Fear The Outback (Book 1): Fear The Outback

by Cheshire, Stephen W.

  Boyd stormed over to the radio. He swiped it off the table. “Flynn! Good to hear your voice,”

  “Listen,” Flynn panted. “Are Deserine and Toby okay?”

  “I think so. They are still in the hotel.”

  Flynn looked up at the helicopter. Andrew reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small silver detonator. He gave Flynn a cheeky smile as he hit the detonation button.

  Boyd gasped as a small explosion came from outside. Rebecca stormed over to the window. The two back doors of the broken-down truck had swung open. The people just stood there, looking at the back of the open vehicle. Boyd looked at the truck. A snarl was heard. The group of infected ran from the back of the vehicle.

  “No!” Boyd bellowed.

  The infected piled out of the truck, running towards the people. They didn’t have time to escape.

  Boyd spun around and ran over to the wooden cabinet on the wall. He put the golden key into the lock and pulled out a Winchester pump shotgun. “Come on, move it!” he ordered.

  Phoebe stood there shocked, looking through the window as the people of the town ran in all directions.

  “You stay here, Phoebe,” Boyd requested.

  Boyd kicked the door to the town hall open and began pumping the shotgun, looking at the snarling infected through the sight of his weapon.

  “Hey!” he screamed to one of the infected.

  The female looked up. Boyd pulled the trigger, blasting the infected person away.

  Rebecca ran towards the crowd of people. “Get inside!” she ordered. “Move it!”

  She kneeled and took headshots at the zombies as people ran from the bar in all directions.

  Flynn looked into the distance of the town.

  “Get to the town,” Oliver ordered him.

  Flynn ducked as a gunshot came from the helicopter. Oliver fell to the ground. The bullet had gone straight through his head. Flynn grabbed the handgun. He sprinted through the houses. Gunshots from Rebecca’s rifle could be heard. The infected were taking over the town very quickly.

  “Toby!” Flynn screamed, “Deserine!”

  “Flynn!” a voice yelled.

  Flynn looked through the sight if the handgun. It was Olivia and Jett, running together.

  “What the hell, man?” Jett shouted.

  Flynn looked over at the town hall as they were near the hospital “Quickly,” he ordered. “Town hall.”

  “Come on, Jett,” Olivia ordered.

  Flynn watched as Rebecca continued trying to hold the infected off, but they had ripped through the town and were attacking people in their houses.

  “Inside!” she ordered. “Now!”

  Jett ran along the road. They ran past the hospital. He looked to see Saheli. “Saheli!” he said. “Come on!”

  Saheli was in shock.

  “Hey!” he called, trying to grab her attention.

  Saheli looked over her shoulder, seeing Andrew’s helicopter. It flew over the town centre. He smiled, looking down at the people as they tried to run from the infected.

  Boyd looked up, seeing Andrew’s helicopter.

  “Long time, old chap,” Andrew said over the tannoy. “This is my town now.”

  “Over my dead fucking body,” Boyd replied.

  Boyd looked over at Rebecca as she continued taking single shots at the infected. She looked up. She took a shot towards the helicopter. The bullet penetrated the engine.

  “Shit!” Andrew called. “Get out of here!”

  The helicopter turned, heading away from the town. Boyd squinted his eyes over towards the town hospital.

  Jett was standing in the middle of the road, his eyes locked onto Saheli. “Saheli!” Jett begged. “Please, come on!”

  “Jett!” Olivia screamed.

  Saheli looked to her left. Standing there was one of the infected. Jett watched as the female zombie dove onto Saheli.

  “No!” Jett cried. Jett watched as blood ran from Saheli’s wound down onto her blue uniform.

  “Jett!” Olivia screamed. “Please!”

  Jett looked at Saheli’s eyes. They slowly opened. They were glowing yellow. She was now one of them. Saheli got up off the ground, standing next to the other infected individual. She opened her mouth, snarling at Jett. Saheli sprinted towards him. Flynn looked through the sight to the handgun and quickly squeezed the trigger. Jett looked down at Saheli on the ground.

  “Jett, get to the town hall!” Flynn ordered. “Now!”

  Rebecca heard her rifle click. She didn’t have time to reload.

