“Great” I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and staggered towards my corridor in the living area.
I had a nice cold shower, hearing another person enter the wet room. I wasn’t sure if it was Will or not and I sure as hell was not going to be the guy checking out another naked person in the shower. I returned to my room with just my grey towel around my waist and my boots on my feet, to get dressed. There was a knock at the door just as I pulled up my red, cotton underwear.
“Come in” I called, I thought that it was probably Billy or Adam come to laugh at the old man who couldn’t run.
“Hey George, I, oh I’m sorry I didn’t realise that you were undressed ill come back later” it was Dr. Annabelle, she started to leave and pull the door behind her.
“Wait, doc its ok. I’m just getting dressed after my uh training this morning.” I quickly pulled on a t shirt and dark grey combat shorts.
“Ok, I heard about your run in with Gary. Quite a mess you made of him” she looked at me dead in the eye but I couldn’t read her face. I wasn’t sure if she was happy or angry that I’d been fighting.
“Uh most of that mess on his face is from when he flung a door open and it came back and hit him in the face.” I shrugged.
Her eyes widened in shock and she started to laugh. “Oh, that’s not how he tells it. According to him there were people holding him back as you and Will took turns hitting him and it was a door all along?”
“Yep, he was causing trouble in the canteen and treating the staff disrespectfully. Will and I try to calm the situation down only to make it even more volatile. The captain had the three of us sent to his office for a telling off. He has discharged Gary from duty but left Will and I on a trial basis for now.”
“Oh, wait until I tell the staff over at the infirmary they will love it. None of them like him and he’s only been in a few hours. He mean and rude and handsy with my female staff.”
“Lt Jacks said that he would be assigning men to watch him whilst he’s with you so that he doesn’t cause any trouble there.” I didn’t like Gary at all.
“Yeah he has. I was just wondering what had really happened. I knew Will would never have beaten a man unfairly. Although you two do have those kinds of faces that people want to hit” she giggled and her eyes sparkled.
“No, he wouldn’t. he’s a good man. You should ask him out” I smiled, ignoring her mischevious jibe.
The doctor turned a lovely shade of pink “I uh don’t know what you- “she was going to deny it but when I raised my eyebrows at her she stopped talking.
“Is he seeing anyone?” she asked shyly, looking at the floor.
“Nope, he’s free and single” I replied in a sing song voice.
“Ok well then, thank you for your information.” She hurried out of the room before either of us could say anymore.
I threw on a pair of old Black Nike trainers which were more grey now but well-worn and very comfy and went to meet Will at the kitchen. My legs were sore and shaky still but I was excited to get there to start the first day in my new job.
When I got there Will wasn’t anywhere in sight. I walked up to the woman that we had defended earlier that day.
“Hi, I’m George, I’m supposed to be- oomph” the air was knocked from me as the woman grabbed me up into a huge hug.
“Thank you soooo much for earlier. That guy is such an asshole.” She let me go and the air rushed into my lungs.
“No problem. Is Will out the back?” I looked passed her to see a few other people cleaning down the worktops but no Will.
“Uh hell no. I gave him a hug too and smelt him then sent him to shower before he comes back into my kitchen.” She faked annoyance but I could see the twinkle in her eye.
“I’m Sheila honey. I run this kitchen with the help of some brilliant people. We look after the animals and prepare the food. I’m told that you will be here to look after us and to learn about our jobs?” she eyed me up and down as if she could tell if I’d be any good just by looking at me.
She was a large woman with frizzy curly ginger hair. Her eyes were the deepest shade of blue that I’d ever seen and I could see kindness in them.
“yep that’s what I’m told too. I’m more than happy to keep things running smoothly and to make sure that you and your staff are safe from people like Gary but I’m also eager to learn also. I’d love to find out how to take care of the animals that are here and the delicious meals that you make us.” I smiled, I was genuine.
Aside from the twenty or so army men and women at camp there was the Doctor and the nurse and then around 23 civilians including my group. But for the small amount of room that we had for living quarters, we were full. All in all, the kitchen did an amazing job of feeding us all on what little food we had.
“We are quite lucky and the General knew a guy who knew a guy that had chickens. We took quite a few from the first camp and brought them here. We have several different types as they lay at different types of year. This way we hoped that we would at least have a few eggs each day throughout the year. We also plan to breed them as the older they get the less they produce.”
“You plan to eat them?” I grinned, my mouth was already watering just thinking of a roast chicken.
“Maybe, when they get old enough and stop laying eggs, but not before.” She laughed.
“No that makes sense. I love those eggs.” Just the thought of the eggs I’d eaten here had my mouth watering.
Will joined us shortly after and Sheila led us around the animals showing us what they got fed, when and how. It seemed the real strain was getting enough water to keep them hydrated in the hot weather.
I enjoyed the tour and couldn’t wait to get hands on with them. Even mucking them out.
“You boys would really help me out if you could clean them out for me?” she looked disbelieving.
I would have done anything to help the camp. Even shovelling shit.
