"Poor cow. If that ever happens to me, promise you'll do me the favour."
"You don't have to ask, … and I know you'd do the same for me."
Confident that the shop was secure, they split up and set about gathering what they needed for the journey ahead. They brought their spoils back to the checkout area at the front of the shop and got ready to leave. Lisa was now wearing a pair of thick cargo pants, a warm fitted waterproof jacket and a solid pair of walking boots. Anita had swapped her trainers for a pair of boots but had opted to stay in her jeans and leather jacket. Lisa tied her hair back with a camouflage sports bandana.
Anita shot her a look. "Hey! Rambo?"
Lisa chucked her a bright pink version of the same and she pulled in on.
In return, Anita handed Lisa a pair of gardening gloves.
"They'll protect your hands."
They packed a couple of small backpacks with as much water and as many snacks as they could carry. Lisa had also picked out a torch, a roll of gaffer tape and a pack of wire garden twines. Anita raised her eyebrows.
"They might come in handy. Who knows?" Lisa stuffed them into her backpack before Anita could persuade her otherwise. "Anyway, what are the funky goggles for?"
Anita was trying on a set of protective, clear plastic goggles.
"If we're gonna get up close and personal with any more of our fierce friends, I don't want any blood and guts getting in my eyes." She positioned them on her forehead.
"Actually, that's not a bad shout. I might get some too."
"Thought you might!" Anita handed her a pair.
Both women had selected a more effective weapon. Lisa had gone for a curved, serrated pruning saw with a vicious point.
"Nice!" Anita admired it, turning the point back and forth and probing it with one gloved finger. She had gone for an axe that she positioned in a pale leather carrying sling over her shoulder and across her body. She also had a crowbar. She swung it at an invisible enemy a couple of times, testing its weight and manoeuvrability.
"Let's have another look at these cable ties and tape," Anita said.
Obediently, Lisa got the items out of her bag again, looking at Anita questioningly. The girl disappeared for a moment and returned with a wooden broom handle. Using the cable ties and tape, she fixed Lisa's saw firmly to the handle. She tested it by driving it into some bags of compost a few times before handing it back to her with a grin.
"You were right. They might come in handy after all."
Lisa tried the saw, now a lethal, hooked spear, on a few bags of compost herself.
"Nice!" She nodded with a tight-lipped smile.
"Ready, Survivor?" she asked Anita.
"As I'll ever be, Fellow Survivor!"
They looked at each other for a long moment, then turned and approached the main doors.
Anita levered the sliding doors open with the crowbar and they squeezed out. The doors sprang shut with a dull thud. A car park sat between the building and the road. It was clear apart from a couple of empty cars. The rain had eased into a light drizzle, but the sky overhead was still dark and threatening.
Lisa felt her heart begin to pound as they left the safety of the building. But she wasn't afraid. Well, of course, she was … a bit. But the feeling that had really set her heart racing was one of anticipation, almost … excitement. She felt different. Strong. Determined. Ready.
Ahead, Anita's leather-clad back was square and strong. Both of her hands were on the crowbar that she held out in front of her. She was lithe and fast as, glancing from side to side, she moved quickly into the road and paused … looking both ways, before her gaze settled in the direction of the village of Knowle just ahead.
When Lisa joined her, they began to walk slowly up the middle of the road, constantly scanning around them for signs of movement. Like Kenilworth, it was unnervingly quiet. From the corner of her eye, Lisa thought she saw a curtain twitch in an upstairs window, but when she looked up nothing moved. A wind had picked up. Trees rustled and, from somewhere ahead, she heard an echoing clang of metal on metal.
They approached a junction. Straight ahead was the main high street and to the left another deserted, tree-lined, residential road stretched into the distance.
"Which way?" Anita whispered.
"The High Street is the direct route, but it goes straight to the motorway and into Solihull itself. It could get hairy. The other road is longer but more rural and possibly safer."
"Oh, Jesus! We said we were going direct. Let's just get there."
Anita walked straight on towards the High Street. Lisa looked longingly for a moment at the quiet, leafy road on their left before she followed her.
As soon as they hit the High Street, they heard the moaning. It rose and fell above the sound of the wind, but it was definitely moaning. They were familiar enough with the sound now to be sure. The clanging metal was louder, too. Both sounds were coming from up ahead, but they couldn't see anything. There were shops, cafés and restaurants on either side of the road. Most were boarded up.
On their immediate left was a large traditional pub: The Red Lion.
"Neil and I drink there sometimes," Lisa said, mostly to herself.
"You used to," Anita quipped.
She was right. Usually the place was buzzing, day and night, with people spilling out onto the pavement to smoke. You could never get a parking space. They'd often have a drink there before going to Loch Fyne for dinner. He'd have a pint of bitter, and she'd have a glass of
