by RR Haywood
So he squeezed the trigger, squats down and uses force to elicit the information that is required. The dynamics change within that split second. Choosing a side and taking it, taking action that tells the others within that situation who you trust and who you don’t believe.
Within the same blink of an eye, Lilly grasps the shift in the atmosphere. The shot startled her, followed quickly by the understanding that this young man is now on her side.
‘If you kill me…’ the man begs for his life. He too understood the change in power. The time trying to win an advantage through needling chat designed to undermine the others thought process is over. His life is now very much at stake. He has one hand left to play; that he knows where Billy is and they don’t. ‘…you’ll never find him…’ he adds quickly, ‘they’ll keep him and you won’t see him again…you need me alive…’
‘Chapsworth House,’ Lilly blurts, ‘they said they were taking them to Chapsworth House.’
Rapist glares up in shock, frantically thinking as his last ace is trumped by the young lady.
‘Why?’ Nick asks calmly, ‘why did you take them?’
Another opportunity presents itself. ‘I can help you,’ he gasps, ‘help me and I help you yeah? You need me…’
At this point Mr Howie would step back and let Dave ask the questions, Nick thinks. Dave would get the answers quickly. Dave wouldn’t hesitate. Be Dave.
‘FUCK!’ Rapist screams as Nick digs the point of his knife blade into his thigh just inches from the gunshot wound. Nick slowly pulls the knife out, then gently rests it on the ragged hole caused by the bullet penetrating the flesh.
‘OKAY….OKAY….FUCK.’
Pulling the knife out, Nick waits for a second as the man struggles to compose himself.
‘Too slow,’ Nick says, pushing the point back into the wound.
‘THE DOC!...Thedocwantsthem…’ he blurts, the words coming out in a solid stream of noise.
‘Keep going,’ Nick twists the point of the knife.
‘SHIT…PLEASE…dunno, I dunno…he wants the kids…he just wants them…we get food and kids and that’s it…I don’t know why.’
What else would Dave ask? What information would he want to know?
‘How many men you got?’
‘Loads,’ the man whimpers, ‘loads of them…’
‘Guns?’
‘Lots, shotguns…fuck please stop…rifles…’
‘Machine guns?’
‘Couple,’ he wheezes, almost at the point of blacking out.
‘Does he hurt the kids?’
‘NO!’ Rapist screams, a long drawn out sound full of agony and pity.
‘What does he do with them?’
‘I don’t know…I don’t want to know…we get food and women and…’
Would Dave ask anything else? Yeah, he’d ask about entry points, ways of getting in, who the doc is, where this place is, the range of the weapons, if they get drunk at night and loads more questions.
All of which are now rendered obsolete as the man slumps unconscious. His mind shutting down as the pain grows to a point that cannot be handled.
‘Shit,’ Nick mutters, standing up he stares down at the still figure. He raises the axe. ‘Shit…’ he mutters again, ‘FUCK!’ He shouts as the axe swings down, the blade biting deep into his knee joint and cleaving through bone and cartilage.
Lilly, in her young years, has never a human make a sound as Rapist does now. Nick has heard the same thing many times, he has heard the undead laughing and goading, he has heard death in all its many forms.
The pain snaps him back, his eyes snapping open as he realises what just happened. Lilly tugs at the axe, the blade wedged in the dense bone of the knee joints. Placing one foot on his thigh and pushing in, she levers the axe out. Torturing the man with savage intensity, she wrenches the axe free, lifts it high and stares down, holding her poise for a second she locks eyes on the rapist. He stares back completely frozen in fear. As the axe swings down his system floods with regret, that his life was not a good one. There will be no guiding light for him, no angels singing in welcome and no loving embrace that eases the pain.
Screwing his eyes shut, he whimpers like a child as the axe ploughs through his skull, instantly smashing the bone apart as grey sticky brains burst out.
Lilly sobs, a sudden pitiful sound as she drops the axe. The sight of his head exploding was worse than she expected. Realisation hits her that she just killed a man.
‘Oh my god,’ her hands raise to her mouth as she staggers back, ‘oh no…no…what did I do…’ tears stream down her face. The action is irreversible, he’s dead and his death came from her. She killed him. She took his life whilst he begged and pleaded. She saw the fear in his eyes and heard the soft whimper.
