The Farm

by Carter, Stuart

  He wasn’t paying attention to the road, at least, no more than was needed to keep the car in a straight line. Becky spotted the police car long before he would have and pointed it out to him. It appeared to have already spotted them, and was already stopping to wait for them. Jose approached cautiously, now alert and looking for a trap. It looked safe, a lone car ranged against their convoy, but no trap was ever made to look dangerous. They flashed their lights to indicate their presence later than was necessary. He pulled up beside them while the other cars held back.

  After a few minutes of talking he found himself trusting the two men in the other car, despite feeling certain that the driver was holding a gun throughout their conversation. Following the two back to their farm might put them all in danger, but, if what they said was true, could be their best hope of surviving this crisis. The calm confidence the other two displayed while outnumbered and outgunned was unnerving. But if it was a trap it was pointless as they had so little to steal that couldn’t be easily found. Jose and the gang had next to nothing to lose.

  They drove for more than twenty minutes. The roads were winding, and they made frequent turns that he was uncomfortable with. It was like the leading car was trying to disorientate them. He drew consolation from the fact that the roads they were following all gave a clear view of the surrounding area. He told his passengers to keep an eye out in all directions for potential dangers, and the flat ground allowed them to scan miles of countryside.

  “Doesn’t anyone live here?” Becky asked.

  “This is farming country. A few villages and towns, and miles of fields. That’s why we came here. Not many people means there can’t be many zombies.”

  “Do you think it will be safe where they’re taking us?”

  “I don’t think anywhere will be safe from what’s going on. They should at least have food and some defences. We’ll see when we get there. At least we’re well clear of London.”

  “Seriously? You know how quickly they can cover the ground! It’s less than a day’s drive from where they just attacked us.”

  “I know. But with every mile further from London they should be thinner spread. I’m hoping these guys have proper barriers, and more guns. Stuff we should have had. And I was thinking. Remember when we were in London. They all looked normal. Last night they looked like a bunch of anorexics. I think they’re starving. They’re going to die soon. We just need to outlive them.”

  “Then shouldn’t we be getting to the coast and getting on a boat?”

  “Do you know how to sail? I’ve never even seen the sea. I’d rather see what these guys have to offer before risking my life on a ship wreck.”

  “Do you think that’s it?” The car ahead was slowing, and seemed to be approaching a gate. They had left a bit of a gap between themselves and the car they were following. It felt safer that way. By the time they had pulled up behind both men were out of the car and stripping off. They approached the gate in their pants and stood there for inspection. Having been looked over they pulled their clothes back on. Through this process they were talking to the guards on the gates. There was no point hiding the fact that Jose and the two cars behind were the subject of the conversation, so no attempt was made. While they watched, two men ran off towards the large farm house that they could see a couple of hundred meters away.

  “What do you think? Will dozens of armed men emerge from the building as soon as we’re stripped down for inspection?” Jose asked, not really directing the question at anyone.

  “If they want to rob us they’re going to be pretty disappointed.” Becky answered. “It would be a big ploy to lure us here for very little benefit.”

  “We trust them?”

  “Is that a question or a statement?”

  Jose answered by stepping out of the car and starting to walk towards the gate. The others in the car soon followed him. Halfway to the gate they were met by John and Cooper.

  “Sorry about this, but we have to insist that everyone who passes that gate is inspected for bites. We can’t afford to have someone turning behind our defences.” John told them

  “Understood.” Jose replied. Looking back there was no movement in the other cars. They would wait until the first group looked safe before they made a move. If danger struck he doubted that they would stick around to attempt a rescue, but his instincts told him that they were going to be safe. At least, as safe as they would be anywhere in the current situation. He led the way, stripping off as he approached the gate.

