Killing the Dead (Book 7): Burden of Survival Read online

“What the hell’s going on up there?”

  “I’ll check…” Harry began but broke off as Lucas came crashing down the stairs. “The fuck?”

  The big man’s eyes were opened wide and a red gash crossed his throat. I didn’t even try to stop that laughter that bubbled up at the sight.

  “What the hell are you laughing at?” Marcus demanded. I looked at him and smiled widely as I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

  “Ryan’s back.”

  “What’s she talking about?” Marcus asked as he pulled the handgun from where he’d tucked it in the back of his jeans.

  “Her boyfriend,” Harry said and I thought I could detect a touch of nervousness in his voice. “A killer. We need to go.”

  “Don’t be a prick,” Marcus said all trace of his usual false humour gone. “He’s upstairs and we’re down here. We’ve got guns and hostages, what the fuck’s he gonna do?”

  “Kill you all,” I said as I lunged for the knife.

  My hand closed around it as Harry’s head positively exploded. I swung it around and stabbed that wickedly sharp claw like blade into Marcus’s ankle.

  He screamed and turned his gun on me. I had a brief moment to look into the barrel and see my death approaching before Becky collided with him, knocking him to the floor, the gun flying from his hand. She was followed by three others who all piled on to hold him down while more of my people grabbed Amy.

  I looked to the stairs to see Ryan walking down, the high powered sniper rifle that had been used to kill Jim was in his hands and a trail of blood ran down his face from a wound on his temple. His gaze took in my condition in one glance, his eyes flicked to the wide leather belt caked with my blood that lay on the floor and the man who had obviously wielded it.

  Death filled his eyes as he placed the rifle down beside Harry who he’d killed with it just moments ago and he glanced to someone behind me.

  “Get a blanket, the first aid kit and hot water. Now.”

  He crouched before me and his finger touched the tears that had streaked my cheek, feather light but I could feel the tight control he had.

  “Hello Ryan,” I said. An old greeting used many times and marred this time by a sob.

  Without a word he settled down on the floor beside me as I lay my head down on his lap, taking a comfort in his just being there. I was hurt beyond measure and so very worried for my people but I knew that everything would be alright. He was with me.

  ****

  I awoke in darkness, lying on my side, pain seemed to fill every inch of me and I gasped as everything rushed back in. I wondered if I had dreamt his return, if I was just going to be tortured once again. Then a hand found mine, taking a firm yet gentle hold.

  “Hello Lily,” he said and the tears came unbidden.

  How long I lay there in the dark weeping I couldn’t say. He didn’t speak, he didn’t need to. All the comfort I would ever need was from his presence. He sat beside me on the bed and held my hand, that one gesture of comfort more than he would ever be able to give to another. It meant everything to me.

  As my tears finally came to a stop, I brushed at my eyes and tried to sit up. He pushed me firmly back down.

  “Don’t,” he said. “You’ll open your wounds.”

  “What happened?” I asked as I acquiesced to his instructions.

  “You did impressive work,” he said and I could sense his smile in the darkness. He was proud of me. “A little messy perhaps but impressive work none the less.”

  “I hated it,” I said. I was afraid the admission would disgust him, drive him away but I had to say it. Instead he laughed.

  “Of course you did,” he said. “You care too much to ever enjoy that sort of thing. You did it anyway, to protect others. I’m still proud of you. I should apologise though.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I should have been here,” there was pain in his voice. He was genuinely upset that he hadn’t been here to protect us… or maybe because he missed out on killing a load of people. I wasn’t entirely sure.

  “You were here when it mattered,” I said. “Where is everyone? What about Becky and the others? Cass?”

  “Becky told me what happened,” he said. “She’s going to organise sending someone to bring them home.”

  “Marcus and Amy?”

  “Those two who survived are secured downstairs, I shall be dealing with them shortly.” I knew from his tone that it would be painful for them both. I also knew I should care but as I thought back to Michelle, Jim and the others they’d killed. I didn’t.

  “Pat, Gregg, Gabby and Jenny?” I asked. “What happened to you?”

  I listened in growing horror as he explained what they’d found at Coniston, their search for survivors and the feral zombies that had infected Jenny.

  “That poor girl,” I said. “Maybe she’s immune. Michelle was.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said as he continued his story.

  The zombies attacking in the darkness, the flight for safety and losing our friends. It all came out in a rush. He spoke briefly of his return home only to be shot at, the bullet passing close enough to his head to leave a flesh wound.

  “What happened then?”

  “I realised that something was wrong. The boats weren’t out, old bonfires and far too many bodies that had been burnt on them as well as someone shooting at me. I know I’m not well liked but none of our people would shoot me.”

  “Since the doors were closed and I guessed them to be locked, I made my way through the trees around the island. I climbed a drainpipe to the roof which by the way is something we need to look at. If I can do it, anyone can.”

  He paused and I sensed that he was wondering how much he should say. Finally he came to a decision and continued.

