The Fight for Life

by S G Read

  They walked inside and Barry steered Ray into the library the empty library. Jericho followed them in and closed the door and Ray sensed there was some news.

  ‘What man will stoop to surprises me, even now.’ Barry said when the door was closed. ‘The group on the Isle of Wight nearest the main land have decided that the best way forward is to eat his fellow man.’

  Ray looked at him in surprise. ‘Eat? As in join us for a meal but the bad news is you are it?’

  ‘That very one and I was nearly a banquet.’ Jericho declared. ‘I had an invite but Barry bailed me out in time.’

  Ray looked him up and down. ‘Give me a pig any day.’

  He sat down in a leather chair and the other two sat.

  ‘So what we have to look forward to is raiding parties onto the main land for food and anyone will do?’ Ray asked.

  ‘I think that is about the size of it.’ Barry answered. ‘Charles sent a man and a woman onto the island and when they did not come back he sent two men. We found out that they ate the men and kept the woman for breeding purposes.’

  ‘Charles obviously wants to go on there and get her back then!’ Ray surmised. ‘What are his plans?’

  ‘I persuaded him to wait for us to raise an army for a landing. I was thinking that the scuba gear the East Anglia four had would help us get on to the island without them seeing us so maybe you could ask them for a favour.’ Barry answered.

  ‘What them come and fight? They are a bit thin on the ground over there.’

  ‘If not fight they could give me a refresher course on the use of the scuba gear it is many moons since I used it or trained with it.’

  ‘That they will gladly do, they might even come over with us; we will see.’ Ray stood up. ‘I’ll get Ralphy to talk to them about it but I’ll get him to code talk so that only the ones who know the code understand what is going on. I’ll talk to Dai as well and we will meet up at the 303 headquarters.’

  Ray walked into the television room to find Ralphy but made sure he talked to the other settlements in the library to make sure it was not common gossip too soon. It would get round fairly quickly but for now let things run as normal.

  After he had eaten, Jethro was out working on the wall to make it fully driveable. Two teams were out looking for the means to drive on it and try to make them go fast enough to get from A to B quickly when needed.

  The four from East Anglia started out the day Ray told them about it, they had gained men from London and from up north to protect the women and children so they were free to help, in fact very willing to help, after the help they had been given from Ray’s settlement.

  Dai was incensed. ‘There is not enough people left on the planet to go round eating them’ was how he put it and he would send men as soon as they were needed.

  The East Anglia four arrived in the late evening, now that they could use the bridge it was a lot quicker and easier. They had stopped off to get all the scuba equipment they could lay their hands on before driving there and lessons started that evening.

  The next day they went out to the nearest body of water to test out the training and get used to the equipment. The training went on all day with breaks for food and for rests. Barry soon remembered what was what and started to help the ones near him, including Ray.

  That night Ray slept well but they were at it again in the morning as well, they had to be good enough to do the job. A plan was forming in Ray’s mind but he still had to fill in a lot of little ands and buts to make it complete.

  The Welsh were getting ready in the same manner with equipment they had collected. The plan was forming slowly and it was to land on the island unknown to the inhabitants and to slowly work their way across but also to have men watching all the landing spots along the coast for villains escaping from the island.

  ‘Of course there was a prison on the island!’ Jericho said from the other side of the breakfast table.

  ‘There was indeed,’ Ray answered, ‘and if a person with the same mentality as the one who released the animals from the zoo park has let all the inmates out for some reason, it looks like it has come back and bit them on the bum, literally!’

  ‘So we might be up against some desperadoes then?’

  ‘We might well be.’ Ray agreed. ‘But whether they were from the prison or just living there we won’t know until we ask them!’

  ‘When do we go?’

  ‘When we are more than ready; I for one don’t intend to be served for dinner in the wrong sense as it were.’ Ray answered. ‘I want to be in charge with them on the run and nowhere to go.’

