WalkerZ - A Zombie Apocalypse Story

Chapter 18 - A New Threat

Stan staggered as the surf sucked at his body and the shingle shifted under his feet. He paused, caught his balance then shuffled forwards, slowly edging his way to safety.

"Stan!" shouted Hope. "Stan!" and the walker turned his head towards her as a bullet slammed into his shoulder, spinning him off his feet to sprawl into the sand and shingle.

A man stood up from behind the end of the harbour wall, and raised his gun in the air, whooping.

The blanketed figure of the woman they'd rescued from the prison dashed past Merryn, grabbing Harper's gun out of his hand as she went. "Bastard!" she screamed as she ran and loosed off a shot that smacked into the wall next to the pirate's leg.

"I couldn't stop her," said the old lady next to Merryn. "She said, 'that's him'" then went for him. The poor lass was attacked many times in the prison."

Stan levered himself to his feet and started once again to move towards the harbour wall. With the distractions going on, Andrew had moved into a crouch behind his boulder and darted a glance over the top of it. There was a shot and a scream, and the woman in the blanket tumbled to the ground. As she lay there, her tormentor walked up to her, put his gun to her head, and then screamed himself as Stan's grasping hands pulled him into a hug. Teeth sank into his neck and the pirate screamed in terror, died, then reanimated into a gnashing horror as his limbs thrashed, trying to get free and bite as many people as he could. Stan held him tight as he thrashed, then shifted his grip and slammed the zombie pirate's head against the wall of the dock splashing brains and blood across the concrete.

Andrew stood, took a single shot with his rifle, then dropped back behind his boulder as Merryn and Harper raced across the sand to join him, Merryn looking up the slope to the still form of the second pirate. The older couple helped the woman with her blanket back to her feet and the remaining man joined them. "Is that a ship?" he said pointing out to sea.

"That's our ride," said Merryn. "Hope, get Stan!"

"That thing has a name?" said the other man.

"That thing saved this woman's life," pointed out Harper.

"True. Stan it is."

The group moved onto the exposed wall of the harbour, Andrew and Eddie watching their rear as they bustled along.

"Company!" shouted Andrew, and Merryn glanced over her shoulder to see a group of men streaming down the hillside towards them.

"Take cover!" she shouted and the group tumbled into the shelter of old barrels, fishing kit, and dock equipment.

As they did, a naval cruiser swept into the harbour and opened fire, twin machine guns raking a trail of destruction across the hillside tumbling men to the ground in twitching finality.

~

The group sat in the mess area of the cruiser clutching mugs of hot tea, except Stan who stood off to one side with an armed marine giving him a cautious look.

"The last of the pirates are being chased down by our marines now," said a young-looking Lieutenant. A group of soldiers from your base is also ready at the end of the beach by the pub you mentioned in case any of them try to escape off the peninsula on foot to the west. The speedboats you mentioned have been found and commandeered."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said Merryn, rubbing her eyes as tiredness hit her in a wave. "What happens now?"

"We will complete your original mission and escort Hope and Stan to the Isle. We'll also take the survivors and look after them too. Your sergeant is insistent he has had enough medical attention so he will join you and return with the rest of the soldiers to your base in Exeter. I've already sent in a full report to Captain Summers so he knows what's going on."