by Cenz Barone
Nancy replied “They must have lost London to have gone up there”. Gage near the window argued “They are saving their own asses, just like the earlier reports of the Royals leaving the country, if anyone has money or power, any influence they are getting out of here. I don’t blame them, if I had their swing I would too, but I would not know where to go”. Nancy pressed the rest of them “What else was said?”
“A scientific spokesman said it is a disease or something like a infection making people crazy and allowing the body to be reanimated after death, he was speaking alongside others and there was disagreement amongst them but the official word is the dead are coming back and it is passed on via bites” said an anxious Cherie as Elise frustrated said “These are things we all know, right. How slow are they to release this” Gage told her “It is all about keeping us all calm until they can try and sort it out, obviously they cannot so now they are just telling us what they know. I don’t think we are going to get out of here alive”. His words were hard to hear but so realistic.
Nancy now put down her police badge on the desk and said “I want you all to know that I am organising a party to come and search the remaining buildings, out there, I think there are some people like us, and if you people will come with me, we can….” At this point a voice was heard by the doorway “I am afraid that would be a bad idea Nancy”. All turned startled to see a policeman there, he was wearing the same black riot gear outfit like Nancy and held a machine gun near him, and he had short cropped black hair and held a gas mask. Nancy when she saw him was pleased “Niles” she said his name, recognising him on sight. None of the other group recognised him, and they knew he was not in the building with them earlier.
Niles was a colleague of Nancy and he came in holding his side because he had been shot, Nancy came to his side and surveyed his wound “Niles what happened, were you bitten?” Niles rested up against her and replied “No, thankfully not. I got shot, can you fucking believe it. The wound has been getting worse but it is not bite. I think it missed my main organs”. She held onto his side and as he sat down, he moaned “God, its hurts” Niles complained. “What happened, who shot you?” asked Nancy as Niles replied, finding some relief in resting “The fucking army, they come in here thinking they know how to deal with the situation, getting excitable and end up shooting at us, not at us, some of us. Some of our guys were attacking them, the military guys but our guys were infected like some of the soldiers were, it was one big mess. Everyone was shooting at everyone else indiscriminately, it was an accident I suppose but God damn it, it hurts. Everyone is going crazy”
Niles coughed as Nancy turned to the group near the large table in the middle of the office “Someone get me my med kit!” demanded Nancy before they could move Niles called out “No, I am okay. There is not time for that” nobody moved by Nile’s words. Nancy then pressed Niles and demanded “Niles, is anyone else alive, anyone of us. Any group held up somewhere, someone to come and get us?” Niles paused for a bit and everyone looked towards him, their hope for a positive reply non-existent considering what they had learned from the radio and seen in the last few hours and the scale of the mayhem outside.
Niles now said as he brought his hands up to his face, his hands covered in his blood from his side wound “I don’t know the situation about anyone else Nancy. I only just made it here, I came here because I heard your distress call, most of the others are inside the main compound, it’s sealed up, but I would not bother going in there. It is way too dangerous, if you hope for a rescue forget it, everyone is scattered, you can still hear gunfire out there occasionally, the university is like a slaughter house”.
Baxter asked curiously “So there is nobody alive at all, who can help us?” Niles looked at Baxter and replied “Right now, those alive or happen to have found a secure place are asking the same question about someone coming to get them out like you guys are I imagine. You people here are no different”. Niles tried to stand up but then said “Nah, I will just sit here for a bit” he said to himself, he then added did Niles “The entire university has been overrun but within it is being attacked by those things and with so many people inside it is like a slaughter house, seriously, the guns and civilians rising up. I mean, haven’t you people been listening on the radio from inside the university”. Nancy replied “We have but the communications has gone silent, we thought...” Niles then stood up this time and pulled his radio out as he looked at Nancy “You were on the old frequency weren’t you?” she just nodded as he then said “The new one was issued soon after they entered the walls of the university, some smart ass thought those people would be listening in so changed it, they don’t look to me like they do much thinking but this is the new frequency”. Niles now put his radio onto the side table and turned it up.
For around 12 minutes all within the top area listened in, of the new arrivals it was only Gage and the two women who were present from their contingent. All were in awe at what was being shared, there was very much people alive and using the radio to communicate but what Niles described made the situation hopeless. They listened in to chaotic conversations between the various people, army and police communicating and civilians who had found a radio, they were all describing the same horrors, the attacks, and the injuries saying people were sick and issuing out pleas for help or trying to organise a means out. Various names of people they did not know were said of people relaying who they were and who they were with, and all of it was getting worse
Grant asked “Shouldn’t we say we are secure here and...” but Niles spoke up and interrupted him “There is no point mate, you can’t do anything for them and they can’t do anything for you to get here” Nancy was silent realising the situation was far dire than she thought. Niles then added “So you see. I escaped from that, after they overrun the walls and got into the campus grounds anyone who could fled inside the university, it was so big indoors but it just made it harder to control, I am not familiar with the blueprint of the place. It is over here though so all of you must see it is over. This place for a rescue station is finished. I only got out because I was alone, if I was with a group it would have been harder, the more people around you the more noise you make. I just hid and moved when those things were not looking”.
