Capital Falling | Book 4 | Sever Winkless, Lance (most popular ebook readers TXT) 📖

“Good, this is going to be extremely dangerous, with just us, especially when we are out in the open. So, do exactly as I say, when I say. Don’t think you know better because you don’t, believe me. If we get separated, our boat is waiting on the river. On the right of London Bridge, there is a small wharf down there. I take it you all know where that is?”

“Yes, we know. Don’t we Tanya?” Karen says, and Tanya nods.

“There are steps down off the bridge on the left if we have to use them. But we will be taking the road right of the main junction on the way and then left to take a small road down to the wharf. Do you all know the way I mean?” They all nod to confirm.

I dare say that they all know this part of the city well, better than me. I could imagine myself taking a walk down to the river on my lunch breaks if I worked in this area, and I bet they have all done the same.

“Okay, good,” I say slinging the rucksack back onto my back and turning to pick up the M4. My left hand reaches for the radio on my chest. “Josh receiving, over,” I ask.

“Receiving. Unchanged here, over,” Josh answers quickly again.

“Good. We are just about to move out and make our way off floor ten. We have one extra civilian, so that is me and three others, confirm over.”

“Confirm, four total, over,” Josh replies.

“ETA, fifteen to twenty minutes. Out.”

“Copy.”

I look at the three civilians, who look extremely nervous, but determined. Jim’s knuckles are beginning to whiten on the grip of the Glock, and I tell him to relax as I skirt back towards the office door, which he does.

“This is it,” I say turning to face the others. “Keep calm and stay behind me. If any of you see anything, Jim in particular, then tell me, as quietly as possible. If I pick up the pace or slow down, then so do you.

“There is going to be hideous scenes on the way, blood, and guts. I shot several creatures in the stairwell on the way up and it will be gruesome, so prepare yourselves. If you can’t handle it, then don’t look, keep your eyes fixed on me. We cannot afford panic; panic will get us killed. So, concentrate on getting out of here and concentrate on me. Any questions?”

“We are ready, Andy,” Karen speaks for them all, after a moment’s silence.

“Good, then let’s go.”

Chapter 18

Welcome air from the main office fills my lungs through the crack in the door that I make to check outside the small rancid office. The room is just as I left it minutes before, it seems that we have got away with the exploding window.

I signal for the others to stay where they are and pull the door wider so that I can slip through. Behind my rifle, I move down the room at double-time to take up a position at the entrance to the reception. Nothing moves, so I wave my hand behind me to signal to Karen to lead the others down to my position.

Glancing back to see them come, I notice the two women have copied my stance and stay low while they scurry over to me. Behind them, Jim brings up the rear, he too has his head down, with the Glock gripped in both of his hands, the gun high up next to his head. His stance reminds me of Clint Eastwood in his old Dirty Harry cop movies, but at least Jim has the barrel pointing upwards where he can’t shoot any of our group.

Jim does a good job covering the rear as I move across reception arriving at the company’s double-doored entrance. Staying on my feet, I push against one of the doors to give me a view of the foyer beyond, and I am pleased to see that the plastic tree, I derided, is still in place and that the foyer is empty. I tell Karen to stay put and I slip out of the entrance, the door closing behind me.

I am wary of the door to the Gents on my right and the other to the Ladies farther along the foyer. Either doorway could suddenly open, bringing with it a Rabid attack. The doors swing inward though, and I rely on that keeping any creatures that might be inside, trapped there.

Quickly, I move double-time past the doors and into the corridor that leads to the stairwell. The route is clear, so without delay, I return to get the others. I hold the door to Cole & Co open to let everyone out, my rifle pointing right, covering the threat from the toilets. With Jim out last, I follow the group, covering the doors the whole time. This means that I can’t be upfront to lead the way, but I can’t be in two places at the same time and right now I consider the foyer to be the biggest threat.

We reach the entrance to the stairwell without incident and after taking the obligatory look through the glass panel in the door, I open it.

Death is in the air of the stairwell; it rises to assault both our noses and our confidence. Everyone’s complexion has taken on a shade of sickly green, something that I cannot hide either.

“This is going to get gory,” I warn everyone before I move to the first flight of steps down.

There is no hiding the slaughter when we reach the floors of my fight with the undead, but at least they all get a warning that we are entering the carnage, blood-splattered walls give them the signal, as well as my words.

My speech, warning them to avoid looking at the ripped flesh and mangled bodies, if they didn’t think they could handle it, sounds ridiculous as I play it