To my readers; thank you for your purchase and past/present support; it’s deeply appreciated, I hope you enjoy the book.
Regards,
A.L Crawford
Prologue:
I miss my old life; I miss its simplicity. My goodness, if only I knew how lucky I was back then in my nine till five call centre job with all of those annoying customers who wouldn’t buy a damn thing from me, no matter what sales pitch I threw at them. Let’s be frank though who really likes receiving cold calls? I didn’t like making them never mind receiving them! But I still had a job to do, no sales meant no job! Talk about pressure!
Look at me now, wanting the damn right hated part of my life back into being, even if it caused nothing but depression back in the day but my oh my do I miss it!
There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do to get it all back!
Bloody hell I even miss hating the finger print scanner on my smart phone, it never did work when I needed it to. It always made me type in my stinking password time after time! Due to my fat finger syndrome, the frustration was real. Finger print scanners ha! Waste of time, that’s what I think! It was great when it worked, but that was only on the rare occasion.
Most of all, I miss the security and freedom which was the one thing I tuck for granted, we all did. I miss being able to walk into a supermarket once a week with the other half, treating ourselves to all of our favourite of foods, all paid for of course by an honest wage! I had a well-earned gut which was well maintained via a diet of takeaways, chicken, rice, tortilla chips and my arch nemeses chocolate! Dad bod eat your heart out I thought.
All of that is completely dust now, unless from the gut unfortunately.
I did nothing but complain and complain about everything back then. I loved a good old moan. Little did I know how lucky I was until it was torn from beneath my feet.
But…..None of that matters now.
It’s been just over two weeks since the outbreak, when I say outbreak I mean flesh eating Zombies rising from the dead!
If you get bitten, you turn!
If you get scratched, you turn!
If you die, you turn!
The streets are now swarmed by countless hordes!
The growth of this outbreak was completely unprecedented.
It spread just as fast as the common cold thanks to its hunger driven, reanimated corpses.
We didn’t stand a chance; no containment protocol in the world could have predicted/handled such a pandemic, not a larger scale one such as this at least. Not that there wasn’t any, there was, they just didn’t/couldn’t hold up against such defining odds.
Little few of us exist now!
Chapter: 1
It was just another ordinary Saturday morning. I got up at 11am per normal, Saturdays were my lazy days! I had my cereal with full fat milk, accompanied by a cup of strong coffee before going for my morning drop off followed by a shower. No one likes skids!
Then I spent an hour in my boxing shorts, playing video games, totally oblivious to the outside world ticking by!
But then the unthinkable happened, which came in the form of a knock followed by a round of vigorous banging on my apartment door.
At first I thought it was the other half, maybe I’d forgotten an anniversary or worse yet I’d pissed her off in some way.
As I approached the door, prepared in advance for the wrath of the one I called Rebecca, my one true nightmare of a girlfriend.
The unthinkable happened as I went to answer, the door came thrashing in on me, smashing my then limp but minty body to the ground, as if id been sucker punched!
Within seconds I was out cold, due to the nasty door and floor sandwich combo which was enough to knock just about anyone into the next millennium!
What a bump that left, next thing I know I’m flat out, still in my boxes, on some metal trolley attached to a heart rate monitor, it was that annoying constant beep that brought me round. Curse! The headache I can’t forget that, no way will I ever forget that. It was as if someone cracked my skull in half and filled the inside with buzzing bees crashing from side to side! The torment!
I remember looking left to right and all I could see was trolley after trolley lined up in rows of ten all occupied, with soldiers and doctor’s alike running about all in all directions but this one, overload mode clearly activated! In some gigantic camouflage tent of some sort!
I was so confused; I mean what the hell is going on? Why aren’t I in my apartment, why am I on some freezing cold trolley hooked up to a heat rate monitor in what looked to be some kind of army base?
I was completely astonished by my current situation.
Screams and bellows could be heard from all directions!
Out of nowhere, a brood bulky hand smacks down hard against the top of my head, my God I could have died, the pain!
In mid turn, dirty looks in full flow upon the blow, my eyes set sight on a five foot nine tank of a man, brown short hair and clean shaven with blue eyes. Dressed in army scrubs, Captain symbols on full display, alongside his sewn-on name badge which read ‘David Cole.’
“Hurry the Fuck up and follow me!”
I clamoured, “What is this, where am I? What the hell is going on?”
David answers, “Didn’t you see the news Peter? Shit, I haven’t got time for this. Just put these on, and hurry up. You’ve got less than five minutes before the evacuation chopper leaves for Fort Hill.”
Smack, a single set of black chinos is thrown into my face followed by an ocean blue, short sleeve top, socks and running shoes.
“How do you know my name?”
David now bright red in anger cried out, “Just get dressed already! There’s a horde heading this way, trust me you don’t want to be around if it goes pear shaped! Now get your shit on and let’s move!”
I speedily threw on the baggy outfit and clown shoes, which were three sizes too big, before mounting to my trotters. David waited impatiently.
I couldn’t help but think ‘Has there been some kind of terror attack? What the hell does he mean by horde? Where’s Rebecca? Is she safe? Is my family safe?’
