The Undead. The First Seven Days (105 page)

After several minutes, the cramping in my gut abates and I’m left in a state of absolute bliss, that is until the smell of shit hits my nose and I become acutely aware of my surroundings.

I twist round to the toilet roll holder but it’s empty. Everyone in the queue had their own rolls in hand.
  ‘Err, sorry are you still there?’ I call out.
  ‘Yes?’ the man replies.
  ‘It appears I didn’t bring any toilet roll with me, would you have any spare I could… borrow?’ I ask.
  A hand clutching a full toilet roll appears under the door, I reach forward and take it gratefully.
  ‘Thank you very much.’
  ‘You’re welcome.’
  After a double flushing of the toilet I’m all done and open the door to see other men politely look away.
  ‘Bet that’s a shit load off your mind,’ someone says, to a few sniggers.
  ‘Thanks for the toilet roll, mate,’ I hand it back and move over to the washbasin and scrub my hands clean.

At the least the water’s still running.
  Eventually I’m done and stroll out of the toilet and into the reception area, nodding apologetically at the people still waiting in the queue. Outside I walk happily through the camp, heading back to the north wall and still feeling strangely warm and comforted.

Walking back up the vehicle ramp I notice they’re all up and drinking coffee, stood round chatting as the first tendrils of daylight push into the night sky.

I see Blowers, Cookey and Nick all smoking cigarettes.

I see the red ends glowing brightly as they suck in the tobacco and exhale the lazy smoke clouds.

The vapour wisps come from the coffee mugs.

Chris stood off to one side is laughing with Malcolm.

Clarence is talking quietly to Sarah.

Curtis up on the GPMG at the top of the Saxon, the machine gun pointing off to the right and Curtis leaning forward on his elbows clutching a hot drink.

Off to both sides, I see people stretching lazily and talking in muted tones, nodding to each other. A man throws a cigarette onto the floor and brings his heavy boot down to grind it out.
  My heart starts beating faster, the scene slows down and I feel like I’m wading through thick mud. Tucker strolls past me at the top of the ramp; he’s looking at me and smiling. He holds a steaming mug of coffee out in front of him, ready for me to take it.
  It takes forever to reach him, my senses have become heightened and adrenalin is coursing through my system. I look past Tucker and see Dave stood by the wall looking out at the flatlands.

Something flashes far beyond him. A quick bright light in the distance.

Everything slows and I see Dave start to turn back towards us, his face strangely animated and I watch as his mouth opens and his eyes are blazing.
  This is it.
  I know it.

‘COVERRRR,’ Dave’s voice roars out into the quiet night and it brings me back to reality in a heartbeat. To their credit, my group react instantly. As one they drop down and spin to face the flatlands. Hundreds of heads all along the top of the inner wall snap round to face us, many within the camp hear Dave’s awesome voice and they too stop and turn to look up.
  I stand still and look out to the estate. The first bright flash is followed by a low dull thump that rolls over the ground to my ears. Another bright flash, then another, followed by a series of bright flashes spread all along the width of the estate. Soundless at first, the speed of light being far greater than the speed of sound. But the sound does reach us as the dull echoing thumps roll out like soft drumbeats.
  Then the estate goes up. The whole of the thing, from far left to far right and as far back as the eye can see explodes as one.

The still dark sky is lit for many hundreds of miles around as a mammoth sheet wall of fire scorches high up into the air.

My mouth drops open as I have never seen such a thing before. The most expensive special effects movies ever made cannot compare to this sight; a whole housing estate erupting instantaneously and filling the sky with flames the size of skyscrapers. Within a split second the pressure wave and the sound hit us. As one, we are taken off our feet, not a single person remains standing on the top of the inner wall. Down below in the camp, many are knocked down or simply drop to hug the earth in absolute terror.
  The ground seems to heave and the noise is more than words can describe, a thousand jet aircraft taking off at the same time while a thousand marching bands pound through my skull. I go flying off to the side, I could be screaming or silent I have no concept. All I know is that my senses are overwhelmed with sight, sound and sensation. If there is a hell then surely it has come alive here in this place.
  I stagger to my feet not knowing what I’m doing. Looking around, I see every other person is down on the ground burying their heads with their arms. All apart from Dave who is stood side on to me, his face turned to watch his glorious work. His profile framed by the scorching flames behind him. How he remained standing is something I may never know, but he and I stand and watch with awe.
  The incredible sounds continue and I see the flames are shooting out over the flatlands too, eviscerating everything in reach. This is something amazing, something beautiful, created by one man who can barely hold a conversation.
  Dave suddenly looks up and tilts his head to one side, seemingly staring at something in the night sky.
  ‘INCOMING,’ He bellows with his huge voice, somehow drowning out the sounds of the explosions still reaching us.
  I look up puzzled at what they could be firing at us from this distance, and especially after that explosion.

