Defensive Instinct (Survival Instinct Book 4)

by Kristal Stittle

  There was a pause as Arman had to let the words sink in, his group now nervous, unsure who to listen to.

  “No! We can’t let up now!” Arman yelled, almost forcefully enough for those on the wall to hear him. Maybe he wanted them to, wanted them to think they were retreating when he was really just spreading his people out.

  “We need to regroup, and replan. This isn’t working, as you said. We should consider our options somewhere safer, make sure the injured are being taken care of, and then try again with a smarter plan. We know where the wall is now, what it looks like. We can take the time to think things over.”

  “I agree,” Elijah immediately backed up Evans, spurring others to nod and mutter agreements as well.

  Arman’s face was red with anger. He saw the move as cowardice, not strategic thinking. Although he was great at organizing the scavenger teams, he did not have a mind for war.

  “And what about you?” Arman retorted. “How are you going to back away? You have to cross through an opening first, exposing yourself, and you’re not the only one of us. You’re going to get shot trying to retreat.”

  He was right, of course. There was no way for Evans to fall back, even if he didn’t have an injured man with him. As his mind raced to think of a way out of this, he became distracted by the people around Elijah. They had all turned and were looking down the path they had taken to get there. It didn’t take long for Evans to figure out what was happening, as Julianne joined them, out of breath.

  “Julianne? You shouldn’t be here; get back to your kids,” Elijah said what Evans was thinking.

  Julianne panted, trying to gather enough wind to speak. Evans immediately feared the worst, that some people from the wall had waited outside and were now attacking them from behind.

  “There’s a man…he needs…to talk to you,” she gasped, looking at Evans. She must have sprinted the entire way and gotten lucky that she had ended up in the same place where Evans was.

  “What man? What about?” Evans asked her.

  “You should really…hear it…from him.” Her eyes were full of fear. Whatever this man had said really spooked her.

  “I can’t leave this spot, Julianne. Can he be brought here?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll go get him,” Elijah volunteered. “Julianne, rest here a moment, and then someone else can accompany you back to the others.”

  “Just tell me first, is everyone else all right?” Evans asked.

  “Yes,” Julianne nodded again. “The man is not from here. He let us disarm him.” She was getting her breath back, and someone else had finally found some water to give her.

  “I’ll be quick.” Elijah took off through the containers, younger and more used to sprinting than Julianne was.

  “What’s going on?” Arman asked. He wasn’t quite close enough to hear everything.

  “We’re staying put for the moment,” Evans told him. “There’s been a development. Hold off on anything until we know what’s going on.”

  Arman fidgeted, not liking indecision and being out of the loop.

  “Pass the word along to Ki-nam.”

  Although he still looked angry, Arman did as he was told. He wasn’t a complete idiot; he knew if something was happening with the non-combatants they had left behind, it had to take first priority. Evans and anyone else trapped behind containers without a safe exit would be abandoned there if need be.

  “Do you know what this is about?” Evans whispered to Danny.

  Danny tried to shake his head, but it made his injury hurt too much. “When we know an attack is coming, everyone retreats behind the wall and stays there until the threat is gone.”

  The threat. That’s what Evans and his party were right now: a threat to these people. The more he was around them, the more he concluded that there was no possible way they had had anything to do with the deaths of Carol, Hector, Lee, Moore, and Millia. Wycheck was a different story, but they couldn’t know what really happened there. If Danny and his friends had told the truth, then it was an honest and easy mistake to make. Thinking of Wycheck’s busted leg, Evans could easily picture him limping along, moving no differently from a zombie when viewed at a distance. How he had busted his leg was a different matter. They may have been involved, they may not have. Evans was thinking that Danny and his group were innocent, but convincing Arman and ceasing this needless battle would be difficult. It wasn’t easy to explain a gut feeling, to convey to someone else the virtually baseless trust you felt for another. All too easily, Evans could be made to look like a naive fool.

  The silence was oppressive. Nobody from his party spoke, and no one on the wall made a sound loud enough to carry to them. An occasional shuffle while changing positions, or a soft moan from one of the wounded was all that broke the stillness. Eventually, Evans’ ears recovered from the ringing of the gunfire and he was able to hear water. He remembered the map, how the container yard was nestled in a ninety-degree corner where a river met a large bay.

  It was easy to tell when Elijah was returning with the mysterious man. The slapping of their shoes on the concrete rose up out of the container maze, heading toward them. Evans could almost feel the tension building beyond the wall, as they no doubt heard the sound as well. He imagined himself in their position, the gunfire stopping, a possible argument being heard across the way, and now the running of feet heading toward them.

  When Elijah appeared, he was breathing somewhat heavily, but was in much better condition than Julianne had been. The man, however, got his breathing under control rather rapidly despite being drenched in sweat. Everyone looked at him warily, eyeing his short red hair and freckles, his old, dirty clothes, and the white fabric that hung from a back pocket.

  “That’s Evans there,” Elijah told him, pointing across the opening.

  The man made to move across to him, but Evans held up a hand and stopped him.

  “You might get shot; best stay where you are to say what you have to say.”

