The undead were themselves, absent. Although a few miles further on, I glimpsed a farmhouse through the trees that bordered the property and saw a sizeable group clustered around the building. No one else seemed to notice, so I decided it was best not to mention them in case someone insisted we go and help whoever was in the house.
Less than ten minutes walk from the farmhouse with the zombies we came to a stand of trees that Liz told us, surrounded the golf course. The rain was slowly becoming heavier and the light was fading so with few other options we made our way through the trees.
A low wire fence was the only barrier to our entry to the golf course itself. We were all soon over it and walking across well tended grass. The group had clustered together as we crossed the open land. It was disconcerting to be so out in the open after spending weeks trying to stay hidden.
Before us the club house sat on a small rise overlooking the course itself. A single road stretched around the building before heading away from us to connect to the main road a nice distance away from us. A car park with a number of cars still parked neatly in the painted spaces sat behind and to one side of the building.
The club house itself was made up of a two storey building that had been added on to over time, creating a large rectangular building of weathered yellow stone with a gray slate roof. A number of windows on the ground floor had been covered over with plywood and a pale smoke rose from the chimney.
“What do you think?” Lily asked as she came over to stand beside me.
“I think it has people in there” I said.
“Funny.” She shook her head at me and gave a half hearted smile. “Do you think we should let them know we are here? We haven’t had a great deal of luck with other people so far.”
“Ordinarily I would suggest that I go and take a look and see what sort of people are in there, but it seems they have seen us first.” I told her with a nod to a tall man in a dark windbreaker who had stepped out of the front door.
The man seemed to be gesturing us forward and with little option other than to stay outside in the rain we crossed the final stretch of manicured lawn and approached the stranger.
“Hi.” Lily said as she stepped forward with her hands raised in a peaceful gesture. “We are just looking for shelter and mean no harm. We didn’t know anyone was here.”
The stranger looked at each of us in turn as we stood in the rain, our few possessions carried with us. He was a tall man in his forties with a glum expression. “You’re a sorry looking bunch” he said in a deep, rough voice.
“We have spent the day on the move and had to abandon most of our stuff when we were attacked” Lily explained. “We just need somewhere for the night out of the rain and then will be on our way.”
“I suppose you can come in, but you’ll leave those guns by the entrance.” He said with a stern, no nonsense tone.
Rachel seemed ready to refuse and Pat wasn’t overly enthusiastic either. “If you don’t then you can stay out there” the stranger said as he noticed the reluctance. “The people in here are scared enough without worrying about being shot.”
“That’s fine” Lily said quickly, “We can understand that. We have had some trouble with strangers ourselves.” She said with a gesture towards Rachel and Pat that told them to agree.
“Aye it’s tough times but with God’s help we will get through. You can call me Jim. Come on in.” He said and led the way into the building.
With a final glance back at the rest of the group and a smile of reassurance, Lily led the way inside.
Chapter 11
The group of people who had set up camp in the club house had done a fine job of covering all the windows so that the light of their candles was hidden from view. They had settled into the bar which aside from the abundance of alcohol also had a fireplace that was roaring merrily and filling the room with inviting warmth.
Jim explained that the club house had a number of function rooms, a dining room and kitchen. A couple of offices and a staff room along with shower and toilet facilities completed the club. The kitchen had been fairly well stocked though most of the meat and fresh produce had either spoiled or been consumed already.
Introductions were quickly made to the nervous looking group. Robert was in his fifties and apparently a bit of a pompous ass judging by the self important way he kept trying to tell us how he was the manager of a company I had never heard of. He was here with his wife Debbie and their son John.
Eric was in his sixties and the only person in the room who had ever actually set foot inside the club house as a member. It was he who had led the group to the golf course when the world went crazy.
A rather attractive red headed lady in her thirties introduced herself as Louise and told us that she was a nurse and happy to check any ailments we may have. I had no need to exaggerate the pain of my ankle and would be happy for her to take a look.
The final member of the new group was Michael, a boy of around twelve or thirteen who spoke quietly and only rarely. He had been found beside the road by Louise and had no idea where his parents were.
Claire almost squealed with delight when she found out that the club had a number of cooking utensils that were powered by propane gas. Eric explained how the club had purchased them a number of years ago when they had an important event booked and a gas fault had resulted in the gas supply to the kitchen being cut off.
With something to cook on Claire wasted no time in offering to prepare a meal for everyone and before long we were all sat close to the fireplace and eating a vegetable curry made mainly from tinned vegetables and rice. It tasted pleasant enough and sharing the meal allowed the two groups to relax and share stories.
“So how long have you guys been here?” Pat asked around a mouthful of food.
“About a week now, we lost a few people along the way too.” Eric said with a sideways glance at Jim.
“I think we have all lost loved ones,” Lily said into the silence that followed. “I’m amazed it spread so quickly, the zombies are everywhere.”
