WalkerZ - A Zombie Apocalypse Story

Chapter 29 - Zombie Football

"I know." Eddie guided the drone back to the ship but as it touched down on the deck, the speaker on the bridge burst into life.

"Lookout to the Bridge. This is Harris, we have smoke at 11 o'clock, repeat, smoke at 11 o'clock.

Lily grabbed her binoculars and scanned the northern horizon. "There!" she pointed. "Must be Cardiff. Patil, full speed ahead."

The Captain grabbed her microphone. "All hands. Action stations."

As the Cruiser powered through the waves, the crew jumped into action, guns were manned, and unnecessary equipment was stowed.

"Eddie, let me do this next one okay?" said Merryn. "Go and find Andrew and take five."

Eddie nodded and left the bridge, leaving Merryn, Lily and the Coxswain to watch as the Welsh coastline drew closer.

"See if you can get us into the docks please Patil," ordered the Captain. "Then we'll launch the drone and see what we can see."

As the Coxswain steered the Cruiser into the dock area of the city, Merryn launched the drone. Patil brought the ship to a stop with people clustering the port side of the boat and Merryn lifted the drone to a hundred metres and sped towards the smoke.

The football stadium was ablaze. A wave of walkers had hit the west side of it, piled up and over the wall and roof, and were now streaming across tended rows of vegetables on what would have been the football pitch. The whole stadium was covered with shambling forms and Lily gasped in horror.

The Captain pointed to one side of the screen. "Quick, take the drone east, see if anyone has made it out."

Merryn nodded and veered east, watching as the streets around the stadium filled with deadheads.

"There!" Lily pointed to a side street where a group of people, several adults and the smaller forms of two children were running.

Merryn lifted the drone higher, checked the streets to either side of the group, then dropped the drone to a few metres above street level in front of the approaching people. One of the children pointed, and Merryn dipped the front of the drone to let them know they'd been seen, then lifted it up to rooftop height so she could look ahead. She guided the family along the streets towards the docks as Lily ordered Patil to take the ship alongside one of the large granite walls that formed the dockside. A couple of soldiers leapt ashore as the group staggered around the corner of a warehouse and gestured to the boat.

With the group safe on board the cruiser, Merryn sent the drone back towards the stadium and scouted around for more survivors.

"Did anyone else make it?" A woman in her forties walked onto the bridge, a toddler clutched in her arms.

"I can't see anyone yet," said Merryn.

"Then they're dead," said the woman matter of factly. "The damn deadheads were right behind us. There were two others trying to get out the exit north of us, but they looked like they were struggling with the doors.

"How many of you were there in the stadium?" asked Lily in a quiet voice.

"Eighty. Most of the group went up on the roof and tried to fight, but once we saw how many walkers there were, we decided to try and get everyone out. It failed. They died to save the kids."

Merryn looked down onto the deck. The other 'adult' was a teenage boy, very tall, who was kneeling down and hugging two smaller children who were crying.

The Captain looked to the dockside as her team returned. "Merryn, keep monitoring the swarm please. Patil, the crewmen are back on board, let's put a little distance between us and the dockside."