by Stevens, GJ
“So she had been bitten?” I added.
“Yes,” Mandy said, raising her brow.
“Yes, but we don’t know how,” Alex said, glancing to Mandy.
“And you ran?” I said, looking the way we were headed.
Nods replied from Alex and Beth when I turned back.
“Still, she’s not safe to be around. She has to go,” Beth added, looking to the deepening anger on Mandy’s face.
Snatching a glance to Jess and then to Alex, both shrugged their shoulders as Alex spoke. “I don’t know.”
“We can’t have someone like that with us,” Beth added to fill the silence whilst glaring at Mandy.
Letting the words hang, I turned back toward the road, but was soon distracted by a building, tensing at the thought of another village like the last. I slowed the minibus with a hope I’d chosen the right speed to react to whatever happened next.
Passing the first house, I realised I’d held my breath and there was silence in the back as everyone seemed to have done the same.
“Mandy,” I said, causing her to flinch, “just sit there and be cool. This is under control. No one’s going to throw you out if you remain calm. Do you understand?”
Beth didn’t hide her murmur of protest.
“Do you understand?”
To her shallow nod, I glanced at Beth as a warning before I turned back to concentrate on the road.
We passed four brick houses either side, each wrapped with sizeable gardens and other than the wide-open doors, there was nothing to say the hell behind us had affected them.
With relief, the last of the buildings went past the window and, taking the corners slowly, weary of what could be the other side of the stone walls, the road eventually straightened out to give a welcoming long view into the distance.
Cracking the window to let in the chilly breeze, the air smelt fresh as we each scoured every angle outside.
I let a smile creep across my lips as miles of normality headed by the window and we joined a wider road whose surface was so much smoother than the narrow lanes from the village and, bound by short hedgerows with fields either side, I felt relief, optimistic we were through the worst of the nightmare.
My mood faltered at the sight of cars ahead stopped five abreast, blocking the road with boots wide open.
The missing windows brought back visions of that first day; the day we didn’t understand the mess we were getting into.
With no choice, I slowed, eventually coming to a stop a little way back and peering to the fuel gauge, but barely noticing it hadn’t dropped, when a screech called through the air to send a chill of icy fear through my body.
28
JESSICA
I had wondered how long it would be before we hit the first of the roadblocks.
After seeing so many on our way over, the first of which where I’d lost my crew, I’d hoped it would have taken more time before we reached the first obstacle. We’d travelled maybe two miles and hadn’t seen the fences anywhere. The fences reminded me of the two soldiers and I pushed away the image of Sheppard falling to the ground in his own blood and the other soldier, Jordain, whose name I forced to the front of my thoughts.
No one said a word when the call filled the air just as we stopped. Logan’s only reaction was to look to the fuel gauge.
For a long moment no one moved, until Logan twisted in his seat to catch my eye, then did the same with each of the others, even lingering on Shadow’s optimistic wide eyes before his expression turned to surprise as Cassie rose from where she’d lain.
He smiled on seeing her face, but he turned away when she looked out of the windows instead of his way.
“The whole area is jammed with roadblocks,” he said and I nodded, turning back to Mandy and Beth, swapping looks between us. “We need to keep on the move,” he said, and as if to punctuate his point a distant screech echoed through the air.
Each of the faces flickered to the windows before turning back to Logan.
“I suggest we take our chances going around in the field. I don’t think we should waste fuel going the long way only to find it blocked.”
“But...” Beth said, and Logan nodded in her direction.
“I know. If we can’t get out the other side, or we get bogged down, then we’ll have no choice but to walk. Do you all understand?”
“What do you think we should do?” Beth asked.
Logan turned his gaze to me and then to each person in the back before looking to Cassie.
“Cassie and I need to find where they’ve taken the children. I think the best opportunity is if we head to Exeter. If there’s a chance we can get through, we have to take it.”
I followed his look to Cassie and watched her nod as she held the back of the seats at her front to help her stay sat up.
“Why Exeter?” Alex said at my side.
Logan seemed to think for a moment before speaking. “It’s the nearest city. I think it makes sense. If there’s power and people then we can ring around. Maybe contact the media,” he said.
“And if it’s like back there?” Alex replied.
He thought again. “Then there’s still more resources than out in the middle of nowhere, don’t you think?”
Alex nodded.
“Let’s go around,” Beth said, nodding as she held his gaze. I couldn’t help thinking how quickly Logan had become a leader, despite his obvious reluctance.
“Is it safe?” Mandy blurted out.
“If you’re not with us,” Beth quickly replied.
“Let’s do it,” I said. I had my own priorities and for now, what Logan said made sense, it worked for me and for getting Alex somewhere safer in the longer term. I pushed away thoughts of Toni, of finding her and taking her to task, putting her on camera so I could destroy her in front of the public. With the anger building, I took a slow deep breath.
Logan turned, pulling on his seatbelt, then pushed the gear into first as he revved the engine.
