My thoughts then turn to Stacey; how do I tell her? She will be inconsolable. Do I tell her the whole truth of what we have seen here, that both of her parents are trapped in this hulk of a tomb full of Zombies?
My gaze is still fixed on the opening; whether I am looking for any sign of Karen or Jim, I don’t really know. Why am I fixated on it?
A Rabid at the hole either overstretches or is pushed from behind. It doesn’t seem to even try to stop itself and falls out from the building. The thing free-falls for just a second before it hits the sloped glass wall and then tumbles head over heels, crashing into the windows as it continues down. Before it disappears from view, it tumbles twice over before its head smashes into the glass wall—and then it’s gone.
“Boss?” I hear Dan say but it seems distant.
“Boss?” his hand grabs my shoulder and my senses return.
Another Rabid tumbles out from the building and goes the same way as the first. I look over to Dan.
“Get us out of here.”
Dan nods at me. He manoeuvres his stick and controls, turning the Lynx to the right, then starts to accelerate. My gaze is again on the opening and our movement seems to cause panic in the Rabids there, more starting to fall out from the opening. In ones and twos, they fall down the side of the building. I don’t count how many, I just watch them in silence as they tumble down before my view is cut off.
The Lynx leans over as Dan makes a large arch around the city, giving a wide birth to the rest of the skyscrapers that are hiding in the darkness. As we come around leaving the city behind, Dan starts to straighten the Lynx up and climbs as we join back up with the Thames and follow it westwards toward Heathrow, to Emily, Catherine and Stacey, I hope.
Chapter 20
We are flying high above the Thames as we cut through the middle of London. Dan follows the river, on the whole, swooping around its bends, only occasionally cutting across the land. He uses the river to guide us towards Heathrow which is some way off and we cannot yet see it.
The contrast between the North and South of the city is stark, even more so in the dark of night than it was when we were flying in the opposite direction only an hour or two ago, in the evening light.
South London still has power in the main, house and street lights still burning brightly on our left. There are some patches of darkness on the ground where the power has failed, mostly in areas closer to the river and I can only hope that it is because they are on the same grid as the north side, and not because of anything more sinister.
On the right of the Lynx, North London is in near total darkness. In the far distance, I can see lights but they look like they’re in the very outer suburbs of the city. Our home in Hampstead would be well within the darkened area I’m looking at, and I can only imagine how dire it would have been if we had stayed. Fires are the only things illuminating the central part of North London, and there are too many of those to count. I don’t envy anyone caught in that part of London tonight.
A sombre mood has fallen across us all inside the Lynx. There is no chatter coming through my headphones and barely any movement. I guess we all just need a bit of time to process and gather ourselves before we get to where we are going.
After a very quick deliberation, I decided Sir Malcolm’s safe is going to have to wait again. We are in no fit state to make any attempt to retrieve it now, and Dan must have come to the same conclusion because he hasn’t even mentioned it. We have ammo on board but nowhere near enough for that type of operation.
Tim needs medical attention and I’m not sure how bad Josh’s arm really is; he may be putting on a brave face with it and it’s now pitch-black outside. The risk is too great in our current condition but if the safe is still needed, I will make good on my deal with the Colonel and come back to get it. But it will be with a full team and more firepower. Much more firepower!
Looking behind me, I see Josh seated with his head slightly back, his eyes closed and resting, his left arm cradled in his lap. He almost looks like he used to when he was sleeping in the back of the car as a child on a long journey. Next, to him, Tim has now completely succumbed to the morphine and is spark out, he looks like he is snoring, but I can’t hear for sure.
Alice is in the seat nearest to the window on the right side of the Lynx, leaning over to the side. Her head is on the back of the seat, her eyes looking out of the window, watching the fires burning in the darkness.
“Everything okay back there?” Dan breaks the silence.
“Yes, they are all just resting.”
“I can’t blame them, it’s been one hell of a day, to say the least. It seems later than only eight-thirty, now the nights are drawing in again,” Dan says.
“Yes, it does, it’s been a very long day,” I reply. “This morning seems like an age ago and I don't think it is over yet.”
Dan looks over to me. "None of this is anywhere near over."
"I'd better get hold of Colonel Reed and tell him we are inbound," I say. We are closing in on Heathrow now and I reach for the radio control.
"Good luck speaking to him. He is not going
