The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  Still they push in, a never ending supply of host bodies that refuse to yield to the constant bombardment.

  Back the youths go, forced step by step by the ever advancing horde. They reach the first side street. Roy running down to check the team is ready to press the wires to the battery.

  They hold position as Jagger throws the last of his cocktails before getting his crew down from the top of the last building.

  With the horde now pushing so close Maddox worries they won’t be able to set the bombs off for fear of being pushed back. At the last second Jagger and his team burst out with guns up and firing into the front ranks as they run down to the disappear inside the next building after the side street.

  ‘MOVE BACK,’ Maddox yells, on command they all move quickly down the street, ‘NOW,’ Maddox adds.

  Roy relays the order, having positioned himself that bit closer to the crew waiting with the battery.

  Red wires are pressed to positive, black to negative. An electrical current is sent into the wires that surges along the ground and round the corner into the High Street. The surge of current goes underfoot of the horde and down further to the first plastic tub sat in the darkness of a shop display window. The current reaches the chemicals. The chemicals react as intended and burst the tub apart.

  The sound of the explosion is dulled by the solid dense ranks of the undead but the effect is highly visible as an arm of flame shoots out, sending scorching hot nails and screws across the whole width of the pavement. They go down like dominoes, blown apart and creating a sudden gap.

  The current reaches the second bomb, then the third and all the way down. Pop after pop. Boom after boom and with each one a whole section of the street is taken out.

  The explosions create many crawlers who buck and writhe, still determined to keep going but they also do create a whole empty section of destroyed bodies. The bombs send fire, nails and screws out to all sides, which in turn causes more fires to break out within the stores that were placed in.

  With the first section of the High Street wiped out the following horde surge in, a relentless wave that pushes to take the place of the first.

  Firing starts again as the weapons come to life. Bodies dropping down as the slaughter goes on.

  Paula prepped the area with help from Roy. But now Maddox runs the fighting, like a general of old he watches every youth and senses the speed changes as the undead pick their game up to push harder than before.

  ‘MOVE,’ he starts grabbing children to force them away.

  The action is repeated as the group drops back, drawing the horde in closer and closer. Once past the junction, Jagger commences his second barrage from above. More flaming cocktails sent down to land amongst the ranks. More firing which keeps dropping body after body.

  They howl and roar and refuse to stop, instead they drive on harder and faster as their already dead bodies are pumped with strong chemicals, turning them into nothing more than wild animals.

  Reaching the second junction they again hold and wait for Jagger to come down. He just makes it as the undead scream with unabated fury to charge in.

  Roy doesn't wait for Maddox, he can see the charge is seconds away from getting to them so he gives the order to the breathless team waiting at the second ignition point.

  Again they apply the wires and again the current ripples along the wires to the first charge. Again it goes off and again the street is cleared.

  Youths cheer and roar, faces covered with grime and soot, blackened from the fires and debris, ears ringing from the constant firing of weapons within the enclosed environment. Young shoulder ache from the recoil of the weapons. Paula grimaces at the sight as the undead are once more destroyed in vast numbers.

  The first section of the High Street is now well aflame on both sides. The fire eating into the old buildings. It does nothing to hamper the rate of charging but only serves to choke the air and give them more light.

  Into the third section and the battery ignition crew run back to the front of the coiled razor wire. Roy running with them to make sure the connections are intact and applied properly.

  They wait for the main group to drop back and apply the charge, electrifying the razor wire. As the last of the kids go by the specialist team moves across to lift the rope in the practised method. Roy now sticking with them with his heavily armed body bouncing with weapons. An assault rifle held by a strap. His compound bow looped over his shoulder, his backpack with the two sawn-offs poking up and the sword hilt sticking out.

  Still he doesn't panic and even takes the time to wink and smile at the teenage boys and girls as they set the next trap. Panic doesn't bother him. Panic of this nature never bothers him. But that gum does feel a bit sore and inflamed though, his tongue probes down between his teeth and his cheek.

  While the youths work he quickly pulls a small bottle from his pocket and swigs at the contents, holding the Corsodyl in his mouth as he makes sure the rope is set right.

