Safety Lost (Killing the Dead Book 3)

by Richard Murray

  He swung his shotgun down and fired both barrels into the water, the sound clear and loud even over the storm. He then turned and scrambled for the relative safety of the shore.

  “What the hell happened?” Matthew demanded as we ran to join Gary where he lay panting and desperately trying to reload his gun.

  “Something grabbed my ankle” Gary yelled shrilly.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t just a branch or a rock?” I asked with a smirk.

  “I know what it fucking was.” Gary shouted almost hysterically.

  “Well where is it?” I asked with a look towards the water.

  “It’s still in there. If you don’t believe me, you go in and look for yourself.” He said as he finally managed to reload his shotgun.

  With another smirk at Gary who was staring fearfully into the water with his gun raised, I borrowed Lily’s axe before wading out into the lake.

  I swung the axe through the water before me before taking each step. If anything was lurking beneath the dark waters I wanted to hit it before it caught hold of me. I was all too aware of what it felt like to have one of the undead attack you in the water and thoughts of the river Calder surfaced.

  The fire axe had a long handle and a sharp bladed head with a spike that protruded from the back. It was the spike that connected with something beneath the waves and as I pulled, it pulled back.

  “Something definitely here” I called back to the others as I tried to raise the axe head above the surface of the water. With a bit of effort I managed to pull the axe up and brought a hand with it.

  The hand was moving slowly and despite my pulling, I couldn’t bring any more of the zombie above the surface. Something was holding it below the water and I realised that it was trapped. I pulled the spike free of the hand and watched it sink back into the water.

  As the hand was connected to an arm that seemed to be connected to a body below the waves, I could approximate where the zombie lay. I raised the axe high before swinging it down into the water.

  It took several attempts before I felt the axe connect with something other than rock. I swung a few more times at the unseen zombie before using the axe to hook the arm again. This time as I pulled at it, I had no resistance.

  “I think its dead.” I shouted back to shore and was answered by the sound of a gunshot.

  Shouting and more gunshots followed as I turned towards the shore to see dozens of the creatures staggering out of the trees as Matthew and the newcomers fired upon them.

  Lily with no weapon of her own since I had her axe was stood upon the shore watching helpless as the zombies advanced.

  I waded through the water and thrust the axe into her hands.

  “Get on the boat” I yelled as I pulled my knife from its sheath.

  Without wasting any time she splashed through the water towards the boat as I followed along hoping that I had actually killed the zombie and that it was the only one.

  She was at the boat and pulling herself gracefully up and into the hatch before I was halfway there. She disappeared inside and I heard her yell as I grasped the side of the boats hatch.

  I pulled myself up and half fell, climbed through the hatch into the darkness of the boats interior.

  “Lily?” I called.

  “I’m ok.” She called back. “There was a live zombie in here. I took care of it” she added with pride in her voice.

  “You are sure it was just one?”

  “As sure as I can be at the moment. Where are the others?” she asked.

  “On their way by the looks of it” I said after a quick look through the hatch.

  The newcomers were in full retreat as they waded towards the boat. Matthew fired one last shot that I didn’t see hit anything before he too entered the water. The zombies were at the water’s edge moments later and stopped in their tracks, seemingly hesitant to enter.

  “That’s strange” I said as I stared through the window at the undead clustered on the shore.

  “What is?”

  “Them... why are they just standing there?” I said and she looked across at me with puzzlement plain on her face.

  “Does it matter?” she asked.

  “Yes it does.” I muttered to myself, too low to be heard over the sound of the heavy rain hitting the roof of the cabin we were in.

  “We can figure it out another time” She said as the newcomers pulled themselves through the hatch with Matthew following behind.

  I took a long look around the cabins interior while Lily brushed past the newcomers to help Matthew over the side of the boat.

  The cabin had two rows of fabric covered seats with a fairly hideous pattern that was covered liberally with blood and other substance’s, filled both sides of the boat. Each seat could sit two or three average sized people and each side held a dozen seats. The front of the boat had a chair and instrument panel for the pilot and the entrance we had clambered through.

  While the rest of the people got themselves calmed down from their encounter on the beach I wandered down the length of the boat towards the back.

  A basic kitchen complete with sink and large drum for heating water for drinks filled one side, while on the other was an enclosed toilet with a sliding door to preserve the dignity of anyone using it. Set into the very back of the boat was a set of double windows that opened outwards.

  My inspection of the boat complete, I rejoined the others as they stood by the hatch staring out at the clustered undead standing in the rain.

  “Well it certainly looks like you had fun” I said to Lily with a glance at the corpse of a woman that was sprawled across one of the back seats with a bloody hole in her skull.

  “It seems to be getting easier to kill them.” She said with a sad smile. “I didn’t even hesitate this time.”

  “Why would you hesitate?” I asked.

  “It doesn’t matter” she said with a gentle pat on my arm. “What do you think we should do now?”

  “Not a clue” I said cheerfully as I looked out at the zombies.

