Run from the dead book 5.., p.3
Run from the Dead: Book 5: A Zombie Apocalypse, page 3
“And it wasn’t that long ago that they were first broken. You need to rest,” Rob countered.
Mel’s face softened as she reached for Jack’s arm. “You never told me they still hurt.”
“Because I didn’t want to worry you.”
Mel huffed. “It’s still dangerous to drive back to Hull, you know?”
“We know, Mel. But I have no doubt you two can get back no problem. We’re trusting that you can.” Anna smiled at Mel, trying to ease the tension. But Marcus shook his head. “Marcus only wants you next to him, because he still worries, but he knows you can do this as well.”
“Jack, what do you think?” Mel said in a softer voice.
Jack’s eyes widened as he looked at his brother, then Anna and Marcus, before landing back on Mel. “Erm… I…” He cleared his throat and squirmed on the spot. “I know you want to help. But I think we need to go back to Hull. To see Christina mostly.”
Mel slumped.
Jack jumped back in. “But it should be a lot quicker this time. We know where we’re going and won’t need to stop. We can sail straight through.”
“Ok, we’ll go,” Mel spat, then stormed up the stairs. “We’ll go straight away. I don’t care if it’s daytime… not anymore.” She disappeared around the corner.
Frankie, who was sitting beside Tess on the sofa, raised her eyebrows and jumped to her feet. “I’d better go talk to her.”
“K.”
Anna moved over to the seating area and rubbed at her forehead. “Ugh, that was a pain.”
“I thought she had already agreed?” asked Tess.
“So did I.”
Ten minutes later, Mel and Jack hurried off to retrieve their car parked on the outskirts of the city, with Daz and Frankie as escorts. Daz carried a can of fuel, as well, so they wouldn’t need to stop on the way back to Hull. They had decided not to use the vehicle they had been offered. The tower block was too far in, and driving a car around there would have been too dangerous. Running back to the car seemed like the easiest thing to do.
Anna, Tess, Rob, Marcus, and a few other faces gathered in the foyer of the tower block they called home.
“We not waiting for Daz and Frankie?” Anna asked.
“We can fill them in when they get back. They were cool with that,” Tess said.
Anna nodded, clasped her hands together, and leant over the map spread out on a coffee table. “So, where do we start?”
Tess studied the faces in the foyer before replying. Anna appeared eager to begin as Rob studied the map with a careful eye. Marcus rubbed at his beard on either side of his chin and paced behind Tess. Her people, though—Dean, Scarlett, Craig, and Tina—watched her in respectful silence.
“Well, these marks here—” she pointed to three spots on the map labelled with yellow highlighter “are the schools they’ve taken over as smaller headquarters. And that is where the main camp is.” She pointed at a red marker’s dot.
Rob sat in an unoccupied seat and inched as close as he could to the map. “And none of you have seen this for yourself?”
“No. But the guy that went and came back told us where it was. He described the encampment. They had metal shipping containers, tents set up on a carpark, and fencing surrounding it. It’s some kind of sports venue.”
“A massive group of dead could push through temporary fencing.” Marcus stepped closer. “Wait, that’s the cricket ground. Old Trafford.”
“I don’t know if it was temporary fencing, actually. Guys, what did he say about it? Do you remember?”
Dean was the first to speak. “He told me it was some kind of huge carpark they had taken over. A massive one. He did say Old Trafford, but I wasn’t sure I heard right.”
“But why the cricket ground and not the footy ground?” Anna lifted her head from the map. “It’s right there, not far away. Has a much bigger plot and would be far safer than the cricket one. It’s a little odd.”
“Huh.” Tess leant back in her seat and chewed on her top lip. “Yeah, why would they do that?” The taste left on her lips by her breakfast of jam on crackers made her never want to eat crackers again, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Rob studied the map again. “Well, maybe they instructed people to go to the cricket ground, but their real encampment is the footy ground. It would keep people safer.”
