“He was? How long was I out? The invasion can’t be over already can it?”
“You were only unconscious since you were brought in last night,” Cass said with a knowing smile. “He came back as soon as he heard.”
“Left his, his, killing,” Ryan’s mother said with a look of distaste. “I suppose that means something from the way the rest of you are grinning.”
“Yes,” I said and laughed. It meant that he loved me and could put me to the top of his priorities list.
That was good to know and in truth, all I really needed to know. I didn’t need undying declarations of love or grand gestures. I just needed to know that when I needed him, he was there.
“He’s hunting Briony?” I asked; though I could guess the answer.
“We insisted,” Cass said. “Seemed like a good idea for him to work off some of his energy. He seemed a little upset.”
“Upset?”
“Yes,” Evie said. “I was surprised, to say the least. I wouldn’t have thought him capable.”
“Told you,” I said with a sleepy yawn. “He’s changed.”
“That he has.”
There was a knock on the door and I looked up, a smile forming as I caught sight of my hoodless bodyguard.
“Lisa,” I said warmly. “How are you?”
She had clearly taken a battering during the fight and escape from the river. Her face was swollen and bruised, her hands bandaged. She smiled though and nodded politely to the other ladies in the room.
“Apologies for…” she gestured at her face and it took me a moment to realise she meant her lack of hood. “Samuel has given me permission to go without and to speak freely.”
“What kind of backwards cult is this?” Evie muttered loudly. “You have to cover your face and can’t speak to people.”
“We are the Dead,” Lisa replied without any seeming rancour. “We hide our face from the Living that they are not tormented by remembrance of their loss. We do not speak to the Living, for we have nothing to say.”
She turned her head, smile fixed in place as she looked directly at Evie. I could see that she was speaking with a complete and utter conviction. She believed everything she was saying.
“I died with my mother, my father, my son.” Her hand’s clenched into tight fists and she couldn’t hide the pain in her voice. “I died with those I loved but my body continued on. My Lord Death has given me a purpose. A reason to continue until my body finally releases me to be with my family.”
“There is no coercion, no restrictions that we do not willingly choose. The hood is not required. The silence is not demanded. These are things we choose because we are no longer part of your world.”
Evie stared at the girl, dumbfounded. I could practically see the gears turning in her head. As a psychiatrist, she could see the girls pain and understand it. Could probably come up with some kind of therapy to help her.
As a woman who had faced loss herself. I could tell that she understood.
“My apologies,” Evie said with a deep nod that was almost a bow. “I misspoke.”
Lisa didn’t reply as she turned back to me, her smile fading at the sight of my pale skin. I wanted to smile and tell her I was fine, but she knew that anyway and before I could, she turned her head and raised a hand.
“What-“
“Shh,” she hissed as she reached for her knife. Then I heard it. A cry cut off and then screaming. Lisa turned back to the two acolytes standing guard outside the door. “Find out what is going on.”
They each saluted with fist to breast and dashed off down the corridor. Lisa pushed the door partially closed and pulled her knife clear. She stood in the doorway and peered through the half closed door.
It wasn’t long before she turned back and looked over at where Cass stood. She pursed her lips and pointed to the radio on Cass’s belt.
“Call for help. The infected are in here.”
Another scream sounded as if to punctuate her words and I stared in open-mouthed fear. They were in the hospital. One hundred and sixteen beds that had been consistently full since we had first arrived at the island.
That was one hundred and sixteen potential new infected, not even counting the people in the waiting room. With that number, they could well be unstoppable.
Briony! I realised that it must be her. There would be no other reason to do so that to cause as much chaos as possible and then I understood why.
Not that it would help. We were stuck inside with them. More screams sounded and I clung on to Jinx as Lisa closed the door firmly.
“W-what do we do?” Evie asked.
Cass had her own knife that she carried with her at all times, just due to long habit. Lisa had her own blade and Jinx had her teeth. The rest of us were not nearly as prepared. Ryan’s sister and mother clearly didn’t carry weapons and I had no idea where my own were since I was just wearing a hospital gown.
“We hope help gets here as soon as possible,” I said.
More screams sounded from outside, in the corridor not far from the room. I swallowed down my fear and pushed off the blankets as Jinx rose to her feet, a low growl sounding in her throat.
I looked around for a weapon, any kind of weapon. When I’d rushed out the night before I’d been in such a hurry that I’d left my sidearm.
There wasn’t much in the room. A small cupboard next to the bed. Some medical equipment, the usual stuff. Hospitals weren’t really designed to have lots of things lying around that could be used as a weapon by a patient having a psychotic break after all.
A thump came against the door, the wood vibrating with the force of the blow. I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Whatever happened, I would go down fighting and not lying there, helpless.
Ryan’s mother moved over to stand in the corner beside Evie and Jinx’s growl deepened. Lisa looked back, her eyes meeting mine and I saw the decision had already been made in them. I knew what she was about to do and I wouldn’t allow it.
