Her dark blue jeans were held up with a belt taken from the apartment she shared with her brother and Pat, while her coat was a thick pink parka that she had found and wore only because it kept her warm.
As she walked she kept looking from left to right, alert for danger with a mallet held ready. I followed along with my knife in hand and tried to keep watch on the island without being noticeable in doing so.
“Hey, look.” Cass said and pointed ahead.
I followed her arm and saw a white painted rowboat turned upside down on damp dirt and leaves beside the shore.
“What do you think?” she said as she glanced back to me. “Leon and Jenny would have brought it straight back right? Or used it?”
“It may not have been there when they came by.” I said as I noticed the gouges in the earth behind the boat, the fresh turned dirt a sure sign that it had been dragged out of the water recently.
“You reckon?”
“Yes and since we haven’t passed anyone, whoever was in it could be ahead of us.”
“Crap.”
“Indeed.” I said, “Perhaps it would be a good time to head into the trees.”
“No arguments from me.” Cass said and with a final look towards the boat we dashed for the trees on the hill above us.
Cass was far ahead of me and disappearing into the dense brush beneath the trees before I was even two thirds of the way and once again I reminded myself that I would need to take up jogging or some form of exercise.
I fell to the ground beneath a tall beech tree and huffed for several minutes, the cold air was burning in my lungs and Cass at least had the good grace to look away and not mention my pitiful state, which likely saved her from my wrath.
“So, what now?” She asked, not taking her eyes from the open ground and the road. “Do we stay here and see who comes back or do we press on?”
“No idea how long we would have to wait.” I wheezed, “If we move onwards carefully then we may find whoever was in the boat anyway.”
“Let’s hope we find Leon and Jenny first.” Cass said as she finally turned and looked over to me. “You ready to go?”
“Sure.” I said as I studied her with narrowed eyes. Finding no hint of mockery on her face, my irritation receded a little.
We kept moving north, following the road while keeping low and hopefully hidden by the trees. The leaf mulch that blanketed the ground was soggy which kept the noise of our passing reasonably low.
Nothing moved out on the lake and for once the rain clouds had given up and moved away, saving us from a soaking.
The tree line soon moved back down the hill towards the road and we followed it cautiously. With the open grass falling away it was beginning to feel a little bit safer.
“Do you smell that?” Cass whispered and I nodded. The odour of rotting flesh that was far too familiar hung heavy in the air.
“There, beside the road.” I pointed at the humped shape that was lying amongst the leaves and weeds at the far side of the road.
“You think it’s safe to check?” she asked nervously.
“Stay hidden, I’ll do it.” I offered as I jumped down to the road surface from the grassy embankment that bordered it.
A quick look further up the road to make sure no one was visible and then I darted across to the body.
The pungent aroma was definitely coming from the corpse which seemed to have been a zombie for a significant amount of time before someone had killed it judging by the state of its rotten flesh.
“Is it them?” Cass called.
“No. A zombie.” I called back, “It’s not alone.”
“What?”
I ignored her query and pushed through the tall weeds, careful for anything with thorns that could prick my skin and leave me open to infection.
None of the handful of corpses was fresh enough to be the missing group members. They were all in a shabby state with torn clothes and greying flesh, old stains and dirt clung to them and each of them bore several bullet holes.
It looked like I had discovered some more evidence that the looters of the houses that Lily and I had found were in the area. That was a less than pleasant finding and with it came the realisation that it was more likely than ever that the deserters were the ones responsible.
“Someone’s coming.” Cass hissed and I dropped to the ground without hesitation only to land on the corpse of a woman.
I waited impatiently with the stench rising from the corpse so palpable that I could taste it in the back of my throat. I knew that without a doubt I would smell the foulness for days.
The dense undergrowth would help shield me from the road and I doubted that anyone walking past would be able to see me, but still I gripped my knife tight, my muscles tensed and ready for me to spring into action if required.
Minutes passed and eventually I heard it, the slap of feet on the tarmac of the road. It sounded as though it were just the one person, though if that one had a gun we were at a severe disadvantage. I parted the grass before me, just enough to catch a glimpse of the road.
Blue jeans crusted with dark stains and hiking boots were all I saw from where I lay and they were past in an instant. I cautiously raised myself, careful to remain as silent as possible and stepped out onto the road.
The man ahead of me was walking along seemingly without care. His hands were in the pockets of his thick green jacket and he carried a bulging rucksack on his back. With no sign of a gun I stalked forward, eyes on my prey and knife held ready.
It was so very easy to slip one arm around his throat and pull him back against me as I raised the knife to strike.
“Ryan, stop.” Cass yelled and I hesitated, my desire to kill warring with my urge to avoid having to reveal my secret.
“What’s going on?” The man gibbered in terror. His accent had a strong northern tang.
“It’s ok,” Cass assured him as she came alongside us. “Ryan is just being cautious.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, he isn’t armed so I think you can let him go.”
