by Aline Riva
“Almost,” the reply came back, “Will be all quiet soon, Captain!”
“Over and out,” Tina replied, then she looked to the others. The mood was decidedly light, the minor presence of greatly reduced numbers of corpse encounters was all the confirmation they needed that this battle was being won – this felt like a clean up mission, there was not a horde in sight...
They made their way towards the edge of the park, where the gates yawned wide open and a tree lined road beckoned.
“Okay, we take this road to the end and then we have half a village to sweep,”said the Captain as she waited on the empty road and the others left the park to join her, “Once the village is secure, we find a place of shelter for the night and resume our task at first light.”
Now they were all gathered, she turned for the road and began to make her way along as Vince joined her and the others followed. Then a screech and a roar and the rasping sounds of hungry corpses broke the peace of the late afternoon as they bounded from the shade of the nearby close and spreading trees as the group turned back, horrified to see they were surrounded – the gates were still wide open, but the way back was blocked by the gathering horde...
“They must have been driven into shelter when the first half of the village was swept!” Tina exclaimed, letting fly with a burst of gas that swallowed those closest to the group in a cloud of chemical defence, “We have to drive them out – through the gates..”
“And then we're locked in!” David exclaimed.
“Just do it, there's no way out!” the Captain yelled above the hiss of the guns.
This was a major task now as gas guns began to fire up and burst with hisses of gas and smoke, filling the air and casting the group into a haze much like the one that had hung in the air in the Arctic – visibility was poor, the undead were still around them and as they closed in back to back and pressed the triggers of their guns knowing their lives depended on it, they also knew something else:
If they managed to push back the horde, they would have to lock the gates – trapping them in a part of the village that had not yet been swept, where more hordes could be lurking. It seemed the notion that this area was almost clean had been fatally underestimated...
Chapter 4: The Village
The gas cloud was a concentrated burst that filled the air, obscuring the view from those who fought to beat back the undead. As they screeched and bubbled and eyes audibly popped as mouths foamed blood and they started to fall, Jason and David broke free from the now open circle of corpses and blasted them left and right with the gas as the others did the same. Rick landed a punch to the jaw of a lunging creature and made for the gates, then through the smoke the saw Marie do the same on the other side, standing ready as the cloud burst of gas billowed closer, driving the undead back out to the other side of the tall metal fencing.
“NOW!” the Captain yelled, obscured by smoke that hung thick.
As the last of the undead staggered back, the ones in front bubbled with eyes bursting as others pushed behind them. Rick and Marie grabbed the gates, slamming them shut heavily against the weight of bodies pressing forward, hampered by the destroyed corpses blocking their path as the gates closed with a slam. Dead hands piled through, lashing out, reaching to grab at the living as Rick smashed the padlock into place, then as David hit the barred gates with gas, the others blasted too, taking out the aggressors as more piled behind, still struggling to break through, but now weakened by gas exposure.
A haze of thick smoke hung ghostly in the air, wrapping about the skeleton trees as through the railings the undead moved slowly, weakened by gas, stepping on the fallen dead as their curled fingers wrapped about the bars, their eyes set hungrily on the living as the gas continued to hang thick.
The Captain was radioing back to base to inform them of the weakened hordes location, requesting a unit return to destroy them.
“Advice is to move on, Captain,” the reply came back, “All units out on sweep missions... proceed to the village and secure the area, back up will be provided as soon as possible.”
“And what if they break through?” Tina demanded as she stood there amid swirling mist, “We are a small unit – we need back up, we need the horde destroyed or have no option but to press on alone!”
“As soon as a unit is free, they will be sent to the co ordinates provided to clean up. Orders are to press on, Captain. Manpower is short.”
“Understood, over and out,” Tina replied, then as the smoke began to thin and the gates weakly ratted as the surviving undead shook the locked barrier, she looked to the others.
“We carry on, we have no choice. I was hoping a unit could return but the mission must be completed. They know this horde is weakened but needs terminating, they will handle that – as for us, we have to go on.”
“Then let's do it,” David replied, looking down the lane where the icy winter view looked welcoming despite the cold – anything was better than venturing back into that fog of death and corpses held back by the metal gates. The group headed off, staying together, weapons ready, senses alert, as they made their way down the wintry lane, heading for the village.
As the lane came to an end, they began to pass fields where more skeleton trees stripped bare by winter stood as if on guard at the roadside, boughs leaning out and downward, reminding the group of the hands of the undead reaching out through the bars of the gates... Here the road took a downward turn, along a small slope that led to the other side of the village. From a distance it looked silent and deserted, not a living soul nor an undead creature to be seen or heard across the whole of the winding streets where cottages dotted about and a small village square stood empty with litter blowing about the cobblestones as broken shopfronts shone jagged and smashed and stark against the the fading light of the day. It would be dark soon, and that meant the job would get twice as hard, with a need to secure the place before daybreak if they were to get any rest, alternating turns on watch until morning light came around and they could be finally sure no undead remained hidden.
