by RR Haywood
‘DOWN UP DOWN UP…HARDER…WE DO NOT YIELD…DOWN UP DOWN UP…’
Clarence’s voice joins Dave. I add mine. We all do and it gives us more unity. We shout down and drop. We shout up and slam into them. They rally and drive us back a step then Marcy is pushing into my side and dropping as I drop and bursting up as I go to clamp her teeth into a throat that gets ripped out and spat aside as we drop. Her voice joins ours and in this she can fight. Doing this is something she has done many times before and it shows. That she even knows how to do this speaks of her bloodied past and the awful things she did but right now, in this place at this time I am thankful.
Side by side. All of us. On Meredith we time our movements synched by Dave and joined by the rest.
‘WE WILL PUSH THEM BACK…DOWN UP…ON THREE WE WILL PUSH…ONE… DOWN UP…TWO…DOWN UP…THREE NOW PUSH PUSH PUSH.’
This is it. On three we go up and we stay up and drive our legs against theirs. Grunting with the pain burning through our bodies and more people slam into my back as the survivors finally take responsibility for their own lives. They join and we push. We push and strain and heave with feet driving into the ground. Mo and Marcy to my sides pressing shoulder to shoulder.
‘MORE PEOPLE.’
Dave’s order cannot be ignored and the crushing weight behind me increases as every man woman and child joins the push. Bodies underfoot snag and trip but we stomp them into mangled things.
‘DIG IN.’
We listen to Dave for Dave knows and every time he shouts so we gain a tiny fraction of more power to use.
Gasping for air. People screaming with the exertion. Children driving in pushing their arms into the legs of adults.
‘ON MY TIME…LEFT FOOT…RIGHT FOOT…LEFT FOOT…RIGHT FOOT…’
The man is a genius. He beats time telling us when to plant our left foot and then our right. For long seconds we simply pace on the spot but then something starts to give. The generation of collective force in a culmination of every left foot slamming down at the same time and driving in while the right foot does goes next. Stomp and push. Stomp and push. We gain. We gain millimetres. Left. Right. We feel them sag back then rally and push but we’ve got timing now and Dave’s voice gets louder giving us the will to keep going and ignore the pain and despite the thrill at knowing we’re holding them back I know we cannot sustain this.
In the press of bodies I feel Marcy’s head butt gently against mine then Mo on the other side and give thanks for that contact. In that crushing weight I jerk and heave to get my arms out and stretch to reach across their shoulders.
‘We’ll be okay,’ I wheeze the words out with my chest getting crushed by the people pushing into us from behind, ‘just hang on…we’ll be okay…’
God. If you can hear me and I know you must be busy right now with the whole end of the world thing going on, that by the way you let happen in the first place. Prick. Anyway. Now is a good time. Anytime now would be good. Right now. Because we’re sort of fucked and we can’t hold on. But you’re still a prick. But we need some help. Prick.
‘She’s not going to help if you call her a prick,’ Marcy gasps.
‘Eh?’
‘God isn’t a woman,’ Nick shouts.
‘She so is,’ Paula’s ragged voice from somewhere.
‘You can’t call God a prick,’ Cookey wheezes, ‘more of a twat.’
‘Don’t blaspheme,’ Clarence shouts grunting to push forward.
‘I hate you all,’ I mutter under my breath.
‘Nah you love us, Mr Howie…Hey Blowers…are you enjoying being a meat sandwich between sweaty men?’
‘Yep. You?’
‘Loving it…might get a reach around if we’re lucky.’
‘Alex!’
‘Sorry, Paula.’
*
‘Turn left did you say?’
‘Yes, turn left into the square,’ Reginald says gripping his rifle to his chest and still forgetting that he hasn’t radioed the others to tell them what he’s doing.
‘What is the range on the hoses would you say?’ Neal enquires still as politely as before.
‘Oh gosh, well they cannot get close to fires so I would surmise the range is good but of course the power will lessen the greater the distance. Be that as it may however, it is the second pyramid we need to aim for. The first has already gained entry and I should imagine are being held back by some form of pinch point.’
