“Why not?” Violet asked.
“It is a high risk zone.”
“It wasn’t last night.”
“Well it is now.” Donna boomed.
“The area is under strict watch and is highly infectious.” Liz clarified.
“Arm,” Donna said to Zach.
Zach looked a little stunned to be first, and it was written all over his face that he wasn’t prepared for it. He held out his arm and looked away as Donna rolled up his sleeve and found his vein. Winter winced as she saw the blood being pulled up into the syringe. She rubbed her arm, almost feeling the prick of the needle herself.
Donna was handed a second syringe by Liz, who took the one full of Zach’s blood and began putting it through a system they had.
“Arm.” She repeated, glaring at Violet.
Violet kept eye contact as she held out her arm. She didn’t flinch as the needle went in, and she didn’t even wince once Donna took it out roughly.
Donna stepped across to Winter, glanced at her messy hair and said, “Arm.”
As Winter saw the blood move through the syringe, there was a commotion outside. Someone screamed, and the sound of a door banging against stonewalls boomed through the square. Winter pulled away from Donna, removing the needle herself, and joined Violet and Zach at the window.
A middle-aged woman was sobbing on her knees, surrounded by three government guards, all holding guns. All eyes were on the woman, who was pleading to the guards that stood around her, closing in on her, their target.
“Please, please. I am well.” Her accent was Russian. She clutched a wound on her arm. “There is nothing wrong. I am fine.”
“Please move away from the window,” Liz said, trying to move Zach. Donna was hanging back, labelling the bloods they had taken.
Violet hit her hand away and gripped Zach’s arm.
“I have family. They live down the road. They are fine, too. I live alone. Please, please. I am well.”
The guards lifted their guns. The air outside was silent. The clouds above, which threatened a storm, seemed to be hovering over the square. The electric charge of a thunderstorm seemed to be crackling. Everybody stood unmoving, holding their breath.
“Get away from this window,” Donna said, gripping Winter’s shoulders. The blood samples now lay on the floor.
Winter was beginning to be pulled back, but she grabbed the windowsill so she could see what happened next. She wished she hadn’t.
A gunshot, so loud it made Winter’s ears pop. Violet screamed and Zach jumped. Liz flinched, and Winter felt Donna’s hand squeeze her shoulders even tighter. Blood splattered from the Russian woman’s head. She crumbled on the floor where she lay in her own blood.
There was commotion on the square. People started screaming, others were shouting, others were running back into their homes. The guards were trying to keep order, but what ever happened next Winter didn’t see.
“That woman was infected,” Donna told the room before anyone could say a word.
“They fucking killed her.” Violet gasped. “A human being. She hadn’t even turned.”
“But she has been eliminated. The area will remain safe without people like her.”
“Donna?” Liz said.
Winter took her eyes off Donna to see where Liz was. Her heart sunk when she saw she was stood behind the sofa. She had pulled back the fabric and was now staring at what Winter knew to be the hidden guns.
“What Liz?” Donna snapped.
“Come and look at this.”
“Thank you for your time,” Violet said. Zach looked oblivious, unaware that the guns had been hidden.
Donna strode over to where Liz stood. Her eyes fell on the guns and she grinned. “Well, well, well.”
Winter caught Violet’s eye. Violet was playing dumb. Winter looked at Zach and signalled to do the same.
Donna disappeared behind the sofa, and when she reappeared again, she was holding one gun. She admired it before looking at the three teenagers.
“What are these?”
“We had no idea they were there,” Violet said. Winter wasn’t convinced herself. It was no surprise that Donna laughed.
“Don’t lie to me, girly.”
“Fine, they’re guns.” Violet shrugged. “Law has gone out of the window now, hasn’t it? They’re advertised in those fucking leaflets that were given out awhile back. They’re for our safety.”
“Then why are they hidden?”
“Because we knew you’d be a bitch about them.”
“True, the government have lifted the law on weapons. However, these guns are illegal.”
“How does that work?” Zach asked.
“They’re branded, by a brand we do not trust. They are illegally distributed.”
“So basically you’re not earning the money,” Violet said.
“Basically, these guns are not safe.”
“Are guns ever safe?”
“You need to bite your tongue!” Donna screamed at Violet.
The room was silent. Winter thought she could hear people arguing in the square below.
Donna handed the other two guns to Liz.
“We will be going.”
“What?”
“With the guns?”
“Yes, with the guns.” Donna spat. “You can forget those vaccinations, too. You don’t deserve our help.”
Donna strode over to the needles on the floor and began packing away. Winter was surprised to see that Liz had one gun aimed at them, the second strapped to her back.
“What are you doing?” Violet asked. “You’re supposed to be government workers. You’re supposed to help.”
“We only help the lucky ones,” Donna said, packing away the final labelled syringe and standing up. “We’ll be going.”
Donna led Liz towards the stairs. Paralysed with fear, Winter saw Violet striding behind them. She could see the rage in Violet’s eyes. She felt like shouting out, telling her to stop. It would only make the situation worse.
