Death Road

by Jon Mayhew

  He glanced up. Some of the Snappers had seen him stop and were turning away from the prey on the road. If he didn’t put the fire out, the engine would explode. But the Snappers had caught his scent and were staggering towards him. In a matter of minutes he would be fighting for his life. And he was outnumbered.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Snappers staggered nearer. Omak could see their blistered, grey skin and the dry, wispy hair that hung around their skeleton faces. He could smell the smoke billowing from the back of his car, too.

  Ignoring the Snappers who inched closer, Omak leaped back to the car and wrenched a fire extinguisher from under his seat. Then he pulled a lever that popped open the rear engine compartment.

  Small flames flickered into view as the lid lifted. Omak pointed the extinguisher into the engine and blasted it with white foam. The engine hissed and Omak heard something crack as it cooled rapidly. More smoke boiled out of the car but the flames were gone.

  A foot scuffed the stones on the ground and Omak spun round to see the first of the Snappers about to reach him. Without stopping, Omak brought the empty fire extinguisher down heavily onto the Snapper’s skull.

  The zombie had been out in the sun for a long time. It was dry and scorched. Its head caved in like an eggshell. There was no real blood, just the brown sludge of what was left of the creature’s brain.

  More Snappers followed. Omak hurled the metal extinguisher, knocking the head from another Snapper’s shoulders. These are old creatures, weak and fragile, he thought, hopefully.

  All Posties carried some kind of anti-Snapper weapon and Omak had two. One was a small pistol and the other was a baseball bat that sat next to the fire extinguisher under his seat. The pistol was useful close up but the bat cleared a space around Omak so that there was less chance of being bitten. Omak ran round the car, dodging the grasping hands of the Snappers. He grabbed the bat from its place and swung it round, cracking the skull of the third zombie.

  More had crept around the car. Omak was glad he had his breathing mask on. He’d smelled Snappers before. They stank and they looked horrible so close. He knew that they’d once been ordinary people like him, but the fever had dried their brains out and made them almost immortal with an eternal hunger for flesh.

  Omak swung again, knocking down two of the Snappers this time. He jabbed the bat at another and then clambered onto the roof of his buggy. More Snappers were wandering over towards him now. They crowded around the car, grabbing at his legs as he smacked them away with the bat.

  He could see the burned-out shell of a Postie’s buggy on the road. That’s what they had been so interested in before Omak and Silva interrupted them. Omak shivered. There wasn’t much left of whoever was in there. They must have broken down just like Omak.

  A horrible thought struck him. Did Silva attack that Postie too? Was she somehow helping the Snappers by feeding Posties to them?

  All this went through Omak’s mind as he swung the baseball bat back and forth at the mob around the car.

  “Get away from me, you filthy Snappers!” he yelled, kicking at them and swinging his bat. More fell but more seemed to appear. He could see a dust cloud in the distance and his heart sank. Another swarm of them, he thought.

  A large Snapper, younger and less sun-bleached than the rest, grabbed Omak’s ankle and tried to pull him down. Omak cursed as he slipped on the smooth roof of the car. He fell onto his bottom as he swung the bat down on the creature’s arm. A horrible snapping sound filled the air as the Snapper’s grip loosened. Omak followed up with a sideways swing and was rewarded with the sound of the creature’s skull cracking.

  Sweat stung Omak’s eyes and the sun blazed down on him. He gasped for breath as he swung the bat across the heads of the Snappers. He was getting weaker by the second. He needed water and shade. The dust cloud had grown larger now and Omak recognised the sound of engines. In the distance he saw Blue Flash appear. Had Silva come to watch him die?

  The buggy came nearer, filling the air with the roar of its engine. Then its brakes screeched and it spun sidelong towards Omak and his car. The Snappers turned their heads to see what this new noise was.

  Blue Flash skated sideways across the ground now, kicking up rocks and dust as it slid straight for Omak’s car and the crowd of Snappers that surrounded it. The zombies weren’t smart enough to get out of the way and Silva’s car crunched into them, crushing them into the ground.

