Ash, page 20
The intruders saw the woodburner with glee and decided that the house would make a good HQ. Immediately they started ransacking cupboards to see what they could find. One of them found Andy’s bottle of sherry. Andy and Carol burst back into the room to see what was going on. The self-appointed leader, Lenno, took a long swig then grimaced, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He then yelled,
“Right, you lot clear out! This is our place now. I’m running this street. So just fuck off!”
When no-one moved Lenno shouted again. Andy and Carol sidled further into the room.
“Yes, you, too!” he shouted.
“We could stay,” said Andy. “I know this manor. We could help you in return for a share in whatever we get.” Secretly Andy thought he could take on Lenno, a skinny kid who was all mouth. If anyone was going to run this street Andy intended to do it.
“Andy, are you crazy! Let’s go. We need to get out of here,” said Emma.
“I think we’ll stay,” said Andy, looking straight at Lenno. “If that’s okay with the man.”
Lenno grinned.
“Carol! Come with us. You have to. You can’t stay here!” Emma pleaded.
“I’m staying with Andy,” she replied. Her face was hard. Emma didn’t recognise her friend anymore.
“Carol – this is insane. Come with us – please. We’ll look after each other.”
“You won’t last five minutes out there, sweetheart,” Andy said to Emma. He could only think of his doomed attempt to go to Australia which nearly killed him.
“Andy – you are putting yourself and Carol in danger.” Hewitt spoke calmly but firmly.
“And what will you do? Where will you go?” Andy retorted.
None of them could answer.
Lenno butted in, “Shut it guys! Time’s up. Now get out of here before I lose my temper.”
Just to show who was boss he pulled a knife out from his inner pocket and thumbed the blade menacingly. Emma backed away. Hewitt pulled her further towards the door and told her to go. He got a punch in the back for his trouble. Derek and Steve Mills were already out of the door. Hewitt spun around and in the split second before the door was slammed in his face he caught a look of panic in Carol’s eye which made him wonder if she had changed her mind. He paused but knew he couldn’t help her – there were too many of them. Hewitt stumbled out onto the street with Emma, Steve Mills and Derek Stringer. He felt sick at the thought of leaving.
Hewitt hung back from the group now trudging through the snow.
“We can’t just leave them!” he said.
“We have to,” said Mills.
“They’re in deep trouble,” said Hewitt. Mills ignored him.
“Lawrence! Hurry up,” said Emma in a stage whisper. “Don’t let them see you hanging around. We need to get to the vehicle without them seeing us or they might try to take it for themselves.”
Hewitt backed away from the house reluctantly. When they reached the car they sat inside without closing the doors.
“I’m going back for Carol,” said Hewitt, suddenly. He made a move to get out of the car but Emma grabbed his arm.
“No! Wait!”
Hewitt froze.
“Oh my God!” said Emma. “Steve, we need to get moving – look!” At the top of the road half a dozen dogs stood in a group, watching them. Then in a matter of seconds, the pack swelled to twenty or more. They began to trot, whining menacingly. Then they broke into a run.
Mills released the handbrake and slowly they began to roll down the hill. At the bottom he started up the engine. They banged the doors shut and got away as quickly as they could. The pack barked around the vehicle, jumping and turning, teeth bared. Mills could go no faster on the ice road but eventually pulled away leaving the starving animals whimpering with anger and disappointment. Emma sat with beads of sweat sitting on her brow. She was as white as a sheet. She forced herself to look at Hewitt.
“This is what the ash has reduced us to,” she said. “Without electricity we’ve become nothing. We’re just prey for a pack of mutts who were eating roast chicken and playing ball a few short months ago. If it wasn’t for you having this car we’d be dead by now, Steve.”
Emma began to cry. Hewitt put his arm around her.
“We shouldn’t have left Carol and Andy,” Emma said, shakily.
“I know,” said Hewitt. “If anything happens to them I’ll be haunted by it for the rest of my life.”
“We tried!” said Mills. “It was their choice. We aren’t going back! And looking at what things are like out here, they might actually have made a good call.”
Emma didn’t answer. Whatever they told themselves, she knew they should have stuck together. She felt only torment, and she knew that Hewitt felt the same. His arm was comforting around her shoulder.
“We need to get some weapons,” said Mills.
“You’re right,” said Hewitt. “But that won’t be easy. You can bet that every gun shop has either already been raided or is very well guarded. I wouldn’t have a clue where to get a gun.”
“Can you use one?” said Mills.
“Yes I can, actually. I needed to have one when in the Arctic in case of polar bears. Amy showed me – she’s quite a good shot.”
“Well, that’s a start,” said Mills. “Also, I’d quite like to know whereabouts we are going. Any thoughts, people?” Mills was trying to lighten the mood but he was grating on Emma. She was still thinking about Carol and Andy. She hoped to goodness they’d be okay.
“Perhaps we could head for the port at Dover. We could maybe get some supplies – some ships might be docking, you never know.” Hewitt, as always, was being practical.
“And if not?” said Mills.
“Then maybe we could get to the Continent and out of this hell-hole for a while.”