‘Well I was thinking,’ Neal says thoughtfully, ‘this vehicle is really very heavy and I should imagine it is also very powerful.’
‘Are you thinking of driving into them?’
‘What do you think?’
‘I think we don’t want to get too deep otherwise we won’t be able to access the hoses without being killed. That is what I think,’ Reginald says stiffly.
‘Good point,’ Neal concedes, ‘how about we hit the first mound and try to shift it then back up and do the whole hose thing? Would that be okay? The first mound is quite close to the edge of the square.’
‘Hmmm, yes okay. That is an agreeable suggestion,’ Reginald says glancing at his companion and taking note of the politeness in his tone. ‘Oh gosh,’ he says Neal starts the turn into the square.
From above it looked bad but from here it looks much worse and the noises are just incredible. An absolute din of bedlam with infected persons all pushing towards the visible mounds that are now reaching the window levels and by far the largest concentration is at the window of the second building. The top of that mound is thick with bodies trying to push inside while something is obviously holding them back. A desperate situation that becomes ever more desperate as Neal pushes his right foot down and accelerates hard towards the first mound.
Several tons of vehicle and water gain momentum while being driven by powerful diesel engines and both the men cry out in fear as the reality of what they are doing strikes home but it’s too late to do anything else now. There is no going back and the fire engine closes the gap from the intersection, into the square and straight into the human mound built thick to the window.
The impact is immense with the enormous wheels gaining grip and driving up for a few feet before the weight of the vehicle has it sinking down into the soft tissue of the infected bodies. Blood sprays out in all directions and the mound disintegrates from the many parts falling away as the solidity of the base is compromised.
The engine powers on. Forcing the mound either aside or under the wheels and the success of the strike is far greater than anything they could have hoped for.
Screaming in panic, Neal keeps his foot down while yanking the wheel a hard left to start the turn through the square and much like the Saxon the solid front of the fire appliance gives instant death to anything stupid enough to be in the way. The wheels bump and bounce over corpses as the fire engine drives through the square in a long turning circle to face back the way they came in. With the speed still high the vehicle slews and slides almost losing control but pure luck sees them mowing a path through the carnage and back out into the intersection where they scream down the road.
He slams the brake on too hard sending poor Reginald sliding forward onto his seat with a hand snatching out to stop himself slamming into the dashboard. Buttons get pressed. Blue and red lights flash and the sirens warble clear into the air. Panic ensues with Neal fighting to turn the vehicle round and taking out walls and fronts of buildings as Reginald jabs his fingers at the control panel changing the sirens through their set array of tones.
The turn completed and they start back up the road towards the square as Reginald finally presses the siren button enough times to make it turn off. The emergency red and blue lights still strobe and reflect off the buildings and any glass still remaining in frames.
‘STOP STOP,’ Reginald begs before they go too deep and again the brakes are applied bringing the fire engine to a juddering stop with a final twist of the wheel so the side faces into the square.
Neal goes firs
t dropping into the wall of humidity and racing round the front of the engine while Reginald gibbers and blusters while trying to hold his rifle and his radio and open the door at the same time. Somehow he does it and drops down to run and join Neal.
‘The hose…get the hose,’ Neal squawks getting to the water pump control panel.
Dropping the rifle and radio on the ground, Reginald snatches the first hose and drags the metal end out from the slot and over to Neal. With shaking trembling panicked hands they shove and screw and twist the metal fitting onto the cup of the spout while all the time trying to stare round at the square.
Finally it slots on and seems to lock in place and both pairs of hands start turning the wheels and pushing buttons until Neal remembers the lever and drags it down which instantly causes the big engines to get louder as something mechanical inside starts rumbling. More levers and buttons get pressed and wheels turned. Frantic and unfocussed but the hose suddenly stiffens to life pinging straight as the end goes out deeper into the square with Reginald running behind it like he’s trying to catch a fleeing chicken.