  ‘Just look out for tasers when you are on the island, they don’t half give you a poke.’ Jericho warned.

  ‘I’ll look out for them believe you me.’ Ray replied. ‘The idea just gives me the heeby jeebies.’

  ‘Well it certainly gave me something and I’m still not a hundred percent over it.’ Jericho complained. ‘Unfortunately I can’t take it out on the perpetrators; Barry already did that so I’ll take it out on the rest!’

  Jericho left Ray eating and Barry walked back in. Ray sensed him standing there.

  ‘Can I help you Barry?’

  ‘As soon as I can I want to go out on the island and suss things out. We will take a while to get ready and I might be able to help any survivors who might end up as food.’

  ‘As long as you don’t make yourself a target by sticking your neck out. You have a family to look after here you know.’

  ‘I know but what is going on out there is too much to bear. There might still be people living on the island who are hunted for food and my family are behind me one hundred percent.’

  ‘Slip out one night and go there quietly. Do you want someone to go with you?’

  ‘No thanks Ray I am better on my own and taking my time to move around. I took a chance when I had to find Jericho in a hurry.’

  ‘Just don’t get caught!’ Ray warned. ‘You are an asset.’

  As well as the training, life had to go on in the settlement. They collected gas bottles for cooking and collected oil for the generator and for the vehicles which ran on diesel. They collected farm diesel for use on whatever it would run, as it no longer mattered that it was duty free. The canteen started to take shape but it would not be finished before they went to war.

  Finally they finished all their preparations and all interested parties were ready willing and able to sort out the cannibals on the island. Those going to fight had the part they were going to play in the fight up on the board. Two were missing; Barry and Will.

  ‘What are me and Barry doing then?’ Will asked when he caught up with Ray; he was a little put out.

  ‘Barry is already on the island, has been for a couple of days to see just what is what. You will be in the plane with Justine giving us cover and directions from the air. Is that okay?’

  ‘Fine, just as long as I’ve not been put out to grass.’

  ‘Not yet, the retirement age around here has gone up and up recently.’ Ray declared. The pension is not much either.’

  ‘No change there then.’ Will replied and walked off a happier man.

  Laura had been practicing with a lot of weapons and running to get fitter as she had no intentions of being left behind, if there was a fight. She was rewarded with her name being on the list, in what she considered an important role. The island was to be ringed with snipers with various types of rifle to shoot anyone leaving the island as the others moved across the island. A lot of these were women who would be in twos and threes to keep them safe.

  They all piled onto a coach for the journey to the 303 headquarters where they would meet up with the Welsh contingent. A few men were staying and Brian was going to work on the canteen as he could now lay bricks. He was not fast and each brick had to be just so but he could lay bricks.

  Tom was on gate duty and had all the cameras routed to his little home on the front gate and he could reach the back gate in fifteen minutes if he had callers
there. If the wall on the others side needed attention he could send someone from the main house to look after it as there was no route past the main house wall as yet; it was still just a single brick wall.

  The coach left early in the morning while the children still slept. They did not know what was going on and no one was about to tell them, it was better if they did not know what people were doing elsewhere, although Felicity was going to talk about the cannibals on the far islands in case they heard something.

  They drove to the farm house used by the 303 group and stopped to stretch their legs, they were there before the Welsh and used the time to get to know the 303 group a little better.

  ‘How come we always meet like this?’ Charles asked as he sat down with a glass of wine next to Ray.

  ‘It does seem like one battle after another doesn’t it!’ Ray answered. ‘Did you hear about our troubles?’

  ‘What the little boy? Yes it is a real blow when that happens, when you think you have it all enclosed. I take it you sealed the tunnel?’

  ‘In a way. We put the slab over it and made sure it could not be moved from outside; it will make a good escape route or even a way to go out and come back in and surprise an attacking army.’

  ‘You expecting trouble?’

  ‘No, not at all, I hope we are past all that but this Isle of Wight thing is a bit of a sign of what things could be like all over the country.’

