by Aline Riva
As Parsons looked at Shadowbone in horror and tried to speak, a heavy darkness covered him, denying all chance of escape as he slid into deep unconsciousness.
On reaching the mainland, the fishing boat had gone up the coast for half a mile and found a small dock. They had weighed anchor and disembarked, leaving the vessel carrying machine guns as Adrian led the way and Emma and Clare followed, taking the steep sandy climb to higher ground where sea grass grew tall and swayed in the breeze. Once they had reached the top, they looked about the deserted landscape:
Here the ground was cracked and dry, in between this were clumps of earth where shrubbery grew. Further away was a sea wall, beyond it, they saw rooftops of houses.
“It looks clear,” Adrian said, then gestured with his gun and the two women followed, negotiating the uneven ground as they made their way towards the path that led to the sea wall. A short distance away a gate was open, and as they reached the path and followed it along the wall, a view came clear of houses below the low hillside. The road below also seemed clear, there were a few crashed and abandoned cars but little else to suggest the dead were crawling the earth.
“We need a vehicle,” Emma said as she scanned the road below, “And where the hell is that helicopter? Obviously they didn't run into trouble around here...”
The wind blew strong off the sea, sending a ghostly whistle about the sea wall, the only reply she got to her question.
“Lets take to the road,” Clare suggested, “We're bound to find a roadworthy vehicle.”
“And we'll need fuel,” Adrian reminded her.
“So we find a petrol station and hope the pumps are not dry!” she exclaimed, “The other supply run team never had trouble refilling a tank. There's no reason why we would have that problem.”
Adrian gave a shrug.
”I hope you're right,” he replied, “Because I don't fancy searching for a bike – and it would be a hell of a hike back with supplies if we had to pedal back to the boat!”
Clare smiled and shook her head.
“As if we'd have to do that! We just need to take a look around, we'll find something we can use.” Then she led the way as they left through the gate, now the sea was behind them and the mainland stretched on, looking strangely preserved despite the corpses that had ravaged it...
They went quickly down the hillside, reaching the street below. All was silent, up ahead were two smashed cars in the middle of the road, the debris strewn about and a body picked down to bone and bleached by the elements lay beneath one of the cars. In another the door was open, and a skeletal figure dressed in rags lay on its back, wisps of hair that still clung to the scalp blew in the breeze, its face in a permanent open mouthed silent scream as empty eye sockets looked skyward.
They passed the wreckage and headed for the end of the road. Here the road turned and widened, in the near distance they saw a ghost town of closed up shops. Here and there windows were broken but mostly, this town seemed unharmed compared to the carnage that had taken place in major cities.
“I reckon most people were evacuated,” Emma said as they walked along in the eerie silence, “They did that when it started getting bad... trying to move people out of one area to another, trying to block off the infected regions. It didn't work, there wasn't enough time to finish the job... but this town looks almost unscathed...” she stopped walking, turning back to the others as her eyes lit up excitedly.
“The shops! If they're untouched, we can easily load up on supplies! We just need to find some transport to get it back to the boat!”
“The only problem being the fact that a lot of the medications will be out of use by date,” Adrian pointed out.
“They've been out of date before,”Emma replied, “I noticed that when I had painkillers for a twisted ankle last year. The meds worked. I guess we just have to hope for the best.”
“I never knew that,” Clare said, looking at her in alarm, “Does this mean some of the medications Christian gives out might not be safe?”
“Safe doesn't exist as a real concept any more, nowhere is safe and no one is safe,”Adrian added, “Let's just look for a vehicle and load up what can and then get out of here.”
Suddenly a rotting hand lunged from behind a parked car and made a grab for Emma's shoulder. As she turned with her gun trained on the creature, more undead in rags began to lumber out of a nearby alley way. They opened fire, sending three bursts of bullets into the oncoming horde, those in front fell, but more stumbled over them, some like the first, wearing rags and others naked with their bodies grey and in partial decay.
“I think we know what really happened to the people of this town!” Clare said, sending another burst of gunfire into the alley.
They turned and headed up the street, breaking into a run as the undead picked up pace, staggering, stumbling in their hurry to grasp at living flesh. Their sights were set on the crossroads that led to the middle of town, but then as more of the creatures loomed into view up ahead, they came to a sharp stop, looking back to see the corpses behind were still gaining.
“We're surrounded!” Emma said in despair as she took up firing stance, sending another spray of bullets into the creatures behind, as the first of those closing in fell, then she turned back and ran to catch up with the others as they went on ahead, spraying bullets as they ran, cutting down the undead who fell as they passed them and then firing again at the next approaching bodies. They reached the crossroads, temporarily shielded by the fallen corpses all around them that the other creatures stumbled over, then the ones behind them fell as they pushed on, moaning and snarling and filling the air with a rotting stink as they set dead eyes on their targets, sniffing at the air and catching the scent of warm blood.
