Dead Winter

by Aline Riva

  Joy looked at him in surprise.

  “I didn't expect such moral insight from you!”

  He smiled.

  “I do have a heart, Joy. This world's been getting steadily worse for years. Poverty on the up, homelessness... it's been a shit place to live for a long while.”

  “Do you think there's any truth in the population control theory?” she asked him.

  Mickey shrugged.

  “I'm not sure. Maybe it's true – or maybe those fanatics who released the first one were crazy. Maybe that research wasn't as it appeared.”

  “So what else could it be?” Joy said to him, “It seems pretty obvious they were working on a weapon. Look what the virus does to people!”

  “And I always like to look deeper,” he replied, “Not everything obvious is the truth of the matter. Look at me for example – I was the quiet one of the family, and you wouldn't want to know what I got away with while I had active control in my sister's empire. It's not always what's on the surface, Joy.”

  She glanced at him.

  “So what's your theory?”

  “If it's not a plot to kill off the population, maybe it was disease research, maybe they were trying to cure something and it went wrong.”

  She gave a cynical laugh.

  “I find it hard to believe the government who made such a mess of this country could have been trying to do some good!”

  “But it's not impossible,” Mickey reminded her, “And we don't know the answer. We will most likely never know.”

  The lane was still clear. There was mesh fencing either side of the driveway and the view across the field at the bottom of the lane was empty, with not a creature in sight.

  “You're right about that,” she agreed, “I don't think anyone will ever have the answer.”

  “Not that it matters now,” Mickey said to her, “All that matters is we get through this. Now go back inside, you've been out here too long. I'll have dinner later. Let me take over the watch for a while.”

  “Thanks,” she said, and as she smiled, he smiled too. Then she went back inside as Mickey stood there, watching the end of the lane as the road remained deserted.

  Later that night, the only sound to be heard outside was the wind as it shook bare branches and the last of the snow shed from heavy boughs. The thaw was progressing, but the darkness brought with it zero temperatures that turned sludge to ice. It would be a difficult drive away from here in the morning if the sun wasn't breaking through come dawn. The house was silent as Sage made her way to the window, looking down to a darkened world below where trees swayed eerily in the gloom. Then she looked down at the picture in her hand, her and Bess... She thought of the Bay and wondered if she had made it that far. Maybe she would get an answer soon, they were leaving in the morning. What could have been a few comfortable days respite had turned into a stark reminder that the undead were everywhere. This house wasn't as safe as it seemed and certainly wouldn't keep them out forever. As Bess smiled at her through the picture, Sage ran her finger down the photo, reminding herself that Bess was capable and resourceful. She could get through this, she felt sure of it. They were both able to get through – she hoped... Then Sage put the picture back in her coat pocket and turned out the light.

  “No, turn it on!” said Poppy, her voice muffled as she lay in bed wrapped in warm covers.

  Sage gave a sigh and turned the lamp back on then she sat on the floor, reaching for the blankets. One more night here, that was all, in the morning they would be leaving, to go back out there into the unknown - and that was a scary prospect. Sage struggled to sleep that night, fearing the rise of the sun in the winter skies, the sign that now was the time to leave. It was hell out there, but they could not stay here any longer...

  The weather turned out to be kind. The sky was clear come morning, as sun against snow made what was left of the freeze look brilliant white against lush green. There were ice patches, but they were melting as the last of the piled up snow began to turn to sludge. It didn't mean the roads would be any less treacherous, but after they packed up and started the drive away from the house, the route was clear with not a creature in sight. Mickey and Joy took the smaller van while the others led the way in the bigger vehicle, as River guided Sage with the open map.

  As they followed on behind, Joy kept the speed low, aware of the ice that was yet to melt. She watched as the van took a small bridge cautiously, and made it up and over to the other side and then carried on moving.

  “We're heading back towards the larger roads now,” she said as they headed for the bridge.

