Steph felt an unwitting grin kink one side of her mouth at the praise. She was surviving. It was unnerving just how quickly this new demented version of the world was becoming an accepted reality. Because what else could you do? Rolling over and giving up wasn’t an option. She accepted Penny’s hand, and stood once more, looking over at Mark’s progress as he set down the second container at the front of the property. Another day and at this rate, they would have a secure fortress to sleep within. Steph shifted focus back to the motionless corpse she had created. She had no desire to bury it, but leaving it here on their side of the fence just didn’t seem right.
‘Shall we push that thing back through the wire?’
Each woman grabbed a leg and pulled the body back to the fence line. Penny held up the bottom rung of wire while Steph rolled the corpse back under to the other side. Standing, she wrenched her spear free of the grass again and searched the perimeter fence for any other threat. While the Carriers attacked in small numbers, Steph knew they would manage. But that wouldn’t last forever; eventually they’d be hit hard. She glanced back at the start of the start of the container wall, and not for the first time, prayed it would be enough to hold a swarm at bay.
Chapter Thirty
Mark climbed a wooden ladder, another item extracted from the recesses of the farm shed, each rung smooth with a faint oily sensation from half-a-century’s worth of use. The end of the ladder was securely fastened to a container in the front wall that now encircled the farmhouse. They had actually done it, had turned Harry’s vision into a reality to keep them safe from the infected madness that had turned the east coast into a place of slaughter and horror.
Stepping off the ladder onto the container roof, he turned in a slow circle, inspecting the curtain-wall of shipping containers. Three long containers made up the majority of the front wall. They had found one container with lockable doors at either end, and wider than usual that could accommodate the passage of the Pathfinder easily. This container had been incorporated into the wall as a double-ended gateway for vehicles to enter and exit. The slight incline of the slope surrounding the house meant Mark had not had much earth to move to achieve a flat base for the sidewalls, consisting of three long containers, each rising two foot higher than the previous as they marched up the slope. The back wall mirrored the front in construction to gain a uniform width. The encircling wall left roughly eight metres of space to each side of the house, while the tool shed’s rear wall only just fit within by a hand’s breadth.
Mark had to admit, he was quietly proud of what they had achieved in a short timeframe, and while under intermittent attack by Carriers. He was the only professional soldier amongst them, and yet each of the team had approached their respective turns to dispatch the stumbling Carriers on the fence line with a grim acceptance. There had been surprisingly little talk about their respective experiences of guard duty, aside from focused discussion that passed on techniques and tips learnt in killing the ghouls. It was as though an unwritten rule now existed amongst them, to not talk of their fear, as if to voice the terrors that each held locked down, might release them to shred self-control and sanity.
The metal roof was greasy from the light mist that had fallen during the afternoon, making the surface treacherous under foot. Some sort of new surface that boots could grip upon would need to be attached to the roof, otherwise the roof itself would become a liability during a fight. It was only one of numerous issues that needed to be solved over the coming days. Somehow, they had to enable their complex to be defended against low numbers without wasting the small amount of ammunition left.
He decided to park the thought for the moment and allow himself a small moment to just appreciate what had been achieved so far. Mark found a patch of metal that had dried in the late afternoon sun and sat down, letting his legs from the knee down hang over the outer edge of the wall. The farmhouse sat to the east of the highway, facing back into the setting sun. Although light clouds obscured it, a light warmth still reached Mark’s face as he sat. He heard a light creaking from the wood of the ladder behind him as someone else climbed upward.
Mark looked back over his shoulder to find Steph’s head rise above the roof, teeth biting on a corner of bottom lip in concentration as she climbed over the edge. As her gaze met Mark’s, a smile lit up her face that Mark couldn’t help but answer. She looked away, turning on the spot to look at the completed barricade.
‘You did an awesome job with the wall, Mark. There’s no way Harry and I would have got it done in this way, or as fast.’
‘Thanks, but don’t throw too many compliments my way. It was a team effort. Without you guys keeping the Infected outside the fence line, I couldn’t have kept working,’ he replied, shrugging off the praise.
‘Do you mind having some company? This is the first bit of calm we’ve had in the weather all day, and it looked like you had a prime spot up here to enjoy it.’
‘Nah, make yourself at home.’
Steph joined him on the edge of the container, her thigh brushing past his as she sat down and made herself comfortable. Mark found himself hyper aware of each accidental touch between them, in a way he hadn’t been since first dating Georgie. She’d been a welcome distraction from the frosty state of play he’d endured from his ex since their argument on the boat.
They both sat in silence looking out across the green expanse bisected by the highway for a few minutes, comfortable in each other’s company.
Steph broke the quiet with a question. ‘You guys gave us a bit of history when we met in the supermarket, but I’m still putting the dots together. What happened to Penny? I know she was a cop, but she hasn’t mentioned family once since getting here, and there’s a sadness in her eyes that doesn’t move when she tries to smile.’ She paused, and there was weight in it. ‘They died, didn’t they?’
Mark confirmed with a nod. ‘She lost a husband and son, killed at home before we could reach them from the University. She blames herself.’
‘That’s awful.’