Nick moves quickly, just catching the girl as she sags to the ground. Good lessons learnt well as the pistol is kept in hand, pointing towards the ground. He guides her down then quickly checks around for anyone else that might want to jump out and join in.
Todd rushes over, his own face a mess of tears and snot as he sobs uncontrollably. Wrapping his small arms around Nick’s neck, he holds on for all his worth.
Smothered by a child, trying to hold the woman’s head up and still holding the pistol Nick goes with the flow, managing to get the pistol back in the holster before freeing the other arm to wrap round the boy.
With Lilly down and quiet, Nick focusses on the boy. Rubbing his back and wondering what to say. He never had experience with children before. Mr Howie is good with kids, Clarence is brilliant with kids, Lani too. Shit, even the other two lads are better than him. Maybe not Dave though.
‘Er…it’s okay?’ Nick ventures for a start. When the child doesn't explode he keeps going, ‘just calm down mate, it’s all okay now…’
Seconds tick by. The child cries and cries. Nick gets hot from the face pushing against his neck. Uncomfortable crouched down like this but the boy just keeps crying.
Her eye lids start to flicker. Slowly they open to reveal the bluest eyes Nick has ever seen. Deep oceans of pure water surrounding perfect white clouds.
‘Thank fuck,’ Nick sighs, ‘he won’t stop crying…what do I do?’
Lilly takes a few seconds to swim back to the surface of reality. Opening her eyes she sees the handsome young man comforting the boy. Sweat covers his face, his eyes are dark and mysterious. With the blue sky behind him she is captivated by the sight. Slight stubble covers his young face, giving him an older look. Tanned and smooth, lean and after what just happened, very dangerous too. Then he speaks, asking her what to do with the boy.
Blinking hard she shakes her head, ‘here, Todd…it’s okay come here.’ Sitting up, she gently prises the boy away from Nick. Todd releases, turns and clamps on with a fresh round of sobs, ‘it’s okay,’ Lilly soothes, ‘we’re all okay now…you’re safe…I’m here and nothing will hurt you.’
Slowly standing up, Nick automatically digs into his pocket for his cigarettes, pulling one out to light up as he listens with interest to the words the girl says. He was close, he almost said all of what she’s saying.
Exhaling he stares about, three men killed. Well, definitely two of them are dead and that one with the shoulder wound might be alive.
With the action over he takes stock of the events, at how fast it all unfolded. One thing is clear, Dave would be impressed with the shots he got off. With that girl battering his face he managed to keep track of the real threats and negate them before it got worse.
Speaking of which he fingers the edge of his scalp, wincing at the tender spot and the small cut there. Stretching his face it feels a bit tender. She got a few good shots there but thankfully nothing broken.
‘Sorry,’ Lilly offers an apologetic half smile half wince.
Nick chuckles easily, grinning sheepishly as he rubs his face, ‘it’s okay,’ he shrugs, ‘I’ve had worse.’
‘Are you a soldier?’ Lilly asks, still rubbing Todd’s back as his lo
ud wailing subsides to a quiet weeping.
‘Er,’ Nick pauses, suddenly self-conscious at being stared at by this beautiful woman. Is he a soldier? He joined the army when it all happened but that was like the first training weekend. It’s been Mr Howie, Dave and Clarence that taught him everything. Does that make him a soldier?
‘I er…’ he stammers, ‘sort of?’ he blushes, realising what an idiot he sounds like.
‘Sort of?’ Lilly asks, ‘how can you sort of be a soldier?’
‘Er, well er…Shit that’s hard to explain…’
‘Sorry,’ Lilly looks away, ‘didn’t mean to pry,’ she adds quietly, sensing his reluctance to answer and misconstruing the signs as something to hide.
‘No, you’re not prying,’ Nick says quickly, seeing her turn away and drop her tone of voice, ‘it’s er…complicated sort of…we joined the army but was only on our first fucking weekend when this happened…but Mr Howie and Dave came so we er…went with them and er…fuck…’ He trails off, blushing deeper as she turns those deep blue eyes on him.