  “Yes, we're going from a low to moderate threat of death by zombie into a much higher one. It seems crazy.”

  “But the threats are everywhere” she reminded him, “All it takes is one, Mickey.”

  Then they headed towards the slope that would lead upward, then over the bridge. And a shadow darted out, hitting the van with a thump.

  Joy gave a gasp and slammed on the brakes.

  “What the fuck did I hit?”

  Mickey looked about the country lane, seeing nothing but trees either side and up ahead, the bridge.

  “Maybe it was a fox.”

  “I should get out and check.”

  He shot her a look of alarm.

  “No, don't do that, keep driving! Have you forgotten how dangerous it is out there?”

  She gave a sigh, looking to the road, ready to take the bridge as she hoped the wheels would not pass over some poor fox or a stray dog. And it leapt up in front of the van, an undead creature with a face twisted as it gave a snarl and huge teeth shone on winter sun as it lunged for the wind shield.

  “Drive!” Mickey yelled.

  Joy had no time to react as more of the creatures ran from the woodland, dead hands clawing at the windows as the roared and snarled and one jumped on to the van and scrambled to the roof, slamming its hands against the metal as more undead piled in from either side. The creature that had led the attack smashed its head against the wind shield as the glass cracked and ran with old, darkened blood as it looked through at the humans inside, snarling as it glared at them, flesh hanging off its dull white face from the impact with the glass. Joy looked in panic to Mickey, who had his gun in his hands but they both knew the dilemma: Shoot them and the windows would shatter, making it easier for the dead to pile in to reach them. If they drove off, they still had creatures clinging on, and they had piled so deep the van was almost dark inside as they pressed against the exterior, eyes set on the living within. All they could hear was the moans and snarls of the undead as they pressed hands and faces to the glass. The corpse on the hood pounded the wind shield again. The cracks grew deeper. Mickey had his gun ready as he exchanged a glance with Joy.

  “No,” she said in alarm, “No, they'll get in!”

  She grabbed the wheel and floored the accelerator. There was a thump that jolted the van, then they ran over the corpses with a bump and another jolt as bones snapped beneath tires. The creature on the hood was still there as they took the slope at speed, others that clung to the sides were dashed away with a spatter of blood as the van weaved left and right, leaving felled corpses and blood spray up the brickwork of the bridge as the vehicle shook them off. They reached the top of the bridge and Joy braked sharply. The zombie bumped the wind shield and slid off, rising up again snarling. In the rear view mirror she saw others rising, bloodied and defiant as they staggered towards the van. Tires spun on iced up road surface, cutting through the melting freeze as the car shot forward, mowing down the rising zombie as a skull crunched beneath a wheel, then they sped down the other side of the bridge as Joy fought with the wheel to keep from going into a skid. They drove across the next road and Joy brought the van to a sharp halt, still gripping the wheel as she sat there breathless and pale. Up ahead, the transit van had turned back, then it stopped close by as Sage leaned out with the weapon ready and fired off a volley of shots over the van and into the remains of the horde that staggere
d bloodied over the crest of the bridge, felling the creatures in seconds.

  “Is everyone okay?” she called out.

  Mickey nodded, then Joy opened up her window and looked out.

  “We can't go on with the van,” she said, “I can't see to drive.”

  “Then we find another vehicle,” said Sage, and she pulled over to the side of the road and got out armed with a machine gun as Joy took the battered van to a spot close by and turned off the engine. Mickey got out first, then Joy got out and stepped back, taking a look at the damage:

  The hood was dented, the roof was dented and the wind shield was wrecked . The whole van was spattered with fresh blood and here and there, where the car had been slammed against the wall of the bridge, torn off rotting flesh stuck to buckled metal.

  “I'll search for a vehicle,” said Joy.

  “I'll come with you,” Mickey added.

  “Hurry up, we can't linger here,” Sage said, standing by both vehicles with her gun ready as the others stayed inside, and Mickey and Joy walked off down a wide road where on the other side, there was a row of houses. Cars were parked here, but it didn't mean any would be unlocked or have enough fuel...

