by Jasper Bark
"Let me go," he said. "I've got to go save them. Let me go."
"You're not thinking straight. You're not going to save them. You're going to kill yourself."
"Get off of me. I can save them. I can!"
"They're dead Benjamin, dead. You can't save them!"
She was crying. Benjamin realised he was too. Great heaving sobs of grief broke out of him and he hugged Tatyana tight. They were quite far out and the waves were knocking them back and forth. They turned and struggled back to the shore.
"Stay in the sea," Miriam shouted. "You're safer there. They won't follow you in."
The Zombies still weren't under control. They were highly agitated. Some looked seriously dangerous, like cornered beasts, ready to spring.
The sea was cold and Benjamin was only wearing a dead man's shirt and slacks. The salt water stung his shoulder wound. His feet were numb and so were his nuts. He and Tatyana started to shiver. Even so there was no way either of them were going to leave the water and face the Zombies right now.
The chopper moved out over the water to where the yacht had sunk then headed inland. This almost seemed like a signal. All the debris had stopped burning and Miriam's incantation began to work. The Zombies became quiet and subdued again.
Benjamin's teeth were chattering as he waded back to the shore. There was a real chill in the night wind. He and Tatyana clung on to each other not just for warmth, but also out of fear and grief. The two things that united them most at that moment.
There was a sudden burst of gunfire followed by controlled jets of flame from two flame throwers. A squadron of armed guards came into view. They were surrounded. The Zombies started flailing and groaning again.
"Do not attempt to move," a voice called out through a megaphone. "We're authorised to use extreme force. We know there's three of you trying to steal the Zombies. Lie face down on the ground and do not move until we've rounded them all up."
"Steal the Zombies?" said Benjamin. "Do you believe these guys?"
"Be quiet and do as they say," said Miriam.
Benjamin turned to argue with her but he couldn't find her. He kept looking at where she ought to be but he couldn't see her. It felt as though his sight kept being pushed to one side.
Tatyana grabbed him and pulled him to the ground.
"Hey," he complained, but she pushed his head down. Miriam started chanting something in the strange language of the spirits.
"Hey, they're all moving," said a voice.
"Hold your fire," said another. "They're coming peacefully."
"What is this?" said someone else. "They ain't attacking or nothing? Look at them, they're just walking."
"Is it a trap?"
"Nah, it's gotta be somethin' the boss man's done. That's Voodoo that is. He's hexed 'em or somethin'."
"Well I ain't gonna complain. Last thing I want is to tussle with a flesh eater."
Benjamin glanced around him. The Zombies weren't moving. They were all standing still or rocking from side to side.
"I don't see anyone in among the Zombies either."
"They must've run off and ditched them. Thought I heard something in the water."
"Or maybe the Zombies got out by themselves."
"Could be."
Benjamin listened as the footsteps of the guards receded. He got to his feet and helped Tatyana up.
"Was that you?" Tatyana said to Miriam. "Did you do that?"
"It was a simple illusion to get them out the way," Miriam said. "It won't hold for long though. And if they run into anyone else it will be broken. We need to get out of here."
"Where are we going to go?" said Tatyana. "We can't get off the island now."
"Do you know where this Voodoo temple is?" said Benjamin. "The one where they're doing the ceremony?"
"The Ounfó," said Miriam. "Of course I do. But we can't go there."
"Why not? It's the last place they'll expect us to go. Which means we'll have the element of surprise."
"Yeah," said Tatyana. "But aren't we trying to escape them? I mean, why would we want to go to the one place where the most people are gathered?"
"Cos it'll scare the shit out of them," said Benjamin. "Think about it, most of them are in a big daze from the ceremony. Now imagine a great horde of blood thirsty Zombies suddenly appearing out of nowhere, with no cages to hold them in and no encounter leaders to help them out. Everyone's going to freak out. There'll be panic and confusion. No-one will know what's going on."
"Okay," said Tatyana. "I guess that'll give a temporary advantage. But what about afterwards? What happens then?"
"Well no-one's going to hang around in the temple are they? Not with an army of Zombies milling around. So we'll have it to ourselves. It's right in the middle of the island right, surrounded by jungle so it's going to be really hard to get troops in to attack the place. They won't be able to track us in the chopper cos the vegetation's too dense. And... wait I've just realised, that's where all the souls are kept right?"
"Right."
"So aren't they like the most valuable things on the island? If we're occupying the Ounfó, we can hold them to ransom. We'll have something to bargain with. Maybe enough to get us off the island."
"Do you know," said Miriam. "That is the first and only intelligent thing I've heard you say. Come, let's go."
With that she turned and led the Zombies away from the shore. Benjamin wasn't certain whether she was being complimentary or if she'd just insulted him again.
Tatyana held his hand. "Well done," she said. "You're not such a dickhead after all."
"What the fuck is her problem?"
"I don't know," said Tatyana, smiling at him. "It's dark y'know. Maybe she hasn't seen how cute you are yet."
Now it was his turn to smile. "Thanks. We better catch her up. We've still got a ways to go."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Doc Papa had swallowed a lot of salt water. He coughed and wretched it up onto the sand while Felippe stood guard to make sure no-one saw.
