Snow! The Series [Books 1-4]

by Clifford, Ryan

  The Prime Minister didn’t survive.

  Like many other parents and spouses who had lost their loved ones, they broke down and were unable to continue. Essentially, they lost the will to live. They couldn’t bear the thought of the struggle ahead without their families. Many died by their own hand.

  Chris Davies didn’t survive.

  Like many thousands of other children, he succumbed to the weather whilst searching for his parents. Who could criticise his actions?

  Jane Kelly didn’t survive.

  She died trying to be pro-active. She reluctantly agreed with Brady that sitting in a house waiting to freeze was not an option. She had been convinced that sailing across the sea to safety was the only way that she would survive. Ultimately, she was wrong.

  Andrew Brady survived.

  The Danish ice-breaker, which rescued him from the North Sea, had a doctor who eventually found a very weak pulse, after a deckhand poured some schnapps down Brady’s throat. He was treated for acute hypothermia and exhaustion, but reached Denmark some forty-eight hours after he was picked up.

  Brady had proved himself justified when deciding to flee the UK for Europe, and he would return to his native land when conditions permitted. He had two tasks to complete. Firstly, he had to bury his family.

  Most importantly, he had a country to help rebuild.

  Day 22

  Sunday 5 January - 0900

  Sunshine

  The huge low-pressure system had been pushed south and east by an upper high, which did two things. It moved the upper Jetstream back down across the British mainland, and started the break-up of the stranglehold that the three main ‘lows’ had had on the area surrounding the UK.

  Within twelve hours, clear, cold air passed from the North Atlantic towards the British Isles, and the ‘lows’ began to dissipate as they eased towards Central Europe and the Mediterranean. This meant that the UK was now swathed in bright but cold sunshine, and temperatures rose from below zero to around five degrees centigrade during daylight hours.

  It was the eye-piercing light that was most startling. It had been dark for almost three weeks, and the combination of sunshine and bright white snow was dazzling – if not blinding!

  Nevertheless, there were very few people able to take advantage of the change in weather. Most citizens were already dead or missing, and the majority of survivors were buried in up to thirty feet of snow, cowering in whatever makeshift shelters they had constructed.

  Nonetheless, survivors gradually began to appear. The British are nothing if not resourceful.

  The first helicopter appeared over Dover at 10am.

  Day 22

  Sunday 5th January

  Europe and the United Kingdom after three weeks of SNOW!

  General Overview

  As the helicopter approached the coast off Folkestone, the pilot, accompanied by two senior EU officials and a meteorological expert, could barely believe their eyes.

  The British coastline was enclosed in a two kilometre stretch of sheet ice covered in deep snow – maybe fifteen feet thick in places, but it was difficult to assess anything accurately as the blinding, white, reflected light made observation of conditions extremely difficult. The sun was shining brightly and warmly in the deep azure sky, as the waves from the Dover Strait lapped gently against this modified shoreline.

  This was the only flight over the UK that morning. The sun had appeared with the dawn, as the weather systems moved towards the South-East and dissipated. The Met Men predicted that a deep high-pressure system would soon engulf this part of the world and they expected at least a full week of fair, but very cold, weather.

  During the past weeks there had been a lot of activity in the European Parliament – and indeed around the world. Eventually, governments came to realise the enormous and deadly consequences of the snowstorm over the UK. There were nearly two million British-resident refugees scattered throughout Europe and further flung parts of the globe. The international community had ultimately acknowledged that the UK had, to all intents and purposes, gone!

  Even the most optimistic souls realised that the snow had probably devastated all infrastructure, buildings and most life in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Much of the European Channel coastline had endured severe snow storms for the past three weeks, but not anything like the suffering across the water. The sea was not frozen along the French, Belgian and Dutch coastlines and the Channel Islands had got off fairly lightly as well, which enabled the free movement of shipping in those waters.

  Snow clearance in Europe had continued throughout the three weeks and most major transport links were open. There was a huge clear-up operation in force and some minor flooding, but in comparison it was trivial in view of the disaster in Britain.

  The biggest issue concerned the refugees now mostly camping out in hotels, boarding houses, private residences and huge tented camps at the American bases in Germany – a country which had escaped almost unscathed. The United States had come up trumps and provided warm accommodation and food supplies for nearly one million displaced Britons. They had co-ordinated a world-wide appeal for funds to provide food and shelter for the needy, and the world had responded in a massive way. Billions of euros had poured in from all over the world, and was now being handled by a specially constituted committee in Geneva.

  Transport aircraft from all over the world were teeming into European military and civilian airfields with supplies of food for the refugees. Most people in need were now catered for, and although conditions were harsh, at least they were alive. However, their prospects were gloomy indeed, as nobody could predict or assess when the re-occupation of Great Britain could begin. Some experts said it could be years!

  Therefore, the powers that be in Europe started to make plans to semi-permanently house the homeless in any European country that would have them. There were also more immediate issues concerning medical and dental health, child education, employment and financial issues.

  The European Union was consulting with banks across the world to enable the displaced to access funds or to use credit cards. This, of course, brought up further questions. How much credit should a bank give a person with no job, home or prospects? It was a tricky issue and was being discussed at the highest levels.

