Outbreak: The Zombie Apocalypse (UK Edition)

by Craig Jones

  They nodded their understanding just as I caught the first sight of my brother. He’d made it. He went past me with a hand raised, and used the junction as his turning circle and also as a chance to check if the zombies were on their way back. He pulled up behind me and shouted, ‘We’re good to go! They’ve not started coming back yet.’

  I made the universal rolling hand gesture for come on to the girls, and after a loud click from the lock they pulled the door inward and exited quickly, each jumping onto the pillion seat of our bikes as directed and gripping on tightly. The man with the keys, Simon, just stood in the doorway, staring at us with a moronic smile on his jowly face.

  ‘Lock the door,’ Danny shouted, and pulled forward and around my bike before setting off down the road at a slow and steady pace.

  I tucked in behind him, worrying if any cars had blocked our path down Mill Street. But there was nothing to worry about. The road was long and straight so Danny accelerated, keeping to the middle of the street. In seconds we were turning right into the car park. The lush grass of the cricket pitch was in front of us, but we drove towards the tennis courts and pulled up at the furthest extreme of the tarmac car park, taking a big loop before stopping so the bikes were facing the exit.

  Before turning off the engines, we scanned around us for any signs of movement, and, seeing that there wasn’t any, we each pushed the red button that cut the power, withdrew the key, and stashed it in a deep pocket. The girls got off the bikes and clung to each other. They were understandably terrified.

  ‘We’re heading that way,’ I said, pointing towards the bank that led to the river. ‘We’re going to jog, not sprint. Just stay with us.’

  Danny pulled his modified motorbike chain out from inside his jacket and set off, leading the way. The girls went next and I brought up the rear, having paused for a second to extract the cut-off bat. I jogged backwards, making sure there was no reason to turn this into a race to the river. All was clear, and I knew we were going to make it.

  * * *

  ‘Okay,’ whispered Danny through his visor as we crouched low at the river’s edge. ‘Head straight over towards that log. We’ve stashed weapons there. And then head for the grey wall, just off to the left. Can you see?’

  Both of them nodded. Luckily, they were both wearing flat shoes and jeans, or the next part of the rescue could have been a total farce.

  ‘Ready?’ asked Dan, and we all nodded.

  He went first, slowly picking his way across the river, using the biggest of the stones to cross on, making a real effort to exaggerate where he was going to step next so the girls would know the way. He needn’t have bothered. When it was their turn, they simply flew across, not caring if they stood knee-deep in water, as long as they could get to the other side and arm themselves with one of the sharpened poles.

  I joined them last, surprised by the lack of drama, and noise, that the four of us crossing the river had caused. We edged through the trees, spread out with the girls in the middle and Danny and me on the flanks, when Nick’s voice, barely more than a whisper, started repeating, ‘Clear, clear, clear.’

  ‘Go, head for the ladder,’ I said, pointing to the middle of the wall where Nick had already dropped our escape route into place.

  He stood on the wall above the ladder, gripping it firmly as first and then the other girl clambered to the top, dropping the sharpened poles to the side of the wall as they went. I pushed Danny in front of me and finally followed him myself. When I reached the top, I tore off my gloves and dragged my helmet off my head, inhaling the fresh, clear air in huge gulps. We’d done it. The first two were safe. Danny and Nick were hugging each other, the girls doing the same.

  ‘Are you both okay?’ I asked as I pulled the ladder back up to the top of the wall, and then carefully swung it down the other side, back into the safety of the garden. I dropped my bat over too, Danny following suit with his chain.

  ‘Yes, yes, thank you,’ the dark-haired one whispered, tears streaming down her face, still grasping the hand of her blonde friend.

  ‘Hey, you’re going to be okay now,’ I said, ushering them to the ladder, and one by one we made our way down, walking up to the back door of the house, everyone politely introducing themselves despite the bizarre nature of the situation. The dark-haired girl was Claire, one of the hairdressers, and the blonde, Susan, was one of the trainees. They both looked like they hadn’t slept at all through any of this, and when Jenny met us on the decking they virtually fell into her arms.

