Z - Arrival / Z - London / Z - Payback: Books 1, 2 & 3 of the Zombie Apocalypse

by Hatchett

  At last all twenty soldiers had found themselves a car. Issy signalled a retreat to her Crew and over the next few minutes they all made their way slowly and carefully back towards the Arrival’s Hall entrance door. Issy had fifty-five soldiers in her Crew but had lost one, and twenty were currently sitting in cars. She did a silent headcount and was pleased that the expected number of thirty-four were standing around her. She looked out towards the cars in the Inner Ring and the zombies milling about. There would be more zombies in the cordon than she expected or wanted but it was what it was. She raised both her arms to signal the drivers to start.

  The nearest car, the Ford Mondeo Estate, started and was quickly followed by others. It started moving towards a point about fifteen metres to the left of Issy as she looked on. It ran straight into several zombies, some being bounced up onto the bonnet and others being crushed beneath the wheels as the soldier moved the car closer. It hit the kerb with a terrible bang, the front spoiler falling off, but continued until the soldier stopped the car inches from the Terminal glass. Issy noticed that the soldier had wound up the window as instructed and was now climbing over the armrest to the passenger door, ready to get out onto the cordon side. The other cars were following the lead and one by one they moved into a line behind the Mondeo, each one touching the other bumper to bumper. One of the soldiers driving a C Class Mercedes saloon had taken his car to fifteen metres the other side of Issy and again, was followed by others. The cordon began to form and after a few minutes it was sealed. They had managed to form a cordon which was about thirty metres wide and twenty-five metres long. One car had not started for some reason and one car wasn’t needed so the soldier parked it a few metres away from the cordon. The soldiers in both these cars had little choice but to stay where they were; the noise and movement had attracted hundreds of zombies, and even though they were ‘dirtied up’ they had seen what had happened to one of their colleagues. The soldier in the car which hadn’t started had retrieved his MP5, lowered the window a little and was picking off zombies from where he sat. Luckily, the zombies were more attracted to the main cordon rather than a silenced MP5.

  Issy and the thirty-four members of her Crew standing next to her moved forward and started taking out the zombies inside the cordon; these zombies were more interested in the now stationery cars and the soldiers sitting in them and proved to be of little threat.

  Once, the cordon was zombie-free and secure, the doors to the Arrivals Hall opened and Bear, Dave, Irish and Joel together with several of their Crew members came out carrying MP5’s and SA80’s. They moved up next to the cars and started picking off the zombies a few feet away in quick succession. Within a couple of minutes, the area near the cordon was clear with dead zombies littered everywhere. The soldiers sitting in the cars got out on the cordon side, along with half a dozen dehydrated and worn out civilians.

  Bear walked up to Issy and gave her an impromptu hug. “Well done girl, that was brilliant.” He handed her a bottle of water from which she drank greedily.

  Issy smiled and pointed. “The best bit is that the noise has attracted more zombies outside the cordon.” They both looked towards the line of cars and the hundreds of zombies gathering on the other side, but unable to get any closer.

  More armed soldiers entered the cordon and took up a position near the cars, and, just like a firing squad, started shooting the nearest zombies.

  It was a massacre and the smile on Issy’s face grew bigger as she witnessed the execution. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see one of her Crew helping a dishevelled woman to stay on her feet.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for saving me,” the woman said with a strained smile on her face.

  “No problem,” Issy replied. “You best get to Medical,” she added, indicating to the soldier to take her there.

  Issy turned back to Bear. “Where’s the arsehole who started banging the windows?” she asked, the smile long gone from her face.

  “Unconscious and in Medical,” he replied rubbing his knuckles.

  Issy playfully punched Bear on the arm and admonished him, “He was mine.”

  Bear shrugged. “Couldn’t help myself,” he replied and moved towards the line of cars to join the firing squad.

  Issy looked around and could see that the number of zombies on the other side of the cars was diminishing rapidly.

