I called down from the cabs roof, ‘Someone put something in the Talkers ears so he can’t hear.’
Esme looked a little confused but took care of it. I climbed down from the cab but Eve stayed to monitor the hordes progress. When Esme was finished I said, ‘The Talker still thinks calling for his friends threatens us and I’d like to keep it that way. There is a small horde on its way but with all of us and the vehicles, it shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s unhook the Unimog, we’re going to need it. Fern can be the one to ram through the gates, they don’t look too bad.’
I called up to Eve, ‘How may Sprinters and Beefcakes?’
Eve replied, ‘Two Sprinters about thirty seconds out and three Beefcakes about ten seconds behind them. The horde won’t be too far behind and there’s about sixty or seventy of them.’
I looked around the group, ‘Ok, guns out to deal with the freaks. The rest should be fine with the vehicles. Let’s wait until they gather at the gate then Fern can hit them hard. If we’re lucky most of them will gather at the gate as it’s lower than the fence, and it will only be a clean-up job after the first hit. The Unimog should go in second.’
Esme was climbing up next to Eve with a Henry on her back before I’d finished talking and Eve had both her guns in her hands. I had an M9 and Ben had taken the shotgun from the petrol station, giving his sidearm to Izzy. The Sprinters were as impressive as they were scary to watch. As they came closer I recalled all the near death experiences I’d had at their hands. Shots rang out but unsurprisingly only one went down as their speed and the way their heads moved from side to side as they ran made them very hard targets. Luckily the other one took enough bullets to injure it and it collapsed in a heap after it leapt the gate and landed awkwardly; Eve finished it.
The Beefcakes didn’t even make it to the fence, which was almost a shame, but they were tough and unpredictable so it was still best to make sure they went down as soon as possible. Esme was getting better and better with the Henry. Fern got ready in her rig and Ben got into the Unimog. Fern revved like she was ready to start a race as the main horde approached. Esme stood by Lulu and opened the door so she could speak to Ted and I felt another surge just before the horde hit the gates. When they were frenzied, they didn’t tend to dodge out of the way as readily.
Fern hit the gates with all the speed she could muster in the short run up she had, and although she was still in second gear, the momentum of the rig sent the horde that were pressing against the gates flying. It was quite something to watch. Although seeing a horde of Zeds fly from the impact like bowling pins brought a loutish smile to my face, the reality was that very few were actually killed as a result. Fern kept going on the road that cornered to the left and Ben in the Unimog was close behind her. Eve, Esme and I went in after the Unimog and Mary took up the rear.
Finishing the horde proved difficult. Hitting the sturdy fence or frequent concrete uprights could easily damage the vehicles and after the initial hit the Zeds had become cautious and ended up staying close to where they had landed, either side of the gate against the fence. After a few minutes of revving around trying to hit Zeds but not each other, I leant on the horn and everyone stopped. Eve mumbled, ‘Spoil sport’, but she knew I was right.
The Zeds had split into small packs and quite a few were injured from being flung away from the gates, so I grabbed Seven and got out of Lulu with Mutt close behind me doing his best intimidating growl.
Everyone followed suit and in groups of three we eventually managed to finish the horde. Ben hit his head, or rather helmet, hard on the road and got badly scratched on the face as two bundled him. Fern sprained her wrist when she fell over, but there were no bites or broken bones so we had done ok. We were all tired afterwards and covered in goo, so we stayed where we were, cleaned ourselves up, and had an early lunch supplemented with the haul from the petrol station. Mandy bound Fern’s wrist and saw to the cuts and grazes.
As we finished our food Ben said, ‘So what’s the plan?’
I failed to stifle a sign making Eve elbow me in the ribs and everyone smile, ‘I know we’ve always gone with the killing hordes outside with vehicles, but it does have its downsides. It’s the best plan when there is a horde, but hordes themselves can be tricky, and avoiding them altogether also works. This place is huge and there are loads of buildings and a mini housing estate. I don’t know if whatever Zeds are left have gathered somewhere out of Talker range, or how many might be left in small groups in buildings or houses, but I’d like to find out.’
