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Description
Day 4

Derrick roused them at the early hours of the morning. Sam groaned as he tapped him on the shoulder. "Come on mate we've got a long day ahead of us, we need to get some food." He said. Sam shook off the thin blanket and stretched. His body ached all over; the floor wasn't exactly a comfortable sleeping space. The others were already readying themselves. Sam pulled himself from the tangle of blankets and walked into the kitchen. The kitchen was a small room with an old gas cooker, a small fridge, a sink and a few cupboards for plates and other utensils. Lenny stumbled in behind him yawning widely and rubbing sleep form his eyes. "Man I'm starving. There anything to eat?" Sam opened the fridge. It was completely empty. "Sorry mate, looks like you'll have to wait until we get to the store." Lenny grumbled incoherently as he stomped out of the room. Derrick stuck his head around the corner, "You ready to go? We need you to find this shop for us."

A few minutes later Sam was sat in the passenger seat of the van. He had a large road map on his lap and was directing Derrick to the store. "So what's the plan when we actually get to the store?" Alexa asked.
"Well, it's likely that the front door is locked and barricaded with the shutters." Sam replied, "So we're not going to get in that way without making a lot of noise. Instead there's a side door. Now usually that door is very secure, we certainly couldn't break it open with the tools we have. However, I know the key-code to open that door, which will let us in silently and quickly. We then grab whatever food we need, unlock the front door, wheel it over to the van, load it up and go home."
"And remember, these things are very sensitive to noise. So no shooting unless we have to. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention." Derrick warned.
The van pulled in to the abandoned parking lot and stopped a few meters away from the front doors. Sam got out of the van and stared at the building. The shutters were down in the windows, and the front door was locked tight.
"Here Sam!" Derrick called. Sam turned to see him throw a large, empty Bergen to him. "Put that on." He said. Derrick was already wearing one and Lenny was grudgingly shouldering one that had been thrown to him.
"Okay," Derrick said signalling everyone to gather around him. "Here's the plan. Harry and Alexa stay here and keep watch. We may not be the only people still alive and I don't want any other dickheads drawing attention to us. Sam and Lenny, you two come with me to get the food. Let's make this quick people."
Sam looked over at Alexa; she was still unarmed and wouldn't be much use without a weapon. He unbuckled the holster with the USP and handed it to her.
"Here, you might need this. You might need Derrick to show you how to use it though." He said.
"Oh thanks, but don't worry about it. I used to go shooting with my grandpa sometimes. He taught me the basics of shooting and maintenance."
Lenny chuckled. "Bloody Yanks. I'd be more surprised if you didn't know how to shoot."
Alexa didn't laugh. "I'm Canadian. I've never even been to America."
"Whatever you say love." Lenny replied, walking in the direction of the store.

The three of them walked around the shop until they came to the unloading bay. The bay opened directly out into the ground floor of the warehouse. The lorries would back into the bay and unload their goods into the warehouse. The stock would then be taken out to the shop to be put out or placed in the large elevator and sent up to one of the higher warehouse floors. However the large shutter door was now closed, leaving the small door to the side as the only option. As Sam was about to type in the pass-code for the door, something on the shutter caught his eye. Upon closer inspection Sam saw a break in the shutter. It looked like it had been partially cut open, and then torn off. The piece of metal had then been dragged through and replaced. Sam pushed it, to no avail. Something must heavy have been holding it in place on the other side. Sam pointed it out to the others.
"What do you reckon then?" Lenny asked after performing a similar inspection. "One of those things got in?"
"No I don't think so." Derrick replied. "They hardly seem smart enough to replace the cover. Even if they could, they'd have no reason to."
"So then someone alive is in there." Sam said.
Derrick nodded, "Seems like it, keep your eyes open. I doubt they'll be friendly."

Sam typed in the key code and the door unlocked with a loud click. They entered cautiously, with their weapons drawn. Derrick had his own pistol, a small, lightweight weapon with a large Glock logo inscribed on the side of the barrel. The three of them made their way through the warehouse, gently pushing open the plastic double doors that led to the shop floor. All the lights were switched off, this, coupled with the translucent shutters covering the windows meant that the store was plunged into semi-darkness.
"The power must be off." Derrick said. "Looks like the store's empty except for our intruder. So keep your eyes open and we'll be fine."
"Okay," Lenny said, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder. "What exactly are we looking for then?"
"We don't want anything that has to be frozen or refrigerated." Derrick ordered, "We don't how long our power will last and spoiled food is no good to anyone. Go for stuff with a long shelf life, canned foods, dried food, stuff like that. Try and keep it a relatively balanced diet though. We'll still need a healthy diet if we're going to survive."
"Alright," Sam said. "If we're going to get this done as quickly as possible then we should split up and meet by the checkouts. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Derrick said. "Just keep your eyes open. We don't want our… 'Guest' jumping any of us."

Sam's knowledge of the store's layout meant that he found suitable food in no time. As he began filling the Bergen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He didn't know why, but he began to feel like he was being watched. He stood up and looked around, focusing at the end of the aisle. He caught a glimpse of movement, heading for the next aisle. Sam drew his pistol and ran after them. As he rounded the corner of the aisle, the figure leapt out, swinging a large, heavy pole at his head. Sam ducked as the pole whistled over his head. He then charged forwards, slamming into the figure's stomach and sending them both head over heels. Sam scrambled away from his attacker, managed to stand up and pointed his pistol, ready to fire.