The light was dying quickly as the sun behind grey cloud sunk lower and faded to the beckon of dusk, on reaching the village, the team split and searched three houses at a time on either side of the country lane, finding nothing but abandoned housing and not a trace of the undead, then they moved up the lane, heading into a road where terraced cottages lined either side. Across the street, down a cobbled road that opened up wide, the village square was visible, as well as the tall railings and open gates of an ancient church, its spires pointing to the clouds, the stonework was decidedly medieval and the graveyard that surrounded it was vast and sprawling with graves part subsided and headstones crumbling, some covered with moss and others worn away by time and weather.
“I say we secure the houses then the village square and then find a place to stay for the night and take turns on watch,” the Captain said.
“I'll take first watch,” David replied.
“And I'll do the second,” Marie added.
“Let's do this,” the Captain agreed.
The search of the houses yielded nothing but bloody remains of corpse victims on the kitchen floor of the last in the row of terraces, the bodies were torn to pieces and what little remained was too mutilated to stand a chance of reanimating as flies buzzed about rotting body parts and organs half bitten and strewn about the bloody sight. Jason closed the door on the stink of dead bodies and left the house and looked over to see the Captain and Vince exit the final house on the other side of the street.
“Clear,” she called out.
“Same here,” he replied, then as they met in the middle of the road, the others left the adjoining houses, all with gas guns silent and not a trace of smoke trailing from the weaponry.
The group made their way into the village square, split up and searched the shops while the Captain and Vince stood watch in the middle of the square. David had searched the bakery where bread sat mouldering, then the butcher's shop next door where remains of
rotted meat stunk unbearably, making him gag as decayed carcasses that still hung in the broken shop window stunk of death. Jason had gone to first the news agents and then to a small clothing store. Marie took the post office then the small supermarket, noting there was plenty of dried and canned food still on the shelves that would be good for supper that night. The back part of the shop was used for storage and she found nothing but boxes – again filled with items that were still useful. Rick had gone over to the other side of the square, searching first a cafe and then entering a fabric shop next door, were rolls of material lay scattered about the place, blocking the way to the back of the shop, where behind the counter, a stairway led to the upper level. Then he thought he heard a vague sound and paused, listening, but the sound did not repeat, instead all he heard was the breeze blowing chilly outside. He stood there in the shop, looking to the stairway thoughtfully, still listening, just in case that sound had not been a creaking window or a strange moan on the wind...
Jason had reached the back of the clothing store, where he heard an odd sigh coming from the closed curtain to the changing room area. Keeping a grip on his gas gun, he pulled the curtain aside and entered a dim room where changing areas were shielded off by curtains. All but one had the curtain pulled aside, showing nothing but empty interiors, each with a mirror on the wall. A hand moved slowly wrapping slender, pale fingers about the edge of the curtain on the closed compartment as he stood watching, finger on the trigger, ready to blast the undead creature with gas.
But as the curtain slipped back the naked woman with fair hair that fell to her perfect breasts shifted forward, dark eyes glazed over as she gave another sigh and Jason smiled, knowing at once this was not a corpse but a half turned virus victim...and a rather lovely mindless nympho she was, too...
“Hi sexy lady,” he said darkly as he took her by the arm, led her into the booth once more and pressed her up against the wall.
Jason looked over his shoulder to check the coast was clear, then tugged at his zip, readying himself for a quick thrill as the woman looked at him vacantly as her hands ran over his shoulders and then squeezed, almost as if to urge him to hurry up.
“I know you want it...” he whispered breathlessly.
As he claimed her and the woman's body jerked with the force of his movement, her eyes stared at nothing as her head rested on his shoulder, then as her body slipped back and her head connected with the mirror, she turned, saw her reflection and gave a wail.
“Shut up!” Jason hissed, moving impatiently against her as he tried to stifle her cries with a hand about her throat.
“What the actual fuck?” yelled David in utter horror at the sight that had greeted him – the half turned woman was struggling now, and Jason was hurriedly arranging his clothing as he shoved her aside.
“You saw nothing!”
David's eyes blazed with fury.
“Like fuck I saw nothing, you filthy bastard!”
“She doesn't even know she's alive!”
“I think she changed her mind about you, Jason!”
“She doesn't have a mind!” Jason yelled.
The others had come running on hearing the scream, as Rick arrived on the scene he saw the virus victim stagger naked from the changing room, dazed and bewildered.
“You fucking scumbag!” he raged as he shot a look at Jason.
“I didn't do anything, she came on to me!” Jason protested.
Rick reached up with his metal hand, tearing down the velvet curtain from the changing room doorway
“No, no,” he said softly as she gave a sigh, studying his features and then reaching for him, “No – just put this on, okay? Let me cover you up...”
She stood there passive as Rick wrapped the curtain about her body, then he led her over to a chair in another booth.
“Sit down. Just stay there,” he told her.
She obeyed him, sinking into the chair as she stared off into space.
