The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  ‘MR HOWIE,’ Dave’s voice booms through my skull, snapping me back to reality. I glance round to see every gun is held and aimed straight at her, even Lillian. Mine is still at my side.

  ‘Marcy,’ she says, her eyes still locked on mine.

  ‘MOVE AWAY FROM THE BOY,’ Dave roars. None of them move. Not one of them willing to take an order from anyone apart from this woman that stands in front of me.

  ‘Howie…you need to listen to me…’ her tone is soft and pleading, her face, despite the awful red eyes, betrays concern and deep worry.

  I stay silent, unable to speak. Nothing seems real. This isn’t real. This is all a fucking dream, some rancid dirty nightmare.

  ‘Howie…look at me,’ she commands. I didn’t even realise my gaze had dropped. I look back up at her and feel my senses returning, the reality of the now coming back.

  ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ I snarl, the anger building in my gut, ‘Dave…get that boy and the dog away from them…if they so much as move fucking shoot them.’

  ‘On it…Clarence cover me,’ Dave replies.

  ‘Covering, you’re clear,’ Clarence calls out.

  ‘Mr Howie…’ The boy stammers.

  ‘His name is Joe,’ Marcy says softly, ‘he has to tell you something, something awful…and you need to listen to him Howie…you all need to listen to Joe and stay calm.’

  ‘What? Joe…what’s going on?’

  Dave swoops past, his pistol held in a two handed grip. He darts between the group and gets in front of Joe then leads him round the outside and back to our side.

  ‘Howie, please listen to Joe…you don’t have much time,’ she turns to stare at the fort then looks back me with that same worried expression.

  ‘Joe, what’s happened? You stay the fuck there…don’t fucking move…any of you.’

  ‘We will not move an inch Mr Howie, you have our solemn promise,’ the small man with the glasses says in a quiet serious voice, ‘but I would also urge you to listen to young Joe and do so quickly.’

  I turn to see Dave leading Joe towards me. The dog still staring fixed at Marcy. Joe’s face looks terrified, tear streaked and his eyes swollen from crying.

  Crouching down I wait for him to come in front of me, he looks terrified, shaking with fear.

  ‘What’s happened mate? Why are you here with these…er…?’

  ‘They didn’t hurt me….they’re zombies but they didn’t hurt me Mr Howie…’

  ‘I can see that Joe, why are you out here with Meredith?’

  ‘The fort…’ he bursts into tears, loud heaving sobs.

  ‘What about the fort?’ I ask him gently, ‘Joe…what’s happened?’

  He sobs harder, his legs give out as he sinks to the ground covering his head. His thin body heaving.

  I look up at Marcy to see her biting her bottom lip in concern at the lad, ‘get him away, I can tell you,’ she says softly.

  ‘Lani, take Joe to the vehicle,’ she rushes over with Lillian, together they get him to his feet and walk him away, heading towards the Saxon.

  ‘Well?’ I demand as he walks off. I glare at Marcy, she looks back seemingly unsure of how to start.

  ‘The fort’s been taken…Joe was running up the road when we got here…he said the things were inside and were killing everyone…Listen to me,’ she says firmly as I step towards her, ‘this is not from us…we did not do this…’ she motions her group, ‘Joe said everyone was being bitten, he said it was all over the place…’ She takes a deep breath and continues, ‘he said Chris told him to run and keep running, and to find Howie…to find you and tell you what happened and to tell you not to go back…’

  ‘What?’ I say with a shake of my head.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Blowers exclaims, he takes a step closer. They all do. Lani leaves Joe with Lillian and moves back towards us.

  Marcy swallows and looks to each face in turn, ‘you have to listen…I came here…we came here,’ she corrects herself, ‘to hand ourselves into you…you said you had doctors and medical equipment…’

  ‘Marcy what the fuck is this? What…the fort has gone?’

  ‘Howie…please hear me out…we came here to hand ourselves in so you could test us and find a vaccine…or…or…I don’t know…work out what this thing is…someone got here before us Howie…the things got here and took the fort.’

  ‘That’s not possible, it’s too well defended…they can’t get in.’

  ‘They have and they are,’ she says firmly.

  ‘We have to get in there…make ready,’ I snap the order.

  ‘What about them?’ Dave nods at the small group.

