“Lights on,” barked Wood. “Two more coming, find them. Matthews, take the right.”
The soldiers leapt to their feet with torches frantically probing the darkness. They located the attackers who were racing at them and Matthews tried to follow the trajectory of his allocated target. There was the sound of Wood’s bow releasing and another went down. Wood was reloading but it took a couple of seconds. Matthews fired but without the aid of the night vision goggles it was hard. The man dodged and stumbled as the bolt released and it embedded into his shoulder, short of a kill shot. Wood was just fitting his bolt as the man got within a couple of strides. There was no time left to wait. Lewis fired; a single shot from his Browning.
There was a silence to accompany the ringing in their ears. Lewis half turned to Bannister. “It’s still pretty loud but I guess you’re right – it is quieter than the SA80, and it will still drop the fucker one hundred percent.”
“Hell yeah,” Bannister replied with a nod and a grin.
Following behind Wood with torches on, the soldiers cautiously crossed the room. There were several corpses strewn around, on or under the broken furniture. With weapons poised they prodded each body with a knife, testing them in case they were still alive. In some cases this was hardly necessary as they were badly burned and clearly there was no chance of life remaining within, but they were taking no risks. When they had cleared the area they applied chains and a padlock to the far doors. As far as they could ascertain this part of the building was now secure. All access had been blocked and so it should now be safe to move everyone inside. Lewis led his soldiers back and out to the vehicles. Anxious expressions greeted them from above the tailgate.
“Everything all right?” Squadron Leader Singleton asked.
“A heck of a lot better than last time,” he replied, “so far. We’ve secured an area. It’s okay for you all to come in now. How are the patients?”
Singleton glanced over her shoulder, then climbed out of the lorry so they could talk more discreetly. “Darby is much the same. We’re keeping him sedated although it seems to be wearing off more quickly each time. I’m not sure how long we can keep him under.”
“Well maybe we can lock him in an office so that he’s not a danger. The last thing we want is a killer in our midst. And Vida?”
“She actually had a brief moment of lucidity,” Singleton said quietly, as she related the event.
An hour after the soldiers had entered the laboratories Vida had been getting restless. She thrashed about on her stretcher bed, covered in sweat and moaning as though in ecstasy one moment and excruciating pain the next. She started to chatter although it was unintelligible. Senior Aircraftman Masters held her hand and spoke continuously, imploring her to come back to him, to wake up, to fight whatever virus was taking control of her body. Then suddenly she jerked upright and screamed. The sound rose in pitch, starting like a warning wail and ending high and tortured. It did not sound like the kind of noise a human could ever make. Her eyes were wide open but seemingly unfocussed, staring blankly straight ahead. Her body was rigid and then she sagged back. Masters had been so surprised that he had fallen off her trolley bed. He scrambled back to her side.
“Babe, are you okay?”
Her eyes closed and then flickered open again. She looked around the back of the lorry in confusion until she saw his face, then she gave a troubled smile and released a faint sigh.
“Can you hear me?” he asked desperately.
Her hand went gently to his cheek and there was brief recognition in her eyes. “My love,” she breathed as he kissed her palm.
“Stay with me babe. Don’t go back to sleep. Stay with me, please.”
She smiled again, a thin, pained expression that had no place on a face so pale and troubled. Her eyes blinked and closed as his tears fell onto her hand.
“Since then she has hardly moved,” Singleton concluded. “It’s like she’s dropped into a coma.”
“That doesn’t sound promising,” Lewis said shaking his head. “And what about the kids?”
“What can I say?” Singleton shrugged. “Williams and Newman are taking great care of them. They’re about as good as can be expected.”
“Well it’s time to move them, to move them all. We’re going in.”
The soldiers formed a defensive cordon as everybody and everything was moved to the canteen. This was their home now, there was no going back. They absolutely had to make this work. Supplies and medical items were taken through the main door, along the corridor and up. Some lanterns were assembled, furniture was cleared out of the way making room for them all and the cadavers were disposed of. The only vulnerable point really was the entrance. Lewis assigned five soldiers to stand guard around the vehicles but throughout the procedure there was no sign of anything untoward. When the relocation was complete they closed and chained the main entrance, locking the world out, and themselves in.
The afternoon was spent making their new accommodation as comfortable as possible. Including Corporals May Williams, Charlotte Collins and Newman there were sixteen soldiers available for guard duty so Lewis arranged them all into four shifts. They would patrol the accessible area in pairs. Darby was locked in one of the offices and there would always be one of the medical staff available to keep an eye on him. Once these basic arrangements had been made their attention was turned to other matters, such as their survival and the future. As they hunkered down for their first night in enemy territory, Lewis, Singleton and Straddling were able to quiz Bennett with the aid of the site map from the office behind the main reception.
“We found you in the area where lab rats had been kept,” Lewis said. “We didn’t explore much beyond that but it seemed as though there were a lot of the diseased still there.”
“Yes, I guess that’s not too surprising,” said Bennett. “That area is where we did the animal testing.”
