by RR Haywood
‘Mr Howie gives the orders,’ Blowers says. ‘He leads from the front. That means he will generally be ahead of us…’
‘I know what leading from the front means.’
‘I don’t give a fuck what you know. I care about my team and your ability to function in it. Mr Howie leads from the front. Dave stays close to him. Clarence works independently as he sees fit. Paula and Marcy will either be close to the boss or with me in my team. If we have higher ground Roy will work overwatch. That means he stands apart from us to gain a view of the fight to use his bow, if not then he works in my team, which works as a unit. We do not work independently. We cover the flanks and the rear unless otherwise instructed. We shout magazine when our magazines run out. We count the rounds we fire so we know when that will be. We fire single shot unless we are overwhelmed at which point everyone around you will be firing bursts and you will know when that is. If we become compressed, we revert to hand weapons. Do you have a hand weapon?’
‘No.’
‘Dave, do you have a spare knife? Charlie, pass it down, please.’
‘Thanks,’ Maddox says, taking the sheathed knife.
‘If we revert to hand weapons you will fight what is in front of you. Everyone else knows what they are doing and will work to cover your sides. If you are bit or cut by an infected you will make that known straight away. We fuck about when we are not fighting but we are serious in the application of our work. Do you understand all of that?’
‘Yes.’
‘If Roy is firing his bow do not try and compensate for where you think he may fire. Roy will work around you. Nick, you got a spare radio?’
‘Yep.’
‘Radio goes on your belt, thread the microphone up inside your shirt and clip it on. Press the button to transmit. Keep the earpiece in at all times. Hand me your sidearm.’
Maddox draws his pistol, flicking it round to present the butt to Blowers. The weapon is stripped quickly, the moving parts checked before being re-assembled and handed back. ‘Rifle…’
He does the same again. His hands working fast, checking the working parts and listening to the firing mechanism.
‘Loaded, made ready, safety on,’ Blowers says, passing it back. Paula and Marcy watch him closely, both of them fascinated by everything he just said and the way he said it. They share a glance, mouths turned down and eyes wide.
‘Any questions?’
‘No.’
‘Good,’ Blowers looks away to the front, his hands resting on the assault rifle between his legs.
The silence extends again. Awkward and uncomfortable.
‘Put another two water bottles in your bag,’ Blowers says after a few minutes.
‘Van’s pulling over,’ Howie calls back. ‘They’re waving…there’s the wheelbarrow. Paula? See it?’
‘Er…yep got it.’
‘I’ll tell the van they can go back,’ Clarence says, dropping out to run ahead.
‘Right,’ Paula says, spreading the piece of paper out. ‘So this line is the road we’re on…she said we go back up the road to a junction…so that will be on the left?’
‘Right,’ Marcy says, ‘right side.’
‘Is it? Oh yes, yes you’re right.’
No Cookey jokes about being lost already. No comments from Nick that even he could read it better. Nothing from Howie. Nothing from anyone. Just a heavy silence that Maddox knows his presence is causing.
‘Right,’ Clarence says, clambering back in. ‘Which way?’
‘It’s one road,’ Howie says. ‘We can only go one way.’
‘Good point,’ Clarence says easily.
‘Keep going until we reach a junction on the right,’ Paula says.
The Saxon pulls away. The big engine rumbling deep and strong to roll the vehicle on the road. Nick stretches his neck, rolling his shoulders. Cookey entwines his fingers and stretches his arms forward. Blowers inhales deep and long. Blinky pulls her head back trying to stop the urge to puke. Mo stares at the back doors, his hatred for Maddox palpable and obvious.
‘Junction,’ Marcy says, calling out and pointing.
‘Is it?’ Howie asks. ‘I would have gone straight past it too.’
‘Funny.’
‘I try.’
‘You’re very trying…’
‘Down this road and she said we go straight over at the next junction…she said they stayed on the wider road.’
‘Roger,’ Howie says, building the speed up.
‘Open the back doors, Mo. Hot as fuck in here,’ Nick says.
Dave nods, Mo releases the lock to push the doors open filling the interior with the noise of the tyres on the road. Roy’s van behind them.
