Screeches and screams rush up to me, but I don’t stop or look around. I sprint down the narrow passageway towards the stairs that lead to the roof. Reaching the stairs, I hear them in the passageway behind me, gaining on me. The first few stairs are taken in one leap and then I power up, my leg muscles burning, my lungs heaving… but I don’t slow. The stone steps in the dark stairwell are awkward and slippery. My left hand helps by steadying and pulling me along the narrow walls but no matter how fast I go up, it isn’t enough.
The exit onto the roof and the dimmed sky beyond comes into sight; the Rabids are right behind me now, their speed and power awesome and frightening. All I can do is keep going, but impossibly, I still need to get across the roof!
Breaking through onto the roof, fresh air fills my lungs which I gulp down thirstily but that won’t save me, since the Rabids are only feet behind.
Dan has the Lynx hovering exactly where it dropped us off, ready for me. It’s close but too far away for me to make; I can’t outrun the beasts at my back.
Sparks flash from the helicopter and then the cracks of gunfire hit my ears. Alice and Josh kneel at the hold door, rifles pointing in my direction as they unleash automatic fire into the Rabids behind me. Ignoring the thuds and screams behind me as Rabids are hit and go down, my legs burn but keep going. Not slowing, I run straight at them.
Somehow, I reach the battlements of the wall and without breaking step, jump and plant a foot into the gap between the battlements. Josh’s arm is reaching out, and I grab it. He pulls me into the hold. The gunfire from Alice and Josh intensifies and I swivel around ready to take action, but I’m not needed.
As soon as I’m in, Dan starts to lift the Lynx up and away from the Tower walls.
Rabids still come at us, most getting cut down by gunfire, yet somehow a few make it to the walls and jump over the battlements in a desperate last-ditch attempt to attack. The gap increasing is too much though, even for these creatures with their arms stretched, reaching out at us. They plunge down to the ground below. The three of us watch in silence, following them down until they smash into the concrete concourse far below, the Tower shrinking before us in the remaining low light of late dusk as we float away.
Chapter 19
Alice pulls on the hold door which races along its rollers and bangs shut, cutting the noise blasting into the hold down considerably. She gets up and goes over to the injured soldier who sits in one of the hold seats. She bends down to look at his leg and talks to him, but I can’t hear what she says.
Josh is just in front of me by the closed hold door, his back to me. It’s still sinking in with me that he is actually here. We found him against all the odds stacked against us and I’m finding it hard to believe we did.
He is still for a time, obviously gathering his own thoughts, thoughts that surely were very dark only minutes ago when he was trapped in that room in the Tower with no means of escape and all hope seemed lost.
Eventually, he turns around to me and although I know my son is now a man, I see a glimpse of my little boy looking at me, looking forlorn and needing his dad.
“Dad, I can’t believe it, how…”
Before he can finish, I’ve grabbed him and am hugging him so tightly, he is probably having trouble breathing.
“I thought I’d lost you, son.”
Tears well in my eyes and again, a few escape but this time in relief and joy at finding Josh alive and well. Moments pass, then my arms relax, and I lean back. I straighten my arms whilst keeping my hands on his shoulders to get a good look at my boy. Josh is looking a bit teary too, this doesn’t surprise me in the least considering what he has been through.
“We knew you were in this area because of your messages. We ‘acquired’ this helicopter to get here which is a long story. Then eventually, we saw Alice on the roof of the Tower. We managed to get her on board, and she said that she’d seen you inside the Tower… and here you are,” I tell him above the noise, with a broad smile across my face.
“I thought we were done for in that little room. Tim’s leg was bad, I couldn’t leave him, and we had no ammo. I didn’t think there was a way out of there," Josh's head drops.
"Josh, you have done well, you've survived, when a lot of people haven't today. I know you both must have been through hell, but you survived," I try to reassure him, squeezing his shoulders.
Josh's head lifts slightly. "I know, Dad, couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you. Thanks for coming for me."
"Don't be silly, that’s what fathers are for?" I joke to him, his head lifting a bit more and a small smile appearing, before a look of confusion crosses his face.
"Where is Em?" he asks urgently.
"She is safe, she flew out in another helicopter. She is with Catherine and Stacey; we need to get to them though. She will be so happy to see you." Josh looks relieved.
"Right, I'm going up front with Dan so we can get underway; we need to make a couple of stops en route to your sister, okay?" I give Josh another quick hug then we both get up.
Dan is