  ‘I’ll take the girls upstairs,’ she murmured. ‘I’m sure they’ll want a bath or a shower. I’ve got everything ready for you, girls; even got something to drink and some food.’

  Danny had also removed his motorbike helmet and we both struggled out of our leather jackets. Our t-shirts were soaked with sweat. It must have been the anxiety, the adrenaline, because we hadn’t been away that long and it was far from warm outside.

  ‘You did it, guys!’ Nick said, placing a hand on first Danny’s shoulder and then mine.

  ‘We’ve only done the first part, Nick,’ my brother replied, suddenly looking grim. ‘I’m going to touch base with Simon or John over there and see what the situation is like.’

  He paused.

  ‘Matt, did you see what they did to that woman? Was there anything we could’ve…?’

  ‘No.’ My jaw tightened. ‘She should’ve stayed where she was. She was obviously safe.’

  ‘There’s more people over there alive?’ Nick squawked.

  I stared at the floor. ‘Yeah. Well, there was. She, Missus Pound, she…she got herself killed. Stupid woman ran straight into them.’

  ‘But there could be more people like that? On their own? Not attracting the attention of those…’ Nick jabbed his finger towards the front of the house.

  ‘I don’t know, I…’

  ‘Nick’s right’, Danny exclaimed. ‘It’s like they say on the news: The zombies group up where there are people, not person. Matt, they saw you on the bridge, but they didn’t move towards you. They saw me and the meat, and they came that way. One person, maybe even two, doesn’t produce enough, I don’t know, zombie-friendly pheromones or something. But five people, like over there, seven people like here, and we’re like catnip for the undead!’

  ‘So what are you suggesting, Danny?’ I asked him.

  ‘That things aren’t as bad as we think, that the town isn’t wiped out. That maybe eighty, a hundred people have become infected. And maybe that number isn’t growing because everybody else either shipped out or is locked up safe and tight.’

  ‘There’s one other possibility,’ said Nick. ‘They could just all be dead.’

  14

  Having spent a few minutes alone on the decking, I walked back into the kitchen and through to the lounge. My black motorbike boots were still wet from traversing the river but I didn’t think it something of any importance given what was going on. Nick was settling the children on the sofa that directly faced the television. It was turned on with the volume still muted.

  Jenny was upstairs with Claire and Susan, and I could hear the shower running in the main bathroom. Danny, of course, was camped in front of the computer, nailing together the final details of part two of our rescue mission. Nick reached across to the arm of the sofa and picked up the remote control, found the volume buttons, and brought the news report to full life.

  ‘…officials have once again categorically denied that there has been any evidence of the dead rising. Although the victims of the epidemic are displaying characteristics synonymous with the typical media portrayal of the zombie, it is being proven more and more that their state is a symptom of an infection being transferred from person to person via saliva. Tests on the victims have found an as yet unidentified toxin; this toxin is consistent in all cases and scientists are currently working on establishing exactly what it is and where it came from.’

  The newscaster paused; it looked as if she was waiting for the next updat
e to appear on the teleprompter. She looked less strained than previous reporters and it seemed like wardrobe and make up had spent a little time on her. Maybe things were progressing to a faster conclusion than anyone could have expected just a day or so ago. I realised that not only were Nick and I fully absorbed in the programme, but so were the children, so much so that we all jumped a little when Danny strode into the room and dumped himself on the sofa nearest to the door, boot zips undone, feet hanging over the arm of the furniture.

  ‘What’s the latest?’ he asked, and the kids all briefly glared at him, raising their fingers to their lips before either Nick or I had the chance to do so.

  ‘As has been previously stated,’ the reporter continued, ‘there have been no reported outbreaks of this kind in any other country, and the British mainland remains cordoned off from the rest of Europe.’ The long pause again, and this time she actually leant off screen, clearly holding a conversation with someone.