‘Oh right,’ Lilly replies wondering why his face is going bright red, ‘Mr Howie?’
‘The boss.’ Nick nods not really providing any helpful information, ‘he’s er…in charge…nice man, really nice man…you’d like him, everyone likes him…Dave’s a bit odd but he’s very fucking good,’ gabbling, definitely gabbling, ‘then there’s Lani, she’s great and from Thailand,’ still gabbling, ‘and the lads, Blowers and Cookey, they were in the army with me…really funny and Clarence, he was in the army too but he’s huge like er…’ Nick blushes even deeper as he realises his hand is held high to show the height of the big man, ‘like really…big.’ Why can’t he stop gabbling? Christ, he wishes some zombies would attack right now. Anything to stop the girl from staring at him.
‘Okay, they sound really nice,’ Lilly smiles trying ease his discomfort. Why do some men get like this when they talk to her? All tongue tied and weird? He’s just killed two men, shot another one, then stabbed him in the leg without blinking and now he’s standing there squirming and blushing like a schoolboy, ‘are they close?’ She asks lightly.
‘Should be,’ Nick nods, overwhelmingly glad of the change of direction. ‘Not far…do you er…want to meet them?’ His voice cracks as he thinks he just sounded like he was asking her out on a date. Fucking hell, three dead men lying nearby, gunfights, stabbings, fucking zombie apocalypse, but he still can’t talk to a pretty girl? Christ.
‘I need to get my brother,’ Lilly stands up, her voice suddenly strong and resolute.
‘We can help,’ Nick says quickly, ‘Mr Howie won’t let something like that happen, no way…’
Biting her lip, Lilly considers the options. Time is ticking away and pulling at her like a giant elastic band, urging her to move now and find Billy. But this man just shot three men, even with her battering him, and he seems to have a plan. She could use some help.
She told herself a few minutes ago that not everyone is bad, that people will help, and look what happened. Unsure of whether to trust her instinct she stares in shock as Nick walks towards her holding the pistol.
‘Take this,’ he offers, ‘have you used one before?’ She doesn't reply but stares at the gun. Black and solid looking, its familiar from watching so many movies and television shows, but so strange to see one in real life. Nick holds it out butt first, ‘you don’t have to trust me,’ he adds, ‘I wouldn’t trust anyone…take this and then you don’t have to trust anyone,’ he shrugs.
‘What about you?’ She asks, hesitating to take the gun.
‘I got my axe,’ he shrugs again, ‘and my knife.’
Taking the pistol she holds it in her hand, completely unsure of what to do with it. Nick digs into his pocket and draws the spare magazine out.
‘Here,’ he steps in closer. Absorbed in showing her how it works, he relaxes into his natural easy manner, ‘that’s the safety, keep it on until you need to use it…otherwise you’ll probably shoot yourself in the fucking…I mean the foot…sorry I didn’t mean to swear…’
‘It’s okay.’
‘Er…yeah so…this is how the magazine comes out and this is the other magazine, you push it in and…here can I show you? It’s easier to fucking see it…shit…sorry…Dave is always telling me off for swearing…’
‘Honestly, it’s okay.’
‘So it goes in like this, slide this back and it gets the first bullet from the from the magazine into the er…barrel and that’s it…have a go.’
‘Like this?’
‘Yep, that’s it…then push it back in really hard and pull the top back…yep got it…er…take the magazine back out.’
‘Okay, er…got it…’
‘Right, now point it away like over there and pull the trigger, go on…it’s empty,’ he adds as she screws her eyes shut and looks away. ‘See, that’s how much pressure you got to fucking….sorry…got to apply…try it a few times and hold it with both hands…are you right handed?’
‘Yes, like this?’
‘No er…keep your er…right hand on the grip and the left goes like this…er…’ Nick tries to position her hand the right way, moving in closer until his hand covers hers to move them to the right positions, ‘that’s it…two handed, as it kicks like a fucker when it goes bang…shit! Sorry…’
‘Don’t worry,’ Lilly says.
