After the Fall (Book 1): Outside (2 page)

Chapter 3

“Ok, Annie, let’s run through it again,” he said as he zipped up her coat. Annie rolled her eyes. Peter and Mary’s chalet was only next door, but it paid to be over cautious these days. Why take for granted that nothing would happen in the twenty foot journey from one chalet to another?

“I know Daddy, if anything comes, I run back to the chalet, and lock myself in the bathroom. The chalet door won’t be locked.”

“That’s right.”

“But Daddy, there haven’t been any zombies here for weeks now.”

“Even so, Annie, it’s best to be careful, you know that.”

Annie nodded. Her face took on a look of seriousness. “Mummy always said that it was better to be safe than sorry. Is it the same thing?”

Jack’s hands stopped moving. He hugged Annie. “That’s right Annie, Mummy did say that. It all means the same thing. Good girl.”

“Ok, if Mummy says, then I’ll do it.”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh, “You mean if it’s something Mummy said it’s ok, but not when Daddy says it?”

He pulled back to look at Annie, a smile on his face.

She laughed, “Mummy said she was always right.”

“Come on,” said Jack. “Let’s get going you little terror.”

They walked to Peter’s chalet quickly, Jack looking around nervously, with a tight hold on his daughter’s hand. He knocked on the door.

It was a cool summer night, heavy with the scent of earlier rain. Another squall was rolling in from the sea, threatening a downpour at any moment. Sheep baa-ed in the distance.

Peter opened the door. His old tanned face immediately creased into a wide smile “Jack! And little Annie, come in. Simon and Elsie are already here.”

They stepped in and were introduced.

Jack had seen Simon before, when collecting his rations a few weeks ago. He was a few years older than Jack, tall and strong looking. His wife Elsie was also tall; an elegant woman with slight creases around her eyes, the good kind of creases that years of easy smiling brought. Jack could imagine them from before the Fall - bright, active, the type of people who always seemed to enjoy life. A gift he had never been able to master.

“Nice to meet you Jack,” said Simon shaking his hand. “And who’s this?” he learned down to Annie, offering his hand.

Annie blushed, caught in a moment of shyness, but still shook Simon’s hand.

“Tom, come and say hello to Annie,” said Elsie.

A young boy with a shock of blond hair bounced over. He was a bit taller than Annie. “Do you only like girl toys?” he said.

Annie shook her head. “No, I like all sorts.”

“Do you want to come and play with my legos?”

Annie looked up at Jack. He nodded towards the floor in front of the couch where an explosion of legos lay. “Go on, it’s ok.”

Tom and Annie ran over and began to play.

Jack sat at the table with Simon and Elsie. The kitchen, lounge and dining table were all rolled into one large room, just like Jack’s chalet. Peter and Mary were busy with pots at the gas stove. Given the Fall had occurred at the start of the season, the holiday park had a generous surplus of gas canisters. It had been calculated that everyone would be ok for gas at least until the winter; by then they would be getting low - just to coincide with the temperature drop. No one thought too much about that though. It didn’t do to think about the future.

“Haven’t seen you round much Jack?” said Simon, drinking a glass of wine. “Have you been here long?”

Elsie poured Jack a drink.

Jack nodded. “We got here at the beginning of the Fall. We were lucky. Me and Annie were lucky.” He felt his face flush.

Elise took on a look of sympathy. He was coming to hate that look. “Mary told us what happened. We’re terribly sorry. We can’t imagine what it must be like to go through this on your own.”

Jack shrugged slightly. He stared at his glass and ran his finger around its base.

“How is your little girl coping?” said Elsie, in soft tones. He missed a woman’s voice.

“She’s ok,” said Jack, turning to watch Annie play with Tom.

“Poor thing, it must be awful for her. She must be strong. You both must be strong.”

Jack shrugged again. He didn’t really know what to say. He felt there was nothing to say. Words changed nothing.

Annie let out a laugh, something funny had happened with the lego. Jack smiled.

Simon took another sip of wine. “We got here about a week after the Fall. Getting out of London was hell. I didn’t think we were going to make it.”

