The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  Lilly tells how they went back to the car park, and she told Nick to stay and wait for us but she didn’t have time to lose, she had to leave immediately. He, as any of us would, made the decision to go with her.

  As she tells me everything, I can’t help but feel an immense pride in Nick. Clarence gives me a nod and I can even see Dave leaning forward to take interest at how she says Nick handled everything. Blowers has a tight lipped smile and Cookey is hanging off every word she says.

  Todd being bit and turned drops our eyes. The sadness and injustice of it all is terrible, and she has to stop for a few minutes to compose herself.

  ‘He did the right thing,’ I say gently.

  ‘I know,’ she nods and carries on, ‘he was so fast and…he didn’t panic or anything like that.’

  ‘We’ve been through a lot together, please carry on,’ I motion when she recovers her composure.

  ‘…Then we were on our back to the van when we heard the voices, well Nick heard them first. We hid by the hedge for a minute and that’s when Nick gave me the axe and said about Tower Bridge and burning a ferry from an Island. He said to find you and tell you what happened.’

  ‘What happened next?’ I ask, completely engrossed.

  Smiling sadly she looks round at us, ‘Nick got some water and poured it on his er…his groin area then called out asking who was there. They shouted back and he pretended he had been for a wee,’ the way she says it, using the word wee and the image of Nick pretending he’d sprinkled on himself brings a few smiles from us. ‘He said he’d found the van in that town but that driver had been bitten. He said the man told him to go to Chapsworth House. He was very believable,’ she nods emphatically, ‘I could hear them speaking and they seemed to believe him. It was like he was there because he was trying to find the house but was lost and he was glad they had found him.’

  ‘Good lad,’ Clarence sits back folding his arms, ‘quick thinking.’

  ‘Right,’ sitting back too I stare up at the ceiling whilst I run it back through my mind. ‘So they saw the children playing in the river. They were guarded, which suggests they are being cared for, and the very act of letting them play in the water on a hot day speaks of at least some level of care being given. Sounds like a doctor has got control of this place, and is getting his men to scavenge the houses, bring back the food and any children they find. Armed guards on the front gate, armed people at the rear and a roving patrol too by the sounds of it.

  ‘Well,’ I pause to think for a second, ‘if we go in all guns blazing, we run the risk of them hurting the children or Nick so that’s out. Stealth is the next idea, sending Dave in on his own will get the job down. However, if they’ve got lots of men, and I’m not worried for Dave as he can take care of them, but the noise created will alert them…maybe we should go and speak to them?’ I look round the table.

  ‘Just turn up?’ Blowers asks.

  ‘That’s what I was thinking but no, after what Lilly said they did…no…we need to get in, get the children and Nick, and get them out.’

  ‘May I play devil’s advocate for a minute?’ Paula asks, ‘how do we know that the actions those two men took outside in the town are the orders given by whoever is in the house, this Doc person or…’

  ‘True,’ I nod, ‘they could have been acting independently.’

  ‘No, actually I’m not going to play devil’s advocate,’ Paula continues, ‘those children are old enough to say what happened to them, and Lilly said there looked to be a lot of them in the river, so those children are being taken back and telling whoever is in charge exactly what happened. This suggests,’ she continues, ‘that they are maybe…I don’t know…sanctioning it for want of a better word.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Clarence leans forward, ‘I think we have to assume worst case scenario here. Children are being taken from families that were, to a certain degree,’ he looks apologetically at Lilly, ‘in a safe environment with parents taking care of them. Certainly not under any immediate and direct threat, other than what was happening to Lilly with Norman.’

  ‘But that was just me,’ Lilly cuts in, ‘they couldn’t have known that and it didn’t involve Billy or Todd. They just found a peaceful sleeping camp.’

  ‘Okay, so no negotiations then. That leaves us with one course of action, and that’s to get inside and get them out.’

  ‘That’s me then,’ Dave says bluntly, ‘but from what the young lady said this house is big and well-guarded. Describe the layout to me again please,’ he directs the question at Lilly, listening intently while she goes through it.

  ‘Got it, river at the back a few hundred metres from the house, with some trees and bushes in the grounds that can give us cover. At the front there is the long drive with armed guards at the gates and then what sounds like more at the front of the house. The delivery entrance to the side sounds like the first point of entry,’ she nods as I relay the details back to her.