He was pleased with his work on the yacht. Though he was aware that he now owed Agwe a great favour. He owed many of the Loa. Like an entrepreneur notching up debts as he builds an empire, Doc Papa had promised much to a whole pantheon of Loa. More than any Houngan could ever pay back in a normal lifetime. When his plans came to fruition however, he would more than wipe the slate clean.
Felippe handed him a bottle of water. He rinsed his mouth and spat. He composed himself and returned to the jeep. Tomlinson looked worried. "I'm afraid there's another problem sir." he said.
"I've just finished sorting out your last problem. What's happened now?"
"It's the Zombies sir, they've... well they've disappeared."
"Disappeared! What do you mean?"
"The men rounded them up from the harbour as you ordered. But as they were escorting them back to base they vanished. One minute they could see them all. The next minute they couldn't. I don't understand it myself."
"That's because you're an idiot. What about the three rogue guests. Do you have them in custody?"
"No sir."
Doc Papa bristled. Tomlinson fought to keep his composure in front of his men. "The men never apprehended the guests. They weren't there when they recaptured the Zombies. They reported some commotion in the water as they arrived. They assumed the guests had deserted the Zombies and tried to swim for the yacht. I imagine they were killed when it exploded."
"You don't have any imagination. And your assumption is almost as stupid as your men's. Has the chopper been able to locate them?"
"No sir, I've had it circling the area but I haven't heard anything yet."
Doc Papa turned away from the idiot. He let his mind roam out into the invisible world, tracing the paths of the spirits and the demons.
"Sir, if I could just..." Tomlinson said behind him.
Doc Papa raised his hand to silence the man.
"But sir..." Tomlinson persisted.
Doc Papa brought
his thumb and middle finger together and Tomlinson's wind pipe constricted. As Tomlinson choked with his hands to his throat, Doc Papa let his mind roam once again.
Out in the jungles, where the spirits of the trees and the demons of the hunt roamed free, he found a collective Zombie mind. It was a strong one. He had never encountered one so united. There were almost traces of innate intelligence in it. No wait, there was more. There was a human mind guiding them, one that knew Voodoo.
So that's why they hadn't been spotted. They were hiding in the jungle. But who was controlling them? Doc Papa edged closer to the Zombies' group mind, homing in on their guide. Before he could get any closer he was out. The mind he had been looking for had detected him and pushed him away.
He tried to find them again but he couldn't get anywhere near. Whoever was controlling them was obviously skilled and powerful. But who were they? It couldn't be either of the trust fund babies. They were too young and feckless and there was nothing in their backgrounds to suggest they'd had any exposure to Voodoo.
It had to be the Chevalier woman. Her husband's family originally came from St Ignatius, but he was in real estate and her family were Catholics. Could she have been secretly trained? Surely he would have detected it if she had. Why had she come here. What was she doing with the undead?
Doc Papa slipped out of the invisible world and released Tomlinson from the choking spell. He waited while the man gasped for air and regained his composure.
"The Zombies are in the jungle," Doc Papa said. "They're staying away from the paths and are hidden by the undergrowth. That's why the chopper didn't spot them. Your men never captured them. They were most likely taken in by an illusion."
"But who's doing this sir? My men claim the three guests weren't with them. You're not suggesting they're acting by themselves?"
"Don't embarrass yourself more than you already have. Of course one of the guests is controlling them. Your men didn't see them because that was all part of the illusion. One of the guests is skilled in the service of the Loa."
"I'm sorry sir?"
"They know Voodoo you fool and somehow they managed to evade my detection."
"I'll send every available guard into the jungle to round the Zombies up sir."
"To be honest, I'm more worried about the guests. I need them under strict control. Send a squadron of your men into the jungle to track down the Zombies. I'll aid them through invisible means a little later. In the meantime I want all available men posted to the harbour, the air field and the guest's quarters. I don't want anyone getting off this island. The whole of St Ignatius is on lockdown. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly sir."
"Do not let me down again Tomlinson. This is your very last opportunity to get off this island alive. Am I making myself clear?"
"Crystal sir."
"Good."
Chapter Twenty-Six
Benjamin had a fucking hard on. This was the ultimate. This was what it was all about. He had never been so pumped in his life.
This was everything he'd been fantasising about since he first saw Dawn of the Dead. He was turning up with a whole posse of noble monsters to crash a party stuffed full of the type of dead-eyed phonies and snobs his step father hung out with. He was about to tear down the whole stifling world he'd grown up in.
Every fantasy he'd ever had about letting a horde of Zombies loose among the privileged elite was about to come true. Let's see who didn't fit in now. He couldn't believe his luck. This was real payback.
The Ounfó, as Miriam called the temple, was in sight. The sound of the drums was furious. It helped to cover the noise they were making as they approached.
"What are we waiting for?" Benjamin said. "Let's charge the place."
"Wait," said Miriam. "We have to do this carefully. I don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Why'd you care about not hurting these people? You've seen what they're capable of."
"And I've also seen what you're capable of in their company."
