"Mobile 1, this is Scout 2, do you read me over?"
"Scout 2, this is Mobile 1. We're in position and ready to start playing some bouncing tunes."
"You sound like you're enjoying yourself there Mobile 1."
"Looking forward to some loud music Scout 2, it's been a long time since we were allowed to crank it up to 11. Where are you?"
"We're on the road above you Mobile 1, about two hundred metres up the side of the valley. Your disco goers are close behind us, and looking like they might start to veer east, so now might be a good time to turn on the pop music."
"Pop? Sorry Scout 2, we're a pair of old rockers in this van, so we'll be hitting the walkers with some proper music."
"You'll get no complaints from me, Mobile 1, sounds like my sort of playlist."
A few seconds later there was a horrible shriek of feedback as long unused equipment protested being brought back to life and then an impressive-sounding guitar riff broached the peace of the countryside.
As one, the horde stopped, lifted their heads and moaned along in chorus turning to follow the noise.
"Mobile 1, I don't know if you can hear me, but watch your rearview mirror, your new fans are following you."
Merryn and Eddie kept watch as the van moved along the narrow country road towards the coast, keeping pace on their bikes on the road higher up the valley. The swarm began to string out more as it was confined by the high hedges of the country roads, and houses in the villages lining the route, but every now and again it would spill over into side streets, gardens and fields.
Eddie pointed. "Look."
"Where the hell did they find that?" muttered Merryn as with a roar of an old diesel engine, a tank ploughed into the front of the swarm from a side street and proceeded to drive along the entire route the walkers had followed, squashing scores of them under its tracks as it went. "It's not sounding too healthy though, look at that plume of black smoke."
A few hundred yards later, the tank stopped and a wave of zombies flowed over and around it.
"I wouldn't want to be inside that thing," said Eddie.
"Well if they've buttoned it up, then they should be able to wait until the swarm passes then get the hell out of it, but I can't imagine it'd be a fun experience. Ah, here we go with the silent weapons the captain mentioned."
As the walkers marched through a village, upstairs windows opened and a group of soldiers began picking off deadheads using crossbows, silenced rifles, and blocks of stone.
"Well that's a few more," muttered Eddie. "We're going to be coming under the motorway bridge in a moment. Do you reckon Summers has anything planned there?"
"I reckon the captain will be using everything he can. As soon as those folks in the houses there are out of targets or ammunition, they'll be hightailing it cross-country to the next ambush point I'll wager.
Merryn squinted up into the sun at the bridge above her. "There's a lookout there, let's get through and look back and see what they're up to."
Once they were on the other side of the overbridge, Eddie grinned "Well I wasn't expecting that. Is that a minibus teetering on the edge there?"
"It looks like it. Ready? There she goes!" Merryn winced as the minibus hit the road underneath the motorway bridge, squashing a handful of walkers and pinning several more to the tarmac.
"Looks like a Volvo next, that's a well-constructed zombie squasher if ever I saw one."
A group of soldiers was working at speed to manhandle cars over the edge of the bridge onto the swarm below, but still the walkers came, flowing over their downed colleagues without any change in their pace.
"This is pointless," muttered Eddie. "We're taking them out in ones and twos."
"Yet each one we take out is one less we have to deal with at some point in the future," replied Merryn. "I know it seems futile, but if you notice, the Captain's trying out different attacks here to see what works best. We're used to taking out one or two zombies, but we've not taken on this many before."
They watched as more and more walkers flowed under the massive motorway bridge following the pied piper in his musical van as they made their way down the coast.
"Our road is going to hang a left and join the lower road Mobile 1 is on soon, I'd suggest we find another vantage point."
Eddie glanced at the map. "How about we high tail it down to the coast. The old railway line there is up on an embankment, we should be able to see the castle clearly from there and still have an escape route should we need it."
"Good plan, let's go."
~
By the time they made it to the embankment, the van had drawn into the courtyard of the castle. The two soldiers driving it switched off the heavy rock that had been pumping out of it for so many miles and it was then that the moaning cacophony following them sent chills down their spines.
"Control, this is Scout 2, do you read me over?"
