Birkenhead, Liverpool, April 2017
"It's clear, get up here," Cpl.Doyle ordered, signalling Evie to move forward with his hand. Shuffling through the building, she rested her back against the plasterboard wall to the right of him and took a moment to breathe. The two had moved into a building for cover; the street's were worryingly open and quiet so taking a moment to analyse the situation seemed logical. "Here, take this." From the pocket of his plate-carrier, he pulled out a chocolate bar, gesturing for her to take it. Dairy milk whole nut - her favourite.
"Sorry, I'm really not feeling like eating right now," she responded, waving her hand dismissively. It was the only reason she could give and it wasn't a lie. She knew she could do with eating, however her mind and body were unsteady with fear. Chocolate was the last thing on her mind. He shrugged slightly, returning the chocolate to its original resting place before diverting his attention back out onto the street beyond the window.
"Lancer 2-4 this is Cpl.Jack Doyle, 1YORKS, broadcasting on frequency 31.1, does anybody copy, over?" he spoke into his radio. The only response was the continued droning of static white noise. He sent the message multiple times to no avail, an ample opportunity for Evie to think things over. Where would her mother have hid? The park was just across the other side of the main road. The last Evie knew, her mother had gone there to visit a friend living in the refugee camp. In the chaos, she would have sought cover, surely. The visitor centre...
"Hey, Jack," Evie mumbled, tapping him on the arm to draw his attention away from the radio. "I have an idea where to look..."
The two moved through the park, witnessing the utter devastation. Tents were broken and collapsed, people's personal belongings strewn about everywhere, littering the blood-soaked floor. The worrying thing was the lack of bodies, however. The visitor's centre sat ominous in the encroaching dark, the glass exterior almost daring them to get closer to investigate. Both Doyle and Evie gave each other a look of dread, knowing that they would have to venture inside. It seemed too obvious a refuge - ample space to hide from the infected. Consequently, Doyle's squad might also have headed there to look for survivors. The duo approached the entrance, Jack activating his flashlight so that they could see inside. Similar to the rest of the camp, the place was a mess. Blood, gore... no bodies. Pressing open the glass door, the foul stench of death escaped and assaulted their senses. It was too much. Turning, Evie hunched over before vomiting, her whole body convulsing with every hurl.
"You okay?" Doyle asked, concernedly. Raising her index finger, she took a moment to recompose herself. She knew she needed to be strong. "I can go in alone if..."
"No, it's fine. Lead the way," she interrupted, a determined look on her face. Nodding in compliance, he pressed inside, Evie close behind.
The building wasn't large, but the darkness made the search quite difficult. Every noise sent shivers of fear down Evie's spine as she knew full well what could be lurking in the darkness. The duo's footsteps echoed throughout the now-barren halls as they pushed through. Barren probably wasn't the word. Fruitless, perhaps. Fruitless, that is, until they stumbled across a blood trail and scattered ammo casings leading to a side room, an office of some kind. Raising a clenched fist, Doyle held fast, Evie following suit. "There," he pointed. His tone was steady but his shaking body was evidence to his fear. "Those ammo casings are 5.56, NATO standard." Evie knew what that meant immediately. Soldiers were here. "On my three, we breach that room. I'll clear the left, you clear the right," he ordered in a hushed tone. "1...2...3..." Storming into the room, Evie raised the handgun and cleared her sector. The maneuver was textbook, for a civilian. It was almost a shame that the gruesome discovery overshadowed it. Three bodies, British soldiers, lay half eaten in the room. The fourth body however, was behind the desk, only the boots visible. The sounds of tearing flesh, low growling, gargling and devouring could be heard as what the two could see of the body convulsed and jolted. "No!" Jack shouted aloud, distraught. They were clearly the men he was looking for. "Get off of him! Show yourself!" The sounds ceased, only being proceeded by shuffling and banging as the infected assailant rose to their feet. The culprit was revealed to be a woman, the veins in her throat bulging and skin mottled. Blood stained her clothes and her lower face was covered in gore. By all accounts, it seemed she had been infected by the water supply like so many in the city had. Evie's words choked in her throat as tears swelled in her eyes, the fear and terror bottling up inside her. While she recognised the horror of the 'creature', what she recognised more were the faded blue eyes, the prominent cheekbones, the tied back auburn hair and thin eyebrows.
"Mother..." she gasped. The creature lunged at the two and a single gunshot rang aloud.
