Immediate Survivors

by Cenz Barone

  Chapter 33 - Trailing The Death Squads

  Meanwhile back at camp. By now everyone was up except Laura and Baxter. Kenny sat cooking breakfast over the fire, using the pots and pans and the entire group was aware Cherie, Elise and Nancy had gone with Roy. Elise and Cherie having hurriedly told Melissa before they went off to follow Nancy, Kenny was roused about 20 minutes afterwards by his thudding headache, he realised he drank too much the previous night, and now he was sobering up. They had been gone for almost two hours so it was still quite early in the morning. Kenny wondered what they would have seen when Roy took them to what he said was the death squads work. Melissa watched Kenny sip his coffee “Do you really believe him Kenny, about what Roy said. Those people are really out there like us but hurting other people” Melissa asked.

  Kenny had no reason not to believe it as he flipped some of the bacon on the tray, the smell succulent and Melissa was famished. Kenny answered her “Look at us Melissa. We have stolen things, hijacked cars, taken weapons from the rescue station, broken into shops so...” Melissa interrupted him “That is a bit of a stupid example when you compare it to torture and rape”. Kenny sniggered and replied “That’s a good point” as Melissa followed it up with “Well do you trust Roy, Laura last night told me she doesn’t for some reason” to which Kenny answered “I don’t trust him but I don’t know why. Whatever the case is, he is helping us, I mean I didn’t trust you when I first met you Melissa”.

  Melissa found this telling, as Melissa asked “So what you are saying is, you trust me now?” as Kenny yawned holding his head and responded “You’ve grown on me like this headache” as Melissa questioned him by saying “How much did you drink last night?” Kenny shrugged his shoulders and replied “I don’t know, I can’t remember. I just wanted to forget about things”. Melissa unhappily said “If you were planning on drinking so much you intended to pass out you should have asked someone else to stay awake” as Kenny defensively answered “I was awake” finding this odd Melissa told him “Kenny when I found you, you were keeled over by the camper van” Kenny had no response for this, as he asked “Would you like some eggs” Melissa shook her head and replied “Ugh, eggs, are you serious they must have gone off, I am sure the bacon has to, it’s been almost a week” Kenny cracked open an egg from the box and replied “Melissa, they can last a long time” Melissa hungrily said “Whatever”.

  As the smoke filtered up Melissa asked him seriously, with a whisper “So why don’t you trust him?” slightly distracted by the food, like he wasn’t taking her questions or the situation serious he answered “Don’t trust who?” Melissa became slightly aggravated and replied “Fucking Roy Kenny” she then whispered, repeating herself, lest someone hear “Fucking Roy”. Kenny shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know why, just a gut feeling, it doesn’t mean anything bad though, I am sure he doesn’t trust us entirely, who cares. We are here now, and safe” Melissa finding this strange as she said “Safe, in the woods, I hardly slept last night” quickly Kenny asked her “But you slept right?” Melissa just nodded as she used an aluminium mug to pour the boiling coffee in, and then she used the long-lasting milk and replied “Of course I did. It is just Laura has a bad feeling about him, usually when Laura gets a bad feeling about someone it tends to be right. She has helped me get good boyfriends in the past with her feeling but it’s scary you know, thinking we have to worry about other people, people who would do those things to us, the things Roy described. If it’s not the dead things, it is others”.

  Totally not paying attention he replied to her, and only focusing on a small detail of what she had just said, Kenny said to Melissa “Wait, if Laura is such a good judge of character and picked you boyfriends, you say boyfriends not boyfriend, so you broke up, that means you were not content enough to stay in a relationship, I don’t know maybe you shouldn’t rely on her”. Melissa did not know if he was purposely trying to wind her up as she replied “Did you listen to a word I just said” self-consciously he answered, seeing how pissed she looked at him “Obviously not”. He sought to change the subject so asked her “Have you ever camped out like this before?”

