“There are still some bad people wondering the streets of London just waiting for us to slip up so they can get in. I try to make sure people can’t follow us unless I want them to”, he replied grabbing out a torch and leading the way up a darkened staircase.
I didn’t like the feeling I was getting but I still kept close to him making sure nothing was about to jump us from the shadows, although after sensing the creature outside just now before it killed Damien I was pretty sure I might be able to do it in normal circumstances. I tried to not look like a freak and get his attention so I walked silently but tried to listen and feel if anything creature like was close by, I couldn’t feel anything but that wasn’t to say there wouldn’t be.
We reached the top of the stairs which must have been at least eight flights, he opened another door which led out onto a roof terrace, he led me over to the edge of the roof to some wooden planks that had been placed over a gap to the street below to an open window in the next building, “I’m not climbing over that!” I said.
“It’s perfectly safe look I’ll go first then you follow ok”, he replied but before I could protest he ran along them and jumped through the open window.
Feeling like a plumb I then decided to try it, I stood gently on the planks and felt my stomach wobble with a sick feeling at the sight of how high we were. Shaking myself mentally I walked over, I half expected him to grab the planks and throw me off but he didn’t he just stood and waited for me and even held out his hand like a gentleman to help me off, “Why didn’t we just use the door to this building?” I asked him.
“Because the stairs below us have collapsed but these ones are safe enough”, he smiled, “Come on we’re nearly there”.
He raced up the five or so flights with ease and I followed without breaking a sweat, the door to the roof terrace on this building was gone and a dim light shone over us as we broke to the surface.
“Can you see it?” he asked me.
“What am I looking for?” I returned with a question.
“Over there”, he pointed to the river Thames and the view caught my breath.
In the river swimming around were dolphins a whole group of them or a pod as I think my dad used to say. They looked so free and happy just swimming up and down the length of the river that was within our eye shot, “Wow they look so free”.
“Great isn’t it, just knowing that creatures like that can survive in the water even when the rest of the world is falling apart”, he smiled.
“I always thought our water was too cold for dolphins”, I said.
“I thought it was too, maybe global warming has made it warmer for them”, he replied.
Well global warming I hadn’t heard that term in a long time, I guess when the world has gone to crap you don’t tend to think of all the other things that used to be a problem, especially with all the scientists gone who was there left to study the Antarctic or where ever they use to look at for signs of the Earth warming.
“How do you think they got there?” I asked watching them as they playfully swam around one another.
“My guess is the old Zoo. Maybe a keeper set them free or the river might have flooded enough to entice them in from where they were”, he replied sighing at the sight. He seemed to be an alright guy, a big heart but ruthless when needed.
We sat there for a while as the sun finally faded over the silhouette of the broken city casting us in a strange and eerie darkness. It felt like an age since I had turned up at the hospital in the early evening but now with the sun finally set it didn’t actually feel that long ago that I was hiding my crushers away in a building not too far from here. I hoped they were all ok and keeping safe, soon I would check up on them but that would have to wait till these people trusted me to go out alone. “So should we head back now?”
He shook his head, “Nope we’re on night duty tonight which means the boss wants us to scour the streets, most threats come out at night, both human and monster, they think they can hide in the shadows from us. There will be other teams out there too keeping the place safe but we probably won’t come across them if we do we just pass each other and move onto the next street”.
“Why?”
“Because it wastes time chatting there could be threats watching and waiting and if we stop for too long they could gain a chance to attack, you get me?” he said, I nodded in agreement and watched him stand, he took out his gun and scope and took to looking out over the city scape.
I lifted my rifle and took the time to try and familiarise myself with the view of the city in the dark, with no light pollution you’d be surprised how dark the world actually looks. To be honest I couldn’t see very much and even if I did spot something I think I might panic that I might accidentally shoot an innocent human survivor instead of a creature or enemy.
We sat for about forty five minutes watching over the city until Damien broke the silence, “Come on you, think it’s time we went for another walk, don’t want ya thinking this jobs easy”, he grinned and led the way back down through the building and over the wooden planks.
Jumping off and landing on the lower roof terrace we paused as we heard a noise, it sounded like gun shots coming from a few streets away. He signalled to me in silence with his hands to go to the other side of the roof and look out. I done as he asked and skidded to half at the edge of the flat roof and peered over a small boundary wall, using my scope I looked over the streets after a few moments of looking I spotted a scuffle going on, it looked to be one of our guys in a fight with a lone creature. From what I could make out it was very fresh and young, new to being infected as it fought with a hunger only the fresh ones do. I took aim and held my breath, I could feel Damien at my back watching me and hoping me to get the right body with my bullet, I could suddenly feel a lot of pressure to do this right as I had boasted I was a good shot and if I muck this up it could mean him telling the boss and her not letting me stay on the security team or worse.
One, two, three…BANG!
I let out the shot and watched as the monsters head exploded, the poor guy who it had been trying to attack looked shocked to be alive and was covered in the creature’s blood and brains but at least he was still here. He sent out a hand signal of thanks then ran off into the shadows.
