Behind him, Marla fired off two rounds to the right as two corpses struggled to be the first to pass through the shattered glass of the carriage door. They only managed two steps. Without hesitation she shot at the next couple, who collapsed on top of the previous bodies. Her aim was to block the route of the dead-lookers behind, but there were so many of them. She ignored the reality of the situation and just fired as blood splurted like a Pollack painting.
Billy banged on the metal chamber. “Ellen, your sister, Marla, is here. Unlock the door.”
Groans filled the air as the undead in the carriage began to rise up from their seats and turn to gaze upon the two living, breathing men with an unmistakable hunger in their eyes. Disfigured faces seemed to hover in the air beyond the glass, their open mouths dripping bile.
Inside the toilet, Ellen clambered to her feet and ran towards the door. “Who are you? How do you know my sister?”
“Ellen, come out, it’s Tommy. We can’t open this from the outside.”
“Tommy? Oh, God!” Ellen cried and turned sharply to bang the ‘unlock’ button. It clicked.
Outside, Marla reloaded and fired again at the hoard of the dead struggling through the confines of the door. A pile of corpses blocked their way and one fell flat on to the floor. With a moan he crawled forwards, stretching out his fingers, but Tommy shot him still. Marla nodded and fired again. Two bodies fell. Tommy took out a third and fourth with one blast. Billy stood beside him, aiming his rifle at the monsters to the left that he spied beyond the glass. They were so close that he could see the cracks in their withered skin, the seeping pus, and the red streaks across the lifeless spheres of their eyes. What kind of reality is this?
Ellen banged the ‘open’ button and ran forward as the door began to open automatically. The metal crept, too slowly as her heart raced into her throat and stuck there like a hunted beast. Her limbs began to tremble as she willed the damn thing to slide faster, but she had to endure the wait. Outside, shattered glass scattered across the carpeted floor of the train and arms crashed through the remaining splinters. Billy gasped and started firing.
“Aim for the forehead,” urged Tommy, noticing the guy hitting too low.
“Uh, ha,” Billy mumbled as he fired at the nearest skull and the body sank to the ground. Two more monsters pushed through together, with a third pressing so hard that they almost fell on top of one another. Unearthly groans filled the air. Billy fired.
“Shit,” muttered Marla as she scrambled to reload her Glock. Tommy turned and took out two freaks, which crumpled like bedraggled material to the ground. But they kept on coming. Two more down and five more tried to push through. An entire carriage of passengers staggered behind them.
Ellen banged her palms on the metal surface as the door fed around the track on the floor until there was a body space and she slid through. Suppressing the urge to scream, she ran in between Tommy and Marla.
“Get out!” urged Tommy. “Exit by Marla!”
Without speaking, Ellen ran past her sister, who could not afford to turn to acknowledge her as she fired three more shots. Covering her ears instinctively, Ellen jumped out on to the ground outside. She glanced at the grass all around her, but did not move, choosing to wait.
“Out!” said Tommy.
“But...” muttered Billy as he took down another monster.
Tommy gave him a pleading look and the man fired off another shot before turning quickly and disappearing in the direction Ellen had taken. Glancing over his shoulder at Marla, who was still rooted to the spot and shooting, Tommy backed away, firing at the freaks that were pushing through the glass. Two collapsed and he knew he was close to being out of ammo. Turning, he fired past her to make a perfect headshot. In surprise, Marla turned to see him running towards her. Taking the hint, she raced ahead as fast as she could and jumped out of the train on to the grass below. As she landed, Ellen stepped forwards and hugged her.
Marla held her tightly with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t think I’d see you…” she muttered.
“Thank you,” Ellen replied, looking up into her sister’s eyes. “Thank you for finding me.”
Marla nodded, lost for words.
Tommy jumped down and slammed the door shut. “We should go,” he insisted, although it really did not need to be said. Everyone was looking up at the empty eyeballs staring out of the glass section of the door.
