From Despair to Where

by Oliver Smith

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  Jack returned to the point where he’d left Dave and couldn’t see him or the Doctor. He surveyed his surroundings but couldn’t see any sign of them and assumed Dave had got the Doctor away. He left the scene and returned to Chris telling him to stay where he was and that the plan was still going ahead, assuring him that Dave would be back soon. Carrying on, he visited the soldiers on the wall next, safely behind it, and told them to keep up their good work and that they should join up with Chris and Dave when the main bulk of the crowd got to them.

  Finally, he ran with everything he had to get back to Lucy. He returned to the spot he left her, but she was gone.

  Chapter 48 - Best Laid Plans

  Jack was in panic, but he resisted any action. There were many reasons for Lucy’s absence, he needed to focus, she’d come back to him soon. She was better out in the wild than Jack. He clung to positive thoughts.

  The soldiers screamed and shouted, they stabbed and extinguished, and the dead finally started to group together, focused only on the soldiers with the rest of the village quiet. The plan was working as the group of dead moved together as one, gathering against the wall, they were soon standing on the bodies of the fallen and becoming a trouble for the soldiers, who’s stomach muscles ached with having to hang over the wall and avoid the flailing hands. With their work accomplished, the soldiers lowered themselves down and fled towards Chris who waited alone.

  Chris and Jack had been diligent when the soldiers made their departure, on seeing them vanish behind the wall, they began firing their weapons into the horde. Jack pumped the shotgun and shot the three shells at three second intervals. He reloaded his gun and did the same again. He remained still as the dead started to move towards him. Chris was doing the same with his rifle, the soldiers were quick to join Chris and began firing their pistols, each taking it in turns to fire to make their ammunition last, they needed to draw them out and guns got attention.

  The plan was working, the horde was splitting at the fork in the road, some were following Jack, and the larger group were following the soldiers and Chris. They were siphoning out of the village.

  The village watched on, whilst all the commotion happened outside, eyes peered through windows, watching in horror as fear drove them to inertia. They watched as the crowd moved away, a similar thought struck many who watched the departing mass; now was the time to escape.

  Panic purged logic and seven residents took flight. Panic eradicated training, common sense and thought as the seven blindly ran from their houses away from the departing pack. They were loud and clumsy in their escape. Seeing the departing corpses, the seven ran for their lives, two of the fleeing villagers ran into the dead as they peered at the mob behind them. They rebounded with a scream escaping narrowly, but in doing so attracted more of the dead to follow. They scurried away, but the hunt was on. The dead were moving back into the village once more.

  Jack, Chris, and the soldiers all saw what was happening from their different vantage points, as the back of the pack split off. They were committed with the dead that they had drawn away and were now stuck with the path they had taken. The pack had split once again, but there was nothing that Jack, Chris, or the soldiers could do as they moved away from the village with a barricade of dead blocking them from the heart of the community. The plan was falling away.

  The roar of a large diesel engine took the failing plan out of the minds of the four people attempting to lead the dead away. At the other side of the village an aging New Holland combine harvester turned into the village, James sat in the cab grinning as he lowered the cutting bar and headed into the back of the crowd. He saw people running away from the village and hoped that Scott wouldn’t shoot them. Patrolling behind the combine, Scott took up the flanks with an army issued assault rifle, the negotiations and agreements with the army had come with a few perks that were kept secret from most of the village.

  James ploughed forward and hit the crowd, the blades were turning with their old teeth crushing and shattering skulls in continuous motion. The combine rattled and shook as the dismembered bodies got maneuvered by the machine to the thrashing drum in the back. James knew that the old combine would give out eventually, it wasn’t meant for the harvest of skin and bones, but he didn’t see any other alternatives, he could climb on top of the machine if he got stuck.

  Although the combine was nearly the same width as the small road that ran through the village, Scott was kept busy picking off those that managed to escape the blades.

  Over the sound of the engine and the constant moan of the dead, Jack was startled by a voice he recognised. It was Captain Anthony Rogers, who despite his initial opinion, had grown to like.

  “You need to hang back Jack, let us deal with this.” Anthony said adding with a grin, “Good to see you’re still with us.”

  Jack looked around and saw at least 20 soldiers dressed for night-time combat surrounding the perimeter. A simple hand gesture from the Captain had them inching forwards in formation towards the horde, they had some sort of silencer on their weapons as they began to open fire, single shot rounds placed accurately, the echoes of their silenced shots were not quiet, but lacked the explosive shock, it gave the approaching soldiers a coordinated elegance, like they were part of a well-choreographed dance troop. They fired in groups, providing their brothers and sisters in arms time to reload, taking time with each shot.

  More soldiers approached the village and provided Scott and James with reinforcements. The village and army began to merge further as they worked together and squeezed the horde from all sides, raising the body count into the thousands.

  Jack watched feeling helpless as the army and horde fought a moving battle zone, the soldiers pushing forwards and being driven back in equal measures like magnets pushing each other apart. He had been tasked with a couple of junior recruits to sweep the back of the soldier’s formation to ensure they weren’t taken by surprise. It was pointless, there were no dead to be fought, his thoughts went back to Lucy, where was she?