  ‘Yes. The sad thing is I sent them over there to be eaten. Well I didn’t send them to be eaten, I sent them to make contact and I feel damned mad about it.’

  ‘We’ll sort them.’ Ray said and looked up as a plane flew over the farm house, not that he could see it as they were indoors. ‘That will be Justine and Will.’

  ‘I heard about her flying about at her age, you can tell she is Barry’s daughter.’

  They walked out to watch the plane land in the field which had been prepared as a runway. Justine flew down and skipped along the ground before turning and taxiing back to the farm house. She waved when she saw Ray and he waved back. The waiting crew ran out to refuel the plane and make sure it was ready to go.

  ‘We have a few hand grenades and other things that Will can drop on the opponents heads.’ Charles said as they waited for Justine and Will to join them. ‘Might give us an edge.’

  ‘I did consider bigger bombs but you don’t know who is still on the island and hunted by the people we are going to eradicate.’

  ‘What nuke it? It’s alright but make sure the fall out goes the other way or we would have to move.’

  ‘And us.’ Ray added. ‘Once that stuff is up in the atmosphere, anyone can cop it.’

  The two from the plane joined them and they walked back into the farmhouse for refreshments to wait for the Welsh.

  They were not long coming. Tem minutes after Justine touched down they drove into the farmyard.

  ‘You can tell it’s a working farm!’ Dai said as he climbed out of the car and smelt the farmyard smells.

  ‘We keep gathering animals from all round.’ Charles said as he went to meet him with Ray following. ‘We have calves now that the dog problem is all but dealt with.’

  ‘We have calves as well so we could trade some with you, to help with the breeding.’ Dai answered as they walked inside. ‘All set are we? I saw the girl park the plane. She’s good isn’t she?’

  ‘Very good but it is hard to find a lot of aviation fuel round our way.’ Ray answered.

  ‘We have airports over our way you can raid for some; we have a few planes as well. Some of our young men are talking about having lessons from the girl but I don’t know how much of it is just to sit next to her in the plane!’

  ‘They will get Barry as a father in law.’ Ray warned.

  ‘They say love is blind boyo.’ Dai replied.

  With them all present they moved into the big hall and Ray spread out a map. It showed the Isle of Wight and the coastline of the mainland.

  ‘I want lookouts at these vantage points with sniper rifles for anyone trying to get off the island and the rest of us will start over here; he pointed to the point he intended to land on the island, and will move across the island driving them before us or killing them until we reach the other end. We will do it slowly and thoroughly so as to not miss anyone at all.’

  ‘That will need a lot more men that we have.’ Charles declared. ‘Especially as we will have some on the coast line.’

  ‘The coast line will be women, old and young. Anyone who can fire a rifle and hit what they are aiming at from their vantage point. There will only be men on the island and they will show no quarter. We will have Will, Justine and one other in the plane keeping a careful watch on people who try to sneak behind our lads. If they don’t kill them they will tell the nearest ground troops where they are so they can go and get them! It isn’t perfect but it will have to do.’

  ‘Now I know why you said to bring the women who could shoot.’ Dai said thoughtfully.

  ‘Talking about Barry, I haven’t seen him with you.’ Charles declared.

  ‘He has been on the island for a couple of days to see what is going on out there. I think his idea is to protect anyone who needs it, he feels there are still normal people on there who are being hunted for food and he doesn’t want us to kill anyone there unjustly.’

  ‘How do we find out?’ Dai asked.

  ‘He will tell us. He didn’t take a radio so he will find a way to do it.’

  ‘Did he know where you were going to land?’ Charles asked.

  ‘No: It was better for him not to know but he is a shrewd tactician and he will work out what is what and work out where we will land.’ Ray explained. ‘I can’t see him getting caught though; he can cross a bare field without being seen.’

  ‘Now that I have got to see!’ Dai declared.

  ‘If he does it without being seen, there wouldn’t be anything to see!’ Charles pointed out.

