Safe Haven (Book 1): Rise of the Rams

by Christopher Artinian

  “You’re welcome, Mike,” she said, quietly laughing and shaking her head to herself as she went back into the house to get her next pupils.

  Mike continued to marvel at the blades for a moment then placed them in his belt. He picked up the shotgun and started his reconnaissance of the immediate area.

  Joseph got to work moving the vehicles into the largest of the barns, while Beth helped Alice empty the house of all they would be taking on the journey. After Tracey, Samantha and Emma had had their weapons training, they joined in to complete the task before darkness fell.

  The sun was low in the sky and night was approaching quickly. Lucy and Mike stood at opposite ends of the courtyard while the others scurried to and fro. They watched carefully, their eyes darting around, looking for any alien movement, anything out of the ordinary.

  Alice came to the kitchen door with an apron still hanging around her neck. “Joseph? Joseph? I think there’s something wrong with the pipes. The water’s stopped running,” she said, as if it was just any other day on the farm.

  Joseph knew there was nothing wrong with the pipes. He knew the generator working the water pump had finally run out of fuel, but he wanted to see it for himself. He turned the tap. Nothing. That was it, he thought to himself. That’s the end of civilisation. No order, no laws, no power, no running water. We’re back in the Dark Ages now. He turned to Alice with a sad smile on his face. “It’s alright, dear. We’ve got plenty of bottled water, we’ve got a full tank in the caravan and we’ve got the chemical toilet. We’ll be fine.” He put his arm around his perplexed wife and guided her into the courtyard. “Now, how about cranking up the gas stove in the caravan and making everybody a nice cup of tea before we turn in?” he said to her gently.

  “Oh my word, tea bags,” she said, annoyed with herself and marched straight back into the house. She came back out carrying a large tea caddy and walked purposefully towards the barn.

  Joseph walked up to Lucy. “Okay, we’re all set. All the vehicles are in and all the supplies are loaded and secured.”

  “Great,” she said, signalling across to Mike. “Let’s make sure we’ve got everybody in and then get those doors locked.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  With the doors locked and bolted, it was dark inside the barn. The skylights allowed the last rays of the sun to penetrate, but it was hard to see anything other than outlines of figures and objects.

  “Anyone for tea?” asked Alice from the door of the caravan. Everybody gathered round. The lights from inside provided a warm, comforting glow. Joseph went around passing mugs of tea to the adults and hot chocolate to the youngsters.

  Mike took his tea and a lantern back to the ambulance and had the odd sip while searching through his holdall. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found the book his gran had sent him. He hadn’t seen it since leaving the house the day before. Had it really just been the previous morning? So much had happened in such a short time. He picked up a sleeping bag and his thick jacket and made his way to the barn door. He could hear quiet conversations as everyone warmed themselves with their drinks. Holding up the lantern to the locks, he made sure they were secure. It was highly likely that no-one and nothing would actually be able to gain access to the barn, but he wasn’t prepared to take any risks. Mike would stand guard. It would be nice if he got relieved at some stage, but he’d rather do it himself than force somebody who may well fall asleep on the job. He took another sip of his tea and began reading in the dim light of the lantern. As drinks were finished, the voices gradually diminished and everyone made their way to whichever vehicle was acting as their bedroom for the night. Mike heard two sets of quiet footsteps and put his book down. He knew without looking that he was about to be pounced on. Sure enough, Sammy and Jake flopped down on top of him like they were in a rugby maul.

  “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?” Mike asked, grabbing them both playfully.

  “We’re going now,” Sammy said, giggling. “Why aren’t you coming?”

  “I might later. I’m just going to stay up and read a little while.”

  Jake said, “Samantha said you’re keeping watch to protect us from the bad men.”

  “Oh she did, did she? Well, that’s just not true. I don’t need to protect any of us, because I know about a secret weapon that would defeat anyone, no matter how bad they were.”

  The children looked up, wide-eyed. Finally, Sammy asked the question. “What? What weapon?”