Too late. They’ve been seen and some of the infected are charging towards them. Reginald’s rifle on the floor next to his radio and he starts running for them while Neal runs past him towards the end of the hose both of them still whimpering with wild panicked looks on their faces.
They have seconds. Just seconds and in that absolute point of crisis Reginald goes for the radio instead of the rifle, diving down and snatching it up while fumbling to press the button on the side.
‘OVERWATCH…OVERWATCH…OVERWATCH…’ He remembers the word they used and screams it over and over while Neal grabs the hose and starts wrestling as he struggles to understand how to make the water come out the end then it does and he gets knocked on his arse from the power of the spray jetting out the end. Clinging on for dear life he gets dragged across the ground from the hose pinging left and right with the pressure on the pump at maximum flow and still Reginald screams the word into the mouthpiece as the infected gain speed towards them.
*
‘Is that sirens?’ Nick shouts.
‘Yay, the police are coming,’ Blowers shouts.
‘Mo…quick run…’ Cookey shouts to a few squashed sounding laughs.
‘Funny.’
‘What the hell is going on out there?’ Paula shouts as we listen to the sound of a big engine driving nearby.’
‘Dunno…just bloody push,’ I gasp feeling my feet starting to slide as the infected drive in harder from the window.’
It gets worse. The pressure. The heat. The sheer amount of energy required to hold and keep pushing but it’s not enough and slowly we start losing ground and not even Dave’s shouts can rally us now.
‘MR HOWIE…’ A man shouts from the hallway, ‘they’ve stopped coming through the hole…’
‘WHO SAID THAT? NEVER MIND…KEEP ON IT,’ I shout back thinking it to be some foul trick so they can come through again.
‘One of the people here took over the machine gun,’ Charlie’s voice from somewhere, ‘and whomever is touching my bottom can they please stop.’
‘Alex!’ Paula shouts.
‘I am nowhere near her,’ Cookey shouts, ‘wish I was though,’ he adds.
‘OVERWATCH…OVERWATCH…OVERWATCH…’
‘That’s Reginald!’ Marcy lifts her head up, ‘must be him outside.’
‘Roy…go,’ I hiss, ‘get down to the first building…’
‘Yep,’ he gasps back struggling to free himself from the press of bodies and finally breaking free to lunge and grab his bow and arrows, ‘keep that gun trained on this hole,’ he says to the man gripping the GPMG, ‘IT’S CLEAR THROUGH HERE NOW…’
‘What the fuck is Reginald doing?’ Clarence asks, ‘can anyone get to their radio?’
‘Not a chance,’ I wheeze, ‘you?’
‘Nope…’
‘HEAVE,’ I shout feeling the urgency in the infected ramp up again.
*
The radio doesn't work and feeling that last flutter of panic Reginald ditches it and finally takes the assault rifle up before shakily rising to his knees. He lifts the rifle trying to recall what Dave said and checking the safety is off and the bolt has been yanked back. He aims. Shaking, trembling, whimpering and while Neal gets thrown about still trying to fight the hose pouring gallons of water over the ground he locks on to the nearest infected male running towards them. His finger tightens on the trigger. He braces, holding his breath and wishing something else would happen that would take this madness away. He blinks and the man is gone. He blinks again trying to understand what just happened but more are coming. A female with wild hair flying behind her is the next closest and he locks the sights and again starts to squeeze the trigger but she goes flying away to the side with a violent action and again he blinks and stares down at the barrel of his rifle.
‘Reginald. Get up and help that man with the hose. Overwatch is on. You are safe.’ Roy’s voice blurting through the radio so calm and measured and he springs up staring at the first window and Roy leaning out firing down into the infected charging towards Neal.
‘Now Reginald,’ Roy says again still calm and perfectly composed. Reginald gets his wits and rushes to aid Neal fighting with the hose. He dives in, grasping the writhing end as they battle to gain supremacy of the inanimate object that bucks and weaves like a snake on acid.