  ‘However, we can bring you…breaking news? Yes, this story is being confirmed as I speak by several of America’s largest news agencies… It is being reported that numerous bodies have been discovered in an isolated farm to the north of New York State. Although further detail is not available at this time, it has been confirmed that at least one of the bodies found is demonstrating the same pathology as those who have been host to the epidemic in this country. We will bring you more on this story as we receive further information.’

  We all looked at each other, openmouthed, before she started speaking again.

  ‘And back to our headline story. Portsmouth, Liverpool, Cardiff; just three of the cities that have today been confirmed as being clear of the infection. The British military, with some external support, have eradicated the current threat in over twelve cites and continue to make swift progress. However, the public is urged to remain vigilant and to stay indoors, no matter where you are across the country…’

  I muted the television.

  ‘Okay, that’s it. We’re sitting tight. This is so close to being over…’

  I didn’t think I had to finish the sentence. It was clear to me that the problem was being taken care of, that one or two more days and Simon, John, and Sheila would be rescued by the Army, without us having to put ourselves at risk.

  There was a flurry of noise at the top of the stairs, and then Jenny, Claire, and Susan came down to join us. Jenny had dressed the girls in jogging trousers and sweatshirts that were either Danny’s or mine.

  ‘You don’t mind, do you?’ Jenny asked, pointing back and forth to the girls and their fresh attire as they crossed in front of the television and sat on the final spare sofa against the far wall. We both shook our heads.

  ‘You both okay?’ I asked. They both nodded, again forcing back tears.

  ‘Look. We’re going to hold off getting the rest of them. The news says that this is near over, we can’t…’

  ‘You’ve got to get them out of there.’

  It was Claire, the feisty looking, dark-haired girl, who spoke.

  Despite the raw, red eyes from fear and tears, she held a determination in them. ‘Simon has lost it. He just wants to run for it, but he doesn’t know where to go for safety. If you don’t go back, he’ll get them all killed. He wanted to be the first one out of there when you guys said you were coming. He even threatened his friend with scissors before it all calmed down.’

  ‘If it hadn’t been for you…’ Susan, the quieter blonde girl, began, but faltered into ratcheted sobs. ‘The others, John and Sheila, they need help, too. If that fat, slimy—’

  She held off finishing in the manner she wanted to when she realised the children were watching her closely.

  ‘Well, there are two people that deserve your help. Please?’

  She trailed off into more sobs, and both Jenny and Claire wrapped her up in their arms. I’d remained standing throughout and now looked down at Danny and shrugged.

  ‘Don’t think we’ve got a choice, bro,’ he said.

  ‘Doesn’t look like it.’

  ‘Well, everything is ready to go. We’re bringing Sheila and John back this time,’ Danny told the girls, then turned his head back to me. ‘But Matt?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘If Simon gives me any trouble, I’m dropping him.’

  15

  The theory that the zombies, or whatever Hell had spewed out, found themselves drawn to groups of people, pockets of food, seemed to be an accurate one. We’d experienced it. The girls had experienced it. The people out at the farm were experiencing it. When we led the girls outside to show them what was at our gate, the creatures were as animated as any of us had witnessed. Still rocking back and forth, but with more of a buzz about them, and when the five of us were clear of the front door there was a definite movement from them towards us.

  Danny and I had already put our leathers back on in preparation for our next pick up. We each carried our helmets with gloves stuffed down inside, and our weapons for any hand to hand combat were shoved down the front of our jackets. Danny, rucksack with the last of our beef burgers already in place on his back, was full of bravado, clearly flirting with Susan and, to be honest, I got the feeling she was enjoying the attention as much as he loved dishing it out.

  I guess any semblance of normality at this stage was a welcome interlude for all of us. Jenny was already up in Danny’s bedroom window to give us the all-clear, and Nick had a plastic bag with some raw meat ready to lob over the wall.

