Burden of Survival: Killing the Dead : Season Two (18 page)

The zombie lunged at Gregg as it broke through the thick bush, branches snapping audibly. He swung his metal bar and connected solidly with its neck, knocking it off balance but not stopping it.

My knife sank up to the hilt into its eye socket before Gregg could get a second swing and I caught it as it fell. I stood still, listening intently for sounds that would indicate we’d been noticed.

“It’s clear,” Gregg said quietly as he peered through the screen of bushes.

I let the corpse sink slowly to the ground and pulled my knife free before wiping it on the damp grass.

“You didn’t need to kill it,” Gregg said. “I’d have got it.”

“No time to wait though,” I said.

He seemed put out even though I’d just saved his life but considering the mass of undead just a short distance away, I was in even less of a mood to discuss his hurt feelings than I would normally have been.

The zombies weren’t headed our way and in fact, most of them weren’t headed anywhere. Those few that were moving were heading northwards. I guessed these were overspill from Coniston to the south.

“We should tell the others,” I said. “No point bringing them down this way. No chance of clearing this place.”

Gregg nodded and immediately set off back the way we’d come. Our pace was slower than I’d preferred and overly cautious but considering we’d just met one zombie, it was likely there were others nearby.

The first of the villagers were coming down the trail as we reached the stile. We waved them to silence as we clambered over and jogged to meet them. James broke away from his people and followed along as we went to Gabby and Pat at the rear.

“Problem?” Pat asked. His face bore the strain of carrying his burden and he wiped sweat from his face with his free hand.

“Whole bunch of zombies,” Gregg said. “All over the farm.”

“Damn,” Gabby said before turning to James. “Any suggestions?”

“Not a lot of choice,” he said. “We travel south then we’ll just hit Coniston and likely meet any others coming this way. East is obviously the farm which leaves continuing north and swinging around.”

“We’re already looking at cross country walking,” Gabby said. “If we go north we can maybe follow the road but that’ll just lead us to the top of Lake Windermere.”

“Best suggestion is to go north a little way and then cut east,” I said. “We’ve been gone from the island long enough.”

I also didn’t fancy marching north and trying to protect thirty or so children and old people against any zombies we’d meet. I just wanted to get them back as quickly as possible so that I could be rid of them.

Admittedly in the back of my mind I knew that Lily would be worrying about us and that raft of zombies raised questions I wanted answers to. The longer we were out here the more chance I had of missing out on killing whoever was behind it.

“Agreed,” Gabby said. “We know the town at the top of the lake was overrun. The last thing we need is to get caught between two groups. We can follow the road just long enough to get clear of those zombies around the farm and then cut east.”

With the route agreed, I led Gregg back to the front of the party. We’d set out a little way ahead of the others and ensure that the larger group would run into no surprises. It also meant that I didn’t have to stay so close to so many strangers.

The wind picked up as we walked north, pulling at our clothes and bringing with it a light rain that steadily grew heavier as the evening progressed. It wasn’t long before we were hunched over with our collars up and arms wrapped around ourselves as we pushed through the driving rain.

Visibility was truly lost. With the moon obscured by the rain clouds and the rain lashing at our faces, we could barely see anything close by, let alone any threat that may be headed our way.

Forced to stop and wait for the others, we crouched by the wall that ran along the side of the road and tried to ignore the rain and wind as best we could. We couldn’t see anything coming but the weather would also confuse any zombies so I was confident we wouldn’t be attacked.

In short time the villagers caught up with us, almost walking straight past us in the darkness until I caught James’ sleeve as he passed. His alarmed squawk was irritatingly audible over the storm. In the darkness I couldn’t see his face clearly but I imagined he looked embarrassed.

A brief huddled conversation with Gabby ensued and it was agreed. We couldn’t carry on. The options then were simple. Stay on the road and wait for the storm to pass or head away from the road into the trees and hope to remain hidden.

The road was just too dangerous, any zombies could find us in the darkness just by walking along it. Into the trees it was.

