The Dead Walk The Earth (Book 4) (47 page)

“Tina,” Frank whispered loudly. “Get Tina. That man’s gone fucking mental. He’ll get us all killed.”

As the message was hurriedly passed back through the bus, Charlie began to squirm his way back in through the window. He was holding something in his hand, but in the darkness it was impossible for Frank to see what it was. He stood staring back at the man and wondering what was going through his mind when a light that was far too bright for the comfort of his eyes burst out from within the dark silhouette of Charlie. Frank winced and shielded his face, turning away and cursing the man for being so reckless. The civilians gasped and whimpered, afraid that the dead would see the light and launch a renewed assault against the vehicle.

“Turn it off,” Frank growled angrily as he lunged towards Charlie. “Turn the fucking thing off.”

Charlie leaned away from him, dodging Frank’s attempt at snatching the torch from his grasp. He held up the light and thrust his other hand forward.

“Look,” he said, sounding more joyful than he should have done in such conditions. He shone his light into his palm so that Frank could see. “Look.”

Frank stopped and stared at the man’s hand. At first he thought it was some kind of powder, the crystals glinting in the light like tiny diamonds. Then he realised that what he was looking at was actually frozen water, frost. In that moment, he noticed that there was not a sound coming from the dead that were gathered outside of the windows. Charlie appearing in the way he had done should have riled them up into a frenzy, but there were no moans and no thuds as the infected began a fresh offensive against the sides of the vehicle.

“They’re frozen,” Charlie gasped with a grin and pointing towards his watch. “It’s minus two degrees, and the bastards are frozen solid.”

Frank had to take a look for himself. For hours they had hidden themselves away, refusing to look upon the landscape of horror and despair beyond the windows. All the while the temperature had been steadily headed towards zero and beyond, leaving the crowds of walking dead to become encased in ice. Without the ability to produce body heat they had no chance against the cold and now stood there like a sea of grotesque statues, unable to move or make a sound.

“Sweet fucking Jesus,” he groaned as he surveyed the scene.

Tina needed to be sure. She would not allow anyone else to risk their lives and chose to be the first to step down from the bus. With the barricades dismantled she stood by the door and glanced back at the people crowded around her with nervous eyes. She took in a deep breath, raised her pistol, and reached for the door.

None of the corpses that were crammed up against the vehicle moved as she exposed herself. They remained locked in place, their arms, legs, and gaping mouths frozen in their final actions before the cold had finally overwhelmed them. There were thousands of them, all staring back at Tina with unseeing eyes as she slowly made her way down towards the step, feeling her guts tighten and her legs shake.

“You sure about this?” she whispered back into the vehicle.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Charlie’s voice replied as he double checked the thermometer on his watch. “It
andhe begand and thudded. He give her a reassuring and loving kiss. "r ears.hermia. e did him a
says minus three now. They’re going nowhere.”

Tina reached out and gingerly prodded the closest body with her pistol. It did not move or make a sound. She pushed it a little harder, causing it to rock backwards slightly, and then coming to rest against the frozen corpses that were tightly packed together behind it. Again she prodded, holding the muzzle of her pistol against the creature’s forehead and thrusting much harder. It fell further back, causing more of them to tumble into one another and creating a domino effect that quickly spread and sent dozens of them crashing to the ground. The sound of their frozen bones and flesh shattering against the hard earth had a strangely comforting effect on her, and she grinned broadly as she turned to look up at the stars. She silently thanked the Gods for the miracle that they had bestowed upon them.

“Sweet Jesus,” she uttered.

She stepped out, her feet crunching on the churned and frozen mud beneath the vehicle. She turned slowly and eyed the rotted faces around her, staring into their dark and hollow sockets and the cavernous mouths that gaped back at her. She shivered, but not from the cold. A part of her still expected them to suddenly lunge towards her, having fallen into their trap and being torn limb from limb, but nothing moved or made a sound around her. The crisp and frozen night was utterly silent despite the legion of walking dead that stood before her.

“Get hold of Stan and prepare to move. We’re getting out of here,” she ordered in a loud voice, keeping her eyes fixed upon the bodies around her. “We’ll walk out if we have to.”

25

Twenty-four hours later as dawn began to break, the dishevelled and exhausted survivors finally reached the coastline, shivering uncontrollably and hobbling on shaking legs. The weather had continued to worsen throughout the day, with snow falling on the higher ground and the roads becoming almost impassable as their already treacherous surfaces became covered with ice.

The bus had all but given up shortly after being pulled free of the mud and hauled out from the swarms of dead that surrounded it. The mechanics managed to get it started, but within ten kilometres it died completely as it coughed its final sputter, and the engine seized up forever. As the landscape around them steadily turned white with frost and snow, the chances of surviving in the open and walking the rest of the way became less of a possibility. The only solution was to tow the vehicle, tying it to the two SUVs and slowly pulling it along the roads like a sled as they passed by corpses that were scattered along the route, lining the roads and frozen to the ground like macabre scarecrows.

