Bannister jumped up in shock, his mouth hanging open and looked back at Wood. Wood just smiled and held up two fingers, then moved quietly on.
“Come on,” Lewis said tersely as he led them along the passageway.
“I thought we drew them all out into the open and killed them with that megaphone stuff,” Mayoh mumbled to Pellegrini.
“I kinda get the impression that only a select few members of a welcome committee came out to greet us,” he replied, before Straddling scowled at them both.
The building had looked high enough to have two upper levels, as in the main laboratories, although Bennett had advised them otherwise. The height required for the machinery housed on the ground floor meant that there was only one additional storey. They arrived on the top floor and it now resembled more what they were used to. There were fire doors in either direction with the familiar narrow panes of glass in each, beyond which both the passageways were dim. Lewis took a moment to compose himself and ensured that his troops were all mentally recovered. He looked at them. Then he nodded to Straddling. He silently and slowly opened the door to the north.
The corridor was virtually identical to so many they had already seen although it had a different feel in this building. Possibly there was a subtly different odour or perhaps the dimensions were not precisely the same. It put Lewis even more on edge though. There were various doors on either side of the corridor. Most were closed. Some were locked. They cautiously made their way along, pausing at each and checking inside. A couple of rooms had corpses but the soldiers kept their distance. Lewis knocked lightly on each of the locked doors in case there was someone still cognisant inside, before moving on quickly. They did not bother to break them open. As far as he was concerned, each locked office was one less surprise. At a door half way along the passageway however there was a light scratching sound that caught his attention. He turned and listened. The looks on the faces of his troops told him he had not imagined it.
He tried the door handle again, rattling the door. There was nothing. He indicated to Bannister to get it open. As he was stepping back, Straddling voiced his concern.
“Sir, with all due respect, I thought we were trying to keep quiet. It’s probably nothing but it may be one of them mutants inside.”
“And it may be a survivor,” Lewis said, immediately dismissing his warning. “Bannister…”
Bannister heaved his shoulder at the door, keeping a tight hold on the handle to stop it from flying inwards. It was not wasted on him that normally Lance Corporal Dean Millington would have been the one for this task. On the third attempt the door flew open, escaping his grip anyway and smashing into the wall. Bannister stumbled forwards and tripped over the body lying by the door. He sprawled headlong into the room with a grunt. Everyone gasped and weapons were immediately brandished.
“No!” Lewis shouted.
Bannister leapt to his feet and jumped backwards, bumping into the window with his gun held in front of him. The woman on the ground did not stir. She was filthy dirty, with wild, unkempt hair and she was extremely emaciated. Her skin was a normal colour however, and unblemished. There were many empty bottles of mineral water littering the floor but no evidence of food.
“Good lord!” Corporal Gray exclaimed. “We found the survivor.”
“No idiot,” Straddling snapped “the person we heard earlier was the other side of the building.”
“So do we take her with us?” Gray asked.
“She’s in pretty bad shape, by the look of her, although she doesn’t look infected,” Lewis said, kneeling by her side and checking her over. “We can’t risk carrying her with us through the entire building though. It’ll slow us down too much.”
“We can’t just abandon her sir,” Gray said, aghast.
“And we’re not going to,” he replied brusquely. “Best thing is to leave someone here to guard her. Gray – well volunteered. You’ll be quite safe. Since Bannister has done such a fine job destroying this bit of timber, we’ll put you in one of these other offices that can be locked. Don’t make a sound and you’ll be just fine. The rest of us will go and locate that other survivor. Then we’ll come back and get you. Okay? Any questions?”
Gray looked worried but could not think of a valid objection. Besides, he thought it would be a relief to be hidden from danger for a while at least.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Straddling asked Lewis discreetly. “It could all turn bad.”
“I’m aware of that,” Lewis replied irritably. “If you’ve got a better idea then I’m all ears. Otherwise it’ll have to do. As long as he stays put and remains silent then nothing should go wrong.”