  ‘Multiple strike then,’ Clarence says quietly looking across at Dave.

  ‘Yes,’ Dave replies, ‘the gate guards, the front of the house and the rear at the same time as I go in through the side.’

  ‘Won’t that alert them?’ Cookey asks.

  ‘Distraction and diversion,’ Clarence explains, ‘the inside of the house will erupt in chaos which gives Dave the opportunity to move through them.’

  ‘I think,’ I say, ‘Dave should go in first and the rest of us will be in position to strike and move when we hear the first contact from inside.’

  ‘Yes Mr Howie,’ Dave nods.

  ‘We need someone to go in with Dave. No offence but if I was a child and had some mad man running towards me with two big knives I think I’d shit myself,’ I suggest quietly.

  ‘Fair point,’ Clarence rumbles with a smile.

  ‘I’ll go,’ Roy speaks for the first time, sitting at the back and silently listening to the proceeding. We all twist round to stare at him, he nods back with a big smile, ‘bows are silent and I can use a knife too.’ He edges forward, shuffling his chair across the floor to be closer to the discussion, a keen interested look on his face.

  ‘Yeah Dave with knives and Roy with his bow … that’s not gonna scare them anymore is it?’ Paula says drily.

  ‘Does it matter if we scare them?’ Dave says, ‘getting them out is the priority.’ Silence for a few seconds as we all absorb what he just said. Bloody hell; imagine Dave going at a bunch of terrified kids bellowing at them to go with him. That’ll be worse trauma than everything they’ve been through so far.

  ‘Hmmm,’ I nod diplomatically, ‘yes we could or maybe a friendlier face?’

  ‘I’ll go,’ Lilly cuts in firmly.

  ‘No, not happening…’

  ‘He’s my brother so he’ll trust me,’ she cuts me off again.

  ‘Lilly, we can’t send you in with Dave and Roy, you haven’t seen what Dave does when he gets going, no offence Dave.’

  ‘None taken Mr Howie.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ she says defiantly, ‘it can’t be any worse than what I’ve seen already.’

  ‘It is, trust me,’ Cookey mutters.

  ‘I think you take the girl yes?’ Lenski says, ‘she is the sister and the boy will be frightened so seeing the sister will be good yes? You protect the girl and she take the children out.’

  ‘Yes!’ Lilly exclaims.

  ‘No,’ I retort, ‘no way.’

  ‘Hang on,’ Paula holds a hand up, ‘It’s a good idea to take Lilly in with you. Dave might be stretched to protect her fully and…’

  ‘I won’t,’ Dave says a touch indignantly.

  ‘So take a couple more in, we’ve got enough people now. Clarence or Maddox, or even I can lead against the gate guards, that leaves your lads or whoever to do the front and the rear. In fact,’ Paula gears up, ‘Roy can take the rear as he can eliminate them without noise, and I don’t mean to be sexist, but a female face is going to soothe those children a lot more than one of you.’

/>   ‘I can take them out at the back,’ Dave says.

  ‘You’re going in the side door,’ Paula replies.

  ‘After I’ve taken the guards out,’ Dave responds.

  ‘No, right listen in…’ I bring their attention to me, ‘Maddox you up for this?’

  ‘Yeah course,’ he nods instantly.

  ‘Right then, Maddox leads against the gate guards with his crews. Roy and Paula work well together so you two take the back of the house, Clarence at the front with you two,’ I nod at Blowers and Cookey, ‘me Dave, Lani and Lilly go through the side.’

  ‘Four of us?’ Dave asks.

  ‘Yes, four of us. Dave, you deal with whatever comes at us and maybe lead them off with lots of noise. Lani and I will stay close to Lilly for protection and focus on getting the children out.’

  ‘While Dave kills everyone,’ Lani adds helpfully.

  ‘Probably,’ I nod glumly.

  ‘Where does that river go?’ Paula asks.

  ‘Don’t know,’ I reply, ‘anyone?’ Heads shake at me.

  ‘Once we’ve got them out we’ll need a way of getting them away. We can’t take vehicles close to the house or they’ll hear us coming and we don’t want to be running miles with loads of terrified children either.’

