The distant rattling of automatic fire made everyone stop and look around in fear. Deeper sounding bursts of fire intermingled with the continual noise. Eddy assured us that they were our guns firing and the deeper sound was the gun on the armoured car. After ten minutes or so, the noise slowed to the occasional burst.
“Looks like that’s settled one way or another,” Eddy informed us as he walked to Shawn’s tractor to see if the CB radio was in range so he could get an update from Steve. A few minutes later he called out, “They’ve got them all, they reckon. They’re doing a sweep of the area to double check and then they’ll head back. Steve’s reported no casualties on our side.”
Most cheered with relief at the news and then redoubled their efforts to get ready for their return.
The burial was emotional for all of us who gathered around the two graves listening to Charles perform the service. Most of us had only known the two men for a short time, but their loss pained us as much as it did their brothers in arms, alongside whom they had served and fought.
Steve and Geoff, his sergeant, had both given a short speech remembering their time in service and the families they had both lost as the zombies spread throughout the country. Their speeches at times had us laughing as amusing stories were told and then wiping away tears as their sacrifice was remembered.
It was a sombre group that gathered in the yard of the farmhouse a short time later to make our final preparations to leave. The Broughs were all upset at their imminent parting, despite assurances from us that it wouldn’t be for long as we would concentrate all our efforts on completing the works in as short a time as possible. Unfortunately, until we could find another ham radio, something we now needed to double our efforts to find, communication between the two sites would be restricted to messages passed by hand or mouth from the regular route we intended to start between us. We would experiment trying different routes to find the quickest way to reach each other. Once the optimal one was found that balanced speed with avoiding areas where zombies could mass and was cleared of any obstructions along the way, we knew the journey time would be reduced considerably.
Still though, the thought of being apart and out of touch was hard for them to bear. Steve left the armoured car and six of his men behind, and with Stuart and his two sons, Steve was confident they would have enough manpower to stay safe.
The latest threat, the gang that had attacked them, had been wiped out. The few survivors of the attack had, while they lived, been questioned and their story unfolded.
The gang had formed and grown as the apocalypse began. Initially, they’d just been a few frantic men who had banded together for mutual protection as they desperately tried to avoid the zombies. As their numbers and survival experience grew, though, their attitude changed. Continually on the move, trying to keep one step ahead of ever-present zombies, on the search for a safe place to shelter, they found some who refused to offer them help when they needed it most. Their initial attacks on others were more out of a sense of self-preservation than cruelty, but after encountering a few such groups, their mindset changed and the darker side of their personalities came to the fore. They had the strength in numbers, and nothing would stand in the path of their survival. Slowly moving through the countryside, they stopped asking for help from any they found and began attacking without provocation or compassion, always on the lookout for a suitable permanent base. Their survival took precedence over that of any others, no matter their situation.
Our arrival at the farm had gone unnoticed by them. After their discovery of them in the morning, they’d gone back to their temporary base and prepared to attack in their usual manner; in the middle of the night, when whoever they were attacking would normally be sleeping. They were not expecting the resistance they got. Shocked and reeling from their losses, they’d retreated to the house they’d taken over to lick their wounds. In cowardly manner, they were frantically getting ready to make good their escape from the area when Steve attacked.
Using their close quarter battle training, the soldiers had swept through the building room by room with maximum aggression and speed. The armoured car roamed outside, killing any who tried to escape through the many doors and windows of the house. The poorly trained, disorganised men inside had stood no chance against the onslaught. Given no quarter by the enraged troops, most had perished in the assault. Their story was gleaned from the few mortally wounded survivors before they succumbed to their injuries.
I did not feel sorry for them and the end they’d suffered. They could have used their group’s strength and experience to help others, but instead took the other path, the more cruel, selfish and heartless one which ultimately led to their demise. They deserved everything they’d got as far as I was concerned.
The one positive thing I could take from their story was that they had found other survivors in their wanderings. Yes, they had attacked and killed those they discovered, but if they had found some, then there must be a far greater number still out there. All we needed to do was find them.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The relief of those at the castle when the CB radios were eventually within range was evident by the response we received. They’d known not to expect our return the same day, but the passage of time and the silence had only exacerbated their worries and fears about us.
Standing in the trailer, watching the countryside pass by as I scanned the area for any threats, I tried to keep my impatience in check, but I was desperate to see Becky and my children. This was the longest we’d been apart since the beginning of the apocalypse and I was missing them terribly. Everyone in the convoy was relieved that they’d had no problems at the castle to report. It had been a risk to separate as it left both groups weakened and at greater risk. A fact we knew only too well now, as two of us would not be returning. We hadn’t broadcast the news of our loss because we thought it better to inform them face to face, knowing it would be taken badly by all. Both men had been popular and would be greatly missed. Their deaths were also a reminder to us all of the fragility of the lives we were now leading, no matter how well we all thought we were doing, no matter the quantity of our supplies, weapons and ammunition. Death or permanent disablement, as in the case of Marc, was an ever-present threat; only one wrong move or unfortunate event away.
