by Aline Riva
“What did you stop by for?” he wondered again.
“It doesn't matter,” she replied, taking another step back towards the open door.
“I'd better get back to work,” he added, “Would you like to come in for a while? You could lend a hand if you like... She's fascinating to toy with!”
That had been said with too much enthusiasm.
“Get a girlfriend, Christian!” Vicki said, shaking her head and then she turned away and walked off quickly, not daring to look back as she heard the door to the isolation room open and close once more as Christian hurried back to the undead woman... The thought of how much he got off on this stuff had made her stomach turn over.
But as she walked off down the corridor, turned the corner and headed towards the open doors that led outside, it was easier to breathe and already the sight of the mutilated corpse was not so vivid in her mind. She reached the doorway and stepped out into the fresh air and took a deep breath of it, thankful for the sunlight on her face and the reviving sharpness of the salt on the breeze.
As Vicki walked away from the infirmary she headed down the straight route that would take her home, so she could ditch the knife and get on with her day. It would take some getting used to, knowing there was a live corpse on the island, but this one wouldn't be going anywhere, it was a threat to no one, and knowing that had lifted her fears considerably.
Half an hour later, Vicki knocked and waited, then knocked again as she stood on the porch of the house at the bottom of the hill. She had been home, put the knife back in the kitchen and now her fears of the undead woman becoming a threat had evaporated, she had followed her instinct, deciding to go and see Greg and Zodiac, because she was relieved and wanted to tell him all about Christian's experiment, even though what she had seen had sickened her...
She knocked a third time, then glanced back towards the path, wondering if they had gone up to the pond because the day was warm and bright. Then the door opened. Greg stood there in shorts and a t shirt, his hair looked a little messed up and he had a trace of stubble on his face.
“Vicki... I haven't been up long. My boy's playing in the garden this morning... no pond for a while - we had a bit of an incident a few days ago -”
“I heard,” she replied, “I don't know why people get so angry, it's not like he draws blood when he bites.”
“He needs to get out of the habit,” Greg told her, then he stepped back and invited her inside. As he walked down the hallway towards bright kitchen, he carried on speaking.
“I got a knock on the door this morning about half an hour before you turned up – one of Parson's men, sending out the message there's a big announcement for everyone in the village square at noon. I have no idea what's going on. Would you like some tea?”
“Yes please,” she said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Vicki looked out the window to see Zodiac playing alone, he was sat on a garden swing that hung from a sturdy tree, the swing was made from rope and an old tyre and he was swinging in the sunshine like any other kid of his age. He looked up, as if sensing her presence, then he saw her and his translucent eyes sparkled as he smiled. She smiled back and gave him a wave, then the boy got on with enjoying the swing.
As Greg stood there making the tea, Vicki glanced at him as she waited at the table. Her eyes roamed over his tall, sleek but toned body as he stood with his back turned. She briefly looked to the old scars on his lower legs. When Greg left the house he was always dressed well, always in a fine suit, always hiding those deep and vivid scars. But around the house when the weather was warm, he didn't mind the fact that the scars were exposed when he wore shorts. Zodiac had accepted the scarring as simply being part of his Dad, he had never known him not to have terrible scars on his lower limbs.
For a fleeting moment she recalled that moment beneath the rig when the undead had swarmed and dragged him under and he had screamed in agony. Then she recalled the hours on the boat, the journey to land, the terrible wait for him to come out of surgery only to be told complications had left him in a coma. But here he was five years later, recovered and dedicating his life to his son...He had changed so much since the day his helicopter had saved her from the undead on the fishing boat, back then he had been a selfish and wealthy man with no clue how to survive in this changed world but time had altered that completely.
Emotion washed over her and she took a deep breath, fighting off the urge to give in to the tears that misted her eyes. Five years on she still loved him, she knew it to the bottom of her soul...
As he set two mugs of tea down on the table, she waited for him to sit down, first he glanced to the window to see Zodiac jump down from the swing and then run up to a football and start kicking it about the garden, then he turned back to Vicki and she had the whole of his attention.
“Christian has been doing some weird stuff in his lab.”
Greg sipped his tea and put it down again, looking across the table at her as amusement danced in his eyes.
“Christian's doing something weird? Since when was that news? Since that corpse washed up I've never seen him so excited! I bet it's because she's female and freshly turned... perfect for research and looks almost living.”
“He's cut off her arms and legs. She's naked on the table. He said he's touched her all over...”
Greg had raised the mug again, now he spluttered and coughed and took another sip to clear his throat as he looked at Vicki in disbelief and set the tea down once more.
“No! Really?”
“Really,” she confirmed, “Then he asked me if I wanted to have dinner with him...I said he should get himself a girlfriend, and I left.”
“I told him he should get a girlfriend too!” Greg exclaimed, “It was right after he said he's rather fond of his cause.. and he rather warmly called that corpse Lillith. Don't get me wrong – I like Christian, he's a nice guy. We've been good friends ever since he treated my wounds five years back. But this thing he's got for trying to cure corpses... it isn't normal...”
