Pet From Hell (Infected Series Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter Twenty Seven

We headed out the back door and crept through the darkness to the gap in the fence. Squeezing through the gap we headed toward the garage. We came to the roller door and Chris tapped on the metal.

“Jay open up it’s going to start getting busy out here soon.” Chris said.

After a short while there was a rattle and the door opened enough for us to slip inside. Jay was stood to the side of the door and dropped it as soon as we were inside.

“How did it go?” He asked.

Chris shrugged and said “As well as you can expect. They’re dead and we’re alive.”

“Were are the women?” I asked.

Jay turned and pointed to a small office in the corner of the garage and said “They’re in there. There was a few coveralls on pegs inside so three had them and I took my t-shirt off and gave it to the other one, but before we leave in the morning we’re going to have to find something better for them.”

“Okay let’s make sure this place is secure for the night. I’ll take first watch.” I said.

Chris looked at Jay, shrugged and said “Come on mate, let’s leave him to it. I’ve got a feeling he needs sometime to himself.”

I walked round the garage floor for a while before sitting on the bonnet of a car. My thoughts went to Becky and I felt a weight lift from my heart. I sat looking into the darkened garage, when I heard moans come from outside. I slid off the bonnet and crept over to the door and listened. The moans were faint but seemed to be getting closer. I stood there for five or ten minutes silently listening as the moans approached the garage. The moans became louder and seemed to be coming from the other side of the roller door. The door rattled and seemed to get pushed inward. I crept over slowly and stood about five feet from the door. Just then I heard a clatter of something hitting the floor behind me. I whirled round and found one of the women heading for the small toilet at the rear of the garage.  The moaning suddenly got louder and something bashed the roller door. Then it hit the door again and again, the sound echoed round the garage.

“Marc, what’s happening?” Chris said as he ran over with his rifle.

I looked over at the woman who was cowering near a car and said “It was an accident, a spanner or something hit the floor at the wrong time.”

He looked over at the woman as Jay appeared from the dark.

“Jay be nice and take her back to the others, ok?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, no problem Chris.” With that said he walked over and knelt in front of the woman. I could hear a whispered conversation and he helped her stand up and walk over to the office. He then ran across the garage floor back to us.

“Right Jay, get up on the shelves and have a look out the window and let us know what you see. Marc I want you to find some cover and keep an eye on the roller door and I’ll have walk round and see if there anymore entrances.” Chris said taking charge.

I found a car opposite the door and leaned across the bonnet with my rifle. I heard Jay climbing the shelves and then jump down he ran over to where I was and leaned over the bonnet beside me.

“Well?” I asked.

“It’s clear on that side but I couldn’t make out anything further than a few feet.” He said.

Chris appeared shortly afterward and said “There is a fire door at the back near the office, but that’s the only other exit.”

Jay told Chris what he had seen from the windows. We stood there watching as the door bent and rattled against the pounding of the infected.

Tracy appeared beside us and said “We’re starting to get worried back there.”

“Look we’re worried out here as well, it’s probably best if you go back and keep the others quiet.” Chris said

“No need to get upset. I just thought you should know.” She said glowering at him.

“Just keep them quiet and if anything happens there’s a fire door near the office. Get out and run for it ok?” Chris said.

“We will don’t you worry. I’ve had enough of men to last me a lifetime.” She said storming away into the darkness.

I sighed and looked at the door.

“Women they think they’re the most important things in the world.” Chris muttered.

“Mate just think on what you have just said.” I replied.

“Just what the fuck do you mean by that?” He said snapping.

“Chris calm down mate.” Jay said.

“I’ll fucking calm down when he explains what he fucking means.”

“Look at what’s happening outside dude. People are dying and then coming back and they outnumber us. I don’t think there are too many living left.” I said before going on “The women we have are probably going to be the most important of us all. Because they are the only ones that can carry the children of the future that is if we are going to have one.”

“Still doesn’t mean they can order us about.” He said his voice getting subdued.

“Look she was only letting us know they are a scared as we are and if you think of what they have been through you could see why.” I said watching him out the corner of my eye.

Chris’ shoulders slumped and he looked at the floor like he had been told off by his mam. I could sort of understand how he felt. Today had been one thing after another and it was Chris who had wanted to come and save the women from the bikers. I would have said as much but the banging on the door increased and the moans seemed to increase, not in volume but the amount of voices.

“I wish I knew how many were out there.” I said.

