Safety Lost (Killing the Dead Book 3)

by Richard Murray

  The zombie stumbled and then fell to the ground lifeless. I pulled free the boat hook and immediately thrust it towards the next undead creature. A quick glance showed that Shaun had killed two with the axe and was chopping at a third. The one I had knocked down first was almost back on its feet.

  My thrust caught it high on the cheek and pulled away a fair amount of skin but did no real damage before the zombie was close enough to grab hold of me. I dropped the boat hook and reached for the combat knife sheathed at my belt with my right hand as I closed my left around its throat and pushed with all my strength as I tried to keep its gnashing teeth away from my exposed flesh.

  Its grip was strong and its fingers dug painfully into my shoulder and arm. Dark crimson blood from the wound I had made in its cheek was running down its face and onto my hand where I gripped its neck. I had a moment’s desperate hope that I had no open cuts on my hand before I pulled free my knife and stabbed it through the creature’s temple.

  I staggered as the corpse sagged against me and I released my hold on it. I looked across at Shaun as he finished off the final zombie. He had killed four to my two and I grimaced at his look of disdain. I quickly wiped off the knife on the zombies clothes before sheathing it and picking up the boat hook.

  We had to jog to catch up with the pack of zombies that were moving slowly around the island. Another eight fell before the final four turned towards us. I held one at bay while Shaun used the axe to good effect on another. Gary ran in and used the butt of his shotgun to crush the skull of yet another.

  Shaun killed the last two with his axe and we stood in silence and looked at each other, weapons raised and ready. The boat was on the opposite side of the island to where we stood and Lily and Matthew were nowhere in sight.

  “You killed our friends.” Shaun shouted.

  “I did” I agreed and grinned which seemed to infuriate him.

  “We were going to kill you today” he said.

  “You were going to?”

  “Yeah.” Gary said, “We have a different idea now.”

  I stared at them as they stood amongst the corpses of the zombies we had killed and waited for them to elaborate.

  “Your friend is here” Shaun said with a wide smile.

  Gary snickered and they both slowly backed away out of range of my weapon before taking up position standing beneath the trees for the limited shelter they provided. I watched them for a few moments as I tried to understand why they weren’t going to try and kill me.

  “We have the keys” Lily yelled as she came up behind me. “Everything ok?” she asked with a glance towards the two newcomers who were staring back at her with predatory expressions.

  “I’m not sure.” I said, “Let’s get back to the camp.”

  Chapter 32

  The trip back to the camp was made in silence for the most part. We had managed to tie the rowboat to the boat and it trailed along behind as we made our way south.

  Matthew had needed almost an hour of fiddling with the controls before he was confident that he could at least have some rudimentary control over the boat. He wouldn’t be trying any extravagant manoeuvres but he could at least get us back to the camp.

  Gary and Shaun were sat at the back of the cabin talking in low voices as they alternated staring at either Lily or me. She didn’t seem to notice as she tried to keep watch out of the front windows for any dangers that Matthew couldn’t see.

  I sat and watched everyone else as I considered what the newcomers had said. It was fairly obvious that they wanted to make me pay for killing their friends but I wasn’t sure how they would do that.

  From the way that they were watching Lily I assumed that they would want to try and hurt her to cause me pain. I would keep watch on her and ensure that they didn’t do anything before I had the chance to kill them quietly.

  “We’re here” Lily called as Matthew cut the engine and allowed the boat to gently slow before he gave the instruction for the newcomers to cast out the anchor which dragged along behind for a minute before it caught.

  It seemed that we were all ready to head back to the camp and we wasted no time in dragging forward the rowboat and climbing in. The two newcomers were once again designated to row, which they did with only a small amount of grumbling.

  We pulled the rowboat up onto the shore and secured a second line from the boat to a sturdy looking tree before making our way into camp.

  The bonfire hadn’t been lit but each of the cottages had some light shining in the window. The newcomers left without a word and headed straight to Rachel’s cottage. Matthew spoke quietly to Lily before he left to his own residence.

  “I’ll be glad to get in out of this rain.” Lily said as we walked across the quiet camp. I nodded though I wasn’t paying attention as I watched Shaun and Gary enter their cottage.

  We entered our own little home and left our weapons beside the door. Julie and Cass sat in the living room talking quietly as Emma played at making houses with the playing cards. They greeted us warmly as we removed our soaked jackets and boots before we sat down and Lily filled them in on what had happened.

  While she was talking I grabbed my blanket and went into the bathroom to strip off my wet clothing. I wrapped myself in the blanket and hung the soaking garments over the doors. It was unlikely they would dry without any real source of heat but I hoped that they would dry a little.

  I returned to the living room and sat on the couch beside Lily. She finished telling them about the boat and then went into the bedroom to change out of her own clothing.

  “You didn’t have any trouble with Gary and Shaun?” Julie asked and I shook my head.

  “I couldn’t get in to see Liz. Rachel and that horrible Candice woman kept saying she was resting whenever I tried.” Cass said.

  “Did you talk to Howard?” Lily asked as she rejoined us. She was wrapped in a blanket and her hair was still damp as she sat beside me.

