by Ian Woodhead
The first-born had died because he failed to heed his own rule. Of course, Raphael now understood that his older brother had no other choice, he had reached the age of ascent, and his mother was the only fertile female amongst the group. His raging hormones had gripped him, had had no control over his body.
Raphael carefully removed the two large stones that covered the opening into the forgotten station. He squeezed his body through and replaced the stones, taking care to place them exactly as he found them. Concern over how his siblings would now treat him was not the sole reason for departing. First-born’s final act of passion had given their mother yet another litter. At this moment, the tiny things were all about the size of his rat’s head, but they would rapidly grow.
His mother had twelve of these abominations growing inside her womb. He had no doubt that his new siblings would try to dominate the nest as soon as the things climbed out of his mother. It could be no other way. In order for their species to thrive, each succession had to control or consume the previous brood. Even now, Raphael could sense their embryonic minds sending exploratory feelers out of their mother’s body.
The other siblings would begin to feel the new family additions, trying to climb into their minds. They would either attempt to destroy the brood or, like him, choose to flee. Their fate did not concern Raphael. His journey was already underway.
He climbed along the damp sewer walls, keeping his mind-eye on alert. The others were still on the other end of the tunnel system, still trying to catch fish, but he could not locate his mother.
Raphael reached the main sewer junction and climbed further up the wall, heading for the large brick funnel that led to the over-ground and to his freedom. His own heartbeat increased, thinking of the exciting discoveries awaiting him. He was so eager to learn and experience new things. He had learned so much from his mother, of the life she lived before the world changed.
At first, her thoughts had scared him; it was all so alien to his own limited world. After a few weeks of discreet investigation, he had become more familiar with how the over-ground used to be. Raphael knew that all that had died, including the humans that once inhabited the land. Only their dead shells remained along with a smattering of changed humans like his mother.
At least, that is what she believed. Raphael thought otherwise. Unlike her, he was not constricted to such a narrow view of thinking. He was convinced that some of these human creatures must still exist. He intended to seek them out. Saliva ran down both his cheeks as Raphael slowly climbed towards the bright blue sky, he knew that their meat would taste sweeter then even the first-born.
Chapter Two
The sweet scent of jasmine filled the cabin when he slid the window back. Peter Maynard breathed deep, taking in a lung full of beautiful fresh air. There was just a hint of strawberry mingled with the flower aroma. That triggered so many pleasant memories of times before the mass fuck up. He closed his eyes, rested the back of his head against the cold metal backrest, and sighed, allowing his mind to wander back in time.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Jackie, go give sleeping beauty a kick.”
Peter snapped his eyes open and stuck his tongue out at the approaching woman. “You just try it, babes. And see what will happen!” He watched his wife pull the zip down on her camouflage jacket. “I know I’m hot stuff, Jackie, but do we have time for sex? Also, I don’t want the sergeant to see my cock, he’ll cry.”
The woman reached into her inside pocket, pulled out a small clear plastic bag and threw it into Peter’s lap. “Sweetheart, I know you’re trying to help here but please, hush?”
He ripped open the bag and dropped two nose-plugs into the palm of his hand. Peter looked in disgust at the objects, wondering if his sergeant would notice if he didn’t insert them. “Sorry, hon,” he said, giving Jackie a warm smile.”
The other man occupying the remaining seat in the gunship grabbed the straps above his head and leaned towards the woman. “You ain’t going to go little miss fuck up on me, private Maynard?”
Peter bit his cheeks to stop him from coming to the aid of Jackie. He didn’t think it would take long for the Sergeant to start having a go. His warped idea was in order to bring the best out of his team, he had to find their weaknesses, wedge it open, and pour in a bucket load of salt coated vitriol. The man was a total dick.
The woman shook her head. Peter honestly thought that Jackie was ready to punch Sergeant Dawkins right between his pretty blue eyes. This was just like him. Their commanding officer had warned the Sergeant to use tact. Jackie’s former husband from before the blockade used to work in London. She’d accepted that his death was inevitable. In fact, she had told Peter that her husband just had to be dead. She didn’t elaborate, there was no need. Living in the warm hills of California, he, like the rest of his fellow Americans, had watched the catastrophe in the UK unfold. To him, though, it just felt like just another disaster happening somewhere else in the world. He had no relatives living over there, so he couldn’t relate.
Even so, despite his detachment, Peter had seen the terror developing in his new wife’s eyes, and the thought of running into one of those walking corpses and finding that rotting face belonged to her once loving spouse.
“I passed every evaluation test they threw at me, Sergeant. I’m rearing to go.” She smiled at the man. “It’s you who should be worried. Those shufflers are obviously going to prefer you to us. You know what I mean. Back at the barracks you just love to show off your lean body. All that lovely black muscle that you are always boasting about, the shufflers are so going to want to taste some of that tender flesh.”
“Jackie’s right,” said Peter, chuckling. “Remember last night’s poker game? You’re the one who casually mentioned that the shufflers would rather have dark meat to white meat.” He gazed out of the helicopter window. He had yet to glimpse his first wild shuffler; privately, he wasn’t looking forward to the experience. The roof of this skyscraper was empty of them. He looked back at the two other passengers. “Jackie, did you pack any barbecue sauce?”
