Luke would bring up the rear and make sure their escape route was covered. He'd also alert them to the first signs of trouble so they could retreat.
They approached from the direction they had come from initially. It was also the road they had taken when they had left, Mark was surprised that there were only two zombies remaining on the stretch of road, shambling around. Normal zombie behaviour would be for the horde to stagger in the direction a live human had last been seen and keep going. The only thing that would deviate them would be a new target, they weren't known to just wander off in a different direction for no reason. Helen drove close to both of them and Mark leant over the side of the truck, striking them in the forehead with an axe. Both in nearly the same spot, both equally as cleanly and quietly as each other.
Knowing that the back door was open, Helen reversed the truck down the alley they had used earlier and stopped when she reached the house. She turned the engine off and they all disembarked.
Straight away, Mark took the lead and headed towards the back door, pickaxes in each hand. He walked slowly and slightly crouched, ready to shift his body weight wherever he needed to. Helen followed close behind and Luke slowly followed backwards.
Once inside, Helen and Mark headed upstairs to the supply room after Mark had closed the front door. It didn't shut properly anymore but closing it seemed better than leaving it wide open. Upstairs, what had once been a child's bedroom was now a supply room, half canned food and water whilst the other half was filled with electronics and tools.
Helen hadn't realised until now how similar their priorities were to Ridgetown's, near identical supplies on a much smaller scale.
Granted, food, weapons and tools were obvious priorities for any survivor, the fact that both camps had also sourced a lot of technology was the part that Helen found interesting. It was so true that knowledge is power, she was pleased that Ridgetown had seen the value in it as well.
Helen paused for a moment before stepping back onto the landing and calling downstairs to Luke.
"Luke, you there?"
"Yeah."
"Come up and see if there's any of this tech you'd be interested in."
Luke quickly obliged. The role of Action Man didn't feel comfortable to him, but working with electronics was a whole different world. He felt more confident rooting through boxes of hardware than he had done standing guard at the back door with an axe. Mark quickly understood his place in the scene that unfolded in front of him and made his way downstairs to take over Luke's position.
As Luke looked through Helen's collection it became clear that he needn't have worried about her level of technical competence back at the church. The desk beside them housed a tower that boasted liquid cooling, something Luke hadn't thought about before now but decided it would be a good idea to look at installing something similar in the church. The tower was connected to three screens in a line next to each other. The far left had multiple web browsers open in different sized windows mostly containing different news sources. The middle screen had a text document open, filled with different lines of code and a terminal window above it with the prompt blinking, waiting for its next instruction. The screen to the right had different camera feeds on it. Nine in total, split into a three by three grid. Two cameras were the surrounding streets, which Luke was glad to see were still pretty clear. Three cameras were from the substation, one of which showed the guys they had left behind. Luke wasn't sure where the other cameras were and wondered just how many Helen had access to.
"Are all these feeds from your own cameras?" He asked.
"No, some are from networks with rubbish security. I don't know where all of them are from to be honest. I just keep a record of them and can bring the link up in this program."
"Have you ever accessed Ridgetown's cameras?"
"Why? Are you worried I've seen you showering?" Helen felt bad for teasing Luke when she saw how embarrassed he got when she asked. She quickly spoke again, "No. We didn't know you guys existed, never mind had any kind of setup like that."
"Maybe we could find a way to share them with you securely?"
"Yeah, that'd be cool." Helen felt flattered that they would trust her so much in such a short space of time. "We could share our cameras with you as well, it couldn't hurt could it?"
They continued discussing the possible uses for different pieces of equipment and ideas for expanding their ability to share information and live updates. Luke's excitement was infectious and Helen couldn't help but feel excited at some of the prospects as well. Between them, they were confident they could set up surveillance that covered most of the distance between Helen's safe house and Ridgetown and create a map that would give live updates as to any areas that were clear or compromised. The idea of working together was beginning to appeal to Helen in a way she hadn't expected. She'd have to discuss it with Dennis and Scott but she didn't think they'd have an issue with everyone teaming up.
Mark stuck his head into the room, making Helen and Luke jump when he spoke.
"You guys nearly ready?"
Helen had almost forgotten about Mark and the others, getting lost in the possibilities of creating a defendable community. "Yeah, sorry. We'll just throw some of this stuff in the truck and then head back to the substation. There's one more layer of access I need to grant Ridgetown from there and we can pick the others up, then back to Ridgetown. Any issues outside?"
"No, that's what's worrying me. It's really quiet out there. I was expecting to have to fight a couple of stragglers from the horde we saw before but it's as if they've all left together."
"Before we go, can we just barricade the doors enough to keep the infected out until me and the guys get back?"
"Already done it. Nothing that's gonna stop another siege but it'll keep the house empty of strays. Didn't you hear me moving stuff around?"
Helen and Luke looked at each other, shaking their heads.
"What have you been doing up here? I've not interrupted anything steamy have I?"