The girl froze at the sight of the gun. Her eyes widened as she put both her hands in the air. She was short, with an oriental complexion and bright streaks in her dark hair.
"Whoa man," She said "I didn't mean nothin' by it. I thought you were one of those things."
Sam lowered his pistol and offered her his hand. "I take it you're the one that made that hole in the back door?"
She took his hand and Sam pulled her up. Now that she had seen Sam was not a threat to her she had relaxed a little. "What's your name then?" She asked abrasively, glaring at him suspiciously.
"Sam, and you?"
She stared at him for a few seconds then looked away. "None of your business."
Sam stared at her in confusion, "What's up with you? Here I thought we were getting along well."
"I don't want to be your friend. I'm not interested in you or your mates running around here." She snapped derisively "Just take your shit and leave. And you're definitely not staying here. This is my place."
Sam didn't answer but just walked back to where he left his Bergen. Finishing the job didn't take long, and 5 minutes later Sam was waiting by the checkouts. The girl had followed him the entire time, watching him intently. For the most part he ignored her, but kept his weapon drawn, just in case. After a while Lenny appeared from one of the aisles, he saw Sam and rushed towards him, slowing once he saw the girl.
"Who's that?" He asked, pointing at her.
"I don't know, apparently this is her place though." Sam said sarcastically. He saw her give him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye and grinned.
"Oh yeah?" Lenny said, sporting an almost identical grin. "Got room for one more?" He said to her, raising his eyebrows.
Her answer was a look of pure disgust. Lenny laughed "I'll take that as a no." He turned to Sam. "Come on, I have something to show you. Derrick's keeping an eye on him."
"Him?"
"You'll see." Was all he replied.

Lenny led him down an aisle to the other end of the shop. Eventually they found Derrick. He stood at the beginning of an aisle with his pistol drawn, staring intently down the length of the aisle. Lenny brought Sam next to Derrick and pointed down the end of the aisle. There stood a figure. A tall, thin and impeccably dressed figure. None other than Mickelwhite. He stood about halfway down the aisle, completely still.
"Jesus, what do we do with him? Just avoid him?" Sam asked
"It'd be safer to take him out." Derrick said gruffly.
"Ooh! I'll do it!" Lenny exclaimed moving further down the aisle towards Mickelwhite.
"Remember! No gun shots!" Sam hissed.
Lenny seized a bottle off a nearby shelf and threw it down the aisle.
"Oi! Mickelwhite!" He shouted. Mickelwhite's head turned slowly, his colourless eyes locking on to Lenny.
"Lenny I don't think that's a good idea." Derrick warned
Lenny laughed, "Oh come on, it's not like they move quick, I've got plenty of space to-"
It happened in seconds. One minute Mickelwhite was mindlessly staring at Lenny, the next he was charging full pelt towards him. Lenny turned just as he leapt on him. Lenny was thrown to the floor as Mickelwhite pinned him to the floor. Lenny grabbed him by the throat, holding him inches away from his face. "Ah shit! Someone help me!" He yelled. Sam sprinted towards the melee and swung his foot as hard as he could into Mickelwhite's face. The blow dislodged Mickelwhite, sending him rolling off of Lenny's chest and onto the tiled floor. He looked up, snarling, and charged at Sam. He made it two steps before the shotgun shell hit him. He was lifted clean off the ground, glass bottles raining down around him as collapsed against a shelf. The noise of smashing glass filled the shop. No one dared to move. As the racket subsided they listened carefully for any sign that other creatures had heard them. After what felt like hours, Derrick breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't think anything heard us." He breathed.
"What in God's name was he?" Lenny spat. "None of the others moved like that!"
"That ain't true" The girl replied, "I saw others like him when I was making my way here."
"We haven't seen any like him." Sam replied. "What makes them different?"
Derrick inspected the body, "What I want to know is how these things turn people into one of them."
Suddenly something in Sam's mind clicked. "It's their bite!" He gasped. "It's if one of them bite you!"
Lenny looked at him incredulously. "How do you know?"
"Don't you remember Lenny?" Sam asked, pacing up and down the aisle. "In the car park a few days ago, that guy that was stumbling around? He bit Mickelwhite. It before anyone else started getting sick."
Lenny's eyes widened. "He must have been one of those things…"
"And you say he was bitten before anyone else was getting sick?" Derrick asked. Sam nodded. "Why?" he asked.
"Because," Derrick said gravely, "I'm guessing that these things must develop over time, becoming more like him." Pointing at Mickelwhite. "And if I'm right, and I really hope I'm not, we're going to start seeing more of these things as time passes."
They stared at the body in silence. They were all thinking the same thing. These creatures may be ferocious and deadly. But their lack of speed made them easy to outrun. If they all turned like Mickelwhite… then they were in big trouble.

