Adversity by Devon C. Ford

Author:Devon C. Ford [Ford, Devon C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zombies | Survival | Thriller
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2019-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Captain Palmer walked through the woods behind their large house with Major Downes. The two men had a respect for each other that had grown to be something resembling a friendship, but each was closely committed to their tasks and didn’t lose time on frivolities. That said, both understood that taking the time to keep themselves sane was just as important as staying fit and healthy.

They had taken their breakfast together, enjoying the wholesome goodness of warm, fresh bread to accompany the eggs and the meagre ration of a single slice of bacon, and at the invitation of Downes, Palmer had joined him to investigate the reports of deer seen close to the house. Hunting animals with military weaponry may not have been sporting, but meat was meat and they had little time to observe the niceties. Downes, much to Smiffy’s sullen disgust, had borrowed his stolen soviet sniper rifle and loaned the tank captain his own MP5 so that neither of their shots would be heard far away. The pretence of hunting deer was no fallacy, but Downes wanted Palmer well away from any other ears before he told him the facts he had yet to share with anyone outside of his own patrol. Those men could be trusted to keep their mouths shut, as could Palmer, he suspected, but the man was under a lot of other conflicting pressures and his reaction was less than a certainty.

“How are we looking for winter?” Downes asked, hoping that Palmer would suggest that their current position was untenable.

“We seem to have broken the back of it,” he said almost happily, “if we can just get through the worst of this winter, then we should be well on our way to rebuilding.”

Downes kept his voice low and his eyes ahead, as the intelligence regarding the deer was genuine.

“Given the choice,” he said carefully, “would you want to rejoin any other units left alive?”

Palmer stopped and looked directly at the SAS Major.

“Who and where?” Palmer shot back, seeing through the uncharacteristically clumsy attempt at hypothesis.

Downes took one look at the younger man’s face and decided not to lie to him. He just had to trust that he would do the right thing with the full facts.

“Inner Hebrides. Part of the Doomsday protocol was for special forces to take as many surviving members of government as possible to a safe location.”

Palmer thought about it for a moment before asking, “Major, do we still have a working government?”

“I’m not sure about working, but yes. We still have cabinet members alive and protected.”

“Major,” Palmer said just as carefully, “why did you keep this information from me until now?”

“Julian,” Downes said in an apologetic tone, “please understand that this was part of the wider picture that I wasn’t at liberty to discu…”

“God dammit, Major!” Palmer erupted, “you think I have enjoyed thinking that we are all that is left? You think I have relished the thought of turning farmer and becoming the bloody mayor instead of a

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