  Birstall

  Hannah kept her watch for the four hours that had been agreed for each shift. They were all going to be tired in the morning, but the consensus had been that a four hour break would do them better than two shorter periods, and only having one person on watch felt too dangerous. They were in the middle of nowhere. There wouldn’t be many people around, but if they were attacked there was no barriers to slow down their attackers. Simon was on watch with her, but the two did not speak. She knew he was awake by the way he kept fidgeting. She soon found herself mirroring this, unconsciously indicating both to him, and to herself, that she was still awake as well. She was lost in her thoughts, as she was sure he was.

  She was glad that she had stumbled across this little group. A few days alone, constantly on edge had pushed her to the point of breaking. She had kept trying to replicate the calm and control that she had seen in Phil. It had helped her at first, but the effect was fading as her sense of despair grew. All she had in mind was getting to the coast and finding a way to sail off this island in the hope that the virus had not infected the whole world. She felt obliged to stay alive because he had died protecting her. Without that she would have been looking for a quick escape from the terror.

  These three had suffered and lost people as well. They were scared and confused, but they still offered a sense of hope. They were holding on to a belief that not everywhere would have been overran by the infected. They were staking everything on it, and it hadn’t taken long for Hannah to realize how desperately she wanted to be a part of that. She wasn’t sure if she had any hope that they were right that the safe haven they were headed for existed, but it was important to be a part of something again, not just her scared, lonely self.

  She was tired, but had no problem staying awake for the duration of her watch. It was a good measure of how terrified she still was. Sitting, staring anxiously into the darkness at night had become a way of life. She doubted whether she had slept for more than twenty minutes at a time without waking in a panic ever since she had left the Prepper’s house. It felt reassuring to have someone at her back, watching in the directions that she couldn’t without making herself dizzy by constantly spinning around.

  When it came to her turn to get some sleep she doubted that she would get much rest. Fear had become too much of a way of life. It took her a few minutes to get comfortable on the uneven ground, then she was gone, not waking until the first rays of sunshine lit upon her face. She sat up hurriedly, yet to recall the change in circumstances the previous day had brought, terrified at what danger her lapse in concentration could have landed her in. She immediately saw Ruth and Lucy, on guard around their little campsite. Lucy was sat cross legged on top of the car, while Ruth sat leaning against the side of it. They were facing opposite directions, but talking quietly to each other.

  “Sorry, we didn’t wake you did we?” Ruth asked her. As she said this Lucy arched herself around and acknowledged that Hannah was awake with a good morning and a brief smile, before returning her gaze to the surrounding countryside.

  “You didn’t wake me. It’s getting light. I can’t remember the last time I slept so long. How long have I been asleep?”

  “It’s nearly six, so a little over four hours. Far less than what should be normal.”

  “It’s good to see daylight. For the first time in my life I’m afraid of the dark.”

  “Only a fool wouldn’t be these days.” They all sat reflecting on the new world they found
themselves in for a few moments. Lucy broke the silence,

  “You want to take over my watch while I sort out some breakfast? We’ve got some fruit that we should finish while it’s still edible. After that we’re pretty much down to cans and bags of crisps.” Without waiting for an answer she sprang down from the car with feline grace. She had the kind of effortless, unaffected beauty that Hannah had spent most of her life terrified of. Someone overly made up, overly stylized, rightly or wrongly, she was able to assure herself that they were an air head. That her own intellectual achievements were enough to put her ahead. Lucy just looked the way she looked. There was no effort involved. No prioritisation of appearances over substance. In times when there were less serious matters to worry about she might have spent a little more time preening, but nothing could stop her from looking the way she looked.

  The sun was barely over the horizon by the time they had eaten and loaded up the car. Ruth and Lucy took the back seats, with the idea that they would be able to get a bit more sleep following their shift on watch. All going well they expected to be closing in on the farm in a couple of hours, at which point Ruth would take over the driving.

  It came as a surprise to Ruth when she woke up. She had been convinced that she would not be able to get any sleep as they resumed their journey. “Where are we?” she asked, while looking around, trying to establish the answer for herself. The flat fields around them immediately suggested a return to the Norfolk countryside she had grown up in.