Eyes narrowed I released my hold on the man though I kept my knife ready and stayed close to him.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“Jason, Jason Dunn...” the stranger said as he raised his hands in a placating gesture. “No need for the knife pal, I’ll not harm you.”
I studied the man warily, his accent was definitely from somewhere towards Scotland and considering that he was heading south while carrying a backpack, I was reasonably sure that he wasn’t one of the deserters.
A quick glance to Cass revealed her to be studying Jason with a slight smile of appreciation on her face.
“Where are you coming from?”I asked when it became clear that Cass wasn’t going to.
“Town called Thursby, just south of Carlisle.” Jason said, “I was working there when everything went to shit.”
“What brings you to here?”
“I was holed up with these blokes I knew for a few days but we ran out of food.” He said as he ran one hand through his unkempt dark hair. “Those damned monsters got Mick two streets away from the house and then Kelly got scratched by one.”
He shook his head and his face took on a look of sorrow, “She turned into one of them and we had to stop her before she killed us. It was too much for Mark, her boyfriend. He took his own life and so I was all alone.”
“So why come south?” Cass asked gently.
“Ah darling, where else could I go?” he asked with a slight smile, “Carlisle was to the north and last I heard that place was well and truly fucked. Newcastle to the east was just as bad and I figured that at least down this way I might be able to live off the land a bit.”
“We’ve been here a while,” Cass said. “Can you tell us what’s happening out there?”
“Not now.” I interrupted with a look along the road. “This isn’t the best place for a chat and we have something to do.”<
br />
“That’s right.” Cass agreed, “Maybe you’d like to help us.” She said to Jason.
“I’m always happy to help out a pretty lady, what do you need?”
“We’re looking for a couple of our group who are missing. If you want to help then you can come back with us after and we can introduce you to everyone.”
“Wait.” I said to Cass, “We are already low on supplies, do you really think we should be inviting others to join us?”
“Hey, it’s fine by me pal. I don’t want to be a burden.” Jason said with a wide smile that I could swear brought a blush to Cass’s cheeks.
“Ignore him.” She said to Jason before turning her attention to me. “You know Lily would want us to help him out.”
“Whatever, why don’t you take him back to the apartments then and I’ll keep looking.” I suggested.
“No, we need to stick together.” Cass insisted.
“Ok then,” I said defeated. I had no real way of forcing them to leave me alone without resorting to violence and I was reasonably sure that would be the wrong thing to do.
I led the way along the road with Cass and Jason following along, talking quietly as I tried my best to ignore them. My mood was already foul and I highly doubted it would improve anytime soon.
Chapter 15
Our search was as pointless as it was boring. Aside from Jason we found no one living or dead and certainly no sign of our missing group members.
By late afternoon we made the decision that we had travelled far enough and would have to head back. It would be dark before we made it back to the apartments as it was and to stay out longer would be foolish and could well cause us to become as missing as the ones we were looking for.
The one thing we had found plenty of was bodies. The majority of them looked to have been zombies before someone shot them, but at least two people had been alive.
They had been lying in the road beside their car, a silver Corsa according to Cass who apparently is one of the many people who knows more about cars than I do. The first body had been male and had a single bullet hole in the centre of his forehead. A look of shock still etched onto his lifeless face.
His companion had suffered some indignities before her death from a blow to the back of the skull. Her look was less shock and more complete and total horror.
Anything that may have been of use had been taken from the car, including the petrol and the battery which made it useless to us.
That had been the point where a shaken Cass had finally agreed that it was time to head back to the apartments. So we began the long trek back, each of us alert for danger from the living and undead.
Our journey was made in silence and as the light faded with the approach of evening, I noticed how Cass and even Jason moved almost instinctively closer. Perhaps seeking comfort from the nearness of another person.
As we approached the open area that had given us pause earlier in the day we made a quick agreement to risk the walk along the road rather than through the wooded area that bordered it. The safety of being able to see any potential enemies outweighed the risk of being seen ourselves.
I pulled my jacket tighter around myself and rubbed my hands together. The temperature was dropping with the approach of night and I made a mental note to find some gloves and possibly a scarf, sooner rather than later.
“Ryan.” Cass hissed and I looked across at her in irritation at the interruption to my thoughts.
“What?” I snapped.
“That boat’s gone.” She said and pointed towards the lake.
I followed her gesture and saw that she was right. The overturned rowboat we had seen when we passed earlier in the day had gone. Fresh gouges in the earth indicated where it had been pushed over the muddy ground and into the water.
The hairs rose on the back of my neck and I had to fight down the urge to hunch down. My paranoid thoughts immediately turned every sound and shape in the darkness into an unseen watcher or an enemy lying in wait.
It was not a pleasant feeling and one that I was not at all familiar with. I had always been the threat waiting in the darkness, the hunter, the killer. Being the prey was becoming all too common and in my current state of mind, not at all welcome.