"Scout 2, this is Control. Mal here. What can you see Merryn?"
"We're up on the old railway embankment to the south of the castle. Mobile 1 has turned off the music and the walkers are banging on the front door of the castle trying to get in. The swarm is already piling up against the walls."
The staccato sound of gunfire split the air as those stationed inside the castle opened up on their guests.
"The guards have started firing. They're being careful with their shots. Some of the defenders are chucking rocks or chunks of timber over the parapet. But there's more and more coming at us. The swarm is starting to work its way around the walls Mal, looks like they're encircling it. If they do that there won't be a way out for the folks inside the walls."
"Don't worry Scout 2, we have a back up. Keep your channel open."
"Cruiser 1, this is Control. Lieutenant are you receiving?"
"Control, this is Cruiser1. Lieutenant Sands reporting for duty."
Merryn glanced over her shoulder into the estuary behind her and whooped in joy, a smile on her face. "Lily!" she shouted.
"Nice," said Eddie, also smiling.
"Scout 2, this is Control, you're on the ground, could you guide the Lieutenant in please?"
"With pleasure Control, good to see you Lieutenant."
"You too Scout 2. Where do you need us?"
Merryn guided the cruiser close to the shore by the castle, and then, as the swarm was starting to rise against the rear wall of the castle, the Cruiser opened fire.
Heavy rounds pounded the zombies against the ancient stones decimating the swarm as it sought to broach the defences. The moaning started up again, and some walkers edged away from the walls towards the noise of the cruiser.
"Castle, cease fire, and get into safe rooms," shouted Merryn into the radio.
"Cruiser 1, could you give us another burst please? We need to draw the swarm away from the castle walls before they get overwhelmed.
"Affirmative Scout 2."
Yet again, the heavy machine guns stationed at the bow of the boat roared into action scything down the walkers as they shambled towards the river's edge.
"Thanks Cruiser 1. Pyro 1, do you read me?"
The first of the fireworks team responded within seconds. "Pyro 1 here, ready when you need us."
Merryn watched as the walkers got to the edge of the water, a few wandering on into the estuarine mud.
"Fire away Pyro 1."
A few seconds later there was a whoosh and a lone rocket zoomed into the air followed by a boom and the fizz of showing stars. The swarm changed direction again and headed south as more and more fireworks whizzed into the sky at regular intervals. After about five minutes a lone orange canoe paddled out into the river and waved. Further down the coast, another rocket zoomed into the sky.
Merryn sat back with a sigh, and the radio crackled back into life.
"This is Control, all units please report in. Castle."
"Castle here, that was damn close, but no breach. We lost one who fell over the wall as he was trying to throw a stone, the parapet crumbled under him. Nothing we could do. We're back on the walls watching now, but not taking any action against the walkers as they move away."
"Thanks Castle. Tank 1."
"Tank 1 here. That was not fun. But we're still here. Motor's dead, still a few walkers around. We could do with a hand getting out when you're ready, but we have food and drink so we're good for a while if need be."
"Thanks Tank 1. Mobile 1?"
"Control, this is Castle. Although we're safe here, the outer walls did get breached and the courtyard was overrun. The disco van got ripped apart. Two lost."
"Damn. Thanks Castle. Cruiser 1."
"Cruiser 1 here. All present and accounted for. We'll head down the coast and keep an eye on things."
"Thanks Lieutenant. Scout 2."
"All good here Control. Eddie and I are fine and we can see Pyro 1 and 2 floating around in their canoes, so they're okay too."
"Thanks Scout 2. Good to hear you're okay."
"Castle, operation mop up please. Wait until the bulk of the walkers are out of your area then check the route back up the valley and take out any walkers who aren't fully out of action using hand weapons. Please send a squad south to watch the tail end of the swarm too in case they decide to turn around and come back for a repeat performance."
"Scout 1, are you receiving?"
"Control, Scout 1 here."
"East shore of the river is yours Gareth. If anything crawls out of the water, please let us know."
"Shall do Control. Scout 1 out."
Eddie pulled a stove out of her bag. "I need a cuppa."
"Sounds like a fine plan to me."