Desolation (Book 1): Aftermath

by Butler, Simon L.

  I made my way over to Natalie to try and get her free of the cuffs. I didn’t know how to help Millie, but Ashe seemed to be doing okay, and I figured Natalie would be able to assist a lot more in this case. “The key is outside with that asshole, when they clear off, we can get it,” she whispered, then turned to the traumatised girl. “Millie, come here!” Millie looked up, as if she had just come back to the moment, then rushed over to Natalie, throwing her arms around the older woman.

  I limped over to Ashe as the adrenaline faded from my body, looking over her leg carefully. I would need to clean the wound properly, but it would have to wait until the zombies left. Ashe sat almost stoically, willing herself to be silent through the agonising pain. Ashe looked over my wounds. “At least one of the bullets seems to have gone straight through,” she whispered, before moving over to Natalie and Millie, whispering something to the crying girl as the two them fell into a warm embrace.

  The crunching of bone and chewing of flesh outside had dulled over the next hour or so. The zombies sounded like they were beginning to shuffle away, so I picked up my rifle and headed quietly to the window to look. The herd was dispersing slowly back down the dirt road, leaving the slavers where they fell. They had taken large chunks from the leader but left his body physically intact as they almost always did. He had already begun to turn, so I moved quickly back into the cabin as I struggled to move Ashe away from the door. “Are we in the clear?” Ashe whispered, her mind seemingly returning to herself before Millie moved up next to me with a pistol.

  I nodded to her, she seemed to have snapped back into reality for the moment. “Let’s do this!” she growled.

  I agreed, explaining, “Those slavers are turning! They are fresh, so we need to take them out before they clear off, we need to get the key for those cuffs.” Fresh zombies were a lot more active than the older ones who seemed to be adapting to a world of fewer humans. They were much faster and much more relentless in their pursuit of human flesh. Millie helped me move the table as I gritted my teeth through the pain in my shoulder. “Cover me,” I said firmly to the girl, who was holding a fierce expression on her face.

  “Got it,” she said as I handed her my rifle. “I won’t shoot unless I have to, we don’t want to bring them back this way!”

  “Jack?” Ashe called to me from her spot on the floor. “Here!” She handed me a knife, the same one that had been used on her leg it seemed. She then summoned me over, wrapping her arms around me, warmly as tears fell from her eyes. “Just in case I don’t get another chance to say it - I love you.”

  I was a little confused at what the words meant honestly. I remember my mother said it to me many times, and I had read it in books, so I vaguely understood its meaning. But did I feel it? I knew a large part of me cared deeply for her that I would do anything to keep her safe, that if she died, it would be like suffering a thousand deaths. Is that what love felt like? I wondered. I took a moment to hold and kiss her, my mind still reeling at the thought of someone caring for me like that. Seconds later, we were heading for the door to do what had to be done.

  Millie pulled it open as I rushed out into the carpark finding the slavers fresh zombie body climbing to its feet. I moved quickly springing up behind it and sliding the knife up under the back of its skull, careful not to get the blade stuck in the bone as I pulled it out in time to see the other slaver I had hit in the chest with my knife on his feet and running at me. I dodged to the side, throwing my leg out to catch its ankle causing the zombie to face plant on the gravel. Millie walked over calmly as the zombie kicking it over as it struggled to get back up, it had landed directly on my hunting knife which had then been forced deeper into its chest. The blade was now protruding from its back, severing its spine. Millie kicked it over before I moved forward, thrusting the slavers knife through its eye socket, killing it instantly. Once we were sure we were clear, Millie searched the slavers corpse finding the key to the handcuffs before rushing back inside to free Natalie. We were all a mess, and it was time to leave, we gathered the supplies into the slavers truck, and drove away from the campgrounds back through Thornton.

  We once again crossed the bridge before moving up the hill towards the wreckage. We stopped, gathering Michael’s body into the back of the truck with all the supplies we could. He was not going to zombify any time soon with a gunshot to the face having almost certainly prevented any chance of it. Nevertheless, Natalie put a blade into his brain through his left ear to make sure.

