Lisa hesitated, a million and one things running through her mind. Her feelings for Neil, what they meant, Trevor…and in an instant, she realized one crucial fact. Whatever she might feel for Trevor, be it friendship or not, she could never love someone as selfish as Neil. “I’m staying.”
“Then rot in hell with your new boyfriend, for you’ll never make it back. I made sure of that,” Neil said.
“So it was you.”
“Of course,” Neil replied with a sneer twisting his face.
“Where is this scouting party of yours going?” Lisa asked, stepping closer as both hands curled into fists, ready to beat him to a pulp.
He sneered. “St. Francis. Where do you think? And once we own it, I’ll be in charge of it. Jay promised me as part of my reward, and you could have gone with me if you weren’t so stupid.”
Lisa laughed, tipping her head back as she let forth one hysterical peal after the next.
Neil frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“You, you idiot! Do you really think Jay would put you in charge of anything? I thought you were smarter than that, but clearly, I was wrong.” She eyed him with open glee. “Enjoy your trip. I’d be surprised if you make it back. After all, what are you to Jay but just another loose end?”
Neil’s face puffed up until he resembled a bullfrog. Unable to control his anger, his fist lashed out at her jaw, but Lisa was too fast. With ease, she ducked out of the way before planting a solid shot on his Adam’s apple.
Neil collapsed like a stone, both hands clutching his throat as he struggled to breathe. “You, you…bitch.” he croaked with a voice that sounded like gravel scraping over concrete.
With disgust, she turned her back on him. “I’d rather be a bitch than a traitorous coward any day. Have a nice life, Neil.”
She walked away without a backward glance and climbed into the back of Red’s truck with a smile of satisfaction. Trevor eyed her with raised eyebrows, and she sat down next to him in the corner.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“That, my friend, was trouble.” In low tones, she explained to him what had happened. “It’s more important than ever that we escape today. We have to warn St. Francis. Max needs to know what’s coming for him.”
Trevor nodded. “So be it. We escape today.”
The truck rolled out of the gates minutes later and they lapsed into silence, watching the other Ravagers around them with wary suspicion. Everyone was an enemy, and no one knew what the day would bring.
***
Hours later, Lisa and Trevor found themselves standing in an abandoned parking lot outside a mall. They’d driven around all morning, clearing out office blocks and houses, encountering little resistance.
As Lisa eyed their latest project, she had a feeling things were about to change. She didn’t like the look of the place, nor did she like the thickly wooded area surrounding it. It looked ominous, and the numerous cars parked around her spoke of people. Lots of them and that meant zombies.
The mall wasn’t big or sophisticated, more a hotch-potch of various shops crammed into one long low building with a set of glass doors in the middle. The interior was bathed in darkness, but smears of blood on the transparent glass boded ill. It was situated on the far side of town, and Red was sure the place hadn’t been checked or raided yet.
“As far as I know, this is virgin territory, guys. Be on the lookout. The place could be swarming with corpses,” Red announced, even though she looked more eager than worried. “Ready for some action?”
The Ravagers cheered and forged ahead, followed by Lisa and Trevor who hung back, not part of the group yet forced to join in. They’d barely walked more than a few paces when disaster struck.
One of the Ravagers, a teen whose name Lisa didn’t know, slid over the hood of the nearest car to him in what was supposed to be a fancy move, but when he landed on the other side, he screamed and disappeared from view.
Red and the others rushed over while Lisa circled around the car on the other side until she had a clear view. What she saw horrified her to the core. Lying on the tar was a zombie so mutilated it could do nothing but drag itself along. It’s lower half was missing, and its entrails dragged on the ground leaving a trail of slime behind.
When the teen landed, he’d accidentally offered himself up as a ready meal to the waiting infected who wasted no time latching on and tearing through his flimsy pant material to get to the flesh beneath.
Lisa watched as the zombie ripped out a chunk of calf muscle, blood coating its face as the boy lay writhing and screaming on the ground. His cries were cut off by a bullet to the brain delivered by Red who promptly shot the infected too. Within seconds, it was over with both the teen and zombie lying dead on the ground, the gun blasts echoing in the air.