  Desertion was an army term, Jack thought as he left his post in search of Lucy. He had other concerns and wasn’t needed so jogged off with mild guilt rankling at him as thoughts turned to Gil leaving Harold. This was different. This was noble.

  Chapter 49 - Searching

  The only place Jack could think to look was home. He ran, killing two of the dead as he went.

  Chloe and Magda heard the door creak open downstairs and then footsteps. They had been sitting on top of Chloe’s bed as Magda said it would be alright. Hearing someone in the house made them cautious so they crawled to the floor and under the bed. Magda felt the weight of the day as she dragged her tired body under, she wrapped her arms around Chloe and they waited, breathing shallow breaths.

  The footsteps paced around downstairs and then came slowly up the stairs. Checking the master bedroom and then the bathroom, the footsteps approached Chloe’s room. Looking from under the bed, Magda watched as muddy boots came into view, the person stayed motionless.

  Richie looked around the room; he inhaled through his nose a deep breath, the room smelt different to him, like the air was fresher or disturbed. He didn’t register any meaning from it and turned on his heels and left the room, headed downstairs and out of the house.

  A few minutes later, the back door opened again with gusto. This time Jack bounded up the stairs and called to Chloe. The girl wriggled free from Magda and was out from under the bed before Magda could stop her. The old woman followed more slowly.

  Jack embraced the girl as she ran towards him, he looked at her and asked, “Has Lucy been here Chloe?” Forcing a casualness to his tone.

  “She’s with you, where is she?” Chloe didn’t respond casually.

  “We got split up, I’m sure she’s fine, we’re winning!” Jack said rubbing the girl’s hair, but feeling worry build inside his gut. He didn’t know where to look.

  Magda rubbed Jack’s arm and smiled at him, “Someone was
here just before you. I don’t know who it was, we were under the bed. They were looking around the house, I mean every room.” She glanced down at Jack’s shoes, “It wasn’t you.”

  He stood back and tried to think. He knew James and Scott were tied up in the fight, he couldn’t think of anyone else who would come into his home the way Magda had described. The army might have done a sweep, but they were fully focused on the ensuing battle outside.

  “I don’t like this.” Jack said to himself.

  Worry intensified to panic. Had the threat been eliminated, or if there was some evidence of his death, Jack might not have thought of their historic foe. Surely it was paranoia, but something felt wrong to him.

  “Can you two hide please? I’m going to get Lucy. Don’t respond to anyone you don’t know. Just stay hidden.”

  “Of course.” Magda said, seeing the worry etched into Jack’s face.

  He left them and went to look for Lucy.

  Lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity, Richie moved in the darkness searching too. He was intent on revenge and domination, his only drivers during the previous months. He had seen Lucy fall, but lost her after disposing of a group of dead that had attacked him.

  Tracking was impossible in the darkness and with the chaos ensuing all around, so Richie settled for prowling around the backs of the houses and waiting in the shadows until opportunity presented itself.

  Jack ran to James’ house, he knew that Lucy and Beth were friends, so reasoned that she could be ensuring that Beth, who was over eight months pregnant, was okay. He entered the back door quietly and shut it behind him. He edged through the house, darkness hindering his way, he whispered, “Beth, it’s Jack, is Lucy here?”

  He listened and heard footsteps, the door to the lounge opened and candlelight flickered through the gap. Beth stood there, looking very pregnant and motioned impatiently for Jack to come in.

  He jogged to the open door and went in, Beth quickly closing the door behind her. The lounge had expensive blackout curtains, so the light wouldn’t betray them. Surveying the room, Jack’s eyes rested on some legs on the sofa, he instantly recognised who it was, he rushed to the sofa and crouched by the side so he could see her face.

  “Hey.” Lucy said, she was burning up with a fever, she looked pale.

  “Hey you. What’s happened?” Jack said as tears formed in his eyes, she was a shade of grey that scared him.

  Lucy began to speak, “It’s him again.”

  Beth shushed her and said, “You just rest Lucy, you’re weak.

  “She’s been shot. Not bitten. I think she’s in shock, but I also think she’s going to be okay. I’ve stopped the bleeding and it looks like the bullet passed straight through her just above her collar bone. I’ve checked her breathing and there’s no blood, so it looks like her lungs are okay.

  “We need to get her medical help, but it’s a bit crazy outside, so while we wait, we’ll give her lots of water, make her rest, keep her wound clean and make sure the bleeding has stopped.”

  Jack nodded. Stunned into silence, he held Lucy’s hand. How could anyone shoot someone so perfect? He knew the answer to his question. The person who did this was obvious to Jack and he had to be stopped, but right now, he needed to put vengeance on the backburner.

  “I’m going to get Chloe and Magda, are they okay to stay here? Our intruder is back, and he knows where we live.” Jack asked Beth.

  “You don’t need to ask.”

