Search for Safety: Killing the Dead Book Two by Richard Murray Page A

discuss their plan while I sat and nursed my ankle. I searched through my pockets for the painkillers and swore when I realised that I hadn’t picked them up. They were likely still sat on the coffee table in the living room of the house at the stables.
    Gregg excused himself and wandered away to relieve himself and I tried to focus on what people were saying.
    “As soon as we go down the hill, they will see us and we will be screwed” said Pat.
    “All we have to do though is get across the motorway and up the other side. I don’t think they will be able to get up quickly, if at all.” Lily tried to explain.
    “Could we make a distraction further down the motorway and then get across?” Claire asked.
    “No. Any distraction big enough to move these ones out of the way will draw the attention of those further up and we will still be sat here with a load of zombies down there.” Lily explained patiently.
    “We don’t have much choice” Gregg said loudly as he returned, “Big group of zombies behind us and heading this way.” He waved back across the field we had just crossed and in the distance I could just make out a group of figures moving slowly towards us.
    “Those things just don’t give up” said Pat shaking his head.
    “Right then, we have no choice.” Lily said standing up and brushing the dirt from the seat of her pants. “We head across, try and stick together and if we get separated we meet up at the golf courses club house. Agreed?” she asked looking at each of us in turn.
    No one raised a voice in disagreement and we all took a moment to prepare ourselves for the trip across the zombie infested motorway. I was going to be at a disadvantage and would likely trail behind. I readied my hatchet.
    Keeping as low as possible, we made our way down the steep incline. The grass was slippery from the latest rainfall and the sharp rocks offered more hindrance than help. We were halfway down when the first zombie spotted us.
    It screamed and ran with a great deal more speed than expected, straight at us and was soon followed by more of the undead. Pat had run on ahead and he swung the hammer at the creature with his impressive strength. The hammer bounced off the zombies shoulder but it hit with enough force to knock it to the side and allow Pat to crush its skull with a better aimed blow.
    The rest of the group were halfway across the motorway before I made it to the bottom of the incline. A zombie was making its way towards me, it had one arm missing and its jaw was hanging loose. Jumping around was out of the question so I struck out with my hatchet and caught its arm.
    My second swing missed and the zombie fell against me, knocking me sideways to bang my side painfully against a silver car. I pushed it away with my left hand and swung the hatchet with my right, feeling the vibration in my arm as the blade struck the skull.
    One more blow and the zombie collapsed to the ground. I cast my gaze towards the group and saw Pat and Gregg swinging wildly at the zombies to keep them away from the others. With the exception of Rachel and her rifle, the only weapons carried by the females of the group were knives and they were not much use.
    If we survived this I resolved to find them some better weapons. I swung my hatchet and killed another zombie that had almost reached me. I limped across the motorway striking and killing any zombie that came near.
    A gunshot rang out and I looked across to see Rachel with a manic grin firing wildly into the zombies as the rest of the group climbed the hill. It had gained the attention of all the zombies and they rushed to reach her, leaving me stuck firmly behind.
    Rachel caught my eyes and fired once more at a zombie that had gotten close before turning and scrambling rapidly up the hill. I could almost admire her screwing someone over so well, if that someone wasn’t me. Any moment now the zombies would notice me and I would be dead.
    I glanced around for inspiration and