by TW Brown
They made their way around the back side that bordered Phil May Court. That was where they apparently ran out of luck. His best guess was that perhaps the massive number of people that had gathered at the nearby church must have turned. At least two dozen of the undead were staggering about on the grounds as more came to join them from that open gate between the church and Clyde Court Towers.
“Wait!” Mrs. Raye whispered angrily, but it was too late; Shadiyah was striding out to the middle of the small crowd.
The woman whirled about with her scimitar and took down the first three zombies unlucky enough to be standing less than a few feet away. Her long, black hair whirled about as she spun and sliced or jabbed.
By the time that Simon could snap out of his amazed stupor, she had taken down seven of the monsters. Simon stepped forward to help and froze. He would need to adjust the woman’s kill total down by at least one. A severed head was at his feet where it had rolled to a stop, but the eyes were shifting back and forth as the mouth opened and closed. He used the tip of his baton, pressing it to the left eye socket and then, cupping both hands over the butt of his weapon and giving a sturdy thrust down, he ended the entirety of the zombie’s existence. His brain placed that little event in a special place for later. He thought that it might be important.
It happened so fast that Simon actually had to turn two complete circles to be certain that they had in fact taken down all of the undead in the immediate area. He looked over at Shadiyah who was already wiping off her sword and seemed no more concerned than if they were out for a Sunday stroll. Mrs. Raye was leaning against a wall and seemed to be trying to catch her breath. He jogged over to her to see if she was okay or if perhaps she had been bitten.
“Just not as spry as I used to be,” the woman said with a groan as she pushed away from the wall.
The trio actually worked together with quick, quiet efficiency as they pushed a small blue lorry into place and then pulled off the pallets stacked on the flatbed of the vehicle and shoved them under it to prevent or at least limit the possibility of zombies coming underneath and emerging in their slowly developing stronghold.
It was also in the cab of the lorry that Simon lucked upon a very helpful find: a set of chains with a padlock. Of course, the lock would have been useless were it not for the ring of keys on the floor of the passenger’s side.
Hurrying to the main entrance, Simon actually had to yank one of the undead through the door. Shadiyah was at his side in an instant, plunging her blade into the zombie’s face as he looped the chains through the doors and was just about to secure the lock when a hand slapped on the glass.
“Let me out!” the face on the other side pleaded.
Simon’s eyes went wide as he took in the hooded face. This had to be the mystery man that had been running with the three men that Shadiyah killed.
“Yes,” a cold voice whispered from beside him, causing Simon to jump. Shadiyah stepped up to the door and brandished her blade. “Please let him out. We wouldn’t want the zombies to have a go at him.”
“C’mon, mate, let me out. Those things are coming, and there are too many for me to take down.” The man banged on the glass for emphasis.
Simon tilted his head and glanced past the man to the corridor beyond. Sure enough, there were at least twenty of the things coming, and this man had no weapon (at least nothing visible) to use in his defense.
“If we let you out, you may have some problems that you will need to deal with.” By now, Mrs. Raye had reached the doorway.
“What sort of problems?” the man almost whined, the fear oozing from his voice. “I think these things are problem enough, yeah?”
“You and your boys did a number on her sister,” Simon said, glancing over at Shadiyah who was now pacing back and forth like a caged tiger.
“I had no part in that. I dropped those guys when they started hurting people, now please, let me out…I will do whatever you ask, but don’t let those things get me!”
Simon saw the fear on the man’s face. His eyes were wide and he kept looking over his shoulder and pushing impotently on the doors.
“Let him out,” Mrs. Raye said, stepping between him and Shadiyah. Then she turned to the younger woman. “You stay in line until we have had a chance to talk to this young man and at least hear his story.”
Simon pulled the padlock free and then yanked the chain out in a loud metallic rattle. The man pushed out and spilled onto the landing. He had barely managed to get to his knees when the tip of a scimitar was against the back of his neck.
“You are out, but you aren’t moving until you talk,” Shadiyah said with almost no emotion.
The man froze and very slowly lowered himself to the ground and rolled onto his back. He kept his hands out and eyed the three people staring down at him for a moment before he began to speak.
“Me and the boys were having a bit of a party a few nights ago. Had some friends over and were having a right good time when the news came on that told everybody to either shelter in place or make their way to one of the rescue centers. People took off like rats on a sinking ship, ya know? The only ones left were me, Dizz, Gecko, and Sven. The four of us just sat in front of the telly, downing pints and watching the world come to an end.
“When they said that all of China, Japan, and most of India had gone dark, we were worried, but when that American doctor said that this was the dead coming back, we knew what was what. We decided that we should probably find as much food as possible. Since so many people had left their homes to go to those emergency shelters, we figured that they would not miss their groceries. We went from door to door, starting on our floor.
“We didn’t run into anybody until we reached two floors under ours. That was when we came upon the first actual deader. The thing was hunched over some poor bloke and feasting on him like a Christmas turkey. Dizz had his little knife, the one he carried everywhere and acted like it was some amazing thing. He used to flip that damn thing out and whirl it around… Sorry,” the man shook his head, “just remembering what a proper wanker he could be. Anyways, he steps in and sticks that thing in the side of the head. Does just like they said on the news, but then the one being chewed on starts to move, so the fellas start to have a little fun, ya know.
