The Infected (Book 4): Wrecked

by Justin Gowland

  I shook my head and tried to wipe the brain matter off my boots on the clothing of the infected. Amy must have turned on the interior light because I had to jerk the goggles off or I would have been blinded. When my eyesight had returned I saw that Chris had backed away from the doorway. Climbing inside, I saw Spirit was still lying near the door. I stepped over her.

  Looking down, I said “No, it's ok, you just stay there.”

  If she heard me, I don’t know because she didn’t even move a single hair. Leaning over my ignorant dog, I closed the door and sat down to remove my partially brain splattered boots.

  “You ok?” Amy asked as she sat down.

  “Yeah!” I answered trying to get my boots off.

  She looked at me out the corner of her eye and said “Are you sure? The only reason I ask is because you seem to be taking a lot of risks lately.”

  Now, that actually made me stop what I had been doing. To tell you the truth, I hardly gave any thought to what I did in these sort of circumstances. I just tended to go into autopilot.

  I looked at her concerned face and said “I never thought that they were risks.”

  “Marc, you headed off into that village looking for the remains of the infected we killed by yourself and tonight you jump down on top of an infected from the roof. Did it occur to you that if you landed wrong or if the infected managed to bite you that you may have ended up an infected?”

  I looked down at my hands to see that they were actually shaking.

  “Marc, you would have ended up leaving it up to either Chris or me to…..” She put her head in her hands and started to cry.

  Ever since I had known Amy I don’t think she had ever cried at all. At least she hadn’t in front of me. She sat there sobbing and all I could think was that she was right and I had been a right dick. I looked up and saw Chris watching me from the front of the A.P.C. He nodded to let me know that everything Amy had said to me was right. Now with both of them saying the same thing, this made me feel even worse and I began to second guess all the decisions I had made. I placed an arm around Amy and she leaned into my chest. I could feel her body shaking every time that she let out a sob out.

  Looking up, I asked “Are you wanting to head back to the bunker then?”

  Chris climbed through to the back and said “I don’t think you would head back even if we asked you to, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t even ask you to.”

  Amy lifted her head from my chest and said “You would never forgive yourself if you didn’t at least try to save Jane. And I couldn’t live with myself if I asked you to come home.”

  I sighed and said “So what do you want to do?”

  “I think what Amy is trying to say is that you need to be more careful.” Chris said, laying a hand on my shoulder.

  “I’ll try.” I said, pulling Amy closer.

  After she had managed to settle down we got back into our sleeping bags and tried to get through the rest of the night. The infected that I had killed must have been the only one in the area because we didn’t have any other interruptions. The morning sky was grey and it looked like it threatened to rain at any minute. Chris turned on the heater to try and hold back the cold that seemed to have crept up on us during the night.

  I sat pouring some water into a bowl for Spirit and said “Ok, you guys have had the night to sleep on what we talked about last night. What do you want to do?”

  Chris swallowed the mouthful of breakfast bar before replying “Like I said last night, I’m willing to go on, as long as you don’t pull any more stupid stunts.”

  “I agree with Chris. I just want you to be careful.” Amy said, looking up from fastening her boots.

  Pulling out a breakfast bar for me and a small tin of Spam for Spirit, I said “Okay then. Amy, you said last night that we should be able to get to Hornsea by the end of the day. Do you think we still could?”

  Again she pulled the map from her leg pocket and spent a few seconds looking at it. Before saying “If we make the same time we have the last two days, then I don’t see why not.”

  “We best get started.” Chris said, turning in his seat and starting the A.P.C. engine.

  Amy climbed in between the front seats and into the passenger seat. I opened the can of Spam and hand fed it to Spirit as the A.P.C. pulled away from the side of the road. The morning wound on and we only came across a few places where we had to use the A.P.C. to shove vehicles out of the way. Stopping for a short time around midday, we all climbed out of the A.P.C. to have a stretch and to do the things you do when your bladder fills. Sky which had been threatening to open up on us all morning decided at that exact moment to throw everything it had at us. The rain fell in one great sheet. It fell so hard that when it hit the floor it seemed to bounce back up into the air two feet. We all rushed to climb back inside the A.P.C. The drumming of the rain on the outside of the vehicle seemed to pound on the inside of our heads as well.

  Chapter Four

  Chris gunned the engine and we pulled away quickly, which seemed to lessen the hammering on the outside. It was still too loud to hear what any of us were saying unless they were right next to your ear. Amy nearly slipped climbing through to the passenger seat. But that was the least of my worries because Spirit decided to shake herself dry and ended up on soaking me even more.

  “Whose bloody idea was it to bring that fucking dog?” I said to no one in particular as I wiped the water off my face.

  After an hour the rain had lessened, and looking through the windscreen I could actually see the horizon and the road. The green banks on either side of the road slowly changed into trees and once again the sky seemed to get darker. I could tell that the trees on either side of the road had started to cut out more light.

  “Marc, you might want to come and have a look at this.” Amy said from the front.

  Being careful as I climbed toward the front I looked through the seats and out of the windscreen.

  Looking outside, I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary and said “What am I looking for?”

