by Ryan Colley
I had wanted to be the one to set up the trap since it was my idea, but Boss wanted me back with most of the others. His logic being that I was the better shot, after he had strategically extracted my previous gun experience from me.
The morning had consisted of trying to see which of the men were good shots and who needed training. I realised barely any of them were a decent shot. It was all well and good giving off the impression of strength by having armed guards on the walls, but it would become apparent that they were more of a visual deterrent than a real defence force.
So an evaluation session was done. Each man was given twenty rounds and one rifle for training purposes. Most were awful, except for Keith, one or two others, and myself. I suggested we delay taking the mall until the men were more prepared and familiar with the guns, but Boss wouldn’t have that. He was sure someone else would take it if they didn’t act first. I knew it would be a disaster.
When it came to the assault on the mall, we were asked to stand back, with our sights trained on the entrance. The worst shots were up front, setting up the same speaker system previously used during the party night. They were armed with shotguns and anything effective from close range. They felt they were heroes being at the front and risking themselves, but they didn’t realise it was because that was all they seemed capable of.
After some tinkering with the electronics, they waved to us, climbed into their truck, and began to drive towards us. Over the rumble of the engine, I could hear a steady tune building. Violins to begin with, slowly building with accompanying pieces of the orchestra and rising to an operatic high. Ride of the Valkyries. So goddamn appropriate. Zombies started running toward the truck, drawn out by the music. The slower ones fell to the floor as their faster brethren collided with them. We fired.
See, that was the plan. We already knew sound attracted the undead, and the building was filled with them, so we had to find a way to draw them out. It was like poison from a wound. As the song climbed higher and higher, more and more undead came out of the mall. I was resting my gun on the bonnet of the car to steady my aim, staring through the scope. I had become adept at scoring headshots. One would step out, I would let off a pop, and a split second later, zombies would fall to the ground, with an arching spray of gore as the bullet tore through it.
Shooting and killing zombies to the Ride of the Valkyries was one of the most epic feelings I’d ever experienced. The hair on my arms stood on end! I felt so heroic with the crescendo that I didn’t even feel a little bit bad for killing the undead. I could see why it was used in classic war films.
The full glass front of the mall was being coated in decaying gore with each shot. Any zombies I didn’t take down on the first shot were dispatched by Keith. He was a hell of a shot. I didn’t think he missed one. He was even better than me, and that was saying something. I had learned through survival. He had learned through training.
Eventually, the tide of zombies slowed and eventually stopped. We waited as long as reasonably possible before we decided to approach the mall. Someone disconnected the music, and the silence that followed was eerie, like all sound had been removed from the world. I even pressed my finger into my ear to create some noise. I felt deaf. Vulnerable, like I was on show and being observed. Maybe I was.
We split into three teams of varying sizes. My team was the largest and would go through the mall and secure it from any lingering undead. Another team, led by Keith, would stay out front and ensure no more zombies entered. And the final team would circle the area for similar reasons.
Once my team was inside, we were to ensure that all doors to each store were locked, and the ones that weren’t, we were to make sure the store was clear of any undead. We would then clear the locked stores systematically. Our ultimate goal was to get to whatever security room there was, turn the lights on, and survey the security cameras for anything of interest. Then the shutters would go down. We would be working in near darkness until then, so it was vital we got it done sooner rather than later.
The recon team had told us where they predicted the security room would be. This assumption was based on the staff entrance behind the mall, which we didn’t want to force open because it would compromise overall building safety.
“Right, lads,” Boss called. “We all know the plan – get in there, play it safe, and don’t shoot each other. We have some flashlights for a few of the guns, but not many. So stick with someone who has one. We don’t want anyone being mistaken for a meat-bag.”
I was one of the lucky few handed a flashlight. Awesome.
We all began to creep into the mall through the bloody entrance, the piles of undead corpses making it difficult. Sign of times.
“Once more into the breach,” I muttered softly to myself, flicking the flashlight on and entering.
Entering the mall felt like I was stepping into an indie horror game. For those of you not in the know, there was an odd period for gaming when there was an explosion of independent game companies making horror games where you didn’t fight. You simply ran and hid. It created an atmosphere of tension and fear. You would be equipped with a flashlight, or smartphone, or video camera with some form of night vision – something to allow you to be able to see in the dark and create a sense of urgency when the battery level got low.
So when I stepped through the door and into total darkness, with only the flashlight illuminating small sections at a time – which cast long and grotesque shadows – I was scared. Not video game emulated fear, but genuine primal fear.
I was twisting my entire body as I walked, cutting huge swathes of the mall to be lit up as I moved. Everything looked like a humanoid figure in the dark. I took deep breaths to calm down, but the darkness was getting to me. Or more accurately, what could be hiding in the dark. Breathe, Sam.
The men started checking shop doors, skipping the shuttered ones and those that didn’t open. Every now and again, I would see someone disappear into a shop. Even less often, I would hear a roar and a gunshot. Whoever had gone in would then leave the store and give a thumbs-up. The door would then shut behind that person.
