Neil took over the driving again as they pressed on towards Birmingham. Craig and Ian both lived close to each other in different suburbs of the city near the airport, and Rob was based in Solihull, not far from Neil and Lisa in Attwood Common.
But they couldn't get anywhere near the city. Multiple roadblocks and other obstructions forced them to follow a tortuous route through the network of country lanes that criss-crossed the area to the south east of the conurbation.
It was getting light when Craig and Ian decided they wanted to try and make their way home on foot. Neil tried to persuade them to stick together, and try to get home when things had settled down a bit, but they were adamant. They were both desperate for news about their families. They dropped them off reluctantly in the little village of Hampton-in-Arden, exchanging emotional bear hugs and handshakes as they wished each other well.
It was around eight in the morning when they finally drove into Attwood Common. The village was quiet compared to some of the places they'd passed through. They passed a couple of infected on the canal bridge at the entrance to the village and a few more loitered outside the Tesco Express, as if they were waiting for it to open so that they could get their milk and daily papers. They presumed everyone was staying inside as advised, trying to stay safe until it was over.
They were mentally and physically drained when they finally pulled into the shared parking area at the back of Neil and Lisa's house. The other houses in the row were silent. Nothing stirred. Windows and doors were closed. Either their neighbours were hiding inside, or they weren't home.
Neil turned off the engine and rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment, suddenly afraid of what he might, or might not, find when he went into the house. He got out of the van and walked into the narrow passage that led to their back gate.
The gate was ajar. That wasn't necessarily significant. Sometimes the bolt was stiff, especially if the wood had swollen in damp weather, and Lisa sometimes chose to leave it open rather than struggle to close it. The house was still. It looked exactly as it had when he'd left it a few days ago. He had been the last to leave that morning. Lisa had left to catch her train while he was still drying himself after his shower.
He opened the back door and walked inside. At the far end of the room, the red light on the answerphone was flashing. He strode over to it and pushed the button. There were two messages. He pushed the play button and Lisa's voice spoke to him.
"Neil, it's me. I'm in trouble. I'm so scared. I don't really know where I am. I don't know what's happening. I'm so scared, Neil. I don't know what to do. I need you. I really need you."
She called out to someone else in the room. "What number is this? What's your number?"
There were muffled voices in the background.
"If you get this message, ring me here on 024 2356 2134 as soon as you can. I love you." Her voice cracked. "I love you so much. I'll try you again later."
He scribbled the number down on the pad by the phone.
He pressed the button again.
"It's me again, Darling. I'm ok. Sorry about before. I'm in a farm near a village called Wolston, near Coventry. I'm not far away. I'm safe at the moment. I'm with a few other people. I was on one of the trains. It was awful, but I'm ok. I don't know how, but I am ok. I'm going to stay here until the morning, then try to get home. If you get there before me, wait for me. I love you. Remember! Wait for me! I'm coming home."
The first message had been left at eight-thirty the previous evening, the second at three in the morning. He looked at his watch. It was eight-thirty. All the time he had been travelling, she'd been trying to reach him.
Fingers fumbling in haste, he dialled the number. Dismay washed over him as an automated message told him that all lines were busy and suggested he try again later. His next gut instinct was to jump straight back in the van and head for Wolston. He knew where it was, he could find the farm, and he could be there in half an hour. He took a breath. Or maybe not, if their twelve-hour journey from Lincolnshire was anything to go by.
What if she'd left already? What if she was on her way home?
"DAMN IT!" He kicked the wall. Why had he agreed to her stupid plan? He should have taken her more seriously, taken more interest, suggested that a better plan would have been to tell her she should stay where she was, wherever that was, and that he would come and get her.
"DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!"
"Neil?"
He turned. Rob was standing at the back door.
"Neil, I think we need to secure this place. We seem to have attracted a bit of attention."
He pointed to the front window.
Neil looked outside. Sure enough, there was a small crowd of infected gathering across the road and he could see a few others moving towards the house from the streets nearby.
"Ok. Sorry, Mate. You're right. I'm coming."
Neil fished Lisa's spare car keys out of the drawer full of batteries, keys and small tools that she referred to as his 'man drawer'. Keys in hand, he followed Rob back out to the van. Lisa's BMW was parked in the space in front of their garage. There were only two other cars in the parking area. They both belonged to Peter and Jenny
