motorway.”
I nodded. I’d driven down this road a
few times before the outbreak, and I knew how far it stretched. I didn’t have
any intention of walking all the way to Bury, because it would take too long
and Justin could be long gone by then.
“There’s a service station up ahead.
Maybe we can find a car and get some sleep for a couple of hours. But we’re
moving at first light.”
Dan bent down and rubbed his calf.
His heavyset body shook with each breath, but I didn’t know whether it was
through exhaustion or through anger at Alice.
“You’re pushing us too much. I’m sick
of this shit.”
I picked up my pack, heaved it on my
back. I was moving no matter how much he moaned. “Just a little bit
longer. Man up.”
***
The service station consisted of a
petrol garage and a large complex that housed fast-food chains and shops.
Truckers and long-distance commuters went there to fill up their cars, use the
toilet, grab some food or just have a nap before continuing their journeys. I’d
been a few times myself when I travelled for work. There was something lonely
about the service station; everyone who used it was usually hundreds of miles
away from their families, spending nights away from them for a job that made
them miserable. If only we’d realised how precious that time was.
The crazy thing was that during the
first years of the outbreak, when things turned bad and got progressively
worse, people carried on with their jobs. They kept going to business meetings,
wearing suits, travelling to work. They pretended everything was okay. If only
we’d looked around us and seen how screwed things really were, maybe we could
have prepared better.
We’d taken the outbreak too lightly,
but there was no reason why we wouldn’t; we’d heard it all before with Swine
Flu and Ebola. There was always a fresh reason the world was going to end. Even
as the news reports flooded in, most people still got dressed and went to work.
They thought someone would find a cure. They believed that if they just acted
like everything was okay, then the whole mess would blow over.
A dozen cars were parked up outside
the services, various models ranging from tiny hatchbacks to four wheel drives.
Maybe one of these would work. We were here, so it was worth checking.
The rest of the group lagged behind.
Ben slid his feet on the floor so that Alice had to drag him along. Dan idled
at the back, staring at the floor. Faizel stood and took in his surroundings,
drinking big gulps of air. The weight of his pack and the miles we’d covered
didn’t seem to bother him.
“What do you think, Faizel?” I said.
“Reckon any of these cars will work?”
He sucked in his cheeks. “Maybe.”
“How about we check them first, then
we get some sleep? We could smash their windows and get some rest in the back.”
Dan caught up to us. “Can’t we check
in the morning?”
It would have been better to wait
until morning, when we were all refreshed, but my arms and legs were filled
with agitation. I kept imagining Justin in the back of the van, wondering about
what Whittaker was going to do to him. Whatever it was, I wouldn’t abandon him
to it.
“The quicker we check, the sooner you
can rest.”
We went to each car, opened the
bonnets by force and waited while Faizel did his checks. My eyelids felt heavy
after we worked through ten of them without getting lucky.
Faizel stood away from the bonnet of
a red Peugeot. He smiled.
“Think we have a winner,” he said.
Dan gave a sarcastic grin, too wide to
be genuine. “Fantastic.”
I walked over, patted Faizel on the
back. “Good stuff. Now we just need the keys.”
Alice pressed her head into the back
window of the car and peered in. “There’s a business jacket hung up on the back
seat.”
I nodded. The service station was the
size of a warehouse and stood at the end of the car
I nodded. I’d driven down this road a
few times before the outbreak, and I knew how far it stretched. I didn’t have
any intention of walking all the way to Bury, because it would take too long
and Justin could be long gone by then.
“There’s a service station up ahead.
Maybe we can find a car and get some sleep for a couple of hours. But we’re
moving at first light.”
Dan bent down and rubbed his calf.
His heavyset body shook with each breath, but I didn’t know whether it was
through exhaustion or through anger at Alice.
“You’re pushing us too much. I’m sick
of this shit.”
I picked up my pack, heaved it on my
back. I was moving no matter how much he moaned. “Just a little bit
longer. Man up.”
***
The service station consisted of a
petrol garage and a large complex that housed fast-food chains and shops.
Truckers and long-distance commuters went there to fill up their cars, use the
toilet, grab some food or just have a nap before continuing their journeys. I’d
been a few times myself when I travelled for work. There was something lonely
about the service station; everyone who used it was usually hundreds of miles
away from their families, spending nights away from them for a job that made
them miserable. If only we’d realised how precious that time was.
The crazy thing was that during the
first years of the outbreak, when things turned bad and got progressively
worse, people carried on with their jobs. They kept going to business meetings,
wearing suits, travelling to work. They pretended everything was okay. If only
we’d looked around us and seen how screwed things really were, maybe we could
have prepared better.
We’d taken the outbreak too lightly,
but there was no reason why we wouldn’t; we’d heard it all before with Swine
Flu and Ebola. There was always a fresh reason the world was going to end. Even
as the news reports flooded in, most people still got dressed and went to work.
They thought someone would find a cure. They believed that if they just acted
like everything was okay, then the whole mess would blow over.
A dozen cars were parked up outside
the services, various models ranging from tiny hatchbacks to four wheel drives.
Maybe one of these would work. We were here, so it was worth checking.
The rest of the group lagged behind.
Ben slid his feet on the floor so that Alice had to drag him along. Dan idled
at the back, staring at the floor. Faizel stood and took in his surroundings,
drinking big gulps of air. The weight of his pack and the miles we’d covered
didn’t seem to bother him.
“What do you think, Faizel?” I said.
“Reckon any of these cars will work?”
He sucked in his cheeks. “Maybe.”
“How about we check them first, then
we get some sleep? We could smash their windows and get some rest in the back.”
Dan caught up to us. “Can’t we check
in the morning?”
It would have been better to wait
until morning, when we were all refreshed, but my arms and legs were filled
with agitation. I kept imagining Justin in the back of the van, wondering about
what Whittaker was going to do to him. Whatever it was, I wouldn’t abandon him
to it.
“The quicker we check, the sooner you
can rest.”
We went to each car, opened the
bonnets by force and waited while Faizel did his checks. My eyelids felt heavy
after we worked through ten of them without getting lucky.
Faizel stood away from the bonnet of
a red Peugeot. He smiled.
“Think we have a winner,” he said.
Dan gave a sarcastic grin, too wide to
be genuine. “Fantastic.”
I walked over, patted Faizel on the
back. “Good stuff. Now we just need the keys.”
Alice pressed her head into the back
window of the car and peered in. “There’s a business jacket hung up on the back
seat.”
I nodded. The service station was the
size of a warehouse and stood at the end of the car
Similar Books