"Oh come on, that's totally different. That's not me. I only did those things to infiltrate them. I'm not part of their world."
"How can you afford to come here if you're not part of their world?" said Miriam. She really knew how to kill his buzz.
He turned to Tatyana. "Tell her. Tell her I'm not like them."
"It's cos you're not like them that you won't want anyone to get hurt," said Tatyana. "It's only when you try and fit in with them that you're not yourself. When you're not with them you puke at the sight of corpses, you don't try and make more."
The two of them were determined to bring him down. His stomach turned over at the thought of the corpses hanging in the compound. He thought about the things he'd done to blend in with the guests and he felt a stab of anger and hatred.
He wanted to punish them for what they'd made him become. His whole life they'd been trying to turn him into someone he wasn't. On this island they'd finally succeeded.
He imagined charging into the place with the Zombies, locking the doors and letting them feed. He remembered all the horrific things he'd seen the Zombies do while on the island. Then he pictured the guests suffering at their undead hands.
He saw Richard in the midst of his fantasy, trapped with all the other guests. He lingered on Richard's face as the Zombies struck and wiped the smugness and superiority off it for good.
Then he imagined his mother next to Richard. He thought of the terror and pain that would be on her face. He felt a pang of raw emotion at the thought of his mother in peril. He wanted to protect her at all costs. He wanted to kill anything that came near her. He hated anything that would hurt her. He hated... he...
Surely not, he didn't... he couldn't hate... For a minute there he had though. He had hated the Zombies. When he thought of what they might do to someone he loved he saw them as monsters. Pure killing machines with nothing noble about them.
Miriam turned and looked him straight in the eyes. "You are carrying too much pain and hatred inside you," she said. "The weight of it is bruising your soul. I sense you are close to realising this. Let that pain go."
That pain had defined him. His hatred and his anger had fed him, given him strength. If he let them go then he wouldn't be himself. Who would he be?
"Look there isn't time for this," he said. "We've got to get these nobl... I mean these undead to safety."
"It is not for you or I to decide the appropriate time," she said. "That is God's prerogative. He has instructed His Loa and they move through me. Give me your hands."
He held out his hands and Miriam took them in her own. Her hands were warm and soft and pulsed with energy.
"It's okay," she said and smiled.
God she had a beautiful smile. He could forgive her anything when she smiled like that. All the put downs and the ball busting, everything.
She chanted soft words in Creole that sounded like music being poured out of a crystal container. He heard a name repeated over and over - Erzulie Dantò. He focused on the name and it seemed to resonate within him. As though someone had struck a tuning fork and his soul was vibrating in sympathy.
He was aware of a huge painful weight on his chest. It was stopping him breathing. He felt like he was going to fall backwards it was so heavy. Then invisible arms caught him, encircled him and lifted him back up.
They were like the arms of his mother, everyone's mother and the mother of everyone. There was peace, serenity and most of all love in them. A love that gave and accepted without measure or compunction.
As Miriam held his hands and continued to chant, the arms moved through him and took hold of the weight on his chest. Then slowly, as though they were removing a foreign object embedded in his flesh, the hands began to remove the weight.
As it was lifted from him, Benjamin felt the memories flood back in and he saw where the pain and the anger came from. Benjamin hated Richard because he blamed him for everything his Dad had done to hurt his Mom. He couldn't blame his Dad because he loved
him, so he blamed Richard. He also feared Richard would hurt his Mom.
He hated Richard's world because he couldn't live up to what it expected of him. He had failed. No, there was more to it than that. He had failed, but what had he failed?
As the weight on his chest got less and less, he found himself back in the kitchen with his mother sobbing on the floor. He realised then it was his mother he had failed. He hadn't protected her as he promised he would.
He really meant it when he handed her his handkerchief. He'd wanted to look after her. To rescue her. But he hadn't. He'd let Richard take her and make her unhappy. He'd never forgiven himself and he'd blamed her for that.
That was what had driven a wedge between them. That was where his pain came from and why he was so angry.
Then he felt a presence in his mind. It was foreign but totally familiar, wise but innocent and ancient but fresh. It was the mother, the sister and the lover he had always yearned for. It was a Loa, he realised. The one Miriam had named: Erzulie Dantò.
She spoke to him without using words. She told him the pain was no longer his and he was to let it go. Then she passed through him, took the pain, and was gone.
He felt so much loss when she left. Suddenly, more than anything in the world, he wanted his mother.
He broke down and cried like a little boy. Like his mother that day on the kitchen floor. Like a young man confronting himself for the first time.
Two sets of arms encircled him, real arms, Miriam's and Tatyana's. He rested his head on their shoulders and sobbed.
All around them the Zombies rocked from foot to foot and began a low moan, like the wind keening round the corner of a building. Benjamin couldn't be certain, but it felt like they were sympathising.
The drums ceased as he stopped crying.
"It's time," Miriam said. "Are you okay to do this?"
He nodded and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Let's go."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was pandemonium. Tatyana thought it would be. Zombies jostled her on all sides. She was practising Zombie breathing and moving with care. She was under Miriam's protection but she wasn't going to take risks.