The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  ‘Dave,’ I say quietly.

  ‘I know,’ he replies just as quietly.

  Turning to stare at him he first looks at them, then at me, ‘we got no choice.’

  He nods, no expression, nothing said. Just acceptance.

  Lani, stood next to me touches my hand with hers, I turn quickly to see her smiling and the feeling is a million times better than Marcy. It’s natural and real. A genuine touch from a genuine person that cares. She nods subtly with a glint in her eye.

  In the corner of my eye I see Clarence shifting position, stood with legs planted and arms folded across his massive chest. Glancing over and he locks eyes for a second and quickly lifts both eyebrows, then the lads, all three of them with the same glint that Lani and Clarence have.

  ‘Change of plan,’ I announce to the group as a feeling like an electric current starts passing through my team. The tension rising with the prospect of battle. ‘There is only one way of hoping to get through this…there’s too many, simply too many. Even if we blew that town apart there would still be an endless queue of them coming out one side…so,’ I take a breath making sure they’re all listening, ‘Maddox, send someone back to the fort and get more of your crews and anyone who can fire a weapon, take everything from the armoury and get them to that town…’

  ‘Hang on,’ Paula waves a hand.

  ‘Sorry no,’ I cut her off, ‘this road will keep them funnelled until they hit that open land before the High Street, that is where they will spread out so get every available gun at the end of the High Street facing out onto that open land. We’ll attack the front now and start cutting them down, that reduces the numbers and buys you time,’ I look directly at Paula.

  ‘Me? Buys me time?’ She asks with a worried face.

  ‘To get the town rigged, we start now and keep going until we get to that open land…then I want every gun we’ve got firing into them…then on our signal they get out of there and we’ll lead them into the High Street…that road is enclosed with the hotels and high buildings so use that road to set the traps…’

  ‘You are fucking joking aren’t you,’ she spits with anger, ‘this is another joke isn’t it?’

  ‘Sorry, not this time,’ Lani says softly, ‘there’s too many Paula.’

  ‘Maddox, you up for this?’ I ask.

  ‘Yep,’ he says quickly, ‘I got over a hundred in my crews…I’ll leave twenty there and bring the rest, you do what you can and we’ll be ready for you.’

  ‘Good.’

  ‘No, not good…not good at all,’ Paula protests.

  ‘It is a good plan,’ Roy says with the same unflustered expression.

  ‘Do you know how to make explosive devices?’ Dave asks her.

  ‘Er…no…no I don’t.’

  ‘They’re easy, Maddox you listen in too and I’ll tell you what you need…nail bombs are the best for something like this, not just nails but anything small and metallic that will fragment out.’

  ‘Okay,’ Paula sighs, ‘this is really happening isn’t it?’

  ‘It is,’ I say firmly, ‘seeing them like this has brought the reality home…we’re several miles away from them and we can’t see the end of the column…there could be more joining them at every junction and side road.’

  ‘But there’s seven of you,’ she shakes her head in disbelief.

  ‘We got big guns,’ Nick says, ‘lots of big guns.’

  ‘We’ll hold them back as long as we can…’ I start to explain.

  ‘They’ll probably start charging when we go for them,’ Blowers says, ‘but that will weaken them for when we get to you…it gives you less time but makes them easier to kill.’

  ‘He’s right,’ Cookey adds seriously, ‘makes a hell of a difference when they’re fucked and knackered.’

  ‘Maddox, find a way to block off the side roads on that High Street…we want to keep them funnelled.’

  ‘Got it, leave it with me…like I said, you do what you gotta do here and we’ll be ready for you,’ he replies confidently and like Roy, he shows no sense of panic or worry.

  Nodding at them I look from face to face then back down at the road and all the way along the black snake and still no end in sight.

  ‘We’ll go then,’ Maddox states, ‘see you there and Howie…’ I glance over at him, ‘we got this yeah?’

  ‘Yeah, yeah of course mate…’ And I know he has too, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it done.