  Joy went from vehicle to vehicle, trying doors, as Mickey went on ahead standing in the middle of the empty road as he watched for the wandering dead. Finally she opened up the door of an estate car then leaned out, holding up a set of keys. Mickey breathed a relieved sigh as he went back towards the van. Joy drove the car up the street and parked beside the van, then Mickey opened the back and started unloading the guns and ammo first, then reached for the rest. The larger vehicle had most of the supplies, so it didn't take long to load up the trunk, then they got into the car. Joy turned the keys in the ignition. It started up smoothly as Mickey put on his seat belt and then adjusted the seat to semi recline as he gave a sigh.

  “This is so much more comfortable!”

  “It should last for a while,” Joy replied as the van drove away and she followed behind, “But we'll need something bigger when we find an accessible supermarket.”

  “You'll need something bigger for the guns, too. It's a huge stash,” Mickey said with a smile.

  Joy smiled too.

  “A few months ago, I'd be arresting you for a statement like that!”

  “Times have changed, Joy!”

  “They certainly have,” she agreed, keeping her sights on the road ahead as they followed the van on to a road where all trace of ice was gone. The thaw was almost over. Now the freeze was ended, they just had the undead to worry about as they took a mostly uncluttered, empty route and the signposts pointed the way to Whitling Bay...

  The air was sharp and fresh carrying with it a trace of salt as they reached the coast. The first view of the sea when they reached a road that overlooked it was a small strip of beach, as empty as the quiet water as it rolled calmly to the shoreline. It was as deserted now as it could be in any winter, and neither a trace of the living nor the undead was in sight. As they made their way towards the small town, both vehicles spotted it, a sight that was most welcome and full of hope: Smoke was rising from somewhere beyond the view of the first houses that dotted the way past the sign that pointed towards the town...

  The larger van picked up speed a little, as did the car. The roads were no longer iced up although patches of snow lingered here and there where the fall had been heaviest, still evident at the roadside. The winding road led through streets where houses and bungalows stood dotted about with wide gardens deep green in melting thaw surrounding each property. They saw the first remains halfway up the second turn, and drove around a body face down and gnawed to the bone, this was a victim, not a creature and neither vehicle drove over it, because that difference mattered to those who still lived. Bodies were scattered about the drive ways and in some of the properties doors were open and snow had drifted in, partly covering bloodied corpses that looked disturbingly fresh due to the freezing conditions over the past few weeks. They kept moving, heading towards the rising smoke, thick and dark against the winter sky. On reaching the heart of town, they saw something new:

  Shattered store windows, picked clean. Corpses were fallen on the street and it was hard to tell the dead from the felled undead as they drove past slowly, seeing no sign of those on the ground rising up. Blood splashed the streets and turned the traces of snow a speckled red. And the short drive through the middle of the small town took a sharp turn at the end of the street, where a square opened up. And from that square came an orange glow and the smoke billowed far and wide, rising upward to mar the clear skies. The van went first, puling to a halt as the car stopped beside it.

  “Christ,” said Sage as the others stared at the sight, then Sage turned to the back of the van.

  “Don't look, Poppy,” she said, “There's tons of those things, all piled up and burning.”

  “I'm glad I can't see it,” said Chris, then he hit a button to close the window, “But I can smell it!”

  River was staring at the sight, unable to look away, it was unreal to see bodies piled up like logs to fuel a fire that had charred skin as flames licked around bone. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, then she turned to Sage as at the corner of her vision, that orange heat still flickered. She couldn't look bear to back. Sage had also turned her head.

  “Do you notice something about the bodies?” she asked.

  “I just know I never want to see a sight like that again!” Sage told her.

  “They've all been shot in the head,” River added, “Someone came through this town, gunned down the creatures, looted the stores and stacked most of the bodies like kindling and set it all on fire.”

