“Cheer up. You’ve got visitors too,” Nessie announced.
Lisa perked up. “Really?”
“Yup. Here they come,” Nessie said, ducking outside. “I’ll be back for your dishes later.”
Nadia burst into the room, carrying a wildflower which she promptly tucked behind Lisa’s ear. “How’s my girl feeling today?”
“Much better,” Lisa said.
Nadia looked at her plate. “Is that your breakfast?”
“Yes,” Lisa admitted.
“Good Lord, that wouldn’t last you an hour normally,” Nadia said, snatching the apple up and tossing it in the air. “This thing is tiny.”
“Nadia, put that back,” Cat said with a frown before looking at Lisa. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”
“A grilled cheese sandwich would be nice,” Lisa joked.
Nadia groaned. “Don’t start. I haven’t tasted cheese in months.”
“In that case, you’ll like it here,” Cat’s mom said, entering after the two girls. “The community has dairy cows, and that means…”
“Milk and cheese!” Nadia crowed, tossing the apple high in the air again.
Lisa sighed, fatigue setting in at the mere sight of the irrepressible Nadia. She turned to Cat, ignoring the apple that kept bobbing up and down in the air. “I’m glad to see you found your mom.”
“Me too,” Cat beamed. “Mom, this is Lisa. My other best friend.”
Matilda smiled. “Nice to meet you, Lisa. I hope you feel a lot better soon.”
“Thank you.”
Matilda took the chair in the corner while Cat and Nadia chose the foot of her bed. They chattered away, filling Lisa in on everything they’d seen and learned so far. The community was huge by their standards, housing around two thousand people. They were mostly ordinary people. Farmers, teachers, accountants, that sort of thing, with a few soldiers sprinkled in between.
“How did they manage to build that huge wall?” Lisa asked, remembering the imposing structure from the day before
“I can answer that,” a voice said from the doorway. A man entered, introducing himself as he walked inside. “Lisa, is it? I’m Neil. The elected Leader of Queenstown.”
“Um, hello,” Lisa managed to say despite her surprise at yet another visitor.
He reached out to shake her hand, his fingers cool to the touch. She couldn’t help but notice that his nails were spotless, and the easy way he smiled at her as if smiling came naturally to him. She ducked her head, an unwelcome blush rising in her cheeks as she became acutely aware of her greasy unwashed hair and grimy skin. What must he think of me?
Neil chose a spot to lounge in and answered her earlier question. “It so happened that around the time of the outbreak, a massive construction was underway nearby. When the zombies rose, the workers broke down the new construction and used the material to build a wall instead. The initial area was quite small. It encompassed the St. Michael’s Cathedral, the public gardens, and a couple more buildings at first. In time, they demolished more structures and expanded the wall. We’re slowly growing outward, you see, reclaiming more and more of the town as we go.”
“That’s amazing,” Lisa said.
“It took months, and we’re not finished yet. Not by a long shot,” Neil added. “In time, I hope to have a thriving, self-sufficient community here.”
“I hope so too,” Lisa said.
“Well, I just wanted to pop in and welcome you personally, but now I’ll leave you to your friends. I wish you a full recovery,” Neil said. “See you soon.”
He ducked out, and Lisa stared after him, hoping he meant what he said because she wouldn’t mind seeing him again.
Nadia placed her apple back into its spot on Lisa’s plate, her eyes narrowed in a shrewd manner. “Have you got a thing for our illustrious leader?”
“No!”
Nadia gasped. “You do!”
“What?” Cat asked. “What did I miss?”
“She likes Neil.”
“I do not,” Lisa said.
“Do too.”
“Children, calm down,” Cat’s mom said, quelling them with a glance.
“All right,” Cat said, turning the conversation to quieter topics. They chatted for a few more minutes until a nurse warned them their time was almost up, and the doctor wanted to check on Lisa.
“Mom, can I talk to Lisa and Nadia in private for a moment?” Cat asked. “It’s nothing serious, just girl talk.”
Matilda looked skeptical but gave in and left the room. “Two minutes.”
“What’s up?” Lisa asked.