  They file away with Roy offering to drive the fuel tanker if Paula takes his van. Nick taps out some cigarettes and we light up, inhaling the acrid smoke that burns our throats and does nothing but perpetuate the myth that smoking helps anything other than feeding a habit. But we do it anyway.

  ‘Lani…please, will you go with…’

  ‘No!’

  ‘What’s that smell?’ Cookey sniffs the air, ‘urgh Meredith! Right by us too…bloody hell look at the size of it.’

  ‘Christ that stinks…has anyone got a poo bag?’ Nick asks putting his hand over his nose.

  ‘Fuck that,’ I gasp as Meredith turns round to sniff her own shit then look up at us with pride at the gift she left steaming on the grass.

  ‘Wish I could do that sometimes,’ Cookey sighs, ‘wouldn’t half make life easier wouldn’t it.’

  ‘Come on, let’s go pick a fight with some zombies,’ we stroll back to the Saxon, clambering in an I relent to the requests and flick the air conditioning on for a few minutes.

  Might as well be cool on our way to try and stem the flow of the undead army coming to wipe us off the face of the earth.

  Thirty

  Paula looks between her open notepad on the seat and the tanker in front of her. Following Roy back towards the town and the initial trepidation has already abated. Yes this was different as there were people relying on her and Howie was putting himself into the firing line to buy them time and reduce the numbers.

  Dave gave her a quick set of instructions, what ingredients to use and how to make basic nail bombs. Then running through the set up methods. It was far simpler than she could ever imagine. Highly destructive explosive devices made from basic household ingredients. The smoke bombs were interesting, potassium nitrate, powdered sugar and paraffin wax. That was it. No wonder the high school kids found them so easy to make. She floundered when Dave first said potassium nitrate and had a fleeting image of banana’s until he said it’s one of the main ingredients in tree stump remover, which is also readily available in the DIY store.

  The bigger the better Dave said, and as many as possible too. Then how to get a set of wires stretching between them and then running down the street to a waiting car battery, red to positive black to negative then duck.

  As the short drive goes on she starts to herself rising to the challenge. That all the previous work had been in preparation for this main event. A whole town just waiting for her to play with.

  No time for lists or a written plan. This was head time, plan in the mind and execute with the body.

  Getting towards the town she started to pay extra attention to the layout of the road. Howie was right, they were funnelled by a high sea wall on the shore side and high thick bramble hedgerows on the other.

  Just before the town she slowed down to take in the sudden expanse of open land, again noting how Howie was right. Driving from this direction it would be natural for the horde to spill out and spread. Not if they were still marching but under attack they would take advantage of the space to try for flanking manoeuvres.

  The open land stretched over to the junction of a service road that looped round the back of the stores. That needed to be blocked off and something done to prevent them going that direction. They had to be funnelled through the town.

  With the vehicles stopped they meet up at the start of the High Street, Maddox shouting to two youths as they sprint off.

  ‘Where are they going?’ Paula asks.

  ‘Get a vehicle and get to the fort like Howie said.’


  ‘Why don’t they take your vehicle?’

  ‘Cos we’ll need it, they can jack a car within a couple of minutes…watch,’ Maddox grins as the two run over to an old Ford, smashing the driver’s window with the butt of a rifle, unlocking the doors, climbing in and ducking down to do something to the cowling under the steering wheel. Within a few seconds the engine sputters and fires up, both of them giving Maddox a quick thumbs up as they drive away.

  ‘Wow,’ Paula nods genuinely impressed, ‘you have got to teach me how to do that.’

  ‘My crew have good skills,’ Maddox laughs, ‘but they were a bit slow, sorry about that,’ he adds for effect. ‘We gotta block that junction off…how about we get a load of vehicles jammed in nose to tail, maybe stick some of them bombs in there?’

  ‘Good idea,’ Paula flashes him a grin, ‘high vehicles though, cars won’t do it…we need trucks or vans…can your er…crews is it?’

  ‘Yeah that’s what we call them.’

