The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  ‘I’m not standing in my pants waiting for them to dry,’ Blowers screws his face up.

  ‘Fine, I’ll find something you can wear on your bottom half then too.’

  ‘Ha, get him a skirt,’ Cookey laughs, ‘that’ll be funny.’

  ‘You’re in a good mood,’ Blowers says quietly after Lani has walked off.

  ‘Not really mate,’ Cookey replies with a sudden downcast look, ‘I’m shitting myself about the boss and the others.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Blowers says, he goes to add something but just shrugs and starts working along her coat, using a dustpan brush to scrub at the matted fur. Meredith stands patiently waiting for them to finish. This seems to be a normal occurrence now. They let her get filthy and then insist on giving her a bath, still she enjoys the fuss and attention and the cool water feels nice in the high heat. Disappearing inside, Cookey starts going through the cupboards, ransacking the contents in search of food.

  ‘Will she eat cat food?’ He calls out.

  ‘Why wouldn’t she?’

  ‘She’s not a cat is she, she’s a dog,’ Cookey replies as if the answer is obvious.

  ‘She doesn't know that,’ Blowers scoffs.

  ‘What, you reckon she thinks she’s a cat?’

  ‘No you plank, she doesn't know its cat food.’

  ‘Hmmm,’ Cookey considers the reply for a long second, ‘good point, here moggy…try this,’ upending the box he scatters the contents onto the ground. Meredith moves round, first sniffing the biscuits before digging in and taking big mouthfuls, ‘bloody hell, she’s hungry…’ Cookey pours the entire contents out, letting the dog work her way through it as Blowers finishes off washing her.

  Staring down at the bloody water, Cookey thinks back to the previous night and the horrible feeling tugging away inside of him. This is the first time since they met that they’ve been separated and it’s horrible. He’s thankful for being with Blowers and Lani, and Meredith of course, but it feels like a deep part of him is missing.

  ‘We’ll find them,’ Blowers says softly at seeing the worried look on Cookey’s face.

  ‘Yeah, yeah okay…’

  They work quickly, using the hose to scrub the worse of the filth and bits of body from their clothes, spraying detergent onto them to disinfect the bacteria.

  By the time Lani returns, they’re both stood in boxer shorts, their clothes washed, wrung out and now stretched out to dry in the sun. Smoking away, they act completely normal, not batting an eye when Lani steps out carrying a bundle of clothes. She rolls her eyes at the sight and shakes her head, trying desperately to keep the normal behaviour up whilst having that gnawing feeling of panic inside her, panic that they should be doing something, anything. Searching or waiting back at the car park. But Dave’s lessons have been installed deep, clean your kit whenever you can. Take care of your kit and yourself.

  They’ll know to wait in the area close to the car park, and they’re probably doing the same thing they are, washing and cleaning up from the previous night.

  Convincing herself that that is the case, she stands watching the dog eat and wishing they had some food too.

  ‘I just said to fucknuts,’ Blowers calls out, ‘that they’ll be okay…we’ll find them, they know to wait near here for Clarence to come back.’

  Nodding back, Lani stares up at the sky and bites her bottom lip with the same feeling both Blowers and Cookey have, that something deep is missing, something vital taken away. The whole has been made less than whole. A part of her is missing.

  Eleven

  ‘As soon as we get inside, get everyone out and get ready to go back out.’

  ‘We need fuel.’

  ‘Right,’ Clarence growls, rubbing one large meaty hand over his large face in a vain attempt to knead the tension away, ‘we get fuel and get back out.’

  ‘Er…the fuel truck is back in the town,’ Paula twists round, wincing as she sees the dark look spreading across his face.

  ‘Right listen in,’ Maddox booms, ‘you lot will go find some vehicles that use diesel and syphon some fuel off, get it back here you get me?’

  ‘Will do Mads,’ one of the youths replies quickly. Squished into the side bench seats with the huge form of Clarence standing over them, the rear of the Saxon is both exceptionally hot and exceptionally cramped. The youngest of the crews, handpicked by Maddox, were not happy at being taken away from the fighting. It was a sign of weakness, of being younger and vulnerable, and their backgrounds dictated that you never showed a weakness.