I agreed that I could do it alone, so Will could go and help in the kitchen. Getting ready for the lunch hour as the volunteers were already behind.
I continued to care for the animals for most of the day, only taking short breaks to drink some water. I cleaned up their pens and made them more secure with some wood I found at the back of the barn.
Sheila called me in and gave me my rations for the day. She also supplied me with a can of energy drink. They had three crates stored away for the people who volunteered to help. I swore that I would not utter a word about the secret stash and downed it quickly. It was good.
A few of us met in Will’s room for an update on the new jobs that we had all taken on. Everyone was thrilled with their new roles. Nia was so ecstatic with teaching the children that she talked a mile a minute and found it hard to sit still; wiggling about on her seat on Will’s bed. We each took turns describing how our day had gone. The tasks we had been given, what we liked and didn’t like. Amelia and Billy were not able to make it to the get together. Billy was on guard duty at the medical wing and Amelia was helping Annabelle deliver a baby. I finally fell into bed around 9pm, totally exhausted but content.
You would have thought I hated the job but in fact I loved it. Being with the animals out in the fresh air. Hours turned into days.
I closed my eyes and for a while it seemed as though the world was as it should be, the sun was shining, I could hear people talking quietly as they worked. The children’s laughter as they completed their daily exercises as part of their lessons plan.
“George?” Lt Jacks was stood at the gates of the chicken coop that I was cleaning out.
“Yep?” I shielded the sun from my eyes.
“I need you in the captain’s office asap” he turned and walked away briskly without waiting for me to reply.
I placed the shovel that I was leaning on just inside of the barn on my way passed and quickly followed Jacks indoors.
This time myself, Jacks and Adam were in the room along with two other men, Will was missing from the room. Roche
lle was missing from reception.
“Thank you all for joining me. George, Adam, this is Hardacre and Rich. Both are volunteers like you who have joined our ranks.” I was going to voice a greeting but Jacks kept talking so I just gave a short wave which was returned by both.
“Now, long story short, something has gone wrong with the mission that the captain left on two days ago. We received part of a distress call but before we could get a location it cut out.” Jacks looked distraught, but remained calm.
I plan to take two teams of men out with me this time in case the first team need help. My men are currently loading up the trucks with weapons and extra fuel. We will be taking Benjamin from the hospital area with us also in case our friends need medical assistance. I would like you to come with us. A few of our other guys will be staying behind to keep watch on this place. Can I count on all of you?” he placed two hands on the desk, and looked each of us in the eyes for a few moments.
“Yep I’m all in. Are they ok? Is Billy? when do we leave?” I asked trying to hide my excitement that I would finally get out from behind these fences. But anxious to find out if my friend was ok.
“What George said” Adam replied.
The other two men nodded but not as eagerly as Adam and me. I wondered if they had been out on the road for long or if they were taken straight in to camp number one or two and then moved here.
“Ok, as far as we know they were all ok. We couldn’t really tell from the short call that we got. Go get your back packs and then to the kitchen for supplies. Meet back here in fifteen minutes.”
Adam and I needed no more telling, we were up and out of our seats in a flash. Heading to our rooms as instructed. On a high, ready for our new mission.
Chapter 10
We left before the fifteen minutes were up, I had run to my room grabbed my backpack and threw in a change of clothes. Nia and Will were waiting on us to give us hugs. Amelia ran out of the doors before we were about to leave and flung herself at Adam.
“You be careful ok? If you get bitten or die out there I’ll kill you” she cried.
“I will, I promise” he kissed her quickly.
“Wish you were coming.” I hugged Will, then Nia. Squeezing her extra tight.
“Me too but I thought it better to stay here to keep an eye on Gary.”
“Yeah, I suppose id feel better knowing that you are here” my eyes flickered to Nia quickly but Will caught it. He gave a slight nod of his head that he would keep an extra eye on her.
Once all of our good bye’s and well wishes were done, we were off.
It was amazing being on the road again. Wide open fields, not another car on the road; well not ne that was moving nayway. There were plenty of cars around that had been abandoned. Some extremely bloody and messed up but I tried not to look too hard.
We were around three hours from camp and we’d not encountered any problems.
Our Jeep was first. John was driving, Lt. Jacks was sitting shotgun. Adam, and myself were in the back. Another, larger truck followed us with an extra four men in, including Ben the trainee doctor. We didn’t know exactly what had happened to the other camp and then to our men and had brought him along in case they needed medical care. Our communications had lost them quickly after their sos.
My stomach was rolling with both excitement and nerves, I had the whole bloody zoo inside my belly rather than just a few butterflies. I needed this sense of freedom, to get from behind that horrid fence. But I was also anxious about arriving at the other compound, I wondered if our men were ok. If they had even gotten to their destination and then a darker thought crossed my mind. What if they hadn’t made it?
I shook my head trying to clear away that terrible thought, and concentrated on what the other men were talking about.
“So, what do we know?” John was asking Lt. Jacks. John had come along as Lewis his partner had been in the first group to leave with the Captain. So, John had demanded that he come on our rescue mission. Plus, it was always handy to have a mechanic on board.