“Ya really are a good shot with that thing”, he said looking me and the rifle over.
“I’ve had it a long time so I should be”, I smiled.
After getting down from the roof and securing the door this side we set off for a walk near the perimeter closer to the wall, we were looking for any holes or damage that might have occurred during shift change over, there were the day and night security teams and each shift the walls had to be checked just in case the team before missed a broken part or someone or something had managed to create the damage just after the search. The wall looked solid enough stolen from local building sites and from broken, bomb damaged buildings that no longer had use for the materials. Some areas of the wall looked very slap dashed but it held and when I tapped it I could feel the strength behind it, plus there was the second wall that ran all the way round again. Damien told me that only the day team check that side due to it being extremely dark in there as at night as no light can get in unless with a torch but if nothing looked out of place on the outside wall then there was no need to check the inside wall.
By the time our shift was over as morning broke out over the shattered land I was absolutely knackered and was in desperate need of a drink. We passed the day team as we approached the entrance, I quickly looked them over, there were five men and one woman although the woman had many battle scars and looked manlier than the men. Then two more came waltzing out, the first man was the one Damien called Psycho or who I refer to as pointy face and the second guy was… Callum!
Callum glanced over at me and gave a slight smile, my feelings with him still felt raw but his slight smile made me feel a little happier yes we were both putting our lives on the line trying to set out to execu
te Toni’s plan whatever that turned out to be but it was for the better of the people that lived here. He vanished out into the breaking dawn with the others, I just managed to see them split up into two groups before the guards shut the gate behind them and we were once again locked behind the wall.
Damien let me go straight to my apartment as he could tell I was emotionally and physically tired, he told me to meet him at the guard’s station at seven this evening for the next shift. As I unlocked my door and walked in I was a little shocked to see Toni sitting on my makeshift sofa drinking something that didn’t resemble coffee, it looked and smelled like vodka.
“Ah Stacie your back, can’t believe they made you do the late shift on your first day”, she said with a drunken slur.
“Toni hi, er can we do this later I’m beat”, I said.
“No I need to talk to you now, the Boss has gone for her morning hair styling, Damien is off to bed and Psycho is out with the day team so I know now is the safest time to talk”, she replied handing me the cup of vodka.
“No thanks”, I said.
“You’re gonna need it after what I tell you”, she glumly gulped back another swig.
“What do you need to tell me Toni?” I pressed.
“Your blood work results came back”, she paused nodding to herself, “You’re still heavily infected and so is Callum!”
I sat still for a moment but didn’t move a muscle.
“I know you knew about you, obviously with the telepathic connection to the crushers and your enhanced speed but did you know about him?” she asked me her voice slightly raised.
I shrugged, “No, how can Callum be? He’s shown nothing that indicates he still is”.
She looked exhausted, “Unlike you, I can see it now as I look at you, the infection is so clearly there? Is there anything else you can do Stacie? It might help us?”
I didn’t say a word.
“Stacie tell me, it could be important I might be able to tweak the cure to work properly”.
So I told her, about my speed and agility and how I can communicate with the Crushers and tell them what to do and about how I tore up my old room with my new set of claws. She looked in utter shock but kept her cool, “You can command them! I knew they might see you as their Alpha as I had seen that before but I didn’t think that you would be able to tell them what to do. I thought the cure would have cancelled that out!”
“Well it didn’t so now I’m a freak!”
“No not a freak a miracle maybe”, she smiled.
“A miracle? I don’t see how”, I said.
“Look if the Boss finds out the cure doesn’t really work she will kill me, kill you and most probably kill all your people just out of spite. We can’t have that so we must keep it secret between me and you but the miracle is maybe just maybe you could take her down alone with your knew strength”, she looked elated at her idea, “There would no need for a bloody slaughter, no one else need be involved”.
“I don’t know she has so many guards, yes I’m fast but I wouldn’t want to push my luck with a whole lot of them”, I replied.
“We need to catch her at a point when she is at her weakest, do you think you could watch her, see when and where she goes, when she is alone and at her most vulnerable?” she asked me.
I shook my head, “No way I’ve just done the night shift I’m tired and I’m back on at seven. If I stay awake all day and night I’ll end up getting myself killed out there”. I motioned with my hands towards the window.
“Dammit”, she sighed, “Who could do it?”
“What about Monique?” I asked.
“Your friend?” she said.
I nodded, “She’s trust worthy and she needs a job, maybe she could ask the Boss if she could be her PA”.
“What a personal assistant?”
I nodded again, “Yeah why not, the Prime Minister seems like a very busy woman to not have a personal assistant would be stupid right. Someone to take all the backlog of the business side of things and to help keep everything in order. Who wouldn’t want some of the load taken off their shoulders?”