Luke instantly started blushing, even though he had nothing to blush about. Helen felt defensive of Luke's embarrassment and threw the first thing she picked up at Mark, which happened to be a motherboard. Mark shielded himself with the door, and headed back downstairs. Helen could hear him laughing to himself as he went.
Helen sighed as she turned back to Luke. "Let's go. You take the first box down and I'll bring the other one. I just want to set up the static cameras first."
She turned to the workstation behind them and began typing before Luke could speak. He picked up one of the boxes and walked towards the door, just before he stepped through, Helen spoke again.
"You shouldn't let him get to you, he only enjoys teasing you because he can see how uncomfortable you get."
Luke looked like he was about to say something. Instead, he shook the thought away and took the box downstairs.
Helen ran a program she had written for the cameras installed around the safe house. Motion sensors would pick up any movement, take a time-stamped picture and send it to her phone. It allowed her to keep tabs on the safe house while they were out scavenging so they wouldn't come home to any nasty surprises.
Helen brought the second box of equipment downstairs and closed the backdoor, locking it as she left as normally as she would have locked her front door everyday when she left for work before the outbreak. She saw that Luke was sat on the back of the truck looking moody, when she asked if he was okay he gave an unconvincing 'I'm fine' reply without looking at her. Rather than press the issue, she got into the drivers seat and gave the box to Mark who was sat in the passenger seat.
"What's wrong with Luke?"
"I told him his top was inside out and then laughed when he checked. Then I may have insinuated that was evidence that you guys were up to no good upstairs."
Helen scowled at Mark, which simply caused him to laugh out loud. She started the truck and drove off toward the substation.
"Why do you have to
be so mean to him?"
"Come on, it's just a joke. The guy clearly fancies you and it entertains me to make him feel uncomfortable."
"I think it entertains you to make anyone feel uncomfortable."
"Really, well let's find out. Do you fancy Luke? Because he sure as hell fancies you."
It was Helen's turn to blush, mostly out of rage. If she hadn't been driving, she would have hit Mark.
"It's none of your business who I do or do not fancy. And while we're at it, what person over the age of ten uses the word 'fancy' anyway? It reflects your childishness."
Mark was grinning like an idiot, enjoying the reaction he had provoked. His expression made Helen even more angry.
When they reached the substation, the hostility between the three of them was noticeable. Allister was still stood out front but knew better than to say anything, only Mark gave a cheerful greeting as they entered. The three of them walked into the main control room and Helen moved directly to the notebook still plugged into the main computer.
"Everything okay?" Dennis asked.
"No major structural damage. The entrances are secured enough to keep a few zombies out but they will all need reinforcing properly as soon as you all get back."
Mark knew that Dennis was referring to the uncomfortable atmosphere but deflected the question. He wondered if he had pushed Helen too far. He knew that Luke would forgive him in an hour or two but he suddenly thought about how relatively little he knew about Helen as a person and how standoffish she had been when they had first met. He decided that he would apologise when they were back at Ridgetown, to both of them, and promise to limit his teasing. He didn't think it would be appropriate to bring it up in front of the others, especially after upsetting her in front of everyone earlier.
"How long do you think you'll need?" He tried to make the question to Helen sound as friendly as possible, hoping she would recognise it as an olive branch.
"Practically done. By the time the cars are loaded up, I'll be ready to go."
"Okay then." He turned to the others. "Let's get packed up."
Ishaq and Dennis carried Scott to the car between them. They sat him across the back seat of the hatchback so he could keep his leg extended. He winced with every movement but tried his best to put on a brave face in front of the others.
Everyone separated into the groups they had arrived in and got into their vehicles. Allister and Mark had relaxed the amount of armour they were wearing, preferring comfort over protection due to the lack of zombie activity. It made Mark uncomfortable to see so little undead activity since the horde near the safe house but he was thankful for it. He was worried about how severe Scott's leg injury was and how they would treat it. The added pressure of how much worse it would get should they need to run for their lives was something he didn't want to think about.
The vehicles set off and Helen gave Ryan an old tablet computer from the box that sat between them. She explained how to access the mobile network with it and with a couple of attempts, it worked. Getting the tablet online with the log in information Helen had given him meant that it would be possible to do the same at Ridgetown. At least, that's what Helen hoped.
As they headed down the dual carriageway, Helen began to slow the car. The others slowed behind her until she came to a stop.
"What's the matter?" Ryan asked without looking up from the tablet. Sudden access to information had sparked his interest in the rest of the world again.
"Up ahead. I think there's a group of survivors by those cars."
Ryan peered up without moving his head. He squinted as he looked into the distance, seeing movement behind some cars but unable to make out any discernable features. Mark shouted through the window, making him jump.
"Why have we stopped?"
Helen didn't answer, she was too engrossed in trying to identify how big the group in the distance actually was. It was Ryan who finally spoke.
"There are some people further down the road. Might not be a great idea to go straight back to Ridgetown and give a clue to where we live."
"Do they look hostile?"