She abandoned ideas of drinking her tea for the moment as she laughed instead, knowing she would have spluttered like Greg if they tried to drink tea and talk about Christian's strange ways at the same time. Suddenly Greg was looking at her intently, his gaze locking with hers across the table.
“How come you went down to the lab? I would have thought that would be the very last place you'd ever want to go, to see another one of those creatures.”
She couldn't hold back the confession.
“I didn't know he'd cut off her limbs. I mean, It was horrible to look at but at least I know she won't escape and she can't harm anyone. I can't ever let anyone get hurt again, not after what happened -”
“And that wasn't your fault,” he reminded her.
She drew in a breath, needing to tell him the truth... It was either that or cry and she didn't want to shed tears all over again.
“I was going to kill it,” she said in a hushed voice, “I thought it was locked in a room, wandering back and forth, waiting for the right time to kill Christian and break out. I thought of you and Zodiac...I wanted to keep you safe.”
As he took in her words, a look of surprise came to his face, along with a slight reaction of shock to think that Vicki, as afraid as she was of the undead, would have done something so bold.
“Oh Vicki, love, no! You mustn't kill his experiment. She's secure in there and if he makes any sort of breakthrough thanks to that corpse, it can only be for the good of all of us! I know it's revolting but we just have to put up with knowing it's there!”
“Yes, I know that now.”
His gaze was still locked with hers. As time had passed he had grown increasingly fond of Vicki. In fact, he felt more for her than he cared to admit. She was the reason he had turned down offers from others over the years, he had never blamed her for Stacy's death, even though he knew she blamed herself, which had made reaching out to her so much harder to do. But five years had passed b
y, a lot had changed …
“Vicki, would you like to come with me and my boy when we hear Parson's announcement at midday?”
She smiled and nodded, words failing her as she realised this was the first time Greg had ever asked her to go anywhere with him. There was deep warmth in his gaze, too, a look that seemed to promise so much more than her aching heart dared dream about.
“Sounds good,” she agreed.
“Then maybe we can come back here and I'll put some lunch together, we can eat in the garden with Zodiac.”
“I'd love to!”
Greg smiled.
“That's a date, then.”
“Is it?” she had asked so nervously.
“Well, it's lunch,” he replied as amusement sparkled in his eyes, “That's the best I can manage for now, I think this is long over due. We should spend more time together.”
He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. For a moment she couldn't speak as she held his hand and love and gratitude flowed through her heart. At least Greg wanted to get closer, he was the one man she had always wanted beside her, the one man who was in her heart, and now it was happening, it felt like a dream...
“I keep thinking I'm going to wake up.”
He laughed as he let go of her hand.
“Oh no Vicki, you are not dreaming, I assure you,” he gestured to himself, “This slightly over dressed for the apocalypse guy would like to get to know you better, the downside is, if you do that, my son is part of the deal – he bites and he causes trouble and he doesn't mean it - but being with me also means taking on the shit I have to deal with from angry people who don't understand my boy. If that puts you off, say so now and I will understand.”
She answered without hesitation.
“Zodiac doesn't put me off you! He's a lovely kid!”
Those words warmed Greg's heart and it reflected in his eyes.
“I think this is going to work out very well,” he told her, “Very well indeed..” Then he sipped more of his tea before it grew cold, all the while trying not to smile too much or seem as thrilled as he actually was – he was crazy about her too and had been for a long time...
When noon came the islanders were gathered in the village square. There was a raised platform in its centre and as Vicki and Greg stood near the front and Greg held Zodiac's hand to be sure he didn't wander off, they were joined by Marc. Emma turned up last, pushing through from the side of the gathering, apologising as she headed over to join her closest friends.
“I wonder what this is about?” Emma said.
Marc glanced at her.
“Even I don't know,” he replied, “Parsons has been keeping quiet about it – so quiet that none of the security staff have heard as much as a whisper.”
Then Parsons stepped to the front of the platform as Serena stood to the side looking on. The breeze rippled his white shirt and shifted his dread locked hair as he cast a gaze about the gathering, then he began to speak:
“Ever since this community was established before the dead arose,” he began, “I have worked to ensure this community would thrive. I poured millions of my own money into the project and even now the world has changed, we are still secure. But the last supply run did not return. We can only assume they ran into difficulty and could not get out alive. We need to keep our stocks of medical supplies high to cover every possibility for the sake of our safety and well being. I know since the world changed, this community has changed. We have had to become more brutal to maintain order - but nothing has ever been done with less than the well being of the majority held close to our hearts. I do not take lightly the possibility of more lives of good people being placed in danger – but we have to act now while the looming crisis remains distant.”