“They start sticking him and knocking him over. They eventually decide to lure that poor fella to the stairs and are gonna shove him down just to see what happens and that is when the door to Miss Bissell’s flat opened. That woman screamed like nobody’s business, but she was actually screaming at Dizz and Sven to leave the poor bloke alone.
“Gecko tried to grab the damn thing, but it got past him and took a good bite of Miss Bissell. Now she is screaming and hollering while that thing pulls away with a big piece of her arm. We got the thing away and Miss Bissell slams her door on us saying she is going to call the authorities. I told her—”
“This is all a nice story,” Shadiyah interrupted. “But I want to know how you try to explain that what happened to my sister is not reason enough for me to stick you through and leave you to die.”
“And it would help if you were able to explain why you hit me on the head and left me in the hall when I came upon your mates about to do the same thing to another poor woman…and as far as I know, might very well have done so since her door was still open and her flat was empty when I came to,” Simon said as he stepped beside Shadiyah in a demonstration of support.
“And perhaps you can explain the twenty-four hour notice that was spray painted on the wall over in our tower.” Mrs. Raye took a place on the other side of the man and then gave a slight nod of her head to the left.
A handful of zombies were coming, no doubt drawn by all the noise. Simon took a moment to watch as they staggered and stumbled, seeming to fine tune their approach as they got closer and closer.
“I had no idea what they were doing until I caught them. We had split up, supposedly each of us going to a different floor. I have no explanation for wh
at they did, and the reason I conked you,” the man gave a nod to Simon, “is because you were threatening my mates. I had no idea about that woman until after I hit you. Then I told them I was done and I escorted that lady up to the top floor.”
“Of this building?” Mrs. Raye said with a frown. “So you abandoned her and you were leaving her to die?”
“You got it all wrong, mum,” the man said, obviously flustered as well as very aware of the approaching zombies. “I was trying to get folks to the top floor here because the lower ones were so bad off. I heard screaming coming from your building and went to help—”
“Your boys said that this building is overrun,” Simon cut the man off and shot another look over at the approaching zombies.
“No worse than yours.” The man shrugged very slightly causing Shadiyah to jab him in the shoulder with her weapon. He hissed between his teeth, but other than that, he simply remained on the ground with his arms out to his sides.
Simon observed that the man seemed more resigned than angry. In his opinion, if this man happened to be anything like his former and late companions, he would probably be displaying a great deal more aggression and anger. Still, he did not think he could convince the angry young woman at his side to relax any time soon. What he needed to do was find a way to get this man on their side and convince Shadiyah that it would be to all of their benefit.
“You said that you brought that woman to the top floor and left her,” Mrs. Raye stepped back into the conversation. “Is she still up there?”
“Should be,” the man said with a very slight nod, his eyes flicking to the blade hovering over his left shoulder as if to ensure that it was not going to stick him again. “I escorted her, a group of three kids from the fifth floor including what I am pretty sure are a brother and sister…umm…anybody speak Pakistani…I think they are that or maybe Iranian? Umm…also there were these two little old Scottish birds and then Miss Bissell.”
Simon felt his head snap around and focus on the man lying on the ground. That sudden reaction made Shadiyah jump, and the man on the ground apparently thought he was about to be executed because he curled into a ball and threw his hands over his head, begging to be spared.
Mrs. Raye caught Shadiyah’s arm as she recovered and started to lunge forward. Simon knelt and grabbed the man by the shoulders and yanked him around so that they were face-to-face.
“You put Miss Bissell with those people? Was she the only one that was bitten?” Simon shouted.
“What? Yes…why?” the man seemed on the verge of absolute panic now.
“Didn’t you watch the news and hear all that about the bite being the equivalent of a death sentence? You put all those people with Miss Bissell—” Simon began, but Mrs. Raye cut him off after shoving Shadiyah behind her and dropping down with one knee into the center of the man’s chest. To Simon, it looked more like she was simply trying to keep him in one place and maintain a gap between the man and Shadiyah’s sword.
“Miss Bissell is dead. We ran into her just a few minutes ago. She looked to have taken quite a tumble. I can only imagine that she came from the window of wherever you left her. The question is whether or not she hurt anybody else before her rather unpleasant ending.”
“We need to go up there,” Simon said simply.
“And do what?” Mrs. Raye challenged.
Simon opened and closed his mouth a few times before pressing his lips together tightly and frowning. At last, a look of determination spread across his face. “We don’t have time to stand around and debate this.” He jerked his head over to indicate the approaching undead. “We have already outstayed our welcome. You and Shaddi head back up to the flat. Me and…” He let that last word hang in the air like a question as he shot a look at the man on the ground. The man seemed to start as he realized he was being addressed.
“Cedric Black,” the man said weakly. Shadiyah made a dismissive snort, but a quick look from Mrs. Raye made sure that she kept her disapproval contained to that single gesture.
