Rogue Evacuation

by Simon Neilson

  “That guard already suspects something isn’t quite right, imagine what it would like if he saw we didn’t share a bed,” Maria said to me.

  She was right. Of course she was right, but it still did not make me feel any more comfortable.

  “I guess,” I said slowly.

  “Don’t panic, Kaleb. I’m not going to pounce on you,” Maria smiled.

  Nervously I moved over to the double bed and sat on the edge. Slowly I eased myself inside the covers, keeping my clothes on and rested my head onto the soft pillow.

  “I’m sorry about earlier,” Maria whispered.

  “It’s ok. I just don’t like secrets and I’m not stupid.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid,” Maria replied.

  “Then I wish people would tell me what the hell is going on.”

  I must have drifted off to sleep pretty quickly as I don’t recall any further conversation with Maria. The next thing I remember was the hand on arm gently rousing me from my sleep.

  My eyes flickered, I was for the first time in ages in a deep slumber. It took a few seconds to focus, but as my vision cleared I saw Lance standing next to the bed.

  “Sorry to wake you,” he said with a smile.

  “What is it?” My mind was in a rush.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  The compound was now in complete darkness, save for the spotlights on the guard towers which beamed across the walls. Lance led me round the side of the hut where I saw two plastic containers turned upside down.

  “Take a seat,” he said.

  I looked back and saw the spotlights moving around the fence and gazed back at Lance.

  “You sure?” I asked.

  “They can’t reach round here, though if you stand up for much longer they will see you,” he said smiling.

  Moving close to the side of the hut I positioned myself on one of the containers just as the spotlight moved by where I had been standing.

  “What is it you want to talk about?” I asked nervously.

  “Well we can’t hide the fact that the IGS officer is here,” Lance said offering me a cigarette, I declined.

  “He knows me,” I replied.

  “Oh, I know he knows you.”

  “How do you know?”

  Lance lit his cigarette and stared out towards the next compound with its high stone walls.

  “Your friends are probably having a torrid time in there,” he replied.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “How much do you know?” Lance asked turning to look at me.

  “About what?”

  “About everything that is going on.”

  “Not a lot,” I said.

  “Well, tell me what you think you know.”

  “Why? What’s all this about?” I was beginning to get suspicious.

  “Humour me, Kaleb,” Lance said sucking on his cigarette.

  I turned to gaze out to the compound just as another spotlight moved by and looked back at Lance.

  “There’s a war with Scotland, a bomb exploded in South London while I was there and then all of a sudden there is some sort of infection which turns people into zombies. Our government are covering up the fact that this is all going on.” I stopped as that is all I could say.

  Lance chuckled and looked back out towards the compound. He stayed silent for a moment before looking at me out the corner of his eye.

  “Yep, that’s about it in a nutshell. The war, damn thing has torn this island apart.”

  “What does it have to do with the infection?” I asked.

  “Everything and nothing,” Lance replied.

  “Now you’re confusing me.”

  “In the beginning cities were being devastated by this political war. Communities being destroyed, families torn apart and that was before the infection hit.”

  “Where did this infection come from?” I was very curious to find out more.

  “One of the labs in Scotland which was researching infectious diseases got hit on a bombing raid.”

  “On purpose?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. The thing is whatever they were researching in there got out.”

  “Shit!”

  “Indeed,” Lance took a suck on his cigarette. “The English government wouldn’t accept any explanation from Scotland that they did not intentionally release a deadly virus and so the conflict intensified.”

  “But why wipe Manchester off the map and bomb London?” I asked.

  “Ah you see, that was to stop the infection.”

  “I don’t understand,” I replied. “Why bomb a city?”

  “Apparently, and I am no science expert, the English believed they had a cure. During a lull in the fighting, the Scottish sent a message to the English government pleading with them not to use it as they had information that it would increase the spread of infection.”

  “Why if it was going to cure the infection?”

  “Because they knew that it wasn’t going to cure the infection, and so it proved right. With the bomb dropped on Manchester and London, the infection spread quicker. The English made a grave error.” Lance looked at me.

  “Hold on, hold on. The English dropped the bombs on Manchester and London?”

  “That’s right,” Lance replied.

  “Lance, I’m really confused.” I placed my head in my hands.

  “They thought they had the cure to the virus, unfortunately they had not done their homework properly and what they actually manage to achieve was to cause the infection to intensify.”

  “Oh god!” I said quietly.

  “You can imagine how pissed off other nations were when the infection sprung up in their countries?” Lance flicked his cigarette out onto the mud.

  “What other nations?” I had not had any news snippets since leaving London.

  “Europe got hit first, pretty bad I hear. North America was next.”

  “Jesus!”

  “So you see, Kaleb, this thing has gone global now. It’s not just this tiny little island which is suffering.”

  I stared down at the ground trying to take on board all the information Lance was giving me. I had no idea why he was telling me but he had no reason to lie to me, I thought.

  “Why are we being kept prisoners in these camps?” I asked.

