Zombie Dawn Outbreak (8 page)

“Can you walk?” asked Richards.

“Not sure, I’ll do what I can,” said Rob.

The men clambered from the smashed vehicle onto the road. Rob winced in agony as he landed on his injured leg. They took up the batons and shields from the ground.

“Can you walk or not?” asked Richards.

“I don’t think so, Sarge,” said Rob.

“Matt, Gary, give him some help,” said Richards.

Richards looked around the area. Cars still whizzed in and around the wreckage of the vehicles, none stopped to give assistance. In all directions what they knew as rioters were shambling about. Most of these people were covered in blood and they seemed to amble aimlessly around.

“We can be at the station in five to ten minutes if we get a shift on,” said Richards.

The group set off towards their destination. It was hot and tiring to be constantly on the move in full riot gear, but with people being attacked all around they were glad of the protection. Whilst Gary and Matt helped Rob keep up, Richards took point.

Richards was a capable man and his anger at what had happened to his officers was about to be unleashed on anyone who dared get in their way. They took a bend to see three people in their path.

“Step aside!” shouted Richards

The people didn’t respond. Their skin was pale and oddly wrinkled, their clothes torn. Blood was all over their clothing and they staggered towards the group. They appeared to no longer be human, but brain dead, yet they moved with purpose.

“Stand aside or we will use force!” said Richards.

The people gave out groans and didn’t stop. Richards was not ever a man of violence, but these people were responsible for the deaths of his friends and fellow officers. He went forward with his shield and baton at the ready. He slammed the baton into the stomach of the first, causing it to keel over. Before it could recover he hit the back of the shoulder blades, sending the man tumbling to the ground.

He struck the legs of the next person, a woman. The baton struck her knee cap sending her tumbling to the pavement. Finally he slammed his shield into the third one and shoved him up against the building next to them.

“Why are you doing this? What is the purpose?” asked Richard.

The man didn’t reply, but stared into Richards’s eyes. His jaw opened and he fought against his hold, but couldn’t break free of the position he was wedged into. The two people on the floor were already getting up, as if they hadn’t even noticed the injuries or pain they’d received.

“Hold on to him,” said Matt.

Gary held Rob up as Matt stepped in to help Richards. The woman whose knee was knackered was kneeling, unable to get back up because of the joint injury. Matt kicked her in the face with his steel toe capped boot, her nose exploded in blood as she was thrown onto her back. He twisted around and smashed his baton horizontally into the other’s face, breaking his jaw.

“Have that you bastards!” shouted Matt.

“What are these people?” asked Richards.

“Look like zombies to me, Sarge,” said Matt.

“Don’t be ridiculous, this isn’t a movie. We’re in a shit storm and you’re living in TV land again,” said Richards.

“He’s right, I don’t know how or why, but look at the facts,” said Gary.

“Sounds like shite to me, but fuck it, I’ve had enough,” said Richards.

He swung his baton down onto the man’s head and it connected with force, making his body go limp against the shield. He pulled it back and the body slumped to the ground. The two other attackers were already trying to get back up, ignoring their injuries.

“Fuck this, let’s move on, leave those two,” said Richards.

“What?” said Matt.

“We’ve done enough damage already, I want some more answers before we start killing and maiming more civilians,” said Richards.

“Well fuck that, these are animals,” said Matt.

“You don’t know that, get going, that’s an order,” said Richards.

The four men moved on, despite the two people doing their utmost to get back on their feet to take hold of them. Fortunately, for whatever reason, they were too slow to keep up with the group. About three hundred yards on they could see a man on the ground, he was still moving slightly, clearly injured. They approached him with caution.

Richards knelt down beside the man. He’d clearly been bitten on the side of the neck, a deep wound. Blood was pouring from it. He was desperately trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding but he was getting weaker. Seeing the policeman kneel beside him he tried to ask for help, but couldn’t get a word out.

Richards knew it was too late for the man, but he put pressure on his throat, simply so the man could die knowing he wasn’t alone. A few seconds later the light from the man’s eyes faded and he stopped moving completely, his arms went limp. Richards looked up at his friends, sorrowful. It was truly a dark day.