“At around 13 hundred hours, we received a distress call from the Captain. We’re not sure how he is or even where he is. That’s all we could get was, camp overrun, we need help. Then just static. It’s strange as this was the most secure of camps that we had. I’m eager to get there to see for myself what’s happened.” Jacks replied, his tone sounding curt and uncaring. But I knew different. I knew that he was worried about the Captain by the way he was making a fist; his knuckles were white.
We all nodded, we’d heard it all before in the meeting that was held that morning. I think that John just wanted to hear it again. Maybe he thought that by hearing the details again he may have picked something up that the rest of us hadn’t.
“So, the plan as you know, is to take the same route as they had planned, keeping our eyes open for them on the way, just in case they have turned back or are stranded.” Lt Jacks pulled out a pair of binoculars from the small back pack by his feet and looked across the fields to our left, then out to the front.
“Anything?” I asked looking the way he was faced.
“Nothing, a few undead, but not a living soul so far. Wanna look?”
He passed the binoculars back to me, I took them gratefully.
Looking through the binoculars I hated what I saw. Thick black plumes of smoke rose into the sky to my left. The dead roamed through the fields, some walking some pulling themselves along, their legs too damaged to walk.
“Can we stop so I can use the toilet?” Adam asked sheepishly.
“Yeah, this seems like a good a place as any. I could do with starching my legs too. Its bloody hot today.” Lt Jacks answered, wiping his brow in his shirt sleeve.
He radioed the car behind to let them know that we would be pulling over. John pulled onto the left-hand side of the road. The men behind us got out of their vehicle at the same time that we did.
We checked the immediate perimeter quickly and gave Adam the go ahead to use the nearest bush. I also felt that it would be a good time to relieve myself because we didn’t know when we would be stopping next.
I crossed the road and found a large tree that I could go behind. I had just finished and was zipping up my trousers when I heard it.
A low moan followed by a dragging, scraping sound was coming from my right.
I pulled the large knife from my belt and moved forward slowly. The noise was coming from behind a small bush, I moved around it carefully, wondering why it hadn’t attacked me yet. My heart was pounding, and my mouth felt dry.
The rope around its neck was caught in the thorns of the bush, when it heard me there it started to struggle more, causing it to tangle up even further.
This one had taken a substantial amount of damage. It was missing both its eyes and the skin had been shredded on the right side of its face. It had been crushed from the waist down and was missing one leg, maybe it had been run over. We’d never know. The rope around its neck indicated hanging but whether they did it to themselves or somebody did it to them I couldn’t tell you. But it was a ghastly sight.
I knelt by the side of it, the smell of decay and rot was overwhelming, I drove the knife through its head, right through the temple. A green/black sludge oozed from the wound as I pulled the blade back out.
I turned and vomited by the side of the second-time dead corpse. Some splattered on the tattered remains of the top the zombie was wearing. I didn’t think that it would mind though.
“George, man are you ok?” Adam came around the corner with his hands over his eyes.
“Yeah, just found this” I pointed to the zombie on the floor. He peeked out from behind his hands in case I wasn’t decent.
“Uh that’s just wrong” he gagged but managed to keep his stomach contents where they were.
“Yeah, let’s get back” I got to my feet and staggered a little, the adrenaline leaving my system and causing me to feel a little shaky. We got back to the vehicles which everyone stood outside of lo
oking at a map of the area. They were discussing the route again and possible issues that might arise.
I grabbed my water bottle out of my back pack and took a small swig. Swishing it around my mouth I spat it out and then took another long pull. The water was warm but good.
“Everything ok chaps?” John called, seeing me looking a little green.
Lt Jacks folded up the map and tucked it into his pocket, eyeing me up.
“Yep all good.” I replied hopping back into the stifling heat of the car.
John and Jacks got in just before Adam hopped in. “Road Trip!”
I shook my head and smiled at him. He was always so jovial. He was able to brighten the mood in the car just a little.
We travelled on for a couple more hours, each man chatting about their lives from before the apocalypse. I kept quiet, everyone in the car knew of what happened to my whole life before the apocalypse. It was now buried six feet under, back at our compound.
“So, Lt Jacks. What is the name for our compound?” the thought had just come to me. I just called it our compound. The military so far had called it camp three or compound three.
“We just called it compound three. Why?” he looked back at me with a puzzled look on his face.
“Just came to me” I shrugged “I think that it should have a proper name, something motivational. Like Camp Revolution.”
“Yeah that’s good, we should think of a few names and take them back to camp. Then we can ask people to vote” Adam seemed excited by this idea.
“Yeah, maybe if people name it they will feel more involved and want to look after it a little more.”
We threw a load of names around, some were good and some were completely hilarious. It was a welcome distraction from our mission, from the tediousness of the journey.
We settled on four names to take back to camp and agreed that we would ask our friends when we found them safe. Camp Revolution, Purity, Unity and Crimson.
George (Book 2): The Long Road Ahead Page 9