Lenny was the first one to break the silence. "Right then, no sense standing around here all day. Let's get this shit packed in the van." His Bergen clinked with the sound of glass as he swung around to leave. Derrick stopped him, staring suspiciously at the Bergen.
"Hold on a second. Let's just see what 'food' you've got in there." He said.
Lenny cursed under his breath as he took it off and opened it up. He had filled it with bottles of vodka and whiskey, leaving about a quarter of the room for packs of food. Derrick rolled his eyes and took the Bergen off of him.
"Booze is not food Lenny." He said
"You never know." Lenny said defensively, "It could come in handy as a disinfectant."
Derrick wouldn't take no for an answer. He emptied out all of the beer and spirits and ordered him to go fill it with food, the others waited by the checkouts for him. After a few minutes Lenny came trudging back to them. Derrick searched the Bergen and, after finding the contents satisfactory, went to unlock the front doors. "Didn't notice these though." Lenny whispered to Sam, showing him a six-pack of lager he had hidden under the food. Sam grinned as Lenny pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"Found these too. The most expensive ones there." He offered one to Sam. He took one and the two began to smoke. They sat on the checkout counters, contentedly smoking and discussing what they would do when they got back to the garage. The girl stared at them disdainfully the entire time. Sam looked over in her direction and picked up the pack of cigarettes. "Tell you what." He said, "You tell me your name, and I'll give you a fag."
She considered it for a moment. Then shrugged. "Sharon." She said.
"You do realize there are hundreds of these packets lying behind the counter right?" Lenny laughed.
Sharon's eyes widened. "No. Really? I hadn't noticed." She said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Morons."
"Hey!" Sam said, "We're not morons!"
Then the fire alarm went off.

The alarm pierced the air with a screaming wail that shattered the relative silence of the store. Sam clamped his hands over his ears, as the very walls seemed to vibrate. The doors slid open as Derrick rushed over. Sam could barely hear his cursing as he pointed to the opposite end of the car park. The creatures were swarming through the bushes separating the road from the car park. Hundreds were sprinting towards them, covering the open ground in no time at all. Derrick pushed through the doors and signalled to Harry and Alexa. They hadn't even noticed the creatures that were almost on top of them. They sprinted towards the door as Derrick and Sam began firing at the approaching horde. After Harry and Alexa had flown past them, Sam backed into the store, still firing at the creatures. In the ensuing panic Sam found it difficult to remember what Derrick and Harry had taught him, every instinct was telling him to simply unload as many rounds as possible. Sam and Derrick backed inside, sprinting towards the group taking shelter just inside the doorway.
"Get to the back door!" Sam shouted over the din of the alarm and the snarling creatures. Sam led the way, running faster than he had his entire life. As he rounded the corner of the aisle he heard the breaking of glass behind him. The creatures had broken through the entrance, shattering the glass doors as they clawed their way inside. Sam hurtled through the doors to the warehouse with the others close behind him. He ran for the large door leading out into the back street, hurriedly punching in the key code. As the light above the door flashed green the creatures burst through the warehouse door. There was no end to them as they streamed through the door towards the group. Sam wrenched the door open and hurtled through it, the others close behind him. After the last person was through, Sam tried to slam the door shut. The creatures were pretty much on top of them now; as the door swung shut it met resistance. Their bodies slammed against the door, a few limbs sticking through the gap in the door. A mutilated arm was inches from Sam's face as Derrick and Harry helped to try and close the door. Lenny readied his shotgun, jammed the muzzle through the door and fired. The shotgun roared as blood spattered across Sam's arm. Lenny withdrew the shotgun. "Close it now!" he shouted. The door finally shut, locking into place with a satisfying click. The creatures pounded against the door but to no avail. Sam could barely hear their blood curdling howls over the wail of the fire alarm and the ringing in his ears from the shotgun firing so close to his head. Sam turned to Lenny, who was coated in blood.
"Thanks Lenny." He said.
"Don't mention it." Lenny replied, wiping the blood off his glasses.
Sam turned to the rest of the group.
"We can't stay here," He said, "They'll find their way around to us eventually. We should keep moving."
Sharon glared at him. "Seeing as you dicks just lost me my safe house, I guess I'll be coming with you. It's the least you can do, at least you're not all idiots."
Sam agreed and they set off, taking as many corners as possible to avoid the creatures from following them. The group knew there was no way they were going to get back to the van, the creatures had most likely surrounded the area and it was too much of a risk.
After half an hour of walking Derrick ordered the group to stop. He stood still, cocking his head to one side. "D'you lot hear that?" He asked. In the silence they could hear it, the faint noise of an engine. It was high pitched, more like a mosquito whine than an actual engine.
"Sounds like a moped." Sharon said.
"Who would ride a moped around when these things are out here?" Alexa asked.
"I don't know. But they may have a shelter nearby, I say we go find them." Sam replied.
The others agreed. The sun was starting to go down, and no one wanted to be outside in the dark with these new threats lurking in the shadows. It didn't take long for them to find the source of the noise. As they entered an abandoned main road they spotted two boys on a moped speeding towards them. Behind them were a group of the creatures. They were sprinting after the moped, unable to keep up. The boy on the back laughed drunkenly, alternately making signs at the creatures and swigging from a cheap bottle of vodka as they sped towards the group. At precisely the wrong moment the driver hit a large pothole, tipping the moped and sending both boys hurtling over the handlebars. The first creature had made back the distance and was almost on top of the pair when Harry hit in the head with a well-placed shot.
"Come on!" He barked. "Take this lot out!"
The others followed suit, slamming round after round into the creatures, ensuring they got no where near the two figures now cowering in front of the wreckage. After the last one had been finished off Sam walked over to the moped. The two boys were pulling themselves from the wreckage of the moped. They looked up when they saw Sam. They were pretty much the same size, about five feet tall; neither could have been more than 18. One was scrawny, with spiked up hair and a piercing in one ear. Patterns had been shaved into the hair on the sides of his head, making him look even more ridiculous. The other was more athletic, with a stronger looking beard and short, curly black hair
"Wow. Nice piece." One of them said, spotting Sam's pistol. "You know you wanna let me have a go."
"I really don't think I do." Sam replied.
"What were you two doing out here exactly?" Derrick asked.
"We ran out of booze man." The other said. "So we were gonna go get some from that Sainsburys down the road."
"You won't get in there." Sharon said. "These retards got the place filled with these things."
The boys looked puzzled. "What're you doing with these tools Sharon?" One asked.
"You know these two?" Sam asked, ignoring the insult.
"Yeah we hang around a lot, know a few of their mates. The one with the stupid spiky hair is Wayne Harris, the black one's Aiden Timbers."
Aiden laughed. "Yeah if by 'hang around a lot' you mean we were your customers."
Sharon turned abruptly and walked away, blushing furiously.
"Look," Harry said. "The sun is going down and we need a place to shelter for the night. Think you can help us out?"
"Oh yeah?" Wayne sneered. "Why should we?"
"Because we've got food." Alexa said, pointing to the Bergen on Sam's back. "Do you?"
The pair considered it for a moment. Sam was sure they would have thought about just stealing the food had they not been so well armed.
"Fine then." Aiden finally conceded. "We broke into this place down the road. It's still got power I think."
"But Aiden-" Wayne began.
Aiden silenced him with a look. "We take them with us."

