“What do you think of Derek and Christine?” I asked.
“Well, I will tell you one thing they are nothing like Bet and the Hillbillies. Christine is really nice and Derek couldn’t shut up about you and Rees and how good you were with your rifles and that. I mean it Jay he just wouldn’t shut up lol. Think I might have a rival for your love!”
I laughed, bent down and gave her a kiss, there was no way on earth that there was anyone I loved more this woman.
“Aw babe, are you getting a little bit of the green eyed monster?” I asked. (hey, I love her, but doesn’t mean I won’t fuck with her head every now and then.)
She pulled away, slapped my arm and laughed.
“Can we go and check out the kitchen and the apartment please. It would be nice to get out of these clothes and into something else.” She sniffed in my direction and said “Yeah, think the same goes for you too, I have smelt fish that had gone off and had smelt better than you.”
“Ha, funny bitch.” And I chased her round the parapet and toward the café we were going to be living in.
We came to a halt when we got to the gift shop door. Just inside the door was Derek and Christine.
We walked inside and Derek said “Jay, is there any way that we could have a chat?”
“Yes, of course you can. Let’s have a seat in the café there are enough seats in there.” I said.
We all sat round the first table, we came to I sat next to Maddie who held my hand.
“Ok, Derek what did you and Christine want to talk about?” I said.
“Well, we both wanted to say thank you for helping us and the kids out. The other thing that we wanted to talk to you about and that was, we both would like to help out around here. If you have any jobs that you need doing.” He said with a shy smile.
“I know I would be happier if we contributed to what we have here. You kept Derek safe and found us a safe place for the kids.” Said Christine.
“Guys, any help that you can give will be fantastic. The most important thing that everyone has to be able to do is, use a rifle or one of the other weapons. I know you were reluctant to use the pistol when we were in the units Derek, but you will have to get over that. Rees and I we be teaching everyone how to use at least one weapon and how to clean and maintain it. That is probably the main thing you can do to help us. Derek, Christine, when we get you up to speed with a weapon, we will need you to help out and do night guard on the parapets. Don’t worry about using a weapon, Marc is just as shite.” I said loudly.
We heard from the stairs a voice shouted “I heard that Jay you shit.” said Marc. (yeah, I was hoping he was upstairs lol.)
We all started to laugh and I now thought we might have actually got good people here. Which relieved a bit of pressure from my shoulders.
“I’ll also help out with the patrol thingy.” Said Christine.
“Are you sure, I mean it is not going to be all night every night. It will more than likely two shifts of four hours so only two people per night. But it will rotate between us all, so everyone will do a shift. Except any children we have in the fort at the time, that is until they hit seventeen.” I replied.
“Thank you, we will help anywhere that is needed.” Said Christine.
“No time to start like the present Christine, could you give me a hand with making the evening meal please?” said Maddie.
“No, of course I don’t mind helping out with the meal. Like we said anything to help run our home.” She said and got up with Maddie and went into the café kitchen.
I stood and I stuck out my hand for him to shake, which he did. He pushed his chair back and said “Thank you again. I really don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t have helped with the food last night.”
“Derek, you would have thought of something, why don’t you go and let you’re girls know about evening meal and give Rees a shout whilst you’re there. He has got a room in there somewhere, I haven’t had a chance to look at the rooms in there yet.” I said.
“I’ll let them know now, see you for the evening meal.” He said and walked out through the gift shop.
I walked over to the stairs and went up to the small apartment and opened the door. It really was a nice little place, very little furniture and clutter. I walked into the small bedroom and saw that Maddie had dumped her things on the bed. But my rucksack was leaning against the wall on the floor. Picking it up I crossed over to the bed and opened it, rummaging around inside, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a black shirt, and some clean underwear. I stripped and was just pulling up my jeans when I heard a rifle shot. I grabbed my rifle and ran out the room. Yeah, I had no shirt or boots on, but whatever was going on I needed to know about it. I nearly knocked Marc and Becky own the stairs trying to down them so quick. I ran through the café and out the gift shop as Rees was coming out the castle. In his large grip was a boy about fifteen or sixteen, he was squirming and shaking trying to get free. I slowed my run and came to a stop on the green courtyard, with my naked feet feeling the cold grass beneath them. The closer Rees got, the more the boy squirmed to get free, he was filthy and didn’t smell too good from where I was standing.
“I think this calls for diplomacy.” I said under my breath.
I looked at Rees and then the boy and said “What the fuck Rees could you not just kill him and dump the body over the wall.” I said with a slight smirk, which I hoped the boy wouldn’t see.
As soon as the words left my mouth the boy went still and didn’t move, he looked at me and said “You wouldn’t, would you?”
Rees shook him slightly and said “You were hiding under my bed, what do you think we should do with you?”
“Please…Please I didn’t mean anything I was hoping you would just go.” He said.
“We’re here to stay mate. What’s your name?” I asked.
“Simon, look I’m only fourteen..” (alright so he is younger than I thought.) “I only came here because it might have been a good place to hide.” He said.