‘If it hadn’t been for Penny, though, Georgie and I would have gone to the evacuation attempt at the SCG, so she’s saved our lives a few times. She’s up and moving and that’s what matters. I reckon she’s mentally tougher than she’s willing to give herself credit for,’ he said.
‘What about the other two of you?’
‘What do you mean?’ Mark said somewhat evasively.
‘Are you two a couple?’ she asked, looking away to the north and avoiding his gaze.
‘You get straight to the point, eh?’
‘Sorry’ said Steph, wincing slightly. ‘I’m just trying to understand everyone’s background a little better.’
Mark sighed. ‘It’s all right. Look, we used to be. She broke it off though, just after I got back from deployment when this whole thing started. So I guess, the answer to your question is no.’
‘If you’re not a couple, why are you both still together through this?’
‘Just because she ended it, doesn’t mean I don’t care about her and want to ensure she’s safe.’ He paused before adding, ‘She’s moved on in her mind though, so that’s it I guess.’
A small smile brightened Steph’s face before she changed the topic. ‘What’s your plans from here? We’re safe for the moment, but it’s not like we can live here forever.’
A shout from behind had them both turn before Mark could answer. Harry was standing on the front porch, waving at them to come down.
‘Penny’s found a radio frequency that the government’s broadcasting on. There’s a loop of new information playing if you want to come in to hear,’ he yelled up to them.
As the pair climbed down the ladder and walked back to the house, Mark saw Georgie for the first time, leaning against one of the poles on the verandah watching him, her brow creased. Mark ignored her and went inside to hear the report. She had made her position on their relationship clear, and he’d be damned if he was going to pander to every change in
mood from here on in.
Penny was hunched over an old radio in the corner of the living room, making fine adjustments to achieve a clearer audio. Satisfied she had the best lock on the station possible, she turned up the volume and moved back to sit on a couch out of the way.
Mark, Georgie and Harry filed in behind Steph, each finding a spot to sit. A light crackle of static was all they could hear over the speaker. Mark raised an eyebrow in silent question to Penny.
‘Don’t worry it’ll start off again in a moment. A speech has been looping every couple of minutes. Just be patient,’ she said. Mark sighed and settled himself back into the armchair he’d taken and waited.
An articulate voice suddenly boomed into the room. Penny darted across to the radio, dialling down the volume to a reasonable level.
‘If you are listening to this emergency broadcast, I congratulate you. To make it this far, you have already proved that you are a survivor, someone who will be crucial in the upcoming fight to regain our country. I’m General David Black, Chief of the Australian Defence Force. I’m here to assure you, that all is not lost. You have not been abandoned. Pockets of resistance exist in each state, employing successful local strategies to repel Carriers. I do, however, provide sobering news. We have suffered significant setbacks, with infestations in all major cities of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, and South Australia. The federal government has relocated to Tasmania, from where a strategy will be enacted to reclaim lost territory from the swarms of Infected blighting our land. To date we have been successful in preventing transmission of the virus across Bass Strait to Tasmania.
‘As I speak, bases of operation are being set up in each state to where survivors will be able to retreat. I can assure you that we have learnt hard lessons from previous evacuation attempts, and the losses previously experienced in each state capital will not be repeated. Once these evacuation points are ready to accept civilians, notice will be provided. I encourage you to check this radio frequency over the coming days, as news will be updated as changes come to hand. So, until next we speak; stay safe, and if you can’t – fight hard.’
The radio returned to static once more. Harry walked across and flicked a switch to silence the speakers. ‘I suppose we should take some positives from that,’ he said. ‘Although I’d have to say I was hoping that more of the country was left standing than just bloody Tasmania.’
‘Where do you think they’ll set up the evacuation centres?’ Penny asked. ‘They’d want to have a better plan than last time for me to trust them again.’
‘I guess we wait and hear on the next report. But after seeing their attempts at the SCG and Port Botany – I won’t be trusting anything near a large population centre, that’s for goddamn sure,’ Mark said.
There was a rumble of agreement through the room. A large gurgle echoed across the room from Harry’s belly, breaking the remaining tension.
‘My stomach’s obviously hungry. Who else wants to raid the pantry?’ said Harry, getting up and heading towards the kitchen, effectively putting on hold any further discussion on the topic.
Chapter Thirty-One
The day brought unexpectedly balmy weather for a mid-winter’s day. A dry wind through the night had dried the grass in front of the house and blown the sky free of clouds, allowing the mild winter sun to take the edge off the cool morning. Mark stood on the grass providing a tutorial on hand-to-hand combat to his housemates. The latest lesson had left their weapons behind, focusing squarely upon methods of escape from a Carrier’s grip. Mark demonstrated one simple technique of breaking a handgrip upon the wrist, then they each pared off to replicate the move.
During the construction, each member had gained experience killing those infected with the virus. Practice had demonstrated that a thin blade or stiletto was effective through the eye. Wider blades became jammed in the socket creating difficulties in removal from an actively biting head. Medium width blades of reasonable length proved most useful in a thrust upwards from under the chin into the brain, while heavier weapons such as a machete, axe, or mason’s hammer, chopped through the weakest section of skull with relative ease at the temporal bone.
