revenge for us, but I also meant it when I said I was cool with it if it was a revenge job.
Either way. It was good to see Henry back to doing proper craft, but then our foe was formed. We were hunting a monster. A killer of babies and women. The elusive CP that was somewhere ahead of us.
I could see it in his eyes. Reginald’s plan was working, and he was getti
ng drawn into the game.
Charlotte
And so Henry took off to clear the buildings, which was a weird dynamic as Mr Howie was going to do it, then he got moaned at by Henry for another delay then watched Henry go and do the thing he was going to do. Yep. It was all a bit weird, so the rest of us pretended not to notice and waited outside on the tennis courts.
‘We would have done it by now,’ Howie muttered.
‘Let them get hot and sweaty for a change,’ Clarence said.
‘Talking of hot,’ Tappy said, trying to change the subject. ‘Bash, Henry and Frank. Snog, marry, sex.’
‘Urgh, Tappy!’ Cookey said.
‘Ooh,’ Marcy said, waggling her fingers in delight at the question. ‘Okay, so… Er… snog Frank, sex with Henry, marry Bash.’
‘Jesus, Marcy, you didn’t even hesitate,’ Howie said.
‘It’s too hot for stupid games,’ Paula said.
‘Charlie?’ Tappy asked.
‘But if I had to choose,’ Paula said. ‘Snog Bash, sex Henry and marry Frank.’
‘Wow, really?’ Marcy asked.
‘Yeah. Bash is too young for me. I want a proper man,’ Paula said as Clarence blushed.
‘So why not sex Frank then?’ Tappy asked.
‘Duh. I will have sex with Frank when we get married. Like literally all the time. It’s only once with Henry.’
‘Oh okay. I can see that logic. Right. I need to change my answer,’ Marcy said.
‘No takey backeys,’ Tappy said. ‘Charlie?’
‘No! hang on,’ Marcy said. ‘Snog Bash, sex with Frank then marry Henry.’
‘Henry?’ Paula asked, giving her a look.
‘I like alpha males,’ Marcy said with a shrug. ‘Charlie? Your turn.’
‘Er. Well. Two are slightly too old for me,’ I said.
‘Stop being diplomatic,’ Marcy said. ‘You were snogging Tappy this morning.’
‘It was the dog!’ I said.
‘It bloody wasn’t,’ Tappy said. ‘Anyway. Come on. Snog, marry, sex.’
‘I don’t know! Er, snog Henry, sex with Bash and marry Frank,’ I said.
‘Frank!?’ Marcy asked.
‘He’s funny! I really like funny guys,’ I said with a glance to Cookey. ‘And he’s got blue eyes and that thick hair.’
‘Do you know what. I can see that actually,’ Tappy said.
‘What would yours be?’ I asked Tappy.
‘Er, so,’ Tappy said, giving it some thought. ‘Snog Henry, sex with Frank cos he is funny, and marry Bash.’
‘This is so sexist,’ Cookey said. ‘Men aren’t pieces of meat to be ogled you know.’
‘Shush. Just stand there and look pretty,’ I said, making the others laugh. ‘Actually. Are there any bike sheds around here?’ I asked him with a wink.
‘Oh my god!’ Marcy said at my brazen flirting. ‘Cookey! Are you blushing?’
‘He is. He’s actually blushing,’ Blowers said.
‘Fuck you! I’m not blushing. It’s like fifty degrees.’
‘Cookey, go and cool off behind some bike sheds,’ Marcy said as the laughs kept going. ‘Charlie will help,’ she added as I smiled and winked at him again, and the blush spread in his cheeks.
‘What the actual fuck! I’ve never seen you blush before,’ Nick said. ‘Best day ever.’
‘I’m not blushing!’
‘You are so red,’ Blowers said.
‘Ah fuck off. Whatever. Anyway, Charlie’s too posh for bike sheds,’ Cookey said.
‘Don’t try and joke your way out of it,’ Blowers said.
‘He’s probably right though,’ Nick said. ‘Did you have bike sheds at school, Charlie?’
‘Of course not. We had pony stables,’ I said, enjoying the jokes while clocking the obvious discomfort in Cookey. But then he flirted with me all the time and again I just didn’t get the confusing signals.
‘Hang on. Why isn’t Paula telling you off for being un PC?’ Cookey asked, looking from Tappy to Paula. ‘What about if we did that?’
‘What? You mean if you’d snog, marry or have sex with Carmen?’ Tappy asked. ‘Which I would totally do by the way, if I was gay like Nick’s demon ex-girlfriend.’
‘Or like Charlie,’ Marcy said.
‘It was the dog!’ I said.
‘And er, I have already snogged Carmen,’ Marcy said.
‘Alright then. Not about Carmen,’ Cookey said.
‘Then you’d have to ask about us,’ Tappy said. ‘And just try it and see what happens.’
‘That’s not fair!’ Cookey said.
‘You can do it when we’re not listening,’ Tappy said as Marcy glared at Howie.
‘What!’ Howie asked.