  Whilst the rest star burst from the hordes of undead pressing in, the Saxon gained speed and was soon out of danger, speeding down the main road and onto the motorway. All of them feeling wretched at leaving their comrades, mates, friends and colleagues alone with that load of filthy diseased and violent zombies after them.

  Clarence took charge, the professional soldier doing the right thing by working to save and protect the youngest. All of them were exhausted, drained from heat and constant action, and it wasn’t long before some of the children started dropping off, their young heads lolling with closed eyes, instantly transforming their young faces to look like the children they really were.

  Now, with Clarence and Maddox shouting orders, they snap awake, eyes wide as they realise where they are.

  ‘Maddox, can you grab another vehicle, get a van or something big that can carry lots of people.’

  ‘We’ll do that,’ Paula shouts back, ‘you get the fuel and we’ll find the vehicles…have you got any more weapons?’

  ‘Maybe some shotguns left but I think it got stripped out,’ Clarence mutters, ‘grab what you can…but we’ve got to be quick.’

  ‘How will you know where to look for them?’ Roy calls out from his position driving the Saxon.

  ‘My lot will stay close, they’ll know we’re coming back.’

  ‘We left a lot of those zombies there though,’ Roy replies, ‘they could have forced them further out…it could take some doing to find them.’

  ‘Then doing is what we’ll do,’ Clarence growls, his voice deep and hoarse.

  ‘Those children need some sleep,’ Roy continues, ‘they’re exhausted, you can’t expect them to go back out.’

  ‘We’re alright, we ain’t fuckin’ staying,’ one of the louder children shouts quickly.

  ‘You are,’ Clarence glares them into submission, ‘one, we need the space in the vehicles to bring the others back. Two…you need rest and fluids…’

  ‘We ain’t pussies,’ the youth scoffs.

  ‘And three…’Clarence continues, ‘the fort has been left undefended, we need people back there to guard it…you get me?’ He adds caustically. The edge in his voice and the sheer size of the man drops the children into silence.

  ‘He’s right, stay there and help Lenski,’ Maddox adds, ‘I’m coming with you, Darius too.’

  ‘Fuck yeah,’ Darius adds from the far back of the Saxon.

  ‘Okay, so fuel and weapons…then straight back out…any water down there?’ Clarence asks.

  ‘Can’t see a fucking thing bruv,’ Darius replies, ‘and we’re too stuffed in to get anythin’ from the floor too.’

  ‘We’re not far off,’ Roy replies.

  ‘What happened back there?’ Paula asks, ‘why did they do that?’

  ‘They wanted the boss…’ Clarence replies, his glare fixed.

  ‘Never seen ‘em do that before,’ Roy cuts in, ‘swirling like that, worked a fucking treat though didn’t it? Christ that Howie got sucked right in…’

  ‘Roy,’ Paula warns in a low voice.

  ‘How anyone can survive that is beyond me, he must have gone right into that tunnel…poor man…’

  ‘Roy,’ Paula warns with an increasingly loud voice.

  ‘What?’ He turns to ask, a look of innocence on his face, ‘oh…er…yeah but you know…he’s probably be okay,’ he adds weakly.

  ‘Dave went after him,’ Clarence mutters, his voice dropping several more
octaves.

  ‘Yeah but one man against that many,’ Roy carries on oblivious to the glare from Paula.

  ‘Dave will find him…nothing can defeat that man,’ Clarence says louder this time, ‘Dave will find him,’ he adds more to himself.

  ‘I think we’re close now,’ Paula calls out, tactfully changing the subject, ‘yep, we’re onto the long road…’

  ‘Good,’ Clarence mutters. Dave did go after the boss and nothing can defeat Dave. Dave is unstoppable. He’ll defend Howie to the last breath in his body. Clarence repeats these thoughts to himself, fending off the rising feeling of fear gripping his insides.

  A steel core runs through the giant man. He won’t rest or stop until he’s found every member of the team. They’ll stay close and wait. He knows this is what they will do. Words and instructions weren’t needed, they never actually discussed what to do if something like happened, but they know he’ll go back.

  ‘Flash the light,’ Maddox calls out, ‘let them know we’re coming in.’

  ‘Righto,’ Roy shouts, fiddling with the controls to figure out the right button to use. The powerful beam of light starts alternating between full and dipped, signalling ahead to get the gates open.

