“If we can be of any assistance, Sir, bear us in mind. We have proven vehicles and sufficient firepower to reach most places, I imagine. Once we have helped fortify this place some more, we will be in a good position here.”
“Thank you, Captain. I am sure I will call upon you soon. There are still personnel trapped in a few bunkers and posts, as I told you before. All are reporting they are secure and have sufficient supplies to last for the time being, but at some point, we will need to try and rescue them.”
He broke off or a few moments. “Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to and must sign off. Can you keep this line of communication open at all times in case we need to contact you urgently?”
Captain Hammond turned and looked at us. Shawn replied straight away. “Yes, we can. All we need to do is keep the genny topped up.”
“Yes, Sir,” continued Hammond, “we can keep it open.”
“Good. Captain, your orders are to help and integrate yourselves with the group at the castle. Prepare as best you can for when we will go on the offensive. You are a credit to your country and your uniform and can be proud of what you have achieved so far. Out.”
The captain’s face turned red with embarrassment at the praise his superior officer had given him, as he laid down the handset on the ham radio.
“Shall we get on with our jobs, then?” he said. “The sooner we get them finished the sooner we can find something else to do.”
As the shadows began to lengthen and the day gave way to dusk, we gathered back in the Great Hall. The walls were now adorned with multiple machine gun posts and a mortar position had been constructed, the kitchen area was stacked with supplies and lines of camping stoves; the sleeping areas had been allocated and mattresses and air beds lay on the floors of the many rooms surrounding us.
Once the children had run off the last of their energy in the play area, they’d been coaxed to bed, and the rest of us, apart from the ones on guard duty, sat on one of the many chairs that had been arranged around the main fireplace and rested our aching muscles.
Fifty-four people and two very tired dogs settled down to spend another night in our castle.
Chapter Nine
Awaking as light began seeping through the blinds that had been lowered in the room that was once an office and now was our bedroom, it took me a moment to realise where I was. Becky lay beside me, beginning to stir herself and I looked across the large room to the open door that led to where Stanley and Daisy were hopefully still sleeping in the adjoining room.
All seemed quiet and peaceful. The airbed we were using had thankfully decided not to deflate in the middle of the night, as had happened to us in the past, leaving us to wake up on a hard floor with the aches to prove it. Carefully, I extricated myself from the sleeping bag and rolling of the airbed, stood up and softly walked to the open door to check on the kids. They were still asleep, so once again trying and failing to be stealthy, I put on some clothes and holding my boots in one hand and my tactical vest and weapons in another, I walked into the corridor and down the stairs and passageway that eventually led to the Great Hall.
Laughter from the kitchen area drew me to it. Willie and Maud were bustling about, chatting and laughing together as they filled kettles from bottles of water and set them on the camping stoves. I leant on the doorway and smiled at how happy and relaxed together they seemed. They could have been a happily married couple who’d been together for years and not just the one day it had been. Willie laughed at something Maud had said and putting his arms around her, kissed her on the cheek. My chuckling at the sight caused them to both jump back in embarrassment as they noticed me for the first time.
“Och, laddie,” Willie said, smiling, “what ya doinʾ creeping around like that? It’s enough ta make ma heart stop, ya gave Maud a proper fright.”
“I was hardly creeping,” I replied, still enjoying the fact I’d caught them cuddling like teenagers.
Maud recovered by telling us both to leave her alone and she would bring us some mugs of tea through when the kettles had boiled.
Aiming for the comfiest looking chairs in the Great Hall, we sat and waited in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
“Willie,” I said eventually, “I’m really happy for both of you. And….
“Ah, stop ya girly mumbling,” he replied, trying to be severe. “Maud’s had enough of the women fussing around her like chicks around a hen, telling her it was one of the most romantic things they’ve seen. All I did was speak my mind and tell her how I feel. Now, can we move on and talk about something else for a change?”
Maud brought us two steaming mugs of tea and while we waited for others to arrive, we talked about our plans for the day.
The main priority was to continue the work of securing the castle. Last night, Chris and Jon had drawn up and finalised a list of supplies they would need to permanently brick up the few entrances to the castle or to construct sturdy gates to allow us to still use them for either vehicle or pedestrian access. We also needed to improve the perimeter fences at the few weak points we’d identified yesterday. Finding an old directory in one of the offices and using a map of Warwick town we’d found, we located the nearest builders’ merchant and the first task of the day would be to dispatch a strong force to secure it, if necessary, and take what we needed. We had a long list of other items we wanted to gather, including more food and a plan to visit the list of local gun shops we’d also located using the directory. The growing list proved that for us to be confident that we could made the castle as impregnable as possible, we’d have days or possibly weeks of work and many potentially dangerous trips around the area to complete it.
Slowly, yawning and stretching, our little community gathered, and another day began. Not many were needed to stand guard on the walls, as from a few vantage points, the whole perimeter could easily be watched. To their delight, the six children who were deemed old enough were included on the rota. They’d helped to keep lookout at the church and were always told to help when on the vehicles, so it was nothing they hadn’t done before. Now, however, due to the size of our new home, the adults would most likely be further away or occupied with other tasks.