  “Chris, slow down a little.” She said, before adding “Look back amongst the trees.”

  Chris slowed the A.P.C. down to a crawl and we both saw them. Back under the trees were what looked like hundreds, if not thousands, of infected.

  “Shit.” Was all that came out of Chris’ mouth.

  My head was still trying to make out what I was seeing. They all were just standing there under the trees not moving. In some places they were standing in groups and in some places they were spread out. It made no sense. We knew that they could see us and hear us but they didn’t seem interested in us.

  “Chris, pick up speed a little, will you.” I said before turning to Amy and asking “Amy, how long before we get out of these trees?”

  She opened the map and said “I don’t know, maybe an hour or two.”

  “Okay, keep an eye out.” I said.

  I headed to back of the A.P.C. and looked out the rear window. It was so scary to know we had that many infected around us and that they were just stood there. The rain was still falling and not one of the infected stepped out from under the trees to either attack us or to follow us.

  “Any idea what the fuck they are doing?” Chris said as he watched the road.

  “I haven’t got a fucking clue! The only thing I can think of is that they don’t want to get fucking wet.” I said over my shoulder at him.

  After a few seconds Amy said “Actually, that might be exactly what they are doing.”

  Turning back to the front I asked “What?”

  “Think about it. We always thought that the green shit was some kind of protective stuff. Maybe the rain washes it off them?” She said.

  To tell the truth, it looked exactly like that was the case and the infected were afraid to be out in the rain. After a nerve wracking hour and a half we emerged out of the woods and into some open fields. I could say without any question that we all breathed a huge sigh of relief when
it got lighter and the trees faded away behind some hills.

  “We should be coming up on Hornsea.” Amy said.

  “I’ll be glad when we’ve found where the boats are docked.” Chris said.

  I could understand why. It stood to reason that any infected that was afraid of rain would be just as scared of the sea, if not more so. We came around a bend and there in front of us was the outskirts of Hornsea and the sign welcoming us. The A.P.C. had to slow down for a few tight corners as we headed further east and toward the sea. The rain had stopped just as we entered the town and all that could be heard was the noise from our engine bouncing off the buildings. Every now and then Chris and I would have to get out and drive a vehicle out of our way. Amy would climb out of the hatch and keep a lookout from the roof of the A.P.C. There were only a few times that we had to deal with any infected. I had my crowbar for taking them down quietly and Chris had his fire axe. Amy had no melee weapon so it was just up to her to point out any threats from her vantage point on the roof of the A.P.C. Just as night started to settle in we heard the sound of waves.

  “Let’s get some food and settle in for the night.” Chris said, looking through the windscreen.

  “Okay, but let’s not turn on the light tonight. The last thing we need is to wake up surrounded by infected in the morning.” Amy said, climbing into the back.

  I just grunted because I had something on my mind and I had been thinking about it since we had entered Hornsea. I could just make out Amy as she climbed inside her sleep bag. My mind was churning over what she and Chris had said to me during the day. What I was thinking would really piss them both off if they knew what I was thinking.

  “You coming to bed?” Amy asked from the floor.

  “Huh?” I said.

  “Are you going to get some sleep?” She asked.

  “Sorry. I’m not really tired at the moment. I thought I might grab a set of goggles and climb up on to the roof and have a look around.” I said.

  “Why?” She asked.

  “Just get the lay of the land.” I said, trying to sound casual.

  “I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid.” Chris said from the driver’s seat.

  I laughed and said “After the dressing down you fucking gave me today, not likely.”

  “Okay, but remember you need to get some sleep or you’ll be no use to anyone.” Amy said.

  “Okay.” I said, rummaging around in the carryall’s looking for the night vision goggles.

  Opening the hatch, I pulled myself on to the roof of the A.P.C. and stood looking out over the dead town and out to sea. I had to take my time because the goggles weren’t half as good as seeing in the daylight. I was scanning along the waterfront when I saw the next best thing to what I was actually looking for, a sign that said there was a marina about half a mile further along the coast road. I stood there smiling to myself. Finishing a full turn, I saw that there were no infected anyway nearby. This might actually make things a little easier for me.

  Climbing back inside, I listened to see if Amy or Chris were still awake. Chris’ snoring confirmed that he was out for the count and Amy’s deep breathing hopefully meant that she was asleep as well. Standing on the bench, I walked over to where my rucksack was and pulled it up. I then went in search of the carryall that had the extra equipment that I had asked Tom to set aside for me. Lifting the carryall, I pushed it through the hatch and on to the roof followed by my rucksack. I was about to pull myself up when I heard a low whine come from near the backdoor. Lowering myself back onto bench, I walked over to Spirit.

  “What?” I whispered and got another low whine.

  I knew what she wanted. The bloody dog didn’t want to be left behind.

  “Fine, but if an infected wants to eat you, then the fucker can have you.” I said, lifting the heavy dog up off the floor.

  I have to give her some dues as she did give me a lick on the cheek. But that all changed as I tried to push her heavy arse out through the roof hatch. After a few whispered curses, I managed to get her out and pulled myself out after her, climbing down the side with my rucksack and the carryall on. I then had to coax Spirit in to jumping down into my arms, and when she finally did, she nearly drove me to the ground with her weight.