  ‘Howie…you’re not listening…the fort is gone…Joe said everyone had bite marks…just a few turned in there would wipe the place out,’ she adds.

  ‘This is a fucking trick…what the fuck are you doing?’ I raise my rifle and aim it at her.

  ‘No,’ she shakes her head, ‘no tricks…’

  ‘We saw what you were fucking capable of on the Island…I fucking spoke to you…’

  ‘You did! And you said you had doctors and medical equipment…remember that? You offered to take me in.’

  ‘Someone get Joe up here…this is some kind of dirty scheme, get down on your fucking knees now…all of you.’

  ‘Do as he says,’ Marcy says to the other three. They lower themselves down and stare back at me.

  ‘He’s here,’ Lani calls out.

  ‘Joe? I know you're upset but you have to tell me what happened…exactly what happened…’

  ‘The things were inside…they were already in there…they must have been cos they just started biting everyone, they was biting people and pushing ‘em away and biting more…’

  ‘Where Joe? Where in the fort was this happening?’

  ‘Everywhere,’ he says weakly. I turn round to watch him. He stands just a few feet from me, shaking from head to toe with Lani holding an arm round his shoulders. ‘Everyone had bite marks...Sarah got me…she got me to Chris and he said I had to get the dog out, he said I was a fast runner and I had to run away with Meredith cos she’s immune and he said to keep running and find you…’

  ‘You saw Sarah?’

  He nods as fresh tears fall from his eyes, ‘she went down Mr Howie…she was bit.’

  I look down at the ground and take a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest as my stomach drops.

  ‘She saved me…Chris was on the slope and she fought them away so I could get to him…’

  ‘Fuck,’ Cookey says softly.

  ‘Did…’ I fight to keep control, ‘did Chris say anything else?’

  ‘He said to tell Clarence he was a fat wanker,’ the boy realises what he’s said and suddenly looks frightened. Clarence rocks on his feet, he drops down to a crouch and bows his head.

  ‘They was fighting at the gate….Chris had a gun and shot them and then he ran at them and beat them away and shouted and told me to get out…’

  ‘Oh my god,’ Nick shakes his head, staring at me in shock.

  ‘This is fucked up…it’s got to be a fucking trap,’ Blowers stammers.

  ‘You did this?’ I draw my pistol and ram the end into Marcy’s forehead.

  ‘She didn’t do nothing Mr Howie,’ Joe yells out, ‘she was here when I came out…they was walking down…she weren’t inside.’

  ‘You did this…you did this…’ I press the gun firmer into her head. She looks up at me, bracing so she doesn't fall back. Pure fury is surging up inside me.

  ‘No,’ she shakes her head and stares up, ‘not us…I swear it…this isn’t anything to do with us…we came here to give ourselves up to you.’

  ‘Why?’ I scream at her.

  ‘Because you said,’ she flinches from me, ‘you said you had doctors and equipment Howie…we’re not the same as the others…we can talk and think and do normal things…’

  ‘Darren could fucking speak…look what he did the dirty fucking bastard, you did this…’


  ‘Darren was twisted and corrupt…the infection made him like that…we’re normal…we think and speak for ourselves with normal intelligence…’

  ‘Boss, what we doing?’ I twist round to see Clarence back on his feet, his face set and determined.

  ‘We’re going in there.’

  ‘You can’t,’ Marcy cuts me off, ‘Eight of you…against what? Several thousand? Think Howie…you’ll be slaughtered…’

  ‘What do you fucking care…you're one of them.’

  ‘No,’ she shouts with feeling, ‘I am not one of them…we are not them.’

  ‘Then what are you?’

  ‘We’re…different…’ she says slowly.

  ‘Fuck off, we’re going in there and we’ll fucking kill every one of them…that’s what we do...’

  ‘Go ahead,’ she yells at me, ‘shoot me, shoot all of us…go inside and see everyone you knew is now turned…then shoot them too Howie…shoot your sister and your friends.’

  My hand is at her throat, driving her down into the floor as I press the gun into her face. Dave and the others stride forward, aiming their rifles at the Marcy’s three associates who start to rise as the sight of me pushing her down.

  ‘You lying fucking bitch…’ I squeeze my grip harder, feeling the softness of her neck. Rage burns through me as I stare down into those awful red eyes. Something about her terrifies me, utterly terrifies me and makes me want to kill her, but at the same time there’s a sadness in her eyes, an expression of regret and sorrow.