  Natalie had found our backpacks and handed Millie a spare shirt from Ashe’s bag along with a clean towel to wrap around herself. I took my shirt back from the girl and put it back on, averting my gaze as she changed. Once Millie had dressed, she approached me and threw her arms around me. Her intentions were confusing, need and sadness and longing all bound up together in her touch. But she was very sweet, and now had a few more scars to go with the others she had already accumulated in her life. “Thank you,” she whispered sadly.

  I gently held her for a long moment and let her cry while Ashe sat in the truck and smiled sadly. “We’re okay,” she whispered. Once the supplies were packed in the slavers truck, we hit the road with Natalie behind the wheel, heading back to their camp just before sunset. Ashe held onto Millie, comforting the girl as best she could, trying desperately not to cry out in agony as the truck bounced over potholes and unevenness of the decaying dirt road.

  Chapter 12 – (Close Call)

  The drive was silent as we made our way along the dirt road in the four-seater truck. I held my rifle at the ready, still on edge despite the pain that was making itself known as the adrenaline left my body. Ashe had a pistol sitting on her lap. The pants she had travelled in were ruined, cut away by that butcher, and soaked in blood. Thankfully the bleeding has slowed, though I wondered how much blood she had lost during the whole incident. Millie was physically okay, but the emotional wounds inflicted on her would undoubtedly last a lifetime. Natalie just drove, her eyes focused on the road ahead. She was focused on the task at hand, and I had no doubt that this was the first time she had seen this kind of thing.

  A short time later, the truck pulled into a paved road leading up to a well-established compound surrounded by two layers of walls. The first layer, a thick wire fence which seemed to stretch around the compound. It was likely a fence used for clearing zombies, not that they seemed to get a whole lot around here. The second barrier was much sturdier, made of thick metal sheets attached to steel beams, which had been concreted into the ground. These guys were industrious, and very well set up. Once we entered the main gate where two young men stood watch, Natalie and Millie seemed to let their guard down, which instinctively put me on edge once more. Ashe seemed to notice my reaction and nerves and put a hand on my thigh to try and reassure me. Natalie drove along a gravel road, passing several small cabins, farm plots, water tanks, and windmills. Every roof seemed covered in solar panels and likely had at least some usable power. In all, I estimated the population to be somewhere between 50 and 70 based purely on the amount of accommodation available within the compound.

  Indeed, ‘industrious’ only just began to cover what these people had built, it was a functioning village, full of well-armed and well-organised people.

  Moments later, we pulled up in front of an old farmhouse which seemed to have been restored to its Old-world condition, or perhaps it had not changed a great deal – it was difficult to say. I noticed several garages around the far side of the house down a small incline where mechanics worked on maintaining and restoring vehicles alongside several large fuel tanks. “Welcome to Jericho,” Natalie said proudly. And truthfully, she had every right to be, they had accomplished a lot here even compared to some of the biggest central tribes. She pointed to the garages and workshops, explaining. “Out there, we make biofuel, ammunition, melee weapons, armour, tools, preserved foods and an assortment of other equipment and supplies.” She turned to an agricultural area we had just driven through. “Over ther
e we grow most of our own fresh produce. We have livestock and a whole host of different corps that are constantly on rotation.”

  I was completely awestruck by what they had accomplished, but my focus quickly returned to Ashe, who was still gripping my hand tightly, her leg likely throbbing from the drive up. The dirt road was relatively well maintained compared to most roads these days, but it was still a bumpy ride for someone with an open wound, which now seemed to be bleeding again. “It’s beautiful Natalie but is there somewhere I can take Ashe to treat her leg properly.”

  She directed me to the main farmhouse. “Bring her up here, the ground floor is mostly an infirmary these days. Your dad and I used to live in there, but when he died, I decided to move into a smaller cabin and let our resident medical staff take the house and use it as they needed. Upstairs has been cordoned off though. It’s a kind of historical site for us, your mum, dad and I held out in one of the rooms in there the first night of the outbreak.”