“As a temporary hold, you mean?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, exactly that. And the footy ground has rail tracks running alongside as well as a canal on the other. It’s an ideal location.”
Tess nodded, taking the information in. “Either way, we need to check it out.”
“Yes, we do. But we need to do something else first.” Rob grimaced. “We need to get the trucks and equipment from the school. I didn’t want to take it, but we’re gonna need their shit now. And it might be useful to take their uniforms as well.”
“From the dead men?” Marcus’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. Not nice, I know. But it’s all a part of war.”
“War? Shit. What the fuck have we got ourselves into?” Marcus continued his pacing.
“And these are all the people we have?” Anna gestured to the four others stood close.
“Well no. Obviously we have Daz and Frankie. But I don’t want to leave the others here alone. We’ll have to leave at least two of them.”
“Yeah, that’s understandable. You decide who is best to leave here and the rest of us will go gather supplies from the school.”
Tess nodded. “Cool. When do you want to go to the school?”
“Now.” Anna stood. “The longer we leave it, the others could discover what happened.”
“Er, ok. Sure. Craig and Tina, you guys stay here. Guard the tower and everyone in it.” She addressed Rob: “Do we need to go in a car?”
“Nah. We can take one of their trucks to bring the stuff back in. We should check out the roads on the way there, making sure they’re clear. And I don’t want to drive the thing all the way back here. I’d prefer to park it somewhere nearby, so we don’t drag all the dead back to your front door.”
“Yeah, that’s what we’ve done in the past. We usually drive it to the end of this big road. There’s a car park there.”
Rob scratched at the back of his neck, sending a grating sound over to Tess. “Hmm, is there nowhere concealed? I’d rather not leave the army truck out in the open for any soldiers to see.”
Dean pointed at Rob. “What about the tall building over that way? It was mostly offices, but I think there’s an underground car park.”
“The trucks are tall.”
“It’s a high entrance.”
“Can I see before we go?”
Dean nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take you now, if you want?”
“Great stuff.” Rob jumped out of his seat.
“I’ll come as well.” Tess stretched out her legs whilst still seated. “Give me a minute to let my nan know.”
Chapter 5
Liz woke and stretched, closing her eyes from the glaring sunshine. When she opened them again, dust particles danced in front of her face and the usual office smell reminded her of where she was: no longer in her home with her husband and stepdaughter. The carpeting she had her face way too close to smelled fusty and had her turning her nose up for the hundredth time.
The sun caught her face. “Ugh, go away Mr Sunshine. Too bright.” After draining her water bottle of the last drops, she looked over at where she kept her stuff in the supply cabinet. She rolled out from under the desk and surveyed the large, open-plan space before standing and pulling open the metal cabinet. She counted her water bottles and packets of food and grimaced. “Ok, so I’ll have to pop out for a little while and get more stuff.”
Liz didn’t enjoy scavenging in daylight, but Tess had been going out in the night more often lately, and she wanted to make sure she could concentrate on protecting her instead of having to hunt for supplies.
She ripped open a packet of biscuits, sending a divine smell up to her nose, and chewed whilst grabbing a bottle of pop. The sugar coated her tastebuds and made her moan. “The breakfast of champions. Not an ideal start to the day. However, beggars can’t be choosers. Good job I’m a biscuit fan. These are fantastic.”
Liz rolled her eyes at herself. So, I seem to be talking to myself more and more. Or is it Nick I’m talking to? Who can tell at this point?
She finished the biscuit, chugged some pop, then grabbed her bag from the floor near her bed. Straps pulled tight and her cold metal rod back in hand, she was ready to go. The weight of her stuff always made her feel more ready for whatever might come at her.
She moved to the door and pulled the office furniture away enough to squeeze out into the stairwell. She hurried down, bypassing the door for floor one, and headed straight for the ground floor and that of the parking bays. The building, although lacking in homely features, was secure at least. It held a strong metal gate across the car barrier, and she had pulled it across the day she found the building.
