Only the Few

by L. N. Denison

  Amongst the dereliction, Hyde spotted something flapping in the breeze. Looking closer, she picked out the dull, but familiar colours of an old store logo. She turned to Marcus. ‘Look—over there,’ she said, a big smile spread across her face.

  She ran toward the building with Marcus hot on her heels, her jack boots thudding on the concrete with every step. The look he had given her just before she started running suggested that he thought it was a bad idea, but she paid no heed to his concerns, disregarding her own self-preservation for the sake of some clean clothes. Once they had reached the building, Marcus cautioned her before she went any further.

  “Wait here,” he said, as he stopped her from entering the building. “Do you have anything we can use as a weapon?”

  Catherine shook her head, “No, sir.”

  “Let me see if it’s safe,” Marcus said, looking reluctant as he entered the store. Within a few minutes, he whistled and Hyde took that to mean it was safe.

  The two-storey superstore had been hit by looters. Broken glass and debris littered the floor, but beyond the devastation, there were still some things left that they could use. Hyde left Marcus gathering food and water supplies on the lower floor while she hunted upstairs for fresh clothes and toiletries to have a tidy up in the customer toilets. The smell of stale sweat had long since become too much and needed to be eradicated ASAP. In fact, now that she was so close to the proper supplies for the job, the urge to be clean again was overwhelming.

  The clothing department seemed scant, but Hyde looked anyway. All she needed was a pair of trousers or jeans, and a t-shirt—and maybe a sweater or jacket, to keep the chill off. She sifted through the racks of women’s clothing that still remained. They had what she wanted, but not in her size—but having a penchant for baggy clothes, it didn’t matter. She loved not feeling restricted by tight clothing. She simply grabbed a bootcut pair of jeans, a pack of two plain white t-shirts and a striped sweater. Then she ran to the underwear dept. and grabbed a five pack of knickers, a pack of inside socks and a bra, close to the size she needed.

  ~

  Staring into the mirror for a long while after undressing, she examined the various cuts and bruises adorning her face and body. Memories of how she received each of them hit her like a tidal wave. Thinking of her time in captivity at the hands of the cavers, and the sacrifice Sergeant Jones had made for her, sent shivers down her spine and tears to her eyes. She turned away from the mirror to escape her fears and walked over to the washbasin, gripping its sides so tight, her knuckles started to turn white. She lost the fight against her own tormented memories, and there, in the sanctity of the washroom, she let her emotions flow free. Great, heaving sobs broke free for those she had lost along the way. Her grief shifted to thoughts of letting Judd escape. It was her fault—no one else’s. If it hadn’t been for her slack behaviour, they would still be with the group, and Jas would be safe. If only I’d checked the knots.

  ~

  Before heading down to meet up with Marcus, Hyde went over to the small window a few feet away from the washbasin. A view of the town met her eyes, but so did something she never expected to see ... cavers. She watched in fear as the small group held their noses up, sniffing at the air. It was as if they could smell their next meal’s presence. Hyde forgot about everything else that was going on in her head and ran out of the washroom, shouting frantically.

  “Sir! We need to go. Cavers have made it into town!”

  Stumbling down the stairs, Hyde ran into Marcus, who stood at the bottom, holding the bag, which he had filled with little in way of supplies. The only food left on the shelves had been a couple boxes of breakfast bars and a clutch of diet sodas. With a dire sense of urgency, they made their way out of the store and headed away from the town square ... away from the approaching cavers.

  “I didn’t think they came out this far?” Marcus questioned as they ran from the store.

  “Neither did I, Sir...” she trailed off as she tried to keep pace.

  It occurred to Hyde once they had reached a safe enough distance, that the cavers hadn’t even seen them leave the store, and hadn’t even started to chase them down. That one singular thought made her feel a little more at ease as their run turned into a quickened march, but it didn’t stop the weary soldier from looking over her shoulder with every other step.

