Nobody in the Range Rover felt like talking. Recent quarrels and disputes were forgotten. The only thing on all their minds was the death of Wing Commander Jonny "Vaggers" Vagabond. The team were not much given to sentimentality after their recent experiences but they knew they?d lost someone who had contributed more than most and he was going to be greatly missed as a person and as a warrior.
However, the permanent sense of peril that surrounded them forced them to put aside regrets and sorrows and concentrate on their next move.
Will was the first one to break the silence and he spoke with an authority he hadn?t shown before.
"We?ll do what The Wingco suggested last time - head for a hill with good all-round visibility and take stock.."
Neither of the other two objected or disagreed. When they had reached a suitable spot, Will turned off the engine and sat back in his seat - still the only seat in the car.
"Mrs Hebden-Lloyd??," he began.
"Will," interrupted Schula, "I think that, all things considered, we can forget the formalities now - it?s Shula. Please."
Will smiled to himself. "Shula," he started again, "I think there may be a bottle of The Wingco?s whisky left?"
Shula rummaged through the bedding, supplies, ammunition and clothes that were piled up in the back of the Range Rover. Within moments, she gave a little shout of triumph and held up an unopened bottle, bearing the label Glengoyne 21.
"I?m no expert, but I think The Wingco liked a good malt and this one is definitely a good one?.!" Reverend Tinker was studying the label appreciatively. Having seen the Reverend in a fight, the others showed no surprise at his whisky knowledge, even though he claimed not to be an expert.
"Just a couple of drams in memory of The Wingco then decide what to do next. No more than that, though - we can?t afford to let our guard down." With that, Will opened the bottle and Shula passed the mugs round. There were no speeches, just a muttered "Here?s to The Wingco" from the three survivors. They drank the first dram straight off, replenished their mugs and sipped the second slowly and appreciatively. The whisky-warmth, the mellow flavour, the rich aroma all served to give a feeling of relaxation and a memory of better times, the like of which they hadn?t experienced since the world fell apart.
Next day, after a quiet night, they made a plan.
"We haven?t seen any zombies in the countryside - only when we?ve been to places to find supplies." This was Shula, starting the conversation.
?Yeah,? Will agreed. "It?s quite simple really. We need supplies and we?re going to have to fight for them. I think we should move a bit closer to Borchester. There?ll be more useful stuff there than the villages we?ve been scavenging in so far. I suggest we head for Stoney Ridge. You can see for miles towards Borchester from there - it?ll give us some idea of how things are over that way."
That plan was adopted and 45 minutes later, the Range Rover was creeping along the top of Stoney Ridge. They were all keeping a sharp lookout as always, although they hadn?t seen any zombies in this kind of isolated area previously. Suddenly, Will braked.
"Am I going crazy or is that a tent on the edge of the woods - straight ahead and to the left?"
They all peered through the windscreen and there was no doubt, it was a tent. Could this be a survivor or just an old campsite from before the zombie nightmare?
This unspoken question was soon answered. As they neared the tent, a man dropped lightly from the branches and hurried towards them, obviously thrilled to see them. He was unkempt and looked exhausted. His clothes were the best quality outdoor gear, however despite his ragged appearance.
At this point, Brian was actually unarmed but I thought snapping the pistol off just for a photo would be a bit extreme"A survivor?!", yelled Will and then turned in surprise as Shula wrenched open the back door and rushed to meet the newcomer.
"Brian", she was shouting "Brian Aldridge. Can it be you?"
"Shula, yes, it?s me. How did you get here? Is that Will Grundy? This is amazing."
Brian was Shula?s cousin-in-law and when they had got over the shock of this surprise meeting and had exchanged stories of how they had survived the apocalypse, Brian was anxious to explain the dreadful situation he was in.
"It?s Jenny", he said. Jenny was Shula?s cousin. "The strain must have got to her because for no obvious reason, she climbed down the ridge. There?s an old caravan down there and lots of junk. I think there was a plan to build a visitor centre or something. It never got proper funding so the site?s been abandoned for years. We?d seen no zombies for days but the car has run out of petrol. We decided to camp on the ridge for a night. I went off to try and find something to eat, trap a rabbit or something, and when I got back, she?d left a note to say she?d seen this caravan and was going down to it to see if we could use it. What possessed her? I ran over to the edge but there was no sign of her down there but there were zombies?! What could I do? I?ve no weapons. I?ve been going mad with worry and then you all arrived."
can Jenny still be alive down there?Brian paused for breath and sat down on a log a picture of despair. Will immediately took charge.
"Brian, we?ll help you. We need more people in our group if we?re going to survive so, like it or not, you?ll join us. In return we?ll all go to the camp and try and find Jenny."
"Of course we will," said Shula "I?m not walking away if there?s any chance of finding Jenny alive."
"No time to waste, said Will "Let?s get our stuff together and get going. Brian, can you use a pistol??
Brian said he could so Will gave him the one they?d found in the bunker previously.
As they were preparing their gear,there was a rustling noise from the trees, followed by a ferocious growl and a dog, a large rottweiler, erupted from cover and hurled itself at Brian. Will?s shotgun was instantly raised but before he could shoot, Brian yelled "It?s ok - don?t shoot?!" The dog reached Brian, got its front paws on his shoulder and vigorously licked his face. When he could disentangle himself he explained. "It?s Walter Gabriel?s dog. I?ve been looking after it for a while and since all this chaos started it?s been with me and, er, it seems to like me and it?s been very useful. It has a special hatred for anyone affected by?.by, whatever this is. What do you call them by the way?"
"Zombies seems as good a word as anything," replied Will."What?s the dog called anyway?"
"Horatio of course. What else was Nelson going to call it?"
So, when they started to scramble down the ridge to start their search of the site, Horatio lead the way.
NEXT
The Crummy Caravan (aka Trailer Trash) caper
25 May 2012, 12:52:52 AM