‘I still don’t get it’ Katie blurted with a frown. ‘If there’s no leak then what happened to the petrol?’

  Harry swung away from the rear window and sat back on the padded seat with Cassie beside him, leaving a space between them and the eternally sobbing Sarah. ‘Don’t know’ he said, ‘but we’re burning it up like nobody’s business. And it’s diesel, not petrol.’

  ‘Well whatever it is’ snapped Ben, ‘we haven’t got enough of it...’

  Standing a few feet away Chris McReedy leaned against the side window and stared out at the ravaged landscape, his anxious breath frosting the glass. There seemed to be no end to the collapsed houses, scarred earth and fallen trees, and no signs of other survivors either. Just yesterday they had been secure (if not altogether safe) in the Shoreham bungalow with enough provisions to keep them going. Now they were nearly out of fuel with no food, drink or medical supplies and with the added threat of enemy soldiers out there somewhere too. His heart sank when he weighed up their diminishing chances.

  ‘Damn it!’ swore Ben as the van jolted again. The engine was shuddering in its death throes and he knew that it wouldn’t get them much further. He slapped the steering wheel, trying to urge the vehicle on like a jockey in the final furlong.

  But the campervan had run its last race.

  With a final mechanical groan it fell abruptly silent and all of a sudden the only sounds were trundling wheels on the littered asphalt and a gasp from Katie. The road sloped ever so slightly downhill and Ben used every inch of the incline to guide the lifeless carcass of the van as far as he could. Thirty feet on it slowed and finally stopped for good.

  Plunged into a sudden eerie silence, every one of them (including Sarah) looked out of the windows at their surroundings. The road was made narrower on either side by more abandoned cars as well as the now familiar signs of destruction, but there were no signs of the dead.

  ‘What now?’ asked Chris, his tentative whisper still loud enough for them all to hear.

  Ben gulped and clicked open the driver’s door. He instinctively removed the long-handled axe from his belt and paused for a moment before stepping out of the vehicle.

  ‘We keep going’ he said wearily. ‘We just keep going.’

  ~ 13 ~

  ‘Get behind me’ ordered Ben. ‘I’ll take care of it.’

  They had been walking for seven minutes when they encountered their first zombie, a lone straggler so heavily decomposed that its sex could not be determined. Its face was a mushy mess of grey-green and its only discernible features were one sunken milky-white eye and a clacking, almost skeletal jaw.

  Ben raised his axe and jogged ahead of the others toward the thing. He vaguely heard Katie tell him to be careful as he swung the blade and caught the monster midway up the left side of its skull. Whether it was the strength and determination behind the blow or whether decomposition was just so far advanced, the thing’s head exploded like an overripe pumpkin. The almost liquefied brain matter of its scalp hit the ground with a squelch while the remainder of the creature’s body, upright for a split-second, tottered forward a step and then collapsed under its own weight.

  Flicking foul-smelling gunge from the edge of the axe, Ben gasped and turned back to the others. Katie’s hands were over her mouth while the increasingly pale Sarah shook uncontrollably by her side. Standing behind them with Cassie on his shoulders, Harry Skinner gave a grunt of approval for the efficiency of the ‘kill’ while Chris, standing at the back of the group, looked out for other potential threats. A large knife (given to him by Harry) flashed in his white-knuckled hands.

  In the short time since they had been on foot the group had found and tried to start five other vehicles, all without success. The lifeless clicking sounds of unresponsive ignitions were torture to them now along with the glaring absence of other survivors. Even the eternally pessimistic Ben thought that there must be others like them somewhere...

  The former commercial artist glanced at his watch and wiped the face of it with his thumb. The glass surface was scuffed a little but he could still read the time clearly. It was 11.47am and the April sun was high in the sky. He closed his eyes for a moment and lifted his face to the heavens, welcoming the golden warmth on his skin.

  ‘Where are we?’ Chris asked wearily while looking around. The road was narrow with high hedges to the left and a row of partially collapsed houses to the right. A metal sign, shorn apart and bent out of shape, lay face up against the edge of the kerb. The only legible part of the sign indicated somewhere that ended in ‘...llow Road.’