  Joel came up to her carrying a bullhorn. “Got a couple of great ideas for attracting the zombies,” he said with a big smile. As he was about to switch it on, Issy put a restraining hand on his arm and took the bullhorn from his grasp.

  “Ceasefire,” Issy ordered, making those close to her jump. The soldiers stopped firing slowly, the odd shot still being let off. “Save your ammunition. Have a rest, a drink, there’s a lot more to do today. If you want to carry on, climb on the cars and start using your knives. Meeting for the Leaders in the ‘Costa Coffee’ now. With that, she switched off the bullhorn and handed it back to Joel. She turned on her heels and started off in the direction of Costa Coffee, closely followed by Joel.

  73

  Day 2

  10:00 GMT

  Heathrow Terminal 3

  Issy and Joel were the first to arrive at Costa Coffee. There was no one in the area and no coffee available. Issy went over to the fridge and picked out a bottle of Coke and then found herself a nice comfortable sofa to lounge in. She slouched back and put her feet on the table. Within ten minutes, the other Leaders had arrived, having heard Issy’s ‘request’ through their earpieces and the bullhorn. They all helped themselves to a drink and sat around the sofa occupied by Issy. As everyone settled down, Jack and the Major appeared around the corner and came over.

  “Nice one Issy,” Jack complimented her. “So, what’s on your mind? What’s next?”

  “I don’t mind,” Issy replied “but we might need to think things through in more detail. For example, I hadn’t considered that there might still be people alive in those cars outside, and it could have caused unnecessary deaths. We don’t need any surprises.”

  “Not your fault Issy,” Andy spoke. “None of us thought about it either.”

  “Sorry Issy,” Sarah apologised, “we should have used the CCTV to have a better look at what we were dealing with.”

  “It’s no one’s fault,” Jack interrupted. “We’re all doing the best we can in difficult circumstances. We’re all going to make mistakes from time to time, we’ve just got to hope it doesn’t get anyone killed. Don’t put yourselves down.”

  “I think we can attract the zombies to the Inner Ring and draw them into the cordon where we can take them out,” Joel observed.

  “How’s that Joel?” Dave asked.

  “Well, as I was about to tell Issy, I could use one of the Lynx Heli’s to attract them and draw them in. Then someone in the cordon using the bull horn could do the rest.”

  “Good idea,” said Irish, “but I think we have other priorities first.”

  There were nods all around before Gina added, “There’s still a large group of zombies near the cargo area and the Hilton hotel, but if you entice them to move, you’ll also entice the zombies outside the perimeter to move in, so we need to block off the entrances before we can consider using the heli’s.”

  “The Perimeter Crew is mine, so I’ll figure out a way to block those entrances, but we will need buses. I’ll let Joel know if we get to a point where it’s time to try out his idea,” Dave advised. “In the meantime, we should make the cordon bigger and get some bigger transport. I will need some help from Issy and her Crew to do this if that’s ok?”

  “That’s ok with me,” replied Issy, “let me know what you want us to do.”

  74

  Day 2

  10:30 GMT

  Heathrow Terminal 3

  Issy and her Killing Crew met up in the Arrivals Hall with Dave’s Perimeter Crew a short distance away. Thankfully, the two soldiers trapped in cars outside the cordon had managed to sneak their way back
in when the zombies were attracted by the gunfire around the cordon. They had had to be careful they didn’t stray into the lines of fire or get mistaken for a proper zombie by overzealous shooters.

  Issy had explained to her Killing Crew what she needed them to do and led them outside into the cordon. There were still a few zombies around and about outside the cordon, but the Clean-Up Crew had done a decent job dragging the dead ones out of the way; these bodies were currently piled up to one side of the doors. Some of soldiers went across to smear fresh blood and guts on themselves, just in case the smell was wearing off. The last thing they wanted was the zombies realising that they were still alive.

