IMPACT_A Post-Apocalyptic Tale_The Complete Series

by Matthew Eliot

  “We’re about to bury her. You coming?”

  Ana felt a tear roll down her eye. Oh Sixfingers. Big, good Sixfingers. This was all too much.

  Charlie shuffled his feet. “They’re waiting for us, Ana.”

  She had to get to the Queen, tell her about the Warden’s gathering. If she wanted to stick to the timeline they’d laid out with Paul, she had to move fast.

  Charlie studied her face. “So?”

  Fuck it. “Yes, sure. I’m coming. Let me get my shoes on.”

  * * *

  Few people turned up for the funeral, all of them part of the old Pack. They stood in two messy lines, on each side of the deep hole they’d dug in a field, just outside the army’s camp. A weak, chilly wind sunk into their tattered clothes, making them shiver. Close by, the new arrivals carried on with their drills and exercises as if nothing had happened.

  Dimwit was there too, standing beside Ana. He held his hands together, awkwardly eyeing his feet. He kept moving close to her, opening his mouth, as if to whisper words of comfort, but ended up biting his lip and staring at his shoes again each time. Next to him, her tail wagging weakly, was Laika, the dog Alice and Adrian had brought along with them. She rubbed her wet nose against the back of Ana’s hand and got a gentle pat in return.

  Sixfingers’ body was wrapped in a simple sheet, as all the Pack’s dead had been before her. When it had finally been lowered into the ground, Ana felt the small gathering’s eyes turn towards her, expectantly.

  What do they want? she wondered. Then it clicked. In the old days, when Jake was alive and still their Alpha ’Wraith, he’d always hold a speech, at funerals. These speeches focussed very little on the dear departed, and a lot on his grand vision for the ’wraiths. Their being ’chosen ones’ and all that. The same sort of nonsense the Greater Pack with its queen feasted upon. Nonsense she’d once believed in, too.

  She remained silent, until everyone averted their gazes. There was going to be no speech. Not from her, anyway. They just all stood there, eyeing the corpse wrapped in its sheet.

  We’re not chosen ones. We’re sick, that’s all, Ana thought. We carry on with our lives, doing our best to forget the Affliction. Call ourselves meteorwraiths, like the bad guys in some superhero flick. But this is the truth, right here, in this bloody hole in the ground.

  Life was short. Even shorter for a ’wraith. Contemplating the small gathering, these sniffling, red-eyed mourners, she felt an overwhelming feeling of sorrow for them all. Sooner rather than later, every one of them would follow Sixfingers’ fate, maybe because of the sickness, or because of the war they’d wage with the Warden.

  Ana wondered whether those who had died in the impact hadn’t in fact been the lucky ones.

  Dimwit gave up on trying to find the right words, and simply held her hand.

  He’s coming with me, this childish young lad. If there’s even just half a chance of a better life away from here, I gotta take him with me.

  Dimwit leaned into her, resting his head against her shoulder.

  * * *

  Mojito was standing in front of the Queen’s tent, discussing something with one of the guards.

  “Sorry about your friend, Ana,” Mojito said as she approached, an evil little grin on his lips. “She will be sorely missed.”

  “Fuck you,” Ana said and walked straight past him, and into the tent.

  “Hey!” he called out behind her. “You can’t just walk in like th–”

  But she had. She strode in, and stood before the Queen, among the gathered generals. The Queen looked at her in amusement.

  “I’m sorry, your Highness,” Mojito said, stumbling in behind Ana. “She just barged in.” He grabbed her by the collar. Ana shoved him away, lips curling back, showing her teeth. The look of pure hatred in her eyes was enough to make him hesitate for an instant.

  “You little–” he began, raising his fists.

  “Oh, pack it in, Mojito. Let her speak, will ya?” the Queen said, rolling her eyes. Defeated, Mojito grunted, but lowered his hands. “Now,” the elderly ’wraith said to Ana, “what is it you wanted to say, young lass?”

  Ana straightened her back, raised her chin. “We attack tonight.”