‘Straight over?’ Howie asks.
‘Yep, stay on the wider road,’ Paula says. ‘Should be a gate down here somewhere, she said it leads to the stables…the big fight was across the field from that stable.’
‘There,’ Clarence says, pointing ahead.
‘Got it,’ Howie says, easing the speed down. ‘We’ll go on foot from here. Everyone switch on…out we get.’
‘With me,’ Blowers says, staring at Maddox. Mo and Dave drop out. Charlie and Blinky next.
‘On Jess?’ Charlie asks.
‘Go for it,’ Blowers says.
‘Work with Simon’s team for now,’ Dave says to Mo, walking off to the front. Mo nods, scowling at the ground to avoid eye contact with Maddox.
‘Fan out and cover the back until Charlie’s up,’ Blowers says, leading Maddox down past Roy’s van and the horse trailer to stand facing down the road. Maddox stays at his side, copying Blowers and everyone else when they pull bolts back and flick safety switches off. ‘Cookey, you got a view of that side?’
‘Yep.’
‘Blinky, Mo…other side.’
‘On it,’ Blinky says.
‘Fasten the top of your holster,’ Blowers says, without looking at Maddox. ‘Thirty rounds in the magazine. Count them if you fire. We’ve got both sides of Roy’s van covered so that means we can see down the line towards the front and the rear. Once Charlie is mounted we’ll have a view over the hedgerow.’
Maddox watches them work. Charlie getting Jess out. The huge horse surging out the back of the trailer to spin round in the road, snorting and rolling angry eyes while taking oversized steps. Maddox backs away to give space. Everyone else stays put. Charlie gets on smoothly, settling the horse with soft words and a hand stroking her neck.
‘She can smell them,’ she says quietly.
‘Boss,’ Blowers says, dipping his head to speak into the radio under his shirt.
‘Go ahead, mate.’
‘Charlie said Jess can smell them.’
‘Yep, got it…everyone stay alert. Charlie up front once you’re ready.’
‘What the fuck is that?’ Cookey asks with a laugh. Maddox moves back to see Roy pulling a bright red rucksack on his back, the top filled with arrow shafts poking out.
‘Medic bag,’ Roy says.
‘It’s bright red,’ Cookey points out helpfully.
‘It’s a medic bag. It’s meant to be red.’
‘It’s got a fucking great big white cross on it,’ Cookey says.
‘It is a medic’s bag,’ Roy says again, his tone dropping a notch. Maddox watches the man sling his rifle and pull a big bow from the van, testing the ends and the tension on the string. ‘Where am I?’
‘With me for a bit if that’s okay,’ Blowers replies.
‘Everyone, It’s Roy. Just to let you know I have the medic’s bag now…in case of injury or anything…’
‘Er yeah, cheers for that, Roy,’ Howie’s voice sounds in their ears.
‘And it’s bright fucking red…’
‘It is a medic’s bag, Cookey. It is meant to be red.’
‘Focus,’ Blowers says, bringing them to quiet. Charlie trots on, taking the horse down the side of the vehicles to the front. Maddox watches her go, wanting to move to the front. He doesn’t do the bac
k. He’s a leader, not a follower.
Blowers glances at him. At the strong proud face staring after Charlie and Jess to the front.
‘Simon?’
‘Here, Reggie.’
‘What am I to do? Is anyone staying with the vehicles?’
‘We’re on foot from here, Reggie.’
‘Foot? On foot? We have perfectly good vehicles to use. Why are we on foot?’
‘Because we are,’ Blowers says, his tone respectful yet firm.
‘Gosh. Gosh and damnation. I shall get my books. Please wait for me. I shall be only a minute…on foot. On foot he says. Mr Howie, I am gathering my books. I understand we are on foot? Is that correct?’
‘Yep. We are.’
‘Oh dear. I shall get hot and sweaty. I really do not like sweating. I must find a sunhat. On foot? We have perfectly good vehicles and he wants to walk. Okay yes, yes I am ready. I am not carrying a weapon though. Dave said I am not to have one. He said that. I almost shot everyone and they are really very heavy and I have my bag of books…’
‘It’s fine. Mo, keep an eye on Reggie.’