  Melissa was also eager to change the subject and answered him “No, I am a city girl. I do miss it, how busy it was, always something happening, I can tell you of the best nightclubs but most importantly the best spas, I loved my spa days” with regret she added “None of those places will suit us now, might never get to do anything normal again. What about you, do you think of anything else other than where we are now”. Kenny replied honestly “I don’t know Melissa. Like you I am from a city, well an urban area, Bristol is horrendous for traffic but out here it seems safe for now, where I am from its quite busy but venturing into places like this, I am not experienced in going into the countryside”. “Didn’t you say you are from the outskirts of Bristol” she quizzically asked him as he answered her “Yeah the outskirts, it is like a small town, not within and not outside. Ah it doesn’t matter”.

  Laura stepped out of the tent followed by Baxter who walked out soon after from the same one. Kenny turned to them and muttered “I am glad I passed out drunk now, didn’t hear a peep” Melissa shot him an amused look, then joined in her own teasing as Melissa said, putting on a scolding voice “Laura Flores, what is the meaning of this” as Laura approached her Melissa went on and said “Spending the night with a boy, it is very unbecoming and leaving your best friend in the night to go to that boy, good thing I didn’t nag you to stay with me huh” she was really overdoing the laid on sarcasm. Laura though took the coffee from Melissa’s hand and sipped it as she said affectionately to her friend “Fuck off Melissa” to which Melissa laughed. Baxter sat looking really shy but deep down he was so happy to have spent the night with her. “You feeling hungry” asked Kenny to Laura and Baxter “Starving” Laura replied and Baxter just nodded.

  Once she was comfortable Laura surveyed the scene and asked confused “Where are the others?” Melissa informed her friend “Cherie, Nancy and Elise have gone with Roy to see the house he was talking about” with concern across her face Laura stood up and stated “What just them, why did they go off without the rest of us?” as Melissa finding her friend’s reaction a tad strong said “I didn’t want to go, I don’t think anyone else here did, besides you know Nancy was curious. Nancy is right to, I know you might not like Roy but we need him to help us scope out this area. We all have to become familiar with it, knowing these woods and the surrounding area might just be what in the end saves our life. When they get back I want to go on their next exploration of the area, it is better to get out and know what’s what” as Kenny replied “Are you sure you are a city girl?”

  Melissa felt compelled to go as she said “I was, I don’t know what I am anymore but why not” Kenny stirring the eggs which he scrambled up and put beans in as Baxter overlooked it and said “Mate, what the hell are you cooking” Kenny shrugged his shoulders and answered “Some beans and an egg thing, I just mix them all up like one big broth”. Baxter placidly replied “Okay, I guess”. Kenny now addressed Melissa’s point “I think it is best to get a heads up of this area, I can’t see moving from here for a while. I will study the map later, the one in the camper van”. Baxter picked up a mug near him and lifted it up, he sipped some and then spat it out “What the hell Kenny, is this tea”. Kenny came close and looked in it as he remarked causally “Oh no, that’s piss” Baxter almost threw up as Kenny joked “Nah I am kidding mate, it’s tea but that is cold, why did you drink it when it was cold. Here, use that boiling water”.

  Baxter leant forward going to take the boiling water to make a coffee. He also felt foolish as Melissa struggled to keep her giggles inside and Laura smirked sipping her coffee. Kenny then said “It is nice to see everyone happy”. Laura now said aloud turning to Melissa “Have you got a makeup bag?” as Melissa nodded and answered “It is in the back compartment of the 4x4 you found”. Kenny stood amazed “How the hell did you get a makeup bag, how much shi
t did we take from the supermarket?” nobody answered as Laura said “I need to freshen up. I suppose the lake is our sink” as Melissa replied “Or bathtub, whatever way you want to look at it”.

  The fire continued to burn brightly, and then they heard movement in the thickets of the path ahead, Nancy called out eager to not have anyone get too trigger happy “It is just us”. Everyone turned to see Nancy leading with Elise and Cherie beside her and Roy at the rear. They all came around the camp fire as Nancy said under her breath “Oh good, no look out” to which Kenny answered “A lookout, this place is fine”. And Nancy asked him bluntly “Did you enjoy your sleep?”