  Millie didn’t hang around and wait for us, she ran up to the house, and moments later a middle-aged woman with long greying hair tied up in a bun came out onto the front porch. The woman burst into tears before rushing away from the house. I guessed it was her mother and decided it was not a good time for introductions.

  She returned moments later, leaving her mother to help me get Ashe inside the house. Once there, an elderly man greeted us with a warm welcoming smile. “Hello there, what happened here?” he asked, looking down at the open wound on Ashe’s leg.

  “It’s a very long story, Doc,” Natalie answered calmly. “The flesh was cut away with a sharp knife, though I doubt its cleanliness. It might be worth treating for infection just in case.” She turned to me and said kindly, “Leave her with us, Brandan is great at what he does. She’ll be fine.”

  I nodded before turning to Ashe, who threw her arms around me. “We’re good, Jack, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You should stay as well and let us take a look at your injuries,” Natalie insisted calmly as she cleaned her hands with what smelt like a potent alcohol solution.

  I nodded and went out onto the front porch to wait for Ashe. Listening intently to every scream as the doctor worked to clean the wound and patch it up. Once they finished, Natalie came out onto the front porch. “She will be okay, but she is going to need some rest for at least a few days before doing anything too strenuous.”

  “Thank you,” I said appreciatively before walking inside to see for myself.

  As soon as Ashe saw me, her face lit up though she seemed groggy and a little out of it. “Jack,” she said, her voice no more than a husky whisper. I sat down next to the bed, saying nothing. Just appreciating her touch and her warmth as she placed her hand on mine. “I’m okay, I promise.”

  Natalie walked over moments later to check on Ashe’s wounds, ensuring her leg was properly bound. Once finished, she turned to me and said, “Come on, Jack, let’s take a look at you.”

  The doctor managed to pluck several pieces of a shattered bullet from the second shoulder wound before flushing out the hole thoroughly. The bullet seemed to have hit and broken a rib on its way through my chest, shattering it into several pieces. Thankfully most of it seemed to bounce out through an exit wound, leaving behind only a few small shards that had become lodge in bone and flesh. Natalie and the Doctor cleaned my wounds thoroughly with an alcohol solution before covering them in gauze to prevent infection. I kept my face stoic through the agonising pain, gritting my teeth. Afterwards, Natalie cleaned the wound on my face and used several stitches to hold the wound closed.

  When finished, I returned to Ashe, who was laying on a single bed in what was probably once the lounge area for the house. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion after what had turned out to be an extremely long and gruelling day. I refused to sleep, not wanting to be rendered unconscious in a strange place. My paranoia surfacing once more even when surrounded by people that were for all intents and purposes family.

  Natalie returned shortly after dark with a plate full of fresh fruit. “You should at least eat something if you are not going to sleep!”

  I accepted the plate, taking a small round yellow fleshing thing from the plate and biting into it. It was my first apricot in years, and the taste was sublime. “Thank you,” I whispered, trying to disturb anyone.

  “You are very welcome, Jack!”

  I managed to stay awake most of the night sitting next to Ashe’s unconscious body, my hand not leaving hers or the Glock on my hip. By the early hours of the morning, I found myself talking to her in her sleep to keep myself awake. “I’m not going anywhere either,” I whispered to her, “that’s a promise!” I leant up and kissed her on the forehead before standing up to stretch my legs, walking outside to the front porch to get some fresh air.

  Millie was sitting on a chair just a few meters from the door, holding her rifle across her lap while drinking a cup of tea. She looked up, offering a warm smile as I walked out. “What’s going on?” I asked, wondering why she was holding a gun.

  “Guard duty,” she explained. “Well… Sort of…” I looked at her a little confused before she explained, “Aunt Natalie asked if I could watch over you two, there are too many idiots that want you to give a full debriefing tonight over what happened. They’re paranoid that you will lead to more problems for the community, or even that you might be a threat yourself. Luke and Josh were talking about taking you into custody, but Natalie insisted that it was a horrible idea that might get someone killed and deservingly so. As a compromise, here I am!”

