“Maybe, or maybe a mutation of the damn virus.”
“I heard it was cooked up in a lab.”
“That’s what my boss was working on.”
“What?” Adam asked in disbelief.
“You’re connected to this?”
“Not the disease, Lisa, but the study of it. But I wasn’t doing the work. I was personal protection for those who were.”
“Why aren’t you with them now?”
“Once the lockdown came in, they were all moved to a secure facility, no need of private security anymore.”
“They thought this was a weapon?”
“I never saw the research, but it was considered as a possibility. I was protecting Michael Fernsby. He believed everything we were going through might have been created in some lab. It was a theory, and he had no idea if it was released intentionally or not.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“When? When we were running for our lives? When I was fighting those things and leaping across rooftops? What difference would it make anyway?”
“Don’t you get it? You’re connected to all this,” replied Adam.
“Not really, I did protection details for someone looking into it.”
“I’ve heard of Fernsby,” said Roger who had returned seconds before.
“Haven’t you got work to do?”
“The elevators? Yeah, it’s done.”
Bobby sighed as he didn’t have the energy for it, but Roger carried on.
“Fernsby is one of the greatest minds in the country. If he was doing work into the disease, it must have been important.”
“You don’t employ security unless it isn’t,” replied Bobby.
“What more do you know about all this?”
“Nothing really, Lisa. Fernsby was a client. He bounced some ideas around, and I heard a few phone conversations. It was all very theoretical, and nothing that can help us right now.”
“You sure about that? If we can understand what caused this, maybe we can undo it.”
Bobby shook his head.
“Come on, Adam, we’re a few lucky survivors trying to get through whatever this is. The best minds around the world weren’t able to get a vaccine sorted in all the time this has been going on, so what the hell do you think we can do?”
“I don’t know, but it seems like information is something we don’t have a lot of, so maybe it’s time to start sharing?”
“Fair enough, but I don’t know what more I can tell you. Fernsby was working on some stuff related to all this. Investigating where it came from and why. As far as I know he never got to the bottom of it, and I’ve been out of contact for some time now. I wasn’t his associate or his friend. I was his bodyguard.”
“Did they give you a gun?”
“Yes, Roger, I was provided with a firearm while on duty, why?”
“Ah, shit.”
“What is it?” Adam asked.
“If he got a gun, then it was government work, something big.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“Because I’ve known enough people in high places, and this is Britain. The only civilians that get guns are those working for the government.”
“So, he wasn’t some random scientist with conspiracy theories?” Wallace asked.
“Who knows,” replied Bobby.
“What does it matter now?” Matt asked.
It was a reminder for Bobby to get on with his work and sew up the wound, and he got to it.
“What if this really was a weapon? This could be some country trying to take over. Maybe even terrorists?”
“Speculation doesn’t help us, Adam.” Bobby tied off the stitches. He went back to the sink and washed the blood from his hands. When he returned Lisa had already started wrapping a bandage about Matt’s leg.
“Thanks,” he said.
“We’re all in this together, right?” she replied as Bobby took a seat nearby.
“Yeah, that’s right,” he said with a sigh.
The others knew they were not going to get anywhere with the Fernsby angle and soon went to forage for whatever they could find.
“I’m sorry about your boyfriend,” said Bobby.
“My fiancé.” She held up her hand to show him the ring.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing but help me since we met.”
“I’m just doing what I can.”
“That’s a lot more than most. We’d never have gotten out of that hotel if it weren’t for you. We’d have died in there, too.”
“Well, I’m still sorry we couldn’t save your fiancé.”
“You had a partner?”
“Yeah, a wife.”
“You told Adam she was gone.”
“Yes, she passed a couple of years back,” he replied with sorrow and guilt.
“It wasn’t your fault, was it?”
“Yes and no. Kinda, it’s what her parents think.”
“And yours? What do they think?”
“Not around anymore. Her folks were all I had.”
“How was any of it your fault?”
“I was never there. Took tours I didn’t have to. I wasn’t there for her when she needed me.”
“So is that why you’re over here working security jobs?”
Bobby laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Thank you, Bobby.”
He looked up to her with a puzzled expression.
“You didn’t have to help us. You didn’t have to do any of what you did. You’d probably have had a far easier time getting out of this mess without us.”
He was already shaking his head.
“Na, trust me, the one thing you need in life more than anything is people you can rely on.”
“No man is an island?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” he smiled.
“You’re good,” Lisa tapped Matt on the shoulder.
“Not quite,” Bobby added, “That leg needs support. You’d be given a boot normally, but we’re gonna have to improvise.”
He rifled through a nearby desk and came out with a roll of packing tape. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a wooden chair from the dinning area and brought it back. He rested it up against a sturdy desk and broke it apart with a kick, took one of the legs, and braced it up against Matt’s wound. He winced as it made contact.
