“Yes,” is her only reply.
Looking to face Alice, I ask, “Alice, we are here looking for my son, he is a Fusilier and the last I heard, he was guarding Tower Bridge. Do you know if he made it back to the Tower, his name is Josh, Josh Richards?” As soon as I say his name, she looks straight at me.
“Josh was with us in the Tower!" she says with a slight look of amazement.
"Where is he, what happened in there?" My voice is anxious.
"He was on the second floor. The Zombies were piling through the main entrance and trying to get to us, up the spiral staircase. He was there covering the stairs, so many were coming up. We thought the stairs were getting blocked by all the bodies we were shooting which was just as well because we were running low on ammo. But we were attacked from behind by our own soldiers. Some had obviously been infected, it was horrible… and then all hell broke loose, they got through up the stairs, they were all over us. Me and Chris made it to the chapel and he helped me climb up through onto the third floor. But before I could help him up, they got him. I was hiding on the third floor; luckily, the stair gates to that level were locked. I was there until I heard your helicopter, then I shot the lock off the door to get onto the roof." Alice looks down at the hold floor.
"How long ago was this, Alice?"
"They broke through to the second floor at about 17:30 hours."
I look at my watch; it was about an hour and three quarters ago, maybe Josh found a place to hide too but can't get out because he is surrounded!
"When we flew past, we saw that the main entrance door was closed, Alice?” Dan points out.
"I don't know how that got closed," Alice replies. "As far as I knew, it was still open?"
"The Rabids inside might be manageable. The main door is closed. Josh could still be in there hiding," I say, thinking out loud.
"Rabids?" Alice asks.
"That’s what he calls the infected, rabid people,” Dan volunteers, "I know what you’re thinking, Boss," Dan says, directing his attention to me. "But one of us has got to fly this thing and it will be too risky for one person to go back in there on their own with no one to cover their backs!"
Silence ensues in the hold as each of us contemplates the options of the next move, but my mind calculates these options quickly and soon comes to a conclusion.
“I’m going in to see if Josh is still in there, or anyone else for that matter,” I declare into my headset microphone.
“Boss,” Dan starts as I knew he would, and as I would if the roles were reversed. “You’re going to have no cover and no one on your six. You have no idea how many Rabids are in there, it could be overrun!”
“You’re right on all counts, mate, but the main door is closed, and I think it will be manageable. I’ve got to try.”
“I see your mind is made up, Boss.”
“It is, mate, now come and take over here so I can prepare.”
Dan comes over and gets into the co-pilot’s seat as I hand over control of the Lynx to him.
As I go to get up, he grabs my arm.
“I’ll be waiting for your EVAC call and watch your back in there, Boss because I won’t be there to do it for you.”
“But I will be,” Alice’s voice comes through our earphones and we both look around to see Alice stood up, checking her kit and getting more ammo on board. She is taller than I thought, at least 5' 10".
“Alice, thanks for the offer, but I can’t let you. This is my call,” I tell her.
She looks up straight at me. “Let’s get this straight. I wasn’t asking your permission, Andy, that’s my unit and mates in there.” She has a very determined look on her face.
“Seriously…”
“Seriously what? I’m going, simple as that. Now I suggest you get your civilian ass ready if you’re coming, just don’t fuck up and freeze in there!”
Dan and I look at each other.
“She’s got you there, Boss,” Dan has a very large grin on his face.
After a second’s thought, I decide. “Okay, agreed, Alice, thanks. But follow my lead and do as I say, do you understand?”
“That depends on what experience you’ve got?” she questions.
I look at her for a second, then turn to Dan, “I’ll let you explain that to her while I get ready,” Dan’s grin is growing by the second.
Taking off my headphones and moving out of the cockpit, I start to prepare, snippets of their conversation can be heard over the din of the hold noise and I’m sure I hear Dan use the terms 'SAS' and 'Monkey' in the same sentence, as he explains my experience to Alice in a manner only Dan can.
Fully loaded with ammo, I give my Sig the once over. Then picking up my M4, I pull out the silencer from my pocket, the one I retrieved from the armoury back at Orion. I twist it onto the muzzle of the rifle. Although some accuracy and power will be lost by fitting the silencer, we want to draw as little attention as possible when we go in; the silencer will help with this greatly when inevitably the M4 will have to be used, especially in the enclosed spaces inside the Tower. I debate whether to take a pair of night vision goggles but decide against it. The sun, even though it’s going down slowly now, will provide enough light for the time we are going to be in there, which I hope won't be long. Finally, I check my radio comms with Dan.
When I'm set, I move back towards the cockpit and put my headset back on.
"When we are
