"David Moody - Autumn 3 - The City" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moody David)

Autumn: The City
This book is a work of fiction. The characters and situations in this story
are imaginary. No resemblance is intended between these characters and any
real persons, either living or dead.
Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade
or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the
author's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition
being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

┬й David Moody 2003
First published electronically by David Moody in 2003

Visit www.theinfected.co.uk - the official AUTUMN website
www.djmoody.co.uk
Prologue
No warning.
No explanation.
The alarms began to ring and we were up and on the move in seconds. We had
been conditioned to respond at speed. The routine was familiar from a thousand
drills but I sensed immediately that this was different. I knew this was for
real. I could taste fear and panic in the early morning air. I didn't know
why. I didn't know what had happened. I had a sickening feeling in the pit of
my stomach that something was happening that was about to change everything.
In silence we collected our kit and assembled at the transports. I could see
trepidation and uncertainty in the faces of everyone around me. Even the
officers - the men and women who took orders from above and controlled our
every action - appeared bewildered and scared. Their fear and unexpected
confusion was unsettling. It was clear that they knew as little as I did.
We were on the road in minutes and the journey took less than an hour. The
early morning darkness began to lift as we drove through the city. We brought
chaos to the rush hour, stopping traffic from moving and preventing
unsuspecting people from reaching their schools, offices and homes. I saw
hundreds of people but I didn't allow myself to look into any of their faces.
I didn't know what was going to happen to them. I forced myself to avoid
remembering that somewhere out in the fragile normality of the morning were
the people that I had known and loved.
We continued through the heart of the city and out through the suburbs
following major roads and motorways which eventually ran deep into green and
uncluttered countryside. The sky was grey and heavy and the light remained
dull and low. The road narrowed to a rough and uneven gravel track but our
speed didn't reduce until we'd reached the bunker.
We were among the first to arrive but within fifteen minutes the last
transport sped down the ramp and into the hanger. Even before its engine had
stopped I heard an officer give the order to shut the doors and seal off the
base.
Whatever it was that was happening to the world outside, I knew it was a
disaster of unimaginable proportions.
The very last shard of daylight disappeared as the bunker doors were closed. I