I smiled grimly as the gates came into view and saw the knights standing at them, ready to push them open and let us inside our sanctuary. Driving through the grounds, I couldn’t help but also smile at the Broughs, who were travelling in the trailer with me, gawking all around them and gasping with wonder at where they would be staying for the next few days. My mood, though, was sombre as we were about to tell people we’d lost two of our own.
As soon as the gates were closed and secured, I couldn’t open the rear of the trailer fast enough so I could jump down and give my family the hugs and kisses I so desperately wanted to give them.
The claps and cheers and joyful barks of welcome sounded out as I ran into Becky’s arms. These soon faded as they picked up on the mood as the others stepped from the trailer and Land Rover. Even the dogs stopped barking as they, too, sensed the solemn mood. Horace went to sit beside Ian and whined quietly for attention from him and Princess returned to Daisy’s side.
Becky broke from my hug when she saw the tears in my eyes which she knew were not caused by happiness.
“What’s the matter, darling?” she asked softly, her eyes darting around the rest of us, seeing how we all were carrying ourselves.
“We were attacked at the farm,” I said quietly. “Danny and Rich were killed.”
She recoiled in shock and looked around, trying to find them in the crowd as if to deny what I had just said. Holding her hands to her face, tears of her own filled her eyes.
“How… why?” was all she could say.
By now, I could see that the news was spreading by the growing reaction of the others around me. “Some bastards attacked the farm.” I paused as I thought about t
he manner of their deaths, deciding it was best to spare Becky that knowledge for now. “They were killed defending the walls.” I could see anger building in her face. “Don’t worry, we beat off the attack and Steve and his men hunted them down and killed them all.” She nodded, waiting for me to continue. “They were a gang that had been roaming the country since this all began, not helping any they found, but killing and stealing from them instead. If we hadn’t arrived when we did, the Broughs would have been overrun.” Her brow creased as I mentioned the Broughs. “Of course,” I responded at her confusion. “I haven’t told you yet. The Broughs were the family at the farm.” I indicated the group still standing by the trailer, looking at the displays of emotion all around them. “We’ve brought the wives and children back with us and some of Steve’s men have stayed behind to help protect the place until we can improve their defences. We thought it would be for the best.”
Becky looked at me as she wiped away her tears and a look of consternation rose on her face. “Well, this is some welcome they’ve been given,” she said as she turned and walked over to them to introduce herself. Within minutes, others had caught up to the story and they, too, gathered around the new arrivals to welcome them to our community.
Maud once again took over by raising her fingers to her lips and emitting her customary shrill whistle, which quietened everyone immediately. “Now, it’s getting late and nothing is being done by us all standing here talking. We have guests that need making welcome and I’m sure there are a lot of other things that need planning, if what I have been told is true. I suggest we reconvene in the Great Hall so we can begin.” A small sob escaped as she said with eyes brimming with tears, “We also need to say farewell to Daniel and Richard.”
As usual, she got it spot on. Twenty minutes later, mugs of tea had been made and distributed and apart from the children who were dispatched to guard duty, we all stood in a large group, chatting quietly about the events of the last few days and updating everyone on what they’d missed.
Charles asked for a moment’s silence so we could remember those we’d lost, before he officially welcomed our new arrivals to our midst. Those of us who’d already begun planning what we would need to gather to take back to the farm split off and sat around the dining table and continued the discussion. Shawn, Jon and Chris produced the lists they had of the materials we had left over from the work we’d done on the castle. Steve joined us once he’d reported to the fleet.
As he sat down, I asked, “How’s their mission going?”
He smiled tiredly as he responded, “It’s all looking good. They have one final island to clear, but as it’s one of the smaller ones, they’re not envisaging many problems. Once that’s cleared, they’ll do one more sweep of all the islands just to be sure, and then they’ll begin disembarking from the boats and ships on to St Mary initially and then they’ll spread to the other islands. Hopefully, by the end of tomorrow they’ll be in a position to do that.” He looked at the notepad he was carrying. “They’ve asked a few questions which I hope we can answer.”
“Fire away,” I said.
“Firstly,” he said, glancing at the pad and patting his pockets to find his pen, “do we know how much aviation fuel there is at the airfield?” He looked around the table until Shawn responded.
“The tank looked to be full, but I don’t know how much it holds. As it’ll be used to refuel all the planes there, I imagine a lot.”
“Thanks,” replied Steve as he wrote in his pad. “Secondly, how confident are we in our ability to gather more food?” He once more looked around the table before continuing. “Don’t worry, I think I know the answer, but I didn’t want to answer on everyone’s behalf before I checked with you all. Their logistics guys are concerned about supplies. They have enough for an extended period but know that the Scillies won’t be able to provide much to supplement what they have. Yes, there are fields that can be harvested and replanted and livestock already on the islands, not to mention fishing, but the supplies they have will be a finite resource that will eventually run out.” He laughed. “The supply people must be bored because they’re working on the feasibility of maintaining the islands in the long term as a permanent base.”