That was just the beginning.
A prickly sensation warned Lisa of impending danger, and she whirled in time to see a throng of zombies push through the glass doors inside the mall. They flooded the parking lot, an unholy sea of the dead followed by more of their kind who burst out from between the trees surrounding the lot. There were hundreds of them.
“Oh, shit, Trevor, run!” She grabbed Trevor by the arm and turned back to the vehicles. It was their only hope. They sprinted across the lot followed by a few of the Ravagers closest to them.
Most, however, stayed behind with their leader Red who opened fire on the crowd. They clustered around her, spraying bullets into the oncoming zombies. Many fell, but more replaced them, trampling their dead fellows beneath uncaring feet.
Red cut a magnificent figure, her hair a crimson flag in the wind while she blasted the oncoming swarm with her AK-47. “Come on, you rotters. Die!”
Lisa knew the woman was doomed, though. Even as she looked over her shoulder, gaps appeared in the Ravager ranks.
Lisa looked to the front again and noticed a side-shoot of the undead had cut off their escape. She stumbled to a halt.”shit, what now?”
Casting around for a way out, she found none. They were surrounded. The Ravagers with her closed ranks, forming a circle. Within seconds, they were fully committed to the fight, each firing with his or her weapon of choice while Lisa and Trevor huddled in the middle, armed only with their knives.
“We need a diversion,” Lisa shouted to Trevor. “The Ravagers will be swarmed in no time. There are not enough bullets among them to cut this lot down.”
No sooner had she said this than a knot if infected pulled down a woman near them. She was lost beneath their writhing bodies and pulled apart like confetti, her innards spattering across their eager faces while her gurgling cries rose above the din.
“What do we do?” Trevor asked.
“Give me your shirt,” Lisa cried.
Trevor pulled it off without hesitation and handed it to Lisa who quickly wrung it into a long thick rope. She scurried to the nearest vehicle. Its front door stood open, and she popped the petrol tank open. The car was an old make, one without the mesh protecting the tank inside.
Praying the car had gas and that it would work, she stuffed the shirt inside. Pulling it out again, she was gratified to see the tip drenched in petrol. She pushed the other end in this time and used her matches to light the wet end of the material. It took easily, the material crisping as flames rang along it.
Trevor grabbed her by the arm. “Come on, we’d better move fast before that thing blows.”
Together, they zigzagged through the lines of cars, putting distance between themselves and the would-be bomb. More Ravagers had fallen to the undead scourge, and their ranks were thinning at a rapid pace.
A crowd of zombies blocked Lisa and Trevor from going any further, and they pulled out their knives, cutting down as many as they could. The entire time, Lisa expected the car to blow, but nothing happened, and she began to despair. Her arms grew heavy, her stabs and slashes slower as more and more infected pressed in.
During a slight lull, Lisa scrambled back, gasping for b
reath. Red was screaming like a banshee, her gun on full auto when it clicked on empty. Horrified, Lisa watched as three zombies set on her at once, ripping at her arms and face. The woman didn’t stop fighting, clubbing brains with her rifle stock until it broke into pieces. She flung it aside and used a knife, throwing herself headlong into the crowd with a final yell of defiance.
Hands tugged at Lisa’s jacket, and she backpedaled frantically to avoid the teeth that snapped at her skin. Her boot rolled on a stone, and she fell on her ass with a thump at the same time the car she’d rigged exploded.
A terrific boom rocked the parking lot, blowing human and zombie alike off their feet. Trevor fell with a cry of pain, and she scrambled forward on her hands and knees to help him. A piece of jagged metal had pierced his thigh, and he screamed when she touched it.
Around them, the zombies blasted off their feet were stirring, and she knew there was no time to waste. “Trevor, we have to go. Now!”
She pulled him to his feet and half-carried half-dragged him to the trucks. Along the way, she yelled. “Get moving, Ravagers. Get to the trucks. Now!”
