I stayed there for some time, sat with the corpse of Alex and waiting for some idea of where to go next appear to me. Nothing came and I was left feeling for the first time in my life, alone. It was not a pleasant feeling at all.
With a sigh I pushed myself to my feet and left the office. No matter where I went, I would have to do something. I couldn’t just sit in one place and hope for the best. I had no map and only a rough idea of where the golf course lay, but it would be as good a place as any to begin my journey.
The truck that sat in front of the gates was unlocked and I pulled open the door and climbed onto the roof of the cab. From that vantage point I could see the area around the yard. It was not a reassuring sight.
I was definitely on the wrong side of the river and another bridge lay some distance from the front gates. The land between the bridge and the yard was made up of industrial buildings and a small number of zombies walked along the roads. The bridge itself was blocked by cars and teeming with the undead.
It seemed that I was going to have to swim across the river as the bridge was out of the question. My concern was the number of undead that may still be in the water. I had a very real fear that I would set off across the river only to be dragged under and devoured.
The easiest place to cross would be where I climbed out during the night. I approached the wire mesh fence and after a glance through to ensure I would encounter no zombies, I climbed over and dropped down to the river bank.
Weeds, mud and rotting leaves made up the ground and I had to force my way through to the waters’ edge. I stood on the banking and gazed across the dark waters. The roar of the waterfall somewhere downriver wasn’t too much of a concern, it wouldn’t be very large and the current wasn’t too strong to swim across.
A branch sticking out of the water started to move and I realised that it was in actual fact the mud covered arm of a zombie, likely one of the ones that had followed me into the water from the bridge. I really didn’t want to try and swim across the river after seeing that.
With little choice I decided the best option was to swim across as quickly as possible and as soon as possible. I could see that the other side of the river had a fairly gentle slope and some trees that were devoid of leaves. I would have no trouble making it up to the road, as long as I made it across the river alive.
Heaving a great sigh I stepped into the water. The cold shot straight up my legs and I had to force myself to keep going. I was soon up to my knees in the water and I kept moving forward, slowly, trying to keep alert for anything moving in the water.
When I was submerged to the waist I let myself slowly fall forward into the water and kicked out towards the opposite bank. I was not the strongest swimmer in the world but I could manage well enough. With broad strokes I crossed the river and was soon able to place my feet on the bottom with the water reaching my chest.
I searched the bank to find the easiest place to climb out and spying a suitable spot between two trees I made my way towards it. The water was around my waist when something touched my leg and I froze in place. Another touch came and then something gripped my leg and pulled, I was dragged under the water with a startled cry.
Water filled my mouth and I had no air to breathe. I was close to panic and kicked out wildly at whatever had hold of my leg as I tried to raise my head out of the river. Whatever had hold of me wasn’t letting go.
The pressure on my leg wouldn’t give up and my lungs were starting to burn from lack of oxygen. In desperation I pulled the Stanley knife out of my pocket and reached towards my leg. With hands rapidly becoming numb from the cold water I stabbed down against whatever had hold of me.
I stabbed several times before I realised that it wouldn’t work. The zombie wouldn’t feel the pain and if I accidently cut into my own flesh I would be infected. I changed tactics and began running the blade across the back of the wrist. I kept cutting until I severed the tendons and the hand released its grip on my leg.
With desperate kicks I pushed away from the zombie that had taken hold of me and dragged myself from the water and onto the bank. I lay coughing up water and gasping for breath while I tried to keep a watchful gaze on the water. Whatever zombie lurked beneath the waves couldn’t seem to follow me, which I was deeply thankful for.
An inspection of my leg revealed bruising but no broken skin. Once again I had survived a close encounter without becoming infected. If I had believed in any deity I would be offering prayers of thanks. I tried not to think of what I could have swallowed along with all the water and just hoped any bacteria I did pick up, wouldn’t harm me.
I slowly pushed myself to my feet and began making my way up the banking towards the road that passed along the top. I paused behind a tree at the road edge and peered up and down the road. A great many cars and other vehicles filled the road, personal items and blood covered the tarmac and a number of undead wandered around. Fortunately none close to where I hid.
Soaking wet, cold and hungry I had no intention of waiting around for long. I crept between the cars keeping an eye out for any zombies and anything that I could use as a weapon and soon reached the opposite side of the wide road. With a quick clamber over a fence, I was concealed in the bushes and tall grass.
My passing had gone unnoticed and I moved away from the road. The bushes and scrub grass quickly gave way to muddy fields bordered by trees. I felt a great deal more secure away from the town centre and with nothing else to do I set off across the fields in the general direction of the golf course.
Chapter 3
I arrived at the golf course sometime in the afternoon I guessed. I still hadn’t become used to not having a watch or a device that let me know the time. It was irritating not knowing the time or even the date.
The golf course itself was fairly quiet. A few zombies wandered around, mainly by the club house itself. The huge number of undead we had seen heading in this direction were not around and I had some hope that they had moved past, which meant that Lily may have warned them in time.