  ‘Sevenoaks, somewhere’ mumbled Katie. Her voice sounded equally as tired as Chris’ although her fatigue was almost entirely mental. Fighting a woozy light-headedness, she bit hard into her bottom lip until the pain (along with the coppery taste of blood) refocused her mind. Then she looked up in time to see Ben stride across the road toward yet another car, this time an abandoned green hatchback. He leaned in through the open driver’s window and she heard a jangle of keys, quickly followed by a loud click. It was enough to tell her that their hopes had been dashed once more.

  ‘That’s it’ Ben snapped. ‘We’re fucked.’

  ‘Ben...’ warned Katie while looking sideways at Cassie. The little girl was sitting quietly atop Harry Skinner’s shoulders with the knitted doll still in her hands, as carefree as could be and seemingly oblivious to their concerns. Ben wasn’t sure if his wife was scolding him for swearing in front of the child or for damaging the group’s already delicate morale. Either way, he was embarrassed and apologised almost immediately.

  After a moment of silence Chris scratched the nape of his neck and slowly turned around in a circle. ‘We can’t be the only ones left...’ he muttered. ‘We just can’t...’

  Ben clenched a fist in frustration. Without transport they wouldn’t be able to get much further, which meant that they needed food and drink and a secure place to take stock before deciding what to do next. As if reading Ben’s mind, Harry Skinner sauntered closer and said: ‘Better find somewhere to ‘ole up.’

  ‘Not there’ Ben replied, looking at the nearest row of houses. ‘They look ready to collapse.’

  Chris heard him and pointed further ahead away to the left. There was a gap where one row of hedges ended and another began, and set back between the two, almost hidden completely behind a row of tall trees, was the very edge of a roof.

  ‘What about there?’ the teenager suggested.

  ‘Maybe’ rumbled Harry. ‘It’s off the road for a start. Might be worth a look. We can’t stay ‘ere...’

  Ben nodded. He knew if the zombies behind them were still on the same course then the area would be swarming with them before long.

  At that exact moment Katie let out a cry and Ben whirled around in panic. Sarah, tottering unsteadily a moment earlier, had suddenly collapsed onto the road. ‘Jesus!’ shrieked Katie, dropping to her knees beside the limp body. Grabbing Sarah’s wrist she frantically checked for a pulse, relieved to find one. ‘She’s fainted’ she gasped, rolling the girl over onto her back and lightly tapping the side of her face. ‘Sarah? Sarah? Quickly, Chris. Help me with her!’

  The teenage boy slipped the large knife into his belt and, overcoming his initial shock, rushed over as fast as he could. His chin trembled as he stood staring at Sarah’s lolling head and flickering eyes, an incoherent moan leaving her lips. He scowled and looked quickly to Katie for reassurance. ‘Shit, is she okay?’

  ‘I think so. She’s out of it though. She’s lucky she didn’t bang her head. Hey Sarah, can you hear me?’

  Chris sank to his haunches and leaned over his former girlfriend, carefully brushing away lank strands of hair from her face. ‘Sarah, you okay?’

  Suddenly, the girl’s eyes blinked open and Chris gasped in relief. He watched as she raised a fumbling hand to wipe a dribble of drool from the corner of her mouth and, although still disoriented, tried to sit up.

  ‘Whoa, hang on’ cautioned Katie, gently pressing her back down. ‘Give yourself a minute first. Take a deep breath and relax...’

  Standing behind them Harry Skinner gave a loud huff and lifted Cassie off of his shoulders. ‘We ‘aven’t got time for this’ he scowled. ‘Let me take ‘er.’

  Before the others could say a word he bent down and swept the dazed girl into his arms, lifting her from the ground as though she weighed no more than a bag of straw. Then he flexed his back muscles, shifting the position of the shotgun on his shoulder to one that was more comfortable.

  ‘Hold on, Harry’ said Katie. ‘I want to check that she’s not hurt anywh-‘

  ‘No time for that. Now you take the little ‘un. We need to get up to that place as soon as can be.’

