The End of Everything | Book 8 | The End of Everything

by Artinian, Christopher

  “You are kidding me.”

  “No.”

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”

  “Err … hello … yeah, we were the ones climbing it.”

  “Yeah, but Bobbi, they’re not designed to take any weight, you were lucky it didn’t—”

  “Look, we didn’t exactly have a lot of time to think. We were trying to find you, and then some of those things spotted us, and then we were out of choices. I mean it wasn’t a thin plastic one like the ones at home, it was like clay or something.”

  “God, if anything had happened I would never have forgiven myself.”

  “Yeah, well, firstly, you wouldn’t have known, and, secondly, I don’t think you’d have had that long to worry about stuff before it happened to you.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “So do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Have a better way to get out of here.”

  “Yeah, but we could do with a diversion.”

  “Ooh, let me guess, you’re going to start a fire.”

  “Ah yes, the pyro sisters. You would have made a good carnival sideshow. Everywhere you go fire follows,” Mila said, folding her arms.

  “Huh? What do you mean?” Wren asked.

  “Your sister did not tell you how she nearly burned down our house?” Mila asked with a smirk.

  Wren folded her arms now. “No, no she didn’t.”

  “And how, before we saw you, her plan was to set fire to one of the buildings down the street?”

  “Hey, I didn’t hear you complaining a little while back.”

  “Yes, I am old enough and wise enough to understand that tigers cannot change their stripes.”

  Wren smiled. “I think you mean leopards can’t change their spots.”

  “Aha, you seem more alike by the minute. Does a tiger have stripes?”

  “Err … yeah.”

  “Can it change them?”

  “Err … no.”

  “Then what difference is a tiger or a leopard for the purposes of the adage?”

  “Err … well … I…”

  “Don’t worry, you get used to her,” Robyn said, smirking.

  “So, come, I bow to your superior knowledge of how to set fire to buildings of cultural and historical significance. What or where are we going to set off in flames to cause our diversion?”

  chapter 26

  Robyn, Wren and Mila stood on the roof looking down. Robyn removed the shotgun from her backpack and pumped it before aiming it into the crowd and firing. One of the creature’s heads vanished in a red mist that stained the faces and shoulders of those surrounding it. Wren and Mila shuffled backwards, and now all the eyes below were fixed on Robyn as she made her way along the rooftop, luring the creatures further and further down the street. More beasts began to file out of the alleyway joining the others and, just to make sure, when she’d travelled another twenty metres, she fired again.

  Robyn carried on from office to shop to office further down the street. The only sloped roof she had to negotiate was the penultimate one in the row, and the incline was not too severe. She looked across and down to the second floor of the men’s clothes shop on the other side of the street then towards the creatures once more.

  Robyn pumped the fore-end of the shotgun and fired. The glass imploded, but as the beasts massed beneath her, she could hear little other than the initial sound of the shotgun. From where she was standing, she could see a tall mannequin next to a long rail of suits. She placed the shotgun into her rucksack and tore two pieces of material from her T-shirt before tying them just behind the head of two arrows. She dipped the first into the large plastic bottle of white spirit and lit it. A puff of blue-grey smoke rose from the cloth, and the speed at which it burnt took Robyn by surprise. She quickly nocked the arrow, aimed and fired.

  The flame seemed to disappear as it whistled through the opening where the glass had been, but as the arrow lodged into the chest of the mannequin, it soon caught again. The fire spread quickly, and the blue-grey smoke became black as the material of the dummy’s clothes caught. Robyn repeated the steps with a second arrow but this time aimed towards the hanging rail. The effect was much more dramatic, and half the suits erupted into a burst of flames, setting the surrounding fixtures and fittings ablaze too. The mannequin collapsed forward and hung half in half out of the window. Even from where Robyn was, it looked like a burning man desperate to escape the inferno, and the horde rallied to new heights of excitement.