  “Oh, you’re not prisoners. It’s a way of keeping the healthy away from the risk of spreading the infection further.”

  “Then why are Duncan, Jackson and Lana in a camp for prisoners?”

  “That, Kaleb, is a political matter.”

  “Why is it?”

  “Well the government still believe the Scottish were responsible for spreading the infection, they think it was a purposeful chemical attack.” Lance paused. “Scottish nationals and renegade bloggers are still regarded as enemies of the government.”

  Lance got up from the container and walked to the side of the hut. He waited for the spotlight to pass by and signalled for me to follow him. We moved low and fast to the door of the hut and clambered inside. Maria was sitting up in bed as we entered. I stared over at her, still reeling from what Lance had told me.

  “Is everything ok?” She asked.

  “The important thing is that you need to get out of here,” Lance said.

  “What?” I was stunned by his words. “And how do you suggest I do that? That IGS officer knows me,” I replied.

  “Oh, I know he knows you and I have told him this is your family, but it won’t take him long to find out that isn’t the truth.” Lance glanced over at Maria. “He is after you, but not for what you think.”

  “That’s enough,” Maria said.

  I swapped my stare between Maria and Lance as they gazed intensely at each other, again I felt as though I wasn’t being told the whole story.

  “Show him your arm,” Lance said.

  “No!” Maria replied.

  “He needs to know.” Lance walked over to the bed.

  “Get away from me,” M
aria was trying to keep her voice hushed.

  Lance grabbed hold of Maria and pulled her long sleeve up to the bicep.

  “This is why you need to leave,” Lance said.

  Slowly I walked over to Maria and gazed down at her arm, it was unthinkable. I looked up into her eyes and noticed the redness. I had not taken much attention of Maria’s eyes before as every time she stared at me I felt the need to look away, but it was there.

  “Its…Its…” I was speechless.

  “It’s a bite mark,” Lance said.

  “You had no right,” Maria said crying.

  “I had every right,” Lance replied.

  “What’s going on?” I asked in a trance like state.

  “The cure, Kaleb. They are after the cure.” Lance stood up from the bed.

  “I…I…” I found it hard to speak.

  Maria sobbed as she sat on the bed. Lizzie and Jesse were still both asleep. I gazed around the hut, all the other families were asleep.

  “They will kill her and her daughter to find the cure.” Lance moved away from the bed and looked back at Maria.

  “How long?” I asked looking at Maria.

  “I got bitten about eight months ago. I was down with a fever for few weeks, cold like symptoms, but then I began to feel better. The open wound was dressed and it healed enough to close up.”

  “You are immune?” I asked quietly.

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, but I am.”

  I moved my stare over to Jesse, still fast asleep. My mind was full of so many questions I had no idea where to begin.

  “I don’t know what to say.” I felt stunned.

  “So, Kaleb, as I said you need to get out of here.” Lance placed his hand on my shoulder. “Let me help you.”

  “Why would you want to help us?” Maria asked.

  “Because I want this madness to stop and if you are the cure I don’t want anybody else to lose their family as I have.” Lance tapped my shoulder.

  “This is unbelievable!” I said.

  “So we need to get you and your husband out of here,” Lance said.

  “You know I’m not her husband,” I stated.

  “I wasn’t talking about you,” Lance replied.

  Turning I gave Lance a puzzled look, then back at Maria who bowed her head.

  “Duncan?” I asked.

  Maria nodded her head.

  DIARY ENTRY 35

  Lance walked away from the bed towards me. He smiled and quickly glanced back at Maria before looking into my eyes.

  “I will help you as much as I can, but after that you’re on your own.”

  He moved towards the hut door, opened it and left. The door of the hut clicked shut. I stood there just staring at Maria as she slowly pulled down the sleeve on her arm. I could not quite get my head round what I had just seen.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It was none of your business.”

  “I wasn’t talking about Duncan,” I replied.

  “Well I was talking about all of it,” Maria snapped back.

  Jesse moved on the bunk bed, her eyelids flickered and on seeing me she gave me a big smile, turned over and fell back to sleep.

  “Jesse knows who her father is?” I asked.

  “What do you take me for, of course she knows.”

  “It’s just she has never shown Duncan any kind of affection.”

  “It’s the way it had to be. She may be young but she understands.”

  Sauntering over to the bed I sat down and looked towards the door of the hut. I had so many thoughts rushing through my head. Maria slid across the duvet and sat on the side of the bed next to me.

  “I’m sorry but we just don’t know who to trust these days.” Maria said softly.

  “Why take the bother of bringing me all this way?” I asked.

  “You need to ask Duncan.”

  “But Duncan isn’t here,” I snapped back in a whisper.

  Maria lowered her head and stared at the floor, there seemed to be a long pause before she looked back up at me.

  “I know, but I am hoping we will all see each other soon.”

  “Do Jackson and Lana know about all this?” I asked.

