Suicide Run (The Infected Book 5) (4 page)

Chapter Five

I turned to look at Spirit and said “Are you coming or not?”

She lifted her head and yawned and then slowly jumped down from the couch with a slight humph.

“Hey, it’s not like I am putting my life on the line for your hairy arse.” I said, looking down at her.

She yawned again and licked my hand.

Smiling, I ruffled her fur and headed into the short corridor. Spirit stayed close to my leg. I stopped at the first door on the left and listened. All I could hear was the soft panting of Spirit next to my leg. I tried the door handle and pushed the door open.

Inside was a small office with a window that looked out at a brick wall. The desk had a computer and monitor and the other usual small office stuff. The chair back was facing the door and I was instantly wary because all the horror films I had ever seen there had been either a killer sitting in the chair waiting to pounce or a dead body. I edged along the side of the desk. Using my foot, I pushed the chair and I turned round. The chair was empty and I let go the breath that I had been holding.

Turning back to the doorway, I saw Spirit sitting there with and expression on her doggy face that said ‘Dumbass’

“Look, you keep going on like that and you’ll get nothing to eat tonight.” I said, walking back out of the small office.

She let out a small woof and turned her back on me and headed to the next door and sat down waiting for me.

Again, I pushed at the door but this time it didn’t move. Trying the handle I could tell that someone had locked this door. Heading to the last door on the left I heard a clatter. I turned to look at Spirit and then at the door we had just walked away from. I didn’t like this and I don’t think that Spirit liked it either because her tail was down.

Crouching down, I slid along the wall and into the corner so I was facing the door and the rest of the hallway. I must have crouched in that shadowy corner for about ten minutes and nothing came out of the room or down the hallway. Spirit sat beside me and watched the door and her head never moved the whole time.

When it became clear that nothing was going to happen, I decided that I wasn’t really in a hurry to check out the rest of the building and I could secure the reception in the same way that I had secured the front doors, by pushing something in front of the door. With Spirit in tow, I headed back into the reception and then went about shoving the desk and then the other couch in front of the door leading to the hallway.

Grabbing the seat cushions off the couches, I spread them out on the floor so that I had something to sleep on and not the cold floor. Opening two MRE packs, I fed a beef stroganoff to Spirit and I had a vegetable mush that was some sort of soup.

With my sleeping bag laid over the cushions, I climbed inside and tried to fall asleep. Spirit lay her head on my chest and curled her body in close and I was glad for her warmth.

The nights had started to get colder and the days had that sharpness that comes with the change from summer to autumn. Especially here in the North East of England. What I wouldn’t have given to have been somewhere with a bit more warmth when all this had started. But saying that if I had been elsewhere, would this have happened at all?

Then I remembered that this was what Benton had wanted to happen in the first place. Maybe not exactly, but the outcome had to be the same. A low rumble from Spirit pulled me from my thoughts and I opened my eyes. The daft mutt was fucking snoring! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A dog that snored, now that was something that I had never heard of happening before. I shook my head and closed my eyes and this time I wasn’t disturbed by any thoughts and fell asleep with Spirit snoring on my chest.

Morning came and I woke to Spirit thoroughly cleaning my face with her large rough tongue. Pushing her head away, I wiped the dog drool off my face with arm of my jacket.

“Ok, Ok!” I said, pushing her away as she tried to close in for another lick.

Climbing out of the sleeping bag I stretched and then rubbed my face and noticed that my cheeks and chin had grown quite a bit of stubble. Looking around the reception it looked as though nothing had been moved or touched.

Pulling on the rest of my gear I knocked over my rucksack and the radio fell out onto the floor. Looking at it, I tried not to think of Amy and the others. I mean the whole point of me doing this was to try and keep them safe. The last thing I wanted to do was give up and return with my tail between my legs and have the company come and wipe us all out one day. Picking the radio up off the floor, I shoved it to the bottom of the rucksack and hoped that with it being at the bottom I might forget about it.

Pulling out a couple of breakfast bars and two bottles of water, I ate one bar and gave the other to Spirit. Looking around, I saw an empty fruit bowl on a side table, emptying one of the bottles of water into it. I set it down in front of Spirit who, with that large tongue, lapped it up.

Sitting on the edge of the couch that was against the front doors I drank my bottle of water and watched as Spirit finished hers and lay down on the floor. Looking over my shoulder, I could see outside through the safety glass. Where yesterday had started with a really deep thick fog, today had started with a bright blue sky and high wispy clouds, nothing seemed out of place and outside that I could see. I sat up and let my legs dangle off the couch. Grabbing my boots, I started to pull them on when I noticed that Spirit wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Spirit, here girl.” I called out.

I waited a few seconds and shouted for her again. Standing up, I stamped my boots and looked round. I could hear a low growling coming from behind the reception desk.

I walked over to the desk and said “Spirit! You ok girl?” looking over the desk and seeing her looking at the door to the corridor with her tail between her legs and her ears plastered to her head. She turned her head and quickly looked at me before turning back to the door and continued her growling at the door. I was puzzled because we had been through that door last night and there had been nothing out of the ordinary through there that we had been able to see.

