Dead Ahead (37 page)

As Cassie climbed back to her feet, Zoe was finishing off the last couple of Infected left lying around the top of the globe. “How did you get here?” Cassie asked.

“We came when we saw the explosion,” Brandon said quickly, “the first explosion that is; we thought you all might need some help.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.” Cassie said looking around, “Where’s Sarah?”

“We.... lost her.” Brandon said sadly, Cassie noticed Zoe twinge at the words. “Where’s everyone else? Where’s my Dad?” Brandon said, confused.

“I.... I don’t know. The last time I saw your father he was surrounded by the Infected, Brandon. I don’t know how he could have survived. I thought Ethan would help him but he came after
us
. We lost Jim and Greg, my father too. I don’t know what happened to Ethan either, last I knew that monster, Knox was baiting a trap for him; but as for Caleb, I.... I’m sorry, Brandon I just don’t know.”

Cassie did know. She knew there was no way anyone could make it out of there alive, she just couldn’t bring herself to tell Brandon, though she knew that it would hinder their escape from the plant.

_________________________

“We will find him!” Brandon said confidently.

“Well we had better move soon then,” Zoe shouted, “more of them are coming!”

Brandon reloaded and handed Cassie the small sub-machine gun that he had looped over one of his shoulders and they thumped their way down the metal steps that led to the mid section of the giant metal ball that found Cassie on top of.

“Where did you find all these guns?” Cassie asked.

“We found them in the back of an abandoned army Land Rover, next to that wrecked tank thing.” Zoe shouted from the front, “That’s when we heard the gunshots coming from here.

“You didn’t see Ethan then? That’s the last place I saw him.”

“No we didn’t,” Brandon said, “there was a whole mess of Infected between there and here, we had to find a way around.”

“You don’t think.... Ethan?”

“I dunno, but they were definitely distracted by something, otherwise they probably would have seen us.”

As they descended round towards the final flight of stairs they had to step over the carcasses of many of the fallen Infected, some of which weren’t quite dead yet, still grabbing and snapping at them, Zoe cleared the way with the bayonet on the end of her rifle: she really was a amazing, she showed no fear, no hesitation, she just did what she had to do and moved on. Brandon watched with admiration. Together they cleared the way to the Argo and the rest of the weapons, only a few of the Husks remained in their way, so they didn’t pose much of a problem.

Brandon took the controls of the Argo and headed in the direction that Cassie had last seen his father, it wasn’t far. The area was clear of Infected, apart from the tattered remains strewn across the blood soaked ground where his dad had made his stand, severed limbs and body parts trailed away from the gates, decapitated heads snapped at him as he climbed from the Argo to follow the path of destruction. The trail ended abruptly with no sign of his father, all that was to be found was a writhing Husk dragging its almost completely devoured corpse across the ground with its one working arm. It had been picked almost clean, right down to the bone by the monsters.

The Husk rolled its self half over and gurgled a croak from its nonexistent throat, flapping tendrils of flesh around its torn and masticated face. There was something in the pale white eyes, something almost familiar about it. Brandon sunk the hatchet into its scull. It wasn’t his dad, that’s all that mattered now.

“He’s not here!” Brandon shouted, “If he’s not here then he must be alive!” he turned around excitedly, “We have to go look for him!”

“Brandon,” Zoe said softly, “He could still have walked away from here if he.... even if he wasn’t alive.”

Brandon noticed the pause; she didn’t want to say he was dead.

“Brandon.”

He probably was, but Brandon couldn’t give up hope, he had to look, he had to find him: dead or alive.

“Brandon!”

The gunfire broke his concentration. Cassie and Zoe were firing to either side of him, over his head; he ducked down and looked down the road.

Infected, they came pouring towards them, Brandon almost froze but he made himself move. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started moving forwards, towards the gates.

“Where are we going?” he shouted over the gunfire.

“To the beach,” Cassie shouted between shots, “into the sea, they can’t follow into the water!”

Reluctantly Brandon drove through the gates and turned to the left towards the sea. Desperately he wanted to turn around and confront the Infected, to kill every last one of them, even his father if he must. He just had to know.

But he couldn’t, not now; his father would never forgive him if he took Cassie and Zoe back in there. So he took them away, he took them to safety.

The salty water lapped the sides of the Argo. Infected could still be heard calling to them from the shore but they dared not venture into the water.

“Where now...?” Brandon asked, fearing the answer.

“North I suppose....” Cassie said solemnly, she sounded like she wanted to say more, but no more words were needed. Brandon steered the Argo to the right and spun the wheels, pulling them forward; and ever further from his father.

Chapter

29

The Hunger

Ethan walked slowly towards the gates, he almost tripped over the body parts littering the road around his feet, he had followed them as fast as he could, but his body was so tired, he really should have eaten more, he vaguely remembered being in the hole, eating the chocolate bar, the hand stretching towards him, god he was hungry.

His shuffling foot hit the black rod in front of him and it rolled away, what was that? It too jogged something in his memory, something just out of reach. He heard something behind him and tried to turn round quickly, it didn’t work; all he managed was a slow peer over his shoulder.

With a great ‘thud’ his weak eyes pointed to the sky and to the ground again. He tumbled down the road and landed pointing behind where he stood. Two men stood there before him. God he was hungry. One fell down, the one without a head fell down; but that didn’t interest him anyway, it was the other one, the one with the blade. The dark figure stepped forward and picked up the black rod, he winced as he did it and Ethan snapped at his hand. God he was hungry.

“Oh shit, it’s you, Ethan!” the figure said, the words meant nothing to him. “Oh fuck, I’m sorry, pal.” The figure stepped forward and crouched down, almost within reach. “So they went this way, huh?” So hungry. “I just caught a glimpse of them as they rolled down to the beach, they could have waited. I don’t blame them for leaving but.... you know....” Hungry.... The figure stood using the black pole to help himself up, he dropped a drip of blood onto Ethan’s cheek from his side as he stood; it drove Ethan crazy, so close yet so far. Hungry.... “Ah well.... a long walk for me then...?” He spun the pole and pointed the blade at Ethan’s eye for a second, “I hope I’m doing you a favour here, mate....” He lifted the blade and dropped it down.

The hunger died.

The End

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