The room went quiet for a period as we all thought about what he’d said. Eventually I broke the silence by saying, “I think the answer is we can get as much as they need but how will we get it to them?”
“Oh, let’s not worry about that for now,” replied Steve “It’s the supply people asking the question. When they get the answer, they’ll hand it over to us workers to come up with that solution, have no fear.”
He stood up. “I’ll go back with the answers. How are the plans coming along?”
Shawn beat us all to the response. “Good, I think. If we take the lorry as well as a tractor, we should be able to take everything we need. If anything else is required, there must be somewhere near the farm where we can get it, but what we have should make an excellent start.”
“Great,” he said. “The fleet are excited about the idea of using the farm as an outpost. They’re interested to see how it works out for future planning when they start looking at the mainland.” He turned and walked to the radio room.
Half an hour later, we’d drawn up the lists of materials and supplies we needed to take. This included not only construction materials but all the extra weapons and food that would need to be loaded. With not much more to organise, we cleared the table so we could all sit down and eat the food we could smell cooking.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At first light we began loading both the lorry and the trailer, checking items off the lists one by one as every available hand worked together. The Broughs had settled in well and despite their worries, helped us in the knowledge that the quicker we completed the work, the quicker they could get back to their loved ones.
The debate over the evening meal about who would go on the following day’s mission had been hard to settle. We had to weigh up the need to protect the castle and the need to complete the work at the farm. The castle was secure against zombies, but now with the confirmed knowledge that there might be gangs roaming the country attacking those weaker than themselves, we needed to ensure we left enough people behind to defend the walls. We couldn’t leave ourselves vulnerable for the sake of helping others.
With that in mind, only ten of us decided to join the convoy. With the ten already at the farm, twenty people working with the right tools and equipment should be able to complete the task in the timeframe we’d set; two days.
Trying to look as cheerful as possible, aware that the last time we’d left, two of us hadn’t returned, I waved at my wife and children once more as we drove out through the gate.
Knowing the route better now, combined with the fact that it was clear of obstructions apart from the wandering zombies we barely slowed down to smash through, the journey to the farm took less than two hours and we arrived at midday. The good weather had broken as forecast, and those of us who were riding in the back of the trailer and lorry arrived wet and cold at the farm from the rain that fell. We’d all worn out sturdiest jackets and waterproof trousers, but the incessant rain had worked its way through zips and seams so by the time we arrived, most of us were soaked to the skin. The CB radios had warned Steve’s men of our arrival and the warm mugs of tea they handed to us as soon as we stepped from the vehicles and trooped inside the farmhouse were very welcome.
All had thankfully been quiet at the farm. No one, either living or dead, had been seen and they’d got on with the necessary work, using what materials and tools they had. All the lower windows of the farm had been secured and firing positions created on various windows on the upper floors. Early that morning, one of Steve’s men had used the armoured car to take Stuart to a neighbouring farm where he knew they had a similar digger to the one destroyed in the attack. The owners, who were also Stuart’s friends, were still in residence. They’d all turned and they found them trapped i
n the house, their faces and hands pressing against the windows of the farmhouse when they were attracted by the noise of their arrival.
Stuart got to see the knights in action for the first time as they enticed them one by one from the house and killed them. Axes, maces and swords had quickly ending their misery. As well as taking the digger, they’d quickly emptied the house of any useful items they could find, including food and weapons.
On their return, Stuart had wasted no time in continuing the work on the ditch, while a planning meeting was held by the others to prioritise the jobs that needed to be done.
The work progressed well with so many hands to help and a determination to complete it in as short a time as possible. Although I was not much use and trying to accomplish any task with bandaged hands was a bit of a mission. The labour continued long into the night until exhaustion forced us to rest for a few hours, after which we dragged our tired bodies back outside into the rain and the growing light of dawn to continue.
By the end of the first full day, we all took a well-earned break to survey what we had achieved. The walls surrounding the entire place had been strengthened and raised. Towers had been built on each of the four corners. These gave a good view of the surrounding area and had been reinforced with steel and timber, which should make them resistant to small arms fire. Machine guns were mounted on two of the towers, and these would be able to lay down a withering amount of fire to sweep the fields surrounding the farm free of the undead, if they approached in large numbers. The work on the ditch was yet to be completed, but when it was, the plan was to line it with sharpened stakes to provide another layer of defence. The one vulnerable part of the walls would be the main gates; the other entrances had been blocked completely, so work had already started. Basing our plans on our experience at the castle, we built an extra angled set of gates in front of the main ones, which would direct any zombies into the deep ditches either side of it. We’d briefly discussed continuing the ditch in front of the gate and building a drawbridge over it but decided against it due to the difficulty of designing the winding gear needed to raise it. The rain we had endured had filled the ditch with water, so the place did begin to look as if it really was surrounded by a moat.
Zombie Castle Series (Book 4): ZC Four Page 20
