Judith leaned forward to speak from the back. “Slow down and sound the horn,” she said. “If there’s anyone alive, it might bring them outside.”
He slowed the car to a crawl and began pressing the horn repeatedly. At the end of the road they turned at a roundabout and continued on, following the signs to the B6318. As they entered the main street more evidence of looting could be seen, which had obviously got worse than just theft.
Slowly passing a hardware store where a large window had been shattered, Joseph carefully skirted around glass that had scattered a short way onto the road to avoid a puncture, before coming to a halt further up the street.
Max stepped out of the vehicle. “No Seb,” he said to the dog as he tried to follow, before shutting the door to secure the car.
Judith got out of the back and joined Max to inspect a body on the path beneath the broken window.
He crouched down, sitting back on his heels, and examined the corpse lying chest down on the pavement at his feet.
Several deep knife wounds penetrated the young man’s back. His face was turned off to one side and, although splattered with blood, showed no signs of disease.
Max stood. “This is what we were afraid of,” he said to Judith. “It looks like he was murdered,” he called to Joseph who had stepped out to stand beside the car. “There is no sign of Ebola.”
Judith looked around at the first floor windows above the shops, which were usually small flats or apartments, and scanned for signs of life. “Do you think some of the most sparsely populated villages might have stayed safe?”
“That’s what Hilary seemed to think. I suppose it’s your best chance. Come on, let’s go.” Max started back to the car. “I hope for Joseph and Hannah’s sake it is the case.”
They continued with the horn to alert survivors, with no success, until they left the village behind twenty minutes later.
The relatively slow speeds achievable on the tight country roads seemed fast after the eight mile per hour crawl through Sleetbeck. When they joined the B6318 half an hour later their speed increased further until they drew near to the ten mile mark outside of the village, where they slowed to watch out for the sign they had been told to look for.
“If you didn’t know better, we could all just be out for a lovely drive in the country,” Susan said, dreamily.
Joseph spotted the notice and turned the car onto the dirt track. The rough road, pitted with potholes, slowed their progress again as they were bumped and jostled along the muddy lane.
“I mean, the birds are singing,” Susan continued as she looked out of the window at the clear blue sky overlaid by bare winter branches, “and I saw a rabbit back there at the roadside. You’d never think we might be the only humans left alive on the surface of the planet.”
Hannah turned to look at her in the back. “We haven’t given up hope yet,” she snapped.
Susan looked embarrassed. “No, of course not. I’m sorry.”
Hannah returned to face the front. “It’s all right,” she said, apologetically. “There’s no denying, it’s not looking good.”
“I think we’ve found our army base,” Joseph said as the trees on the right hand side of the road were replaced by a high chain-link fence.
A long way back from the boundary, a large, two-storey building, which could have easily been mistaken for a warehouse, stood surrounded by grass.
Joseph focused on the road whilst the others studied the building for a way in.
“Can you even see a door?” Susan asked, her face just short of the glass on the side window as she scanned the premises for an entrance.
“I once visited a facility where you went in through the basement,” Judith said. “You drove up to the building and the only way you could get in was through the underground car park.”
Max extended his lower lip and nodded admiringly. “Clever. At first glance it would look completely secure.”
“I can see a driveway,” Joseph informed them, as the road swung gently to the right and a concrete swathe appeared running diagonally through the grass.
A few minutes later he pulled to a halt outside two metal gates held closed with a padlocked chain. It seemed as though there had been an earlier attempt to enter the grounds, as the gates were buckled near the base and bowed inwards to the height of a medium-sized vehicle.
Joseph looked at Judith in the rear view mirror. “How do you usually get in?”
She scanned the area around the entrance before spotting a metal post rising to waist height in the grass near the road. She pointed: “That looks like it could be a buzzer.” She stepped out of the vehicle and crossed to examine it further.
“Yes, there’s a button and a speaker,” she called to the others in the car.
Max joined her outside, with Seb immediately behind.
Judith pressed the button as the dog sniffed around the post.
A shrill buzz sounded for a few seconds, then there was silence. She waited a moment before trying again, but this time leaned forward and spoke into the small circular mike at the top of the devise. “Hello. Is there anybody there?” When noone replied, she looked around for an alternative way in.
Max moved to the gate and pushed against the frame. A small gap appeared in the buckled structure. “Perhaps we can get in here.”
“Maybe I could,” Judith said, “but I doubt you’ll fit.”
Susan stepped onto the road and leaned against the car. “Do you want me to come?” she called. She was a similar build to Judith and was confident she would also be able to get through the opening.
“No, you’re fine.” Judith said, her voice strained, as she crouched and pressed her back against one of the gates to lever it further away and increase the gap enough for her to pass through into the grounds. “Just stay there,” she said from the other side of the barrier.
“No,” Max called when the dog tried to follow. He reached down and took Seb’s collar to hold him in place as Judith began to move away.
