The rest of our five-minute trip to the farm proved uneventful. We left Tom, Brian and Linda at the large house as we continued on to the main farmhouse. The rest of us pulled up on the track that passed the main entrance. On investigation, the main door was still shut. John and I walked around the right side of the house and, passing the swimming pool, checked the conservatory doors. We moved on to the back of the farmhouse, checking a number of entrances as we went. Eventually we made our way along the left side of the house until we arrived back at the parked vehicles. The scene was one of organised chaos, as our companions had emptied their vehicles leaving boxes and various articles lying on the track in front of the farmhouse. The younger children were running around, playing tag. Ziggy and Martin were standing by the doorway ready to investigate their new home. Mary had emptied the Micra and was helping Josephine with the truck as we approached.
“OK guys, all the doors are still shut, so we’re alright to go in,” said John.
“Ziggy, Martin, we need some help now,” called Maria.
We all began to head towards the front door, carrying whatever we could manage. This was going to take some time – and we still had the van to unload once Brian and Tom had taken their gear.
John and I helped our ladies take the clothing, bedding and various other articles to our respective bedrooms. It was decided to store all the food in the kitchen and use the adjoining banqueting room as a communal eating place and meeting room. John and I put the Ruger target and his .375 H & H, plus associated ammunition, beside the centre top-floor window. This gave a wide, unrestricted view towards the large house on top of the slope. Only leaving our food supplies, we left the ladies to finish the job.
John and I decided to walk over to the large house to check on Brian and Tom’s progress, with the intention of driving the van back to the farmhouse.
Five minutes later, we arrived outside the ten-foot-wide wooden gate, which was held shut by a piece of rope, at the entrance to the house. There was also a metal gate across the track, but this remained open. We decided to close it with the aid of a piece of barbed wire, just in case the infected in Connor Way tried to follow us. We then proceeded to the house, shutting the driveway gate behind us.
Brian and Tom were waiting for us as we approached the van, but Ruth and Linda and their teenage children were nowhere to be seen. The three younger children were playing with their garden toys now they had been taken from the van and deposited on the front lawn. The larger pieces of gear which had been in the van were lying in front of the patio doors, ready to be stored away.
“We’ve finished with the van, James,” said Tom, anticipating our question.
“Good – any problems?” I asked.
“No, everything is going smoothly at the moment.”
“Apart from finding a home for this lot, that is,” said Brian, indicating the stack of gear lying on the patio. “Here are the keys,” he said, offering them to me.
Taking the keys, I turned to John.
“Who’s driving, then?” I asked.
“You’ll be driving this time for a change, Dad,” said John.
I realised that John had been the driver on our little excursions most of, if not all, the time.
“OK. Brian and Tom, we’ll leave you to finish up. Perhaps we’ll speak later,” I said.
John and I got into the van while Brian opened the gate, and we both waved as we drove out onto the track. Two minutes later we were at the main entrance to the farmhouse.
A small group had formed by the main door consisting of Miles, Jeffrey, Mat, Kevin and Jeffrey. The ladies were obviously inside putting the final touches to their new accommodation. As we approached the group, John and I could hear excited children’s voices as they and the teenagers explored their new residence.
“Time to unload the van, chaps,” I said.
“Yeah, let’s get this finished so we can relax,” replied Miles.
It occurred to me that moving house was stressful at the best of times, but at least you didn’t usually have to shoot half a dozen people first – although you might have felt like doing that at the time, of course.
Half an hour later, the van was empty. We had found a home for the generators and barbecues outside, close to the conservatory. The children’s voices had become louder as they had discovered the swimming pool.
“John, time to check on our other halves,” I said. “And a cup of tea and something to eat would be useful.” Turning to Miles, I called, “See you in the kitchen or the banqueting room”.
John and I ascended the front stairs. After checking our respective first-floor rooms at the front of the house, which were now unbelievably tidy, Mary and Josephine were nowhere to be seen.
“Time to check the kitchen, Dad,” said John.
We went back down the stairs, made our way along the long corridor and entered the kitchen opposite the conservatory. There the women were in deep conversation as they found a home for the food supplies.
“James, we have everything under control here,” said Mary. “The men are in the banqueting room next door. Besides, you two will only get in our way.” My two daughters smiled at us.
“You’ve got your orders, Dad,” Linda added.
John and I exchanged glances and decided this was not a time to argue as we were completely outnumbered, and went through the adjoining door into the banqueting room. The men were sitting around the large table in the centre. As an afterthought, I put my head round the kitchen door and asked, “Is there any chance of a cup of tea, ladies?”
“Once we’ve sorted the kitchen out – you’ll just have to wait,” replied Maria.
Miles had taken the prime seat at the head of the table, furthest from the kitchen door. Wise move, I thought. Kevin, Mat and Jeffrey sat on his left, facing the window. John and I took the seats opposite them with our backs to the window. We had just made ourselves comfortable on the green leather seats when the door adjoining the corridor opened and Ken and Scott walked in, Ken taking a seat next to Jeffrey, Scott the one on my left.