Two men suited to science and study work with their hands and bodies to force the hose up as they get to their feet and direct the spray at the oncoming runners. The result is brilliance. Pure brilliance and a flow of super-powered water that jets from the hose blatting every running being away. They are knocked back, knocked over, sluiced and swept away.
‘The pyramid please,’ Roy’s voice again guiding them to adjust the aim as they force the end of the hose into the second mound of bodies, ‘go closer, you are safe.’
Words that any coward needs to hear and they walk forward as though walking into a great wind. Bent over and straining to push the hose on. Together they aim up and focus the jet on those infected stood on the top of the mound and still trying to get through the windows. They are taken away. Instantly. Not there. The power of the water simply removes them from where they were and sends them sailing through the air to land in crumpled heaps. They start working down aiming the jet at the top narrower section of pyramid and watching as the bodies get loosened and swept out one by one until the whole thing is crumbling and falling away.
‘Now, Mr Howie,’ Roy says into his shirt, ‘mound removed…push now…’
*
‘You heard him…FUCKING PUSH…’ we heave and dig our feet into the floor feeling the pressure on the other side lessen. We gain a step then two then three and suddenly the momentum is ours and we race towards the window sending them falling out in droves to land splatting on the corpse covered ground below.
‘FUCKING YES!’ Nick leans out watching them fall then dropping back inside to slump down as everyone else bends over or sits where they are to gasp air and ease the lactic acids in our muscles.
‘Well done,’ I say breathing hard and looking round at the red flushed faces, ‘good work…ROY? WHAT’S GOING ON?’
‘LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.’
I do as told and peer out to see Reginald and another man using a hose connected to a fire engine to water cannon the infected mounds away and Roy giving them cover. He’s joined at the window by the man using the GPMG who starts firing down.
‘Who is that?’ I ask round the room and get shaking heads back at me, ‘Marcy?’
‘No idea,’ she says, ‘maybe it’s God…’
‘You said God was a woman.’
‘Yeah I did didn’t I? Not God then. Reggie, it’s Marcy, who is that with you?’
‘I think he’s a bit busy, Marcy,’ Charlie says after a pause.
‘Reginald, it’s Cookey...you are one brave bastard for doing this…cheers mate.’
‘Nicely said,
Cookey,’ Clarence says.
‘Yep,’ Cookey says stepping back, ‘now who was groping Charlie’s arse? I want names…’
‘And just as quickly he becomes a dick,’ Blowers says.
‘Yeah you like di…’
‘Can we deal with this first?’ Paula says exasperated and looking round at the people still trying to recover their breaths, ‘it’s like this all the bloody time you know. Right,’ she stands straight stretching her back, ‘can you all arrange getting some water handed round and make sure those children drink plenty. Howie? What’s next?’
‘Dave and Roy keep an eye on Reginald and his new friend, make sure they can get away because that lot will switch attention any second now. Clarence, we need to get into the next building. Nick, check the street doors…everyone else gather your kit, get water, check weapons and make ready. Did anyone get bit or scratched? Check yourselves and each other…’
‘Can I check…’
‘Cookey you are not checking Charlie.’
‘Wasn’t gonna say that actually.’
‘You can check me for bites, Cookey,’ Charlie says.
‘OH MY FUCKING GOD…did you hear that? Best day ever I swear it is…no no no nobody speak and ruin this moment…I haven’t been this happy since April got her head chopped off by Dave.’
‘Alex!’
‘Sorry, Dave.’
‘Hang on, you just said you were happy Dave chopped her head off,’ Blowers says.
‘Whatever,’ Cookey shrugs, ‘soooo Charlie,’ he says with a wink.
‘You’re a pest,’ Paula says.
‘If Charlie’s bit can I kiss her to pass my immunity?’
‘Oh for fuck’s sake,’ I walk off with Clarence leaving Paula to handle it.
‘You’re immune?’ Someone asks standing up. An adult woman clutching the hand of a young child, ‘can you make others immune?’
‘Er…’
‘Immune?’
‘He’s immune.’
‘He said he can pass it with a kiss…’
‘My children…’