The building had had its fair share of zombies, of course. Hardly any place had escaped the worst day in history. It had been a Saturday, however, so there were few people in the office. Only the workaholics were in on a Saturday, plus the dead who had wandered in off the street—or maybe chased others inside. But once she’d cleared the place and made her way to the top, she realised it gave her a good view of the tower block Tess lived in. She had been shocked the first time she saw Tess up on the roof, and even more so when she disappeared, heading out on the ground alone.
Liz let her hand skim the smooth wooden handrail as she neared the door on the ground floor. Her feet allowed her to tread in near silent footsteps all the way to the bottom, and when she reached the solid, white door, she grabbed the handle without fear of what might be on the other side.
The heavy door arced away from the frame, and Liz stepped through it, but stopped mid stride as the sight of the gates came into view. They were standing wide open.
Oh no. I didn’t check before I barged through the door! Stupid Liz.
She caught the swinging door and pulled it back towards her. She clutched the wood close to her body and peered out, looking in the opposite direction to the gate. A small group of people were standing in the middle of the parking area a few feet away from her. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate this lower level well, so the four people were shrouded in enough darkness that she couldn’t see their features. Oh no, is it the soldiers?
Liz moved to hide behind the door once again, when one of the people in the shadows turned and caught sight of her. “Over there!” he shouted.
Dammit! Liz bolted back through the door and charged up the staircase, all the while berating herself for that stupid move. She could have made the gate and not been trapped inside the building. Of all the snap decisions she could have made, this was the one she’d chosen in a moment of fear. But perhaps she could out-fox them instead. If she made it to one of the upper floors, she could backtrack into the stairwell once they followed her inside.
Her hand gripped the handrail to force her body up faster and faster as the door below smacked into the wall and a set of feet hurried up behind her. Then a second set followed as heavy breathing and footfalls reverberated around the space. Her own breathing soared as her heart pounded through her rib cage.
Dammit, dammit, Liz! You messed up here.
She heaved herself up the stairs, lungs burning and thighs on fire. But there were too many floors to simply disappear. Should I go all the way to the top? She was already feeling the extended effort of having to race up the tall building, so she made another snap decision—one she hoped she wouldn’t regret.
Her body slammed into the eighth-floor door, depressing the handle and forcing herself inside. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlit space and looked for a place to hide so she could double back. Nothing jumped out at her at first as the feet raced closer and louder.
She darted back to the door and hid behind it before it flung open. It stopped short of smashing into her before the two men dashed into the room. And as soon as they did, she weaved around the closing door and into the stairwell again, stealthy and silent.
Still moving, Liz glanced back into the room to check they hadn’t seen her and crashed into a soft, warm body with a grunt. She lost her footing, falling to the floor at the same time as the person she crashed into.
Before she could gather herself, another shadow stood above her. “Do not stand up. Stay where you are.” A female voice.
Oh crap. No, no, no, no. Not the soldiers again. I can’t take it.
Liz opened her eyes and took in the floor beneath her palms and knees. She sucked in air to control her breathing again and waited for instructions. There were at least four people, so there was little chance she could fight her way out of this. But if she could survive a little longer, she could escape.
“You ok? Here.” The woman had moved away and was helping her friend up.
“Yeah, just winded.”
Liz’s eyes widened and her head spun in the voice’s direction. Her eyes found Tess’s, and the two of them stared at each.
“What the fuck… Liz?”
“Tess.” Liz pushed herself to her feet as the door behind her opened and two men moved into the stairwell. One was young and too innocent-looking for a zombie apocalypse, whereas the other was older, frowned a lot, and stocky. The woman who had helped Tess up had shoulder-length blonde hair and glanced between Tess and Liz.
“You to know each other?” she asked.
“My dad’s wife,” Tess said dryly. “Wait, where’s Dad? If you made it, where is he?”
