She hadn't. That was the problem.
She had to do better. Had to work harder. To think clearer. Had to work out what to do.
She opened her eyes and looked around.
They were near the edge of a river. On the other side were several large industrial-looking buildings. A few radio masts sprung up here and there among them.
Of course! She knew where they were.
From where they'd been when they abandoned the car, she was pretty sure that she was looking at Coventry Airport. That meant that the river was the Avon and she knew it flowed from Coventry to Warwick and beyond, into the Warwickshire countryside. She knew Solihull was to the north of Warwick and, while she didn't know the Coventry area particularly well away from the main traffic routes, she was familiar with some of the small villages between Warwick and Solihull. Once she hit somewhere she knew, she could work out the rest.
So what if they'd lost the car? They'd only travelled a couple of miles since they'd left the farm anyway, and it was now almost eleven. They'd probably be better off on foot. Twenty miles or so was a walkable distance. Possible to do in a day, but definitely in no more than two. And, they could keep away from main roads … keep away from populated areas like the soldier had said. It all made sense. She took a deep breath. She was ok. It was going to be ok.
Ahead of them, the river meandered along a stretch of open land until it disappeared into a wooded area.
Anita broke the silence.
"Jesus. Brian! … What the …"
Lisa just nodded.
"What do you think is …?" Anita stopped, shaking her head.
"I honestly don't know. But for now, I think we should get moving. We can think about it later … Talk about it when we get somewhere safe."
"Where are we going?" Anita looked up at her. Her face was streaked with sweat and mud. She looked exhausted. Young. Scared. Vulnerable.
"Don't worry, I know the way."
"But, how are we going to get there?"
"We're going to walk."
"Walk? But, how far is it?"
"Walkable. Come on."
Lisa took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She held her grip for a moment and looked her in the eyes.
"It's going to be ok. We're going to be ok."
Anita didn't answer. She tucked the shotgun under her elbow with its barrel pointing to the ground and checked the safety was on, like Lynda had shown her.
They started to walk.
Chapter 4 - Day 2 - Coventry
They made slow progress. The ground was rough and uneven. They had to weave their way around trees, bushes and boulders. At times, they were forced to backtrack when the route became impassable. At one point, the river took them close to the fenced boundary of the airport, and they could see crowds of infected in and around the buildings. Eventually, they left airport buildings behind, and moved further into open farmland.
Despite the sunshine, it was still muddy in places from some heavy rain a few days ago. Lisa's shoes were caked with dirt, and her tights were shredded by constantly snagging them on twigs and branches. Anita's jeans gave her more protection, and her trainers were far more suitable for the task than Lisa's pumps.
Anita's movement was hampered by the gun, which was heavy and awkward to carry. But she wouldn't give it up. She kept the barrel pointed to the ground, frequently checking the safety lock and taking care to keep her fingers away from the trigger.
They were both filthy. Lisa tried to remember the last time she'd had a shower and brushed her teeth. She thought it had been on Thursday morning in the hotel. It felt longer. Her hair was tangled and starting to matt in places. She licked her teeth. They felt coated and disgusting, and she was parched again. She visualised the bottles of water in the back of the X-Trail, scattered loose in the boot, wet with condensation. Why hadn't she taken them into the car? Put one in her pocket? She imagined picking one up and twisting its cap, the snap as the plastic seal broke and the soothing sensation as the cold liquid trickled down her throat.
It was well after one when the square bell tower of a church appeared above the treeline. They were close to exhaustion. So, with no better plan, they headed towards it, assuming that was likely to be as safe as anywhere.
But they hit a problem. They passed through a thin row of shrubbery and emerged onto a wide, recently mown lawn. At the far end of the lawn was a large, sprawling bungalow. It was modern, with multiple glass doors and windows opening onto a wide patio area that stretched around the property. Three cars were parked on a nearby driveway.
Lisa instantly felt exposed and vulnerable. There was nothing between them and the house. She imagined multiple pairs of eyes watching them from within. Hungry infected about to burst out and come for them across the grass. Without speaking, they both picked up speed and hurried across the lawn into the cover of a thickly wooded area.
They picked their way through trees and bushes until they hit another barrier.
A tall red-brick wall.
Behind the wall was a conifer hedge and, to their left, they could see the upper floors of a large house. The red-brick wall was dotted at regular intervals with security cameras. It was a large secure property and it lay directly between them and the church.
