The Infected

by Gemma Ritchie

  “I’m sure that’s not the only reason you’re still alive.”

  I shrug. The only reason I survived the six months before Drew was because I was completely paranoid and had a serious hoarding problem. If it weren’t for the hundreds of deadbolts littering my door and enough food to last me through several apocalypses I would probably have been beaten to death along with the rest of my building. No, I believe luck favoured me the day Drew stepped onto my street.

  “What about you? What were you doing before the world ended?” I ask, purely out of politeness and the fact that I hate talking about myself. If she thinks we’re gonna be gal-pals she’s going to be severely disappointed.

  “I was living in a crack house with my dim-witted but incredibly hot boyfriend.” I laugh - because I think she’s joking - but when I look at her face it trails off.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Deadly.” She nods, brows raised.

  “Hold up guys.” Drew calls and our procession grinds to a halt. Ahead of us is a massive barricade of buses and cars parked nose to tail across the width of the road. Kyle stops beside me, blowing the hair from his eyes as he scans the mass of vehicles. High hedgerows rise at either side, blocking off the fields and any alternative route.

  “What now?” I ask. Sam throws me an irritated look which I return happily. Drew steps forward, rifle tucked under his arm, lips moving in thought. Natalie strides through, feet moving with purpose towards the obstruction. Drew calls after her but she just keeps going. I exchange a glance with Kyle and shrug, slipping through the guys to follow her.

  “Lou” Drew shouts but I break into a jog, falling into step beside Natalie. She shoots me a grin. The slow following footfalls of the guys begin behind us as we reach the first car. Natalie hands me her rifle, lifting herself up onto the bonnet. I hand it back, climbing up beside her.

  “Woah.” I mutter. The barricade stretches on for miles, car after car pressed together like a giant metal snake. Drew jumps up beside me, whistling as he shields his eyes, squinting against the sunshine. “Somebody really doesn’t want visitors huh?”

  “You think?” Sam mutters. I roll my eyes. One more snarky comment and I’m gonna knee him right in the crotch. I am way too cranky for his shitty attempt at wit. Shuffling past the others I heave myself up and onto the bus, jogging across it until I can jump down to another car. I hear the others follow, boots clanging against the metal as it dips beneath their weight.

  Eventually I find a rhythm, jumping from car to car, regaining my balance before moving onto the next. Kyle laughs as he almost topples sideways, Sam grabbing his arm with a growl. I shoot him a grin as I sit perched on the top of a bus, waiting for the others to catch up. The sun beats against my back, warming the exposed skin of my neck. This is surprisingly pleasant… considering.

  Drew pulls himself up to sit beside me, knocking his knee gently against mine until I turn to look at him. He offers me a smile that I return gladly. Then his arms are wrapped around my neck, tipping us backwards onto the roof of the bus until we’re laid flat on our backs. Giggling I let my head flop towards him.

  “I get why you’re suspicious.” He mumbles but the others are too far away to hear. “But they honestly seem like good people. At the end of the world, each other is all we’ve got and it makes me feel better to know that if anything were to happen to me…” I shove my hand across his mouth, shaking my head, unwilling to hear the rest. A world without Drew doesn’t bear thinking about. I feel his lips close under my palm and I remove my hand.

  “Don’t ever say things like that.” I shake my head to solidify my words. “You can’t say that to me… you just can’t.” He rolls over, pulling me into another hug just as the others climb up onto the bus.

  “Get a room” Kyle snorts. I throw him a glare over Drew’s shoulder, followed by the finger as I reluctantly release him to stand. We all turn together to look out across the last of the cars to the empty road beyond. I wonder what the point of this was. All the cars. What are they protecting because from what I can see, there’s nothing there. Sharing a confused glance with Natalie I move to the end of the bus, throw down my pack and climb down. Four sets of boots land beside me.

  That’s when I hear it. The rasping death rattle of the infected. They emerge from the fields that are now open to the road. Profanities spill from my lips as I pull out my knife, moving behind Drew and the others as they raise their rifles. My head snaps to Kyle, weaponless behind his brother. I pull a knife from Drew’s belt and shove it in Kyle’s hand as I force him behind me. Not that that makes a difference, he’s at least a foot and half taller than I am but he’s just a kid and it makes me feel better.