“That’s not gonna hold,” Marla feared, wiping her eyes.
Tommy sighed. “You’re telling me?”
“Under!” Billy instructed, crouching down and moving beneath the train. “Faster.”
Everyone followed his lead and ducked beneath the metal carriage. Progress was slower than running, but the distance was shorter. As they approached the other side, feet appeared at the far end of the train, towards the rear. Ellen opened her mouth as if to cry out, but Marla covered it. Billy was first into the open, but he remained crouched until the others were out. Under the glare of the sun they could all see the group of undead lingering at the back of the train, just standing there, gazing at something in the other direction. Tommy stepped forward and pointed up towards the jeep. They would have to run up the embankment to get there. Quickly, he reloaded his shotgun. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he glanced up again. It was steep, but surely those freaks could not climb? He pointed for the others to go ahead.
Billy ran forward, followed by Ellen and then Marla, with Tommy bringing up the rear. As soon as they moved, the figures at the end of the train sensed it and their faces turn in one simultaneous motion. Ellen did not dare to look and continued chasing after Billy. The ground lifted upwards and she stared at the route. The jeep was a long way ahead. Biting her lip, she walked up as quickly as she could, but the gradient was steep. Behind, the shadowy figures stumbled towards them. Tommy frowned to see that some were moving quicker than the rest, but why would that be? He started up the bank behind Marla. A crash of glass made him turn. One of the windows had been breached and bodies were literally hurling themselves out. The freaks crossing the grass between them were closing the distance. “Hurry!” he urged, raising his voice.
Marla increased her pace behind Ellen and took her hand. “Come on, I’ve got you.”
“He forced me. I think he killed his brother.”
Marla inhaled and tightened her grip on her sister’s hand. “I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”
Ahead, Billy was halfway up. He waited for the others to catch up, aiming his rifle towards the train in case the monsters got too close. The two girls passed him and still he paused.
“Go,” said Tommy, reaching him.
Billy nodded and walked swiftly up the bank, overtaking Ellen and Marla with his big strides. Down below, the creatures that were once by the back of the train had reached the base of the slope. Tommy picked off the first two. As the gradient grew steeper, Billy walked in a crouch until he reached the top. Tommy fired again, which made Ellen turn her head. Seeing the dozens of walking skeletons at the bottom, she panicked and her feet gave way beneath her. Sliding, her hand pulled on Marla’s, almost knocking her off her feet. Marla bowed forward to support herself by placing her other palm flat on the ground. Grimacing, she took Ellen’s weight, but she could feel her slipping.
Tommy took two bounds up the slope and caught Ellen around the waist. “I’ve got you,” he said softly. “Don’t panic. Focus on the top. Crouch and walk.”
Ellen nodded between heavy pants of breath, her limbs still feeling shaky from everything she had been through. Bending her back, she dug in her heels and climbed up behind her sister. Finding it too steep to walk, she used all four limbs to progress forward. Marla let her pass and followed close behind. Glancing over her shoulder, she mouthed ‘thank you’ to Tommy, and then sucked in her breath when she saw that some of the dead were starting up the slope. A mass of them had stopped, as though unsure of what to do, but a dozen or so were behind them, and it would not take long for the others to just follow l
ike sheep.
Tommy recognised fear in Marla’s expression and looked around. He paused long enough to fire off sufficient rounds to take down the first six freaks and then bounded up the slope, being sure to stay behind Ellen, just in case. Beneath him he could hear the phantom growls that carried through the air, sounding like disembodied voices without reason or formation. There were no words, only howls.
Shots from above caught Marla’s attention and she hurried up the slope, knowing Tommy would ensure her sister’s safety. Reaching the crescent, she ran into the road where Billy was shooting at a group of three dead-lookers. Instinctively, she ran forward to help, but then she saw the bigger picture: a pack of untold numbers heading their way, swarming down the motorway like giant wasps with no care for whom they hurt. Grabbing her car keys from her pocket, she ran forward and unlocked the driver’s door of the jeep, her hands trembling all the time. “Get to the passenger side,” she yelled to Billy. He glanced back and did as she said, before turning again and raising his rifle. As soon as the monsters were close enough, he planned to fire.
