by TW Brown
“It would seem that we must come together if we are going to have any chance at surviving.” Mrs. Raye continued to look out the window for another moment before turning back to face the two who managed to somehow stand a good distance from each other despite the close confines of the living room. “We should perhaps plan a way to fortify our position here and then work our way down and systematically clear the floors.”
“What are you talking about?” Shadiyah blurted.
“I think we all agree that the shelters were a colossal mistake. We have a better chance here than perhaps almost anyplace else. We need to make this place as safe as we can and also start gathering supplies.” Mrs. Raye walked over to the small table where Shadiyah had started sorting out what was in the bags from their brief excursion. “We should actually start on the ground floor. That is likely going to be the worst. But, if we can clear it and then make it a real chore for anything, living or dead, to make it inside, then we might just be okay.”
“Will that make you Dennis Hopper?” Simon mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Raye turned to the man with an arched eyebrow.
“Nothing…obscure reference to a bad movie.” Simon shot a glance at Shadiyah and saw no sign that she was even listening to any of this. “What about that bit I was telling you before we came here?”
“I say we worry when that problem lifts its head. The way I see it, we have the numbers now, this person can either join up with us, or he can leave.”
“What?” Apparently Shadiyah was paying better attention than Simon realized.
The woman stormed over to Simon and grabbed him by the arms. Her eyes were wide and her face had morphed into a mask of hatred again. Still, Simon could not help it as his eyes were drawn down to the woman’s very ample cleavage. He scolded himself and used all his willpower to look into Shadiyah’s eyes. Of course that only reminded him of how beautiful they were. Even now, in her seething anger, she had beautiful eyes.
She shook him, demanding that he tell her what he had meant by a fourth person. He stammered and stumbled a bit, but he eventually told her his own story about his encounter with the small gang of miscreants. Just as he had with Mrs. Raye, he left out the part about the bite he had suffered. As long as he wore the long-sleeved jacket and his eyes did not show those dark squiggles, he would be fine. That reminded him, he needed to get to a bathroom soon and see if there was any sign. He did not know exactly how it worked, but he imagined it should be something he could see at the onset. After all, once it did occur, it was very apparent; that had been all he could focus on any time that he was near Miranda.
“The only choice I will give that prick is whether I cut off his balls before or after I kill him!” Shadiyah snarled, shoving Simon away.
“No, you won’t.” Mrs. Raye stepped forward and planted herself directly in front of the angry younger woman.
“What! Are you going to defend this monster!”
“First, this person was not present when your sister was assaulted.”
“Assaulted?” Shadiyah was nearing hysterics now. “Call it what it was…she was raped. And had I not shown up when I did, those other scum bags would have taken their turns.”
“This mystery person was not present for that horrible thing. Additionally, they could have killed Simon when they had the chance. I don’t know why they didn’t, but here he is…alive and well.”
“I don’t care.” Shadiyah stepped into that few inches that separated her and Mrs. Raye.
Simon decided that perhaps enough was enough. He leaned in between the two and eased them apart, keeping his focus on Shadiyah since he was less concerned about Mrs. Raye taking a swing at him. Surprisingly, he had to physically push both women back and away.
“We won’t be much good to anybody including ourselves if we keep this up. How about if we decide to at least see what this person has to say before we just kill him?” He was looking directly at Shadiyah and he saw something flash in her eyes, and then…they seemed to go blank.
“Fine.”
The woman stepped away and crossed her arms. Something about her tone, expression, and the total lack of any emotion in her eyes made Simon suddenly a bit nervous.
***
How could he say something like that? Shadiyah fumed, but she kept it to herself. Just swallow anything from here on that upsets or angers you, the time will come when you will be able to release all of that on the person who deserves it.
“Fine.”
Shadiyah put herself in between these intruders and her sister. They could make all the plans they wanted, and if that included bringing in this mystery man, that was okay by her. Everybody had to sleep some time. Until then, she would do what she had promised. She was going to take care of her sister.
Mrs. Raye started talking about what needed to be done and how. She was going on about how they needed to start downstairs on the ground floor and go from door to door.
“I know of a hardware store not far off…Cartwright Hardware. We should find anything we need there,” Simon said.
“That place is on the other side of the tracks,” Mrs. Raye said with a grimace. “And none of us have a car. How do you propose to bring back enough to make the trip worth it?”
“I guess I will have to find a vehicle.” Simon gave a shrug.
“Yes…one that just happens to have the keys handy, and also enough petrol to get you there and back.”
“It’s not even a mile away.”
“May as will be on another planet at the moment.” Mrs. Raye gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Besides, I don’t think anybody here is eager to go out there in that madness. It would be best if we can find a way to seal things off with what we have on hand. All we really need to do for now is seal off the openings in the fence. That bugger is made of some sturdy iron or some such. It should keep the walking dead out unless they can climb fences. I don’t believe that to be the case, so we should be fine. I know there are a few cars parked in back. Even without the keys, we might be able to push them in front of those gaps and seal things up.”
