Z - Arrival / Z - London / Z - Payback: Books 1, 2 & 3 of the Zombie Apocalypse

by Hatchett

  “How was it tested?”

  “We don’t have time to get into that and the morality and ethical questions it will surely raise.”

  “So, what can we do?”

  The PM tapped the file in front of him. “This file contains the ultra-secret ‘Invasion Protocol’. The protocol was originally conceived and developed by Churchill during World War II. A very bright man, a visionary. You will all know about his tunnels around the White Cliffs of Dover and his bunker beneath Whitehall. What you won’t know is that he took his ideas a few stages further. He thought that if the UK lost the war or was ever invaded by the Nazis or other enemies at a later date, then the people needed to be able to hide and fight back. So, he secretly built a network of tunnels and started the construction of the first underground city. As it happened it wasn’t needed at the time. But, he had no way of knowing if and when World War III might happen. So, he continued his work whilst he was in office, and that work has been continued by PM’s ever since, including myself. The reasoning is simple; there is always the threat of World War III, whether it be a nuclear war or, as we have seen more recently, from terrorists, so the work needed to continue and adapt.”

  “How was all this funded?”

  “Some of you may remember the rationing after the war? Although resources were scarce at the time, the situation was far worse than it needed to be because Churchill was using significant funds to pursue his plans. The funding has continued every year since, hidden in the various Treasury budgets.”

  “So, what have the tax payers got for their money?”

  “The tax payers haven’t got anything for their money. We have a state of the art underground network which culminates with our underground city, Burlington.”

  The people sitting around the table, and those looking at their monitors, looked at each other, trying to gauge what their reaction should be. The message was clear. The top people in the country would hide themselves away in safety until everything blew over and the population would be left to fend for themselves. All felt a moment’s guilt at the thought of leaving people to their own fate before quickly coming around to the idea of survival of the fittest…. or richest.

  “So, what is the plan?” asked the Right Honourable Alastair Jordan, Home Secretary.

  “Now, we implement the Invasion Protocol.” The PM replied. There were nods around the table and on the monitors.

  53

  Day 1

  11:15 GMT

  Central London

  More and more people were turning into zombies at an alarming rate. Four zombies became eight then sixteen then thirty-two then sixty-four then one hundred and twenty-eight and so on. The population of London was in the region of nine million people so there was plenty of scope for the virus to spread.

  The zombies outbreak had now spread from Paddington to Hyde Park, from Marble Arch in the North-East corner of the park to Oxford Street. The park was crowded with late-season tourists visiting the various galleries, the Serpentine for a boat ride, and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. As usual, Oxford Street was packed with people doing retail therapy, buying naff London souvenirs, or dropping down into Bond Street to visit some of the designer boutiques, art dealers and jewellers. The crowds were an easy target for the zombies who swarmed all over the place. People ran into the large department stores to try and escape but many of these stores now had motion detection doors which automatically opened as you approached them, so the expected sanctuary was short lived. Some people managed to find places where doors could be closed and locked; toilets, store rooms and the like. Fights broke out as there were more people looking for safety then the available space in these rooms. The other problem was that the zombies would still be around when they came out, regardless of how long they could stay there without food and water. No one was coming to help these people.

  All the roads in the area were at a standstill. Oxford Street, Park Lane and all surrounding side roads had cars, black cabs, vans, and buses sitting in the road; some had crashed, others had simply been abandoned. A few hardy souls still sat in their cars with the doors locked, staring out of their windows in horror at the massacre taking place just a few feet away. A few people had jumped on one of the many red buses thinking that they might get away, but the buses were going nowhere and had no door at the back. The people realised too late that they had backed themselves into a corner.

  The zombies marched on towards Baker Street to the North, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Regent Street to the East, Kensington to the West and Knightsbridge to the South where they would join up with some of the zombies coming from the direction of Earls Court.

  54

  Day 1

  11:30 GMT

  10 Downing Street

  The PM opened the file sitting on the table in front of him.

  “I’m pleased to say that some of the procedures are already underway. With the help of Sir James Curtis-Smyth, the Met’s Commissioner, we’ve already instructed the Royalty & Specialist Protection section of SO14 to bring the key members of the Royal Family and their key staff to Burlington.

  “How will they get there?” enquired the Home Secretary.

  “There is a secret underground rail network which goes from various points in the UK direct to Burlington. The main hub in London is beneath Churchill’s War Room, hidden in plain sight you might say. There are several secondary hubs that have a line that goes to the main hub; from beneath this room, from the Houses of Parliament, from Buckingham Palace and from Heathrow. There is also an Edinburgh hub, Manchester hub and Birmingham hub which are all on the same line and go direct to Burlington.”

  “Where exactly is Burlington?”

  “It is in Wiltshire, under the town of Corsham, between Bath and Chippenham. I will tell you more about it when we get there.”