“Was it true, the rumours?”

Simon nodded, looking solemn. “Firebombed the whole fucking city.”

“Language,” said Elsie quietly, nodding towards the children.

“Sorry love. But yes, they firebombed it alright. We were about a day away from being stir fried. Bastards. Sorry love.”

Jack kept asking people whether it was true, that the cities had been burnt by the air force. He was hoping that one day someone would tell him it hadn’t happened.

“Peter tells me you helped with all the barrier work on the fence those first few weeks,” said Simon.

Jack nodded. The Fall had happened three months ago, in May, and it seemed like an age ago. In retrospect he realised he had spent that first month in a sort of shock, just going through the motions. People kept telling him what a good job he had done on the fence, but in truth, he couldn’t remember much of it in detail, it was all a blur. Peter and Mary looked after Annie for most of that month. He hadn’t been able to.

“It’s good work, from what I see,” said Simon. “I was in construction, a partner of Dobson Construction, you may have heard of us? Anyway, good idea with the vehicles, the sand-packing, the barbed wire. The lot. Like something out of a first world war movie!”

It had been a scramble for survival. Half the people fighting the initial tide of dead, the other half trying to construct something to keep them out. Jack had got involved with the fence building, zombie fighting wasn't his thing - he couldn’t stand being near them. He instead had built an affinity with the fence. The beach had been the hardest part to secure. In the end they had felled and piled up hundreds of trees along the sand dunes. The rest of the park that didn’t face the beach had been barricaded with the many cars and vehicles dotted around the park. Gaps filled in with sand, trees, bushes, barbed wire. It was pretty solid.

He realised that Simon had been talking. He tuned in again.

“… and it seems to have worked. Only four zombies inside the grounds in the past month.”

“I think the numbers have dwindled generally,” said Peter, walking over with a large plate of rabbit. “Not much population around here. I think the days of herds have passed, at last out here.” He rested the plate down. “Now, let’s eat!”

The next hour passed pleasantly. More so than any time Jack could remember since the Fall. The food that Mary and Peter supplied was of a surprisingly high standard, but then why should Jack be surprised - fresh veg from the numerous allotments that had sprung up, and fresh meat being the rabbits caught that very day. Even the spices were from the small herb garden Peter and Mary had on their veranda.

Wine, rescued from the holiday park’s bar and supplemented by the runs, kept conversation loose. As long as Jack didn’t think too hard, he realised he was almost enjoying himself. Simon and Elsie were good company, but most of all, Annie loved playing with Tom.

She laughed in a way that Jack hadn’t heard since the Fall. Her smile lit up Jack’s heart and he found he could think of Amy for the first time without a cloud of dread descending over him. More a warm cloud of sadness - unpleasant, but tinged with a memory of deep love.

He should let Annie play outside more. Maybe things weren’t so bad.

The main meals were finished, Mary delivered a dessert of value choc ices. The two children played a board game of Mousetrap.

“I think we’ve lucked out here, in this holiday park,” said Simon, pouring himself some more wine.

Peter nodded slowly. “You may be right, but I think it’s too soon to count our chickens. The world outside is still crazy enough.”

Simon made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Look at this way, we have the place barricaded, thanks to some great work by you guys in the early days,” he nodded to Jack, “and we haven’t had a zombie here for the past few weeks. We have allotments, more sheep and rabbits than we can eat. We’ll have those generators working soon. Couldn’t get much better. Considering the circumstances.” His words slurred slightly.

“I’d like to see something more sustainable than the runs though,” said Peter. “We are pretty far out on a limb here, we’re already having to go further than we did a few weeks ago to try and find stuff that hasn’t been looted. Medicine, for example.”

“Well, there’s plenty of us,” said Simon. “Shouldn’t be a problem.” He turned to Jack. “Haven’t seen you on any of the runs. You been with a different team?”

Jack shook his head. He felt his face flush with embarrassment. “I haven’t been on any of the runs.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“You haven’t been well,” said Mary.

Elsie nodded, “It must have been hard getting things back on track. You’ve done a great job with Annie.”