  Then Blue Flash hit the Blood Bug with a sickening crunch of metal on metal. Omak fell forwards onto the roof of Silva’s car. She revved the engine and with a squeal of tyres sped off away from the wreckage and dead Snappers. Omak gripped the parcel rack that covered the roof and gritted his teeth.

  “You won’t kill me that easily!” he yelled above the engine noise. He was glad that the breathing mask kept the sand and fumes out of his mouth and eyes.

  Omak’s arms ached with the effort of staying on the roof. Silva drove on, bouncing over dunes and rocks. She jumped a dry stream at one point. Omak tried not to be impressed but Silva could drive!

  But Omak could barely hang on as Silva swerved all over the desert, avoiding old tree stumps or wreckage or rocks. His arms ached and his head thumped. He needed rest and water. Soon he would slide off the roof. Then he would be at the mercy of the Snappers or Silva’s tyres.

  He clung on to Blue Flash. The car took a sharp left turn and Omak felt his grip break. For a second he flew through the air, weightless, and then pain stabbed through his body as he rolled and tumbled across the ground. The last thing he heard was the sound of Silva’s engine coming closer.

  CHAPTER 5

  Cool water wet Omak’s lips and at first he thought he was in heaven. The blazing sun had gone and a beautiful pair of green eyes smiled down on him.

  “Are you an angel?” he croaked.

  “I’m afraid not, Omak,” Silva said, grinning.

  Omak awoke fully and lurched upright, knocking the cup of water from Silva’s hand. “Where am I? What’s going on? Why did you try to kill me?”

  “Whoa! You’re in a Safe Station,” Silva said, easing him back. “And I didn’t try to kill you. I saved your stupid life!”

  Omak found he was lying on a small bed in a cool, shady room. The walls were concrete and plain. A small chest of drawers stood in the corner along with a table and some chairs. Safe Stations were small, concrete bunkers where Posties could hide out if they had broken down or needed food or water in an emergency. There were lots of them dotted along the route between Birmingham and London.

  Omak scowled at Silva.

  “So I’m not an angel anymore?” she teased. Omak felt his cheeks blaze.

  “What do you mean you didn’t try to kill me?” he snapped. “You tried to ram me off the road!”

  “I wanted to stop you…”

  “Stop me from saving the lives of everyone in London?” Omak yelled, thumping his fists into the mattress.

  “No!” Silva shouted back. “I was trying to stop you from infecting everyone in London!”

  “What are you talking about?” Omak asked.

  “That so-called cure you were carrying was actually a very strong version of the Snapper fever,” Silva explained. “If you’d taken that to London, everyone in the city would have become infected.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “A few months ago, Mayor Blanchard had me running letters back and forth to London,” Silva explained. “Then I was carrying passengers from London to Birmingham. Friends of Blanchard’s, and they weren’t planning to go back to London.”

  “So?” Omak said. He didn’t want to believe Silva. “It’s a free country. People can live where they want.”

  “True, but these were powerful people, Omak. Why would they suddenly up and move to Birmingham?” Silva said. Omak shrugged. Silva sighed and carried on. “Well I got curious. When Blanchard sent more of these mails, I opened one and read it.”

  “You didn’t!” Omak gasped. “That�
�s the worst thing a Postie can do. You betrayed the trust of your client!”

  “And a good job I did, too,” Silva cut in. “The letter spelled out Blanchard’s plan: to wipe out the population of London with the Snapper virus.”

  “But why?”

  “London is a big city,” Silva said. “Thousands of people. Blanchard thinks that if he wipes out a whole city then there’ll be more food and supplies to go round. He thinks London is too big. It uses up too much food and water.”

  “That’s horrible,” Omak said, faintly. He remembered the Mayor’s words when they’d met yesterday morning.

