by Jack Walker
******
Simon woke up with a start, sweat beading from his face, he thrashed as he felt something constricting him, not allowing him to escape from the passage? He looked around him with a start and was confused for a second then realised he had been dreaming about a passage and Judith being one of the infected. He shuddered as he remembered the dream now, and shook his head in revulsion. He finally managed to get the sleeping bag loosened around his body. He climbed out slowly and scanned the shop for the other people. Huddled around the coffee machine they were brewing a coffee for themselves as they were busy waking up. Everybody looked over at him as he stretched his aching muscles from the nights restless sleep. He stood, then made his way over to the group, and reached out a hand for the proffered coffee. Sipping slowly he savoured the blend, the bitterness that bit into his taste buds, making his senses come alive. Sighing, he thoroughly savoured the hit of caffeine that flooded his bloodstream, and he greedily enjoyed the coffee. He looked at everybody after he had finished his coffee and sighed deeply. Walking over toward the girls were sitting next to each other, he pushed his way in between the girls and kissed each in turn. First he kissed Ella on her cheek, winked at her and then he turned and kissed Judith full on the lips. Judith’s eyes widened as she felt the passion in his kiss, and then opened her mouth and felt his tongue slip inside. Her nipples hardened as she felt her excitement grow instantly. Simon enjoyed the feeling of her silky smooth tongue as she teased him with her tongue as well, and he felt his passion rising. He broke from her then, and he straightened up so he could look down at her, and his face broke into a smile. He nodded and she took his hand, holding it and squeezing gently. She felt something grow for him and she blushed slightly, and started to giggle. Ella looked at the two of them, and smiled, knowing that there was something happening between Simon and Judith. She touched Simon’s arm, and she smiled as she looked at Judith and snickered. Sticking her tongue out at Judith she then pretended to kiss a shadow person. Her arms held out like she was pulling someone in for a kiss, really getting her face contorted like she was actually kissing and her tongue was moving around.
Everybody stood around gaping at Ella as she was lost in the moment of the ‘kiss’. She finally stopped, and looked at everyone, and said to them, “What?” that was when everyone burst out laughing uproariously at the antics of the three of them. Judith snorted at Ella exasperatedly, and smiled at Simon shaking her head. Simon got up, stretched again and walked toward the bathroom. He needed to relieve himself now after that coffee he had just drunk. He walked over and stepped over the sleeping bags that were still scattered after the nights rest. Everyone had already been to the toilet to refresh themselves ready for the day. He reached the door and knocked, wanting to make sure that nobody was inside. He waited a second or two then opened the door and went inside. He splashed water on his face to wake himself up and strode over to the toilet; relieved himself and flushed. Returning to the sink, he washed his hands, dried them and made his way back to the rest of the group.
Chapter Fifteen
Breakfast was a reasonably modest affair with their supplies, but they whipped up a reasonably tasty breakfast for everyone in the coffee shop. The dishes were quickly cleaned, and everyone was just looking to get the day started. Simon had wondered if they should try doing a bit more exploring today, and see if there was anything else they could salvage or scrounge. They had decided to split up into two teams to do some exploring and assess the damage that their area had suffered overnight, if any. They still had on the same clothes as the day before, so Judith had been making notes of what sizes everybody was; so that they could go and get some more clothes for the group. Simon was starting to realise that Judith was indeed a very resourceful and vibrant woman, who would not be satisfied until she could help out with the group and their survival. Judith had been teamed up with Dawson and a few of the others to go and scavenge for clothes. Dawson had been a bit gruff this morning, but that could be attributed to the fact that she had not had much sleep. She had been on watch most of the night and Simon had reminded her of her promise to wake him up to do a shift, but she had not done so. Simon had appreciated the sleep, and had tried to be hard on Dawson but she had just said he had needed it more than she did. He had just smiled at that and nodded as he had slept right through without stirring. She had said that she had gotten some sleep, as there was nothing happening so she had dozed in the chair for a while during the night. She had woken at one point, but that was due to a fire that had suddenly flared up way uptown.