“And join your wife?” Mills ventured.
“Well, why not?” Hewitt said undaunted. Emma pulled away from Hewitt’s embrace.
“We need to go north,” said Derek. Up until then he’d been silent.
“You aren’t thinking of going back home are you?” said Mills. “You know we can’t.”
Derek had an other-worldly look about him.
Emma caught her breath. Suddenly she knew what he was thinking.
“We’re going to Millcott B, aren’t we Derek?” said Emma.
Derek didn’t need to answer.
28
On The Road
“Are you off your bloody rocker, man?” Mills said to Derek. He thought Hewitt’s idea of heading for a port made more sense.
“The port will be a chaotic mass of refugees, escapees and people as hungry as ourselves,” said Derek calmly. “We can be at Millcott in about four hours if we’ve enough fuel.”
“We might just make it,” said Mills.
“We’ve nowhere else to go. Even the rescue centres will be short of food soon. Then there’ll be even more desperate people on the streets. Emma’s right. There’s only one way out of this nightmare and that’s to get the power back on. The government’s kept a limited supply on up to now through the independent companies, but it’s not enough to get the country through the winter.”
“What are you saying?” said Mills.
“The National Emergency Committee has blown it. They’ve lost control. Either ordinary people must act independently or we won’t get through this. Those with some supplies of food left are only giving themselves the privilege of being the last to starve.” Derek pointed at the rows of semi-detached houses rolling past them, “Soon these will be home only to dead people who spent their last days hiding from gangs and the dogs. And we aren’t amateurs. I know Millcott B like the back of my hand. I’ve run it for years. We can make it work again. I can make it work again or I’ll die trying. I’m an engineer and proud of it. I’m not going to sit around waiting for international financiers to do the right thing and come to my aid because it isn’t going to happen.”
“I’m with you, Derek,” said Emma. “Steve?”
“I guess.”
“Lawrence?”
“Why do I always get dragged in?” said Hewitt forlornly.
“We’ll need all the help we can get,” said Mills. “We’ll need volunteers.”
“You can help with that, Steve,” said Emma.
“Oh yeah, I’ll set up a recruitment Open Day shall I,” he said sarcastically.
“If we can get some power on and get into the computer systems then you’ll have access to employee records. We can’t do this on our own – we’ll need a skilled workforce. We’ll contact key workers and get them in.” Emma was rising to the challenge.
“Actually you don’t need that many people to operate the plant – everything is computer-controlled now. But some will have left the area. Most will have no phone or internet access. Some will have died...” Mills sighed.
“We’ll have to play that one by ear when we know more,” said Emma, not wanting to hear too much negativity.
The mood was quiet as they sat back in their seats. They watched the white landscape float by. Here and there a flurry of snowflakes fell diagonally in the stiff breeze, sticking to the windows before dancing off into the car’s slipstream. The packed ice road surface was passable with care and they kept up a speed of about forty miles an hour. There was very little other traffic apart from a few lorries, which meant there was still fuel around, probably in private depots. Some army vehicles trundled along in neat procession. It was eerie and vaguely threatening.
They were stared at by ones and twos of shuffling people who hadn’t seen a private vehicle with fuel for some time. Glared at more like. Emma was fearful that they could be an easy target and was glad when they rolled down the slip-road onto the motorway. There were abandoned vehicles everywhere at the side of the carriageway. Hard to think this was once choc-a-block with traffic and one of the main arteries of the country’s road network.
“Derek,” said Emma, tearing her gaze from the broken landscape for a moment. “Where are we actually going to stay? You said we couldn’t go back to your place, but where else is there?”
Derek smiled slightly. “There is an apartment at Millcott B. Not many people know about it. It was for key workers in case of a national emergency. I think this qualifies us, don’t you?”
“And you’ve got access?” said Mills, genuinely surprised. “I didn’t know about this.”
“No, and no-one else needs too either. You check that, Emma and Lawrence?”
“Of course,” said Emma.
“No problem,” said Hewitt.
They rolled on. Further north the snow and ice was thicker. The surface ice was ridged and pitted and made the ride bumpy. They slowed down to thirty. Many times they had to swerve around a long-abandoned accident, the broken vehicles now covered in a fresh pile of snow. Emma wondered where the people were now who’d had to leave their cars behind. She nervously counted every mile to Millcott B. Every minute took them a fraction nearer, and would be that much less to walk if it came to that. Steve had gone very quiet. He was as worried about their fuel running out as she was.
At last they reached the empty, quite flat countryside of the south midlands. As they left the motorway they struggled on the side roads which were much deeper in snow. Emma held her breath as they forced their way through. One big drift could end their journey. For ten minutes the car lurched and rolled along alarmingly then the road opened out a little as they reached the edge of a small town. It looked deserted.
Suddenly, Mills braked.
“Why have we stopped?” said Emma, her heart beating.
“There’s someone in the road,” said Mills. “Look.”
“It could be a trap,” said Emma. “Let’s keep going.”
“I can’t, not without running him over.”
“Well what do we do?” said Emma.
“We wait.”