  Chapter 30

  Matthew and Lily were standing at the back of the cabin looking down at the exposed engine and talking quietly. The two newcomers were standing by the open hatch and alternating between glaring at the zombies and me.

  I sat halfway down the cabin on one of the cleaner seats and listened to the pitter-patter of the rain on the roof as I thumbed through the safety guide for the boat. It wasn’t very interesting reading but it was all I had been able to find. We had been on the boat for thirty minutes and I was cold, wet and bored. The zombies hadn’t made a move into the water yet and despite the glares, the two newcomers hadn’t tried to kill me.

  With a sigh I stood up and walked down the aisle between the seats towards Lily. I found the motion of walking on a boat that was rocking in rough water quite pleasant.

  “So how are things?” I asked Lily as she glanced up at my arrival.

  “The engine has fuel and seems sound so I don’t think the boat stopped because of mechanical problems.” She said.

  “So we could move it back towards camp?” Matthew asked hopefully.

  “I don’t see why not.” She said, “It looks like we have a fair bit of fuel.”

  “That’s some wonderful news. Finally.” Matthew enthused.

  “Oh its good news, I just wish we knew what happened.”

  “This boat was probably used for sightseeing, right?” I said, “Then it likely had people on here when things went bad and at least one of them had to be infected.”

  “Possibly” Lily agreed thoughtfully.

  “They tied up here while they waited for help. Someone turned and started biting the other people who panicked and fled onto the island. The zombies followed and ended up spread throughout this little island where they waited until the sound of a gun brought them running.” I finished proudly.

  “What about the one in the water?”

  “Plenty of r
ocks in the water, it wouldn’t be hard to get your foot trapped and end up submerged.” I said.

  “But to get to the island they would have to have crossed the water and you can see that they don’t seem to want to do that.” Lily said with a nod towards the crowded shore.

  “I have been thinking about that.” I said, “Remember the river Calder?”

  “How could I forget” she said with a shudder.

  “They were crowded together on the bridge and the sheer number of them probably pushed some of them into the water. Once in, they can’t stand or swim so either float or sink and get carried along by the current.” I said, “That likely happened here. They were pursuing the fleeing people and didn’t even see the water as they fell out of the hatchway.”

  “Well that makes sense. I suppose.” Lily said, “Though it doesn’t really help us at the moment.”

  “What do you mean?” Matthew asked.

  “We need a key to start the boat and I am betting it is in the pocket of one of those things on the shore.” She said.

  “Really?” I said with a laugh, “You can’t hotwire it like you did those cars?”

  “I have no idea how to hotwire a boat” She said crossly, “I can do a car and I know the basics of an engine but that’s it.”

  “Well then, it looks like we will have to clear them out.” I said with a grin.

  “That may be harder than you think” Matthew said. “I have less than half a dozen bullets left for my rifle.”

  “What about those two?” I asked with a nod towards Gary and Shaun.

  “They have four shells apiece.” Matthew said.

  “So that’s what... the potential to kill fifteen of them.” I said thoughtfully.

  “Yeah, then it’s down to my axe” Lily added.

  I crossed to the window and peered out through the rain slicked glass. I counted roughly forty zombies clustered on the shore and I swore quietly.

  “Ok then. We kill as many as we can with your guns and then see what our options look like.” I said to Matthew.

  “We could always take the rowboat and head back to camp. We can come back with more people then.” Lily suggested and Matthew immediately shook his head.

  “No chance of rowing back to the camp safely in this weather.” He said.

  “We could wait?”

  “This storm could last all day” Matthew said, “We have no idea what is happening back at the camp and those undead we saw back at the dock have me worried.”

  “Why?”

  “So many of them within walking distance when they heard the shots likely means that there’s more of them in the woods. The camp could be under attack from them as we speak.” Matthew said.

  “Then why didn’t you say something earlier?” Lily demanded. “We could have gone straight back and warned them.”

  “And what then?” Matthew snapped, “We would still be stuck there, we need this boat to get people to safety.”

  “Where would safety be?” I asked.

  “I don’t know yet but at least if we can get everyone on this boat we will have options.”

  “Then I suggest you get shooting.” I said before Lily could continue to argue with him.

  “I’ll go and tell the others.” Matthew said before he left me standing alone with Lily.

  “We shouldn’t have left our friends.” Lily said darkly.

  “Perhaps not.” I said, “Though I can’t see what difference it would make to have a couple more people back at the camp if the zombies do find it.”

  “I just hate not knowing that people I care about are safe. I have lost too many people already.” She said miserably.

  “Well then, let us get rid of these pesky creatures outside and we can head back.” I said with an awkward pat on her shoulder that raised a slight smile.

  “Ok, do you want to borrow my axe?” she said.

  “No, I think that this boat will have something that I can use.” I said as I walked across to the double windows set into the back wall of the cabin.

  “What will it have?” Lily asked as she followed me.

  “Well according to the safety guide, this boat should have some equipment I can use” I said as I pulled open the windows, letting in a spray of rain and wind.