  “It’s more risk if this madman is back and looking for me and Lucy.”

  “We’re in this together, for one and for all.”

  “Thank you.”

  Beth half patted Jack on the arm and half pushed him to get going. He took the hint and left quietly out of the back. Quickly getting Chloe and Magda, the three of them scurried to James and Beth’s house and bunkered down. Jack carried Lucy upstairs and put her into bed and asked Beth, Magda, and Chloe to stay with her. He was intent on going hunting.

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  In the corner of the garden, in amongst the bushes, hidden in the shadows, Richie watched. He saw the child and the old woman return with Jack and heard the girl ask about Lucy. Lucy. He would wait and finally put an end to his plan. He was the master of the dead and he wanted control back from the woman who had inflicted more pain to him than anyone since his childhood. It felt like a climax to him, like he was a fisherman battling a legendary fish, finally getting it into his net. It felt right and just.

  Chapter 50 - House of Horrors

  Lucy’s condition didn’t change during the night, she remained in pain, just paracetamol providing any relief, the fever still raged, and her wound still bled. Jack checked on her periodically and spent a couple of hours pacing around downstairs and around the house, listening for noise. The battle outside still raged on and he wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes, open them and for normality to return. He was tired, he was scared, and he was angry.

  Jack felt useless pacing around the house waiting for the fight to come to him, he was a sitting duck if the aggressor was to approach in darkness, he decided it was time to be proactive and hunt the psychopath down. He picked up an axe and shotgun and went outside.

  Immediately, Jack bumped into Scott and his heart missed several beats. Composing himself, Jack asked, “How are things going out there?”

  “Aye, not bad, the worst of it is dying down. The military are sweeping the area and taking down any stragglers.” Scott’s face turned sour as he stared at his feet, “It looks like we’ve got a few casualties. It was him, all this, it was him. He’s back.”

  “Shit. How do you know?”

  “Me and Dave were on look out, he brought the crowd with him.”

  Jack tried to comprehend Scott’s words and it only intensified his desire for blood, he said, “Lucy has been shot and I need to kill him. Are you needed elsewhere?”.

  “I was coming here anyway as James wanted me to check on Beth. What do you need?”

  “Can you stand guard here? Beth, Magda, Chloe and Lucy are inside, and I need to find this madman and put an end to it.”

  “You can count on me. Be careful” Scott said with little ceremony as he left and made his way to James and Beth’s house.

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  Whilst Scott and Jack talked, Richie saw the opportunity to leave his hiding space. Only metres away, but hidden by the garden wall, Richie slipped out of the bushes and quietly walked into the open house. All was quiet as he slipped in through the kitchen door, opened the pantry and closed the door behind him. He sat in the darkness and rummaged for food, greedily eating breakfast bars. Richie loaded his rifle and ran his fingers along the sharp edge of his hunting knife. In the darkness, Richie smiled.

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  Jack walked cautiously around the chaos of the village. He was careful not to startle the military to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the fight that was still stuttering on. The problem Jack had was that he had no idea where to look. His initial instinct was to guard the house, but two hours of that bore no fruit and had tested his patience. Wandering aimlessly, clutching the shotgun close to his chest, wasn’t producing any results either. Finally, he saw James who was cleaning his axe with a rag, a lifeless and limp body at his feet. Jack ran from behind the house and called James’ name.

  James turned and looked devoid of emotion, a shell of a man. His hollow eyes looked at Jack, the effects of adrenaline had passed, and James had seen his kingdom take a battering with many of the people under his watch falling victim to the horde. He spoke to Jack in a monotone voice, “We’re fucked. Look at this mess. We can’t rebuild for this to happen again, we’re defenceless against these bastards.”

  “Look mate, sorry to sound callous, but I can’t dwell on these things now. The guy who killed Harold and followed us across the country is back. He shot Lucy, she’s hurt and at your place, he brought the horde with him.”

  “I know, Scott told me.” James was lifted from his stupor and immediately an
xious as he heard the news of Lucy’s injury.

  “Have you seen him, I mean, anyone you don’t recognise?” Jack asked with urgency knowing that it was a pointless and stupid question.

  “No, just locals and the military, or our allies, whatever they’re called these days.

  “I’ll help you look.”

  The two of them set off trying to find some organisation in their search for someone that could be anywhere. After a careful and battling circumference of the village, James and Jack stopped in unison, frustration clearly showing on their rapidly aging faces.

  James gasped suddenly as logic clicked in his brain, “Think about it Jack. If all of this is to do with him, then what does it mean?”

  “I’m not sure I follow.” Jack said looking confused.

  “It’s an assault on us, but it’s a diversion for him. If all this is to do with this fuck head, it’s been about creating a diversion, so he can sneak up on you and Lucy. So far, it’s worked. He wants us split up, he wants us disorganised. If he’s managed to somehow coordinate a horde of the dead this size, then he clearly has a plan. We shouldn’t be out here, we should be back with Beth, Lucy and Chloe, he’ll come looking, he’s too far down in his plan to back out now.