I staggered over to the door and gripped the handle as I looked back at Jinx and hoped she really had listened to Ryan when he’d instructed her to protect me.
“Jinx,” I called as I pulled open the door. “Kill!”
She leapt from the bed and through the door, colliding with whatever was outside and sending it to the ground. Her growl echoed down the corridor and was answered by the ghoulish cries of the infected as they rushed towards the sound.
I risked a look out through the door and swallowed back my bile as Jinx tore out an infected woman’s throat. Then another infected came into view and Lisa stepped out, blade swinging and killed him with one blow to the skull.
“More coming,” she said. “More than I can handle.”
“Jinx,” I called and she looked up, blood around her muzzle. “Come back.”
She trotted into the room and I went to close the door but Lisa blocked me. I looked up at her and she shook her head as she smiled sadly.
“It’s my time.” She handed me her knife and I just gaped at her, tears filling my eyes.
“No! I order you not to do this.”
“That is not an order you can give. I shall lead them away.”
She stepped out and pulled the door closed behind her. Cass grabbed my hand and pulled me into an embrace as my body shook. I really, really, didn’t want her to die. I didn’t want anyone to die. I wanted them all to live long and happy lives full of joy and laughter.
But that wasn’t to be.
We stayed silent as what sounded like a crowd of people rushed past the room, feet heavy on the polished hospital floor. The sounds faded and we were left with the distant screams of the dying and the hideous cries of the infected as they called out their own rage and anguish at the terrible things they were doing.
After what seemed an eternity, Jinx began to growl. Her hackles rising as she stood before the door, teeth bared. I pulled away from Cass and turned towards the door. I would die fighting if I were to die.
&n
bsp; I’d survived too much for too long to just surrender.
The door handle turned and it swung inwards. A man stood there, blood around his mouth and shirt torn. There were bite marks on his too pale skin with dark veins standing out starkly. His eyes met mine for just a moment.
“I-I’m Soorrrry!” he said, words seeming ripped from him.
Behind him, two more came into view, their faces full of madness that warred with the hunger. The first took a step towards us and I raised my knife warningly. I knew I couldn’t beat them, not in the state I was in, but I had to try.
Jinx whined, and my eyes flicked to her for just a moment, enough time to see her tail wag and then Ryan collided with the man, tearing him away from the door and dragging him to the ground. His blade rose and fell, once, and blood sprayed.
Then he was on his feet, moving faster than ever before as he slipped between the two men, both knives flashing in his hands and blood filled the air as first one and then the other fell. He stopped, not even bothering to look at them and stared at me, eyes searching me for signs of injury.
His breathing was ragged and his chest heaved with the exertion. I realised in that moment that he’d likely run all the way through the town to get to us, to get to me. I smiled and hadn’t even noticed when I’d begun to cry.
He was in the room in an instant, arms around me as I collapsed against him. The fear and the loss of the last few days becoming too much for me.
“My Lord Death,” Lisa said as she came into view.
I opened my eyes and gaped at her. Blood spattered and even more bruised than before but absolutely alive.
“My Lady,” she said. “It was not my time.”
I burst into laughter and couldn’t have stopped if I’d wanted to.
Chapter 26
She seemed okay, if a little giddy. I wondered if they had her on some strong painkillers but her eyes were clear, if a little red from crying. My heart wouldn’t slow its beating and I held onto her for longer than I normally would have.
Somehow, I didn’t care if others saw my weakness. The thought that she might have been hurt had been too much. I nodded at Cass who smiled back and reached down to pet Jinx. From the blood on her maw, she had done her duty too.
“Sister, Mother, you are well?”
They just gaped at me. I would have shrugged if I hadn’t been holding on to Lily so tight. They had seen me kill people and I honestly couldn’t care what they thought. I turned to the young woman, the minion I had set to guard Lily.
“Briony?”
“Not here, My Lord Death. Samuel and the others have the infected contained in the building and are killing them now. She may be found yet.”
“No!” Lily said. “I figured it out.”
“Figured what out?” I asked, looking at her. She wiped her eyes and pushed away from me, smiling up at me.
“This! It’s a distraction. She had nothing to gain by attacking here. She knew there were radios and that everyone would come running.”
“So?”
“So, don’t you see? It was a distraction. She’s headed for the docks.”
It was so incredibly obvious when she said it and I cursed myself for not seeing it earlier. The infected to the north had been just enough to keep us up there while she attacked with another group in the south, at the hospital.
Since it was close to the docks, they would have heard the cry for help too and gone running, leaving it clear for her to escape.
“I have to go,” I said and was surprised at the reluctance in my voice.
“Yes! Go! Find her and kill her!” Lily snapped. “I don’t want her alive anymore. She needs to die for all this!”
That was enough for me. I kissed her, briefly, but passionately. A promise passing silently between us that I would be back. She waved me away and I headed for the door.
“No one enters this room till I’m back!”
“Yes, My Lord Death.”