  ‘Boats?’ Dave asks with a look of alarm.

  ‘It’s an idea,’ Paula looks round at everyone, ‘straight out the back and down to the river, get them on boats and away quickly. What?’ She asks with a puzzled frown at everyone grinning at Dave.

  ‘Dave doesn't like boats,’ I explain.

  ‘Great idea,’ Clarence grins evilly.

  ‘They can run,’ Dave says quickly, ‘we can park close and it won’t be that far.’

  ‘Boats make sense Dave,’ I say.

  ‘Or we just call the vehicles in once we’re secure,’ he suggests with a pleading look.

  ‘It’s not the sea Dave, it’s only a river.’

  ‘That’s not the point Mr Howie,’ he says unhappily.

  ‘Is it deep enough for boats?’ Maddox asks, ‘it might be a shallow stream or a minor tributary running to a larger body of water.’ Silence for a few seconds as everyone stares at the hardened ex-drug dealer gang leader speaking so eloquently.

  ‘Good point, we’ll need an advanced reconnaissance pathfinder expedition then,’ I reply with a smile to Dave in memory of the last time I tried to sound all military outside the police station in Portsmouth.

  ‘Dave again then,’ Lani quips.

  ‘Yep, reckon so. Lilly you go with Dave and one other to drive you there, then show Dave the way in. Dave you check the depth of the river and please don’t kill anyone….Dave I’m being serious….don’t go attacking that house on your own.’

  ‘Okay Mr Howie.’

  ‘Dave, seriously … just check the river and the layout and get back here before nightfall. We’ll get everything else ready and move out as soon as it’s dark.’

  ‘Okay Mr Howie.’

  ‘Paula and Roy, do you mind going with Dave and Lilly? Once you’ve established the depth, find us some boats to use. Stay discreet, don’t engage with anyone and no killing zombies unless you absolutely have to and if you do … then for fucks sake do it quietly.’

  ‘Got it,’ Paula nods seriously, ‘leave it with us, er… can I suggest something? Is it worth creating a diversion for when Dave goes in? An explosion or something like that? They must have a parking area so we could rig something up on the vehicles. When that goes off everyone knows to start the attack.’

  ‘Dave? Clarence?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Clarence nods slowly, ‘yes could work … one big, diversionary explosion draws their attention, you go in the side and we attack the other points.’

  ‘Suppression and distraction, an overwhelming attack on their senses which will give the effect of a much larger force taking them out,’ Dave says.

  ‘Prisoners?’ Maddox asks, ‘if they surrender?’

  ‘Kill them,’ Dave replies quickly, too quickly.

  ‘No! Don’t kill them,’ I almost shout, ‘suck it and see mate, do what you think is right.’

  ‘Kill them,’ Dave nods again.

  ‘Don’t kill them,’ I add, ‘Dave, we can’t just kill everyone.’

  ‘We did at the refinery.’

  ‘Yeah but that was slightly different.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Well for a start they’d murdered loads of people and they started shooting at us.’

  ‘We shot them first … on the road outside.’

  ‘They’d just killed those people, remember? They executed them.’

  ‘These men have killed Lilly’s father and the other people.’

  ‘Yes but…and we didn’t mean to blow the refinery up either.’

  ‘Didn’t we?’ Clarence asks with a raised eyebrow.

  ‘Eh?’ I ask him with a touch of alarm.

  ‘Dave has never missed a shot in his life,’ Clarence mutters.

  ‘It was their shots that blew it up, they were shooting at us…’ I exclaim, ‘anyway we can’t just rampage round the place shooting everyone … or stabbing them either,’ I shoot a dark look at Dave sitting there with a look of pure innocence on his face.’

  ‘Bringing this conversation back to some relevance,’ Maddox says, his deep voice ending our refinery debate, ‘use Jagger and Mohammed to set the explosives on the vehicles, just show them what to do. Darius is staying here this time to maintain protection on the fort.’

  ‘But…’ Darius interjects with a pained expression.

  ‘No buts bruv,’ Maddox waves him down, ‘I need you in charge of security when we are not here, you get me?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Darius sighs.