  “Rebecca!” Boyd screamed.

  Rebecca looked around. the infected were everywhere. There was nowhere to run.

  “Shit!” she uttered.

  Rebecca ran up the stairs. She slammed the door shut.

  “Quickly” Boyd ordered

  Boyd and the rest of the people in the hall hauled whatever they could in front of the strong wooden doors. Boyd looked at a box on the wall. He lifted up the flap and hit the red plunger down. The shutters sealed closed. Boyd reached up and pulled the shutter down in front of the town hall doors.

  “Upstairs!” Boyd ordered. “In case they break in.”

  The infected continued to bang on the doors, trying to break in.

  “Shit, man!” Spencer groaned.

  Spencer looked at Justin as he sat down on the chair with his head tilted to the left. “This is all your fault, you little shit!” Spence went for Justin.

  “Enough!” Boyd screamed. Boyd turned around, looking out of the window down onto the town. The last of a few gunshots were heard.

  Spence picked up Justin, slapping him across the head.

  “Flynn, where are you?” Boyd said.

  Flynn looked across at the town hall, seeing the infected were congregating outside. He snuck around and entered the hotel.

  “Deserine!” he called. “Toby!” He heard some screaming coming from the floor above. He sprinted up the stairs and saw one of the infected slam into one of the ward doors.

  “Hey!” Flynn called. He kicked the zombie to the ground and snapped its neck. He focused his attention on the room.

  “Deserine!” he called.

  “Flynn!” Deserine cried. Deserine swung the door open, grabbing onto Flynn.

  “Daddy!” Toby yelled.

  “Hey, sport.”

  “I’m so sorry, Flynn” Deserine cried.

  Flynn hugged Deserine. “Let’s work on getting out of here.” Flynn looked down the corridor; it was empty both ways “Come on,” he whispered. Flynn pulled Toby along, looking down the corridor. “Stay quiet,” he ordered.

  ***

  Boyd glanced over towards the window again. Onishi[MP2] was just standing there. He hadn’t said a word since. He looked to see the hotel. One of the top floor room lights was flashing.

  Boyd walked over to the window. “Rebecca, pass me your binoculars.”

  Rebecca handed Boyd the binoculars. He looked through them. The light in the room kept flashing on and off.

  “What is it?” asked Olivia.

  “It’s Flynn.”

  “What?” Rebecca gasped. Rebecca looked over towards the hotel. She could see the light flashing on and off as well.

  “He is held up in the hotel,” Boyd said. “He wants to get to the fire truck and get out of Tamagoroa”

  “What?” Olivia gasped.

  Boyd walked over to the cupboard. He pulled out a new, shiny torch. He then walked up to the window. “He needs a distraction to get past the infected so he can get around to the fire truck,” Boyd said. Boyd looked down towards the front of the town hall. He looked at one of the infected. He peered around the side of the binoculars. The zombie had glowing eyes; its head was facing upward as it snarled at the front door of the hall, trying to get in. It was Boyd’s wife. She had been bitten. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. The others immediately knew that something was wrong with him.

  “Boyd…” Olivia said.

  Boyd dint reply.
>
  “Boyd?” Rebecca intervened.

  Boyd lifted his head again and looked through the binoculars, trying to focus on the situation at hand.

  “Flynn needs a distraction,” he repeated.

  “What for?” Rebecca asked.

  “He wants to get to the fire truck, but there are too many infected near.”

  Rebecca continued watching the light in the hotel flicker on and off.

  “Then what?”

  “Give me a minute,” Boyd snapped. Boyd struggled to focus. “Then we leave town.”

  “That’s suicide!” Olivia objected.

  Boyd turned around. “Got any better ideas?” Boyd picked up the picture of him and his wife on the desk. “Anyone got any ideas on how we can distract them things?”

  Rebecca stopped turning around. She looked at Spence who was sitting down on the chair in the corner.

  He lifted his head. “What?”

  “Out you go, darling,” Rebecca said, trying to lift Spencer’s spirits. Rebecca then began to push Spence out of the window.

  “Did I say you could touch my ass?” Spencer said.

  “Look, just get out there,” Boyd ordered.