Of course I would still need to go into the club house to confirm that they had managed to either escape or hide away. For that I would need a weapon of some sort. I really missed my hatchet. I hadn’t encountered any problems on the journey across country to reach the golf course, but I hadn’t found anything I could use as a weapon either.
Most of the zombies were gathered around the club house which allowed me a great deal of freedom to move around the grounds. I used that freedom to make my way unnoticed towards the car park that sat behind the clubhouse.
When I arrived at the car park I paused. I was sure that it had contained more cars when I had been last here and I allowed myself a faint hope that Lily had arrived and made use of the cars to escape. I kept low and dashed across the open area towards the nearest car.
I arrived unnoticed and when I tried the car door it was locked. Undeterred I moved to the next car and then the next. With just two cars left to check a door finally opened and I climbed inside. I frowned when I saw the keys in the ignition and when I lifted my gaze I saw a small bundle on the dashboard with a piece of paper attached.
Ryan,
If you read this then please know that we managed to get away before the undead arrived. We couldn’t wait for you but we left a bottle of water and some food. The car should work. We left another letter and package for you in the clubhouse in case you went in there first, so if it is safe to do so, you may want to go in and get that if you haven’t already. We can’t go north yet so are heading west. We will try to make it to Claire’s family place in the Lake District. I hope to see you there.
Lily
The smile that came was genuine. Lily was safe and had escaped the undead. More to the point she had taken the time to leave messages for me where I might find them to let me know where she was going. It was admittedly about a hundred miles of zombie infested country but it was better than sitting here doing nothing.
Wi
thout a map it would be a difficult journey. Many of the roads would be blocked and you couldn’t get far without driving through some built up area or other. I would need weapons and supplies and a change of clothing. Pre-apocalypse I could probably have driven the distance in a few hours. Now, it would likely be days of slow travel. I turned the key and the engine roared to life.
Zombies appeared from around the corner of the building as the noise of the engine alerted them to my presence. I checked the fuel gauge and saw that I had a little less than a full tank of petrol. Not great, but enough to get me started. I reversed out of the parking spot and then drove out of the car park, clipping the closest zombie with the corner of the bumper and grinning as it was thrown to the ground.
My first problem would be the main roads. I would need to leave them and follow the smaller country roads. It would take longer but I had less chance of being noticed. I followed the main road for a short distance, taking my time and slowly manoeuvring around the abandoned cars that filled the road.
I had no need to rush and until I did, I would be careful. I had had enough of walking. My ankle was still tender from the sprain that still hadn’t fully healed and the zombie grip hadn’t helped it at all.
The day passed quickly with the sun starting to set before five in the evening. I daren’t turn on the cars headlights, in case it attracted even more attention than the engine, so I was forced to find somewhere to stop for the night.
A number of houses could be found beside the country road I was travelling on and I saw plenty of farms. I was loathe to try a farm or the more out of the way properties as they would likely still have people in them and the potential to have people who were armed with shotguns at that.
I was in no condition to fight over a place to stay or supplies so I kept going until the last light had faded completely. At that point I pulled the car into the side of the road and turned off the engine. I drank some of the water and ate a little of the cold pasta that Lily had left for me, before making sure the car doors were locked and crawling onto the back seat to try and sleep.
Sometime during the night the rain began to fall heavily. I was cold and still damp and I discovered that one of the rear windows of the car had a leaky seal. When morning finally came I was irritable, wet and tired.
The road looked much as it had the day before. No movement of any kind and no vehicles. I left the car and relieved myself at the side of the road before stretching some of the kinks out of my aching muscles. Then I sat in the car and finished off the last of the food and water Lily had left me.
As soon as I had finished the supplies I started the car and continued my journey. It was surprisingly peaceful in this part of the countryside and if I hadn’t known better I wouldn’t even have suspected the dead had risen.
Rain continued to fall throughout the morning and it was nearing lunchtime judging by the grumbling reminders my stomach was sending out, when I came to the village of Shawforth. It was small and consisted mainly of homes with perhaps the occasional shop, which would be just fine for my needs.
I parked on the outskirts of the village and climbed out of the car. I didn’t seem to have attracted any attention of the undead kind so I decided it was safe to explore a little. The buildings were mainly old yellowed stone, rather than brick.
Trees lined the roads and the gardens that I could see were all generally well tended with neat lawns and flowerbeds free of weeds. I couldn’t see any zombies at all, which was a concern as it could indicate that they were all gathered in one place. I strolled down the main street, keeping a wary watch on the houses on either side. All seemed quite and normal, a few cars and a van or two were parked along the road.
As I came abreast of a side street I decided to travel along it rather than the main road through the village. I was curious about the lack of zombies and didn’t want to be surprised and surrounded while attempting to break into a house or two.
I reached the end of the street and turned right into the next and came to a stop. A number of cars had been parked across the road to provide a barricade and a group of men and women stood behind them with a variety of weapons.