‘Will do.’
‘Got a bodyguard, Reggie,’ Blowers says.
‘That is good. Yes, yes that is most good. Thank you, Mohammed. These books cannot fall into the other player’s hands. We really must protect them, and when I say we I mean you of course.’
‘We ready at the back, Blowers?’
‘Ready and waiting, Boss. Reggie is with us. Mo’s on him.’
‘Moving out…Charlie, you go forward.’
‘Good lord it is hot already,’ Reginald says, muttering as he peers round at the high hedges.
The rest stay quiet. Walking slowly past the vehicles until they reach the empty lane in front and the five bar gate standing open ahead. Maddox spots the lane veering sharply to the left and the way Charlie trots ahead to gain the view before lifting a hand with a thumbs up to the rest.
Howie leads from the front, literally moving ahead of everyone else with Dave at his side and Clarence only a few feet behind. Paula and Marcy walk in the middle, still holding the map and talking quietly.
Blowers checks the spacing between them all then looks ahead to the corner, then over to the gate and round to check behind. The hedges are thick and high, giving a sensation of being contained. He listens intently, absorbing the noises around him. As Howie goes through the gate Blowers turns to his team behind him and points at his own eyes with two fingers. He points to the gate and swings his right hand back and forth before placing both hands together as though in prayer. He pushes his hands apart, flowing out to the sides. The others nod. He points at Cookey and Nick with his right hand then at Blinky and Mo with his left. He motions to Roy, points at his own eyes then up to the corner of the lane. We go through the gate. Cookey and Nick cover right. Blinky and Mo cover left. Roy at the back to watch that corner. The whole thing is done in seconds. Understanding all round. No need for speech. Blowers faces forward, feeling Maddox watching him.
He checks the spacing again. Watching as Howie leads through the gate into the field. Clarence and Dave with him. He spots Meredith running ahead with her nose to the ground. Paula and Marcy go through. He flicks his right hand out. Cookey and Nick move to the right inside the gate. Blinky and Mo go left. Roy turns to face down the lane, an arrow already nocked in the bow. Blowers stays in the middle of the gate, staring round at the landscape.
‘Buildings,’ he whispers to Maddox. ‘Stable block there…barn there….looks like a path goes down that side to a lower field. See that gap in the hedge? Point of danger. The stable and barn are points of danger. Charlie is moving round the field to gain a view. We watch those buildings and that access gap down the bottom.’
‘What she doing?’ Maddox asks, watching the dog run with her nose seemingly glued to the ground.
‘Doesn’t matter what she’s doing,’ Blowers replies curtly. ‘We watch the points of danger…keep your eyes on that gap down there.’
‘Blood on the floor,’ Dave says, pointing at the concrete hardstanding next to a hose stretching back to the stable building.
Blowers glances over. Seeing the others cluster round the stains on the ground. In his mind they are the elders. That’s the title he attaches to them. Howie, Paula, Clarence, Dave, Marcy and Reggie. The elders. He looks back to Roy, watching as the bowman probes the inside of his mouth with his tongue, pushing his cheek out. He sees the familiar frown of worry on Roy’s face and knows that’s the thing that keeps Roy from being an elder. The man is focussed solely on his own issues. He looks at Reginald and smiles wryly to himself, seeing the struggle taking place. Reggie wants to stay close to Mo. Mo protected him yesterday, using the skills taught to him by Dave, but he can also see Reggie craning his neck to see what the others are looking at. His intellectual curiosity is too great to deny. Blowers counts in his head, getting to five before Reggie mutters something to Mo and heads off across the field towards the others.
‘I’ll er…just seeing what they have,’ Reginald says politely as he passes Blowers.
‘No worries,’ Blowers says, turning to give a quick heads up at Mo.
It’s a feeling. A sense of order and discipline. That’s what Blowers strives for. Right now, there is order and discipline. The sides are protected. The rear is safe. Charlie is ranging out. Dave is with the elders. Right now they are safe. They have order. It doesn’t matter to him what they are doing or where they are going. Whatever the elders decide is right. He knows Reginald will now join in and together they’ll form the next phase of the plan and he’ll be ready whatever that is.