  However, for the time being – or at least until the spring – April 1st – the situation was to be stabilised and no firm decisions taken. After all, these European nations had their own citizens to manage – their own business to conduct. There was potential for a great deal of resentment from those who might become impatient with the situation at large. This disaster was not like a hurricane, flood or earthquake which could be resolved in a specific timeframe. Nobody knew or could even guess when the UK might get back on its feet – if ever.

  Day 22

  Sunday 5th January

  Royal Netherlands Air Force Base Volkel – Hospital

  Wing Commander Andrew Brady lay in his hospital bed contemplating and planning his next move.

  Subsequent to his last-minute rescue by the Danish ice-breaker in the North Sea eight days previously, he had been brought to this Dutch Air Force hospital for treatment and recovery. Severe fatigue, dehydration and malnutrition were exacerbated by mild frostbite to his fingers, nose and ears. He had lost some of the lobe from his right ear but the remainder of the damage was repairable. His recovery was rapid – Brady was a strong and fundamentally fit individual – but, not surprisingly, the nursing staff insisted that he remain bed-ridden. So he had drafted a short, but detailed, account of his ‘escape’ and interested parties were assessing its veracity as he waited for more information on the situation inside the UK.

  He had also had ample time to reflect at length on the catastrophic events of the past month.

  One day he was a career Air Force officer living happily with his family in Lincolnshire – and the next his world came crashing down. Like most other people in the UK, he assumed, at first, that the weather w
ould break and that the snow would turn to slush in a day or two. However, like everyone else, he was in for an awful realisation as the storm grew in intensity and consumed the country like a white wraith. The loss of his family early on Day 2 knocked him sideways, and if he hadn’t met and teamed up with Jane and Chris he would have probably given up and succumbed like so many others.

  He still sincerely believed that his plan to walk/ski to the coast was the only credible option for survival – and it gave the trio an aim – a purpose which kept them alive. He grieved for Jane and couldn’t believe how unlucky she had been to die in the church in Boston. To accidentally break one’s leg and rip open the femoral artery was just not fair – but Jane paid for it with her life.

  He still didn’t know what had happened to Chris, the young lad he’d ‘adopted’, but assumed he was safe with his old colleague, George Brayne. Of course, if George had fallen foul of the weather then Chris would be in serious trouble. It would be one of Brady’s first tasks to find out if they were both survivors.

  To be picked up by the Danish icebreaker was a huge slice of good fortune – but he deserved a little of that. He must have been close to death and would probably not have lasted another night in the open boat.

  However, all of this was in the past and he now considered the future. He was one of the few people who knew the real extent of the conditions in the UK and he was determined to let the authorities know and then insist on playing a big part in rescue operations.

  He had learned one remarkable fact. There were 759 other escapees in this hospital/Air Base. But, only 759 other hardy souls had made the pro-active decision to get across the English Channel or the North Sea to relative safety – which in itself was a telling fact. The authorities had assembled them all in the same place – if not only for mutual support but also for logistical reasons. This group of disparate characters had all shown initiative and courage when deciding to flee the country. It was not cowardice at all – but well-reasoned common sense combined with strong instincts of survival. Brady would tolerate no other opinion!

  He had discovered from a male nurse, by way of a written hand-out, that there was to be a meeting of all surviving ex-pats in the station gymnasium tomorrow, the sixth of January, at noon. Perhaps at this meeting he would learn more of the developing situation. It appeared that the joint US/EU committee organising the crisis management had been on the top of their game and Brady couldn’t wait for the briefing.

  He lay back and closed his eyes and thought about his family, lying under the snow on a Grantham street.

  He fell asleep with tears in his eyes.

  Day 22

  Sunday 5th January

  British ‘Ex-pat’ Reaction Worldwide

  Since the evening of the seventeenth of December the permanent and semi-permanent ex-pat community had been living in uproar and terror.

  There were several differing groups of ex-pats living in all parts of the world.

  Firstly, the retired couples who had sold up in the UK and purchased a home in warmer climes – generally Spain, Portugal, the United States, Cyprus and France. These people were living a parallel, normal life in the sun and commonly had relatives in the UK who would visit for brief family gatherings. Some had absorbed themselves into the economic systems of their adopted countries, but many still had strong ties with home.

  Next were economic émigrés - families who had moved to countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States to work or ‘to start a new life’. These people rarely, if ever, re-visited the home country, but would probably have relatives to worry about.

  Then there were the military serving overseas. These fell into two main groups. Firstly, soldiers, sailors and airmen serving abroad on duty and would be at bases from Gibraltar to Cyprus, Afghanistan and in the Middle East. Additionally, there was the Royal Navy at sea and in submarines.

  The other sub group were the professional civil servants working in Embassies across the globe - Ambassadors, Governors and Military Attaches. Add to these the staff at legations and there was a substantial group of people supremely able to govern and manage other people.

  Another clutch were the tens of thousands living on campsites and in caravans and motorhomes in Southern Europe. These were mainly elderly, temporary but relatively long term absentees who had definite links to the UK – both financial and domestic.

