The Dead Walk The Earth (Book 4)

by Luke Duffy

  Christopher smiled again and took a swaying step closer. She could now see the blood that covered his clothing. His shirt was torn, barely covering his pale green, marbled flesh and exposed ribcage. She could see the hundreds of festering bites that he had received, and the remains of his intestines hanging from a huge, jagged wound that stretched from one side of his abdomen to the other. The sores and injuries oozed with pus and black, rancid blood, the teeth marks clearly visible around the edges of the lacerations where the infected had gnawed at his ample carcass.

  “You hurt me, Tina,” he whined, his face quickly changing to the more familiar expression of self-pity that she had been used to. “You promised me that you would never hurt me or let the monsters get me, but you did.”

  Again, she tried to speak, but the words would not come while her parents continued to call out her name and hammer against the translucent wall. She looked to them and saw the puddles of blood in which they were standing. The swathes were growing in size, as though draining from their bodies as they remained standing, screaming and crying.

  “You hurt me, and now I have to hurt you,” her brother snarled.

  She looked back at him and saw his pale eyes and the holes in his bloated, mottled face. His plump cheeks had been torn away, revealing the rows of his upper and lower teeth. He was grinning at her now, his sympathy for himself dissipating fast and being replaced by his lust for cold, hard vengeance. He slowly raised the gun, taking his time as though he was acutely aware that Tina was unable to move.

  The drumbeat continued from afar as her parents looked on helplessly. Their cries lost over an expanse of distance and time.

  The gun raised higher, seemingly taking forever until Christopher was satisfied with his position and aim and glaring at her from behind the barrel while grinning manically. The wounds to his face began to stretch grotesquely, revealing more of the rotting flesh and tendons beneath.

  Tina again tried to move, but her legs were locked in place. She tried to speak, but her throat remained sealed tight. She screamed within her mind, her fear quickly turning to rage as she could do nothing to protect herself.

  “Goodbye, sis,” her brother cackled, squeezing his finger back against the trigger.

  There was a series of rapid bangs, but they were not the sound of a discharging gun. She was suddenly free from her invisible bonds and able to move again. She cried out, her words finally able to force their way from her mouth. She opened her eyes and looked around. The room was dark, but she could see well enough to realise that she was back in the FOB. She sighed and swept the sweat soaked hair away from her face.

  The banging continued and distant voices were still calling out to her, but they were clearly not her parents. She was confused, and in her semi-conscious state, as her mind slowly pieced itself back together, she wondered if she was still hearing echoes from her dream.

  “Tina,” the man’s voice called again, followed by another bout of heavy thumps. “You in there? We’ve got dramas.”

  Recognising Paul’s voice, she suddenly sprang from the bed and landed on the floor with perfect balance before reaching for her weapons on the chair beside her.

  “Yeah, I’m here. What is it?” she stuttered, forcing her brain into gear, and wiping away the last tendrils of her dream state.

  “It’s Al. The mad bastard’s gone down into the sewers again with Greg, and I think Flash might’ve gone with them as well.”

  Tina bolted from her room, her face already flushing with anger. Paul had by now stepped away from the door, knowing that his words would drive her into a seething rage. He did not fear her in a physical sense, but she had the ability to topple much bigger prey just from her presence and venomous tongue. They began to run through the corridors of the complex and towards the north eastern corner of the wall.

  “Where are they now?” she growled, fastening her belt buckle and adjusting the pistol on her hip so that it was sitting in its usual position.

  “Still down there, I think,” Paul replied as they began to make their way through the complex and out towards the perimeter wall. “I had no idea they had gone, but there was an explosion of some kind about thirty minutes ago, and that’s when we realised that the three of them were missing. We’ve checked everywhere for them, but there’s no sign of them. They must be down there.”

  “An explosion?”

  “Yeah, out in the built-up area, and there’s a lot of buildings on fire now. It looks like Guy Fawkes Night out there. It could only be something to do with Al and the others.” He looked at her gravely. “They could be dead for all we know.”

  “If they’re not, then they’ll wish they fucking were,” she snarled under her breath as she began stomping her way up onto the wall, her feet ringing loudly against the steel staircase.

  It was still dark, but even without checking her watch she knew that the morning was on its way. She could sense it in the cold, damp air.

  “There,” one of the sentries called out to her when she reached the top and pointing towards the city.

  She did not need to be told where the fire was. It was the only light in the area and impossible to miss. A large area appeared to be ablaze with the flames quickly spreading through the floors of buildings and across to the adjacent structures. The sky above the buildings glowed orange, with thick clouds of black smoke billowing up towards the heavens.

  “What the fuck?” she gasped, staring at the inferno. She spun on her heel, her face glowing slightly orange from the distant flames. “Who’s on duty in the tunnel?”

  “It was supposed to be Denise and Rich, but they said that Flash came to relieve them early,” Paul shrugged.

  “That’s the only way that Al and Greg could’ve gone out. Has Flash reported in? Have you sent anyone into the tunnel to check?”

