by Luke Duffy
“Pass me your White-Phos, Bull,” Marty demanded.
Bull nodded and reached into one of the pouches on his assault vest and pulled out an L-84 White-Phosphorous grenade. It was roughly the size of a fizzy drinks can and light grey in colour with the letters WP stencilled across it in yellow. While it was commonly referred to as a ‘Willie-Pete’ by the American army, British soldiers had a more sinister nickname for it; a ‘Warm-Person’ grenade.
On detonation, the grenade emitted a bright flash and as the phosphorous made contact with the air, it would ignite instantly and produce a voluminous cloud of white smoke. They were often used as defensive weapons, creating a smoke screen for troops to withdraw behind but they could also be used offensively too. As a trench or bunker clearing weapon there were very few devices that could accomplish the task as well as a White-Phosphorous grenade. The chemical burned at such a high temperature that it was capable of searing its way through most materials, including flesh and bone, and there was nothing that could extinguish it apart from the total removal of its fuel source, oxygen.
Marty raised himself into a semi-crouch and kept his body pressed up against the wall. Inching his way forwards he peered out into the street and looked along the length of the road in both directions. Fifty metres to their left was a junction that joined onto the street behind them. It was packed with the bodies of the dead as they streamed in from all directions and made their way towards the commotion on the outer rim of the estate.
In the street behind them it sounded as though a riot was in progress. Screams and wails mixed with the sounds of hands beating down doors and smashing their way through the building interiors.
To the right, there was still a large number of the infected making their way along the road between the rows of houses but when compared to the junction on their left, that direction was the only real choice for Marty and the others.
Marty watched for a moment and made a mental note of their numbers. There were hundreds of the staggering corpses in the street but they were spread out enough for the living men to be able to sprint through, and providing that there were not too many of them further along the road where Marty could not see, they had a chance to get away.
“Okay,” Marty said as he crouched back down and informed the other two of his plan while holding the grenade up for them to see. “Once this fucker goes off, we make a run for it. Turn right onto the street and keep going until we’re clear.”
“That’s your plan? Throw a grenade and then make like Swastikas down the fucking street?” Bull asked sceptically.
Marty blinked and then nodded. At that moment, with nothing else in the way of a real alternative, it was the best he could come up with.
“Well it’s better than sitting here with our dicks in our hands,” Danny countered as he watched the advancing mass of shadows that were slowly approaching them from the rear. “Let’s just get on with it.”
“We wouldn’t be in this mess if Danny hadn’t wanted to take a trip down Memory Lane,” Bull grumbled to himself as he prepared himself for the coming sprint.
Marty placed his finger into the ring of the pin that held the fly-off lever of the grenade in place. He stood up, identified his point of aim, and then nodded to the others as he stepped out into the open. Before any of the infected saw him he pulled the pin free and cocked his arm back. With a powerful heave, he hurled the grenade to the far side of the street where it landed with a thud amongst the overgrown lawns of the houses facing them.
The infected closest to where it landed immediately turned and moved to investigate but before they had taken a step, the fuse ignited. A loud pop and a hiss was quickly followed by a piercing crack and a bright flash that momentarily lit up the entire street like a bolt of lightning.
Thousands of pieces of glowing phosphorous shot out in all directions at incredible speed, trailing clouds of white smoke behind them as they ploughed into the mass of reanimated corpses around the epicentre of the blast. Anything within a few metres of the explosion was instantly reduced to ash and charred remains. Further out, while a billowing pale cloud grew outwards across the street, the lighter particles of phosphorous reached the bodies that had remained unaffected by the initial detonation. They landed on flesh and cloth and instantly began to burn through their clothing and decomposing tissue. Within seconds, a number of staggering human forms were ablaze. As the soft tissue was melted away from their bones they continued to move, colliding with the others close by and spreading the fire from one to the next.
“Go,” Marty hissed, “go.”
The three of them jumped from cover and ran into the street. They turned to the right and began to sprint passed the infected that stood motionless all around them as they stared at the dazzling bright flames that were quickly spreading through their ranks.
A number of phosphorous particles had ignited the long, dry grass in front of the houses. The orange flames quickly burst to life and grew in size as more of the immediate surroundings caught fire. For the past two weeks the heat wave that had been slowly roasting the country and leaving everything parched made the housing estate easy prey for the flames and soon, the buildings closest to the heat were beginning to smoulder.
“Fucking hell, Marty, we only needed a distraction, not a full-on bonfire,” Bull remarked as he looked back over his shoulder at the individual fires that were rapidly developing into a mighty inferno.
More of the reanimated husks of humanity spontaneously combusted as they crashed into one another and blindly staggered about, oblivious to their impending demise. While the three men thundered along the road, barging their way through dozens of frozen and mesmerised rotting statues, the area behind them became a blazing furnace. Everything that the flames came into contact with was engulfed and soon burning out of control.