  Robyn looked down at the hundreds of faces below. Many were still fixed on her, but with each puff, hiss, and crack from the developing inferno, more eyes drifted across the street to the second-floor window of the men’s outfitters.

  She picked up the two-litre bottle of white spirit and screwed the top on then measured the weight of it in her hand. She had never been great at sports, not like her sister, but even she could manage this. It was a downward trajectory, the opening was tall and wide, and the roof she was standing on had an almost gravel-like texture meaning she had a firm footing and wouldn’t have to worry about her follow-through. The flames were spreading fast, and more smoke than ever was billowing out of the window, but this would give it the wow factor.

  Robyn lined up her left hand and pointed it towards the opening then threw the bottle hard and fast with her right. It sailed through the air majestically before crashing against the sill next to the blazing mannequin. For a second, she was fuming with herself that she had missed the gap, but then, as the plastic cracked and the liquid spewed from the bottle in a hundred different directions, every drop burst into flames. Fire fountains gushed over the window frame, into the shop, down the front of the building, and even onto the crowd below.

  Creatures became engulfed, colliding with others and sharing the burning concoction that stuck to their clothes and skin. The loud whoosh made many more heads turn in the direction of the fire, and a self-satisfied grin appeared on Robyn’s face as she knew her work was done.

  She collected her bow, slipped the rucksack back on her shoulders, and, making sure she stayed out of the line of sight of the street below, headed back to the rooftop where she had left Wren and Mila.

  “Okay, this is your city, where now?” she asked, looking at her sister.

  “Down.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “You always have been a bit slow.”

  “Smart arse! Down how?”

  “Stairs are always a good option,” Wren replied, leading the way across the rooftop of the solicitor’s office to the back of the building. The growls of the creatures continued, but the pops and bangs caused by the fire began to ring out an equally loud accompaniment. Wren stopped just before the edge. There was a large square at the rear of the building. This was a loading bay for the shops and offices and a car park for the residential properties on the opposite side. There was just a single road in and out. “That’s where we’re heading.” She pointed across to the mouth of the alley.

  “Okay, I get that, but first we need to get down there. How?” Robyn asked.

  “I told you, stairs,” she replied, taking two paces forward.

  Robyn and Mila glanced at one another then stepped forward too. “You are frikkin’ kidding me. We nearly died climbing up a drainpipe and all along there were bloody stairs,” Robyn said, looking down at the external fire escape.

  “Yeah. We need to be careful on them. They’re pretty old, and from experience I can tell you that a lack of recent maintenance and paint jobs has had a serious effect on certain safety features in this city. I’ll climb down first, then you can lower my stuff and I can help you guys down,” Wren said, placing her bag and spear on the roof then sitting on the edge, swivelling her legs over the side and dropping the few feet onto the rusted metal platform at the top of the staircase.

  “I am still in shock,” Mila said as she lowered Wren’s spear and bag, followed by hers and Robyn’s belongings. />
  “They were quite common on older buildings. To be honest, I doubt if this was ever used … apart from by me, that is.” Wren helped Mila then Robyn down and the three of them cautiously descended the creaky fire escape. The red paint had chipped off in places leaving the metal below exposed to the elements. Rust coated their fingers as they steadied themselves on the handrail, and a few times there were groans beneath their feet as the metal strained excessively. The far north of Scotland was a harsh environment, not just in winter, and it was for this reason that buildings and indeed roads, towns and whole cities were losing the battle against nature and the elements.

  The three of them arrived at the foot of the staircase and looked across to the overgrown verges surrounding the residential parking on the other side. Once they would have been mown, and small raised flower beds would have made the whole area seem a little more colourful, but now tall weeds burst from the soil and even spread to the pavement and road. Thick roots and stems cracked tarmac and concrete alike. Nature was reclaiming Inverness one paving slab at a time.

  “So, we head up the alley now, yes?” Mila asked, turning to Wren.