“So, what’s the next plan of attack, guys?” asked Miles.
“Scott, could you plough the larger field on the swimming pool side and get it ready for planting vegetables?” I asked.
“We can move the sheep onto the small field at the front and to the right of the house,” observed Miles.
“That won’t take long – about half a day,” replied Scott.
“We can go to the garden centre just off the main Boreham road – they had a large variety of seeds,” said John. “I was dragged around there for an hour while Josephine inspected the different types. She was hoping to grow vegetables in our garden before the infection started. She would be a good person to take along.”
“We can do that tomorrow – assuming the infected around the A12 have moved on,” I said.
The door to the corridor opened and Brian appeared, followed by Linda and their four children. After perfunctory courtesies, Elizabeth and Jack went to find Martin and Ziggy, and Brian sat next to Scott on my side of the table, while Linda went to join the rest of the ladies in the kitchen. Barbara and Christine followed the two teenagers to find the other younger children.
“Brian, we’re trying to devise a plan for tomorrow,” said Scott. “I’m going to plough the larger field next to the house. John and Josephine and whoever wants to go with them are going to get some seeds for planting from the garden centre in Boreham.”
“We need to burn the pile of bodies by the barn,” Jeffrey noted.
“We also need some sort of communications between the two houses,” said Brian.
“That problem I can solve,” John noted.
“You can?” said Brian.
“Yes. I managed to pick up some walkie talkies when we were at the camping shop. They say they’re good for at least half a mile. I’ll go a
nd get them.”
John got up from the chair and went to the door, which opened just as he went for the handle.
“Hello, John – finally we’re here,” said Tom.
“Hi – see you in a minute,” said John, holding the door open for Ruth, who was carrying Cathy, with Helen following.
“Where are Barbara and Christine?” asked Helen as she surveyed the room.
“They’re out by the swimming pool,” replied John.
Helen turned and went back into the corridor and disappeared from view in search of her cousins.
Ruth greeted everybody, then joined the other ladies in the kitchen. Tom sat next to Jeffrey. John shut the door behind him as he went in search of the walkie talkies.
“What do we do now, then?” asked Tom.
Miles told him about the details so far agreed.
“We might need to go to a gun shop, as I’m running short on ammo,” said Tom.
“Yeah, I’m short on shells, and a better gun would be useful,” said Scott.
“OK, then – if John and I go with Josephine to the garden centre and then to the gun shop in Boreham, who wants to go to the gun shop in Great Baddow?” I asked.
“Jeffrey and I will go,” said Miles.
“Scott and I will get the field ready for planting,” said Ken.
“Tom and I can burn the bodies and hold the fort, so to speak,” offered Brian.
“I’ll go with Miles and Jeffrey – I need a better gun too,” said Kevin.
The door opened and Maria entered.
“OK, boys – drinks and sandwiches are ready,” she said, holding a laden plate.
Mary followed, holding a tray of cups of tea.
“Only powdered milk, I’m afraid, but help yourselves to sugar,” she said.
The rest of the ladies came in carrying more sandwiches and trays of tea.
“Can someone call the children in, Brian?” said Linda.
Brian went out into the corridor.
“I’ll help track them down,” said Tom.
We heard Brian’s voice bellowing out as he called the children. He and Tom soon returned, once they had the children’s full attention.
They were followed in by John, who had found the walkie talkies.
“That took you long enough, John,” I commented.
“Well, you know Mum – she likes to put everything in a safe place, so you can’t find it,” said he replied.
“Know what you mean, son,” I said, receiving a dirty look from Mary.
Although I didn’t like powered milk, that was the best cup of tea I had ever tasted. Once the refreshments were finished, the children and teenagers went back outside, leaving the adults in deep but unimportant conversation.
The children returned to the banqueting room as the light began to fade, just after 9.00 pm, past the younger children’s normal bed time, but then there was no school. Linda, Ruth and Maria put the younger children to bed at 9.30 pm, two hours later than normal. We continued in conversation for the next two hours, Linda insisting that we leave the corridor door open so we could hear the children if they called out. Barbara and Christine had been put in our bed until they were ready to return to their house. The children could also hear our muffled voices, giving them a sense of security. I think we all felt tired after a rather stressful day, and retired to our selected rooms. John had given Brian one of the walkie talkies and demonstrated how it worked, saying he would try to contact him ten minutes later, giving time to get back to their house. Mary put Sheba in the conservatory with her bedding and toys for the night. The dog didn’t seem too impressed with her new accommodation, and I think she wanted to come with us.
Mary and I eventually climbed into bed at midnight. I could hear John trying to contact Brian, and on the third attempt I heard Brian’s muffled reply. At least something works, I thought. Within ten minutes Mary had fallen asleep but I lay awake listening to the creaks and groans of the old house as it started to cool under the starlit sky. I vaguely remember hearing gentle snoring sounds coming from one of the other bedrooms before, finally, I too fell asleep.
Day Fourteen
Sunday 25 May 2014
“James, it’s time to get up – everybody else is,” Mary was saying as she shook my shoulder.