“Let’s move on. Quickly.” I said quietly and the others nodded silently, their gesture barely seen in the dim light provided by the stars and quarter full moon.
We jogged along the road, the sound of our feet hitting the tarmac overly loud in the still air. My breath was soon ragged and I was annoyed to notice neither Jason nor Cass was overly winded by the time we reached the end of the open area and slowed to a walk.
“You ok pal?” Jason asked as I wheezed.
“Fine.” I glared. A look that would ordinarily strike fear into my victims that was lost in the darkness.
“Aye, ok.” He said and I was unsure if the mockery I heard was imagined or not.
I swore quietly at the empty air and led the way through the darkness back towards the apartments.
We made it back with no major problems and I was pleased to see that progress had been made in my absence.
Two people stood guard on the road that led to the building and one of them carried a thick branch as a club while the other held a hammer ready as we approached.
They recognised us and waved us along with just a curious glance before turning back to watching the road. We entered the apartments through the front doors and found some more of Lily’s influence in the foyer.
Couches, armchairs and wooden seats that had once surrounded dining tables were set about around the foyer with most of the group gathered together, eating and talking by candlelight.
Lily approached as soon as she saw us enter and more than a few heads turned to look at Jason who seemed unperturbed by the attention.
“You didn’t find them?” she asked after the initial greeting.
“No sign of them at all.” I said and she hesitated before making an attempt at a wan smile.
“That’s a good sign though. They could still be alive somewhere.” she said and I shrugged.
“Doubtful.”
“Of course they could.” Cass said quickly with a quick jab of the elbow to my side and a meaningful look.
“No, it’s ok.” Lily said with a genuine smile for Cass, “No point sugar coating it.”
“Perhaps but this grumpy sod could at least show a bit more tact.”
“Oh I am used to it by now.” Lily said with a slight giggle and a knowing look shared with Cass. “Who’s this?”
“Well now darling, I’m Jason and very happy to meet you.” Jason said with a leer that only I seemed to notice.
“Come on and sit down, you can all use some food.” Lily said.
“Whose idea was it to have everyone gather in here?” Cass asked.
“Mine. It’s getting too dark and cold to hang around outside, so I thought we could all sit in here and share stories of better times.” Lily said before leaning close and adding in a whisper, “With all the tension lately it’s good for people to relax together too.”
Cass nodded agreement and I was left wondering what they were talking about but didn’t get the chance to ask as they walked away with Jason following. With little choice but to go along with them I followed.
Space was made on one of the couches and Lily asked Pat to head out and gather some food for us. I tried to tell Lily about what we had seen but she shook her head and said “Later.”
Pat returned with bowls full of a vegetable stew that seemed to have been made from tinned vegetables, but smelt delightful to my hungry senses anyway. I eagerly took a bowl from Pat and ate noisily as the women around me fawned over Jason.
“I think we all want to know if you have any news.” Matthew said, thankfully interrupting yet another woman who was asking where Jason was from.
“You probably know more than me.” Jason said, “I was hiding away for a long while
. We did hear on the radio that the navy had landed somewhere on the west coast and was landing troops but then the batteries went and we heard nothing.”
“Where?” Matthew asked eagerly, “Did they say where on the west coast?”
“Somewhere in Wales.” Jason said after a minutes thought. “Something about avoiding the larger cities like Liverpool.”
“It must be troops back from abroad.” Matthew muttered, “If they make a landing they could begin clearing the undead.”
“No need to get everyone excited.” Lily said quietly with a meaningful glance around the room.
“Why not? This is good news.” Matthew exclaimed. “We need to get a working radio.”
“Add it to the list of all the other things we need.” I said and he sneered but didn’t respond to me.
“I did hear that far to the north of Scotland was relatively free of the undead but the people there aren’t letting anyone close to make sure they don’t get infected.” Jason said.
“It’s something though. Just news that people are still alive out there and fighting the zombies is a reason to cheer.” Matthew said with a look of triumph at Lily as though he had scored a point.
“Maybe.” Lily conceded. “Any other news?”
“Some second hand reports that a nuclear reactor in France had gone into Meltdown. Other than that, I can’t think of anything relevant. Sorry darling.” Jason said with a wide smile.
“Don’t worry, you’ve brought us more news than we’ve had in a while.” Lily said as she returned the smile. “What are your plans?”
“I don’t really have any. I was just heading south and hoping that I could find somewhere safe to hole up for the winter.”
“You could stay here.” Cass said eagerly and I saw Pat frown.
“Well if you would take this poor weary traveller in, I suppose I could stay. I would insist on working for my supper though.” Jason said and was immediately assured from several people that he was welcome.
The talk turned to more mundane matters and I let myself fade away into the background. Barely listening as I retreated back into myself.
Another day without any kind of kill had done nothing for my mood and the way everyone was behaving around Jason was not helping. He wasn’t that handsome surely?
Killing the Dead (Books 4-6) Page 9