Jay looked across at Chris and said “I could go out the fire door and have a look.”

“Look if you were going out the fire door so would all of us.” Chris said.

“Why not go out the fire door?” I said.

Chris looked like someone had smacked him in the face and then said “You know I am such a fucking idiot. If there aren’t any infected outside the fire door, then we could all leave that way.”

Jay headed to the fire door and we heard it quietly open. Chris and I headed over to the office, while he went to have a look at the fire door, I looked in on the women. They were all huddled on the floor as far from the door as possible.

I knelt down in the doorway and said “Look we might have found a way out of here. Once we get away and find a safe enough place, you’re free to head out on your own. Just to let you know before you make that decision. The three of us were heading toward a bunker that is supposed to be secure. It was built for this sort of thing in mind. The only thing is we don’t know if anyone is in there or that if there is they will let us inside.”

“Are you sure it’s there?” Tracy asked.

“Chris has seen the location before and he thinks that because this thing hit us so quickly no one would have made it there.” I said.

Chris appeared next to me and said “It’s clear out there at the moment, but I don’t know how long before the infected head this way. So let’s get a move on.” And he turned back into the darkness.

I stood and followed. I could hear the women shuffling and standing behind me. Getting to the door I saw Chris stood waiting for me.

“Marc when you get outside take the left side, Jay has the right. I’ll lead the women out, there’s an alley straight across from the door. We’ll head down there and circle back round to the A.P.C, load up and leave. When the last of the women have past Jay will go next and you can be rear guard. You ok with that?” He said.

“Fine, let’s get out of here.” I said slipping out the doorway to the left and knelt covering my side of the building.

Chapter Twenty Eight

I heard a murmured conversation from inside the garage. Then Chris with the women in tow left the building and headed toward the alley. Tracy was the last woman to leave and Jay fell in behind her. I gave myself a count of five before following the. I let my rifle drop on its sling and pulled the long crowbar from my belt. I reasoned that if I needed to I could drop an infected without having to make too much noise. Keeping enough distance between myself and Jay, we slowly circled round in a wide circle toward where we parked the A.P.C. Moving between the industrial units was quite easy. I think most of the infected in the area had headed over to the bikers compound and the garage. I heard a moan come from a side alley as the main group past it by.

With the space between Jay and myself, I was well placed to see the shambling form detach from the shadows and stumble into the street. I could roughly tell it was a man by the size and shape. It looked like he had an arm ripped off at the elbow. He must have been one of the fresher kills because I could see something which I assumed was blood dripping from the torn arm. Taking my time I slowly snuck up behind the infected and brought my crowbar down on the back of his head. Only to be surprised with a clunk sound and the infected staggering forward only to turn round and stumble toward me. I could see a rough beard, eyes hidden behind large eyebrows. Quickly I reversed the crowbar so that I had the straight end pointing forward. The infected growled and with outstretched arms went to grab me. Ducking down his hands just missed grabbing my head, pushing up from my knees I pushed the crowbar under and through his jaw. I pushed upward with what strength I had and it slowly pierced the roof of the infected mouth, as his hands tried to claw at me. I can feel the blood and other slime from the rotten brain slowly run down my arm as I pushed the crowbar further into the head of the infected. I could feel some resistance inside its head. Giving the crowbar a wiggle it dropped to the floor and didn’t move again.

Looking up I noticed the others had disappeared and I didn’t know which way they had turned. Fucking great I’m lost with a boat load of flesh eating infected nearby. Taking my time I headed in the direction which I had seen the group headed. Getting to a junction I looked both ways but there was no sight of them. I was busy trying to figure out which I direction to head in when quite a few moans slowly came from one side of the junction. It might be a good idea to head in the opposite direction to the moans. So turning to the right I quickened my pace. The clouds had parted and the moon lit the street a lot better. Seeing nothing shambling or crawling toward me, I started to run. My gear started to rattle and jingle, and I was scared that it would pull more infected toward me. There was no reason to make any more noise than was need. Looking down each alley and side street, I couldn’t see our group even with the extra light from the moon.