  Katie looked at her husband, who nodded back at her in agreement before starting to lead them along the road with the axe in hand. As the others followed Chris drew the large knife from his belt and took to the rear, glancing around to make sure that they weren’t being followed. One by one they passed the fallen body of the zombie that Ben had ‘killed’ and as the teenager trudged by he was unable to resist peering closer.

  ‘Hey Ben’ he called from the back of the line. ‘Maybe there is some justice in the world after all...’

  Without turning around, Ben answered: ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Well I’m not sure, but I think this one used to be a traffic warden.’

  Ben shook his head as the glimmer of a smile danced over his lips.

  The house was further away than it had first appeared and was set back at the end of a long gravel driveway. Two large wrought iron gates lay mangled on the ground at the entrance as if someone had driven through them to get out. That posed a question in itself, but if they were going to stay here for any length of time – and stay safe - then they would need to be reattached somehow. The house itself was much bigger than they expected too, mansion was a far better description. From halfway along the driveway Ben worked out that the place had at least three floors. ‘I’ll check it out’ he said, quickening his pace on the crunching gravel.

  ‘Be careful’ Katie warned predictably.

  ‘Always.’

  Ben reached the large white front door and craned his neck to look up. Every window on every level was (amazingly) intact apart from one at the very top where the glass was cracked and broken. The roof looked solid enough though; in fact the whole place showed very little in the way of structural damage, definitely another plus point. Readying the axe in his right hand Ben prodded at the door with his left, finding that it was locked solid. Lowering the weapon and taking a step back, he turned to look left along the furthest edge of the building before edging toward it.

  ‘Hang on Ben, don’t...’ Katie warned as the rest of the group caught up. He looked back at her, waving away her concerns.

  ‘It’s okay’ he said. ‘I’ll just take a quick look around the back.’ Then he pointed down at the ground. ‘This shingle’s everywhere. If there is anything then I’ll hear it straight away.’

  Katie rolled her eyes and gave a reluctant nod. In response Ben flashed a smile and quickly disappeared out of sight.

  ‘Wow’ he mouthed as he turned the corner, realising just how huge the place really was - far bigger than it seemed from the front. Must be worth five, maybe six million he thought, although of course that was before the world had turned to shit.

  Flanked by a row of large oak trees (the first two of which had fallen) the side passage led to an expansive rear garden enclosed on three sides by tall, thick hedges. Four colourful flowerbeds and a well maintained rockery were accompanied by a manicured lawn. It was as if the place had been magically cocooned, somehow escaping the destruction that had hit everywhere else.

  Ben shifted his feet and once more gravel crunched beneath his boots. He had been right about that. It was everywhere around the perimeter of the house and was certain to warn him of approaching danger (although he had neglected to mention to Katie that it was just as likely to alert others to his presence). Looking to the back of the building his eyes fell on a huge conservatory which, once again, was miraculously intact. Then his heart skipped a beat. The outer doors of the conservatory were open, but more importantly so were the glass sliding doors that led directly into the mansion itself.

  Just like that, there was a way in.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Katie asked Sarah while leaning closer to study the girl’s slightly dilated pupils. Harry had sat the teenager down by the front doorstep and stepped aside, allowing the older woman to examine her more closely.

  Sarah was fully conscious again but was no less despondent - and no less surly. Her mouth was in a permanently downturned state and her eyes were ringed with dark circles. She glared at Katie and her expression alone hit the other woman like the worst insult imaginable. Clenching her teeth, she turned away without answering the question.

  Katie sighed, powerless to stop the girl’s inevitable descent into gloom. There was no way she could tell Sarah that everything was going to be alright if she didn’t believe it herself. If the teenager was going to come back from this, it was down to her and her alone...

  Suddenly, the large door behind Sarah clicked loudly and began to open. Gasping in panic, she tried to stand but stumbled forward instead and collapsed into Katie’s arms. Harry roared a warning and drew his machete, barging them both aside just as Ben appeared in the open doorway.

  ‘Quickly’ he snapped. ‘Get inside.’