“Yesterday, when we changed the slashed tires on the truck, I thought I saw Jay,” Cat said. “It was only for a moment, but I’m sure it was him.”
“Jay?” Nadia said. “But, I thought he’s dead. That’s what that crazy woman Lena said when she tried to kill you.”
“I know, but I’m sure it was him. Lena must have been wrong,” Cat replied.
“Are you certain? It wasn’t just…fear, maybe? Stress?” Lisa asked with a frown.
Cat shook her head. “I know what I saw. It explains the boot print and sabotage too. He’s been following us.”
“If that’s true, then we’re in serious trouble. We can’t stay here,” Nadia said.
“Why not?” Lisa asked. “He can’t come in here, can he?”
“I’m not so sure. From what Cat and I’ve seen, this place is great, but these people aren’t fighters.”
“They’re survivors. Of course, they can fight,” Lisa said. “Just look at all the dead zombies outside.
“The guards, perhaps, not the townspeople, and even they’ve never been up against someone like Jay before. You can bet wherever he is, he’s got a bunch of Ravagers behind him too. They can’t all have died that day,” Nadia said. “More’s the pity.”
“So, what do we do? Warn Neil?” Lisa said.
“I’m not sure he’ll listen, or even understand. It’s hard if you’ve never been up against bad guys like that before. I know my mom won’t understand. She thinks this is the safest place on earth,” Cat said. “They all do.”
“We can’t just leave. What about these people?” Lisa said. “Sam and Ralph? The women and children.”
“How about I volunteer for patrols? I can go out with the guards, see if I can find any signs of Jay. If I have proof, Neil might listen. Until then, it’s just a story,” Nadia said. “In the meantime, Cat can talk to her mom. Convince her of the danger. Maybe they can approach Neil and the council together.”
“It’s a start,” Lisa said. “Warn the guards too, if you can. Get them to up their vigilance, be extra careful.”
“I’ll try,” Nadia said.
A knock on the door announced Dr. Heinz who frowned when he saw them. “Visiting hours are over. Please leave. I expect you to be gone when I return.”
“Guess that’s us, then,” Cat said with regret as she got off the bed. “See you soon, Lisa, and take care.”
“Bye,” Nadia said, waving as she left the room. “Get better. We need you.”
“Love you guys,” Lisa replied, sad to see them leave. Silence fell, and she looked at her plate with a grimace, her appetite gone. “Guess it’s just you and me again.”
A few hours after her miserable breakfast, the young girl from before arrived to collect her dirty dishes and deliver a slightly more appetizing lunch. Nessie lifted the plate from her trolley with a flourish. “I twisted Cook’s arm for you. Bon appetit!”
Lisa’s mouth watered at the sight of cooked pumpkin, beetroot, savory rice, and a chicken breast. “That looks delicious.”
Nessie giggled. “Don’t tell Dr. Heinz. He’s still got you on dry toast and tea.” She produced a cup of coffee from the suddenly magical trolley. “With sugar and a touch of milk.”
“Thank you, Nessie, you’re an angel.”
“Last, but not least, these arrived for you,” Nessie said, bending down to pick up a bunch of hand-picked f
lowers tied together with a bow.
Lisa gasped. “Who’s it from?”
“There’s a card.” Nessie wrinkled her nose. “I couldn’t read it because it was in an envelope.”
“Nessie!”
“What? I was just curious.” The girl shrugged. “Fine. I’ll leave you to read it alone. Enjoy your meal.”
Lisa stared at the bouquet of flowers, inhaling their fresh scent. It could only be from Cat and Nadia. Or maybe…Cat’s mother. She opened the envelope and read the words, her heart leaping in her chest.
To Lisa. It looked like you could use a touch of color in that awful room. Yours fondly, Neil.
Chapter 14 - Nadia
“You ready, newbie?” the leader of her squad, Zack, called.
“I’m ready,” Nadia replied, ignoring the snickers that rose from the rest.
She climbed into the back of the truck with her new teammates, prepared to go out on a morning patrol. It was open at the back with high metal sides to protect the occupants, something Nadia wasn’t used to but could tolerate if the others did.
