"Are you okay Merryn?" Hope had left Stan at the front of the group and had waited until Merryn caught up with her, the others still walking along in single file along the edge of the dual carriageway.

"Hmm?" Merryn shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry Hope, I'm a little distracted. I'll get myself together." She looked ahead and spotted a road sign. "We need to go right here. Let's go and join Stan."

The two of them increased their stride and pace and caught up with Stan who had been shambling along; untiring, uncomplaining, and as uncommunicative as ever.

Merryn took point as they moved off the dual carriageway and onto a country road. After a few hundred yards, houses appeared and a faint smile appeared on Merryn's face.

"It never changes," she said. "Let me go ahead a moment please." Hope nodded and stopped, tugging Stan's sleeve and telling him to wait.

Merryn walked on, scanning the street, unsheathed her machete, ducked under a low-hanging tree, and walked up to a long low house with a thatched roof. Flowers bloomed through the untidy chaos of the long-neglected front garden, and a garden gnome peered owlishly out from behind a bird bath that was full of leaves. Pausing for a moment, she leaned down to her left, moved a brick, and picked up the key from underneath it, inserting it into the lock and turning it with a grating clunk. Cautiously she opened the door and walked into the gloom, her blade held ready.

Hope found her sitting in the kitchen at a sturdy-looking pine table. Dust was on every surface but the house was otherwise undisturbed. Merryn sat with a letter in her hand, tears running down her cheeks. Hope enveloped her in a hug, running her hand down her friend's hair as she sobbed.

"I don't know what I expected," said Merryn a little later as Andrew busied himself with the stove and a kettle. "For some reason, I expected to see my Nan sitting here with a plate of cakes, music on the radio, and the kettle whistling on the stove. But she's gone, of course."

"I knew you had good local knowledge," said Eddie who now sat next to Merryn, with Hope on the other side. "But I'd not realised your family was here. Did your Nan say anything about where she was going?"

Merryn waved the letter. "She was heading to Mum and Dad's. But I know she didn't make it as I've already been there. I'd not had the opportunity to get here until now. She folded the letter and placed it in a pocket. On the table in front of her was a gold ring with two cut stones set into the band.

"I suspect she knew she was unlikely to make it. She had this ring made when my brother and I were born. When Piran died..." Merryn stopped talking for a moment, then gathered herself. "When Piran died she promised me I would have the ring when she died to remember both her and Piran by." She slipped the ring onto her finger and twisted it until the ruby and emerald faced up, their facets glinting in the pale light from the dusty kitchen window.

Andrew placed a steaming mug of tea in front of her and she nodded her thanks, cupping the mug between both hands. "If I'm honest, I'd half expected a Nan-shaped walker on the other side of the door, since it was still locked."

Merryn looked at Andrew. "That's why I needed to go first, Andrew. If it had been her then it would have been my job to take care of her, not yours. I couldn't forgive anyone else for having to do that."

Merryn placed her mug on the table, fiddled with the new ring on her finger, and appeared to gather herself. "Eddie, can you get the radio please, Hope can you check on Stan."

A few moments later Eddie placed the radio on the table and Merryn flicked it into life. "Control, this is Scout 2, are you receiving?"

"Control here. Hi Merryn, Mal here. How are you getting on?"

"We're having a cup of tea at Drewton Down, setting up camp for the night."

"Drewton? Isn't that where...?"

"Yes Control, no signs of life here. Or death for that matter. I'll fill you in when we get back."

"I'm sorry to hear that my friend, I'll be here." There was silence for a moment, and then Mal chirped up again. "When are you going to be back?"

"Tomorrow, I hope. Is the Captain there?"

"Yes, hang on a moment."

There was a brief delay and then the radio crackled back into life. "Control, Mal here. Captain Summers is right next to me."

Merryn looked nervous. "Captain, is it just you two in earshot?"

"Affirmative Scout 2. Me and Mal. You've piqued my interest, what's going on Merryn?"

"There's some odd things going on Captain, but I'll start simple and work up to complicated. Tom's decided to stay with Commander Pike, and we've found Stan."

"Noted Scout 2. I'm glad Tom's supporting Mrs Pike, she sounds formidable, but I'm sure she'll be happy to have an extra pair of hands. Where is Stan now?"

Merryn looked out of the window. "He's standing in a flowerbed outside my Nan's old house in Drewton Down. We've made contact and at the moment he's proving useful by carrying a large rucksack full of supplies."

"Scout 2, why do we never have a normal conversation? I know this isn't your fault, but just for once I'd love you to say something like 'nothing to report sir, all is quiet'." Summers' sigh carried across the radio waves. "So what's the plan Merryn?"

"I'm bringing Stan to you. He's not human anymore, but he can communicate and if we can get him to the Isle then maybe he'll be useful to the scientists there in explaining what's going on. But there's something else sir..."

Merryn outlined their experience with the sludge in the car as concisely as she could, trying not to relive the horror of the experience in her mind.