  “He just said that he didn’t think there was anything wrong” she said, “He is useless as a leader. No balls.” She spat.

  “I’m worried about her. I don’t like the idea of leaving her with them after everything you’ve told us.” Lily said with a sigh.

  “Perhaps I should pay them a visit tonight and put an end to this once and for all.” I said quietly for Lily alone.

  “No, we can’t risk it.” Lily replied just as quietly, “Besides I don’t think Rachel will let them get away with that sort of thing. She is a pain, but she isn’t that far gone.”

  I shrugged and sat back as the others talked about the food situation and the plan to move everyone out to the boat. The mention of food made my stomach rumble alarmingly loud and set Emma off into giggles.

  “I’ll grab you some food” Julie said, “Just cold pasta today but it’s better than nothing.”

  She filled a couple of bowls from a covered pot that had been sitting on the kitchen worktop before handing one each to Lily and me along with a spoon apiece.

  “Thanks” I said as I spooned the first mouthful of pasta into my mouth. It was very cold and faintly slimy but filling none the less.

  The door banged as a thoroughly soaked Gregg and Pat entered the cottage. They looked tired and had splashes of blood on their clothes.

  “What happened?” Cass asked her brother with concern.

  “Too many zombies and not enough people today.” He replied with a wan smile.

  “What do you mean?” Lily asked as she finished her food.

  “We tried to keep leading the zombies away from camp” Pat said as he removed his sodden jacket. “It was kind of working until Joe and Mel lead one group straight into another.”

  “Oh God, what happened?”

  “They died” Pay said simply as he sat at the kitchen table. “Then we spent most of the day trying to kill the bloody things.”

  “There’s too many” Gregg said quietly with a glance towards Emma, “We couldn’t send
any more south at one point without them running into another group so we had to start sending them north.”

  “Towards Windermere?” Lily said.

  “Yeah. I don’t think those soldiers will be happy with us if they figure out that we have been doing that.”

  “What about tonight?” I asked, “The zombies won’t stop moving because it gets dark. Is anyone out there trying to redirect them?”

  “No.” Pat said with a shake of his head, “Matthew and Howard have decided to try and barricade the road in to the camp with a couple of the vehicles.”

  “That won’t do anything about the ones coming through the woods.”

  “Matthew said something about sending as many people and supplies as possible, across to a boat.” Gregg said around a mouthful of the food that Julie had handed him.

  “Kids are going first” Pat added with a look towards Emma, “He told us to let you know that you need to get her ready to go in the next half hour. One adult can go with her.”

  “That should be Julie” Lily said, “If nothing else it will get her out of the way of those newcomers too.” She added when Julie looked ready to protest.

  “So what then?” Cass asked.

  “Kids and a few adults first, along with a lot of blankets because it will get damn cold over there” Pat said, “Then it will be supplies and the rest of us. Most of us will be spending the night in camp though.”

  “It’s going to be a long night.” Gregg added, “Very little sleep for anyone and no guns allowed. Too much noise and not enough ammo anyway.”

  Julie left to gather blankets for Emma and to get her dressed as warmly as possible. In truth I didn’t envy the people who would be on the boat. No privacy and everyone crammed in together like sardines with just the one toilet too.

  I shuddered and considered myself lucky that I would have the chance to stay in camp and possibly kill some zombies, perhaps even the newcomers. I smiled happily at the thought as I considered the best way to kill them in peace.

  A frenzied banging on the door disturbed my thoughts and Gregg went to open it with a frown and a hand firmly grasping his club.

  He opened the door and a clearly distraught and teary eyed Claire entered and ran to Lily.

  “Oh it’s terrible.” She wailed.

  “What’s wrong? Is Maggie ok?” Lily asked with alarm.

  “Yes she’s fine, it’s Liz. She’s dead.” Claire cried.

  Chapter 33

  I stood beneath a tree just beyond the edge of the camp as the late afternoon light faded and did my best to ignore the babbling crowd that had gathered around the slowly swinging form of Liz that hung from the sturdy branch.

  Lily was arguing loudly and hotly with Matthew and Howard with Cass beside her urging calm. Gregg and Pat had escorted Julie and Emma to the Lake and the rowboat that was to take them across to the boat. A distraught Claire had returned to her own cottage and her daughter Maggie.

  My clothes were still wet and the bare branches of the woods offered no protection from the rain. I suppressed a sigh and slowly inspected the body.

  It seemed that someone wanted everyone to think that an upset Liz had killed herself. From the faint bruising and dishevelled state I could guess that she didn’t go without a fight at least. A loud voice was demanding that she be cut down and given a decent burial and I glanced across the crowd to see Jim with bible in hand.

  I hadn’t seen much of him around the camp since I had arrived which had been fine with me. His constant praying and references to God back at the golf course had been irritating to say the least. I did my best to tune him out as I leant back against the tree.

  The murder of the girl was a message to me, I was sure of that. What I wasn’t sure of was why Liz. She had no real meaning to me and I could see no benefit and plenty of risk to the newcomers. The benefit for me was that it would likely be a great deal easier to convince Lily to let me kill them.

