by RR Haywood
‘Don’t fucking tell me what’s important to know, I am not a child,’ Maddox spits, ‘I lead my group and make the decisions for them…that means I want the information before I make the fucking decision.’
‘Wow you guys swear a lot, you need to calm down,’ Roy tuts, ‘have none of heard about blood pressure?’
‘Fucking what?’ Maddox glares across at him.
‘I heard enough of this,’ Lenski cuts through with her icy voice, ‘we go and kill them yes we do this…this must be done…Maddox you will go and help, I will stay here and run this fort while you are gone yes?’
‘Maddox could stay here, the fort will need a strong leader,’ I reply.
‘Mr Howie I am the strong leader,’ she cuts me down, ‘I am capable of this…Maddox he is hard like you and if you have so many then you need the hard people. I do not know fighting so I don’t do this…but I do what I know so I run this place…these people,’ she motions to Paula and Roy, ‘they kill many of the things…the woman she kill thousands so you take her and the man too…he kill many…you not go alone to this,’ she looks at me, ‘you take the people that know the fighting and together you kill them yes?’
Silence descends for a minute as we all stare at each other, Maddox eyeing me warily, Paula and Roy looking between us all.
Instinct tells me to open up and do as Maddox says by laying the cards on the table. Let everyone know what we’re dealing with and the risks involved. We don’t know Paula or Roy, shit we don’t know Maddox really. But we’re all that’s here and sometimes you just have to go with your gut. So I do and with a nod from Lani and another one from Clarence I spill the beans and tell them everything.
It takes time but something happens during that time. Something I become more aware off as I talk. Paula and Roy opened up and told us who they are and what they’ve done before coming here. How both of them stayed overnight in country locations before going back into their towns to slowly cull the undead.
Maddox too, he came here and had the strength to realise he needed greater security and that we could offer that.
By sharing, by opening up and telling them everything we know, about Darren and Marcy, about the pheromones and how we think they got inside the fort…then about Meredith and eventually about Lani, by doing that we create a feeling of closeness. Hardened people experienced at survival who haven’t just hid or run away but who fought back and clawed something for themselves.
As I finish I can feel the change in the air, the way they nod and listen. The intelligent questions they ask to clarify points and what’s more, despite having Meredith and Lani they also understand the need to take them out. That until that is done we will never be safe.
We could be running in the other direction with what we’ve got and hoping to find a doctor or scientist along the way, but then we’d always be running. They seem intent on destroying us. So we need to destroy them first.
When I finish talking they drop into silence, absorbed in their own thoughts for long seconds. Paula takes a breath and leans forward, the first to break the silence.
‘On the way here we passed through another town, the coastal road goes through the town centre…that is a perfect ambush site.’
‘We both said it,’ Roy agrees.
‘Old town with big buildings on both sides, we could bottleneck them…slow them down and start reducing the numbers as we fall back.’
‘We’ve got the two heavy machine guns and enough assault rifles to go round,’ Clarence adds, ‘and if we get to the party early enough we could get the food and drinks ready.’
‘I not understand this,’ Lenski cuts in.
‘Sorry,’ Clarence says, ‘I meant we get there early and start getting traps set up.’
‘Oh…oh yes like the party with the food and the drink…yes I understand this now.’
‘Okay, we go for that town you said about…we set up and get ready…Maddox, how many can you bring?’
‘I can bring all of them but that leaves this place unprotected…We’ll leave Darius and Sierra here with Lenski and I’ll take twenty…’
‘Paula, Roy, are you both coming?’
‘Yes,’ Paula nods quickly, Roy does the same.
‘I make that er…twenty nine and a dog against what…tens of thousands…maybe more? Good odds.’
‘Fuck it, we’ll win,’ Clarence and Lani say at the same time, ‘besides…we got Dave,’ Lani adds.
‘True, Dave could stand there with a Swiss army knife and probably hold them back,’ I grin over at the poker faced man who just stares back without expression.
‘Swiss army knives have folding blades; can I use a different knife?’ He asks with a sudden glint in his eye.