It was a struggle, and the drivers needed to negotiate the debris littered roads that were overgrown with foliage and vines and crammed with rusted vehicles. The ice that formed on the surfaces added to the danger and the frustrations of the survivors. On numerous occasions the wheels slipped, causing the heavy and virtually immobile bus to veer from the road, leaving it stranded and needing to be recovered from the ditches or verges that lined the route. The steep mountain passes had been even more of a challenge with the SUVs all but burning out their engines as they toiled against the hills and the elements while hauling the dead weight of the bus. Nevertheless they persevered, and eventually, with almost all of their fuel gone and the SUVs ready to be declared as nothing more than crumbling piles of scrap, they reached the small costal village.

The survivors disembarked from the bus as Stan declared that the final few kilometres were too dangerous for the large vehicle to stand a chance of making it through. The roads were narrow with tight bends and sheer drops leading down into the estuary. He was certain that the hard journey would end in a cruel tragedy if they attempted to drag the unwieldy bus all the way to the beach. The survivors grumbled but did as they were ordered, wrapping themselves in whatever they could and trundling towards the sea in a long line that reminded some of the veterans of video footage they had seen from the Second World War.

“Look at them; they look like the last survivors of the sixth army at Stalingrad,” Bull had remarked as he watched the human scarecrows descend from the hill and stagger towards the sea.

“Aye,” Taff nodded. “And now we’re about to re-enact Dunkirk.”

Nadia Neptune, the old trawler, was already there waiting for them. She was as reliable as always, and Taff smiled with pride and affection as he started up the engine. They wasted no time in loading her up with the first group of survivors and heading out to sea, and for a number of hours the shuttle runs continued. The children and wounded were the first to go, followed by the women and the old. The trawler could not fit more than twenty people at a time, and even that was pushing it to its limits as far as Taff was concerned. Regardless, the number of people left on the mainland steadily dwindled with each trip and their leaders, such as Tina and Al, began to feel that they could finally begin to dream and hope again, knowing that they had made it to safety.

“You think it’ll be okay now?” Tina asked as she looked out towards the fishing boat while it pulled away from the pier and left with the final group of civilian survivors for the ferry.

All that remained behind now was a small handful of men and women with barely enough ammunition to fill one magazine each. They had pushed out to form a perimeter around the beachhead, forming a line of defence while the evacuation got underway. The dead were frozen solid, but they could never be too careful. The sun was now up, and if the temperature was to suddenly rise, the circumstances could quickly change.

She looked back at the two smoking and battered vehicles. The SUVs had been dumped unceremoniously to the side of the path leading away from the beach. Already they appeared to be sinking into the sand as though aware that their lives were over and now it was time for their long and final rest. They would remain there until they had completely rotted away and became swallowed up by sand over time.

“We’ll just have to see,” Al replied and looked back over his shoulder to check on Tommy. “We’ve made it this far. We just have to hope that Paul gets the engines going now.”

Tina could see that at that moment Al could care less about what happened once they made it across to the ferry. His thoughts were on Tommy.

“Go to him, Al,” Tina said as she watched him intently and saw the hurt that he was experiencing. “I’ve said my goodbyes to him, and now you should go and spend some time with him. He’d want that.”

Al nodded. Everything that needed to be done had been done. The civilians were safe, and the last of them were on their way across to the ship. Tina was there to control the final withdrawal of the militia cordon, and there was no need for him to stay close at that moment.

He walked away and headed towards the area where Tommy was sitting propped up against the information centre, wrapped in a blanket, and shivering from the fever. The sun was up, and the sky was as clear as he had ever seen. Tommy sat soaking in its rays and feeling them warm his cold, clammy skin and his aching bones. He had refused to be placed on the boat and be transported across to the ship. Al had insisted, but Tommy would not yield, stubbornly digging in his heels and pointing out that it would be a waste of time and effort. He knew that he had little time left, and he did not want to waste it or allow himself to be a burden to the others.

“Hey,” Tommy groaned, smiling like a drunk when he sensed Al’s huge shadow momentarily block the sun as he approached. “We made it, didn’t we? We beat those things and everything that was thrown at us. We frigging made it.”

“Yeah, we made it. We kicked their arses, mate.”

Al sat down beside him and watched the boat as it grew smaller, steadily making its way over the unnaturally calm waters of the Irish Sea. It had taken them a while to ferry all the survivors across, the trawler having to make multiple time-consuming crossings, but for once time was on their side. The temperature remained below the zero mark and showed no signs of rising, and Charlie was always somewhere close by informing every one of the information displayed on his watch while sounding like a town crier making his announcements.

The beach was now virtually empty. Gone were the clusters of half frozen civilians and whining children, leaving a surreal calm to settle over the area with almost no sound except for the gentle lapping of the water against the shore and the occasional screech of a gull. It was peaceful and something that neither of them had experienced in many years. They sat there for a while, soaking in the scene, and revelling in the sun’s warmth.

“You look after them,” Tommy slurred as he finally broke the silence. His head swayed as he tried to focus his eyes upon Al in an attempt to emphasise his point. “Promise me that, will you? You’ll look after them and keep them safe?”

“Yeah, I’ll look after them,” Al croaked, knowing that the end of their friendship was gradually approaching.