David forces his spade of a hand around my wrist and drags me at full speed outside of the tent, feet scattering!
I caterwaul, “What will happen to the others in there? Where’s Fort Hill and what the hell is happening for the billionth of times?”
“I wouldn’t worry about them, they’re beyond hope, let’s go!”
I look up from my daze to see hundreds of armed soldiers rushing around in every given direction, with multiple helipads, engines roaring. All in the confines of a mammoth man made scaffold type wall. Guarded by the heaviest of heavy weaponry!
“Here they come, fire at will!” floats on the musky blows.
Pop, pop, pop! My ears are deafened by rounds of multiple gun fire and screams!
Without notice David throws me into a black, armed chopper head first, smashing it hard against the steel floor. Head banging more than ever, due to burst any second.
“That’s the last one! All conscious/unaffected civilians are on board, now let’s move!”
On the lift of my beating head, I could see that I was surrounded by a dozen other civilians all dirty in appearance suffering from injury, big and small alike, some possibly life threatening.
“David what’s going on? Tell me!”
“Get your seat belt on and shut up!”
Feeling lost in the unknown, I did just that leaving me to my thoughts once again.
David leaned into the front department of the craft, where he stretched out in grasp of the coms radio.
“This is Delta Zulu one, on route to Fort Hill, evacuation zone 3 compromised; I repeat zone 3 is compromised! This is C
aptain David Cole, please respond!”
Chapter: 2
“Mayday... Mayday! We’re going down, our engine has failed. Coordinates unknown, coordination system is down I repeat we are going down!”
The pilot separates himself from the coms, he leans his head towards us and blurts, “Everyone brace for impact!”
David yells, “You’ve forgot to top up the fuel tank you thick Fuck! If we survive this, I’ll see you thrown out of the regiment for this! You hear me!”
“Hold on tight Peter! We’re going down!”
I remember looking out of the far window absolutely petrified at the thought of crashing, all I could see was hills and forests afar, I recognised the area. We were flying over the Northumberland Hills, also known as the cheviots by locals and travellers alike. We were approximately 150 miles from my apartment in South Shields. I thought, ‘This is it! I’ll never see my witch of a girlfriend again nor anyone else in that matter.’ She wasn’t really a witch just someone who didn’t take my laziness and laid back approach kindly which I secretly loved. I thought about my mother, father, brothers and relatives. I thought, ‘I’m going to die and I don’t even know why, I should be playing video games, eating chicken and rice followed by a bag of junk chips and chocolate. Not in some bloody chopper about to crash and probably blow up into thousands of pieces with a bunch of strangers without knowing why!’ I often thought about my demise but not once did I imagine going out like this!
The chopper vibrated uncontrollably, lights flashed, buttons beeped, engines combusted, the emitted heat was overwhelming not that it mattered as it was the least of my worries considering.
‘There’s no way I’m going to survive this, my days are numbered, this is it!’ I thought once more as the chopper spiralled downwards.
After that everything went to blur, it happened so fast. We went down faster than a sack filled with bricks dropped into the deep blue sea, the screams were terrorising. I can still hear them now; they haunt me to this day!
After the big clash of dirt and steel, that shook my bones into oblivion. Darkness followed, which was a mere bottomless pit of nothingness.
Chapter: 3
“Wake up! I need you to wake up! Now dammit! We haven’t got long before they turn. If you can hear me, make it known or get left behind!”
I remember hearing those words over and over, my eyes opened slowly to a blur of thick dark smoke, which clogged my lungs, Suffocating. The need to cough clouded my thoughts.
“You’re okay! I knew it! What’s your name boy? Are you military?”
“What... Who...” I spluttered.
“You’re military right? Is there a secret base nearby?”
“What’s happening?” I bloomed.
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but your comrades are gone, well at least I think they are! It’s like a slaughter house in that shell of a chopper. Mind you, if what I heard is correct the dead won’t stay dead for long, when they come back they’ll be looking to feed! So, we need to get out of here and fast!”
“What... Is that you David?”
“No…Everyone in that chopper is dead! You will be too if you don’t hurry your arse up and get the hell up! We don’t have long, I can’t carry you!”
I remember blabbing, “What who... Who are you?” I was completely disorientated from the crash, but still I murmured like a record player stuck on repeat, “Gra.. Grab the guns... Do we need th....?”
“We’ll need them alright, that’s why I’ve squished my backpack to the high heavens with weaponry and ammo alike! The name’s Martin Burrow what’s yours?”
“Peter, Peter Eaver, help me up so we can get the hell out of here!”
Crunch and click followed upon the rise of my blooded body, now battered and bruised, I was so lucky to be alive with mere surface damage to show for it! Luck was on my side that day!
A familiar voice exploded, “Drop your weapon and back the Fuck away! Peter are you okay?”
To my left stands a battered, badly injured David pointing his M15 assault rifle in the direction of Martin, who was approximately 6 foot 1 in Height, dirty in appearance, facial stubble, with long brown hair. David bleeds heavily from a deep laceration on his upper left leg as well as the gaping gash located on his forehead. He’s coated in blood!