  “All right then.” The man dropped to the pavement, crossing his legs so that he was eye to eye with Evans, who hadn’t stood up after bandaging Danny. Behind him, Elijah picked someone to walk Julianne back to the others now that she had rested.

  “My name’s Tommy,” the redhead spoke, “and you’re going to want to stop this little skirmish you have going on with these people.”

  “Are you one of them?” Evans asked quickly, before Arman could chime in.

  “One of the people behind that wall? No, never met them, although a friend of mine is currently attempting to talk to them to tell them the same thing I’m about to tell you.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “There’s a zombie horde on the way. A big one, the biggest one you can possibly imagine. I could tell from your gear back at that warehouse that you’re a travelling group, am I right?”

  “You are.”

  “Ever come across what appears to be a gigantic slug trail? Bunch of slimy stuff, trampled earth, maybe some weak structures knocked over?”

  Evans nodded curtly. He had seen such a thing some time ago, when his party had been a lot smaller and made up of different people. They had decided to head directly away from the place, not wanting to think about what had caused it.

  “That was them, the mega herd that’s on its way here. I was able to hear your gunfire from quite a distance back. I’m glad you’ve since stopped firing, but it may be too late. There’s quite a number of smarter than average dead heads in that group, one really smart one in particular, and if they heard you, they’re coming straight here.”

  “And what are you suggesting we do?”

  “Well, it’s too late to run.” Tommy shook his head, seeming genuinely disappointed by that fact. “Your best option is to make nice with the people beyond that wall. Nice enough that they’ll let you hide on the other side of it, staying dead quiet until the herd passes by.”

  Arman made a scoffing sound behind Evans.

  Tommy l
eaned sideways to speak to him. “Hey, you can go back to shooting each other afterward for all I care, I’m just here to warn you about the zombies.”

  “And how do we know you’re telling the truth?” Evans asked him.

  “You don’t,” Tommy shrugged. “I can show you pictures of the horde so that you know it exists, but you’ll have to take my word on it that it’s coming this way.”

  “What’s in it for you? Warning us?”

  “Nothing, really. You know how I mentioned there’s one really smart one? Well, he used to be a friend of mine. Ever since we learned that the mega horde has gathered around him, my remaining friends and I have taken it upon ourselves to track them and warn any groups who find themselves in its path. Of course, if you’d like to donate a few supplies to our cause afterward, we certainly wouldn’t say no.”

  “Let me see the pictures.” Evans wasn’t sure what to think yet. Viewing the photos would give him some more time.

  Tommy turned to the people at his back. “Your buddies back at the warehouse have already thoroughly checked me over; I’m not armed, just taking out the photos.” He reached into a back pocket and took out a Ziploc baggie, which he then tossed over to Evans.

  Evans opened it up and flipped through the Polaroids within, his guts twisting with every image. Tommy certainly wasn’t lying about the mega horde, and, based on the way he was acting, he had obviously had experience with warning other groups.

  On the ground next to him, Danny attempted to rise so that he could view the photos as well, only to groan in pain and lie flat again.

  “You ever seen this?” Evans mumbled, turning one of the pictures so that he could see. It showed a gorge somewhere, completely packed with zombies, all of them funnelled into a wide, jagged line that stretched on until a bend took them out of sight.

  “No,” Danny replied, a hand travelling on its own to his stomach as if he might throw up. Evans couldn’t blame him. Such a massive collection of dead was virtually unheard of; they usually broke apart into smaller herds before getting to that size.

  Here was the opportunity Evans was looking for, an excuse to stop the fighting, provided those on the other side of the wall were willing.

  “I hate to say it, but time is of the essence,” Tommy spoke up. “If we’re quick, we may be able to do something about your supply carts and horses.”

  “We have a way of getting them over the wall,” Danny spoke up.

  “Would they let us in?” Evans asked him.

  “If you’re willing to surrender your weapons, then yes, they’ll let you in. Your group will probably be confined to a handful of containers during the ordeal, but you won’t be treated badly as long as you co-operate. Afterward, they’ll let you go, although probably with a minimum of ammunition so that you’re not encouraged to start shooting us again.”

  “But they would give our weapons back?”

  “We understand how easy it is to die out here without them. If it were just someone like you, then maybe not, but you have kids and what not with you. We would never put them in unnecessary danger.”

  “All right then.” Evans returned the pictures to the Ziploc and tossed them back across to Tommy. “We’re going to trust you.”

  Arman made a disgruntled noise, but he didn’t argue. He wouldn’t risk the non-combatants like that.

  “So what do we do?” Evans asked Tommy.

  “Well, considering how long this has taken, I’m guessing my friend got inside and has had the same conversation with their leaders. Hopefully, they also agree. I’m going to go out there and find out.”

  “You could get shot.”

  “You could always get shot,” Tommy said rather cryptically, his eyes darting downward.

  The lithe-bodied man stood up, pulling the white fabric out of his back pocket. Once it was in his hand, Evans could see it was actually a T-shirt. Tommy waved it across the opening several times, making sure it was seen. He then stepped out after it, continuing to wave his makeshift white flag. He wasn’t shot. With both hands up, Tommy began walking toward the wall. Evans risked spying around the corner to watch.