“Cedric and I will go up and see to those other folks. If there are any survivors, we will invite them to join us.” Simon reached out a hand to the man on the ground. The man accepted the hand and rose slowly to his feet.
As he stood, the hood of his sweatshirt fell back, allowing the trio of Mrs. Raye, Simon, and Shadiyah to get a better look at him. He had an almost comically perfect round head. His hairline had already begun the early march back and had receded to the point where he had a well-defined bald spot. The man kept his brown hair buzzed down to stubble that was also showing a few sparkles of pre-mature gray. He had ruddy skin and dark eyes that were currently darting between the woman with the scimitar and the man with the constable’s baton. He was moderately muscular, but that was ruined by a rather pronounced pot-belly.
“If you think they are already dead…” Cedric gulped, “…or worse…then why would we risk going up there?”
“Because they might be alive. If we are going to hold up here until all this madness settles down, then we need to get everybody together,” Simon replied.
“Settles down?” Cedric barked a harsh laugh, but quickly quieted when Shadiyah took a step towards him. “Look, I don’t know what you have seen, but I have seen people eating each other.”
“Maybe we feed you to that lot,” Shadiyah stepped closer to Cedric and pointed to the small mob that were now less than twenty or so feet away. “Save us the trouble of having to kill you ourselves.”
“You don’t really get a choice in this, Cedric.” Simon pursed his lips and then shook his head. “That is not entirely true. You do have a choice.”
“Oh?” Cedric seemed to brighten at that prospect.
“Sure,” Simon said with a shrug as he gave the two women a nod that indicated they needed to get moving. “You can join us and try to prove you are not like your mates, or you can die at the hands of those things…if Shadiyah doesn’t kill you herself.”
“So let me get this straight,” Cedric said slowly, eyeing the man before him and then casting one more look over at the two women who had started to walk briskly to the other tower, “my choices are join or die?”
“Yep,” Simon said looking in at the several undead that had gathered on the other side of the door that opened to the main entrance to the tower where there might be people in need of his help.
“Sounds fair.”
4
Terrible Things
Shadiyah opened the door to the tower and spied a shadow moving away from her at the end of the dark corridor. Without waiting for Mrs. Raye, she took off at a jog. Her speed picked up as she drew closer until she was almost sprinting the last several feet. Bringing her blade up, she drove it into the side of the head of the zombie just as it started to turn her direction.
“Young lady, we don’t have time for this nonsense,” Mrs. Raye called in a very loud whisper from behind her.
She didn’t care. She’d been robbed of her vengeance; but that was only temporary. If this Cedric Black was going to join them, then he would be easier to find. She was certain that he was not being entirely honest when it came to his involvement in the despicable things that were committed by his little gang.
A hand grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. On instinct, she went to raise her scimitar, but another hand grabbed her wrist in a surprisingly firm grip. It was only surprising in that it was Mrs. Raye and it simply did not seem like a woman her age should be so cursed strong.
“I know that you are upset, but right now, we are simply trying to set ourselves up for the best chance of survival.” Shadiyah opened her mouth to protest, but Mrs. Raye shook her head and continued her lecture. “We have to secure this building. It is going to require several long days ahead that will be dangerous enough as it is. What we don’t need is for you to make this any harder on us than necessary. Your sister was abused terribly, and I know that you want the world to pay…and I am not saying that you have to forgo that forever…just
for now.” The woman stepped back and made direct eye contact with Shadiyah. “I just need you to wait a little while. Can you do that for me?”
If she was hearing the older woman correctly, she was merely being asked to delay the execution. Perhaps she could allow that; after all, she did want to make things safer for her little sister. Despite being more than a tad bit annoying, Assi had suddenly and inexplicably become her life.
“Can I make one request?” Shadiyah composed herself as the two women started for the stairwell.
“Certainly, child.”
“When the time does come…it is in a manner of my choosing. There will be no vote, no stay of execution.”
“I think I can agree to that,” Mrs. Raye said with a nod.
The pair made their way up the dark stairwell, Mrs. Raye using her flashlight to illuminate the path. As they climbed, they noticed the sounds of pawing on some of the doors that opened to a few of the other floors. Sometimes they heard muffled moans, all of this was disconcerting as Shadiyah considered what it would take to actually clear the entire tower of an unknown number of zombies.
“Wait!” Mrs. Raye hissed, bringing them to a halt just as they were rounding the switchback and about to ascend to the eleventh floor. “Did you hear that?”
Shadiyah shook her head since she could not say that she’d heard anything beyond what they had been hearing all the way up the stairs. She listened, but nothing stood out for several heartbeats.
And then she heard it.
“Oh, my God!” she whispered. “Is that a baby?”
“It certainly sounds like it.”
“We have to help the poor thing.”
“I agree, but something does not feel right.”
Shadiyah cocked her head at Mrs. Raye in confusion; she honestly had no idea what the woman could mean.
“That sounds like it is coming from just the other side of the door,” Mrs. Raye expounded. “Unless there are no zombies on the floor, or at the very least, none in the corridor, then there should be no way for a baby to simply be out in the open and surviving.”