Then it happened so suddenly. Violet pushed Liz who was at the top of the stairs. Liz screamed and fell, hitting Donna over. They toppled down the stairs, making a loud racket. Winter heard a deafening crack and thought the wood had snapped.
She hurried over to the stairs, unable to believe what Violet had just done.
Stopping at the stairs, Winter looked at Violet. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. Winter looked down, and saw that Liz’s neck was at an odd angle. Donna stood above her, looking scared and upset.
“You killed her. Oh my god, you idiot. You are going to get it now, girly. You’re fucking dead.”
Donna began to run, and Winter knew what was going to happen. Without thinking she propelled herself down the steps, taking the gun out of Liz’s hand. She swung the gun through the air, aimed it at Donna’s back. There was no sound but Winter felt the trigger pull down. The gun moved in her hands as a bullet fired. She saw Donna fall before she saw the blood fly through the air.
Suddenly, they were sharing their hideout with two dead government workers.
Winter heard Violet and Zach heading down the stairs. She lowered the gun, suddenly too weak to hold the weapon. She was shaking, in disbelief that she had killed someone, and someone so official.
“Good time to find out how to use the silencer,” Zach said.
Chapter Fourteen
“What have we done?” Winter gasped, distraught and unable to believe what was before her. “Oh my god, we are going to be in so much trouble.”
“Calm down, Winter.” Violet snapped. “No one heard the gun go off.”
“But they’re going to know two government women came in here and they’re going to know they never came out.”
“Something isn’t right…” Zach said. Winter turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue. “Why would government workers kill that woman outside when she was human?”
“Didn’t you see the bite? She was a few hours away from infection,
” Violet said.
“But surely it is against government policy to kill the living if they still have their humanity?”
“I don’t know, Zach, but if they had let that woman turn she would have infected another before she was killed herself. Remember, it takes a lot to kill one zombie.”
Winter could see Zach had more to say.
“I want to go back to the leisure centre,” Winter said.
Violet clicked her tongue.
“I’ve already told you, Winter, we are not going back there.”
The sound of rain falling outside became audible to them downstairs in the dusty café.
“No, I think we do have to go back,” Zach said.
“Why?” Violet asked. Her tone was becoming nasty, and her expression would make even the strongest man flinch. Zach looked scared, but from a look from Winter he spoke again.
“Because they told us that area has become high risk, and that it is heavily guarded by government workers like themselves…when we were there, it wasn’t that much of a high risk. It had rumours and a reputation, but judging by all those boarded up houses people were pretty safe or weren’t there at all.”
“I can live without knowing that.”
“So you think they’re lying?”
“Not lying as such…” Zach said. “But I think there’s something in that leisure centre we need to work out.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous,” Violet said.
“There were people hiding inside there,” Winter said. “We have to find them.”
“Why? What could we possibly achieve from finding people?” Winter could sense calm before the storm.
“We might not achieve anything,” Zach said. “But I have a feeling those people there, if they are alive and well, will know a lot more than we know.”
“Zach, there is nothing to know.” Violet sighed. “We know that zombies are everywhere, and we know that the odds of us getting out of London are slim.”
“We might go there and find nothing. The people may be dead, or there may be no one there at all. But at least we looked. We can’t just give up. We have to find our own way out of here, and we have to leave London by the end of next week at the latest,” Winter said.
“Have you got any plans, Winter?” Violet asked. “Do you have any more of an idea than me or Zach on how we are getting out of this city alive?”
A clap of rolling thunder echoed outside. A few people screamed.
Winter’s eyes travelled back to Donna, who lay in a pool of her own blood. She realised just how fragile human life was. One bullet had taken away everything Donna had lived for in a second. She had worked hard to get her job; possibly she had her own stories of drama and trauma that Winter would never know. All of her life had built up over the years, put together to form something good, but death was instant. It could knock it all down with one, light touch.
“Look, I think we should go to the leisure centre, and if there is nothing there we start leaving for the Thames,” Zach said.
Violet sighed. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. She ran a hand through her hair and rubbed the patch on her arm where her bloods had been taken.
“Fine.”
“We’re going?” Winter asked just as another clap of thunder echoed around them.
“Yes, we’re going. But if there is nothing there, we leave immediately.”
“Deal,” Zach said.
Violet glared at him before making her way back upstairs, stepping over Liz’s body. Zach watched her leave before leaning towards Winter.
“There are going to be guards there. We’ll have to sneak in past them.”
Winter looked at Donna and Liz.
“I think we can do that.”
* * *
“You want us to do what?” Violet asked, staring at Winter like she was an idiot.
“Me and you put these on, Zach stumbles in hurt and looking for refuge,” Winter said.
She was holding the uniforms that Donna and Liz had worn. They were stained with their blood, but Zach had insisted the stains would be covered over by the night and by jackets he had found in one of the boxes.
“But what if you can’t get in, Zach?” Violet asked.