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Richards.

“It’s the end of the world,” said Rob.

“Quit that religious crap, mate, nobody buys it,” said Matt.

“But it’s an apocalypse,” said Rob.

The dead man suddenly awoke and grabbed Richards’s hand and bit hard into the glove. The Kevlar re-enforced gloves had substantial slice protection and blunt trauma to the back of the hand, but the palms were thin, affording a good grip. The man’s lower jaw pierced the glove and drove into his palm. The sergeant gave out a cry of pain.

“You fucker!” shouted Richards.

He picked up his baton and slammed it into the man’s forehead, knocking him back to the ground. He hit him again and again until the man’s face was flattened and a bloodied pulp. He finally stopped the onslaught and stood up, cradling his wounded left hand.

“What the hell just happened?” asked Richards.

“He was a zombie,” said Matt.

“What do you mean was a zombie?” asked Gary.

“That man died and came back to life as a biting fucker,” said Matt.

“What does all this mean?” asked Richards.

“All those bitten by zombies become them,” said Matt.

“Bullshit, according to who?” asked Richards.

“Look I didn’t make up the rules, that’s what happens in the movies,” said Matt.

“It would explain how this riot turned into a fully fledged disaster so quickly,” said Gary.

“So am I just going to die and then come back to life?” asked Richards.

“We don’t know that yet,” said Rob.

“Fuck this, let’s go,” said Richards.

Matt and Gary shot a look at each other. Richards was the smartest and toughest man they’d known, but he may have just succumbed to the disease that would make him a flesh eating monster, it was a troubling thought. They finally reached the station where they were based. The main door was smashed, the windows too. A thing, like the last ones, stood outside the building.

“What do we do?” asked Matt.

“About the zombie?” asked Richards.

“Kill the bitch,” said Gary.

“Well go on then, it’s your turn to get your hands dirty,” said Richards.

The zombie, who appeared to be a woman in her late forties, turned when hearing the men. She snarled at the group before shambling towards them and raised her arms in anticipation.

“Hold on to Rob,” said Gary.

Matt took Rob’s weight onto his shoulder whilst Gary approached the zombie. He swung the shield into her arms, crushing them, whilst exposing her temple as she was forcibly turned. He smashed the truncheon down onto the side of her head with all the force he had. The precise blow downed his foe immediately, blood dripping from the gaping wound.

“Let’s go,” said Gary.

They walked through the demolished station entrance to try and find any survivors. The station was a wreck, paper and stationery strewn everywhere. Patches of blood were scattered across the floor and along the walls. There had clearly been quite a fight there. Gary could hear some noise in one of the offices around the corner. He moved quickly towards the sound. As he got to the door he bumped into Tina, knocking both of them to the ground.

“Sorry, Tina,” he said.

He stumbled to his feet and looked up at his colleague who was dragging herself upwards at a nearby desk. As he moved to help her she shot a look at him. Blood oozed from her mouth and throat, her eyes were bloodshot, crazy.

“Tina, are you still in there?” asked Gary.

There was no response. She finally straightened up and stared at him. Her arm lifted as if to reach for him, but she was a few feet away.

“Tina, please answer me!” shouted Gary.

The other men arrived in the room to see the bloody mess that Tina was in.

“Fuck, she’s gone, mate,” said Matt.

Tina began stumbling towards the men, a few steps and she’d be on them.

“Gary, sort her out!” shouted Richards.

Gary grabbed his truncheon from the floor.

“Sorry Tina, I never wanted this,” said Gary.

He hit her hard across the head sending her tumbling to her knees and exposing the back of her head. He finally smashed down the weapon on her and she fell lifeless to the floor.

They all sat down on the desk tops, staring at each other with forlorn expressions.

“What’s the plan, Sarge?” asked Matt.

“First, it’s about time you got used to someone else being in charge,” said Richards.

The men all sat solemnly for a minute before Rob finally broke the silence.

“You don’t know that you’ll become one of them,” said Rob.