Then I see it. A car on fire, rolling over and over gently in the air as it sails hundreds of feet over the Fort to land far out in the sea.

I glance back up to see more fiery objects flying overhead, leaving long blazing trails of sparks and fire behind them like mini comets.
I hear a loud wet slapping sound nearby and turn my head slowly, finding it hard to drag my eyes away from the glorious blaze. I look over and see a charred and smouldering torso laying on the ground a few metres away. Just a torso with the arms still attached, no legs or head though. I watch it with curious detachment then feel my body being slammed to the ground.
  Dave is up and grabbing at my arm, trying to pull me to my feet. He’s just knocked me down and now he wants me back up.
  ‘GET UP, MR HOWIE,’ he shouts at me and his voice penetrates enough to get me to my feet and staggering behind him as he pulls me round to the back of the Saxon. He wrenches the rear doors open and shoves me bodily into the back. I get to my senses and shuffle forward to look out of the windscreen. Flaming body parts are landing all along the inner wall and behind us in the camp. Burnt and scorched heads, legs, arms and torso’s, torn apart and sent flying high into the sky to come tumbling back down upon us. Dave runs round the front of the vehicle and starts pulling at Sarah, yelling for her to get up.
  I run back and jump out of the Saxon, landing with both feet firm on the ground. I race round and lift Sarah to her feet by her shoulders, shoving her roughly towards the back of the vehicle. She looks dazed and confused and we dodge burning body parts landing all around us.
  ‘DAVE, PROTECT THE CANNON,’ I scream out.

Dave turns to face me with a sudden realisation.
  ‘I CAN ONLY DO ONE,’ he roars back and races off to the left.

I run forward, grabbing at bodies and pulling them up.

Someone screams and I look over to see an archer being squashed by a heavy zombie body landing on him, others scrabbling forward to try and pull the burning body away.
  I glance down into the camp and see chaos reigning. People running in all directions and screaming as the burning body parts come slamming down.

Tents are ablaze and brave men and women beat at the deadly flames with coats and blankets.
  Malcolm is up and staring around with a look of utter horror on his face. I run over and grab his arms to make him face me.
  ‘MALCOLM, PROTECT THE OTHER CANNON, IF THOSE POWDER BAGS GO UP, WE’LL BE FUCKED.’ I scream into his face several times, until he quickly comes to and nods back at me before running off.
  Within a few minutes my group are up and working, running up and down the top of the inner wall. Stamping down on flaming body parts to beat them out.
  I run down to see Malcolm using the hose from the cannon, running about and spraying the water over any burning material.

I’d forgot about the hoses and give thanks once more for Dave’s forward planning.
  Dave joins me back in the middle and together, with our band of brothers, we stare out to the flatlands. The sky is much lighter now and daylight is almost upon us.
  ‘Thank fuck it didn’t set the fuel off in the deep ditch,’ Chris says. His feet are planted apart, his hands on his hips as he stares out to the blazing estate.
  ‘Dave, I want everyone up here to make ready. We’ll use the Saxon to fire first as it has the range. Everyone else holds until they get closer, so we don’t waste ammunition.’ I bark out the order as I stride forward to stare out over the flatlands.