  “Jake’s farts,” he replied. “They’d kill anybody.”

  Both children started laughing hysterically. The word alone always got them giggling, but when the action was attributed to someone, it made it even more hilarious. Unbeknown to the three of them, Emma had been watching in the shadows, enjoying seeing them interact. Her family.

  “Very nice,” she said as she stepped into the dim glow of the lantern. “You realise that’s all I’m going to get all night now, fart this, fart that.” The children burst out laughing again as she said it and the sheer joy of seeing them laugh made her giggle too.

  Mike kissed his younger brother and sister on the head. “Right, the pair of you, bed now.” They kissed him back and ran off towards the ambulance.

  “Have you figured out the sleeping arrangements?” Mike asked.

  “Kind of. They’re sleeping head to toe on the gurney. Samantha and I are head to toe on the floor and you and Lucy can spread out in the cab.”

  “Ooh, tempting, but I think I’ll just stay here the night,” he said, putting his hands under the sleeping bag to warm up.

  “Lucy says she’s going to take over from you at two,” replied Emma. Mike angled his watch towards the lantern and saw that it was nine-thirty.

  “That’s cool, I was hoping I’d get a bit of shut-eye before tomorrow.”

  “Samantha and I both offered to take turns, but Lucy said she was more than happy just to split it between the two of you.” She paused for a moment, not sure how to carry on. “She showed me how to use a shotgun today.”

  “Yeah, she said she was going to. That’s good, we need as many of us as possible able to shoot.”

  “Do you think we’re going to run into trouble tomorrow?”

  “Em, we’re looking at travelling nearly fifty miles tomorrow. So far we’ve done about six since leaving home, and look how well that’s turned out.” They both let out a small sarcastic laugh. “But what I can promise you is that I won’t let anything happen to us,” he said, beckoning her to sit beside him.

  She went to her brother and he unzipped the side of the sleeping bag so she could put her legs and hands under. She leaned into him and he put his arm around her. “You can’t promise that, though, can you? I mean really, you can’t,” she said sadly.

  “Yes I can. You’ve just got to trust me.”

  “Mike, tell me you won’t get cross,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  “What?” he asked, already on edge.

  “No, you’ve got to promise me first,” she replied.

  “Okay, I promise,” he said, leaning his head against hers.

  “Lucy and I were going to end it all this afternoon. The house was surrounded, there was no way out. We had a choice of being a meal for the RAMs or going out on our own terms. The difference between me dying and not dying was literally a split second. The barrel was pointed at my head and Lucy was pressing the trigger when I heard the screech of your tyres. It’s nothing more than dumb luck that I’m sat here. So when you say you won’t let anything happen to me, you can’t promise, really, can you?” She looked up at her brother, not reproachfully, but like a child looking to a parent for answers.

  “When Joseph told me that you were gone, I blew a gasket. I mean, I was as enraged as I have ever been. You know me better than anybody alive. What do you think I would want more than anything at that moment?” he asked, looking down at her.

  She thought for a moment and then she realised the answer was obvious. “Revenge.”

/>   “Anybody messes with my family, I don’t care who or what they are, I’m going to take them down.” His eyes glinted in the lantern light. “I understand why you and Lucy thought the way you did, but like I say, Em, you need to trust me, because I will never give up fighting while there is a breath left in me.”

  They sat in silence for a while, watching the flickering flame. A minute turned into two and Mike tried to listen to his sister’s breathing. He gave her a gentle nudge. Nothing. Another, nothing. “Em?” he said. “Em?” This time louder.

  “Huh? What? Oh. Oh, I must have drifted off,” she mumbled. “I’d better go to bed before I start drooling on you.”

  “Too late,” he said, pretending to wipe his shoulder dry.

  Emma smiled warmly, “I love you, Mike,” she said, kissing him on the forehead as she got to her feet.