She doesn’t call me her stepmother, then. Pain Liz thought she no longer felt hit her square in the chest. “Honey, I’m sorry… He didn’t make it past that first day. And Lena—”
Tess cut in. “Yeah, I know about Lena.”
Liz nodded and when it became apparent Tess wasn’t going to say another word, she bent to pick her rod off the floor. She was thankful she hadn’t accidentally stabbed Tess with the sharpened end when they collided. “How have you been?”
“How have I been?” Tess shifted from one foot to the next. “What the hell are you doing here? I mean, I live in that block right there, and you knew I did before the zombies came. And you set up shop here, almost next door? Couldn’t you have come to tell me about Dad and Lena?”
“I saw you on our old street a few times earlier on. When you stopped coming, I realised you knew they were both gone. But I should have told you as well. I’m so sorry. I made a mistake. I was just a little…” Liz shrugged and pressed her lips together.
Tess continued to glare at her, but again went silent.
“Tess… I… wanted to see you. Make sure you were ok.” Liz tried to smile, but it only made Tess draw her eyebrows together more. God, she still hates me after all this time.
“Ok. I honestly do not know why you’re here.” Tess crossed her arms over her chest, nostrils flared.
“Anna, what’s going on?” the beefy guy whispered to the blonde woman, who waved her hand at him, as if to say “Not now.”
“I’m here because I care for you, Tess,” Liz said. “I love you, and when everything happened… you were all I had left. I needed to… I don’t know… look after you. Not that you need it, of course. You’re as deadly with that bat as anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“What?” Tess’s crossed arms dropped from her chest. “Have you been watching me?”
Geez, I cannot do a thing right. Liz chewed on her fingernail, then pulled it quickly out of her mouth again. It was a habit she was trying to stop because most of the dirt under your nails was zombie gore.
Anna spoke up next. “Look, Tess, I know this is a bit of a shock for you, but remember, we have a job to do.”
Tess relaxed her frown and unclenched her fists. “Oh. Yeah.”
The stocky guy stepped closer too. “And time is ticking.”
“Why don’t you come with us, Liz?” Anna asked. “The more bodies, the better.”
“What? Absolutely no way.” Tess almost shouted, her voice echoing up and down the stairwell.
“Anna’s right, Tess. The more people we have to do this, the safer we all are.”
“What’s this? I can help if you need it.” Liz sounded too eager even to her own ears.
“I’d rather she didn’t.” Tess sounded a little less stubborn, but still spoke through gritted teeth.
“But we need bodies, Tess. And she’s clearly a capable woman, committed to helping. She said yes straight away and doesn’t even know what we’re doing.” Stocky guy glanced across at Liz.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’ll help in any way I can.” Still too eager, Liz.
“Great, then it’s settled.” Anna smiled and gestured for Liz to follow her down the stairs.
Liz followed but felt Tess’s eyes boring into her back with every step she took. I sure hope this isn’t a mistake.
Chapter 6
Tess glared at Liz over her shoulder as the small group moved down the street. She had to take point to navigate but hated Liz being with them every step of the way.
Why the hell is she here? Why, if both Dad and Lena are dead, has she sought me out? She always was a weirdo.
“Tess, did you hear me?” Anna raised her eyebrows.
“Er… no, sorry.” She glanced back at Liz again, then made herself give Anna her attention.
“It’s ok. I understand there’s tension.” Anna flicked a look backwards as well.
“There’s more than tension, Anna. I can’t stand the woman. And she’s the one who turned up out of nowhere. Why couldn’t it have been Lena or Dad? Anyone but her, in fact.”
“Surely, she wasn’t that bad. And people can change, you know. So many people are gone, Tess. We shouldn’t stay stuck in the past… Sorry.” Anna held up her hands. “I’m being patronising. I don’t mean to be.”
Tess sighed, long and loud. “It’s ok, and I know that. I’m trying my best with so many people. I just do not need her.”
