5. Suicide Mission
Suicide Mission
Olivia
“Taken? What do you mean, taken?” My voice is high-pitched and tight.
It’s like the floor has opened up beneath me, dropping me into this new, dark reality. My insides feel like they’re on a roller coaster, roiling and dipping as nausea claws at my throat. It’s getting harder and harder to breathe around the familiar vise of panic tightening around my chest.
Andy drowns the rest of his tea and places the cup onto the table before answering me. “You saw the state of the place out front?”
I swallow hard and nod, my mouth suddenly dry as I remember the bloodstains and bullet holes gouged into the front of the cottage.
“The farm got attacked while your brother was here.”
My eyes widen. “Attacked? By zombies?” Oh God, has Tobias been taken by fucking zombies? Do zombies even take people? I thought they just attacked until they either bit you, ate you, or both.
Andy huffs and shakes his head. “Not by zombies, by people. A gang.”
“A… gang?” Gangs are still a thing? I would have thought people would have better things to do than create a gang, especially since laws don’t exist anymore. And, you know, it’s the fucking apocalypse! What do they do? Sell drugs and arms to zombies or something?
“Yes, a gang. Probably one of the most notorious gangs in the country; the Scourge.”
I snort. “The Scourge? Really?” I’m trying to figure out if Andy’s pulling my leg or something. He looks sincere, but maybe the guy has a mean poker face or something.
“Yes, really. They attacked yesterday with about ten men. Between me, your brother, my daughter and her partner, we fended them off. Until they brought out infected with them.” A haunted expression flashes on his face.
“It was bloody chaos and in the middle of it, Rachel and your brother got separated from us and taken.”
It takes a moment for his words to sink in. I have so many questions. They’re buzzing in my head like angry flies banging against a window, but I latch on to the name of his daughter; Rachel. “They took your daughter, too?”
He nods grimly.
Fuck. Guess that explains the grief he was experiencing earlier when he looked at Rachel’s bedroom door. “Why? Why did they take them?” It makes no sense for them to go to all that trouble just to have to travel with extra weight and mouths to feed.
Andy sighs heavily and rakes a hand through his hair. “Human trafficking. Why else do you think they’d take them? Your brother is a strong, healthy man that they’d put to work and Rachel…” He swallows hard as his face pales.
He doesn’t need to say anything for my imagination to go wild. Oh my God. I gape at him in horror. “They really do… that?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. Fuck, I think I’m going to be sick.
“Welcome to the apocalypse, Ollie.” His tone is bitter as he spreads his arms wide. “Where even the dead rising can’t stop humans from being cunts to one another.”
“Fuck.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
I stare at my half-drunk tea and the biscuit still sitting on the plate.
My appetite is long gone after learning the horrors that both my brother and Andy’s poor daughter might be facing.
And I’m sitting here, drinking fucking tea.
I suck in a sharp breath and let it out slowly while pushing my self-loathing to the side.
Now isn’t the time for a pity party, not with Tobias out there.
“Do you know where they took them?” I ask Andy, hoping maybe if he gave me a destination then I could go and…
I don’t know, maybe rescue them? The thought makes me want to laugh.
What the fuck am I going to do against a gang of thugs?
Sure, I’m a decent shot with my bow, but could I really kill someone? And not just one person, but several?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. For Tobias, I would, because he’d do the same for me.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to be outnumbered and probably outgunned, too.
While guns weren’t prevalent in the UK before the apocalypse, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t factor in that a notorious gang like the Scourge would have access to that kind of weaponry.
At the very least, they’d have a shotgun or two, like Andy does, and my bow will be useless against that.
Across the table, Andy is quietly regarding me with an unreadable expression on his wrinkled face.
Finally, he answers my question. “Their main camp is near Birmingham, on the south-eastern edge of what used to be the city centre. I’m not sure how old that intel is, but that’s their last known location. ”
They’re all the way near Birmingham? Fuck, it’s going to take me several days to get there; probably even longer since it’s been a long time since I’ve ventured that far north and I don’t know the route.
Plus, it’s going to be dangerous as hell and I might not be able to travel along the motorway, which would be the fastest route.
“Tamsin—Rachel’s partner—already left yesterday to go find help.
She’s going to find this settlement we’ve heard about that’s on the south coast of Wales.
I would have gone after her, but well, my joints aren’t what they used to be and someone needs to stay here to look after the livestock.
If you leave soon, you might catch up to her. ”
I nibble on my lower lip and play with the end of my hair as I mull everything over.
Going after the gang to save Tobias and Rachel would be a suicide mission, even if I catch up to them before they reach their camp.
Following Tamsin is the safer option, but can I risk leaving my brother and Rachel in the hands of these monsters for however long it takes for us to get help?
Hell, would they even help us? I don’t see a reason for them to, especially since none of us are a part of their community and this rescue mission is going to be dangerous as fuck. And does Rachel’s partner even need me if she’s already determined to go there for their help?
I sigh heavily and rub my face. Neither option is great, but there’s only one that I can live with. I look up to meet Andy’s eyes. “I’m going to try to reach them while they’re travelling and hope I can catch them off-guard.”
His eyes widen. He hadn’t expected me to say that. “What? Are you mad? That’s a bloody suicide mission!”
I shrug. “Probably, but I can’t stand the idea of leaving Tobias or your daughter in their hands for any longer than necessary.” That they’re at their mercy right now is making my stomach churn. “But I need to ask you a favour.”
He eyes me, probably dreading me asking him to risk his life alongside me or something. “What?”