  “Love you too, sis. Get a good night’s sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.” He watched her as she disappeared into the dark. He was happy inside. A few months ago, he had been at loggerheads with Emma. Their relationship had been at its lowest ebb. For her to fall asleep on his shoulder felt like when they were younger, when they were best friends, when they were each other’s only salvation.

  *

  Alice was curled up to Joseph, her arm clutching his broad chest tightly. Annie and John were right next to her. The master berth in the caravan was only meant to take two, but all of them felt the need to be close. The stress of the past two days sent mother and children to sleep like they’d been given a horse tranquilliser. Joseph stayed awake, staring into the dark, hearing their breathing and thinking about his two fallen sons. The grief was unbearable, but, now more than ever, he needed to be strong for his family. He would get them to Candleton safely and then they would have time to mourn properly.

  A painfully hot and itchy sensation suddenly danced around the skin of his ankle. He desperately wanted to reach down and rub his leg. He grimaced and rubbed his other foot against the affected area to relieve the sensation. Slowly the pain dissipated and the farmer began to relax again. Odd. Very odd. In all his fifty-eight years he had never felt anything like that. Then again, he’d never experienced the stress and heartache he’d felt in the past few days before, either. The pain was probably just some quirk of the body, some physical manifestation of all the emotional trauma. He remembered when his father had died of a heart attack. For several weeks afterwards, he had felt palpitations. He went to the doctor on Alice’s insistence and was told it was very common for that to happen after a loved one had passed away. The doctor gave Joseph some leaflets about coping with loss and even details for bereavement counselling, but the words of the doctor were enough. It was the body’s way of coping. He went back to listening to the comforting sounds of his family breathing in deep slumber, and gradually his eyelids got heavier and he drifted into a dreamless fog.

  *

  Lucy was as good as her word and took over the watch at two. Almost in a daze, Mike thanked her and headed off to get some sleep. She had brought a small flask that she’d asked Alice to prepare earlier for her and Mike but had completely forgotten to give to him before she bedded down. She poured the dark brown liquid into the plastic cup and clasped her hands around it to gain what small comfort she could in the cold darkness of night. She heard the door of the ambulance click closed, followed by silence. When she felt sure she was alone, she reached into her pocket for the small brown bottle of tablets. She turned the safety cap and flicked it open with her thumb before tapping a small white pill into her palm. She stared at the pill for a second. She knew she couldn’t carry on taking these the way she was, but right now she needed them, just to make things a little easier. She swallowed the tablet and then shot a nervous glance into the dark as she heard footsteps.

  The sound stopped.

  “Who’s there?” she whispered, holding the light up.

  There was no reply and the steps began again. Surely there was no way one of the creatures could have got inside the barn? The doors were locked and secured. But the uncertainty of what was lurking in the shadows of the night made Lucy reach round for her Glock. She pointed it in the direction she thought the sound had come from. “Who’s there?” she demanded, a little louder this time. Slowly a figure emerged into the dim light. Lucy put down the gun.

  “I’m sorry,” said Tracey, stepping out of the shadow, her hands raised slightly as if to say please don’t shoot. “I need to pee. I thought I heard Joseph had set up a toilet,” she said, embarrassed.

  Lucy smiled to herself. “Haven’t you got a light, sweetie?” she asked. Tracey shook her head apologetically. Lucy reached into the breast pocket of her thick cotton shirt and retrieved a key-ring torch which she handed to her. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a toilet. It’s a big bucket with some pallets round to give you a bit of privacy. There’s a sack of sand and some TP if you need it, too. It’s over on the other side,” Lucy said, pointing diagonally across the barn.

  “Thank you. I’ll bring it straight back,” Tracey said, holding the torch up in front of her.

  “You keep it, I’ve got another,” replied Lucy, smiling as she watched the girl disappear around the back of the box van and out of sight. Within a few moments, Tracey reappeared. “It’s alright, I said you can keep it.”

  “It’s not that. I don’t think I’ll get any more sleep tonight. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind if I stayed out here with you?” she asked nervously.

