Thrust & Parry: Z Day

by Luke Ashton

  “There now, that was fun wasn’t it?” She said, her deviant smile reappearing on her face. She checked his watch. “Anyway that’s my time up. We should do this again sometime. ” And with that she wandered into the bar to wake Monica. Jim tried to regain himself a little bit before she arrived. Laura reappeared a few seconds later with her daysack and headed towards the toilets to change.

  “I can’t let you do that I’m afraid.” Jim said as he saw her. “You can’t wander round on your own.” Laura simply shrugged and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. She dressed quickly but not before she made sure that Jim saw she was still dripping wet. She was now barefoot with the t-shirt and shorts on. She quickly packed her dress and heels away and wandered back into the bar without another word. As she did Monica appeared looking sleepy and dishevelled.

  “How you holding up?” he asked as she grunted a hello at him, obviously not a morning person.

  “I’ve been worse but I get the feeling the worst of it has yet to come.” Monica said. “Listen, about earlier, I’m sorry, it shouldn’t have happened I just get a little crazy when I’m horny or stressed and since I was both, well you can understand how bad I was.” She was babbling. Jim held up a hand to stop her, his eyes still focused on the zeds.

  “Don’t worry about it. It was fun.” He replied with a little smile. She gave a nervous giggle and fell quiet. The rest of the stag was spent in relative silence except for the odd conversation about what they did before the apocalypse. She worked in a bank as a mortgage advisor and was very surprised to hear he worked in IT as ‘he didn’t look the type.’ That then lead to a conversation about how much she hated her banks IT guys.

  “Look on the bright side, there probably all dead now anyway.” Joked Jim with a chuckle. She didn’t laugh. She obviously wasn’t a fan of the same squaddie humour as he was used to.

  He finished his stag and went over to dig Paddy out of bed for his stag before getting his head down for a bit. As he lay there trying to get to sleep he reflected on the last 24 hours once more. What a fucked up situation this had turned out to be.

  Chapter 11

  He had flesh hanging from his jowls and was pacing forward, eyes fixed on Jim, snarling.

  “Rube, No! Not you buddy. Please.” Jim began to well up. Not his boy. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t kill his dog. He loved him more than anything in this world. Rube lowered his head and prepared to pounce. Tears were streaming freely down Jim’s face now. “Please Rube it’s me. It’s Jim, you’re my boy, don’t do this!” Jim was shaken from his nightmare.

  “Jim, Jim. Wake up buddy, Whethers says he needs to see you.” Jim sat up and rubbed his eyes. Sam was stood shaking his shoulder lightly. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his weapon and jogged out of the bar.

  “What’s the situation mate?” Jim asked Whethers.

  “The zombies suddenly fucked off. I think there might be another survivor nearby.” Jim nodded and turned to Sam.

  “Wake everyone up. Tell the lads to ‘stand to’ and await further orders Il get Paddy up.” Jim followed Sam into the bar and shook Paddy awake again. He sat up looking confused.

  “What’s happened boss?” He asked.

  “Possible survivor, on me.” He said and Paddy leapt out of bed and grabbed his rifle. They both jogged into the store room and stormed up the ladder. As they burst onto the roof they saw immediately what the issue was. There was another soldier stood on the roof of the building to the right of the gate. There were at least 10 zeds in the car park. It answered Jim’s question about the security of the complex. Somewhere there must be a hole. Jim instantly turned to Paddy.

  “Get Rim up here. Tell Whethers to stand by the door and be ready to open it.” Paddy disappeared and returned a minute later with Rim. “We are going to cover his approach to the building. Don’t let any zeds get near him.” The lads grunted and everyone took a knee. Jim popped his bipod out and laid down behind his weapon. He took the first shot and popped the closest zeds head. Paddy was next and dropped another. The zeds started turning, now more interested in the new noise they heard from the TAC roof. Jim popped another one and the zed next to it dropped as well as Rim opened up. The zeds started moving towards them at speed, several falling over the bodies they had created. The soldier saw his chance and leapt off the roof into the car park. He landed badly and tumbled. The zeds heard the crack of his rifle hitting the floor and turned once more. He tried to recover but was now limping badly. He made a run for the door but there was a zed blocking his path, now charging straight at him. He stopped dead in his tracks and threw his hands over his head.