“No, we’d already passed through the section where you kept the rats I think.”
Bennett looked pained. “Unfortunately we had to do a small amount of testing on larger animals too; dogs and chimps for example. We minimised it as much as possible, in fact ironically too much, but still a certain amount was required. If there were a load of sick people in there then they could have learned to associate the area with food, even after the food source ran out.”
“So they’re not entirely stupid,” Singleton mused. “They’re still able to learn from their environment. That’s a really frightening thought.”
“I was kind of hoping that we’d killed most of them already but there may still be a whole load of them left then,” said Lewis.
“I’m afraid so,” Bennett replied with a troubled expression. “And that’s not even accounting for the secondary lab to the north - the one behind this main building, where that man was probably fleeing from this morning. These laboratories could have had two or three hundred people working here at any one time. A lot of the employees went to get their families before the state of emergency was declared. If most of them were actually here when the gates were closed… ” He tailed off. He did not need to finish the sentence.
“Oh great.” Lewis was aghast. “So our work is only just beginning. And we’re going to have to go out and clear yet another building once we’ve dealt with this one.”
“If I might make a suggestion?” Wood said quietly. He was sat a few feet away and had been listening throughout. They all stopped talking.
“Whenever I’ve been out on patrol in hot locations the worst part is always moving through confined enemy territory. You never know when you’re about to be jumped, you’re frightened and twitchy, finger on the trigger at all times. It’s bloody hard work and bloody dangerous.
“Conversely, I’ve also been used for a little recon work at times, even occasionally as a sniper. Much better. You’re a discreet distance from your target. If you do your job properly you’re in and out without them ever even knowing you were there. Safer and easier.”
/> “So, what are you saying?” Lewis asked.
“I’m saying we don’t have to go looking for them. Why not let them come to us?”
Lewis smiled. “Brilliant.”
For once even Straddling had no complaints. “I think the laddie here might have just saved us all a lot of trouble,” he said reluctantly.
A plan was quickly devised. They would prepare a corridor which they could seal off, hence giving only one way in. They would position themselves at the other end. If they knew that behind them was safe, then all they had to worry about was ahead. They would attract the infected into that corridor and then shoot them. They would have a load of fire power positioned and ready, and it should be relatively straightforward - hopefully.
“Just one thing,” Singleton said thoughtfully. “One of the reasons we’re back at the laboratories is to try and create some kind of cure. If we’re to stand any chance of doing that then we’ll need a large test sample of sick people. Is this not a great opportunity to do exactly that? Lure them into a corridor and then trap them there?”
The others all paused. It was Bennett who answered her. “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. Since we have no lab animals any more we will indeed need them.”
“That’s raising the stakes somewhat,” Lewis said thoughtfully, “but I guess so. We can give it a try. But if it looks like we’re endangering anyone then it’s back to the turkey shoot.” Enough people had died already. His main priority now was keeping them all alive, and Singleton’s idea added a large element of danger to their plan.
The day had been tense but so far it had been a relative success. Despite the conditions being less than perfect, most people found sleep claimed them quickly, a release from the stresses of the past twenty-four hours. Bannister took his turn on patrol and was paired up with Private Bruce Matthews. For two hours they would pace the area and ensure every door was secure. They did not need to be told to stay sharp as everyone was constantly on edge. Their new home was a long way from the feel of safety. With torches on and rifles primed they paced quietly. Familiar objects took on eerie shadows. The building was predominantly silent but occasionally there was a bang or screech from somewhere indeterminate, which always set their pulses racing, hoping desperately that the noise had come from outside of the area they had cleared, or better still, completely outside the building itself. They spoke in hushed tones. Each time they got to the padlocked doors to the far west of the secure zone they peered through the reinforced glass panels, shining their torches along the corridors that had been sealed off, trying to see to the far end.
Nearing the finish of their guard duty they slowly walked the circuit one last time. Matthews had been chatting away for quite some time.
“You ever think about how much time we could save if we ran everywhere?” he asked.
Bannister was, by now, only half listening. Matthews had been chatting almost continuously throughout. “What, do you mean?” he asked. “Wouldn’t it be quicker just to drive?”
“No, I mean, instead of walking around, like walking to the bathroom, walking to the kitchens, walking wherever really. If we ran instead, how much time we’d save and how much more productive we’d be during the day.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever stopped to consider it,” Bannister muttered.
Matthews was quiet for a moment, then carried on with another subject. “Do you ever hear your eyeballs moving?”
“What?” Bannister snorted, partly through irritation and partly out of amusement.
“You know, when it’s really quiet like, if I’m looking at an object near to me, then suddenly look long distance I can hear them moving, or the muscles refocussing or something.”
“You really do talk a lot of nonsense,” Bannister said, as the smile finally broke loose.
“Sorry, yeah, I talk when I’m nervous.”
