I ignored them and wandered through the stained corridors and rooms of the town hall, searching for the admiral. His people were everywhere. Scurrying from one room to another, carrying pieces of paper of tablets.
They all moved with purpose, intent on their tasks. Like ants in their nest, all with their assigned roles that they were unable to break free from. Performing the same duties again and again for little real purpose.
It was pathetic. I could barely hide my distaste for them. In my past life, before the fall, I would have walked amongst them, anonymous and unseen, as I dreamt of ways to kill each and every one of them.
Instead, in the world, as it was, I was their protector. Their guardian. And all for Lily. I exhaled a soft sigh and pushed aside such thoughts of the past. It was worth it, I knew that. She was worth it.
“Found him,” Gregg said, pulling me from my reverie. He nodded towards a door that led into a surprisingly small office. “In here.”
The admiral looked tired. His uniform, usually quite neat, was dishevelled and his jaw bore a days growth of stubble. He didn’t look up as we entered his office, intent as he was on the papers in front of him. Just a few from the stack that sat beside them.
“What?” I asked by way of announcing myself and the tired military man looked up with irritation in his eyes. I grinned at him.
“Take a seat.”
He gestured at the two plastic seats before his desk and I seated myself in one with only a mild moue of displeasure. Gregg seated himself beside me and the two mercenaries loitered by the door.
“Fine, we’re sat. What do you want?”
“Your tone is becoming ever more offensive,” he snapped and I couldn’t have stopped my mocking grin if I had wanted to.
“Do you really want me to pretend to be polite and make small talk? No? then just tell me what you want.”
He gave me a long, considering look and pursed his lips in disapproval before he leant back shoulders slumping.
“I would appreciate your help with a matter of some concern.”
“Oh?”
“The clearing of this town will take longer than expected and will require all my soldiers time and attention. We will be behind schedule and if we are delayed overly long then when Bravo and Charley forces arrive at Douglas, they will face the thirty thousand people there without us.”
“You want me to help with the clearing of houses?”
“No. I would like you to lead your people to the next three villages just south and to the east of here.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. There were twenty-five or my people left after the fight in Ramsay and I wasn’t sure how many undead would be at those villages. We could easily be overwhelmed. Not that it would stop me of course.
“Sure. Why not? Sounds like it might be more fun than sitting around here.”
“I thought you might see it that way.” The admiral smiled faintly as he said that and nodded. “I would appreciate this help. It will allow us to regain the time we are going to lose here.”
“Just a minute,” Gregg said, a little heat in his voice. “How many zombies are going to be at these villages?”
“A few hundred in each, at most.”
“A few… seriously?”
“We can handle that,” I said with quiet confidence.
“Why the hell would we want to? There’s a bloody army here that can do it!”
“Ah, it will be fine. You don’t need to go if you’re scared.”
“I’m not bloody scared! There’s a difference between being careful and being scared you prat!”
“Wouldn’t know,” I said with a grin. “I’m rarely either.”
“Gentlemen,” Admiral Stuart interrupted coolly. “The three villages in question are little more than hamlets. They were set up around stops on the Manx railway, which is now defunct. I do not foresee any serious problems and if I did, I would not send you alone.”
He gave us both a steady look, the kind a headteacher gives to a pair of unruly pupils. I didn’t like it and would gladly have slit his throat for the temerity of seeking to admonish me. I didn’t though. I knew better.
“As the work begins to come to a close here, I will be sending out larger groups of soldiers to all of the varied small holdings and villages. I have a map here for you, with some marked places I would like you to visit and pacify on your way to Douglas.”
“Which is where we’ll meet up, I take it?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds fine to me. I’m already bored here anyway.”
“No doubt.”
“Well, it’s not bloody fine to me!”
“You don’t need to go,” I said with a cocky grin that I knew would annoy him.
“Don’t! Don’t you bloody dare do that. You know I’m coming with you.”
“Then why complain?”
“Because… because… oh, for god’s sake! Just because, all right?”
I flashed him another grin and grabbed the map the admiral offered. There might be danger, there might not. One thing was for sure though, it would be more fun than sitting around watching the soldiers in the hopes that some zombie would eat one.
Chapter 16
The council chamber was in chaos. My bodyguards drew a little closer as Shepherd slammed her open hand on the polished wooden desk before her while shouting for quiet. Cass and Minister Jones shared a look as I watched the braying crowd, knowing that they needed to let off a little steam before they would truly settle down.
Members of all the various factions were in attendance, along with representatives for each of the smaller villages that dotted the island. Everyone was wanting to be heard and all at the same time or so it seemed.
No one noticed the chamber doors opening or the arrival or Samuel at the head of a full fist of his acolytes. He stood, staring about as those black-garbed warriors closed the doors. His eyes met mine for just a moment before he spoke.
“Silence!”