  “Right. Come on and be quiet.” I said, heading off into the darkness with Spirit following behind me with her toenails clicking on the road.

  I hoped that we would have time to get to the marina, find a boat and set off towards Hull before either Amy or Chris woke up. If either of them managed to get their hands on me before then…well, let’s just say it won’t be pretty. After a good half hour of quiet walking I could see the marina. I wasn’t disappointed and saw at the least ten boats of different makes tied up. Now was the tricky part. I needed a boat that I could sail. So that ruled out any of them that had sails. As I got closer, one boat stood out to me more than any of the others. It was one of those two-story yachts that you see all those footballers have. I got to the pier that lead down to where the boats were tied up and headed down to the one I had chosen.

  There was a small gangplank leading on to the rear of the boat and I crossed over and placed my rucksack and the carryall next to the door leading inside. Spirit stood on the pier whining with her tail between her legs, so I crossed over and picked her up.

  “You’re going on a fucking diet after this.” I said, huffing under her weight.

  Putting her on the deck, she scampered over to my rucksack and lay down. I didn’t know much about sailing but from watching TV I knew that these boats had bridges on the second level. Looking around, I saw a ladder that went up through a hole to the second level. Climbing the ladder, I looked over the rim and seeing that everything was clear. I climbed up and had a look around. In front of me was what looked like where someone might sit if they were driving a car except there were no peddles. Again, TV to the rescue and I knew that the small silver handle beside the steering wheel was the throttle. Walking over, I looked down and tried to find how to start the boat. There on the dash was a button marked start and keyhole beside it which was empty.

  “Fuck!” I said out loud.

  I never thought that I might need a key for a boat. Looking back to the shore I saw small building set next to the pier. Could my luck hold some more? I climbed down the ladder and headed off the boat and toward the small building. The door was easy to jimmy open using the crowbar I carried and I was inside quickly. Inside was a small office. Flicking on my small torch, I started rummaging around on the desk and through the draws. I was starting to get a little stressed, when I saw a large key box mounted on the wall beside the door. Again locked, but I managed to force it open using the crowbar. On the inside of the door was a drawing of the pier and the places for each boat. These places were numbered and the main part of the key bow had hooks and each hook had a number. I looked at the drawing and then outside. I identified what number my boat was and looked for a key on the numbered hook. My luck was holding and the key was there. Grabbing the key, I ran back to the boat and got on board. I decided to try the key before casting off. That way, if the key didn’t fit, I wouldn’t be floating around in the marina with no way to get back ashore.

  Climbing up the ladder, I went to the steering wheel and tried the key in the hole beside the start button. It slid in with no problem, but just because it fit didn’t mean that it would start the engine. Turning the key, I was rewarded with lights on the dash coming on. I heard an engine and turned around following the sound. Up on the road I saw the A.P.C. trundle into view.

  “Shit.” I said.

  I spun round and ran to the ladder and slid down. I needed to be quick before Amy or Chris saw me. Running on to the pier, I headed for the front of the boat and looked at the rope that tied it off. It was tied in some weird fashion and I was struggling to undo it. Finally it came free and splashed into the water. I turned to run and undo the rear when I was hit from the side and went down on my side.

 
“Stay the fuck down, Marc!” I heard Chris growl at me.

  Looking up, I saw my best friend looking down at me and he looked very pissed off, and when he had that look on his face, well, let’s just say someone usually gets hurt. Unluckily, tonight it probably meant that I would be the one to get hurt. Amy came running down the pier with two rucksacks. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know who to be more scared of, Chris or Amy. With Chris, we could always throw punches at each other, but it was different with Amy. Lying there on the cold concrete I watched as she slowed to a walk and then just stood looking down at me and her face didn’t look any better than the one Chris was wearing.

  “So, Marc, let us see if we have this right. You and your fucking dog were going to leave Chris and me here while you and said dog had a lovely trip down the coast to Hull to rescue a somewhat dubious friend?” Amy asked in a dead quiet voice.

  “Something like that.” I said.

  Chris stomped over to where Amy had dropped the rucksacks and took them on board, all the while mumbling under his breath.

  Leaning back over the rail, he said “You are a fucking grade A idiot.” Before disappearing behind the bulk of the boat.

  I slowly started to get up, was still unsure if Amy was going to take a swing at me. Chris walked off the boat and back up the pier to the A.P.C. I was feeling a little guilty for doing what I had, but I also thought that I had a good reason to do it.

  “Look, I thought that if I went on my own, you and Chris might have been kept out of the danger.” I said to her.

  “Have you seen how angry we are? This is nothing like how Chris was when he needed a piss and found you had run off. I think the thing that has him most upset is that you picked the dog over him.” Amy said, pacing backwards and forwards on the pier.

  “I didn’t pick the dog. She gave me no fucking choice. Much like all women.” I said, smiling.

  “And you can cut that crap. I’m just as fucked as Chris is, probably more so.” She shouted at me.

  Taking a step back, I was about to go on the defensive when I heard the sound of heavy boots running. Turning toward the A.P.C. I saw Chris pounding toward us.