“Well you’re with me so you’ve got nothing to be nervous about.” Bannister had been quiet lately, still plagued by remorse for his perceived complicity at the death of his friend Millington. Amongst them all, the void that his silence had created had been filled by the ever-loquacious Matthews.
“I’m pretty sure she liked me you know?” he said as they neared the westerly doors of the cleared area. Bannister did not need to ask about whom Matthews was talking. It had been a fairly constant topic of conversation for him ever since leaving the gun store.
There was a sudden sound in the night and Matthews stiffened. “What the hell was that?” he squawked. He had been jittery all night and this was not the first time he had become alarmed at something.
“For goodness sake doughnut, that was just an owl or something outside. For someone who looks so big and tough you really are a pussy.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little jumpy.”
“I’ve got news for you, we all are.” Bannister was tired. His eyes were sore and having checked the padlock on the door for the last time he started to ascend the stairs to the first floor. Matthews lingered behind a moment, still squinting into the darkness.
“Come on soft lad,” Bannister called out. “I wanna finish and get some sleep. I’m knackered.”
Matthews’s torch flickered as he started to climb the steps. He shook it and it came to life again just as he glanced back over his shoulder at the doors behind him. Back at the face of one of the insane. Standing glaring at him through the glass panel stood a figure. His eyes were red and his mouth gaped open. He wore no top, just a pair of black trousers and his hands hung limply by his sides. The only movement was his panting and the twitching of his eyes as he stared a thousand yards through Matthews with greedy desire.
Matthews yelped and flinched, dropping his torch and plunging himself into darkness. The torch clattered and rolled down the stairs.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Bannister rounded on him harshly.
Matthews scrambled for his torch and fearfully grabbed at it as it came to rest beside the door. He leapt away as he shook it. “There’s someone there,” he squealed, trying to get some light.
“What?” Bannister was by his side instantly. His solitary torch now illuminated the corridor beyond. With his rifle raised he approached the doors slowly, shining the beam, trying to penetrate the blackness. The light worked back and forth, picking out objects and creating strange shapes as it passed from side to side.
Nothing. The passageway was empty. There was no movement and nobody there.
“I swear I saw something. I’m sure I saw a man.”
“You saw, or you thought you saw?” Bannister said angrily, his fear and tiredness giving rise to anger.
“No, no, I’m pretty sure there was a man there. Staring right at me.”
“You’re sure, or just pretty sure? Well he must have moved darned fast as there’s clearly nobody there now. You big spanner! You scared the hell out of me.”
“No, no, really, there was someone there.”
“Man, you’re just getting the jitters. There’s nobody there. Look, you’re tired. It’s late. It’s time to go.”
As Bannister again went upstairs Matthews stood for a moment in darkness. Then he turned and scurried after his colleague and the light, now feeling unsure of exactly what he had seen. When they were all so tense and life had taken on such unfamiliarity, it was increasingly difficult to keep a grip on reality. It was hard enough to trust oneself and one’s own senses, and doubly so to trust somebody else. It was not only Denny who had been teetering close to the edge of sanity. So far it was nigh on a miracle that nobody else had followed his decline. It was not just the infection that was lying in wait to claim their humanity.
CHAPTER 10
The first breakfast in their new home was a depressing affair. Despite having got to sleep quickly, most people had not had a good night’s rest and tempers were frayed. They had plenty of supplies and reasonable facilities in the kitchens to prepare food, but it was not an easy meal for anybody to stomach. Apprehension over the impending
task did nothing to boost their hunger.
“I think even Millington would have found it hard to summon an appetite just now,” Bannister muttered.
Only ten soldiers would be involved with their task as Lewis wanted to leave a few behind to patrol their seemingly-secure haven. They were all awake around dawn and so he decided not to waste any time. They set out shortly thereafter. The ground floor passage to the east of their secure zone seemed to be the best place to trap the infected as there were no offices that they would particularly need access to thereafter. First however they would have to check the first floor and make it safe. Lewis peered through the glass panel very carefully before unlocking the padlock and the ten proceeded through. Everything was quiet. There was no movement and no sounds. This was where Drs Canon and Rhind had had their offices. It was also where Wood’s party had burned and clubbed to death the infected. Their corpses lay where they had fallen, scorched and gory. The air was acrid with a metallic odour. It was a horrendous scene. The soldiers did not need to prod these particular cadavers with their knives. It was blatantly obvious they were dead already.
Through the fire doors and on to the next set, there was nothing further of interest. At the second doors they secured them by sticking a chair leg through the loop of the handles, as they had done at the cafeteria on their initial visit. The first floor was now protected and they repeated the process on the ground floor. These were the corridors that Lewis had ventured along last time and he remembered them all too well. He could recall the knotted, nauseous feeling in his stomach being exactly the same as he felt now. They checked every office carefully, freezing at the slightest of sounds. All too soon they found themselves at the second set of doors. Beyond was the relaxation area where the building turned through ninety degrees to the north.
Twice Bitten, Twice Die (The Blood of the Infected Book 3) Page 17
