I raced up the stairs to my 10th floor apartment. Today was not the day to get stuck in a lift. Breathless and with both my legs and lungs screaming in torture I opened my front door and went into my living room. The television was still on and I stood in front of it sucking in oxygen while looking at the news channel.

Once again, we are seeing incredible scenes unfolding at Heathrow Airport this morning. Task Force Cobra, chaired by the Prime Minister, has authorised military action on Heathrow Airport.

I texted my brother a simple message. I’m coming.

We understand the quarantined measures in place for the impounded airliner from New York were breached yesterday. In the last few moments our cameras recorded the military air strike on the facility. A military cordon remains in place to safeguard the surrounding area.

On the screen I watched the planes I had heard just minutes earlier drop their payload. I had heard the distant explosions of the bombs from the streets, but could now see the devastating impact of the explosions on the terminal facilities.

In New York the city remains on lockdown as the security forces try to control the epidemic. Elsewhere the Swedish government has confirmed an outbreak at the assessment center in Stockholm.

I walked into my bedroom and grabbed a backpack. Inside I put two changes of clothes and a wash bag. I changed into jeans, boots and a top and then put on a leather jacket. In the kitchen I stopped to grab some food which I stuffed into the backpack along with a pair of kitchen knives.

In the hallway I grabbed my motorbike keys and helmet, and then raced back down stairs.

In the parking lot I climbed aboard my motorbike and turned her on. My brother lived fifty miles east of London in Colchester. I would stop there and we would plan our next move together.

I eased my bike into the street and opened up the throttle. I needed to go East into London before exiting on the other side to get out into Essex beyond.

The roads were still relatively clear and I opened the throttle still wider to gain more speed. Emergency vehicles were still racing west and I was now moving at speed towards Central London.

At the next intersection I slowed as I could both see and hear a car sliding out of control. He spun into an opposing lane and struck an on coming vehicle at speed. The other driver was flung through the windscreen of his vehicle like a rag doll.

I desperately tried to steer clear of the devastation and it put me wider than I intended as I crossed the next junction.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the other vehicle as it hit me side on at speed.