I leaned over to give Spirit’s fur a rub, her head quickly turned and she snapped at my hand.

“Whoa! What the fuck has got your fur in a twist?” I asked, quickly pulling my hand away.

She turned back to the door and resumed her growling at the door. I walked over to the door and she let out a single sharp bark. I turned to look at her and she resumed her growling. She must have sensed something on the other side of the door. There were two choices; I could investigate and hope that there wasn’t anything there, or I could pack my gear and head out to the truck and get away.

Let’s just say that my intelligence must have taken a beating since the infected came on the scene. I walked over to the door and started to push the couch out of the way when Spirit ran across the room and started to pull on my pant leg with her mouth. This time I did what she wanted and back away from the door. Turning my back to the door, I started back to my rucksack when I heard a thud and turned to see the door pushing against the couch. Running to where I slept, I grabbed my stuff and shoved it into the rucksack. The sleeping bag I just rolled up into a bag and fastened it to the rucksack.

Spirit was near the front door whining to be out and the couch was still against the door. Dropping the rucksack near the couch, I shoved hard against the couch, feeling the muscles in my legs and arms straining against the heavy couch. The feet of the couch scrapped against the carpet pulling it into furrows. There was another thud against the door behind me and I shoved harder.

There was just enough room for me to get through when I heard a loud bang from behind me. I turned to look and saw the couch that had been in front of the other door on its side. Grabbing the rucksack, I pushed the door open and clambered past with Spirit weaving through my legs. I was lucky the stupid dog didn’t trip me up. Just as I squeezed through, I risked a look back and saw a large hand gripping the edge of the door and a loud grunting sound. The hand looked to be at least twice the size of mine. I decided that I really didn’t want to find out what the body on the end of that arm looked like. I ran into the car park and stopped dead.

Someone had stolen my truck. The parking spot where I had parked it the night before was empty. I looked around thinking that there might have been a chance I had parked it elsewhere in the car park. But the more I looked, the more my heart sank.

I heard a loud crash come from inside and decided that it might be a good idea to find somewhere to hide and then think of what I should do. Running out on the main road I headed toward the city center.

This was going to slow things down slightly, I thought, as we ran down the pavement. Spirit ran along side of me panting with her tongue hanging out of her mouth and her toenails clicking on the pavement. The sound of glass smashing from behind me had me run even faster, but I was beginning to tire. The rucksack was heavy on my back and the rifle that was stuffed in the top was just weighing it down even more. I needed to find some kind of transport and soon.

I was scanning all the car parks and alleyways on either side of the main road and not really looking where I was going when I slammed into the side of a lone infected. I ended up falling to the ground on my arse looking up at her. She was slowly turning round, and if it wasn’t for the smell you may never had said she was infected.

She was slim and had a grey tone to her bronze skin, her hair could have been any colour but it was so filthy that it looked dark brown. As her face turned round the side, that came first looked like would have been quite good looking when she was alive. But it was the second part of her face that screamed infected. From below her right eye down to her chin all the flesh had been torn away down to the bone, and I mean down to the bone. The contrast between the white bone and the grey/bronze skin gave her face an almost fake look. Her eye was missing and some of the teeth looked as though they had been smashed out and they had left the ragged stumps in her jaw.

Her eye flicked round looking for me. I scurried back on my hands a few feet before trying to stand. Spirit bounded in between myself and the infected and barked. The eye couldn’t remain still. I looked everywhere but on me or Spirit. I clambered to my feet, and to tell you the truth I was puzzled. Here was one of the infected not three feet away from me and it was as if I wasn’t there. The infected lurched off in the opposite direction and I stood watching it bash into walls and then go in the other direction until it hit another obstacle. It was after watching it bash into the walls a few times that it dawned on me that she was blind.

A small snort of laughter came out of my mouth before I could get myself under control. The infected stopped dead like someone had thrown a switch and turned round to face me. I clamped my hand over my face and tried not to breath or make any kind of noise. She turned back around and started her staggering lurch again. She must have been blind before she had gotten infected and because of that she was still blind.

Chapter Six

It never occurred to me that there would be disabled infected roaming the streets. But I suppose that it made sense after all the old and infirm would have been easy targets for the infected. I started heading toward the city again and this time I walked. Bumping into the blind infected had been one thing but bumping into a horde of normal infected might not be a good one.

Turning the corner at the end of the street I saw a black car in the middle of the road with its doors wide open. Checking the street I headed toward the car. Nothing looked out of place and I looked at all the roofs and buildings around it. Getting within about four feet I walked round the car looking in each window in turn. I dropped onto my stomach and peered underneath.

A cloud moved in front of the sun and that’s when I saw the dull red light under the car. It was hidden in the wheel well and I would have not seen it if it wasn’t for the dull red light. I stood up and brushed the small road stones from my trousers and set off again. I could feel the skin between my shoulder blades begin to itch. There was someone watching me. Spirit and I must have walked like this for the next two hours.

We sat down on the steps of a church and I fished out a breakfast bar for me and a MRE for Spirit. With my eyes hooded, I watched all the buildings and rooftops in front of me. The itch that had been between my shoulder blades earlier on was now camped out on my chest. Nothing seemed out of place. Well, nothing in a Zombie Apocalypse, anyway.

