Burden of Survival: Killing the Dead : Season Two Read Free Page B

the damn zombies began eating people and she wants us to go to Scotland with her in the hopes that the navy have a safe zone?”
    “That’s not all though is it,” Gabby said with a look towards Cass. “We’ve not found anyone else immune to the zombie infection.”
    “I’ll talk to her,” I said. “If she wants to go then fine, but we aren’t forcing anyone else to go with her.”
    “If my blood can help then I should go,” Cass said. “But no one else needs to.”
    “She has her brothers’ data that might be enough,” I said. “Surely she could just take some samples of your blood with her.”
    “Wouldn’t work,” Gabby said. “God knows how long it’d take to get that far north. The samples wouldn’t make it and if they lost them part way…”
    “When is she wanting to go?”
    “A week at most,” Gabby said. “Her leg’s healed and she’s been waiting all winter. I doubt she’d stay longer than that.”
    “Maybe get a list from her of exactly what she wants to take with her and we can ask for volunteers.”
    “I’ll do that,” Gabby said. “You need to go and speak to your boyfriend.”
    “Yeah, that’s going to go down well,” I muttered.
    Gabby smiled thinly and nodded farewell before leaving me with Cass who looked utterly despondent.
    “No one will force you to go,” I said.
    “I know, it’s just that…”
    “What?”
    “I’m pregnant,” she said in a rush and burst into tears.
     
     

Chapter 3
    Ryan
    “Where we going?” Jenny asked as I led the way through the thick screen of old trees.
    “South,” I said.
    She fell silent and followed along behind me. I had no need to see her face to know she approved of what I was about to do. Not that it would matter if she didn’t.
    I pushed through the thick undergrowth as we walked down that narrow strip of land towards the southernmost part of the island. I was forced to step over several sets of chimes that had been strung through the trees, careful to avoid setting them rattling. No need to let anyone else know what I was doing.
    The biggest problem I’d found in my time on the island was a lack of someone to kill. That urge to maim and kill that I longed to give in to was slowly growing stronger and I knew that before long I wouldn’t be able to help myself. Someone would irritate me and I would convince myself that they should die.
    That would of course violate the promise I’d made to Lily and she would turn from me. The very idea of that was almost enough to help me contain that need. Almost.
    Instead, I had found other pursuits to occupy me and prevent my killing someone I shouldn’t. I was also more than certain that the majority of people on the island wouldn’t understand or condone what I was doing.
    We reached the southernmost point without incident and found the rowboat much as we’d left it, pulled firmly up onto land and covered by some scrub bushes. It took a few minutes to get it into the water and we both climbed in.
    The distance between the mainland and the island was less than fifty metres at that point which was why I’d chosen it and in minutes we were climbing out onto the shore and tying up the boat amongst the weeds.
    I pulled my knife from its sheath and Jenny did the same. I’d heard the moans of the undead as I walked along the lake that morning. No doubt they’d found something or someone worth eating.
    When the snow had covered the ground I’d had no trouble finding the zombies. They left a fairly noticeable trail after all as they ploughed through it. Since the snow had melted I found myself once again an urban hunter in the woods and I had no real idea of what to look for.
    We crossed the road that ran alongside the lake and passed into the trees. Our destination wasn’t far and I hoped that we’d find some zombies to kill before we reached it.
    Up into the hills we walked as a light drizzle began. I was grateful for the thick waterproof coat and warm woollen gloves Lily had found