He watched Tommy and saw his life-force slowly ebbing away from him. His face was ashen and drawn, with his lips already receding and his cheekbones protruding from beneath his sunken eye-sockets. The veins in his neck were raised and black, showing the devastating infection as it crept towards his brain. Al felt a lump begin to form in his throat as his vision blurred with tears and his head began to spin. He knew that they were fast approaching the time when he would need to say goodbye to his friend, but losing Tommy was tearing him apart, destroying him from the inside, and he did not yet feel ready to let go of him.

They had been the best of friends for many years, fighting side by side and always overcoming the odds that were greatly stacked against them. Losing him now when they were so close to safety was a harsh and cruel twist of fate, and he cursed the Gods for their lack of compassion and mercy. Tommy deserved so much more than to die now. He had earned the chance at a long and peaceful life. A life with the possibility of happiness and fulfilment. Instead, he would die here on this beach long before his time should have been due.

“And do me a big favour,” Tommy said as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His naturally twisted face broke into a strained smile.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Give Thunder-Knickers what she needs.”

Al frowned and turned to look at the area where Tina was standing beside Charlie. He looked back at his friend, unsure of his meaning.

“What she needs?”

Tommy’s eyes had all but sunken deep into his head, but they now glared back at Al from within their dark caverns. He grinned maliciously, a sparkle of light twinkling from his fevered eyes.

“Don’t play dumb. You know what I’m talking about, Al. It’s always been there between you two, but neither of you ever had the balls to do anything about it.”

“Ah…”

“Do it, and make each other happy, you silly, stubborn cunt.”

Al laughed and shook his head. What Tommy was saying was indeed true. There had always been a special chemistry between him and Tina, but neither of them had allowed it to develop any further than the relationship of commander and subordinate. Now, with the chance of a future and happiness, Tommy was making a good point. Maybe it was time that they both relaxed and tried to find some comfort and joy in what was left of their lives and the world around them. He loved Tina, but until now it had been the love that soldiers felt for one another, having suffered side by side through so much trial and tribulation.

“What about you? You sure you don’t want to come?”

Tommy shrugged and let out a rasping sneer.

“Don’t be daft, mate. I’m fucked, and don’t try to tell me otherwise. No, I think I’ll just sit here for a while, I suppose. Enjoy the sunshine and the sea air for a bit. It’s been a long time since I had any time to myself.”

They sat for a while longer, chatting and reminiscing on times gone by. They even managed to laugh on occasion when a particularly amusing shared memory was suddenly brought to life again. Nevertheless, Tommy was fading fast. He was becoming weaker and occasionally incoherent as his body and mind slowly died, but thankfully he no longer seemed to be experiencing any pain. Al was grateful for that small mercy. Watching his friend suffer in his final moments would have been too much for him to bear.

“You’d better get going,” Tommy finally said as he nodded his head towards the sea and the boat that was approaching for its final pick up.

Al looked at the boat. It had returned far too soon for his liking, and his time with Tommy was almost over. For a moment he felt the urge to stand up and demand that the trawler turn back until he was ready, wanting to spend every minute that he could with his friend. He turned to Tommy, about to plead with him one last time to go with them out to the ferry. At least there he would be warm and comfortable in his final hours.

“Tommy, you don’t have to…”

Tommy was moving and wriggling his arms as he began slipping out from his assault vest and armour. He pulled it away and dropped it all in the sand beside him before unclipping his belt and the remainder of his equipment.

“Here, you might need this. There isn’t much left, but you need every bullet. I don’t. I just need one.” Tommy grunted, giving over his ammunition and rifle to Al, but keeping hold of his pistol and the lone round that he had already sitting in the chamber.

Al looked down at the pistol in his hand and understood. When he was ready, Tommy would turn the gun on himself to prevent the virus from having the pleasure of turning him into one of the walking dead.

“You sure about this?” Al asked. “This is what you want?”

“Yeah,” Tommy replied.

He leaned his head back and rested it against the frosted wall of the information centre.

“It’s what I want. Get yourself out to the ship, mate, and don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine here.”

Al watched him for a moment. He wanted to say something, but he knew that his words would only fall from his mouth in an inaudible slur of vowels if he tried. His throat was swollen, and he was finding it difficult to swallow. He felt weak and helpless, sick to his stomach, and his energy was rapidly flowing from his limbs as grief surged through his body and filled him to the core. He leaned over and grabbed Tommy, pulling his limp body in close and thrusting his arms around him in a tight hug. It would be the last time that he would see his friend, and a simple handshake would not have been sufficient.

“I love you, mate,” Al sobbed into his shoulder. “I fucking love you.”

“I know, buddy. It’s okay,” Tommy replied weakly while rubbing and patting Al across his broad back. “I love you, too. Now get yourself out of here, and don’t make a big deal of it. Remember what I said; look after them, and be the man that Tina needs. Promise you’ll do that for me.”

“I will,” Al replied in a croaky whisper while giving Tommy a final squeeze.

He climbed to his feet and scooped up Tommy’s rifle and equipment, giving him a final nod before turning away and heading for the jetty where the boat was already loaded with the last of them and waiting on him.