  ‘Darius bruv, we don’t lose this place again…’

  ‘Got it Mads, won’t happen.’

  ‘Weapons?’ Maddox turns back to the group, ‘we’re down to pistols and shotguns.’

  ‘Got some rifles out there,’ Roy suggests.

  ‘Sawn offs!’ Cookey grins, ‘back to the sawn offs…oh yeah!’

  ‘There’s no range on them,’ Blowers tilts his head thoughtfully.

  ‘We’ll have to make do,’ I counter, ‘Blowers and Cookey, you two are on weapons detail. Get what you can, Darius you speak with the lads and make sure you got enough here for defence. Clarence, while they check the ground,’ I nod at Paula, ‘can you find a mechanic and see if we can get the Saxon back here.’

  ‘Yup, will do,’ he yawns, stretching two huge arms out either side of his body.

  ‘Another suggestion,’ Paula leans in, ‘Lilly here looks exhausted, she doesn't need to come with us. We’ll find a map and find our own way. I think she should stay here and rest.’

  ‘No I’m fine,’ Lilly says with a look of panic.

  ‘Paula’s right,’ Lani interrupts, ‘we’ll need you tonight so get some sleep.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Lilly, we all know what we’re doing,’ Lani reassures her, ‘your brother will be okay for another few hours. You’re safe here so get cleaned up, eat and rest.’

  ‘Lani, can you show Lilly to our rooms at the top please,’ I say.

  ‘Will do.’

  ‘Okay, so the rough plan until Dave gets back is that Maddox leads against the gate guards, Paula and Roy at the rear, Clarence and the lads at the front. If…’ I pause and look round, ‘Dave and the others see anything that changes the plan we’ll go through it again later. Everyone happy?’

  Nods all round, chairs scrape across the rough concrete floor and voices murmur in low tones, instructions and suggestions being passed round.

  Another day and another round of problems but at least this time I didn’t have to deal with taking the fort back. Really, the very fact they took it back so easily is reassuring. The people here are capable to act without prompting but more than that, they learn each others’ strengths and weaknesses, and they work together.

  Just watching them now; Maddox with Lenski and
Sierra, Paula and Roy talking in muted tones, Clarence grinning at the Blowers and Cookey as they make a beeline for Lilly, Lani watching them with a bemused look on her face and then Dave staring back at me with that strange look he has sometimes.

  Shrugging I turn and walk outside into the searing heat and blistering sunshine, squinting my eyes up at the deep blue sky. A deeper shade of blue than I have ever seen before, almost purple in hue but then I guess nightfall isn’t that far off now, an hour or two at the most.

  Looking down, I settle on the groups moving around within the fort and the hastily erected tents sagging across the ground.

  ‘Penny for them,’ Lani speaks as softly as her tread stealing up on me.

  ‘More people and yet more people.’

  ‘And they’ll keep coming too,’ she replies, ‘to see the great Mr Howie and Dave.’

  ‘And the Chinese girl,’ I grin.

  ‘Thai, I’m not Chinese…can we get a sign or business cards or something?’

  ‘What like calling cards to leave after each scrap? Today you have been slaughtered by the following persons…’

  ‘Yeah,’ she nods, ‘perfect. You worried?’

  ‘About Nick? Yeah course I am.’

  ‘Me too, did you er…brush your teeth then?’

  ‘You know I did, at the safari place…with the soap?’

  ‘Oh right.’ She looks at me coyly as I feel her fingers entwining mine, ‘got five minutes then Mr Howie? I er…need to discuss some important strategy and tactics with you…’

  ‘Bloody right…’ Giggling like idiots, we rush away into one of the old store rooms and dart round behind the door. With my back to the wall Lani steps in, looking up at me underneath heavy eye lids, pink lips parting with a wry smile, our hands clasped together.

  Her body feels warm and firm against mine, her teeth so white and even. The golden skin of her face is framed by silky, pitch black hair. Gently, we move closer until our lips are barely touching, that final act of hesitation done to increase the pleasurable tease of the initial contact. Her breath on my lips, her fingers squeezing tight.

  ‘Lani! Lani! Lani!’ Milly bursts in through the door, spinning round with a mischievous giggle. Meredith comes bounding in behind her, wagging her tail as she moves round the little girl.