Chapter Nine

Day One Hundred and Ninety-Five

Mike looked at the reporters flashing outside his house.

As well as the other five members of the 'British Crisis case', his was being featured on news stations worldwide. It had been six months since the disaster began and an estimated nine and a half million people were left in Britain.

They just wanted to get a raise or a sale. He was actually suffering.

In the mansion, Ewan was in the orchard area, holding a vicious-looking riding crop, while Tee and Jody were picking fruit and holding the wicker baskets. Rhodes had thought it would make the men more menacing if they carried riding crops, in case 'the women had ideas'.

Tee and Jody picked the fruit in almost complete silence, just before Ewan put up his hand and made them stop.

The faint whirring of helicopter blades sounded above.

Ewan's face went white and he looked at the girls, before pushing Tee's back. "Move!"

He pushed them towards the shed by the brick wall. They never went in, it was more of a place to store the food. But he shoved the girls in, shutting the door and padlocking it behind him. He pulled the curtain across and surveyed the room.

The only things there, aside from the bags of food, were a bedstead and a shotgun.

Ewan rummaged in one of the bags and pulled out a spool of thin twine. He snapped at Tee, "Tie your friend to the bedpost with her hands behind her back."

As Tee did so, shaking, she heard the helicopter seeming to get lower and lower. It was getting louder, maybe just a few fields away?

Ewan looked out of the window, snapping, "And make sure it's tight!"

When Tee finished, Ewan grabbed her and pushed her against the bedpost, starting to tie her hands as well. Then he stood up by the window, grabbing the rifle in one hand. He was looking out through the curtain, slightly pleased.

"Haven't had targets in ages."

In the mansion, Rhodes, upon hearing the helicopters, ordered everyone to the attic again. This time, the boys went in as well, holding the riding crops.

May-Li, Elektra, Carmen and Floss sat on one of the mattresses, with Toni, Billie and Harry on the dirty floor by them. On the other mattress sat Britney, Tania, Maria, Faith and Kazima, with Tania holding Anthony, soothing him. Rhodes came up last, dragging Finn by his collar. When they shut the door, Rhodes held a handgun by Finn's head.

"One word and I will shoot."

May-Li wouldn't put it past him. Harry and Finn were less valuable to Rhodes than the girls.

She nodded and then gestured to Floss and Harry, pulling them close. The twins held each other's hands and tried not to cry.

May-Li still listened, however, especially as the voices came from underneath her.

"You sure this was the right address?"

"Yeah, the bald guy said outside Invergordon. The maps show it's here."

"What they do to him, again?"

"Said he and the boys were taken somewhere near here to be shot. This is within a distance from where they were picked up, the only large building. Where is everyone?"

"Well, the food's here, the shower's recently been used, there's dirty plates in the sink. They're probably still here."

"OK, get a move on."

Soldiers. Or at least, people who could help. May-Li almost wept with relief and frustration. They must have been talking about Mike. It could mean he was alive.

For months, she'd thought that no-one knew they were here.

If Mike had got word out, it could mean they had a chance. Someone to fight back.

They waited until all the noise seemed to have gone from below.

May-Li dared to hiss to Rhodes, "You failed. Mike's alive."

Rhodes looked slightly ashamed. How dreadful, May-Li thought, that this was the first time he looked like that, despite all he'd done.

Rhodes mumbled, "We left them alone and when we came back, we thought the infected took them."

May-Li smiled slightly, overjoyed and finally feeling as if she was up one on Rhodes.

In the shed, Ewan was looking out. Tee and Jody felt helpless, knowing that the longer Ewan was here, the more likely it was that he would end up shooting someone.

Then he smiled, a disgusting, nasty smile. Tee felt a shiver go down her spine. He looked back at the two girls before standing up and going to the door.

He turned back, "I've got them covered. They're just twenty-five feet away, I can hit them easily." Then he asked, "Do I have to gag you?"

Tee shook her head, while Jody just slumped.

Ewan told them, "Good, because if they did hear you, I'd shoot them as they were shocked."

He left, locking the door behind him.

Almost immediately, as Tee looked to the ground in despair, Jody stood up.

Tee looked up in surprise at her, asking, "When did you get free?"