  ‘Can they all drive?’

  ‘You shitting me?’ Maddox asks, ‘most of them are banned before they old enough to drive for stealing cars…yeah they can drive.’

  ‘Is it okay to leave some here to start getting that done while we go for the DIY store?’

  ‘Whatever you want,’ Maddox splays his hands, ‘you tell me what you want and I’ll get it done.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Paula stares at the intense young man, impressed by his deep intelligence, ‘okay then…get as many high sided vehicles into that junction as possible…really jammed in as close as possible to block it off…er…can you get them to get the fuel caps opened up too.’

  ‘Listen in,’ Maddox turns to call out at his group of waiting youths, ‘Mohammed, you take ten and find as many big vans and trucks….get that junction blocked off and get the fuel caps jammed open, you get me?’

  ‘Yep,’ the serious Mohammed nods quickly then points to select the youths before walking off towards the junction.

  Turning back Maddox stares expectantly at Paula, waiting for the next instruction.

  ‘Right,’ Paula says slowly, surprised at the instant response the youths gave, ‘er…the rest of us will head to the DIY store then.’

  ‘Do we need to?’ Maddox asks, ‘tell us what you need and we’ll do it, you stay here with Roy and…’

  ‘No,’ interjecting she asserts herself quickly.

  ‘All yours,’ Maddox splays his hands again, ‘shit…MO MO,’ Maddox booms a warning as an undead staggers into view from the town running towards the walking youths. A twang next to them and the thing is taken clean off its feet from the arrow driving through its head.

  Roy lowers the bow and glances round checking for others. The amiable look on his face is gone, replaced with an expression of complete focus and that same hard stare shared by all of them.

  The group turn to stare at the undead on the ground with an arrow stuck in its head, then spin round to stare at Roy. Silence for a few seconds as everyone takes in what just happened. No hesitation, no apparent aiming. He just grabbed an arrow and fired at well over one hundred metres distance and at a running target.

  Area scanned and Roy looks first at Maddox, then at Paula, the amiable look back on his face, ‘sorry…you were saying?’

  ‘How?’ Maddox says slowly…’just…how?’

  ‘Years Maddox…years and years,’ Roy smiles.

  ‘SWEET BLOOD, FUCKING SWEET!’ One of the youths bellows from across the way before resuming their walk towards the junction.

  ‘Oh and can you find me some fire engines too?’ Paula asks suddenly.

  Maddox raises an eyebrow for a second, ‘fire engines?’ he tilts his head back, ‘leave it with me.’

  ‘Fire engines?’ Roy asks as they walk back to the van.

  ‘Uh huh, something I’ve been wanting to try for ages, come on…we got to hurry up oh and Roy.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘That was a good shot, well done.’

  ‘Thanks,’ he smiles.

  Thirty One

  I pull over at the side of the road, which earns a quick searching look from Dave as we’re still miles from the front of the horde. Having worked our way back down the hill I made sure to drive well away from the undead before getting onto the coastal road.

  The grass verge we’re on is heavily layered with sand, giving it that exotic almost desert like appearance, and just metres away from the inviting blue waters of the sea too.

  ‘What’s up?’ Clarence shouts from the back.

  ‘Remember that swim I promised?’

  ‘Fuck yes!’ Cookey shouts, ‘we going now?’

  ‘Oh nice one boss,’ Nick exclaims, ‘have we got time?’

  ‘Not long, but yeah we got time for a dip…’

  ‘I’ll stay here and keep watch,’ Dave says as the rest in the back burst into cheers.

  ‘Sure mate? Come and have a swim?’

  ‘I don’t like the water,’ he says flatly.

  ‘Up to you mate,’ I pop the door open and drop down into the blistering heat and the sun glaring from the sand.

  Stripping off we dump our clothes at the front of the vehicle and carrying our rifles we start walking towards the sea, within seconds we’re hopping in pain from the hot sand burning our feet.

  ‘Lani? You coming?’ I shout back realising she’s not with us.

