Dead & Alive (Book 3): Broken

by Smith, I. J.

  DEAD & ALIVE

  BROKEN

  BY

  I.J. SMITH

  BOOK THREE

  COPYRIGHT

  All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

  All work is Copyright © I.J. Smith May 2016

  I.J. Smith has asserted his moral rights

  Cover illustrations by I.J. Smith, Copyright © May 2016

  Dead & Alive Broken, names, characters and all related work is Copyright of I.J. Smith

  DEDICATION

  The dedication is to some amazing people.

  My friends and Editors Lorriane and Randy.

  You have made this journey an amazing one.

  Thank you both.

  Also to all my readers.

  I hope we get to fight the zombie apocalypse together

  TABLE OF CONTENT

  COPYRIGHT

  DEDICATION

  TABLE OF CONTENT

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  PROLOGUE

  After the battle to save Frank and the prisoners from the evil Alina. Jack has been lost to them. Taking charge and attempting to fulfill his promise to Jack, Frank led everyone out of London.

  They eventually found themselves making a home in an abandoned small town school. Surrounded by metal fences, it was easily secured. They have begun to live a life again.

  SIX MONTHS LATER.

  Growing their own food, having somewhere safe to sleep. For the first time they feel safe.

  With the promise to protect everyone. Frank has taken it upon himself to make contact with the people who sent them here. In the hope of making a deal to save everyone from this land, that crawled with zombie’s.

  With the loss if their friend Jack. They all deal with it in their own ways.

  Bray is committed to saving as many as he can.

  Zoe wants to be strong and follow in his footsteps as the protector.

  Ryan is working hard to destroy his cowardice and prove himself.

  For Elle it is hardest. Coming to term with the death of the man she loves.

  As everyone tries to settle. Frank works in secret to save them, but what none of them know is that a war is coming.

  CHAPTER ONE

  SIX MONTHS AFTER THE SACRIFICE

  It was a beautiful sunny day. The groaning of the zombies sang through the air, as they lined up outside the school fences. Frank stood looking up at the sun, feeling the warmth on his face. People walked around working, and had begun covering the metal fences in wood. In hope, that if the zombies could not see them, they would simply lose interest and leave.

  Over the past few months, they had found and helped more survivors. From an original group of over twenty, that came to the school, their numbers now stood at over forty.

  Frank began his daily walk around the perimeter. His hair had grown, and now hung down almost to his shirt collar. He still wore his military uniform, which to him was out of a sense of pride. He also wore a single black glove, to cover up the two missing fingers that were brutally cut off. He only did this to prevent scaring the children that played around the grounds.

  Frank strolled around the perimeter making sure the fence still remained strong. Long wooden beams pushed against the fence for reinforcement.

  The garden was now beginning to produce a small amount of food. It was far from what they needed, but teams would venture out every day to scavenge for supplies.

  “Enjoying the sun?” a voice asked.

  Frank turned to see a shabby-looking Bray. He now sported a beard, and his hair looked like it could nest small animals. Bray had long given up his uniform and now strolled around in jeans and t-shirts.

  Frank smiled. “I need a tan,” he joked.

  Bray patted Frank on the back, telling him, “We are just heading out.”

  “Who is going with you today?” Frank asked.

  “Who do you think?”

  Frank did not need to hear the name. “Zoe. She goes out every day. She needs a break,” he replied.

  Bray laughed. “Well, I am not brave enough to tell her. Are you?”

  With a quick shake of his head, Frank agreed.

  “Safe journey,” Frank told him, watching Bray walk away towards a waiting Zoe.

  Frank’s face changed to a look of sadness, as he noticed Elle walking towards the garden. She had not been the same since they’d lost Jack. Deep down Frank believed that she blamed him for Jack’s death. He still wanted to talk to her about it, but he couldn’t find the strength to. He didn’t know what to say. He just watched as she walked along, with her long brown hair and wearing a dress.

  Frank‘s guilt grew every time he looked at her and the growing bump in her stomach.

  Elle was pregnant with Jack’s child. Frank was making sure she had everything she needed. He even sent out a team to start gathering supplies for the baby’s birth. They had already built a big supply of baby clothes, nappies, food, and even a crib.

  “It should be you here,” he muttered under his breath.

  Thinking about Jack, and the knowledge of this baby never knowing its father, weighed heavy on his shoulders.

  As he began to walk away, Paige the dog ran up beside him. Frank kneeled down and started stroking her head. She looked so much healthier now than she did when they first found her. Paige had now become part of the family, they loved her, and she loved them.

  A woman’s voice called out. “I hope you’re not cheating on me!”

  Paige ran off towards Elle.

  Frank stood back up, looking around to see a beautiful woman approaching him. With beautiful olive skin, long dark hair and a big smile on her face. Frank walked towards her. “Zarina, you are the only girl for me,” he replied; pulling her in close for a kiss.

  They walked along together holding hands.