  “I was sneaking up on the guy with the sniper rifle when the roof hatch opened behind me. Some big fellow raised the alert and all hell broke loose.” He said. “Sniper got off a couple of shots but I was too close for him to aim with the long rifle and sank my knife into his eye. As the other guy fired his gun at me I returned fire and hit him first.”

  “He fell through the hatch, I followed and since he was still alive I asked a couple of quick questions. He answered me then I slit his throat and dragged him to the stairs. I threw his body down as a distraction then as I was moving slowly down, I saw you through the door.”

  His voice roughened as though by anger and I smiled at him though he couldn’t see it. His concern for me, his protectiveness, was heartening.

  “I shot the big fellow by the door and was taking a bead on the guy with the gun when a load of folk piled on him. That’s it I guess.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “For coming back to me.”

  “Anytime,” he replied and once again, I was sure I could sense a smile. Mine faded as I thought of my friends.

  “What are we going to do about Pat and the others?”

  “If they have any sense, which they do, they’ll be coming back here. You told Cass to watch for them so they’re probably with her already trying to figure out how to rescue you all.”

  “You should go and get them,” I said.

  “Why me?”

  “All those zombies out there, those feral ones… it scares me. I’m worried and I know you’ll find them.”

  “I’m not sure I want to leave you,” he said. “The last time I did you were hurt.”

  “It will be fine,” she said. “We have extra guns and ammo now. If nothing else, that makes us safer than we were.”

  “Well, I suppose I could go. I can take the prisoners with me.”

  “Why?” I asked. Not that I wanted them here but for him to take them rather than just kill them was worrying. “We need to decide what to do with them as a group.”

  “No,” he said. “I can take them with me or I can kill them before I go. Either way, they will die for what they did.”

  “Then do it here,�
�� I said. For once I felt no remorse at the idea of someone dying, they deserved it. “Why take them with you?”

  “Even the condemned deserve a last meal,” he said with laughter in his voice.

  Chapter 29

  Ryan

  The house was much as I’d left it if somewhat more crowded. The pigs were happy enough in their pen outside and despite the stench, Cass had kept everyone inside. Even Toby was with them.

  It seemed that he was on his way back just as Cass and the others were taken to shore and abandoned. Since there were mainly children in the group he had stayed with them until they got to the house and then left to find some basic supplies.

  It’d taken a day and a half but he’d returned with some edible food and fresh blood on his clothes. He didn’t say how many zombies he’d had to kill to get the food but I gathered it wasn’t a small number. Despite his trying to kill me that one time I had to respect his ability.

  Cass had done as instructed and watched the roads for our return. I had ended up going a different route but she had found my other friends. A weary group of villagers led by Pat, Gregg and Gabby had been on their way to the island when Cass found them.

  She’d quickly filled them in on the situation and they’d brought the thirteen surviving people of Coniston back to the house. It was a downhearted group that had been talking, trying to agree a plan of action when I arrived.

  “What the hell?” Gregg said as I walked into what had been the living room.

  I explained what had happened after we separated and what I’d found at the island along with what Lily had told me. Cass’s eyes widened in horror as I described Lily’s injuries and when I politely suggested Gabby and the others take everyone back to the island, I met no objections.

  While the preparations were made I sat on the wall that formed the enclosure for the pig pen and waited patiently. My two prisoners were knelt at my feet, hands securely fastened behind their backs with pillowcases over their heads and gags over their mouths.

  I had no desire to look at either of them and in all honesty, when I saw the man I was reminded of what he’d done to Lily. It was all I could do to stop myself from slowly killing him.

  “Hey,” Gregg called as he left the house and approached where I sat.

  He stared curiously at my prisoners as I nodded a greeting back to him. I had of course explained who they were and what they had done but not what I planned to do. They all seemed to assume I was going to kill them which suited me well enough.

  “Everyone’s about ready to leave,” he said.

  “Good.”

  “You want us to wait while… you know?” he said with a nod to the bound prisoners.

  “No,” I said. “You all go back to the island. Much to do there, I’ll be back in a few days.”

  “What are you going to do?” he asked then paused. “No wait, don’t tell me.”

  “Ok.”

  “You want me to stay with you?” he asked. I could tell how much he didn’t want to so was actually quite pleased that he’d offered.

  “No,” I said. “I want you and the others there to protect Lily.”

  “That should be you.”

  “I’m doing that in my own way,” I said. “She is safe at the moment and the chance of another threat like these coming while I’m away is ridiculously low.”

  “Even so…”

  “In the long run we need food, Lily needs food,” I said. “While she heals, the best way I can help her is to ensure that she has some way of eating when all the tinned stuff runs out.”

  He blanched as he looked from the prisoners to the pigs and then to me. He knew what I was going to do and I doubted he wanted to stay after all.

  “Best of luck then mate,” he said and I smiled at his change of heart.

  “Before you go, you could check on the cellar for me,” I said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can do it myself it’s just that it will be easier with you and Pat.”

