Dead Days Zombie Apocalypse Series (Season 6) Read online

  “Come on,” he muttered. “Come the fuck on.”

  The creature made its move towards Riley.

  Riley jumped to the left, then to the right.

  Outmanoeuvred it.

  And then when he was sure there was a moment, he ran to the right of it.

  Sprinted towards the opening in the wall.

  He needed to tell someone.

  He needed to let them know about the approaching crowd.

  He needed to…

  He stopped.

  All sense of the groaning disappeared.

  The smells of rot diminished.

  All he could do was stand there.

  Look at the wall.

  The opening he’d walked outside through was covered with a sheet of loose metal. Re-attached. Clearly re-attached.

  There was no opening anymore.

  His heart started to beat fast again.

  Beat fast, as the crowd of creatures approached from behind.

  As the wrong-footed creature made its way towards him again.

  Someone had sealed the wall. Already. They’d sealed the wall and they’d trapped him out here.

  Riley ran up to the wall. Bashed his fists against it. Tried to push it aside but it was stuck. Completely stuck.

  Creatures getting closer.

  Closer…

  “Help!” Riley cried. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He knew how pathetic he looked. He knew how fucking pitiful and weak he sounded. How much of an insult he was to his old, leader self.

  But there was nothing he could do.

  Nothing he could do as the mass of undead edged ever nearer.

  Nothing he could do but cry.

  Shout.

  He heard the groans getting closer. Kept on bashing his fists against the metal, even though it just drew more creature attention to his position.

  Because that didn’t matter. Not now.

  All that mattered was he got inside.

  All that mattered was he found a way back in. Fast.

  He pressed his forehead up against the metal and held his breath.

  Bashed his fists.

  Listened to the deafening cries of the dead.

  And when he finally felt the hand grab his right arm, Riley wasn’t sure what to feel, how to react.

  Other than scared.

  Ashamed.

  Weak.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “I think it’s about time we started being honest with each other. Don’t you, Riley?”

  Riley crouched against the table of the dusty, empty room. It was dark inside, only it couldn’t be much later than mid-afternoon. Grey brick walls surrounded him. A little door at the back of the room, the only way in and out. A table, two chairs.

  He was sat on one of the chairs.

  Hassan was sat on the other.

  “Riley. Are you even listening?”

  Riley raised his head. Looked into Hassan’s piercing eyes. There was something about Hassan that made his skin crawl. Not just the fact that he was blatantly chasing Jordanna, but something else. Something… intimidating. About the power he had over Riley. Over everyone else.

  How easily Riley allowed Hassan to attain that power over his people.

  “I don’t have anything more to say,” Riley said.

  Hassan tutted. Shook his head. “You were at the top of the wall talking to me. Then you decide to break out—somehow—”

  “I told you,” Riley said, raising his voice, hairs on his arms pricking up, “there was an opening.”

  “Ah yeah,” Hassan said. “This mystery opening. The one with the bloodied footprints in front of it.”

  Riley rubbed at his temples. “I know what I saw.”

  “You got out. You got out of the wall somehow. I don’t know how and I’m not sure I care, quite frankly. You’re a lucky man. Fortunate that Stu happened to see you on his way back from scouting. Again, don’t really care. What I do care about is your behaviour in general. It’s been… erratic, lately.”

  Riley took in a deep breath of the musty air. He knew what Hassan was referring to. The incident. The incident last night with Billy Warren.

  He knew. Somehow, he knew Riley was there.

  And he thought Riley was involved.

  “Come on, Riley. It’s about time you opened up. We both know you’re hiding something. We all know you’re hiding something. So just… just get it off your chest. Let it out into the open.”

  Riley leaned back. Covered his eyes with his hands. Slowly, he felt the energy drifting from his body. A mental fatigue setting in ever deeper.

  “I heard something. A scream. Outside my window.”

  Riley felt his pulse pumping in his temples.

  “And?” Hassan asked.

  Riley moved his hands from his eyes. Couldn’t bare to look at Hassan, so just stared at the grey table instead. “I saw shuffling. Thought maybe a creature had got in somehow. With everyone at the ball, I guess I just worried.”

  Hassan didn’t nod. Didn’t shake his head.

  He just watched.

  “Anyway, I… I went outside.”

  “Unarmed?”

  “No. I took… I took Jordanna’s gun.”

  The corners of Hassan’s mouth twitched.

  “But I didn’t have to use it.”

  “Billy’s body was discovered with his head blown off his neck. And you’re saying you didn’t have to use it?”

  “Just listen, okay?”

  Hassan narrowed his eyes.

  Then, he nodded.

  Riley took in a deep breath. Recalled events from last night.

  “I went out. Saw him shuffling along the streets.”

  “And you didn’t realise it was Billy at this point?”

  “No. I mean, I did eventually. But he had blood running from his eyes. His nose. From every fucking hole on his face.”

  The hairs on Riley’s arms stood as he remembered the moments that followed.

  “He looked up at me. Looked up at me with this distant look. Not quite like the creatures, but totally… vacant. Like he was sedated. Like someone was home but they weren’t answering the door.”