Tugging at her jacket, she settled into the corner, legs pulled up to her chest. She wore her usual combat clothes: Jeans, leather jacket, fingerless gloves, and biker boots. It was what she felt most comfortable in, and they afforded a measure of protection.
Her hair was gelled back, resembling a platinum Mohawk, and she’d removed her piercings, leaving only the studs in her ears and lower lip. She was aware of the picture she painted with her eyeliner and the tattoo on her neck. She’d faced down a few raised eyebrows and smirks already, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was getting out of the community and looking for evidence of Jay.
After their conversation at the hospital, Nadia had searched for Neil and asked him to assign her to patrol duty. At first, he was reluctant, viewing her as little more than a teen girl. She quickly disabused him of that idea, telling him in no uncertain terms that she could outfight anyone in his town on her worst day.
The truck rumbled to life and took off, driving through the gates to the outside world. The lighthearted chatter around Nadia ceased, and people stood up to peer over the rim of the truck. Nadia followed suit, resting both hands on the metal sides to maintain her balance as the vehicle rumbled over potholes and ditches.
It was a beautiful day, Nadia noticed in passing, with clear blue skies and clouds that looked like candyfloss. The sun was warm but not hot. The breeze was refreshing, not cold. The weather stood in sharp contrast to the ruined city, many of the buildings demolished or stripped.
Fires had raged at some point, blackened fingers stretching up the sides of concrete buildings toward the sky. Windows were smashed, doors were broken down, and rubbish collected in corners, blown there by the wind.
It looked so different from the community with its carefully laid out paths, flowering gardens, fruit orchards, vegetable plots, fields, and barns. The people there were so carefree. Children went to school and played in parks. On Sundays, there was church service and on Saturdays a market where people could trade goods with each other. It was a whole different world.
The truck roared around a corner, between a row of tiny shops, and into an open field on the edge of town. The knee-high grass swayed in the breeze, and a line of trees stretched across the horizon.
The others climbed out, and Nadia followed. “What are we doing here?”
A young man, Sean, she thought, answered. “There were reports of infected activity in this field yesterday, so Zack thought we should check it out.”
“Looks deserted to me,” Nadia said. “They’ve probably moved on.”
Sean shrugged. “Probably. It pays to check anyway. Sometimes they congregate, and it’s easy to get them all at once.”
“Maybe in the old days,” Nadia murmured.
“What do you mean?” a sharp-eyed woman called Edith asked.
“The zoms are changing. They’re becoming tougher and more active. They don’t stay put anymore, and their skulls are thicker, more difficult to penetrate.”
Edith stared at her. “Where did you hear that?”
“I didn’t hear it. I’ve seen it first-hand. I’ve spent the past six months on the road. Things are changing, and we’ll have to change with it.”
“Huh.” Edith turned away, and Nadia was unsure whether the woman believed her or not.
Not that it mattered. So far, she hadn’t seen any activity suggesting Jay and his buddies were here, but that didn’t mean they weren’t. Just keep your eyes peeled.
Zack called them together. “Listen up. I want you to fan out and move toward the tree line. Watch out for crawlers. If there are infected here, we’ll flush them out. If they attack en-masse, don’t panic. Keep together and retreat toward the truck. Got that?”
People nodded, but he singled Nadia out. “That counts for you especially, newbie.”
Nadia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and saluted him with a sardonic smile. “Got it.”
They spread out into a single line, and at Zack’s command moved across the field at a steady pace. Each held their rifle ready, set on semi-automatic for the time being. If need be, they’d switch over to fully automatic. Nadia had been given an R4 rifle, one she was familiar with thanks to Breytenbach and Max’s teachings.
They were three-quarters of the way across the field with no infected in sight when the unthinkable happened. A burst of fire from behind cut across their ranks, mowing them down like a harvest of wheat.
Nadia was walking next to Sean. The next moment, the air was full of singing bullets, and he fell to the ground with a yell. She dropped to the earth next to him, wincing when a shot spat dust in her face.