  They run back as he spits the contents out, feeling the pleasant tingle from the familiar taste of the mouthwash.

  The youths start firing as soon as the rope team are out of the way. The oncoming horde now flat out as they keep the potential hosts in sight. Growling with hunger, driven by adrenalin and testosterone, fuelled by rage and fury.

  ‘HERE,’ Jagger yells, his crew pull a couple of boxes of prepared cocktails out from a shop front, ‘WE MADE THIS INNIT, WANT SOME?’ He grins like a maniac as small hands grab bottles and start igniting the rags before sending them high into the air.

  They drop back firing weapons and throwing bottles of flammable liquid. The street soon fills up again as the front ranks reach the rope and drive it forward, pulling the wire out and into the ranks. The electrified wire bites at the first few, making them rigid as current courses through them.

  All the down the street, zombies are rooted to the spot, electrocuted by the rows of batteries pulsing voltage through the wire. The wire not only burns and contracts the muscles but bites deep into legs, opening arteries and removing fingers.

  Blood sprays out to soak the road. The wire pulls in further, tangling the upright and falling bodies. With the section now a tangled mess the group stand their ground and fire relentless volleys, withering them in great numbers.

  ‘MADDOX,’ a girl runs in, grabbing at his arm while pointing behind them up the street. The leader spins round to see the front of another horde coming in from behind them. The moonlight just catching the first couple of ranks as they emerge from the gloom.

  Casting about he searches for an escape but there simply isn’t one; the High Street is chocked full of writhing undead. There are no side streets here.

  The first alternative comes to mind and he screams the order again and again, ‘CAR PARK…GO NOW…CAR PARK…’ He repeats it as Darius and Paula realise the trap and start pushing the youths towards the sloping vehicle ramp.

  The first children get to the ramp and lay fire down at the oncoming zombies, cutting them down to buy time for the rest to get into the entrance. With all of them inside Maddox gets them climbing the ramp to the first tight corner, holding them there and ready for the first to appear at the bottom.

  ‘Jagger, Mo Mo,’ Maddox shouts as the two older trusted lads push forward. ‘Get to the top and find a way out of here.’

  They nod without reply and set off, both of the fit lads racing up the ramp.

  ‘FIRE,’ Roy shouts as they reach the bottom of the ramp. A withering volley destroys the initial charge. The ramp just being wide enough for two vehicles and it makes them funnel into a tight space easy to defend.

  However, with the constant rate of firing the ammunition will deplete and run out then it will be down to fighting old school. The youths are fast and tough but against a seemingly never ending stronger opponent they will lose eventually.

  Slowly they start working up the ramp as the undead push further into the entrance. Solid walls of zombies that trample and crush th
ose already cut down. Streams of blood start pouring down the slope creating another minor obstacle as the attackers start to slip and slide.

  ‘Where the hell is Howie?’ Paula snaps.

  ‘Fuck him,’ Maddox replies, ‘like I said, we’re on our own now.’

  Thirty Six

  ‘MAGAZINE,’ Dave shouts from the top.

  ‘Now? Really? Shit,’ I curse as the heavy machine gun ceases firing at the huge horde charging towards us.

  ‘They’re coming from the rear too,’ Dave says as calmly as if he was talking about the weather.

  ‘Get that second gun going out the back.’

  ‘Already doing it,’ Clarence grunts hefting the heavy weapon in place as Nick and Lani get the rear doors open. Even in the dark there is enough moonlight to see the oncoming mass of figures running towards us.

  We didn’t get more than a mile before another column charged out of a junction in front of us. Dave reacting with his lightning speed to start cutting them down and we held ground instead of risking getting caught out with the last trick they pulled trying to ground the Saxon.

  But now the rear lot have caught up, they must have been running flat out since we got away knowing that this new section would be blocking our route. Clever bastards. One round each then for now.

  ‘Oh and that lot that were coming across that field back there,’ Dave calls down again, ‘they’re coming across this field now.’

  ‘What? Seriously? Wankers…’

  ‘Attacking three sides, nice,’ Clarence adds as he gets comfy behind the weapon.

  ‘Dave, can you see them in that field?’ I shout up.

