“Or ... you can chance your luck with me. But my ship sails right now, Louise. I'm sorry to be such a cold-hearted bastard, but I don't have time for these mini adventures.” David's gaze travelled over Louise's shoulder for a second and traced the departing slaves. “And I don't have time for their fight,” he finished.
Louise seemed to be of two minds as she glanced back at Robert and the slaves, then at David, who was already backing away. Most of the slaves were hurrying and hobbling as best they could to the first cottage, way across the second field. Louise glanced back at David, who had turned away from her. He continued walking towards the roadblock.
Louise turned back to Robert, who was still watching her with hopeful eyes, seemingly looking for some guidance and leadership in this new, brutal world.
“Get as far from here as you can, Robert,” Louise suddenly cried out. “You have to get as far away as you can from the mainland, but keep well away from the roads. Try to steal a boat or swim if you must. Make your way to the Isle of Man or Ireland or anywhere but here. You can't stay here, Robert. Do you hear me? You can't stay here.”
Robert nodded as the smile faded from his lips. He stood and watched Louise jog after David for a few more moments before finally turning away and following his own group back to the cottage.
Chapter 21
David and Louise made their way farther north in the general direction of Glasgow city. They followed the path of the winding road as it merged with the A76, but kept their distance from the main road itself, preferring to trail the grass and rough terrain of the surrounding country fields as they walked. David did this for Louise's protection more than anything, as there was no telling what crazy local extremists might drive by at any given second and decide, there and then, to take Louise for themselves, whether David claimed to be one of them or not.
Occasionally, the odd car and truck drove past, but they were always able to hear it long before it ever appeared and, therefore, hide in amongst some trees and bushes or a nearby stream. When they came to a small and secluded loch just before sunset, David decided it would be as good a place as any to set up camp for the night, but on the opposite side, well away from the prying eyes of the main road that ran close by on the western shores.
Louise had a quick wash and a refreshing swim in the mild waters of the loch. After, she began looking for sticks and old dry logs, practically anything flammable they could use to start a fire with for the night.
David went for a swim right after her and found an old two-litre bottle of Cola washed up on the shore. He sliced the neck end of the bottle, leaving just enough room for the fresh water fish to swim inside and nibble at the plants, weeds, worms and large insects he'd stuffed into the bottom. David then weighed down the bottle with a couple of small rocks in a shallow part of the loch while he floated like a corpse above, ducking his head underneath the water every now and again to keep an eye on any fish that might stray inside, looking for an easy snack inside his simple trap. When one relatively fat fish did eventually wander inside, David quickly swam to the bottom of the loch to recover his bottle trap and the waiting dinner within.
Less than an hour later, David returned to their makeshift campsite. With him he carried three large freshwater fish. He seemed pleased that Louise was waiting for him on his return with more than enough logs and pieces of wood for three nights of fires. She'd even managed to start a small fire all by herself.
She smiled up at him as he approached. In her hands she held his silver engraved lighter. She was casually flicking the lid open and shut between her fingertips too, just like David used to do when he was bored and wanted to remember Ashley. David laid the fish on the grass before taking a seat beside the fire on the opposite side of the flames from Louise.
“Nice fire,” David said.
“Thanks,” Louise casually replied. “Nice fish.”
David grinned and picked up the first fat fish. He pulled out his knife and began preparing it for cooking. Louise continued flicking the lighter between her fingertips, over and over.
“I like your lighter,” Louise continued. “Who got it engraved? You or Ashley?”
“Does it matter?” David softly replied.
“Aye,” Louise said with a teasing smirk. “Aye, it does. I mean, if it was you, it would be a massive surprise. It might even go a long way to prove there's a sensitive soul inside that hulking hard exterior of yours, somewhere.”
David hesitated for an excruciatingly long moment.
“Ashley,” he finally said without looking up from what he was doing.
Louise smiled. “Yeah, that's what I thought. So where are we heading to next?” she asked.
“North.”
“Duh. I know that, but do you have a specific place in mind? You never tell me anything.”
“Yeah. I have a specific place in mind,” David said.
Louise shook her head. “Are we going straight to where Ashley's killers are, then?”
“Yes.”
“Nice. Now we're getting somewhere. But what if they're not there?”
“Then I'll go and look somewhere else.”
“But what if they are there?” Louise asked with a hint of fear in her tone.
“Then I'll kill them all or die trying.”
“And if you kill them. If you find them and kill them all ... then what happens?”
David set down the first gutted fish before picking up the next one to be cut open. He ignored Louise and proceeded to gut it.
“Then what David, huh?” Louise asked again, a little annoyed at being ignored.
David glanced up at her with a cold, hard stare. It sent a chill down her spine. She didn't know why, but in that moment, the way he looked in the fading light, his cold dark eyes, holding that knife while gutting those fish with such ease, he reminded her of some insane movie serial killer.
“I haven't thought that far ahead yet,” David finally replied. “Now ... are you gonna sit there and play your 20 dumb Questions game all night or do you wanna learn how to gut some fish?”