  “Yeah. Then we take a left. About fifty metres down the street, there’s another alley on the opposite side that’s got a staircase like this one. It’s plain sailing from there.”

  “Oh yeah. Everything has been such plain sailing ever since we walked into this city, I’m sure we’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about,” Robyn said.

  “Why don’t we go roof to roof? Why not use the rope to get across?”

  “The opposite buildings at this end of the street all have sloped roofs. There’s no way to fix a safe line across. Further down there is. I had all sorts of routes over the city, but they needed to be done in the right order; we’re kind of winging it a bit here, but once we get to that next fire escape, we’re going to be okay, trust me. It’s got some kind of meteorological equipment on the roof, so it leads all the way up, no climbing, and from there we’ve got multiple options,” Wren said. “Listen, that fire will hopefully have their attention for the moment, but it’s probably going to attract others, so keep your eyes peeled. Remember, fifty metres or so and we’re in the clear.”

  Robyn instinctively withdrew an arrow from one of the quivers and nocked it while Mila pulled both swords from their scabbards. Wren looked at the homemade spear she had in her hands, and her heart sank a little. “Don’t worry, Sis, they can’t have been the only two pistol crossbows in the world.”

  “Our photo was in there too,” she replied sadly.

  “Maybe Grandad has a copy.”

  “He has. He’s got loads of photos, but that was the one I fought for, the one I took with me from Edinburgh.”

  “Well, we can always go get it if you want.”

  “Err … no. Carl Donovan and his cronies I can handle. A few hundred infected might be pushing my luck a bit too far.”

  “Who knows, the next time we come in here, it might still be waiting for you.”

  “One, I have no intention of setting foot in this city again after today if I can help it, and, two, I don’t think there’ll be much of this area left when that fire really gets going.”

  “True enough,” Robyn replied.

  They carried on down the alley, keeping their eyes straight ahead, expecting to see an army of zombies rushing towards them at any second, but to their relief and amazement, they didn’t. They stopped ten metres short of the junction that would lead them out onto the main road. Wren edged forward, and with her back to the wall of the building to the left, she peeked around the corner and looked in both directions. She saw faint trails of smoke drifting on the breeze, climbing into the sky as the fire Robyn had started spread further and further.

  “It’s all clear,” she said, calling back in a whispered shout.

  Robyn and Mila moved up to join her, neither willing to relinquish the firm grip they had around their weapons. The three of them slowly emerged into the street. The sound of the massive horde still echoed, but it was much more muted than it had been as they began the most treacherous part of their journey. They almost hugged the buildings as they continued, doing their best to blend in against the city landscape.

  There was an intersection ahead, but just twenty metres beyond that was the turn that would lead them to freedom. They came to a stop before the crossroads, and it was Wren who cautiously moved to the junction once more. She leant forward, first looking one way then the other— “OH SHIT! RUN!”

  The throng of creatures had already begun their charge towards her as she turned her head in their direction. Without even seeing what Wren had seen, Robyn and Mila began to sprint. They looked to their right as they raced over the intersection. “Scheisse!” Mila screamed as she cast her eyes on at least thirty infected.

  The pack was no more than fifteen metres behind the three girls as the freshly energised beasts stormed around the corner in pursuit.

  “Oh no!” Wren cried as half a dozen more appeared up ahead. “Next right.”

  Within a second, she had disappeared from view. Mila and Robyn followed her, and the three of them began to sprint even faster as the sound of the pack’s charging feet rumbled and echoed behind them, filling the narrow backstreet with the eerie song of death.

  “Where when we get to the end?” Robyn screamed.

  “Left … left. It’s in the corner to the left.”

  Robyn looked back. Fifteen metres, not enough. One stumble and it’s all over. Slowing only slightly, she turned and fired an arrow, immediately facing back to her direction of travel. No way could she get an accurate shot, but she was hoping she could slow the front runner enough to cause the others problems. She did better than that. The arrow flew low and landed just above the creature’s knee, knocking his leg out from underneath him and causing a pile-up. She heard the sound before she saw what had happened, and as she threw another glance back to look, she smiled broadly.

