by Jessica Ward
We all looked towards each other. Ryan nodded towards Leon, as Leon began to explain.
“We’re trying to figure out what to do. The numbers are growing out there.” He said, referring to the crowd of infected gathering directly outside of us.
“We’re thinking about heading back on the boats.” Lacey added.
“What?” Sarah asked with a displeasing tone in her voice.
“If the infected find a way in, we wouldn’t be able to fight them off. There’s too many of them.” Leon defended.
“But we can’t just leave.” Sarah whined.
“We might not have a choice.” Ryan said firmly.
She looked around the rest of us. I started to see the tears well up in her eyes. She really didn’t want to leave, but Ryan was right. We might not have a choice, we had to think of our survival that was the most important thing.
“I’m not leaving. I won’t leave. I’m not leaving Nathan.” She cried. She got up and ran upstairs.
I felt so stupid. How could I have overlooked the fact that a mere few days ago, she had watched one of her best friends being buried?
“I’ll go upstairs and talk to her.” I sighed as I followed her out.
As I climbed the stairs up to the first floor, I heard Jared banging on the main bathroom door.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?” He was shouting.
As I neared the bathroom Jared turned to me.
“What’s happened?” He asked.
I explained to him as best I could, what we were discussing downstairs.
“We’re not saying it’s a definite, and we are going to leave. It’s just something we need to seriously think about.” I told him.
Jared nodded as he took everything in. “Ok, it makes sense. I suppose I knew we couldn’t stay here forever.” Came his reply.
I smiled back. “I think Sarah’s upset because she doesn’t want to leave Nathan.” I said delicately.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” Jared replied as he bowed his head.
“Look, we'll make the decision as a group. We’ll find out how many of us want to stay, and who wants to leave. We’ll decide on a majority vote.” I suggested to Jared.
Before Jared had a chance to respond, we heard the bathroom door click. Sarah had unlocked the door. She opened the door a few centimetres and peered out.
“Do you really mean that?” She sniffled. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her mascara had already run down her face.
“Yes. That’s how we do things here.” I replied.
“Ok.” She squeaked.
She opened the door and stepped out. I pulled her into my arms and gave her a hug. At this point, Lacey came up the stairs to join us.
“We’re sorry about earlier.” She started.
Sarah looked up at her and gave her a hug. Lacey looked towards me. Her face was full of awe.
“She’s so cute” Lacey mouthed. I simply nodded back.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs, we might not have to go anywhere.” Lacey advised.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“We’ve got a surprise for you. Come on, I know you’re going to love this.” She told me as we followed her down.
Lacey led us into the Garage where the rest of the group had converged. They had all gathered round a part of the protruding wall, I was sure it wasn’t there before.
As soon as Leon spotted me, his face beamed.
“Here, you’re gonna love this.” Leon told me.
“What is it?” I asked as I made my way towards them.
I gasped as I saw what the group was so interested in. There in front of us was a cubby hole, full to the brim with guns and ammo.
“This is unreal.” I gawked ogling the new firepower that had been unearthed.
“George found it.” Nick stated.
“How on earth?” I was still in shock. How could this have been there this whole time? I mean, this is England for Christ sake. Who keeps secret cupboards full of guns?
“I was looking for anything of use. I came across a button here.” George explained as he pointed to the underside of the counter top.
“I pressed the button and this opened up.” He finished.
“I think now, we have a way to defend ourselves.” Ryan proposed.
“We do indeed.” I replied.
Ryan and Leon began emptying the contents of our new arsenal. Rifles, pistols and shotguns started to fill the bonnet of the SLR.
“This is SO cool!” Jared exclaimed. “Do you guys know how to use these?” He asked intrigued.
“Yes we do.” I answered staking claim to a rifle. It was very similar to the one I had used on the base. Great for long distances, this was just what I had in mind.
I checked the magazine in my newly acquired gun and made sure I had enough ammo. Ryan looked over to me and smirked.
“You really do love your assault rifles, don’t you?” He asked.
“I stick with what I know.” I replied confidently.
Jared and Sarah stood back, they were both wide mouthed as they watched us reload our chosen weapons. I pulled my new rifle up so I was eye level with the crosshairs. It felt a lot different than the rifles I had used back at base, it would take some getting used to.
“Shall we go for a bit of target practise? Get back in the swing of things and thin the herd?” Ryan asked.
“I thought you’d never ask.” I beamed.
We followed Ryan upstairs and into Duckface’s room. Her window faced directly in front of the house and would give us the best view of the infected. Ryan paused for a second, I could almost hear him thinking, is this really the best idea?
He pushed open the door and led us all to the windows.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Duckface shrieked.
Lacey and I grinned as we walked straight past her, without saying a word. Duckface looked to the guns we were carrying and flipped.
“Where did you get them from?” She demanded. “You know how I feel about guns.” She continued.
I couldn’t help myself, I had to respond. “And you know how we feel about you, but yet, here you are.” I replied matter of fact.