Dawson had also pointed out that she was used to this sort of routine due to her days in the army, where she had gotten by on very little sleep at all. She had grumbled and had drunk two cups of coffee to perk herself up properly. Once she had drunk the coffee she was more awake indeed, and ready to get some action. She had blustered and tried to make excuses as to why she could not go on the ‘shopping trip’, but had eventually conceded that Judith would not take no for an answer. Simon meanwhile had also sorted out his team and they were nearly ready to get going. George had approached Simon as well earlier, mentioning the boats out on the dock that they had visited the night before. He had said that if they needed a backup plan, then it might be worth their while to see if there were any boats that they could utilise as a floating city. Simon looked at George in amusement, and then had seen how serious the consideration was. Agreeing to go back and investigate today was a good idea he realised; if the shop became overrun, and they needed a better place to go to; to be safe. George said that indeed, it was and if needed then they could stay safer on the water if the boat had a decent desalination setup on-board. Simon looked quizzically at George, wanting to know more and asked him about how he knew so much about boats. George had said that his uncle was a fisherman and owned several boats that were more luxury cruisers that were used for sport fishing, and he had been on several trips out into the deep sea to fish. Simon nodded appreciatively at that and decided that indeed it was a good idea to investigate.
Gathering everyone together in a rough semi-circle, Dawson went through basic gun safety with everybody in the group; to get them more familiar with the weapons they had on hand. Ella was used to illustrate how to hold the weapons, both the pistols and the rifles. She also used Ella to illustrate the correct procedure to load rounds into the magazines ready for use. Dawson gave everybody specific tasks to perform quickly and everyone did struggle a bit but after a few attempts they had gotten better at handling the various weapons. Their confidence boosted by their knowledge they had gained they were far more happy to have the firearms in their proximity and ready to use if the need arose. Simon had asked if people would be willing to load the magazines while the two groups went out to do their various tasks. Everyone nodded and they had soon set up an assembly line of people who started to get the magazines loaded.
Simon led the two groups out, making sure that they had secured the loading door behind them and made sure they would recognise the knock they had arranged to provide re-entry. Simon, George and the other two men got into the Prius and drove back down to the docks to see if they could locate a boat first. George had said that should maybe be the first thing they did, as if they needed to escape then at least their escape plan would be ready to go instead of them having to get on-board a boat that had no power. He drove silently back to the docks, driving through the same gate again, and slowly drove back to where they had dumped the body the previous night. Parking close to the boat he had seen the previous night, George and the rest of their small group slowly walked toward the boat. Examining it carefully and listening to hear if there was anybody aboard was of utmost importance. They slowly climbed on board after standing listening for about ten minutes, and then hearing nothing after that they had climbed on board the fifty foot boat. Their steps were soft and they maintained silence by not speaking, but using hand gestures and signals which they had agreed upon, to stay alert and safe. Their arrival on-board the boat was withou
t incident as they explored and marvelled at the opulence of the boat; the massive diesel tanks were full of diesel which they could use for lighting and power if they decided to use the boat as an escape strategy. Making their way upstairs to the cabin, they saw that there was a note pinned to the wheel.
Simon read the note softly:
Maureen, things have gone to shit here. I went back for Jess, to get her out to the Island safely. The Marie Bell is full of diesel and provisioned; ready to go. I have taken our other boat already. All you have to do is start her up and use the charts under the compass to navigate your way out of New York and get to the Island. If I do not make it back, use the boat and leave; do not panic, but get yourself to safety. There is some food on-board but only for three weeks if you really need to go that long. The desalination setup is perfectly functional, and will provide you with indefinite water. My darling, I hope you make it. Jack
“Looks like Maureen did not make it out here to take the boat and flee to this Island then.” said Simon, looking around and locating the stack of maps that had been left behind with the details of the Island.
“Sure doesn’t; but if we use the boat and he comes across us, the owner might think we just took it. Or worse, that we killed his wife and then took the boat.” said George flatly. “How can we make sure that does not happen?”