Some of the infected took note of the animated men as they passed. Grasping hands thrust out in vain attempts to grab hold of the soldiers as they weaved their way through the crowd. The sluggish reactions of the dead were far too slow and Marty and the others easily avoided becoming ensnared. Figures toppled as the three men ploughed their way to safety, leaving numerous squirming bodies on the floor behind them. Against the backdrop of the bright glowing flames, the majority of the entranced cadavers failed to notice the warm flesh that was within their midst.
“Through here,” Danny whispered and turned into an alleyway. He had a rough idea of where they were and found a place for them to go static.
Marty and Bull saddled up beside him in the gloom of the alley. Overhanging hedgerows that had grown out from the gardens on either side of them helped to keep them concealed as they sat watching the scene that they had created.
Out on the street, the flames roared and crackled as more of the infected were consumed. Glass shattered and roofs were already beginning to collapse in on themselves as the immense heat ravaged their wooden frames.
“So much for avoiding contact,” Marty remarked.
Bull looked at him and grinned. His face was glowing brightly in the reflection from the fire. Beyond the entrance to the alley, he could see hundreds of dark figures making their way along the street and headed directly for the glowing flames. Safe from detection and tucked away in the shadows, Bull and the others sat and watched in awe for a few minutes as hundreds of diseased human shapes were reduced to nothing more than charred bones.
“Come on,” Danny said as he patted Marty on the shoulder and turned to lead them off into the darkness. “This alley will lead us back into the street where we started. Hopefully, it’ll be clear at this end and then it’s a straight run to the PUP.”
Each of them prepared themselves to move. They checked their weapons and ammunition, ensuring that they were ready to fight if necessary.
“I used up three mags in that gang-fuck,” Bull grunted, shaking his head as he raised himself to his feet.
In single file they moved off. Bull brought up the rear and as they reached the far end of the al
ley, the roaring fire had become nothing more than an orange glow over the rooftops of the houses. The occasional pop and crunch could be heard as structures collapsed but otherwise, the night was silent again as the men made their escape through the darkness and back into the rural areas.
3
“Did you mean those things you said before?”
She turned and looked back at him. He was barely visible but she could just about see his bulk, shrouded in shadow and sitting at the far end of the sofa. She could hear his fingers scraping out the last of the tuna from the tin, quickly accompanied by the smacking of his lips.
Since they had moved up into the manager’s office and barricaded the door shut, they had barely spoken a word. They had sat in silence as the light outside beyond the large windows of the spacious room slowly faded and was replaced by the oppressive blackness of night.
“You said I was fat and threatened to leave me behind. You said some really horrible things, Tina. Did you mean them?”
She thought for a while and then nodded.
“Yes, Christopher,” she said softly as she realised that he could not see the movements of her head. “I meant what I said, but I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
There was a sudden deep intake of breath from the far end of the couch and Christopher began to reply but then she cut him short. Tina realised that she had not made herself clear in her reply and she did not want to have to listen to him during his triumphant ascent towards the emotional high ground.
“I mean,” she began to correct herself. “I meant what I said about you being fat, not that I would leave you there to be eaten by those things.”
Silence filled the space between them for a few minutes. At first Tina wondered if Christopher was contemplating what he was going to say next but then she heard his sniffles. He was crying again.
She was confused about her own emotions at first. Initially, she felt sorry for him as he sat with his head in his hands and his slumped shoulders quivering, but her feelings rapidly changed when she remembered the events that had occurred earlier in the day. It had not been the first time that they had been in trouble because of him, and she was confident that it would not be the last.
Her sympathy was quickly turning to anger as the minutes ticked by but now was not the time to lose her temper with her emotionally delicate brother. She held her breath and counted backwards from ten while he cried away beside her. She concentrated her thoughts and feelings on the fact that they were safe for the time being and had a place to hide. She did her best to sweep the images of gaping mouths and gnashing teeth from her mind.
“Don’t cry, Chris,” she said quietly in a voice that she hoped would sound caring and soothing to him.
“I can’t help it,” he stuttered between sobs. “You were really cruel.”
“I know, but they were chasing us and they were getting closer. I had to try something and words were all I had.”
“You called me names and I honestly believed you would leave me behind,” he whined in a high-pitched tone. “You’re my sister and you’re supposed to look out for me. I’ve never heard you speak like that and your words really hurt me, Tina.”
His voice was beginning to irritate her. Even now he did not grasp the severity of the situation they were in and the consequences of his actions. He was filled with too much self-pity to be able to see the bigger picture and he was too self-centred to understand that the world did not revolve around him. Still, she attempted to swallow her simmering rage and keep her emotions on an even keel. She did not want to hurt or upset him but on the other hand, she did not want him to sit feeling sorry for himself and playing the role of the victim. The more he wept and bleated about how much her words and actions had hurt him, the more she struggled to keep her blood from boiling over.
