Free E Virus: The Diary of a Modern Day Girl (The Beginning of the End) by Jessica Ward Page A

leading up to the door.
    We pulled up opposite the plane, and cautiously opened the doors. The two men were walking towards us, the way they walked, showed they were clearly on duty.
    “Good morning. My name is Sergeant Jeff Tanner, and this is my second in command Corporal Ryan Jameson.”
    “Hi” I replied weakly. The Sergeant was a middle aged man; he wore a navy blazer which accentuated his broad shoulders, underneath he had a black tie and sky blue shirt, all in pristine condition. He stood with his hat tucked underneath his arm. His whole demeanour seemed to command respect. He was definitely a man of authority.  
    His Corporal had the s ame posture and uniform as the Sergeant however he seemed to have a younger and kinder face. He smiled as he shook our hands.
    The sergeant continued “Please do not be alarmed, we wish you no harm. We are part of the Royal Air Force. There aren’t many of us anymore, but we can provide you with shelter, food and water. Our main base was compromised, so we have been positioned here for the last week. We have a lot to discuss, please come this way”
    We all looked at each other confused, but followed the sergeant as he led the way. “When the outbreak first hit Europe we reopened the airbase, under the command of the Ministry of Defence. We were positioned here to provide support to the British Army, and to help prevent the infection.”
    “So where’s everyone now?” Nick asked as we walked around the back of the plane.
    “When the outbreak hit the capital, the majority of our squad were redeployed to the Midlands, to try and stop the outbreak on its journey North” The sergeant continued “I was put in command of the remaining troops, as we continued to establish a containment area. This whole airbase had been designed as a safe place, our aim was to use this area as a refuge, a safe place for survivors.”
    He stopped when we reached the far wall of the hangar where wooden crates lined the wall. Next to the crates were multiple gas canisters. “These crates are filled with MRE’s. This stands for Meals Ready-to Eat; they have been used in the army for years now. They aren’t the most appetizing foods in the world. But they are substantial.”
    “If this is a safe place, then where are the rest of the survivors?” I asked, thinking that clearly something wasn’t right.
    “Our main base was the building towards the entrance. Within the base we established living quarters, a canteen, showering facilities and a medical centre. Shortly after the infection reached us here, we started to take in more and more casualties. The MoD had warned us not to take in any survivors who had been bitten or seemed to be contracting a fever; however they refused to tell us why. We followed our orders at first. After a few days a private brought a young boy to my attention. He was only 4 years of age. He had a small bite. The private explained to me he had been bitten by his mother and that he couldn’t leave him behind.”
    I looked at the sergeant, understanding where the rest of this story was going.
    “I made an exception for the little boy and sent him to the medical wing, where he developed a fever and infection. After 4 hours the boy was pronounced dead. Within 15 minutes of death, he became animated. He started to infect the other survivors, who then infected my men. I had no choice but to lock the whole building down. The corporal and I were on the other side of the air base when I got the call. I made the decision there and then.”
    The S ergeant looked to the floor, shaking his head.
    The C orporal spoke up “You see, it wasn’t just the survivors and our men that were in there, our families were there too.”
    I looked closer at the two men standing before us. Beneath the military exterior, I could see the pain in their eyes. They were both family me n at heart. Although their job was to serve our country, they lived for their family. For the first time since the virus