  “I’m looking for my friend, Mark,” Tommy called out when he was halfway across the space.

  There was no reaction from the wall for several seconds, until one of the container doors on the upper level swung open, revealing a young man. He waved to Tommy, and Tommy waved back. Once he reached the wall, Tommy stopped to speak with the young man, whom Evans assumed was Mark. He could also spy a couple of people behind Mark, probably the leaders of the camp listening to every word. Evans wished he could hear as well.

  “I don’t like this. A deal is being struck without us,” Arman grumbled, speaking what Evans was thinking.

  “I’m afraid we don’t have much of a choice,” Evans told him.

  “But what if this is all some sort of trick?”

  “Then we’ve been tricked. I’d rather that, than risk it being true and getting stuck out here.”

  Arman sighed. “Fair enough. I just don’t like that we have to rely on these assholes for help.”

  Evans didn’t like having to rely on anyone for help, but that’s not the way the world worked.

  Waiting for Tommy to return felt like some of the longest couple of minutes in Evans’ life. The only time he looked away from the proceedings was when Danny shuffled a bit behind him. The young man was trying to get into a more comfortable position on the hard concrete. Mostly, Evans watched what he could of the people at the edges of the container doors. Mark held no interest for him, he was just like Tommy, but those spying back at Evans were the people he would have to deal with.

  When Tommy finally turned around and jogged back to where Evans was waiting, Evans rose to his feet.

  “We have a deal,” Tommy smiled. “You might want to send someone to go get those others at that warehouse.”

  “What’s the deal, first?” Arman demanded.

  Evans glanced back at him, a silent request to keep his anger in check, although he had the same question.

  “Your leaders will go first, bringing the prisoners you apparently have. When you approach the wall, hold your guns by their barrels, as far from the triggers as possible and out from your bodies. You’ll be allowed to supervise everyone coming in, although you’ll be disarmed and your hands will be bound. The children, wounded, and anyone else unable to properly defend themselves will go next. That’s at my recommendation before you go jumping down their throats for it. It’s just a precaution in case the zombies show up before everyone gets inside. Once everyone is in, you’ll be shepherded to a holding area. Those of you doing the actual attacking out here will be put into some containers, but those not perceived as a threat will be let into some place they call the community centre. Apparently, it’s where their own non-combatants have been sheltering during this whole kerfuffle. Sound good?”

  “Good enough,” Evans nodded. “Arman, pass the word to Ki-nam and everyone else; we should get this started. Untie Lenny and Bryce first. Let’s not show up with them trussed and gagged. The fastest person who can hear me right now, go get the others.” Evans turned to Danny. “Think you can walk?”

  “With help.”

  After slinging his shotgun through the loop on his belt, Evans helped Danny to stand, keeping a firm hand under his arm to make sure he stayed upright. He then took his shotgun back out and flipped it over to hold its barrel like a club.

  “Arman? You ready?” Evans looked over at him just as the man finished untying Lenny. He did not look pleased about it, but nodded.

  “Let’s do this then.”

  ***

  Danny could walk on his own more or less, the high placement of his injury not affecting his legs, but Evans kept a hand on him anyway. The last thing he needed was for Danny to collapse on his way to the wall.

  Arman and Lenny fell in line with them, while Ki-nam drifted over with Bryce. He had been a lot farther down in the container maze than Evans had realized. The
North Korean’s face was devoid of expression, giving Evans no clue as to how he felt about this. Together, with Tommy, they headed to the opening where the redhead had spoken with Mark, the container doors now completely out of the way. Several other spots along the wall were opening as well, and a strange contraption of pulleys was being assembled near one.

  “Danny, you all right?” A very pale man with black hair and ghostly eyes looked down on them.

  “It wasn’t you who shot me, was it, Misha?” Danny asked him.

  The pale man, Misha, shook his head.

  “Good, I didn’t want to think your aim was off.”

  Evans wondered if that meant the shot at Danny would have killed him had this guy been the one pulling the trigger, or if the bullet had been intended for Evans.

  A rope ladder clattered down the side of the container wall, and Misha was shifted out of the way by someone behind him.

  “My name is Boyle,” the new man stepping to the edge of the container told them. His eyes lingered on battered Bryce. “This is an unusual situation we find ourselves in. Hopefully we can all get along.”

  “I hope so too. My name is Evans, and that’s Arman and Ki-nam.”

  “Good to meet you, I guess. Send our men up, and then you’ll be next.”

  Evans helped Danny to the ladder. He struggled to climb it using only one arm, but a powerful pair of hands reached down and hauled him over the top once he was close enough. Looking from side to side, Evans was glad to see some metal A-frame ladders being set up before the wall openings, as they would be easier for the elderly. Bryce climbed the rope ladder next, followed by Lenny.

  “You first,” Boyle pointed to Evans. “Hand up that shotgun once you’re close enough.”

  Evans did as he was commanded, wanting this to go as smoothly as possible. His gun was taken and disappeared as it was handed through a gathered crowd.

  “You’ll get it back when you leave,” Boyle told him.

  “Like a coat check,” Evans attempted to inject a bit of humour into the situation, although it wasn’t his strong suit.