Simon waved a finger around. “Well, you could say that. But, I guess you’ve been using the stuff from the runs, Jack, the food, the clothes, medicine, all that stuff?”

Jack nodded.

Elsie glanced at Simon and put her hand on his arm.

Simon continued. “It’s dangerous out there. Last week we nearly lost Eddy, you know that old guy from up near the entrance? He’s in his seventies for Christ’s sake.”

“I am planning to go soon,” said Jack. “I’ve just been trying to get better, is all. Annie is my priority.”

Simon let out a small laugh and shook his head. “I would say the people getting the food and everything else you need to look after Annie are the ones really looking after her.”

“Simon!” said Elsie.

“Well,” drawled Simon. “I’m only saying the facts. We can’t have any freeloaders now. There ain’t no socialist welfare ready to look after those who don’t help themselves.”

“Come on Simon,” said Elsie, her face flush.

“Go easy,” said Peter.

“It’s ok,” said Jack quietly. He met Annie’s eyes. She was looking at him, both children finding the adult’s raised voices more enticing than the board game.

“Hey look,” said Simon, pointing a finger at Jack. “I’m not saying I don’t like you or anything. You seem like a nice guy. And hell, losing your wife like that, tough stuff. But lif
e
i
s
tough now. And we need help wherever we can get it. You up for it?”

Jack wasn’t. But he nodded. “Yes,” he said.

“Good. We got a run tomorrow. You coming?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Simon smiled and held his hands up wide, “See, everything sorted! I knew you’d be up for it Jack. You did some good work with the fence. We need guys like you.”

“Daddy,” said Annie. “Are you going to go outside?”

Jack nodded.

“You said it was dangerous outside, that the monsters were there.”

“It’s perfectly safe,” said Simon, “as long as you’re with someone else. Don't worry, your Daddy will be fine.”

Annie’s face was creased in worry. “I don’t want you to go Daddy. I want you to stay here.”

“I’ll be ok,” said Jack, glancing at Simon, speaking before he could. He forced a smile. “It’s like Simon says. It’s safe.”

“You can come and play with Tom,” said Elsie, her face also painted with a smile.

“It’s ok Annie,” said Tom. “I’ll show you my treehouse.”

The worried face didn’t leave Annie. “I’m tired. Can we go?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

He stood up and took his daughter’s hand.

“Ok, 10am at the car park, Jack, sharp!” said Simon. “You’ll love it. Get back out in the world. Do you some good.”

Jack did his best to offer an enthusiastic good night. “Come on Annie, let’s get you to bed.”

Chapter 4

Jack and Annie stood outside Simon’s chalet, holding hands. The weather was heavy; grey clouds framed the surrounding rolling fields, and a damp wind lapped across Jack’s face. The hills that had, for the past three months been nothing but a distant land, a world forgotten, were to suddenly become real again, with all their surprises and terrors.

“You sure you’ll be ok with Elsie and Tom?”

Annie nodded. Although not keen on her dad going on the run last night, she had seemed to relax to the idea.

“If you don’t want me to go, all you have to do is say, and I’ll stay.”

Annie shook her head. “It’s ok Daddy. All the other Dads go.”

“Ok,” said Jack. “Let’s go.”

They walked to the chalet and knocked on the door. Chaotic shouts and the sound of stamping feet preceded the opening of the door. Elsie smiled. A warm smile, but with hints of embarrassment, no doubt due to last night’s outburst from her husband.

“Hello, Jack, Annie. Are you both ok?” she said, directing the question to Jack.

Jack nodded.

Tom burst past his mum. “Hi Annie!”

“Hi Tom,” said Annie. “Are we going to play with legos again today?”

Tom shrugged. “Maybe. But I have some other ideas too.”

“Ok.” Annie turned to her dad. “I’ll see you later Daddy.”

He leaned down and gave her a kiss, then watched her run into the chalet with Tom.

“We’ll look after her. Don’t worry,” said Elsie.

“Ok.”

