Monday - 2330 hours

Wilkes poked his head around the rough wall, the same wall that the private said that he had run from hours earlier.

The house across the road was as silent as the rest, nothing stirring anywhere near.

But then...

A twitch of a curtain, the shadow of a head looking out then darting back.

'How many did you say private? Do you know?'

The soldier opened his mouth to speak then thought better of what he was about to say.

'At least one in there with Private Mitchell sir. After that … I don't know. Sorry.'

Wilkes seemed satisfied, he nodded once and turned back to the street.

'Well, looks quiet for now.'

He pulled a small torch from his breast pocket and pointed it at the building.

'Let's see if anyone is watching.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'Well, this is all very cosy, but what do we do now?'

Philip looked up at the soldier where he stood next to the window, his rifle held at the ready across his chest, barrel pointed towards the floor. He had no doubt that the man could use it and be ready in a heartbeat.

'We wait. Shouldn't be too long.'

Mary put down her bottled water and looked at the table as she spoke.

'We can't stay here, they'll find us like the last time … they'll find us and they'll get in. We are all going to die.'

Warren walked over to where she sat and knelt down next to her. He reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. She flinched a little but stayed where she was looking sideways at him.

'I'm not going to let anything happen to you miss. I promise.'

He gently squeezed her shoulder and then, standing, walked back to where he had come from. He lifted a corner of the curtain again and froze as he looked outside.

Philip noticed the look on his face change and stood too his hand going to the pistol where it rested in his belt.

'What is it? Are they back?'

'No … not them.'

He turned from the window and reached into one of his many jacket pockets. He pulled out a small torch and started to flash it out the window towards the street.

'The cavalry has just arrived.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Wilkes started the sequence over again.

How-many-sitrep

Four-survivors-secure location-next-move?

Wait-one-coming-to-you-be-ready-out.

'Okay, let's move. Keep it quiet and keep your heads down. With luck we'll be out of here soon.'

He took one last look into the street and then ran as fast as he could towards the house in front of them. This mission was a bust, the whole thing had gone completely wrong but the people they were going to meet had no idea how bad it was about to get.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They sat at the table, both men staring at each other over the wooden expanse.

The others had taken up various positions around the room so at to cover as many angles as possible. Mary and Thomas sat on the floor doing another of his puzzles, the boys ability to cope still astounding his father.

Philip looked shocked and completely lost at what he had just been told.

Wilkes sat across from him and just looked back, his expression stoic. It was he who broke the silence.

'I know it's a shock after all … this. But we have no choice. We need to get out of here, and we need to do it sooner rather than later. We don't have a choice.'

Philip looked at the table then back again.

'How could this have happened? Surely there was something that the government could have done, something else that could have been done?'

'If it's any consolation, it should never have been done in the first place. But it wasn't my call. It got out of hand too quickly. I have just told you something that would get you put in prison and me shot, that is if there were anyone still in charge which I doubt.

But that isn't the worst of it.'

Philip looked more shocked than before.

'My neighbours and friends, people that I know are now, according to you, dead. And not laying-down-dead, but walking-around-wanting-to-eat-me dead, is that about the gist of things? And you tell me that it's worse. How, how could it possibly be any worse than that?'

Wilkes took a deep breath and told him the rest.

Philip was quiet for several minutes after until...

'You have got to be shitting me!'

Wilkes sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. He smiled his best sardonic grin.

'I know, sucks don't it?'

'Sir.'

Wilkes turned and looked at the soldier who had spoken.

'Sir, I have a suggestion, but you aren't going to like it.'

'Spit it out son, any idea is worth listening to. We don't have anything left to lose.'

Private Samson pulled out a chair and sat down and outlined his plan.

A.N. Sorry about the long hiatus, been manic at work and home. Anyway hope you like the chapter and I promise that you wont have to wait too long to see what happens to the Wilkes, Philip and company.