  ‘Er…yes Mr Howie, I just said I could.’

  ‘Yeah alright, stupid question…is the ground flat?’

  ‘I don’t know…it’s night and I can’t see the ground.’

  Ask a question and get an answer, ‘right,’ I say firmly, first twisting round to look at the rear horde, then back out the front at that horde, then at the high thick hedge on the bank above us to the right. The sea is on the left with the tide in, so there’s only a thin sliver of beach left and I wouldn’t risk the weight of this vehicle on the sand anyway. ‘Fuck it…close those doors and hang on tight.’

  The doors slam shut and I catch a glimpse of Clarence half turning back with a worried look on his face, ‘Dave, you braced?’

  ‘I am Mr Howie.’

  ‘Ha, have some of this,’ I mutter, engaging the gear box and slamming my foot down. The engine roars defiantly as it surges forward directly towards the oncoming figures sprinting at us. Gathering speed I hold the course steady going through the gears to get some decent speed up.

  ‘We won’t get through them?’ Clarence shouts.

  ‘HOLD ON TIGHT,’ I scream, seconds away from impacting with the front runners and I turn the wheel sharply to the right, veering off the road and up the high bank. The front wheels leave the earth as we reach the top and crash through the thick bramble hedge, landing with a heavy thump and loud cheers coming from the lads and Lani.

  I push the vehicle on, getting deeper into the field at the same time as staring across to the new lot quickly changing course to start running across the grass. A big grin stretches across my face at the sight of them. A big long line all stretched out into the darkness and as one they change direction, an almost comical movement.

  Grabbing the handset for the loudspeaker and I flick the switch, activating the system, ‘DIDN’T EXPECT THAT DID YOU?’ My amplified voice booms across the meadow, ‘COME ON FUCKERS….YOU HUNGRY?’

  ‘They’re coming through the gap we just made in the hedge,’ Dave shouts down.

  ‘Well fucking shoot them then,’ I shout back.

  ‘Can we open these doors now or are we going over any more fucking jumps?’ Clarence calls out.

  ‘Er…not at the moment mate…can’t really see anything though.’

  ‘Mr Howie,’ Nick calls out politely, ‘we’ve got headlights.’

  ‘Oh yeah, shit I forgot,’ fumbling for the switch I find it and flick them onto full beam, the British army might have lots of things wrong with it, but they put bloody powerful lights in their vehicles; these lights could probably be seen from space they’re so bright.

  Which gives me another idea so I start to slow down, giving Clarence and the others a chance to get the doors open. Both heavy guns start firing at the same time, Dave aiming into the field and Clarence going for the ones coming through the hedge.

  Cookey gets to the front, reaching over the seat to pull the handset free, ‘May I?’ He shouts, his words hardly heard over the sound of both guns going for it. I get the gist and nod with a grin.

  ‘ZOMBIES….’ He drawls in a long slow voice that booms round the field, ‘ZOMBIESSSS RUN ZOMBIESSS…ARE WE GOING TOO FAST? WE’LL STOP FOR YOU.’

  I slow down to a dead crawl, just inching along as we watch them start to weave and stagger, Clarence holds off firing for a few seconds, then Dave stops…silence descends as we hold still and quiet, waiting for them to catch up.

  ‘COME ON,’ Cookey urges, ‘WE’RE HERE WAITING…AND WE’RE TASTY TOO… WHO IS GOING TO GET A FEAST FIRST? WILL IT BE THE HORDE FROM THE FIELD OR THE HORDE FROM THE ROAD? SO CLOSE BUT THE FIELD HORDE ARE CLOSING FAST…OH NO…THE ROAD HORDE ARE GAINING NOW…RUNNING FLAT OUT BUT NO…THE FIELD HORDE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE…COME ON BOYS AND GIRLS…WE’VE GOT SOME LOVELY MEATY BRAINS IN HERE…WELL SOME OF HAVE, MAYBE NOT BLOWERS…get ready,’ he whispers to me.

  ‘On it,’ I reply with a grin.

