"I think we should wake up Alan and tell him what's going on. He has to keep watch just in case something goes wrong. Don't you think?" I said looking at both Tim and Joe.
"Well... Lydia... I'm not sure how Alan will cope, but we have to rely on someone I suppose." Joe said.
I decided to tell them about my conversation with Alan earlier.
"I've spoken to Alan and he does seem to be quite wrecked and emotional, but I think he will be okay in the circumstances. What if we wake Ellie too? Perhaps, she can keep watch with him just in case. I mean... she seems to be quite level headed." I suggested Ellie, because I thought she seemed organised and brave from the impression I got from her.
"Okay." Tim replied. "I think it's a good idea. I'll go and wake them both now."
Tim walked off and I saw him tap Alan on the shoulder. Alan sat up and looked over at Joe and me. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, as Tim went further into the back of the caravan.
After a few minutes, Ellie and Alan came to the front and Tim started to explain what had happened back at the castle.
"I'm sorry Ellie, but Nick and Aiden were silly enough to venture further into the castle. Now they are being held there against their will. We don't know how many people are back there, but we are going to try and get them back. As soon as we arrive back safely, I want you all to be ready to move. We’ll have to drive away from here as fast as we can. But Ellie... if we are not back within two hours, I want you all to leave." Tim said.
I saw Ellie cry. Tears fell as she nodded in agreement.
"Tim," Ellie said. "Please get them and come back safely... I don't want us to survive without any of you... okay?"
"Okay." Tim replied quietly looking at her and then hugging her tightly.
I knew it was going to be hard for us all, but times were not on our side anymore. It had gotten to be a tough world out there and I knew how much harder it was going to be for all of us.
I held onto my gun and looked at it. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it or try to use it, but I knew I would need it. I had checked it earlier to see if there were bullets in it. It was fully loaded and that scared me, as we made our way out of the caravan and into the fields.
13. Aiden Lamb - The Escape
Nick and I, sat on our chairs, trapped and tied up. Whatever these people wanted, it was for nothing good he thought. The pain in his wrists were starting to hurt. He wished Nick had stayed put and not gone off like that, but it was too late to think about that now.
I, desperately, hoped the others would come back to rescue us, but I wasn't sure how they could save us. There were at least three people here from what I could see. I'd seen a woman earlier with a gun, then a big beefy man who had a rough accent and a tall man who looked at least six feet tall. Of course, there could be others around, but I wasn't sure. I hadn't seen or heard anyone else so far.
I looked around me to see if there was anyone about. No one lurked near us. The girl stood in the far corner of the area we were in. The castle walls were tall and it was too dark to see anything else. The only light came from a stick that was lit with fire.
"Nick..." I called in a whisper. I wanted to get his attention.
Nick turned his head to look at me.
"Hey... are you okay Aiden?" Nick asked in a whisper.
"Yeah... I suppose... my wrists hurt like crazy though. We need to get out of here." I said.
"I know... but how? There's three people here with guns."
"Well... I think the other two have gone somewhere, so there's only that girl over there, but she has a gun. If I can get my hands out of this rope then we can get away. Have you got anything sharp on you Nick?" I asked.
"No... even if I did, I wouldn't be able to get it. My hands are tied up too well." Nick replied.
"We have to do something to get out of here."
"Aiden... do you think Tim and Joe will get us out of here? I hope they do... I don't want my wife and kids to go on without me. She'll be devastated." I could see that Nick spoke with a tremble in his voice. He was scare and so was I.
"I'm sure they will come back and do something. Tim and Joe won't let that happen to us... I know it." I said trying to reassure Nick.
I sat there, trying to think what I should do. I tried so desperately to get my hands out of the rope, but it was useless. Nick's head was bent over with his thick dark hair falling over his eyes. He kept moving in his chair. I think, he thought, that if he did the rope would break, but it was too thick.
After about a minute of twisting myself a bit in my own tied up state, I heard a noise. I looked in the distance from where we had come from and I could see a flashing light. I turned my head slightly to see if anyone else had seen it, but the girl who was guarding us had her back to us. I was relieved.