  “Nice shot,” Mila said, admiring her friend’s handiwork. They carried on, determined to make the most of the advantage the arrow had given them.

  Wren was the first around the corner, and her heart lifted a little when she saw the fire escape rising from the tarmac like a stairway to heaven. She turned to see Mila and her sister just a couple of metres behind her.

  There was no time to pause, no time to plan. She reached the bottom step and began bounding up the stairs two at a time. She clutched the spear tightly in her fist. She knew she was going to need it when she got to the roof. For what seemed like too long, the sound of her feet was the only one on the metal steps; then a second and third pair joined hers.

  Robyn deliberately brought up the rear. I need to buy us more time or this is all going to be over.

  The fire escape felt rickety underfoot at best. It rattled and clanged loudly, and she felt at any second like her foot would go through one of the treads. Robyn reached the small square landing at the top of the first flight and raised her bow. The first creature appeared at the foot of the staircase and began to charge up, followed by a second then a third.

  Steady. Steady. Now! Robyn released the bowstring just as the lead beast stumbled. The arrow whistled above its head and landed in the neck of the second creature, having no effect. “Shit!” she screamed as the first beast found its footing once more. There were six creatures on the fire escape now, and she had hoped they would fall like dominos, but her plans were going up in flames.

  “Robyn! Come on!” Mila shouted as she turned to see her friend standing there with an empty bow.

  “Keep going!” Robyn ordered. Don’t screw this up, don’t screw this up, don’t screw this up. The hands of the first reaching monster were just a few centimetres from her when she pivoted and kicked out hard with her left foot. If she mistimed, the creature would grab her, and she’d be done for. Don’t screw this up.

  Robyn’s foot landed square in the beast’s chest and for a fraction of a second, as both its hands closed around her l
eg, she was convinced it was all over; but that fraction of a second passed, and the creature flew backwards into the next, then the next and the next.

  It was a beautiful sight, but there was no time to enjoy it fully. Robyn started up the next flight. Mila had disappeared from view, she was on the roof now, and the time that Robyn had bought them didn’t change the fact that there was a fight to the death coming.

  She landed hard on the top platform and turned to see Wren and Mila with their weapons drawn and ready for action. “Are you okay, Bobbi?” Wren asked nervously.

  “Never been better,” she replied, nocking an arrow and going to stand by her sister’s side.

  “I could stay on the top rung and—”

  “Forget it,” Robyn said, cutting Mila off. “You won’t be able to get all of them, we do this together.”

  “How?” Wren asked.

  “Never mind, just be ready to take down any that get through.”

  “Get through? Get through from where?”

  “Mila, you ready?”

  “I’m ready.”

  The head and shoulders of the first beast appeared above roof level. Its eyes immediately moved to the three of them as it leapt up the remaining steps. A second then a third appeared soon after. “Good. Let’s do this.” It was a cheesy line straight out of a Hollywood movie, but it seemed right. It seemed right that after such a long time of Wren taking the lead, Wren making the plans for how to get them to safety, it was her now. It was Robyn’s time to take control, to look after her little sister. She launched the first arrow, and it disappeared through the first creature’s left eye. The beast flew back and toppled over the railing, disappearing from view in an instant.

  Robyn nocked a second arrow ready, but Mila ran forward. Wren watched as the blades blurred. The steel gleamed in the sun as it swished and swept. It was less than a heartbeat before the next two creatures were down, then the next. A second arrow fired, and another beast was launched into oblivion.

  There was a scuffle; then three creatures hit the roof running at the same time, then another two. Mila burst into action once more, one down, two down. Robyn fired again. Three down. Two more beasts hit the roof sprinting, and Wren realised if she didn’t do something they would be on Mila before she had finished dealing with the first wave heading in her direction.