Opening my eyes, I found myself looking at the thin lace curtain that stretched between the four posts of the bed, and for a few seconds I wondered where I was.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Nearly eight, and you have a lot to do today.”
“I do,” I said. Then our discussion about the plan for today came flooding back to me. “Right, then – I’m getting up,” I said, swinging my legs out of the bed.
“See you in the kitchen,” said Mary as she left the room.
I dressed and went in search of the bathroom. Going out into the corridor, I was greeted by excited children’s voices and, making my way towards the back of the house, I found the bathroom near the top of the stairs.
At the bottom of the staircase, the sound of children playing had become louder. As I turned away and towards the kitchen, the front door opened behind me and Barbara burst through.
“Good morning, Grandad,” she said breathlessly.
“Good morning, Barbara – how do you like your new home?” I replied.
“It’s great fun. Oh, I’ve got to hide – ’bye!” she said and disappeared through a door on the left of the corridor. That was short and sweet, I thought, as I proceeded along the corridor. The front door burst open again, hitting the wall with a bang. I turned to see Helen and Christine standing in the doorway.
“Slow down – we don’t want to wreck our new house just yet, girls,” I said, trying to put a bit of authority in my voice, without much success.
“Hello Grandad – have you seen Barbara?” Helen asked.
“No,” I replied, nodding with a big smile towards the door through which Barbara had just passed.
Both girls went through the door, and I continued towards the kitchen to the screams and shouts of excited children as they discovered Barbara’s hiding place. I was about to go into the kitchen until I heard crockery and cutlery being moved around and the murmuring of ladies’ voice, and I decided it would be a bad idea to disturb them so continued on to the banqueting room. There I found the men, the teenagers and some of the ladies sitting at the large table. Mary, Josephine, Ruth and Linda were absent, I assumed in the kitchen.
I had just found myself a seat when the kitchen door opened and Josephine came in carrying a tray of cups of tea, and Mary followed with another, equally laden. Linda and Ruth followed with trays of toast.
“Nice of you to join us, James,” was the usual sarcastic comment from Miles.
“I see you managed to find us, James,” said Mary, placing the tea tray in front of me.
Sheba had now risen from her resting place in the corner of the room with her tail wagging as the smell of toast filled the air, and sat directly opposite the toast that Ruth had placed in the middle of the table. We helped ourselves to the toast and each took a cup of tea. The room fell silent as we began to eat and drink, and Sheba slowly moved around the table to each of us in turn, hoping to obtain a crust or two, with a considerable degree of success.
“Time to get a move on, guys,” said Scott. “Ready to see if the tractor’s going to start, Ken?”
“Yeah, if you are,” Ken replied.
“Let’s go, Tom – time to light a fire,” said Brian.
“Make sure you take a gun with you, chaps. You never know what’s going to happen next,” I warned.
As the four men left the room, Mary started collecting the cups and small plates, keen to get things tidy as quickly as possible.
“Slow down, Mary – I need my second cup of tea first,” I said.
“You�
��d better make it yourself, then,” she replied, banging my empty cup back down in front of me.
“Well, Jeffrey and I will leave you to … err … sort things out,” said Miles with a sly grin. “We’ll be off to Great Baddow.”
“Visit both shops, Miles – Ronnie Crow’s place sells cartridges,” I said.
“Will do – come on, Jeffrey.”
The kitchen was a hive of activity as I made my second cup of tea, because the ladies had started to wash up. I returned to the banqueting room as soon as possible to keep out of their way, accompanied by a few dirty looks.
“Won’t be long, John,” I said, returning to my seat.
“Take your time. Josephine has only just started getting herself ready,” he replied.
I had just finished my tea when Josephine entered the room.
“You two ready to go, then?” she said.
“Are you ready? Must be a record,” said John sarcastically.
“OK, then – let’s get the guns, John, and we’ll be on our way,” I said.
John and I found Josephine waiting by the truck as we returned with our weapons and a restock of appropriate ammunition. We could hear the children playing near the swimming pool as the tractor burst into life on the other side of the house by the garages. Further away to the left, Tom and Brian were reorganising the dead bodies, picking up the more distant ones so they formed a pyramid-shaped pile ready for them to light. Miles waved at us as he pulled away in his taxi.
John had got into the truck and Josephine had made herself comfortable on the back seat as I started to climb into the front passenger seat.
“We’re off to the doctors – be careful, James,” Mat shouted out.
“You taking Kevin with you?” I asked
“No, not this trip,” Mat replied. “He and Kate are getting the back room ready. We’ll just collect the medical supplies. We’ll be making a second trip later to collect any useful equipment, and that’s when we need their expertise.”
“Time to go, Dad,” said John.
He started the engine, and we moved along the driveway to the main track. As John turned left towards Boreham I looked behind, and saw Mat leaving us as they continued straight on towards the doctors’ surgery while we turned right into Plantation Road. I waved at Mat and Sara before they disappeared from view.
Infected- The Beginning Page 37