I stared ahead again, but couldn't see anyone, but then something crawled amongst the grass just ahead of where Nick and I sat. I could hear a slight, rustling noise. I opened my eyes as wide as I could to see what was there and then, I thought I saw something like two bodies or maybe three, but I couldn't be sure. I could only get a glimpse of their shapes in the dark. Perhaps, they were wearing black clothes, I thought.
"Hey... Nick... look over there. What do you see on the grass?" I said.
I waited for Nick to look. I hoped he would see it too.
"Oh no... is that zombies crawling towards us?" Nick said in a panic.
"No... I don't think it is... it looks like three..." I stopped in mid sentence, because I suddenly realised what might be happening.
"Aiden... what is it? What's going on?" Nick whispered.
"Not sure... but I think we are going to be rescued." I said, hoping I was right and smiling back at Nick to reassure him.
Just as I spoke, Tim appeared with Joe and Lydia. They crawled in front of us. Lydia and Joe untied our legs, whilst Tim freed the rope from my wrists. Joe was just about to free Nick's wrists, when someone came running.
I saw Tim tackle the girl, but then a gun fired.
"Come on... let's get out of here." I heard Joe speak. He seemed anxious.
I got up and pulled Nick up. We both ran ahead. Tim, Joe and Lydia followed behind us. It seemed like we were getting out of here until we heard more shots being fired from behind us.
"Keep going!" I heard Tim shout.
We ran around the corner and straight out of the castle gates pulling them shut behind us, but then we heard guns firing. Tim stopped and fired back. Joe knelt down and fired too, but myself, Lydia and Nick kept on going until Nick fell.
"Nick... what's wrong?" I asked frantically.
"I think... I think... I've been hurt." He said weakly.
"Where?" I asked.
I looked at his body and felt for a wound on his stomach, but he was okay there. Then I realised he'd been either shot in the leg or grazed. I didn't know, because it was too dark to see. I managed to pull him up and then, Lydia saw what had happened. She held Nick up on his right side, whilst I helped him stand by holding his left arm.
Eventually, we could see the caravan in the distance. When we got to it, I turned to see Tim and Joe running towards us. I felt relieved to see them alive. I thought they might have been killed.
Once at the caravan, Lydia banged hard on it until the door was opened. Ellie came to our aid and helped Nick inside. I stood outside with Lydia, as we waited for Tim and Joe to arrive.
When they finally made it, I could see more than four or five people chasing them. I couldn't believe it.
"Quick get inside Aiden!" Tim shouted hysterically.
Lydia and I rushed inside, as Tim and Joe went to the van. Lydia started the ignition and began to turn the caravan around so she could follow Tim.
I sighed with relief, as I watched the men with guns getting smaller in the distance. Of course, they started firing again. Shots missed the vehicle by inches. I hoped we would survive their attack, but we hadn't got away yet. Everything was happening so quickly that I panicked.
I saw Alan cover his face with his hands as he crouched on the floor trying to avoid the bullets.
The kids were terrified and sat huddled up with their mums on the floor as the caravan began to move slowly away.
Finally, we were moving ahead, but then, a shot hit something and I could see blood gradually flowing to the floor of the caravan. Someone had been shot.
14. Lydia Brown - Fear of Dying
I drove away as fast as I could. Everyone screamed. I could see Alan sitting next to me in the passenger seat. He covered his ears. He seemed to be in shock.
I heard Ellie shout and I turned to look over at her. Everything was happening so quickly.
"Lydia... Lydia... you have to stop. Nick has been shot. I need to see where, but we're moving so fast that it's stopping me from seeing straight!" Ellie screamed.
"I can't yet until we're out of sight and away from those people... lay him down and cover the wound with towels. Do it now!" I shouted, fearing the worst.
I wanted to get us as far as possible. I was feeling sick. I was hyperventilating too. My mind couldn't take much more of this life. It was getting too hard to keep everyone safe and now Nick had been shot. What next? Or who would be next?