“We’ve discussed this.” Zach spoke. “I’m going to come into the area looking hurt. I’ll ask for a place to stay, or I’ll say I’m passing through. I’ll turn towards the leisure centre and meet you there.”
“These government suits aren’t going to work. None of this is going to work.” Violet shook her head. “Who thought of this?”
“It was my idea, seeing as you didn’t come up with one yourself,” Winter said.
Violet just stared at her. Winter felt her heart beating. The storm outside had gotten worse as the hours went on. The sky was black with swirling clouds, which lit up every couple of minutes with lightning. Rain poured down and bounced off stone floors and metal car roofs.
“They’re going to know we don’t work for the government,” Violet said.
“If they see us,” Winter replied.
When the sky was the darkest it would be, they packed up their bags and their items and left the refuge of the café, which never saw a day of business.
They walked down the wooden steps, listening to the rain outside. It beat heavily off the building, drowning out any noise outside. They knew their area was being guarded and watched after the events of this morning. They had heard someone say that this place was deemed a high-risk area. Winter had decided that because of this it was time to move on.
Winter passed Liz first, who they had left at the bottom of the stairs. She felt pity that such a young, polite girl had died with a cruel fate.
“I still think we should hide them,” Zach said.
“They’re going to be found wherever we put them,” Violet said. “We just have to be long gone before it happens.”
“I’ve already angered the government enough with what David Herald wrote about me,” Winter said. “If they find out we’re responsible for killing two of their people, we’ll never get out of London.”
Zach passed Donna without looking at her and pulled back the tack of wood that allowed them to exit. He peered out into the dark street, looking up and down. The sound of the rain increased. Winter was not looking forward to going outside.
“There’s no one there. Come on, if we go left we can go the back way to the leisure centre.”
“Is that safer?”
“Dunno.”
Violet was first to leave. Winter climbed out behind her to see her already half way down the street. Winter waited for Zach before they hurried to catch up with her.
“If we get caught, I will never forgive you two,” Violet said.
They strode down dark pathways, wet with rain. Winter was gripping onto the trousers she was wearing. She was thinner than Violet, but had been given Donna’s clothes, who was short and plump. Neither girls fit into the clothes, but Winter thought Violet looked a lot more believable. Winter felt like she was young again, trying on her mother’s clothes.
Zach signalled for them to stop. They hid behind a car that looked like it hadn’t been used for weeks. The tyres were flat and Winter thought it looked slightly neglected. Zach peered over the roof of the car, at the street and the leisure centre, which was in plain view.
“Are we going to go or what?” Violet whispered as a clap of thunder sounded from the clouds. Rain was pouring down on them and Winter was freezing. “We can’t just wait outside. It’ll be pneumonia that catches us, not the zombies.”
Rain bounced off the car roof, distorting their reflections. Winter thought she heard something behind them but when she looked she couldn’t see anything.
“Oh my god, look!” Violet gasped.
She pointed to a top window in the leisure centre. Winter wouldn’t have noticed it if Violet hadn’t pointed it out. It was small and square, with thick blue glass that was hard to see through. Yet Winter was sure she could see a light flickering in
side and a shadow moving.
“There’s someone inside,” Violet said, lifting her gun. Zach gripped her arm.
“Remember, that place was full of zombies last night,” he said. “That could be a zombie we’re looking at.”
Winter didn’t think it was. The moves were too calculated, too timid. She had had a feeling that there were people locked inside, and if there were she would help get them out.
Zach led them around the car. At the bonnet he stopped. Winter thought he was looking at the car boot, which was dented and open as if it had been prized open using a crowbar. She saw two boxes at the back, but other than those the boot was empty.
“So this place really is guarded then.”
Winter followed the stares of Violet and Zach, and saw two government cars parked in the street, cast in an orange glow of dim light. Government workers dressed in the same clothes as Winter and Violet were strolling up and down the street, holding guns that looked intimidating. Winter saw no signs of a zombie outbreak here. She wondered if the zombies had even left the leisure centre at all.
“I think we can get to the back of the centre without being seen,” Zach whispered. “I don’t think I’ll have to pretend to be someone passing through.”
“I don’t think you’d survive if you were just passing through,” Violet said. “They’d probably shoot you dead.”
“They’re the government; they’re not going to do that.”
“Let’s just move,” Winter urged. “I’m soaking wet and I’m cold. My hands are going numb, and if I need them to shoot at anything they’re not going to work and then we’ll be screwed.”
“Good argument,” Violet commented.
They stayed low, crouched over as they walked across gravely stone floor. Their footsteps crunched over the ground, but it was covered over by the pouring rain and the thunder claps above. Whenever the flash of lightning came, they would duck down to the floor; afraid they would be illuminated and spotted by the patrolling government workers.
Winter thought they were doing nothing wrong. Suddenly, the plan they had seemed too complicated. It was all too over the top. They could have simply travelled past, pretended they didn’t know this place was guarded, promised to go on their way, before sneaking into the leisure centre once more.
Winter Smith (Book 1): London's Burning Page 21