  “Fucking useless idiot.” Remarked Jim as he tried to line up the charging zed. The others were now closing on him fast.

  “Rim! Get on the Gimpy, just in case!” Roared Jim over the noise. Rim nodded and threw himself down the hole. Jim squeezed the trigger and the zed dropped by the soldiers feet.

  “FUCKING MOVE!” Jim called at him and he started limping again. Jim and Paddy worked away at the zeds getting close until he disappeared from view. “Hold your fire.” Jim said to Paddy and stood up. He raced back down the hole and through to the stag point. The door was now locked and there was at least 5 new faces pressed up against it. The soldier was sat up against a by one of the offices panting heavily and holding his leg.

  “What the fuck was that about soldier?” He demanded as he saw him.

  “Excuse me? Who in god’s name do you think you’re talking to.” The soldier hobbled back to his feet and straightened up. Jim spotted the pip on his rank slide.

  “Oh for fuck sake!” Thought Jim. The soldier was an officer and guessing by the rosy read cheeks and un-faded kit he would guess a fairly new one. The accent suggested he was some posh twat form York who treats the TA like a summer camp before he finishes his officer training.

  “Apologies sir, didn’t see the rank slide but why didn’t you use your rifle?” Jim inquired.

  “Good god I’ve not fired a rifle off the range. Besides its not zeroed to me I took it off some private.” He replied looking offended.

  “There have been other soldiers that have survived sir?” Jim’s ears pricked up instantly.

  “I wouldn’t say so, surrounded by these fuckers last time I saw him.” The officer asked. Jim was in two minds to just shoot this officer right here but something about his loyalty to the regiment stopped him.

  “Right, Rim sort the Rupert a bed space out will you. Paddy, take a look at his leg, let me know if you need a hand. Whethers, your staging on until this is sorted mate, sorry. Sir, I need you to strip down to your underwear so I can check you for bites.” Rupert was a slang name for an officer. Something about them all being posh and called Rupert Jim guessed. The lads started to move.

  “Hold on a fucking second.” There was something wrong about someone that posh saying ‘fucking.’ “From the moment I stepped in this building you have been relieved of your duties. I am now in effective command of your section.” Jim sighed. There was nothing he could do, the Rupert was well within his rights to take over.

  “OK then sir, what would you like us to do?” Jim asked getting more frustrated by the second.

  “Well, I think the most important thing is to show dominance over this enemy. We have to show the public that we are still a strong fighting force. I would like you to go out as section commander and do an advance to contact. Show the enemy that we are still in this fight. Damage their morale.

  “This is like something out of a manual in Sand Hurst.” Thought Jim, he looked at his men. Rim opened his mouth to speak but Jim held up a hand.

  “What about your leg sir?” Jim asked.

  “I’m sure one of these fair maidens knows a bit of first aid. I shall stay here with the ladies and write the next 24 hours reports.” He replied. Jim looked over at the 3 ladies now stood in the bar doorway looking worried. The sour look had returned to Sam’s face with a vengeance.

  “When do we leave?”


  “As soon as your ready lance corporal.” The Rupert replied with a smile. Jim turned to his men.

  “Right lads, prepare to move.” There was all manner of grumbling and profanities as they packed their kit up. 5 minutes later all the lads were huddled in the lobby round Jim as he told them the plan. “Right, we are moving out of here and to the right, by this point I expect we will have already hit zeds so it doesn’t fucking matter where we plan to go after that.”

  “What about that scrawny lot?” Asked Rim pointing at the zeds clawing at the door.