  ‘I’m getting changed,’ she yells from the Saxon as Meredith sprints past us, ears flattened low as she powers towards the water, bounding in with a big splash and a bark.

  We start jogging, desperate to keep our feet off the burning sand, rifles get ditched a few feet back and we run in. All of us laughing as we wade into the shallow warm water, then further out until we can dive in an let the water soak our parched skin.

  The feeling is amazing. The water is warm but distinctly cooler than the super-heated air. I swim out and dive down, using my arms to propel me to the bottom. All other noise is gone, just the underwater sounds of my movement. Opening my eyes and I see a blurry image of the sea bed and just for a second, none of the badness up there exists.

  A flash of silver catches my eye as a fish darts away, the sun glinting from the broad side and the strong tail. It hits me that already within the thirteen days of this event, the fish stocks must be recovering already. Cod and white fish harvested and hunted to near extinction so many times and suddenly it’s stopped. Whales, sharks…every living creature in the ocean will benefit from our species being culled.

  Eventually I break the surface and spin round, spurting the salty water from my mouth and staring back to the shore. What I see surprises me. I was expecting to see the lads going mad at having a few minutes to play, instead we’re all doing the same thing. Swimming off for a bit of space to tread water quietly. Blowers dives back down and disappears for a short time before re-surfacing a short distance away. Clarence floats on his back with his arms and legs outstretched and his toes sticking up from the water.

  Lani walks sedately from the Saxon to the sea, looking amazing in her black bikini she must have kept from our last swim on the Island. Then the heat of the sand hits her feet and she starts hopping, the muttered curses floating over the near silence of the sea.

  She does what we did, ditches the rifle and runs the last few feet to plunge into the water and just as she dives forward I catch a glimpse of the wound on her stomach. A quick reminder of the reality we face.

  Dave stands on the Saxon with the sniper rifle, constantly turning as he scans the ground. I sink back and folding my body I let myself sink gently beneath the water, keeping my eyes open to look back up at the rippling sky.

  Bliss. Pure silent bliss, encapsulating and almost womb-like. Holding my breath until I feel the urge starting to push in my chest, it gets stronger and stronger as my body uses the available oxygen.

  If I took a deep breath now it could all be over. No more suffering. No more pain. No humiliation. No more anything.

  The loss of everything hits me sudden
ly and for a second I cannot bear the pain of losing Sarah and the others. That inner part of me, kept locked and barred bursts open for a second, letting me know of what pain I have still yet to deal with.

  Kicking up I break the surface again and draw a big breath, the sea water covering the tears streaming down my face. Snot purging from my nose gets wiped away and I swim away, further out to sea just so they don’t see my crying face. Stifling the sobs I try to bite the pain back down, feeling an intense rush of guilt for being here now, enjoying this feeling when my sister will never feel anything again. None of them will. Dead and rotting in those massive piles of bodies stacked up on the estate.

  Glancing round and again I realise I’m not the only one feeling this as we’re all spread out and facing away from the beach. Even Lani has found a quiet spot and treads water gently. Meredith swims like a shark, a long black object that glides with her chin held up away from the water.

  She goes round in circles, seemingly just enjoying the feeling of being suspended, then breaking her pattern she heads towards Nick.

  He seems to snap out of whatever dream he is in as she glides by and I see him wiping his eyes then plunging his head under water. When he comes back up he laughs and swims after Meredith. She glances round and swims away with him chasing after her.

  Almost as though sensing she is drawing him out to sea she changes direction and heads back towards shore, letting Nick catch up with her. He takes hold of her back end and just gently kicks. Her incredible strength pulling them both through the water.

  Cookey spots it and, as with Nick, I catch him wiping his eyes and dunking his face before kicking out to swim after them and once again Meredith breaks the melancholy by drawing them into play.

  Lani swims towards me with a graceful breast stroke, her face just barely out of the water as she glides through the millpond.

  ‘How’s your stomach?’

  ‘S’okay, hurts a bit…skin starting to itch now.’