  “Hell, no,” Lucy replied, “I could use the company. Here, have a drink of this,” she said, passing the younger woman the mug as she sat down beside her.

  Tracey took it gratefully and gulped the hot liquid before handing it back. Lucy ruffled the sleeping bag that Mike had left behind and placed it over both their knees.

  “Thank you,” Tracey said, “everybody’s been so kind to me.”

  “You had a rough deal, kid. Nobody should ever have to go through that.” Lucy took hold of her hand. “Whereabouts are you from, Tracey?”

  “Originally, I’m from Brighton, that’s where I grew up, but I was at Leeds University when the quarantine came in. I was in a hall of residence and then a couple of days ago there was an outbreak. I managed to escape with a few others, but we got separated. I found an empty house where I thought I would be safe until help came or at least until I could figure out what to do next, but then...” Her words trailed off as if the rest didn’t need to be spoken. “I thought about trying to make it back down to Brighton, but even if I made it, I doubt if I’d see my family again.”

  “Well, sweetie, you’re with us now. I can’t say it’s going to be a joyride, but at least you don’t have to face anything alone.”

  “What do you think our chances are? Really, I mean?”

  “You talking about mankind or just this group?” Lucy asked, smiling.

  “Well. Now you mention it, both.”

  “I think mankind was done for long before this happened, but it sure as hell speeded everything up. As far as we go, well, I think we’ve got a better chance than most. We’re armed, we’ve got vehicles and we know where we’re going. That’s three things more than most survivors will have,” Lucy said and took a drink from the mug before passing it on.

  The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while and then Tracey turned rigid. Lucy looked at her, puzzled, then she heard it too. She immediately dimmed the lantern. The footsteps outside got louder. Soon they were followed by more. The younger woman let out a faint yelp as the sound stopped not far away from where they sat. Both women looked towards the door and held their breath. The crunching sounds began again but this time became quieter with each step. When they were no longer audible, the pair let out deep breaths.

  “Do you think they were people or those things?” Tracey asked.

  “I don’t know, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to open the door to find out.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Alice was first to rise in the caravan, quickly followed
by her two youngsters who had been cuddled next to her throughout the night. After five minutes or so, Joseph reluctantly turned over; this morning he felt unusually lethargic. He blinked and saw Alice at the gas stove with two kettles on the hobs and several tins of beans, tomatoes and spam next to her. He allowed himself a weary smile. He could always rely on his wife to get things organised in the morning, to get everybody fed and ready for the day. He edged towards the end of the low berth and placed his feet on the bristling nylon carpet. The sensation made them tingle, and his memory of the night before and the strange pain came back to him. He reached down to look at his bare foot, and saw that just below the ankle there was a small red scratch, no longer than a grain of rice. For the life of him, Joseph couldn’t think how he had managed to scratch himself there. It was inflamed and yellow around the edges. Joseph treated it as he would any other cut: he took down the first aid kit, rubbed in a little antiseptic cream and placed a sticking plaster firmly across it. His father had instilled in him that on a farm a wound always needed to be treated and covered, no matter how small it was. He pulled on his socks and clothes and slid the folding bed back into its two compartments before joining his wife.

  “I’ve made some tea. I’m just brewing a few more and starting breakfast for everyone,” she said, as if it was just like any other day.

  He kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks, love. Where are Beth and the little ’uns?”

  “Beth was up before me. They’re all in the barn somewhere. I heard Annie giggling earlier on. It was so nice to hear. I didn’t think I was ever going to hear that sound again.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, remembering the previous two days, then snapped herself out of it and went back to the tasks at hand. Joseph kissed her again on the back of the head and stepped out of the caravan.

  Breakfast was a hasty and informal affair. The group stood around the door to the caravan, taking it in turns to go forward for a plate of food like they were at a friend’s barbeque party. Nervous chatter bounced from mouth to mouth as the beginning of their journey drew closer.