  All of these groups had family, property and businesses to concern them in Great Britain and Eire.

  Last but by no means least were the relatives of the myriad of long term immigrant families of the cosmopolitan society that Britain had become. This included people in the Asian sub-continent, Eastern Europe, China, Australasia, the Caribbean and many other countries within the British Commonwealth. Many of these would have family in the UK and would be frantic for news of their plight.

  Additionally, not to be forgotten were the families of thousands of foreign tourists holidaying in the UK when the snow started.

  Therefore, it was easy to see that, in fact, the disaster in the UK touched almost the whole world and, not surprisingly, the whole world was now beginning to react. The General Secretary of the United Nations had made a worldwide broadcast from New York on Christmas Day in an attempt to force people to understand the enormous impact the disaster was going to have.

  The Global community was more than repaying the kindness and support shown in the past by Great Britain to other cultures when disaster struck. Money, food and supplies had started to pour into Europe. In fact, by mid-January the US authorities in Germany co-ordinating the relief effort for the million plus people in tented camps were obliged to start restricting aid. There was just too much of it! Therefore, supplies provided by the concerned abroad was strictly rationed, stockpiled and controlled as the authorities realised that the aid may be needed for several more years.

  Governments abroad also started proposing more substantial long term aid. They began offering permanent resettlement to families marooned in Germany. They quickly realised the real effects of the disaster and that the UK would never be the same ever again – probably not in their lifetimes. The stranded people on mainland Europe would have to build new lives and many would have difficult decisions to make in the very near future.

  However, it was going to be very demanding to suddenly abandon one secure lifestyle for a completely foreign one. Many would have to make these heart-rending decisions very quickly or perhaps miss the boat for a meaningful and permanent survival.

  They had little choice other than to accept that their old life was probably gone forever!

  Day 23

  Monday 6th January

  RNeth AF Base Volkel – Gymnasium

  Brady dressed himself warmly in the clothes supplied by his hosts and shuffled uneasily to the gymnasium on the Dutch military base – his toes were still a bit sore due to the cold. Their hosts had set out rows of chairs and survivors were taking their places for the noon meeting. There was an elevated section at one end of the gym with half a dozen places behind a long trestle table; a podium with a lectern, and a microphone. Loudspeakers had been positioned around the hall, and there was an overhead screen on the wall behind the presenters linked to a desktop computer.

  Brady took a seat near to the back of the hall and picked up a clipboard with attached biro which lay on the chair, and began to fill out a printed questionnaire. Clearly someone ‘had got their act together!’

  It was mostly standard stuff – name, age, gender, address in the UK, National Insurance number (if you could remember it), passport number (Brady had had the foresight to carry his on his escape run), previous job title, skills, dependents – both here in Holland and the UK, and there was a final section asking for a brief account of their journey across the sea. It also asked for suggestions regarding the situation and willingness to return back across the water and assist with the clean-up.

  Whilst he waited for the meeting to start he glanced around the room, which was now pa
cked with probably over five hundred people. The survivors were approximately seventy percent men – young-ish and fit looking. Most people looked tired and dejected, and many were wearing the military clothing supplied by their hosts. However, all of the survivors appeared desperate for the meeting to start so that they could glean any news of home.

  ‘It's a fookin’ nightmare!’ muttered a voice with a distinct Geordie accent, who had just taken his place in Brady’s row.

  Brady turned his head and his eyes fell upon a thirty-something male sitting in the next seat.

  ‘You’re not wrong,’ Brady replied. ‘I'm Andrew Brady,’ and offered his hand to the young man, who shook it firmly.

  ‘Sorry,’ apologised the lad, ‘I'm Ross Bryant – from Sunderland, I commandeered a boat with my girlfriend, Sandra, she’s sat here next to me.’

  ‘Hello, Sandra,’ countered Brady.

  Brady noticed that they both looked pale and drawn, much like the majority of occupants of the gymnasium, but Ross was muscular and clearly very fit.

  ‘What happened to you?’ asked Ross.

  Brady was about to reply when the loudspeakers leapt into life. A tall, blonde, distinguished and very attractive looking woman stood on the stage and was speaking into the microphone. She was clearly a poised and professional lady, whose presence was not diminished by the red four-inch heels she was wearing and her perfectly coiffured hair, pulled back in tight ponytail. She seemed familiar to Brady.

  ‘Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen and children. My name is Ann Fletcher and I am the British Ambassador to Paris, and now joint chairperson of the United Kingdom Crisis and Rescue Commission - UKCRC. Welcome to Royal Netherlands Air Force Base Volkel, near Uden – about thirty kilometres north of Eindhoven. You have all been assembled here because you all have one thing in common. You have all taken pre-emptive action and crossed the North Sea or English Channel and sailed, rowed and swum to safety on mainland Europe. Some of you have spent time ‘confined’ by the authorities – and for this we apologise – they were not prepared for your arrival. I'm not sure how you all managed this fantastic feat – but over seven hundred of you have escaped almost certain death by doing so. The purpose of keeping you together is clear. We need to tap the bravery and initiative displayed by you all in order to try and clear up this mess. I commend you all.’