Winter Smith (Book 1): London's Burning (54 page)

              “I can’t believe you’re alive.” Winter gasped. “I can’t believe we’ve made it.”

              “I’m so sorry.” Violet sobbed.

              Winter broke away. All three of them were in tears.

              “There’s no time to talk here,” Winter said, as the car horn beeped once more. “We have to go.”

              They turned to the ship to see the captain beginning to withdraw the anchor from the water. Winter screamed out. She saw Connor, William, Cedric and Rose stood by the car, looking over at them.

              “Oh my god, it’s Connor.” Violet gasped.

              They got to the water, where the captain was struggling to get the anchor back up, due to the zombies, which were grabbing it. Winter noticed the dead in the water seemed to sink and never return, but she could still see they were alive.

              The steps leading up to the ship were heavily guarded, and the dead kept heading towards them. It was almost as if the dead thought they, too, should have a right to leave London behind.

              “Why is it leaving now? It’s too early,” William was saying.

              “Because of how much is going on. The dead seem to be congregating here,” Zach answered.

              “Let’s get moving,” Violet said.

              They did as she said. She was halfway to the steps when a survivor nearby fired a bullet. Winter knew what was going to happen but could do nothing about it. The bullet soared past and hit Violet straight in the shoulder.

              Violet screamed, clutching at her wound. Zach ran to her and kept her on her feet before she could fall. The blood pouring from her wound alerted the dead nearby, and they began running towards her.

              Guards ran to the aid, some fighting off the zombies and some leading them to the steps.

They were all scanned, judged, checked for any infections before getting on board, but when Winter stepped onto the deck of the ship she felt relieved. But the panic she felt for Violet was weighing down on her, and when Violet was rushed across the deck, Winter pursued.

              The captain nodded at them as they got on board. He looked panicked and fraught.

              A government worker came to their aid.

              They were led across the floor, feeling the ship bob left and right and hearing the hisses and the firing bullets back on land. Winter noticed that the sky was becoming dark, filled with clouds, but it was much too early for nightfall yet. They were taken to a door, which led down old, wooden steps. Once they climbed down the steps, they found themselves in hallways full of bedrooms. Nurses frantically rushed from room to room, while those who had been tended to were sat on stools waiting for further instructions.

              Winter, Violet and Zach were guided into one room, which was small and compact. Violet was told to get on the bed - a large metal slab with a thin mattress on top, while her wound was tended to. She was assured everything would be okay.

              Zach was placed on the chair next to her, and Winter was told to sit on another bed as they needed to do routine check ups on everyone. Winter assumed it was because of her wounds after their car crash.

              Connor looked at her through the door. William, Cedric and Ruby were behind him. They were told to move out of the way and a government worker guided them down the hall.

              “I don’t need to be seen. I’m here on business.” Winter could hear Cedric saying.

              The engines of the ship began to fire up, and Winter wondered if all survivors had made it on board.

              “I’m so sorry for everything, Winter.” Violet was saying. “I got paranoid. I just forgot what was right, and wanted to do stuff my way. I thought I could do this with out you, but Zach will agree with me when I say just how hard it has been.”

              Winter shook her head. “We were all scared. Emotions were running high. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

              Violet sighed. “I am really sorry. For everything.”

              “What happened with the kids?”

              “They got ill.” Zach explained. “They were getting ill before we left…before we left each other…but I didn’t notice any bites on them or anything. Then, when we got here, they were dead.”

              “We don’t know how it happened. They weren’t bitten,” Violet said.

              “Unless they were bitten when we got out of that last place that we set on fire,” Zach said to Violet.

              Violet shrugged.

              “You set a place on fire?”

              “That’s not even the worst part. We got locked in some creepy house at one point,” Zach said, trying to ignore the nurse that was getting his arm ready for an injection.

              “Is that injection a vaccination?” Winter asked the nurse.

              The nurse busied herself with needles before answering.

              “It’s more of a medication to kill any beginnings of a virus.”

              “How can you kill a virus?” Zach asked.

              “We couldn’t until recently. But this is one step closer to finding the cure of this outbreak. You might want to look away.”

              Zach looked sick as the needle went into his arm, but Winter couldn’t see what happened next. Another nurse bustled into the room and pulled the curtains across so they had privacy.

              “Hello, Winter, god I bet this has been a very crazy time for you, hasn’t it?” She was being cheerfully polite as she began writing records in a folder she was carrying. Winter wanted to tell her it had been so much more than ‘very crazy’.

              “Now, I’m just going to give you an injection and then I’ll be back in a few moments to tend to a few of these cuts you’ve got. What happened?”

              “A car crash.”

              “Nasty.”

              Winter just nodded. She let the nurse inject her with the medication, and then heard her leave. The curtains weren’t drawn back, and Winter made to do so when she heard Violet and Zach speaking.

              “So, did you see me as boyfriend material?” Zach asked. “Do you think it could ever work between us?”

