Zombie Dawn Apocalypse (16 page)

Dave threw a chair across the room in anger. Roger instead sat down, in thought about what they could do with their final time and energy.

“We will not survive the night in this room, so we either die here, or try and make a break for it.”

“And go where? I’ve lost everyone, there’s nothing left,” said Tommy.

“We have our boats at the jetty, and that yacht too,” said Roger.

“And where would we go, Roger?” Tommy asked again.

“Surely anywhere is better than dying here?”

“Is this going to be our lives until the day we die? Running until we are either killed by those monsters or die of starvation?”

“Those indeed sound like the options, Tommy.”

“Well I would rather live as many days as I can and not die by those bastards!” shouted Katy.

“Right, sounds like we’re making a break for it then,” said Dave.

“All agreed?” asked Roger.

“Yes!” Katy shouted.

“Yeah,” said Tommy.

“So, got any wise ideas on how to do that?” asked Dave.

“Anyone got any ammo left?” asked Roger.

Dave slammed the .45 down on the table. “Just this, seven rounds.”

“Right, then that’s our ticket,” said Roger.

“How so?” asked Dave.

“Can you get onto the roof from here?” Roger asked him.

Dave suddenly thought, he went to the window and pulled the curtains across, he turned back with a grin.

“The ladder’s still up from earlier, just outside the window.”

“Right, then we need a volunteer to use the gun, they climb up onto the roof and draw as many creatures to the other side of the building as possible with that gun and harsh words, the rest of us make a dash down the ladder once it’s as clear as it can be,” said Roger.

“You think that’ll work?” asked Tommy.

“Well unless you have got any better ideas, it’s about our only chance.”

“Alright, I’ll go onto the roof, you just be ready,” said Dave.

“Good luck,” said Roger.

Dave opened the window and looked down below. There were a few creatures towards the bottom of the ladder, but most were around the front and other side of the house. Fortunately, they’d been paying so much attention to the ground floor that they hadn’t noticed him yet. He hauled himself onto the ladder and scurried up onto the roof, the Colt in his belt and axe slung on his back with a rope. He crept carefully along the inwardly sloping roof until he reached the other side, being careful not to attract any attention until he was in position. He leapt up onto the edge of the roof and stood up in plain view.

“Hey, motherfuckers! That’s right, you, you ugly bastards!” he shouted.

The horde immediately looked up to the source of the new noise, unable to avoid the sight and sounds of living flesh. Some of them began reaching for him, a full thirty feet below. He pulled the Colt from his belt and held it up, kissing the sight.

“Hello, my friend, guess this’ll be your last fight.”

He cocked the handgun and took careful aim with two hands, he needed to attract attention, but that was no reason to waste the ammunition. The first shot rang out and the creature’s head snapped back as the powerful .45 round struck its head and killed it instantly.

“That’s right, bitches! Time for one last party!”

He took aim with his second shot, killing another instantly.

“Hell, yeah, you like that?” he screamed.

Roger carefully crept up to the window that Dave had climbed out of to look down below. There were now just five zombies near the base of the ladder, he looked back at Katy and Tommy.

“Right, only a few left down there now, I suggest we get moving, it’s going to be a fight to get free, but it’s probably the best chance we’ll get.”

“Alright, I’ll go first,” said Tommy.

“Good lad, Katy, you’ll be second, I’ll go last, we’re going to have to fight our way out.”

“What about Dave?” asked Katy.

“He’ll be out of ammunition by the time you reach the ground, I’ll wait here until he’s down and be the last out,” said Roger.

Tommy climbed out of the window and got onto the ladder, the hatchet hanging from his belt. He climbed down to with a few feet of the ground, the first creature was just below, he kicked it in the head sending it tumbling down, before jumping to the ground. He pulled the hatchet from his belt.

“Right you scum, you’re getting some.”

Katy got onto the ladder as Tommy swung his hatchet at the first beast. The horde at the front of the building was still largely focused on Dave as he fired his last two shots.
 

“I’m coming, you bastards!” shouted Dave.

He stepped down from the ledge and out of view before stepping quietly across the roof to the ladder, peering over the edge he could see that Tommy was hacking away with his hatchet as Katy was just reaching the base of the ladder. He jumped on and began climbing down quickly, reaching the window where Roger was waiting.

“Good job, now get on down, I’ll be right with you,” said Roger.

The edge of the horde was already taking notice of Tommy’s exploits, enthusiastically fighting like a fanatic, spewing blood everywhere. Katy lifted her hammer and joined the fight as Dave reached the bottom of the ladder.

“Roger, get down here!” Dave barked.

Dave took his axe from his back and into his hand, picking out his first target as Roger climbed onto the ladder. Dave lifted his axe and smashed down the back edge on his first target, the skull fracturing and collapsing under the heavy weight of the weapon head.

Tommy spun around and smashed his hatchet into the face of a zombie, sending it flying into the base of the ladder. The ladder quickly gave way and Roger screamed out before he hit the ground hard, his head striking the stone wall on landing.

“Roger!” Katy shouted.