“Toby’s wife is pregnant and with me leaving, she’s going to be all alone with my two ponies, Apple and Cinnamon.
Do you think you could monitor them? Check in if I hand you a radio?
” I’m pretty sure with the open fields that separate our two cottages, the radios should be in range of one another.
I dig into my backpack, pull out the radio, and set it on the table between us.
He visibly relaxes as he glances at the radio before nodding. “I can do that. Hell, I can make sure they have enough food.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” It’s kind of ironic that it’s taken the world ending for me to get to know and kind of trust one of my neighbours. “I’ll find some way to pay you back.”
“Just bring my daughter, your brother, and yourself home safely.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “That’s all the payment I’ll ask for.”
I smile weakly and nod. There’s no point promising that I will.
We both know how dangerous this rescue mission is going to be and how slim the chances of not only my survival, but Tobias’s and Rachel’s as well.
It’s probably one of the stupidest things I’ve ever agreed to do, and I’ve done some stupid shit in my life. But I have to try.
While we wait for my clothes to get washed and dried, Andy makes me another cup of tea and I share pieces of goat jerky with Harlow.
As we sip our tea and eat, I take this opportunity to ask if he has any idea how zombies even came to be.
Unfortunately, he has no idea, and neither does anyone else that he’s spoken to.
Andy then launches into stories of other travellers he’s traded with; from elder couples just barely making it through to whole families with children who think they’re on the next big adventure.
The stories help keep my anxiety at bay, but I can feel the panic and dread lurking in the background, waiting to pounce as soon as I let my guard down. Sleeping tonight is going to suck.
With my clothes now clean and dry, I rush back to the bathroom to get changed, loving the feel of warm, dry clothes against my skin. It’s a sensation I haven’t felt since the entire world went to shit and I savour it for a moment before making my way back down to the kitchen.
“What should I do with these?” I ask Andy as I hold up the hoodie and leggings I borrowed from Rachel.
“Keep them,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand before he turns around and disappears through another door.
A moment later, he comes back holding a wicked-looking knife encased in a leather sheath.
It’s the kind you see the military use, with one side dangerously sharp and the other serrated.
“Here.” He holds the handle of the knife toward me.
“If you’re going to insist on being that close to another one of those infected, at least have the proper tool for the job. ”
I stare at the knife with wide eyes. “Where did you get that?” They weren’t selling those at fucking Tesco before the world ended.
His lips twitch. “I wasn’t always a goat farmer. Now take it,” he says, offering the knife again.
I shake my head. “I already have something.” And I don’t want to take any more from this man, not when he’s helped me so much already.
He quirks an eyebrow. “Like what? A kitchen knife isn’t going to cut it, you know. Not out there.”
“It’s not a kitchen knife, it’s a switchblade.” I cross my arms over my chest.
He snorts. “You already had a knife on you and you stabbed that zombie with an arrow?”
“I didn’t exactly have a chance to grab it since, you know, I was busy being attacked,” I huff with a scowl. He makes it seem like I went out of my way to use the arrow instead of a more appropriate weapon. Twat.
Andy laughs to the point tears shine in his eyes before he finally gets a hold of himself.
“Alright, Ollie. Lesson number one; you can never have too many weapons. Now take the bloody knife.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer and instead he grabs my hand and places the handle of the knife into my palm.
“I’ll feel better knowing you have it.” He forces my fingers to curl around it.
My eyes flick from the knife in my hand to Andy’s sincere eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Very.” He drops his hand from mine. “Now I expect you to use the correct weapon for the job.”
“Are you sure I can’t just use this as an arrow?” I tease.
He chuckles. “Do that and you’ll probably end up losing a finger or two. It’s pretty damn sharp.” He pauses. “You know how to look after a knife?”
I nod. “My brother showed me how.”
“Good. Take good care of it and it’ll take good care of you.”
After gathering everything, I make my way back outside, Harlow hot on my heels and Andy following at a slower pace behind.
Bean looks up and nickers at me from her small paddock.
The hay is gone—no surprises there—but there’s still plenty of water in the trough.
I run my hands over her, checking for any injuries before tacking her up and leading her out of the paddock.
“Don’t worry about Lauren or your place; I’ll make sure everything’s fine for when you get back,” Andy says once I’m mounted on the back of Bean.
It’s nice that he says when and not if, even though I don’t share his confidence in me. “Thank you,” I tell him just as Ketchup makes an appearance. She chirps at me as she lands to sit on the saddle behind me.
The farmer eyes the bird and shakes his head, but doesn’t comment on her. “Be careful out there and remember; it’s not just the dead you have to worry about. The living will kill you just as easily.” He pats Bean on the bum before stepping back.
I nod, taking his warning to heart before urging the black and white mare onward to start our journey back home.
Breaking the news to Lauren when I get back later that day is bittersweet.
While we both know Tobias is alive, we don’t know what state he’s in or how the hell I’m going to get him back home with both of us in one piece.
I can see the hopelessness written on her face as I tell her I’m going after him and I don’t know if I’ll survive.
Thankfully, she doesn’t fight too hard on me leaving, agreeing to it after she forces me to promise her I’ll be careful.
At least Andy will look after her and the ponies while I’m gone.
I spend most of that night getting myself ready for my epic suicide quest; loading my backpack with enough supplies to last a few days, both for me and Harlow. I’ll have to look out for food while I’m out there, since I don’t want to take any more from Lauren than necessary.
With my bag packed, I try to get as much sleep as I can, but with what I’m about to do, it’s impossible. I could very well die tomorrow, and it scares the shit out of me. But my brother needs me and I’ll do whatever I can to save him.