by Hatchett
To the reader….
This is the sixth and probably the last book in my ‘Z Series’ so, if you haven’t already done so, I would recommend you read the previous five books in series in order because the characters, locations and storyline all interact. Further, in this book I have not repeated the background to the regular characters as I have done in some previous books – if you’ve got this far, then I expect you know them well enough by now!
As usual, I have tried to avoid too much gang-talk to help the narrative flow more easily. There is still a lot of bad language in this book and some sexual content.
This book is mainly fictitious, hopefully non-libellous or breaching any Copyright©, and I hope you enjoy it.
Whilst I have tried to be as accurate as possible, all mistakes and inaccuracies are all mine.
Here goes….
Hatch
The Story So Far….
From ‘Z – Arrival’
(Book 1 of the Z Series)
A virus inadvertently escaped from the CDC in Atlanta, USA.
It was unwittingly carried by a retired US scientist who ‘turned’ during an overnight flight to England, infecting well over a hundred passengers and crew.
The plane managed to land at Heathrow, but the Security Services on the ground were wholly unprepared to deal with the situation, and the infection quickly spread.
With the Government and key public figures going into hiding, there was little help for the survivors at Heathrow, but against the odds, they managed to re-group, start a fight back and made Heathrow their safe haven…
From ‘Z – London’
(Book 2 of the Z Series)
The second instalment goes back to the start of the zombie outbreak with a violent East End gang making the most of the advanced warnings to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.
The gang members managed to secure their home before taking over the Tower of London and the people trapped within its walls.
The gang’s reign of terror was swiftly thwarted by a combination of the people in the Tower and the group of survivors based at Heathrow.
Some of the gang’s key members managed to escape, but were quickly hunted down.
Only two survived…
From ‘Z – Payback’
(Book 3 of the Z Series)
Returning to consciousness after being attacked, Mamba and Ahmed needed to find safe shelter and quickly. They also needed to find new allies if there was any chance of them fighting their new enemies.
They fled towards North London where they met up with the Turkish Mafia. Mamba was well known to them and wasn’t liked nor trusted, but the promise of guns and power were sufficient to tempt them into helping him.
Together, they tested the abilities and resolve of the people at Heathrow, whilst simultaneously distracting them by attacking the Tower of London and the Green Park Estate in the East End.
With differing levels of damage inflicted on their targets, Mamba began to learn how his enemies operated and, when they started tracking him down, devised a plan to make them think he was dead…
From ‘Z – Takeover’
(Book 4 of the Z Series)
Heathrow believed that Mamba was dead, and had captured his Turkish girlfriend, Ayla. But Mamba is streetwise, smart, and not so easy to kill. He is also a survivor in a world where most of the population simply couldn’t cope. He is in his element.
He is back in North London with the Turkish mafia, and planning his next moves, moves that include him taking out their leader, Sully, and joining forces with the man’s brother, Volkan.
The ultimate aim was to return to Heathrow and take them down once and for all. And he now has all the help he needs.
Taking control of Heathrow was far easier than he imagined, and after double-crossing Volkan, Mamba is now ready to deal with his enemies once and for all.
But Jack Robinson, the man in command at Heathrow, has some intriguing news. News which fuels Mamba’s imagination. News that Mamba simply can’t resist.
He is told there is an underground city where all the rich and famous have gone to hide and wait out the zombie apocalypse. Mamba wants to find them.
Believing he was leaving Heathrow in the capable hands of some of his Turkish friends, Mamba sets off for Burlington…
From ‘Z – Burlington’
(Book 5 of the Z Series)
Mamba woke up in a field near Corsham in Wiltshire, unable to remember why he was there.
Once his memories returned, he was ready to continue his quest to find Burlington, the secret underground city.
However, Corsham was no longer the quintessentially English market town it once was; it had been taken over by the Reverend and his followers and was being ruled with an iron fist.