  ~

  Now far from danger, the only thing occupying Hyde as she walked alongside Marcus, was what Judd could possibly have on him that was important enough to kidnap his daughter? Her suspicions had grown since they set out to find Jas, and her curiosity had peaked to the extent that she was finding it difficult to hold her tongue. Finally, she placed a hand on his arm to stop him from going further. She looked into his eyes.

  “What is really going on, Sir?” Marcus turned to look away from her, so she used her other hand to turn his face back to her. “You need to give me something, Sir. Please.”

  Marcus pulled her hand away, sandwiching it between his own hands. He looked angry, almost wild. “I told you not to ask again, soldier. Do you usually question your commanding officer this way? I’ll tell you what’s going on when I’m good and ready, and not before, do you read me?”

  “No! I don’t fucking ‘read’ you! This is bullshit! Does it look like there’s any reason for me to give one single fuck about your rank?” she made a sweeping gesture toward the desolate landscape that surrounded them. “I have followed you without explanation for long enough! If you can’t even tell me why I’m helping you, I don’t see why I should.” She folded her arms and waited for a response.

  “Don’t forget, it was your fuck-up that put us in this situation. You might be right that pulling rank on you is pointless, but I don’t owe you anything. You’re here because you made a mistake and need to rectify it—not because you’re ‘helping’ me. Suck it up, and get your shit straight before you have a go at me. Now, do you read me?”

  For a moment, all Hyde wanted to do was retort. But Marcus’ words were still ringing in her ears. He was right. It was her fault. She averted her eyes.

  “Do you read me?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she said. Marcus nodded and they continued onward.

  After a timely silence, Marcus asked, “Do you actually know where we’re going?”

  “No, Sir. I thought you did,” she replied, looking around at the sea of mud and rubble they’d been travelling though. It seemed Knaresborough was now a distant memory. “You seem to know far more about Judd than I do. How should I know where to find him?” She couldn’t help the jibe, but Marcus merely pressed his lips together as he carried on walking.

  ~

  The pair arrived at a crossroads. After the rain, the air was humid, almost suffocating. Labouring for breath, Hyde stared up at the signpost to determine the quickest route. As she read the sign, she tried to find her bearings and remember which towns and sub-districts she had passed through with her unit.

  Turning to Marcus, she pointed down the track to the right of her. “We head this way, Sir, towards Leeds. We can stop along the way to eat.”

  “Press on, soldier,” Marcus ordered.

  She nodded and carried on moving.

  ~

  They had been on the move for a little over two hours before reaching Pannal, their first rest point. The small village was nearly unscathed. Many of the structures were still as sound as the day they’d been built, making the town an ideal place to rest for an hour or so—just enough time to have something to eat and drink.

  Hyde led Marcus over to a line of three houses. All the doors had been pushed open, but the area appeared to be deserted.

  Using caution, Hyde entered the first house. She was greeted by a mass of cobwebs that hung undisturbed against the musty air. She held her breath and crept through the sticky webs, Marcus close behind. The place looked like it was paying homage to the seventies, with dingy brown, floral wall paper covering the hallway, and dusty retro photographs lining the walls.


  The farther they went, the worse the smell became, and soon the smell of rotting flesh invaded Hyde’s nostrils. Will I ever rid myself of the smell of death?

  “Wait here,” she said as she made her way through the house room by room. First downstairs, then up. An eerie stillness hit her with every step.

  As she made her way upstairs, the smell became stronger. She headed towards the first bedroom and opened the door. It was child’s room. A space ship mobile was attached to the low hanging ceiling, glowing different colours from varied angles of light. The room was free of dead bodies, but a rat scurried under the perfectly made bed. She made her way to the next room.