Pulling up short of the next junction, I really did need to find somewhere to lay up and search for them in the morning. In the dark I didn’t have a clue where I should be heading even with the moonlight. Looking round I saw a small unit that looked like it might serve my needs till morning. Heading over the junction to the door. I tried the handle and found it locked. Bloody great, lost and nowhere nearby to hide till morning. Heading down the alley to the back of the building I noticed my salvation at the back. A ladder stretched up the rear to the roof. Climbing up I peered over the edge to make sure I had no surprises. Nothing stood out as out of place so I pulled myself up on to the roof and stood up. Looking round there where a few air conditioning units and two skylights, but nothing else for which I was grateful for.

I settled down between the air conditioning units, sitting with my back to one of them. I was lucky that the night was still quite mild. The surface of the roof wasn’t very comfortable to sit on and I knew lying down on it would be even more uncomfortable, so sitting was the less of two evils. The rest of the night passed slowly and without any further incident. As the sky lightened I stood up and looked round to see if I could spot where the A.P.C was parked. I could just make out the bikers compound in the distance and the garage. Near the edge of the industrial estate I could hear the rumble of an engine. Looking in the direction the sound was coming from I tried to figure out a way to get there by turning the fewest corners. After setting the route in my mind I climbed down the ladder and headed off. Still taking my time I moved from one junction to the next. The noise of the engine got louder as I followed the route I had set in my mind. Turning the last corner I saw the A.P.C in the centre of a car park, with Jay stood on the top.

Seeing me come round the corner he waved at me and then climbed down inside. The engine revved and started to move toward me, I ran out away from the side of the building and Chris pulled the A.P.C. beside me. I went to the back door and pulled it open to see the four women and Jay looking out at me. I climbed inside and headed to the passenger seat and sat down.

Chris looked across at me before pulling away.

“Where did you disappear to last night?” His deep voice rumbled.

“Well I decided to go and see your girlfriend.” I said.

“Funny fucker.” He said laughing.

“An infected cut in between Jay and me. So I had to deal with it, but by the time it was down you had disappeared round one of the corners. I tried to catch up but I couldn’t find which way you went. So I ended up spending the night on the roof of some small unit.” I said.

Jay stuck his head in between the seats and asked “So how did you find us this morning?”

“I heard the engine and headed toward it.”

“See I told you that he would find us if we started the engine.” Jay said to Chris.

“Ok, don’t dislocate your shoulder patting yourself on the back.” Chris said smiling “But it is good to see you Marc. The women were a bit scared something had happened to you.”

I just smiled because I didn’t think it was the women who were scared something had happened to me, but men are all about acting tough so I didn’t say anything.

We headed out of the industrial park before I asked “So what we doing now?”

Chris was silent for a few minutes before saying “The ladies in the back have asked if they can come with us to the bunker. Jay and I agreed, but you have a say in this as well.”

“Look its ok with me. I think they are safer with us than by themselves.” I said looking over my shoulder at the women huddled at the far end of the cabin.

Each of them were filthy and their hair hung limply down around their faces. Each seemed to be in their mid to late twenties, but with the dirt on them I couldn’t be sure. Tracy looked up at me and gave a small smile before lowering her head again.

Turning round I watched as Chris pulled us back on to the ring road and set off southward again. We passed the petrol station where we had our first run in with the bikers and I could see shit bag and his infected friend still lying in the car park. We had to slow a few times to push vehicles out of the way or to run over small packs of infected but we made pretty good time. Coming to the last junction of the ring road Chris guided the A.P.C. up the off ramp. Turning on to a small ‘B’ road we made good time till we hit the site of a large accident. A lorry had overturned and dragged its trailer about thirty feet. The cars in front mustn’t have been able to slow down enough because there was a pile up of about twenty cars. One in the centre of the mess must have caught alight, because the nearly all the cars and part of the trailer were burnt to a crisp.

Every car seemed to have someone burnt up inside. We managed to use the A.P.C to shove the trailer enough for us to scrape by and I mean scrape by. Chris must have caught the back end of the trailer as we passed and dug a groove into the armour on the side. The groove started just after the passenger window and went all the way to the rear bulkhead. Jay opened the roof hatch and the smell of smoke and burnt meat wafted inside, making a few of the women retch.

“Jay will you shut that fucking hatch the smell is making my eyes water.” Chris yelled.

“I was just trying to get some fresh air in here.” Jay replied sullenly.

“Jay mate you could have waited till we were on the other side of this accident.” I said.

“Yeah, that might have made more sense.” He said climbing up to pull the hatch closed.

Looking over at Chris he turned and mouthed ‘We’ll talk about it later.’ I nodded and turned to watch the hedges flow past our large vehicle.