  “Sometimes I wish we’d all died back then,” Mayor Blanchard had said. “Instead of living like this. There are too many mouths, Omak. Not enough food.”

  “I couldn’t let you get to London,” Silva explained. “I tried to stop you yesterday but you pulled that trick and sent the ape with the Taser after me…”

  “I just thought you were after my job,” Omak muttered. His stomach tightened and he felt angry. “How could Blanchard do such a thing?”

  Silva shrugged this time. “Who knows?” she said. “But if you’d handed that test tube over and they’d opened it, you’d have been one of the first to be infected. Or Blanchard would have had you killed on the way back.”

  “How long have I been out?” Omak groaned.

  “You slept through the night,” Silva said. “Blanchard will expect you to have delivered the virus by now.”

  Omak struggled up off the bed. “We need to get back to Birmingham,” he muttered, wincing at the pain that shot through his body. “I want a word with Mayor Blanchard.”

  “We need to get your car back first,” Silva said. “And then we need a plan.”

  *

  Omak’s car stood where they had left it. Most of the Snappers had moved on somewhere else overnight. A few stumbled around the car but Silva and Omak soon ran them over or finished them off with an axe that Silva was fond of using.

  Now they stood looking at the car. Omak kicked the tyres. “She’s not as bad as I expected,” he said. “Still in one piece.”

  “The engine is badly fried,” Silva said, slamming the lid down. “We’ll have to tow her back to Birmingham.”

  Omak leaned into the buggy and brought his rucksack out. “At least the virus is still here.”

  “Get rid of it,” Silva said.

  “Not just yet,” Omak said, holding up the test tube to the sunlight. “This may be just what we need.” He put the test tube back into its refrigerated flask.

  “What are you planning?” Silva asked.

  “Wait and see,” Omak replied, winking. “Let’s get the Blood Bug hitched up, then you can tow me back to the city.”

  The journey back was bumpy and hot. Omak had to sit in his own car to steer it while Silva pulled it along. The steering felt heavy and Omak didn’t like being towed. He liked the freedom of the road and being able to escape from the narrow streets of Birmingham.

  At last, the walls of the city came into view and then its big gates. Once they were inside, Omak signalled to Silva to stop. Then he climbed out.

  “OK, we need to get to the Mayor’s office straight away,” Omak said. “If what you’re saying is right then he won’t expect to see me. So you lead the way.”

  “What are you going to do?” Silva looked confused.

  “Just spring a little surprise on him,” Omak said, and he grinned.

  Silva shook her head. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said. “Mayor Blanchard’s a powerful man. If we get this wrong, it’ll be his word against ours.”

  “Trust me,” Omak grinned again.

  They parked their cars and hurried to the Mayor’s office. Omak swallowed hard. For all his brave words, his stomach felt like a knot had been tied in it and his mind was full of doubts.

  What if nobody believed them? What if his plan didn’t work and the police just threw them in prison?

  There was only one way to find out.

  CHAPTER 6

  Omak and Silva pushed through the crowds of people towards the Mayor’s office. Omak gripped the test tube in his fist. To think the contents of this little glass tube could have turned an entire city into Snappers. He looked around him. Ordinary people like these, he thought.

  The security guard blocked the door.

  “There’s a Council session on,” he said, when Omak tried to get in. “They can’t be disturbed.”

  “We’ve got to talk to the Council,” Silva pleaded. “It’s a matter of life and death!”

  The security guard looked harder at Silva. “Don’t I know you?”

  Omak had an idea. “Yes,” he said, his face brightening. “She’s Mayor Blanchard’s niece. His mother, her grandmother, is dying!”

  Silva glanced at Omak and then realised his plan. She sniffed loudly and looked wide-eyed at the security guard. The guard hesitated, glancing from Omak to Silva. He couldn’t leave his post but it was clear he believed them.

  “OK, then,” he said and stood aside. He pointed up the corridor. “The Assembly Room is right at the end there.”

  Omak and Silva barged past the guard and hurried towards the chamber.