  “No, I mean the cellars empty,” he said. “Cass said it was open when she arrived. She was pissed because she had to go down and make sure there was nothing down there.”

  “The zombie that was down there?” I asked.

  “Gone.”

  He waved his goodbyes and headed back to the house as I contemplated what he’d just said. The zombie was gone. It had broken out or been released in my absence. Worse than that it had left the house and not stopped to kill the pigs.

  While it wasn’t inconceivable to imagine that it hadn’t noticed them it was unlikely. After seeing those others, the ones that had infected Jenny, I was sure that the one eyed zombie I’d left in the cellar was a Feral.

  Smarter than the others and dangerous, faster and more agile. It wouldn’t leave a source of food if it had any choice. The only reason to do so would be to leave it as a trap for others. To wait until I returned.

  With a sudden prickling on the skin of the back of my neck, I scanned the treeline around the house. If the zombie was out there it would be watching. Waiting until the others left and I was vulnerable. Interesting.

  When the rest of the people had left I took my two prisoners inside. I locked each in a separate room and secured the house as I best I could. I went out to the pig pen and surveyed the three animals. Each of them were busily snorting and snuffling in the mud as they searched for more food. I selected the smallest and after a little effort, had it out of the pen and in my arms.

  It wasn’t that big and I was able to carry it around the side of the house. Once away from the others, I killed and swiftly butchered it. I’d never really taken any pleasure in killing animals. That was always something I only ever gained from killing people. It was necessary though.

  The world was overrun and the infection would be everywhere. Transmitted via flies and the like in summer, vermin and carrion birds. In the water if zombies got into it. We couldn’t avoid it so I wanted to be sure we could survive it.

  I cooked some of the meat over an open campfire, the scent of the pork making my mouth water even though I knew what it had been eating. When it was ready, I took some upstairs. I removed the gag and hood from the woman and left a plate of chopped up pork on the floor.

  “You gonna untie me so I can eat?” she asked.

  “No,” I replied as I closed the door. She’d manage no doubt.

  For the man, I pulled off his hood and gag and stared at him for several long seconds as I fought down the urge to kill him.

  “You do good work,” he said. “If you were to join up with me we could take over this whole country.”

  “Eat,” I instructed.

  He looked down at the plate of chopped meat and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Not hungry?” I asked.

  “Oh starving dear boy,” he said. “But I don’t trust you.”

  I grinned at him and he flinched.

  “One way or another that meat will be inside of you,” I said. “Think about all the ways that can happen then eat it.”

  “Well since you put it like that,” he said with an attempt at a smile.

  I watched him eat and when he’d finished, I picked up the plate. I didn’t want him breaking it and using the sharp edges to cut his bonds or his wrists. I retrieved the plate from the woman and left them in their separate rooms.

  That night was spent carefully watching the hills and trees around the house. I expected an attack of some sort but I didn’t know when or how. After several hours with nothing to be seen I had a couple of hour’s restless sleep until dawn came.

  When I went outside to check on the pigs I found fresh footprints in the mud. Someone had been near the house during the night and I’d missed them. It was disconcerting to say the least. I tried to figure out where they’d come from but was useless at tracking in the countryside.

  The day passed slowly. I checked on my prisoners, allowed them to use the latrine sinc
e I didn’t want to deal with the stench of them soiling themselves. That evening I fed them both again and spent another night watching the hills.

  By the third day I had seen nothing but had found fresh prints several times and even marks around the door handles that I believed indicated that something had tried to use the handle. My prisoners were still healthy and showed no signs of infection.

  Lily arrived on the fourth day with Gregg and Toby. I glared at my friend who shrugged to indicate it was out of his hands.

  “Hello Ryan,” she said with a smile as she embraced me.

  “Why are you not recovering at the island?” I asked.

  “Because I’m fine and I missed you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes really,” she said. “Is it so hard to believe that I might miss you?”

  “Well he’s not that loveable,” Gregg muttered and received a glare from her in return. I smiled and nodded.

  “He has a point.”

  “Whether he has or not, it’s time to come home,” Lily said. “We need to talk.”

  “We’ll give you some time,” Gregg said as he led Toby into the house.

  “Talk?” I asked.

  “Are they still alive?” she asked as she ignored my question.

  “Alive and healthy,” I said with a frown. “The pigs ate a lot of zombie flesh and their meat isn’t affecting the prisoners.”

  “So it’s safe for us?”

  “Well I personally would avoid a diet heavy in it, but yeah. The small amounts the fish take in or that gets into the water should be okay. I even cut the inside of their mouths.”

  “You did? Why?”

  “To see if they’d become infected when chewing the meat with an open cut… still, nothing.”

  “Then it’s time to finish here.”

  “If you insist, let me just tidy up here and we can go,” I said. “You do need to know something else though.”

  I explained about the zombie and she looked concerned. Rightly so, it was not typical behaviour and could become a huge threat to us.

  “That’s another thing we’ll need to deal with,” she said. “First though I have to tell you something.”

  “What?”