  Spence climbed up onto the roof of the town hall. He took a deep breath, looking over the side of the building.

  “Hey, you!” he called “Welcome to Tamagoroa!”

  Rebecca shook her head.

  “You!” Spence called to a female zombie. “Great head the other day, appreciate that!”

  Chelsea looked at Rebecca. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Rebecca said.

  “You!” Spence called to a male zombie “What do you think of Miss Chambers, then? All right, ain’t she? Woman in uniform…”

  Chelsea looked at Rebecca. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chelsea said

  ***

  Andrew held onto the seat. Black smoke seeped from the engine. He looked ahead, seeing the truck come into view.

  “Sir,” the pilot yelled. “We are not going to be able to land on the truck.”

  “Well, find somewhere else, then!” Andrew yelled.

  Andrew grasped the handles, looking at the huge red light as it came on.

  “Sir, we’re going down!”

  “Shit!” Andrew gasped. Andrew sat down, holding onto the handle. The top rotor failed. The helicopter dropped from the sky. Andrew held his eyes closed as the helicopter slammed into the ground. The blades came off. Andrew opened his eyes a few seconds later.

  “Sir?” he heard. “Sir, are you okay?”

  Andrew opened the side door.

  “Sir, let me help you,” he heard.

  “I’m all right,” Andrew snapped. Andrew walked around to the front of the helicopter. The entire front screen had been smashed. He looked in at the pilot. He is alive and breathing but could barely talk.

  “Sir, is he okay?” he heard.

  Andrew looked at the pilot. “No, he’s dead.”

  Andrew walked away from the helicopter and stormed over to the truck. “Drive,” he ordered the driver.

  ***

  Flynn held onto Deserine’s hand. “I need you to stay quiet,” he asked.

  Flynn looked at Toby. “You hold mummy’s hand and stay very quiet for me.”

  Flynn then turned towards the town hall again, seeing Spencer on the roof. Flynn snuck behind the infected. He kept his head down, trying to avoid the street lights so that the infected could not see him. He focused ahead, seeing the fire station. The huge shutters were already up. He looked to see the police station. Michael must still be in there, Flynn thought. Flynn looked at the station. “Shit,” he uttered. “Come on.”

  “What are we doing?” Deserine whispered.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  Flynn entered the station. He looked behind the counter, seeing that one of the officers had left the cell key there. He picked it up and stormed over to the huge metal door. Flynn slid the key into the lock. He swung the door open and saw Michael. He was just sitting there, looking at the wall, not saying a word. He slowly turned his head and looked at Flynn as he stood in the doorway to the cell.

  “Up,” Flynn ordered.

  “Why?” Michael asked calmly.

  “So I can make your life miserable.”

  Michael stood up of the cold concrete slab.

  “Try anything, and I will feed you to them things personally,” Flynn said.

  Michael didn’t reply as he walked through the station towards the front entrance.

  Flynn reached into his pocket and pulled out the fire truck key. “Come on,” he whispered. Flynn walked around to one of the side shutters of the fire truck. He undid the lock and lifted the shutter up. Deserine looked to see a pile of food and water.

  “Just in case,” Flynn said to her. Flynn closed the shutter again.

  Michael stood there, not saying a word.

  “In,” Flynn ordered.

  Flynn got into the fire truck. He started up the engine, watching the fuel gauge climb up to a full tank.

  “Should be enough to get us somewhere,” he said.

  Flynn slammed the horn button down as he pulled out of the fire station. He swung to the left turning away from the town hall. The infected looked down the street seeing the flashing lights of the fire truck. Spence looked down the street as the infected chased after the truck.

  “Come on,” Rebecca ordered.

  Boyd reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun. He had one round left in the weapon. He watched and made sure that everybody left the office was okay.

  Rebecca pulled the table away from the door, looking through the sight of her rifle. “Where is Flynn?” she asked.

  Flynn looked down the road, seeing the end of it coming near. The fence had sealed them in fully.

  “Hold on!” He ordered. He ripped the handbrake lever, skidding the truck around. Smoke screamed from the two back tires. The infected ran towards the vehicle. Flynn swung the truck to the left, onto the dry ground to get around the infected. They stopped, turned around, and ran after the truck. Flynn pushed the accelerator down to full and sped back towards the town centre.

