“I’ve decided to take all three trolleys up. Let’s keep one in reserve. We don’t want it locked down here if we need it.”
“Makes sense, sounds like the way things are going, we could need it.”
We both load the second trolley and two more holdalls onto the lift and while Dan takes it up, I get the third trolley into position by the lift and get the last holdalls ready too.
Dan is soon back, and the final trolley is loaded into the lift along with him, but I hover for a second debating whether to leave the armoury door open or close it? In the end, I decide to close it. I touch the screen on the door, enter my code and press the red close button that appears; the door starts to move inwards but I don’t wait to watch it close. I get into the lift.
“How do you think this is going to play out, will those windows hold?” Dan asks.
“As I told Steve, I honestly can’t say. We have got to assume the worst, that they are going to breach the building somewhere, whether it’s through those windows or somewhere else.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“We are going to have to move to higher ground.”
“But what will that gain us? We will be trapped up there, surely?”
“I’m still working on figuring it out, mate. Hopefully, but unlikely anytime soon, the army will get back control of the city but if you have any other ideas, please let me know. I can’t see an alternative right now; we need to get everyone and as many supplies as possible up to the higher floors as quickly as we can. Then lock down the building.”
Before Dan can respond or ask any more questions, the lift comes to a stop, this time on the ground floor. The doors open. I take the key out from the panel and put it back in my pocket just in case it’s needed again. Firstly, we take the last of the holdalls through the storeroom and then through the security doors into the corridor that leads back to reception, then, finally, we wheel the trolley out. The doors close behind us; these doors lock automatically and can only be opened with the correct access card, but we wheel the trolley back up against the doors and apply the brakes to secure them a bit more.
Dan and I run down the corridor leading to the reception area, Dan leading, our M4 Carbines gripped in both hands across the front of our chests and a holdall each slung over onto our backs.
Reception is now deserted. Mick will be upstairs helping prepare the defences. I stop and shout, “Dan!” and he comes to a sudden stop and turns to me.
“Check the defence preparations, Dan, then get the staff in the canteen to start filling the service lift with as much of the provisions from the kitchen as possible. We need to get them up to floor six. I’m just going to speak to Stan, then I’ll be with you.”
Dan nods, turns and runs for the stairs.
Stan has obviously seen our arrival in reception on his screen, because as I turn towards the door of the Security Room, it opens and his head pops out, his face looking worried, very worried.
“Andy, good,” Stan says, obviously relieved to see me.
“Okay, Stan, how’s the perimeter looking from in there?” I ask as I walk over and go into his room.
“The perimeter outside of the courtyard hasn’t changed that much. Even North Wharf Road seems to be calming down slightly. The courtyard, however, is full of these things now as you probably know, and they all seem to be pushing towards the front entrance.”
I look at the screen, the centre of which Stan has reserved for the views from the cameras that show the mass of Rabids piling up to the windows above us. It is frightening. The mass has grown considerably in the short time since I last looked out with Steve about half an hour ago. There is a kind of hill of moving bodies leading from where the cars were that I side-swiped earlier.
Stan leans towards the screen points, bringing my attention to a smaller mound of Rabids at the base of the hill.
“This has started to build up in the last ten minutes,” Stan says, still pointing.
“What do you make of it?” I ask Stan.
“I’m not entirely sure, Andy. Could it be a second wave of some kind?”
“It could very well be; whatever it is it can’t be good!”
“No,” Stan agrees.
“Right, Stan, we can’t keep this room secure with any certainty. I need you to take control from the Tactical Room on floor seven. We may have to retreat to the higher floors sharpish and if we do, we will need you to lock the building down behind us. So, I need you to be ready up there, okay?”
“I expected that. I’m packed and ready to go.” He is already picking up his bag.
“Thanks, Stan. Tell Emily I’m fine and brief Catherine please, discreetly.”
“Of course, Andy. I’ll see you up there and don’t be a hero, my friend; your daughter will want her Dad back with her.”
“I know, thanks, mate. Be ready.”
“I will be.”
Stan and I leave the Security Room and as soon as we do, we can hear a commotion from the level above. Dan can be heard shouting orders and the sound of moving furniture is clearly audible above the general din of voices.
I take the stairs two at a time, leaving Stan trailing but not far behind. He goes straight over to the windows and stops for a minute, to take in the chilling view. I, however, stop for just a second, looking around at the new preparations going on around me. Furniture is being moved and piled up into barriers to use as cover about four meters back from the windows, far enough away to be clear of the windows if they’re to give