As the door closed the lock clicked. The last thing Lewis saw was the look of foreboding on Corporal Elliot Gray’s face.
CHAPTER 13
There was some screaming from below and not too far away. A door banged and it sounded like furniture being overturned or broken.
“I actually miss the main labs,” Pellegrini muttered to Mayoh. “It’s hard to believe but it feels comparatively safe in there.”
“The sooner we’re out of here the better,” Mayoh replied grimly. “This place is swarming with them.”
The rest of the corridor held no surprises. As they were passing through the next set of doors there was movement behind. A man had just nudged the previous doors aside. He squinted along the passageway. The soldiers froze but the man did not seem to have noticed them in the gloom. As he turned away they moved on carefully and gratefully. There were two more corridors and more shrieks and screams from somewhere close. They ignored a staircase leading down into the murk below and arrived at some doors. These opened onto a canteen, as in the main laboratory. There was the same chequered tiling and the same furniture. Over the past couple of days, having spent most of their time in the cafeteria in their main building, it felt surreal to be staring at this virtual replica, like having been transported to an alternative universe.
The other similarity to their own canteen was that this also seemed to have attracted a whole load of infected. Lewis peered through the glass panel and saw movement. He counted seven or eight, perhaps more. It was difficult to tell as they kept on disappearing from his meagre view. There seemed to be a general convergence on a door behind the serving counter to one side. The horde seemed to be pulling and banging at it. He turned back to look at Straddling.
“I’m not sure boss,” Straddling shook his head. “From outside it looked as though it was about here, or it could have been a little further along. It’s impossible to say for certain.”
“Well, we can either go downstairs, move further north, possibly encountering a load of infected in the process and then maybe find that we come back along the top floor and face the same dilemma. Or we can go in now, kill the lot of them and get on with it. There seems to be a grouping of them around the door behind the counter. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything but it just might.”
“That’s where we found Isabelle,” Wood said. “In that same store room beside the kitchens in our labs.”
Lewis suddenly straightened. He had made his decision. “Boys, this is what we came here for. There’s every chance that the person we heard calling for help is in there. Let’s just do it.”
It was clear that Lewis was not to be swayed and wanted to get the job done quickly. His demeanour as their commanding officer had hardened in recent days, as Denny’s had before him. In truth they did need to be swift but there was still a great necessity for caution. The possibility of death was always skulking nearby.
“Might I suggest a quick plan sir?” Wood said quietly and he outlined his idea.
Bannister slowly eased the door open as Lewis, Wood and Matthews slipped inside. They paused for a moment. Then Lewis tossed a Molotov cocktail underarm. It arced through the air and smashed right next to one of the people milling around inside, setting fire to her. Immediately their diversion was created. The woman screeched as her clothes and legs started to burn. Her
arms wheeled around her head as she charged about, directionless. She banged into furniture and fell to the floor, still shrieking. The other diseased turned to stare and started to become agitated. A couple rushed towards the woman but then backed away from the flames nervously, chattering and flinching as she screamed. Their actions were quite bestial.
Wood and Matthews now crept forwards. From a stable, kneeling position both sighted carefully.
“On my mark,” Wood whispered. “Fire.”
Two bolts were shot. Both hit their victims although neither was decisive. Two infected cried out as they were struck in the chest and shoulder. One fell but was up again quickly. With no obvious adversaries their rage had no focus. The soldiers remained crouched. Wood cursed silently as they reloaded. Lewis looked over his shoulder nervously. The rest of the soldiers were outside, ensuring there were no surprises from behind.
“Come on, come on,” Lewis muttered impatiently.
Wood reloaded first. By the time Matthews was ready he had sighted and fired. This time his aim was true. This time the man fell to the floor. The woman still burned and screamed as Matthews readied his weapon. One of the others had seen now and started to run at them.
“Kill him,” Wood hissed.