  “While the Gimpy’s still set up, Whethers will open the door and give it a kick and you will hose the fuckers down. Any questions?” No one said a word. “Good let’s get this over with.” Jim and Paddy stepped to one side while Whethers and Rim got into place. Whethers slid the locks off and gave the door an almighty kick. Several of the zeds flew backward but recovered quickly. Rim opened up with the Gimpy and within seconds all five of them were motionless. “Good work lads, right order of march. Whethers, take point, I’ll go next, Rim, bring that Gimpy in behind me and Paddy watch the rear.” Whethers stepped off out the door and Jim followed.

  The car park was eerily quiet. Jim searched the morning light for signs of movement but found nothing. There was a rhythmic thud in the distance that suggested someone had left their music on but nothing else. Whethers headed to the gate and slipped onto the street, taking a knee to one side of the gate. Jim ran at a crouch up to him.

  “What you seen mate?” Jim whispered over the PRR.

  “Nothing boss it’s just. Well this street should be teeming with zeds. Where the fuck have they all gone?” As he asked it the rhythmic thudding grew louder. Jim could just about hear what sounded like a diesel engine growling now.

  “What the fuck is that?” Asked Rim, seemingly forgetting his radio, as the rest of the guys heard the noise too. His question was answered seconds later as a battered bus pulled round the corner and came to a stop next to them. It had no windows in it and several heavy looking speakers hung out the back playing some form of trance music. The bus door opened and a figure appeared in the doorway dressed in what looked like a bad impression of a roman soldier.

  “Hey lads, get the fuck in quick.” He shouted over the music. No-one moved. Suddenly a horde of zeds burst round the corner and began sprinting at the bus. Several had their heads thrown back in a primal scream but it was drowned out by the music. Jim instantly stood up and ushered his lads onto the bus. He just had time to jump on before the driver floored it, sending him skidding down the bus, he hit his head on the floor hard and everything went black.

  Chapter 12

  He had to stay strong, he had to get out. Twice a day he would be given a hunk of bread on a plastic plate and a bottle of water. He guessed it was twice a day, he had no watch and had not seen sunlight since he had got on the bus. Before every meal he had given himself a small workout to keep fit. A few sit-ups and press-ups mixed with jogging on the spot and stretching. He didn't have enough room to workout fully but it helped. Every day he was taken up to an area that looked like it used to be the canteen for staff. It was now stacked with all sorts of swords and homemade shields. Anything from bin lids to sheet metal with a handle welded on to a cardboard box flattened down with a handle taped onto it. Jim always found they simply slowed him down and chucked them as soon as he got out. Today though he was not given a sword and a shield. He was first passed a dagger held in a simple loop of fabric on a belt. He took it and clipped it on. He had learnt that he needed as many weapons as possible. As he followed the armorer round the dagger banged against his calf and he could see it was going to be an issue. He was then passed a net and he knew what was coming. As much as the guys that had taken him were complete nutcases, they were trying to be historically accurate. He looked round and spotted his next weapon. Leant up against the wall in one corner were a stack of homemade tridents. It was a hollow metal pole that once housed mop or a brush or something. The end had been cut to a point and about a foot down 2 pieces of pole had been cut to fit and pushed through at an angle to form the prongs. It was all held together by a piece of nylon rope. Jim wasn’t convinced it would actually do much damage but he would see.

  "Right, you're all set Lion Heart. Let’s go." The armorer said to him as he led him towards the door to the warehouse. Jim had been given the name when he had arrived at the complex and had learnt quickly to accept anything that was said to him. He was lead through the warehouse at gunpoint to the makeshift arena. One of his own guns, a SA80 was now pressed into his back. The arena was built from corrugated iron sheets and iron railings and stood about 15 feet high. There was an entrance to the 'gladiator’s cage,' as it was known, in front of him that was yanked up by a rope on a pulley system as he approached. The cage was about 8 foot high, 6 foot long and 4 foot wide. The door slid down behind him and the pulley operator readied himself to open the front door to it. This lead to the arena. Jim psyched himself up. He had to win this. If he survived he had a chance to get out of here, he could escape. He was jolted from his thoughts by 3 zeds flinging themselves at the front gate. They strained through the gate, hands outstretched, clawing at Jim. Jim watched them intently. The left hand zed was a long haired teen in dark, baggy clothes. The type of guy who thinks his parents just don’t understand him. The right hand one was a greying construction worker in a high visibility vest, white t-shirt that looked like it once had a logo on it but was now covered in several layers of dried blood and a pair of worn jeans. These two didn’t really bother Jim though. It was the middle one that got his attention. Save for the lifeless, vacant eyes it was the same guy he'd seen come through basic training with flying colours.