Lisa closed the door behind me as I set off at a run. I grabbed a couple of minions as I passed and they followed behind me. Past the bodies of all those who had died and been prevented from returning with a knife to the skull.
Out of the main entrance, I raced along the empty street towards the docks. The wind buffeted me and the rain chilled my skin. I was sure Lily was right and she would be there.
I turned off the road and onto the wooden docks without pausing and only skidded to a stop as I saw a figured crouched in one of the smaller motorboats.
“Briony!”
She turned at that, eyes meeting mine and she grimaced.
“You found us.”
Her voice was surprisingly normal. The last time I’d spoken to her, she’d had little control over her limbs and voice. I guessed that a constant diet of human flesh had done wonders for her.
“Us?” I asked, looking around. There was no one but me, her and my minions.
“We need to leave. Get away from this place. Can’t let you stop us.”
She was either very crazy or… I tilted my head as I looked at her. The black veins visible beneath her skin were everywhere and her skin was almost the same pale grey as a Reaper.
“You’re not Briony are you?”
“We were. Once. Now we are something else.”
“You and the parasite, huh? A happy little family of two.”
“Not just two. I contain a multitude and we will spread.”
“Can’t let you do that.”
“You can’t stop us.”
I took a step towards her and then leapt to the side as she raised a gun and fired. It hit one of the minions high in the shoulder and he went down with a grunt. The other leapt at her and her next shot burst out the back of his skull.
She started the engine of the boat as I pushed myself up, cautiously, and then looked back at me as the boat set out to sea.
“That’s probably going to come back to haunt me,” I muttered as I watched her boat move further and further away.
She was headed to the mainland and while she would find few people to turn or eat, she would find plenty of zombies. They would either eat her or she’d eat them. Either way, it was a problem for later.
Right then, I wanted to go back to check on Lily.
I helped the wounded minion to his feet and left the other where he lay. He wouldn’t come back, the bullet to the skull had ensured that.
A drone buzzed past overhead and I grinned as I realised someone had the sense to follow her boat. They could keep an eye on her for some distance and if they had any sense, they would have already alerted the admiral and he’d have boats on their way to intercept her.
Which reminded me of the invasion that was underway. The island was safe, again, as was Lily. I could head back and continue in the violent retaking of the island. For some reason though, my heart wasn’t in it.
I left the minion with the medics and made my way to Lily’s room. Samuel was waiting outside, a look of annoyance on his face. I raised one eyebrow in query and he tilted his head towards the door.
“She said you told her not to let anyone in.”
“My apologies,” I said with a grin. “I was in a rush.”
He didn’t say anything to that, just crossed his arms and glared at the young woman standing before the door with a knife in her hand. At sight of me, she placed a closed fist against her breast in salute and stepped aside.
“Thank you,” I said as I passed.
She merely smiled and took up position beside the door. I was pretty sure that she would be a permanent bodyguard for Lily for some time. She was quite good at it and had saved her several times already.
Even just in the last couple of days, she had saved her from the infected in the river and then led a group away that would have been able to get into her room with ease. Yes, I decided right then that I wanted her to stay close.
“Briony?” Lily asked.
“Escaped.” Her eyebrows rose at that and I shrugged. “She had a gun. Probably tak
en from a soldier. I wasn’t expecting it though. Too used to zombies that don’t use weapons.”
“I’ll go make sure we can get a pursuit organised,” Cass said. She stopped beside me and placed one hand on my shoulder. “Thanks for the save.”
“Any time.”
She leant in and gently embraced me before hurrying from the room. My mother and sister watched with expressions I couldn’t recognise and I realised I would need to deal with them too.
“I know that I promised to keep away from you, but I hope you can understand my desire to be here, right now.”
“Of course,” Mother said. “I-I’m not sure how to feel right now, but I’m grateful to you for saving us.”
“Me too,” Evie said quietly.
She looked at Lily and something seemed to pass between them. Then she rose to her feet and crossed the room to pull me into an embrace.
“I can’t quite forgive you, yet. But I love you, little brother. You’ve changed. Thank you for showing me that.”
There was little I could say to that and she wiped her eyes before leaving the room. Back to her son no doubt. My mother went with her after sharing a shy smile with Lily and then it was just me and her.
“Hello, Lily.”
“Hello, Ryan.”
I pulled her close and held her for some time. The rest of the island could take care of itself at least for a little while. For the moment, I would just enjoy being with her and later, well, later I would try and figure out what it all actually meant.
She clearly meant a great deal more to me than I’d thought and that concerned me. Not so much the emotions involved but the fact that I had them. Especially since I didn’t understand them.
“When do you go back?” Lily asked quietly.
“Back where?”
“To the war on the Isle of Man.”
“I’m not going,” I said equally softly. “Not right now. Not while you need me.”
She turned her head to look up at me, something in her eyes that I couldn’t describe but thought, perhaps, was hope.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. I won’t lose you.”
“What about the other thing, the killing?”
Killing The Dead (Book 16): Infected Page 16