David then smiled, breaking the tension between them. Louise let out a light smile and immediately felt more comfortable. She even budged up beside him on the other side of the fire.
“I wanna learn how to gut some fish, of course.”
Chapter 22
As the sun peaked the top of its fiery head over the distant horizon, David was already up and re-stoking the dead fire while preparing an early morning breakfast for the long day ahead. Once he'd restarted the fire, he decided to awaken Louise, who looked like she might sleep until the sun came up the following day.
For a second, David thought seriously about not waking Louise after all. He knew it would be so easy for him to just slip away into the dawn of the new day and go his own way. Perhaps it would be safer to leave her there instead of taking her with him into the heart of the new “no man’s land.” He'd like to think he could easily protect her from the few, but even he, with all his training, fitness, stamina and athleticism, surely couldn’t protect her from the many. The same way he couldn’t protect his beloved Ashley.
Suddenly he snapped out of his daze. He would wake her. Of course he would. If he upped and left now without saying a word or looking back, he knew he'd never forgive himself in the long run. He'd always think about her. What might have become of her, her safety, her wellbeing, her future. He'd think about her nonstop, for the rest of his days. No, this wasn't the place for them to part ways just yet. If he ever did find such a place, he'd know it in his bones immediately. Only then would he be happy to leave Louise while never looking back.
When David poked Louise with his finger for the third time, she finally stirred from her deep slumber. She yawned and stretched to the high heavens. She couldn't believe how deeply she'd slept. It had been long overdue these past few months, so her body must have desperately needed it.
David turned back to the fire. Its flames were raging healthily now in the cool morning b
reeze. The fire was hot enough to roast the rest of the fish as its flames moved this way and that.
“Are we leaving now?” Louise asked with another yawn.
“Soon,” David replied as he turned the first stick-impaled fish onto its other side. “These will be ready in 10 minutes, so if you want to grab a quick wash in the loch before we go, best to do it now.”
Louise nodded. Without words, she stood and made her way down to the loch shore. When she finished washing away her sleep, she returned to the campsite fresh faced and alert. She sat close to David and soon they were both eating their cooked fish in silence.
After breakfast, they packed up what little belongings they had left and made their way back around to the road on the other side of the loch. They walked northbound for another few hours, still staying a few dozen yards away from the side of the winding roads. They walked past more hills, more valleys, more picturesque rivers and lochs.
The closer they got to Glasgow, the more often they found random dead bodies, scattered here and there, along the roadside and in the ditches. Some were burned beyond recognition, while some were in the later stages of decay and stripped almost entirely of flesh and skin. One or two of the numerous corpses seemed to be less than a few weeks old. Birds of all shapes and sizes pecked at the majority of them. David and Louise even saw other animals, like foxes, badgers and stray dogs too, none of them shy about skimming their own pickings right in front of the passing humans.
If that wasn't horrifying enough, a pack of snarling stray dogs soon began stalking the pair. David ignored them at first, hoping they would just get bored and give up their pursuit, but as they continued to follow and creep slyly ever nearer, with every new hill and valley they passed through, David finally snapped and, with one of his handguns, shot the leader of the pack from a few dozen yards away.
The rest of the dogs yelped in fright and ran for their lives, back the way they'd come over the hills. In silence, David and Louise ventured onwards, but when Louise, who wasn't too happy about the gunning down in cold blood of the dog, glanced back over at the dead canine from the top of the next hill, she saw that the rest of his pack had returned to cannibalise their dead alpha leader. The poor beasts were obviously starving and she quickly realised that, in the end, it would have been either them or her.
When they came to a steep, narrow pass with a long bridge over a rough, winding river, David decided to take a risk and walk along the roadside for the next mile or two, or until the land widened again and the protective long grass, trees and bushes came back into their sights.
They hadn't seen another vehicle on the road for more than two hours, yet David still took his time to sit and wait for a few minutes before attempting to cross the bridge. They both crouched in silence in amongst the long grass by the side of the road. Louise waited for David's lead as he listened for any out-of-the-ordinary sounds amongst the carrying breeze. When David felt confident that the coast was clear, or as clear as it was ever going to be, he made his move and led Louise into the main road, over the bridge and towards the next steep and narrow valley.
For a while, everything seemed fine and dandy and was going according to plan, both from behind them and on the road up ahead. It wasn't until they heard the faint humming noise of a large engine coming from the road behind them that Louise began to panic.
David knew it was useless to make a run for it on such a steep, hilly pass, or to even make any attempt to hide. Everything was so open and exposed in the sun-beaten hills here. There were no trees or lochs nearby, no long grass or rivers or bushes under which to take cover. Just endless weather-beaten ground that would need a few more decades to recover from its previous decades of reaping and sowing. So, David did what David did best. He didn't panic. He kept moving forward like he was in complete and utter control of the situation. Like he was just out with his slave for a weekly scavenger hunt from his nearby home, deep within the hills.