  "Rim?" Jim whispered in disbelief. He had a massive chunk missing out of his stomach and Jim could see his intestines sliding about freely. It was at that moment that the ringleader or 'emperor' as he liked to be called chirped up.

  "Well, well, well, ladies and gentlemen, we have just seen one of our most promising fighters fall at the hands of the undead swine. And so we all know what that means. It's time for a little family reunion. For those of you that missed it, yesterday we saw Timid Wolf fall and be savaged by these beasts and so it was left for Leprechaun to tidy everything up." Jim could guess who Leprechaun was but he hoped to god that Timid Wolf wasn’t Whethers. "And now we have a similar situation. Swinging Bear has just been overpowered by his foes. I warned his that refusing a weapon was a bad idea." Jim smiled at this. Rim had been defiant to the end. "And now ladies and gentlemen we get to see the animated corpse of Swinging Bear be struck down by no other than our very own Lion Heart." He announced Jim's new found title and there were several cheers and woops from the makeshift stands in the shelving units. If he wasn’t being held here against his will he might have quite liked this place. "Remember folks, we are the only salvation from the current apocalypse. We can protect you and provide for you. All we ask for is your help in creating the new world. We are recruiting for our trooper program. If you like killing zombies then sign up today or for our ladies who want to help how about our maternity program. You are the only hope for the new world and we need you to help us create the next generation." The zeds suddenly stopped clawing and turned round. Jim couldn’t see what was going on but he had seen it before.

  "And now, without further ado I give you Lion Heart." The crowd roared again and the gate in front of Jim slid open. The zeds were jumping after a man swinging on a harness. He was terrified, begging towards the emperor for his life. This was one of the emperor’s favourite punishments. If anyone did anything the he deemed was against the law he would strap them into the harness and use them as bait to distract the zeds. He usually names and shames them with their crimes to deter others. Yesterday it was a man who had voiced his opinion that they should have a prime minister as a leader instead of an emperor. Unfortunately he had voiced it within earshot of one of the troopers who had arrested him on the spot. The man was hoisted back up an
d out of site. The zeds became docile once more. Jim had stepped out of the cage but didn’t move, he didn’t want to attract their attention. He stood for a minute weighing up his options. At that moment the speakers round the area burst into life with yet another mindless trance track. This seemed to send the zombies into a frenzy, they were no longer charging towards anything in particular, simply charging. They began to bounce off the walls of the arena and run into each other. Jim readied himself; he knew what was coming next. One of the zeds would eventually run his way and notice him.

  He decided he wasn’t waiting to find out. He flipped the trident round so that he had it like a javelin and tried to find a target. There was just a blur of movement in front of him. He pulled the trident back and launched it forward. It hurtled through the air and made contact. It took a few seconds before Jim could see what he had hit, it was Rim. He had caught him in the chest, the two prongs had broken off on impact but the pole had gone straight through Rim and got caught in the iron bars behind him. Rim was now effectively trapped along one side. The other two stopped dead for a second as the trident made contact before pouncing towards Jim. There was very little space to fight one zed in here, never mind two. He switched the net to his left hand and drew his dagger. The right hand zed reached him first and he stepped left and simply swung the dagger round at head height, hard. The zed moved past him slightly before dropping in the cage he had just come from. The zed’s head parted at the mouth and the top of his head slid off.