  “You go in first and tell them what you know,” Omak said. “Then I’ll come in and see if we can take Blanchard by surprise!”

  Silva nodded and pushed the oak-panelled door wide open. Omak pressed himself against the wall to the side of the big door. He glimpsed a shady room with more oak panels. Tables lined the edge of the room and the Councillors of the city sat around them in a meeting.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the Council,” Silva said. “Forgive me for interrupting your important meeting but something terrible has happened.”

  Omak listened to the cries of alarm and then Blanchard’s voice rang out. “What’s going on here? Who allowed this Postie to burst into the Council chamber? Guards!”

  “I have proof that Mayor Blanchard has been plotting to contaminate the city of London with a powerful Snapper virus!”

  Again Omak heard a gasp from the Council.

  “That’s a very serious allegation, missy,” Blanchard spat. “I think you’ve been out in the sun too long!”

  “It’s true,” Omak cried, leaping into the room with the test tube in his hand. “I have the virus here!” He marched straight towards Blanchard who went pale at the sight of Omak.

  “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about,” Blanchard stammered. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow and he licked his lips.

  “You told me this was a perfectly safe antidote to Snapper virus,” Omak said, striding forwards. “You sent me to London to give it to their medics.”

  Omak stared at the Councillors sitting around him. They looked confused, then their gazes shifted to Blanchard.

  “You’re lying!” Blanchard said, but his voice sounded faint and he glanced around the room.

  “Then I’ll be fine smashing this test tube right here, then,” Omak said raising his fist.

  “Wait!” Blanchard screamed, reaching out.

  Omak pulled the test tube out of reach. Blanchard’s shoulders slumped. “OK,” he said, “it’s true. I planned to wipe out London.” He looked up and scanned the Council members. “But it was to help us, don’t you see? There are too many people. Not enough food or water. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to make harsh choices about who lives and who dies. I did it for our people!” He turned to the man sitting close by. “Councillor Lewis, you understand, don’t you?”

  Lewis was an older man with grey hair and half-moon glasses perched on his nose. He stood up. “Blanchard, you’re a monster,” he said. “But we’ll see that you get a fair trial. Guards!”

  The security guard came thundering through the door, his Taser at the ready. He looked at Silva and then at Omak in confusion.

  “Arrest Mayor Blanchard!” the older man said.

  But a loud metallic click brought them all to a full stop. Blanchard held a pis
tol and pointed it at Councillor Lewis. “Don’t anybody move,” Blanchard said. His hand trembled and he stared wildly at the people in the room. “I only ever wanted what was best for the city. But you can’t see that.” He began edging around the room towards the door as he spoke. “We sit here, day-in, day-out, arguing over damage to the wall and who is going to repair it, trying to share our shrinking water supply. I could have solved our problems in an instant. But no…”

  Blanchard snatched the test tube from Omak. He reached the door and dived out of it before the guard could fire his Taser. Omak hurried after him, followed by Silva.

  The sun outside dazzled Omak and at first he couldn’t see where Blanchard had gone. Then he heard a gunshot. Across the road, a policeman lay groaning on the ground. Blanchard climbed into the police car and revved away.

  “We can use Blue Flash to catch him,” Silva shouted. “Come on!”

  They hurried to Silva’s buggy and climbed in. People dived out of the way and yelled after them as Silva zoomed along the streets towards the main gate. “He must be trying to get out,” she said.

  “There he is!” Omak yelled. Blanchard had the lights of the police car flashing and was heading for the gates which had been automatically opened at the sound of his sirens.

  “Looks like he’s heading north!” Silva said, slamming her foot on the accelerator. Omak grinned as they gained on the clumsy police car. It was built more for carrying policemen and prisoners around town, and was quite heavily armoured too. Blue Flash was armour-plated but much lighter and faster.

  “We’re catching up with him!” Omak said. Then he gave a gasp.

  Blanchard had spun the car around and was heading back towards them as fast as he could.