by Hatchett
Kelly wiped her face on one of the cloths sitting on the counter before picking up the phone handset and calling the Rear Galley.
“Gina here,” came a whispered response.
“Gina, it’s Kelly. Did you see what happened?”
“Yes. Karen, Dani and Jason also saw it and it sounds like it’s still going on,” she replied shakily. “We’ve got half a dozen passengers in the galley here with us and at least a couple of others have locked themselves in the toilets. We’re trying to keep them calm and quiet but it’s a bit of a struggle. We’ve drawn the curtains, so we can’t see what’s happening now.”
“Can you carefully take a peek around the curtain and tell me what you can see?”
Gina carefully moved her head towards the curtain and peeled it back an inch with her free hand.
“Oh my God!” Gina exclaimed, “there’s at least a dozen or more people standing in the cabin covered in blood and looking around. They don’t look right. There are also……oh sweet Jesus!” Gina said, closing her eyes, and letting the curtain fall back, “there are others eating people!”
“Listen carefully Gina, I want you to quietly pull out the catering trolleys and slowly edge them into the aisle to block it off. Can you do that? It must be done quietly as I’m pretty sure these things will be attracted by any noise.”
“Will do” answered Gina, carefully replacing the handset.
7
Day 1
06:30 GMT – 2 hrs 15 Minutes to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
Kelly pressed a button on the handset to broadcast over the speakers.
“This is the Cabin Crew Supervisor. There has been an incident in the Economy Section, between the middle and back of the plane. It is not yet clear exactly what has happened but would ask that all passengers remain in their seats and keep as quiet as possible for the time being. Please refrain from using the toilets or moving the curtains between the sections. I will provide a further update as soon as possible.”
The swaying bodies in the economy section stopped what they were doing and started to look around to try to find the source of the noise. There was some grunting, snorting, and gnashing of teeth but they soon lost interest once silence had been restored and went back to what they were doing.
As she put down the phone it started flashing again, so Kelly hit the ‘answer’ button.
“What the hell is going on?” came the urgent demand from Sarah in the cockpit.
“I don’t know for sure” responded Kelly “but people are attacking each other and appear to be eating the bodies in the economy section of the plane.”
“Did you say ‘eating’?”
“Yes, I know it’s hard to believe but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve got to try and secure the plane and prevent more casualties, so I need to go. Could you please switch on the safety belt sign in the meantime?” With that, Kelly put down the handset and turned to her Crew.
“Amy, Gemma, I need you to do the same as I’ve just instructed the Rear Galley; move some catering trolleys down the aisle to block it off by the central toilets. Also, ask all passengers in the Premium Plus cabin to start moving forward to the First-Class cabin but leave their personal belongings behind. This needs to be done as quickly and quietly as possible.”
Amy and Gemma carefully unlocked a trolley each, manoeuvred them to the aisles and started pushing them slowly towards the centre of the plane. As they left the cabin, an unshaven man in a baggy crumpled sports coat, denim shirt, stonewashed jeans and cowboy boots appeared in the gap. He was around six feet tall with long brown hair, blue eyes, earring and looked like a typical Texan with his bolo tie. The only thing missing was the ubiquitous cowboy hat but instead he was obviously trying for a more contemporary look wearing a Dallas Cowboys cap made by New Era.
“Hi, sorry to bother you when it’s clear something is going on and you’re busy, but I’m Andy Graves, Federal Air Marshall, or Sky Marshall if you prefer, and I thought now might be an appropriate time to introduce myself and offer any assistance. I assume you have a problem, especially as there appears to be blood all down the front of your uniform, so is there anything I can do to help?”
Kelly looked Andy up and down with a frown on her face, clearly unconvinced by what Andy had said. “Do you have some form of ID?”
Andy opened his jacket, revealing a shoulder holster holding a pistol, and pulled out his ID from an inside pocket before taking a couple of steps and handing it to Kelly.
“I didn’t know we had any Marshalls on board,” Kelly noted suspiciously.
