by Nick Harland
Losing patience I said, ‘Will someone tell me what’s going on please, you have no idea what this feels like.’
Eve reached down and squeezed me, ‘Oh I think I do. What’s going on is that after you passed out we cuddled up to you and went to sleep.’
Esme looked down at me before squeezing her breasts and pinched her nipples to harden them up again, ‘Like we were going to do anything else while you were passed out between us. We were worried about you. ’
I realised my mistake and gently put one hand on each of their bums, ‘Ok, I’m an idiot, but I’m not passed out now and I’m as turned on as I’ve ever been. Having you both over me like this is amazing.’
Eve let me go and pulled her pants off. Then she pulled my boxers off and looked at Esme, ‘I kinda like being up here above him, don’t you? It was certainly awesome the other night.’
Esme lifter her knee over me until she had one either side of my head, then she leaned forwards and put her hand against the wall at the head of the bed, it was a lovely view from right underneath her breasts. Then I felt Eve lift her leg over me and ease down gently on top of me. Esme said, ‘Yes it was, so let’s see what he can do while were here shall we.’
Feeling Eve on top of me and seeing Esme just inches above me was too much to bear. I grabbed Eve’s arse with one hand and pushed her down on me. My shoulder hurt a little but I grabbed Esme's tiny waist with the other and she spread he knees out and sank onto me in response to my touch. Although we’d only done it like that recently, I didn’t have to wait this time and Eve wasn’t slow and gentle. Esme picked up on the urgency and she was quick herself. We made sure Eve got hers in a way she loved and all went to sleep happy, thoughts of alien bacteria pushed far to the back of our minds.
Chapter Twenty Three – Bitten
It was a good night and we even got a decent amount of sleep. We had some breakfast and met Gary in the communal area. Esme had a syringe of solution she thought only had a few of the Zed cells in it. As we prepared ourselves the others began to gather until it was obvious everyone was there, waiting with baited breath. It was necessary to say something.
I stood up and faced the crowd, ‘You will all have heard about what’s going on but just I case there have been some Chinese whispers I’ll make it clear what’s happening here. I didn’t get infected when it happened because for whatever reason I don’t have the type of cells they initially merge with and use to take over. That means the aliens from the initial attack are still floating around inside me.’
‘We’re pretty sure most peoples’ immune systems can kill the original aliens fairly quickly which is why they merged with our other cells so quickly, to hide and protect themselves. Don survived because he has cells that kill them even more quickly than most people. They must have flooded the planet to be able to take over our immune systems. The theory is that if we inject just a few original cells into Gary his immune system will be able to kill the cells before they can merge with others, multiply, and turn him. Once his blood has the antibodies to the cells we think that the alien cells in their saliva are similar enough that if he’s bitten he will have enough defences not to turn. We are well aware there are lots of if’s and but’s here but it’s all we’ve got and as you know Gary is dying of cancer and he’s willing to try.’
The crowd was quiet so I turned back to Gary who nodded. Esme injected him with the solution and said, ‘We need to give him a few hours at least, maybe even until tomorrow. From the little experience we have it can take a few hours for people to start to exhibit symptoms of starting to turn and we need to be sure he’s not going to before going any further.
Jim stood forwards from the crowd and looked at me. Then he nodded before clapping his hands loudly and saying, ‘We’re doing well with the work so far but everyone knows what they should be doing and as far I’m aware there are still Zeds out there so.’ Then he raised his voice suddenly, ‘Let’s get a move on.’
The crowd quickly dispersed and we were left alone again. Esme said, ‘He’s scary when he wants to be isn’t he. I guess we’re exempt from base works but I can’t sit around all day while everyone else works so hard. What are we going to do today?’
Eve said, ‘I don’t think we have time to go to the gun range.’ She looked at Gary and in an unfamiliar act of compassion she put her hand on his shoulder, ‘I want to be here if you start to get ill. You said you hoped someone would do the decent thing and I want to make sure you have the choice if it starts.’
Gary smiled and put his hand on hers, ‘Thanks. I still don’t know where I stand on that one. I know I said I’d stick around as a captive but now I’m not so sure. I think your friend Andrea might be braver than I am.’
