The Virus by Lee, Damien (summer books txt) 📕

“My car’s up ahead,” he told her.

Amy chanced a look behind them as they ran. Their pursuers were close.

“They’re catching up!”

She watched Ben dig into his pocket and produce a key fob. He pressed the button, unlocking a distant Vauxhall Vectra. The cheerful beep from the car attracted the attention of a nearby vagrant. Hearing the sound, he looked up from his bench. Blood dripped from his half-eaten face. Amy regarded the corpse with horror.

“Ben.”

She tugged on his shirt as the tramp darted towards them. She knew straight away that he would beat them to the car. Ben handed the keys to her and split off, running to intercept the zombie. Amy tried to object, but her lungs burned from exertion. She continued sprinting as the two collided. Ben held the tramp at bay with an outstretched hand. The shrieks from behind intensified as their pursuers closed in.

Amy jumped into the driver’s seat of the Vectra. She started the engine, looking over at the grappling pair. She could see Ben had gained the upper hand and was atop the flailing corpse. Putting the car into gear, she spun the steering wheel and raced to help.

“Move!”

She blasted the horn. She saw Ben look back as she raced toward him. In an instant, he leapt aside as she ploughed over his attacker. She braked hard as the car bucked over the corpse.

“Nice one,” Ben said as he jumped into the passenger seat. “Let’s get out of here.”

Amy looked out at the swarm bounding towards them. She nodded in agreement and sped towards the road. She veered left onto the main junction and took off round the side leading to the rear of the hospital.

“Where are you going?”

“Seeing if the other car park is empty. If it is, I can get my car.”

“Don’t you think we should stick together?”

Amy turned to look at him. “Don’t you have any family you want to check on?”

“My sister is all I have. I was certain she’d be here. I’m gonna have to think of something else.”

“We’ll find her.”

“What about you? You have any family?”

“Yeah, I’ve got my mum and my grandparents. I need to make sure they’re okay.”

She fell silent as they neared the rear entrance to the hospital. Her stomach knotted at the thought of losing her family. She had to know they were alive. She slowed as the entrance to the underground car park drew near. Two men emerged from the gloomy confinement, eyeing the car with excitement.

“Shit.”

Amy looked on as more emerged into the daylight. She put the car into gear and drove away, watching the milling figures in the rear-view mirror. Some attempted to chase them, others lost interest and shambled back into the darkness.

“Now what am I going to do?”

“Let’s go check on your family.”

She looked at Ben quizzically. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, you need to know they’re okay.”

“But what about your sister?”

“I’m out of options at the minute. I need to think of something else. Let’s just check on your family. We can come back here later.”

“Deal.”

Amy smiled, turning the car towards Cranston. Although unsettled at the prospect of returning to Sunnymoor, she knew she had to help Ben look.

Yet, his sister was closer than Amy knew. Watching from the gloom beneath the hospital, she cried out longingly; her eyes wide with desire, her mouth dripping with crimson saliva.

16

The van bucked as it sped over the uneven ground. Frank kept his seat belt off, preferring a quick escape should anything happen to the vehicle. Yet, this meant his head hit the roof every time he drove over a large clump of soil. Before long, he’d had enough. Seeing a lengthy stretch of road to the side, he drove away from the moors and was back on the even surface.

The juddering stopped, replaced by a smoother drive. Frank sat back in his seat. He massaged his temples as he sped towards his unknown destination. Although he had passed three farmhouses within the last fifteen minutes, he still wasn’t deep enough in the moors to garner a feeling of safety. He glanced around, trying to locate any threats. The fields were empty. He didn’t know whether to feel comforted or apprehensive. With no signs of life, it was unlikely he would have to face any of the undead. Yet, there had to be a reason there were no animals grazing amongst the lush grass. He had a feeling it was a sinister one.

He looked ahead, just in time to see a cow walk into his path. He didn’t have time to react. Before he could touch the brake pedal, he had ploughed straight through it with an almighty crash. The impact caused him to lurch forward, striking the wheel hard. He slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt further down the road. He sat gasping for air, winded by the collision. The exploding carcass had showered his windscreen in blood. Through sections of clear glass, he could see there were no vehicles approaching. Once he had filled his lungs, he staggered out of the vehicle.

The cow’s remains lay scattered across the road with the bulk of its carcass lying dormant in the bordering field. Frank examined the damage to the reinforced vehicle.

The front bumper hung loose. There was clear damage to one headlight and a large indentation in the centre. Lumps of flesh mottled the warped grill. Lowering himself to the ground, Frank checked underneath. There were no signs of obstruction, with most of the cow scattered further down the road. He got back to his feet and looked down his intended route. The road stretched on for as far as he could see, further into the vast moors. It seemed his only option was to keep