As more creatures staggered around a corner, the three living souls who were outnumbered made for the pavement, leaving the road and taking shelter by a shop doorway as they caught their breath and prepared to fire again. Just then a lorry came around the corner, as bullets sprayed left and right they huddled down together for cover as the shop front shattered. The lorry ploughed through the creatures, smashing them aside like fallen skittles as blackened blood spattered the vehicle and arms and legs were severed and heads rolled. The lorry stopped, turned around and came back, taking out the last of the creatures on the roadside, then weaving back to the middle of the road once more, where it stopped and the engine shut off.
“Are you okay over there?” called a voice from the driver's side of the vehicle, “It's okay, you're safe now... come out!”
The stranger's voice echoed around the street.
As Emma and the others straightened up and brushed glass from their clothing and hair, the passenger door opened up and then closed. Now the men from the lorry were coming over. They turned to thank them for their help, but all three froze in alarm at the sight of the two guys:
One wore a boiler suit and the other wore combat clothing. Both were large and heavily built, both carried guns... and both had faces painted like circus clowns...
“Hello there!” said the guy in the boiler suit, his clown face lighting up in a widely painted smile. Then he fired off a volley of shots as the women dived for cover and hit the ground as Adrian's body was peppered with bullets. He fell bleeding, landing hard on his side as his eyes stared lifeless towards the shattered shopfront.
Suddenly the men were reaching for the two stunned women, Clare was bleeding from a wound to her face where she had hit the pavement, Emma was struggling to break free until a sharp blow to the face stunned her. The sound of Clare screaming stopped her from passing out. The man who stood behind her had an arm wrapped about her throat as a gun was held to her head, but she could see Clare pinned up against a wall, her clothing tugged down as the guy who held her yanked sharply at his zip and freed his erection. Clare suddenly slammed her head backwards, headbutting the man in the mouth, his teeth shattered with an audible crack and as he staggered back with a mouthful of blood and broken teeth she sp
un around, aiming a kick to his midsection that sent him sprawling.
“I didn't survive five years of this shit to get raped by a fucking clown!” she yelled.
But her assailant was back on his feet. He spat blood and teeth to the pavement and raised his gun.
“You're both dead,” he stated, and took aim at Clare as Emma's attacker tightened his grip, making escape impossible.
“She's going to die,” whispered the other clown face who held Emma in a solid grip, “And then me and my mate are both going to have some fun with you before we kill you...”
Emma closed her eyes tightly, but was unable to shut out the horror that engulfed her as he breathed hot in her ear as he waited, his companion taking aim, ready to blow off Clare's head. They were trapped and it seemed there would be no escape...
Chapter 5
The silence was deathly, just the breeze and the sound of her own laboured breathing could be heard as Emma kept her eyes closed as her heart pounded wildly and she wondered if the bullet that killed Clare would be a clean hit - if it was quick, at least she wouldn't suffer. Fear was blocking her own thoughts of what would happen afterwards. She guessed maybe after the shot was fired she ought to struggle, force the men to shoot her too – death would be a better alternative than rape...
There was a sharp crack as a bullet fired, hitting the target with a dull thud. Then another sounded and the clown face who held her lost his grip, trembled and fell back hard to the pavement with a sickening thud.
Emma gasped and opened her eyes, saw Clare tugging her clothing up, then she turned around from the wall and they both looked about the scene in confusion:
Both clown faced men were dead, killed by single shots to the head and bleeding out on to the street, scarlet blood running and mingling with the blackened blood and mangled body parts of the slaughtered corpses that littered the street.
“I'm sorry!” a man called out, his voice echoing around the street as the two women looked about but saw no one, “That was wrong, very wrong... I had to intervene. Sorry I was too late for your friend!”
Clare and Emma exchanged another baffled glance, hearing the sound of running but seeing no one. Suddenly a shadow descended as a man leapt from the flat roof of a single storey shop, he landed perfectly in front of them, stood upright and paused to catch his breath.
“Hello!” he said with a bright smile, “I'm Alex Casper...a crack shot, a survivor of all things terrible and today, your salvation! I accompanied these men from the town of Circus...” his smile faded as he looked to the bodies on the ground, “Well, I say accompanied... actually I drove behind the lorry... they knew I was there but they didn't bother to speak to me. But I thought of them as my friends... That wasn't a nice thing to do to you ladies, that was terrible... Are you both okay?”
Clare and Emma exchanged a glance. Alex seemed a little odd, the way he switched from one subject to another, the way his mood had changed from a cheerful greeting to deep sorrow at the shooting of the clown faces. He was a striking figure, too, tall and lean and dressed in black, his silver hair flowing in waves to the collar of his leather jacket. He looked to be in his mid fifties, and there was a sparkle in his blue eyes.
“Where is Circus?” Emma asked.
“Far away, it is a magical land!” he declared.
“Oh, god...he's crazy...” muttered Clare as she looked away, speaking low as her words were half lost on the breeze.
“But helpful,” Emma reminded her, then she stepped forward, offering the hand of friendship.
“Nice to meet you, Alex. I'm Emma, this is my friend Clare.”
