Salby Damned

by Ian D. Moore

  He looked across the table and saw a small boy and girl sticking bits of coloured paper to a picture they had made. He stopped at the table, watching them as they worked.

  “Hello,” said the young girl, looking up from her picture.

  “Good morning, young lady, who might you be?”

  “I’m Holly, of course. Why are you wearing funny clothes?” she asked curiously, noticing his uniform.

  “Well, Holly, you see, I am Major Paul Sower, an officer of this base, and who do we have here?” he asked, addressing the young boy.

  “I’m Tom. Pleased to meet you, Sir,” he said, turning to face him with an almost perfect salute.

  “Where did you learn to do that, young man? It is very polite of you.”

  “Nathan showed us what to do if we saw someone important here,” he said, feeling proud at the major’s compliment.

  “Did he now? Well, you certainly learn very fast, Tom. Are your parents here with you as well?” he asked, realising that Nathan was, in fact, Sergeant Cross.

  “No, Sir. Our mum hasn’t come yet, but she will, I know she will,” Tom said; his voice trailed off and his head bowed as he looked at the floor.

  “I’m sure she will, Tom. Don’t worry. There are still lots of people arriving every day; it is only a matter of time, son.”

  “Will you help me stick this on here, Major Paul?” asked Holly. She tugged at his sleeve and gave him a glue-soaked piece of red paper, whilst pointing to the top of a flower she had drawn.

  “It needs to go there, just there,” she added, indicating with her finger pressed to the page and instructing the officer.

  “Let me see now, here? Or maybe here? What about here?” The major placed the paper from point to point; he was playing with Holly.

  “Here, Major Paul, here,” Holly said, guiding his hand to where she wanted the paper flower head to be.

  “Ahhhh, yes, I see now. That’s beautiful. Would you make me a picture like that for my office, Holly, and would you help too, Tom? I’d love something bright and pretty like that for my wall,” he said and watched the two small faces light up at his request.

  “Yes, Sir. I will.”

  “And I will too, Major Paul,” came the small voice of Holly, equally excited at the thought.

  He watched as they assembled more paper and glue, ready to begin the creation for his office wall. He told them that he was busy now but that they should come and find him a little later. He would see to it there was something nice in return for their hard work. They waved as he left the hangar. He felt lifted by the experience and was pleased that he'd stopped by to see the children.

  The major made his way over to the cookhouse for a cup of coffee and a sit down for a few minutes; his next stop would be the football training class that he'd urged the troublesome teenagers to attend. An update report was due, he thought.

  *******

  Preparation

  Once bathed and dry, Brian led Meriam to the makeshift double bed he had made from their single mattresses on the floor of his small room. Meriam chose to lay on his right side. They talked, touched, and kissed for over an hour before she finally drifted off to sleep, and he could hear her breathe against his chest, watching the small movements she made.

  She turned onto her right side, bringing her knees up slightly and pushing her bottom backwards into his groin. Brian's left arm came up and around her waist. He rested his hand just below her right breast. For a while, he just held her, feeling her close as he listened to the constant background noise outside on the base.

  He felt lucky, charmed almost, but wondered what would happen to them, what would become of them once this was over. He hadn’t felt this close to a woman since before the bitter break-up of his marriage; he hadn’t wanted to be hurt again. It’s funny how fate deals the cards least expected, he thought as sleep called to him. There would be time enough for a couple of hours.

  ***

  Across the hallway, Colin Snape woke with a start. He grabbed at the laptop, making sure it was still there; it was. He must have fallen asleep reading Garrett's files and those of Kevin Juras, one of the engineering managers under Garrett. That file hadn't contained anything of importance.

  Coffee, he needed coffee, he thought; can’t think properly without a little kick in the morning. He washed in the small bathroom sink, before putting on his shoes. He then hid the laptop under the mattress and placed the files out of sight under the small drawer chest. Today he was planning another day of spotting and jotting; it was relatively easy at this hour with so many people about.

  Snape left the room, heading for the landing stairs. He stopped briefly at Meriam’s door, listening intently to see if she was awake, but he couldn’t hear anything. He considered knocking on her door to ask if she would join him for breakfast but decided against it. She was playing hard-to-get and he could do that too, he thought. Today he would play it cool; see if she came to him, as that would be a test of her true feelings. Such were his delusions.

  In the meantime, his plan was to scout around the base looking for things that might be useful; he had money, lots of it, and he would use it to ensure he had what he needed.

  ***

  Meriam and Brian woke at the sound of the door slamming closed outside their own; it was Snape and they hoped he wouldn’t knock. He didn't. They heard the shuffling as he passed their door, then a pause before he continued, followed by the clunk of the stairwell doors closing.

  “That was close. It’s like we’re a couple of cheating lovers,” Brian said, and they both laughed at the thought.

  “I thought for one minute that he was actually going to bang on the door. Well, it’s not like we’re on company time, is it?” she countered.

  “Do you know, you’re right. They won’t be paying us for being here, and that means that, technically, he’s not our boss on this base! You know, there may not even be a company after all of this is over, whatever happens,” Brian said and kissed her.