The house was a large detached home, in a small, inconspicuous cul-de-sac. The front door was barricaded with plywood and other obstacles. Sam looked at Aiden questioningly, he just sneered and walked away. He walked over to the side of the house and lifted an old sheet off a concealed cellar entrance. He then unlocked the hefty padlock on the door and opened it. The others followed him inside, closing the door behind him as Aiden then locked it from the inside. Lenny flicked the light switch on, filling the room with light.
"Sweet the power does still work." He said.
"Switch that off." Derrick said. "If we're going to have lights on then we should cover the windows first. We don't want to draw any attention."
"Who put you in charge?" Wayne barked. "This is our place."
Derrick glared at them. "That won't make much of a difference if we have those things breaking down the front door will it?"
The group spent the next hour making the house completely secure. All curtains were shut, all doors and were double-checked to ensure they were locked, all windows were barricaded with whatever they could find and everyone was forbidden from making any loud noises. Eventually Derrick was satisfied that the house was secure. By this time night had fallen, so Derrick began making dinner. Sam hadn't noticed due to all of the action, but he was starving. As he helped Derrick prepare the bounty of food they'd brought, they began talking.
"Keep an eye on those two Sam." He said quietly, "I don't trust them at all. Make sure they don't take watch alone tonight."
Sam nodded. "Right, will do." After a few seconds pause he asked him a question that had been nagging at him for a while. "Derrick, how do you know all of this stuff about survival? And the guns?"
Derrick sighed. "I used to be in the SAS." He said, "It was years ago, but you never forget what they teach you."
Sam was surprised. "Really? Why did you leave?"
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Derrick said. "A mission went… not as expected."
"What happened?" Sam asked.
Derrick didn't look at him. "The food's ready."

They sat in the living room to eat, Lenny had turned on the television, but every channel had the same 'service unavailable' message displayed across the screen. Other than the initial introductions, the group sat in an awkward silence for most of the meal. After they had all eaten Harry searched around the house, returning triumphant with an old radio. The room was filled with the sound of static as he switched it on, but after some tinkering he found a working channel. The group gathered round as a calm, sophisticated voice spoke.
"-Official state of emergency, all civilians are ordered to report to the nearest military evacuation zone immediately. Do not attempt to contact loved ones. Do not stop for personal belongings. Avoid contact with the infected."
They exchanged dark looks; if this was a state of emergency then the rest of the entire country must be in the same condition. But there was more.
"If you have come into contact with the infected, inform your nearest official. If you have been bitten by an infected, ensure you are quarantined in a secure location away from uninfected citizens. Any civilians in designated contingency zones are advised to evacuate immediately. Contingency zones will face extensive bombardment on the 23rd of November. Current contingency zones are: Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and London. All civilians are advised to evacuate immediately. Please remain calm. This is an official state of emergency…"
The message looped. Harry switched off the radio as everyone sat in a stunned silence. Sam could hardly believe his ears; they were going to bomb London. Eventually Harry broke the silence.
"Well, what in God's name are we going to do now?"
"I think our original plan is looking a bit more promising." Sam said to Derrick.
He nodded. "Sam's right we need to get out of the city now."
"But where can we go?" Lenny said. "This thing is bigger than we thought. You saw how many cities are being bombed!"
Sam interjected. "We need to get out of the country. The bombing's going down on the 23rd right? That's 4 days from now. So we need to at least get out of the city before then."
"But how?" Alexa asked. "The roads are blocked and there's no way we're getting past them."
"By air." Derrick said. "I know how to fly a plane, I learned it while serving. We get to Heathrow, and then we find a plane and take it out of here."
"How do we know there'll even be a plane there?" Aiden asked.
"We don't." Derrick replied "But if there were evacuations then they'll have been air-lifting people out. I haven't seen a plane since yesterday so I guess the army either pulled out or got overwhelmed. Either way there could be planes there."
"Seems we're leaving an awful lot to chance." Harry said.
"We don't have much choice." Sam said. "It's either go to Heathrow and take the chance, or we stay here and wait to get bombed, if those infected don't get us first."
"So it's decided then." Lenny said. "We go to Heathrow."
"We'll set off first thing tomorrow." Derrick said. "Until then I think it's important that we get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