  Jaws dropped, and Ana wasn’t quite sure if it was because of her irreverence, or because the idea of attacking so soon was ridiculous. Before anyone could speak, she continued, “The Warden is holding some sort of gathering, tonight. A big one. Most of his people will be attending. Now, he’s not an idiot, so there are sure to be patrols and security measures in place. But he underestimates us. He thinks this Pack is just a handful of survivors from the Bately massacre. He has no idea the Army is here.” One of the generals, the one called Jim, opened his mouth, but Ana pressed on, ignoring him. “We’ve got a significant advantage on them. They know little about our army, and even if they suspect something, they won’t be expecting an attack so soon. And definitely not from so many of us.” On the tent’s floor, a couple of ’wraiths nodded thoughtfully.

  Mojito scoffed. “And you know this how?”

  “I have my sources. They are one hundred percent reliable.” She swallowed. “If we really want to get rid of the Warden’s lot, we do it tonight.”

  The Queen remained silent. She stared Ana deep in the eyes.

  I went too far, she thought. I’ve pissed her off.

  “This is bullshit,” Mojito protested. “You have no idea–”

  “Mojito,” the Queen barked. “How many times am I gonna have to tell you to shut yer mouth?”

  “Yes, your Highness,” he said, bowing slightly. Ana saw the muscles in his jaws dance furiously.

  “Ana,” the Queen said. “You truly believe what you’re saying?”

  She nodded without hesitation. “I do, Your Majesty.”

  The Queen tapped her fingers on her bony knee, nodding to herself. Then, turning to those sitting on the ground, she said, “Can this be done, Jim, Sue?”

  “Well,” began the ’wraith called Sue. “It’s not ideal, of course… but we’ve been training for months, now. And after all the battles on our way south, people are getting bored, hanging about here with nought to do but drills.” After considering it for an instant, she dipped her chin. “I think so, yes.”

  A few of the others spoke. Mostly, they agreed with Sue’s opinion.

  Behind her, Ana heard Mojito pipe up again. “But your Highness, we have to be cautious. It’s–”

  “Oh, fuck caution,” the Queen said, her toothless grin spreading through the intricate web of wrinkles on her face. “We’re the ’Wraith Army, not a bunch of ponces.” There was fire dancing in her eyes. “It’s decided. We strike tonight. I want to feast on Warden’s blood come morning.”

  The Queen’s laughter seemed to shake the world.

  Chapter 19

  R3dPill

  This was his chance.

  Sean was walking Walscombe to the toilet, two doors down from the prisoner’s room where they had been working on the computers. Jeremy had refused to untie him. “He’ll find a way to piss if he needs to badly enough,” he’d said, laughing.

  Walscombe shuffled along the corridor, each step cut short by the ropes that bound his ankles. When they reached the door, Sean leaned forward to open it for him. When their heads were close, he pretended to fumble with the swipe mechanism and whispered, “I found a message from Ivan. It’s for you.”

  Walscombe’s neck went stiff. He turned slightly towards Sean, without looking him in the eyes.

  “He included codes,” Sean continued. “I can override any command Jeremy wants us to run on the Russian system.” A bead of sweat slid down his forehead and into his eye. He wiped it away with a trembling finger.

  Walscombe nodded. He pointed to the card Sean was holding against the swipe opener on the wall, pretending to give him instructions, in case they were being watched. Neither of them dared check.

  “Okay, okay…” the older man whispered. “Let’s play along for now,
kid. Let him think you’re gonna go ahead with his plan. Until the very end. Then…” he tightened his lips. “Then, when he thinks it’s all fine and dandy, tell him you’re gonna stop the activation. He’ll be distracted.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll jump him. Even with my hands tied, I can try throwing him to the ground.”

  That won’t be easy, Sean thought. But it was worth a try.

  “Then what?”

  Walscombe’s Adam’s apple shifted under his skin. “Then, we kill him.”

  Sean nodded uneasily. He didn’t feel at all confident.

  “Go now,” he said hastily, finally sweeping the card and opening the door. “They’ll be wondering where we are.” Walscombe walked in.