  As if to antagonise her he replied, making it worse “I don’t remember I was drunk?” Nancy had nothing else to say, Cherie looked disapprovingly at him but he was acting innocent as though he was just joking. Elise now said for them all “Never go to that house!” as Nancy went into business mode and told them “Before any of you ask why, just take our word for it, its sick and disgusting, everything you think but worse” Nancy now sat down on the tree stump as she remarked “I don’t think I can eat anything”. Roy was quietly watching them, soaking in their discomfort, for him it was a necessary rude awakening. As Roy said “I did warn you Nancy. At least now you know what you are up against”.

  Provocatively Melissa said “Didn’t looking at the pictures tell you that?” Elise and Cherie helped themselves to the food, the plates themselves used from last night and trays having been washed in the lake, which was disgusting but they had no other means. Kenny now approached Roy and asked him “Can you recommend any other safe place for us to go around here” Roy found this unexpected as Cherie asked him “Why are you thinking about going to another place?” as Kenny with his eye on Roy said, answering Cherie “Because having options is key, so the mountains, is it any good up there Roy?” Roy shook his head as he walked away from Kenny looking at the food, he was famished himself.

  Nancy just kept her thoughts to herself about what she viewed in the house, unable to shake it off her mind, and Nancy was floored that Cherie and Elise were eating after seeing that atrocity. Roy answered Kenny “Nah it is bad up there, weather is colder the winds are stronger, besides your tents would fall before you could get them up, more importantly there are not enough good roads to take all your equipment via the camper van. Unless you all want to hike this gear" nobody wanted to do such a hike, so Roy continued, reasserting his point of view "Believe me you are safer down here, anything that comes here you will know, those things will have to navigate so much bullshit branches and paths, and the barricade set up yesterday is robust, it goes all around. You people will be fine here”.

  Kenny undeterred began to ask more questions aloud “What about a house or some building we could use to run towards if we are found out here. It’ll be far easier to defend than an open space like this”. Roy was clearly not interested in discussing this so said “Look mate I have told you there aren’t many houses or buildings around here, all the ones close to us are dangerous for those death squads go there, it would be suicide to go there. All it takes is just for one to see you and you will have more up your ass”. Kenny was not put off as he defended his argument by saying “I am just thinking about a place we can run to”. Nancy sternly told Kenny “I don’t know about you but I have no plan to set up in a house along the road around here”.

  Baxter asked Nancy “Was it really that bad”. Cherie told him sinisterly “Just be glad you didn’t see the pictures last night” Baxter could only imagine. Roy now spoke seeing Kenny was quite stubborn so he said to him “Well I could show you some possible locations, I would advise against certain houses, you want a place off road, with sights to see the area while being engulfed in camouflage right” Kenny eager to pursue this replied “That is what I am planning”. Cherie said annoyed to him “What about consulting us” Kenny turned and told her “Oh you do what you want, I am thinking about myself, surely you people are aware there is a strong risk we will be found out here and its best to have an idea of where we could go if something happens, don’t get me wrong I want us all to survive I just everyone should think for themselves as well as going with the status quo, you know what I mean”. Cherie shook her head and told him “Kenny, you haven’t heard a word we said have you”.

  Melissa quietly said recalling her earlier conversation with Kenny said “It seems that’s a problem for him”. Kenny frustrated stated “It is wise isn’t. Plan B, what happens if this place is fucked, we will be fucked”. Nancy now spoke forcefully, but was very tempered in tone “If any of the houses and places along the roads here are like the one we have just seen, it will take forever to clean them up, and knowing what happened...” Nancy’s words trailed off. Laura and Melissa could like Baxter appreciate how hard it must have been for Nancy, Cherie and Elise to see.