Leon made his way over to Andy, he handed him a rifle and smiled. Without a word, Andy understood our intentions and took his place along the window with the rest of us.
“Andy, what do you think you’re doing? Get back immediately. I won’t allow this behaviour.” Duckface snapped.
“Who died and made you Queen of the Damned?” Lacey bitched.
Duckface glared back “I’m not even going to stoop to your level, you insignificant little…”
Before she could even finish her sentence Lacey pointed her rifle at her, point blank. Duckface froze as the only sound that could be heard was the cock back from Lacey’s gun.
“Just remember, I’m armed.” Lacey threatened.
Duckface took a step back before she spoke again. “Go ahead. You haven’t got it in you.” She cackled.
Lacey took a step forward. “Don’t tempt me.” She replied.
The whole group stood watching the whole ordeal. No one stepped in, they just stood and watched.
Duckface looked around as she threw her hair back and crossed her arms. “You need me more than I need you, just remember that.” She finished through gritted teeth. “Besides, you don’t have the guts.” She added in for good measure.
With that little remark, I flew my gun round. “And what about me?” I asked the end of my gun my resting on her forehead.
Duckface backed up. With two guns pointing at her, she knew no good would come of it.
“I’ve had enough.” She said as she stormed off, pushing the Professor out the way as he tried to enter the room.
“Professor, watch her.” Ryan ordered as the Professor stepped into the room.
The Professor looked around at us, baffled by the new events. As his eyes met our guns, he understood. With that, he left the room.
Ryan addressed the
rest of the group. The infected had seen us in the windows, and were certainly starting to get excitable.
“You know the drill; we’re looking for as many head shots as possible. Treat each bullet as if it was your last.” He ordered.
We lined up against each window. We would have to take it in turns as we couldn’t all fit. Lacey, Leon and I went first. I pushed the window as far open as it would go. After fiddling with the window restrictor, I managed to push it open all the way.
The smell was the first to hit me. The stench of rotting flesh flew up my nostrils forcing me to take a step back. Leon and Lacey also stood back, as the offending odours also hit them.
“Ugh, that’s disgusting.” Sarah complained as the stench filled the room.
I had almost forgotten how repulsive the undead, moving corpses actually were. I took a deep breath as I pulled my jumper up to my nose and took aim. I watched the infected through my scope. They looked so much worse up close, even more so this time around. For the first time, I could see the fungus protruding from their skin up close. Yellow pus and dark congealed blood seeped out the fungal exit holes. The skin of the infected had deteriorated greatly. The sores that had covered them previously had now scabbed over. The cold dead eyes seemed to have a glimmer of intelligence as the infected I had set my sights on looked straight back at me.
Still dressed in the clothes of his human host, this creature was wearing ripped jeans and a flannel top. He was covered in mud and dirt, he bared his teeth as he snarled.
I aimed my rifle at his forehead as I took my first shot. Congealed blood hit the neck and face of the infected behind and the bullet went straight through the infected man’s skull. The infected gathered around the dead body and began to pick at the rotting remains.
“I think I’m going to throw up.” Sarah moaned as she saw from the window, the scene before us.
“You’re going to need a stronger stomach than that.” Ryan warned.
“It’s your turn next.” He finished.
Sarah looked up at him in horror. Jared shot up from his seat on the bed.
“Really, we can have a go?” He asked full of enthusiasm.
“You really should learn sooner or later.” Ryan replied. “I think given our situation sooner is better than later.” He finished.
“I’m not sure..” Sarah replied.
“Don’t worry, it gets easier over time.” I assured her.
I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. Leon and Lacey had both fired their first shots, and like me, had met their targets. The infected had now split into groups, their attention was now on consuming the remains of their recently deceased.
My thoughts returned to Duckface. The scene before me started to make me laugh. The infected would rather eat their own, disease ridden, rotting flesh, than go near Duckface. It just proved how rancid she really was.
I fired off my second shot as I reached a slightly smaller target. It was that of a young child. You may think I was a bit harsh, setting my sights on a child, but that’s where you’d be wrong. The infected children were by far the most terrifying. Their hands had already formed into claws as they pushed their way around the crowd. As they tucked into their revolting meal, they used their hands to claw away at the flesh, only eating the softest tissue. I suppose if the hosts hadn’t yet lost their baby teeth, piercing into flesh may have been an issue for them.
It just goes to show how much the infected were able to evolve. I watched as a new group descended onto the dead child, picking off what little meat they could. As another two shots fired I scoured the area looking for my next victim. This time I chose that of an old woman.
In life, I could tell she was the type of woman to have the face of a Barracuda. The way her bottom teeth protruded out her jaw, that was clearly the work of natural selection, not the infection.
She reminded me of Diane, my ex-colleague and Royal pain in the arse. I could tell that in life, she would be the type to turn her nose up at just about anything. I wondered if she was related to Duckface in some way. If Duckface ever lived to see that age, that is exactly how I’d imagine her.