  He paused. Heart racing as the events replayed in his mind.

  “What happened next?”

  Riley swallowed a sickly tasting lump in his mouth. “He started laughing.”

  “Laughing?”

  “Hysterical. And then he… he stuck his tongue between his lips. Like he was goading me. Egging me on. He did that and then he bit down. And I thought then he was having some kind of seizure. I panicked, you know?”

  “So you shot him?”

  “No. Nobody shot him.”

  “Then how did—”

  “His head just popped.”

  Riley’s last word sent an echo through the small interrogation room.

  Hassan looked on, silent.

  “It ‘popped’?”

  “I know how it sounds. But I know what I saw. I watched it happen. Hassan, I think something terrible’s going on. I get the sense something just… something isn’t right. And I’m worried. Worried about what it might mean for the future of this place.”

  Hassan opened up a notepad. Jotted a few things down. Complete silence but for the scraping of his pen against the paper. Then he looked up. A tightness in his face. “You don’t have to worry. It’s not your responsibility to worry.”

  “Of course it’s my fucking responsibility to worry.”

  “No. No it isn’t. You gave up that right when you decided you didn’t want to be a part of the running of this place.”

  Riley waved a hand at Hassan. Started to stand, knees aching after the confrontation with the creatures outside.

  “I’m not finished,” Hassan said.

  Riley kept on walking towards the door.

  “I don’t think you understand, Riley.”

  Riley tried to lower the handle. Locked. Completely stuck.

  He turned. Looked back at Hassan.

  Hassan’s gun was on show.

  “Oh come on. This is ridiculous.”

  “You confessed to being out there with Billy Warren during his murder.”

  “He wasn’t murdered. I’ve told you he wasn’t—”

  “Right. His head burst. Say I believe that. Say I believe his head really did burst. Then why are you the only person who’s witnessed any of these bursty episodes?”

  Riley shrugged, mouth getting dry. “I dunno. I guess I just—”

  “Or, you had too much to drink. Which isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. You went outside. Thought you saw an undead dragging itself along. And you… y’know. ‘Popped’ it.”

  Riley felt a sudden coldness hit his core. He knew Hassan suspected him. He knew he’d suspect him even more after sharing the news that he’d witnessed what happened to Billy Warren.

  But he was actually suggesting this was something to do with the drink.

  And that scared Riley.

  “Look,” Hassan said, closing his notepad and standing. “Personally, I’d rather be dealing with medical issues. Plenty of people feeling under the weather lately. But you know how the justice system works here—”

  “I haven’t done a fucking thing wrong.”

  “And I appreciate that. I respect that. But… but one way or another, we’re going to have to get you off that drink.”

  Hassan reached to the side of Riley. Stuck a key in the interrogation room—because that’s blatantly what it was—door.

  “I trust Jordanna with you. And I’ll have someone down to speak with you about kicking the habit. But until then… just behave, Riley. Just behave. And we can keep this quiet. We can keep it between us. Because I…”

  Riley knew what Hassan was going to say.

  Because I care about Jordanna.

  But there was something surreal about this whole exchange.

  Something… off.

  Hassan sniffed. “Ah, fuck. Years since I’ve had one of these.”

  Riley didn’t pay much attention to what Hassan said.

  He just walked out the interrogation room door.

  Walked down the corridor.

  Towards the outside, where he knew his judgement would await.

  HASSAN LOOKED at himself in the bathroom mirror.

  A stream of blood trickled out of each nostril.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Not to sound like a soppy bastard, but whenever James looked into Tamara’s eyes, he couldn’t help but melt a little inside.

  Okay. Definitely a shit job of not sounding like a soppy bastard.

  The pair of them lay back on their double bed. Lay there in the darkness as night approached. They liked doing this. Not something they arranged, just something that seemed to happen most nights, whenever James finished scouting or whatever construction work needed doing.

  Food on, cooking. The pair of them just lying back on the bed.

  Waiting for a sign from their baby.

  Waiting for a spark of life.

  “I swear I felt him kick earlier.”

  James turned. Looked into Tamara’s eyes. Smiled. “‘Him’?”

  Tamara put a hand on her belly. “Well. I just have a feeling. Why? That a problem?”

  “Oh I love it when you’re touchy.”

  James leaned over. Kissed Tamara on her soft lips. Tasted a fruitiness; a fruitiness he always enjoyed, that he’d never forget.

  “Sorry,” Tamara said. “I don’t mean to snap.”

  “You’ve nothing to apologise for.”

  “I just…”

  She stopped. Turned around. Looked out through the crack in the curtains, towards the darkness outside. Rain peppered against the window. Strange for such a nice day. Out of nowhere. But James didn’t mind it. Made him feel more relaxed as he lay here with Tamara. More at ease.

  “If anything bad was going to happen, I’m pretty sure it’d have happened by now.”

  Tamara turned. Looked at James. “And who are you? Doctor James?”

  “I’m just saying—”

  “The Orions spared me because I had something inside me. When I was back at the BLZ, the people there did something to me. To my baby. I know that much.”

  “You don’t know—”

  “I do, okay?” Tamara said, raising her voice. “I just… do.”