Their sergeant pushed past the pair of them and released the locking mechanism on the door. “I’m serious, Jackie. I need you to keep your shit together. I’m still not happy about having you on the mission. I know you’re intimate with the layout, which makes you essential to our operation.” He glared at Peter. “You’re also intimate with this loser and that makes the pair of you a fucking liability. These dead things are wild; they act completely different to our captive ones. Don’t take their apparent sluggish movements for granted. They can move like crocs when they sense food is close. If either of you is bitten, the other will have to perform the headshot.” The sergeant slid back the hatch and jumped out onto the roof. Dawkins leaned back inside. “If this happens and I sense hesitation, I’ll fucking shoot the pair of you.”
Jackie flashed Peter a brief smile “Don’t worry, sweetheart. If you are bitten, I promise I’ll blow your brains through the back of your head.” She leaned across and kissed him. “I’ll do the same if I catch you eyeing up any female shufflers as well.” She grabbed her bag before following the Sergeant.
Peter placed the nose plugs in his pocket, swallowed down the aching fear that had gripped him since they had landed, then climbed out of the helicopter and into the bright sunshine. He stared at the back of Jackie’s neck. Peter could make out wisps of her blonde hair peeking out from under her peaked cap. He longed to put his hands on her shoulders, lean towards her, inhale the sweet smell of her fragrant soap before he kissed her neck and bury his face in that thick hair. Peter didn’t think Dawkins would approve. Peter turned towards the edge of the building so the man would not see his smirk. Dawkins would probably want a kiss too. From the rumour that had spread throughout the barracks, the man would enjoy it.
“I want you two to wait here,” said Dawkins. “I’ll check that the stairway is clear.”
“We’re supposed to stay together. That’s what’s the Captain said.”<
br />
The Sergeant smiled at Jackie. “He isn’t here though, and I am.” He spun around and marched away from the machine.
“I know he hasn’t shut up about us being with him, Peter, but you do know that he specifically picked us two for his team?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “and that is so worrying.”
Jackie lifted up his head and looked deep into the man’s green eyes. “Don’t give me that. I have known you long enough to know that something is really troubling you.” She paused and whipped her head around to stare at the departing figure of their Sergeant as he reached a silver door set in a brick wall. “Is it your mum?”
Peter nodded. “It’s my mom, my pop, as well as our Chantelle and her husband. You know as well as I, Jackie, what the authorities will do to them if we’re caught.”
Jackie hugged him. “Hush, sweetheart. You know that will never happen. Nothing will go wrong and by the end of today, we’ll all be a thousand times richer.”
He kissed her gently on her lips and tried to look reassured. “I’m sorry. You’re right of course. I mean, we’ve already been through this already.”
She nodded. “Yeah, we have, about a hundred times. Do you think I would have agreed if I thought there was a chance of being caught, Peter? They are my family, too, now. The only family I have left.”
He hadn’t thought of it like that. His new wife had lost everything; her husband, two kids, her parents, and her friends when the disease spread through the UK mainland three years ago.
“Where’s he gone?”
Peter shrugged, looking across the roof. The sergeant was visible. He saw a brick building behind the helicopter. He guessed that was the way off the roof. “He’ll be around the back, having a piss.”
“Look, please don’t worry about them. Just focus on the job. I don’t want to lose you due to distractions.”
He kissed her again, this time, a little softer. “I’ll be fine, it’s just nerves. They’ll go once we start moving.”
Peter walked over to the edge and gazed down onto the city street. It was strange to see London at this angle. He was so used to looking down at the landscape via satellite imagery and photos taken from the drones. He looked up and hoped to fuck that there were no satellites taking pictures right now.
The global community had effectively sealed the UK mainland exactly two weeks after the infection had turned most of the indigenous population into the shufflers. The blockade had been largely successful. In the last three years, there had only been a couple of other outbreaks in northern Africa. His country had ensured the disease hadn’t spread by unauthorised use of small yield nuclear missiles.
The blockade was also there to keep other people away from the mainland. The UK was a very rich country and although the countries operating the blockade had taken the gold reserves as compensation to pay for the expensive operation, the country was still full of valuable treasure.
“All those coins and watches, electricals and jewellery, just lying there, needing a new home,” he muttered, grinning.
There was only one penalty for attempting to breach the blockade. Peter and his fellow shipmates had been responsible for destroying dozens of ships, boats, even a criuseliner since he’d been assigned to his ship, six months ago.
“It’s a pretty view.”
Peter nodded, he hadn’t been aware that his wife was now standing beside him. “Don’t get too close to the edge,” he warned. “Hey, is the dickhead back from having his piss yet?”
“Yeah, but he isn’t looking this way. Peter, have you noticed something a bit weird about this city?”
“Are you serious?” he asked, facing Jackie. “We’re surrounded by millions of flesh-eating zombies. It can’t get any weirder that this.”
“That’s the point. With all those dead people down there, it should stink like an open grave and yet the air is fresh.” She looked down. “They are not rotting away, Peter. Those things are going to be here for years.”