“There’s no way to make any of this comfortable, but you need to try and keep as much weight off it as possible. We’ll make you an improvised crutch if we have to, whatever we can do, but you have to stay off that leg as much as possible. Keep it braced whenever you ain’t horizontal, that clear?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Sir? Really?”
“What else should I call you?”
“Bobby.”
“All right, thank you.”
“Here, take a seat.”
He helped him up and lowered him down into a swivel chair as the rest of them gathered around. Kurt was still guarding the door to the stairs, but he was in hearing distance.
“What now, Boss?” Matt asked.
Chapter 4
“Adam, what have you found so far?”
“A few packets of biscuits, some tea and coffee, but not a lot else.”
Bobby was surprised. He had hoped for better.
“What are we doing here? You led us here, now what?”
“I didn’t lead anyone here, Wallace. We ran here to save our lives. It was this or nothing. This is our lot, so we’d better make the best of it!”
“All right, all right, there’s no point in fighting over any of this. We’ve got bigger problems,” insisted Toni.
Everyone fell silent and waited for Bobby to outline a plan, trusting him to lead them. Wallace didn’t look happy about it, but he dared not speak up.
“Everyone is tired, and we’ve all been through a lot. The last thing we need is to look for trouble. We need some rest and time to
think about what the hell we should do next, but to do that, we have to be certain we’re safe here. Matt is gonna need at least a couple of days to rest that leg.”
“A couple of days?”
“You got some place to be, Adam?”
“Yeah, anywhere but here, Lisa. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“And go where? If the Army is having this much trouble, how far do you think you would get, and where would you even go?”
“Somewhere, anywhere, but here, Bobby.”
“Don’t be an idiot. You’d die,” replied Lisa.
“So, what, we just stay here and wait?”
“For a little while, yes,” replied Bobby.
“And what are we waiting for, huh?” Wallace had finally plucked up the courage to speak out.
“No harm will come of taking a couple of days to think and assess our situation.”
“And if this is our only chance to get out?”
“The roads are empty and finding a ride won’t be too difficult. If in a few days that seems like the best thing to do, we’ll do it.”
“Screw it, we can go now.”
“And Matt? You think you can carry him when those things start to chase you?”
“Not my problem, Lisa. If people can’t keep up, that’s survival of the fittest,” he replied coldly.
“And if that was you with your leg busted up? Would you be happy with us leaving you?” Bobby growled angrily as he stormed across the room. Wallace backed off a few paces but was slammed up against the wall and pinned there.
“Bobby, enough!”
“No, Lisa, he’s got to hear this!” Bobby looked Wallace in the eyes.
“If this was survival of the fittest, you wouldn’t still be breathing. You’d be back in that hotel in a puddle of your own piss and blood, so don’t give me this tough guy attitude. There may come a time where you’re useful, but it hasn’t happened yet. But that’s okay, because we’re in this together. We have to trust in one another, no matter who they are. I need to know you’ve got my back, and you’re not gonna run to save your own skin.”
“Okay, okay, you’ve got it.”
Bobby wasn’t convinced, but it was at least a good show for the others and a step in the right direction. He let go of Wallace and stepped away, knowing that feud was not over. It would rear its ugly head soon enough, but he had far bigger things to worry about, and he went back to addressing them.
“Look, I never wanted to lead anyone through this kind of shit storm, but I’m the best chance you’ve got until someone better comes along. We’re gonna stay put. Scout out the rest of this building, ensure it’s fully safe and secure, and settle in. We could all do with a breather. With any luck, we’ll find enough food that we can stay locked down for the day, and maybe tomorrow we’ll venture out for supplies, but the best thing we can do now is stay somewhere safe and plan our next steps. Let’s not try and run before we can walk, huh?”
Several of them nodded and grunted in approval. Most were just glad to stay somewhere safe for a little while, as they were all still recovering from the horrors they had been through.
“You got those biscuits?”
Adam held up several packets.
“All right, hand ‘em out. We could all do with something sweet, and boost our energy levels a little for what comes next.”
Adam opened the packets and passed them around. Some of them smiled as they bit into the biscuits while others just looked numb. It was a reminder of how dire their situation was, and that’s all they had for nourishment. Bobby suddenly smiled as he looked around at the group.
“What is it?” Lisa asked.
“This is the most contact I’ve had with anyone in a long time, long before the lockdown.”
“Your work must be a life of solitude?”
“Only if you make it that way,” he replied solemnly.
She didn’t press any further, painfully aware how sore some topics were, having lost so much herself that day.
“Come on, it’s time we cleared this building.” Bobby got up and found his legs were a little stiff, but the break had done him a lot of good.
“Listen up, we’re gonna work in teams. Kurt, you’re with me. Roger and Wallace, Adam and Toni, what’s your name?” The last man he did not recognise. He looked reserved and quiet.
“Lucas,” he replied softly.