‘Right here by the looks of it,’ Howie’s voice comes over.
‘Subi said they stopped here,’ Paula says. ‘Said they used that hose…’ she points down the field towards the access point to the lower section. ‘Must have come through there.’
‘She’s off,’ Clarence says, watching Meredith start following a trail across the paddock.
‘That way,’ Howie calls out, motioning towards that access point. Blowers nods, his mind already assessing the next phase.
‘Line across the rear, watch that gate,’ he calls back and waits with Maddox for the others to fall in at either side. ‘Even spacing,’ he says quietly, watching with an expert eye as they move further away from each other while walking ahead behind the elders.
The feeling comes back. Order and discipline gained. He looks ahead, seeing the gap and knowing Charlie will get there first.
‘This what you do?’
‘Shut up,’ Blowers snaps the words out, silencing Maddox. He needs to listen and be ready. He watches the hedge, spotting the gaps between the tightly woven branches. Meredith pushes on, following a straight path down.
Maddox suppresses the urge to exhale noisily knowing it will be a show of his frustration. Earning his place in his mind meant being at the front with Howie. Not at the back with the followers. He bides his time, waiting for a chance to go forward and show he can lead and make decisions. He knows the damage done by his actions with Lani and although he stands by his belief, and was later proved right by the fact she turned, he also knows he made mistakes in how he did it. He knows he relied on the numbers in his crews and the use of force whereas it was a time for diplomacy instead of violence.
He finally came out of the medical section last night and saw first hand what Lilly had accomplished, which brought an immediate conflict within him. He was deeply impressed but he also realised it was done without him. He wasn’t needed. There were no armed guards inside the fort. No men with guns. Instead there was a weird feeling of peace. Lenski sensed the change too and it was her that told him to go to Howie and earn his respect back, either that or they leave. He didn’t do anything at first but then started to see the remaining youths from his crews here and there. They looked different too. None of them were in black for a start and all of them kept their distance from him.
‘Mr Howie, it’s Charlie…there is a big gap
in the hedge at the bottom of the field. Lots of bodies here…’
‘Roger, stay back. We’ll come to you.’
Blowers picks the pace up, closing the gap between his team and the elders with an instinct that tells him Howie will push on faster. He does too. Howie starts jogging but the pace is already there and holding that distance steady. They go through the access gap to a furrowed field enclosed on all sides by thick hedge. Charlie at the far side on Jess aiming her rifle into a visible gap in the gnarled branches.
‘Slow down,’ Blowers says, sensing the urge in Maddox to rush forward. Maddox is not a leader here.
He scans the field, looking for points of danger. All of them do. All of them with eyes up, watching and scanning. The two gaps are the only obvious points of danger. As they reach the bottom so Blowers allows his line to collapse in to join everyone else.
‘Smell that?’ Blowers asks, glancing at Maddox who inhales the air before screwing his face up in disgust. ‘Infected. The smell gets worse every day. Shit, blood, piss…you smell that and you know they’re close.’
Maddox looks at the gap in the hedge, seeing the freshly snapped branches showing stark and obvious. Bodies everywhere lying torn and twisted. Mouths hanging open. Red eyes staring lifelessly. Flies buzzing to land and feast on the wounds. The stench is almost overwhelming.
‘Mohammed, to me.’
‘Yes, Dave,’ Mo runs forward, ignoring Maddox as he passes.
‘See the branches. The angle they are damaged point inwards from the road. The damage was done from the road. The access point is from the road into this field.’
‘Got it.’
‘What else do you see?’
‘Er…’ Mo casts about, watched intently by Maddox and everyone else. ‘Er…it’s wide so a few came through…the bodies here are all heading into the field so…so they’s came in from the road to be killed here, you get me?’ he goes forward to look through the gap to the road on the other side. ‘They’s got pushed back out…they’s all piled up, like a defensive point was made.’
‘Good. The bodies.’
‘Er…’ Mo looks round, nervously glancing up at everyone watching him. ‘Necks. Broken necks… and that one’s been bitten…human mouth?’