29
LOGAN
Tensing with the scratch and scrape against the thin metal panels, I forced the minibus through the hedge line in hope it wouldn’t get any thicker. With the claw of the wooden fingers dying back, I kept the speed low over the undulating grass, whilst trying to concentrate on the view ahead and avoid the distraction of the high-pitched calls which sounded as if they were stalking us from beyond our view.
Voices in the back stayed silent, and with a rare glance in the rear-view mirror, I watched the others look at the view as all but Cassie sat up high, peering over the hedge line as we rolled parallel to the blocked road.
My thoughts turned to when I’d seen the first of the roadblocks and the impossible number of cars jammed in the narrow lane, each facing the same direction.
At first the line had seemed so orderly. A queue for the promise of transport, of safety at the other end. Maybe this time it hadn’t just been a promise. Maybe this time there had been enough coaches for everyone.
As we bounced high from a bump in the field, I pulled my thoughts back to the view and the spread of flat scrubland rolling ahead. A few moments more and we’d be at a second hedge line, which I scoured beyond, checking for any reason to divert.
All too quickly I’d committed, and we thrust through the dense foliage, the suspension cushioning the clatter from the uneven ground.
Beyond the hedge, the field of dry brush fell away from the horizon. The hill rolled down into a valley so steep I couldn’t see where we headed. To the right, I watched as the lengthy line of cars mirrored our downward journey in parallel.
A thump slammed from underneath, sending a shock through the structure, feeling as if the tyres were made of stone.
Wincing to the collective intake of breath, I snapped the steering to the left, hoping whatever I’d hit would miss the back wheel.
“Sorry,” I called out, slowing our speed whilst scouring the undulating ground at our front.
A short, shrill call came from be
hind, sending out a surge of indecision. Should I slow to miss an unseen obstacle, or race ahead so what sounded as if it chased us couldn’t catch up?
I made no reaction, instead searching the view to catch anything I hadn’t yet noticed, but my survey found nothing of concern.
Ahead in the valley’s basin we rolled toward, a road crossed our course. To the right stood a junction where the line of cars ended, held back by the all too familiar concrete blocks. A single white coach waited at the head on the otherwise empty road.
For a moment I hadn’t seen the figures, the undead crowded around the door, but when I saw something move, each of the figures snapped into view; as did the smashed windows and the red-stained tarnish to the paintwork.
Figures continued to reveal themselves as I slowed to a stop, watching them bent over, bobbing their heads as they fed.
“Why are we stopping?” Mandy said, her voice rising with each word.
“Look,” I said, pointing to the coaches.
“Shit,” came Alex’s reaction.
“We should go,” Beth added.
“Wait. Let me think,” I said.
Holding back my breath, I counted twenty in the pack, then tearing my gaze from the terrible sight, I looked at the hedge line between us and the empty road.
Nodding to myself at the plan I’d formed, I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant, but we’d soon be on the smooth tarmac and able to race out of sight.
Mandy was the first to see where I looked. “The road’s empty,” she said, then my name called from behind, causing me to turn back to the coach and the creature turning its face skyward as if catching our noise on the breeze.
Gripping the steering wheel tight, I had no breath to give my thoughts voice as the illusion shattered that these were just a slow pack of the dead risen who at this distance were no threat. The feral chorus sent Jess’s words into my head.
Every time we came into contact with these hybrids, someone died; Naomi in the field as we raced from the woods. McCole in the country lane in an ambush. Zoe by McCole’s hand, or what he’d turned into. Andrew. I couldn’t bear to think what led to his ending.
For a moment I thought I’d voiced the words when Jess spoke in almost a whisper.
“They’re still human,” she said.
I heard the twist of bodies in their seats. I turned to glance back, but only for a moment, forcing myself to look to the danger.
“They’re infected with a bio-engineered form of the virus.”
Holding my breath, I waited for the others to react whilst hoping none would make enough sound to call the creatures towards us.
“What?” came Beth’s voice, repeated by Mandy.
“What do you mean still human?” Cassie asked in a breathy voice as she sat up.
“They’re experiments,” Jess said, keeping her gaze towards the coach. “Each given different versions of the treatment, if you can call it that.”
“Some are barely human, much like those who die and come back to life after a bite,” Alex added.
Jess nodded and took over. “We’ve seen those that appear untouched with injury, despite what it looks like they’ve gone through and we’ve seen those that we just can’t understand how they can still walk, they’re so badly injured.”
No one spoke for a few seconds.
“Do they deteriorate?” I said, turning around. My gaze fell on Cassie, leaning her head on the headrest in front of her with her eyes closed. “Do they become more like the other creatures as time goes on?” I looked to Jess and she held my look, but before she could reply, Alex spoke.
“We don’t know.”
“I think they’re designed as weapons,” Jess said.
“Soldiers,” I added, staring to the figure still with his head turned up in the air as if listening to the conversation.