  “Not yet, but the field telephone down at the hatch is on the blink. It hasn’t been working for a few days now. I thought I was best coming to tell you about it before I sent anyone to check the hatch.”

  Tina nodded, biting down on her lower lip. She knew Al, and she knew Flash. The younger man was a protégé of Al’s, and she was certain that he was as loyal as any dog to him.

  “Then he must’ve helped them,” she sighed.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Paul agreed. “I reckon he must’ve relieved Denise and Rich and then called the others in. I’m positive that he’s either with Al and Greg or at least helping them in some way.”

  “Get someone down there. They would’ve left someone behind to watch the door. Secure the entrance and be ready to move out.”

  Paul nodded and sprang into action, physically grabbing a number of the guard force from around him and shouting orders into their faces before leading them down towards the tunnel’s entrance.

  Tina remained on the wall, watching as the fire engulfed a large portion of the city. All kinds of thoughts were racing through her mind. She wondered if Al had started the fire deliberately or whether it was anything to do with him at all. She thought about all the infected that were wandering throughout the surrounding lands and now being attracted to the fires. She worried that the damage caused by the heat would prevent them escaping through the sewer tunnels. But most of all, though, she worried for Al and the others. She hoped that they were safe despite her anger and threats of retribution.

  “Watch your arcs,” she grunted at one of the militia close by and pointed down to the dark tide of corpses that were churning below them. “Don’t start fire watching like a recruit. Keep your eyes on those fuckers.”

  The man was too busy staring out at the trance inducing flames, his mouth hanging open, and his eyes glazed over. It had been a long time since there had been anything to look at other than the swarms of infected and the dreary buildings that were slowly crumbling to dust. He quickly turned his attention back to his duties and made a conscious effort to appear completely absorbed in what he was supposed to be doing.

  Tina began to make her way along the wa
ll, repeating the same order over and over as she came across more of the guard force seemingly mesmerised by the sights to the north. She was getting angrier by the minute; her orders becoming more aggressively barked as she stomped along the walkways. She was headed for the western gate, hoping that they were not suffering from the same degree of distraction and neglecting what was happening beneath them. She had horrific visions of the pillars collapsing and the hinges breaking, and not a soul noticing until it was too late.

  There was a commotion from the east, on the far side of the complex and beyond her field of vision. Someone was shouting for a medic and it took just a fraction of a second for her to recognise the voice. It was Al. His cries were soon followed by other voices, calling for the same thing as the message was relayed throughout the base.

  She turned for the nearest set of stairs and took off towards the tunnel’s entrance in the north eastern corner of the perimeter, her stomach knotting with dread as Al’s voice continued to call out above the others. Rounding the corner and sprinting at full speed, she saw a gaggle of men and women crouching over a body on the ground. The medics were there and already busy with their equipment as onlookers crowded round.

  Al, she thought, feeling her head begin to swim and her innards contort. He’s been bitten. The stupid bastard’s been bitten.

  She was within thirty metres of the scene when she saw him. He suddenly appeared from amongst the cluster of people, his face black and his clothing singed, but otherwise looking healthy and unharmed. She wanted to call out with relief, exalting in the fact that he was not hurt and still very much alive, but then she saw that there was still one of her men lying upon the floor, wounded and possibly dying. Her anger returned, pushing aside her feelings of joy at Al’s safe return to the base.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?” she roared as she skidded to a halt.

  All but the medics turned towards her. Al said nothing but stared back at her, his face a mixture of exhaustion and sadness. She looked down and saw that the casualty was Greg. He was pale and groaning with great pain. She could see numerous wounds along his arms and legs seeping with blood that was rapidly turning the gravel beneath him from a pale yellow to a deep red. The medics fought hard to stop the bleeding, wrapping the dressings tightly, and injecting him with morphine to ease his suffering.

  “What happened? What the fuck happened?” she howled at Al, baring her teeth and pointing down at Greg while she kept her burning eyes locked upon her second in command. “You were supposed to wait. I ordered you to wait. I fucking told you not to go down there, but you did. You stupid bastard. This is your fucking fault.”

  Paul saw what was happening and began to usher the onlookers away, hoping that the two would not begin tearing at one another while the militia were present. It was bad enough to see their leaders forcefully disagree, but to witness them physically assault one another would be detrimental to the morale of the whole base. Paul had two options: either stay to break up any fight that ensued, or safeguard that the troops saw nothing at all. He chose the latter. Cross-words could be dismissed as a clash of leadership techniques.

  The medics carted Greg off towards the clinic accompanied by Flash who was speaking to the limp form on the stretcher with soothing and encouraging words.

  “What the fuck are you all looking at?” Paul shouted to his dumbstruck troops. “Get back to your posts.”

  The men and women of the guard force quickly disappeared from sight, watching over their shoulders as they raced towards their positions and places of duty.

  “Well?” Tina bellowed. “Answer me.”