The building seemed a long way away as she began to walk up the drive. Her progress was slowed by the apprehension she felt as she approached the structure, made more ominous by the almost prison-like look of the compound. A couple of minutes later she still could not see an entrance, even though she had crossed what she thought must have been more than half of the distance. However, as the driveway climbed a little and she neared the peak, she saw she had been correct when the road dipped sharply into a basement that was concealed from the other side of the fence through clever architecture.
She stopped and looked back. “I’ve found the way in,” she called and then continued her approach.
Max released Seb and stepped up to the fence. Wrapping his fingers through the links, he moved as close to the metal as possible and peered through. “What’s wrong?” he yelled.
Judith had taken a few more steps but then stopped suddenly, her body rigid.
He could hear her speaking, but could not identify anything more than the pitch of her voice. It had risen an octave or more, a definite sign she was tense. He glanced back and saw the others looking anxiously into the grounds.
He signalled to Joseph, pointing to the rifle on the parcel shelf, when he got his attention.
Joseph stepped out of the vehicle, retrieved the gun, then moved to the gate and handed it to the nurse.
“There’s obviously someone there,” Joseph said, quietly. He was not sure if they had been spotted and did not want to alert whoever Judith was speaking to of their presence.
Max looked at the fence. “How will we get inside?”
“Judith got in because someone rammed the gate, so another push might open it further.”
“Okay.” He loaded the gun and returned his attention to the building.
Joseph nudged his head at Susan. “Get back in the car.”
“What’s happening?” Hannah asked when Susan climbed into the vehicle.
“Judith’s talking to someone.”
&
nbsp; Hannah raised her brows and gave a slight smile. “That’s good. So there are people still alive?”
“Yes, but Judith doesn’t look comfortable. She stopped abruptly and hasn’t moved any further since. She looks tense and we think there’s something wrong.”
“Come on Seb,” Joseph said, quietly. He waved a hand at the dog.
Seb held his ground and looked at his owner.
“Go on,” Max urged before his pet turned and followed Joseph to the car. He jumped into the driver’s seat and then moved into the back to sit beside Susan.
All at once, gunfire was heard from the direction of the building. Three shots in rapid succession broke the sound of birds chattering in the otherwise quiet country air.
Max pushed against the fence as he lost sight of Judith, trying frantically to get through the gap.
Joseph started the engine, then, “Move Max,” he called.
Max leapt aside as the accelerator was floored and Joseph drove the vehicle head on into the gate.
The chain did not snap but, as the vehicle pulled back, Max could see the frame had buckled enough for him to pass through.
Quickly he slid between the barriers and ran up the road towards Judith. Sprinting as fast as he could, he hoped to have the element of surprise. He could not see her attacker, therefore figured the same would work in reverse for them and they would not see him until the very last minute.
Moments later, he saw Judith lying face down on the road up ahead and, although he could not see any blood, he knew she could still be injured.
Judith looked around when she heard footsteps coming up behind, but any further movement was instantly halted by more gunfire that peppered the path immediately ahead.
“You can’t come in. You’ll be infected,” Max heard as the crack of shots died down. “The virus is still active. Don’t come any closer.” Then he saw the perpetrators.
Two figures, dressed in full air suits, guns at the ready, stood at the entrance to the basement.
Max stopped when he reached Judith, crouched down and prepared his rifle for firing. “Back off!” he screamed. “Leave her alone! We’re not ill.”
The pair moved a little way into the tunnel, but remained far enough out to be a threat. “Not now, but you will be!”
“Are you all right?” Max asked, his eyes dead ahead.
“Yes. They’re just so terrified, they won’t let me near. They’re not even prepared to discuss research.”
“I think we’d better get out of here,” Max urged, then to the gunmen, “We’re leaving!” he yelled. “Just let us back off and we’ll go.” Cautiously he stood and stepped forward to help Judith to her feet.
This slight advance was enough to trigger more panic shots.
Now upright, Max had a clearer target. In a flash, he returned the fire which ricocheted off a pillar near one of the attacker’s heads. “I don’t even have to shoot you to kill you,” he warned, “I just have to nick your suit. Now just let us leave.”
Judith slowly rose from her knees and, taking Max’s hand, began to back away warily.
Once they had moved enough of a distance to be out of sight of the entrance, they turned and began to run towards the gate.
In the meantime, Joseph had turned the car so they could immediately go back to the main road.
“Here they come,” Susan said when she caught sight of the pair sprinting down the driveway towards them. She leaned over and opened the door.
Judith was first through the barrier, with Max immediately behind. They were barely in the car when Joseph pulled away; the door swung shut with the force of the acceleration.
“Well that was worse than a waste of time,” Judith said, looking nervously behind to check they were not being followed. She started to relax as the building fell away and they again passed into the trees. “We could have been at the cabin by now and then hopefully on to Kent.”
“They said the virus was still active,” Max said, solemnly. “I said we weren’t ill, but they wouldn’t have it. They wanted nothing to do with us.”
“I think we really have to get to the Disease Control Centre in Kent as soon as possible,” Judith beseeched.
Hannah turned, her face frantic. “We need to check if our daughter and granddaughter are still alive.”