“Yes we do! We’ve seen the evidence with our very eyes. Every minute I stay around you is taking us closer to disaster. Either you leave me behind or kill me, those are the options,” said Richards.

“No, fuck that! I won’t believe it! Gary, you don’t believe that do you?” said Matt.

Gary pulled his riot helmet off and wiped his sweaty brow with the sleeve of his boiler suit. He didn’t want to give any answer to this, but it was quickly becoming clear that he was going to have to take command of the situation.

“Richards is right, none of us wants to accept it, but a bite from those fuckers is the end for any of us,” said Gary.

“No way, man. He’s still living and breathing,” said Rob.

Richards grabbed Rob by the chest plate of his body armour in anger. The man was shocked and surprised.

“Listen to me, I’m finished, you must move on, survive, that’s an order!” shouted Richards.

Rob didn’t respond. None of them had ever questioned their orders, and despite them knowing in the back of their minds that he was right, none wanted to accept the fact.

“So what’s your plan?” Richards asked.

“My wife and son, I must reach them,” said Gary.

“What about you two?”

“My family live in Northumberland, not much I can do right now,” said Rob.

“I’m single, and don’t have a family,” said Matt.

He was a cynical bastard, but he happened to be correct. Matt’s parents were killed in a car crash a few years earlier, and he never was one to settle down.

“Then go with Gary, help him save his family, and then get to safety,” said Richards.

“Where is safe?” asked Matt.

“I honestly don’t know. Either head for the country where there are fewer people and maybe less problems, or hold up somewhere secure where you have lots of supplies. Hopefully, if you can survive long enough, the military will get things under control. Be under no illusions, this is potentially the start of an apocalypse, you must do everything you can to survive,” said Richards.

“What will you do?” asked Gary.

“I suppose I’ll put my feet up, have a coffee and watch the world go by,” said Richards.

His cool resolve had stayed true to the end. It was a hard decision for the sergeant to make, to choose to be left behind. Every part of him wanted to carry on with his friends, but he knew better. Despite this deep sadness, the hardened copper would never let his friends see weakness.

“It’s time we left, grab the keys to one of the cars,” said Gary.

Matt took the keys from reception for one of the squad cars out on the road. They were fortunate for this respite, but it was time to get on with their task, to Gary’s family. Matt helped Rob back to his feet and they began to move out of the building.

“Good luck, all of you,” said Richards.

“And to you, Sarge, thank you,” said Gary.

Getting to the door of the station they could see a group of zombies shambling forwards, between them and the car.

“Hey Sarge, how about one last fight?” asked Matt.

“Gladly,” said Richards.

The four men drew their truncheons and held up their shields. Rob could stand and fight, he only had a problem covering distance. Richards went forward first, no longer having any fear of death or injury, only a bitter hatred of the enemy. He swung his baton horizontally into the first creature’s face, sending it spinning on its feet. Before the beast could tumble to the ground he smashed the baton down on its skull. The neck jolted and the zombie crumpled to the ground.

Gary drove forwards, he smashed the first beast in the face with the rim of his shield. The round riot shields they carried were light, less than a kilo each, but they were enough to control an opponent. With his first target sent flying backwards onto the tarmac, Gary spun around and smashed his truncheon onto the back of another creature’s head. As the zombie slumped over, he kicked it in the face with his steel toe capped boots. Blood spurted from its crumpled face as it flew onto its back. Before it could recover, Gary swung his baton down onto its skull, trapping it between the weapon and ground. The strong downward blow immediately fractured the skull.

Matt charged at his target, screaming. He barged into the zombie with his shield, driving it to the boot of the car they were intending to take. The strong charge forced the creature’s spine onto the edge of the car, with Matt’s bodyweight forcing its torso to arch over the vehicle, breaking its back. The spine cracked with an unpleasant sound, but Matt didn’t hesitate. He used his truncheon with a hammerfist blow twice on its head. The strong strikes bloodied its face and dented the boot of the car. Finally he swung the baton around and brought it down full force onto the beast’s skull. The zombie slumped down onto Matt, but he just stepped back in disgust, allowing it to topple to the street.