Дэвид Муди - Strangers

Scott had had enough. ‘That’s it. I’m getting us out of Thussock right now.’

‘How?’ Dez asked.

‘You’ll never do it,’ the soldier said. ‘They won’t let anyone get away.’

‘So why exactly are you here again? Surely you’d have been better off staying with the military?’

‘It’s fucking chaos out there. They won’t notice me missing.’

‘So once they’ve caught this thing, they’ll leave the rest of us alone, right?’ Michelle asked.

‘I suppose,’ the soldier said. ‘All they’re interested in is—’

‘Are you serious?’ Scott interrupted. ‘You really think they’ll just let people go back to normality after this?’

‘Depends,’ Dez said. ‘If they still think this was just a chemical spill or sumthin’ like that, why not? They can’t make a whole village just disappear.’

‘They probably could,’ the soldier said ominously, ‘but they won’t want to, not unless they have to.’

‘So we can just stick it out here with him, can’t we?’ Michelle suggested, nodding at the soldier. ‘Wait ’til it’s all died down out there, then give ourselves up. We’re not infected, so they’re not going to care. We act dumb, tell them we just hid when it all kicked off, then tell them he found us. He’ll look good, we’ll be safe… we might all get out of this still.’

‘She’s right, Scott,’ Dez said. ‘Play our cards right an’ we might all be okay.’

‘Do you have any idea how naïve you both sound?’ Scott said. ‘Just listen to what you’re saying.’

‘And can you hear how cynical you’ve become?’ Michelle said. ‘You’re not interested in anyone but yourself, are you?’

‘Shut the fuck up and—’

‘Quiet!’ The soldier’s voice abruptly truncated Scott’s outburst. He raised his pistol and aimed it at Scott. ‘All of you shut up. She’s right, we can do this. Stay quiet, stay calm, and we’ll all get out of this in one piece.’

Scott was at the end of his tether. They’d been cooped-up here for over an hour now. He was sitting with his back to the door, holding George while Michelle consoled Tammy and Phoebe. The madness outside wore on, though to a lesser extent now as more of the population of Thussock, those who’d escaped and run blindly into the night, were rounded up. The longer Scott spent trapped in here, though, the harder it was to sit still and do nothing.

They were wrong, all the others.

Between them they’d agreed to sit tight and wait until everything had died down outside before giving themselves up, but giving himself up just wasn’t in Scott’s nature. And if they did surrender, he doubted the military would be as welcoming as the rest of them seemed keen to believe. The others were naïve, stupid even. He couldn’t afford to lose control, not now, not with so much at stake. He needed to get out of Thussock.

There was a lull outside. Time to move.

The soldier was sitting on the other side of the door to him. Scott reached across and tugged at his sleeve. He sat up with a start. Christ, had he almost been asleep? ‘What’s your name?’ Scott asked, voice low.

‘What?’

‘I don’t even know your name.’

‘Gary Waites.’

‘Can I trust you, Gary?’

‘Sure you can. We’re all in this together now, far as I can see.’

‘Good man. Listen, I’m worried.’

‘You ain’t alone.’

‘Something’s not right here.’

‘Things haven’t been right around this place for a long time now.’

‘No,’ Scott said, shaking his head and lowering his voice again, ‘I’m not talking about in Thussock, I’m talking about in here .’

Gary looked concerned. ‘Like what?’

Scott paused. Should he do this? He was running out of options. ‘Have you seen anyone who’s been infected with this thing yet?’

‘I ain’t seen nothing. Just a couple of the bodies and that guy in the leisure centre, why?’

‘Because I have.’

‘And?’

‘And I didn’t think about it until just now… that bloke who turned back there, I knew him. Used to work with him. His name was Warren.’

‘So?’

‘Like I said, it didn’t mean much at the time, but I was watching him just before it happened and he looked… different.’

‘Why are you telling me this? What are you saying? You think I’m infected?’

‘No, no… it’s not that. I respect you, mate. You’ve come in here and nailed your colours to the mast and I respect that. No, it’s not you, it’s them I’m worried about.’ He surreptitiously gestured towards Dez and Jackie at the other end of the room. They were sitting in the opposite corner to Michelle and the girls, their twins safe between them.

‘What about them?’

‘I think…’ he began before stopping again and clearing his throat, nerves getting the better of him. ‘Look, I might be wrong, but I think I know what I’m talking about. I found one of the bodies last week and this morning we had an infected bloke hanging around by our house…’

‘Just say what you’re thinking,’ the soldier said, pulse racing, hints of desperation and panic in his eyes.

‘I’m trying to tell you I think I know what people look like when they’ve got it in them. I’ve seen them. It takes its time to show itself, but I’m starting to think… Look, it’s that woman over there… I think she might be infected.’

The fear in the soldier’s face was clear now. He lowered his hand towards his pistol. Then he paused. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’ll be honest, mate, not a hundred per cent. But I don’t know about you… I don’t want to take any chances. My missus and my kids are in here, you think I’m going to risk them? But that woman… she’s got the same kind of look about her as the guy at the house this morning and the bloke who turned just now in the gym. I’ve been watching her. I tell you, if I’m right, I don’t reckon it’ll be long now…’

‘So what do we do?’

‘What can we do? Just be ready for when she turns I guess.’

Gary sat back, weighing up his options. What was it his commanding officer had said? Be wary of anyone showing any signs of sexual activity. Watch out for displays of physical contact… we don’t know how fast this thing moves.

He went for his gun again. Scott grabbed his arm. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked, his whispered voice full of feigned concern.

‘I’m going to talk to her. Find out where she was before she came in here, who she was with.’

Scott relaxed his grip and let go. Perfect. So easily manipulated. Gary got up and walked over to Dez and Jackie. Dez looked up. ‘Problem?’

‘Split up.’

‘What?’

‘You heard me.’ He raised his pistol. ‘Both of you get up. Move away from each other.’

Jackie started to panic. She grabbed the kids and reached out for Dez at the same time. He tried to pacify her then scrambled to his feet, blocking the soldier’s way through. He put his hands up in submission. ‘Look, mate, I dunno what this is about, but you’ve got the wrong idea about us… we just—’

‘Shut up,’ Gary ordered, and the volume of his voice was enough to panic everyone in the classroom. Scott picked up George in the confusion and made for the door.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Jackie said, sobbing, still trying to pull her family closer together. ‘Dez ain’t done nothing wrong…’

Gary looked from Dez, to Jackie, then back again. Dez made another move. Gary shoved him back and aimed the pistol at his chest. ‘Don’t, man…’ Dez said, mouth dry. ‘This is fuckin’ crazy…’

The soldier was frightened. Confused. He didn’t know what to do now. He didn’t know how to stop this, didn’t know which of these strangers he could trust and who he couldn’t. ‘Which one?’ he asked, looking around for Scott. ‘Which one is it?’