  ‘Do it,’ she gasps, ‘I won’t fight you…’

  ‘You took Sarah…’

  ‘Not me.’

  ‘She was all I had left…’

  ‘I didn’t do it,’ she fights for air, saliva dribbles from her mouth, ‘it wasn’t us…we don’t take anymore.’

  ‘You're lying,’ I scream at the top of my voice, my face inches from hers.

  ‘She’s not,’ the old woman shouts, ‘I gave myself willingly to her…she wouldn’t take us, we all gave ourselves to her.’

  ‘Shut the fuck up,’ Blowers shouts at the woman.

  ‘Young man,’ the women stares at him with an icy glare, ‘you may tell me to shut up but do not swear at me.’

  ‘I’m not lying Howie…neither is she…we’ve got thousands of us hidden away…we came here to find you Howie…to surrender.’

  ‘BITCH,’ I scream, spittle flies from my mouth, landing on her cheeks.

  She tries to swallow, I feel it beneath my hand, her face going red from the tightness of my grip.

  ‘So you don’t take then?’ I growl at her. She shakes her head, a small movement restricted by my hand and the pistol jammed into her forehead.

  ‘You don’t want to feast and bite,’ I say the words slowly, savouring them, drawing them out…’why not? Don’t you have the hunger they do? Don’t you want to bite and take my blood…’

  She shakes her head again. Staring at me with terrified eyes.

  ‘Liar,’ I whisper at her. Sarah is gone. She’s dead. One of them. The whole fort has been lost. Chris, Terri, Ted…all of them.

  ‘I’m not lying,’ she whispers.

  I release my hand from her throat, she gasps for air, drawing in huge gulps, ‘yeah?...don’t wanna bite me?’

  ‘Mr Howie,’ Dave shouts in alarm as I push my hand to Marcy’s mouth.

  ‘Bite me…come on…fucking bite me….’ She tries to squirm, pulling her head away. I push the gun harder into her forehead, grinding the back of her head into the earth, ‘come on you lying bitch…bite me…fucking bite me…’

  She clamps her mouth shut and stares at me with defiance, an angry stare that she holds for several seconds. Then she opens her mouth. I push my thumb into her mouth and feel the warm wetness inside. I can feel her teeth gently brushing against the sides of the digit.

  ‘Bite it…make me one of you…’

  Her head moves side to side, refusing to yield. She savours my thumb, I can tell she does. I can tell she wants to bite. Her tongue runs over the end, licking and caressing it but she doesn't bite.

  ‘ENOUGH,’ Dave roars.

  I pull my hand away and gently lower the pistol from her head. A perfect round hole left marked on her skin from the barrel. I stagger away from her, taking steps to the side.

  ‘Give me your hand,’ Dave follows me. He pulls a small plastic bottle of anti-bacterial gel from his pocket and grabs my wrist. He squeezes the gel out and rubs it onto my thumb, coating my hand and wrist with the disinfectant. I stare back at the fort, the pistol hanging limp from my hand.

  ‘Where’s my rifle?’ I suddenly realise I don’t have it.

  ‘I’ve got it boss,’ Nick says, he walks over and hands it over as Dave let’s go, ‘here,’ Nick hands me a cigarette.

  I take it and light the end while I stare at the fort. Disgusted at myself for what I just did. A deep sense of shame flooding through me. I can’t take this in. Everyone in the fort is gone. This must be a trap, something to lure us away. But then she could have bitten me, she could have simply clamped down with her teeth and I’d be infected. The shame of hurting her like that conflicts with what she is. Confusion clouds my mind. She killed Stephen and Tom, she killed my parents and everyone I ever loved but she didn’t bite me. I feel sickened. Sickened from the thrill I felt inside when I felt her tongue licking my thumb. A flutter inside my gut that excited me.

  ‘Are you okay Marcy?’ The man with the glasses asks from somewhere behind me.

  ‘Don’t move,’ Blowers warns.

  ‘I want to check on her,’ he demands.

  ‘I’m fine Reggie.’

  ‘Let me check.’

  ‘Don’t fucking move,’ Blowers shouts again.