  ‘When we get back,’ Danny said to the blonde girl casually, ‘I’ll show you how we take care of these things, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘You mean you’ve actually killed some of them?’

  ‘Oh, yeah. I’ll be finishing this lot off this evening. Send them back to where they came from.’

  ‘Danny, we can’t risk blocking the exit in case we need to use the Range Rover to get out of here,’ I didn’t want to belittle him, but I felt we still needed to hold onto some sensibilities. I saw him roll his eyes at Susan, and she barely suppressed a smile, but I let it ride. Like I said, any normality now was good.

  The zombies suddenly became even more agitated when Nick pulled the chicken legs from out of the bag.

  ‘You both ready?’ he asked, and my brother and I nodded and started to head down the path to the left of the house, towards the ladder that was already in place. As we walked, quickening our pace with every step, we could hear the food hitting the ground after Nick had thrown it over the zombies’ heads, and then the louder moaning as they jostled for lunch.

  ‘Nothing stupid, okay, bro’?’ he told me as we reached the foot of the ladder.

  ‘Me? If you can stop thinking about hairdressers for five minutes…’

  ‘Come on! It’s a two-way street.’

  ‘Yeah, sure it is. She’s old enough to be your, well, your older sister at least. Just remember, use the main road around the square this time. I know the telly says they can’t strategize, but if just one of them hung around the alley, you’ll be trapped.’

  He tapped the chain inside his jacket and it made a dampened rattle.

  ‘Not with my zombie killer I won’t.’

  ‘Just stick to the plan, please,’ I implored.

  He was halfway up the ladder, turned, and looked back at me with that grin.

  ‘Not a worry.’

  I followed him to the top of the ladder and turned to the house. Jenny was in the window, both thumbs up to signal that the other side of the wall was clear. I turned and chose my path along the grass and through the trees. I spotted the long wooden stakes on the ground, pointed them out to Danny, and he nodded, understanding that we should replace them on the big log.

  I looked out over the trees. The sound of the river, a slow steady bubble, could just be heard over the moans of the not-quite-dead at the front of the house. The sky remained almost clear, nature telling us that no matter what mess we were making of things down here, the sky would always be okay. We placed our bike helm
ets on the wall and, between us two, lifted the ladder, again checking with Jenny, who was now holding her thumbs down.

  ‘Where?’ shouted Danny.

  ‘Wait for Nick,’ she yelled. ‘He needs to bring the ladder back up.’

  Already we were making mistakes. We shouldn’t be going through with this. We placed the ladder back down and made sure it was steady as Nick appeared, jogging down the garden, skirting around the edge of the pond. Without a word, he clambered up and was quite breathless by the time he made the top.

  ‘I sent the girls inside. I thought two of those things were going to start fighting over the meat. But then they started sniffing each other, like animals, and realised they were the same. It was weird.’

  ‘Nick,’ I began blandly. ‘Are you suggesting that the zombies trapping us in here are weird?’

  He half-shrugged his shoulders, and then helped me pull the ladder up and over the wall. Jenny was now giving us the thumbs up signal, and she had been joined in the window by Susan. Danny spotted her and gave an exaggerated salute as he began his descent. I threw our helmets down to him, checked my pocket for my bike key, withdrew it, and waved it at Danny. He pretended to search his clothing, faking panic, and then opened his left palm to show he had already thought ahead.

  I climbed down to join my brother and pushed while Nick pulled the ladder back to the top. Danny scooped up the poles, I grabbed the helmets that he had placed on the grass, and we set off through the tress to the edge of the river. He laid the weapons in the same place as I had done earlier this morning as I surveyed the opposite riverbank. There was no movement except for the running water.

  Suddenly, the air was filled with a giant rushing sound coming from our right, and before we knew it a fighter jet zipped past overhead, following the river upstream, about thirty metres above our head. Danny and I were both rocked back on our heels; we must have resembled zombies for a couple of seconds. I wondered for a moment if Nick had fallen off the wall.