At that moment Ellen emerged, sprinting towards them. “Back door,” Marla called out to her.
Ellen opened it and jumped inside. Bob sprang on her immediately, wagging his tail and trying to lick her hand. “Good boy, it’s nice to see you too,” she said, pulling the door closed in case he ran out.
Marla counted the seconds. “Come on, Tommy,” she mumbled to herself. “No heroics...” When his familiar face appeared she let out the breath she’d been holding. Billy fired a shot at the fast approaching ragged group and Marla echoed his movements. Tommy sprinted towards the jeep yelling, “Get in!”
Like lightning, Billy and Marla slammed inside while Tommy dived in the back alongside Ellen. Bob put his head on her lap and she was grateful for the comfort. Marla locked the doors, turned on the ignition and reversed with a screech of rubber against tarmac. The vehicle spun around and drove forward.
“We’re going back the way we came,” gasped Tommy, glancing out the window to see figures appearing up the embankment from the train.
“I know, Einstein,” Marla replied, “but take a look the other way.”
He turned his head to see a pack of shadows filling half of the width of the motorway. “What the…?”
“Yep, so what do I do?” asked Marla. “If anyone has a good idea, now is the time to tell me!”
“I say drive past them,” Tommy suggested.
“Are you crazy? How do we know what lies ahead? If there’s a mass of them that size, doesn’t that mean it’s gotta be worse up there then where we came from?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” said Billy. “I’ve seen herds like that before, when I was driving the train. They’d just appear and then there would be nothing for a long distance.”
“Hell,” breathed Marla with a sigh. “Someone flip a coin.”
“Is this a bad time to say how happy I am to see everyone and thanks for coming to get me?” asked Ellen.
Marla glanced over her shoulder. “Honey, I’m so glad to see you too. I was so–” She stopped and drew in a breath, unable to finish her sentence.
Tommy realised her emotions were welling up. “It’s lucky we found you,” he told Ellen. “This is Billy,” he added, nodding to the man in the front passenger seat. “He guessed where you were.”
“Oh,” said Ellen, turning. “Thanks, Billy.”
“No problem,” he replied. “Glad to help. I was hoping we’d be able to go further on the train, but, hey...”
“Which way?” asked Marla. “I’d like to stop, Ellen, and talk to you properly, but we can’t. I’m so sorry. I hate to ask where we should go right now, but...”
Tommy shook his head. “No, you’re damn right. It’s mid-afternoon now, so it’s not going to be dark for about five hours. We have time to go either way, I reckon. I still think we should head past that mass of freaks and keep on towards Heathrow rather than going back.”
“Okay,” said Marla. “Hang on.” With that, she slowed down and did a U-turn before driving back in the direction whence they had come. “Remember this was your idea.”
“So sue me,” Tommy offered. “Heading back to London is a no-no. We need to find the refugee centre that Eric mentioned – the one in Rickslaw near Pewsey.
“As long as it is actually there…”
“I know where some of them are,” Billy revealed.
Everyone glanced at him. “How?” asked Tommy.
“The government announced it. There’s a new message playing on the radio. I was listening to it in the train cab. They’ve announced where all the facilities are, but they were warning that violence won’t be tolerated. They’re taking a hard line. Some of the places being used are government buildings or army, which no one knew about and they’re not on any map. They also say people will have to be quarantined on arrival.”
“That makes sense,” Marla answered. “The first place we tried to get to was overrun by the dead. The army blew the place up, I think, cos there were flames going up like crazy.”
“Seems weird the army would blow up a base,” Billy remarked.
“But if the place was overrun, what option would they have?” asked Tommy. “We’ve had a few close calls ourselves.”
Billy nodded, looking to have experienced some too.
