After The Rising, T.D Jackson [books recommended by bts .txt] 📗

We headed for home we didn't say much, none of us felt like talking much. We took cover in a barn for the night and until midday the following day continued without incident until the back roads.

"Can we move it?" Danny asked. I knelt next to the tree that blocked the narrow road. It was not a big tree but big enough that we would not be able to move it my eyes wandered from the branches down to where the stump ended. I stood up put my arm round Danny's shouler and started to lead him away from the tree back to the car "What?" He said "Get back in the car quickly" "Why we could probably drive over it" I kept leading him back to the car "Look at the base of the trunk it's a smooth break some one cut it downon purpose across the road, if it came down naturally it would be jagged. Danny's face paled he knew what this meant.

Highwayman were common in this area, most were criminals from the outpost that had escaped. They were rarely pursued every outpost had a dna and fingerprint scannner if they tried to move some where else they would be arrested long before they got inside. But highwaymen would be a blessing compared to the other option, rebels people who had turned the chance to live in the outposts, instead opting for there own laws. Some at best would ignore you others robbed murdered what ever they came across. Me and Jon had encountered them before these ended in stab wounds, broken bones, burns and bodies.

We got back in the car. woodland was to our right fields on our left a wooden femce surronding it "Turn round and back up let's try heading through the town" I had hoped to avoid the town due to being very likely being infested but give me fighting the dead over the living any day, the dead are at least predicatble they don't hide there intentions plan plot decieve. Danny started the engine, then a tap on my passenger window. I wrapped my hand around my baton and turned my head. A man stood there long brown dirty hair reached his shoulders touching a dirty grey t-shirt, a machete was still against the winow all though it looked so blunt and rusted I doubted it would be an effective weapon . Slightly relieved to see only one I tol Danny to keep oing the turn he did "I will slash your tires" Danny stopped, I sighed, maybe one day I will get a normal day where no one wants to stab me, I lowered my window a little "Get out get the fuck out" He started grabbing the handle "You know stand and deliver is more traditional" "What?" He looked up whilst still trying the door handle "Stand and deliver your money or your life like Dick Turpin" "Who" He was starting to get more desparate now hands scrabbling against the metal "The highwayman, you know your predossesor?" "My what?" I rolled my eyes"You you your a highwayman" "This isn't I highway are you an idiot?" I rolled my eyes "No it does not matter if it's oh never mind. I readjusted my sitting position and slid the door lock to the off position, Danny looked ath me like I was mad. The genius outside the car smiled at his success of getting the door open, but that soon faded as when he opened it my foot followed sending the door in to his face he stumble back and fell in to the bushy woodland.

I got out of the car "Hey where are you going?" Danny called out, Ryan sat up in the back seat he had been asleep but now his face was flushed with concern. I closed the door "A lot of people escaping the outpost will head this way can't leave him out here" Danny said nothing "Close the window any trouble honk" I mae my way through the woodlan, there was a slight enbankment where the genius had tripped when the door hit him and stumbled back, he was now on his back with a rather dazed look on his face "Get up" I said nudging him with my foot kicking away the machete. He looked up at me with confusion like he was just seeing me for the first time "Come on I don't have all day get up" He still stared at me. Even though every fiber of my being did not want to touch the guy I rolled him on to his back and handcuffed him, a bear that had not been using his prescription deodrant probably smelt better. I yanked him up by his shirt, it was damp, blood.

Concerned he was bitten I checked him and found no marks "Hey man you got no right" "Shut up" I helped him up and grabbed his shirt "Where did the blood come from?" He shrugged "Dunno man, what are you the police?" I let go, and looked around, a crude shelter of cardboard boxes had been built nearby and I walked over. Empty tins and human excrement were scattered around. Then there was the other pile that lay there 3 bodies a man woman and child. I pushed them gently with my foot they had been hacked at with something blunt probably this guy's machete heads were severed from the body but were placed against the necks to give the illusion of still being attached. I squatted down next to them and rolled them over. What I saw made me sick physically sick I puked, they were not dead when they were killed these were living people and this guy had butchered them literally. Large pieces had been cut out of them not torn like a creatures would, this guy had killed them and was eating them. I got up and walked towards the man, he looked at me "What man guy's gotta eat" I punched him in the jaw, I had put on my reinforced gloves as I walked towards him, teeth cracked and he fell to the ground blood pouring from his mouth.

