The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  ‘We are back amongst other people now and we will show a standard of behaviour. We are a unit, a fighting unit and that makes us close,’ Dave stares at Blowers, Nick, Cookey, Tom and even Lani, ‘we have banter and jokes but in sight of other people we show a level of professionalism and respect.’

  ‘Good advice,’ I add, ‘these people will be suffering and grieving so take it easy with the pissing about, got it?’ They nod back looking serious, sweaty and very tired.

  ‘You all cleared yet?’ Chris asks walking towards us from the inner gates.

  ‘Almost,’ I answer as Blowers darts in to be checked.

  ‘We’ve got some rooms put by for you. Roger got some of the old stores emptied out so you got a bit more space but they’re right at the back though, does that bother you?’

  ‘No mate and we won’t be here long by the sounds of it. Doc Roberts said he needs the local hospitals checked…’

  ‘…I bloody knew he’d get that in quickly, I told him to give you a break and we’d sort it out,’ Chris’s spits in a flash of anger.

  ‘Chris it’s fine mate, really. We can go back out in the morning. We’ll have the Saxon and maybe take a van or something.’

  ‘You’ll need more people with you then,’ he goes back to rubbing his beard.

  ‘We can take Ted or that Brian bloke that helped Clarence before the big fight.’

  ‘Brian? He died in the battle.’

  ‘Shit, did he? I’m so sorry I didn’t realise…’

  ‘Not your fault, leave it with me. Let’s get you in and settled. You look fucked.’

  ‘Understatement,’ Clarence growls.

  The inner doors are opened and we’re once more back inside the fort proper. Nick drives the van slowly while the rest of us walk in front.

  ‘It’s big, a lot bigger than I thought it would be,’ Lani says looking round.

  ‘It can hold thousands of people,’ I reply, ‘we’ll try and get you the guided tour in the morning.’

  We stay to the far side, walking quickly and trying to get through to the back without disturbing too many people. Small fires burn throughout the interior. Figures walking round in the shadows. Children and adults crying. People calling out in pain. I’m glad it’s night so we can get in quietly. I know Sarah and the others will be here and will want to see us but we’re beat and need sleep more than anything.

  We’re led to the back, past the police office and the rooms we used the last time to an arched door set into lower wall. Gas lanterns are already lit inside and I see Sarah stood by the door smiling. So much for the quiet entry.

  ‘Hey,’ she calls out softly and rushes forward to embrace me in a tight hug, ‘you made it…again.’

  ‘Again,’ I say at the same time and hold her closely, ‘you got back okay then?’

  ‘They kept their word,’ she says, ‘they argued all night because of what you did, leading them away like that but they took us to the harbour in the morning…’

  ‘We saw the boats going over, we were up the pier,’ I reply.

  ‘We saw the smoke coming from the town…was it bad?’

  ‘Bloody awful, we lost Steven.’

  ‘Oh Christ!’ Her hand covers her mouth as she breaks free and finds Tom standing nearby. She hugs him next as I remember Tom and Steven went with them when they fled the fort. They stand murmuring for a few minutes before she moves away to Clarence.

  ‘Let’s get in,’ I say and head towards the door. Inside the room looks inviting with a soft glow from lanterns set on low. Doors lead off into other rooms and we move round checking inside each door and finding two beds set up in each. Just mattresses on the floor but at least they’ve got clean sheets and a lamp. Someone has put bottles of water in the rooms and snack food. There is a big table in the main room with wooden chairs set round it, several mugs of steaming coffee on the table filling the room with a nice aroma.

  Checking the rooms gives me a flutter of panic. Eight of us and four rooms. Two beds in each room. Two sharing each room. Seven men and one woman. I can feel my face going red just from the thought of how this is worked out. Maybe Dave, Clarence and I can share and give Lani some privacy. Or better still Nick, Blowers and Cookey can share but no, that would leave Tom on his own and there’s no point getting four of them to share one room. I start biting my fingernails as my exhausted mind tries to work out the best solution.

  ‘Two per room, I’ll share with you Mr Howie,’ Lani brushes past me and puts her bag onto one of the beds. I glance round expecting there to be stares and giggles but no one bats an eyelid. Clarence and Dave have gone into one room, Nick and Tom and then the inseparable Blowers and Cookey into the last one.

  ‘Right, yes…’ I move away and grab a mug of coffee from the table and start gulping quickly.

  ‘Weapons and kit bags first, wash then sleep,’ Dave exits his room and crosses over to pick a mug of coffee up. Lanterns are brought into the main room and turned up as everyone starts checking kit bags and taking their assault rifles apart.

  Exhaustion kicks in and the conversations become stilted and quiet. Eyes look heavy and movements become slow, cumbersome. Eventually the essential bit is done and we drift off in silence into the rooms and I hear bodies impacting on mattresses. Within minutes there are snores drifting through as I turn the lanterns off and leave one burning on low in the main room. Entering the room and I see Lani sitting on her mattress pulling her boots off. She smiles up at me. The room is small and square. The mattresses are next to each other with just enough room to stand in between them.