‘Try it with a bullet, so you know what it feels like…we can only use one as we don’t have a lot but…’
‘Oh, don’t worry then…’
‘No, you should know what it feels like,’ Nick replies, ‘get the magazine back in, yeah that’s it, slide the top…point away…see that window of that house…aim for that…don’t close your eyes and just relax and squeeze the trigger… well done! Good shot…fucking hell that was good.’
‘It kicks a lot,’ Lilly lowers the gun, then lifts it back up to push the safety on, ‘are you sure?’
‘What? Yeah course I am, you should have it…’ Nick nods firmly, distracted as he works at his belt to slide the holster off.
‘Do I need that?’ Lilly asks, ‘don’t they just go down here,’ she shoves the gun into the waistband of her jeans.
‘NO!’ Nick reaches to pull it out without thinking, ‘you’ll shoot your dick off…oh..shit..fuck I’m sorry…you don’t have a dick…oh my god!’ He goes bright red, staring in horror at the way his mouth keeps going while his brain is screaming to shut up.
Lilly laughs at the absurdity of it all. Surreal is not the word. He turns away from sheer embarrassment and slides the holster off before handing it over.
‘Thanks,’ Lilly holds the heavy gun in one hand and the holster in the other, ‘er…what do I do with it?’
‘Put it on your belt.’
‘I don’t have a belt.’
‘Oh, er…shit…um…fuck…wait here,’ he yells and runs off towards the nearest house, running up the path and into the open front door.
Staring after him, Lilly shakes her head in amazement. She looks down to see Todd is still clinging onto her legs, although at least he’s stopped crying now.
‘Todd,’ she drops down to face him, ‘that man, er…Nick?’ Todd nods slowly, ‘did he hurt you at all? Did he shout or do anything to you…Todd, you have to be honest now…’
‘No, he was nice,’ Todd mumbles, ‘he gave me a drink.’
‘Did he? That’s good, he didn’t hit you or shout or anything like that?’ Todd shakes his head, the snot hanging from his nose swaying side to side. Using her hand and used to snotty boys, Lilly wipes it away and flicks her hand to rid the sticky bogeys before wiping it on her jeans.
‘No belts!’ Nick shouts. Exiting the first house, he jumps the wall into the next garden and heads for the front door. Finding it shut and locked he pauses, then knocks. Standing back, he turns and nods to Lilly, waiting patiently in case anyone decides to answer.
‘No one home,’ Nick reports needlessly, ‘er…yeah…’ turning back he
kicks at the front door, doing what Clarence taught them and aiming for the lock. It goes in easy enough and Nick offers a prayer to the gods of kicking-in-doors for not letting him look like a total twat.
Less than a minute later he runs out, clutching a belt like a triumphant warrior, ‘got one!’
‘Great,’ Lilly smiles. Handing the belt over, he stands there grinning away while she threads it through the loops on her jeans, then remembers the holster and pulls the belt back out of the loops to attach to the holster.
‘Ha,’ Nick snorts watching her fumble. Glancing up, she smiles at him and watches as he blushes again and finds something else to look at.
‘Ready,’ she says simply. Pushing the pistol into the holster she feels the re-assuring weight of it tugging on one side. She is armed now, armed with a gun that has bullets. If only she had this last night, things would have been so different. A lump of metal that makes other bits of metal fly out the end, that’s all it is. Knowing she could pull the pistol out and shoot someone right now sends a funny feeling through her. She’s fifteen years old, walking around with a gun and killed a man with an axe.
Breathing in deeply, she tries to settle her nerves. She is exhausted from lack of sleep, lack of food and the terrifying horrors she just witnessed but there isn’t time to rest now.
‘Just realised…’ Nick walks off towards the red van and retrieves the shotgun from the ground next to the body. He breaks it in half, checking the barrels are loaded before snapping it shut and mooching around in the cabin. Finding the box of shells he stuffs his pockets full.
Lilly watches the way he moves, the constant scanning as he lifts his head up slightly to check the area. His hands move quickly with a focussed, concentrated look.
‘Got this.’ Walking back he lifts the shotgun as though she might not have seen the big gun in his hands, ‘next, we need a fucking car and…shit! Sorry…’
‘Honestly don’t worry,’ Lilly says.
‘Yeah but you know,’ Nick nods at Todd, ‘I’ll really try not to swear…just tell me if I do okay?’