by Colley, Ryan
“What the hell?” Sam exclaimed and slowed to a stop.
CHAPTER 25
Sam
As I drove, James sat quietly behind me. My eyes grew tired and I kept yawing. I stared into the distance for so long that my eyes began to play tricks on me. Black blotches swam in and out of my vision. When I saw a vehicle pull off from the side of the road and start its slow advance towards me, I thought I’d imagined it. As it headed towards me, I noticed it was another military vehicle, very similar to the one I drove. I saw the driver wave at me and try to flag me down.
“What the hell?” I exclaimed aloud, although not intentionally. I began to slow the Jeep and roll to a stop. I reached for my gun.
“What is it?” James asked with unease in his voice. He climbed forward to look out of the window. He saw what I saw and added, “What we gonna do, guy?”
“Defend ourselves … if we have to,” I replied vaguely. I put the gun on my lap, ready to pull it up if the approaching man even looked threatening. As suddenly as he started to drive towards us, he slowed and stopped thirty foot away. There were a tense few seconds as we stared at each other through the windscreens. Then he made very slow and deliberate movements as he opened his Jeep door and climbed out. He had both his hands above him to show he was unarmed. He was shorter than me and was on the scrawny side. His military fatigues suggested that he was still better trained than me. He had very short hair, recently shaved. He had a nervous smile on his face but walked towards us with his arms raised anyway. Without consulting James, I placed my gun back on the seat and climbed out. A smile started to break out on the man’s face at my peaceful actions and then disappeared when he saw I wasn’t a military man. If “oh” had a facial expression, he made it. The man stopped his stride.
“What do you want?” I called to him. I saw James on the periphery of my vision reach for the gun. Smart thinking.
“Sorry,” the man began apologetically. He had a croaky voice. “I thought you were military.”
“No, we’re not,” I replied slowly. There was an intense stare down before I asked, “What if we were?”
“Our general is collecting any left-over military forces he can,” he replied. “The British Army may be dissolved, but we’re still soldiers who spent most of our lives following orders. Why should we stop now?”
He had a fair point, and it was good to see everyone didn’t abandon their post. However, it could be a potential problem for James and me.
“We don’t want any trouble with you or anyone else. We’ll be on our way now,” I replied curtly before climbing back into my Jeep. James aimed his gun in the general direction of the man outside.
“We’ve got a well-defended fortification up the road,” the man called to me. “It’s safe and you both look like you could use some rest.”
I leaned out the window and said, “How do you know we’re safe?”
He replied without a second’s thought, “If you weren’t, I’d already be dead, wouldn’t I?”
“Okay then. How do we know you’re safe?” I asked. I wasn’t the most trusting of souls.
“If I wasn’t, you’d already be dead,” the man said. His nervous façade fell away. He clapped his hands above his head, and three men came out of the tree line on the side of the road. They wore leaf-covered netting as camouflage: ghillie suits. Each carried an automatic weapon, and a rifle. If they were trained, they could have killed us any time from when we had stopped, and when we were still driving down the road towards them. The scrawny soldier smiled, pleased the deception had worked.
“Now, let’s all head back for food and rest, yeah?” he said, phrasing it like a question.
“Do we have a choice?” I asked, eyeing the men suspiciously.
The scrawny man looked around him, confused. Acknowledgement suddenly lit up in his eyes and he laughed. “I’m really sorry. I get what you mean now. Yes, you have all the choice. You can keep heading up this road, you’ll see where we are anyway and you can stop by. Or you can just keep going. It really is your choice.”
“I just need to confer,” I replied, turning to James. I looked at him, his dark rings around his eyes evident. He looked close to breaking point. He clutched the gun tightly, like a safety blanket. He was clearly uneasy, and it put me on edge. I looked him in the eye. “What do you think? Keep going, or should we go with them?”
James replied with a very calm determination, “They could have killed us at any point, still could, but they haven’t. We have nothing to lose by going with them. Besides, we both need rest.” He had a strange and uneasy smile on his face.
“With them it is,” I replied and put my hand on his shoulder. James flinched. I quickly pulled my hand away, unsure of what just happened, and returned to the soldiers with our answer. The soldiers didn’t look like they had moved. The scrawny guy barely acknowledged my return.
“We’ve decided to go back with you guys,” I announced.
The scrawny guy smiled. “Excellent!” he said and strode forward. His hand was outstretched, to which I raised mine, almost out of reflex. He clasped my hand and shook it.
“Sergeant Peters,” he said. “Former soldier of the British army.”
“Sam,” I replied and added with a smile, “Former university student.”
“What in?” Peters asked, sounding genuinely interested.
“Psychology,” I said with a smile.
“Ah, better be careful around you!” He laughed. “You’ll be psychoanalysing me the whole time I talk, won’t you?”
I laughed too, ignoring the common misconception which everyone seemed to have about psychology. I blamed Hollywood.
“The guy in the Jeep is James,” I said, introducing James for him. He looked quite firmly stuck in said Jeep.
“Brilliant,” Peters announced. “If we’re going to head back, we should do it before nightfall.”
I nodded and headed back to my Jeep.