She ran over to his body, but blood was already pouring from the open wound in his skull.

“He’s gone, Katy!” Dave said.

The two turned around, to see Tommy hack another down. The three stood up and looked ahead. The entire hoard now surrounded them and was already stumbling closer, uncountable odds. Blood dripped from the survivors’ weapons and sweat from their brows. They were tired of fighting, tired of surviving, but never willing to give up. They all knew it was hopeless, but their bloodlust would at least be fulfilled in one last fight.

“Fuck these zombies, give them hell!” Dave bellowed.

The last three islanders lifted their weapons and stormed towards the mass, swinging with all the force and energy they had left in the world, until blood ran in rivers and they breathed their final breaths, content in the knowledge that they’d
given
it everything they had.

Another island fell, another triumph for the dead, and a crushing defeat for the living. With Dave’s last dying thought all he could think was perhaps this was inevitable, perhaps they always were on the losing side. But at least his life in the last ten years had contained more excitement and adventure than sitting in a miserable office doing pointless work. Though it was only a shame that no one would be left to record his life, to document the fact that he’d been more than just an office clerk.

He finally laid to rest in peace, knowing he would soon become one of them, thankful to have all the worries in his life finally over, but hating his enemy no less.

English/Welsh border, United Kingdom

Nick had been resting for no more than an hour when the scream woke him. He sat up, instinctively grabbing for his machete that was always within arm’s reach. The room was still dark though a few low level lights provided a little illumination near the serving area. From the few windows still remaining, a very dull yellow was starting to enter as the first rays of the sun arrived. He could see the shapes of several people moving slowly. His first instinct told him this was trouble and he quickly moved towards the sign of danger, holding his weapon out in front, ready to strike. As he took another step closer a wail came from the surface of the unit and he immediately spotted one of the wounded passengers. Two of the others were holding the man down.

“What’s going on?” asked Nick.

“We think he’s been bitten,” said Jessica, whilst continuing to hold the man down.

Why do you think that?” asked a suspicious Nick.

“Well, for a start look at his skin. He has a fever, his skin is pale but worse than that, he won’t let us look at his wound.”

Nick stepped around the group, looking at the trapped man. She was correct, he did have the symptoms of either a nasty fever or a bite. Either way it needed to be decided and decided fast. He stepped up to the man.

“Listen. I’m taking a look, either you let us or we’ll do it by force, you know the risks we all take.”

He reached out and the man started to struggle, swinging his arms and managing to strike Jessica on the side of the head. She collapsed, stunned by the strike.

“Right, enough!” growled Nick as he delivered a quick punch to the man’s head.
 

As the man rolled about unconscious the two other passengers helped pull open his jacket to reveal the dark stain of blood.

“Come on, we need to get this off,” Nick ordered.

As they pulled off his clothes the injury told them all they needed to know. The blood was thicker than normal and the flesh around it was already looking dead.
 

“Fuck!” swore Nick. “How many times have we been through this?”

Gary appeared, the sound having woken him and on seeing the trouble he pulled out his machete. He looked at Nick, giving him a look that told him exactly what he intended to do. Nick nodded and then moved away, feeling exhausted and just a little let down by the single biggest problem they ever faced, hidden infection.

“It’s okay, get some more rest, it’s being taken care of,” he said as he slumped back down to rest.

There were murmurs as the wounded person was taken out of the room, but after all they had faced there were no voices of dissent. Nick lay down and allowed himself to close his eyes for a while.

* * *

It was slightly less dark now and the sun was about to cast its rays across the old service station.
 

He’d been awake for only a few minutes but Nick already stood at the front of the group, in one hand he held the map and in the other the detailed list of supplies. He paused whilst looking at the haggard survivors.

“I’ll give you the facts and we’ll vote on the plan, right?” he asked as though they had a choice. A low murmur was the only reply.

“Adam, what’s our status?”

Adam stepped forwards though he looked a little nervous addressing the group.

“Right. The bus has had it. It might go another mile but it’s basically trashed. The other four vehicles have enough space for us, but only just. We have enough fuel for maybe thirty miles if we take them all or we can get about one hundred and fifty miles with just one, but only a small group can do that. We have enough food and water for four or five days. From what we’ve picked up here we have a decent amount of ammunition and weapons,” he said, before returning to his position.

“That isn’t so great. Options wise we are limited. The way I see it we have three options and I don’t like any of them,” said Nick.

“Let me guess, one is to stay here and party?” asked Max with a sarcastic expression.

“Not quite,” answered an irritated Nick.

“The first option is we load up the vehicles and head further in country. We can’t travel far and there is no guarantee we’ll find anywhere better. The second option is to head to the coast. We’re about twenty miles from the sea. If we can find a boat we can try and go somewhere else.”

A boat? To where?” shouted one of the group. They were followed by murmurs of complaint from some of the others.

“As I said, I don’t like any of these options but we have to do something. The third option is to dig in here and send out one vehicle to scout for something better. We could send them to one town or city at a time or even to the coast to find a boat,” he continued.