“That’s the whole point,” Andy replied, “we randomly join flights undercover. We’re trained to blend in and try not to be noticed, otherwise we’re not doing our job properly, but the pilot should be aware when we’re on board. Some pilots tell their Cabin Crew, and some don’t. We prefer that the Cabin Crew aren’t told so that they don’t accidentally or unconsciously give us away.”
“So, you’re blending in as a normal passenger?” muttered Kelly with a bemused expression. She studied the ID before passing it to John. The ID was convincing enough, but the fact that Andy had a gun on his person was a clear sign that he was who he said he was. It would have been impossible for a normal passenger to board the plane with a gun, especially one which was effectively hidden in plain sight. Kelly looked at Andy again and realised that the crumpled sports coat he was wearing was a perfect cover for the concealed weapon. “Do you have any other weapons?” Kelly enquired as she picked up the handset to speak to Sarah in the cockpit.
“I have a spare gun, spare ammo, a taser, a knife, a can of pepper spray, an extendable baton and handcuffs. So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
The line to the cockpit was picked up. “Sarah speaking.”
“Sarah, do you know if we have a Sky Marshall on board?” Kelly enquired.
“Yes, there is one, but I have no idea who it is or where they’re located.”
“Ok, thanks, he’s just introduced himself to us. His name is Andy Graves and after I’ve filled him in and finished what we’re doing I’ll pop in to explain what is happening. It’ll only be a few minutes,” she added before returning the handset to its cradle.
“I guess you’re now part of the team,” Kelly said to Andy, holding out her hand for him to shake. “Welcome aboard.”
Andy smiled and shook Kelly’s hand. He enjoyed his job; the shooting part was second nature, but he found the unarmed combat more testing, partly due to his height and partly because he was so unfit when he first started training at the age of twenty-eight. He blamed his physical and mental condition at the time on the years of partying and not caring about anyone, including himself. His parents had both perished in a car accident when he was twenty-four, and although he and his brother Dan, who was twenty-three, enjoyed a large inheritance, neither of them could come to terms with the senseless deaths of their parents. They turned to drink, women and fighting as an escape from their grief. They made a good double-team in any argument with local rednecks, although it was often their drink-fueled behavior that started the trouble in the first place. It was all a bit hazy now, but Andy had finally woken up when one particular fight in one of the numerous shitholes they drank in, escalated into a gun fight with three people being killed. Andy decided there and then that there had to be more to life, so he turned it around, his broken nose now a constant reminder of his younger misadventures. Sadly, it had taken Dan another couple of years before he found himself the love of his life and settled down.
Kelly turned to John. “John, can you look for anything which might be useful as a weapon and start thinking what else we can do while I update Andy?”
8
Day 1
06:32 GMT – 2 hrs 13 Minutes to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
“Eating each other?” Paul Richards repeated what Sarah had said with a hint of a smile on his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
&
nbsp; “That’s what she said,” replied Sarah as she switched on the seatbelt lights. “You heard her announcement over the speakers and even we could hear muffled noises coming through the cockpit door, so it must have been loud out there.”
“Should we call it in?”
“Let’s give Kelly a few minutes to try and get everything under control and find out what is actually going on before jumping the gun. It’s not long before we’ll start making our descent in any case.”
“No problem,” replied Paul turning back to his coffee and snack, which had now gone cold. He put them aside and picked up his flight-plan to go over the details for landing.
9
Day 1
06:45 GMT – 2 hrs to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
Gina Stevens turned to her colleagues in the Rear Cabin and quietly explained what Kelly had instructed them to do. Jason moved to the first catering trolley and began to unlock it as Dani moved to the other side of the galley to do the same. Once free, Jason carefully wheeled the trolley to the first aisle and began slowly pushing it into the gap, the curtain riding up onto the trolley as he did so. Jason then applied the brake and moved back towards the group. Dani did likewise as Karen explained to the small group of passengers what they were doing.
“What about the other passengers?” one of the men, an American, asked quite loudly.