“All right, Lucas, you’re gonna take up position where Kurt has been at that door. Lisa you’re keeping Matt company, and make sure he doesn’t open that wound up.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” replied Matt.
“Good. Right, three teams, we go floor by floor. One team stays on the stairs to ensure nothing gets by us while the other two teams work that floor. Our first priority is making sure the place is safe. Don’t drop your guard for anything. Pick up anything that can be used as a weapon as you go, but don’t forage for supplies until the floor is cleared. I want to hear it. Nobody roots around for food until they hear the verbal declaration cleared from both teams on that floor, you hear?”
“We aren’t soldiers,” grumbled Wallace.
“No, but you’re the best we got, so you need to rise to the occasion. We’re relying on each other. We have no choice.”
“And if we find those things in the building?”
“We kill them if we can, Adam, and run if there are too many. Stay alert and be ready for anything. Let’s move.”
Lisa nodded, appreciating she was being let off lightly by staying with Matt. She’d had the worst of it, and they all knew it. Nobody argued with her being let off the hard lifting, nor Lucas, for none of them held much stock in the timid young man if it came to a fight.
Bobby led them out, giving one last nod to Lisa in the hope of settling her nerves, though she looked calmer than any of them. He went through the door leading them despite being empty-handed. Roger still had his axe, but he could see what it had done for the businessman’s confidence. Finally, he looked willing and able to fight.
“Let’s hope you’re right about this place, Adam.”
“Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”
“Bet your life on it, would you?”
Adam gulped as his confidence dropped a little, and he realised how much that gamble would be.
“That’s what I thought. Let’s get this done slick and smooth.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means nobody gets killed, Wallace.”
Bobby led them on, and he went cautiously down the stairs. The lights were off, but skylights provided enough for them to see what they were doing. They soon reached the next floor.
“Roger, Wallace, stay put, you let us know if you see anything, and you don’t leave this spot unless your life depends on it, got it?”
“Yes,” replied Roger.
Wallace didn’t even reply as he took up position. Bobby didn’t appreciate his attitude, but there was little he could do about it.
“You want this back?” Roger held up the axe.
“No, you hold on to it.”
It took a lot to say it. He desperately needed a weapon, but he was well aware how much it meant to the other man, and how ineffective he would be without it.
“Okay, let’s do this. Remember, clear the floor, then we dig for the good stuff, okay?”
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. There was an umbrella rack by the door, and he drew out the sturdiest looking one. It was hefty with a hardwood handle, and a steel core and cap. It felt like it could deal a good blow and was tough enough to stay in one piece. It was a far cry from the axe he had given up, but a good deal better than nothing. The office looked near identical to the one they’d just come from, and it was as quiet, but he didn’t let his guard down as he pointed for the other pair to split up.
“What a place to work in, huh?” Bobby said as he thought of the monotony of it.
“Yeah, I worked in a place like this,” replied Kurt.
“Sorry.”
“I’d take it over whatever shit we’re in now.”
“Ain’t that the truth?”
They took a bend and were glad to find no sign of movement. They covered the floor quickly and met up on the far side.
“So far so good, gather up any food and drink you can find,” he said as he headed for the kitchen.
“Jackpot,” said Kurt as they approached it and spotted a vending machine just outside. It was fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Kurt didn’t even hesitate as he smashed the glass with his bat and began to stuff his pockets.
“Here.” Bobby picked up a backpack hanging on a rack nearby and tossed it to him.
“Hell, yeah.” Kurt began filling it with supplies. The other two were back in no time with a handful of things from the kitchen.
“Nice,” said Wallace as he saw Kurt’s haul.
“Let’s not celebrate yet. We’ve got work to do,” said Bobby.
They went to floor after floor slowly gathering more snacks. None of it was wholesome food, but it was enough to keep them going. It went without incident as Adam had said it would when finally, they reached the third floor, which was part of the furniture store that led onto the street. Bobby opened the doors cautiously, as if expecting to find trouble. He stepped inside with his sturdy umbrella held in both hands ready to strike, but he lowered it in relief.
“Wow,” said Kurt.
** *
“Do you think we’re gonna get through this?” Matt asked, his voice groggy from the whiskey taking its toll.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got a better chance than most I think.”
“Why?”
“We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? Bobby got us out of all that. He’ll keep us safe.”
“I sure hope so.”
“So, tell me about yourself, what do you do for a living?” She was trying to make small talk to keep his mind from the pain, but also to distract her from the loss and grief she had barely begun to take in.
“I’m a web designer, not exactly the companion you want in the apocalypse, huh?”
“I don’t know. We can’t all be soldiers and marines. I think it’s more about what we do now than what we were before.”
Matt laughed. “I wish that were true, but it isn’t. Bobby got us here because he’s a warrior. He’s been through war and knows what to do and how to act. How to keep it together.”
The Armageddon Series | Book 2 | Pandemic, Part 2 Page 3