Those nearest her obeyed, and together they managed to push through the last zombies standing between them and safety. Lisa helped Trevor inside, and jumped after him. A Ravager climbed behind the wheel and gunned the engine, racing away from the nightmarish scene.
Trevor cried at each bump and jostle, blood pumping from his wound. Frantic, Lisa pulled the spare bandages from her pockets and tied it over and around his injury, careful not to move the metal sticking out. She was afraid if she pulled it out, he’d bleed to death. Finally, having done all she can, she sat back on her haunches, exhausted.
The surviving Ravagers all stared at her with grim faces, and she realized she’d blown her one chance to escape. Yet, was there even a choice when Trevor’s life hung in the balance?
To her surprise, the nearest Ravager, Tod, gave her a nod. “Thanks. You saved our asses with that bomb.”
The others grunted their assent, each according her a grudging nod of respect. She shook her head. “It’s what anyone would’ve done.”
“Not anyone, Miss,” Tod said. “Just you.”
Chapter 14 - Nadia
Nadia woke with a groan, her side on fire and her muscles cramped from sleeping in the car all night. Dexter sat in the seat next to her, watching her with worried eyes as she eased herself upright. “It’s okay, boy. I’m all right.”
He didn’t appear to believe her, and to be honest, neither did she. After checking that the coast was clear, Nadia climbed out of the car. It was mid-morning already, and crows feasted on the two corpses in the road.
They took flight in a burst of wings and feathers when she emerged, and she averted her eyes from the gory mess of flesh and innards, their empty eyesockets mocking her. She searched the car for supplies but found only a bag of clothes and toiletries, a single bottle of water, a can of peas and a packet of biscuits which she shared with Dexter.
Her wound was a mess. Swollen and hot to the touch, it leaked yellow pus and emitted a putrid smell. Nadia’s stomach heaved, and after a cursory examination, she patched it up with a t-shirt from the bag of clothing, wadding it up under the bandage already in place. There was nothing more she could do for it at the moment and prayed she’d get to St. Francis in time. I need a doctor.
“Let’s go, boy. There must be a town nearby,” she said with desperate hope, twisting the key in the ignition. She drove off, following the road that wound through the countryside.
An hour passed during which she saw nothing but trees on either side. Trees, trees, and more trees. The needle on the tank dipped steadily toward empty. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her skin grew cold and clammy. The pain in her middle throbbed to the beat of her heart, growing worse by the second.
Just when she thought she could go no further, a town appeared in the distance. Nadia slumped with relief, her words slurring when she spoke. “Thank, God. Look, Dexter.”
He barked and wagged his tail, echoing her joy, and she pulled up at the gas station with a smile on her face. It was deserted for the moment, and she decided to run into the shop and look for a map. She found one on the rack and opened it up, relieved to note she only had a short distance to go.
Nadia had no means to get to the petrol tank underground, no pump, and decided to chance it with the fuel she had left. “We should make it. It’s close.”
After grabbing some snacks and water, she made her way back to the car, exhaustion weighing down each step. Her energy was waning, her wound leaking blood and pus in a steady trickle down her leg despite the wadded up t-shirt.
Just as she got ready to climb back into the car, the drone of approaching vehicles reached her ears. Nadia froze to the spot, her eyes fixed on the road. When the trucks appeared, two in convoy, each with a red circle spray painted on the door, she knew she was in trouble. “Ravagers.”
The snacks in her hand tumbled to the ground, and she jumped into the car with seconds to spare. Gunshots sounded, and her back window exploded in a shower of glass. Dexter whimpered, and she pushed him into the footwell with one hand while the other started the car. “Stay down, boy!”
She gunned the car and raced away in a cloud of rubberized smoke and exhaust fumes. Bullets continued to pepper the body of her car, and she kept her head as low as possible, adrenalin coursing through her veins.
With her foot flat on the gas, Nadia gained a little distance. Just when she thought she stood a chance, a third volley of shots sounded, and one of her wheels burst with a loud pop of air.
The car slewed across the road with Nadia fighting for control. She screamed as the vehicle veered off the tar toward the tree line, both hands pushing against the wheel. The nose crashed into a pine tree, crumpling inward with a screech of metal on metal. Nadia was flung forward against the dashboard with terrific force.