  The Killing Crew had already identified several vehicles which would be useful for what they were about to do. They split into five teams, four teams of ten and one team of fourteen. Issy stayed at the edge of the cordon, ready to give the necessary signals. Team by team they slid across the cars making up the cordon then branched out towards their targets. The first two teams carefully and stealthily moved towards two coaches parked in the Inner Ring. It was clear from the cameras that there were zombies on board, so the teams would need to take them out. The third team headed for one of the airport parking buses, the fourth to a minibus and the larger fifth team spread out and aimed for abandoned cars. It was slow going; no one could move too fast as they didn’t want to attract any attention. There were a couple of times when zombies got too close and they had to stop and wait for the zombies to move on.

  Eventually all teams appeared to have accessed their target vehicles but to make absolutely certain, Issy checked with Gina in the Security Command Centre. Gina confirmed that from the CCTV it looked like everyone was on board.

  Issy climbed onto the roof of an Audi A4 in the cordon and raised both arms. All the vehicles rumbled into life and started moving. The soldiers in the fifteen cars moved them so that they made a second box at the top of the cordon, adding a further twenty metres lengthwise. Two of the cars drove into the cordon rather than filling the gap at the far end and the soldiers manoeuvred these cars so that they formed a gate which could be easily opened and closed. For the time being the gate was left open so that the two coaches, the bus and minibus could enter, then the ‘gate’ was closed. The noise of this activity brought more zombies in their direction, but as they were outside the cordon they could be ignored for the time being.

  The soldiers got out of the cars, moved towards the original front wall of the cordon, and moved those cars to the side. This meant the cordon was now a total of forty-five metres long and thirty metres wide. The coaches, the bus and minibus used the space to turn around so that they were facing the gate. The Crews now had transport.

  The plan was relatively simple; the windows of the coaches would be taken out; they were too high for any zombie to reach and would make an ideal vantage point for shooting. The airport parking buses would be used to block all the perimeter access points to the airport; the various gates and the tunnels beneath the runways which gave the public access to the airport. The buses could also be used to access the areas of the airport where there were still survivors; Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 5, Cargo, and the airline hangers to name a few. There were bound to be people hidden in other shops or booths, car rental offices, the underground and bus station. Many of these might need medical attention for shock, dehydration, and injuries. The Crews still had a lot to do.

  The Leaders got together inside the cordon to decide the next steps; Issy advised she would split her Crew into four teams. For the time being, a team would be seconded to the Procurement Crew, to the Perimeter Crew, to the Clean-up Crew, and to the Rescue Crew. Her teams would take point on any mission; they would be the first ones to engage, thereby giving the other Crews cover as they went about their business. The Leaders had earlier decided to split the sixty-seven additional soldiers from Aldershot across the teams; Issy had taken five so the Killing Crew now numbered sixty; Joel had taken nineteen, taking the Procurement Crew up to forty; Dave had not changed the size of his Perimeter Crew which still stood at fifty; Bear and Irish had taken eight making the Rescue Crew twenty and the remaining twenty-three had gone to Andy’s Clean-Up Crew giving him forty-nine.

  Joel advised that his Procurement Crew would attempt to get to the bus station; Gina had told him in a discussion earlier that there were a number of buses there which could be used by the Perimeter Crew to start blocking the airport access points. The only problem was that there were a lot of abandoned vehicles between the cordon and the bus station. Joel also wanted to get his hands on other vehicles like minibuses; these would be useful for transporting groups of people more easily than cars or the more cumbersome buses.

  “Clearing the route and making the roads passable again will make it easier for everyone to move around later,” Dave advised. “In the meantime, my Crew and I will wait for the buses you’re about to secure and go from there.”

  Bear and Irish advised that they would take their Crew and scout other parts of the airport and terminals; they would do what they could to rescue people but if there were too many zombies then they would hold off and wait for the Killing Crew to help them out.

  Andy advised that he expected to find appropriate transport to start shifting bodies in bulk, so they could be piled up and burnt.

  Sarah and Gina would continue to coordinate the Crews from the Security Command Centre as they went about their business.