Description
Day 4

Derrick roused them at the early hours of the morning. Sam groaned as he tapped him on the shoulder. "Come on mate we've got a long day ahead of us, we need to get some food." He said. Sam shook off the thin blanket and stretched. His body ached all over; the floor wasn't exactly a comfortable sleeping space. The others were already readying themselves. Sam pulled himself from the tangle of blankets and walked into the kitchen. The kitchen was a small room with an old gas cooker, a small fridge, a sink and a few cupboards for plates and other utensils. Lenny stumbled in behind him yawning widely and rubbing sleep form his eyes. "Man I'm starving. There anything to eat?" Sam opened the fridge. It was completely empty. "Sorry mate, looks like you'll have to wait until we get to the store." Lenny grumbled incoherently as he stomped out of the room. Derrick stuck his head around the corner, "You ready to go? We need you to find this shop for us."

A few minutes later Sam was sat in the passenger seat of the van. He had a large road map on his lap and was directing Derrick to the store. "So what's the plan when we actually get to the store?" Alexa asked.
"Well, it's likely that the front door is locked and barricaded with the shutters." Sam replied, "So we're not going to get in that way without making a lot of noise. Instead there's a side door. Now usually that door is very secure, we certainly couldn't break it open with the tools we have. However, I know the key-code to open that door, which will let us in silently and quickly. We then grab whatever food we need, unlock the front door, wheel it over to the van, load it up and go home."
"And remember, these things are very sensitive to noise. So no shooting unless we have to. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention." Derrick warned.
The van pulled in to the abandoned parking lot and stopped a few meters away from the front doors. Sam got out of the van and stared at the building. The shutters were down in the windows, and the front door was locked tight.
"Here Sam!" Derrick called. Sam turned to see him throw a large, empty Bergen to him. "Put that on." He said. Derrick was already wearing one and Lenny was grudgingly shouldering one that had been thrown to him.
"Okay," Derrick said signalling everyone to gather around him. "Here's the plan. Harry and Alexa stay here and keep watch. We may not be the only people still alive and I don't want any other dickheads drawing attention to us. Sam and Lenny, you two come with me to get the food. Let's make this quick people."
Sam looked over at Alexa; she was still unarmed and wouldn't be much use without a weapon. He unbuckled the holster with the USP and handed it to her.
"Here, you might need this. You might need Derrick to show you how to use it though." He said.
"Oh thanks, but don't worry about it. I used to go shooting with my grandpa sometimes. He taught me the basics of shooting and maintenance."
Lenny chuckled. "Bloody Yanks. I'd be more surprised if you didn't know how to shoot."
Alexa didn't laugh. "I'm Canadian. I've never even been to America."
"Whatever you say love." Lenny replied, walking in the direction of the store.

The three of them walked around the shop until they came to the unloading bay. The bay opened directly out into the ground floor of the warehouse. The lorries would back into the bay and unload their goods into the warehouse. The stock would then be taken out to the shop to be put out or placed in the large elevator and sent up to one of the higher warehouse floors. However the large shutter door was now closed, leaving the small door to the side as the only option. As Sam was about to type in the pass-code for the door, something on the shutter caught his eye. Upon closer inspection Sam saw a break in the shutter. It looked like it had been partially cut open, and then torn off. The piece of metal had then been dragged through and replaced. Sam pushed it, to no avail. Something must heavy have been holding it in place on the other side. Sam pointed it out to the others.
"What do you reckon then?" Lenny asked after performing a similar inspection. "One of those things got in?"
"No I don't think so." Derrick replied. "They hardly seem smart enough to replace the cover. Even if they could, they'd have no reason to."
"So then someone alive is in there." Sam said.
Derrick nodded, "Seems like it, keep your eyes open. I doubt they'll be friendly."

Sam typed in the key code and the door unlocked with a loud click. They entered cautiously, with their weapons drawn. Derrick had his own pistol, a small, lightweight weapon with a large Glock logo inscribed on the side of the barrel. The three of them made their way through the warehouse, gently pushing open the plastic double doors that led to the shop floor. All the lights were switched off, this, coupled with the translucent shutters covering the windows meant that the store was plunged into semi-darkness.
"The power must be off." Derrick said. "Looks like the store's empty except for our intruder. So keep your eyes open and we'll be fine."
"Okay," Lenny said, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder. "What exactly are we looking for then?"
"We don't want anything that has to be frozen or refrigerated." Derrick ordered, "We don't how long our power will last and spoiled food is no good to anyone. Go for stuff with a long shelf life, canned foods, dried food, stuff like that. Try and keep it a relatively balanced diet though. We'll still need a healthy diet if we're going to survive."
"Alright," Sam said. "If we're going to get this done as quickly as possible then we should split up and meet by the checkouts. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Derrick said. "Just keep your eyes open. We don't want our… 'Guest' jumping any of us."

Sam's knowledge of the store's layout meant that he found suitable food in no time. As he began filling the Bergen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He didn't know why, but he began to feel like he was being watched. He stood up and looked around, focusing at the end of the aisle. He caught a glimpse of movement, heading for the next aisle. Sam drew his pistol and ran after them. As he rounded the corner of the aisle, the figure leapt out, swinging a large, heavy pole at his head. Sam ducked as the pole whistled over his head. He then charged forwards, slamming into the figure's stomach and sending them both head over heels. Sam scrambled away from his attacker, managed to stand up and pointed his pistol, ready to fire.