  I sit down and unlace my boots before pulling them off. Socks too and then I go to take my top off and pause. I glance round and see her lying on one side with her head propped up by one hand smiling at me, she winks suggestively then laughs quietly.

  ‘Not funny,’ I murmur.

  ‘Just take it off; you’ll roast if you leave it on.’

  ‘You’re still dressed,’ I say then have another little panic as I realise I might have sounded like I wanted her to get undressed. I hear rustling coming from her direction and then quietness again.

  ‘Now I’m not,’ she whispers, ‘just strip off and relax, I’m too exhausted to attack you now.’

  ‘Okay,’ I chuckle at the thought of the fearless leader of the living army, having fought countless battles and now worried about the improper attire when sleeping in the same room as a beautiful woman. I shrug and take the top off then stretch out on the bed. The humidity feels so high and not having the top on makes no discernible difference.

  I roll onto my side and my heart starts beating rapidly at the sight of Lani lying on her side facing me wearing tight shorts and a bra. The low light of the lantern casts her in a golden hue, and I can’t help but run my eyes over the contours of her body. The gentle fall of her hips into her waist, gem stone glittering in her naval. The bra is white and plain but the soft mounds of her breasts stand out against the athletic leanness of her body. I look up and see her watching me, a gentle smile on her face. I smile back and extend a hand out. She meets it halfway, entwining her fingers into mine. Her eyes are drowsy and just watching them closing heavily makes my own feel the same.

  We sleep hand in hand with the sweat dripping from our glistening bodies.

  TWO

  DAY ONE

  The German Shepherd dog doesn’t know days and nights. She has no concept of time. Only that the light and dark follow each other in an endless cycle. She has memory and knows her pack is gone. The images in her mind unsettle her. Fleeting images of the pack. Their hands rubbing her tummy and stroking her ears. The soft noises they made.

  They were a close pack. The bond was unbreakable, or so it seemed. Every night she would lie at the top of the stairs and sleep with her ears pricked. Eyes opening and scanning at every sound. When the little one coughed or cried out she raised her head and listened intently. If the crying persisted she nosed the bedroom door open and roused the bigger ones, alerting the pack leade
r that something was wrong. They always responded kindly, praising her for waking them and giving a few strokes of her furry head.

  In the mornings they would wake and she would watch with interest as they moved quietly about the rooms, depositing their scent into the water and washing their bodies. While the pack leaders were doing this she would creep into the little one’s bedroom and stare at the sleeping form. If the little one didn’t wake she would gently nuzzle the face, giving small licks to the mouth and nose. The little one always woke up and showed his teeth. This was a good thing for them to do and she felt a sense of contentment as the little one threw his arms round her shaggy neck and pulled her in for a cuddle. Despite nearly always being uncomfortable, with a sharp elbow or knee poking in her side, she settled down and wagged her tail, showing she was happy while the little one made soft noises and played with her fur.

  Then she would be allowed outside, and after depositing her own scent in the given area she would nose round the perimeter and check the grounds of the den. Scent trails put down in the night. Animals going through her territory while she guarded from the inside. She would find a corner of the grounds to defecate and then stroll back to the pack. Checking the position of each one. The little one up the hill making long noises and putting more covers on. The pack leaders in the place of the food, talking and moving quickly as they prepared to leave.

  She knew the routine and moved between them, waiting for the little one to come down and knowing she would get a treat if she sat quietly under the flat thing.

  Her own food would be put down, she didn’t eat it straight away but left it until they were all gone and the den was hers. She would graze throughout the day, moving from room to room and nosing the net curtains aside to stare out of the front room window. When the pack returned she knew her special time was close when she would be taken out on patrol with the pack leader.

  But then it changed.

  The little one went to his den to sleep and the pack leaders stayed downstairs staring at the thing with the bright lights and loud noises. She heard it well before the rest of the pack; the noise from outside. A high pitched wail from further away. She cocked her head and strained to listen. More high pitched noises and even she knew they were sounds of distress and pain. Noises like the little one made when he fell down.

  She didn’t like the sounds and made a warning growl to alert the pack that something wasn’t right. The pack leader made the thing with the bright lights go quiet as they all listened. The sounds got closer, other noises too. Things breaking and noises the pack made when they were angry. She was worried; this was too close, the noises were too close so she made sound to tell them she was here. This was her ground and they must not come here.

  The pack leaders looked out the window and made noises to each other. She knew from the tone that they were worried and they spoke quietly. Then they opened the door and looked out. She didn’t want this to happen and whined at them, urging them to seal the den. Danger was outside and she could smell blood, lots of blood. It was hanging in the air and tasted metallic in her mouth.

  They went out and she waited, moving back to the stairs as she realised the little one was unprotected now. The pack leaders made loud noises. They were in pain and she wanted to go to them but knew the little one had to be defended. She was the main one in the den now and with the door open the danger could come in here.

  Her ears twitched as she picked the sounds out, following the noises of her pack as they got louder and angrier. Then they were quiet. She moved up the stairs and turned to lie down with her front paws and nose over the top step.