“So someone did this? Someone is behind all this?” Beth called out with indignation in her tone.
“Keep your voice down,” I said in a whisper, leaning forward to check if the creature’s stance had changed.
Just the low rumble of the engine filled the air until Beth spoke. “You seem to know a lot. What on earth is going on?”
I turned to Jess and nodded.
“They’re different,” Jess said. “Have you seen that?”
Beth glanced at Mandy, then turned back to Jess with disdain.
“We saw something in the distance. Are they the ones that make that terrible noise?”
Jess nodded. “And they’re so much faster and can jump so high.”
“They really can jump,” I said, nodding.
Jess tipped her head towards the windscreen. “They’re an attempt to make something superhuman. Each one is different though because the scientists gave them different versions of their creation.”
“Like the girl in the tunnel?” I asked.
Jess nodded without pause as I ignored the question on Beth’s face.
“She could talk.”
Jess continued to nod, and I turned to the coach, but my thoughts kept coming back to the foul liquid they’d given Cassie.
“What girl?” Beth said when no one replied to her searching look. “How do you know all this?” Her voice tailed off as I turned to glare at her volume. She repeated the question quietly as she leaned forward.
“I know...” Jess said, pausing as if the words caught in her throat. “I thought I knew one of the scientists.”
“You thought you knew?” I mumbled, already seeing the pain in her eyes.
“Her name is Toni. The younger of the two doctors.”
“How did you know her?” I said.
“Does it matter?” she replied, and by her downcast look, I knew it at least mattered to Jess.
Mandy raised an eyebrow.
“And she told you all this?” I replied, lowering my voice whilst still twisted around in the seat.
“Some of it, but I figured out the rest.”
“How many are there?” I said, looking to Jess.
As she turned with her mouth opening, Mandy cut in before she could answer.
“Hey.”
Looking to Mandy, she looked past me and through the window, her eyes wide as the dried blood highlighted her concern.
“What?” I asked, already turning back and knowing what I’d see.
I found the answer despite her silence. The figure I’d been staring at looked up as if sampling the air, but to his side another now stood. A tall man with his head skyward.
My instincts told me to move would be the wrong decision, figuring if we kept quiet and still, they wouldn’t be able to see us, like crocodiles, despite not understanding how I’d come to this conclusion.
Another stood from its feed, pointing its head to the sky and letting out a scream to rattle our glass. My theory failed when each of their heads turned as one in our direction.
They’d started running our way before I could put the stick back into gear and feel the wheels slipping beneath us.
30
Mandy shouted for us to move, despite my obvious effort to do so; I lifted my foot to slow the spin of the wheels.
“Come on,” she called, as we rolled forward whilst I stared to the pack, watching wide-eyed as they ran toward us.
With our speed building, I turned the wheel, glancing to the wing mirrors and listening to the chorus of screams, which despite sounding much like a series of calls and replies, I dismissed the chance they could communicate, no matter how it sounded. Then I reminded myself of what Jess had said.
They were at least part human.
Tearing my stare from the rear as we rose and fell, the ground undulated in waves, my foot to the floor whilst I battled with the steering to avoid rocky outcrops that would end our journey and lives moments after. With each of the hits jarring my spine, I cringed, waiting in the lull for fear the bodywork would dig into the ground and bring us to an abrupt halt.
From the mirror, it seemed as if my efforts were in vain as the creatures reduce
d the gap, running in great strides with their fingers curled and arms at their sides. I took no solace when I saw only five or six of the total were still chasing, the rest no longer in sight. There were still too many for any chance of survival should they catch up. Our only chance would be to keep them at bay until we could get to the smooth tarmac and race away across the horizon.
With a great thud tearing my view from the mirror, it felt as if the front right wheel ripped from the axle, but when we didn’t drop and slow, I looked ahead, desperate to find some way to the road.
The road ran parallel to the direction we headed, but now we’d travelled further along, a dry-stone wall clung on our side of the tall hedgerow, its foliage climbing too high for me to see if the tarmac the other side was clogged with abandoned cars.
Ahead, the fields seemed to stretch out forever. Another heavy thump from underneath pulled my foot from the accelerator and I looked dead ahead as we bounced, pushing my hope over the brow of the next hill.
Leaning forward and holding the steering wheel tight, the hill seemed to keep rising with the divots becoming deeper and more pronounced.
“They’re getting closer. Speed up,” came Beth’s high shout and glancing in the mirror, I saw all but Cassie had turned to stare out of the rear windows.
The creatures hadn’t tired and two raced ahead of the pack and were now less than two car lengths from the rear doors. With an impressive leap they would be on the roof.
Pushing the pedal as deep as I dared, I winced as the suspension slapped and squealed; the tyres slipping for a moment until we were finally at the top of the hill with the brow falling away.
My wide-eyed gaze snapped to the right where the hedgerow still stood tall and dense, but with a hole gaping wide as if driven through by a great truck.
This would be our way out, if we could make it before they caught us.