Freedom (Deserted with the Dead Book 5)

by Aline Riva

  Once on the train, he took a seat by the window, watching as the station was left behind and the view shifted to a blur of green fields. Another station flashed by, then more countryside as he briefly saw in his mind's eye the dead at the roadside gnawing on human flesh. Then it was gone as he looked about the train at the other passengers then thought about his destination: He was meeting his lover when he reached London, he and Tina would be travelling together to Rick's house, then on to his second home in the countryside for the big reunion. It was something they had been planning for years, but each year something had got in the way – first his training for his new job as teacher to grey children, then Tina's schedule for her job as mutant animal supervisor had clashed with dates and of course, Rick jetting between London and LA on a regular basis hadn't helped plans at all. But now at long last they were going to meet up and spend time together, something that should have been arranged a long time ago...

  When Vince reached London and left the train station, he smiled as he saw Tina waving to him. He hurried over to her, hugging her tightly as they stood by her parked car. As he looked into her eyes that night flashed before his eyes, the garden bathed in shadows of dusk as the last of the light faded out, the cries and moans of the undead carried on the air... that terrible sound as the barn doors had crashed in was something that would haunt his nightmares forever, perhaps more than any other bad memory could. It was the moment he had thought Tina was lost...

  He hugged her tightly again, kissed her and then as he looked into her eyes, he had that wonderful feeling hit him again, the one that always reminded him the events of the past were truly over now...

  “I've missed you,” Tina said.

  “I've missed you too,” he told her, “And I have some good news – I'm transferring to London so we can be together all the time.”

  Tina blinked.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “There's a school opening close to you, it's for grey kids. They need teachers. And you'll always be needed out there to go around feeding the mutant animals and taking occasional snake patrol. So it makes sense that I move here so we can be together, doing what we love, together.”

  Tina's face lit up with joy and she hugged him again.

  “You'd do this for me?”

  “No, I'm doing this for both of us!” he exclaimed, holding back the rest of his surprise, because that would be a moment best shared when the group were finally reunited...

  The reunion with Rick and Lois and the kids was a warm but brief one as they arrived to find Lois packing the car whilst persuading the children to stay put in the vehicle while Rick paused at the gate of his London home, taking a few moments to chat to a lingering journalist as a photographer snapped some pictures for the press.

  “I can confirm I'll be working with major TV networks this year to emphasise the safety factor on Halloween,” he said in reply to her question, then he turned to the photographer, flashing a smile as the camera went off, then he turned back to her, “But I have no idea what the exact content will be – I have the script in the car I haven't opened it yet. But I would like to take a moment to mention something else.”

  The female reporter looked at him with interest.

  “Oh shit,” Lois muttered from the car as she closed the boot on the last suitcase, glancing to Tina with a weary expression as Vince leant in the car and chatted to the kids, “here he goes again...”

  “What's this about?” Tina asked.

  Lois shook her head.

  “Nothing at all I hope... Just some crazy theory he heard from a reporter in LA who works for a questionable newspaper with an even more questionable website...”

  Rick was still talking with the journalist.

  “There's a company based in the UK who have been approaching other major companies worldwide asking for backing for a project,” he told her, “BoiCorp. Remember that name, because they are doing banned research using cadavers and human tissue. After what happened with the outbreak that kind of research along with development of new vaccines is banned outright! Their work is illegal and dangerous, they need to be shut down.”

  The journalist looked at him doubtfully.

  “The BioCorp story is very much considered an unproven conspiracy theory. There's a lot of paranoia flying about since the war ended, and it is understandable, Mr Lester. Do you have any proof?”

  “Not yet,” he replied, “But I'm sure something will eventually come to light. I just want you to get the message out there that these big corporations need closer monitoring, for all our sakes.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, “I'm not sure if I can put that in, but it was nice talking with you again.”

  Rick smiled.

  “I've always got time for the press,” he assured her.

  Then he went over to the car, flashing a smile to Vince and Tina.

  “Good to see you both again,” he said, hugging each of them in turn.

  Then Vince and Tina got into their car and Rick got into his, and as they pulled away, memories were strong in both vehicles of the days they had spent on the road during the outbreak, the past never being far behind, and certainly never forgotten.

  The drive through the city and out into the countryside was a two hour journey, the motorway was running smoothly with no wrecked cars in the lanes or on the roadside, although as they drove, in his mind's eye, Rick recalled the sight of those vehicles, remembering how that trail had led to the awful discovery of the road side massacre - a clue that had led eventually to Mortiz.

  With the sun shining and the day a perfect one for summer, with the sun high in a blue sky and the heat not too heavy, it felt like a nice journey – although Vince did think about how the bodies used to stink worse in summer, the body parts and the half eaten remains with the flies buzzing about them...