With rain soaking through my clothes I helped herd the slow moving villagers over the old stone wall and through the open area beyond. Most of them held hands as much for comfort as to ensure no one was lost in the darkness.

As soon as we were beneath the trees, the deluge was lessened by the protective umbrella of branches above. Much of the rain still got through but the worst of it was kept off, as was the wind. The villagers stopped and huddled against the tree trunks, exhausted and terrified.

Seeing that there would be no chance of moving them further in, Gabby spoke briefly with James before finding me in the darkness. It wasn’t hard, I was as far from the group as possible. Gregg a short distance away, barely more than a shadow in the darkness.

“Looks like we’re here for the night,” she said loudly to be heard over the howling wind.

“How’s Jenny doing?” Gregg asked.

“Not good,” was the only reply.

“We need to set someone to watch for danger,” I said. “I’ll go first.”

“You will?”

“Do you really think you could sleep at the moment?” I asked with a grin that she couldn’t see. “Between the storm and the threat of zombies… well, I have no intention of sleeping.”

“Fair point,” she said with a sigh. “We spread out then. You watch the road, Gregg you and me, we’ll watch the south.”

“What about Pat?” Gregg asked.

“He’ll keep an eye on Jenny.”

I wondered if he’d get the chance to kill her while I was watching the darkness hoping to see some kind of movement before it was too late. I’d be annoyed if he got to do it and I missed out.

The others moved away and I settled down in a crouch beside a tall old sycamore tree and peered out into the darkness towards the road. Not that I could see anything.

Solitary minutes turned to hours as I waited and watched. The storm slowed and the wind dropped to the point where it no longer tore at you but caressed you with its frigid touch. My boredom continued to grow.

Around midnight, or what I at least assumed was around that time, the clouds gave way and finally let the light of the full moon shine down on us. As it did I remained still, barely breathing as I saw the mass of undead that filled the road and even the open space between us.

Murmured voices could be heard behind me and I wanted very much to slice open the throat of whichever idiot was speaking. The undead though, seemed not to hear and continued on their journey, moving slowly with short stumbling steps.

I watched for several long minutes before rising slowly to my feet and moving back, further into the trees. I found the first group of huddled villagers and shook them roughly awake. As soon as I had their attention I whispered instructions harshly and then returned to my place beside the sycamore.

Behind me the word was spreading amongst the villagers and the voices were finally stilled or at least low enough not to be heard. I waited, tense with the need to kill something burning inside of me as I watched the undead.

A shadow moved beside me and I had my knife halfway to them before I recognised the hulking form of Pat in the darkness. He nodded a silent greeting and held his hammer before him. His meaning clear, he was ready to fight beside me should he need to.

Finally after what seemed an age, the rear edge of the zombie horde passed us by. A few stragglers followed along, those too damaged to move as quickly as their brethren. I had no idea if they were the ones from the farmhouse, Coniston or just another bunch travelling the road.

In truth it didn’t matter, there were too many of them to fight and they were ahead of us. We’d have no choice but to cut to the east as following the road was now impossible.

Without warning the sound of a scream echoed through the trees behind us and I whirled to face whatever threat was there. Too late though, the damage was done and from beyond the trees came the rising moans of the undead.

“Jenny,” Pat said with a curse as he dashed back into the trees.

I followed along. The undead knew we were here, too many to fight and nowhere to run we were likely soon to be dead. The least I could hope for would be the chance to kill Jenny before I died.

Another scream sounded, then another this one the higher pitched voice of a child. All around the villagers were on their feet, voices raised in a babbling cacophony of fear.

Jenny lay still where she had been left by Pat. Her arms and legs bound, the gag still fitted over her mouth and eyes closed as she trembled in the grip of the infection. She wasn’t the cause.

“South,” I said as another scream sounded.

We dashed through the crowded villagers and found Gregg and Gabby on the edges, battling a growing number of undead. Several of our charges lay dead with zombies feasting, faces and hands darkened with fresh blood.