The man charged, knocking over a table as he came straight at them. Matthews gasped and fired. His aim was good, but again not quite good enough. The bolt hit the man in the chest and caused him to slump backwards, knocking into a table. By the time he had recovered, Wood had reloaded.
“He’s mine,” he whispered. The crossbow released with a twang and the man fell forwards.
The fire had started to subside and the woman’s screams with it. The remaining diseased were all disturbed as the two soldiers fumbled to reload. Fortunately they had not yet been spotted by the rest. Lewis noted that two of them had not once left the door to the storeroom. They just stood banging at it and yelling. From behind he heard a quick directive barked out by Straddling and then a bang, followed by another. There were voices and a shout and the mob in the cafeteria now spotted their quarry. The doors suddenly burst open behind them.
“There are lurchers coming out of the woodwork,” Bannister gasped as there was another gunshot from outside. “We’re in trouble!”
Wood and Matthews had already ditched their crossbows and Wood was now standing with his rifle at his shoulder. “Take the ones to the right,” he snapped at Matthews. “Fire at will.” His gun blasted out, two shots in quick succession as the infected all raced at them.
“Get everyone in and the doors barricaded,” Lewis shouted as he turned to help defend their position.
Suddenly his estimate of seven or eight seemed woefully optimistic. There must have been some to the sides of the room or beneath tables that he had not seen. Perhaps some had entered the doors opposite without his noticing. He fired and his mark fell quivering to the floor. Wood suddenly produced another bottle from his bag. Without Lewis even noticing the lighter, a moment later and the wick was lit. The bottle looped through the air and shattered, creating a brief wall of flames between them and the hostiles. Bannister had grabbed a table. He raised it above his head and smashed it on the floor.
“Get some,” he shouted at Pellegrini and Mayoh. The three men frantically gathered bits of wood and table legs. They shoved them through the metal door handles as before, just as the first of the diseased slammed into the doors. They rattled and gave inwards a little. Bannister threw himself against them, bracing as he screamed instructions. Straddling joined him as another man charged into the doors.
“Break a table. Grab the legs – they’re stronger,” Bannister shouted. “Hurry, this won’t hold much longer.”
The fire bought only a brief reprieve. Without fuel it died quickly. The infected charged just as quickly. They came on in force. Lewis, Wood and Matthews stood side by side. Ideally single head-shots; controlled yet hasty, without the luxury of aiming. A young woman with a mass of black curls ran screaming from the side. It took four wasteful rounds from Matthews to put her down. She fell only a few paces away.
Pellegrini and Mayoh were desperately trying to stuff table legs through the handles. The doors were continually pummelled, making their task harder. The group of diseased outside had grown, the noise of gunfire attracting many more. Each time the doors were shaken some of the wood was in danger of slipping out from the handles so Bannister had to hold it all in place. The glass cracked as an elbow or head banged against it.
“Whatever we’re going to do,” he panted, “we’d best do it quickly.”
“Out of ammo, changing to my Browning,” Matthews yelled above the din. Lewis had already done the same. Wood had been more disciplined and still had half a magazine remaining for his SA80. There were now only four infected in the dining room as far as he could see. His concern now was more that the soldiers would be left entirely without rifle ammunition if they carried on at the same rate.
“Cease fire,” he shouted. “These last four are mine.”
He put his rifle down and un-holstered his pistol.
“What are you doing?” Lewis cried, but Wood had already started to walk out to meet the infected head on, putting himself between the soldiers and the enemy.
As they raced at him, negotiating furniture, he held the pistol firmly in a two-handed grip. He waited. The nearest was only six or seven paces away before he shot. The next was right behind. He kicked a chair into her path, making her stumble and then fired. Two more were a little slower. He paused, sighting and allowing them to close in on him, just to make absolutely sure. Then two shots in quick succession and they fell.
The danger was over from within the room but Bannister, Mayoh and Pellegrini were still struggling with the door.