“No, no,” Peters said, stopping my stride. “I forgot to say, you and James are going to have to ride up in ours. For security reasons. One of the other men will drive yours up for you.”
I felt uneasy; surrendering our vehicle seemed like a red flag. However, like he had said, we could have been killed at any time anyway. I nodded in agreement and explained the situation to James. He was also uneasy about the situation but agreed to it. With that, we relinquished control of our vehicle and weapons and climbed into the soldiers’ vehicle. Without another word, we started our drive to the mysterious destination. Our salvation.
CHAPTER 26
As we drove along in silence, I began to think about what Peters’ military group was trying to achieve. Were they just trying to survive in the new world? They would have the training to do so. Were they trying to make a safe haven for others to live in? They would have the equipment to do it. They seemed friendly, which was good for us, yet something still didn’t feel right. However, I let that feeling subside. We could reap the rewards of their hard work if they were letting us stay. If society reformed again, I could see it being under a military state. That seemed to be the only way the world could adapt and survive. After all, everyone who was still alive and wanted to stay that way would become a soldier of sorts. It wouldn’t be long before the world was at total war. The term “world war” would never be used more appropriately, assuming the infection had spread beyond Great Britain. Looking at the way it had spread, I doubted it would be long before that happened.
The vehicle drove along slowly, but at a consistent pace. We easily dodged the abandoned cars. They looked as though they had travelled that pathway numerous times. The driver barely looked where he was going. Following us from a slight distance was our original Jeep, but it carried other military men. James sat next to me, although stiff as a board. I couldn’t tell if it was due to his uneasiness around so many people, or something about me which had set him on edge. It was all a blur. I couldn’t remember anything I could have done.
“You okay,
bud?” I whispered to him. He nodded, equally as stiffly. Definitely something to do with me; at least a little bit anyway. I would make it up to him after our little diversion. My eyes began to wander to our hosts. Typical military folk. Some on the skinnier side than what I expected from hardened soldiers. I noticed their uniforms were relatively new-looking. There was no battle damage or signs of fighting; not even blood stains. Had they even seen combat? I noticed that where their military insignia normally would be were a few stray threads, as if it had been removed. I asked them about it.
“Well, with no form of organised military around anymore, it seemed a bit silly fighting for Queen and Country. Don’t want to give the wrong impression and all that. We’re out to protect ourselves,” Peters replied and then added as an afterthought, “And the people we come across.”
I nodded but remained silent. It didn’t make much sense to me. Maybe it was symbolic for them as a unit?
“So who’s running the show now then?” I asked casually. I wanted as many details about the men as possible, as well as what they could for me. If things were as good for them as it seemed, they could be a potential ally who I could throw my lot in with if I needed to.
“The same man who has been leading us all this time,” Peters replied again, with less enthusiasm for conversation that time. I noticed the others seemed tight-lipped and more likely to be brawn to whoever was in charge. They seemed to bristle at the mention of their leader; almost like they didn’t want to talk about him. I had a sudden wave of uneasiness pass over me. Were we prisoners?
“So, how much further is it?” I asked, adding yet another question to the list.
“We can discuss things when we’re back at the base,” Peters said with a little annoyance in his voice. He had essentially cut all my questions short; I was not to ask anything else. What caught me, however, was the word base. I wasn’t fantastic at geography, although I was a closet military nut. Not that I kept it very well-hidden. However, I was fairly certain there wasn’t a military base in that area outside of London. Did that mean we were just going to another glorified roadblock? My mind raced with doubt and curiosity, my thoughts turning to the “base” in London. I hoped it was better than that one. I reached for my gun, but it wasn’t there; I had given it over to our hosts. I felt naked without it. I stewed in my own thoughts. Before those thoughts could develop, the Jeep slowed. I looked up. No base in sight.
“Are we here?” I asked in confusion. There was nothing around.
“Not quite,” Peters replied. “We have one stop before we head back. Sorta a patrol stop.”
All the car doors opened and the soldiers stepped out. James and I just stayed where we were.
“Not coming?” Peters asked and pulled up his rifle. The soldiers walked out and into the field.
“Why not?” James replied, nervousness in his voice. I could see what he was thinking. They would lead us into the grassy fields and execute us. I didn’t see it that way. They could have executed us outside our Jeep if they so desired. Similar thoughts flitted near the surface of my brain when I became aware of the potential scenario. My brain was my own worst enemy. I began walking, followed by James and Peters.
“What’re we doing here?” I asked as we waded through the knee-high grass. There were paths worn into the grass for us to follow. I could see several dark patches of earth dotted around the field, and nearby were two diggers. The patches of ground were about the width of a regular car, albeit longer. I approached them slowly. As we neared, I realised they were actually deep holes in the ground and the diggers were clearly what had been used to make them. An unearthly chorus of snarls and wails grew louder the closer we got.
