Mailer was among the many soldiers led by Major Henry West sent to the Forty-Second Blockade put up to defend the city of Manchester from The Infected when the Rage Virus broke out in Great Britain. But the Infected eventually overran the barricade, killing or infecting all the soldiers except Mailer and nine others. Mailer and the other soldiers abandoned their post at the blockade and fled to the Worsley House in the woods where they fended off attacks from Infected with military traps and firepower
On day 23 of the outbreak, Major Henry West promised his soldiers that any female survivors they rescued would be forced into slavery to rebuild and repopulate the destroyed United Kingdom. On day 29 of the Outbreak, Mailer was Infected. Luckily, before he could kill or infect any of his fellow soldiers, Corporal Mitchell managed to knock him unconscious. And he was later chained up in the backyard of the Worsley House. Mailer probably disagreed with West about rebuilding by rape, and thus West had no worries about chaining him up outside and essentially letting him starve to death. Mailer was given food each day, but, to the soldiers' surprise, he ignored it. This proved the Infected didn't eat. He was also constantly drooling blood. His capture was useful to the men; it gave them a chance to study the Infected, and, in West's words, "tell them how long it takes for the Infected to starve to death