  Sage thought about the sights they had passed on the way in. This town was picked clean. And if Bess had got this far, was she one of the looters, or one of the... No, she couldn't bear to think one of those charred corpses on the fire was Bess...

  “Let's get out of here,” she said quickly, starting up the engine.

  As the van pulled away, in the vehicle behind, Joy did the same.

  Mickey turned his head away from the sight of the burning undead as they drove around the hellish bonfire, leaving the fire behind them as they followed the sign posts, heading for the road that led to the industrial park. No one spoke in either vehicle as they drove towards large gates that were closed with a chain wrapped around them. Gulls looked bright against the blue sky as they headed seaward, close by the water was rolling to shore and they could see it in the distance, across a large field. It seemed such a crazy contradiction, this peaceful sky and the horror below on ground level. Joy got out of the car, took bolt cutters from the trunk and cut through the chain, then she and Mickey pushed the gates open. As more gulls flew overhead, Mickey looked up then glanced at Joy.

  “Ever wish you had wings?”

  “At a time like this, yes!” she agreed, then they got back into the car, and they led the way as Mickey directed Joy along the wide road towards the buildings and factories up ahead.

  “Take the first right, then go past the factory, then take the road that leads away from here – the buildings we see in the distances are warehouses,” Mickey told her.

  As they neared the entrance, the gates were wide open. Joy looked up to the flat roof of a nearby building.

  “There's a chopper up there!”

  Mickey felt a flicker of alarm.

  “Maybe my sister got here first.”

  Joy glanced at him.

  “Isn't that a good thing? You wanted to find her.”

  He swallowed hard as guilt reflected in his eyes. He had not expected his lies to unravel so fast, he had been hoping for time to explain...

  “I was hoping to beat her to the weapons stash, then make my way up to her place and either put up a fight or hope for a truce.”

  “A truce?”

  They had reached the open gates. Up ahead, the way looked clear around the turning that led to the warehouses. The chopper on the rooftop was empt
y and she saw no look outs posted anywhere. She slowed the car to a halt, and as the van stopped behind, she leaned out as Sage turned down the window with a confused expression.

  “We can see both sides as far as the bay. No threats are present, why are we stopping?”

  “Just give me a minute,” Joy said, “I need to talk to Mickey!”

  She sounded as angry as she looked as she closed the car window and turned sharply to her companion. Sage and the others sat behind in the van, waiting as they wondered what the hell was going on.

  Joy was furious as she glared at him, as Mickey looked back at her saying nothing.

  “Talk, then!” she demanded, “We came all this way and now you're telling me that could be your sister and her people in there - and she hates your guts?”

  Mickey gave a heavy sigh.

  “I'm sorry -”

  “Fuck your apologies, what's going on?”

  Now anger flashed in his eyes as he glared at her.

  “Just let me explain! I'm sorry you didn't know this before, but things happened before the crisis, Joy! I didn't want you to know...”

  His anger had faded away as she caught a reflection of despair in his gaze.

  “I didn't want you to think I'm the kind of scum you expected me to be.”

  “What have you done?” she demanded.

  Mickey gave a heavy sigh.

  “Flora wanted me to take out her husband, and his business rival. I arranged both hits. The idea was, I'd go in with her and we would share everything fifty fifty – but she turned on me and said I'd have nothing, and if I wanted to stay alive, I'd better keep on handling the incoming crates at the bay! Joy, she hated her husband, he was a bastard! I was doing her a favour, getting rid of him and his rival, so Flora could take it all, and that's how she treated me for it!”

  Joy briefly closed her eyes, giving a shake of her head as she felt her heart sink. She had known Mickey was up to his neck in shit as soon as she saw the men who had worked for Flora's rival trying to lynch him, but she had hoped his crimes were limited to smuggling. Now she knew different and it was disappointing but, she guessed, should not have been unexpected. As she met his gaze, he looked back at her apologetically.