Spirit lay down on the step next to me with her head on her paws and her eyes closed. Small flitter of movement on the top of a small dry cleaners gave whoever it was away.

Standing, I cleared my lungs and shouted “Look, either come out and talk or Fuck Off!”

I looked around and waited for a few seconds. No one came out to talk so I struggled into the rucksack and started heading back toward the city. My plan to skirt the city had gone out the window when my truck got stolen, so I was just winging it now. I had walked about another five hundred meters when I heard what sounded like two motorbike engines start up. ‘Here we go!’ I thought, and ran for the shelter of a used car showroom.

Dodging between the cars I slid behind a van and started trying to pull the rifle out of the straps. I heard the engines getting closer and risked a quick glance around the side of the van.

It was two of those four wheeled ATV’s. The one at the front had a slim figure in black leathers wearing a motorbike helmet. I couldn’t tell if the figure was a man or a boy. The figure on the second ATV was defiantly a man. He was dressed similar to the other rider but was huge. The ATV looked tiny underneath him.

I ducked back out of sight and readied the rifle. Spirit just sat there looking at me as though I was off my rocker. The engine noise lessened as the ATV’s came to a stop beside the used car showroom.

“He’s got to be round here somewhere.” Came a muffled shout over the ATV’s rumbling engines.

They were looking for me, and for some reason I felt very frightened all of a sudden. I really did feel like I didn’t want them to find me.

“I’ll head around the back and have a look. You try and see if he has gone inside.” The voice said just before the engine revved and I heard the ATV pull away.

Risking another glance round the side of the van I hoped that it wasn’t the huge man that had stayed behind. But it looked like my luck for today was going to be bad. Because as I watched, the huge man turned off the ATV and swung his leg over and stood up. Reaching down, he lifted a MP5 from the straps on the back of the ATV and he pulled back the charger and started walking for the door. 

I hid again and was trying to think of a way out of this, but nothing would come. Yeah, I could probably shoot him and make a run for it, but that would also let all the infected in the area know I was here.

Spirit looked up at me and then wagging her tail, trotted out from behind the van and toward the man.

“Spirit!” I hissed quietly.

She either didn’t hear me or couldn’t have given a shit because she just wandered up to the man and sat down in front of him wagging her tail like he was her long lost love. The man stopped and looked down at her and then crouched down and stroked her head and her tail, nearly had her lifting off it was wagging so much. I needed to get away but there was no way that I was leaving my dog behind.

I lifted the rifle and started to line up my shot at the man’s head when a female voice said from behind me “You know, Marc, if you shot Chris, he will kick your skinny arse for you?”

I spun around and there leaning against the van was Amy in black leathers holding the motorcycle helmet by its strap. She had been the other rider.

“Oi! Chris, I found him! He was about to shoot you in the back.” She said, grinning.

I peered round the van and I saw Chris pull the helmet from his head and then he stood up and looked around.

“What?” He called out.

“I said I’ve found him. He’s over here next to the van.” She answered.

I was really in deep shit now and the funny thing was, I was really happy about it. Grinning like a fool, I watched as Chris squeezed through the cars and over to the van. I still hadn’t got up from where I was crouched.

“Alright, dickhead!” Chris said, looking down at me.

“Yeah, not so bad.” I answered.

Laughing, he dragged me up by the arm and grinned at me before his face went deadly serious and said “What the fuck were you thinking?”

Spirit sprinted passed me and ran straight to Amy. I watched as she crouched down and got her face washed doggy style.

Chris poked me in the shoulder with one of his thick fingers and said “I said what were, you thinking?”

I looked round at him and said “I told you on the radio.”

“I know why! I just wanted to know why you thought I wouldn’t want to help.” He said looking very pissed off.

“Look, you and Tessa were happy and so was everyone else. Benton has a lot to answer for, and seeing as I started all of this, I thought I should be the one to end it.” I said, looking him in the eye.

Chris nodded. His head and said “Ok, I just wanted to look you in the eye when you said it.”

Amy looked up from stroking Spirit and said “Look, we can talk more back at the safe house.”

“Safe house?” I asked.

“We got into town late last night and secured somewhere to bed down. Then last night Chris heard a car engine and went for a look and saw the truck driving out of a car park. But he said it wasn’t you driving. We went back to where it had been parked this morning and saw some infected hanging about. We decided to have a little look around before clearing them out and seeing if your dead body was in there. As we scouted the streets, we saw you and tried to catch up. Then you hid in here.” Amy said.

We all heard the moans and the sound of feet.

Chris looked over the tops of the cars and said “Look, lets piss off before they turn up.”

I nodded my head and we headed over to the ATV’s. I went to climb on with Amy but she shook her head and pointed over at Chris. I shrugged my shoulders and headed over. I looked over my shoulder and watched as she lowered her helmet on and started the engine. I climbed behind Chris and put my hands round his waist.

“Hey, don’t get too friendly back there.” He said through his helmet.

“Fuck off, Chris.” I said, a little too harshly.

“Look, she has every right to be fucked off with you.” He said starting the engine.