Anita was up and inside before Lisa had time to think. When she joined her, the girl was standing staring at the door to the driver's cab. It was slightly ajar. The back of a blue seat and part of the control console was just visible.
Anita moved towards the door then hesitated. She pointed towards a plastic water bottle resting in a holder. Lisa looked at the bottle and gave Anita a quizzical look. Anita gestured more emphatically towards the bottle. Lisa looked at it again and was about to speak, when she saw it. A single bloody smear on the white label of the bottle.
Nothing was out of place in the storage area. The bikes were stacked neatly against the wall. A door that led back into the passenger carriage was firmly closed. There were no signs of a struggle and no other bloodstains. It could be nothing. Anita pointed back outside and made a circling motion with her finger.
They stood at the front of the train and looked up towards the dark sloping window of the cab. It was impossible to see anything clearly inside except shadows and outlines, but there was no sign of movement.
"Come on," Anita said. "It's empty."
"I wonder where the driver is?"
"Long gone, if he's got any sense."
"What about the blood?"
"It's one smear. It could be anything."
"Oh god. I don't know …" Lisa could feel her chest tightening again. She turned and looked out across the fields, taking a few deep, calming breaths. "Give me a minute."
In the far distance, she could see the grey outlines of some high-rise buildings. Given the time the train had stopped, and the fact that they had not reached the city yet, she reckoned that they must be somewhere between Rugby and Coventry.
It was eerily quiet. No cars or tractors. No planes in the sky. No signs of everyday life at all. And the emergency services had never arrived. A small, cold, ball of unease formed in her stomach. She felt for her inhaler in her pocket but tried to calm herself without it. It was nearly empty, and her spare was in her bag back in the carriage.
"Trust me. It'll be alright. There's no-one in there." Anita put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's not that. It's … "
A sudden crunch of gravel underfoot caused them both to spin around. Lisa froze and Anita instinctively coiled into a defensive posture.
Another crunch. Lisa raised her palm to Anita who was now poised as if to strike.
And another.
Lisa held her breath then let out a sigh of relief as Brian appeared from around the side of the train. Anita launched at him and her hands were at his throat before Lisa could stop her.
"What the hell are you doing, creeping up on us like that!" the girl yelled.
"Anita! Stop it!" Lisa pulled her away.
Brian massaged his neck. "What have you been doing? I thought something had happened."
Anita snarled at him. "It nearly did, but to you, not us. You idiot!"
"We're just making sure the cab is empty," Lisa explained.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Brian sighed. "Don't you think we should just get moving? It'll be dark soon."
"Yes, we are!" Anita snapped. "And we know it's getting dark soon. But, it's a long walk to that farm and Lisa's right. What happens if we meet some of them on the way? Anyway, it's empty. The driver's gone. We're going in now."
"Oh, whatever you want. Just hurry up, please." Brian anxiously scanned the fields around them.
The women looked up at the cab once more, before making their way back onto the train.
As soon as Lisa stepped into the cab, they saw each other. He was stooped motionless in the corner, but his head snapped up and he let out a scream of rage as he lurched towards her. Anita was in the doorway blocking her exit and all three of them tumbled out of the cab as he barracked into them, teeth bared, hissing and snarling.
The fall winded her badly. She was on her back, his body pinning her to the ground, his face close to hers, a mask of rage and snapping teeth. His hands clawed at her body. She managed to free one arm and tried to push him away, but he was too strong. She couldn't breathe, her empty lungs crushed under his weight. His face moved closer to hers. His mouth opened wide. His breath was fetid. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She closed her eyes.
There was a loud thud - the crack of something solid hitting bone - and he rolled off her. Air flooded into her lungs, and as she exhaled, she released the scream that had been trapped in her chest. She felt herself being dragged along the floor and then tumbling from the train onto the gravel below.
Dazed and panting, she crawled onto her hands and knees and looked up. Anita was standing in the doorway facing into the train. Her arms were braced against the frame. Behind her, the driver was moving towards her. Not fast, but slowly and steadily, one step at a time. Arms outstretched. Growling.
Anita lifted her legs and coiled them to her chest. She timed it perfectly. When he was just close enough for maximum impact, she shrieked and released both legs in a single explosive kick. It caught him in the centre of his chest, propelling him backwards and out of sight. Anita followed him.
Lisa pulled herself up so she could see into the train. Anita was standing at the other open door looking