For a moment I was not me frustration rage overcame me I kicked and I stomped. I don't know why I stopped just shy of killing him, I have killed before two people one in self defence and the other killed two friends of mine also self defence maybe I could not justify this one in my head. The other two I did not quite have a clear conscience but I did not feel patriarchy bad about it either. This guy was handcuffed and unarmed no matter how twisted he was. I dragged him by the leg towards the car as the horn sounded.

I rushed to the road dragging the scum bag behind me, but when I saw why Danny was honking I dropped him.The creature the one that me and Jon had captured in the woods it was here, here how was it here? How could it be here. Danny had turned the car around and the creature was pounding on the bonnet. It was howling, not moaning a screech of rage. I took a step back. I was afraid this was not normal, dead people walking was no normal but I had accepted that but this, this was different. It was then the creature noticed me it screeched again and ran towards me.

Panic rose within me the creature crashed in to me knocking me to the floor her teeth viciously snapping an inch away from my nose. Survival instinct eventually kicked in and I managed to get my hand around her throat and hold her back. She was smaller than me but God she was strong. With a burst of strength I managed to kick her off me her head bouncing off the road not that this had much effect. I barely had a chance to get to my feet when she charged again, I sidestepped and stuck out my foot (yeah not very original but it works) and she fell to the ground. I extended my baton and moved in for the kill the creature leapt to it's feet and we circled each other. She advanced again arms outstretched, I moved around her and grabbed her hair and yanked. Her legs flew out from underneath her and I released her hair. As she fell to the ground I drove the baton spike through her forehead and pulled the trigger. All at once the fight went out of her and she lay still.

I panted and waved for Danny to move the car closer "Open the boot" He did and I dumped the body of the girl in "What are you doing?" Danny yelled "It was alive the last time I took it not making that mistake again" "What do you mean again?" I sghed "You don't want to know" I went to go get the scumbag who was still out cold, Danny jumped out to give me a hand "Ryan why don't you take shotgun I'm gonna ride in the back with this guy" He noded and climbed over the seat. We laid the scumbag on the backseat and closed the door, I went to climb in but Danny stopped me "What the hell was that thing?" I looked him in the eye" No idea something new"Terror spread across hs face "What you mean they are evolving" I was not in a mood to discuss Darwinism "How the fuck should I know do I look like a scientist?" I snapped. He went red and got back in the rivers seat "I have one more thing to do hold on" "But..." Danny started but the look on my face mae him stop their. I burnt the bodies of the family. I walked away as the fire burst in to life from the match light a piece of paper threw it over my shouler and walked away feeling the heat on my back.

Eight hours later we were home. I approached the Outpost on foot first not wanting to bring the women's body inside like last time. I got in informed Kane and he arranged it. After the decontamination shower I spoke with Kane told him what had happened asked about Jon no luck. The scumbag's name was Mark Stevens before our run in the woods he had robbed 7 people at the Hastings outpost killed 3 of them and a Police officer escaping he looks destined to hang, the officers did not question the condition I delivered him in, in fact they looked disappointed I had beaten them to it.

Danny and Ryan will be staying with us for now. The house will be overcrowded but I will put Danny on the sofa and Ryan in Jon's room. Returning home was not enjoyable all it did was make me notice the absence of Jon even more.

I sat in the kitchen finishing off the last of a bottle of vodka, Sky came in hugged me kissed me on the cheek said good night and left me to my thoughts.

The next few days were a blur of alcohol until one morning I was woken by my phone "Yeah" I grunted opening my eyes then quickly shutting them as the room started to spin "We found him" It was Kane, I sat up way to quickly and I almost hurled "Jon? Where is he" "A group of rebels have him and 8 other refugees about 60 miles from the outpost on Winterden farm" "Will they let him go?" "For a price" I sank back on to the bed "What do they want?" "Guns" "No one is going to agree to that boss" "They said we have 48 hours to respond after that they die" "Are we getting the usual we do not negotiate with terrorists excuse?" "Yeah" "So we leave them to die?" "No" "What's the plan?" "Up