Mamba is not the sort of person to do as he’s told, or watch what he says or does, so as tensions with the Reverend and his people escalate, he realises he has no choice but to deal with the man and his followers before he can turn his attention back to finding Burlington.
With the help of a local man known as old Ernie, he finally achieves his aims.
Now, with his Burlington quest completed, Mamba is ready to head back to London to confront his enemies at Heathrow once and for all…
1
Day 25 – 09:30
Corsham
Mamba steered the Range Rover Sport along the farm track to the main road, kicking up dust as he accelerated.
At the junction, he swung the car left without slowing but had to stop twenty metres further on when he arrived at one of Corsham’s outer roadblocks, the rest of his convoy, including two BMW X5’s, two Mercedes GLE’s, an Audi Q7, a Volvo XC90, a Land Rover Discovery, a VW Touareg and two transit vans, coming to a stop behind him.
Mamba and Ahmed got out of the car.
“Fuck! Forgot ‘bout the roadblock,” Mamba muttered, looking around to see if there was any way past.
There were around fifty zombies on the other side of the three cars parked sideways across the road, and whilst they could easily be dealt with, it would take time, and Mamba wanted to get moving and put some distance between himself and Corsham.
“Got the map?” Mamba asked, turning to Ahmed.
“Why?” Ahmed asked.
“Duh! Why’d ya fuckin’ think? I wanna see if there’s another way outta this shithole.”
“It ain’t a shithole,” Ahmed argued, it’s actually a very nice town.”
“I tol’ ya afore, Ahmed. It’s shite. End of. Now, where’s the fuckin’ map?”
“In the car.”
“Well, go ‘n fetch it!” Mamba shouted, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ahmed trudged off like a scolded dog as Mamba turned back to look at the zombies. He could get one of the MP5’s and blast the fuckers to Hell, but that would be noisy and waste ammo and might attract more of them, or even some unwanted attention from the town. He could drive through them, but that might damage the vehicles, and he now wished he’d asked for proper Land Rovers or something bigger and heavier. Like a bulldozer or a…tractor. Now there was a thought. Of course, he could get dirty and go stab the lot of them, but he wasn’t really in the mood. Pulling that bitch Evelyn apart had satisfied his need for violence…for the time being, at least.
Ahmed came trudging back with the map unfolded and flapping in the light breeze, as some of the other men got out of their cars.
“What’s going on?” Basir shouted from two cars back.
“Not now, Basir, the adults are talkin’,” Mamba shouted back.
Basir shrugged and raised his eyes at Dev and Umit who were standing nearby. Mamba was obviously a bit pissed about something and was best left to get on with it.
Mamba snatched the map, almost tearing it before Ahmed released it. He turned it one way then the next until he was satisfied he had it the right way up.
“Where are we?” he asked.
Ahmed leant over his shoulder and pointed to the road they were on. Laycock Road. It was only a few hundred metres to the turning they wanted, but it might as well have been miles.
Mamba looked at the other options and saw another track on the other side of the farm they had just come from, and this appeared to re-join the road he needed to get to Chippenham.
“There!” Mamba said, pointing at the track.
“There’s sure ta be another roadblock the other side,” Ahmed pointed out. “The people’ve put ‘em all ‘round the place. Why we goin’ ta Chippenham anyway?”
“’Cos, I said so,” Mamba barked.
“Shoulda got some Land Rovers,” Ahmed mused.
Mamba stopped looking at the map and stared at him.
“Alright, clever-fuckin’-clogs, where we gonna get Land Rovers from? Eh? Eh?”
“Chippenham?” Ahmed ventured.
“Mebbe,” Mamba allowed, thinking.
“So, what we doin’? Get the boys ta sort ‘em out?”
“Nah, I’ve got a betta idea.”
Mamba shouted for everyone to get back into their cars and start reversing. He and Ahmed climbed into the Range Rover and did likewise until the track down to the farm could be seen through the side window. Mamba braked, put the car in gear and turned back onto the track, the rest of the convoy beginning to follow behind.