“That still means going outside,” Simon insisted. “And I think I can manage to get one of those transport vans running with a little bit of effort.”
“How about if we just deal with making the most of what we have, young man? I know it might seem like a good idea to venture out for whatever you can find, but I believe we need to make the most of what we have and then make a list of what we actually need. If you go dashing off right now, you are just going to be taking things willy-nilly. If we intend to hold this place, then we need to be smart.”
“And what about this mystery person?” Shadiyah finally asked, unable to wait any longer. “He was part of that group that raped my sister. I want him found now. Not only do I want to be sure that he pays for what has been done, but I certainly don’t want a monster like that to hurt somebody else.”
“Perhaps that is where we can begin,” Simon offered. “You and Mrs. Raye can head to the top floor and work your way down. Knock on every door. I doubt that Mr. Ivanoff is the only person left in this tower besides the three—” He snapped his mouth shut and made an apologetic bow of his head before continuing. “Besides the four of us, I mean. Meanwhile, I will head down to the grounds and see what it will take to seal things off.”
“And what would you have us do if we find somebody that counts as being one of the living?” Shadiyah replied with a scowl.
“I think that is self-explanatory, girl,” Mrs. Raye huffed. “We need to get rid of the walking dead and dispose of the remains, and we should get anybody living to locate to one central floor.”
“And do you think rushing off by yourself is such a good idea?” Shadiyah asked Simon.
“Would you prefer that I stay and help the two of you with clearing the floors?” Simon retorted, instantly regretting it. He was not sure how it sounded to Mrs. Raye or Shadiyah, but in his own ears it almost sounded like he was perhaps belittling the women
and their ability to fend for themselves.
“I just think we would be best served if we all stuck together,” Shadiyah replied with a shrug. “Sort of like the rules you learn by watching scary movies. You know…as soon as you split up, somebody dies.”
Simon made it a point to hold back any sort of smile that tried to etch itself into his face. “Okay, then perhaps we will all stay together. But if that is the case, then we need to decide if it is more important to search the building or see to securing it from any of those things getting in.”
The discussion was brief. Each of them came to the quick decision that it would be best to see about preventing any of the walking dead from stumbling into the building. They would have their hands full as it was with dispatching the ones already inside.
Each of them decided upon his or her weapon of choice. Shadiyah of course chose her father’s scimitar; Mrs. Raye held up her cane with the head apparently sturdy enough to cave in a skull and the tip able to plunge through an eye socket with ease; Simon kept his metal baton but also got permission from Shadiyah to grab a meat clever from the kitchen.
“Just in case,” was his reply to the unasked question.
As for Assi, Shadiyah woke her as gently as possible and explained to her what was happening and that they would be back soon. “I don’t care what anybody says, you can’t open the door. The only person with a key is me, and I will use it. Do you understand?”
Her sister simply stared at her. That was both good and bad. At the moment, the good rested in the fact that it now seemed beyond unlikely that the girl would do anything past sitting or lying exactly where she was at the moment. She could deal with the bad later.
***
The trio stepped out into the hallway. Simon saw Shadiyah’s eyes dart to the door where the trail of blood led from the bodies of the attackers that had been dragged out of her flat. There was something in her look that made him just a little bit nervous. Part of him reasoned that she knew the difference between him and those animals, but he was not comfortable enough to say he was a hundred percent certain.
They all trekked to the fire exit and took the stairs down to the ground floor. When they reached the bottom, it was actually Mrs. Raye who stepped to the front and scooted in between Simon and the door.
“The two of you step back,” the older woman whispered. “When I open this door, something may very well fall through, be ready for that. Also, try to stay quiet. I imagine we will all see things we would rather never have to witness. Also, it does not matter if you recognize the person or not, if they have those terrible eyes, they are one of the walking dead. That is it, period. You kill them fast and let your conscience sort it out later. Are you both clear?”
Simon had seen some of the news reports, and even worse, he had endured the attack by his own sister. He felt confident that he would be able to handle himself and gave a curt nod. He did not look over in time to see if Shadiyah actually responded in any manner, but the look in her eyes made him believe that she had probably given the okay as well.
Mrs. Raye threw open the door and…nothing. Simon peeked out and was surprised to find at least this particular area empty of any of the walking dead. He could see across the street and spied a few walking dead stumbling along, but none of them were even remotely close, nor did the few in sight seem to notice or pay them any attention.
“Look!” Shadiyah hissed, pointing to their left where a bit of an alley ran between the two towers. A figure dressed in black jeans, boots, and a dark green hooded sweatshirt was hopping up on a Dumpster and then vanished as he leapt over the fence and scurried away towards the other building.
“Was that him?” Shadiyah spun to face Simon.
“I don’t really know. You do remember that I was hit in the head from behind, right?”
“I think we can worry about this stuff later,” Mrs. Raye said quietly. “For now, I think it best if we do a walk-around and see where we need to seal things off. It would also be good to take each one as we find it and use whatever we can…like right over there.”