“Come see,” Peters said with a smile as he pressed ahead to stand on the edge of one of the holes. I had an idea of what would be in there, which added to my uneasiness. I didn’t want to be that close to it. James and I walked forward slowly until we were on the edge. Once I looked into the pit, I found it hard to tear my eyes away. The pit was about ten feet deep and had very steep sides. There were twelve of the undead in it. They were going berserk. They scrambled over and under each other. The undead attempted to climb the walls, gaining a foot or two before they sank to the bottom again. I couldn’t tell if they were actively trying to escape, or our presence had driven them into a frenzy. The contained stench of so many undead was unbearable. James had a green pallor to his face, and I could feel the colour draining from mine.
“Horrific, isn’t it?” Peters said with a slight laugh. I was afraid to open my mouth to agree in case my stomach emptied itself. I nodded instead. I looked around at the soldiers; none seemed to have a problem with the foul stench.
“Wanna know how we handle it?” a gruff soldier asked. He towered over the rest and was built like a vending machine. He could have left my face on the back of my skull in one punch if he so desired.
“Sure,” I choked out.
“Here you go,” the huge soldier replied and tossed me a small blue pot. I caught it, nearly falling into the death pit as I did so. James steadied me and saved me from the undead hive below.
“Ram it up your nose and take a big whiff,” the soldier said and wandered off, taking no notice of my close encounter with the reaper. I watched him walk away before inspecting the small pot, which read “Menthol Vapour Rub.”
“Simple yet effective,” Peters replied and produced his own pot. He put enough to fill a teaspoon up each nostril. He took a massive intake of breath and smiled. His eyes streamed ever so slightly. I did the same, wincing at its intense burn before passing it to James, who did the same. They weren’t lying. It worked brilliantly. The stench of death left my nose and was replaced by the fake menthol freshness of vapour rub. I would remember it for future use. Perhaps the vapour rub industry would thrive? I laughed at my poorly constructed joke, much to the chagrin of others. Someone laughing to themselves rarely meant anything good.
“So, what’s with these pits?” I asked coolly, trying to reassert my confidence.
“Our base isn’t far from here,” Peters answered simply. “Turns out the dead are pretty stupid. They won’t go round a hole if it’s in their way, so why not make some they can’t avoid?”
“Brilliant,” James said under his breath as he admired their simple handiwork.
“Isn’t it?” Peters said with a smug smile. “Every day we send a patrol past and destroy any dead who find their way into the holes. Been about a hundred these past few days.”
“What about the bodies?” I asked in disbelief at the simplicity of the idea; surely there was a downside?
“Another easy solution,” Peters said with an even bigger smile. He then called to his fellow soldiers. “Let’s get on with it, gents.”
A couple of men produced previously unseen canisters of petrol, unscrewed the caps, and poured an excessive amount of the contents into the holes. The strong fumes, which would make any environmentalist cry, went unnoticed through our nasal defences.
“Hold this a sec,” Peters instructed and handed me a piece of the old rag. He lit the end of it using a lighter. When it was ablaze, he took it back and dropped it into the hole. The moment it made contact with the undead, the pit burst into flames, spreading the flame to others upon contact. I watched as the undead continued to try to escape the hole. Not because of the flames which engulfed them, but to try and reach the fresh supply of food which stared at them from just out of their reach. I watched as their rotten flesh fell away from blackening bones and knew that the undead truly felt no pain. I took a step back as the heat intensified; it felt as though it was scorching my face. Black plumes of smoke drifted into the air from all of the pits as each soldier attended to their own. Peters walked up and down to inspect each one and wandered back over when he was happy with what he saw. I, on the other hand, cringed at the waste of fuel.
“Give it a year and it’ll be no good anyway,” Peters said as he walked by and saw my face. He went back to the Jeeps, his men follow
ing as he did so. Peters looked at the sky, saying to himself in disbelief more than anything, “Let’s get going. Swear the nights are coming in faster now.”
Peters shook his head as he walked away. I noticed a few of the soldiers smiled at me and James. They seemed to be a lot friendlier in general, almost like we had performed an act of initiation. Perhaps we had? We showed we had no qualms about killing the undead, something I am sure they had trouble with at some point. People had such adherence to not killing creatures that had once been human; something I seemed to have no problem with. My slip into the “kill or be killed” attitude happened surprisingly fast. If any of my loved ones saw the rapid change, they would probably be horrified; not me, however. I needed to think about Alice anyway. Everything I did was to rescue her. The only people I had to answer to about my crimes were Alice and whatever non-existent God floated in whatever non-existent afterlife. As far as I was concerned, I was home-free. Not for a moment did my moral conscience come into my thoughts and how those horrors would affect it. I closed my eyes. Exhaustion overtook me. I needed sleep and food. Real sleep and proper food.
TAO OF SAM – HOME: THE BASICS
You should have enough time to prepare your home. It is now your fortress. Build walls and cage yourself in. You want to keep the world out.
I would recommend a ten-foot-high wall made from breezeblocks; two thick. That goes around the entire house. Front and back. Put all your funds into it while you have time. Money will soon be useless. The wall will be too tall for the undead to climb over.
Also invest in a big gate; one big enough to drive a car through. Just make sure it is sturdy and well-made. You can even reinforce it with other things. Make sure the gate is covered so no one can see in. Attach a panel for viewing purposes.