Each person through practice had found affinity with a particular weapon. For Mark, the Gladius sword had become an extension of his own arm; Penny felt most in control whilst dealing out punishment with the long-handled mason’s hammer; Steph and Harry demonstrated considerable dexterity with their improvised bayonet tipped spear; while Georgie achieved uncanny accuracy with an altered hay fork. Mark had sawn off the two outer prongs of the fork, leaving the centre spike intact and hammered straight. In effect, the long-handled tool had been transformed into a functional medieval pike, capable of dispatching a Carrier while staying out of arm’s reach.
Throughout construction of the wall, their evenings had been spent creating a small arsenal of hand-held weapons out of pre-existing items on the farm. Mark had proposed creating the larger store of weapons to have replacements on hand for any breakages, and spares that could be used by people taking refuge within their barricade. A rack to store the weapons now sat along the corridor inside the front door. Light reflected occasionally from the array of steel-headed implements through the open doorway, creating a ripple of light across the housemates as they trained. Mark had also made a crate of Molotov cocktails, however these were stored in a cupboard on top of the wall. Harry had found fifteen old wine bottles under the house, the contents of which had long ago turned to vinegar. Once emptied, Mark filled each with petrol. A cotton wick was held in place by a cork stopper. Beside this crate of improvised fire bombs was a jar of kerosene to dip the wick in before use. In practice, once the wick was lit, the bottle was thrown. On impact, the glass smashed causing the subsequent cloud of petrol droplets and vapour to explode in flame.
At the end of the training session, the group headed inside. Harry flicked on the kettle and began putting teabags in mugs for everyone. The girls had pulled up a seat each at the kitchen table, while Mark was leaning against the doorframe, where he cleared his throat to speak.
‘Hey Steph, did you find it slippery up on the container roof last night?’
‘The rusted sections on the metal were fine, but yeah, the majority where the metal’s painted was pretty greasy under foot. Why?’ she asked.
‘Well, if we get attacked, that’s the only place that we can fight from at the moment. I’m worried that it wouldn’t take much for one of us to slip off the roof. If we land on the other side – we’d be torn to shreds. The other problem is, the only weapon I see being any good from the top of the containers is a gun – and we’ve only got a very limited stock of ammunition. If you stab down from above at the moment, we’re only able to hit the top of the skull, where it’s strongest. We might get lucky, but I reckon nine times out of ten, the blade will slip to the side and fail to penetrate. That means we need a spot on the ground where we can still use our hand-held weapons,’ Mark said.
‘I take it you’ve thought of a couple of solutions?’ Harry said.
‘I’ve got a few, but we’d be better to bounce them off each other before we commit to the work required. One of the best solutions is yours by the way, mate.’
‘Which is...?’ queried Harry, one eyebrow raised.
‘Steph told me about it the other day. Digging traps to catch the infected before they even get to the wall.’
‘Can you fill us in a little more on it, we still haven’t heard about it,’ interrupted Penny.
‘Sorry, you dig a deep hole, say ten-foot-deep that a grown man couldn’t climb out of without help, then place a speaker in the bottom to attract the Infected. We’ve all seen them, when it comes to getting a fresh meal – they’d walk straight over the edge of the pit to investigate the sound, and then they’re stuck. Spray a bit of petrol, toss a match, then its job done. We wouldn’t even have to get them out. If the pit fills up, we just fill it in and dig another. Pure brilliance, Harry. It’ll be a lifesaver
in the advent of a swarm hitting us,’ Mark said.
Harry looked a little embarrassed at the attention. ‘Common sense, I thought. Any option that means I can stay at a distance from those bastards is worth trialling in my opinion. What’s your idea to meet them on ground height while keeping us safe?’
‘I want to take a heavy-duty angle grinder to the front of the containers,’ started Mark.
‘And what, weaken the structure that you just spent over a week installing?’ interrupted Georgie with a snort.
Mark looked at her with a deadpan gaze and drawled, ‘Yes, Georgie. I want to cut a big hole so the Infected can come through more easily.’ He let the sarcasm drop, ‘No, I want to cut a few strips of metal away at roughly head height on the exterior of the containers. They’ve all got those small side doors that we can enter via, and lock again when needed. If we take out a hands width of metal, it’ll be enough for us to stand in the interior of the container, and stab through the gap into their skulls, but not enough for them to reach through and grab hold of us easily. That way, we can save bullets for a real emergency.’
‘That should be easily enough done, I guess,’ Penny said with a thoughtful expression on her face. ‘And the roof of the containers. We still need to make that space useable. Can we rig some sort of waist high scaffold or something on the front edge?’
‘No reason we can’t bolt some star pickets at intervals and string fencing wire under tension between them,’ suggested Harry. ‘There’s still a massive pile of them at the back of the shed.
‘That’s perfect. If there’s any left over, we should sink the rest at angles in the turf out front. Make a series of obstacles that might break them up a bit and hopefully impale a few in the process,’ Mark said. ‘I don’t know about making a grip surface for the top though. I was thinking of attaching hessian sacks or something, but we haven’t got any. Any other ideas?’
Plague War: Outbreak Page 18
