In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

He stood still with his expression set harsh, the shotgun pointed to the ground and an old woman leaning on his shoulder. Her hand moved, hugging his waist. Her gaze fixed on mine, a kind smile on her creased face. We were out of their view in a moment.

“Swap over,” I said, and Cassie stared back, her face set in a terrified expression as she let go of the wheel and lifted her feet.

Our heads rocked forward as the engine stalled. Fists hammered at the windows, the daylight dulling as torsos crowded, their flesh weak against the glass.

Checking my door, I made sure it was locked, Cassie matching as she questioned with just her expression.

“Climb over,” I said, and watched as she rose from her seat, awkwardly curling her left leg across the centre console.

Right soon followed left, then came her body. For a moment she hovered above me, but her hands gave way and she collapsed to my lap.

My senses lit and not just with the pain as I felt her warmth through our clothes. Her hands were on my thighs, flat, drawing me in.

Clenching my teeth, I hoped time would not move on but the soft hammering of the windows reminded of our situation; reminded us we had to get going and had to move, had to get away from those things and from anyone who wouldn't care for what we'd just shared.

Pushing her high against my pain, she hovered above me with her hands on the door and I slid as I issued a tirade of foul language before slapping down into the driver's seat.

The car was surrounded with the elderly creatures, wrinkled skin, thin hair and the smell already radiating as if the windows were wide open.

I turned the key and the engine sprung to life, the car leaping forward just before it died. Glancing at Cassie, she looked through each of the windows as she backed away, moving as close as she could to the centre.

I pulled the car out of gear and turned the key again, letting the engine roar. The creatures reacted as we moved, the front four disappearing below the bonnet, the bull bars pushing them down; the suspension and hefty tyres hiding most of the sensation of their bones crushing as we drove.

Twisting to watch the crowd follow, Cassie called out before I could round the corner.

“Stop,” she said, slamming her hand on the dashboard. “You're leading them to the cottage.”

I hit the brakes hard, having to lock my arms to stop myself from hitting the windscreen.

She was right. In the mirror I watched the group of fifteen or more barely stumble as they crossed over their fallen.

“Turn around,” she said, and my gaze caught her. Her eyes were wide and serious.

I gunned the engine, turning the wheel full lock to the right before coming to a rest and staring at the pack, their stares locked in our direction.

Cassie had taken a wide paper map from the dashboard.

“They've marked where they've been,” she said, turning the paper so I could look from the windscreen and to the black crosses scoring out several clusters of houses radiating out in a circle.

Looking forward, but only for a moment, my gaze returned to the paper and I found a wider concentration of buildings with a large cross pinpointing a darker area. I nodded in its direction and she let the map drop.

“Let's lead them away,” I said.

Letting the speed build, I took out a cluster of three and split the group as their heads snapped forward, denting the bonnet one after the other.

Watching in the mirror, I slowed as each turned and started to follow.

Cassie twisted in her seat and nodded, picking up the map and concentrating on the marking I'd pointed out.

“It's the hospital they were talking about,” she said, not looking up from the page. “That's where we need to be.”

“What about the others?” I replied, using all my willpower not to speed away, taking us as far from those things as I could.

“What have we achieved?” she asked. “Did you hear what those two were saying?”

“About the hospital?”

“And everything else.”

I shook my head. I'd heard so much, most of it I didn't understand.

“I hope they can help Naomi,” I replied, nodding.

“We can try,” she said, and reeled off the directions. “It's about ten miles, but take it slow,” she said, peering between the map and back through the rear window.

I drove as she instructed, keeping those things in sight for a good five minutes before we were confident they weren't going to turn back.

Still, I didn't speed. I was mindful of what could be around each corner, expecting someone to jump out at any moment and curse my dreams again.

It took longer than I’d wanted for the roads to widen to anything more than a narrow two-lane.

After twenty minutes of tentative driving, we were within two finger widths of our destination, on the map at least. Ahead sat a large car, a Mondeo, resting with its nose in the hedge, another the other side, narrowing the way. The gap looked just wide enough for us to fit.

With no-one around, no sign of life, we agreed without words it must have been one of the first checkpoints. Neither of us questioned for long as the engine note changed, spluttering and giving me cause to interrogate the dashboard.

I watched the petrol light which must have been bright orange since I'd taken the controls. The engine soon died and I dipped the clutch, hoping to get every inch of forward movement.

Rolling to a stop long before I wanted, I was out in the cold.

Cassie stood on the door sill, peering up high over the hedgerow on one side and the dry-stone wall on