We carried on like a poorly trained SWAT team. Room by room, we cleared. For once, I didn’t come across a single zombie in the stores I’d entered. But as I moved on, I built a mental map of all the shops I needed to visit. Even some I just wanted to visit. Ahem, video game store, ahem.
A smaller team worked their way towards the security room, slaying any undead on the way. They pushed through like an arrow. We cleared the area they’d left behind them so nothing could sneak up on them. I came across a zombie thrashing about in a water fountain. Where had I seen this before? I put it down, its bloody sludge discolouring the water. By flashlight, everything looked so surreal. The longer I stood and stared at the zombie in the water, with the occasional shot ringing out in the background, the more ill I felt. Not sick or queasy, just … abnormal. My vision swam, and I felt like I’d been hit by a wave of vertigo.
“The frick?” I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut. What was that? I moved on, hoping that distancing myself from the bloody fountain would help. It didn’t.
I followed the team, pushing forward as they slowly reached the end of the mall, running out stores to check. Eventually they took a turn, which I almost didn’t see. It was like a small access corridor. They reached the end of a corridor and disappeared into the doorway at the end. I stood around, waiting, marvelling at why zombie apocalypses always led to a mall. Sure, they were full of useful goods, and humans seemed to gravitate towards them, but being somewhere that was dark and quiet when it should’ve been filled with light and noise was so eerie.
There was a shout, some gunfire, and then silence. I considered going in after them, charging in like a damn hero, but I really didn’t want to fall into the same trap that they may have. Besides, just looking down the long corridor into the extended darkness made me feel sick and unsteady on my feet. Was I coming down with something? Had it been something I ate? I d
idn’t know, but every gunshot felt so loud. So I waited, and waited, and waited. Others were still wandering around and double checking. I didn’t want any part of that. I slouched onto one of the many benches and sat there. The work carried on around me, ignorant of my existence.
After what felt like an age, the lights came on. I heard the static hum of speakers turning on, and splashing as the water fountain came to life.
“Welcome to the mall, your new home of luxury and survival,” Boss said over the intercom system. “Gentlemen, there is life in this place yet.”
Some of the men clapped and whooped, and I smiled with relief, the sickness temporarily gone but not forgotten.
Boss came out to greet us with a huge smile. It was possibly his greatest achievement, and he definitely knew it.
“Congrats,” I said to him and smiled, shaking his hand.
“Couldn’t have done all this without you,” Boss replied, using the royal ‘you’, if that is even a thing.
“So what’s the next part of the plan?” I switched the flashlight off and slung the SA80 over my shoulder.
“One more sweep in the light to make sure the building is clear, and then we’ll look into securing the place,” he rubbed his chin and looked around. “We need to check the locked and shuttered stores as well.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I nodded. “How we planning on getting into the locked ones?”
“Few of the dead guys look like security or staff. We can check them for keys,” he pointed to one of the dead zombies. It wore a security jacket, and there was an identification card in a florescent wallet on his sleeve.
Boss walked off to talk to the other men. I bent down and checked the zombie to see what he had on him. A walkie-talkie, a personal phone, a wallet, and … some goddamn keys.
“Well, what do you know?” I smiled. Life had its ups and downs, but things were finally getting on track. I walked away before my discovery was noticed by the group, and started on my shopping trip, ignoring most of the shops I passed. I was sure someone else would find a set of keys. At that moment, I wanted to get on with what I needed. First stop was a sports store.
CHAPTER 42
I rolled up the shutters, the clatter echoing around the mostly empty mall, and crept in. The lights were on, and there weren’t any zombies inside. Well, not immediately, but I was certain they would’ve been drawn by the shutter noise if there were any.
It was one of those crappy little sports stores that always seemed to have a closing down sale sign in the window. Didn’t mean the stock cost any less than another. Hell, I was getting it for free.
I browsed through the shelves for a bag, like a holdall, just something to carry anything I wanted. I found what I was looking for and put a pack of thermal boxers, socks, and t-shirts in there. I would need those for the colder days to come. The cold could be deadly if I wasn’t careful.
They had plenty of raincoats, gloves, and hats, but I knew the hiking shop would have much better quality. The same also went for a backpack. The ones in the sports shop were mostly for fashion as opposed to functionality.
I admired all the different trainers and other footwear they had on show. I was never one for having the most expensive pair of trainers. I considered it a waste of money. However, having them ready for the taking made them a lot more desirable. I smiled and moved on, looking for anything else useful in the store. I saw a tennis racket and tennis balls. Not exactly useful to me, but I took them anyway. For … reasons.
I stepped out of the store, dropped the holdall and started bouncing the tennis ball the way you would often see tennis players do before serving. Then I threw it up and hit it as hard as I could with the racket. It soared high and flew far. Kept going until it bounced off a wall and disappeared out of sight. I grinned. Now that was fun.
I meandered towards the hiking store and started bouncing another ball. I swung. This one curved and bounced off a shop window, making a plunk noise, but didn’t break anything. I sent the last ball back the way I came, and I swore I heard a shout of annoyance in the distance. I dropped the racket, picked up my bag, and carried on. I should’ve gotten a bicycle or something.