  Now Roy brought his back pack before them all and placed it on the floor, he took out a map which was inside, he gave them the map, it read “Ordinance Of The Downs” Roy remarked as he directly gave it to Kenny “It’s a map of the entire area, all over the downs, the upper and lower area plus the central area you are at” Laura suspiciously asked Roy “Wouldn’t you need a map?” Roy went into his bag and pulled out another map as he proudly said “I have backups, I told you, when I raided villages around here. I took only the essentials, it is all well and good having a map but if you lose it, you are in real trouble”.

  Laura fired back “For someone so confident about this area I thought you wouldn’t need a map”. Roy like some of the others detected Laura’s hostility towards Roy. Cherie found it odd and Elise thought Laura was being spiteful but Roy ignored it as he said to Kenny who was looking at the map, Kenny’s eyes having lit up at it. Roy forewarned “Just study the area, I agree with you it is good to have a place, but a place that makes sense, not going to places I am telling you are dangerous. What you have here, right now is a really good set up. Don’t blow this place mate by heading into a more dangerous area, or risking it unnecessarily”.

  Kenny found Roy convincing but was not moved to change his mind, so Roy emphasised, being serious when needed by saying “This is just your second day in the downs boy, most of the people here who are in the downs have been here since this thing began, it’s a sensible thing to stay, and take it from someone like me who knows this area, you won’t have problems here, you should count your blessings you happened to stumble into this spot”. Kenny though was showing his restless nature and told Roy “Like you said, this is my second day here and I am already feeling a little shacked up. There has to be a place where they are taking the fight back to these fuckers”. Roy found Kenny really determined, in the brief time he had known him he was surprised as Roy confused asked “A fight back, you mean the authorities, like some kind of government set up or a militia”. Baxter rolled his eyes and said “A militia, mate this isn’t the states”. Roy replied to Baxter severely “The death squads here are effective because they are a paramilitary, they have guns just like you guys do and forgive me for saying it but they seem far more cohesive and also in far greater number than you people”.

  Now Elise voiced her frustrations at Kenny, he often did this, jumping from one extreme to another, it was hard to predict as she said “After all that has happened, all we have discussed. You yourself said that the government will end up getting us killed”. Nancy now told him “You know you are so stubborn Kenny” as Kenny objected and replied “I am just talking about joining the fight against these things, to take the fight back to them. I am trying to think like a fighter”. Cherie now threw down her tray and said to him angrily “Kenny, listen to me. I know you want to fight back but this isn’t an army, there is no enemy forces, it is dead people come back to life to hunt us, that’s it. So I don’t know what you are talking about”. Kenny wiped his forehead and ignored the group around him, he then said to Roy “So what of it Roy. What do you say? Want to help me. What are you going to do today?”

  Roy checked the other
people in the group, all seemed mostly resigned to this place so he told Kenny “I am helping you, and I am not going to risk my neck trying to locate a setup from here so you can go and do what? House hunt! You ask what I am going to do today, what I try and do everyday Kenny. Stay around here, hang out and live another day hopefully, you should do the same, and if you were not so pigheaded you might appreciate being here more. All the same study the map I gave you and then talk to me”.

  Kenny knew that was all he could do considering he didn’t know the area, so he voiced frustrated “This is it then isn’t, we just have to wait and hope for the best” as Roy placed his hand onto Kenny’s shoulder and said, as though a father to his son “There is nothing else to do” again Roy addressed them all and stated “If I was in your position I would just want to sit back and enjoy”. Laura questioningly asked Roy, again finding his manner strange “How can you say that, enjoy what?” but Roy pressed the point and added “Enjoy having your health, not walking around like a dazed cannibal for one” the tension obvious between Laura and Roy. Nancy now spoke almost absentmindedly but very in tune with the situation “We should also consider hiding the roads, the road we brought the camper van up. Putting up some kind of barricade like we have done with the paths in the woodlands” as Roy became wide-eyed at this and walked around the camp fire to stand opposite Nancy on the other side of the fire “Now that’s a practical point, that makes sense. You don’t want any of the wrong people finding their way up here, and I don’t mean the dead things. If we blockade the road, a few miles down that will be a start”.