Simon appeared beside his wife, not seeming to share any of her embarrassment. He was wearing workman’s boots, a leather jacket and gloves. He carried a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and a baseball bat in the other.

Jack suddenly felt ill prepared, and stupid. He had his sledgehammer, but was only wearing a jumper, a pair of jeans, and a pair of trainers.

“Hey Jack,” said Simon, tucking his helmet under his arm and offering his hand. “Not sure you would make it,” he said with a smile.

Jack shook his hand, “Will I be ok, I mean with what I’m wearing?”

Simon looked him up and down. “We’ll get you some gear. You won’t need it, but just in case, eh? Come on then.”

Simon gave his wife a kiss.

“Be careful,” she said.

“Alway am.” He motioned to Jack to follow.

Jack stole one last look into the chalet. He could hear Annie’s laughter from inside.

“You be careful too,” said Elsie.

Jack managed a smile.

The car park was edged by the reception, a sales room, a large gym and pool complex, and a bar and restaurant.

There were no parked cars - they had been used to build the fence. Only four vehicles had been spared the indignity of the barricade - large 4X4s of the pick up variety. This morning they were lined up in the car park, their engines running. A crowd of people representing all ages stood around the vehicles, dressed in a similar manner to Simon, but each with their own unique twist on their armour. Motorbike, cycle, and skiing helmets, thick leather jackets and gloves, wetsuits; anything to deflect hungry jaws. Jack recognised a few faces.

James, the manager of the park and de facto leader, bent over a picnic table with a large map. Three men and a woman stood by him, studying the map. James was a large stocky man somewhere in his fifties, always wearing one of his trademark checked shirts. He waved Jack over.

“Hey Jack, how are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

“Not too bad. Haven’t seen you for a while?”

Jack became aware that the small group around the table was watching him. “No, I’ve been looking after my daughter.”

James patted Jack on the shoulder. “Good to see you. You joining us on the run today?”

Jack nodded.

“Good to hear. You know how things work?”

“No. I’m here with Simon.”

“Well, we’re taking all four trucks out today, these guys are your drivers,” he motioned to the four people around the table. James rolled off four names, but Jack immediately forgot them all, until the end, “and this is Ash. Simon is in her team today, so I guess that’s you too.”

Ash offered a thin smile and nodded at Jack. She was a small woman, somewhere in her forties, guessed Jack. “You been on a run before?” she said.

“No, this is my first.”

“Well, just do what you’re told and everything should go smooth.”

Jack jumped as a heavy hand slapped him on the back. It was Simon.

“You met the crew then? Ashwini, great driver. We’ll have no problems.”

“It’s Ash,” she corrected, zipping up her thick motorbike jacket. “You getting him some better kit?”

James took Jack by the arm. “Come with me, we’ll sort you out.”

The shop next to the car park had long been emptied. Instead it was hung with various helmets, jackets, gloves, boots, and weapons of various sorts. Almost too much to choose from.

“Found this lot around empty chalets, and on the runs. Get yourself fitted out, then go find Ash or Simon. We’re rolling in five minutes.”

“Thanks. I’ll feel better once I get kitted up a bit. Cant believe I didn’t think. Pretty stupid.”

“It’s ok.” James peered out the window of the shop, as if checking they were fully alone. “I guess you’re here because Simon gave you a hard time? Don’t worry about him, about what he’s thinking, or what anyone else thinks. I know what it’s like, I lost people too, remember? But what you’re doing, it’s the right thing. You need to get moving, or you’ll die. And you’ve still got your daughter to look after.”

James didn’t wait for a response, but turned and left Jack in the shop, alone.

He breathed deeply, his heart thumping. He looked at the door. Nothing could stop him from leaving, from running. But where would he run too?

He tried on a few jackets until he found one that fit. He pulled on a pair of leather trousers. They were tight, but that felt good, felt safe. He put on a ski helmet, lighter and less claustrophobic than a motorcycle helmet. Then gloves, then boots.

He put his old clothes in a pile in a corner of the shop.

He picked up his sledgehammer. He gave it a swing.

He was ready.

He took another deep breath and walked out to join the runners.