"Cut the engines please Patil." The Cox nodded at the Captain's order and she picked up her handset, broadcasting out across the tannoy.
"My name is Captain Sands, we mean you no harm. We are part of the UK Navy, and on behalf of the government on the Isle of Wight, we'd like to come ashore and say hello, and perhaps leave some supplies with you if you need anything. If you're happy with that, please wave. If not, we will leave you alone."
Rob was peering out of the bridge window at the people onshore. "Captain, may I borrow the mic please?"
Sands passed him the handset.
"Mr White, is that you? This is Rob. I'm the helicopter pilot you helped load up some supplies at the start of the outbreak. These are good people. We're here to help."
An older man who stood on one side of the group smiled and waved, and appeared to be talking to the others with him. After a few moments, the whole group was waving and Merryn, Rob, Sergeant King, and Corporal Jansen made their way ashore.
"It's good to see you Rob," White shook the pilot's hand.
"You too Mr. White. I see your family are here, but a fair few others too. Why are you not on Bryher island?"
"It was too close to the other islands. You can walk between the islands at low tide so we kept getting walkers popping in to say hello. So we moved here with some other survivors and have been here since. The channel between St Agnes and the other isles is a lot deeper and has some pretty strong currents so we've been pretty much zombie free since we came here."
"This is Merryn who's a Scout, Sergeant King and Corporal Jansen. They're from the base at Exeter. How many do you have here?"
"There's about twenty of us dotted around the island. We lost contact with you when we moved as there's no power here so we couldn't work the radio."
"We can help you with that," said King. "We've brought a few bits with us including some collapsible solar panels, a radio and some spare parts, storage battery, some food and some medication. Have a look through what we've brought and if you need anything else let us know before we leave and we'll see what we've got on the ship.
"Are there any more like you on the other islands?" asked Merryn.
"Not that we know of," said White. We row boats across sometimes when we need equipment and we've managed to get quite a lot of food and other supplies back here. We grow a lot of stuff here now too and we're pretty self sufficient. This island is clear and we have regular patrols. The kids help keep a lookout."
"Sounds like you have things well in hand," said King.
"We need to get moving up the coast," said Merryn. "We'll check back with you when we come back this way, but if you need anything, please do use the radio as we've instructed. And please do check in with our communications specialist, Mal, at base. He likes a chat."
Rob rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Before we go, do you know of anywhere else on the islands we might find a helicopter?"
White shook his head. "There used to be one occasionally landed on the helipad on that rich fella's mansion on Tresco. But we've been through there and surveyed the place and there's nothing there but zombie tourists and some nice bottles of wine."
"I had a feeling you might say something like that," said Rob. "I reckon our next best bet might be up the Cornish coast. There's an RAF base above Portreath that had a few Coastal Rescue 'copters, and just to the south is a private company that used to do posh joyrides for people with more money than sense. They had a couple of helicopters too."
White nodded. "I reckon you're probably right Rob, and if not there, then there's another private firm up in Devon too. I reckon the RAF base is a good start though."
"Thanks, Mr. White, I'll take a look. If you hear a helicopter later today it'll be me, give me a wave and wish me luck eh?
"I'll certainly do that." White stood and proffered a hand. "Thank you all for everything. Good luck and safe travels."
~
"That seemed to go well," said Merryn as she joined the Captain back on the bridge of the Cruiser. Sailors clustered the railings on the deck, waving at the farmers on the island. "This could be a rallying point in the future. Islands like this could well become the first safe havens as we start to grow back into some semblance of normal life again. Whatever the heck that is.
"Mr. White's given us a lead on a helicopter base up the north coast and Rob's keen to check it out."
Sands nodded. "Well done Merryn let's do that. Patil, move us out please, let's get on up the coast."
~
For the next few hours, the ship cruised up the northwest coast of Cornwall, working its way along the shoreline, with the crew cataloguing and surveying as they went. Here and there, rocky cliffs gave way to secluded beaches and golden sands or rivers incised deep into steep cliffs with villages clinging to the gorse studded hills. Ruins of old tin mines, ancient castles, and holiday villages with row after row of disused static homes came and went, and Patil eventually slowed the ship, bringing it into the narrow accessway to the coastal village and its high concrete walled channel sheltered under brooding slate cliffs.
"Sergeant King, Rob, and Scouts to the bridge please," said the Captain over the tannoy. "All remaining personnel to your stations. Thank you."
A King entered the bridge area, followed by Rob, Merryn, and Eddie, Sands pulled out a map of the area.
"Drop anchor in the middle of the harbour please Patil, but keep our nose pointed out just in case we need to move quickly."