“The note, we keep it and if things get to that point then we will have the proof that we did not steal his boat. However he will still try blame us for his loss.” said Simon, “if we had a camera, then we could take photos of everywhere we have explored to show that we did nothing when we climbed on board. The note we could also photograph and show it in situ on the wheel, to prove that there was nothing out of place.”
George took his cell phone out, and snapped a picture of the note that Simon had just stuck back in place on the wheel. Then he went around snapping photos of all the areas they had just been in, and fortunately had not disturbed anything on-board yet. George took his time, snapping carefully, and had the others follow him to make sure that he did not miss anything. He also went out to the dock, and photographed exactly where the boat was to ensure that there was no mistaking that the boat had still been tied up as it had been when they had climbed on board. Making sure that the fuel tank readings; battery readings and also the supplies of food were documented so that there would be absolutely no accusations of foul play. Finally Simon was happy with their foray on-board the boat, and asked if George wanted to start it up just to be on the safe side. George had nodded eagerly at the group, and they had all trooped back to the cabin, and started the engines up. The gentle rumble of the massive diesels was comforting to Simon and the others, noting that the noise from the engines was actually very quiet indeed. Happily clapping George and the others on their backs, they decided to head out to go and look for more supplies. Making sure the boat was to stay secure; Simon had asked George if there was any way they could ensure the boat would not be stolen by anyone else. George had thought about the solution to that and had come up with a solution that was a bit unconventional, but would ensure the boat would stay safe. He decided to remove the wheel, and tied it to a rope; then had tied the other end off to the railing on the side. Hopefully people would not try steal a boat that had no steering wheel attached. Simon had laughed and wondered how George had come up with that idea, but had decided not to ask him. Maybe he could ask him another time, and George could explain.
Chapter Sixteen
The group decided to head out toward the other stores that would have supplies in, and they had the Prius they could load with some stock to take back to the shop, or bring back to the boat. Simon told George where there was a Target a few blocks away that they should go and get provisions from. Climbing into the Prius, they all looked at each other and smiled, knowing that if needed they had a boat and possibly a safe place they could head to. Driving slowly down towards the Target, they had to go back past the shop, and as they drove past they saw no activity from the outside. That was good as they did not really want to advertise that there was anything happening inside the shop. Simon assured himself that the shop would be okay for now; while they were doing their scavenging run. He was quite excited about their discovery of the boat and all it could offer them as a group. If they needed to use it as an escape it would offer them an excellent way to get away from the city and the infected. He was already planning the logistics they would need to get them all away safely and what they would need. Transport would be an issue as they only had the one vehicle at the moment; that would not be any good for transporting them all together. They would definitely need to be on the lookout for more transport that would be good enough to get them all away safely. Simon was contemplating something that would also give them space to load supplies in and carry them all safely; something like a van or bigger. He spied what he thought would be perfect; a large moving van that was stuck in between two other vehicles. He made a mental map of where it was and would remember where the location was. Distractedly he smiled as he thought of the incidents the night before; all of the subtle flirting that had gone on between Ella, Judith and himself. He squirmed uncomfortably as he thought of how much he was attracted to Judith, and also to Ella. He blushed; thinking of the two of them and how soft they felt; remembering how they felt when he had held them the previous night. They had both smelt so nice, a subtle blend of soft perfume and also the slight muskiness on them. His thoughts came jarring back to the present when George had slammed on the brakes; bringing them to a screeching halt. They all stared in horror at the scene that was unfolding before them. He had not heard the rumbling that came from directly in front of them. The street was blocked by a massive tractor-trailer that had fallen onto its side, and there were trapped infected under the container, all writhing and reaching out toward the two men who were standing there. What was horrifying was the mass of infected that were behind the Semi, and it was being pushed by them all shoving against it from the other side. The tractor-trailer had fallen perfectly between two rows of parked cars that acted like a funnel; the semi however was just long enough that it had blocked the road completely. The mass of infected that shoved were scraping their compatriots along the road, and they did not care if those died. Rage was boiling over from them and they were desperately trying to get to the two men on the other side. Their presence was not apparent as nobody took any notice of them. George quickly looked at Simon who had pointed to their left. Changing direction they sped silently away from the scene that had horrified them. Feeling green, the occupants of the car looked at each other and wondered what had happened to cause the tractor-trailer to fall, and the mass of infected that was behind the rig. Simon voiced his fears about the infected horde that was coming from the direction of that accident, as well as the fact that the two men had not just escaped and were just standing there. His concerns were echoed by the rest of the group; Dawson mentioned the boat that they had found, and the note they had found. Simon was now excited to mention that if anything; they had an escape that could work. Simon realised that his plan had just changed now, after seeing the huge mob of infected he would need to use the boat to escape from New York. Furiously he grabbed the cell phone and dialled the number for the coffee shop. Speaking quickly, he asked Judith to get the group ready to move out. They would need to get the stuff they had scavenged the previous day and they would have to escape using the boat they had found. He said to them that they would get more transport to use to get them all away safely and described the scene they had seen with the tractor-trailer.