  As people started to Google Corsham on their smart phones or tablets, the next question came from the Right Honourable Thomas Greenwood, the Secretary of State for Transport. “When do we leave, and can we bring our families?”

  “We will be leaving within the next hour. If your families can get here safely by then, they can join us.”

  Suddenly everyone was on their phones, calling or texting their family. More than one person in the room didn’t bother contacting their spouse, but instead tried to contact their grown-up children.

  The PM continued. “Right, as part of the Invasion Protocol, the high-level plan of action is as follows:

  All airports, ports, the Channel Tunnel are to be closed immediately. The country is going into lockdown with no one in or out. Planes trying to leave will be shot down and boats sunk. The RAF will patrol the skies and the Navy will patrol the seas.

  All islands like the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, Isle of Man, and the Scottish Islands to become protected zones; only those unaffected will be allowed in.

  All embassies, EU states and G8 countries to be updated on what is happening, if they don’t already know.

  Key strategic sites to be protected by the army. This will include Sellafield and other nuclear sites, GCHQ and so on.

  Key expert personnel to be called in and directed to the main hub. This will include eminent surgeons, engineers, and other experts in their fields, all of whom have been identified for some time.

  At 12:00, I shall make a broadcast to the nation via radio and television.

  We will leave for Burlington at 12:30.

  Each of the people in the room were handed different sets of instructions relating to their areas of expertise. They all scuttled off to find quiet areas in which they could start making preparations and carry out their orders.

  55

  Day 1

  11:30 GMT

  Heathrow Terminal 3

  Following their showers and a change into the combat clothes worn by SO18, Sean and Travis had taken their charges to the armoury where pistols, MP5’s and knives had been distributed. Paul and Kelly were not armed; they had never used guns and now was
not the time to start as there was no time for training. It was agreed that they would go to the Common Room to look after the remaining passengers from the flight. The others all felt comfortable with weapons and had unofficially become part of the SO18 team.

  Sean and Travis had taken Sarah, Andy, Gina, Milt, and Kacey into the Security Briefing Room where the other seven SO18 officers had congregated after re-arming. The room was subdued as everyone focused on the monitor showing the atrocities taking place all around West London and beyond.

  Jack entered the room with Bear, Irish and Major Fellows. Introductions were made, and he brought everyone up to speed on what he knew.

  “Right, we’ve got three Chinook helicopters about to land, carrying one hundred and fifty of Major Fellows’ Company. Two Lynx heli’s and two Apache attack heli’s are already here sitting on the apron next to Gate 7 with the crews onboard. We can’t get everyone in here, so we need to secure more space. Therefore, your job now is to help get the soldiers and heli crews up to Level 2 the same way you brought Major Fellows in. I then want the whole of Level 2 cleared and fortified. This will be our main staging area for the time being. Major Fellows will address his troops about what is happening and what needs to be done, especially if anyone dies or gets bitten. We cannot afford any hesitation in these circumstances or we’ll all be at risk. The Major will oversee this with Bear and Irish supporting him. All of you get up to Level 2 while I have a word with the Major.

  They all trooped out of the Briefing Room with Bear in the lead.

  Jack gestured towards the seats and he and the Major sat down. “I had a call a few minutes ago with my Boss,” Jack started. “I was told that the Battalion we were expecting is not coming. It has been redirected and ordered to respond to reports coming from Woking. So, we’re effectively on our own. Similarly, the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards in Windsor has been mobilised and is heading to Reading. The 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guard in Pirbright has been directed to central London. I think the armed forces are being mobilised all around the country as a precaution. I’ve been ordered to meet my boss, though how I will get there I have no idea. I’ve got to call him in a few minutes time. Therefore, I need you to hold the fort while I’m away.”

  “No problem,” replied the Major. “Will your guys be happy to follow my orders?”

  “You’ll have no issues there,” replied Jack. “Bear and Irish are as loyal as they come and will follow your lead. The rest look up to them and would follow them to Hell.”

  “Good to know, I better get my arse in gear and catch them up,” the Major advised as he stood up and moved towards the door. “Good luck and see you later.”

  Jack stepped into his office and moved to his desk before sitting down. He picked up the phone and dialled his boss.

  “Commissioner,” said Sir James Curtis-Smyth as he picked up the phone.

  “Robinson here Sir James. You mentioned that you wanted to meet me up in London?”

  “Yes, Robinson, we need to have a chat face to face.”

  “I’m not sure how I will be able to get there unless I borrow one of the Army’s Lynx helicopters which is sitting on the apron.”

  “No need for that,” the Commissioner responded. “Turn to your bookcase.” Jack did as he was told. “See the Wolf heads carved into the columns?”

  “Yes, I can see them” Jack replied.

  “There is a small recess under the second one from the left. Press the button in the recess and step back.”

  Jack did as he was told, still holding the phone to his ear. As he watched, the central panel of the bookcase moved out from the wall and swung open, revealing a lift.