“Sean! Are you there?” She crawled toward him, looking for his shape in the long grass. She found him convulsing while he clawed at his neck. Blood bubbled up like a fountain from the hole in his throat.
“Ghghg…” The words were unintelligible, his vocal cords destroyed.
Nadia gasped. “Oh, crap. Hold on, Sean. Hold on,” she cried even though she knew it was useless. She pushed her hands against the wound, watching in horror as the blood pushed through her fingers, coating her hands and forearms a crimson hue.
His eyes were wild, silently pleading with her for a miracle she knew wasn’t possible. Looking around, she yelled. “Somebody help. Over here. Man down!”
A rustle in the grass announced Edith’s stern face. She took one look at Sean and shook her head. “He’s dead, Nadia.”
“No, he’s…” Nadia looked down. Already the flow of blood was slowing as Sean’s eyes glazed over in death. “He..”
“Come on, we’ve been ambushed,” Edith said. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“And go where?” Nadia asked, still in shock.
“They’re behind us, so head for the trees,” Edith said.
Edith crawled ahead with Nadia close on her heels, heading for the trees that promised salvation. They were almost there when a fresh hail of bullets cut through the grass, kicking up clods of earth all around them.
“Run,” Edith screamed, but she was suddenly silenced when a shot punched through her skull in a spray of blood.
Nadia screamed and scrambled to her feet, running the last few steps to the trees as fast as she could. Somehow she made it, even as more gunfire clipped the bark and leaves around her.
She kept going, knowing full well that the entire team was most likely dead, and she was outnumbered and outgunned. Don’t stop, keep running. You have to escape.
Nadia pushed her body to go faster, but almost fell when she tripped over a root. She slammed into the trunk of a tree, skinning her palms and cheek. For a second, she paused, heaving to catch her breath. In the distance, voices called out to each other, sporadic gunfire ringing out. I have to keep moving.
She whirled around, but a giant hand came out of nowhere and gripped her by the throat. Nadia squeaked when the powerful arm lifted her up like she was a toy, her toes scra
bbling in the dirt. Her throat constricted, and she clawed at the iron fingers that had hold of her.
A face appeared in her field of vision, and a deep voice spoke, “Did you really think you could escape me, little rabbit?”
“Ah, ah,” was all Nadia could manage as her lungs screamed for air.
“I’ve been hunting you for a long time. You and your friends, but you, especially. You’re the one who destroyed my camp, killed my brother, and almost killed me.”
Jay! It’s Jay! Nadia thought, kicking frantically as she tried to escape his grip. She might as well have tried to bend steel with her bare hands.
“That’s it. Feel the terror pump through your veins as you realize you’re about to die, little rabbit,” Jay purred as he watched her struggles with a sneer twisting his scarred face.
Nadia’s face swelled with blood until her eyes bulged and she thought she would faint. Suddenly, he dropped her to the ground, easing his hold until she could breathe but not letting go.
As her vision cleared, he smiled, lifting a hand to show her a wicked looking knife, the blade gleaming. “Choking is too good for you. I want you to suffer a slow painful death.”
Nadia’s eyes widened, and she renewed her struggles. His hand dropped in a fluid motion and thrust the knife into her abdomen. At the last moment, Nadia attempted to twist sideways, but the blade found its home in her flesh and sank to the hilt.
Raw agony ripped through her nerve endings, and she screamed. Jay’s smile widened as he gloated, glorying in the pain he was causing when he twisted the blade for maximum damage.
Nadia screamed again, her vision going dark for a second. “No!”
“Oh, yes.” Jay lowered his lips to her ear and whispered. “As you lay dying, know this, little rabbit. Your friend, Cat, now belongs to me. As for dear Lisa, I’ve got a fitting end planned for her as well. Something slow and agonizing. Just like you.”
“No, please. Not my friends,” Nadia whimpered.
Jay sneered. “Not so tough now, are we? Carrier. Monster.”
Nadia’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Oh, I know all about your little secret. Not that it matters anymore. By this time tomorrow, the Queenstown community will bow down to me, and your friend Cat will warm my bed.”
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 138