‘We’re good for supplies and if there is a bunker or emergency supply stash or something, it’s likely to be in a secure looking building. Eve and I burnt down a building close by we’re pretty sure some Zeds had gathered in when we first came here, and it was easy and effective. I see no reason not to do the same if we find heavily populated buildings that don’t look like they have important supplies in.’
‘We’ve also got pretty good at the house to house thing over the last few weeks, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. I say we start with what I assume is the reception centre building over there and see how it goes. I think we should leave Ted out of calling range but make sure he and his brother are safe and secure in the container before we go. With all the ones the pilots killed, and with the ones we’ve killed since, the chances of finding an enourmous horde all in one place should be small.’
Eve broke the silence that followed, ‘Rome may not have been built in a day, but I’m sure they worked bloody hard to build it, so let’s get our big girl and boy pants on and do this thing.’
There were various groans as everyone got to their feet, but I could the see the grip on everyone’s weapons tighten and the look change in everyone’s eyes. There was a small guard building on the road that was empty and a large carpark area mostly covered with the kind of containers that come off eighteen wheelers. After the container area we were all surprised to find a twisty dirt racing track that still had banger cars on it. There must have been a race on when it all happened.
The reception building was two storeys high and looked like some huge detached mansion house from the outside. We figured it would be empty as it was so close to where the Talker had sent out his call, but we knew not to take anything for granted. We jammed open the glass entrance doors. Bill’s small wooden wedges had that become an essential component that everyone carried; rapid escape from buildings could be a life saver.
The open reception area was clear except for a couple of human and several Zed corpses. Open doors always severed two purposes, for escape, and to let out the smell of rotting flesh. Spring was turning to summer and the smell was worse than usual. We all covered our mouths and noses with bandana’s that had also become essential equipment. We found nothing but death on the ground floor and headed up the stairs.
The upstairs was a maze of corridors and offices with a large lunch room and one large conference room that also had some human and Zed corpses. We closed the doors immediately after opening them. The smell was overpowering because the room had no windows and the doors had a good seal, Izzy gagged but managed not to vomit. We finished our sweep and there was no trouble, but also nothing of much use. The building could make a good place to base ourselves if we moved, but it would need some serious cleaning and I was pretty sure we’d find something better.
We gathered outside the building and stood staring over the few hundred meters between us and the mess of buildings the other side of the runway. We were all tired already but there was still plenty of daylight to play with. I was busy thinking of what to do and say when Esme rescued me with a rhetorical question, ‘Do you know what that looks like to me……Pandora’s box, that’s what it looks like. If we go over there and there is a horde somewhere we open the box, and it will be really hard to close. I vote for rest and setting ourselves up for the long haul. Even if the place is completely empty, which is highly unlikely, it’s huge. At best it’s going to take up to a week to fully secure it, and if we
have lots of fights it could take longer. We’ve had a long day and a couple of fights already, so I vote we set-up, re-group, and start again in the morning. Time isn’t exactly against us and fighting tired isn’t ideal.’
Eve looked over at me and raised her eyebrows. The plan sounded good to me and I said so. We moved all the vehicles inside the perimeter and dumped the container close to the exit. The smell in the reception building had permeated everywhere and none of us fancied sleeping it, even if the container was uniquely unappealing. I was getting wholly bored of a diet with almost no meat, and although I quite like tinned ham, it soon got old. I was certainly bored of pasta and rice. We had had some Lamb, or rather mutton, from the moors sheep, but it had been strictly rationed and barely did more than to remind me of what I was missing.
Ben guessed my thoughts whilst we were eating and said, ‘Surely there must still be some animals left alive somewhere on all the farmland around here. It’s been spring so everything’s growing well and there must be becks and rivers that run through the odd cattle farm, or lakes or ponds that cattle could drink from.’