  It was all gone now, there was not a trace left of the death and the horror. No houses stood abandoned, every single property had been renovated, people had claimed back their homes, others had been given refurbished ones. The best thing to come out of the outbreak was the death toll had meant the housing crisis was certainly over in the UK – as long as those given housing needed had no objection to the thought that someone else had lived there before, someone who had probably been either taken over by the virus or torn apart by starving corpses under their own roof. The world had taken a real shaking to its core by the rise of the undead – now, it was a united place with a united effort put in to make everywhere better and safer than it had been before. But still as they passed those sunlit fields, Vince thought of the undead eating body parts. Some memories simply wouldn't fade away...

  Arriving at Rick's country home was a real delight, the place was an eight bedroom estate built in the Victorian era, set in five acres of land and inside, it was a perfect country home with all the rustic charm and the luxury expected to be enjoyed by a man of his status. Two sports cars were parked on the driveway, the ferrari was Rick's, but the other, smaller car belonged to someone the others had only met once before, on the sad occasion a year before, when the bodies that could be returned had been brought back from the Arctic...

  As they parked their cars and got out, a young man in blue jeans and a pale t shirt with loud green splashes worked into the design came out from around the back of the house.

  “Hey guys!” he called, “I think I was early... I left my bags around the back...it's good to see you all again.”

  As Flossie got out of the car she blinked, taking in the sight of his colourful t shirt, then as she looked at Jack Harley, it hit her for the first time just how handsome he was...

  “Oh Flossie like!” she said to Lois, who laughed softly.

  Rick was busy unlocking the door to the house. He opened it up and then looked to David's son, silently wishing Brandon could be here too – but when Lois had returned to the safe house after the war, all they had found was a few bodies – Brandon had not been among them and no trace of him had ev
er been found. He never referred to him as dead even though he guessed he probably was, because it was better for Lois if they just referred to him as missing, because that word meant perhaps there was still hope. He couldn't imagine how she felt to have her son missing, but he knew Flossie and RJ brought her much happiness, and that was all he could do to heal her pain, knowing that their family was a solid unit, held together by a great deal of love.

  As they went into the house, there was a feeling in the air of how good it was to have arrived, the place was warm and welcoming, seeming to emphasise the fact that peacetime was definitely here to stay.

  As the others went upstairs to unpack, Jack lingered back as Flossie walked up to him, poking his shoulder with her silver chopstick.

  “Oh, hi!” he said warmly, smiling at the pretty girl who – in his eyes – was quite possibly the most beautiful grey woman he had ever seen.

  “Flossie!” she said, introducing herself.

  “Yes, I remember you. We met at Tara's funeral. You've changed so much!”

  “This,” she poked his t shirt with her stick, smiling, “Is grey label...nice!”

  “Yes, I like grey label clothing. I like everything about grey people!” he said warmly, “I like the bight colours you wear, too!”

  Flossie indicated to her pink jeans and her rainbow striped top that sparkled with sequins.

  “This grey label too.”

  “Yes, I can tell. It's very nice.”

  “When I bit older,” Flossie said, “I work in school like Vince. Teach grey kids.”

  “I'm very much hoping to work in a university with grey students,” he replied, “I'm hoping Vince can put a good word in for me...you really have changed, Flossie! You look so tall, so pretty!”

  Then someone stepped behind Flossie, an arm wrapped around her shoulder warmly and protectively, an arm that ended at the wrist, where a metallic hand was attached.

  “Jack,” said Rick, “It's nice to see you getting on so well, but enough of the compliments. She's fifteen.”

  Jack blinked, looked to Rick feeling a little stunned that he would think his intentions were dishonourable towards his daughter, but then he recalled how protective Rick was – and as he met his gaze he thought again about the tale he had heard of how Rick Lester had killed a man with his bare hands back in Fearland...

  “I...I didn't mean anything by it...”

  “I know that,” Rick told him, “But I'm a very protective father.”

  “And so you should be,” Jack agreed.

  Then as Jack went up the stairs to unpack, Rick took his arm off his daughter's shoulder and looked at her intently.

  “Don't get too close to boys – especially not older ones.”

  “He David's son!”

  The mention of David made his heart ache as he looked about the house, wishing he was there, because the reunion just wasn't complete without him. In his mind's eye he recalled diving on top of him and into the pool of petrol as he tried to stop him from lighting the fire...

  “I know he's David's son and he's a nice guy but he's too old for you and you're too young to get your heart broken, okay?”

  Flossie looked at him in confusion.

  “But Flossie like Jack.”

  “And I can see Jack likes Flossie, but lets keep it like that, please? Friends only, Flossie, you're a grey girl and he's not a grey boy and he might find you're not what he wants – not now, maybe in a few years time. That would make you feel very sad.”

  “Dad, Jack talk to me not marry me!”

  Rick laughed as he looked fondly at his daughter.