‘You’d better pick me for all three,’ Marcy said. ‘Actually, you’re not allowed to play at all. Urgh! But now I really want to know who you’d pick. Right, Howie. Snog, marry, sex me Paula, Charlie and Tappy.’
‘Oh god no!’ Paula said to more groans and face pulling from the others. ‘He’s like my brother! Howie, you’re banned from playing. And Clarence. And Roy. Just the lads, otherwise it’s gross. And take me out of it. I’m not an option.’
‘Yeah, this is getting weird now,’ Marcy said. ‘Jesus, Cookey.’
‘I didn’t start it!’
‘Cookey,’ Tappy said, giving him a filthy look as Frank and Bash headed back over.
‘What’s the faces for?’ Frank asked.
‘Cookey’s being disgusting,’ Tappy said. ‘And Charlie’s on heat,’ she added as I winked at Cookey again.
‘This is sexual harassment,’ Cookey said.
‘Really? Can I get harassed?’ Frank asked.
‘You just did,’ Marcy said. ‘We’d all either have sex or marry you.’
‘Can’t say I blame you,’ he said, striking a manly pose before farting.
‘You dirty shit,’ Carmen called, walking back with Henry, Mo and Dave.
‘That was good, Mo. Dave’s trained you well,’ Henry was saying. ‘Just watch you don’t overextend when Dave is advancing. Stay in a position of cover in case the person on point gets attacked because if you’re both exposed, then you both get taken out.’
‘Okay, boss. Yeah, that makes sense,’ Mo said.
‘Yes, not yeah,’ Henry said mildly, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘Re-join your unit, but good work. All clear, Mr Howie. Several deceased within the two complexes we searched. No signs of the enemy. Recent action estimated to be within the last 12 hours. Frank?’
‘Same,’ Frank said. ‘Two bodies in the offices. One infected that went through an internal window and severed its own jugular. The other just outside at the back. Looks like she got on the roof and fell off. Broken neck.’
‘Ouch,’ Paula said with a wince.
‘No, it’s good,’ Carmen said. ‘Instant death normally. Good way to go.’
‘Beats bleeding out,’ Frank said to a few murmurs.
‘That, however, was the good news,’ Henry continued. ‘The bad news is we estimate the school was housing in excess of seventy people.’
‘All gone?’ Howie asked.
‘I’m afraid so,’ Henry said with a dark look to the grimaces and tuts sounding from the others. ‘It appears we’ve now got a sizable force ahead of us.’
‘We need to push on then,’ Howie said.
‘Indeed. Yes, that is exactly what we should be doing,’ Henry said. ‘Right, load up. We’re moving out.’
‘Is everyone taking a turn to say that today?’ Howie asked and looked like he immediately wishes he hadn’t.
‘My apologies, Mr Howie. Please give your orders to your team,’ Henry said. ‘My unit, move out.’
‘It’s fine. Just move out,’ Howie said, aiming for the Saxon.
‘You not coming in the van?’ Paula asked.
‘Not if we’re going into a town,’ Howie called. ‘You and Marcy stay with Reggie. We’ll keep Mads with us.’
‘If you’re expecting a significa
nt contact then hold a briefing,’ Henry called with one foot in the SUV as we all stopped. ‘Or at least launch the drone.’
‘You said you wanted to us to keep moving,’ Howie called back. ‘Which is it, Henry? Stop and plan, or keep going?’
‘That is not what I meant!’ Henry said. ‘I mean greater planning can only aid our efforts.’
‘Planning for what?! Fine. Let’s stop for another fucking coffee then and have a chat and look at some maps.’
‘We don’t need a coffee every time we hold a quick briefing. Forget it. Just move out.’
‘Don’t tell me to move out!’
‘Move out!’ Henry shouted, dropping into the SUV and slamming the door.
‘Howie!’ Paula shouted as Howie looking ready to reply. ‘It’s way too hot for this shit. Just move out!’
‘Stop telling me to move out!’
‘I will bloody say it, and I’ll call it in a minute if this doesn’t stop between you two. Henry! Do you hear me? One more fucking argument and I’m ending today. It’s too hot.’
‘Do not talk to me like that!’ Henry snapped, pushing his door open to get out and argue as Frank leant over to snag his tac-vest and pull him back in.
‘Close your damn door, Henry,’ Joan said.
‘Howie. Get in the Saxon,’ Paula ordered, pushing him into the Saxon with Marcy.
So… Back into the vehicles we went. Hot bodies in the hot tin can.
‘Woohoo! The Saxon on the blacktop speeding through the backdrop,’ Tappy said as she started the engine.
The heat still rising. The weather only getting worse – but personally I was quite happy at having the elders back in the Saxon as it meant I could get back on Cookey’s lap.
Thinking back now, I was becoming rather forthright with him, but well, he was dithering about and as Joan always says, nobody likes a ditherer.
And so while I continued my flirting with Cookey, Howie, Marcy, Paula and Clarence all shuffled up to behind the front seats. Meredith was still in the front wagging her tail at them while also half grumbling and half growling with a confusing show of signals that suggested they don’t try and take her seat because she wasn’t entirely sure how it would end.