“There is nothing we can do for the other passengers at the moment,” Karen answered diplomatically and in a hushed tone, “and please lower your voice as we don’t want to attract any unwanted attention.”
“Unwanted attention?” the man shouted, clearly scared yet angry. “What the fuck is going on? I’m not standing around here doing nothing but hiding!” With that he looked around the cabin and started slamming open cupboards and drawers trying to find some sort of weapon. The Cabin Crew and other passengers in the galley tried in vain to stop the man and get him to calm down but it was too late. The noise had been heard and the curtains on both aisles were suddenly torn away and a horde of horrifically injured bodies started trying to get past the trollies to the group. As the group shrank back, the American grabbed hold of the nearest coffee pot and threw steaming hot coffee over the nearest straining body. Despite some sizzling of the skin, it made no difference whatsoever, so he used the pot to smash the person in the face. Again, it made no difference, so he continued to pummel the face and head repeatedly. As he did so a hand shot out and grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards the horde. Another hand shot out and grabbed him and although the man tried to pull himself back, he couldn’t shake off the strong grips on his arm. He began screaming as he was pulled ever closer to the snapping mouths until teeth finally found purchase on his arm and tore a large chunk away. With a low keening sound, the man’s resistance disappeared, and he was dragged more easily towards the waiting mouths.
As the trolleys started to slide back under pressure from the horde behind them, the Cabin Crew started to search frantically through the drawers for anything resembling a weapon which could be used to protect themselves. The remaining passengers in the galley stood rooted to the spot watching events with ever mounting horror.
Gina saw that the handset was flashing and moved quickly to pick it up.
“What’s happening?” came Kelly’s concerned voice over the line. “We heard more screaming.”
“We’re being overrun and there’s nothing we can do,” replied Gina starting to cry, struggling to keep everything together. “We don’t have any weapons and we don’t have much time. Nothing seems to stop them, but you were right that noise appears to attract them. Please help us!” With that, there was a loud scream and Kelly instinctively snatched the handset away from her ear and slowly put it back in its holder, closing her eyes before taking a deep breath.
10
Day 1
06:50 GMT – 1 hr 55 Minutes to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
Amy and Gemma were still pushing the trolleys down the aisle in First-Class when the latest screaming started coming from the back of the plane. They looked at each other and started pushing the trolleys more quickly. As they passed through the Premium Plus section they were asking passengers to move into the First-Class section as a precaution. The passengers looked shocked and scared and didn’t need asking twice. Thankfully, there would be just enough seats in First-Class for all those moving in.
Once the trolleys were in place and the wheels locked, Amy and Gemma again looked at each other. Amy gestured that she should take a look behind the curtain, but Gemma frantically shook her head and pointed back the way they had come. Gemma waited until she saw Amy moving away before she too started to move back through the now deserted Premium Plus cabin towards First-Class and the front of the plane.
As they entered the First-Class cabin a couple of men were arguing over a seat and Amy moved quickly to them.
“Will you two grow up and stop acting like kids?” she whispered harshly. “We are in the middle of an emergency and don’t need any additional complications.”
“When are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?” asked one of the men, thrusting his face right into Amy’s, trying to intimidate her.
“If you want to have any chance of surviving this flight then you better sit down and keep very quiet,” Amy hissed. “A number of people have been killed in Economy and more are being killed as we speak.”
Both men paled and abruptly sat down in the first available seats.
Amy and Gemma moved forward to join their colleagues in the Forward Galley.
11
Day 1
06:55 GMT – 1 hr 50 Minutes to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
Kelly turned as Amy and Gemma returned. “We’ve lost the Rear Galley,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. She looked at her three remaining Cabin Crew members and Andy Graves, briefly explaining to Amy and Gemma who he was. “We can’t afford to waste time thinking about that now. We have a major problem; other than what Andy has got, we haven’t found any weapons to defend ourselves and being 36,000 feet up in an air-pressurised plane means we must be very careful about what we do. We can’t start fires and we can’t open the door and jump out. Andy has two guns, but he won’t be able to use them in any case.”