We travelled for another ten minutes and then I saw Tim stop ahead of us. I slowed down and parked behind Tim's van.
Tim appeared just as I opened the door of the caravan.
"Nick has been shot." I said as I rubbed my eyes.
"What... oh no..." He yelled.
Tim rushed inside and then shouted at me.
"Lydia get me my rucksack... it's in the van, and tell Joe to come here," he yelled.
I nodded and ran out to the van. I wondered why he needed his bag, but I didn't want to ask.
I quickly ran back and gave him his bag and I watched as he opened it. He took out a small bottle of whiskey and then some pills.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him.
"I'm going to stop the bleeding and give him some painkillers for the pain."
I watched as Tim looked at the wound in Nick's stomach. It was bad I thought. I wasn't sure if he would make it either, because he was severely bleeding out. Poor Nick. He didn't look too well.
I looked up to see everyone watching. Nick's two kids looked terrified and so did Ellie, his poor wife.
"Ellie, why don't you take the kids in the back. I don't think they should watch this." I said as I saw her nod.
It was obvious that she was in shock. Her face was pale and she trembled violently.
Tim bandaged Nick's stomach and then stood up to face me.
"Is he going to be okay Tim?" I asked dreading his answer.
"The bullet has got in too deep I think... I don't know what else I can do. He needs a doctor not me. I don't know anything about this sort of thing Lydia. Do you?"
"Let me look." I said.
I bent down and removed the bandage from Nick so I could see. It was a terrible wound; a deep, fleshy, blood red wound. I wasn't sure of anything and I didn't think Tim knew what he was talking about, because he seemed to be out of it himself.
"Lydia..." Janice appeared from behind me. "Let me look... I’m a nurse, so I might be able to help," she said.
I got up and watched Janice take over. She glanced at Nick's stomach and turned him slightly to peer at his back. I was thankful that we had a nurse here with us.
"It doesn't look like it has gone too deep into his stomach yet and he was hit from the side, so I think if we can get the bullet out... he might be okay... but we have to get it out soon or the wound will turn septic. Have we got anything that I can pull the bullet out with?" She asked as she looked at Tim and myself.
"Tim... do we?" I asked him.
"Um... let me think... will a knife or pliers do? Other than that I can't think what will work." He said as he knelt down next to Janice.
"Yes... pliers... get them Tim." Janice pleaded.
I watched as Tim ran out to his van and then appeared with some pliers and a small medical bag.
"Well... I have pliers and whatever is inside this bag. I found it way back..." He said as everyone stared at him. "I know... just don't ask." He said.
I couldn't believe he had a medical bag. He was full of surprises lately. What else was in that van of his?
I watched Janice open the doctor's bag. She took out some equipment that looked more like pliers and some other surgical tools. I just hoped she could help Nick.
Janice poured whisky over the wound and then she peered into the bag and took out a small bottle.
"Oh wow... look what I've found." She said smiling.
"What is it?" I asked.
"It's morphine... we can knock him out when I try to get this bullet out of him." She said.
She took out a needle for the morphine and injected Nick with it.
Once Nick was asleep, Janice pushed him down on the sofa so he was laying flat on his back. I moved away, not wanting to see what she would do next. I hated the sight of blood and wounds anyway, so I went to sit at the front of the caravan next to Alan.
Alan seemed pale and listless. I wondered if he was feeling okay. I touched his arm, hoping to comfort him.
"Alan are you okay?" I asked.
"No... I can't take much more of this... I... I..." He said looking doubtful in himself.
As he spoke, he stood up and reached out to touch me, but I didn't realise why at the time. He pulled my gun from the front of my jeans. He must have seen it there when my jumper rolled up revealing the gun.
"Alan, what are you doing? Give it back." I said.
"No... I want to die... I want to kill myself... I can't take this kind of life. I can't cope." He said as he shoved the gun inside of his mouth.