The other two turned their heads to see what was being pointed out. There was a narrow entry just off from the small parking lot. A few small trucks were parked haphazardly in the few nearby spaces. Shadiyah actually started for one of the vehicles, but Simon grabbed her by the shoulder, making it a point to do so with caution in case she was still a bit spooked.
“Hold on,” Simon leaned forward and whispered.
A series of small, two-story flats bordered the rear of Clyde Court Towers. Stumbling from an open gate that made an ominous creak as if to signal the arrival of this new horror was a zombie. This one had been a young lady. While it was clear that she was one of the walking dead, it was not the couple of bites visible on one arm that drew attention.
Her head sat strangely crooked, tilted to the right to the point where the ear was resting on the bare skin of her shoulder. One leg was obviously broken at mid-thigh and the bone jutted through the meat. It was a wonder that she could move, and it looked like that break would eventually buckle the pathetic creature as the meat ultimately gave way. Right now, it was obvious that dense muscle was all that kept the leg from folding like a lawn chair.
“Judy Bissell,” Mrs. Raye whispered. “She lived on the tenth floor.”
“You think she fell?” Simon asked as he gripped his baton tighter and prepared to go end the poor thing’s existence.
“Does it matter?” Shadiyah huffed as she pushed past the man and plunged the tip of her scimitar through the woman’s face, jerking back just as fast as she’d struck. The body collapsed to the ground and was still.
“What the bloody hell!” Simon exclaimed.
“Do you have a problem with this?” Mrs. Raye grabbed Simon by the elbow and spun him to face her. “Because if you do, then perhaps you should return inside and watch over that little girl upstairs. I told you before I opened that door what we would be dealing with.”
“B-b-but…” Simon’s protest died on his lips. Of course she was right; both of them were.
“No buts, young man,” Mrs. Raye insisted.
“Are we done talking?” Shadiyah wiped off her blade with the hem of Judy Bissell’s blouse.
“We need to move one of those cars over there and use it to seal off the gap in the fence here.”
Mrs. Raye pointed and that seemed to snap Simon out of his trance or whatever had come over him. Shadiyah watched as he jogged from one car to the next and peeked inside. He called out that one of them actually had the keys still dangling from the ignition. He opened the door, climbed in and then followed Mrs. Raye’s hand signals as he parked so close to the fence that the sound of scraping metal could be heard. As Shadiyah watched, she sort of felt sorry for Simon; he was a nice enough guy, but at this moment, she doubted his ability to survive longer than a few weeks if he did not experience a serious shift in his mindset.
That last thought made her pause. Was it really as dramatic as all that? Did a person have to change the way he or she thought in order to survive? The scene involving the brutalization of her sister flashed in Shadiyah’s mind and that was enough to convince her that it was absolutely necessary. While such horrid things were not entirely uncommon in the world before the dead rose and began to wipe out the living, she felt that perhaps such things might become much too common now.
The reality was that humans had displayed over the centuries that they are a mostly selfish species. Throughout history there were tales of abuse and enslavement. Man liked to control, and if given the chance to control with absolute power, he was prone to abuse that power. With no system of law or justice in place, anybody could do whatever struck their fancy with basically absolute impunity. Well, she would just have to ensure that neither she nor her sister suffered such a thing ever again.
“Shadiyah!” Mrs. Raye whispered forcefully, obviously not for the first time by the sound of her voice or the look on her face.
“What?” Shadiyah
flushed and shook off her reverie.
“We need to get moving. There is nothing actually separating the two buildings, so we need to seal that other tower.”
“Why?”
“When I first ran into those hooligans, one of them told me that the other tower was done in,” Simon interjected as he hurried to them at a jog. “He said that they were overwhelmed with zombies in that other tower. For whatever reason, more people stayed than left, and the way it sounds, most of them are now zombies.”
Shadiyah considered that statement and smiled; if they sealed off that building, then perhaps that evil bastard would find himself trapped. The best possible scenario other than one where she struck the death blow after a prolonged series of torture sessions would be for the zombies to rip that person apart and feast on his insides while he watched.
“What are we waiting for?” Shadiyah took off at a jog in the direction that Mrs. Raye had indicated.
***
Simon followed a few yards back. Part of his reasoning was that he could better keep an eye on things, but if pressed, he would have to admit to himself that he was just a little bit frightened of Shadiyah.
Her quickness and ease in killing Judy Bissell was only partially disconcerting; after all, the woman was obviously one of the undead. However, almost everybody in the Towers knew Judy. She was always engaged in some cause or another to help those that she considered less fortunate. It was said that she went hungry on more than one occasion because she ran across some poor beggar with a sad tale that had her emptying out her cupboards. She’d gotten special permission from the owners of the building to place a small bin in front of the door to her flat where people could donate blankets and such. Every Saturday, she would walk the streets of Leeds and hand out whatever she had managed to accumulate.
Simon had gone to Judy’s once bearing a casserole that his mother had made. The only two things he recalled from that meeting was that Judy Bissell did not shave her armpits, and that she owned no furniture, her flat was basically empty.