Dexter yelped, and she reached for him even as her forehead connected with the windshield, a burst of stars exploding across her vision. Hot blood poured down her face, and her mouth tasted metallic.
Silence fell, broken only by Dexter’s whimpers and the engine’s ticking, a soft hiss indicating steam escaping from the radiator. Nadia lifted her head with an effort, every nerve in her body screaming at her to run, but her body refused to move.
Darkness encroached on the edges of her sight, even as voices shouted to each other outside her car. Terror washed over her at the knowledge that death was near, but she was helpless to fight it.
Her consciousness faded to black even as Dexter licked her face, his tongue warm against her skin. She patted his furry body, and whispered, “I’m sorry, boy, but I can’t protect you anymore. Run, boy. Run…”
Chapter 15 - Cat
“Move that fat ass,” Petra shouted, her stick lashing out and hitting Cat a cracking blow on the shin. “Faster, faster!”
Cat winced as the shock wave traveled up her leg, but she gritted her teeth and managed to avoid the next blow by a hair’s breadth. Sweat trickled down her spine and the sides of her face, soaking her shirt until it clung to her body like a wet rag. The salt stung her eyes, and her lungs screamed for oxygen. It hurt to move, but Petra didn’t care. Hour after hour, she kept pushing, allowing only the shortest of breaks.
“You have to move faster, Cat. Dance on your feet, watch my movements, foresee my actions,” the woman chanted. It was the theme of the day, it seemed. Faster, faster, faster.
A competent fighter, Cat had never felt so useless. She was utterly at the mercy of Petra’s incredible speed and stamina. The woman was a machine.
The hit came out of nowhere, slamming into Cat’s ribs with terrific force. She collapsed into the dust and curled into a protective ball, each groan a stabbing knife in her sternum. Petra danced around her, jabbing the stick in wherever she found an opening, her taunting voice grating on Cat’s nerves. “Too slow, Cat.”
The woman’s feet lined up with Cat’s sight, and she lashed out
with her hand, yanking Petra off balance. The woman fell next to her, and she grinned at Cat. “Not bad, kitty cat. Not bad.”
Cat coughed, her tongue coated in dust. “You’re killing me.”
“No, I’m saving you, little girl, from certain death in the Ring.” Petra climbed to her feet and stretched out a hand to help Cat up. “But that’s enough for one day. We can continue tomorrow.”
Cat groaned. “I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
“Nonsense. When you get home, take an ice bath,” Petra said. “It will help with the stiff muscles.”
“Ice?”
“Yes, soak in it, no matter how painful, and afterward, rub this ointment into your limbs and drink a few anti-inflammatory pills,” Petra said, handing her a pot of salve and a bottle of tablets. “See you in the morning.”
“See ya.” Cat collected her things and made her way back followed by Sanjay. When she wanted to stop and visit her mother and Lisa, he prevented her.
“Not today. Jay wants you to meet for dinner directly after you’ve cleaned up and dressed, no excuses.”
“All right,” Cat agreed, knowing there was no point in arguing. It was getting late anyway, and she was exhausted.
Back in her room, Joan waited with an ice bath. Petra had sent her instructions along, and now Cat had no choice but to follow them. She eased her sore body into the icy water with a yelp of horror and much complaining while Joan watched with a smile playing on her lips.
“It’s not funny!” Cat cried, once immersed.
“It is kind of funny,” Joan said with a chuckle. Ignoring her charge’s ill humor, she laid out a simple outfit for supper on the bed.
Cat glared at her with chattering teeth, every cell in her body screaming at her to get out. But she stayed put for as long as she could, not relishing the thought of resuming her training under Petra with sore muscles. That would be worse than hell.
After the cold bath, Cat lay on the bed while Joan massaged the ointment into her skin. It tingled, and after a while grew warm, counteracting the ice bath’s effects. It was a pleasant feeling, and Joan was a master. Soon Cat found herself dozing off.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 147