  Upon opening the door, she was struck by the stench of death. The bodies on the bed were so decomposed they were almost mummified. She covered her face with her hand and approached the bed. A deep sadness filled her heart as she looked upon the remains of the couple who were still in the grips of a hug. By the clothes they were wearing, she guessed that they were an elderly couple who had just given up on life after the bombs, made evident by the empty bottle of sleeping pills on the bedside cabinet. In the corner of the room, a blanket lay draped over a rocking chair. She hurried to collect it and covered their bodies, fighting the urge to cry for the loss of humanity the bombs had left in their wake. She couldn’t help but wonder what had become of the child who had occupied the first room she’d entered...cavers? Surely, they wouldn’t come this far out, would they? After a long moment, she shoved the depressing thought out of her mind and headed downstairs.

  “We need to eat and go,” she said as she re-joined Marcus. Opening the bergen, she pulled out a couple of the breakfast bars and a can of soda for each of them. She doubted very much that there would be anything edible in the kitchen, knowing full well by the state of the place that scavengers had already taken anything of worth. The cardboard flavoured bars would have to do until they could find something better.

  “Come on... we’ll eat as we walk. I can’t put up with that smell any longer.” Marcus took hold of the rucksack, insisting on taking it from Hyde, and she willingly gave it to him. “We need to keep moving. All the time we’re stopping, Jas is getting further away.”

  The route Hyde had chosen to travel down was reminiscent of a wasteland, as opposed to the lush, carefully tended fields that once adorned the Yorkshire countryside. It had become wild and untamed, and would see you dead rather than see you through safely.

  The sky had turned crimson, sunset was on the horizon, and beyond the horizon lay Leeds, silhouetting against the skyline.

  “Look! We’re nearly there,” Hyde said, pointing straight ahead.

  Marcus just smiled.

  It was likely that Leeds was a large enough city to contain a couple of buildings that were still intact, but they wouldn’t know for sure until they got there.

  CHAPTER 16

  From a distance, Leeds looked stable, but the closer Hyde and Marcus got, the more its devastation became apparent. The out-skirting buildings had a significant amount of damage—windows were blown out, structures warped. Hyde wasn’t sure if they’d be safe sheltering in any of the buildings overnight, but the farther they went into the city, the buildings appeared more structurally sound. Leeds Town Hall stood above the rest—a grand sentinel that watched over the city. And, barring a bit of cosmetic damage, it appeared to be unscathed. They had finally located a good place to bed down.

  Before the pair headed that way, they deviated to pick up some more supplies. The town centre was full of restaurants, food stores of different cultures, supermarkets and bars, all in various states of decay. Typical of Britain, the weather took a turn for the worse, amending their goal of gathering supplies and forcing them to take shelter wherever they could.

  “We need to take cover, Sir,” Hyde said as she jogged toward a small hotel, a smile spreading over her face as it became clear she’d finally stumbled into a spot of luck. A hotel was the perfect place to bed down. I just hope those fucking scavengers haven’t taken everything, she thought, realising she probably wasn’t the first one to have that idea. The rain came hard and fast, the wind almost at gale force strength. They picked up their pace, and darted toward hotel, whose doors were wide open and banging against the walls as the wind battered them. They entered the foyer with caution, and were greeted by Victorian surroundings. Hyde gazed in awe at the chandeliers adorning the ceilings. It was as if they had been transported to a more elegant time.

  Soaked to the bone and shivering with cold, they headed into the lounge. There they found a fireplace framed by an intricately carved hearth. Kindling and coal sat in a large scuttle to the side of it.

  “I’ll get us a fire started, Sir,” Hyde said, getting up to look for matches in the scuttle and found there were none. “I need to go and find something to light it first though.”

  “Do you need any help?” Marcus asked.

  “I’m quite capable of lighting a fire, Sir.”

  “I know you’re capable, and please, can you stop calling me ‘Sir’? We are on equal terms now.”

  You could have fooled me with all the orders you’ve been barking today. Instead of voicing her thoughts, Hyde nodded and left the lounge to go search for the kitchen.

