She was correct, we turned down that road, driving through another area that had been cleared up to a certain point, and found the chemist that we had holed up in on our way out of Adelaide. Archer suggested stopping to check for any supplies, but I told him that the two of us had been thorough in our appropriations of anything useful in that particular establishment. Apocalypse Girl pointed out that she still, in fact, carried some of the supplies from this place.
We moved onwards as the gloom deepened into the deep black of night, stopping only when there was no possible way of seeing any further possible progress. Then we huddled together in the rear of the truck, making sure that the tailgate was up and locked, making doubly certain that the wind and Cold were not going to get at us. Eight people in that sort of confined space generated an awful lot of warmth, let me tell you that.
April 25 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
We continued on our lengthy trek around the city of Adelaide, not daring to enter or go through, considering the likely numbers of Dead wandering around. Instead we headed east, then north, then to the east once more when Archer felt he had spotted the appropriate snow-covered landmark. After a short burst of free travel time we came to another area where the roads had not been cleaned at all. Archer searched for some way through or around, in the end settling for driving over somebodies fence. I doubted they were in much position to care now anyway.
This was a process repeated several times after that, as whoever had decided to clear the roads around the city had either not made it this far out, or had simply not cared to go this far. However, after a few pileups, some of which would have been incredibly unpleasant, we came to the freeway. There had clearly been a few crashes here, too, but they were fewer and further between, and thus easy to get around.
Archer slowed the truck, turning onto a dirt path that seemed to almost not exist, telling us that we were nearing our goal. Before long he stopped, pulling as far over to one side as possible. “We're on foot from here on people,” He told us. I looked out the front to see a barrier made from fallen trees not a metre ahead of us. We exited the truck and began trudging through the snow and mud of the road, clambering over the fallen trees which crumbled as if rotten away from within.
noon
After maybe a kilometre on foot we came to a large gate set in a clay wall that had been built several months beforehand. We hadn't put any gates in our wall, just built it to around chest height all the way around the perimeter. This wall was twice that high. I raised an eyebrow in Archer's direction, nodding in the direction of the gate and wall questioningly. “This is the right place, I know it.” He told me. I didn't doubt his words, though clearly someone had moved in and finished the wall if nothing else.
I tried the gate, and it opened with ease. Walking inside I was greeted by the barrel of a gun and immediately ordered to put my hands up and let everyone else inside. I did so, slowly and with no sudden movements, turning to get a good look at the person haranguing me.
A young man, patchy fuzzy fur attached to some parts of his face in some semblance of a real beard, letting the eight of us inside before turning his head to call for some help. If we were not the people we were, we might well have taken advantage of his mistake, instead we just waited. A minute or so later three other people wandered on out from the barn.
The leader of the group, I assumed at least, spoke to us. Her voice was smooth but hard, in a take-no-shit kind of fashion. “I don't know who you are, how you've come here or what you're about. You're going to turn around and leave, and forget about this place. It isn't for the likes of you.” Archer couldn't help but burst out in laughter. The woman took one step back then reiterated herself. “It is not for you!”
“Don't mind him, he used to live here once. So did I, and my man, here,” Apocalypse Girl pointed me out. “We're looking for a friend of ours, he might have come back here, but I'm thinking not, now.” The three newcomers drew their weapons. Apocalypse Girl swore. “Look, we don't want any trouble, we've been through too much of that shit. Just tell us if you've seen someone weird-looking around that doesn't seem to need to eat and we'll be on our way.”
The four of them looked at one another. “You say you used to live here, fair enough, I can believe that. We've only just come here ourselves. Used to be a whole fuckload of Dead here though, to begin with. They seemed to have moved in after the walls were put up though. We patched them up a bit, put in a couple of gates, but none of them are ever left unguarded.” The leader told us. “Is there only the eight of you?” I nodded. She appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Right. You lot can disarm right here, and stay the night. You can ask around if anybody's seen this weird-looking friend of yours. We'll feed you tonight, give you a room for the night, and then you get your weapons back tomorrow morning, and you leave. If that doesn't suit you, then you can turn around and walk right out that gate.”
evening
Viking, Valkyrie and Cyclops were unhappy about the arrangement, but agreed nonetheless. Archer had us give him all of our ammunition, which he kept to himself, then we handed over all of our firearms. I insisted on being allowed to keep my sword, which this woman in charge was not happy about, but she agreed to it once I told her that I only trusted myself to take care of Apocalypse Girl, nobody else.
We entered the barn, discovering that little had changed inside. There had been musicians playing almost constantly when we had been here last, they had stayed behind when the escapees from the local prison had broken out and overrun the place.
Archer, seeing as he knew The Kid better than any of us, went about trying to find out information as we ate a meal that was handed to us by a smiling gate guard. The plate had a steak on it the size of the entire country. I asked where the meat had come from, only to be told about yet another Meat-beast. Having had such before, I simply shrugged and devoured the tasty flesh in front of me. When it was over I had an overwhelming impression that Fat Dealer was about to roll one of his infamous joints, but then I came back to the present, remembering that the jolly man was long dead and gone.
