said
to Karen in the back of the van, 'If they didn't want people to go
in, why'd they leave the door unlocked?'
'Perhaps they weren't expecting anyone. Maybe, if they locked
it folks would break in anyway.'
'Don't think it's that. There's practically no-one around
anyway.'
'Still a few zombies,' like they said.
A mile down the road they came to an industrial estate. There
was a warehouse with its front doors wide open.
'Pull over,' Janet said.
Chapter 18: Poor Old Things
Graham manoeuvred the van up next to the warehouse doors and
backed it inside. Bill checked the immediate area with the torch
for zombie blood. It was clear.
'I'm starving!' Maisie said, jumping out the back of the van
with the others.
'Before we eat,' Janet said, 'I want to check something. Bill,
did you see the old couple's eyes when you flashed the UV beam at
them?'
'Yeah, what do you make of that?'
'I don't know but I want to try it on us. Everyone line up
over here in the shadow. Right Bill, sweep the torch over our faces
with the UV on.'
'Yeah, OK?'
'Did you see anything?'
'Nothing. Not like those two old folks back there, bless
'em.'
'Now on yourself.'
'Right, you're the same, nothing.'
'What's up, mum,' Steve said.
'When Bill shone the torch in the eyes of the two people back
there, they flashed bright green.'
'What, like zombie blood?'
'Yes, just like that. I don't understand.'
'Had they been near zombies?'
'Said they'd shot a couple last night.'
'And they touched them?'
'Sounded like it. They might have got infected but it's too
soon to tell.'
'No, no. Mum, that's it. That's the test!'
'Can you can talk while we eat at the same time?' Alex
said.
'Very sensible. Let's stack all the food we got over there and
sweep that with the torch too. Bill?'
'It's all fine, by the look of it.'
'Alright, Bill, save the batteries. Karen, Sarah, can you
organise the food, while I talk to Steve?'
'No problem. Maisie, Rachel, what can we do for a can
opener?'
'I've got one on my penknife,' Fred said.
'I am like so hungry, Sarah,' Maisie said. 'Please can I start
on the cereal?'
'Sure, take a handful and pass the carton along.'
A separate little huddle comprising Janet, Graham and Steve
formed around the warmth from the van's engine.
'Do you mind if I join you, Mrs Reynolds?' Alex said. 'This
sounds even more interesting than eating right now.'
'Of course.'
Steven was practically bursting with the desire to explain his
theory. 'It's the pre-symptomatic stage,' he said.
'The what?' Graham said.
'Before people start with the drooling and melting and things
going rotten kind of stuff. Before it shows up in blood tests,
maybe.'
'OK,' Alex said, 'You mean the torch doesn't only work for
zombie blood, it works on the eyes as well?'
'Exactly, it's a way of telling if someone's infected almost
straight away. Within a few hours by the look of it.'
'Are you saying that when someone's got the virus, their eyes
light up, like the old couple at the supermarket?'
'Looks like it, mum. You and Bill saw it…'
'I saw it, too,' Graham said.
'The three of you saw it. You heard them saying they'd been in
contact with zombies. That Stan fellow even said he'd touched them.
You only need a speck of blood inside you and that's
it.'
'So it means they've got it,' Alex said. 'Poor old
things.'
Janet sighed and nodded. 'Certainly looks that
way.'
'But our eyes don't light up, so it proves none of us is
infected,' Steve said.
'At least that's one good thing to come out of it.'
'It's not just that, don't you realise what it means?' Alex
said.
'Well, for a start we can show we're not infected,' Graham
said.
Steve had been studying Alex's face. 'That's not all. They can
screen people now, instead of herding everyone together until they
all die.'
Alex nodded. 'Exactly.'
'There's a third thing, too,' Janet said. 'We can use it to
bargain with the Ministry to let us go free.'
Chapter 19: Welcome to Stannicvale
The sound of a helicopter
to Karen in the back of the van, 'If they didn't want people to go
in, why'd they leave the door unlocked?'
'Perhaps they weren't expecting anyone. Maybe, if they locked
it folks would break in anyway.'
'Don't think it's that. There's practically no-one around
anyway.'
'Still a few zombies,' like they said.
A mile down the road they came to an industrial estate. There
was a warehouse with its front doors wide open.
'Pull over,' Janet said.
Chapter 18: Poor Old Things
Graham manoeuvred the van up next to the warehouse doors and
backed it inside. Bill checked the immediate area with the torch
for zombie blood. It was clear.
'I'm starving!' Maisie said, jumping out the back of the van
with the others.
'Before we eat,' Janet said, 'I want to check something. Bill,
did you see the old couple's eyes when you flashed the UV beam at
them?'
'Yeah, what do you make of that?'
'I don't know but I want to try it on us. Everyone line up
over here in the shadow. Right Bill, sweep the torch over our faces
with the UV on.'
'Yeah, OK?'
'Did you see anything?'
'Nothing. Not like those two old folks back there, bless
'em.'
'Now on yourself.'
'Right, you're the same, nothing.'
'What's up, mum,' Steve said.
'When Bill shone the torch in the eyes of the two people back
there, they flashed bright green.'
'What, like zombie blood?'
'Yes, just like that. I don't understand.'
'Had they been near zombies?'
'Said they'd shot a couple last night.'
'And they touched them?'
'Sounded like it. They might have got infected but it's too
soon to tell.'
'No, no. Mum, that's it. That's the test!'
'Can you can talk while we eat at the same time?' Alex
said.
'Very sensible. Let's stack all the food we got over there and
sweep that with the torch too. Bill?'
'It's all fine, by the look of it.'
'Alright, Bill, save the batteries. Karen, Sarah, can you
organise the food, while I talk to Steve?'
'No problem. Maisie, Rachel, what can we do for a can
opener?'
'I've got one on my penknife,' Fred said.
'I am like so hungry, Sarah,' Maisie said. 'Please can I start
on the cereal?'
'Sure, take a handful and pass the carton along.'
A separate little huddle comprising Janet, Graham and Steve
formed around the warmth from the van's engine.
'Do you mind if I join you, Mrs Reynolds?' Alex said. 'This
sounds even more interesting than eating right now.'
'Of course.'
Steven was practically bursting with the desire to explain his
theory. 'It's the pre-symptomatic stage,' he said.
'The what?' Graham said.
'Before people start with the drooling and melting and things
going rotten kind of stuff. Before it shows up in blood tests,
maybe.'
'OK,' Alex said, 'You mean the torch doesn't only work for
zombie blood, it works on the eyes as well?'
'Exactly, it's a way of telling if someone's infected almost
straight away. Within a few hours by the look of it.'
'Are you saying that when someone's got the virus, their eyes
light up, like the old couple at the supermarket?'
'Looks like it, mum. You and Bill saw it…'
'I saw it, too,' Graham said.
'The three of you saw it. You heard them saying they'd been in
contact with zombies. That Stan fellow even said he'd touched them.
You only need a speck of blood inside you and that's
it.'
'So it means they've got it,' Alex said. 'Poor old
things.'
Janet sighed and nodded. 'Certainly looks that
way.'
'But our eyes don't light up, so it proves none of us is
infected,' Steve said.
'At least that's one good thing to come out of it.'
'It's not just that, don't you realise what it means?' Alex
said.
'Well, for a start we can show we're not infected,' Graham
said.
Steve had been studying Alex's face. 'That's not all. They can
screen people now, instead of herding everyone together until they
all die.'
Alex nodded. 'Exactly.'
'There's a third thing, too,' Janet said. 'We can use it to
bargain with the Ministry to let us go free.'
Chapter 19: Welcome to Stannicvale
The sound of a helicopter
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