  She guided him, rolling him on top of her. Supported by his arms, he made love to her, slowly, savouring every sensation as if the world were perfectly normal outside. He revelled in her reactions; the touches and caresses she gave sent tingles though his whole body. If ever there were a perfect way to greet the morning light, this had to be it, he thought.

  ***

  For Corporal Jane Simms, it had been a busy night, and now the Major had rewarded her with a day off. It had been almost a week since her last rest period. Since then, her life had been filled with utter chaos and the base had been placed on full alert, which had seen her workload quadruple. She'd had no time for her personal life; today, she had the rest of the day to do as she pleased.

  In her room, she neatly folded her shirt, took off her lightweights, and hooked them on the single wardrobe door, ready for morning. Jane took polish from her drawer and a soft cloth. She dabbed a bristle brush into the black, waxy substance and gave each boot a liberal coating, before allowing it to dry to a dull faded colour. Taking the second brush, this one free of wax, she buffed away the excess from each boot. Then, scrunching the soft cloth to form a flat pad, she dusted it over the leather to bring up a passable shine.

  Next, she would take a long soak in the tub and allow the bubbles and the heat of the water to ease her tired bones, eyes, and mind. From the small wooden wardrobe, she took a pair of jeans, clean underwear, white sneakers, and a short-cropped T-shirt, ready for the sunny day it had turned out to be. She ran the bath and added a creamy white liquid that frothed into countless bubbles. Removing her underwear, she dipped a toe into the steamy bath, turning the cold tap on just a little to bring it to bearable temperature.

  She stepped in tentatively, allowing the tingle of the hot water to soothe her before she lay back, cupping water in her hands to wet her hair, and washed, taking her time and enjoying the simple act of bathing. Outside, she heard the faint unmistakable sound of a helicopter with the thud, thud, thud of the engine. It didn’t trou
ble her; at that moment, nothing troubled her.

  ***

  The first helicopter approached the landing field and touched down smoothly. It carried the C.O., Staff Sergeant Stewall, and Sergeant Cross, assisted by the flight crewman who guided them out of the aircraft.

  They walked to the main building in search of Major Sower but were unable to find him in his office. The C.O. took a few minutes to speak to his two senior non-commissioned officers; he wanted to hurry along the process of the capture of live infected subjects, unaware that one was already in custody. The C.O.’s discussion was cut short as a provisions mission was about to leave and both men had volunteered to join it; they asked the C.O. if he had any requirements.

  “Just that you return safely, gentlemen,” he said with a smile, and then he walked to his office.

  Nathan arranged to meet Chris back at the helicopter landing field an hour after they'd returned; it would give him time to check on Tom and Holly before the afternoon sortie, hopefully in the process picking up some clothes for them and clean kit for himself.

  As he entered the hangar, the children spotted him before he saw them and came running to meet him with beaming smiles.

  “Naffam, Naffam, Naffam!” Holly shouted, jumping into his open arms as he picked her up and spun her around.

  “Helloooooooo, Nathan, where have you been? Did you see any bad people? Is Dr. Evie coming back too?” Tom asked in one breath.

  “Woah there, young man, one thing at a time. Come here, let’s have a look at you,” Nathan said, bending to give him a hug and ruffle his hair.

  “What have you two been up to while I have been away, eh?”

  “We’ve been making Major Paul a picture for his wall. Come and look,” Holly said, excited at showing him their work and taking his hand to lead him to their table.

  “He came to see us. Asked us to make him something, and I saluted just like you said,” said Tom, his face lighting up as he told Nathan about the major's visit.

  “Well done. I bet he was very impressed with you, with both of you, I’m sure. What did he say, Tom?”

  “He said I was very polite and he saw what we had made and, and, and asked if we could make him one too. He said he might find us something nice if we did, for all our hard work.”

  “He said that? Well, you must have impressed him a lot. I am very proud of you both. Have you made him a nice picture? Can I see?”

  They showed him their picture, explaining that it was a picture of his house with Nathan, Evie, and themselves and some flowers in the garden. Holly had used pipe cleaners and tissue paper for the flowers. Tom had drawn the farmhouse and had added the generator building. They had coloured in the grass, put some golden paper for sunshine, and stuck on cotton wool balls for clouds. Nathan thought that it was an excellent interpretation of his home.

  “That’s fantastic. No, really, it looks just like home and there’s me and Evie too. You even got the jenny house in the right place and there's you. Just look at that beautiful sun. I think Major Paul will be very pleased with this, and you really have worked hard, haven’t you? I think we might just have time for some ice cream in the cookhouse if we’re very quick. What do you think?”

  “Yay! Can we, Naffam? Pleeeeeeeease?” said Holly, grinning broadly, giving the dimples in her cheeks perfect definition.

  Lord help the boys when she grows up; she’ll be melting hearts all over the world with those dimples, he thought.