  Cold and damp, the kitchen did little in the way of improving the chill that had set into her bones. She spotted an old-fashioned Aga gas stove in the far corner and headed straight for it, knowing full well it was the most logical place to find what she was looking for. Sure enough, a box of matches came into view as she reached the stove.

  When she got back to the lounge, Marcus had already cast the coal into the fireplace and packed it out with some old papers that had been left lying around. Hyde struck a match and lit the tip of the paper. It was slow to take but it got a good fire going eventually. They huddled close to the flames and soaked in their warmth as they rubbed their bodies to get the blood circulating.

  For the first time since she had arrived, the fact they were at a hotel struck Hyde. She darted out of the lounge.

  “Where are you going now?” Marcus shouted after her.

  “I’m heading upstairs, see what we’ve got at our disposal.”

  She trotted up the staircase that led to the second floor with a growing sense of trepidation. She couldn’t help wondering if she might encounter any scavengers within the building. Upon investigation, she discovered that there were twelve rooms in total. Oddly, the door to each room had been left open. It was almost as if people had left in a hurry. To further this suspicion, she found clothes all over the place; on the floor and furniture. And what was more, the beds were unmade in a number of the rooms.

  ~

  Rummaging through people’s possessions like an airport security guard, Hyde tried to find some clean clothes for Marcus. Eventually, she’d picked out a checked shirt and a pair of jeans. Holding them up, and thinking of Marcus’s size, she nodded. They’ll do. She hurried back down to the lounge area with the clothing bundled in her arms.

  She entered the room, only to see Marcus lifting his shirt over his head. His back and shoulder muscles flexed as he tugged at it. Hyde cleared her throat to signal her arrival.

  “Sir... I’ve brought you some fresh clothes,” she said, staring at his shirtless torso as she walked over to hand them to him. Stop it you silly cow. You can’t keep thinking about him like this, he’s got to be twice your age. But oh God, it’s been so damn long...

  “You look uncomfortable, Soldier,” Marcus remarked with a slight smirk.

  “I’m fine, Sir.”

  Marcus grabbed the clothes and stared at her intensely. She didn’t meet his eyes, preferring to focus on the safer view of the fire.

  “You can freshen up upstairs; all the rooms have en suite bathrooms, which would be wonderful if there was actually any running water.” She pulled a wad of wet wipes from her jeans pocket and handed them to him. “I’ll see about preparing dinner. There’s bound to be something to eat in this place.”

 
Marcus stood up, offered a teasing smile and brushed past her, giving her shoulder a cheeky little rub as he did so. His touch made her shudder with delight; the idea of following him rushed through her mind, but she chose not to act on it.

  Rather, she settled for watching his arse shift with each step as he headed upstairs. Eventually, she tore her gaze away from the last place Marcus had been visible and headed to the kitchen. Her goal was to find something for dinner that was a little more edible than shitty breakfast bars. In a place like this, she expected the food to be a little more upmarket. But then again it had most likely been months since anyone had inhabited this area. The thick blanket of dust and layers of cobwebs were a telling testament.

  As she entered the kitchen, Hyde set her mind on scouring it in search of food, and she was pleasantly surprised when she came upon a sign that read, ‘food store’.

  To her delight, the food store contained can upon can of food. And for the first time since the bomb shelter, she and Marcus could actually sit down to a hot meal, however basic.

  She grabbed bottled water and some tins of meat, then went back for fruit and vegetables. Once she had all the supplies she needed, she headed over to the Aga and turned on the small Calor gas bottle attached to it. Next, she grabbed an overhanging pot and pan and put them atop the stove. Down the side of the stove was what remained of a 5-litre bottle of cooking oil. She lit the burner, poured a small amount of oil into the pan, readying it to receive a delightful concoction of canned goods. Leaving the pan on a low heat, she turned back to the preparation area and picked through her stash. She came across tinned ham, green beans, a packet of powdered mash potato, and a can of sliced peaches. A simple but satisfying dinner was in order, all she had to do now was cook it without fucking everything up.