His voice filled the room, seeming louder than those around him and more than one face turned towards him, angry words lost as they realised who had spoken. I hid my smile as the silence seemed to spread out from around him, like a stone dropped into a still pool, the ripples spreading.
“My Lady.” His voice resonated with respect as he bowed low. “I apologise for disturbing your meeting.”
“No apologies necessary.” I caught sight of Cass from the corner of my eye as she smiled and turned her head away, amused by the theatrics. “Please, take your seat with the other members of the government.”
“This is wrong!”
A tall woman with angular features was the one who had spoken, casting her words at me as she stared with eyes that glinted with malice.
“That you have a cultist sitting with you while those who follow God are forced to beg for your time is-“
“Neither the time nor the place,” I said quietly, cutting her off. “You can bring that up in the next meeting. For now, we have other matters to discuss.”
“That we have.” She sneered as she said it and I knew I was about to raked over the coals.
“Now please, ladies and gentlemen, take a seat and we will begin.”
Samuel marched up the aisle between the chairs that had been set out for the twenty-odd representatives, eyes hooded and head high as he ignored them all completely. He seated himself beside Minister Jones and I readied myself.
“You all have questions. We will answer them but we will have order. Is that understood?”
A few half-hearted murmured ‘ayes’ was perhaps the best I could hope for, I reasoned, and so began in earnest.
“During the night, an infected researcher by the name of Briony Wilson escaped containment and is currently missing.”
I waited pointedly for the murmuring caused by that statement, to subside and then continued.
“A technician, two CDF soldiers and five civilians have been killed.” I cringed even as I said it, expecting the explosion of anger that followed
but still caught off guard.
“Where is this infected woman now?” I looked over at the fair-haired representative for three villages to the far south of the island as her voice cut over the rest.
“Her whereabouts are not known,” Shepherd said loudly. “But we are searching for her now.”
“How did this happen?” Miss Morris, the religious group's leader demanded.
“A mistake,” I replied. “Simply that.”
“That’s the best you can do?” She said with a sneer. “People have died and all you can say is it’s a mistake?”
“Yes.”
“Why was this infected woman even here, and infected with what?” Miss Morris looked around at the other representatives for support. “Why were we not warned?”
All valid questions and ones that should have been easy to answer. As I looked out over the room, seeing the anger in those faces, the fear. I knew I had failed. And how could I answer that?
“The government decided that it would cause panic,” Shepherd said when I didn’t immediately speak.
“Rightfully so,” Miss Morris snapped. “We want answers.”
“The people we brought back to the island two weeks ago,” I said loudly, my voice carrying across the noise of the people there. “They had been hidden away since before the world fell. Their goal, to create a vaccine to protect us.”
I had all of their attention then. Shepherd was watching me stony-faced and Cass reached out a hand to grasp mine in support.
“The first test of the vaccine created Briony. A woman, not a zombie but not alive. She has their hunger, but retains her mind.”
“A superior zombie then,” Miss Morris scoffed. “That is all they have managed to do? Create a better zombie than the ones that have depopulated most of the world.”
“No. They have brought hope.” She sneered at that but didn’t immediately speak. “The work continues and they are confident they are close. A chance for everyone to be able to sleep at night without worrying that a family member will die and turn as they sleep. The hope that our children won’t be devoured by their parents.”
“All well and good, ma’am,” the representative for two villages on the east coast said respectfully. He nodded when I turned to face him. “But what about this one that is loose? That is what we must fear now.”
“We will find her.” It was Samuel who answered, his voice and icy stare cutting off most people’s urge to reply.
“The search will be ongoing. Until we find her, we need your help,” I said quickly, taking advantage of the momentary quiet. “Warn your people to stay indoors, to watch for anything suspicious and to raise a warning if they see something.”
“We will have every available soldier and acolyte of the Dead, out patrolling to keep people safe.”
“Can you guarantee that?” another representative asked.
“I can guarantee that we will try. But no more than that.”
“Not good enough.”
I held back a sigh as the religious nut spoke again. She rose to her feet, chin lifted haughtily as she looked around at the gathered people.
“We didn’t vote for this woman to lead us! She took power and it’s been one disaster after another! Isn’t it time that we had a vote for someone new?”
I held my breath, waiting for the response. I’d known that question was coming but hadn’t expected it so soon. With the few troops we had left, there was no way I could maintain control if everyone turned against me and the people in the room must have known that.
“No.”
It was the fisherman’s representative that spoke. His voice was deep and rough, far more used to having his words shouted across the deck than spoken in a council chamber. His skin was weathered, his hair grey and I knew he had the respect of the captains in our fishing fleet. A man worth listening to and others knew that too.
“Wasn’t her fault when the zombies came, crawling out of the sea. Nae, not her fault but she and these other ministers held them back.”
He looked around the room, meeting the gazes of the others with his own, unflinching.
“We have food in our bellies and, for the most part, we be safe. When danger comes, these fine folk are on the front lines, fighting for us, fighting for our families. The last lot didnae do that.”