  Boyd looked down the road at the lights from the truck. Chelsea grasped Justin’s hand. Brett looked at Chelsea.

  Flynn slammed the brakes on. The back wheels screamed again as the truck skidded to a stop. Black skid marks were left on the road behind him.

  “Get in,” Flynn ordered.

  Boyd held onto the handgun, slowly walking down the road.

  “Where is he going?” Rebecca asked.

  Rebecca climbed onto the top of the truck. She looked at the infected as they ran after the fire truck. Their eyes were glowing yellow. Boyd squinted his eyes as he continued walking away from the fire truck. He looked to see his wife. Her eyes were glowing yellow. Blood ran down the front of her mouth.

  “Boyd, come on!” Flynn called.

  Rebecca looked at Boyd as he froze in the middle of the road. He lifted his handgun and looked down the sight of the weapon. His wife continued to run towards him. He squeezed the trigger. The bullet travelled through the air, past his wife. Boyd lowered his head. He fell to the ground on his knees.

  “Boyd!” Flynn screamed.

  Boyd just kneeled on the ground.

  “Boyd!” Flynn called again.

  Rebecca looked through her rifle, ready to start slowing the infected down.

  “Boyd! Come on, man!” Flynn screamed. “Don’t do this!”

  Flynn watched as the infected pounced onto Boyd. “NO!” he screamed.!

  “Go!” Rebecca called.

  Flynn hit the accelerator hard and pulled away from the town hall. “Dammit!” he yelled. “No, no, no!”

  Rebecca looked out the back of the fire truck as she kneeled on the roof. She swung her head forward, looking at the motorbike, Flynn had ridden in on from the complex.

  “Hey, wait!” she yelled.

  Flynn slowed down as Rebecca jumped off the truck. She looked and saw tha
t the keys were still in the ignition. Flynn looked out at Rebecca as she sat down on the bike. He gave her a nod as the infected started to catch up with them. Flynn pushed the accelerator down on the fire truck as Rebecca started up the superbike. Fumes blasted out the back of the bike. She ripped the throttle back and followed the fire truck.

  ***

  Andrew looked out the front of the truck as it went through the gates. He felt the vehicle skid to a stop outside the warehouse that was being constructed. He looked at a group of his men as they looked at him, wondering where the helicopter was.

  “Where’s the helicopter?” one of his men asked.

  Andrew just stormed past the group of men and went into the warehouse.

  “What do we do, sir?” Zane asked

  Andrew looked into the dug-out ditch. “How the hell did Flynn escape?”

  Andrew’s men stood silent after he bellowed out the demand. “Well?” his voice echoed. “How did he?”

  His men stood silent.

  “I want answers,” he ordered. “Now!”

  Scott looked at Andrew as he stood with his hands in his pocket. Andrew looked at all of the men. Zane turned and bumped into Scott. Scott stumbled the knife he had used to cut the rope fell onto the floor. Bits of rope were still stuck to the blade. Andrew froze as he looked down at the knife.

  Zane looked down as well. “It was you!” he gasped. Zane swiped the handgun from his pocket and aimed it at Scott’s head.

  “Leave it!” Andrew ordered. “He may have use for us soon.”

  Zane looked at Andrew. “I say we kill him now,” Zane yelled.

  Andrew aimed the handgun at Zane’s head and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed around the complex. Zane fell to the floor as Scott looked away.

  “You,” Andrew ordered one of his men. The man just looked at Andrew, scared to speak. “Go and say to them that it was target practice.”

  “Yes, sir,” the man replied straight away.

  Andrew looked at Scott.

  “I know you killed my dad,” Scott yelled.

  “Yeah,” Andrew replied. “Well, shit happens.”

  “Hey, fuck you, man!” Scott yelled.

  Andrew aimed the handgun at Scott’s head. Scott froze. Andrew lowered the gun and stormed off.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The moon gleamed down onto the complex as it continued to travel across the night sky. The compound had been sealed. The gates were locked. The two guards held onto the hunting rifles as they looked into the vast dark outback. Nothing could be seen.