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are no marks on her and she has a pulse,” he added, as his hands checked her wrist. “I think we need to risk it and bring her with us. We can’t leave her here and in all likelihood, she’s just unconscious from walking around all the way out here.”
    Xin looked unsure. She wanted to bring the woman with them, but if they were wrong then the consequences were big.
    “Alright,” She began reluctantly, “Put her in the back. But you’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
    “Are you out of your minds?” Bao raged. “If she is sick then we are all going to pay the price!”
    “So what do you suggest?” Pete asked earnestly. The honest compassion on his face made Bao feel like the bad guy, but he would not take unnecessary risks.
    “I suggest that if she MUST come with us, then she goes in the back of the van. That way everyone is marginally safe in the case that she wakes up and starts going berserk.”
    Pete nodded sagely. “Okay, but if she wakes up in the back of a strange van all alone, wont she go berserk anyway?”
    “No worries,” Frank piped up, hopping out of the van. He was fed up of Bao’s attitude anyway, and had a growing respect for Pete’s calm, practical and reasonable approach. “I don’t mind sitting in the back with her. As long as I’ve got something to defend myself with, should the need arise.”
    “Good man,” Pete said approvingly.
    Bao shook his head disapprovingly and headed back to the driver side of the van. Pete slid an arm behind the woman’s neck and another beneath her knees and picked her up easily. Frank headed around to the back of the van and opened the doors. He jumped in and moved the boxes back to make some room, before helping Pete get her carefully into the van.
    “Here, take this.” Pete handed Frank the bat. “I doubt you will need to use it, but if you do, don’t hesitate.” He waited for Frank to nod before he released his grip on the bat. With a last nod, he shut the doors to the van and re-joined Xin in the car.

5.
    ‘I’m Lucy. I guess everyone else has written their full names. I don’t think last names even matter anymore, but mine’s Jacobs. I’m from England like Frank. I remember that he was the first person I saw when I woke up from the nightmare. I was a wreck and he looked about ready to kill me at first, but I understand that. I’d had to kill too. There would’ve been no statement from Lucy Jacobs if I hadn’t...’
    “GET AWAY FROM ME!” She screamed as she awoke. Her head jerked up. She was sure it had been rested in someone’s lap. That someone was now scurrying backwards rapidly, getting himself away from her. She panted out ragged, panicked breaths as she whipped her head around.
    “Are you okay back there Frank?” A man’s voice called from the front of what she began to recognise as a van.
    “Are you infected?” The man next to her asked, holding a shiny, metal club out in front of himself. She didn’t know what he meant. “Are you... one of them?” He asked, more urgently.
    “You know about them? You mean the crazy people, right?” She whispered anxiously.
    “We’re good,” Frank called back to the driver. He relaxed visibly and offered her a smile. “We were worried about you back there, Lucy.”
    “How do you know my name?” she questioned nervously.
    “It’s okay, you don’t need to worry. We won’t hurt you,” He assured her and then pointed to her chest. “It’s on your badge.”
    Lucy chuckled in relief and lay back on the cool, hard floor of the van.
    “Lord, it’s been a crazy day,” She said. “I turned up for work this morning, after my week off, and everything had gone to rack and ruin.”
    “Do you work at the compound?” Frank asked.
    She sat back up and her eyes darted at him.
    “The compound? Who are you? What do you know?”
    “My name’s Frank and I don’t know anything, except that we’re headed to that compound now.” This was evidently the wrong thing to say. Panic washed