  Across the crowd I saw Rachel and Candice standing with heads together as they spoke quietly, their eyes locked firmly on me. I smiled and saw their expressions darken. My grip tightened on the boat hook as I imagined thrusting it through their throats.

  I cast around for the two newcomers but didn’t see them, which showed that they were intelligent enough to keep themselves out of sight in case the accusations started. Though I was sure that Rachel and Candice were present to tell everyone how upset Liz was and how she had been suicidal since John had died.

  “They are fucking useless” Cass spat as she walked across to me with a furious Lily in tow.

  “Oh?”

  “Howard is happy to accept it was a suicide and Matthew just kept saying we can’t prove anything.” She said. “It’s time we had a new vote on who should lead here.”

  “You ok?” I asked Lily and she shook her head firmly.

  “No. I am far from being ‘Ok’” she said.

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to kill those bastards for this.” She snapped.

  “Then I shall pay them a visit tonight.” I said with a smile.

  “No. They will be waiting for you.” Lily said with a sideways glance at a confused looking Cass. “We will have to wait.”

  “I really think we should.....” I cut off as the scream sounded from the camp.

  “What now?” Lily said as she turned and started running towards the sound. With a sigh I hefted my weapon and ran after her.

  I entered the main camp and the first thing I saw was a pale skinned zombie ripping at the exposed throat of a man in the rain. A woman stood at the door to her cottage close by, screaming. Beyond the camp moans rose above the sounds of the storm.

  “Oh hell.” Cass yelled as she ran into the camp.

  “Get back to the cottage and get your weapons” I said to Lily and Cass as I raised my own.

  The girls ran as I stepped forward towards the feasting ghoul. It looked at me as I approached and I was very much aware that it seemed to be following my approach with its eyes. When I was a couple of metres away it sprang up and leapt at me.

  It was fast and vicious but I was ready. I ducked to the side and swung my weapon. The hook caught the creatures arm and I pulled. The creature stumbled off balance as I stepped forward and kicked out at its leg.

  The zombie fell to the rain soaked mud and I reversed the boat hook and jabbed it down at the creatures head. Bone cracked and blood spurted as it died. I turned to see more entering the camp.

  Several others from the camp ran forward to engage the attacking undead and I paused. A dozen or more zombies were making their way into the camp. It was hardly a catastrophic amount and I saw Gregg and Pat run forward with weapons in hand.

  I thought that things seemed to be in hand so I ducked between two of the cottages and made my way around the outside of the camp. I had seen the newcomers join the fight and the chaos of a zombie attack was the perfect time for me to do my thing.

  With a grin I approached their cottage. A quick circuit revealed no open windows but they hadn’t locked the door so I slipped inside.

  The cottage interior had only a single candle to light the living room which was empty. I knew where most of the people were but I hadn’t seen Beth, so I had to be cautious. I moved slowly and silently through the cottage.

  It only had two bedrooms and the first held two single beds that had been pushed together and was empty. The master bedroom had a king size bed and a sleeping Beth wrapped in the sheets. I crept into the room and looked around.

  Candice’s bag was beside the bed. It was the first time that I had seen it out of her clutches and curious as to its contents I crouched down and opened it slowly before glancing inside.

  With a shake of my head I stood and approached the bed where Beth lay. The bedside table beside her held more of the drug paraphernalia that I had found inside Candice’s bag. I was certain that Beth was in the grip of whatever drug she had taken, rather than ju
st sleeping.

  I nudged her gently and when I received no response I tried again, harder. She remained resolutely unconscious and I stared down at her for long moments. I had nothing against her personally and from the little I knew she wasn’t a bad person so I couldn’t just outright kill her without breaking Lily’s rules. My gaze caught the gore covered steel tip of my boat hook and I grinned.

  Beth didn’t awaken even when I scratched her arm with the point. A small trickle of blood mingled with the darker stain that had been left by the boat hook. I watched for a moment longer to ensure she didn’t wake before heading back into the living room.

  I blew out the candle and sat quietly in the darkness as I awaited the return of the two newcomers, cold rainwater slowly pooling beneath me on the carpet. The sounds of fighting, screaming and moaning from outside the cottage were starting to lessen as I pulled the combat knife from its sheath.

  The wait wasn’t long before the door slammed open and the two men walked in laughing and joking. They went straight for their respective rooms and I waited a few minutes to make sure that Candice and Rachel weren’t right behind them.

  When no one followed them in, I glanced out the window to see people in the centre of the camp clearing away the corpses. Rachel was standing by the improvised barricade of cars by the road with Candice beside her.

  It seemed that I was in luck and they were going to be busy for a while. I crept silently to the master bedroom and listened at the door. I could hear some rough grunting but nothing else. I moved to the second bedroom.

  I pushed open the door and stepped inside. Gary turned to speak and his jaw dropped when he saw that it was me and not who he was expecting. I leapt forward and rammed my knife into his stomach and twisted the blade as my left hand covered his mouth to muffle his scream.

  His eyes were opened wide in pain and shock as I pulled free the knife and stabbed it between his ribs. I lay atop him with my hand pressed firmly over his mouth and my knife held firmly with the blade between his ribs and stared into his eyes as he slowly died.