He paused, looking about the crowd as they stood there in silence. There was not a hint of panic or confusion. He continued:
“I require five people with experience in weaponry and defending this island to volunteer for two tasks: The first, I shall be taking a boat over to Raven Isle, to contact the inhabitants. I require two more to make the journey with me. The second – and most important task – requires three volunteers to take the other boat to the mainland, find a suitable vehicle and seek out medical supplies. I'm not asking for volunteers to come forward now, but I will be ready to receive offers of support tomorrow morning. There's time to think about this. For now, we have no crisis but if medical supplies run out we could be facing disaster in so many possible ways. Also the neighbouring island may be willing to trade with us, or may even be in need of assistance. I hand this decision over to you all, and tomorrow morning, I will speak with those who volunteer. That is all, people. Until tomorrow...”
Then he left the platform with his wife and they walked away, taking the back route towards the road that led to the hill, as the crowd turned to one another and murmurs and voices began to fill the square as the matter was discussed. As the crowd slowly dispersed going in different directions, Marc turned to the others.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“Daddy no stay with me!” Zodiac squeezed Greg's hand and as he looked down at him, the white haired child spoke again, “The consequences could be disastrous. The dangers out there are impossible to calculate and -”
“I'm staying right here with you, son,” Greg assured him, “You lost your mother but you wont be losing me. I can't take that risk because you come first,” then he looked to the others, ”Sorry guys, my boy needs me.”
“And that's understandable,” Marc agreed.
“I'm out too,” Vicki confirmed.
“Good!” Greg said to her, “You're not trained to fight, you need to stay here with me and Zodiac.”
“I'll go to the mainland,” Emma replied, “If we find the chopper I can fly it back.”
“And I was thinking of taking the boat to the island with Parsons,” Marc told her.
“Well, who goes where is up to Parsons, this is his plan,” she reminded him,” We'll have to see what he decides in the morning.”
Greg felt a tug on his hand. He looked down at his son.
“I'm glad you're not going with them, Daddy,” he said, then he looked to Marc and Emma, “This is dangerous. I hope you come back okay.”
“I hope so too,” Marc replied, then he looked at his best friend. Greg was saying nothing now, but concern was deep in his eyes as he silently conveyed more than he cared to say aloud.
“We will come back, we all will,” Marc vowed, sounding more confident than he felt. Then the small group turned from the platform and walked away, taking separate directions as they all harboured their own secret fears for the outcome of both missions.
Chapter 3
Marc had returned to Parson's house, walking in on a discussion between Antonio and his wife as they stood in the front room where plants lined shelves and trailed delicate and green and a tapestry of starry print adorned two walls.
“I still say this is too dangerous!”Serena said, her voice raised in a rare moment of anger, “Why send both teams out at the same time? Why not visit the island, come back -”
“We have to assume time could be running out!” he said sharply, “If there was an outbreak of disease – which could strike suddenly at any time – we would not have enough medication to support the welfare of the whole community!What would you have me do in that scenario, choose who lives and who dies?”
Serena sensed a third party present and turned her head to see Marc standing in the open doorway, looking as awkward as he felt.
“I'm sorry, I'll come back later...”
“No, please come in,” Parsons told him, and he glanced at his wife and she folded her arms and turned away, looking to the open window and the garden beyond as the breeze wafted in warm on the summer air.
“I was just explaining to Serena why we need to carry out these tasks quickly. I'm planning to assemble crews tomorrow, brief all parties and leave the following morning.”
“I w
anted to volunteer for Raven Isle,” Marc told him.
Parsons paused for thought.
“With your skill I'd prefer you to take the boat to the mainland. You're professionally trained to fight and protect. I can't say that's true of anyone else around here and the dangers will be greater back on land.”
Marc hesitated with his response, considering the fact that Parsons was a force to be reckoned with when he was up against resistance. But the two of them had been friends for a long time now, and something had to be said...
“Antonio, the people of this island look to you for leadership. They also look to you to keep the peace, to stamp out crime and to run the patrols to make sure no corpses make it past the beach. If you went to Raven without me and you ran into trouble, what then? Who would take over from you? Me? Greg? Or what about Emma? No, wait... she's a pilot, she's not a leader. Just like I'm a bodyguard and as for Greg...well, he's moved on from his old life of crime and he's a great father but I can't see him wanting to take on that kind of pressure! I don't think anyone could do this job but you, Antonio. So please, let this trained bodyguard make that trip to Raven Isle, just in case you run into more than one man can handle!”
Parsons said nothing for a moment, standing his ground as he glared at him.
“I need to be with you tomorrow, for your sake and everyone else on this island!” Marc added.
“We will speak about this in the morning,” Parsons replied, “Not before!”
Then he left the room and headed for the stairs as Serena turned back, watching him leave as frustration burned in her eyes and Marc shook his head.
“I'm trying and I won't give up,” he promised her, knowing at a glance that she shared his fears, then he left the house by the front door, walking off his anger as he headed down the hill to Greg's place.
Vicki had been very quiet since they arrived back at the house. Zodiac had run straight to the garden and jumped on to the swing, Greg had put the kettle on as Vicki took a seat at the kitchen table and he had promised her that while the planned missions sounded dangerous, he was sure right now her worry could easily be settled by a cup of tea.