Gregg shattered a skull with a blow from his steel bar as Gabby yelled for everyone to run. With nowhere to go the villagers milled around, scared and unable to react.

“East,” I yelled at her. “Drive everyone east, we’ll have to push through the undead.”

She nodded and I glanced at Pat. His expression was grim as he prepared to fling himself at the undead moving through the trees. Instead I grabbed his arm and pointed with my chin back to the road. He understood immediately and followed me through the trees.

The undead were pushing against the stone wall, too many to count and far too stupid to climb over. The closest ones were being slowly crushed by those behind. Those that had been walking in the space between the wall and the trees were headed our way.

Without waiting for them to reach me I dashed forward, my knife lashing out to strike at the slower moving zombies. Pat was right behind me, his hammer making short work of the undead. Each powerful swing of his lump hammer crushing a skull.

Behind us the villagers poured out of the trees, fear filled cries filling the air as they saw what awaited them on the road. I caught James’s gaze as he came out from beneath the trees and gestured to my right, away from the mass of zombies that were on my left.

Not really caring if he understood, I returned to my task of killing the undead. I hammered my blade into the eye socket of a naked zombie with desiccated flesh, kicked out at another and heard ribs crack audibly over the moans and cries of terror before I pulled free my knife and plunged it into the zombie’s skull.

We moved towards the massed zombies behind the wall, Pat following my lead as I kept their attention on us and away from the villagers. The much fewer undead between the wall and trees were easy to kill.

They were uncoordinated, rushing blindly at us singly rather than waiting for their fellows to catch up and swarm over us. With weary arms I pushed away with one hand, a zombie that came too close while following with my knife and stabbing down through its skull.

Slow as they were, they seemed unending. Screams were raised all around us as villagers died and with a thunderous sound audible over everything else, the wall gave way and the horde came tumbling through.

Chapter 24

Lily

When we were all rudely awakened by our captors, it was to be greeted with the sight of Amy. She stood almost proudly by the main entrance, her face a discoloured mass of bruises and dried blood. Her posture was far from straight and she stood uncomfortably though her smile never faltered.

We were informed brusquely that there would be no food for breakfast and immediately broken up into groups. Those who had specific tasks, such as Will and me, were largely left to it.

While the guards sorted the people I pulled four aside. They were regulars on scavenging runs before the arrival of Marcus and his men, so were more than capable of going out with his people. I gave a few brief instructions and watched helplessly as they were led away by one of the new guards.

Lucas, the burly henchmen that Marcus had spoken to and - beside Amy - the only one whose name I knew, came to me and I braced myself for some new torment.

“Boss doesn’t need you until later,” he said.

“Then what task would he like me to do?” I asked.

“Clean the floors.”

I stared at him and then looked around the room at the piled blankets and assorted belongings of the people who had slept there. You could barely see the floorboards and considering barely anyone walked on them, they were hardly in need of cleaning.

“Are you serious?” I asked and he nodded. He smiled thinly and his eyes were full of malice. “There aren’t better things I could be doing?”

“Do as you’re told,” he said.

Perhaps he thought that I would consider it too demeaning a task but he didn’t know me that well. I considered it unnecessary at the moment but if I had to do it, then so be it. I’d do it and I’d do it well.

I set to the task by first gathering the assorted sleeping bags and blankets. They were stacked neatly on top of the tables set against the wall that just the night before had held the far too little food for our group.

Once that was done, I gathered pillows and personal belongings and piled them on to the sofa that had been pushed against the back wall. I grabbed a broom from the cupboard beneath the stairs and gave the floor a quick sweep.

It wasn’t a terrible task and was actually quite pleasant to lose myself in the work. I finished sweeping and grabbed the mop and bucket from the same cupboard.

In the kitchen I filled the bucket with hot water and rooted in the cupboards beneath the sink. Eventually I found a bottle of cleaning fluid and added some to the steaming water. Since we cooked outside the gas in the propane tanks was used primarily for heating water for showers.