Helen opened her mouth to speak but before any words came out, a car in the distance got pushed into another one. The abandoned vehicle got shoved again, the sound of the rubber tyres being forced along the road making a screeching sound. Helen's eyes widened as the car was then flipped over onto its side by a single figure. There was only one creature she could think of that had the strength to do such a feat, the group in the distance clearly wasn't a band of survivors.
What had looked like a group of around twenty figures was evidently a lot more as they began to weave through and over abandoned cars, filling the gaps like a sentient liquid.
Mark knew better than to shout to the other cars and attract attention to themselves, although he wondered how they hadn't already been noticed. Instead, he turned and looked at the other members of the group in their vehicles and used his two fingers to make a walking motion whilst pointing with his other hand. That earned him a confused look from Liz. He held both arms up in a mocking, B-movie zombie pose and stared blankly into the distance. That earned him an understanding nod from Liz.
He looked back in the direction of the horde, surely it was the same mass of creatures they had seen earlier.
As the occupants of the first truck looked on, the horde slowly continued their haunting march in the same direction. Mark had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he wondered why none of the creatures were showing any interest in them. His inner voice told him that they had another target driving them on, a bigger target. Mark's inner voice told him that they were heading for Ridgetown.
Chapter Eight
Mark pressed his face against the glass as closely as he could so he didn't have to shout.
"They're heading for Ridgetown, we need to beat them there and warn everyone. Can you get a message to them now the Internet is working?"
"No, it still needs setting up on your end."
Mark thought it was a long shot.
"They seem to be taking the route we normally take, that's assuming they know where they're going and I've got a horrible feeling that they do. We can get to Ridgetown from the other direction, going past the church. It'll take a bit longer because we'll have to stay on this dual carriageway until the next junction then turn off and come back on ourselves."
"You want me to wait until they're gone and then put my foot down?"
Mark was about to say yes when he suddenly had a plan.
"No, go at them now. We might be able to take a few out and it'll hopefully make some of them follow us in the other direction. Plus, we'll get a better look at exactly what we're up against."
He turned back to the other cars and signaled that they were all going to go straight ahead and crash through the zombies. Mark worried that his gestures could be interpreted as 'crash into the zombies and die' but he hoped that everyone would have more faith in his leadership than that. He got a confirmation nod from Liz and was pretty sure he got the same from Dennis, although it was hard to see.
"Let's go."
As Helen started moving forward, Mark clipped his belt to one of the straps connected to the truck. He held on to the bar that had been welded onto the roof as they drove, knowing he was also anchored to the truck should he let go was comforting. The strap was long enough to allow him to move to each side of the flat bed and strike a few zombies as they went past and short enough to make sure he wouldn't be pulled off if one grabbed an ankle.
The truck quickly approached the horde and earned the attention of a few zombies who stood still as they watched, turning themselves into stationary targets. Mark exhaled slowly as he saw the size of the group. It was definitely the same group they had seen earlier, he guessed at two or three hundred that were visible at that moment. There were definitely more because he couldn't see whatever had flipped the car, probably a Leaper.
He was holding one of his pickaxes in his right hand but he fed it back th
rough a loop on his belt, deciding it would be a wiser idea to hold on with both hands. The width of the mob was a lot larger than he was expecting and he worried that they wouldn't make it through. If the truck came to a stop in the middle of them, they would get swarmed.
"Speed up" He shouted, stealth no longer applicable. "We need to hit them harder."
Helen was nervous about plowing into the horde. Even though she had desensitised herself to killing zombies, there was something unnatural about intentionally driving towards a group of figures and speeding up. She could feel her right foot wanting to pull off the accelerator and slam down hard on the brake but she resisted. She picked a route through the crowd and hoped there were no vehicles hidden behind the creatures. She felt the pressure of leading the other two cars and potentially being responsible for them getting trapped.
She gripped the steering wheel and held her breath as the truck impacted the crowd. Both her and Ryan jerked forwards, the seatbelts digging into them harshly to stop them flying too far forward. Helen heard a thud above her head and realised it was Mark hitting the roof of the cabin, she hoped he was okay and hadn't even thought about him flying over the top of the truck. The impact with the horde had made her right foot slip slightly but she kept it buried to the floor as hard as possible to keep the engine working and keep the momentum going.
Above them, Mark took short breaths as he tried to get his breath back from having his chest jolted straight into the very bar he was holding to keep him safe. The ride suddenly got very bumpy as the truck drove over the corpses of the first few zombies. Mark looked out, a gap surrounded them for a couple of seconds, the impact of the truck pushing zombies backwards and toppling the first few rows over. Mark was impressed with Helen's determination as she kept driving and kept the speed up, stopping them slowing down too much as they hit the next row of standing zombies. The noise of the truck crushing bodies was sickening and he looked over his shoulder to look for the other cars. Liz's car had just entered the crowd, following the path that had been created for it by Helen. Driving over the bodies was more of a struggle for Liz's car but only having to fight against a couple of standing zombies meant that it could cope. Behind that, the car being driven by Dennis was quickly approaching.
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