He shook Emma's hand, extended the handshake to Clare, who simply smiled and nodded, then as a distant moan sounded from the end of the street and the dragging steps of the undead were heard, he swung around, raised his weapon and fired off two shots, hitting both corpses clean through the head as they fell where they stood far on the other side of the street.
Clare looked down at Adrian as she blinked away tears.
“He was a good friend. I've known him since we moved to Wolfsheer. I've taken out the undead before and thought nothing of it, but to see one of our own shot down...” she looked away, not wanting to say more or show more in a world where death and violence happened every day.
“We can't take him with us,” Emma reminded her, “We have to move on. We need to find supplies and get back to the boat.”
“There is nothing worth taking here,”Alex replied, “Circus teams have been making the long journey to this town for two years to pick it clean. Their lorry is empty. We need to travel further to find a fresh source. I suggest we go on from here at least twenty miles, see what lies beyond this town?”
“Have you seen a military helicopter on your travels?” Emma asked, “Our supply group flew out weeks back and didn't return.”
He paused for thought.
“I heard the story... back home at Circus. The clowns were out scavenging and came across a team with a chopper. They put up a fight, knowing them as I do know I guess your people didn't start it. I'm sorry. I heard they killed them all and burned the chopper. They got quite a haul out of it too.”
Clare glared at him.
“Your people killed our supply team?”
“I had no idea they would do such a thing...I have sometimes followed the scavenger runs, at a distance like a bird...I have never seen violence like this, not towards the living - not until today. I do not regret killing those men.”
“You said like a bird,” Emma replied, stepping closer, “Do you have a helicopter?”
He laughed.
“Oh no, just these...” he flapped his arms like a bird, “But I can't take flight - not without a flying machine - sadly I don't have one of those. But I do have a car, and you now have the lorry...”
He paused to reach down and fish the keys from the pocket of the clown face in the boiler suit, then he handed the keys to Emma.
“I propose we travel together. I shall be your protector!”
Emma glanced at Clare who shrugged.
“He's a good shot, I guess he can come along.”
Emma headed for the lorry. Clare lingered back, taking a last look at the body of her long time friend and fellow survivor. Adrian had coped with everything they had gone through over the past five years. It seemed crazy that one spray of bullets had brought that to an end, but this was the finality of life beyond the death of the old world – nothing was permanent, there was no safety anywhere any more... Clare took a deep breath and stepped over his body, then walked towards the lorry as Emma started up the engine. Alex looked up and down the street, saw no more of the creatures and ran around the corner, moments later a car door slammed.
Now they sat in the cab of the lorry, the two women exchanged a glance.
“Which way?” Clare wondered.
A red car had just pulled out from a turning. As the vehicle drove on to the main road,Alex opened the window, then waved them onward as he drove off, heading for the turning that led out of town.
“I guess we follow him,” Emma replied, and the lorry moved off, taking the same turn as the car, heading out of town and towards the motorway.
“Wow, you are so special. Far too special to eat... I asked Shadowbone if I can keep you. He said maybe – if you behave...”
Raven's softly spoken words had shocked Marc back to his senses as he woke with a jolt, the room was painfully bright as a shadow loomed over him, leaning in closer until he felt breath on his face. Then his vision cleared and he saw Raven. She was sitting beside him, leaning in close, her hands were on his shoulders, her hair was trailing over the flesh exposed by his vest.
“Where am I?” he asked as his head ached sharply and throbbed as the glare of the sunlight that spilled into the darkly decorated room stung at his vision.
“My room,” she replied, then moved down level with his ear as she dropped her voice to whisper, “If you behave, if you make no attempt to escape, if you show c
ompliance and willingness to learn, you will live. Do you understand me?”
“Where's Parsons and the doctor?” his throat was tight as he spoke as icy fear covered him. He was barely out of his drugged state and still felt weak.
“They are out the back, in the cage,” she replied, “They have to get the sedative out of their system before we can eat them.”
His stomach turned over as a wave of nausea covered him: Christ, they were really going to slaughter and eat those guys? He didn't need to reach down and check for his weapon, his holster was empty. He recalled they had laid down the machine guns before entering the settlement. This was a terrible first for Marc – he had been trained to protect with weaponry, but now he was in a situation where he had no weapon to use... except perhaps for this on heat crazy bitch who was running her hands over him with animal lust in her eyes... A desperate plan was forming and it was all he had.
“Raven...” he raised his arms and they felt heavy as lead as the drug lingered in his body, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked up at her, meeting her gaze as he tried to convey a look of fondness and hoped she fell for it, “Listen, I want to stay alive - for you. I felt the connection as soon as we met... a...soul connection, I think that's what it was... you and me, destined.”
Her eyes sparkled in a crazed way as a smile lit up her face.
“You felt it too?”
“Yes, I did. And I think I was sent here by dark forces beyond my understanding, a power that only you can explain to me when the time is right. I also feel strongly that I'm being guided to take you away from here, we must start our own community...”
She stiffened as suspicion crept into her eyes.
“I will spill your blood if you betray Shadowbone!”