“How did you get inside here though?” asked Nancy as Niles looked towards the ceiling referring to the roof “I climbed a ladder behind the back of this building, got on the roof and came down the stairwell, it was busted open” all knew it was because the soldier Nancy had locked up had smashed the lock but he was nowhere to be seen. Niles now said forcefully to them, he could see all were disappointed at the news he was delivering “So the only way to safety is out of here, otherwise we will be stranded and surrounded by those things”. Melissa hopefully said “Maybe another rescue station” as Niles shot back “I don’t know where another one is. Nobody does, this was meant to be the main one for this region, so much for that. It is time to get out of here”.
Nancy from a point of pragmatism said “How do we do that, we have no vehicle, no communication with the forces nearby, the officers are dead and the soldiers have been killed or pushed away”. Niles optimistically said “I know Nancy which is why we have to make the journey out of here and reach somewhere safe ourselves. The last good news I heard was from Robbie and Mark, remember them? They were the team from Chipswick who came down here with your friend Beth, they are part of a strike team who are launching offensives in the East of the city and it is successful from my last communications with Robbie, Robbie texted me, I lost my phone though. There is a crew of commandos involved with them who are taking streets one at a time. If you can let them know we are here, maybe they could come get you if they manage to get this far outside the city but I would not hold my breath, it is all about priorities now and who knows what their priorities are. Like I said though, I last spoke to Robbie a while ago and have had no communication since, so who knows what his situation is like down there” the news was getting g
raver as Niles now asked Nancy “How many people are here anyways, anymore except you guys?”
Nancy said to Niles “There are four more, three men downstairs and a soldier who I locked up on the roof, that’s why the door was busted when you got down from the roof”. Niles curiously asked “Why did you lock him up” as Nancy said “He was causing trouble and assaulted some of the civilians. He said he wanted to go up there and said anyone who went after him he would shoot, so I locked him up there, save him coming down here and causing us grief, we don’t need any of that right now, he obviously busted the lock”. Niles stared around at them all, and shook his head in dismay as he said “Quite a lot of headaches for you?” his tone not very encouraging, and the dismissive way he said headaches, Nancy and the others realised what he alluded to as Nancy told him “I promised these people help here”. As Niles walked away from her and went to pick up his radio which he put into his jacket and replied “It’s a promise you can keep if you want Nancy. I am not going to keep it anymore” Niles now looked around at the civilians as he said seriously “You people, as a police officer I am telling you, fend for yourself, so many of my colleagues are running, not many are following their duties through anymore, that ship has passed. It is best to run”
Nancy did not like to think the situation was that bad, with people abandoning their responsibilities and orders but how could it be desertion when nobody was around to issue orders. Niles explained to her “I saw Barry shoot himself in the head, that twat, he has a child you know, and he killed himself because he could not cope. Fuck knows where his kid is. So it is up to everyone to run, civilians are even leaving the university, trying to find their own way out. I don’t blame, no wonder they did not listen to us and caused us agitation, they can even smell how much shit this situation really is”. Hopefully Nancy asked Niles “Where are they going to, those who have left did they say?” Niles just shook his head sorrowfully and replied “Who knows Nancy, as I said it is a free for all. I still can’t believe this place was lost so soon after setting it up”.
“So your saying abandon this place, these people” Nancy wanting clarification from Niles as he defensively answered “No I am saying do what you want, the smart man will save himself, the foolish man will try and die saving others and I have never been a fool, not about to start today”. In the backdrop Nick had appeared from down below and heard the tail end of the conversation, Nick clapped and said “Thank you, a policeman who makes sense” a dig at Nancy was this as Nick pressed Niles and pleaded “Mate can I come with you, if you are leaving”. Niles studied Nick, who was desperate as Nick said again “I need to get out of here, you will need backup out there”. Niles knew he would likely need others watching over him as he would watch over them in the streets to just provide cover, so Niles said “Sure you can come” Niles now looked at everyone and said “All of you can come, it would be better if there is a group” as Grant now questioningly asked “Didn’t you just say those in groups are most at risk because of the noise, now you invite everyone” as Niles replied “Yes I did, but I don’t know where I am going or what the situation is like out there, this could be the last chance and I will need backup like anyone here will if we are going to fight out way out of here. Besides I am injured so will need others to support me out there” Niles looked at Nancy and said to her “You can come to Nancy”.
All looked to Nancy who shook her head and walked a few paces away as she said “I don’t know Niles, this building is secure right now and it will be hard for those things to break into it. We will be able to hold out here. I mean for heaven’s sake the university is just over the court yard and people are alive inside fighting, they might take it back and bring order. We managed to clear this building after all” well Baxter did but Nancy’s point was valid. Niles then said “I told you Nancy I came from inside the university and those surviving inside are retreating further back into the building, I bet lots of them, the smarter ones at least, have gone up onto the top floors to avoid those things down below. It is the wise move, those things aren’t very resourceful. The point is though the entire grounds and buildings have been infiltrated by those people”.