  “A-all okay here?”

  Sean almost let out a shriek. He snapped around, and found Checkmate staring at him. There was something in his expression—something that made Sean feel very uneasy.

  Did he hear us?

  “Sure it’s all okay,” Sean blurted out. He was trying desperately to sound annoyed, rather than terrified. “What, don’t you trust me?” he added, and immediately felt like biting his tongue. It was exactly the sort of thing people said when they got caught.

  Checkmate shifted his weight from one leg to another. “Yes, it’s just that–”

  “Just that what?” Sean asked, aggressively. He took a menacing step towards him.

  Checkmate shrunk back. “No, no. Nothing.”

  Walscombe emerged from the toilet. Sean shoved him along, pushing him back towards the room where Jeremy was waiting. He tried to make it seem like a loathing gesture, as if Walscombe were a worm, their pathetic prisoner. He didn’t know whether Checkmate would buy it. “Get back in there,” he spat out, adding to his farce.

  They walked in a line—Walscombe first, followed by Sean and Checkmate, trailing behind them.

  The skin on Sean’s neck prickled, sensing Checkmate’s eyes upon him.

  Chapter 20

  Alice

  Someone was chasing her.

  Alice was running through the castle, trying to find a way out. She kept thinking one of the Warden’s men would jump out of a door and grab her. But it hadn’t happened yet. It was just her, and the man behind her.

  She took a sharp turn, and her shoulder struck the corner of the wall. Strange, she had hit it hard, but felt no pain.

  Keep running.

  The footsteps were getting closer. The whole castle seemed to shake every time they hit the ground. Alice let out a sob, ran as fast as she could. She thought her heart might burst, but she had no choice.

  One more corner and–

  A dead end.

  She desperately scanned the walls, but there was nowhere she could go.

  A loud, wicked laughter echoed through the castle.

  Alice fell to her knees, folding her arms around her head. She crouched against the cold stone wall, shivering.

  He was there, she could feel it.

  “I’m here, Alice.”

  Slowly, she dared open an eye. He was standing in front of her, one hand outstretched. His body was dark, and she wasn’t sure if it was because his clothes were black, or if he was naked, and that was the actual colour of his skin.

  “Alice?”

  She looked up. His face… she couldn’t make it out. She leaned forward, to see it better. There was a shadow covering it, but (she noticed with some surprise) nothing else had shadows, there. Squinting, she peered into that darkness and saw the Warden’s face. Except… it wasn’t—it was Paul’s.

  “I don’t understand, I…” she shook her head, and felt like screaming. The man was as still as a statue, his face shifting from Paul’s to the Warden’s, back and forth, and her feelings shifted along with it. From affection to hate and back again. On and on and on.

  Then came a roar, the cheer of people celebrating, and Alice wondered why they were so happy and–

  She sat up in her bed, her face covered in sweat.

  It was just another dream, she thought, trying to calm herself down. There had been more of them, lately.

  It’s just dreams, they can’t hurt you. But the cheering, she noticed, was real. People’s voices, coming from a room nearby. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to her door. The Warden had said she could leave the room whenever she liked, as long as a guard was with her. But now, all she wanted to do was listen. She tucked her hair behind an ear, and pressed it against the wooden door.

  There were voices, men and women, talking excitedly. The Warden was there, too. They kept mentioning something called ’Atlantis,’ and everyone sounded very happy indeed.

  Alice sighed, not knowing what all of that meant. She didn’t like those voices. They were too loud, and even if they were happy, it was like listening to angry people. She missed other voices, the soft, friendly voices of Paul, Cathy and the others. Most of all, she missed Adrian’s.

  She left the door and walked to the window. It was a large room, and her bed was big enough to fit her, Adrian and Laika the dog, if they were there, and they’d still have lots of space to spare. But she didn’t like sleeping in it. It felt wrong to sleep in such a comfy place, when Adrian was out there, alone.

  She peeked out the window, and saw that something was going on. For a second, it reminded her of the battle with the ’wraiths, when she and Adrian had hidden inside the castle, watching from up there. But this wasn’t a battle.