Judith took a deep breath, “Yes, of course, but let’s be quick. If we drive through we might be able to get down there by tonight.”
“What should we do about fuel?” Joseph asked. The tank gauge indicated it was nearly three quarters empty.
“We could try the pumps in Leeds, but if they’re off,” Susan replied, “we’ll just pick up another car.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kendal, Cumbria
Hannah pointed excitedly. “Look! Tyre tracks.”
“You can’t tell if they’re recent,” Joseph cautioned. “They could have been here a while and just be there because the ground’s frozen.”
The journey up the lane was painfully slow. Mud, dug deep by cars and tractors, was pitted with stones and made the driving difficult.
Low cloud covering the surrounding hills concealed the peaks in a misty shroud, only thinning at ground level where it blurred the landscape for even those with the best vision.
“I can’t see a car,” Judith said. “You’d need a car out here.”
“There’s parking round the back,” Hannah confirmed. Her seatbelt was off before Joseph drew to a halt. The moment they stopped she was out of the vehicle, the door left wide in her urgency to search the cabin. Her shoes flapped gently on the wet ground as she hurried around to the back.
Joseph got out and made his way up the path.
“Nothing round here,” Hannah called. She moved to the front and waited whilst her husband tried the door.
A cast iron handle was used to access the cabin and Joseph could hear the catch rattling on the other side when he clicked the thumb press down. He tried to push forward. “It’s locked,” he said when it would shift no further.
Hannah moved to the window. “Someone has definitely been here. There are cereal boxes on the bench and they look like towels on the floor.”
Max got out of the car, with the dog immediately behind, and stood waiting on the path. Briefly, he ruffled Seb’s ear before the pooch scuttled off, nose to the ground, to investigate the local smells. His owner watched, nervous he would lose sight of him, before he realised he was staying close by and so returned his attention to the cabin. “What about forcing it?” he suggested.
“If it’s being used for shelter, it won’t be much use with the door broken,” Joseph said, his gaze passing between the nurse and his wife.
Hannah looked at him despairingly. “I need to know if our daughter is still here or even has been here,” she implored. “They will still be able to close it with the catch; they just won’t be able to lock it.”
Joseph thought a moment, then said “Okay,” reluctantly.
Max checked the boot of the car for something he could use for leverage. A short while later he returned holding a large flat-head screwdriver. “This should do it.” He wedged it between the frame and the door then started to rock it backwards and forwards to loosen the clasp. It took several attempts on either side of the lock before the sound of cracking wood, echoing off the hills, confirmed their forced entry. He led the way into the cabin.
Once inside, Hannah crossed through the lounge and immediately moved to the bedroom at the back where she stopped in the doorway and scanned the room.
The bed remained in the state it was in the last time it was used, with the bottom sheet crumpled and the duvet left piled haphazardly in the middle of the mattress.
She stepped further in and moved around the base, then noticed a set of drawers near the window. She crossed to investigate and opened each one in turn, but was dismayed to find they were empty. As she closed the last drawer Hannah paused, a familiar smell holding her in place.
A barely detectable scent hu
ng in the air. She moved closer to the bed, gently sniffing, to find the source. Travelling up the mattress, she stopped at the pillow when she realised the same perfume her daughter used lingered on the fabric. As she stood, she glanced across the bed and noticed three drops of blood, previously concealed by the duvet, dotting the pillow on the opposite side.
A terrified lump formed in her throat and she had to swallow hard to get past it. “Someone has been bleeding in the bed,” she called.
“In here too,” Max replied, from the lounge.
She left the bedroom and saw the nurse holding up a bloodied towel with a pair of tongs, found in a jar by the cooker.
Joseph stopped searching through a pile of newspapers and magazines when he noticed something protruding from behind a cushion on the sofa, near the fire. Stepping closer he moved the pillow aside and found a small stuffed elephant jammed into the corner of the couch. Pulling it out he held it high for Hannah to see. No words were exchanged, only a look of horror.
“I take it you know who that belongs to?” Max asked when Hannah burst into tears.
“Yes,” Joseph said, as he turned the toy around to find blood staining the rear of one of the elephant’s large floppy grey ears. “Our granddaughter, Beverly.”
“They’ve obviously been here, but aren’t here now. Why don’t we check out her place in Leeds?” Max suggested.
“Y... yes,” Hannah stuttered. She left the cabin and hurried to the car.
Susan’s eyes widened in alarm. “What’s happened? What did you find?”
“Beverly’s toy,” Hannah bawled.
Judith passed a tissue as Hannah lowered her head, hiccupping sobs heaving her chest as she failed to control her grief any longer. “Th... thank y... you.”
“Seb!” Max called, when he stepped outside and realised he could not see the dog. “Seb!” he yelled louder and was pleased moments later when some long reeds nearby briefly rippled and the animal suddenly appeared. Almost immediately though, Max’s relief turned to disgust. “Oh, no! What have you got?” he howled in horror.
Islands - The Epidemic: An Airborne Ebola Disaster Page 13