  ‘Er…there’s a chap stood outside,’ Roy shouts back, ‘he’s got a shotgun or something…’ Clarence forces his bulk forward to stare out the window, looking ahead at the solitary figure picked out by the lights. One man stood there holding a long barrelled weapon. Legs planted apart with a stocky physique.

  ‘Who is he?’ Maddox asks.

  ‘No idea,’ Clarence replies, a feeling of dread coursing through him.

  The Saxon pulls up a short distance from the gates. The man holding the gun uses one hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the lights, waving to turn them off. Roy obliges, switching them to side lights and watching as the man lowers his hand and resumes the solid stance.

  ‘Get the doors open.’ Clarence urges the youths out the way as he drops down out the back doors and strides round the vehicle, Maddox and Darius running to join him either side. Paula and Roy are already out the front doors and walking ahead.

  ‘Stay there,’ the man calls out in a warning tone, bringing the weapon to aim forwards.

  ‘Who the fuck are you?’ Maddox calls out.

  ‘Watch your tone,’ the man snaps back, ‘you must be the returning hero’s then.’

  Clarence doesn’t break stride but keeps heading towards the man, his peripheral vision picking up the movements of the rest as they fan out to present a much wider target. The man sweeps the gun side to side, a double barrelled shotgun that Clarence notices is held with steady hands.

  ‘Who are you?’ Clarence asks, his voice menacingly low.

  ‘I’m the man holding the big gun,’ the man replies, trying to match the menacing tone but failing.

  Roy drops back to the Saxon, reaches in to draw his compound bow and a single arrow, and tugs the night vision goggles over his face. Once done, he steps away to the side, absorbing into the shadows, banking on the fact the man will be watching Clarence and the others.

  ‘This is our place now,’ the man adds quickly seeing the big man coming at him, ‘we’ve got armed men inside and we’ll fucking kill everyone if you…’

  ‘What?’ Clarence asks, ‘I don’t have time for this…get out the fucking way.’

  ‘Keep coming big boy,’ the man raises the weapon to aim at Clarence, ‘come on…see what happens…’ he tried to sound tough but this wasn’t going how it was meant to be. This man was massive and he looked angry but above all else, he didn’t look scared at all. The others were moving out quietly to the sides too, making it harder for him to track everyone. So instead he kept the gun trained on the big fella.

  ‘Toby? You alright?’ A voice calls out from the other side of the gate, ‘what’s going on?’ Toby doesn’t answer. The slight distraction of the voice calling out was enough for Clarence to deftly step in and grip his throat, virtually lifting the man off the floor.

  ‘Toby? Toby?’ The voice calls out again, more urgent this time. Toby drops the weapon, his primal instinct kicking in to draw oxygen into his system, something he is unable to do due to the pressure being applied.

  ‘Your man is fucked bruv,’ Maddox shouts, ‘come out or we’ll kill him.’

  ‘Toby?’ The voice shouts with alarm.

  Gently, Clarence lowers Toby to the floor just the one hand gripping his throat. His baleful eyes stare deep into Toby’s soul. Toby sees the eyes of a killer, the eyes of a man who has seen everything there is to see.

  ‘I’m gonna let go,’ Clarence whispers, ‘make a sound…one fucking sound and I’ll rip your larynx out…understand?’ Toby nods, a quick firm motion done with a bright red face starved of air, eyes bulging out and tears streaming down his face.

  Roy, having heard the second voice runs back to the Saxon and draws his rucksack out, tugging the straps on and making sure he can reach over-head to grasp the shafts of the arrows. Once armed he again steps away into the shadows, nocking an arrow to take aim at the gate.

  ‘If you kill Toby we’ll do everyone in…er…in here…we’ll do everyone in in here,’ the voice shouts, somewhat puzzled by his own choice of words.

  ‘How many men have you got?’ Clarence whispers, releasing the pressure from Toby’s neck. He sucks air in, gulping it down as he regains some composure. Clarence feels the wet patch spreading underneath his knee and shifts position, avoiding the spread of urine from Toby pissing himself.

  ‘Please,’ Toby croaks and the pressure is immediately re-applied.

  ‘I asked you a question, answer me…how many men you got in there?’

  Once again, Toby feels the pressure being released from his throat and sucks air in, ‘seven,’ he gasps.