  The first infected turns its bloodshot eyes in our direction, a howl of rage tearing from its throat before it starts sprinting. My heart leaps into my mouth, the hilt of the knife slipping in my sweaty palm. Natalie takes the first shot, bullet hitting its mark between the eyes. It drops and another bounds over the limp form, growling and snarling as it runs. The three of them open fire, their shots precise but not hitting them fast enough. I think of Kyle at my back and spin around, looking for a way out.

  The bus is too high to climb back up. I run towards it and turn my face away, smashing the window with my elbow, which hurts a lot more than I expected. Clearing the glass with my sleeve I gesture for Kyle to get in. His gaze is torn between the bus and his brother. Sam turns.

  “Get on the bus Ky.” He yells, letting off another round. Kyle runs towards me, climbing up and inside with a grace I wouldn’t have anticipated. The mass of infected are growing and all I have is a puny knife. I am so screwed.

  “Lou” Kyle shouts, offering me his hand. I glance over my shoulder then wrap my hand in his, boots squeaking against metal as he heaves me inside. Glass scratches at my stomach but it’s not life threatening. Natalie backs up to the bus, lets off one last shot then jumps towards my outstretched hand. Kyle and I pull her inside, turning back to Sam and Drew who are still firing, despite the infected’s proximity.

  “Drew.” I scream above the crack of gunfire. At the last second the two of them turn and run, launching themselves through the window of the bus as Natalie covers them, her aim moving swiftly. Wrapping my fingers in Drew’s jacket I heave him inside.

  The bus rocks as the infected throw themselves against it. I stagger back, catching myself on the back of a seat, righting my stance before I stab myself with my own knife. Sam and Drew raise their weapons and open fire, the infected falling like dominos as they try to climb through the broken window. Kyle and I stand either side of the guys, knives drawn but useless.

  The bus rocks again, more violently this time as the mass presses against it. It bounces when the tyres slam back into the road before lifting again. They’re going to tip us over. Without giving myself time to think, I stagger to the back of the bus, climb onto the back seat and up into the ledge. It takes a few hard kicks but I manage to put the window through. Clearing the glass with my boot I turn, shuffling through on my stomach until I tipple down to the pavement and roll to a stop.

  Then I do what is either the stupidest, or the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

  I run out into the road, circling behind the infected. Drew’s eyes widen in horror when he spots me but it’s too late to stop me now. Casting my eyes around I snatch up a rock and launch it towards the mob. Any regrets I may have I’m sure I’m about to take to my grave. It cracks into the skull of a rather large dude, his head snapping around to where I stand as hr lets out a furious howl. The others turn to look, teeth bared as they spot me, standing in the road.

  Alone.

  With only a knife.

  I am so fucking stupid.

  “Oh shit.” I take off, arms and legs pumping because my life actually depends on it. Savage roars erupt behind me but I am not about to turn and look. I will not be that bimbo that turns back to look and gets hacked to death by a raging psycho. I’ve seen the movies. It never ends well. The shooting
resumes and I hope they’re hitting their mark. If at any point they had to become expert marksmen, it’s now. The snarling and snapping gets louder, closing in as I throw myself sideways and scale a tree with a skill I didn’t know I possessed. Hooking my arm around a thick branch I heave myself upwards as a hand wraps around my ankle. I flail, kicking as hard as I can to dislodge its grip while trying desperately to maintain my hold on the branch.

  “Get the fuck off me, you crazy freak.” I scream, kicking out once more and feeling the fingers slip from my leg. I hoist myself up, wrapping my legs around the branch, chest heaving.

  One by one they fall away, bullets slicing through their heads and necks. I keep their attention, yelling profanities that would have made my mother blush. Its surprisingly liberating. As the last one falls I slump forwards, arms dangling either side of my perch as I rest my cheek against the rough bark. Drew appears beneath me first, eyes wide, narrowing when he sees I’m okay.

  “Are you fucking insane?” he snaps. I unhook my leg and lower myself down, dropping to the floor as the others join us.

  “Obviously.” I snap back.