  I nodded. “It’s a fair thing to be afraid of!” I agreed, adding, “I can’t blame them for their paranoia, it’s one thing that has kept me alive all these years. But yes, there is no way I will be leaving Ashe alone here.”

  “I figured. Besides, Mum and I already debriefed them…” She hesitated. “Minus a few details that they have no need or right to know! But they can wait until tomorrow to hear from you and Ashe.”

  I nodded, understanding their desire for more information. “Tomorrow is fine for me though I am not sure if Ashe will be up to it.” I sat down next to her on the front porch, my mind reflecting on my memory of the day’s events. “How are you doing with all of that now?” I asked.

  She was quiet at first like her mind was not all there. “I’ll be okay,” she answered, forcing a smile.

  “I’m sorry that I couldn’t get there in time.”

  “It’s not your fault, Jack, you saved us in the end,” she said, adding, “It’s honestly good to have you both here!” She continued, “Hell, you and Ashe are exactly what this place needs. So, fuck those assholes on the council, they can’t wait until tomorrow.”

  Her comment got me curious, so I asked, “What is it that we offer to this community that you do not already have?”

  She poured a cup of cold tea from a bottle, then handed it to me. She thought for a moment, searching for the right way to make her point. “In simple terms, this place needs a bigger perspective. The people here need to understand that we can’t just wall ourselves up inside forever and shut out the rest of the world. They need to know that there are other tribes and settlements out there and that there are still slavers and zombie herds roaming the surrounding areas. Those people will not just go away if they know what we have. Hell, from what Ashe was saying about New Alice, if they know about us which is possible given today’s events, it could mean trouble for all of us.”

  I shrugged; she was right about New Alice. “If we can help in some way, I am more than happy to do so. At the end of the day, I’m just looking for a safe place for us to settle now.”

  She smiled warmly at my answer. “She’s lucky to have you.” Millie said almost under her breath.

  I laughed to myself. “I think you have that backwards!”

  I finished my tea without adding to the conversation. Millie was pleasant company and perfectly comfortable with silence. We just sat watching the moon rise in the east above the distant
hills.

  A short time later, a young man approached the front porch and nodded to Millie before turning his attention to me. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with a short, well-kept beard and short dark hair, his skin looked rough from a life spent mostly outdoors. “Jack?” he asked, his face difficult to read.

  I nodded in answer to his question, leaning forward to shake his outstretched hand.

  “I’m Matt, my mother gave me a rundown of what happened. She asked me to come over and check on you guys and see if you needed anything.”

  “Your mother?” I asked curiously.

  “Uhm… Natalie!”

  “Oh, I see,” I said, realising that I was talking to my half-brother.

  “I think we are good, thanks, Matt!” Millie said abruptly.

  He just stood awkwardly for a long moment staring as if searching my face for an answer to some unasked question. A warm smile soon flashed across his face as if getting his answer. He turned to Millie, and seeming genuinely worried about her, asked, “I heard you guys had a close call out there?”

  Millie sighed. “Yeah, it was!”

  “Sorry about your dad,” he said solemnly. “If you need me to do anything for the funeral, just let me know! Sean and I will head to the cemetery in the morning to dig the grave for him.” Millie stood her face strained as if holding back tears, but the flood gates opened the moment she wrapped her arms around him. The young man held her tightly trying desperately to comfort her. “Hey, it’s alright,” he said warmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Sensing that they were having a moment together, I finished my tea and went out to find Natalie. Millie directed me to her cabin, and when I arrived, she did not seem to be inside. “Natalie?” I called out while trying not to disturb her neighbours.

  “I’m out here,” her voice returned from the rear of the house.

  I found her preparing several bowls of what appeared to be rice and offcuts of meat, a delicacy anywhere else I had been. “What are you doing?” I asked.