  ‘COME ON…RUN MY ZOMBIES…SO CLOSE…SO CLOSE NOW…CAN YOU TASTE IT? I BET YOU CAN TASTE US? OOOHHH SO CLOSE,’ he taps my shoulder, ‘SO CLOSE…COME ON….YOU CAN DO IT…OH NO…IT’S TOO LATE!’

  I pull away as both guns open up again. Swathes of undead being slaughtered after an all-out sprint across the field. Glancing up I see Cookey in fits of laughter and behind him the others giggling hard at the sight.

  ‘OKAY OKAY,’ Cookey continues, ‘SORRY WE SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT, UNSPORTING BEHAVIOUR ON THE FIELD…WE’LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE…’

  Both guns cease at once as I bring the speed down, amazed that Dave is willing to play along with something so stupid and infantile while we’re slowly getting surrounded, but with them all here attacking us at least they’re not going for the town.

  ‘RIGHT WE’RE HOLDING STILL THIS TIME…COME ON YOU CAN DO IT…GET THEM KNEES UP…YOU CAN’T BE VERY HUNGRY IF THAT’S ALL YOU DO…OH THAT’S BETTER…BOTH TEAMS ARE MERGING NOW AS THEY ENTER THE FINAL STRAIGHT…ARMS PUMPING AWAY…OH WE’VE GOT A FRONT RUNNER…THE ONE IN THE RED TOP…COME ON MATE YOU CAN DO IT…COR LOOK AT HIM GO FOR IT…THAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT…ALMOST HERE…ALMOST…LAST BIT NOW….YES…YES..’ Cookey shouts in an increasingly excited tone, ‘YES…YES…BUT NO…SORRY!’

  Again I pull away and both guns open up as the front runner in the red top gets just metres away, his face almost as red as his eyes.

  This time I drive on, gaining a decent distance as I complete a wide turn, switching the headlights on to dim before we get back facing them. Holding steady at a low speed I drive towards the front, waiting with my fingers on the light switch. The field is packed with them now, hundreds and hundreds already charging after us and more pouring through the gap in the hedge. With fifty metres to go I flick the switch onto full beam and laugh as the front runners are blinded. Even in their pumped up undead testosterone driven bodies they flinch and veer away from the powerful lights. Veering left and right and tripping over each other as the whole front section are blinded at the same instant.

  Pushing my foot down I drive straight into them, letting the hard solid front of the Saxon plough through their ranks. Dave firing from the top and as soon as we break through Clarence opens up from the back.

  With both guns going they are cut to pieces. Body after body being ripped away by the large calibre bullets ripping through them. They respond quickly though and the more I drive through the field, changing direc
tion to draw them on the more they remind me of those underwater documentaries about the huge schools of fish being hunted by sharks. Hundreds of thousands of individual fish all moving as one giant organism. Changing direction instantly, diving deeper or going towards the surface. Smooth and precise and mesmerising. These are the same, changing, twisting, weaving and all the time running after us.

  Whatever the thing is that controls them has a tight grip to control them so precisely. But the field is big and we make use of the length and the width. Pulling them behind us in long strung out lines that we can cut down with ease and the body count mounts with every second. The field becomes thick with a carpet of corpses that causes them to trip and fall every time we change direction.

  Then they switch on and withdraw, a sudden reaction that sees every single one of them turning to run towards the coastal road and again the action is clearly done to prevent such huge losses being racked up.

  We pull up in a far corner and stare out in silence, wondering what to do. Nick and the lads take the chance to light up, taking quick hurried drags and blowing the smoke out the back doors.

  ‘We going after them?’ Clarence asks as he feeds a fresh belt of ammunition into the GPMG.

  ‘We could go cross country to the town,’ Nick suggests, ‘lure them after us like we planned.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ Lani adds, ‘stick by the road until we’re clear then get back down.’

  ‘Righto,’ I reply cheerfully, ‘we better get back I guess, they’ll be wondering where we are…I bet they’re all stood there at the junction tapping their feet and tutting away while we’re fucking about in a field.’

  Thirty Seven

  ‘Move! Move out the fucking way…’ Mohammed runs in front of the car driven by Jagger, shouting to get the crews to move aside. The large four wheel drive had been left untouched on the first level of the car park and was a prize too good to ignore.