  And then I faint.

  Six

  - Unsteady Alliance -

  I turn, putting my body between the newcomer and Drew. She smiles, dark hair pulled back from her face, rifle tucked under her arm. A ring juts out of her bottom lip, arms inked with a muddle of designs. “Don’t worry, I come in peace.”

  I scowl with distrust, not speaking as I look her up and down, trying to decide if she’s a threat. Her smile says no but her rifle says yes. Drew steps around me, holding out his hand. I open my mouth to protest as she takes it, shaking it lightly.

  “I’m Andrew Turner and this is Louisa Beaumont.” He jerks his head towards me.

  “Natalie Walker” she smiles. “Sam and Kyle should be along in a minute.”

  As if summoned out of thin air, two men stride around the corner, guns tucked into their side. The younger one smiles, dark hair cut to his shoulders and falling chaotically over his forehead. He looks to be in his teens, his frame tall and gangly. The guy beside him is older though not by much, his hair much shorter and his physique broader, more filled out. They look like brothers. Where the younger one wears an easy smile the other scowls, mouth downturned, green eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  “Thank you for rescuing us.” Drew offers them a weak smile, resting his hand against my arm for support. “We’ve seen what those guys could do and it wasn’t something I wanted to experience.”

  Natalie nods grimly, turning to the men behind her. “We should get moving before they come back.” Spinning away from us she strides away, the older guy turning to follow. The younger one steps forward, wrapping his arm around Drew’s waist as he throws his arm across his shoulders.

  “I’m Kyle Dean but you can call me Ky, everyone else does.” He beams at me. “That’s my brother Sam” he nods to the older guy who glances over his shoulder.

  “Louisa” I smile back.

  Between us we get Drew moving, his blood already dried to his clothes. He winces with every step, teeth grinding loudly by my ear. I’ve never seen Drew so vulnerable before and the sight scares me like nothing else.

  Making slow progress we follow Natalie and Sam, winding through streets until we come to a stop outside a hotel. Kyle chatters all the way there, about everything and anything, his voice light and cheery. I try to respond as best I can but to be honest he doesn’t leave much room for conversation.

  It takes an age to get Drew up the stairs. We travel up six flights before my knees give way, crashing against the step with a loud crunch. Drew tumbles down beside me, dragging Kyle with him. Natalie and Sam turn. The permanent scowl on Sam’s face deepens as he rolls his eyes, jogging back down the stairs and shoving me aside. I bite back a retort as he heaves Drew back to his feet.

  Natalie pushes open a door, throwing her rifle on a chair as she leads the way into the room. Sam and Kyle get Drew to the bed, laying him down as gently as they can. Concern creases my brow as I move to sit next to him, unzipping his jacket and pulling up his shirt. His ribs are the colour of an aubergine mottled with crimson where the skin has split in the shape of their boots. I suck air between my teeth, raising my gaze to meet his. He offers me a lopsided grin.

  “Believe me, I’ve had worse.” He jokes. I shake my head, chewing the inside of my cheek. Now is not the time for jokes. Without Drew I’m all alone in a world that I really can’t handle by myself.

  “Have you got anything I can clean this with?” I ask, turning to the audience that stares at Drew’s abdomen with varying degrees of compassion. Natalie turns away, pulling open a cabinet and throws me a first aid kit. I tear it open, removing gauze and wipes.

  “Any alcohol? Vodka preferably.” Kyle retrieves it from the mini-bar which I’m amazed is still stocked. Drew smiles with mock anticipation and I shake my head, unscrewing the cap and pouring it over my hands. Aware of my onlookers, I set about cleaning the wounds, hands shaking more and more with every wince and hiss. I flick my eyes up, shoot him an apologetic smile. Drew shakes his head, patting my hand and gritting his teeth.

  Once it’s clean I cover it with gauze, wrapping bandage around and around his abdomen until not an inch of his skin is visible. Next, I clean the blood from his face, use a torch to check his pupils and finally step back, gathering up the bloody wipes.

  “Are you a doctor?” Kyle asks as I dump them into the bin. I shake my head as I pour the last of the vodka over my hands, wringing my shaking hands. The bottle lands with a soft thud atop the wipes and I turn to Kyle.