  They each took one of Nathan's hands and pulled him towards the cookhouse; it lightened his mood and was a welcome distraction from the worried thoughts of Evie at the facility. They neared the entrance to the huge marquee to find that it was still busy inside with late lunch diners and small children intermingled with changing shifts of the rotating duty roles within the base. They managed to find a free table and the queue wasn’t too long to be served.

  “What’ll it be then, you two?” Nathan asked, as they edged closer to the counter.

  “Strawbelly and banilla for me, please,” said Holly.

  “Think I’ll try, ummmmmmm, ummmmm, chocolate today,” said Tom, contemplating his choice.

  “Are you sure now, Tom? You could always have a little of each other’s if you want to share.”

  “That’s a good idea. We’ll do that, Holly.”

  “Yay!” came the reply from Holly, not really sure what she had agreed to.

  The simplicity and innocence of the children's lives made Nathan smile..

  Let it always be like this for them, uncomplicated, he thought.

  With two good-sized helpings, a wink to the cook serving, and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate bits and hundreds and thousands, the bowls were handed over to the eager youngsters. They made good progress with the contents whilst Nathan went for his coffee and joined them.

  He spoke while they ate, telling them of the other place he had been, trying to explain in terms they could understand. He explained that Evie had to stay there to help make everyone better again, but that she would be back soon. Finally, he told them that Steve and Janey Grey would look after them today and that he would be back to see to them this evening. He explained that he had to go to work between now and then, but not for long.

  Two clean bowls and two happy children later, they walked back to the hangar. He decided that he would take them to the football session at sundown and then to the main building to present the major with their finished work. He was hoping that all of this would keep them busy until bedtime.

  *******

  Sortie

  The helicopter had been refuelled and serviced ready for the supply sortie. They would be going to one of the major supermarket distribution centres, about twenty miles away. From there, they could pick up most of the varied supplies from one place, given that major supermarket chains now sold just about everything. The teams had been there before, and while they had encountered occasional resistance at night, there had only been minor day skirmishes so far.

  Strapped to the base of the helicopter on long steel cables were stacked alloy bases that had folding sides, each capable of holding up to one ton of stock. They would separate them on the ground, load them, and then fix them back to the helicopter for transport. Stores teams back at the base would then unload them and fold them back up, ready for the next run.

  So it went on, through the daylight hours, almost constantly. Nathan arrived at the armoury to sign out his rifle and ammunition, performing a quick once-over to check that everything was in order, before he teamed up with Chris who was helping at the landing field.

  “Thought you weren’t coming for a minute, fella,” he called, as Nathan approached.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, mate. Just had to check on the kids and get a shopping list.”

  “Aahh, ha, good thinking. Those that have been there reckon it’s huge and stacked to the rafters with everything you could think of. Hopefully we’ll have no problems. Straight in, straight out, and back.”

  “That’s the plan. Keep your eyes open for some kid’s clothes, seven and five, if you get the chance, will you?”

  “Sure, bud, I will. You ready to roll?”

  “Good to go.”

  ***

  They boarded the aircraft along with six other personnel. The helicopter was loaded to capacity as it began to lift from the ground, slowly taking up the slack of the thick steel cables. The pilot pushed the nose down slightly, coaxing the helicopter forwards and up out over the fence, making sure to allow room for the boxes slung below, as they passed over the base fences towards outlying trees and farm buildings.

  It had been a while since Nathan had seen the outside world, so he took time to scan, using his rifle’s scope, as they flew towards the distribution centre. He could see power station cooling towers in the distance and couldn’t remember a day when there had been no steam rising from them; today there was no vapour, as it had been for the last few days since the infection spread outwards.

  Closer to them
and looking down onto the roads, he could see many bodies, some in their cars; they had never made it to their destination. Others had fallen victim to traffic collisions, but most had been attacked by those they had once travelled with, having been infected by the virus. Bodies littering the roadside and surrounding fields had become food for wildlife as crows and rooks feasted on softer parts of the flesh; nocturnal creatures continued to gorge in the hours of darkness, the vacant place at the top of the food chain now up for grabs.

  Distressing images were visible through the scope of the rifle. He was sure that, up and down the country, there were similar scenes. His thoughts were cut short as the aircraft neared the huge warehouse complex to touch down in the yard; there was work to do.

  When the team disembarked, they formed a protective, armed circle around the helicopter, each man covering his arc of fire and overlapping with the next. They scanned continually, looking for any movement in the stillness of the vast warehouse site. Trucks and trailers, parked up in neat ranks, stood abandoned, some with doors still open, keys dangling from the ignition, as the drivers had fled or come under attack. Many of the trailers stood next to the loading bays, ready for the next load to be wheeled aboard for despatch to the supermarket.

  A member of the flight crew disengaged the steel cables and they fell at the sides of the folded boxes. The aircraft then powered skywards, heading back to the base to pick up the next supply team.

  They prepared the first of the folding crates, pulling up the sides and locking them. An access net at one end would cover the goods, fastening tight after loading. During loading, it was easy to walk inside as the assembled crates resembled storage containers.