  The pair was silent for a few minutes. James put his arm around Tamara’s warm body. Squeezed her gently. He put his other hand on her belly. Waited for a kick. For a sign of life.

  Truth was, he hadn’t felt any kicks yet. He hadn’t had any signs. And as much as Tamara insisted she’d felt movement, he wasn’t sure what to believe.

  He worried about Tamara. Worried about her mental state after the BLZ. The nightmares that woke her from her sleep. That haunted her.

  The one of the doctor placing something up inside her.

  Of a baby screaming.

  Bursting out of her chest.

  “I just want to be a good mum,” Tamara said.

  James pressed his lips against Tamara’s head. Wrapped his hands further around her body. “And you will be. You were and you will be.”

  “You’re okay with this?”

  “With—with what?”

  “I mean… the baby. I know it’s not… it’s not…”

  James knew what Tamara was going to say. ‘It’s not yours.’ He didn’t like thinking about that. Sometimes it got to him. Sometimes it bothered him.

  But really, did it matter?

  Surely what mattered more than biology, especially in these times, was that a child had a parent there for them.

  That they had someone to raise them. To look after them.

  Someone to teach them about this brave new world.

  “Of course I’m okay with it,” James said. “Unless it turns out, y’know.”

  Tamara frowned. “Turns out what?”

  James tilted his head either side. “Dawn of the Dead baby.”

  Tamara tutted. Giggled a little. “James.”

  “I’m for real! I’m not sure I could love a zombie baby. So do your best not to give birth to one, right?”

  “I’ll try my very best.”

  The pair of them lay there, smiling, laughing. And that was the beauty of what James and Tamara had. Even in the darkest of times, they saw the light. Even in the most harrowing of situations, they saw optimism. Hope.

  James stroked Tamara’s belly. Felt the softness of her skin under his fingertips.

  “You’re going to be okay. We’re both going to be okay. I’m gonna make damned sure of that.”

  Tamara reached a hand around the back of James’ neck. Pulled him close. Kissed him deeply, intensely, losing James in a tangle of emotions.

  Mostly joy.

  Mostly happiness.

  Mostly elation.

  Tamara pulled away. “Oh shit.”

  James didn’t realise what Tamara was panicking about. Not at first.

  “Did—did you feel it?”

  “Feel what?” James asked.

  Tamara grinned. Breathed loudly. Pressed James’ hand closer to her belly. “The—the baby. He kicked.”

  “He did?”

  “Don’t you feel him? Don’t you…”

  James didn’t hear Tamara. Not for much longer.

  All he could focus on was the sensation in her body.

  The little kicks.

  So gentle. But so… alive.

  Like the little man—or woman—inside Tamara was communicating with them.

  Like their baby was speaking to them.

  Saying hello.

  The kicks didn’t last long. Maybe just a matter of seconds.

  But when they stopped, it took James a few seconds longer to return to the room. To adjust himself to the sights, sounds, tastes and smells around him.

  All he could do was keep his hand on Tamara’s warm belly.

  Smile.

  He saw tears glistening as they rolled down Tamara’s cheeks. He couldn’t say anything. Couldn’t do anything. He just felt warm thoughts radiating throughout. Warm thoughts of him and Tamara. Together. Together with their baby. Together with a future.

  “It’s going to be amazing,” James said.

  Tamara wrapped her hands around him. Held him tight. Together, they laughed. Together, they cried.

  James squeezed his eyes together. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been this happy before. Not in his entire fucking life.

  HIS EYES WERE CLOSED when the figure appeared at the window.

  When it looked in through the glass at the happy couple.

  Watched them rejoice.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “But Hassan has a perfectly valid question. What the hell were you doing with my gun?”

  Riley stood in the middle of the lounge. The sun had set outside, marking the end of a bizarre day. Jordanna had been out on work, but just got back in. Contrary to Riley’s plans of telling her everything that’d happened—everything Hassan had accused him of—she seemed to know it all anyway.

  “Wouldn’t you go out there with a gun if you saw somebody dragging themselves along the street?”

  Jordanna shook her head. Took off her jacket and walked past Riley. He caught a whiff of her sweet perfume. The one she’d started wearing ever since they’d arrived here. “You wouldn’t even be in the frame if you’d come along to the bloody ball.”

  “I know,” Riley said, doing all he could to keep his calm, to steady his breathing. “And I’m sorry for that. Really. I’m going…” He stopped. Swallowed a lump in his throat. “I’m going to try. Being a better person. Being more… more responsible for myself. And for others. From now on.”

  Jordanna looked around at him as she stood outside the bedroom door. For a moment, Riley saw that flash. That spark of connection they’d both had right when they’d first met, but had long since been buried by suspicion, hate, all other manifestations of negativity. “You might not have a chance. Not anymore.”

  She turned around and walked back into the bedroom.

  Riley stood there in the middle of the lounge. He wanted nothing more than to apologise. Because he could see the truth now. He’d messed up. He’d messed up and let Jordanna down too many times.

  “I do love you. Y’know.”

  Jordanna didn’t respond. Not at first.

  And Riley didn’t press her for a response.

  He just waited.