I glanced across to the clock… 4.45am, a solitary red light blinked away the passing seconds… I rested against the faux window set in the far end of my quarters, designed with the intention of giving those individuals who spent the long days underground some comfort as it was supposed to mimic natural light… it however, served as a stark reminder of what had passed as our planet passed through the comets trail, our sky no longer blue… rather it burned a deep orange, as though it was lit by the fires of hell, but even that ochre glow was a thing of memory at the moment as we had been gripped by a virulent storm that had showed little sign of abating… I sighed, my fist clenching against the fake window to which I delivered a hefty thud, turning away I continued with my preparations for the hunt…

The mirror caught me as I moved across the room, my eyes narrowed as I stared at the sorrow filled figure before me… I reached up and ran my hands through my hair… drawing it back, collecting it together and securing it tightly… as I did so my eyes were drawn to the ugly scar on my wrist, a stark reminder of a dark past… for a moment my heart stilled and I could feel that darkness brush against the outer reaches of my mind, that same impenetrable black that had almost consumed me in the early days after the comet fall at a time when all hope seemed lost. I sighed and hastily tied back my hair, desperate to push those memories from my mind. I turned to a door set in the wall, I pressed my thumb against it, just long enough for it to register my print… a click and then the door opened. I reached inside and took out a small ebony chest, flicking the catch I opened it and took stock of its contents… a thin knife and several syringes… I picked up one of the syringes and held it up against the light… the liquid inside cast a green glow. I reached to take my long coat from its hook, slipped the syringes inside and slid the knife through my belt, then left the small room behind.

I moved silently and swiftly through the sterile steel corridors as I made my way through the labyrinthine complex underground, my mind lost to thought as I instinctively made may way past the laboratories that had been my home… rounding the corner and taking the stairs that led to the despatch area. The rest of the team had already assembled and were awaiting me; we exchanged terse greetings and their leader, Trey, walked up to me, regarded me for a moment then spoke…

“The storm shows no sign of letting up, but we cannot delay… we have had report of significant movement around the complex behind the old criminal courts, could be something… most likely nothing, but be vigilant we have already lost one this week and we can ill afford to lose you Doctor.”

He motioned for the rest of his team to move out and slowly the huge steel shutters were cranked open, I felt my heart begin to beat faster as the cold air hit me, reminding me of how long it had been since I last exposed myself to this wilderness

I took a deep breath and then stepped out into the storm as it tore at the ravages of London… the grey black of the clouds lit occasionally with a resonating flash of lightning as the storm battled across the sky… I shuddered for a moment and almost wished that I was back there in my room in the glow of that awful fake light. I watched as the rest as the rest of the team began to fan out over the open ground, their eyes alert to the possibilities of attack. Slowly we began to pick our way through the rubble of the city. For an eternity it seemed that our only company was each other and the fierce lash of the storm… the track seemed torturous as we clambered through the rubble. It was some time before we reached the shadow of St Paul’s, I looked up at the great dome, now cracked partially torn away… my mind drifted to how it had appeared in childhood, how the great swathes of people would be forever bustling before it paying it scant attention, much like any other great building in the city.

I lowered my head with a sigh and began to follow the rest of the team… from the corner of my eye I caught sight of a shadow that quickly melted into the storm, fast and precise… I spun about, my eyes narrowed and searching out the faintest signs of life… I shouted across to Trey, who immediately trained his gun on the surrounding area, but nothing showed, and with caution we began to move away. I felt my hand slip into my coat, resting on one of the syringes… a curious choice of weapon perhaps but far more effective at close range than any of their guns and it gave me some small comfort to have it there. Then there was a burst of action as one of the team unloaded their weapon into the shadows… causing the others to train theirs on the noise… my eyes too were drawn.

As I turned something drove hard into me from behind… I desperately tried to balance myself with my hands, dislodging one of the syringes that was sent clattering to the rubble… my shoulder jarred heavily on the ground as I twisted to see my attacker bearing down on me… his eyes red and wild, twisted by the disease that ran unchecked through him… I was dimly aware of Trey’s voice above the howl of the storm as he cried out that they were all around us.. the thunder was accompanied by bursts of gunfire… for a moment I panicked, fearful that I fall behind and I kicked out at this wretch as he advanced but undeterred he launched himself at me, bearing down his weight… I braced my arm across his throat as his foul breath choked at me… his body on mine prevented me from drawing my weapon, and desperately my head flicked from side to side as I tried to find the syringe that I dropped… my heart rose as I saw it less than an arms reach from me… I scrabbled against the dirt as my fingers clawed furtively for their salvation, my heart fired as the cool touch of it hit me, I clawed at it, pulling it into my hand before bringing it up hard…the needle piercing his neck and the plunger thrusting the contents deep into his blood stream… concentrated formaldehyde… for a moment it seemed ineffective and then his eyes widened as the substance began to burn through his blood… each rapid beat of his heart bringing his death closer… his grip on me weakened and I was able to kick him away, rising swiftly to my feet I heard Treys frantic call for retreat as more and more of them seemed to pour from out of the ruins of the old city.

I returned my attention to my attacker… no longer any threat… he staggered backwards, his fingers clawing at his chest as the fluid burned through him passing through his heart … I watched as his body spasmed and dropped… dead before he hit the floor. Cries went up around me as I saw more of them come from the shadows… quickly I started over the uneven ground, feeling the bursts of gunfire as they drew masonry dust around me… as I reached Trey, he said nothing but motioned towards an office block that might provide cover from the attack…

We weaved across the land… gunfire covering our escape as each man cycled their turn to fire. We burst through the doors to the building, remarkably they were still intact and efforts were made to brace them against the onslaught. There were sporadic crashes against the door but so far it seemed impenetrable to them…

“We had better find some other exit while they are concentrated here..” Trey spoke and his men interpreted his orders as they sought other exits from the lobby… two disappeared down a flight of stairs towards the underground car park whilst the others made their way to the back of the building… I pressed my back against the wall.. and listened to the desperate howls from outside, my hands drifted to the hilt of my knife as I sought some comfort from it….