“True enough,” the medical representative called out and was echoed by several others.
“As we sit here and argue. Thousands of our people are risking their lives to get us a place to live safe. A place we can grow crops and feed our families,” the fisherman’s rep continued. “I’ve no need to vote for no one else. These lot be doing fine.”
“People are dead!” Miss Morris said, her voice a shriek.
“Aye. That they are but more are alive. My lads and lasses, they go out on their boats to bring food for the island. They do it knowing their families are safe here. They were here when the last government let loose the undead in the streets. They was here when that one,” he pointed at me with his chin. “When she fought them and saved our people. I’ll not vote for another and any who wants to can do without our fish.”
That was a ringing endorsement and a hell of a threat added on too, I thought. He’d essentially thrown the support of the fishing fleet behind me and since they produced the majority of the food we lived off, that was powerful support indeed.
“The CDF and the navy support her,” one of the soldiers guarding the doors offered loudly.
“Aye, the hospital staff too.”
“The Dead stand with her,” Samuel intoned.
Miss Morris stared around, searching for support and finding little. Her cheeks heated and she curled her hands into fists but she knew she was lost. She represented the religious groups. Most of whom spent their days in prayer.
While she might have had members amongst the other groups, she had likely realised that she couldn’t count on them for support. Her group was vocal, but without real power.
“I would like to assure you all,” I said into the silence. “We will do everything in our power to capture Briony without further loss of life.”
“Aye.” A woman pushed herself to her feet and I recognised her as a representative of a village to the north. She cupped her hand around her protruding belly and looked pointedly at me. “When will the vaccine be ready?”
“We will need volunteers,” I said softly, well aware of her reasons for asking. “It will need testing.”
“Once she is caught,” Samuel said. “I will be the first volunteer.”
I stared at him in shock, not knowing what to say. It was a huge risk and there was every likelihood that the first to try the new formulae would die or end up like Briony.
“You can go second,” Shepherd said. “I’ve already claimed first place.”
The minister, a woman I had judged unfairly upon first meeting her, glared at the crowd.
“You let your people know this. We’ll not ask them to do anything we won’t do ourselves.”
“No,” I whispered softly. Cass’s hand tightened in mine. “They can’t.”
“It’s their choice,” she replied so quietly only I could hear her. “Mine too. I’ll be third.”
Chapter 17
We followed the coast as we left Ramsay, the land rising up to our right and the sea on our left. Gregg walked along beside me, his hands in his pockets and his collar turned up against the cold wind that blew in from the sea.
Behind us, Isaac seemed to be having a one-sided conversation with Erin. I wasn’t at all sure what he could get from that, but it meant he wasn’t talking to me so I was fine with it.
My minions kept up at the rear, though one full fist of them had raced on ahead a ways. They no doubt had it in mind to encounter any potential problems before I did. In truth, I didn’t even mind that so much since, despite my bravado, I still ached from the gunshot wound I had taken. Not to mention the pain when I stretched the part-healed scars that covered my back from the Reapers claws.
“Where are the rats?” Gregg asked as he looked up at the hillside beside us. “I mean, there should be loads, yeah? They’re everywhere else.”
That was true enough. Even the island we called home had a plague of the damned things. Unlike most other animals, they seemed to be positively thriving in the apocalypse. Much as I did, which was a comparison I was not overly fond of.
“Zombies,” Isaac said, interrupting his own one-sided conversation to answer Gregg. “Most of them hang around near the zombies if there’s no other food. Zombies eat them.”
“Just like that? The zombies eat them.”
“Aye, lad.”
“But.” Gregg rubbed at the scars that covered one half of his face and turned to look back at the big mercenary. “Rats are fast. Zombies, well most zombies, aren’t.”
“Don’t have to be fast. They sit there, all still like, and when the rats come nibble at their flesh, they grab em! Seen it myself.”
“You have?”
“Oh, aye.”
Gregg turned back to me and I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. “Makes sense to me.”
“But… well, I mean… oh, I don’t know.”
He pushed his hands further into his pockets and pressed his lips firmly together. I shook my head and kept on walking. Despite the inclement weather, it wasn’t unpleasant. The Isle of Man was a beautiful place and with the absence of living people, it had a wildness that appealed to me.
I could imagine it would make a pleasant home for my children. Plenty of space for them to grow and play. Safe from the dangers of the larger world beyond the sea. It was a pleasing thought and one that I determined to make a reality.
Of course, to do that, I would just need to ensure the tens of thousands of zombies that lurked in the towns and villages were killed. Not an impossible task by any means, but one that had a reasonably tight timeline considering that we would need to move twenty odd thousand people before winter.
The meatgrinders would help, but we needed more. A way to destroy the undead without damaging the land or making it uninhabitable. The smaller towns and villages we could clear easily enough. It was the thirty thousand or so undead that would be in Douglas that concerned me.
Killing the Dead Season 3 Box Set | Books 13-18 Page 61