Jody answered, bending down to undo Tee, "Some minutes ago. My brothers used to tie me up when they left me alone in the house. Didn't trust me."

Tee grimaced at what that must have been like for Jody, before telling her, "I think we need to warn them."

She stood up and looked at Jody, expecting her to do something.

But Tee realised Jody hadn't thought beyond this point, so she walked over to the door and listened. Jody looked out of the window and saw that Ewan was hiding in the long grass about ten feet from the soldiers.

Then Tee screamed in shock.

Ewan had used his gun to hit six of the seven soldiers. The last one turned in surprise and began aiming at Ewan, who kept ducking and rolling in the long grass, before firing a shot and hitting the last one.

Tee burst into sobs, falling to her knees and unable to control herself. Jody ran up to her and told her, "It's fine." It was all she could think of.

In the attic, they heard the shots. Rhodes gestured to Rudy to pull up a blind. Rudy did so and Rhodes looked down at the ground.

"Six soldiers on the ground," he told everyone, smiling horribly, "four more running out. This is good." Then he turned to some of the men. "Neil, Dave, Theo, Schmuel, get the guns and make sure they don't come up here."

The men nodded and slowly opened the trapdoor to go down.

Harry had managed to bury his head in May-Li's t-shirt and was howling. Floss was gripping on, her small eyes filled with silent tears. Toni and Billie had gone up to Faith, who was holding her arms round them. Tania was soothing Anthony.

May-Li asked Rhodes, "What are you going to do when more people come? People are looking for us, Rhodes, there are more people out there. The disaster is just confined to Britain, but you can't realise that! We're not the only women on Earth; you don't have to hurt us. People know we're here, so they can take us any day. What are you going to do, huh? You can't hurt us because they know we've been here and they'll charge you with everything."

May-Li could hardly believe she'd said that. Everyone was staring at her. Rhodes looked down for a bit and raised his head, showing a massive, horrid smile. He then strode over and stood over her. He answered, "Thing is, this infection's pretty bad. With so many people coming to rescue you, if they just disappear then people will think they've been caught by the infection. No-one's going to look anyway on the island any more. So, maybe I won't be able to repopulate the world, but I'm eager to repopulate Britain."

He then went over to the blind again with a leering smile, shutting it.

It was clear then, May-Li knew, that he didn't care.

Ewan opened the door again, to see Tee crouched by the window and Jody standing over her, her arms round her.

Ewan looked surprised, then shouted, "I thought you'd stay still!"

Then he slammed the door again, locking it. He carried on yelling at the girls, towering high above them, not caring that they were weeping.

Then he heard voices outside. The soldiers.

Ewan turned back to the girls. "Right, you two, sit. Now!"

Tee and Jody, holding hands, sat on the bed and looked, in despair, at Ewan as he aimed the gun at the door. Then a soldier came in, crashing the door down.

Dust flew everywhere, making the girls cough.

Then the soldier looked from Ewan to the girls. He asked, calmly, "Can you let those girls go now, please?"

Ewan smiled at him. "Not likely."

The soldier ordered, "Let them go!"

Ewan sniggered slightly. "These girls? They're mine!"

Then he shot at the soldier. He swung and toppled over on his back. Ewan swung back to the girls, dragged Tee's arm and began dragging her out.

"Now!" He snapped at them, pulling Tee out of the door and forcing Jody to follow.

He snarled at them like a dog as he pushed them through the orchard, whipping the crop at their legs if he thought they were too slow. When they reached the mansion, Ewan demanded, "I'm here! Open the door!"

Rudy opened the door. Tee and Jody noticed he was covered in blood, none of which was his own.

Ewan put a hand on Tee's back and forcibly shoved her in. tee didn't want to think about what happened to any other soldiers. Or even if those Ewan shot were still alive.

They heard loud thumping and saw that everyone was coming down the staircase.

Rhodes was at the lead and when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he folded his hands together and surveyed everyone.

"Well," he announced, "it seems that there are others. That it is just Britain that is destroyed. We need to move from here, into the village. Some of us will stay here, some of us will find houses in the village and beyond. Try to run? Nope. You'll find the infected or die of exposure. So it seems as if you need to be here. Or you could end up in lots of trouble."