‘We need to do this now…Lenski, are you okay here if we move out?’ I ask.
‘Yes,’ she answers bluntly.
‘Good, get ready then…we go as soon as possible.’
Twenty Six
‘This is Clarence in the Saxon, radio check to Paula and Roy.’
‘Er yeah hi.’
‘Hi Paula, are you receiving me loud and clear?’
‘Yep, er…loud and clear…I’ve always wanted to say that, do I say over and out too?’
‘Only if you want, we are receiving you loud and clear also.’
‘Roger roger affirmative over and out.’
‘Thanks Paula, Saxon to Maddox.’
‘Yeah loud and clear.’
‘Likewise Maddox, we are the lead vehicle in the Saxon, Paula and Roy in vehicle number two and Maddox you are the follow vehicle. If we get contact on route do not get out of the vehicles as we will be using the big machine gun on the top of our vehicle, copy?’
‘What does copy mean?’
‘It means do you understand Paula.’
‘Oh…er…copy that roger and over and out.’
‘We heard you too Clarence.’
‘Cheers Maddox.’
‘What the fuck are we getting ourselves into?’ Clarence mutters as he lowers the radio.
‘A great big fucking scrap!’ Cookey yells excitedly, ‘we’re on the road…we’re on the road…and we’re gonna fuck some zombies up,’ he starts singing in a painfully bad tune.
‘You’re happy,’ Lani laughs.
‘I am,’ he laughs, ‘I am I am, you’re here and Meredith and Dave has got sharp knives and Clarence has been pumping his arms up and Mr Howie has got his big axe all shiny and sharp and Nick is on the GPMG and you got a big meat cleaver and Blowers is gay.’
‘Dick,’ Blowers laughs.
‘You like dick,’ Cookey responds quickly.
‘Oh no,’ Lani groans, ‘not this again…I should have stayed a zombie.’
‘Nah,’ Cookey says, ‘you missed us…didn’t you Lani…didn’t you Lani…Lani…didn’t you Lani…Lani…’
‘Yes! Alright…I missed you.’
‘Ha, she missed us like Blowers misses cock.’
‘Fucking hell,’ Clarence mumbles, ‘is it too late to stay here?’
‘Afraid so,’ I laugh, not even out of the flatlands yet and already Cookey is supercharged up.
‘We’re gonna drive at them and like tell them we got Lani and she’s fucking immune so you can all fuck off…and our dog is immune…and Dave has big knives and Clarence will throw cars at you and Mr Howie will do that thing that Mr Howie does when he goes all quiet and they shit themselves and if all that fails we’ll send Blowers out with a tub of KY jelly and a big bumper box of condoms so he can bum them to death.’
‘Or we could just give you more red bull so you can bore them senseless so they bleed to death from their ears screaming in agony make him stop…please make him stop,’ Blowers says.
‘That’s what they say to you when you’re bumming them, please make him stop…my bum hurts…’
‘You have got to stop making gay jokes,’ I laugh back, ‘how do you know one of us isn’t gay and getting offended or hurt?’
‘But one of us is,’ Coo
key laughs.
‘Yeah you,’ Nick shouts down.
‘Not me…ask April…she knows I’m all man, well she did until Dave cut her…’
‘I didn’t cut her head off,’ Dave says flatly.
‘Mr Howie isn’t coz he fancies Lani, Lani isn’t cos she fancies Mr Howie, Clarence isn’t… so that leaves Nick and Blowers.’
‘Or me,’ Dave says.
‘Or I could be bisexual,’ Lani adds.
Silence for a few seconds, ‘I’m not. So stop dreaming you perverts,’ she sighs.
‘Moving on,’ I say after a few more seconds of pointed silence, ‘Dave, what do we need to set some big ass traps?’
‘Depends.’
‘On what?’
‘On what traps you want? Sharp, deadly, explosive, to cause injury or death or mutilation.’
‘Sharp wouldn’t do it, would it?’ I ask, ‘tens of thousands so we can’t just throw sharp sticks at them.’
‘Explosives and fire are best options.’