  In this crazy world, he found this amazing lady. Never did he imagine when they first met, hanging from chains being tortured, that they would fall in love.

  As they walked around the school together, a slim man, medium build, and short blonde hair approached them.

  “Morning! Could I take Frank off of your hands for a moment?” he asked.

  Zarina smiled. “Men and their secrets,” she laughed.

  Kissing Zarina on the cheek, Frank stood and watched as she walked away.

  Frank turned his attention back to the man and asked, “Adam, what is it?”

  Adam had only been with them a few months. Everyone else knew him as a survivor who just happened to stroll into the path of Bray and Zoe during one of their run looking for food. Only Frank knew who he really was and what he was doing here. Making contact with the people who sent them here, Adam was attempting to negotiate a way to get everyone out of the country. Adam had been sent in to ensure that what Frank had told them was the truth. That only he knew the secret of how the outbreak happened.

  “I will attempt to make contact again, but I need access to the radio,” Adam told him.

  Frank started to walk again, with Adam following. “What’s the point? You have not managed to make any contact in the last two weeks,” Frank replied.

  A frowning Adam spoke, “You knew this would be a long process. Getting c
ommunication, with no one finding out, is not easy.”

  Coming to an abrupt stop, Frank turned to face Adam. “I am getting tired of these games. You can confirm no one here knows the truth, except for me. I want these people taken to safety,” he told him in a harsh voice.

  Adam simply nodded in agreement. A car horn grabbed both of their attentions. They turned to see Bray and Zoe leaving for the run. Opening the gate was Ryan, carrying a baseball bat on his back. Every day he volunteered to keep watch.

  “My people have risked enough! They deserve to get away from this place!” Frank told him strongly, as he walked away.

  Frank walked towards the garden.

  Elle and Alice were sitting on the ground, planting seeds. As always, Paige had come to sit next Elle. Everyone had noticed, and some even believed it was the soul of Jack asking Paige to protect Elle for him.

  “You are getting bigger every day! ” Alice said to Elle.

  With a glowing smile, Elle laughed. “Don’t I know it? If this child takes after his or her father I am in big trouble!” she joked.

  Alice gave a sad smile. “I didn’t know him for very long but, long enough to know he was a good man. And that your child will be the same,” she softly replied.

  “I miss him every day. We had so little time together, but he lives on in this child. I will make sure his memory is remembered,” Elle spoke with such sadness in her voice.

  “We all will!” Alice stated.

  Frank approached them.

  “Elle, how are you feeling today?” Frank asked.

  Elle looked up at him and smiled. “Every day you ask me that. And every day it is the same answer!” she replied.

  Giving her an awkward look, Frank struggled for words. Elle stood up and took his hand. “Walk with me?” she asked him.

  Still gripping his hand, she knew the guilt he carried. “I want you to do something for me!” she said.

  A glint of a smile appeared on his face. “Anything you need. I promise I will do it!” he replied.

  Elle came to a stop and let go of his hand. She placed her hands on his face. “I need you to stop blaming yourself. I don’t blame you. Jack hated it, but he was a hero and he gave his life to save so many,” she told him. A tear formed in the corner of her eye.

  Frank quickly pulled her close and held her. “I promise your baby will have a future!” he whispered in her ear.

  She pulled back smiling, her eyes glowing from the tears. “With you as its Godfather, I have no doubt of that!” She happily told him.

  By the huge smile on his face, you would have believed he had just won the lottery.

  “Now, I need to get back to work, and so do you!” she told him firmly.

  Elle walked back toward the garden. Frank watched for a moment before moving away himself.

  He walked towards the gate where Ryan stood guard. Frank could not believe the change in him. Ryan stood tall now; he now had a shaven head and just a small, short beard. Since leaving London, he had tried so hard to prove himself.

  “All good, Ryan?” Frank asked.

  Not taking his eyes from the road. “Yes, Sir!” he replied in a strong voice.

  Frank smiled. “You do not have to call me Sir, Ryan,” he answered.

  With no reply, Frank looked at Ryan. The baseball bat strapped to his back, ready for trouble. He knew Jack had talked to Ryan back in London, but had no idea what was said. Whatever it was, Ryan had become a different man.

  Zoe was driving as Bray sat back and enjoyed the view.

  “Where are we headed today?” he asked.

  She sighed. “We need to go further out. We have picked this area clean!” she replied.

  Bray looked over at Zoe. Her red hair was now down to her shoulders, and she dressed like a soldier now. “You know, you do not have to do every run!” he told her.

  With no emotion on her face, she remained silent.

  “OK!” he said sarcastically.

  Bray pressed the CD button on the radio and began to play music, trying to avoid the awkward silence.

  Their car raced down the road, passing zombies that were reaching out to grab at the vehicle. The car passed some woods and a side road, racing past them into the distance.