“I’d believe any announcement,” said Ellen quietly. “There must be something close.”
“Guys, here they come,” Marla announced as a dark crowd appeared in the distance. I’m going to speed up as we pass them, so don’t panic.”
“I’m not going to look,” Ellen muttered, burying her head in Bob’s fur. The dog lapped up the attention and squirmed slightly.
Tommy nudged her. “Take a look. Get used to them. It’s the only way, I think.”
“He’s right,” added Marla, glancing in the rear-view mirror at the worried face of her sister as she peered up. “They can’t get you and you need to get rid of your fear of them.”
“They nearly just killed me.”
“But they didn’t,” said Marla. “That’s what you’ve got to focus on.”
“They give me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Me too,” Billy piped up.
“Did… did you see Devan on the train?” Ellen asked. “No one has mentioned him.”
Marla glanced at Tommy in the mirror and sighed. “Yes, we did. He didn’t make it.”
Ellen shook her head. “Such a shame.”
“You feel sorry for him?” asked Billy, looking surprised.
“Yeah, I think something bad happened to him, and then Angelica…”
Billy nodded. “You’re a generous person. I don’t know if I’d be so forgiving.”
“He didn’t deserve to die…”
“No, he didn’t,” Marla agreed. “Now, we’re just going to drive straight past them and everything is going to be okay. Trust me.”
“I do trust you,” Ellen replied, glancing outside. “I just don’t trust them.”
As the dark crowd grew larger, she moved closer to Tommy and away from the window. Marla put her foot down on the accelerator as they sped down the motorway on the wrong side, which was fine as she assumed nothing would be coming the other way. As the mass drew closer, their features became more distinguishable, their bodies shuffling and banging against one another. Ellen clasped her hands together to stop them trembling as Tommy wracked his brain for an interesting anecdote or joke he could tell, fast realising that neither were appropriate.
“Here we go,” said Billy as the faces of the dead became as clear as their own.
Eyes shot in their direction and bodies angled towards them, relentless in their quest for flesh. Ellen forced herself to look, passing her gaze over the endless suffering and pain that she imagined they endured, as lifeless as they appeared to be. She could not quite believe they felt nothing, no matter what anyone said. It was as if they were possessed. For a second she thought of Devan, or Mark as he was rea
lly called, and his theories of purgatory and damnation. Then she jumped as something hit the front of the jeep as it sped forward. Hands bent like claws reached for the windows, banging on the glass as the vehicle ploughed through. The suspension bounced as an object went under the wheels. Ellen was glad she could not see in front from where she was sitting, bent as low as she was with her arms hugging Bob tightly.
Billy focused ahead as bodies bumped against the front of the jeep, but Marla did not slow down. She kept her foot on the accelerator and ploughed through, ignoring the splatters of blood that flew across the windscreen. After what seemed an endless time, but was only minutes, the grim surge was gone. Marla glanced in the rear-view mirror and smiled. She wished she was always protected by steel when she encountered the dead.
***
“How many do you think?”
“I’ve lost count,” Tommy replied to Ellen. “Too many.”
“But why are they all parked here?” she asked, gazing out at the rows of vehicles parked haphazardly along the side of the motorway.
“Dunno. Maybe they got picked up for evacuation from here?” he suggested.
“Some of the doors are open, and I can see belongings and stuff,” she remarked, pointing. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“It’s clearing up ahead,” Marla noticed, squinting to see further. “Sure there’s a logical explanation.”
“Do you think they all got attacked?” asked Ellen, voicing the question they were all thinking.
“Impossible,” said Billy. “There’s too many.”
“Some of the windows are smashed...”
“Don’t look, Ellen, just focus ahead,” soothed Marla. “We’re nearly through.”
They drove by the rainbow of cars and vans, and everyone stared out quietly, trying not to imagine the fate of the passengers.
“Could try the radio,” suggested Billy, breaking the silence.
“Go for it,” Marla replied.
I Dream of Zombies Page 22