The Captain was on the radio now.
“Clothing shop on the village square...virus victim...we're going to leave her in here and lock up, she'll need collecting when the area is declared safe...”
“He was forcing himself on her,” David said darkly as anger blazed in his eyes, “I saw it, she struggled! That's why I came in here, I heard her cry out. He put his hand around her throat to shut her up!”
“You're fucking dead!” Rick raged, slamming a metal fist into Jason's face then grabbing him by the back of his coat as Jason was momentarily stunned from the blow, able to offer no resistance as Rick dragged him from the shop and marched him across the village square.
“Is he going to kill him?” Vince exclaimed as the others went outside and David paused to lock up the shop.
“I don't care if he does,” said the Captain., “I won't have that man in my unit!”
“Agreed,” David replied as he turned from the secured shop, “It's not just the moral aspect – Jason's a serious fucking risk to all of us! He'd rather be molesting virus victims than watching out for the rest of us!”
“I actually have the authority to shoot that bastard...” said Captain Swan thoughtfully.
“No need, Rick's got it all under control,” David added as they stood and waited as Rick stood across the other side of the square, giving Jason a shove, as he landed hard against the tall, spiked railings that surrounded the church and the graveyard.
Rick's eyes were blazing with fury as he lunged at him again.
“Fucking pervert!” he yelled as his voice echoed across the square, then he grabbed Jason by his coat, dragged him forward and the last thing Jason saw before the world went dark was a metal fist slamming into his face.
Rick gave him a shove through the gates of the church yard, then dragged the gates closed, wound the chain around them and closed the padlock, leaving him sprawled on the path that led to the steps of the church.
“You're on your own!” he yelled angrily through the bars, then he turned back and joined the others, pausing to run his fingers through his hair as he took a breath and tried to calm down once more.
As the group gathered in the village square, David looked to the locked gates, seeing Jason still out cold as the shadows gave way to darkening evening. Then he blinked, wondering what he had just seen far off in the graveyard – shadows, a trick of the light, perhaps?
“I thought I saw some soldiers way back over there,”he said, indicating to the distant back of the graveyard where old headstones crumbled and the solid wall around the back of the place stood tall.
“Not possible,” the Captain replied, “There are no available units for miles.. it's just us, but the way those shadows are falling fast I get why you would think that... Let's find a place to bed down for the night, it's almost dark and we need to resume the mission at first light.”
“I suggest we bed down above the supermarket,” Marie said, “The place is clean, no trace of corpses or victims and there's a three bedroom flat up there – looks like the owners cleared out before the outbreak, left everything in place. There's beds and sofas and the supermarket has plenty of food. We're in for a comfortable night.”
Then a hiss sounded, as it cut through the air the group turned around, unable to work out where the hiss of an extra gas gun had come from.... Then they knew it was not the sound of a weapon as it slithered out from the gutter, a large mutant snake with gleaming blue scales and wide black eyes. It hissed again, baring sharp fangs.
There was a loud crack as the bullet was fired by the Captain, taking its head clean off. The head landed on the cobblestones, far away from the body that swayed, then shivered, then the mutant snake fell still.
“You wanted wild animals?” she said, looking to David.
“Not the hostile kind! I was hoping for a few friendly lions.”
“They go where the food is,” the Captain replied, “Chasing the larger hordes...their food is in short supply now – I guess they'll have to make the change over to rotten meat soon.”
“If only they ate the snakes,” David replied, looking to the severed head of the mutated snake as it lie on the cobblestones, mouth frozen open, teeth glinting bone white as the last of dusk faded away to nightfall.
“We should head back to the place above the supermarket now,” the Captain added.
As the others turned away, Rick glanced back to the fabric store, then to the window of the flat above it.
“I just need to sweep that place one last time, I was in the middle of it when we heard the scream,” he said, “You go on without me, I'll catch up.”
Then the others headed for the apartment above the store as Rick headed back across the square, hurrying under cover of gathering darkness, needing to be sure, absolutely sure, there was nothing in the upstairs level of that small store...
As Rick went into the fabric shop, he stepped over rolls of material, then over scattered sewing kits, and finally made his way around the counter and went through the doorway that led to a small kitchen area, then he looked up the darkened stairway.
And there was that sound again...
He went carefully up the stairs, on reaching the top he saw a bedroom with blood up the walls, remains of a human being that had become a zombie feast was scattered about the room and it stunk badly. Someone had tried to fight back here as there was also the fallen body of a reanimated corpse, now destroyed with an axe in its head collapsed in a corner...
Rick closed the door, then looked in an empty front room where very little was disturbed save for some broken picture frames hurled to the floor, and then he passed a vacant bathroom and finally came to the door at the end of the upper hall. He pushed it open cautiously, noticing battery operated wall lights, which he pressed and at once the room was covered in warm light. Stars glowed on the wall of the nursery and a mobile hung above a moses basket of blue silk and lace that was placed on a wooden stand in the corner.