For Those In Peril (Book 1): For Those In Peril On The Sea by Colin M. Drysdale

will be able to take it from here.’
    ‘Not quickly enough.’
    ‘I can’t hold them off much longer.’
    Bill ignored me and gave one last heave. I could see his face turn red as he strained and then I felt the hull finally break free. I saw the look of relief on Bill’s face and then it turned to fear. Jon hadn’t realised we were off and the engine was still running full in reverse. The boat leapt away from Bill before he could try to get back on board. I shouted, but Jon couldn’t hear me over the sound of the revving engine. I turned back towards Bill. There were four infected closing on him and the sound of splashing in the darkness told me more would soon emerge into the light. I fired at each of them in turn, bringing three down and killing the fourth.
    By now Jon had realised we were free and he was trying to bring the boat back to pick up Bill. There was a sudden judder and we were floating dead in the water some twenty feet from the sandbar and from Bill. The water was deep enough here that the infected wouldn’t be able to get to us but we couldn’t get to Bill before they did.
    Bill realised something was wrong. He turned and looked at the horde of infected running towards him. The closest would be on him in seconds. I saw him decide to swim for it, but the time it took him to reach this decision was a fraction too long. Just as he started towards the water the first one attacked, pinning him to the ground. He was doing his best to fight it off but I could see he was losing. I raised the rifle and shot the infected in the body, throwing it backwards and away from Bill. He tried to scramble to his feet but before he could do so another was on him and then another.
    I aimed and pulled the trigger again. The rifle clicked, the magazine was empty and I’d not brought any more of the bullets forward with me. Through the rifle’s sight I saw the fear in Bill’s eyes, but no pain, the adrenaline that would be rushing through his body must have kicked in. More infected were arriving all the time and while he was still fighting, he was never going win. I didn’t know what to do. I watched until Bill disappeared under a mass of writhing, snarling figures. The last I saw of him, he looked straight at me, pleading with me to do something, but there was nothing I could do.
    I walked slowly back to the cockpit to find out what had gone wrong, the gun held loosely in the crook of my arm. As I did so, I glanced back and saw a squabbling mass of infected where Bill’s body lay in the pool of light still being thrown onto the beach from the front of the boat. Those that couldn’t get to Bill were prowling the water’s edge, searching the darkness, trying to locate the rest of us. I turned my attention back to the cockpit. CJ and Jimmy were looking over the transom while Mike shone a torch into the water. Suddenly Jon appeared, climbing up the dive ladder, a knife in his hand. He looked surprised to see me standing there.
    ‘Anchor rope got caught in the propeller. When we broke free, we couldn’t get it in fast enough and it got tangled. Where’s Bill?’
    At this the others turned, aware of my presence for the first time.
    ‘He’s still on the sandbar.’
    ‘We need to get back, pick him up. Get the engine started.’ At Jon’s order, Mike turned the ignition. The others were leaping into action but all I could do was stand there.
    ‘I can’t see him. Oh my god. They’re everywhere. Why aren’t you shooting them?’ CJ had run forward and was searching the still illuminated shoreline, ‘Where’s Bill? Is he in the water?’
    ‘Bill’s dead. They got him.’ My voice sounded distant, almost as if I was listening to someone else speak.
    ‘Fuck!’ Jon pounded his fists onto the wheel.
    ‘Oh god,’ CJ was close to tears. ‘How could you let that happen? You were meant to be protecting him.’
    ‘I ran out of bullets.’
    ‘I knew you couldn’t handle it,’ Jimmy’s voice dripped with disdain.