There was silence from the other end of the line for a moment. "Scout 2. Well done. You did the right thing there. There's more going on here too but I want you back as soon as you can with Stan. Get to Powderham Castle. It's closer to your location and we have people there. Once you're at the castle we can arrange transport straight across the river to the base. At Powderham, ask for Lieutenant Osborne. He will escort you to the boat."

"Thank you Captain," said Merryn, looking puzzled.

"See you tomorrow Scout 2. Summers out."

"Control, Mal here."

"Hi Mal."

"You sound like you've had a rough time Merryn, are you okay?"

"I've been better my friend, but I've got good people with me. We'll be okay."

"Get yourself home Merryn. I'll see you on the dock tomorrow."

~

"Well, there it is." The team had come into sight of the River Exe, emerging from the tree line one by one, Andrew moving away to one side to check the path ahead. The view from the top of the hill was breathtaking, the entire expanse of the city of Exeter lay below them, and to the south was Powderham Castle, being pointed at by Merryn. "And opposite, over the river there is the base."

Merryn frowned and her hand dropped to her crossbow. The others picked up on her tension and moved apart, reaching for their weapons. She looked at Stan who was as still as the birds around them, head canted to one side as if listening and spoke into the silence. "Come out where we can see you," she called and a lone figure in combat gear stood up from behind a bush some fifty metres ahead of them.

Merryn's hand dropped from her crossbow and she smiled in relief. "Gareth, it's good to see you. Team, this is Gareth, also known as Scout 1."

"Did I get the drop on you Merryn?" said the man striding forwards to meet them.

"Not quite," called Andrew from Gareth's left, and the man stopped and raised his eyebrows in surprise as the lad stepped from the trees shouldering his gun as he walked.

Gareth grinned at him. "Impressive." He looked over at Merryn. "You have picked up some talent here Merryn." His gaze froze as it hit Stan. "And some interesting company too. So this is why the Lieutenant asked me to escort you in?"

"I would assume so." Merryn walked forwards into a hug from her counterpart. Gareth was a tall athletic looking man in his early forties, with a salt and pepper beard and short-cropped hair. His skin was dark and weather-beaten, but he seemed to smile easily and moved across the terrain like a cat.

"Gareth, this is my team. Andrew on the left you've met, and here we have Eddie, Hope and Stan."

"Stan eh?" Gareth eyed the walker. "Well, if he's dressed in outdoor gear and carrying a rucksack then I'm assuming he's safe. Do you understand me big fella?"

Stan nodded and waved at him.

"Well colour me purple," muttered Gareth. He shook his head. "Right, come on, let's get you down the castle."

Andrew took point along with Eddie, and Hope brought up the rear with Stan leaving Merryn and Gareth to catch up as they walked along a narrow high-hedged Devon lane.

"You've been busy since we last met," noted Gareth. "Where'd you pick up this motley bunch?"

Merryn ran through her travels, then drew up her sleeve showing Hope's bite mark on her arm.

"Damn, that's something else. I'm glad you're still alive."

"It's been an interesting few weeks. The bite thing's not widely known within the camp as Summers is concerned a few of the grunts might not take too kindly to a couple of 'almost' zombies walking around. And Stan's presence may yet cause problems too, but I can't hide him easily."

Merryn changed the subject. "Why's the old Castle such a hub of activity at the moment?"

"Contingency plan. Captain Summers is concerned about these swarms that have been cropping up. The Isle has reported the same from some of their other scouts on the mainland to the east too and we've had a couple of reports from the French government that they're seeing some odd behaviours from the walkers. He wants to have a more solid defensible position to withdraw too if we have to, so the logical one was the Castle. It's still structurally intact, is defensible, dry, and even has some facilities intact from when they used it for concerts and stuff. It took us a day or so to check it over and clear out a few deadheads, but other than that, it's already useful."

"Never hurts to have a backup plan." Merryn slowed. "Looks like we have a welcoming committee."

The group had come in sight of the main gate of the castle and a party of three soldiers led by a corporal had lined up to meet them, weapons ready.

"Halt!" called the Corporal. "State your business."

"Scout 1 and 2 reporting Corporal. We need to see the Lieutenant please."

Gareth lowered his voice, muttering through barely moving lips. "Watch this one Merryn, he's an odious little toad."

"Scout 1, you can pass. Scout 2, you need to wait there."

"Why?" asked Merryn.

"Because I say so, that's why."

"I've been told to report directly to Lieutenant Osborne, Corporal, now please stand aside and let us in."

The Corporal lifted his gun and pointed it at Merryn. "I am not letting that thing inside this castle," he glanced at Stan, then turned his attention back to Merryn.

"You need to stand down Corporal," said Gareth, his arms raised as he walked towards the soldiers. "Pointing a loaded weapon at a colleague is not acceptable."

"She's no 'colleague' of mine Scout 1, and if you get any closer I will drop you where you stand."

As Gareth halted there was an audible click to the side of the gate as Andrew cocked his rifle. The soldiers next to the corporal raised their hands as Andrew spoke softly into the morning air. "You are going to put down your gun Corporal, or I will blow your head off and then we'll see if Stan considers your brain worth eating. If he can find it. I am no colleague of yours either and I will take you down if you threaten my friend again.

"Put down your weapons, all of you."