“And run out of fuel,” said Emma.
Mills turned off the engine. Everything went deathly quiet. They sat and waited. Nothing stirred. The landscape seemed completely dead. The creeping cold started to inch its way into the car now that the engine was off.
“I’m getting out,” said Hewitt. “It’s a body. I’m going to move it out of the way and get going. There’s nothing here.”
His door creaked as he pushed against it then thudded shut behind him as he stepped out onto the snow. Hewitt looked all around, alert for any signs of trouble and then made a few strides to the corpse lying on the ground, frozen solid.
He took a deep breath. He screwed his eyes up, determined not to look too hard at what could become an indelible image.
It was then he heard the noise he most dreaded. The yelps and barks and the padded thump of pounding feet. He turned quickly and slipped on the packed snow.
Emma leaned out of the car, “Get back in!” she screamed, throwing the door open for him.
He scrambled to his feet, panic filling his entire body as a large animal bore down on him faster than he could ever have imagined. His heart throbbed violently in his head. His lungs swelled as the breath stuck in his throat.
The dogs were only metres away. Emma was tugging at Hewitt’s clothing to try to pull him back into the car, when the shot rang out. The leader dog fell, twitching and scrambling in its death throes. A second shot sent the others scurrying away. Hewitt fell into the vehicle and slammed shut the door, daring to breathe again. He shook all over. His face had turned white.
A figure approached the car. Mills let the window down a crack but locked the doors.
“Got any food?” said the man. “Gerry Meager,” he said by way of an introduction. He held out his hand, his manner relaxed, even affable.
“Yes, a little,” said Mills, cautiously, letting the window down further and taking the other man’s hand. “I’m Steve Mills. Great shot, I have to say. We don’t know how to thank you,” he added. “You saved our friend’s life.”
“Glad to help,” said Meager.
Emma reached into the back and rummaged around. Her hands were shaking. She got a can of beans and a packet of cream crackers. It was all they could spare. Hewitt noted glumly what his life was now worth. The man’s face lit up.
“I’ve eaten nothing but game for weeks,” he said.
“Don’t suppose you know where we could get our hands on one of those?” Mills added, looking at the gun in the man’s hand.
“Sorry my friend. Need all I’ve got for hunting. And defending myself.”
“It’s the second time we’ve been attacked by dogs.”
“They’re the worst,” said Meager.
Mills passed the items through the window. The other man took them and hid them straightaway in his coat pocket.
“Can you cover me while I move that poor devil out of the way?” said Mills. He thought it was too much to ask Hewitt to get out of the car again so soon.
“Of course,”
When Mills was outside, Meager said to him,
“Are you people from the government?”
“No,” said Mills.
“You’re not from Enlecco then, are you?” Meager’s eyes narrowed and he held the gun a little tighter.
“No way,” said Mills. He looked at the other man and tried to gauge him. “You could have shot us back there and taken any food you wanted.”
“I’m not a murderer.”
“Lucky for us. What then? What are you?”
“I used to be in IT. Came out here to farm. Escape to the country. So I now have two totally redundant skills, fixing computers and growing food. Just holding out now till things get better. So who are you lot then? Nobody just drives around anymore. You must be up to something.”
“I can’t say.”
“You going to the power station?”
Mills hesitated, which was as good as admitting that they were. “Why do you think that?”
he said.
“There’s nothing else around here.”
“We used to work there. We’re going to try to re-commission.”
“So you do work for Enlecco.” Meagre scowled and raised the gun ever so slightly.
“Take it easy. Used to. Not anymore. We are doing this off our own bat.”
“Just you four?”
“Well yes.”
Gerry Meager burst out laughing. “You’ll have to hurry up. Enlecco are sending people in any time at all to remove the usable plant and sell it on before the wreakers come in. And then they’ll start fracking.”
“How can you know that?” said Mills.
“Some of the engineers stopped at the local pub and said that’s what they were here to do.”
“But we need Millcott. It’s one of the major generators in the country. They can’t just take it apart at a time like this. And they still haven’t got permission to start fracking around here.”
“Tell them that,” said Meager. “They are using this collapse to do what they always wanted to do anyway if the weather picks up. You’ll see. They won’t bother with permission now. They’ll call it ‘reconstruction’ and people will be so grateful to have any fuel at all they aren’t going to complain. Anyway, tell me this. How exactly is getting some electricity back on going to help things? We’ve no food. That’s what we need.”
“Sure, but we need the infrastructure working again if we are to get that food out to the population. The water supply is going off sporadically because there is no guarantee of power for the pumping stations. Same with sewage. And if we could pump fuel again we could get some transport back delivering food. The railways need electricity and so do any factories that make the things we need. The list is endless.”
“I think you’re too late. It’s gone too far. Our entire infrastructure was dependent on IT; manufacturing, transport, retailing, even farming. People have scattered. So many have died. By the end of this winter we could be back to the stone age.”
“Not if we can help it,” said Mills. “We can’t give up. If we can get the power back on at Millcott to boost what’s available to the grid, then others can do the same. People will feel a lot different if they can get warm and have the lights on.”