“Back the Fuck up!” David spits.
“David its fine, he’s here to help!”
Martin throws his newly acquired pistol and back pack to the ground and places both hands behind his head, “David, My name is Martin, I mean you no harm! I was on my way back from a wild camp here in the Northumberland Hills when the emergency broadcast hit my radio. I was on my way back home to my wife and child to make sure they’re safe! That’s when I saw the smoke, I came here to help!”
David snares back, “If you try anything, anything at all I’ll take you out! Now where’s the nearest village?”
Martin, now relaxed, points his hands south and utters, “The nearest town, is about two hours from here and that’s where I’m heading, I’m planning on holding out at the abandoned school near my home till help arrives. It has high metal fences with plenty of space; it’s a good place to hold up. Please…Join me; together we’ll have a better chance of survival till all of this mess gets cleaned up!”
I stared at David, concern leaked from my cornea before turning to Martin, “Do you have a first aid kit in that pack of yours? We need to stop his bleeding!”
David, “I’ll be fine let’s move.. Ouch.. Fuck!”
Martin snaps, “You aren’t going anywhere until I’ve patched you up buddy, you’re lucky I always carry emergency gear for wild camps. Now lay down over there away from the chopper that thing looks like it could go up at any given moment!”
Thick black smoke and flames expand from it, growing per every given second! I yelled, “He’s got a point David, here let me help you!”
I rushed to his aid, alongside our newly formed friend Martin. Within a short time we were at a safe distance, the crashed chopper now completely engulfed!
Chapter: 4
Martin and I squandered no time seeing to David’s wounds, I briskly used a long length of guide rope from Martin’s pack and tied it around his leg, just above the wound to help restrict the blood flow whilst Martin rummaged out some anti-bacteria medical wipes in a side pocket.
Martin says, “I’m sorry, but it’s got to be done!”
“Argh...Fuck!” David screamed!
Martin speedily grabs a hold of a medical pad from his kit and quickly uses it to place pressure onto the wound to counter act the bleeding.
Martin yelps, “Luckily it’s just a surface wound, it’s not too deep! I can either patch it up now with bandages as a temp fix till we get to a safe place and deal with it then or I can stitch you up now? What’s it goanna be?”
David splutters, “Are you a doctor or something?”
Martin glares at the both of us, back and forth, eyes rolling, “I’m a bin man, but I know first aid and I’ve watched a lot of survival videos online. So don’t worry I know what I’m doing!”
David blares, “You’ve got to be bloody kidding me!”
I said, “David, the chances of us bumping into an actual doctor out here is extremely unlikely, we can’t risk this getting infected, you need to consider this!”
“If you mess up, I’ll mess you up. You get me?” David taunts.
“Trust me; I know what I’m doing! This part is going to hurt, so hold on to something!”
My god he held on to something alright, for a moment I was sure my arm went blue! Frick did it hurt, he squeezed the life out of it, per strike of every dig.
“Aren’t you a little skinny to be a bin man? I thought...” David interrupts, “Ouch.. Fuck..”
“I thought you guys were meant to be big, bald and overweight!”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter, Martin now beaming with a cheesy smile.
“I get this all the time, for your inf
ormation we come in all shapes and sizes. You can still be skinny and be a bin man!” Followed by a bowling laugh.
“Aw F... Are you done yet?”
“Almost!”
Once David was sewn up and bandaged, Martin gave out some after care advice, “Your all set, mind you, you have got to take it easy for a couple of days to give your wound time to heal. On our way down it might be best to lean onto the two of us for support just to help keep the pressure off that leg, it’s the only way we can avoid it from reopening!”
David replies, “Okay whatever you say! Are you goanna sort out this gash on my head or what? The blood is starting to run into my eyes, I can feel it!”
“Just give me a moment!”
“David is this a good time for you to explain what the hell happened? How I got from my apartment to some trolley in a camp tent?”
“Wow!” Martin swoops.
“You just concentrate on patching me up! Peter I was the leading Captain of that particular M.I.5 response team, we were assigned to clear out and evacuate all civilians in your area just like many other teams across the whole of the North East with it being a red zone. Our soul mission was to save the living and kill the dead!”
“Okay…” I sarcastically replied.
“Where have you been? Did you not watch the news? A few hours before the burst on your apartment door, an emergency protocol was broadcasted on all major channels, stating there was an outbreak of an unknown virus that was resurrecting the dead into flesh eating monsters. It went on to explain the dos and the don’ts. Within hours the virus had spread on a mass level, hence the evacuation of none affected civilians! It was completely unprecedented”
I gulped uncontrollably, how blinded I was, “When you say it spread on a mass level, do you mean to say South Shields was overrun by Zombies?!”
Martin frowns, “I think that’s pretty obvious?”
“Shut it!” I snapped, “My family is in South Shields, my partner, everyone…So don’t say that!”
David stutters, “I’m sorry, but South Shields is completely over run, unless they were evacuated to a safe zone then I’m afraid their chances of being alive are slim at best. I’m sorry Peter!”
The Northern Slayer Page 1