  “I don’t know.” Simon answered. “We’ve kept heading South and East like you said. Any of this looking familiar to you yet?”

  “I think we’re close, but I can’t tell where we are just from a few fields. We need a road sign or something to go on.”

  “I didn’t want to stop to ask for directions… Look over there,” he said pointing through the left side of the windscreen. “There are other survivors, but I’m not sure I want to meet them.”

  In the distance they could see a group of cars parked up. A couple of the cars looked military issue, but the rest looked like the sort of thing that could be found on any of the farms in the area. No effort was being made to conceal their position. Several fires were blazing around the camp, throwing out clouds of smoke. It was too late in the day to need the light or the warmth. It was careless bravado. They were too far away to pick out any of the people properly, but their camp made enough of an impression.

  “Do you think they’ve seen us?”

  “If they have people keeping a proper watch then they would have seen us when we were moving. I’m not sure they’re taking that kind of precaution.”

  “I think we’re better avoiding them. I don’t trust a group that lax about showing everyone and everything where they are. I think we should avoid them and keep heading for my parents farm. If we want to find this group later it shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “They’ve stayed alive this long. They must be doing something right.” Hannah said. “Couldn’t there be more safety in numbers?”

  “Our friend got shot for standing too close to the wrong village yesterday. I’m really not in the mood for trusting large groups of strangers unless we really need to. I’d like to think they’re good people, but there is no law and order left here. They could do anything to us.”

  Hannah didn’t look comfortable with that, but didn’t argue against it. She got into the back of the car making no more noise than the other three. Ruth took the driver’s seat. In the rear view mirror she saw Hannah looking wistfully towards the larger group, but she made no comment as they slowly turned the car around and started to drive away. A sense of security was something they were all longing for, but that group looked like the last place they would find it. With civilization gone, in the short term at least, she feared that three young women would be seen as commodities, the man travelling with them an easily disposed of problem. Living people were as terrifying as dead ones. She didn’t share these thoughts with the group, but could see her friends looking back anxiously. She wasn’t the first to see the cars set off in pursuit.

  They had a decent lead to start with, but the chasing cars were moving with reckless speed. The land was flat and the roads were straight. They could be seen from miles away. Ruth tried a few twists and turns, but every time they ended up in the line of sight of the closing cars. Very soon she was certain that she had no chance of losing them, and said as much to her passengers.

  “If we can’t run, we’ve got to hide.” Lucy suggested.

  “Hide where? The lands flat for miles in every direction.”

  “Next time we get a hedgerow or something between us pull into one of the farms. We can hide the car behind the buildings and try to lock ourselves inside.” Hannah seemed to be getting a sense of the threat that Ruth was feeling. At the first opportunity Ruth did as suggested. Every passing mile closed the gap to their pursuers, reducing their chances. The car almost rolled with the speed that she turned the corner, but the rubber ended up back on the tarmac. She kept her foot down, guiding the car behind a large barn. They sat there for a few minutes after they heard the two chasing cars pass by.

  “What now?” Simon asked.

  “It’s not going to take them long to realise we turned off somewhere. They’ll come back looking for us.” Lucy answered.

  “If we drive they’ll see us and we clearly can’t out run them.” Ruth added. “I think our best chance is to stay hidden. Get the car stowed away and lock ourselves into a secure room. And do it before they realise they’ve lost our trail.”

  “OK,” Hannah said, getting out of the car. “You two hide the car. We’ll try and find a safe place to hole up in.” She indicated to Simon to join her. Still in a torn lab coat she didn’t inspire confidence as a survivor, but she lofted the cricket bat they had like she meant business. There was no time for discussion. They all got on with what happened to be their roles.

  Within a couple of minutes they had found an unlocked barn and stashed the car inside. There was a large basement, and the four of them had locked themselves inside. Once inside they realized that all of their food was left inside the car, and the only weapon they had taken with them was the cricket bat. There was no light, no way to see outside.