The girl froze at the sight of the gun. Her eyes widened as she put both her hands in the air. She was short, with an oriental complexion and bright streaks in her dark hair.
"Whoa man," She said "I didn't mean nothin' by it. I thought you were one of those things."
Sam lowered his pistol and offered her his hand. "I take it you're the one that made that hole in the back door?"
She took his hand and Sam pulled her up. Now that she had seen Sam was not a threat to her she had relaxed a little. "What's your name then?" She asked abrasively, glaring at him suspiciously.
"Sam, and you?"
She stared at him for a few seconds then looked away. "None of your business."
Sam stared at her in confusion, "What's up with you? Here I thought we were getting along well."
"I don't want to be your friend. I'm not interested in you or your mates running around here." She snapped derisively "Just take your shit and leave. And you're definitely not staying here. This is my place."
Sam didn't answer but just walked back to where he left his Bergen. Finishing the job didn't take long, and 5 minutes later Sam was waiting by the checkouts. The girl had followed him the entire time, watching him intently. For the most part he ignored her, but kept his weapon drawn, just in case. After a while Lenny appeared from one of the aisles, he saw Sam and rushed towards him, slowing once he saw the girl.
"Who's that?" He asked, pointing at her.
"I don't know, apparently this is her place though." Sam said sarcastically. He saw her give him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye and grinned.
"Oh yeah?" Lenny said, sporting an almost identical grin. "Got room for one more?" He said to her, raising his eyebrows.
Her answer was a look of pure disgust. Lenny laughed "I'll take that as a no." He turned to Sam. "Come on, I have something to show you. Derrick's keeping an eye on him."
"Him?"
"You'll see." Was all he replied.

Lenny led him down an aisle to the other end of the shop. Eventually they found Derrick. He stood at the beginning of an aisle with his pistol drawn, staring intently down the length of the aisle. Lenny brought Sam next to Derrick and pointed down the end of the aisle. There stood a figure. A tall, thin and impeccably dressed figure. None other than Mickelwhite. He stood about halfway down the aisle, completely still.
"Jesus, what do we do with him? Just avoid him?" Sam asked
"It'd be safer to take him out." Derrick said gruffly.
"Ooh! I'll do it!" Lenny exclaimed moving further down the aisle towards Mickelwhite.
"Remember! No gun shots!" Sam hissed.
Lenny seized a bottle off a nearby shelf and threw it down the aisle.
"Oi! Mickelwhite!" He shouted. Mickelwhite's head turned slowly, his colourless eyes locking on to Lenny.
"Lenny I don't think that's a good idea." Derrick warned
Lenny laughed, "Oh come on, it's not like they move quick, I've got plenty of space to-"
It happened in seconds. One minute Mickelwhite was mindlessly staring at Lenny, the next he was charging full pelt towards him. Lenny turned just as he leapt on him. Lenny was thrown to the floor as Mickelwhite pinned him to the floor. Lenny grabbed him by the throat, holding him inches away from his face. "Ah shit! Someone help me!" He yelled. Sam sprinted towards the melee and swung his foot as hard as he could into Mickelwhite's face. The blow dislodged Mickelwhite, sending him rolling off of Lenny's chest and onto the tiled floor. He looked up, snarling, and charged at Sam. He made it two steps before the shotgun shell hit him. He was lifted clean off the ground, glass bottles raining down around him as collapsed against a shelf. The noise of smashing glass filled the shop. No one dared to move. As the racket subsided they listened carefully for any sign that other creatures had heard them. After what felt like hours, Derrick breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't think anything heard us." He breathed.
"What in God's name was he?" Lenny spat. "None of the others moved like that!"
"That ain't true" The girl replied, "I saw others like him when I was making my way here."
"We haven't seen any like him." Sam replied. "What makes them different?"
Derrick inspected the body, "What I want to know is how these things turn people into one of them."
Suddenly something in Sam's mind clicked. "It's their bite!" He gasped. "It's if one of them bite you!"
Lenny looked at him incredulously. "How do you know?"
"Don't you remember Lenny?" Sam asked, pacing up and down the aisle. "In the car park a few days ago, that guy that was stumbling around? He bit Mickelwhite. It before anyone else started getting sick."
Lenny's eyes widened. "He must have been one of those things…"
"And you say he was bitten before anyone else was getting sick?" Derrick asked. Sam nodded. "Why?" he asked.
"Because," Derrick said gravely, "I'm guessing that these things must develop over time, becoming more like him." Pointing at Mickelwhite. "And if I'm right, and I really hope I'm not, we're going to start seeing more of these things as time passes."
They stared at the body in silence. They were all thinking the same thing. These creatures may be ferocious and deadly. But their lack of speed made them easy to outrun. If they all turned like Mickelwhite… then they were in big trouble.