Fern interrupted with, ‘Rabbits. We might find the odd cow or horse, but domesticated animals are completely dependent on being fed and watered and don’t run away from people and therefore Zeds, initially at least. Without farmers to control the population however, the whole area will be rife with rabbits. Although it will take some practice to get good at catching them, and they aren’t very many peoples favourite taste, they are probably our best chance at a regular source of meat. I hear pigeon is quite tasty when it’s prepared properly and they should be thriving too. They could be hard to catch though, and I’m not sure they’re worth a bullet when we’re surrounded by millions of Zombies.’
Esme took up the train of thought, ‘We’re doing pretty well with the sheep and there have to be loads more on the moors. I know we’ve been preoccupied since coming across the hybrid, but sheep are our best bet by far. When we’re done here we’ll have plenty of space for them. I agree rabbits could also be good, but they’re a lot of hassle for not much meat. Give me a fat juicy lamb chop over a rabbit stew any day.’
There were several melancholy sighs and groans of approval at the mention of a juicy lamb chop, and the conversation ground to a halt. We set up the container and although we’d brought enough sheets, sleeping bags, and foam mats to make it comfortable, it was still essentially a hard steel box. We chatted, told inflated stories, and discussed the next day until dark. We posted watches at the windows but none of us slept very well. We left Ted and his brother tied up in the back of the rig and Ted was present enough to smile and say he understood the precaution.
Chapter Eighteen – The Bunker.
The long night had given me time to think, and after breakfast I unveiled the plan for the morning. We’d picked up a few maps of the base in the reception building but we weren’t surprised that they only showed the residential areas and facilities. There were only unmarked rectangles of various sizes as evidence of the military buildings and hangers. The road map was still useful though.
Everyone gathered round on the camping chairs we’d brought, clutching their empty or near empty cups of tea and coffee, ‘I think the first order of business is to cruise round the base in Lulu and Mary and see what we can see. We can mark what we think the various military buildings are on the maps as we go. As we drive through the housing area we can assess the size of the base population from the number of houses. We have some idea how many Zed’s we’ve killed, and that should give us an idea of what we could be dealing with. If we come across any wandering Zeds no one is to do anything. No one, anything, understand? We’ve been ambushed before and lost people when we have. We’ll lead in Lulu and follow our lead if we decide to run or fight. If we get swarmed and split up, head back here and under no circumstances try and fight.’
‘We’ve found using the chlorine sprayers can be a nightmare if the wind changes, but make sure you have a mask and goggles on you and use them in an emergency if you have to. The bullets for freaks policy still stands, even if there is only one and it’s isolated. Never go hand to hand with a freak unless there is no alternative. Now let’s move out.’
Eve drove Lulu and as she got in she said, ‘Nice pep talk, up until the, ‘let’s move out’ at least.’
Mandy, Tony, Track and Mutt stayed behind to guard Ted, his brother, and our gear. Bill and Fern travelled with us and Ben, Izzy, and Max went in Mary. The road from the gate led to the northern part of the base where we assumed the hangars were.
There were twenty hangar buildings, more than we expected, but only two of the main doors were open. There were no signs of Zeds so we stopped to look inside one. There were two fighter Jets and various bits of heavy equipment no one recognised. At the back of the hangar there were a few rooms, one of which had a few simple and uncomfortable looking bunkbeds. The Jets had missiles strapped to their wings and the possibilities span through my head until they hit the brick wall of reality. This consisted, very simply, of us blowing ourselves to smithereens.
The second open hangar was predictably identical to the first and I was disappointed that there were no signs of four-wheel drives with mounted heavy machine guns anywhere. It was tempting to break into the other hangars, as I was sure there had to be a couple somewhere, but the plan was strictly recon.
The next building we came across had much more potential. It was obviously a bunker. Although there was a small rectangular building that looked like it must lead to the bunker entrance, the rest of it only stood less than ten feet proud of the ground and was covered in overgrown grass so that from the air it must have looked like nothing more than an oval hillock. Eve slowed down and looked across at me smiling as we passed by. Although we were supposed to be on recon I couldn’t resist; I nodded and she stopped outside the front of the entrance building.