‘Should we have brought the fuel tanker then?’
‘That’s a good idea,’ Clarence exclaims.
Twenty Seven
‘Clarence to Mr Howie, radio check?’
‘Howie to Clarence, loud and clear.’
‘Clarence to Paula and Roy, radio check?’
‘Roger roger rubber ducky affirmative over and out.’
‘Thanks Paula…Clarence to Maddox?’
‘Loud and clear…again.’
‘Yeah sorry, we forgot the tanker.’
‘How can you forget a fuel tanker?’
‘Thanks Paula, busy day…Saxon is lead vehicle, Paula and Roy are second, tanker is third and Maddox you are in the follow, Clarence out…oh and Nick…if we get contact don’t for fucks sake, shoot at the tanker.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Actually, get Dave on the GPMG.’
‘He’s worse at blowing things up, look what happened at the refinery.’
‘Good point Mr Howie…no one on the GPMG then…just run them over.’
‘Roger that.’
‘We’re on the road…we’re on the road…and we’re gonna fuck some zombies up…’
‘No Cookey, not again,’ Lani groans.
‘You missed us didn’t you Lani…didn’t you Lani…Lani…didn’t you Lani…Lani…’
‘Go up the front, go and sit up the front with the boss,’ she urges.
‘No,’ I shout back, ‘Dave’s here and we’re having a serious discussion.’
‘Are we?’ He asks.
‘We are.’
‘Ah, I feel unloved, unwanted…uncared for…’
‘We all love you Cookey,’ Lani laughs.
‘I don’t,’ Blowers adds.
‘You do but not in the right way,’ Cookey says suspiciously.
‘I love you Cookey,’ Nick shouts down.
‘Thanks Nick,’ Cookey shouts back.
‘Me too Cookey,’ I call out.
‘Thanks boss…April loved me…until Dave cut…’
‘I didn’t…and if you say it again you’ll be making the brews for the next month.’
‘He’s already making them for the next month isn’t he?’ Lani asks.
‘Then the month after that too…all the months,’ Dave says, ‘Alex…’
‘Yes Dave?’
‘Quiet time now Alex.’
‘Yes Dave.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Ha you got Dave’d,’ Blowers laughs.
‘Dave’d?’ Lani asks with a giggle.
‘Dave said quiet time,’ Cookey says seriously.
‘Yeah for you not the rest of us,’ Blowers replies.
‘That’s fine, I shall sit here quietly and dream of my one true love.’
‘She was a zombie,’ Lani says with pained patience.
‘But my zombie,’ he sighs theatrically, ‘does this mean you can’t snog Mr Howie again?’
‘Cookey!’ Blowers snorts.
‘Alex!’ Dave turns quickly as Lani bursts out laughing.
‘How do you know we sno…kissed anyway?’ I shout.
‘At the medical tent before we got the dog…we all knew,’ Cookey replies.
‘Oh…right…’
‘No secrets here,’ Lani states.
‘So?’ Cookey prompts.
‘Alex!’ Dave adopts his warning tone.
‘Sorry Dave, I was just asking.’
‘Mr Howie kissing Lani is none of our concern,’ Dave says primly.
‘Sorry Dave.’
‘If they choose to kiss then I am sure they will take the appropriate precautions,’ Dave continues.
‘Eh?’ Nick shouts down, ‘what like putting condoms on their tongues?’
‘Nick!’ Dave warns.
‘Can we try that?’ I laugh.
‘You’ll be bloody lucky,’ Lani says.
‘You can get flavoured ones,’ Cookey suggests.
‘How do you know?’ Blowers asks.
‘I’ve seen them.’
‘You ever used one?’
‘What a flavoured condom? Not really but there was this one time when…’
‘Alex,’ Dave says again.
‘Sorry Dave.’
I zone out to the background chat with a growing sense of déjà vu. How many times have we been here now? Driving in this hot tin can racing to put our lives in danger and face an enemy of overwhelming numbers.