Chapter Eighteen
“Great, minds think alike Simon. Rees let him go I think he isn’t a risk. Sorry about the shooting shit, but it was a laugh.” I said.
“You’re not going to kill me then?”
“Nah mate, Walker isn’t like that. We might give you a bath and wash you, but not kill you.” Rees said, wiping his hand on his combat trousers.
Simon was a skinny looking kid, his hair was black and very greasy. He must have been about five feet tall, his clothes were filthy and I could barely see what his face looked like. Every inch of skin that didn’t have and clothing on, was covered in dirt so much that it he looked like the color of mud.
“How did you get here?” I asked.
“I came across in a small boat from a house on the mainland. It had an outboard so wasn’t too hard to get here.”
“Ok, next couple of questions. How long have you been here and have you seen any of those things on the island?”
“I’ve been on the island for about three weeks, been getting food from the house’s in the village. There were a couple of them things here when I first got here, but I managed to kill them. So as far as I know there are no more of them on the island.”
“How did a skinny kid like you kill two Reapers?” asked Rees.
“Reapers? Huh, guess it makes sense. I lured them to the castle with the gate closed, went up onto the battlements and dropped some heavy shit on their heads. I then went out and buried them, that’s why I am covered in dirt. Your merry band just turned up when I got back from doing that, I didn’t have time to get the gate closed. Like I said I thought you might go away.” He answered.
“Right what do you want to do?” I asked.
“Well, this is my place and I would like you all to fuck off….” Rees clipped him hard on the back of the head.
“What the fuck man?” he said and got another clip.
I bent down so my face was level with his and said, “Listen, Simon, we outnumber y
ou. Plus, if we turned the two girls on you, I’m betting even they could kick your arse. So you have two choices, one stay here with us and hopefully help us build something better. Or two you can go get in your little boat and fuck off.”
The look on his face was priceless, he probably thought that because he was here first, it was his island. I had burst that bubble, sorry to say it, but my group needed the security more than this little person. (I want to say dickwad but he is only a kid.)
“I’ll stay with you if that’s alright?” he answered.
I just smiled and said to Rees, “Dude help him sort out his room and get him washed.” Turning to Simon I said “Simon we are going to have food soon and you’re welcome to come eat, but if you are going to be part of our group we all share our food supplies.”
“If it is ok. I’ll bring what I have when I come for food.” Simon replied.
“Not a problem, now if you don’t mind, I’m going to finish getting dressed and give my girlfriend a kiss.” With saying that I turned and headed back to the café.
I heard Rees as I walked away “Come on dirt boy, let’s get you cleaned up for dinner.”
Simon replied “That rifle does it have real bullets in it?”
“Wouldn’t be any point it not having live rounds in it, now would it.” Replied Rees.
“Fucker, you could have killed me.”
There saw the sound of Rees giving Simon another clip on the back of his head. I just shook my head with a grin on it and walked into the gift shop. Maddie and Christine were looking out the café windows and into the now darkening courtyard.
“Who, the hell was that?” Maddie asked.
“That was Simon and he was hiding under Rees’s bed. That reminds me, I need to ask why Rees he didn’t check under his bed!” I said shrugging my shoulders.
“So, his name is Simon and?” Maddie asked.
“I am sure you will ask him lots of questions when he comes to evening meal.” I said as I walked past, giving Maddie a kiss and went up the stairs.
All I heard as went up the stairs was “Jay!...Jay!...Jay!”
I got to the apartment went inside and closed the door, walked into the bedroom pulled my shirt on. I realized that my body was telling me I was tired so I lay on the bed, not closing my eyes just looking up at the ceiling. I really had a lot to think about and I had a feeling that I wouldn't have a very long time to be able to. Having managed to get everyone here and having managed to secure it, at least for tonight. I knew we now had to think of the future and what was going to happen next. By being who I am, I'll tell you I wasn't going to be making the decisions on my own, everyone would have to help out. This new life that we have was now a one of survival and nothing like the comfort that most of us were used to from before.
Lying on the bed was relaxing after being on the go for the last few days it felt good. There was a light knock at the door and I heard a female voice say "Jay! Are you ok in there? Is it ok if I come in?"
Propping myself up on the pillows I said "Yeah, come on in."
The door opened and Maddie came in with her head bent and looking downcast, "Look, I am sorry if I have upset you. It's just I wanted to know about this Simon lad." she said.
"Maddie I wasn't upset with you. It's just that everyone has had time as to relax and I think you saw that I didn't even have time to put a shirt on before something else came up. I really just wanted some time to get my head straight. So no I wasn't upset with you and I have never been upset with you since the day we met." I said.
I patted the bed beside me and she came and sat next to me. I took her hand in mine and we looked at each other, I said "Look, Maddie I love you and you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have never been what you would call a leader or even a group person, I suppose you would say I was a loner and now I have you and the others looking to me for answers that I don't have half the time. I am trying my best I a difficult situation and I need time every now and then to recharge my batteries so to speak."