Lenny was the first one to break the silence. "Right then, no sense standing around here all day. Let's get this shit packed in the van." His Bergen clinked with the sound of glass as he swung around to leave. Derrick stopped him, staring suspiciously at the Bergen.
"Hold on a second. Let's just see what 'food' you've got in there." He said.
Lenny cursed under his breath as he took it off and opened it up. He had filled it with bottles of vodka and whiskey, leaving about a quarter of the room for packs of food. Derrick rolled his eyes and took the Bergen off of him.
"Booze is not food Lenny." He said
"You never know." Lenny said defensively, "It could come in handy as a disinfectant."
Derrick wouldn't take no for an answer. He emptied out all of the beer and spirits and ordered him to go fill it with food, the others waited by the checkouts for him. After a few minutes Lenny came trudging back to them. Derrick searched the Bergen and, after finding the contents satisfactory, went to unlock the front doors. "Didn't notice these though." Lenny whispered to Sam, showing him a six-pack of lager he had hidden under the food. Sam grinned as Lenny pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"Found these too. The most expensive ones there." He offered one to Sam. He took one and the two began to smoke. They sat on the checkout counters, contentedly smoking and discussing what they would do when they got back to the garage. The girl stared at them disdainfully the entire time. Sam looked over in her direction and picked up the pack of cigarettes. "Tell you what." He said, "You tell me your name, and I'll give you a fag."
She considered it for a moment. Then shrugged. "Sharon." She said.
"You do realize there are hundreds of these packets lying behind the counter right?" Lenny laughed.
Sharon's eyes widened. "No. Really? I hadn't noticed." She said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Morons."
"Hey!" Sam said, "We're not morons!"
Then the fire alarm went off.

The alarm pierced the air with a screaming wail that shattered the relative silence of the store. Sam clamped his hands over his ears, as the very walls seemed to vibrate. The doors slid open as Derrick rushed over. Sam could barely hear his cursing as he pointed to the opposite end of the car park. The creatures were swarming through the bushes separating the road from the car park. Hundreds were sprinting towards them, covering the open ground in no time at all. Derrick pushed through the doors and signalled to Harry and Alexa. They hadn't even noticed the creatures that were almost on top of them. They sprinted towards the door as Derrick and Sam began firing at the approaching horde. After Harry and Alexa had flown past them, Sam backed into the store, still firing at the creatures. In the ensuing panic Sam found it difficult to remember what Derrick and Harry had taught him, every instinct was telling him to simply unload as many rounds as possible. Sam and Derrick backed inside, sprinting towards the group taking shelter just inside the doorway.
"Get to the back door!" Sam shouted over the din of the alarm and the snarling creatures. Sam led the way, running faster than he had his entire life. As he rounded the corner of the aisle he heard the breaking of glass behind him. The creatures had broken through the entrance, shattering the glass doors as they clawed their way inside. Sam hurtled through the doors to the warehouse with the others close behind him. He ran for the large door leading out into the back street, hurriedly punching in the key code. As the light above the door flashed green the creatures burst through the warehouse door. There was no end to them as they streamed through the door towards the group. Sam wrenched the door open and hurtled through it, the others close behind him. After the last person was through, Sam tried to slam the door shut. The creatures were pretty much on top of them now; as the door swung shut it met resistance. Their bodies slammed against the door, a few limbs sticking through the gap in the door. A mutilated arm was inches from Sam's face as Derrick and Harry helped to try and close the door. Lenny readied his shotgun, jammed the muzzle through the door and fired. The shotgun roared as blood spattered across Sam's arm. Lenny withdrew the shotgun. "Close it now!" he shouted. The door finally shut, locking into place with a satisfying click. The creatures pounded against the door but to no avail. Sam could barely hear their blood curdling howls over the wail of the fire alarm and the ringing in his ears from the shotgun firing so close to his head. Sam turned to Lenny, who was coated in blood.
"Thanks Lenny." He said.
"Don't mention it." Lenny replied, wiping the blood off his glasses.
Sam turned to the rest of the group.
"We can't stay here," He said, "They'll find their way around to us eventually. We should keep moving."
Sharon glared at him. "Seeing as you dicks just lost me my safe house, I guess I'll be coming with you. It's the least you can do, at least you're not all idiots."
Sam agreed and they set off, taking as many corners as possible to avoid the creatures from following them. The group knew there was no way they were going to get back to the van, the creatures had most likely surrounded the area and it was too much of a risk.
After half an hour of walking Derrick ordered the group to stop. He stood still, cocking his head to one side. "D'you lot hear that?" He asked. In the silence they could hear it, the faint noise of an engine. It was high pitched, more like a mosquito whine than an actual engine.
"Sounds like a moped." Sharon said.
"Who would ride a moped around when these things are out here?" Alexa asked.
"I don't know. But they may have a shelter nearby, I say we go find them." Sam replied.
The others agreed. The sun was starting to go down, and no one wanted to be outside in the dark with these new threats lurking in the shadows. It didn't take long for them to find the source of the noise. As they entered an abandoned main road they spotted two boys on a moped speeding towards them. Behind them were a group of the creatures. They were sprinting after the moped, unable to keep up. The boy on the back laughed drunkenly, alternately making signs at the creatures and swigging from a cheap bottle of vodka as they sped towards the group. At precisely the wrong moment the driver hit a large pothole, tipping the moped and sending both boys hurtling over the handlebars. The first creature had made back the distance and was almost on top of the pair when Harry hit in the head with a well-placed shot.
"Come on!" He barked. "Take this lot out!"
The others followed suit, slamming round after round into the creatures, ensuring they got no where near the two figures now cowering in front of the wreckage. After the last one had been finished off Sam walked over to the moped. The two boys were pulling themselves from the wreckage of the moped. They looked up when they saw Sam. They were pretty much the same size, about five feet tall; neither could have been more than 18. One was scrawny, with spiked up hair and a piercing in one ear. Patterns had been shaved into the hair on the sides of his head, making him look even more ridiculous. The other was more athletic, with a stronger looking beard and short, curly black hair
"Wow. Nice piece." One of them said, spotting Sam's pistol. "You know you wanna let me have a go."
"I really don't think I do." Sam replied.
"What were you two doing out here exactly?" Derrick asked.
"We ran out of booze man." The other said. "So we were gonna go get some from that Sainsburys down the road."
"You won't get in there." Sharon said. "These retards got the place filled with these things."
The boys looked puzzled. "What're you doing with these tools Sharon?" One asked.
"You know these two?" Sam asked, ignoring the insult.
"Yeah we hang around a lot, know a few of their mates. The one with the stupid spiky hair is Wayne Harris, the black one's Aiden Timbers."
Aiden laughed. "Yeah if by 'hang around a lot' you mean we were your customers."
Sharon turned abruptly and walked away, blushing furiously.
"Look," Harry said. "The sun is going down and we need a place to shelter for the night. Think you can help us out?"
"Oh yeah?" Wayne sneered. "Why should we?"
"Because we've got food." Alexa said, pointing to the Bergen on Sam's back. "Do you?"
The pair considered it for a moment. Sam was sure they would have thought about just stealing the food had they not been so well armed.
"Fine then." Aiden finally conceded. "We broke into this place down the road. It's still got power I think."
"But Aiden-" Wayne began.
Aiden silenced him with a look. "We take them with us."