I hear Dave take a sharp intake of breath and wait for his voice to come bellowing out.
  ‘MAKE READY, YOU WILL MAKE READY AND WAIT. HOLD YOUR FIRE.’
  The inner wall springs to action as hundreds of people surge forward to take up their arms. Clips are pushed in with a multitude of loud clicks. Firing bolts are racked back. Men and women make ready their weapons. Ready to stand proud and fight.
  Silence falls amongst us, even the camp seems quiet now as everyone prepares for the attack they know is coming.
  ‘BLOWERS GET OUR LOT FORMED UP HERE,’ I indicate the area of the wall immediately in front of the Saxon and facing out down the road leading to the estate,
  ‘NICK, YOU’RE ON THE GPMG. DAVE AND JAMIE I WANT YOU BOTH SNIPING, TRY AND GET THAT FUCKER SMITH.’ They react without hesitation.

Tucker runs up carrying my rifle and handing it over as he takes up position on the wall. I spare a glance to see my glorious men kneeling down and removing ammunition clips from their bags; placing them at their feet, ready for use. Their hands are steady and there is a steely look in each of their eyes.
  ‘HOWIE, MY MEN ARE YOURS, USE THEM,’ Chris shouts from the back of the Saxon.
  ‘FORM UP ON THE WALL HERE,’ I bellow out, pointing at the space being used by my recruits.
  ‘WE FOCUS OUR FIRE ON THAT ROAD,’ I shout out and watch as the guards from the commune jump in.
  ‘GET YOUR CLIPS OUT AND READY. FOCUS YOUR FIRE. HOLD UNTIL TOLD.’ I hear Blowers stepping smoothly into his corporal role.

He moves along our line checking each is ready.
  ‘COOKEY, I’LL DO THIS END YOU DO THAT ONE, MAKE SURE THEY’RE ALL READY,’ Blowers yells over to his friend.

They split, with each one moving off down the line of the wall, checking each man and woman is ready with their ammunition and repeating for them to hold their fire, until told.
  Tucker runs past me heading to the back of the Saxon, I pay little attention as I see Sarah running up the vehicle ramp towards us. I didn’t see her go off anywhere so I’m puzzled to see her coming back.
  ‘Howie, the boats are back,’ she yells out.
  ‘Get those children ready and get them loaded to go,’ I turn to Chris as he steps away from the Saxon holding an assault rifle. ‘Chris, I’ve got boats to take the children away. I’ve got this here, can you go and make sure they move quickly.’
  ‘Got it,’ Chris replies and turns to jog after Sarah. I turn back to the wall as Tucker comes up beside me.
  ‘Mr Howie, Sir,’ he says.

I turn to see him holding a pair of boots. My boots. I look down to see I’m still wearing just my socks.
  ‘Well done, mate,’ I smile at him and walk over to the Saxon and start pulling them on.

I glance to the side to see Dave and Jamie both have rifles with scopes attached. No suppressors or silencers now. They take position front and middle, looking directly at the road.
  I step away and see Blowers and Cookey returning to their posts, both of them nodding at me as they take position.
  The estate is still well ablaze but I know it won’t be long before they try and push through. I can imagine Darren is sending them in to find paths and routes safe enough to get through. I look up to see Nick standing calmly with the General Purpose Machine Gun in front of him, he looks down and smiles.
  ‘You ready mate?’ I call up.
  ‘Yes, Mr Howie,’ he says, with a clear voice.
  ‘EYES ON,’ Jamie shouts and every head snaps forward as the tension increases tenfold within a split second.
  ‘COMING THROUGH NOW,’ Dave shouts out, sweeping along the estate line with his scope.
  ‘Mr Howie,’ Nick calls out and throws down a pair of binoculars.

I press them to my eyes and adjust the setting until the burning estate comes into focus.
  Most of the houses are gone. The sheer ferocity of the explosion has shredded everything on the estate. The fuel tanker and the open gas lines created such a powerful explosion that everything that could be burnt was burnt. Now, with very little left, the flames are dying down. Thick, black smoke billows up into the sky but between the wreckage and blackened stumps I see the zombies pouring forward.
  A thick line of them comes into view through the smoke, several of them drop from heat or flames, but the mass just keeps rolling forward.
  ‘THIS IS IT,’ I bellow out. ‘THEY’RE COMING THROUGH THE ESTATE NOW,’ I report what I see.