  She stepped closer, frothing at the mouth with her shoulders hunched and knees bent as though preparing to spring at him with an attack. Her fists were screwed tight, the knuckles turning white as her nails became embedded deep into the soft flesh of her palms. Her anger was boiling over, her reasonability and professionalism giving way as her temper gained control over her composure.

  “Not now, Tina,” Al replied with an exhausted sigh. He was shaking his head, clearly upset and already burdened with guilt. “Please, not now.”

  “Not now?” she screeched at him.

  She could contain herself no longer. In the blink of an eye, she had covered the short distance between them and launched herself up into the air, instantly expelling his advantage in height and reach. With a roar, she punched him square in the face, busting his nose and sending him reeling backwards from the disproportionate power of her unexpected strike. She crashed back down in front of him, absorbing the landing with her knees as she propelled herself forward once again, driving a kick into his abdomen, and giving him no time to react to her lightning assault.

  Al dropped to the ground, his exhaustion coupling with the surprise and aggression of Tina’s attack. He landed heavily on his backside, but before she could close in again he had twisted to the side and was already up on his feet, pouncing to the left and then turning his body to jump at her from the flank. He threw out his left arm, catching her across the chest with an open handed slap and knocking her backwards. His right hand was already up and waiting for her and closed around her neck as she landed against his palm. With both hands tucked beneath her chin, he stopped her in her tracks and lifted her from the ground, allowing her to hang there for a moment, long enough for her to feel his power and realise that the fight was far from being one sided and could easily be over if Al wished it.

  “Not now, Tina,” he snarled in to her face, pulling her closer and squeezing a little harder. “Not fucking now.”

  She could feel his hot breath against her skin and see the fire burning from behind his eyes. She struggled against his loosening grip, kicking her legs and pulling at his forearms. He let go of her and stepped back, raising his hands out in front of him and warning her to stay back. She hesitated, knowing that she could not catch him by surprise again and that she would be unable to beat him with brute force.

  They stood and stared at one another for a while, saying nothing and breathing heavily as their emotions and the short physical confrontation sapped their energy and oxygen.

  “Why, Al?” she demanded as he went to turn away from her. “Why did you go down there? Greg is going to die now. You know that, don’t you?”

  He turned and stomped towards her, his huge size becoming more apparent as he bore down on her, gritting his teeth and snorting through his flared nostrils. He stopped and glowered at her as she stood rooted to the spot, towering over her.

  “Yes, I know he’s going to die,” he snarled down into her face. “Do you think that fact is lost on me? Do you think I don’t know what’s going to happen to him and the suffering he’ll have to go through?”

  “So why the hell did you…”

  “It was his fucking idea,” he snapped at her.

  He paused, and then his shoulders sagged as his anger ebbed away and quickly turned to remorse again.

  “You were asleep, and he came to me saying that he thought it had been a long enough soak period. He said he was going back down there regardless of whether I came with him or not. He wanted to find a way out before it was too late, Tina. If I had come to tell you, he would’ve gone without me. It was his choice, but I couldn’t let him and Flash go running around down there alone.”

  She glared back at him, now seeing the upset in his eyes and the pain that he was going through. Despite it being Greg’s idea, she could feel the burden of responsibility that was pressing down upon the big man. It was tearing him apart, and she could feel his agony reaching out from inside him and plucking at her own empathy. In that moment, she placed herself into Al’s shoes and realised that she would have done the same. She would never have let anyone go down there alone while she was capable of helping.

  “Yeah, I know that Greg is going to die,” he continued, his voice sounding low and distant while his eyes shone back at her. “Another good man and friend who will soon be gone. Do you think I don’t know that?”

  Ti
na was abruptly humbled by Al’s words and tone. She felt strangely ashamed of her outburst and subsequent actions and began to question her methods and suitability for leadership. She wondered whether she was crumbling under the pressure and failing her people when they needed her more than ever.

  Al was doing what he did best, and so was Greg. It was people like them that she relied upon more than anyone to be proactive and carry out the most dangerous missions. They were in a dire situation. The base could not hold out or sustain them for much longer, and with their defences slowly falling apart they needed to find a way out. With so many people involved, and with so few options in a completely hostile world, she had always known that not all of them would make it through unscathed, and Greg was the first casualty amongst what she suspected would be many more during their search for a new home.

  For a long time they stood watching one another without saying a word, but their eyes spoke volumes. They had been through a lot together over the years, and there were undoubtedly more trials to come. This was not their first falling out, and both of them felt sure that it would by far not be their last. Regardless, they needed one another, and the troops and civilians were counting on them to do everything that they could to get them to safety.

  Al was physically and mentally exhausted. Carrying Greg through the sewers, fighting off the infected, and then having to deal with Tina had sapped every ounce of his strength. He could feel his body becoming weaker and suddenly felt small and frail despite his size. A tear dropped from his eye, and he quickly wiped it away, ashamed that Tina was there to witness such an event. He turned to her, wanting to ask for her forgiveness, but he was fighting a battle with his conscience. There was a voice screaming at him from inside his own head that there was nothing to forgive. Deep down he knew this, but being one of the base’s commanders, he felt responsible for what had happened.