As the fire was close to being extinguished, Lanegan and Ken travelled back to Cadnam. Everyone was in shock as they heard that fourteen people were seriously hurt and one elderly man had died in the fire. The scene had reminded them of London, although the regular updates they had received told of a worsening scene that awaited them. A factor that had been considered regularly was how people would react when they saw the devastation. Not everyone would be so prepared for what lay in wait and without doubt it would be devastating.
“Prime Minister, I have Morrison on the radio,” said a security agent.
“Good, thank you. Morrison, how are you?” asked Lanegan.
“I’m fine, thank you,” he replied. “I have been informed that you have had problems.”
“Yes. Unfortunately we have been forced to speed things up. The trains will be leaving at first light tomorrow morning. Those of us that are travelling by bus will leave soon to gain a head start. Have you had a chance to survey the Greater London area?”
“Yes, we covered most of the city at low height. The initial estimations of a hundred thousand look to be low. If I had to guess I would probably double, possibly treble that figure. There are also many civilians who are not participating, many are children - this makes it difficult to give an accurate number. The city itself is in a terrible state; there are burnt out cars and damaged buildings everywhere. Debris, glass and trees cover many of the roads and paths making access difficult, if not impossible in certain areas.”
“That’s where your eyes in the sky will come in useful. Can you tell us anything about Waterloo station and the surrounding area?”
“We couldn’t gain much information from the air, so we landed at the London Heliport in Battersea and took a boat from Chelsea embankment to the Southbank. Firstly, the rivers are clear and may be useful for safety if needed. The more safe zones we can find the better. Waterloo station itself was busy. There are many rioters and lots of damage. I have concerns about the numbers arriving by train. The station will be flooded if we do not stagger the trains and people need to be guided once they arrive. The last thing you want is for people to hesitate and freeze when they arrive. Do we know the numbers arriving?”
“The numbers are great. The New Forest area alone has a population of nearly two million that have been squeezed into houses, hotels, various other buildings and the shelters within the forest. We have managed to collect nearly two hundred nine carriage trains that can carry six hundred passengers each. That means we can take around one hundred and twenty thousand passengers in one convoy. It will take the trains nearly twenty journeys to get everyone there; we are talking days rather than hours. Staggering the arrival of people won’t be a problem in that sense.”
“How are you going to make room for that number of trains?” asked Morrison.
“We calculated about four and a half kilometres of train in total, which fits nicely onto the track through the New Forest from Sway to Totton. People will simply walk to the nearest train carriage.”
“Did you consider making some of the tail end trains stop at Clapham junction to spread the people out? It could be a good tactical move to come from multiple locations.”
“Good idea. It will also lessen the traffic at Waterloo; we have already diverted the South Downs National Park trains to Victoria station. Are you ready, Morrison? We don’t know how this is going to work out. We’re relying heavily on citizens being brave. The state of the city alone may be too much for some people.”
“I’m ready Prime Minister.”
“If you have any doubts or if things turn bad, direct people to Hyde Park and Regents Park. Safety comes first. We can better protect them in those areas than in the streets.”
“I understand.”
“Good luck.”
“You too, Prime Minister.”
Lanegan walked outside to find Ken.
“Ken, are we ready?”
“Yes, the bus is good to go. I hope you don’t mind but we will be flanked on our return to the capital.”
“By whom?” asked Lanegan.
“Basically, the whole of Bagshot - and most of the surrounding villages,” answered Ken.
“I should have guessed. The more vehicles we use, the more space there will be on the trains. Are they ready to go?” asked Lanegan.
“I don’t think they ever unpacked,” replied Ken.
“Better rally the troops then, Ken. We’ve got a carnival to deliver.”
Saying goodbye was not easy. On this occasion however, it was entirely necessary. Their high optimism had been dealt a severe blow. They still had hope and nobody wanted to mention a worst case scenario. They all knew that if things went wrong they would be speeding up the unthinkable outcome of remaining in the forest during winter. It would become every person for themselves.
Lanegan made Ella promise not to travel to London with the children until security measures were established. He had seen the streets of London recently and was not willing to put his family into the heart of the trouble. It was a distinct possibility that the government would be permanently based outside of London, if things were to become worse. It was a very real option and would ensure some form of government would continue with some capacity to function effectively. Lanegan and his cabinet had also secretly discussed leaving the towns and cities affected altogether, if they became uninhabitable. They would in essence become no go areas for anyone. The rioters would be left to continue without any interference, eventually running out of food and water. It was the last non-violent attempt at a solution that they would consider and would only be put into action out of desperation. The rioters were drawn to the big built up areas, and that hopefully, is where they would stay.
The central barrier of the M27 motorway was removed for half a mile near Cadnam. Thousands of vehicles were spread over six lanes, moving in the same direction. The rear lights created a river of red as they began to move slowly, twisting with the road. The plan was that these vehicles would not be returning to the New Forest, whatever the outcome. Most had travelled from places barely affected by the riots and could return home. This would relieve a small amount of pressure on resources, but only delay an inevitable humanitarian crisis if the troubles were not stopped.
Those left at the evacuation site waited for the first glimpse of sunlight. Many had already walked to the trains; nervously waiting in the cold stationary carriages. No luggage was allowed as all of the available space was allocated for food and water. The hope was that this would be a one way journey.