“It might just work you know, she has the guards, a few other people like the fat surgeon but no PA”, she stood and put down the cup, “I’ll go and speak to Monique right away and get her to visit the Boss on her way out of the hairdressers. You get some sleep I want to see you in the lab before you go out tonight to discuss your blood work and maybe take some more samples so I can test out a new cure”. And with that she left me to my own thoughts and devices, which the first thing was to curl up in my new bed and sleep like a log.
A knock at my door woke me up around 2 pm, I knew it was that time as someone had been ever so kind as to place a clock right above the door in the bedroom, right where I could see it. I sighed and stood up, I felt like I could still sleep for a hundred more hours. Another knock alerted me to it being urgent, “I’m coming, I’m coming”.
I reached the door and opened it to find Monique with Chantelle, Ollie and Cain they all bundled in my apartment, “Morning sleepy head”, Monique giggled.
“Hmm what brings you guys up?” I asked and padded into the small kitchenette to find something to drink but I hadn’t been paid yet so I hadn’t brought any food or drink, damn.
“Want some of this?” Chantelle asked knowing I was thirsty she held out a bottle of water.
“Thanks”, I said taking glugs of the stuff, “How have you guys brought food and water?” My mind suddenly raced with how she would have fed Cain and Ollie.
“We brought some stuff with us which the Boss said we could keep but also I’m going to be opening a crèche for the children so the Prime minister gave me a loan to stock up on things, hopefully should be open in the next few days. The decorators are in there at the moment and some guys have gone on a supply run to get me some toys, colouring pencils, paper and just general kiddie things”, Chantelle looked so happy to be doing this.
I just hoped it all worked out ok for her, there was no way I was going to see my nephew out on the streets and even before I said it I knew I meant it, “If you ever need any help like paying back the loan ok just ask me”, I said.
She smiled and nodded, “Thank you but she said I can pay it back five pounds a week like the apartment rent but with others paying for their children to be in the crèche hopefully all should be ok”.
“Please though if you get stuck!”
“I’ll ask”, she said.
“So I know that’s not the reason you’re all here?” I questioned them.
Monique smiled, “It worked your idea”.
“So you’re her new personal assistant?” I asked.
She nodded, “Yup start tomorrow, I can start keeping an eye on her movements for you”.
“You happy to be involved now?” I said.
“Yeah I hate being left out plus it’s a risk and life’s all about risks now right?” she grinned, “Plus I get ten pound a week so I will have enough for rent and food so that’s all good and I promised Chantelle I would help with food for the kids”.
“Aww, you’re a true mate Monique you know that”, I said giving her a squeeze.
“I know I’m the best”.
“And Ollie’s got a job too”, she smiled and nudged him.
“Really?” I exclaimed, “Doing what?”
He went red in the face, “Cleaning toilets”.
“Oh Ollie that’s better than nothing and it all helps with food!” I smiled.
“Yeah”, but he looked embarrassed.
“He came with me to see the Boss as I didn’t want to look too…suspicious so I thought If I had someone depending on me she would think that was the real reason for me asking for work and then she offered Ollie some work too he gets five pound a week if he cleans all the toilets in half the building during the week, the other half of the hospital is being cleaned by a girl who lives downstairs”, she said.
Suddenly a knock at the door made us all quiet, had we been h
eard? Where we in trouble? Had we said too much? I quickly raced to the door and opened it to find a rather ill looking man, he wore the same uniform as Toni, his hair was plastered to his face with sweat and his skin looked deathly pale, “Hi sorry to bother you Miss Stacie”, he wheezed, “But Toni requires you in the Lab”.
I looked him over, “And you are?”
“Micah!” he breathed.
“Ok I’m coming”, I walked back in and broke the news to the others that I had to leave, Ollie looked sad but gave me a cuddle, I then took a quick cuddle with Cain who was sitting up and playing with some old magazines tearing them to shreds, “I’ll speak to you in the morning?” It was more of a question than a command.
Monique nodded, “Yes I’ll come by before I start work”.
“See you all later”, I smiled before heading out the door and following Micah. I could tell he was infected as we walked up the stairs to the Lab, his body gave out a certain scent which I recognised as the Creatures outside the walls smelt like him. He coughed as we passed a level we weren’t going through and nearly fell back the way we had come, I moved quickly and pushed him back up.
“How long have you been infected?” I asked him.
“Nearly a week”, he wheezed, “How did you know? Everyone else thinks I have the flu”.
“I’m not stupid that’s why, does Toni know?” I said.
“Yes she’s my girlfriend”, he smiled half-heartedly.
“Oh, so it was you that the Prime…”
He cut me off with his hands and whispered, “She can’t know the cure didn’t work at all for me”.
“It didn’t work at all?”
He shook his head, “No, with Toni’s serum its slowed it down but I’m so close to turning I can feel it, taste it but Toni thinks she has an answer with you”.
“With me what do you mean?” I said.
He sighed, “She thinks because you have bonded with the infection that your blood must hold the key to the cure. It’s a long shot but for me she’s willing to try anything”.
“And what if I’m not, what if I’ve not bonded with it in the right way? Then what for you?” I asked.
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