  “I was studying to be a vet before…” my voice trails away. Drew is snoring softly on the bed, his face dappled with bruising, chest rising and falling sharply as he winces. Kyle smiles, leading me towards the sitting area.

  “A vet? That’s cool. I think I would have liked working with animals. We had a dog once, didn’t we Sam?” he turns to his brother. I follow his gaze. Sam doesn’t answer as he stares out the window, jaw tightening with irritation. I’m suddenly very uncomfortable, clearing my throat as I cast my gaze to my knees. Wishing Drew was awake so I wouldn’t have to do the talking. “Anyway, we had a dog. He was only small and black and white and he had this little…”

  “Kyle” Sam snaps, making us both jump. “Enough.”

  Awkwardness settles over the room, the tension so thick its stifling. I sit frozen on the sofa, my eyes darting between our three saviours. Natalie reclines in a chair, concerned gaze flitting between Kyle and Sam, lip rolling back and forth as she chews at the ring piercing it. Kyle sits with his head down, brows dipped in a V as he pouts, fingers drumming lightly against his thigh. Peeking through my lashes I study Sam. His face is wound tightly into a scowl, glaring out the window, thick arms folded across his chest.

  A groan has me diving from my chair to the bed as Drew stirs. His eyes flutter open and I smooth the hair back from his forehead, small smile curving my lips.

  “Hey you…” he croaks. I reach for a bottle of water, tipping it slowly to his lips. He guzzles it down, spilling half down his chin in his haste. I lower it, screwing the cap tight and place it on the table beside the bed. “I feel like shit.”

  “You look like shit” I laugh, just thankful that he’s alive and breathing. We grin at each other. His is a little strained and he casts his eyes around the room, blinking in confusion as if he’d forgotten they were here.

  “Thank you again for your help.” Drew shuffles into a sitting position, hand flying to his ribs with a gasp. I help him sit up, straightening the pillows at his back. Natalie comes to stand beside me.

  “Don’t mention it. I’ve been looking for an excuse to shoot those arseholes for a while now.” She grins but it falls away, head twisting to where Sam sighs, shaking his head. “Come on Sam, you couldn’t watch what they were doing for much longer. One of us had to start shooting.”

  He finally turns from the window. I blanch at the anger on his fa
ce. “And it just had to be you didn’t it Nat. You do realise what you’ve done. They’re not gonna let this go.” His gaze flits to Kyle who’s watching the whole exchange with wide eyes. “And now we’ll have to leave. It’s not safe for him here anymore.”

  Kyle opens his mouth but Natalie subtly shakes her head and he scowls, lips pressing together as he glares at his brother. The tension fills the room once more and I can’t wait to get away from these people. The anger is suffocating. Taking a deep breath, I turn back to Drew and force a smile. His eyes are wide, confused by the group dynamic.

  You and me both.

  “Where were you guys headed anyway?” Natalie asks, her voice filled with a forced cheeriness. I can tell her exchange with Sam has upset her more than she wants to let on. It’s in the curve of her brow, the way her eyes pinch, the downward turn of her mouth. I wonder if they always fight like this. I’ve heard siblings often do.

  “North.” I say simply in answer to her question before Drew can respond.

  “North?” she taps her finger against her cheek, turns to the boys. “How does north sound Sam? If we’re gonna have to leave here we may as well all go together.”

  I scramble for words. “Oh no, we wouldn’t want to drag you along with us. Besides we don’t even know where we’re headed yet and…” Drew’s hand on my arm halts my babbling and I turn to him, wide eyed and fearful. I sigh, defeated. Drew, for all his faults, is a good guy at heart. After the danger these people have placed themselves in to rescue us, he’s not about to leave them behind, no matter what risk they may pose to us. I can’t look at them as Drew clears his throat.

  “We’re headed for Haven. It’s a safe place that was set up after the virus struck.”

  “Haven?” Natalie asks, the mattress dipping beneath her weight. “Where is it?”

  “Scotland.” Drew says it so surely. I resist reminding him that we don’t actually know where it is. I rest my forehead in my palm, my body suddenly depleted of energy.