  ‘Let them move,’ I snap without looking round. My eyes fixed on the fort. I can still feel her tongue on my thumb, the warmth of her mouth, the wetness of being inside her.

  I shake my head and focus. Too many things spinning in my mind. My sister…Sarah. She’s inside there.

  ‘We need to check inside, stay here with this lot, I’ll take the Saxon down and look.’

  ‘No way,’ Clarence rumbles, ‘I’m coming with you.’

  ‘No,’ Dave adds firmly, ‘you stay here…I’ll go with him.’

  ‘Okay,’ Clarence agrees.

  ‘Take April with you…she can go inside…you’ll be taken if they see you,’ Marcy adds quickly.

  I turn back to stare at her as the other young woman gets slowly to her feet. I stare at April, she looks at Marcy then at me without expression.

  ‘No,’ Clarence shakes his head, ‘we’ll all go…’

  ‘What?’ I ask him.

  ‘You’ll go for them, I can see by your face boss, we all go.’

  ‘No mate,’ I shake my head, ‘stay here and wait.’

  ‘Dave…don’t let him go inside…bring him back,’ Clarence says.

  ‘Okay,’ Dave answers.

  I start walking to the Saxon, Dave follows me. ‘What about the girl?’ Blowers asks as April starts walking towards the vehicle.

  ‘I don’t care, she can come if she wants.’ I climb into the driver’s seat feeling numb. The thoughts still spinning so fast that I feel sick. Like my head will explode if it carries on.

  ‘Nick, get on the GPMG,’ Dave shouts. The lad runs ahead, clambering in the back and up the hole.

  Dave gets into the back and motions for the girl to sit in the front. She gets in and sits in the passenger seat. Dave draws his pistol and presses it to the back of her head, letting her know it’s there.

  ‘I won’t do anything,’ April speaks for the first time, her voice low and soft.

  ‘No…you won’t,’ Dave replies bluntly. I start the engine and pull away, veering the vehicle round the group. Marcy watches me closely as I go by. I stare back at her before pulling my gaze away and looking to the fort.

  I drive straight down the middle, the speed increasing as I push my foot down harder. The big wheels absorb
the ruts and holes of the rough surface. Sweat drips down my neck and drips from my chin.

  The outer door is open. Wide open. No sign of any guards. A figure steps into the doorway, silhouetted in the shadows. It stands there watching for a few seconds.

  Leaning forward I try to see who it is, straining my eyes but not making any details out. As we get closer the figure steps out. I brake hard, slamming my foot onto the pedal and bringing the vehicle to a rapid stop. April jolts forward, just managing to put her hands out to prevent her head slamming on the front.

  ‘Mr Howie…’ Dave shouts as I open the door and jump down. I stride towards the figure, my heart beating faster than ever before. My breath feels stifled like I can’t breathe quick enough.

  Dave runs ahead of me and stops my progress, ‘go back…’ he says flatly.

  I barge through him and keep walking, my eyes fixed on the figure that stands there watching me.

  ‘Mr Howie,’ he grabs my wrist and pulls me back. I try to wrench free but he grips me too hard. April runs to stand in front of me and faces the figure, like presenting herself as a guard.

  ‘Nick, if she moves you fire,’ Dave calls out.

  ‘I will.’

  ‘Don’t Nick…don’t shoot,’ I try to say but my voice catches in my throat.

  ‘Sarah?’ I call out. My sister stands there watching me. She looks uninjured then I see the blood on her leg. She looks at the vehicle, then up at Nick and then finally her gaze settles on April.

  ‘OUT HERE,’ Sarah yells out, ‘HOWIE’S OUT HERE,’ her voice is flat but loud.

  ‘Mr Howie,’ Dave grunts as he starts dragging me backwards. I try to fight him off. April turns and grabs my other side, both of them dragging me back to the Saxon.

  ‘SARAH,’ I scream.

  She starts moving forward as Nick fires a few rounds into the ground in front of her.

  ‘NICK…DON’T YOU FUCKING FIRE.’

  ‘Get him in the vehicle…’ Dave pulls me with vicious strength. April digs in, gripping me hard as they manhandle me.

  Others start running out of the gate, Nick opens up, firing straight into it and shredding them before they take more than a couple of steps.

  I get pushed into the back of the vehicle by Dave and April as Nick continues to fire.