              “Of course I did,” Violet said. “Of course I thought we could work, but we both know now is not the right time.”

              “But we’re out of London, now.”

              “That may be, but we have a whole new life ahead of us now. We have to set up new living conditions and we have to find jobs. We could go in completely different circles, Zach.”

              Zach didn’t reply instantly. “I thought it could work between us.”

              “I think it still can, just not right now.”

              “You know I love you, don’t you?”

              “And I love you.” Violet whispered.

              Winter heard them kiss. She smiled slightly, feeling sorry that the relationship hadn’t worked out. She had thought it would happen, and thought that maybe in Paris it would start up once more.

              When there was no more sound, Winter pulled the curtain back and pretended she hadn’t heard anything.

              “That injection hurt, didn’t it?”

              All three of them had cotton wool bandaged on their arms. Violet had her arm in a sling.

              “Try having a bullet taken out of your arm.” Violet grinned.

              “I’d rather not.”

              Connor appeared at the door.

              “Winter, can I speak to you a minute?”

              Winter narrowed her eyes. He had tried to pose the question as innocent, but she could see straight through him.

              Violet grinned excitedly at her, evidently unaware of any complications the pair faced. Winter returned a slight smile as she stood up.

              “How are you?” Connor asked Violet.

              “I’m fine. It’s good to see you again.”

              “You too.”

              Winter joined Connor at the door and they walked down the hallway. She spotted William lying on one of the beds. He waved at her and she waved back. Winter expected to turn into one of the rooms, but Connor led her down flights of stairs, through narrow hallways identical to the one above, until they came to steps that were carpeted. They walked down these and found themselves in the posh part of the ship, and at the end of the hallway were offices.

              He held open the door and Winter saw Cedric and Ruby waiting for her.

              Cedric stood up and shook her hand again, a businessman ready to strike a deal. Winter took his hand and shook it stiffly, a look of annoyance on her face.

              The ship began moving as Winter took a seat opposite Cedric and Ruby. Connor left the room and shut the door.

              “It’s about time we set sail, isn’t it?” Cedric asked conversationally.

              Winter said nothing.

              “So, Winter, we can explain everything to you now, if you so wish to hear it.”

              “Yes, I do.”

              Cedric nodded.

              “We have reason to believe the government aren’t all they are saying to be. We have reason to believe the government are plotting something under our noses, and that Paris will remain safe until every remaining survivor gets in the country.”

              “Why do you think that?” Winter asked.

              “Please, let me explain, it will save more time.”

              Winter sat back in her chair and folded her arms.

              “Ruby and I are trying to prove this, and we are finding people who believe what we believe. We have a number of people on our side, who want to speak out against the government and prove that they are doing something secretive.”

              Winter was ready with more questions, but she knew she would be left with no answers once more. So instead she waited for Cedric to carry on.

              “We’re interested in you in particular because of what you said recently, when you appealed for help to find Connor. You insulted the government, you questioned their motives, and we knew that with a personality like you we can cater to more people.”

              “So you want me to speak out
against
the government, and become a hate figure?”

              “Not a hate figure as such,” Cedric said. “But we want you to join us and become our ambassador. We want you to represent us. We want you to find out the truth about the government and expose it. We know you’re used to being famous, we know you’re used to getting hate, we know you can handle it.”

              “And Connor said this would be something I’d be interested in?”

              “He did indeed.”

              Winter shook her head. She pushed herself away from the table and shook her head once more, annoyed and outraged.

              “Well, he was wrong. I am not going to join you, to speak out against the government, because they are not doing anything wrong. You’re just paranoid. You’d be doing more damage than good.”

              “Winter, you don’t understand…”

              “Except I do understand, Cedric.” Winter spat. She began to head towards the door and took it as a good sign that nobody tried to stop her. “I understand what you want me to do, and I thought Connor understood me when I explained I never want to do anything like that again. Paris is a new start for me. I get to do what I want to do. I don’t have to be famous Winter Smith anymore. I don’t have to put up with news reports about me. Instead, I can just be normal, and start a new life and fend for myself.”

              She pulled open the door. Connor looked at her from the hallway.

              “I say good luck to you in finding a celebrity ambassador. I hope we never get to meet again.”

              Winter let the door shut behind her. She looked at Connor.

              “Thanks for thinking you could put me back in that celebrity role again, Connor. It seems you only wanted to be with me because of my status. Good luck in Paris.”

              Before he could say anything else, Winter strode away from him, and climbed the numerous stairs until she found the hallway where she had been staying. She popped into William’s room.

              “Why don’t you come and meet my friends?”

              William sat up. “What’s going on with Connor?”

              “They wanted me to go against the government and become a celebrity ambassador for whatever they’re doing.” Winter whispered. “I told them they could fuck off. Make sure you keep that quiet from Violet and Zach for now.”

              William nodded.

              The pair walked up the hallway and into the room where Violet and Zach were staying. Violet smiled at them as they walked in. Winter noticed her eyes drift to William’s bum.