  The Leaders moved off to their respective Crews to let them know what was happening next.

  75

  Day 2

  11:15 GMT

  Heathrow Terminal 3

  Joel had forty soldiers in his Crew, including himself, plus a further fifteen seconded to him from the Killing Crew to help out. Therefore, he had no option but to use one of the coaches. He selected a maroon coloured Irizar I6, which had two passenger doors; one at the front and one half-way down the side.

  Joel had briefed the teams then ordered them to get on the coach. The Procurement Crew boarded first, eager to start their next job. As instructed, they smashed out the windows in the rear seating area using the butts of their guns. They then tore down the curtains to prevent them flapping in the breeze and getting in their way. As they were doing this, soldiers from the other Crews were clearing the area outside the cordon, especially the space near the gates, to allow vehicles to move out.

  The members of the Killing Crew then climbed aboard and situated themselves as close to the doors as possible as they would be the first ones off. The Procurement Crew were beginning to thank their lucky stars that they’d taken out the coach’s windows because the Killing Crew stank to high heaven and even the smallest journey would have been a nightmare if there hadn’t been a breeze to take away the smell. Even so, some of the Procurement Crew were still gagging and had to stick their heads outside the coach. They were beginning to wish they were elsewhere when one of the Killing Crew produced a jar of vapour rub from his pocket and passed it around.

  “I was wondering how you managed to put up with the stench,” commented one of the soldiers as he eagerly applied the vapour rub all around his nose and upper lip before passing it on to the next person.

  Joel selected a seat at the front next to the driver; one of his Crew who had had experience of driving coaches and had eagerly volunteered to do so. He felt it was safer to be sitting in comfort on the bus rather than wandering around with hungry monsters all around.

  The driver keyed the ignition and the 462bhp engine rumbled to life. He flicked a switch to close the doors then slowly moved the coach towards the improvised gate. The immediate area outside the cordon was clear, so the cars making up the gate were moved aside to allow the coach to exit before they quickly closed the gap again.

  The driver turned left out of the gate onto Canberra Road which was one of many lanes making up the Inner Ring, crunching over discarded luggage and dead bodies and leaving a big mess in its wake. The driver skirted around abandoned vehicles and other
obstacles like trolleys as best he could, nudging some out of the way when it was necessary. This activity generated noise and attracted zombies from nearby buildings, and the soldiers in the back of the coach began taking pot shots until Joel keyed the microphone and ordered them to save their ammunition and keep as quiet as possible. The driver reached the end of Canberra Road and turned right onto Camberley Road. Straightaway, he could see a larger blockage further along the road, but he managed to drive a few hundred yards until he was alongside the exits of the short stay car park before he had to come to a halt. The coach was now out of sight of the cordon and the driver turned off the engine.

  Joel stood up and surveyed the area. There were still zombies heading in their direction, but they were beginning to lose interest now that the coach’s engine had been turned off. Joel picked up the microphone again and keyed the button.

  “Killing Crew ready?”

  The temporary leader of the Killing Crew nodded, and Joel asked the driver to open the doors. The Killing Crew exited quickly, and the doors were closed behind them. They spread out and secured the immediate area around the doors of the coach, killing half a dozen zombies in the process. Once they had done this, six of them stayed in position while the other nine moved away and started to check the nearest vehicles. As they had done earlier, they cleared these vehicles of any zombies and once they were happy there was no danger, they formed a cordon between the vehicles and the coach.

  The temporary Leader signalled to Joel that everything was ready, and Joel gave the order for the coach’s doors to be opened again. A dozen of the Procurement Crew quickly left the coach and made their way to the vehicles before getting in and closing the doors and starting the engines. The Killing Crew moved to one side as the vehicles were turned around and driven back towards the main cordon, where they would be parked for future use. Joel had arranged for the drivers to be brought back to the coach by minibus, so that there would be a regular convoy of people moving backwards and forwards.