Ironically, we were shown to the very room that Apocalypse Girl and I had shared when we had first arrived here, but this time there were eight crammed into it. Archer, yawning, told me that he would tell us more of what he had learned in the morning, then he left the room, saying that he was just 'ducking out for a moment' and that he'd be right back.
April 26 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
Archer must have returned while I was asleep, as he was there when I awoke, talking quietly with Sister and Cyclops in one corner. He smiled, telling me that he had heard news of a strange lonely figure that was living in an old abandoned town to the northeast. Spreading out his map he pointed at three that were likely, including the one marked with the sword in the stone. “We need to check out these three towns, he's almost certainly in one of them.”
We were herded out shortly afterwards, once we were served more Meat-beast steaks for breakfast. The leader of this group told us that we had behaved well enough for strangers, and asked us to keep quiet about the location. It was remote enough that few knew of its existence, and the Living posed a much greater threat than the Dead, after all. I agreed to keep their secret, as did my companions, and we went out the same gate that we had entered by after having our weapons returned.
“Well, that was fucking pointless,” Sister complained once we arrived back at the truck. Archer told her that it had not been at all pointless. Just as she was about to ask why, Cyclops shouted from the rear of the truck, calling out a warning that Dead were coming up the path behind us, from the direction of the road.
I was out there in a flash, sword in hand, Viking at my side with his massive hammer. It was hardly a huge group, only ten or fifteen at the most, but they had to be dealt with before we could go anywhere. A bullet fired from Apocalypse Girl's pistol began the fray, my sword cutting through the head of the last Dead standing ended it a short time later, a
nd then we were good to go.
noon
The path from the commune lead right to the freeway and along it we drove. There was snow covering anything in sight, but driving slowly enough you were able to spot and avoid any major obstacles before you hit them. Apocalypse Girl and Archer joined me in the cabin as I drove. She asked him whether he was certain that it was The Kid that he had heard about, he shrugged, saying that it might not have been, but he was reasonably sure that it had been.
Now that we were out on the open road, or at least as open as it could be, travel time was minimised. We came across one town, though not any from Archer's list of potential sites to find The Kid. However, it was an ideal chance to refuel the truck, and stretch out legs while getting a lungful of fresh, Cold air. Apocalypse Girl's phone jangled. Need tissue sample, URGENT! Running out of time here! Read the message from The Smart Couple. Apocalypse Girl replied; we're on it, searching likely locations. Will keep you in the know. And then put the phone away with a sigh. I kinda knew how she felt, they seemed to be getting a little bit pushy on the subject of The Kid and his tissue sample.
evening
Slow going after that town, had to drive through a mob of Dead that seemed frozen in the road. That was almost fun, to be honest, but needed to clean the windscreen afterwards. Now huddling up with others in the back, though surprisingly the Cold tonight is not so bad. Made sure the back of the truck was secure, just in case some Dead wander up overnight.
Archer seems pretty certain that we'll come across the first of the three towns tomorrow sometime, with any luck we should even be able to check out all three in one day. I only hope that we find him quickly. I want to get this the fuck over with so that Apocalypse Girl and I can find somewhere safe.
April 27 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
The Dead seem to have found us. Probably the survivors of the group that I drove through, following the food once again. None of us wanted to be the first one out there, not this morning, before breakfast. Viking and Cyclops were arguing over which of the two of them would go first and eventually Guide got sick of the bitching, jumping out with nothing but a crowbar. We heard a whack, followed by a crunch, then a smack. A moment later Guide told us that the coast was clear.
Only three Dead? I examined the carcasses myself, and sure enough there had been a trio, though they had sounded vastly more numerous than that within the confines of the truck's rear end. Guide made some noise about it being easy if there's not too many of them, but I motioned for him to be quiet, as I could hear something else entirely.
Sort of a shuffling, scratching noise, slipping, sliding from behind us. Apocalypse Girl screamed “LOOK OUT!” from within the safety of the truck as the Dead that I had run down arrived, also following their stomachs. Of course with shattered bodies and limbs, they crawled through the snow, and as I drew my katana to deal with them, gunfire erupted from within the truck, and the nearest Dead pulled itself up on one shattered forearm to sink its teeth into Guide's calf tearing through the denim of his jeans almost as easily as they tore through flesh.
He swung his crowbar so forcefully that it bit into his leg as well, but the Dead fell dead at least, no longer gnawing at him. My sword found the heads of a few nearby Dead before I jumped up on the side of the truck, Guide on the other hand, scuttled around on hands and knees smashing every crawling Dead he could find.
noon
Guide was fucked, we had seen more than enough results from bites to know this, but he was asking for an amputation. Apocalypse Girl was of the opinion that if we were going to do it, we had best do it quickly, and so she tied off his leg above the knee as tightly as she was able, giving me the nod to go ahead. Asking Guide once more if he was sure about this, seeing him nod in confirmation around the stick he had between his teeth, I swung. The blade cut through flesh and bone with ease, just below Archer's belt, which Apocalypse Girl was using as a tourniquet. Guide's eyes bulged in an instant of agony and he passed out. Archer packed the end of the stump with snow until Valkyrie's fire was hot enough.