  “I know. Sorry, Flossie. I'm just too protective, I know it. Just don't get too close to him, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay,” she replied, then she went upstairs and Rick watched as she went up, guessing he would never stop worrying for his kids no matter how fast his daughter was growing up.

  The afternoon was spent on the patio, with the group enjoying the shade the trees offered as they sat at the table, sharing iced drinks and memories. Jack listened with interest as his father's name was mentioned, as Lois splashed about in the pool with RJ and the sound of his laughter filled the air as butterflies flitted about the flowerbeds and bees buzzed in the nearby herb garden.

  Rick was relaxing on a sun lounger, his shirt off and wearing home made cut down denim shorts, a far cry from his usual designer attire as he soaked up the summer sun wearing shades to keep off the glare as he read through the content of a voice over he had been asked to make for a public announcement.

  “What?” he exclaimed, then he sat up, took off the glasses and shook his head.

  “No fucking way. I'm not being a part of this!”

  “What's wrong?” Lois asked, swimming to the side of the pool as RJ splashed her again.

  The others also looked around from the seating on the patio area.

  “It's not like you to turn down work,” Vince remarked.

  Rick glanced at the papers again.

  “They want me to make a public service announcement about new regulations... it's going to be broadcast over the next few months to be sure the message gets out for Halloween – last year more than seventy people were shot dead by panicking members of the public for wearing zombie costumes.”

  “And it's about time that was stopped!” Tina exclaimed, “It's against the law to cause a public panic using imagery or taking on the appearance of a reanimated corpse. The world is traumatised, these idiots must have known what would happen. And people who shoot believing they're stopping a corpse can't be prosecuted – if they started pressing charges for shooting zombies the whole world would be in jail by now!”

  “No, you don't get it,” Rick continued, “They want me to say new legislation gives authorities power to shoot to kill on the spot for anyone in a banned costume.”

  “They're doing that as a hard line to prevent more deaths!” Lois exclaimed from the poolside.

  “But guess who is behind the sponsorship for this campaign? BioCorp! They're willing to get mixed up in anything and everything in the hope of raising cash and getting investors! I'll have no part of this!”

  “Good thing we don't need the money, then,” Lois muttered, taking RJ over to the shallow end of the pool and playing catch with a beach ball.

  The others fell silent, all avoiding the urge to stoke up Rick's obsession with the company alleged to be working with dead bodies for experimentation. It was largely considered a wild conspiracy theory, and sitting here in the sunshine four years into peace time, the events of the past had never seemed so far behind them all.

  It was Jack who changed the subject.

  “I'm glad they were able to bring some of the bodies home from the Arctic,” he said, “I didn't know Tara, but I know my Dad loved her and I'm glad she could be laid to rest on British soil. It must have been horrible for him, leaving her body out there in that ice cave.”

  “It was horrible,” Rick agreed, “I saw the look in his eyes when he came back to base – he looked utterly lost.”

  “Until him and Mum got closer.”

  Rick smiled.

  “Yes, Marie finding him again was the best thing that could have happened...”

  Then the group fell silent, all thinking on those absent.

  Flossie wandered across the patio, watched as a bug crawled up the bark of a tree, then snatched it up and popped it in her mouth, crunching down on it audibly as she turned to the others and smiled.

  “Caught one?” Rick asked her in a bemused tone.

  Flossie was still chewing as she smiled and nodded.

  But the mention of the past had brought back a flood of memories for all of them: Vince was recalling how he had grabbed Marie as she held the baby, pulling them to the ground at the back of the garden just in time as the house had erupted into flames, the force of the blast blowing out the last of the glass from the windows as flames consumed the building and the undead had screamed and howled as the
fire engulfed them...

  Tina's thoughts were with the events in the barn, of being swamped by the invading undead as she had desperately battered the oncoming attackers with the hammer until it had lodged in the head of a creature, then she had picked up the scythe, slippery with blood as she had desperately hacked at the enemy....

  Lois was very much set in the present with her thoughts as she played with RJ and thanked her daughter for leaving her a tall glass of iced lemonade at the poolside, she couldn't bear to linger on the past for more than a brief moment, recalling how she had almost lost Rick in those awful dark days after the battle with Mortiz...

  Rick's thoughts had shifted from BioCorp now as he thought of David, and how as the time wore on, his absence was felt so sharply, especially today, with the others here beside him, he was sure he had never missed him so much...

  In his mind's eye, he saw David standing over the petrol, telling him to get out while he still could, his choice made, he had been set on dying to give the others a chance...

  Rick blinked away tears and put his shades back on, then tossed the paperwork aside and settled back on the sun lounger, wishing no one was missing, because today those thoughts of the past were too damned strong in his mind...

  Chapter 12: Reunion

  The afternoon sun was mellow gold and lower in the sky as a warm breeze filtered through the garden, bringing with it the scent of summer, just that scent, with not a single trace of death on the wind. It was something they all appreciated in these times of peace.