  “Should we go back to the car for supplies?” Simon whispered.

  “We can’t see what’s going on outside. They could have circled back looking for us.” Ruth answered.

  “So we’re just going to sit here in the dark?” Lucy asked.

  “We shouldn’t go back outside. We need to wait it out for a couple of hours.”

  A little light was seeping through from somewhere. They couldn’t see its source, but it had to be there as their eyes adjusted to be able to pick out shapes in the darkness. Very slowly, cautiously, the shape that represented Hannah moved to a worktable shaped object against one of the walls. The other three were not sure if her sight was better than theirs, or if she was feeling more reckless. They did not move, just strained their ears in the silence. In the distance they could hear cars moving. They weren’t as far away as they would have been if they had carried on the pursuit. They had turned back and were searching. They were getting closer.

  Light that momentarily seemed blinding filled the room. After a few seconds it was only the feeble light of a tiny torch Hannah had found by touch. She kept it pointed low.

  “We should look for weapons,” she said, “In case they find us down here.”

  “You think we can fight them?”

  “We don’t know who they are. We don’t want their first impression to be that we’re defenceless. We should look ready to fight, even if we aren’t.”

  With no more debate they stared searching by the little light that the torch gave off. They were soon all armed with something, but kept searching for something better, growing increasingly more frantic as the heard the cars pulling up in the farm they were hiding in. They were silent as Simon tried to decide between a crowbar and a chainsaw that he couldn’t
test to see if he could get it started. Silent as a pick axe was chosen in favour of a shovel. Silent as a shotgun was rejected for lack of visible ammunition, losing out to a sledgehammer, too heavy to wield accurately, but intimidating in its mass.

  Outside they could hear a commotion. Shouting, scuffling, crashes, gunshots. An invisible fight going on. It didn’t last long, but was punctuated by the sounds of a couple of cars racing off separately. They could hear the anguished cries of at least one injured person. Nothing was clear in their underground hideout.

  None of them said a word as they sat listening for any clues about what was going on outside. Other than the pained cries of what they became sure was more than one victim, no sound made its way through to them. By torch light Hannah kept checking her watch, tracking how long they had been down there. Nearly two hours passed before Ruth whispered,

  “Do you think we should go up? It doesn’t sound like anything is moving. How much daylight do we have left?”

  “There should still be a few hours of light. If we’re going to leave here we should do it now so we’ve got time to find somewhere safe for the night.” Hannah answered.

  “The people we were running from must have gone. What they were running from could still be there. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the night here to give them time to move on?”

  “I don’t think the guy we can hear wailing would still be making that noise if something was there to put a stop to it. I think we should move rather than stay here without food or water for the night.” Ruth answered.

  “OK, let’s go.” Simon said, lifting his crowbar into a good swinging position. He led the way to the door, slowly opening it enough to peep out. It was obvious to the others that it was too bright for him to see much, so they waited as his eyes adjusted, listening desperately for any approaching attack.

  Nothing happened, so slowly they stepped out into the farmyard. A battle had been fought there. What they had heard hadn’t lasted long, far too short compared to the carnage in front of them. Dozens of bodies were scattered across the courtyard. Most of them were in ragged clothing, looking thin and emaciated. It looked like they were bruised and battered from before whatever blow had finished them off. As they looked around a few of them started moving, dragging themselves forward with whatever capabilities were left to them. Closest to them was a man dragging massive folds of loose skin. A month ago he had probably been obese, but now weeks of running after prey too quick to catch and consume had eaten away the bulk, just leaving folds of overstretched skin. It looked like he had been hit by a car as it raced away. Both legs were broken, bones occasionally protruding through the loose skin as he moved. A trail of blood and scraps of flesh and clothing followed him. He noticed none of this as he dragged himself slowly towards them.