“Well don’t just stand there,” Bannister yelled, “do something.”
“Wood and Matthews,” Lewis snapped, “take the other entrance opposite. Get it barricaded. If anything comes this way put it down. Bannister, just hold it. Keep them out for God’s sake. Straddling, come with me. Let’s get this store room open pronto and see if this was worth all the effort.”
The soldiers sprang into action. While Bannister and Pellegrini held their door, Leading Aircraftman Mayoh was busy supplying them with reinforcements for their barricade. Wood and Matthews sprinted for the far end of the café. To their horror as they were almost there the door swung slowly open. Another diseased entered. Matthews stumbled with the shock but Wood did not hesitate. He leapt at the man and drew his knife, plunging the blade upwards and deep into the man’s throat, right under the jaw. As the man struggled he clamped his other hand behind the neck, holding him tight as he thrashed around. The blood flowed freely and with it his strength and his fight, as he sagged to his knees.
Lewis vaguely saw the encounter but realised that Wood had it contained. With Straddling he listened at the door to the store room for a moment. It was silent. There was no time to waste. He stood back with his weapon at his shoulder, pointing at the door and nodded. Straddling braced himself and then charged. The door burst open on the first attempt. They had wondered if they had got the correct location and they were not disappointed. Inside the store room was the man that they had spoken to earlier. He must have been standing up against the door, as he was bowled over and crashed backwards into the wall. He knocked his head as he slumped to the floor with his eyes flickering. He was probably in his late fifties although looked older than that now. He was pale and thin and looked quite ill, but did not seem to have the giveaway signs of contamination. As far as Lewis could tell his symptoms resembled those of Bennett when they first found him – malnourished and dehydrated. Lewis kept his gun trained on the figure. The man’s breathing was ragged and his hands twitched. Lewis stepped forwards warily.
The room was dim and cluttered but there was a small window allowing them to see well enough. The glass had been smashed, letting some of the fetid air out. There were boxes of food supplies and another door leading into a small, inne
r cupboard. As Lewis and Straddling exchanged glances there was a screech from within. This man may not have been ill but the cupboard’s occupant most certainly was.
“Let’s carry him out,” Lewis said. “Whoever’s in there can rot in hell for all I care. Better locked inside, than out here with us.”
The man had thinning, brown hair and wore a dirty grey suit. He was tall but as they stooped to pick him up they found him to be unexpectedly light. Suddenly he started to moan. They both jumped back and dropped him with guns pointing again. His eyes opened as he tried to focus on them.
“Thank God you came back,” he sighed, “I hoped you would.” His voice was barely more than a whisper of dry air but at least it was lucid. “My name is Mike,” he continued. “I work here.”
“Okay, we’ll do the introductions later,” Lewis said curtly, just as there was another bang and shout from Bannister. “We’ll get you out of here but we have to go right now.” He nodded to Straddling and they again leaned forwards to gather him up.
“No,” the man said with urgency in his voice. “We can’t leave without Helen, my wife.”
“Please tell me that’s not her in there,” Lewis said. This was already taking longer than he wanted.
Mike nodded sombrely. Right on cue there was another shriek from within.
“She’s been bitten. You obviously know she’s become sick. She’s no longer your wife, no longer the woman she once was,” Lewis said brusquely. “We can’t take her with us.”
“I can’t leave without her,” Mike said, his face crumpling.
“She’s a danger to everyone. I’m sorry,” Lewis snapped, aware that they needed to rush. He nodded to Straddling and they again bent down to pick him up.
“Nooo!” Mike protested loudly with a surprisingly tight grip on Lewis’s shoulder. “I’m not leaving without Helen.”
“She’s become the same as the people who are trying to break in here right now and kill us. You can’t do anything for her.”
“Yes, I can,” Mike gasped. “I was working on a cure. If I’ve got a little more time I can save her.”
Twice Bitten, Twice Die (The Blood of the Infected Book 3) Page 22