The hiking store didn’t have shutters and wasn’t locked, so I opened the door and wandered in, a putrid smell in the air. It was one of the rooms that had been cleared. I was still wary, though. I hadn’t cleared the place myself, and I found it hard to rely on someone else’s handiwork.
I surveyed the area and found one corpse twisted up on a small camping display, with its head and a large portion of its body missing. Definitely dead. I walked around the rest of the store, gun primed and ready to fire. Didn’t find anything. Even checked the changing rooms just to be certain. I lowered my gun, feeling safe again.
I needed to speed things up if I wanted to get everywhere without my absence being noticed. I snatched up a raincoat and put it on to make sure it fit. It was thermal and waterproof, with a hood as well. Perfect. I also found a hat and gloves, thin but the label assured me they were thermal. I flicked the safety on the gun and tried on one glove. My finger fit into the trigger guard, albeit snugly. I could work it out somehow. Also put waterproof trousers and a waterproofing wax into the bag. Hiking boots on top of that – I would need to wear them in if I didn’t want to make every step painful. These were all just-in-cases for the future.
The days were cold, but they would begin to warm up. I needed a few summer clothes too, but they were out of season and would be harder to find. New stock hadn’t been delivered in ages, so the store was stuck in time. A few extra t-shirts and maybe a pair of shorts would be perfect, but I would have to find them later. I grabbed a large hiking backpack also. It felt comfortable on me, and I could fit a lot in there. I knew I would be in a vehicle from that point onward, but there was always a just in case. Life was full of those now.
I threw in a British Map Guide to Hiking and a compass as well. On the way out, I saw a small basket by the door, filled with little balls of netting. Mosquito nets. I picked one up and dropped it into my bag. Eh, why not?
I came across a small pharmacy-like shop also, which kind of looked like a homoeopathy store. Lots of herbs and other nonsense. What could I say? I was a psychologist. The placebo effect could only fix so much, and it was no cure for cancer. But I knew they would have other things of use. I began filling my bag with bottles of multivitamins. I knew I would still be able to eat, but odds were I wouldn’t get every bit of nutrition my body needed. So those would help for a while. They didn’t have anything else medicinal, such as paracetamol, but they had a root which claimed it would help – I wasn’t taking that. Would rather suffer from the headache. There was also a protein section full of different powders and shakes. I took a few of the bars.
Ironically, next door to the homoeopathy shop was an actual chemist. So I took different medicines and other hygiene items from there, including a toothbrush, a large tube of toothpaste, and some all-in-one body and hair wash. I couldn’t deal with a different scrub for everything – body wash, exfoliating gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, shaving foam, moisturiser, and maybe even a hand lotion. I would prefer an eight-in-one wash. I wouldn’t mind using the same stuff on my teeth as my backside. Life would be so much simpler. If they could somehow add a car polish into it, they’d be onto a winner. But I would be burdened with the multi-product buy until that day, which would probably never come with the dead walking. So into the bag went a razor and many different heads for it, shaving foam also, as well as the makings of a first aid kit. My bag was getting pretty heavy.
I almost ignored the store when I went by it, but there was a shop that sold nothing but fine spirits. Imported stuff. Local stuff. Vodka, brandy, liqueurs, and whisky. Goddamn! I dropped my bag and went into the store. The draw of the whisky overpowered the putrid smell of the dead-dead corpse by the door. I admired all the golden bottles. They all looked so damn beautiful. I couldn’t even decide what to take. In the end, I took the most expensive one
I could find – a litre bottle of some whisky I had never heard of for the low-low price of seven-hundred and fifty pounds. It was the only one of its kind in the store and was even behind glass, on its own pedestal. I opened the small glass door and took it. Held it lovingly and stared at it with a huge smile. I reached behind the counter and put it into a small wooden box filled with paper shredding, and sealed it. Normally it would be for gift wrapping, but I needed to protect it. Into my bag it went.
I rushed to the next store, and the one I’d anticipated most – the video game store. That was just for me, not my survival. I wanted to retain some part of who I once was, and video games made up a lot of that. Being in an unattended video game store was my equivalent of being a kid in a candy store. I just couldn’t wait!
On the way, I noticed a motorsports store. In the window were leather-clad mannequins. I had a sudden flash of brilliance and decided I needed to go in. It was an in-and-out job because I just needed a couple of things in there. Boss would come and find me when he needed me but, for those moments, I was my own person.
I left my bag outside, jogged in with weapon drawn. It had been one of the locked stores, but I was prepared for any threat. I was disappointed by the lack of undead in the shops. How dare it all be safe? I laughed. No zombies, no need for my gun. I let it fall on its strap, and it clung to me. I started looking through everything until I found exactly what I needed – a heavy duty leather motorcycle jacket and gloves. The jacket hugged me like a leathery embrace, albeit a lot less kinky sounding. I took two – one my size, and the other it didn’t matter. Also took a repair kit for jackets. Next, I grabbed a pair of heavy duty motorbike jeans. I had brilliant plans for it. I would even say revolutionise the war on the undead. I grinned and continued onwards. Video game store next.