  ‘Wow’ whispered Chris, taking in the wide reception area. A dark wooden floor greeted them as they entered a foyer decorated with an array of paintings on both sides and a large chandelier overhead. Only the lightest dusting of plaster on the floor and a couple of crooked picture frames showed evidence of the recent bombings. To the right, through a partially open door, could be seen a large dining room complete with a huge oak table and around a dozen chairs. To the left was another door, ajar enough to reveal a drawing room full of opulent furnishings and a large grandfather clock. The group paused while taking note of their surroundings and for a few seconds the only sound was the deep click of the clock’s mechanism.

  ‘There’s some money ‘ere’ rumbled Harry Skinner, making Cassie look sharply around expecting to see piles of coins and treasure. Perplexed, she gave the bearded giant a confused look.

  ‘Is it empty, Ben?’ asked Chris as Katie moved past him. Sarah was leaning against her shoulder while trying to shake of the last traces of dizziness.

  ‘I haven’t seen or heard anything yet’ Ben answered. ‘I got in through a conservatory at the back. There’s a big kitchen through there, too. But look around, the place is pretty clean. I think we’d know it if any of those things were here...’

  Katie eased Sarah into a plush chair outside the dining room and turned to point up a wide staircase leading to the second floor. ‘What about up there?’

  Ben shrugged. ‘I came straight through from the back.’

  ‘In that case’ said Katie, ‘we should check out every room before we do anything else. And together, too.’

  Harry Skinner rolled his eyes before grunting in reluctant agreement. His belly rumbled and it was loud enough for them all to hear.

  ‘Kitchen first’ he mumbled.

  Slowly, carefully, the entire group (with a recovered Sarah at the rear) worked their way around the place, honouring Harry’s request and starting with the ground floor kitchen.

  It was a large room with a central island where pots and pans had been dislodged from an overhead rack and scattered all over the tiled floor. Katie and Chris picked them up as quietly as they could and put them on the work surfaces while Harry headed straight for the larder. He found the shelves heavily stocked with all sorts of tinned fruit and vegetables, along with cartons of cereal and jars of preserves. Unable to resist, he grabbed a box of cereal and ripped open the top, delving in to take a fistful of the contents.

  ‘Harry’ Katie sighed as the big man turned around, crumbs of cereal dropping from his mouth onto the floor. Wiping his beard, he merely shrugged while Cassie looked up at him and giggled.

  ‘Taps still work’ said Ben, standing over a chunky white enamel sink on the other side of the kitchen. A stream of water, murky at first but turning clear after a couple of seconds, splashed into the basin. With a nod of satisfaction Ben turned the taps off.

  ‘Urghh’ muttered Chris as he opened the door of a tall American style fridge. A rancid cocktail of mouldy cheese, sour milk and rotten fish hit his nostrils and he quickly closed it again. ‘Still no power then’ he gasped.

  ‘Hey’ said Katie to no one in particular. ‘Look at this.’ She had opened another large door near the kitchen exit and was peering down three thick stone steps into near darkness. Somewhere in the gloom below a polished gleam of steel and chrome caught her eye. ‘It’s a car’ she said as Ben appeared behind her.

  ‘No good though’ he replied. ‘Even if it works we can’t get out through that garage door. No electricity.’

  Reluctantly, Katie closed the door again. ‘Bit too sporty for us anyway...’ she mumbled.

  Moving from the kitchen, the group investigated every other room on the ground floor. As well as the drawing room and dining room there was a laundry room, another lounge (that led out to the conservatory) and a working toilet. One by one they made use of its facilities before climbing the staircase up to the second floor.

  ‘I don’t know why anyone would leave here’ said Ben as they entered the first room, a home office complete with writing desk and lifeless computer. A couple of books had fallen from a shelf behind the desk onto the floor but otherwise the room was tidy.

  Katie gulped. ‘Maybe they didn’t realise just how bad it was out there. We certainly didn’t.’

  The other rooms on the second floor also showed minimal signs of disturbance. There was a bathroom (complete with another toilet and extra large tub) and two bedrooms. One bedroom clearly belonged to a young girl, with its dressing table full of makeup and walls adorned with posters of boybands. A chest of drawers (with clothes dangling from every open drawer) was against one wall with a half-eaten apple, brown and furry with fungus, resting on the top. On the floor next to the chest of drawers was an open holdall, partially filled with more clothes.

 

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