  ‘Seven?’ Toby nods, his wide eyes fixed on the bald man looming over him.

  ‘Are they all armed?’ Toby nods again, his head hardly stopping from the constant bobbing, ‘what with? What guns do they have?’

  ‘Shotguns, rifles…er…one’s got a pistol.’

  ‘How did you get in?’ Maddox asks, dropping down to speak in a low voice.

  ‘Toby? What the fuck is going on!?’ The voice shouts. A muted conversation starts up behind the gate, arguments and hasty whispers being thrown about.

  ‘We just walked up,’ Toby replies, ‘some Polish bird tried to urgh,’ Toby winces as his nose is broken from Maddox’s powerful punch, hot blood spurting out down his front.

  ‘That Polish bird is my missus,’ Maddox hisses, ‘if she’s been hurt I swear I’ll slit your fucking throat,’ he presses a blade against Toby’s face, digging the point in for added emphasis.

  ‘Maddox, back off mate,’ Clarence mutters quietly. Maddox is strong but he doesn’t have the knowledge for this. By telling Toby he’ll be killed if he says anything happened to Lenski, he’s just inviting the man to lie, which isn’t the point of this.

  ‘She’s fine,’ Toby wails, holding his hands to his face.

  ‘We haven’t got time for this,’ Clarence seethes. Glancing over his shoulder at the gates he can sense the danger Howie and the others have been left in. The urge to find his team, and bring them back to safety, presses in. This…this is an inconvenience that needs resolving quickly.

  ‘Roy, with me,’ Clarence stands up, one hand clutching Toby by the hair, dragging him with ease to the gate. Roy runs forward, joined by Paula drawing her pistol. Maddox and Darius both move ahead to join the ex-soldier dragging the man across the ground. Darius pauses to scoop the shotgun up; breaking it open to check it’s loaded.

  ‘Open the gate,’ Clarence shouts out, his voice loud and flat.

  ‘Toby?’

  ‘Toby’s with me, now open the fucking GATE,’ Clarence roars, his voice building to a bellow.

  ‘Get fucked,’ the voice shouts, braver now he’s been joined by more men whispering with him.

  ‘Open this gate or I swear to god….’ Clarence warns.<
br />
  ‘What? What you gonna do? Make a battering ram? Yeah good luck with that.’

  ‘Don’t tell him that you twat!’ Another voice shouts.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Giving him ideas that’s why, what if he drives into the gates?’

  ‘Fuck’s sake, he probably heard you say that,’ yet another voice joins the internal arguing.

  The voices are cut off by the impact of Toby being launched bodily at the smaller walk through gate, Clarence remembering it is held shut by just a couple of bolts. With every ounce of strength in his enormous muscles, he grasped Toby and flung him hard at the gate. Watching with satisfaction as it caves in, screams of panic and alarm sound from inside as they see the mangled remains of Toby flying past them.

  Clarence bursts through, using their surprise to his advantage. Shots ring out but Clarence dives deep, flinging himself to the ground as the idiots shoot each other from either side of the gate, adding more screams to the air.

  Roy takes position just on the outside of the gate, using the enhanced vision of the goggles to take perfect shots at those huddled inside. He takes two down with arrow shots, wrenching them off their feet.

  Clarence is up and charging into the other side, using his big frame to slam multiple bodies against the hard inside of the vehicle gate.

  Paula runs in, pistol up and raise. She spots a man running for the inner gate, firing several times into his back.

  The shotgun blasts out as Darius opens up with both barrels at figures running in panic. Maddox runs past Paula, heading straight for the inner gate, going into a quick dive as shots fired from inside splinter the wooden frame.

  Shots keep striking the door and ground just inside, then someone slams it shut and the sound of thick bolts ramming home is distinct.

  Twisting round, the leader of the former compound spots Clarence snapping a neck by twisting the head. All those inside are dead, or dying slowly. The weapons kicked away and taken up by the children from the Saxon running in to join the melee.

  ‘Fucking seven my arse,’ Darius spits, ‘there’s five out here…plus that Toby motherfucker.’

  Clarence seethes with the failure of the hurried assault, taking down so many in such a quick incident was staggeringly good but it still failed. More armed men were now inside the locked gate and taking up position.