Eddy told us that when the children were on duty, he planned to have an adult on the walls with them at all times, walking between their allocated posts. We’d tell them this would be as backup if need be, but we also knew the adult would be able to keep an eye on them and make sure boredom didn’t make them lapse on what was essentially a crucial, but inevitably, boring job.
Woody and Eddy taught the youngsters basic drill and parade discipline and formed the eager looking ‘soldiers’ into a squad, with those of us who’d gone outside looking on and smirking at how serious they were.
Their young faces could barely contain their excitement as they stood there, each with a pair of binoculars around their necks, a radio in their pocket, and their prized .22 rifles slung over shoulders; all listening intently, as both sergeants, using their best ‘sergeant’s’ voices told them the importance of what they were being trusted to do and the consequences of not concentrating.
Captain Hammond joined in and walked crisply on to the parade ground to receive smart salutes from both sergeants, and more exuberant, but not as neat ones from his new recruits. Then he told the sergeants to dismiss them so they could commence their duties.
The youngsters raced off to their posts. The adult chosen to join them set a more sedate pace.
Not knowing what to expect when we ventured out for the first time, we planned the mission carefully. The best vehicles we had were the armoured car, the tractors and trailers and Woody’s Land Rover. Chris told us that he expected the builders’ merchant to have forklift trucks and hopefully a crane lorry, which if we could find their keys, as we had at the farmers’ supply shop, would make loading easier.
The knights were our close quarters experts, so they were included in the party, along with half the soldiers. The rest of the soldier
s stayed behind, because until the civilians were trained, they were the only ones who knew how to operate the machine guns we’d positioned around the walls. Out of the rest of us, we decided that ten would go, with everyone else staying at the castle.
The builders’ merchant was only five minutes’ drive away under normal conditions, so we thought the radios should still work, which would enable us to communicate easily. There was a lot of joking and banter to hide the nerves everyone was feeling at once again going out to fight the zombies we knew were out there. I was in the group chosen to go, and we all piled into Woody’s Land Rover, Shawn’s tractor and the armoured car, once again driven by Sergeant Geoff Gallon, with Captain Hammond beside him.
Once the van had been moved from its blocking position, with a final wave, we set off. Approaching the first gate, we could see a few zombies beyond it; not enough to worry us, but they were there, nonetheless.
Ian, Geoff and Jamie stepped from the rear of the armoured car and sliding the locking bar, opened the gate. We’d decided that it would be best for them to travel in that vehicle because it saved opening the rear of the trailer and deploying the ramp, if only a few of them could deal with what was out there. Standing aside for the vehicles to drive through, they made sure the gate was secure again, while we leant over the trailer sides, spears held ready to kill the few that staggered towards us.
The main entrance gate to the carpark was still closed. We could see more zombies beyond it, but none were close, so we were through and the gate secured again in no time.
The zombies that we’d just killed and those we dispatched yesterday must be getting in somewhere. We needed to find the hole in the fence or whatever they were using and fix it. I made a mental note to bring this up with the others later.
Shawn had the map, and with Louise in her normal spot beside him, they led the way. The route would take us through the centre of Warwick to an industrial estate just over the river. The road was littered with the usual and not unexpected mess of abandoned and wrecked cars, but Shawn was now an expert and easily picked the right path through them.
Until now, we’d avoided driving through any large towns, and we realised we’d done the right thing when we came upon places teeming with the undead. Shawn was forced to ignore the comfort of his passengers in the trailer and with his foot to the floor, he had to smash the plough on the front of his bucket through them.
In the trailer, all I could do was hold on as it bounced and rocked along the road packed with the dead. Looking back, the long, body-strewn path we cleared was soon filled with those he’d failed to hit as they turned and followed us. With dismay, I knew that as our objective was not far away, there would be too many for us to hold back when we tried to get what we needed. I reached for my radio and sat down on the floor of the trailer.
Knowing everyone, including those we’d left behind in the castle, was on the same channel, I spoke. “Guys, have you seen how many are out there? I think even with every gun firing, we’ll struggle to hold them back. Anybody got any suggestions, other than turning around and heading back?”
Louise replied, “Shawn says that he’s managing to smash through this lot, so as long as he can keep his momentum up, why doesn’t he make a few passes through the town and keep thinning them out?”
I thought about the proposal, but it was the ‘keeping the momentum’ bit that worried me. If something happened, we could find ourselves in the same situation we had back at the barracks; jammed up against and unable to get through the thousands that faced us. That idea did not appeal to me one bit.
.“Geoff’s suggesting leading them away as they did at the church,” said Hammond. “There might be a lot more we haven’t seen yet, and he tells me it worked there.”
That was a far more appealing plan. We’d all heard about how, when they’d first arrived at the village to help Bob and Jim find their families, they’d used the van to lead away the throng that surrounded the church.
“Shawn,” I asked, “can you check the map to see if there’s an easy way back? I don’t fancy the risk of getting stuck if we can avoid it.”