I said, ‘So what does that leave us? I remember having so many competing priorities we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. We always need food and water. I know we could do with more of that building site fencing but the solar panel project or caravan site trip are also really important.’
Esme fidgeted and put her hand up, ‘Me, pick me.’
Eve rolled her eyes, ‘Really! Ok, you there, the one with the great tits jiggling up and down and the hand up.’
Esme looked down at herself and jiggled experimentally, ‘Not bad but I still like yours better. I vote caravan site. There isn’t likely to be a huge horde in the middle of the countryside and’, then she whispered conspiratorially, ‘I don’t think anyone will know if we have a nice hot caravan shower.’
Eve jiggled with excitement and looked down at herself too, ‘Yes they are good aren’t they. I’m with Esme.’
Gary rolled his eyes and walked off, ‘Bat shit crazy. Go find yourselves a hot shower, I won’t tell anyone. I’m sure I’ll be ok until a bit later at least.’
I said, ‘So, who if anyone are we taking with us? More fighters are always useful but I can’t help but feel it cramps our style a bit.’
Eve sighed, ‘You just want privacy so you can be naughty. Everyone knows we do it and I’ve heard we’re not the only ones. There would be no more doing it if we were dead though and we need a vehicle that can carry what could potentially be thirty of forty full aqua-rolls, let alone gas bottles, leisure batteries and who knows what else. I say we need the dump-truck, another vehicle, an expert, and another fighter at least. We can’t fuck if we’re dead.’
I replied, ‘This is one of those times you were talking about isn’t it, when you’d say if I was being dumb?’
Eve put her hand on the side of my face, ‘Yes darling it most certainly is. Now get that blood directed north again and let’s get moving, we haven’t got all day.’
Ben and Izzy came as a package and Eve wanted Ben to drive the dump-truck. We also brought Bill in case we needed his expertise. Mary was ready to go out again so Bill rode with us and Ben and Izzy went in the truck. It felt like old times with Bill with us and Jim had been working him hard. He was grateful for the break and all the work and enforced diet and had really started to trim him up.
Esme sat in the back with him and commented, ‘I barely recognise you Bill, you look good. I think Andrea would approve.’
Bill blushed, ‘Thanks. I hope she would and I hope she can tell me herself soon.’ Esme took his hand and for a few miles they sat silently, holding hands.
The road to the caravan park was littered with cars but the truck led the way and there weren’t any blockages it couldn’t push through. It took an hour and half to get to the village the caravan park was in, but all the clearing of cars on the way meant the journey back would be easier. We stopped at the gate to the park and looked into the small reception office. It was dark and we couldn’t see if there was anyone behind the desk around the corner. We knew we needed to clear as we went so Esme, Eve and Bill got out and I slid over to the drivers’ seat. They wouldn’t let me out because of my shoulder and although it felt ok, I hadn’t swung a weapon since.
The moment Esme stepped towards the reception doorway we heard a scrabbling and a
Zed leapt full stretch out of the doorway. Even Esme wasn’t able to dodge the reckless attack and the Zed landed on top of her. She wasn’t so surprised she forgot to bend her head down though or she might have been dead. The Zeds mouth scrabbled at her helmet until Eve kicked it in the side of the head pushing it off her. Bill was ready and finished it quickly. Esme got up, ‘Bloody hell, that was brutal.’
Esme crept into the reception area and came out with a few bags of assorted sweets. She threw a couple of bags up for Ben and Izzy and gave us one each too. Mine had a giant cola-bottle covered with sugar, it was lovely. Ben revved the truck and ploughed through the security gate. Beyond the gate there was a long single track lane to the park and there was a huge barn stacked full of bales of hay to the left. There was also a cow shed and there were partly eaten cows here and there. Just after the farm building was a quaint cricket pitch with an old fashioned wooden pavilion behind it. The dead cows meant there were Zeds somewhere. I was just considering our options when Esme yelled, ‘Chickens’, making me jump and Eve laugh at my reaction.
Eve looked over at me, ‘We’ve got to catch them, fresh eggs is almost as good as fresh milk and they still look in pretty good shape.’