“Yes, I will,” Andy interjected, “if absolutely necessary. I use a SIG Sauer P229 with rounds which expand on impact; they do more internal damage and shouldn’t exit a body. Therefore, there’s little chance they could penetrate the fuselage.”
“I don’t really like the ‘little chance’ part,” Kelly noted. “I need to update Sarah and Paul but, in the meantime, we need to barricade the central toilet area better and we need to start thinking about what other measures we can take. We also need to do everything as quietly as possible.”
“I don’t recall covering this in any training session,” John muttered under his breath as he, Amy and Gemma unlocked more trolleys and started moving them down the aisles.
As they did so, Kelly knocked on the cockpit door.
12
Day 1
06:58 GMT – 1 hr 47 Minutes to Landing
Atlantic Airlines AA4520
Paul heard the knocking on the door and unclipped his safety belt, stood up and stretched, before moving across to put his eye to the peephole. It had a fish-eye lens which gave him a clear view of the whole Forward Galley and a slightly enlarged but skewed view of Kelly’s face like some sort of trick photography used by various phone apps. He reached down and unlocked the door before opening it outwards to allow Kelly and Andy to enter the cockpit.
“Hi Paul, Sarah, this is Andy Graves,’ Kelly said introducing Andy.
“Hi, I’m Sarah,” Sarah replied as she turned in her seat and stretched out her arm to shake hands, “and this is my First Officer, Paul,” she gestured with a nod of her head in his direction.
“Please to meet you both” Andy said, shaking hands with them both. “I wish it was u
nder better circumstances.”
“Well, what is going on?” Sarah asked as she turned her focus back to Kelly.
Kelly and Andy sat down, and Kelly went ahead and updated Sarah and Paul on what had happened.
“So, what exactly are we dealing with here?” Sarah asked with mounting dread. “Are they terrorists, mass hysteria, what?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I don’t think they’re terrorists as I haven’t seen any weapons. I also don’t think its mass hysteria or they’re suicidal as they’re not killing themselves, just everyone around them. Things have happened so fast that I haven’t had time to really think about it, but from what I’ve seen, some passengers have to be fatally wounded or dead. I’m sure at least two of them should have been dead as their throats had been ripped out, yet they were still moving and looking to attack other passengers. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Zombies,” said Andy, matter of factly.
“Zombies? You’ve got to be joking!” Sarah retorted giving a short sharp snort.
“It’s the only reasonable explanation in the circumstances. As Sherlock Homes would say, ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’.”
“Yes, but zombies are impossible smart-arse so, if you eliminate them, then what’s left?”
“Maybe,” replied Andy, “but I can’t think of any other explanation, and how do you know zombies are impossible anyway?”
The cockpit fell silent as the four occupants considered the situation.
“I’ll be a fucking laughing stock if I call this in and say we have zombies on board,” Sarah opined after a few minutes. “I’d never live it down. It’d be a First-Class ticket to rehab, the shrink or even the local nuthouse, or all three. But something is obviously going on, so I need to call something in.”
For possibly the first time in her career, Sarah was filled with uncertainty. If she mentioned ‘zombies’, then they’d immediately switch control of the plane to Paul and be booking her into the first available appointment with the company shrink, believing it was down to some stress-related illness. But, she had to explain why up to one hundred and forty-seven people in economy were attacking and eating each other…. if they were attacking and eating each other! She could probably accept the first part but the second? Was this some sort of wind-up? She’d heard some noises through the cabin door, but they had been muffled and really could have been anything. So far, she had accepted Kelly’s word, and whilst she had full confidence in Kelly and her abilities, she was struggling to believe what was being suggested. She looked at Kelly again and noticed for the first time the drying blood at the edges of her face and hair. Her uniform was also covered in a slowly congealing mess. No, there was no doubt that something serious had happened, but zombies? Sarah decided that she needed to see for herself before she could contact the Control Tower.