“That was because the first people who passed it on were bitten but not killed.” Louise said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when you are killed by a zombie you can turn into one of them fairly quickly. If you are just bitten and infected, it can take hours, even a full day before you turn into one of them.” Louise told us.
“So all those bitten but not killed, avoided the hospitals and went home. When they turned, they bit others who carried it with them when they fled. More than one refugee centre was overrun because of that in the beginning.” Eric added.
“I wonder how many people are left” said Lily quietly.
“Oh still plenty of people around, mainly hidden away but they are there.” Eric said pressing his hand briefly against her arm in what I assumed was a comforting gesture.
“The soldiers are still fighting” John said, his voice filled with fervent belief.
“What makes you think that?” asked Lily.
“We heard it on the radio.” He replied.
“When did you hear? We haven’t heard much on our radio.” Lily said eagerly.
“A few days ago” Eric said before John could speak. “This place has a strong aerial and we pick up bits and pieces. Not much else to do but listen to it while we are stuck in here.”
“So what is your actual plan?” I asked, “Stay here and what... hope for rescue?”
“It’s safer in here than out there, if you can tell us of somewhere else we can go then do so” snapped Eric.
I considered replying and telling him all the reasons that staying here for the long term would be disastrous, but in the end I decided against it. Knowing my luck, if they decided to leave, Lily would insist they all come with us.
The silence continued for several uncomfortable minutes until Eric realised I wasn’t going to answer. “I thought not.” He said with satisfaction. I gave him my most irritating grin and went back to eating.<
br />
“God will see us through” intoned Jim with little change in his dour expression.
“Aye, he’s doing a great job so far.” Gregg said in a clearly audible whisper to Cass, which caused Jim’s expression to darken.
“We are still alive boy. God has a plan.” Jim’s voice rose and his hands trembled with anger.
Gregg chose not to answer and silence fell once again on the group as we finished our food.
I ate another spoonful of rice and looked at each of the people in the room carefully. I could see the advantage of Louise coming along with us. The presence of a trained nurse would be a huge benefit.
John was young enough that he would be useful but the others were dead weight. Eric was too old, as were the pompous Robert and his wife Debbie. Jim was apparently a deeply religious man and I could only imagine the problems he may cause in the future. The young boy was little use and would be a drain on resources, though he was still a child and I wouldn’t object to Lily bringing him along.
The wheels were turning in Lily’s head, I was sure. She would either decide that we should all stay here together for awhile or that the others should come with us. I wanted less of a drain on our resources not more.
With a sigh of pleasure Eric stood and said, “Claire that was a wonderful meal. Now it is time for us all to turn in. We have only a few blankets but we usually sleep in here by the fire anyway. You are all welcome to join us.”
Claire blushed prettily at the praise and started to gather together the plates with help from John while everyone else started looking for places to curl up for sleep. I waited for everyone else to find a place and get settled before I chose a place of my own near the door. It would be colder but I had no desire to sleep surrounded by so many people. I used the lumpy rucksack I had been carrying as a pillow and lay back.
Sleep wasn’t long in coming and I awoke before dawn stiff and cold. I was the only one awake and I relished the peace. I pulled myself to my feet and limped from the bar as quietly as I could.
The toilet facilities were the same as any other public place. A number of plain white urinals and stalls lined the walls on one side and on the other, several sinks with soap dispensers and mirrors attached to the wall above them.
I made use of the urinals before washing my hands and face at one of the sinks. The water was cold but it was extremely pleasant to be able to wash away the muck and grime. I stared at my reflection for long moments as the water dripped from my chin.
It looked like I had lost weight and the dark smudges beneath my eyes bore testament to how little true rest I had been able to find lately. I badly needed a shave and perhaps even a haircut. My usual grooming routine had fallen by the wayside weeks ago.
With a shake of my head at the wretched state of affairs I had found myself in, I left the toilet facilities and decided to take a look around the golf club.
The function rooms were uniformly boring. Tables and chairs were stacked neatly along one wall, where they would wait until someone came along to set them out. Thick carpet with some pattern that was no doubt supposed to be pleasing covered the floor and the windows were all boarded up against intrusion.
I wondered where they had found all the plywood. The nails and tools too, come to think of it. With a shrug I moved on, limping slowly through the building and eventually up to the second floor.
A sign on the door told me that I was standing in front of the manager’s office, while the next door along was the staff room and beyond that some other office that had no nameplate. I pushed open the door to the manager’s office and went inside.
As offices go it wasn’t spectacular. Paintings and photos of people golfing covered the walls along with a number of plaques commemorating various tournament wins. The large wooden desk could have been found in any stationery store, as could the leather chair that sat behind it.
Filing cabinets lined one wall and in the corner behind the desk sat a safe, which was locked and would doubtless remain unopened for a long time. Irked that my curiosity about the safes contents would go unsatisfied I sat in the, admittedly comfortable leather chair and stared out of the window.