And it is hot. Hotter than I have ever known it. The words sticky and close don’t come into it. Drinking water constantly trying to stay hydrated and my forehead is already tender from constantly wiping the sweat away. Clothes clinging to my body, my feet are baking in the heavy boots and every breath I take is like standing in front of an oven with the door open.
We did agree we wouldn’t take anyone else into our team, but the justification is that they’re not really in our team. They’re just going with us to do something that has to be done.
Thoughts about Lani race through my mind, how great it is to have her with us, with me. Like a comfort blanket. Just having her close gives me a sense of security. It’s stupid but something about her makes me feel safe, the way she said none of that would have happened last night if she had been there, and the way she has taken control today by stepping forward to organise and get things done.
A feeling like it’s fate that took us into that bowling alley that day and found her, that everything after that was pre-ordained and scheduled in a little black book somewhere. We had to fall, to suffer that closeness of death in order for Lani to find out she was immune. That’s the other thing, I believe more and more that she is immune. Like an instinct or something, maybe a tangible notion that has buried deep and is now flourishing, demanding to be paid attention. Not a trick. Not another plan or devious intention but that she is genuinely immune. I don’t know how I know this, but I know I’m not the only one that feels it.
Our group is close. The bond between us is immense now, we can read each other with a single glance and sense the mood, the feelings, the needs wants and desires of each other.
But then if Lani really is immune, then what the hell are we doing taking her towards possibly the biggest army we’ve seen yet? Mind you, we’ve already tried telling her not to come, not that it did any good and with such limited numbers we do need every skilled fighter we’ve got.
I noticed that Maddox selected the older and bigger youths and I’m sure most of them were the crew chiefs. Clarence told me they were proficient with firing and re-loading the assault rifles and already had a thorough understanding about not pointing the weapons at each other.
Paula already had a police issue single shot machine gun but Dave said it was small calibre pistol size ammunition so she and Roy were both given assault rifles and magazines too.
‘The town I was thinking of is just up ahead,’ Paula speaks through the radio,
‘Okay, we’ll keep going for now until we find the front so we know what time and distan
ce we’ve got…everyone pay attention to the town in case we come back to use it.’
Pushing the radio away I watch ahead as we get into residential roads with big expensive houses on both sides. The road sweeps downhill to a long gentle bend and filters naturally into the High Street with a big dirty multi-level car park marking the transition from residential to town. A huge grey monstrosity built in the seventies with exhaust fume stained walls and one of those twisty access roads that loops round and round, with a ramp giving entry to each level and an open top floor.
The road goes straight through the middle of the town, with huge sprawling hotel buildings on the seaward side and high Victorian shops with apartments above them on the other. Very few side street and the only way out of the main road is through the buildings.
Other than the contrasting shitty multi-level car park, the town looks affluent and well cared for with freshly painted shop fronts and chain brand stores. The usual bodies and debris litter the streets, smashed in windows and cars left abandoned but this would have been a nice place to live.
The main road through is long, a lot longer than I anticipated. After the last solid hotel there is just shore line down to the golden beach and the blue water lapping gently. The other side gives out to pitch and putt play area’s and open land with sculpted gardens.
It looks lovely and serene, almost perfect. I say almost perfect because the view is somewhat ruined by the horde sprawled across the road. A thick crowd just stood in the sun obviously waiting for their brethren to sweep through.
‘Nick,’ I shout up.
‘Yes Mr Howie.’
‘Clear a path please mate, get as many as possible but don’t shoot the bloody tanker.’
‘Will do.’
‘Saxon to the follow vehicles, we’ve got a large contact ahead…firing will commence shortly,’ Dave relays to the others as I bring the speed down to give Nick more time.
The firing does indeed commence and we watch as the horde gets ripped to pieces, and as soon as the first bodies start to fall they turn and charge with unabated fury. A seething mass of human forms charging across the sun baked road. Nick sweeps the fire across the front, mowing them down with easy strafes.
Bringing the Saxon to a stop we all watch through the windscreen as they continue to surge towards us, the heavy constant thudding sound right above our heads and small movements of Nick’s feet as he turns slowly left and right.