Judith ended the call, and quickly gathered the group together to ready them for the exodus. They had all gasped when she had told them about the horde that was approaching them. Their reaction in packing up as much as possible in the time remaining to them was simply amazing; the organisation by Judith and her new best friend Ella was remarkably efficient. There was a frenzied rush to get as much sorted out as possible, with the priority being food and water. Food wou
ld not be a problem, but the water would be an issue as they had no real containers to use to carry the precious liquid. Judith had asked Simon to keep a look out for containers to carry their water in if they had the opportunity to get some while out there. Simon was contemplating their dilemma when he had a brainwave about the possible storage of their water. He could use water barrels from a garden supply business. That would allow them to seal the containers from contamination, and tow them behind the boat for their usage if they had to. He mentioned to George that they should head for a garden centre to see if they could find what he was looking for. Making their way towards the closest garden centre, they quickly managed to get onsite and they all got out with their weapons drawn. They quickly got inside the building with very little noise, and quickly spread out to search for the barrels. Dawson and Simon were the first to locate the barrels and used their cell phone to tell the others that they had found what they had been searching for. The others told them that they had also found something very useful to use to help with transporting the barrels and the rest of their haul. A beep from a horn was heard, and George and Phil came around the corner driving an electric cart that had a 20 foot trailer in tow. George was grinning like a loon and stopped smartly next to them as they gaped at him. Loading the barrels quickly and efficiently they all jumped on-board the cart, and then headed toward the front door. Fortunately the trailer had high sides to ensure that the barrels would not roll around and cause havoc when they were full of water.
Chapter Seventeen
They made their way quickly back to where they had parked the car, and Dawson and Simon hopped into it and followed George and Phil back toward the shop. They had to take a different route e to avoid the crowd of infected they had spotted earlier, and had actually made pretty good time back to the shop. Getting the trailer into position in the alley had been a bit tricky to get it reversed all the way up to the loading door. It did make it easier to get the barrels off and move them into position to get them filled with water. Simon had planned ahead and had looked around for a hand crank siphon that they could use to get the water out of their underground cistern and into the barrels. The long hose had made it much easier to leave the barrels just inside the door and then get them filled so they had to move them very little. Sealing them would be done by using duct tape that Simon had found in the garden supply store. Once all the barrels were loaded they spread the rest of their supplies out on the trailer so that it was lower than the sidewalls of their trailer. All of the ammunition and weapons were stored on the bottom; adding stability to their load, and they had the sixteen barrels loaded equally in the front and rear of the trailer to balance things. Food was next then their sleeping bags and any other miscellaneous items. Their goal was to get as much on as possible to make sure they would survive on board the boat if anything happened. Their loading went quite quickly and they had enough time to make one last coffee and Simon had demanded they take as much coffee as possible. Nobody had argued against that; everyone enjoyed their caffeine hit too much. Finally everything was packed up and Simon wondered about his laptop; if he should take it with and if it would be any use to him. Deciding against it he left the shop, walking toward the now waiting cart and his companions. They would not be coming back to the shop anytime soon. They looked sadly at the coffee shop they had spent the night in and bade it a fond farewell as they drove down to the docks toward the boat they would be using to escape New York.