The house was a large detached home, in a small, inconspicuous cul-de-sac. The front door was barricaded with plywood and other obstacles. Sam looked at Aiden questioningly, he just sneered and walked away. He walked over to the side of the house and lifted an old sheet off a concealed cellar entrance. He then unlocked the hefty padlock on the door and opened it. The others followed him inside, closing the door behind him as Aiden then locked it from the inside. Lenny flicked the light switch on, filling the room with light.
"Sweet the power does still work." He said.
"Switch that off." Derrick said. "If we're going to have lights on then we should cover the windows first. We don't want to draw any attention."
"Who put you in charge?" Wayne barked. "This is our place."
Derrick glared at them. "That won't make much of a difference if we have those things breaking down the front door will it?"
The group spent the next hour making the house completely secure. All curtains were shut, all doors and were double-checked to ensure they were locked, all windows were barricaded with whatever they could find and everyone was forbidden from making any loud noises. Eventually Derrick was satisfied that the house was secure. By this time night had fallen, so Derrick began making dinner. Sam hadn't noticed due to all of the action, but he was starving. As he helped Derrick prepare the bounty of food they'd brought, they began talking.
"Keep an eye on those two Sam." He said quietly, "I don't trust them at all. Make sure they don't take watch alone tonight."
Sam nodded. "Right, will do." After a few seconds pause he asked him a question that had been nagging at him for a while. "Derrick, how do you know all of this stuff about survival? And the guns?"
Derrick sighed. "I used to be in the SAS." He said, "It was years ago, but you never forget what they teach you."
Sam was surprised. "Really? Why did you leave?"
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Derrick said. "A mission went… not as expected."
"What happened?" Sam asked.
Derrick didn't look at him. "The food's ready."

They sat in the living room to eat, Lenny had turned on the television, but every channel had the same 'service unavailable' message displayed across the screen. Other than the initial introductions, the group sat in an awkward silence for most of the meal. After they had all eaten Harry searched around the house, returning triumphant with an old radio. The room was filled with the sound of static as he switched it on, but after some tinkering he found a working channel. The group gathered round as a calm, sophisticated voice spoke.
"-Official state of emergency, all civilians are ordered to report to the nearest military evacuation zone immediately. Do not attempt to contact loved ones. Do not stop for personal belongings. Avoid contact with the infected."
They exchanged dark looks; if this was a state of emergency then the rest of the entire country must be in the same condition. But there was more.
"If you have come into contact with the infected, inform your nearest official. If you have been bitten by an infected, ensure you are quarantined in a secure location away from uninfected citizens. Any civilians in designated contingency zones are advised to evacuate immediately. Contingency zones will face extensive bombardment on the 23rd of November. Current contingency zones are: Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and London. All civilians are advised to evacuate immediately. Please remain calm. This is an official state of emergency…"
The message looped. Harry switched off the radio as everyone sat in a stunned silence. Sam could hardly believe his ears; they were going to bomb London. Eventually Harry broke the silence.
"Well, what in God's name are we going to do now?"
"I think our original plan is looking a bit more promising." Sam said to Derrick.
He nodded. "Sam's right we need to get out of the city now."
"But where can we go?" Lenny said. "This thing is bigger than we thought. You saw how many cities are being bombed!"
Sam interjected. "We need to get out of the country. The bombing's going down on the 23rd right? That's 4 days from now. So we need to at least get out of the city before then."
"But how?" Alexa asked. "The roads are blocked and there's no way we're getting past them."
"By air." Derrick said. "I know how to fly a plane, I learned it while serving. We get to Heathrow, and then we find a plane and take it out of here."
"How do we know there'll even be a plane there?" Aiden asked.
"We don't." Derrick replied "But if there were evacuations then they'll have been air-lifting people out. I haven't seen a plane since yesterday so I guess the army either pulled out or got overwhelmed. Either way there could be planes there."
"Seems we're leaving an awful lot to chance." Harry said.
"We don't have much choice." Sam said. "It's either go to Heathrow and take the chance, or we stay here and wait to get bombed, if those infected don't get us first."
"So it's decided then." Lenny said. "We go to Heathrow."
"We'll set off first thing tomorrow." Derrick said. "Until then I think it's important that we get some sleep. I'll take first watch."