  Down the side road the car had passed, two dirty, scruffy men sat on motorbikes. Watching as the car with Bray and Zoe disappeared from view down the road. They turned their bikes around, and rode a short distance to a bend in the road. Where three cars and a large truck were parked, waiting for them. All the vehicles looked tattered, but each one had a large letter M painted inside a red circle on it. Men and women walked around, with weapons in their hands. A large, bald man appeared. He was over six feet tall, with wide shoulders, and tattoos of angel‘s wings on his bald head. He also carried a large medieval sword, the kind you would only find in an antique shop or museum.

  The two scruffy bikers approached him. “They’re gone, far down the road,” one of them told the large man.

  “Good! You are sure they have the only guns?” he asked.

  The two scruffy men looked at each other and giggled like school children. “Yes, Sir! We have watched them for weeks. This is the perfect time,” one of them said.

  The large man screamed out. “LET’S GO!”

  As he was climbing into the truck, a zombie approached him. Without hesitation, he drew his sword, and sliced through the head of the zombie, practically cutting the head in half. As the corpse fell to the ground, he smiled.

  The two motorbikes took the lead, quickly followed by the truck and the three cars. The excitement of everyone could be heard as they cheered at the start of their journey.

  CHAPTER TWO

  WE ARE MERCY

  Alice approached her husband Zack. He looked exhausted. Along with several others, he was boarding up the fence. He noticed Alice walking towards him, and this made him smile. The last six months had been great; they had all built lives here.

  “Hey sexy!” she called to Zack.

  Before Zack could even reply, the guys working with him started whistling and making fun of him. Alice had cut her blonde hair; it now hardly touched her ears, and Zack loved it.

  Suddenly a scream sounded out behind him. Zack turned to see one of the men had been grabbed by a zombie that was reaching through the fence. The other men started pulling him back, as the zombie tried to sink its teeth into his arm. Alice rushed over to them. Picking up a hammer, she smashed against the skull of the zombie, cracking it open like an egg. She continued to smash at it, as the blood and brain matter sprayed all over her face. As the man was finally pulled to safety, Frank and Adam appeared.

  “What the hell is going on?” Frank asked, angrily.

  The group all looked at Frank, scared. Alice was the only one to speak, “It was just an accident!”

  Frank shook his head. “More like stupidity!” He replied.

  Before anything else could be said; Ryan who was standing next to the gates screamed out.

  “WE HAVE VEHICLES APPROACHING!”

  Scared, Frank rushed to the gates. He had his sidearm, but it was useless. They had all been out of ammunition for months.

  Frank ran up to the gates. Looking through the bars he could see two motorbikes that were followed by a large truck and cars behind it.

  “Get the kids inside!” Frank shouted.

  The two bikes parted allowing the truck to race ahead of them. Looking at them, Ryan could see that the truck was speeding up. “SHIT!” he screamed.

  Ryan pushed Frank out of the way, just in time. The truck burst through the gates without caring for anyone in its path.

  The cars sped though the gates behind it. People jumped from the vehicles and began rounding up everyone. Zack ran for a large man who had grabbed Alice. The man had metal plates attached to his arms. With one simple swing of the man’s arm, Zack was smashed in the face. Blood was spraying from his broken nose. He fell backwards, smashing his head on the ground.

  Alice scre
amed as the large man dragged her away. Everyone was being rounded up and grouped together.

  Frank was now up and back onto his feet. He pulled his sidearm and pointed at the man with the sword. Firing the last bullet, he had in the gun; he wasted it as the shot missed and went past the man’s head.

  He watched as the intruders were running around like animals. They were dressed, mostly in leather and using makeshift weapons. Frank was shocked to see Ryan swinging his baseball bat, hitting one of the intruders in the head.

  The men in the survivor group were soon overpowered. A young woman ran for the gates, attempting to escape. As she reached the gates, she was attacked by a horde of zombies coming in through the opening. One bit into her face, as she screamed.

  The large man with the sword shouted at the group, “Stop resisting and we will stop them!” He pointed at the zombies approaching through the opening in the gates.

  With no other choice, the people started to surrender.

  Adam was still fighting away. A fat woman ran at him holding a cricket bat that was covered in nails. She swung at Adam, hitting him in the arm. With the bat stuck in his arm, he still reached out and punched the fat woman in the face. Adam pulled the bat clear from his arm, blood starting to spurt out.

  Paige stood barking at the intruders in front of Elle. The large man with the sword walked towards them. Elle grabbed onto Paige, holding her back.

  “Control that damn dog, or I will!” he told her harshly. While holding the handle of his sword, indicating he would kill the dog if she didn’t.

  Elle held onto Paige tightly.

  Now, that the intruders had the people being grouped together in the middle of their settlement. The intruders blocked the gateway, killing the few zombies that still approached. Frank was still bleeding from his face when he was pushed to the ground. Ryan was still swinging his bat, refusing to give up, until a large man finally overpowered him. Knocking Ryan to the ground, the man repeatedly kicked him.