Bloodshed (Book One in the Apocalypse Trilogy)

Chapter 6: A Long Night

Location: Outskirts of Mildura/Highway

Williams

Williams and Jake were crouched behind a boulder about thirty metres away from the Jeep. In the light from the dying fire Williams could see Cal and Johnny on the roof. Using his scope he counted at least forty in the darkness. There was no way that they had enough bullets on them right now to take them all out. Williams turned to Jake.

“Here, take this.” He handed him the .45 Magnum. “Do you know how to use it?” Jake nodded. “OK, stay behind me. Only use it if it’s necessary.” Lifting his rifle, Williams shot the zombies in his path. Johnny had seen him now, and began trying to smash the glass on the roof of the Jeep. He managed to break a big enough hole for him and Cal to get in. They dropped through and moments later the car started, the headlights illuminating a huge group of zombies in front of them, the white eyes almost glowing in the lights, almost like the Jawas from Star Wars. The door to the boot of the Jeep opened, and he heard Cal yell to jump in.

He and Jake ran to the door and, Williams helped Jake to get in. Williams held on to the edge of the window, and Johnny started driving. Straight through the horde, towards the highway. As zombies were sent flying, Williams scrambled in and shut the door. Johnny floored the accelerator.

They weren’t out of the woods yet, though. A mere five seconds after the door was shut, a rotting hand followed by an arm came in through the shattered glass in the roof.

“Crap!” Cal said, and stabbed upwards with his knife. A face rose up next to one of the windows, and Jake shot it. The window shattered and the creature fell away onto the road with a bullet in its head and glass embedded in its flesh.

“So who’s the kid?” Cal said.

“I’m Jake!” Jake yelled over the wind coming through the shattered windows.

“They’re all over the road!” Johnny yelled from the driver’s seat. Williams climbed over to passenger. The headlights only extended for a few metres, but Johnny was right. They were everywhere. Williams took his scope off the gun and looked out his window.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, and passed around the scope to see what there was. And a series of curse words and gasps followed, because the night vision showed there were zombies as far as the eye could see, either roaming in packs or wandering alone. The desert was infested, they all knew that, but this was unlike anything they could imagine. But that wasn’t the bad part. The zombies were running to the Jeep. Jumping for it, but missing.

“The lights are attracting them!” Cal cried. “Shut ‘em off Johnny, shut ‘em off!”                            

“I can’t! We’ll drive off the road, crash or-“ He was cut off by a smashing sound as a zombie hit the windscreen. “Mother-“ He was cut off again as the Jeep shook. The leaping zombies were now hitting their targets.

“Shoot ‘em! Now!” Johnny roared. Jake hit one that was clinging onto the door handle, but after one shot the gun clicked.

“Jake! There’s a box of ammo labelled ‘Magnum’ in the boot! Reload!” Williams yelled as he shot a zombie that had gotten onto the roof.

Soon the car was filled with muzzle flashes and bangs. Johnny was driving as fast as the Jeep would allow, but the zombies still managed hit their target.

“They have to stop at sunrise, or we’re all dead!” Johnny called. “We’re running out of fuel!”

And they got lucky for once in their lives. As the sky began to brighten, the zombie attacks became less intense. And when the sun appeared on the horizon, they stopped altogether.

“Where did they all go?” asked Jake.

“Who cares?” whooped Johnny.

But as it turned out, they did care. Where could zombies hide in this vast, flat expanse of desert?

But for now, they would just be happy that they were alive. That they had survived the first night of the road trip.    

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Thank you for reading! I'd like to give the dedication of Chapter 6 to Liam White, who gave me the idea.