The manager’s window overlooked a great deal of the golf course. Long stretches of green grass, still wet from the morning dew and lit by the rising of the sun. Shallow holes filled with sand, small flags waving in the wind and small stands of trees set strategically around the course to give the golfers some semblance of privacy as they hit their balls.
It would have been a peaceful and pleasing sight if it hadn’t been marred by the small groups of zombies that were wandering across the course.
There weren’t too many zombies, nothing really to worry about. A small group off to one side would walk straight past the club house and into the woods we had arrived through. That’s if they could get past the fence anyway.
A few lone undead were wandering towards the club house or perhaps the car park beside it. It may be worth taking care of those before they noticed we were in here. As much as I would like to kill them, I would have to let the others do it. I couldn’t yet trust my mobility in a fight.
Something agitated the zombies on the course and I thought for a moment that someone had stepped outside. I was surprised a minute later to see a helicopter fly across the trees and golf course, headed in a roughly north-easterly direction.
That could change things. It would indicate that the military were still active somewhere and civilisation was still up and running. I debated whether or not I should tell the others. On the one hand, it would give them hope but on the other, well they may insist on finding the troops and I had no intention of putting myself in the hands of any authority.
Of course the chance to get some supplies could be useful. We were woefully short on effective weapons and I would happily kill for some camping equipment right about now. I was so lost in my quiet contemplation that I didn’t hear Gregg enter the room behind me.
“Hey mate” he said as he crossed over to the window to stare down at the shambling undead. “Thought I was the only one awake and checking this place out.” He added with a glance across at me.
“I like to rise early” I told him.
“Yeah me too.” He nodded amiably, “Comes from having to get up for early morning shifts at the factory.”
Once again I was stuck for something to say. Was I supposed to agree and ask him about his work? Was I supposed to tell him my own tale and share my own life experiences? I really hated social talk. I sat and stared through the window, sure that the silence was growing ever more uncomfortable.
“So what kind of work did you do?” Gregg asked finally.
“Office stuff.”
“Cool, yeah I was never any good at computers and stuff like that.” He said with a grin that seemed to show he was happy with his inability to master simple tasks.
“What do you think of these new guys?” he asked after another short silence.
“They seem pleasant enough. They are willing to share this place at least.” I said.
“Yeah that’s true.” He replied and we sat once more in silence.
I was considering leaving and finding another quiet space but the chair was very comfortable and was just far enough back from the window to allow me to raise my leg and rest my ankle on the window ledge.
“We staying here?” Gregg asked.
“You would be best served by asking Lily,” I told him, wondering why he insisted on talking with me.
“Yeah, maybe.” He said with a thoughtful expression. “You and her a thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, you guys together, like Rachel and Pat” Gregg said with a gesture in the general direction of the two members of our group who were definitely in a couple.
“No.”
“Oh right. I just thought. You know, because she talks with you a lot and stuff.” He had the grace to look embarrassed.
“I only met her a couple of weeks ago. We have helped
each other out.” I told him.
Gregg nodded and went back to staring out of the window and I wondered about his questions. “Are you interested in her?” I asked him, for some reason I was concerned he would say yes.
“Nah mate. Not my type if you know what I mean.” He said with a laugh.
“I have no idea what you mean.” I told him.
“I’m gay.” He said with a glance across at me, “Is that a problem?”
“I don’t see why it would be.” I said with a strange feeling of relief.
“Cool, cool. Some people get... you know. Weird.” Gregg said.
“Why?” I was genuinely curious. It had always struck me that people were odd when it came to sex but I had never understood why it was a problem. It mattered not a bit to me who someone had sex with. They would all die the same way if I chose to end their lives.
That thought brought me back to the problem of this new group. My promise to Lily meant that I was not able to directly kill anyone who she would class as innocent, which was a pain but if I could find a way to indirectly kill them, well that would work.
I realised I had missed Greggs reply and rather than ask again I settled back into the chair and enjoyed the silence as I considered ways of getting rid of a few people.
“Hey guys” Cass called as she entered the room, “We were wondering where you are. Breakfast is ready if you’re interested.”
Gregg wasted no time and headed straight out of the room with his sister in tow. I decided to sit and enjoy the solitude a little bit longer. My ankle was resting comfortably, the view was not unpleasant and if I were totally honest with myself, the bar contained far too many people in such close confines for my taste.
The zombies had all moved away from the golf course by now, they had followed along after the helicopter, though they had no chance at all of actually catching it. It was at that moment a rather unpleasant thought occurred to me.
They would of course keep moving in the general direction the helicopter had gone and the helicopter hadn’t set off from this golf course, so somewhere along the way the helicopter had likely picked up quite a number of zombies who would be following along in its wake, which happened to include the place it had flown directly over. I began to swear as I pulled myself to my feet.
Search for Safety: Killing the Dead Book Two Page 9