I nodded, ‘Yes, but there are Zeds around and you know farmers, big bastards some of them, so look out for Beefcakes. Also, I’m coming and you can’t stop me.’
Eve smirked, ‘Don’t flatter yourself but stay behind us and use the gun if you need to.’
We got out of Mary and Ben and Izzy followed suit. I had a Seven as it was lighter than most of the other weapons. It felt good in my hand and reminded me of the first few days and of how far I’d come. It was quite an open area and it wasn’t going to be easy to catch the chickens. Seeing if the barn and shed were empty was the first priority and I signalled to the others and headed for the barn. I held Seven loosely in my left hand and an M9 tightly in my right.
Eve and Esme spread out a little as they approached but Ben and Izzy stayed close, they were still new to scavenging. As Esme and Eve approached the barn the hairs on the back of arms stood on end. It wasn’t as powerful a reaction as the Talkers caused but there was something Zed about to happen. I shouted, ‘Get ready’, and held the M9 up.
Two Sprinters dressed in cricket whites, there is no other word for it, sprinted from the dark of the barn and their speed was amazing. They were closely followed by two charging Beefcakes and one apparently normal Zed trailing behind. The sprinters launched themselves at Eve ad Esme and although Eve got off two shots neither dropped her Sprinter, though I was sure I saw one hit its shoulder. I saw Eve step back and her hands drop helpless to her side as the Sprinter landed on her. She put head down to protect her neck and lifted her arms at the last moment but I’d never seen her so helpless. I was already running, as were we all, desperation fuelling our steps.
Esme had learned her lesson and stood her ground until the airborne Zed was almost on top of her. Then she dodged to the side and swung Seven. The Zeds flying limbs caught her but she also caught the Zed. They both went tumbling onto the soft grass but Esme came up ready while the Zed lay still.
As I was running I heard Bill start yelling as he charged one of the Beefcakes, a studded axe handle raised above his head. As Ben and Izzy parted there was a line of sight to the Beefcake charging them and I emptied my clip at it. Most went wide but two hit it in the chest and one in the throat, it managed a few more steps before falling forwards grabbing at its neck. I was close to Eve by then and Ben and Izzy changed direction to the other rapidly approaching Zed.
Eve was grappling with the Sprinter on the ground. Although she had grabbed its arms and fought off its first attacks it was biting at her hands and arms as they writhed and it was only a matter of time before one made contact. I was a desperate stride away and screaming when I saw Eve pull it down towards her and throw her right elbow at the side of its face. I couldn’t risk hitting Eve with Seven so I launched a kick but had to watch as it turned its head towards her elbow, biting as it smashed into it. My boot hit it a moment later and I went tumbling over the top of both of them, thankfully landing on my right shoulder.
I scrabbled to my hands and knees and panic gripped me as I looked around to see Eve lying still next to the Zed. The Zed was thankfully motionless, its head caved in; I had steel toe capped boots on. I crawled over to Eve until I was on right over her, tears blurring my vision and falling onto Eve’s face. She put her hands either side of my face and shook me gently, ‘It’s ok, I’m alright, I’m alright.’
I let my arms go and collapsed onto her, ‘But it bit you.’
Eve stroked the back of my hair and replied, ‘Yes it did but it didn’t break the skin. I’m wearing one of my old survivalist tops with interwoven Kevlar thread and reinforced elbows. If you get off me I’ll show you. I’m also pretty sure I’m lying on a cowpat and your extra weight isn’t helping.’
With the panic receding I squeezed her one more time before getting back onto my hands and knees and standing up. Eve held her hand up and I grabbed it and pulled her up. She turned around and tried to look behind her, ‘How bad is it? I definitely feel something.’
I leant sideways to look at her back and there was cowpat all over her, it had dried in the sun but she’s broken through to its sloppy heart . I said, ‘let’s just say that we have a really good excuse for that shower now.’
I looked at her expectantly and she rolled up the sleeve of her black top. Her elbow was red, as much from the impact as anything else, but there were no teeth marks and no blood.’
Esme stepped beside me and put her hand around my waist, ‘Thanks for the warning, it made a difference. We’re all ok. Bill took a big hit and might have a couple of cracked ribs but you should see the other guy. I know he doesn’t like it, but that guy’s a Beefcake killing machine when he has to be.’