  “What equipment?” Lily asked loudly to be heard over the storm.

  “If I find it I will show you” I said as I grasped the roof edge and pulled myself through the window and up onto the cabin roof as the first gunshots sounded from the front of the boat.

  The wind buffeted me and seemed to be trying its hardest to blow me off of the boat. I crouched low and gripped the edge of the roof as I looked along the length of the boat.

  A dozen white rings were secured to a metal rail that ran along the length of the roof. Each one was a flotation device that would be a great deal of use if someone fell overboard but would do nothing against a small horde of zombies.

  I used the life rings as hand holds as I made my way slow way along the rain slicked roof. I really didn’t want to slip and fall overboard. Aside from the shallow water and the rocks waiting just below the surface, the undead waiting on the shore may get over their fear of the water if I landed at their feet.

  As I neared the front of the boat the zombies noticed me and increased their wailing. Several were already lying on the ground, dropped by the bullets of my current companions. I ignored the zombies as I found what I was looking for.

  Attached to the roof, just above the door was a boat hook. I lifted it from its mounting and ran my hands along its length. It was nearly two metres of solid wood with a stainless steel pointed tip. Just below the point a hook jutted out to the side.

  From what I had read in the guide, the boat hook was of use when docking and undocking but was used mainly to help hook and pull things out of the water. I had a different use in mind and I grinned happily as I made my way back along the boat.

  “What is that?” Lily asked as I climbed inelegantly back into the cabin. I explained what it was and how I intended to use it as I closed the window and shook off the water that covered me.

  “Well it looks like you will have the chance.” Lily said with a nod towards the three men at the opposite end of the cabin who had ceased firing and had put down their guns.

  “We managed to kill maybe a dozen” Matthew said as we joined him.

  “So now what?” Shaun asked.

  “Now we go out there and finish off the rest.” I said with a smile.

  “That’s a lot of zombies to kill with one axe and a spear” he said sourly.

  “You can use your guns as clubs” I suggested, “Not much use without bullets anyway.”

  “Ok then” Matthew said, “We go out the hatch and fight our way through thirty zombies in the hopes that one of them has a key. I don’t think it will work that well.”

  “No.” I said, “We will be a little smarter than that. You and Lily can stay here by the hatch and keep their attention on you. The rest of us will slip out of the back window and make our way to shore.”

  “Then we head behind them. One of you” I said with a nod towards the two newcomers, “Will grab their attention and lead them away. We can then pick them off from behind.”

  “It could work.” Matthew said. “Ok let’s do it.”

  “You want us to join you when they start moving away?” Lily asked.

  “I want you two to start looking for the keys” I said. “You will need to go through the pockets of any that we kill.”

  “Great.” Lily said as she pulled a face. “It sounds like a fun task.”

  “It could be worse” I said with a grin and a sideways glance at the newcomers.

  “Ok let’s get started” Matthew said as Lily reluctantly offered her axe to Shaun who took it with a wide smile.

  Chapter 31

  The wind and rain weren’t letting up. A fact that I was grateful for as it would help mask our presence
from the undead. With a final glance towards Lily I climbed out of the hatch and dropped into the water.

  I waded towards shore as the two newcomers splashed into the lake behind me. I felt a definite itch between my shoulder blades with them behind me but I was fairly sure that they wouldn’t do anything until the zombies were dealt with.

  Lily and Matthew were leaning out of the hatch shouting taunts at the undead who seemed to be straining against an invisible barrier at the water’s edge, eager to move forward but unable to do so for fear of the water.

  Shaun was leaning close to Gary and speaking almost directly into his ear to be heard over the storm without alerting the zombies. With a final nod Gary set off running into the trees and left me crouched amidst the stone and dirt of the shore with Shaun.

  We waited for nearly ten minutes, my legs were aching and I was shivering with the cold. Eventually Gary must have made his way around the zombies because their attention slowly changed focus from the boat to something further along the shore before they started their slow stumbling walk away from us.

  A glance at Shaun indicated that he was ready so I set off at a brisk jog, the sound of my movements shrouded by the storm. I approached the last zombie of the pack without being noticed and hooked its leg with my boat hook.

  The zombie fell to the ground and Shaun leapt forward to slam the axe down against its skull. We both paused a moment to ensure we hadn’t been noticed before I hooked the next. We repeated this tactic several times, working well together as we followed the group of undead around the island.

  We had killed a dozen before the trailing zombies noticed us and turned towards us. Six undead left off their pursuit of Gary and attacked the closer prey that happened to be Shaun and I.

  I swung the boat hook and managed to pull another zombie to the ground before thrusting the point at its head. I missed and had to jump back out of the reach of next creature as it tried to make a lunge at me.

  With little room to swing the boat hook I jabbed the point into its chest. The hook part stopped the point sinking too far into its flesh and I did little to stop the creature. I pulled back on my weapon and jabbed again, this time I caught it above the eye and the steel point broke through bone.