  ‘Oh yes. But it would be just as good to see him one side, not see him cross the field but be on the other side a little later.’ Dai answered. ‘That would prove it.’

  They sorted out who was doing what and each team moved out. The coast watchers went first to take up their positions round the island ready for the attack then the rest drove down to the bay from which they were going to leave. Four boats were there and when they left each one was full of men. Ray’s group sailed out to the spot where Jericho guessed they were as close to the island as they could get, without being seen and donned their scuba outfits. They were going to get as close as they could on the surface and then travel the rest of the way underwater, until they landed in the chosen inlet which was near St. Catherine’s point. It was in the middle of nowhere with no houses nearby. Ray hoped that there would be no one about when they landed at daybreak. From there they could move up the shore and climb the sloping bank on to the A3055 which they would secure. They would spread out to form a thin line, searching each possible hiding place for the cannibals. Another team was landing at Bembridge and they were to form a line slowly spreading out until they met the other team at Sandown but with the other end stopping at Spring Vale ready for the push to clear Ryde. It helped that the cannibals wore the same red scarf, a bit like the Khmer rouge had in their day but then a red scarf was easy to remove. When they met Ray’s team at Sandown, Ray’s team would have already spread out to Atherfield Green. Then they would form one complete line from Atherfield Green to Spring vale. After that they could sweep across the island as they had done to clear the area inside the fence back on the mainland. They men at Atherfield would stay put while the others worked their way forward, using those men as a pivot. All Ray’s team had to do was to make sure no one passed through their line as they were spread thinner than Ray would have liked but they only had so many men.. With Justine flying overhead to let them know if any were trying to infiltrate they hoped to cover the line, they had about one hundred metres between each man. When they linked up the line would be able close
ranks and reduce the distance between the men. The people watching from shore had to keep a watch out for boats leaving the island and let the rest know when that happened, so that all the mainland watchers were alerted. If Will did not see it they were to let him know as well.

  One by one thy slipped over the side and swam for the shore, it was still dark when they started out but the false dawn was just starting to shed light on the water. Each leader had a compass to guide them and they also had a light on the back of their scuba tank meant only to shine backwards. The rest followed their leader until they neared the coast and they could see it by the dawning light. They turned the lights off as soon as it was light enough to see and they all crept out onto the sand or rocks. They had to hide and wait to recover from the effort of the swim, then they had to get out of the scuba gear.

  Ten minutes after Ray’s team landed, all hell broke loose, they could hear someone blowing horns and men were yelling.

  ‘That’s a hunting horn.’ Jericho whispered to Ray.

  ‘See what the hell is going on!’ Ray ordered. ‘But keep out of it whatever it is!’

  Jericho crept up the bank until he could see over the top. What he saw made his blood boil. People were running hither and thither being pursued by men on horseback. Many were children! The two men with them were hit by tasers and then they went after the bigger children. This was a hunting party and they were gathering food right over here. He felt Ray move beside him.

  ‘They are collecting these for food.’ Jericho declared in a hushed tone.

  Suddenly a man leapt out of nowhere and the man on the horse was removed as though he was a doll.

  ‘That was Barry.’ Ray whispered and slid back down to the others. ‘Barry is up there helping the children they are hunting so we take them out but with as little gun fire as possible so only those with silencers fire their guns.’

  By the time he returned to the top Jericho was gone. Ray saw him some way in front on his belly crawling along and followed him. He could see one horse roaming without a rider and suddenly right next to Jericho, Barry took another one out. One of the riders saw him this time and rode over to where he had seen them fall. By the time he reached the fallen man Barry had killed him and moved on. He searched about until Barry took him out as well but now two were on his trail. He was still with his latest victim when they found him and both aimed tasers. Jericho followed Barry’s example and took one of them out. Ray slightly less able to do such things fired with his silenced pistol and the man fell from his horse. By the time Jericho had killed his man Barry was beside him.