“Have you two lovebirds quite finished?”
Peter turned and glared at the sergeant, he realised he was wasting his time. The sergeant was too far away to notice.
“Did you still believe that he was just taking a piss?”
“No, not really, he’s up to something.”
“Do you think he’s putting the mission at risk?”
Peter shook his head. “Not a chance, Jackie. He loves his mother. The man wouldn’t do anything stupid to put her life in danger.” He hurried across the roof. Despite his reassuring response, the sergeant’s behaviour did concern him. Why was he acting so shifty? Whatever it was, Peter still clung to the belief that Dawkins wouldn’t compromise their mission. Dawkins and the rest of the personnel involved in this operation were fully aware of the repercussions if the authorities discovered their unauthorised landing. They’d be shot and their immediate families would disappear. Peter knew this wasn’t some empty threat. He’d personally knew of one officer who had made the mistake of not taking the threat seriously.
“Are you ready?”
Peter nodded. Another team had already swept and secured this building a week ago. Their job was to reach a red brick three story building two blocks from this location. That’s why they needed Jackie’s local knowledge. Her husband had worked there. She was confident that she’d be able to lead them to the three company safes in the specified time limit. They only had one hour before the helicopter had to take off, and they all knew that if they outstayed their limit, the chopper would leave without them.
“What were you two looking at over there?”
Peter pushed past the man and crouched down beside the door. Despite the other team’s assurance that the building was free of danger, he still needed to ensure that no more of those things were in the vicinity.
“I was looking for shufflers, Sergeant, If we’re going down there, I’d like to see how many of those things are hanging around.” replied Jackie. “What were you doing?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Sergeant, did you open this door?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I didn’t.”
Peter got to his feet and pointed to the plastic seal attached to the door and the frame. “Are you sure, Sergeant? You said you were going to check on the stairwell.”
“I haven’t had time,” he snapped back. I need to empty my bladder first.”
“Somebody has. The seal’s broken.” He looked at the sergeant, not entirely convinced that the man was telling the truth. Dawkins should have noticed that. “Shit,” he drew his pistol and kicked his bag away from the door.”
“Will you relax?” Dawkins grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. “Shufflers don’t have the dexterity for complicated actions. They sure as fuck can’t turn a door handle. The satellite imagery has shown that there are a few natives still clinging on to life. It’s more than likely just one of them poor bastards, looking for something to eat or shelter.”
Peter was about to ask him when he last found food on a fucking roof, but the man had already vanished through the door. He watched his wife draw her own pistol. “We’d better get after him,” he whispered, rushing to the door.
“What about the other things?” asked his wife, grabbing Peter’s shoulder. “Come on; don’t look at me like that. You’ve heard all the rumours as well.”
He had heard them, but as far as he was concerned they were just stories, fabricated chunks of bullshit spread around the ships designed by the authorities to keep people away. “So, you think that London is full of these super zombies that think and run as fast as a speeding car; do you believe that story?”
“Why is that harder to believe than people coming back to life?”
“Or what about the reanimated kids that can climb walls like some huge fucking spider? Jackie, just listen to yourself, none of that is possible. The scientists have been studying this virus for years, and have you ever heard of any of them documenting anything other
than dead people walking about?”
“All I’m saying is that this is unknown territory, Peter. Don’t believe everything they’ve told you.”
He watched her follow the sergeant down the stone steps. Peter looked back at the helicopter; he waved at the pilot before he descended. His outburst had surprised him, and he wasn’t too sure where that thought had come from. He had spent many a long nights in his quarters discussing with the other guys the possibility of finding more than just the shufflers on the mainland. He had even discreetly looked into official records regarding the sightings. Not that he had been rewarded for his efforts. His security clearance showed nothing more than he already knew.
“Oh my God. What the fuck is that?”
Peter heard the panic in the sergeant’s voice and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He caught up with Jackie. She glanced around and stared fearfully into his eyes. She was obviously thinking that the building was not as clear as they thought.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, raising his pistol, “I can handle this.” He ran past her, homing in on the sergeant’s heavy breathing. Peter saw the man couched beside a body at the bottom of the stairwell. He tried to slow his heart rate down when he saw that the body by Dawkins was not moving.
“What the hell has happened down here?” muttered Dawkins. “This wasn’t in the report.” The sergeant stood up and ushered Peter over. “Come on, you’re the fucking geek. You tell me what happened to this shuffler.”
The sergeant stood back to reveal a middle-aged woman dressed in a tattered dirt-streaked dress and coat, slumped against the wall. Despite it’s condition, Peter still felt the overwhelming desire to turn around and run up those stairs as fast as he could. This was his first wild shuffler, and it wasn’t tethered up and nor behind the safety of toughened glass.
“Peter, are you alright?”
He heard the concerned tone in his wife’s voice and tried to shake himself out of his reverie. Peter had known from the onset that he’d be coming into contact with these things. He got a grip on his rollercoaster emotions and he approached the slumped body and kneeled beside it. He had nothing to fear, this thing was definitely fucking dead.