There didn’t appear to be any Zeds anywhere so I got out and everyone followed suit. Izzy dutifully clambered onto the roof of Mary with some binoculars and scanned the horizon. I was about to speak when Izzy said, ‘There are at least three or four other bunkers covered in grass just down the road, but they’re much smaller than this one and they don’t have entrance buildings. We’re about as far away from the housing area as any of the buildings are and a place like this must store a fair amount of ordinance. If the other bunkers are storage, this must be bunker HQ.’
I smiled and looked around the group, ‘Recon’s over, this is what we’ve been looking for. I have no idea what’s inside and it’s probably bomb proof, so I also have no idea if we’ll be able get inside, but I think we should investigate.’
Everyone nodded and I could see my excitement mirrored in everyone’s eyes. The front door to the unassuming building out front was unlocked and I felt Eve close behind me as I opened it. She drew her guns as we walked in and the tension was palpable. The first area was only the size of a large kitchen and there were doors to the left and right, and what looked like an airport gate ahead of us. The gate had what must have been a metal detector. There were cameras on the ceiling and two odd looking military rifles with two triggers discarded on the floor either side of the gate in front of us.
Eve didn’t hesitate and holstered her guns immediately. She went over and picked up one of the rifles, handing the other to Esme. Turning the rifle over in her hands she smiled, ‘Jackpot. Standard issue mark two SA80 with under-barrel grenade launcher. The reflex site’s crap, and before you go thinking about the Aliens movie or something, it’s a single shot grenade that takes time to reload. It would probably kill or seriously wound quite a few bunched up Zed’s, or blow a hole in a single skin brick wall, but it’s not a weapon of mass destruction. It’s fully loaded and ready to go. This place must be important or they wouldn’t have the grenade launchers on them. The guards must have dropped them when they turned.’
I stared at Eve who rolled her eyes, ‘It’s hardly state secret knowledge. It’s a standard issue British and
NATO bullpup and any gun freak or serious survivalist wold know all about it. Now let’s move on.’
Esme slung the rifle over her back but Eve kept hers ready to go. It didn’t look too practical for indoor use, but I wasn’t about argue with her. It looked like a long corridor sloped down from the gate towards the bunker and it took a moment to realise that there were lights on in the building. I was just about to comment when a voice boomed out from a speaker somewhere and scared us all shitless. I saw Eve tense her grip on the rifle and if she’d had her finger on the trigger she would probably have pulled it, but she knew what she was doing and her finger rested on the side of the gun just above the trigger.
The voice said, ‘Halt, who goes there?’
There was a long silence as everyone froze and my head span with excitement. I couldn’t think of anything particularly impressive to say and I could hear the fear and desperation behind the voice so I went with my slightly irreverent gut, ‘Really! Is that the best you can do? I assume you know by now that there’s been a Zombie apocalypse and that almost the entire world had gone Zed. Who goes there is the biggest bad ass group of survivors you’re likely to come across.’
‘I’m sure you have years of food and water and there is no way in hell we could get in if you don’t want us to, but it’s been months now and no one has come for you, so they probably aren’t coming. Your choice is simple, go fucking nuts and eventually get ill and die in there, die when you get the balls together to come outside because you have no idea what they’re like or how to survive out here, or… you can let us in and we can help each other.’
Before the voice replied Esme stepped in, ‘Hi, my names Esme. What Brad meant to say was we’re really glad we found you and I’m sure we can help you as much as you can help us. There is almost no one left alive but there are more of us here and even more back at our base. As far as we can tell, we’re probably the only ones left alive within at least a hundred miles. We’ve managed to pull our group together because we know where survivors are likely to be, anywhere where the air was filtered when the invasion happened, like in this bunker and on planes that were in the air when it happened.’
Zed Days (Book 3): Zed Days III Page 17