I took my final shot. I aimed a little too low and ended up blowing her whole face off. That really was a sight for sore eyes. Chunks of teeth, bone and brain matter, littered the street below. The infected quickly descended on the remainder of the body, pulling apart full limbs and greedily consuming every inch of her frail corpse.
The three of us took a step back. We made way for the rest of the group. George, Nick and Paul stepped up. As expected, George hit each target with perfect precision. Nick and Paul probably hit about two out of three. In all fairness to them, they hadn’t had as much experience as Lacey and I when it came to long range. The days we spent sat on that roof, did a lot to improve our accuracy. It turned out, we hadn’t lost it either.
Andy was the last to step up as Ryan handed Sarah and Jared their guns. Jared couldn’t wait to start, that is until he saw the crowd directly outside the gates. As soon as he took in the carnage which was unfolding before our eyes.
“I don’t think I can do this.” He stuttered.
Ryan was busy preparing Sarah. He had shown her how to aim and she was now in the correct stance. She leaned into position and fired her first shot. The bullet fired over the head of the infected she was aiming for, however she hit the one behind straight between the eyes. The infected fell to the ground instantly.
“Oh my god! Dude, did you see that?” She cheered.
“Well, it wasn’t the one you had your sights on, but a fantastic shot nonetheless.” Ryan praised her.
Jared inched closer spurred on by his friend's excitement.
“It’s not too bad Jared, once you get the hang of it.” She advised him.
Ryan made his way over to Jared and followed the same procedure he had done with Sarah. When Jared fired his shot, his bullet went straight through the chest of one of the infected. As we peered out the window, we saw a gaping hole we could see straight through.
“Not bad at all.” Ryan patted him on the back. “Next time, aim a little higher.” He suggested.
As Jared fired his second shot, he chose a different target. This one was slightly harder; he was stood to the side. Still, Jared’s shot met its target and flew straight through the infected’s temple.
With our guns now low on ammo, we went to regroup. Finding these guns certainly put a spanner in the works. We still needed to figure out a plan. We knew from experience, it didn’t matter how many of the infected we killed. For each one we killed, ten more took its place. Even with new firepower, the number of infected severely outnumbered the bullets.
Chapter 23 - A Long Time Coming
“So what’s the plan now?” I asked as we all gathered into the living area. The Professor was sat with Duckface as she sat with her arms folded. She glared at each one of us as we entered the living room.
“Let’s wait. I say we see how the infected act next, and we reassess the situation as and when.” George started.
“That’s true. Think about it, the numbers have already gone down, and we only did a bit of target practice.” Lacey agreed.
“The infected are feeding again, that will be why their numbers have downsized.” The Professor stated.
“I would like to study their behaviour further if I may?” he finished.
It was starting to become clear. The majority vote was already leaning towards staying put. I still felt a little bit wary, but I knew if the worst was to happen, and the infected breached the gates, that at least we were armed and had a few safe places to hide. Plus, with security cameras covering each and every angle, at least we were prepared.
Looking back, we should have left when we had the chance.
A day or so later, the number of infected tripled. As if from nowhere, an angry undead mob began to form. All of a sudden they began to swarm the gates. They pushed themselves up against the gates, as hundreds of the infected flocked forwards. Smoke began t
o pour from the baking flesh of the infected as they pushed further against the gates.
The gates began to bow through the pressure of the crowd. Not even an hour later, it began to unhinge itself.
We knew we had to do something; we were about to make a run for the boats. We tried to escape from the back, but the infected had managed to find a gap in the walls. They were coming in thick and fast from the bottom of the garden. They had worked out they could get around from the houses on either side.
We had escaped out the back door and had just run past the pool, when the first of the infected revealed themselves.
“What do we do now?” I shouted to Leon and Ryan, who had let off a few shots from their handguns.
“Get back inside.” Ryan shouted.
There were too many for us to fight off; they poured through from the bottom of the garden, sprinting towards the house.
We turned and ran back inside, locking the doors as fast as we could. The infected narrowly missed us and were now banging on the doors and windows all around us. We were surrounded. We barricaded the front door and sealed off the kitchen and living area. We moved all we could upstairs.
The boys were busy boarding up the windows and doors. We used each piece of furniture we could get our hands on as a blockade.
We heard an almighty crash from outside. They had breached the gate. Hundreds of the infected poured into the drive and threw themselves against the house.
“Jared, Sarah, get upstairs.” Ryan ordered. They turned and ran without hesitation.
We were all terrified. The Professor had already positioned himself on the security console; he was now our eyes and ears of the whole house. Ryan had handed him a walkie-talkie, the other was clipped to Ryan’s belt buckle.
We gathered at the bottom of the stairs. I could see the outline of the infected through the frosted glass, throwing their rotting undead bodies against the glass. Leon and Andy hurried to board up the glass, just as the first few cracks started to appear.
“What now?” Lacey shouted over the groans and moans of the infected outside.
“Girls, get upstairs, we need you to try and slow them down.” Ryan barked.