2
Day 25 – 09:45
Corsham
Mamba drove down the track back towards the farm. At the fork, he turned left, heading back to the quad.
“What now?” Ahmed grouched. “We left here quarter of an hour ago ‘n now we’re back at square one.”
“Stop fuckin’ whingein’,” Mamba berated him as he stopped just short of the quad and got out of the car, recognising the yellow JCB he thought he’d seen parked to one side earlier.
Ahmed sighed and got out to follow, motioning for Basir to arrange the men.
As vehicle doors opened and slammed closed, Mamba strode into the quad. Ahmed jogged to catch up.
“We betta be careful, bro. The people we killed could be up ‘n ‘bout.”
“Not Evelyn.”
“Nah, not Evelyn,” Ahmed agreed, remembering the way her body was ripped apart by the ropes secured to the two X5’s.
They looked around the quad and immediately saw that the dead had turned. Chrissy was nowhere to be seen. Martin and Natalie were on the far side of the quad stumbling around and Evelyn…
Mamba started laughing.
“Look at that!” he shouted gleefully.
Evelyn’s body from the hips down was still in the same spot it had fallen earlier, but her upper torso was now crawling slowly in their direction, her arms and hands pulling her forward as she grunted and gnashed her teeth.
“Uh oh,” Ahmed said.
“Yeah, scary ain’t it?” Mamba said laughing.
“I didn’t mean her,” Ahmed replied, pointing to the far side of the quad.
The noise had attracted what were once Martin and Natalie, and they were now heading towards them at a far quicker pace than Evelyn.
“I knew she didn’t really want me ta go,” Mamba said, as he saw where Ahmed was pointing. “I wonder if she’s still up fer a shag.”
“Mebbe, as long as ya tie her up first,” Ahmed suggested, “but a blowie is definitely outta the question!”
Mamba laughed.
“Ya got that right, bro,” he said as he strode forward, standing on Evelyn’s head and grinding it into the ground.
He noticed that she’d left a trail of guts and blood behind her, like a slug’s trail, then stamped down hard and crushed her skull once and for all.
“Now fer some real fun,” Mamba said, as he headed towards the other two and withdrawing both his Bowie knives. “Ya got Martin, I got Nat.”
Ahmed wasn’t sure what Mamba meant by ‘real fun’ but withdrew one of his knives, strode up to Martin, knocked his grasping arm aside and plunged the blade into his head. The body dropped to the floor and Ahmed turned to see what Mamba was up to.
Mamba was laughing and egging Natalie on, the zombie adjusting direction and following every time Mamba jinked one way or the other, slashing at the zombie’s hands and arms with his knives. He managed to slice off her left thumb with one slash and laughed with glee.
“Shoulda done this ta her while she was alive,” Mamba commented, ducking to his right to avoid her latest lunge. “Woulda bin far more fun.”
The next time Natalie lunged, Mamba sidestepped to his right again and dropped to one knee, slicing through the tendon at the back of her left heel.
Natalie fell forwards, her face smashing into the hard surface and crushing her nose.
Mamba and Ahmed watched in awe as Natalie tried in vain to stand up, again lunging in Mamba’s direction but falling way short. They watched her try it again with the same result.
“Watch out!” someone screamed, and both Mamba and Ahmed whirled around with their knives raised.
They immediately spotted Chrissy a few metres away, hissing and snapping as she quickly closed the gap.
“All yers,” Mamba said, turning back to focus on Natalie.
She had given up trying to stand and was now trying to crawl to him.
Mamba shook his head slowly, getting bored of the game. As Natalie’s hand reached out to brush his boot, he hopped over her and placed his right foot in the middle of her back, effectively pinning her to the ground. Then he looked over to see what Ahmed was up to.
