Coldbrook (Hammer)(102)

Today it took her two whole heartbeats to remember that Tommy was dead.

‘They’re still out there,’ a man’s voice said.

Jayne kept her eyes closed for a moment longer, examining the ache in her head as a way of trying to bypass the heavy, hot pains in her limbs and hips. She pretended, in those few moments before reality smashed its way through, that this was her dream – this place, this time, with these diseased, dead people wandering the airport as they searched for anyone they had missed. And it might have worked for longer than a second if Sean had not persisted.

‘Jayne? You awake? You okay? I said they’re still there.’ His voice became muffled, and she knew he had turned again to one of the aircraft’s dulled, scratched windows. ‘Some have gone, I think. Or maybe they’re just waiting somewhere out of sight. But lots of them are just . . . wandering. Like cattle.’

Jayne opened her eyes at last and grimaced at the familiar pain. Soon she would have to start massaging her limbs and joints, give herself the gift of movement.

‘How long have I been asleep?’

‘Couple hours,’ Sean said.

‘What’s happened?’

He shrugged, his back still turned towards her. She could see the window misting and clearing as he breathed, and she wanted to tell him to get back. But it was dark inside the cabin, and outside there was flickering, dreadful light.

‘Terminal’s still burning. Hour ago, a big passenger jet overflew the airport, real low, then headed north. A few minutes after that an F16 went back and forth a few times.’

Jayne sat up slowly, wincing against the pain in her stiff limbs and joints. As she started massaging, the determination in Sean’s voice gave her a boost.

‘Did you speak to your daughter?’

He shook his head. ‘Nothing.’

‘Did your friend call back?’ she asked.

‘Leigh? Yeah.’ Sean paused.

‘And?’

‘And he said he’d put a call in, and entered you on the immunity register. Help should be on its way.’

‘Should be?’

Sean turned around at last, retreating from the window, and for a moment Jayne saw the glimmer of distant fires reflected against his skin.

‘Shouldn’t we be calling the police, or something?’ she asked. ‘Or . . . I don’t know, the army? Scientists?’

‘I’ve been thinking about this,’ Sean said, shaking his head, ‘and—’

From outside they heard the whoop of a police siren. Eyes wide, Sean glanced from Jayne to the window and back again.

‘Help?’ she asked.

‘Maybe. But we have to be careful.’ He was still nursing the gun in his hand, and she wondered whether he’d closed his eyes even for a moment while she had been asleep. She felt very selfish. She had rested, mourning a love she knew was dead, and all the while Sean had watched over her, not knowing what had happened to his daughter.

Jayne pushed herself upright and staggered across the aisle to the far seats. Sean grabbed her hand and eased her down, and they looked out of two adjoining windows. In the distance, past a series of boarding gates where several aircraft were parked, a blue light flashed three times. A siren whooped again, followed by three more flashes.

‘What are they doing?’ she asked.

‘Looking for survivors, maybe?’

‘Or looking for us?’

Below them, several shapes emerged from beneath the plane’s fuselage and headed across the wide span of concrete. One man walked quickly, almost with authority, but the splash of dried blood down the back of his white shirt was stark and black. The others followed at a slower pace, a couple of them hindered by the wounds that had changed them.

‘Hiding beneath us,’ Jayne said.

‘Sneaky bastards.’

‘Sneaky? You think they can sneak?’

Sean gave her a sidelong look and shrugged.

‘We should signal them,’ she said. ‘But we should warn—’

‘I doubt they need warning.’ He tensed for a moment, thinking. He chuckled. ‘Wish I could drive this thing.’

‘Wish I could fly this thing.’

Sean nodded, still distracted. ‘Cabin lights,’ he said at last.

‘I’m sure there’s a master switch, but where?’

‘Maybe it doesn’t matter.’ Sean reached for the overhead control panels, pushed buttons, and the weak reading lights flicked on.