I looked around and everyone was ok. Bill was holding his side but he waved a hand and smiled. Eve said, ‘Well that wasn’t much fun and we haven’t even reached the park yet.’
I replied, ‘Water, gas, and batteries are worth a lot and we’re here now. It’s unusual to see so many freaks in one place and my experience of caravan parks is a load of retirees sitting around all day drinking tea. Let’s push on and see. Let’s re-load and if there are any more than one each lets shoot the fuckers, we’ve had a hard enough day already and I could do without the stress.’
Esme squeezed me and whispered, ‘It’s ok, we’re all ok. We love that you care so much but we need your Grrr face on if we’re going to do this.’
I knew she was right and patted her bum, ‘Ok, I’m channelling my Grrr.’
There was a cattle grid on the road into the park area and a four-foot fence surrounding it. We drove over the grid and Bill said, ‘Swing left. From what I remember almost all of the pitches this side are seasonal and they’ll probably be better equipped.’
The road left swung down the centre of an area with vans each side at regular intervals, set back at least thirty feet from the road. The park was lovely, even if the grass was getting out of control. When we were halfway down the first area I said, ‘Stop the car, let’s see if anyone’s home.’
Eve stopped the car and I didn’t wait, I just got out and shouted, ‘Well come out and get me you fuckers, let’s get this thig done.’
Everyone else got out and came to stand in a line beside me. Most of the awnings were all zipped up but some looked like they were in use and Zeds came rushing from three of them. It was still before the school holidays when it happened and I was grateful there weren’t any kids. There were seven in total and I said calmly , ‘Eve, tip the odds would you.’
Eve drew her guns and dropped three of the fastest Zeds. Although she’d missed the Sprinter earlier it’s quite hard to describe just how fast they are and how their heads weave from side to side when they run and pump their arms like maniacs. Eve’s recent experience didn’t stop her charging but having to holster her guns meant she was a few steps behi
nd the rest of us. Esme and Ben were fastest and Ben did the twisting move Esme had first taught us and killed the Zed in one. Esme, of course, finished hers and that left Izzy and I.
My Zed wasn’t the largest and I was one handed so I went with brute force and landed a front kick in its chest. It stopped and bend double rather than stagger backwards and I swung Seven underarm with my right hand and caught it under the chin before it could stand up. It was very satisfying. It didn’t drop it, although there wasn’t much of its face left, but it staggered and fell backwards flailing its arms.
Izzy had had to master taking their legs as she didn’t have the height or strength to one shot many of them. She was getting good at it though. She dodged like Esme had taught her and hit the back of its knee with the studded baseball bat she preferred. She finished hers at the same time as Eve finished mine, barging past me with a cheeky, ‘excuse me’, before I could do it myself. Eve didn’t leave one for Bill who was stood behind us holding his side.
I started walking to the next area on the same side of the road and the others followed. I was a little less angry now and knew fighting numbers when there were alternatives was not ideal. I walked around the very edge of the treeline behind the vans towards the first one and banged on the door. There was no one home. We snuck round the back of it, among the trees again, to the next one which had three at home. Eve and Esme led the way and Ben took the last one. Ben struggled and was two hits in with the Zed looming towards him when Esme kicked its knee bringing it down. Ben finally finished it and said, ‘Sorry, I’ll get better I promise.’
Esme said, ‘It’s fine. There’s nothing to be sorry for, you will get better.’
By sneaking around we managed to take most of the residents one van at a time and Eve only had to use her guns once more to manage a charge. With one side of that part of the park clear, and having made a fair bit of noise on the way, we decided to load up what we could before moving on. If there were still Zeds in any of the vans on the other side of the road they were plainly playing the waiting game. It was hard work because everything was heavy. Several of the vans had two aqua-rolls and as long as they had a decent amount of water in we took them. They all had batteries and at least one large gas bottle, many also having smaller barbeque gas bottles. We gave up searching inside the vans as there was so little of interest, people didn’t store much food at all and although cupboards full of sweets were common, we had tons of sweets back at base already so stopped after we had a bag full.