Ahmed had somehow managed to pick Chrissy up, facing away from him, so it looked like he was carrying an angry child who was having a hissy fit. Chrissy was still snapping and snarling, and Ahmed was laughing.
A few of the men had gathered to watch the entertainment from a few metres away, laughing and joking at Mamba and Ahmed’s antics.
“Anyone want ta finish this bitch off?” Mamba asked, but there were shakes of the head all around.
Ahmed had now turned Chrissy upside down and was holding her by her ankles.
“Watch out,” he shouted, as he began to rotate, picking up speed with Chrissy swinging around him.
After a few revolutions with Chrissy horizonal and moving at speed, Ahmed picked his moment and released his hold.
Chrissy flew through the air and slapped into the side of the nearest barn and slid down to the ground in a tangle of limbs. They could hear her still snapping away, so it was clear she wasn’t dead. Sure enough, she managed to get back to her feet and start shuffling back towards them, albeit one of her arms was at an odd angle with a shard of bone sticking out.
“Brilliant. I want some of that,” Mamba shouted, quickly stabbing Natalie in the back of the head and jumping off her.
He sheathed his knives and approached Chrissy, grabbed her by the shoulders and used his right leg to sweep her legs away so that she dropped to the ground. He then quickly grabbed her ankles before she could get back up and began swinging her around. After a couple of revolutions, he let go with a grunt and nearly fell over with the follow through. He watched in awe as Chrissy flew through the air and hit the side of the barn with her head and shoulder. There was an audible crack as her neck snapped and the body fell to the floor in a heap.
“Aweeesome!” Mamba shouted. “Like that…what’s the sport?”
“Hammer,” Ahmed answered.
“What?” Mamba asked confused. “What ‘bout a hammer? I wanna know what the sport is.”
“I tol’ ya, it was called the hammer.”
“Oh,” Mamba said, bewildered. “Thought it was the shot put,” he added as the name suddenly came to him.
“Nah, that’s chuckin’ a cannonball,” Ahmed explained.
“Right,” Mamba agreed, although he wasn’t one hundred per cent convinced. “Ho
w’d ya know all this?”
“Seen it on TV.”
“Good sport this,” Basir said, coming forward as if he wanted a go. “Dwarf tossing. Should be an Olympic sport.”
“Ahmed likes a bit of dwarf tossin’,” Mamba chuckled, “or is it a dwarf tossin’ him? Can never remember.”
“Up yers!” Ahmed spat back.
Chrissy regained her feet and started walking back towards Mamba, Ahmed and Basir, albeit with her head lolling to one side and resting on her shoulder.
Mamba suddenly paused, listening, and looking towards the sky with a frown on his face.
“Can I do it?” Basir asked excitedly.
“Shhh!” Mamba hissed, holding up a cautionary finger.
Basir wasn’t sure what was going on and followed Mamba’s gaze to the sky. He couldn’t see anything and wondered what the fuss was about.
“Take cover!” Mamba shouted, withdrawing his knife and stabbing Chrissy in the head as she approached.
3
Day 25 – 10:00
Corsham
Mamba’s men scattered, scurrying to the cover of the barns surrounding the quad.
Mamba ran to the side of the nearest barn and leant against its side, sheltered by the overhanging roof, and continued to watch the skies. He was quickly followed by Ahmed and Basir who stood either side of him.
“What’s the problem?” Ahmed asked.
“Listen!” Mamba ordered.
Ahmed searched the skies and listened but couldn’t see or hear anything apart from some bird song and trees rustling in the light breeze. He glanced across at Basir with an enquiring look on his face and Basir just shrugged in confusion.
Seconds later they heard the first whup, whup, whup of helicopters as they headed in their general direction, the noise getting louder with each passing second.
Mamba stepped past Basir and quickly slid down the side of the barn to peek around the corner. He was right. There were helicopters. Five of them. Three of the big Chinooks and two Apache’s. He should know, as he’d flown in both.