  Maria nodded and moved herself back across the bed. Climbing inside the duvet she whispered good night to me and rolled over to the face the other way. I just sat on the bed thinking about what had just happened.

  A cure?

  Maria was immune to infected bites, and that is when I started to think that if it was a genetic thing, were Duncan and Jesse also immune to these things. The realization I was possibly in the company of people who could save the nation, actually the world, was a daunting thought.

  “You have the answer inside your body,” I said quietly.

  “Yes, Kaleb, but they will have to kill me to find it,” Maria replied.

  Maria’s words stunned me into silence. I had no reply to this statement and so I just sat there staring out towards the door.

  I don’t think a lot of time went by. For the second time that night I drifted off to sleep, perched on the side of the bed. It was Lizzie who shook me awake. Lance was standing at the end of the bed. He had pulled the blind round on the cubicle.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We’ve got a couple of hours until dawn breaks, you all need to get into these,” Lance said pushing some overalls forward.

  I took hold of one and looked at the IGS patch on the shoulder. Lance continued to smile and from a large black bag he pulled out three gas masks which he gave to each of us.

  “What about Jesse?” Maria asked.

  “Don’t worry about your little girl, I will take care of that,” Lance replied.

  The three of us quickly got changed into the overalls, and pulled the tight gas masks over our heads. I could just see through the lens and it reminded me of when Duncan had met me in North London for our journey across the bridge.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked Lance.

  “Let’s just say I understand,” he replied.

  “What about the others?” Maria asked.

  “They are due to be moved this morning to a high security facility. They will need an escort.” Lance pulled some rifles out from a bag.

  “And we’re that escort?” I asked.

  “That you are,” Lance winked. “And I have been put in charge of the escort.”

  Lance left shortly after and we all sat and waited for what seemed like ages. Just as the sky started to get light he returned.

  First to leave was Jesse. Lance placed her under a blanket in the back of the truck he had parked near to the gate. How he managed to get by the guards in the watch towers I don’t know, but he did it.

  Then it was our turn, shouldering the machine guns we all walked out the hut. I was the last one to leave and noticed a young mother in a bed gazing at me. She looked confused, probably as confused as I was right now.

  It must have rained during the night whilst I had drifted off to sleep for the second time as the mud was soft and full of puddles. Eventually we reached the truck. I gazed out of the compound to the brick wall of the prisoners’ enclosure. There was another vehicle parked by the main gate. I saw the guards walk the three figures in handcuffs out, bags over their head and push them onto the rear of the truck.

  Lance tapped me on the shoulder. He too was wearing a gas mask now, ordering me onto the truck. I would be sitting at the front with him. Maria and Lizzie were placed in the back.

  Somehow, Lance had also managed to grab Bruno from the kennels, though his snout was tightly muzzled so that he would not bark or make any noise. The frantic wagging of the tail showed that he was extremely pleased to see us, as was Jesse to see him.

  After a short wait the truck moved off. Lance stopped at the exit checkpoint and handed over the paperwork. The guard nodded and Lance gave a little salute. We trundled down the muddy track towards the main road, turning lef
t at the end and headed off towards the countryside.

  “Thank you,” I said to Lance.

  “My pleasure,” he replied.

  DIARY ENTRY 36

  For the first mile I never saw any infected. As we approached the sign for the next town I noticed a few dotted around in gardens and fields. We continued on to what used to be a busy junction and I saw more.

  They must have heard the trucks approaching because they were looking in our direction. We were travelling too fast for them to react, except for their arms outstretched in a vain attempt to grab hold of us. These creatures were only a few yards away from the trucks. I saw the pale skin and the deep, red eyes. My mind cast back to the realization that Maria had been bitten and could so easily have been one of those things.

  “Apart from the driver there are three guards in the back of the other truck,” Lance said.

  “How are we meant to overpower them?”

  “I have an idea.” Lance lifted his gas mask and winked at me.

  Lance swung the truck down a lane which was narrow, with trees overhanging the road to block out the sun above. A few houses were situated at the top of the lane but these soon gave way to fields on either side, totally overgrown now probably due to the fact that the farmer who used to care for them was wandering around as infected now.

  Half-way down the lane there was an inlet to one of the fields. I could see in the distance a few bodies stumbling about. Lance stopped the truck at the edge of an old wheat field, the other truck moved up beside us.

  I jumped out and walked round the back. Lifting the canvas I raised my hand telling Maria and Lizzie to stay where they were.

  “Hey guys come grab a cigarette before we do the execution. My guard will look after the prisoners.” Lance shouted.

  Execution? I had no idea that was the reason for bringing them out the compound. I moved round to the back of the other truck as the driver and three guards walked over to Lance.

  Lifting the canvas on the back I gazed inside at the sorrowful faces looking back at me. Their hoods had now been removed. Both Duncan and Jackson had bruises and blood smeared across their faces. Lana had her head bowed low and just gave me a sad look. She had a cut to the top of her head. All three of them were in handcuffs and had tape over their mouths.