  “Call the lift, get on the train then press the ‘Downing Street’ destination. I’ll meet you in about fifteen minutes.” With that, the phone was disconnected.

  Jack stared at the lift door for a few seconds before replacing the phone. He stepped forward and pressed the call button. He could hear machinery grinding as the lift ascended and within a minute the doors opened to reveal a standard lift interior. He stepped in and pressed one of only two buttons available marked ‘Down’. The doors slid shut and Jack felt the first drop of the floor before the lift made its steady descent. Jack tried to work out how far down he was going but it wasn’t clear. He estimated that he must have gone down about twenty to thirty metres as it hadn’t taken very long. The doors opened to reveal a small platform with a miniature train carriage about ten metres long and three metres wide, roughly half the size of a normal tube carriage. There were seats for twenty people and it could hold sixty at a push if people were standing. Jack walked to the front of the carriage where there were two large buttons with ‘Downing Street’ and ‘Heathrow’ next to them. Jack pressed the button marked ‘Downing Street’ then settled down on one of the seats for the journey. The doors slid shut and the carriage silently moved forward into the tunnel.

  56

  Day 1

  12:00 GMT

  World Reaction

  All news channels and most of the entertainment channels were all focusing on the zombie outbreak, although following the on-air attack in Earls Court the picture coverage was almost exclusively from the air where it was considered relatively safe for the news staff. There were a few fixed camera positions dotted around the Capital, but these were limited in what they could show. Footage from helicopters and drones was favoured as they could show both wide angle and close ups wherever the producers and directors wanted them to go. The coverage was also being streamed over the internet and countries across the World were now tuned in watching the horror unfold and praying that the virus didn’t reach them. Air traffic across the World had been suspended and many countries had effectively closed their borders until further notice. Countries had put their armed forces on red alert in a bid to ensure there was no entry to their part of the World. There was little thought about help or aid but primarily self-preservation. The EU had hastily convened a conference call for nation leaders and the main topic of debate was whether or not to bomb the US and UK in a bid to halt the spread of the virus. The decision had been to hold a watching brief for the time being, but they would revisit the question later in the day.

  People across the World with the foresight to build their own bunkers hastily retreated into their own little domains underground. Supermarkets were inundated with people trying to buy provisions and there were many instances of fighting, rioting, and looting. It made Black Friday seem like a picnic.

  57

  Day 1

  12:00 GMT

  London and the South-East

  Rioting and looting had broken out in various parts of the capital; there were sensible people who were just trying to get whatever food and water they could carry from supermarkets before trying to get home to shelter; there were some idiots who were focussing on the short-term and raiding jewellery shops, thinking that their ill-gotten gains would make them rich; then there were the complete morons who were stealing large televisions and the like, carrying them as best they could as zombies picked them off one by one. These people had no real comprehension of what was happening and the risk they were taking simply by being out in the open.

  The rest of the country was starting to sit up and take notice of the reports; the virus was unstoppable and coming their way. The only consolation was that they would have some time to prepare, unlike the majority in the South-East who had had no warning at all.

  Latest reported incidents in the South-East suggested that zombies had now spread from Reading to Newbury and Henley on Thames, from Watford to St Albans and the television and film studios at Elstree, from Woking to Leatherhead, Guildford, and Farnborough. There were even incidents reported in Dagenham and Barking in Essex.

  58

  Day 1

  12:00 GMT

  10 Downing Street

  The train carriage carrying Jack came to a stop and the doors automatically slid open. He cautiously left the carriage and found himself on a wid
e platform with a similar but larger carriage opposite where he now stood. He looked around and could see that his carriage couldn’t go any further as it had reached the end of the line, but the one opposite appeared to be able to continue along a different tunnel. He turned to his right and walked towards what looked like the way out. As he approached the end of the platform and was looking for a lift or some other form of exit, a doorway opened and his boss, Sir James Curtis-Smyth, appeared.

  “This way, the PM is about to address the nation,” he advised before turning abruptly and re-tracing his steps.

  Jack quickly moved towards the door and managed to catch it before it clicked closed. He followed his boss up two flights of stairs and through a hidden door at the top into a large hallway. “Welcome to Downing Street,” Sir James muttered before heading in the direction of a room which was brightly lit. There were people milling around everywhere, phones to their ears, carrying files, drinking, and talking. Jack recognised the faces of senior politicians and civil servants, very few did he know in person.

  Jack followed his boss into the brightly lit room and stopped and stared. The PM was standing behind a pedestal with bright lights trained on him. A television camera sat in relative shade and was pointed directly at him while a producer was counting down with her fingers. As her last finger disappeared, a red ‘on air’ light came on and everything went silent.

  The PM looked directly into the camera lens with a harried yet sympathetic look on his face. Jack could see the autocue in front of the PM with the words scrolling as he began to talk.

  “Fellow countrymen. I am addressing you today with a very heavy heart. This address is being broadcast through all television and radio channels and will be repeated on a regular basis so that as many of you as possible can hear it.