Niles now spoke from what else he knew as he said “Across the university there is a car park and lots of people were racing to it and using those vehicles to escape, earlier on I don’t know if you heard, but there was helicopters on the other side of the university, they were taking people out of here. It has gone quiet now but the car park on the far side of the university had lots of vehicles driving away. Earlier on before I decided to leave I passed around 14 different groups making a break for the outside. Those inside will eventually wise up to it and plan to flee but there is not much places for them to go” Niles now looked at everyone once more and said “I am going to ask you all once more, if you want to come with me, then come. I know I am injured but I know my way out of this place, and hopefully I will get us somewhere better, so it is all the more reason for you and me to make a break to a safer place. I need medical attention” then Niles looked at Nick “Did you come from downstairs with the other two men”. Niles nodded “James and Bob, yes”.
As Niles asked him “Do you definitely want to come with me?” Niles smiled and said “Hell yes I do” as Niles commanded “Go and ask the other two as well”. Nick just nodded and left the room. Nancy went towards Niles and asked with fear “Niles, is Justin okay?” Niles lowered his head, unable to look at Nancy and he replied “I am sorry Nancy, when we were on our way back to the lockup, some of those fuckers managed to get inside our perimeter, Justin was killed by five of them, there was nothing I could, I am so sorry” Nancy rubbed her eyes and said “I can’t believe this, Justin like many others brought their family here, thinking it was safe and now this happens”. Niles sadly replied “I too have lost my sister. She was killed in the university by those fucking people to. I found her severed head with bite marks all over it. I cannot bear to think about what they did to the rest of her body”.
Niles now pleaded with Nancy “Please come with me, come and find safety somewhere else. It makes no goddamn sense staying here! We have to get out of here. Anywhere is better than staying here”. Nancy backtracked from Niles and replied “I cannot Niles. I think it will be safer to remain. The military will try and retake this place. If it has been overrun with their people here then surely they will send a team to find out what happened and pick up survivors. That’s what they would do, that is protocol. So I am not going out there, certainly without any idea of what I am going into or where I am going. Neither of which you yourself know”.
Frustrated Niles shouted “Do you really believe that Nancy? Look at it out there. Do you see the army, the tanks or any authority anywhere or do you hear them coming closer? I recalling seeing all that a few hours ago just outside and now it is all gone. All I see is dead things walking around wanting to kill us”. Nancy stated without emotion to him “You have made up your mind, so have I. I am sorry Niles”. Niles now said desperately “Look I have got no time to go over this again. I cannot stand here arguing with you, I am too tired and hurt to do so. I need to save my strength, so just come” but again she wanted answers so demanded of him “Where will you go Niles, seriously, isn’t this the only safe place in the county”.
Niles now raised his voice “It was for fucks sake, why are you so dense. It was but now what, it is nothing, like I said, anywhere is better than here. You might feel it now sitting pretty in this building and they might not get in anytime soon but it does not mean they won’t find a way inside. You will be turning yourself into a prisoner because this place is a prison. An entire building, built like a police station is a prison, oh the irony, so this place is fucked. I got to go now before more get into the courtyard and I am leaving now”.
James and Bob reappeared with Nick but the soldier was also with them, the soldier having been told by Nick as well what Niles was proposing. The soldier said to Niles, wanting confirmation “Are you are breaking out?”
Niles nodded and replied “Yes I am, do you want to come” the soldier smiled “Of course I do mate” the soldier lifting up his gun to his chest to show Niles he was ready. The rest of the people within the office could tell the soldier looked calmer than he did earlier, even though the soldier was not impressed with those in the office who he stumbled into earlier, especially Nancy.
Niles now said to the men who volunteered to go “I was heading towards the Eastern side, there is a car park there and near it is the mechanics work building, the onsite training site in the university, there should be vehicles there to use, a police truck for example. I know a short-cut to get there from here, we will keep to the woodland within the university, all those things are focused on the main building” James curiously asked “Will there be enough petrol in the trucks?” as Bob asked “Will they still be there?” Niles lifted out of his pocket a set of keys “They will be still there, I manned one of them to get in here and it is full of petrol, it was filled up before we moved to the university, so relax” this was encouraging for them all.
Two of the new arrivals, the two women stood up. The middle aged woman said “I want to go” and the younger woman said the same as Niles nodded “Okay” Niles once more looked at the others “Anybody else? This might be your only chance”. Nancy had made her mind up but it was on the others to make their own decision, Nancy would stay regardless if it was just her, such was her strength of conviction in her decision. So Bob now called out to Gage “Gage, are you coming mate, let’s get out of here” as Gage walked towards him and disagreed by replying “It is too risky mate. I want to take my chances here. Hopefully someone will come and get us out, give us proper help. Besides, I don’t fancy going back out there just yet”. Nancy turned to the rest of the people, the two new arrival women had gone with Bob, Nick and James to the front near the soldier. Nancy said to Cherie in the corner on the desk minding her own business, Cherie, Grant, Melissa and Laura “If you people want to go, if you think it is a better option for you personally then you should go now”. Grant turned to Elise who shook her head as Elise said “I don’t want to go. I will wait here. At least it’s safer inside here”. Baxter was quiet in the backdrop, keeping himself to himself again.