There was a pause while he and Louise were trying to find a route, then Louise spoke on the radio.
“Yes, if we carry on for about a mile after the town, we can loop back via the next motorway junction.”
I mentally pictured the route from my knowledge of the area and knew it would work. Not needing to ask any more, with those in the other vehicles replying that it was worth a try, I put the radio back in my pocket, stood up again and clung to the side of the trailer as Shawn continued creating his gory trail of destruction.
Passing the builders’ merchant, Shawn slowed slightly so we could study the place. It seemed perfect and was full of everything you’d expect the business to have, including a crane lorry parked in the middle of the locked and empty looking yard. Chris stood next to me, staring at it as we passed.
“Bonus,” he said, smiling. “It looks as if the lorry was already loaded ready for the morning’s first run. I couldn’t see exactly what it was loaded with, but it definitely had some blocks and sand on it. If we can find the keys for it, we could just load whatever else we need and drive it back.”
“I hope so. I can’t imagine this’ll get rid of all of them, so we aren’t going to want to hang around,” I added.
The crowd of zombies thinned out the further we got out of the town, making Shawn slow the pace to ensure the thousands following us kept up. With the leading edge of them yards from the armoured car at the rear of our convoy, we crawled along, reaching over the side and stabbing any that got close as we passed them, until at a traffic island, Louise told us Shawn would pick up the pace once we knew they’d followed us when we turned.
When we’d confirmed the undead mass was following us, Shawn sped up and our little convoy soon left them behind and in no time they were out of sight around a bend. Louise kept calling direction changes for everyone’s benefit as Shawn drove the tractor back toward the M40 motorway. We’d crossed over it on our journey to the castle. From memory, I hoped it was still clear and only littered with the usual spaced-out abandoned cars and lorries we’d passed most of the way on our long journey up the M5.
I smiled as Shawn broke traffic rules and regulations and drove towards the off-ramp instead of crossing the carriageway to join the correct side of the road. Even though the laws of the land didn’t apply anymore, I could imagine him enjoying the chance to flout them as he changed through the gears, gaining speed to join the motorway for the short trip back to the exit for Warwick. Minutes later, we were back on familiar roads and once again driving past the castle entrance.
The masses had indeed, as we’d hoped, followed our initial direction. Slow ones, or ones left damaged by our first trip through, still crawled and dragged their way along the tarmac, their simplified senses telling them that was the direction to keep following to find food. Shawn began weaving the tractor to drive over as many as he could while those in the trailer stabbed and thrust at any others in range of our spears.
Yells of encouragement came over the radio because the ones still in the castle could hear our engine noises as we passed and they’d been following our radio conversations, so they knew what we were doing.
Captain Hammond spoke on the radio, “Okay, chaps. This time get ready. Shawn,” he instructed, “if you drive through the gate and into the yard, we’ll stop at the entrance with the other two vehicles and be the blocking force. Once the knights have checked the yard, form up by the vehicles and act as close support. Everyone else not needed in the yard, form on me with weapons ready. Everyone clear on that and happy?”
It was what I’d expected him to say and no one disagreed. As the senior military person present, he, with his sergeants to help, would naturally be in command of any fighting missions we undertook. This was his first one, and he hadn’t seen any of us in action yet. He’d heard about it, but not witnessed our capabilities yet and I hoped he’d b
e impressed by what necessity had taught us.
Without slowing down, Shawn smashed the tractor straight through the entrance gate, which buckled and crashed back on its hinges with a sharp crack and the screech of breaking metal. Driving once around the large rectangular yard, he stopped next to the lorry. In no time, we’d opened the door and deployed the ramp.
By the time the knights had walked down the ramp, Ian, Geoff and Jamie had got out of the armoured car and jogged over. We could tell the place was deserted, the open-sided sheds and the shuttered office and showroom building telling the story of a business that never opened on day one of the apocalypse, and never would again.
Once the knights had checked everywhere in the yard and shouted the all-clear, I joined Chris. They followed us as we headed straight for the shop door. There was no time for subtlety, so in seconds we’d cut off the padlocks to the shutters, pulled them up and used a sledgehammer to smash the front door in.
The shop area was dimly lit by skylights on the ceiling and we wasted a few seconds standing there, waiting for our eyes to adjust enough to see.
“Ian, Jamie,” Chris said, “come with me while I find the lorry keys. Tom, you’ve got the list, see what you can find in here until we get back.” As they disappeared through a door usefully marked with an office sign, I pulled a list from my pocket and called out items as we spread through the shop area. Getting a wheelbarrow from a display, we soon filled it with cordless drills, lengths of chain and other items that Chris had correctly assured us would be standard stock items for any builders’ merchant. There was even a cement mixer which we filled with items we grabbed as we rushed about the shop.
The increasing level of fire outside was an unnecessary reminder to work fast.
With a shout of, “Got them,” Chris ran past us and went outside. We grabbed a last few armfuls of items and followed, me pushing the wheelbarrow and Dave struggling with his sword, shield and a rifle on his back, dragging the cement mixer.
Zombie Castle Series (Book 4): ZC Four Page 6