David knew they needed some kind of transport before they reached the big, bad city of Glasgow, or whatever was left of the fallen town after the war. Detouring around the place on foot was going to be difficult. Rumour had it that Glasgow had become the main capital for the new extremist Britain. So as long as David remained calm and composed and the approaching truck didn't simply pass them by, this could become the perfect opportunity to get some new wheels for the perilous journey ahead.
Without turning to face her, David told Louise to stay calm and keep walking close behind him. He told her not to look back at the approaching vehicle, to keep her eyes down and upon the road in front of her. She was to give them nothing that would reveal they had something to hide.
The truck drove nearer. Two pale and rough-shaven men were driving the old, open-topped army truck. In the back, another two older white men sat with guns, guarding dozens of tied and beaten-down ethnic prisoners. As the truck passed, it began tooting its horn. Then, a few seconds later, it slammed on its breaks and pulled up onto the side of the road just ahead.
David stopped. Louise did the same. David glanced up at the two armed men in the back of the truck, who were both grinning down at him. Then they turned their wide eyes to the petite, slender frame of Louise trailing behind him. The two men in the front of the truck both jumped out of their respective doors. Brimming with a smug and cocky confidence, the long-haired driver, a rifle draped over his shoulder, made his way towards the waiting David.
As the driver reached the back end of the truck, he was joined by the front-side passenger, who held an Uzi in his hands. Both men took a few more steps towards David, with Louise still behind him. The long-haired driver continued to smile while the other man's bearded face gave away not one flicker of emotion whatsoever, exactly like David.
“Hey there, soldier,” said the long-haired driver. “Where you heading? You need a lift?”
David didn't respond. Instead, he continued sizing up the four men, before returning his eyes back to the driver who had just addressed him. The driver took a deliberate leaning step to his left so he could get a better look at Louise, who was still hiding her frame a few yards behind David.
“Jeezo. Caught yourself a real pretty one there, pal, aye? Ya lucky cunt. You selling that?” the driver asked, more than a little excited.
Again, David didn't respond. Instead, he glanced up and over at the sad, tired and scared-looking prisoners, all of them tied and bound in the back of the old army truck.
“You not speaking, pal? That wee brown princess there got your tongue all tired out?” continued the driver with a cocky chuckle. All the men, including the two sitting on guard inside the truck, laughed at the driver's comment. In that moment, David knew they'd all let down their guard. In a heartbeat, he saw his chance and swiftly took it. Without hesitation, he withdrew his two handguns tucked inside the back of his trousers. With the first gun in his right hand, he shot dead the two gunmen in the back of the truck. With the second gun in his left hand, he shot the other two dead. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Passenger and driver, straight through the head and throat.
David hadn't blinked or thought about the act in the slightest. He had just done it like it were the most natural thing in the world. Behind him, Louise jumped back in fright. She crouched onto the ground and covered her ears while yelping an adrenaline-filled scream through all the gunfire, which was over in less than two seconds.
David glanced down at her to make sure she was okay. He then tucked his two guns back into his pants before making his way towards the back of the truck. There were light yelps and startled groans of fright, as the prisoners inside the back of the truck could only guess to what was happening outside.
When David suddenly jumped onto the back of the truck, there were more gasps and muffled cries of fear and apprehension. David raised both hands in a peaceful gesture, which went a long way toward calming down the tied-up prisoners. He then turned back to face Louise, who was still down on the road below.
“Come on ... help me get them u
ntied and out of the truck.”
Louise, still feeling jumpy herself, took a quick glance at the two dead and heavily bleeding bodies in front of her. Hesitantly, she approached the truck while still peeking back at the dead men every few seconds. David crouched and reached out his hand for Louise to take. When she took his grip, he pulled her effortlessly up and into the rear of the truck.
Right away they began untying the ethnic slaves. Not many of them were in particularly good shape or health. Most were alive and seemed okay to walk and move, but the remaining few were either dead or on their last legs, slowly dying from the latter stages of starvation and dehydration or infections from their numerous untreated wounds. With the help of some of the healthier slaves, they managed to get the rest of them out and onto the nearby fields, even the dead ones, whom they gently laid down upon the sides of the road.
Only a few of the dead bodies seemed to have surviving friends or family members amongst the group of living slaves. Soon, a few came forward to weep by their fallen loved ones sides. When the last dead slave was carried off the truck, David headed straight to the driver's seat at the front. He jumped into the driver's compartment and checked the fuel gauge, which looked to be just over half-full. He noticed more weapons, Uzi's, rifles and other small handguns strapped to the back of the seats. David sat back and placed into the ignition the key he'd taken from the dead driver's body. He started the engine and revved the acceleration, peddling it hard a few times.
Louise, who was tending to some of the injured slaves’ wounds, gave a startled glance over towards the front of the truck. She quickly apologised to the old woman whose pus-infected foot she was tending, before quickly standing and hurrying to the driver's side of the vehicle. David wound his window down when he saw Louise standing outside, her hands placed firmly upon her hips. She frowned up at him.
The Wrath of David Page 14