After the Fall (Book 6): Bridge of the Dead Page 5
Dalby nodded, “Good observation Williams. Now put your gun down.”
Williams hesitated, “Sir?”
“Put the gun down.” Dalby walked over and lowered the barrel of Williams machine gun. The solider stared at Dalby, breathing fast, his eyes wide. Dalby rested his hand on Williams’s shoulder. “It’s ok, Williams, stand down.”
Williams nodded.
“Now, go and check the bridge perimeter. I’m guessing all this noise will see the zeds trapped on the bridge going crazy.”
Williams walked towards the bridge.
“The rest of you, guns down,” said Dalby.
The other soldiers did as requested. “Now go and keep an eye on the approaches. I’ll debrief the civilians.”
They dispersed, and Dalby approached Terry, holding his hands up. “Please forgive the men. They are a little wired these days, as I’m sure you can imagine.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” said Terry. “You don’t point a gun at a kid.”
Dalby shrugged. “It depends. Terry, isn’t it?”
Terry nodded.
“Do you want to check the blood on your son’s leg?”
“He hasn’t been bitten,” said Terry, “I’ve already checked.”
“Please, just humour me,” said Dalby.
Terry looked at Chris, “You know these guys?”
Chris nodded, “Just have a check. what’s it hurt?”
Terry, his eyes still on Dalby, lowered himself to Nate. “It’s alright lad, just checking your leg.” Nate’s right trouser leg was stained dark. Terry lifted it up slowly and Nate winced.
“That hurt?”
Nate nodded.
Terry moved more slowly. Although trying to hide it, his breathing got faster. A large gash was on the boy’s leg, blood dripping down his ankle into his shoe.
Terry stared at the cut. Amy gasped and let out a small cry.
“What is it Dad? What’s wrong?” said Nate, his voice breaking.
“Nothing’s wrong,” said Terry, who grabbed Nate and stood up. He turned to face Dalby. “It could be anything, he could have cut it on a rock, anything,” said Terry.
Dalby nodded. “Yes, he could, and he could also have been bitten.”
Anita backed off, pulling Ollie closer to her.
“You don’t know that, there’s no teeth marks!” said Terry.
“We have to be safe,” said Dalby. “We have to be sure.”
Terry shook his head, “You get away from him, you get away from us, there’s nothing wrong with him.” Nate was crying loudly, his face buried in his dad’s shoulder.
“Here’s the choice. You want to stay with us, we tie him up for the next few days. I’ve never seen anyone take longer than a day to turn. It’s usually within the first few hours or so. Otherwise, me and my men walk on now, and we go our own separate ways.”
“We walk,” said Terry. “You ain’t tying my son up like a fucking dog.”
“I’ll stay with you,” said Amy.
“Me too,” said Chris.
Dalby turned to Anita and David, “And what about you? You want to play happy families here, or stick with us?”
Anita and her husband looked at each other. David shrugged.
“We’re staying with you,” said Anita to Dalby. She tuned to Terry, “Sorry, but we need to be safe.”
“Do what you have to do,” said Terry.
“Fair enough,” said Dalby, “but I suggest you move quickly. The noise here will have all the zeds in the area heading this way. If we see you within the next three days, we will consider you hostile and be forced to shoot. After that, you’re free to find us again. Follow if you like, but don’t get too close.” Dalby turned from Terry and shouted to his men, “Ok, let’s move!”
The soldiers congregated from the the surrounding trees and fields. They moved off together, with Anita and David and Ollie in tow.
Ollie waved, and Nate waved back.
Chris, Amy, Terry and Nate walked slowly along the road, letting Dalby and the soldiers fade into the distance.
Chris noticed the lack of leaves on the trees, the brown birth of winter fading the life from the world.
He glanced back at the bridge, where the clamour of the undead celebrated their madness in a continual cry and moan and chatter of frenzy as they butted against the bridge walls. Every now and again, one would fall to the valley below.
“What you reckon then,” said Terry, “we catch up with them soldiers in a few days?”
“I don’t know,” said Amy. “I’m not sure I trust them.”
“What do you think?” said Terry, turning to Chris.
Chris jumped a little, he hadn’t expected to be asked. “Erm, I don’t know.”
“It matters, you know,” said Terry, “what you think. If we’re going to stick together.”
Chris felt his face flush. He glanced at Amy, who was smiling. The side of his mouth curled up into a smile of its own, even through he tried hard to push it away. “Let’s sleep on it, see how we feel in a few days.”
Terry nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Is Chris staying with us again?” said Nate.
“He is lad, as long as he behaves himself,” Terry winked at Chris. “He did a good job getting us off that bridge.”
“Come on,” said Chris, walking to the front of the group, keen to not let the others see the emotion on his face. “Let’s keep going. Reckon there might be zombies around here.”
The crunch of their feet on the road augmented the clack of leafless branches in the wind. The sound of the lonely and lifeless.
“You want to watch that Terry,” said Nan.
“You’re back,” whispered Chris to himself.
“‘Course I am lad. I wouldn’t leave my little Chris, would I? You can’t look after yourself can you,” the old woman cackled. “Like I said, you keep an eye on that Terry. First chance he gets, I tell you…”
“No, I think he means it, think he wants to be mates,” said Chris.
“You say something?” said Terry from behind him.
“Nah mate, must be the wind.”
“You listen to your Nan,” she continued. “You watch that Terry…”
THE END
You find out how Chris survived the Fall, along with seven other zombie novelettes in…
SURVIVING THE FALL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KBPYRFM
How England died. The story of the first few days of the zombie apocalypse, of those who lived, and those who died.
Surviving the Fall collects eight non-stop terror tales in one action packed volume, which together tell of the panic filled dawn of a new, undead world.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KBPYRFM
Thank you for reading Bridge of the Dead – I hope you enjoyed it.
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