Incredibly, by late afternoon the water level had dropped dramatically and though most of the surrounding fields were still waterlogged, the roads looked passable. Sean and James gazed out at the landscape from the first-floor windows before deciding it was worth a try.
James went to check on the patient. Before his mobile signal had disappeared, he’d wanted to call for an ambulance, but Sean quite rightly pointed out that even if one were available, it would never have been able to cross the bridge in town. Waites was still asleep. They didn’t like the idea of leaving him in the centre on his own, but moving him sounded like a worse idea. The salt water seemed to have banished the infection left behind by the creature, but he’d been in serious pain, and his ankle would get infected if it wasn’t treated quickly. They would contact the police as soon as they got home and make sure Waites received medical help. If the emergency services were too busy, then they would return themselves.
‘What’s it going to be like down there in town?’ James asked as they got into the study centre car.
‘I don’t know,’ Sean replied. ‘Wet?’ They both smiled.
‘I wonder where that dog got to,’ Sean said, looking around.
‘Don’t know,’ James replied, easing the car towards the road. ‘No idea where he came from either but I’d like to shake his paw.’
Even though the floodwater had receded, there were still large stretches of water across the road, and James had to drive slowly and carefully through each one. By the time they reached the school, still quiet and abandoned, it felt like they’d been driving for hours. James took it steadily down the steep hill towards the town. A roadblock had been set up near the market place, and a stern-looking police officer told James he could drive no further, then immediately went off on other urgent business. James decided to park the car by the nearby supermarket.
The town seemed so different now. Everything was darker, dirtier than they remembered. The trees by the river seemed to have lost their lustre, and one or two of the buildings looked like they were on the verge of collapse.
They stopped by the bridge and were disheartened to find the river still surging just below the road itself. Police tape had cordoned off the bridge, but there were no officers around, so the two brothers slipped under the flimsy barrier and ran across. Once on the other side, Sean glanced back across the water to see the drenched, dishevelled figure of Mrs Rees being comforted and guided towards the high street by two police officers from the direction of the park. She had clearly survived: if she had been infected, she would have been dead by now. The two brothers smiled as the poor woman was helped along, clearly the worse for her ordeal but alive. They headed away from the bridge and in no more than ten minutes they were home.
They phoned the police and tried to explain about Waites and what had happened, and why he was in the study centre on his own. There was a lot more explaining to do, but that could come later. Right now there were urgent problems to deal with. Several people were still missing since the start of the flooding. Three buildings had collapsed into the river, and many more were swamped by the filthy floodwater.
Sean’s mum stroked his cheek before he turned to go up to his room. Even though both he and James were sure that the creature’s infection wouldn’t do any lasting damage, they would have to get themselves checked out at the hospital as soon as possible. They both had an odd red rash that must be a side-effect – though it caused no pain or discomfort.
‘What on earth happened to you, Sean?’ his mum asked as he started up the stairs. ‘Are you still ill?’
‘I don’t know,’ he replied, stopping halfway up and thinking for a second. ‘I think there might have been something in the water.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Harriet Wilson for editing, and Sophie Nelson for copy-editing this book. Their hard work and enthusiasm is most appreciated. I would also like to thank my long-term editor, Charlie Sheppard, for her continued support and wisdom.
Also by Dean Vincent Carter:
The Hand of the Devil
The Hunting Season
Copyright Notice
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
ISBN 9781407048512
Version 1.0
www.randomhouse.co.uk
Copyright
ISBN: 9781407048512
Version 1.0
Published in Great Britain by Corgi Books,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
A Random House Group Company
This edition published 2009
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Copyright © Dean Vincent Carter, 2009
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Blood Water Page 16