“Stay where we can see you” called one of the men who happened to be carrying a shotgun aimed in my general direction. I did as instructed and even raised my hands in the air to show that I was not armed.
My arrival seemed to prompt a great deal of discussion from behind the makeshift barricade. “What do you want?” called out the same fellow with the shotgun.
“I was just passing through and had a thought to see if I could find some food and maybe a change of clothing” I replied calmly with a downward tilt of my head to indicate my filthy clothes.
“See, he’s another thief” shouted one red faced woman as she gestured towards me.
“Not a thief, merely a scavenger.” I said quickly. It was best to cut off that line of thought as rapidly as possible.
“There’s nothing here for you young man.” Called a tall lady who must have been well into her sixties and seemed to be in charge, considering the deferential way the others treated her.
“Nothing. Really?” I said and let a little of the usual disdain I felt for others creep into my voice. “You would turn someone away who is asking for help during a time of chaos?”
“We have to look out for ourselves” snapped the shotgun wielder and a number of voices echoed his sentiment.
“Well then, I suppose I should leave” I said and gazed at each person behind the barricade in turn as I attempted to look each in the eye. “Perhaps you could at least offer some directions to a village that contains people who still hold onto some trace of civilization.”
I tried not to grin at the upset and anger that was growing on the faces in front of me. The lady who appeared to be in charge didn’t look at all amused.
“We are civilized young man” she said sternly. “We have a number of people to protect and can ill afford to feed another.”
“Of course, I would not dare to suggest you are anything other than kind and pleasant people.” I told her with all the false sincerity I could muster and was rewarded with a slight flush appearing on her cheeks.
“Enough!” she said. “You would do well to leave now before you say something you will regret.”
“Yes, perhaps I should.” I said, “After all it wouldn’t do to have someone making a scene would it?” and this time the grin did come out.
I turned and walked back down the road towards my car as angry voices rose behind me. As fun as it was to annoy those people, it didn’t really help. If they had decided to hole up in that one area then the houses around the village would likely be empty of anything of use.
As I reached the car I looked back towards the barricade that I could no longer see. A group of three men stood at the end of the street watching me. They had obviously decided to make sure that I left without trying to steal anything from the houses. I gave them one last sneer that they probably couldn’t even see and then climbed into the car.
The engine started first time and I drove slowly along the street. I flashed a grin at the group of men as I passed and was rewarded with seeing one of them flush and swing his bat angrily at the car as it passed. He missed.
If people in these outlying villages were starting to hunker down and ‘circle the wagons’ then scavenging any food would be difficult. I could try and find somewhere that had already been wiped out and pick over the remains, I could stick to houses and farms that were out in the countryside or I could wait until dark and head back into the village. I chose the latter option.
Those people in the village had refused to offer aid to me and as far as I was concerned that meant they were no longer classed as innocent, so Lily’s rules didn’t apply. I smiled at the thought of the fun I could have.
A mile out of the village I pulled up outside a service station. It was decidedly run down, a wooden box with a single door and a window with a counter behi
nd it were all that remained of the petrol station part of the business. The pumps themselves had long been removed and the forecourt sat damp and empty.
Beside the remains of the petrol station was a small garage. A rectangular building painted white with a sign above the wide doors that proclaimed it to be ‘Jim’s Service Station’ and provided a telephone number.
The doors were made of wooden panels and were wide enough that when opened a car could drive through. A lone zombie in overalls leant forward onto the doors as though lacking the energy to push through.
I climbed out of the car and cast about for a weapon of any sort. With little to choose from I settled on a loose brick that had fallen from the low wall that ran around the sides and back of the service station.
Whoever the zombie had been in life, his death hadn’t been pleasant. His overalls were torn and stained with blood and bile. His skin was greying and nothing but a hole remained where his nose had once been.
He turned as I stepped from the car and stood watching me as I picked up the brick. I was mildly concerned by his behaviour as it was so different from the others I had seen. I moved slowly across the forecourt and his head turned to watch me.
Since he didn’t seem inclined to come to me, I went to him. Brick held ready in my hand I stalked forward until I was just a few meters away from him. His odour was repulsive and I guessed that at some point during his death he had soiled himself. I stood and stared at him for a moment, tense and ready for him to make his move. When he didn’t I leapt forward and swung the brick.
The brick hit the door as the zombie ducked and thrust his whole body against mine, knocking the air from my lungs and barrelling me backwards to land on my backside. I had barely a moment to gasp for breath and marvel at the unexpected behaviour before he was on me.
Gnarled hands pushed down against my shoulders as he leant in to bite at my exposed throat. I had kept hold of the brick and I struck the zombie with it as hard as I could. He shuddered as my blow connected with his skull but it didn’t stop him. I struck again and grabbed him by the throat with my free hand as I attempted to push him away from me.
Safety Lost (Killing the Dead Book 3) Page 2
