Capital Falling Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3]
what Reed has just told me and how bad the situation is. They are both silent, speechless throughout and when I finish, there is still silence.After a second, it is Karen who speaks first.
“Andy,” she says very solemnly, “can Stacey stay with you? There are my parents in Ruislip, but Jim and I would prefer if she stayed with you, wouldn’t we Jim?”
Jim speaks in the near background, agreeing with Karen.
“I know it’s a big thing to ask,’ Karen continues, but I cut her off.
“Karen, Jim, of course, she can stay with me, I was planning on it. You both have to be aware though, that I don’t know how this is going to play out and I may have to make some difficult decisions for us all. I will treat Stacey as my own and do all I can to protect her.”
“We trust your judgement, Andy,” Karen says, Jim again agreeing in the background.
Something else now sounds in the background down the phone. It has my attention; it’s very faint but I distinguish it immediately. Gunshots!
“Can I speak to Jim?” I ask Karen.
“Here he is. Please look after Stacey…and Andy, thank you.”
“I will, Karen, good luck.”
Jim and Karen are right in the middle of the first area of London that was locked down and it sounds like the situation there has just entered a new phase.
Jim comes on the phone. “Thank you for looking after Stacey, Andy.”
“I will do my best, Jim,” I tell him and then change the direction of the call.
“Jim, I need to get as much information from you as you can give me.”
“I don’t have any?” Jim replies sounding surprised by my request.
“Jim, you are right in the middle of this,” I tell him, “I have just heard gunshots in the background there.”
“Have you?” he says sounding shocked.
“Yes, Jim, take it from me, can you look out of the window there and tell me everything you see?” I ask him urgently.
Jim and Karen work right in the centre of the city, in the skyscraper nicknamed the Cheesegrater. Their company recently moved into the building, and any information Jim can give me on how things are looking on the ground there, may have a big bearing when deciding the best course of action for me and the girls.
“Andy, it looks like bedlam down there,” he says, but then says nothing else. Bedlam? What’s that? That’s the problem with civilians; they are all drama, no fact. And he simply doesn’t realise that in this kind of scenario, only fact matters and every second counts.
“Jim, you’ve got to tell me what you’re seeing,” I say exasperated. “Exactly what you see.”
“Sorry, Andy, well, it's just total chaos. I’m looking down on Leadenhall Street, with Lloyds of London and the Willis Building in front of me. There are, I’d say, around forty, maybe fifty people in the streets running in all different directions. There are a couple of crashed cars, one’s on fire and the other’s crashed into the side of the Lloyds building. Some kind of army truck has just pulled up farther up the street and has parked across the street. Some soldiers are getting out, and they have guns, Andy. Like you said.”
“Okay, Jim; what else is happening?” I’m now hungry for any information he can give.
Jim carries on, “Here comes another car, it's going too fast. Oh, my God, Andy! It’s just driving into the people on the road, it’s knocking them everywhere. It…it just ran right over the top of someone, it’s awful! Hold on. There’s a person chasing the car, it looks like a woman. How can she possibly keep up and run that fast? What? She has just jumped up and smashed through the back windscreen into the car, and now the car’s swerving out of control!”
Jim was right, it is chaos there, I think as Jim tells me that the swerving car has just crashed into and driven through into the Lloyds building.
“Andy,” Jim says urgently, “a man’s just jumped on top of another man and it looks like he’s biting him……or trying to eat him. The man is trying to fight him off, trying to get away…they have both just fallen to the floor. Bloody hell, a woman has just jumped on top of them both.”
Again, gunfire sounds, multiple automatic shots. And, this time, Jim hears them.
“The soldiers have just opened fire, Andy and just shot the man and woman to pieces. Holy shit, it’s unbelievable! There is blood everywhere, all over the pavement!”
I’ve heard enough and need to decide quickly the best course of action for me and the girls.
“Thanks, Jim, got to go, I’ll try to keep in touch with you and Karen. Want me to put you back on to Stacey?”
“Yes, please Andy,” then Jim suddenly continues. “People are running into Lloyds, through the hole the car made in the wall; these people are moving so quickly in what looks like some kind of swarm."
“They must be infected with this virus, Jim. You and Karen, go get as many supplies together as you can, especially water, Jim. And find somewhere you can barricade yourselves in until this ends,” I tell him.
“Yes, Andy, thanks. Can I speak to Stacey? Wait a second! The main entrance to Lloyds has just opened and people are running out; there are lots of them, Andy, and they look like they’re running for their lives!”
“Jim, I have to go,” I say. “Please ask Stacey not to tell Emily anything; it will be best for me to explain it to her, Jim.”
“Of course, Andy. And please do all that you can to protect Stacey.”
“Yes, of course, I will Jim. And good luck to you and Karen. Find somewhere to hide.”
I go back into the kitchen and give a worried-looking Stacey her phone back.
Stacey quickly takes the phone and is immediately talking to her parents again, but after a second, she gets up from her chair at the kitchen table and moves to the breakfast bar