"Jay, I am probably the last person to say this, but you have been fantastic at bringing us together and keeping us safe. I mean if it hadn't been for you, Marc and Becky, I would be dead by now. Then Rees turned up, you and him have become this two man commando team. (I smiled at that.) You both have protected us and kept us going until we reached here. Since I fell in love with you all I wanted was to be able to stop running and fighting, and just be with you. But the world has changed and people like you and Rees are the new leaders. We can't have the shitty little arguments that the politicians had back before this happened. So we need people who have the strong abilities to lead others. I love you and I mean this with the greatest respect, get your arse down stairs the evening meal is ready." She said ending with an impish smile.
I laughed, sat up and gave her a hug and kiss. Before swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing. Holding hands we walked through the apartment side by side, before I let go of her hand so she could walk down the stairs to the café. When we had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, I saw everyone had pushed the tables into one row and everyone had seated themselves. They had left two chairs empty nearest the stairs for me and Maddie. The food was spread out along the length of the table. Granted, most of it was pasta and beans with a few bowls of boiled and baked potatoes. There was very little meat and what meat was there, turned out to be stuff you got in tins and cans. The smell was heavenly though, and the fact that everyone was smiling or talking happily, was enough to put a smile on my face.
We sat down and everyone went quiet, and looked toward me. (bloody great they want a speech.) I stood up with my glass of water and said “Guys I would like to say thank you to Maddie and Christine for making this great meal for us.” Everyone clapped and the two of them went bright red.
“The other person we need to thank is Simon for letting us stay here, even though Rees never gave him a choice.” I said laughing and my group all said thank you to Simon, who lowered his head and looked at the table, but I could see the smile on his face.
“I would like this meal to be a daily thing, that way we can all catch up and voice any problems or concerns. Tonight is a chance for most of us to relax after a long journey. The only other thing I would like to say before we tuck in, is if we could all meet up here at about ten tomorrow morning. The reason is that we will need to work out what we are going to be doing, with regards food, water and security. Not to mention several other small things. Right now, though my stomach thinks my throat is cut, therefore everyone tuck in.”
There was a large round of applause and everyone started to pass plates and bowls around. There was some conversation and a few laughs coming from places on the table. Derek’s two girls kept asking Simon questions which he was answering with a red face. Mary was talking to Rees and I could see that she was hanging on every one of his words. Derek and Christine were talking with Marc and Becky. I felt happy and could feel the smile on my face. I turned and Maddie was looking at me from her side of the table and she mouthed ‘I love you.’ Smiling even more I leaned across the table to take her hand and said ‘Love you too.’
Rees stood up from the table and walked over to the counter where in the past food would have been put out and lit some lanterns to give the room a warm glow. Instead of returning straight to his seat he stood at the end of the table and tapped his glass to get everyone’s attention.
“Erm….Right I am not very good at speaking in public, but I have come to class some of you as family. Not you Simon I don’t know you yet….” He said smiling and everyone laughed “Anyway, everyone here has been with Walker since either the beginning or has been picked up along the way. Now, apart from Marc I have known him the longest, we have been through a lot together on the Army and now out of it. I am not surprised that one of the people to survive and even thrive in this apocalypse was him. That was one of reasons that I went looking for him when I did. He is my brother in arms and I now class him as my actual brother.
Mind you saying that I don’t class Marc as one….” Again, some laughter, and Marc saying his usual “Fuck you Jolly Green.”
“Like Walker I hope for us to build something here and hopefully in time get back to the Mainland. For now though I would like for everyone to raise a glass for a toast to Walker, I hope he never fuck’s off.” He said smiling.
The chairs were all pushed back and everyone apart from myself stood and said “TO WALKER, DON’T FUCK OFF!”
Everyone laughed and sat back down. I could feel the heat on my face and I would have thought I could illuminate the room with just my face.
We all ate and talked between us, about what had happened before and after the London meteor. Almost everyone had the same sort of tales to tell. Everyone had either lost someone to the Reapers or had family or friends become Reapers. We had laughs and a few of us shed tears, but in all we had something to be grateful for, we had friends and some of us had family round the table. I had no doubt that we all had a long way to go, but at the very least we would have the support of others in getting there.
Derek and Christine said that it was time for them and the girls to go to bed. Simon said that he would go with them and went to get one of the lanterns to light their way back. They stood and stacked their plates on the counter and Christine said that she would clean them in the morning. With that, they said good night and left holding hands with the girls and Simon carried the lantern high to light their way.
Maddie and Becky stood up and they started to clear the plates and the rest of the bowls onto the counter. Mary and Rees stood and said that if it was ok with us that they would head off to bed as well. (that made me smile.) Literally after the words exited his mouth Rees said that they were going to bed in different rooms and went bright red. Mary on the other hand had a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye. They picked up a lantern and left into the darkness.
The Reaper Series (Book 2): Reapers Isle Page 12