Highschool of the Dead: Fanfiction Darkpenn

Chapter 4.5: Miss Marikawa and the Yamazaki Whisky

A routine visit to another survivor group turns into a deadly challenge from a dangerous enemy.

[Author's Note: This story takes place seven months after the group has reached Maresato farm.]

Z+260

Rei, Saeko and Takashi were harvesting fruit from the Maresato farm's orchard. Rei stopped and walked to the edge of the orchard, looking out across the fields.

"Not good," she said, as Saeko and Takashi joined her.

Miss Marikawa's horse was trotting towards the farmhouse. There was no sign of Miss Marikawa.

The three of them walked across the field and met the horse. Takashi took it by the bridle.

"Could she have been thrown off, or maybe attacked by zombies?" said Rei.

"Her rifle is still in the holster," said Takashi. "So probably not an attack."

"And not an accident, since her med kit is missing," said Saeko. "She doesn't go far without it."

After they had put the horse into the barn, they checked the Departure Schedule. This was a security measure that Takashi had put in place: whenever anyone left the farm they were supposed to say where they were planning to go, what they were going to do, and when they were going to return. Miss Marikawa had written: Riding to Kanoyama farm to provide medical checks, likely return around 2.00 pm.

It was nearly 2.00.

"It's a good thing that her horse could find its own way back," said Takashi, as Saya, Hirano and Alice joined them. "The Kanoyama farm is about an hour's ride, less by car."

"Then let's go," said Alice.

Takashi, Saeko, Rei and Alice rode in the convertible; Saya and Hirano were on the motorbike.

The farm had been deserted before the extended Kanoyama family, nine people in total, moved into it. Before that, they had been at Kaga Base. Takashi's group had visited them several times, giving them supplies and assistance to help them get the farm operating.

But now the place was empty. The group divided into teams of two and examined the place, and met again in the front yard.

"There's half-eaten food on the table inside," said Saeko. "There's also a couple of things that look like they come from Miss Marikawa's kit, but not used. I would say that everyone left here pretty quickly, perhaps not willingly."

"Not by their own vehicles," said Rei. "Nothing touched in the garage. And no sign of zombies anywhere."

Hirano was looking carefully at the ground, where several sods of earth had been turned over.

"This is bad news," he said. "These tracks are from military vehicles, an APC and a heavy truck, I would say."

"From Kaga Base?" said Rei.

"That's not the direction they came from and not the way they went," said Hirano.

"Renegade soldiers, maybe," said Takashi. "Or some survivors who got a hold of some military equipment. Hirano, can you follow these tracks?"

"As long as they stay on dirt roads, sure," said Hirano. He pointed. "That way."

Miss Marikawa swam back to consciousness. The last thing she remembered was being hit by a big man with a big rifle. Now she was in the back of a truck bouncing along a dirt road.

There were other people in the truck. One of them, a woman, passed a canteen of water to her. Miss Marikawa recognised her as Megumi Kanoyama, one of the women from the farm.