“Why did you say those things, Tina? You hit me and said some nasty things. I thought you were really going to leave me. I felt worthless and that you didn’t care anymore.”
She took in a deep breath and stared at the window in front of her. Her right index finger continually tapped against the radial artery in her wrist as she attempted to keep her cool. She concentrated on controlling her breathing and blood pressure. She had learned a few tricks over the years on how to deal with her anxiety and compulsions but at that moment, it was her burning rage that was threatening to get the better of her.
“Mum would never have said things like that to me. She wouldn’t have threatened to leave me behind. She would never have…”
“Mum’s fucking dead, Chris,” Tina suddenly exploded as she sprang up from the couch, “and if it wasn’t for me, you would be dead along with her.”
She vaulted over towards his end of the settee. Her dark silhouette loomed over him menacingly as he recoiled back into the cushions under the ferocity of her outburst. Even in the near blackness he could see her clenched white teeth and imagined the sneering grimace that was etched across her face.
“For twenty-seven years she wiped your arse for you and fed you to the point where you could barely stand,” Tina growled into his face as she raised an accusing finger towards him. “You have never done anything for yourself and chose to stay at home, playing fucking computer games like a retarded Japanese kid while the rest of us real people went out and lived our own lives. You have lived your entire life like a parasite. Then all this shit kicks off and it was up to me to pull your huge arse to safety.”
“But…” he sputtered back as he attempted to defend himself.
“But fuck all, Chris. Mum died slowly and painfully while you did nothing to help her. You kept her locked in her room while you sat crying and wallowing in self-pity. It was me who put her out of the misery she was in. You’re lucky I made it home when I did because you would still be there now, wasting away with no one to look after you. Or worse, ending up as food for mum.”
She paused and pulled away from him. She sighed heavily and placed her hands on her hips as she stepped back away from the couch.
“Look at yourself. You can’t and won’t do anything for yourself. You’ve always been that way. You expect everyone else to take care of you and wrap you up in cotton-wool.”
“But…”
“We nearly died yesterday because of you, Chris.” Her tone had calmed slightly. “I had to drag and push you all the way here. You’re a grown man for fuck sake, and you weigh more than three times as much as me.”
She turned away and walked towards the expansive windows and looked out across the car park and into the night.
“What if something happened to me?” She asked as she looked back towards him over her shoulder. “Would you have been able to carry me to safety? Could you have fought any of them off while you found somewhere for us to hide?”
No reply came from the dark sofa.
“Yeah, I thought as much,” she continued dismissively. “It’s all up to me, isn’t it? I’m the one that has to keep us both safe and fed, and to come up with the plans while you sit there like a huge fucking baby.”
His sobs were getting louder.
“For God’s sake, Chris, shut up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get a grip.”
“But I can’t help the way I am,” he pleaded in a whimpering voice. “I know I’m fat, but it’s a disease. The doctor even said so.”
“Fuck off, Chris. Cancer is a disease. AIDS is a fucking disease,” Tina spat back at him. She raised her hand and pointed to the dark twisted shapes that hobbled around below the window. “Those poor bastards out there are a disease.”
“No it’s a…”
“Shut up, Chris. You’re just lazy and greedy. You’re the way you are because you made that choice. When everyone else was growing up, getting jobs, and being active, you made a conscious decision to stay at home and be a fat mummy’s boy. Claiming disability benefits because it was easier than living in the real world and standing on your own two feet. Your state is self-inflicted, Chris, and you’re nothing more than a fucking oxygen thief.
”
For a long while the room remained quiet. Christopher remained seated on the couch and wrapped in his own self-pity while Tina stood at the window, watching the infected as they staggered about in the darkness.
The moon was high and full and its glow cast out enough light over the land for her to be able to see for a good distance. It was like watching a black and white reel of film. The colours of the earth were all but gone and replaced by multiple shades of grey and black. Below the window and scattered across the parking area in every direction she looked, she saw the infected as they mindlessly wandered about, dragging their feet with their heads lolling to the side. She studied them for a while and eventually her nerves began to settle and her anger subside. She sighed heavily and turned to look back towards the sofa.
“Come here, Christopher,” she called back to him in a voice that indicated he had no choice in the matter.
There was a pause but after a while he began to move. He did not want to provoke her by being stubborn and refusing to comply with her demands.
“Come and have a look, Chris.” Her tone was less demanding now.
He shuffled over to her with tiny, hesitant steps and kept his hands folded protectively across his chest. His head was bowed and he stared at his feet as he approached.
“It’s okay, Chris. I’m not going to lose my temper,” she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed him gently.
He nodded solemnly but kept his gaze pointed down at his feet. He was afraid to raise his head. He did not want to look out of the window and see what was outside. He knew what was out there but he did not want to acknowledge it. He wanted to stay indoors for the rest of eternity and hide from the world outside, pretending that it did not exist.