Viking was holding a spatula in the fire, heating up the metal. When it was ready, red-hot and glowing brighter than I ever remember the sun, Archer brushed the snow from the stump and Viking applied the spatula, cauterising the wound nicely.
evening
Found the first town, not really a lot around but a few Dead. Guide still hasn't regained consciousness yet, but his pulse is fairly strong, and he seems to have not lost a great deal of blood. The fever is a little concerning, however, but with the shock of having a leg chopped off it was understandable, at least that was what Archer tells me.
Sister has been keeping an eye on Guide, so that if he Dies someone is there and can deal with it, or if he wakes up and needs anything she can deal with that too. Personally I don't really like his chances. The Kid was fucking lucky with what had happened to him, and I am thinking that by now the infection would have spread further. Sister knows what she needs to do if she needs to do it, that much I know.
Still, we'll have another look around town in the morning, see if we can find any trace of The Kid, and if not there are still two more town to check out. He might be in one of those, maybe. Still, once we boarded up one of the houses in this town it seemed likely to serve well enough overnight. At least we'll be able to manage two to a bed tonight at least.
April 28 Year 1 A.Z.
morning
Apocalypse Girl discovered this morning that this place's gas at the very least was still turned on, so we were able to have some hot breakfast for a change. As well as a well deserved and long-overdue shower, though we had no clean clothes to change into at present. Archer ran around the town with Sister, while Valkyrie looked after Guide. Cyclops still wanted to smash in his skull with a hammer, Viking leaning towards his way of thinking. So was I, truth to tell, but not while the man still breathes. Valkyrie understood the situation. He had woken overnight, wanting a glass of water and needing to go to the toilet, both of which were good signs, but the fever still raged in him and his eyes had taken over a sickly looking cast. Perhaps we only slowed the infection.
Sister returned to gather us all up, Valkyrie's help invaluable in getting Guide back into the truck. Cyclops insisted on sitting in the rear with Guide, just in case anything happens, while Viking and Valkyrie took the cabin with Archer. I sat in the back happily enough, though I had my sword easily accessible and Apocalypse Girl was always on the other side of me safely away from Guide. Just in case.
noon
At the second town now, not a lot going on here either. Nothing, in fact. It looked as though somebody was here at some stage, but either Died and moved on, or just moved on. We all got out to stretch out our legs a little bit, save Cyclops and Guide, the latter not being able to and the former keeping an eye on him.
Apocalypse Girl called out “Dead over here, lots of the fuckers!” from beside one building, that had once been a pub. Sure enough, inside were a large number of Dead. I drew out my blade, Viking took up his hammer, Valkyrie and Apocalypse Girl backing us up at range with pistols. Archer and Sister were nowhere to be found.
We cleared out the front bar quickly enough, then headed deeper into the pub. The kitchen area had only a couple of Dead hanging around, but one of those nearly took a chunk out of Viking. He only escaped thanks to the swift reflexes of his Valkyrie and her fine shooting skills. We then headed upstairs, checking each room as we went along, some of which contained Dead, some not. Nowhere were there usable, useful supplies.
I found my way out to a balcony of sorts, noticing the truck we had arrived in rocking somewhat. Thinking the idea odd, suspecting that Guide might have been a little that way inclined but never suspecting Cyclops of it, I decided to keep it to myself and headed back inside. There was nothing of any use out there, just the wind and the Cold.
evening
We worked out way through and out of the pub, finding a few more Dead in other sections, rather a lot in the la
dies' room in fact, for some reason, and came out into full darkness. Archer and Sister were waiting out the front of the pub for us, the elder carrying a torch in one hand. From the darkness in the direction of the truck came Cyclops walking in my direction. It looked like he had been drinking, probably with Guide, and an instant before he lunged for my face I realised that the glazed look in his eye was the look of Death.
Archer bowled me out of the way, losing the torch in the process, as well as my sword. I heard a crunch and swung a heavily booted foot at it, knocking Apocalypse Girl to the ground a second before the torch was taken up by Sister, illuminating the situation once again.
Dead Cyclops loomed overhead, dropping to his knees in an effort to get closer to his meal. I flung Apocalypse Girl out to the side, lifting my legs upward and kicking out at his head, knocking him flat on his back. From the side flew my katana. I caught it, drawing the blade and burying it deep in Cyclops's empty socket.
“What the fuck just happened?!?” Viking demanded of nobody in particular. We discovered upon inspection that Cyclops's throat had been chewed open viciously. Returning to the truck, sure enough, Guide raved in the rear, blood smearing his face. With a tear, Sister put a single bullet in his head.
Anno Zombus Year 1 (Book 4): April Page 9