where the windows were completely smashed away and
every single item had been stripped out. Sarah kept a sharp lookout
from the front seat next to Graham, while he dodged the larger
items of rubbish that were strewn around the road.
'Look, there's one,' Sarah said, pointing to the right hand
side of the road.
Graham stopped short of the café. Its windows were intact but
the door was cracked and standing ajar.
Despite the hunger the kids had worked up in him with their
talk, Bill remained cautious. 'Better scan the place with the UV.'
He stepped down from the van and shone the torch into the doorway.
There were the tell-tale signs of contamination. The spots of blood
were faint, maybe months old but no-one had any idea yet how long
the virus remained active. 'We'd better move on,' he
said.
They passed a fast food takeaway and a pizza restaurant,
without being able to use either because of contamination. Graham
turned into a parallel street and almost at once Sarah grabbed his
arm.
'Look, that big clothing store. The ones in that chain all
have a café on the top floor.'
'That's right, Janet said. 'It's supposed to keep the
customers in the shop longer, so they're more likely to buy
something.'
Bill shone Steve's torch around the doorway and found only a
couple of spots several feet away on the pavement. He pushed at the
main door but found it locked.
'That might be a good sign; it doesn't look like this street
took so much damage. Is there any chance we can get in?'
'There's probably some sort of tool kit with a truck like
this.'
'Here,' cried Alex, holding up a heavy compartmentalised
folding pouch which had been digging into her back for the last few
miles.
Graham took if from her. 'Great, let's see if there's anything
like a tyre wrench in there?'
'Here we go,' Bill said, pulling out a two foot long metal bar
which was flattened at one end. 'This might do it.'
After several minutes of levering and shoving, the door gave
way. The UV torch showed the place to be clean inside. Even better,
the lights still worked.
'It's amazing how there's power everywhere,' Janet
said.
Steve carried on trying the switches until he had just the
lights in the back of the shop working. 'The power companies
probably don't have the engineers to go round doing maintenance,
unless there's a serious problem, then I expect they just isolate
the whole section.
'Can we like go upstairs now?'
'You're always so keen to go charging in,' Rachel
said.
'Well, if I hadn't got your bag, it would be still back at the
school under a pile of rubble.'
'Which was very nearly where you ended up,' Alex
said.
'I wonder if they've got any shoes here.'
'Rachel! We're like all half dead from hunger!'
'Yes,' Janet said. 'Bill, you've got the pistol and Steve's
torch; Graham will you please take the flare gun and go with Bill
to check all the way to the top. See if the café has any equipment
working. Maisie, make sure all the food is ready in the shopping
basket.'
Chapter 21: The
Website
Within the shortest time possible, the fugitives worked
together to get a meal spread out on one of the café tables. Janet
had washed the utensils they needed, Steve wiped over a couple of
tables, then Maisie and Fred set out plates, cutlery and napkins.
Alex had made pancakes, Sarah produced a large pan of scrambled
eggs with cheese and bacon, and Karen had heated up the contents of
her three tins of beans with mini-sausages. Graham kept watch while
Bill backed the lorry into a side street and checked the fuel,
water and oil levels. Rachel, meanwhile, had been busy in the shop,
finding a handbag she liked.
Fresh vegetables didn't feature anywhere but everyone felt as
though they'd enjoyed a feast.
'There's still some coffee left,' Bill said, standing up
offering to make some.
'Well, what next?' Graham said. 'We can't just keep aimlessly
driving about.'
'Fuel tank on the lorry's gone down a bit,' Bill
said.
'Can't we like try the phones again?'
'Now,
every single item had been stripped out. Sarah kept a sharp lookout
from the front seat next to Graham, while he dodged the larger
items of rubbish that were strewn around the road.
'Look, there's one,' Sarah said, pointing to the right hand
side of the road.
Graham stopped short of the café. Its windows were intact but
the door was cracked and standing ajar.
Despite the hunger the kids had worked up in him with their
talk, Bill remained cautious. 'Better scan the place with the UV.'
He stepped down from the van and shone the torch into the doorway.
There were the tell-tale signs of contamination. The spots of blood
were faint, maybe months old but no-one had any idea yet how long
the virus remained active. 'We'd better move on,' he
said.
They passed a fast food takeaway and a pizza restaurant,
without being able to use either because of contamination. Graham
turned into a parallel street and almost at once Sarah grabbed his
arm.
'Look, that big clothing store. The ones in that chain all
have a café on the top floor.'
'That's right, Janet said. 'It's supposed to keep the
customers in the shop longer, so they're more likely to buy
something.'
Bill shone Steve's torch around the doorway and found only a
couple of spots several feet away on the pavement. He pushed at the
main door but found it locked.
'That might be a good sign; it doesn't look like this street
took so much damage. Is there any chance we can get in?'
'There's probably some sort of tool kit with a truck like
this.'
'Here,' cried Alex, holding up a heavy compartmentalised
folding pouch which had been digging into her back for the last few
miles.
Graham took if from her. 'Great, let's see if there's anything
like a tyre wrench in there?'
'Here we go,' Bill said, pulling out a two foot long metal bar
which was flattened at one end. 'This might do it.'
After several minutes of levering and shoving, the door gave
way. The UV torch showed the place to be clean inside. Even better,
the lights still worked.
'It's amazing how there's power everywhere,' Janet
said.
Steve carried on trying the switches until he had just the
lights in the back of the shop working. 'The power companies
probably don't have the engineers to go round doing maintenance,
unless there's a serious problem, then I expect they just isolate
the whole section.
'Can we like go upstairs now?'
'You're always so keen to go charging in,' Rachel
said.
'Well, if I hadn't got your bag, it would be still back at the
school under a pile of rubble.'
'Which was very nearly where you ended up,' Alex
said.
'I wonder if they've got any shoes here.'
'Rachel! We're like all half dead from hunger!'
'Yes,' Janet said. 'Bill, you've got the pistol and Steve's
torch; Graham will you please take the flare gun and go with Bill
to check all the way to the top. See if the café has any equipment
working. Maisie, make sure all the food is ready in the shopping
basket.'
Chapter 21: The
Website
Within the shortest time possible, the fugitives worked
together to get a meal spread out on one of the café tables. Janet
had washed the utensils they needed, Steve wiped over a couple of
tables, then Maisie and Fred set out plates, cutlery and napkins.
Alex had made pancakes, Sarah produced a large pan of scrambled
eggs with cheese and bacon, and Karen had heated up the contents of
her three tins of beans with mini-sausages. Graham kept watch while
Bill backed the lorry into a side street and checked the fuel,
water and oil levels. Rachel, meanwhile, had been busy in the shop,
finding a handbag she liked.
Fresh vegetables didn't feature anywhere but everyone felt as
though they'd enjoyed a feast.
'There's still some coffee left,' Bill said, standing up
offering to make some.
'Well, what next?' Graham said. 'We can't just keep aimlessly
driving about.'
'Fuel tank on the lorry's gone down a bit,' Bill
said.
'Can't we like try the phones again?'
'Now,
Similar Books