I stood there watching him. I was terrified. Everyone turned to look at him. Janice had just finished pulling the bullet out of Nick and was bandaging him up again, just as Alan had put the gun in his mouth.
Aiden, Joe and Tim stood there too, but no one moved for fear that Alan would pull the trigger. Nick was finally saved and now Alan wanted to shoot himself... whatever next I thought.
15. Aiden Lamb - Defeat
My heartbeat quickened as terror took over me. I watched Alan stand there holding a gun inside his mouth. I wasn't sure if he had the guts to do it, but there was no way I would let him pull that trigger.
I wanted him to put down the gun and be strong for the sake of the kids and everyone else that were inside this caravan. He was, also, my best friend and I didn't want him to die.
I looked at Lydia, Tim and Joe. They were all looking at me. I knew they wanted me to talk him out of it, so I stepped forward, as my sister, Janice touched my arm.
"Don't." She whispered.
I looked at her for a second and patted her hand as I gave her a weak smile to let her know that she shouldn't worry. Then I stepped forward until I was nearer to Alan.
"Alan, please don't do this... there are kids here... you don't want to do this... you can beat this... I know you can." I pleaded.
Alan slowly took the gun out of his mouth to speak.
"Aiden, I can't do this anymore. I don't want to live in this terrible world. I hate it... and...." I watched Alan bend his head to cry. Tears flowed down his cheeks and his body trembled.
"It's okay... it will be okay Alan." I said, as I moved even closer to him, but as I did he moved the gun back into his mouth.
I watched as Alan shook his head. Then with shaky fingers, he pushed on the trigger, but the gun didn't go off. I jumped on him and brought him down to the floor. I quickly removed the gun from his hands. I shoved it to one side and saw Lydia pick it up.
I held Alan tightly, as he cried. He was drowning in his own sorrow and he'd been like that since he'd seen his family die. I had known it back then, that day, when I had saved him and even then, he had wanted to die, but I had prevented his death with my quick thinking mind.
Alan shook me away from him and rose to his feet. He seemed angry, s
o I got up and stood by his side.
"Aiden, you shouldn't have done that... you should have let me die. You have saved me too many times. Don't you get it? I don't want to be here!"
I heard his shaky tone. He was becoming hysterical and out of control, as he yelled out loudly.
"Alan... please don't shout." I said.
The kids appeared from the back of the caravan and Janice tried to push them to the back. Alan's outbursts had awaken them. I tried to think how I would calm him down, but as the thought went through my mind, Alan ran out onto the road. I quickly chased him, but it seemed he had disappeared into the trees. It was pitch black outside and I couldn't see a thing.
"Aiden, you go that way and Joe and I will go this way... we will find him. I promise.. here take this torch." Tim said in a steady voice as I took the torch from him.
He had come to my aid and I was glad of his help. Tim had been there for everyone lately, even though, I thought, he had a problem of his own with alcohol.
I was glad of their help. I wanted to save my friend. I felt the sweat drench my forehead with worry even though it was freezing outside. The fear of something happening to Alan was something I couldn't deal with just yet. I had already lost all of my other friends and I wasn't about to lose Alan too.
We searched the area. There were trees everywhere. The ground was muddy and slippery from the rain. It was the end of November and the weather was starting to ice up, as I stepped along the muddy trail following Alan's footprints using the torch to help me see.
"Alan... Alan... where are you mate? Please come back." I called out, my voice shaking slightly with fear.
Just as I walked ahead, I could see a shape of someone. I was sure it was Alan, but as I got closer, I could see it was something else. Oh shit. It was one of those creatures. I looked all around trying to see where Alan was, but it was too dark. Then, I saw Joe and Tim shift towards the zombie.
I moved closer, but as I did, I saw Alan in front of it.
"Alan... watch out." I warned him.
Alan turned around. The zombie caught him from the side. I heard growling and teeth biting. I ran as fast as I could. Tim and Joe were already there knocking the zombie over. I watched as Tim pushed the stick he was holding through the creature's eye and then it was still.
The Biters (Book 1): Time to Run Page 6