  Something was coming close to the den. She could hear the steps being taken and the ragged course breathing. The doorway filled with something. She recognised the form as the pack leader. It still had the scent too but it was different now. It smelled of blood. It wasn’t the pack leader anymore. She knew this and stood up; making herself look bigger and she showed the thing her teeth. The thing ignored the warning and came in anyway so she made noise. Loud noise. Angry noise. She stood her ground as the thing came faster up the hill.

  The little one was alone now. She had to defend the little one. They were the pack. Defend the pack. Defend the ground. She lunged at the thing and used her sharp teeth to bite into the neck. She knew through instinct this was the weakest point and it was already bleeding.

  Her weight took them both down and the normally gentle animal used every ounce of her strength as she tore it apart. Ripping and biting, feeling the blood pour in her mouth as she savaged it to death. She destroyed the enemy without mercy. This wasn’t the pack leader she felled. It was an enemy, an attacker.

  She knew the life went out of it. She could detect the heart beat ceasing and the lack of breath. The energy gone from the thing. She had defeated the attacker and defended her ground so she once more went back up the hill to lie down and watch the entrance.

  More came. More entered the den and posed a threat to the little one. They were dealt with the same way. Killed and savaged as they tried to get past her. She moved quickly, jumping high and tearing flesh open. Ragging the bodies about and showing them she was strong and fierce. She didn’t tire or feel bad. This was instinct. Throughout the night she killed and killed again until the downed bodies were a new level to walk on.

  As the sun came up she sensed a difference. The energy of the attackers was different. They were slow and weak now. She used this time to drink from the place where the pack deposited their scent.

  She nosed the door open and walked to the little one, gently nosing his face and waiting as he opened his eyes and showed teeth. The little one gave her fuss and made soft noises. She whined and pulled away; trying to tell the little one they had to leave.

  She watched as the little one moved noisily about and deposited his scent. The little one then went into the place the pack leaders slept. The pack leaders were gone so the little one started to move down the hill and stopped when he saw the enemies taken down during the night.

  The little one made noises and kept making noises. She whined and stayed close, sensing the fear from him. She licked the salty liquid that fell from the little ones eyes and felt her neck being squeezed as he clung to her neck and made the noise she recognised as the sound they called her by.

  ‘Bear….bear…..bear,’ other sounds but that one was her sound.

  They had to go. They had to leave this place. This wasn’t a safe den anymore and the pack leaders were gone. She ran down the hill and whined for the little one to follow her. Noises were made and she knew the little one didn’t want to follow, but she persisted and urged until finally he came down.

  The little one made lots of noises as he walked on the bodies of the enemies taken down during the night. The dog watched as he pulled at the body of the one that was once the pack leader.

  In the end she gently gripped the material of his coat and tugged him away. Pulling him and whining. The little one came with her and they walked outside into the open air. The smell of blood was everywhere. Bodies were everywhere.

  The little one made whining noises to show he was scared. She rubbed herself against his legs and ushered him away from the den. They had to find a safe place. This wasn’t safe.

  Another attacker was nearby, she could smell it. The stench of the thing was unmistakable. She growled to alert the little one as they walked out into the open grounds. There it was. Moving slowly but she could sense the hunger in it. The predatory nature of the thing. It wanted the little one who made noises at the thing and then ran towards it.

  She ran in front of the little one, making more noise to tell him to stay away but he didn’t listen. He ran towards the thing with his small arms held out. The thing kept coming closer and she tried blocking the little one but he ran round and kept going. The little one didn’t know the danger. He was too young.

  With a big jump she took the thing by the throat and dragged it away from the little one. Pulling with all her strengt
h and shaking her head so her teeth would slash the wound open. The little one made a high pitched sound and kept making the noise as she felt the life end in the thing she gripped.

  She released and looked to see the little one was down on the ground and making a long whining noise. She sensed the sadness and fear and tried to lick his face. She was pushed away but stayed close, whining and slinking with her ears and tail down. More coming. She lifted her nose and sniffed the air. The things made low sounds and she knew there was more than one. Another pack coming their way. A pack of the things. She growled and whined for the little one to move. She tugged at the material and felt the little one grab her neck and squeeze hard. She knew the he was scared and wanted the contact of the pack to feel safer but this was not the time. She waited for a few seconds and wriggled free, bouncing away and turning to face the pack of things now in view.

  She positioned herself between the pack and the little one and made noise. Telling this pack she had killed many and would do again. The little one wouldn’t move but stayed on the ground with liquid falling from his eyes.

  The pack was closer now and she knew she had to act. She ran at them and stopped in front, making noise and showing her teeth. They paid no heed to her warning and came anyway. The smell of blood filled her nose, the smell of their scent, the way they moved. They were hungry and wanted to take the little one.

  She moved quickly and took the first one down. Dragging it to the floor and shaking her head to damage the thing. They didn’t react but kept going. She moved between them. Pulling them down and biting deep into their necks. She took fingers away from hands. Hands away from arms and an arm away from a body. She killed each one before they reached the little one who stayed on the ground covering his face and making noises.

  It was hot here. No shade. She was thirsty and wanted to drink but the little one wouldn’t move so she stayed thirsty. More came. More were killed. The little one stayed low on the ground with his face covered while she dealt with the attackers until all around were the bodies of the things she killed.