"Yes Captain," said the Cox, and moved the ship into position as the group bent over the map table.
Sands addressed the team. "Eddie, I'd like you to get the drone up in the air and scout ahead please. The team will need to move from the harbour here, directly north to the RAF base. I think that's as good a place as any to start. We need to be on the lookout for survivors, walkers, and a useful access point.
"On it, Captain," said Eddie and moved away from the others to get the drone into the air.
"Sergeant, assuming things are clear and looking potentially. I'd like you and your team, along with Scout 1 to escort Rob to the base, get inside, take out any threats and help him get airborne if we can.
"Rob, assuming we can get you in the air, I'd like you to get to the Isle by as direct a route as possible. We will pick up Jan and the kids on the way back through, so you don't need to worry about them. Getting you airborne is a priority and, if I'm being honest, I don't want to risk your family's lives on an untested helicopter."
Rob nodded. "Agreed Captain."
"Good. Sergeant, once Rob's airborne I'd like you to do a quick survey of the airfield, then get back here. Eddie will keep an eye on you from above, but this needs to be as precise and swift an operation as we can manage as we need to get moving up the coast."
King nodded and looked over at Eddie. "Any joy kid?"
"I'm just getting the drone up the hill now. Nothing of note so far." Merryn moved the tablet onto the map table so they could see.
Eddie swiftly followed the road to the top of the hill and lifted the drone above the airfield so that they could get a clear view of the area.
"Few walkers by the main building there," noted King.
"The helicopters were stored in the red-roofed hanger on the south side of the airfield," noted Rob. "There's a gate in the fence there that the Coastal Rescue guys used to use to get on and off the base as their area was slightly separate to the main base."
"Right," said King. "I think the best approach then is to take a couple of sets of cutters, get through that gate and into the compound, then into the hangers. Once we've taken out any deadheads we can see what we've got and radio in."
"Agreed," said Sands. "Eddie, keep the drone on station please, and keep watch. Sergeant, the floor is yours."
~
Minutes later the smaller inflatable boat was deployed from the ship with Sergeant King, Merryn, Rob, Corporal Shaw, and four marines. As before, the marines were carrying both silent weaponry and more powerful rifles, and both King and Shaw carried radios.
As they drew the boat up to the wharf, King pointed at two marines and they leapt ashore taking point and tying off the boat as the remaining members of the team came ashore.
King glanced at a woman with a single stripe on her shoulder. "Lance Corporal, find a spot and keep an eye on the boat please. We'll be back shortly.
"Shaw, you and Merryn take point. Private Kolaski, you are our pilot's bodyguard, Rob, please stay close to the private. I'll take the rear, the rest of you, fan out. We're going up straight up the road on the left by the disgusting pink house on the corner. Questions? No? Right, move out, silent weapons only unless I give the order."
Merryn glanced at the pink house as they turned up the hill. It had once housed tourists, its faded Bed and Breakfast sign hanging crookedly on one hinge, swinging in the gentle breeze. All over the front of the house hung empty wire baskets, a distant echo of past floral splendour.
"I reckon that place was probably visible from space in its heyday," muttered the Corporal. "How's it going Merryn?"
"Good Chris, thank you. Hadn't realised we'd be doing this again so soon though."
"Aye, me either. Ah well, it's nice to stretch the legs," Shaw checked ahead of them. "Is that fencing up there?"
"Looks like the perimeter fence," replied Merryn. "We need to swing around the right by the car park there."
There was a moan to their right and a walker staggered out from behind a dilapidated-looking delivery van. The two marines closest knelt, loosed off a crossbow bolt each that punched the zombie from its feet, and a third marine ran forward and finished it off with a brutal blow from his modified pickaxe.
The team stopped, looked around, then on King's signal moved forward. At the side gate, two marines put down their weapons and ran forward with bolt cutters as the rest of the group fanned out around them to keep watch. As fast as they were able, they cut a person-sized hole in the fence, and Corporal Shaw and Merryn entered the compound. Twenty yards ahead lay the helicopter hanger. Merryn walked to a door and tried the handle. It was locked. As Rob and the marines streamed through the gap in the fence, one remaining to guard the access point, the rest of the team worked their way around the building looking for a way in. A crowbar applied to a fire escape by one of the marines gave them that and Shaw and Merryn entered the building, Shaw with his modified pickaxe in his hand, Merryn walking behind him with her crossbow primed and machete swinging from her belt.
They padded down a dark corridor, checked two rooms as they passed, and then a final door at the end of the passage opened out into a hangar, where two walkers stood waiting for them.