  The square below her was full of people, most of them in black uniforms. Those creepy banners, the ones with the three circles, were all over the place. She felt a chill creep along her skin, as she watched them flutter in the wind.

  What are they waiting for?

  She gazed past them, and, as she always did when looking out this window, was surprised to see how this little town had changed. The church was gone (she hadn’t had the courage to ask Father Paul what had happened, she felt it might make him sad), and, just outside town, a small city of tents had popped up. Not like the ones she used to go camping in, with her mummy and daddy, though. These were bigger, and didn’t look like much fun.

  Somewhere out there, beyond the tents and empty fields, was the sea.

  She couldn’t wait to see Adrian again. Father Paul said she would, soon. And even if she knew that sometimes adults told lies (like her father had), she wanted to believe him.

  Someone knocked on the door. Before she could say anything, it opened.

  “Alice?” It was the Warden.

  Suddenly, Alice felt so sad she almost began to cry. She fought back the tears.

  “Yes?”

  “Follow me, child,” the Warden said. “They’re waiting for you.”

  “Who is?”

  He smiled, nodding towards the window. As usual, it was a smile that looked both good and scary. “Everyone.”

  He stepped aside, inviting her for leave the room and go with him. She walked tentatively towards him, thinking that all she wanted was to be with Adrian again. With Adrian and Paul and all her friends. All together, like before.

  But, although she couldn’t know it as she stepped through the door, that would never happen again.

  Chapter 21

  The Beginning of the End

  For the hundredth time, Ana’s hand went to the flare gun hanging from her belt. It was there, bumping lightly against her hip at every step. That wasn’t enough though, she needed to touch it, see it, make sure she still had it.

  She also had a rifle strapped to her back, although she hoped she wouldn’t have to use it. First of all, because she was rubbish at shooting (the brief training they’d received from the Queen’s soldiers back at that Pack was enough for her to know that for sure). But mostly because, if her plan worked out, they’d be on their way out of town before the attack began.

  Ana threw a quick glance behind her, where Dimwit was following in her footsteps. He was shivering with excitement. She considered telling him the truth—he didn’t know about her plan to get
them out of there. But she decided it was best to wait: there was enough going on now in the boy’s head, to add the whole escape plan to it. Plus, she wasn’t sure how he’d take it. The Queen’s arrival had boosted his silly meteorwraith ideals. When she’d asked the grand old woman permission to take him along with her on the scouting mission, saying he was a promising young recruit who knew Bately well, he’d sprouted a proud grin that hadn’t washed away for hours.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a shadow, as it scuttled hastily behind a house. She froze, and her hand shot out, against Dimwit’s chest, holding him still.

  They held their breaths, until the shadow spoke. Meeeooowww, it said. The cat peeked around the corner, rubbing its back against the wall and purring. They laughed nervously, and began walking again. Easy does it, she thought, as they crept past the first few houses on the outskirts of Bately.

  The ’Wraith Queen had appointed her as the Army’s Lead Scout. Two other teams of scouts had been dispatched. Their objective was to silence the Warden’s perimeter guards—the more they got rid of, the greater the element of surprise would be. The Queen wanted the Warden to have no idea of their arrival right until the end. Ana wondered if the other scouts (who, unlike her, were trained stealthy fighters) had succeeded.

  Her job, on the other hand, was to make sure the Warden’s gathering was actually taking place. Once she had, she’d fire the flare gun. Mojito, who was among those leading the attack, would then fire a flare of his own. That’s when the attack would start.

  Ana slipped swiftly between the shadows cast by the abandoned houses. She smiled, despite the tension. Mojito hadn’t liked the idea of basically having to wait for her go-ahead to launch the attack. No, not one bit. But that was the way the Queen wanted things to pan out. It made sense, really—Ana knew the area better than anyone, and she’d recently proved she was able to creep into town undetected. Mojito had snorted all the same.

  So that was the plan.

  Except, it wasn’t quite what she had in mind.