Thirteen Roses Book Four: Alone: A Paranormal Zombie Saga

by Cairns, Michael

  He strolled now, down corridors that echoed the sound of his footsteps back to him, reminding him how alone they were. It was nice to be alone. He liked the silence. Something about that thought that made him wince. He’d been alone before. He shook his head. He couldn’t remember it but it was there.

  His ears pricked up. Someone shouted. They’d said ‘Go’, which didn’t sound like something you wanted to hear these days. He picked up his pace, enjoying the clicks bouncing back and forth off the walls. There was a pattern to them, so he slowed and sped up, mind racing as he followed the different combinations.

  Then he heard the thud that could only be something hard striking flesh, and everything changed.

  He tried to hold on this time, to retain some part of himself as the mist fell, and he was successful. Partially. He was aware, but he had no control. He was only dimly aware of reaching the stairs and taking them four at a time. His balance was completely off and he started to totter. Somehow his feet caught up and he rushed down the stairs in a controlled fall.

  There was someone at the bottom but he brushed past him, barely feeling the impact as he reached for the first zombie. Dave was moving fast and took the creature straight off its feet. They tumbled to the ground together, and with his teeth gritted hard enough to hear the grinding over the zombie’s frantic growling, he shoved his thumbs into its eye sockets.

  He remembered this, but the eyes he’d squashed before had been firm. These were like fruit after it had gone off, soft and yielding. The heat was the most surprising thing. It was like plunging his thumbs into a bolognese sauce as it simmered on the hob. He went through the eyes and his thumbs sank into something else, something almost as hot.

  The zombie stopped moving and Dave growled and shook the head around by the sockets. He yanked it, gave it a twist, and felt something give. He knelt, heaving at the head until the neck ripped. With a howl of celebration, he tore the head off the body and raised it high. The zombie staggering towards him fell to its knees, and from his position hiding way back in his brain, he thought for one moment it was going to bow to him.

  It did bow, until its mouth settled over the neck stem of its fallen comrade, and slurped at the blood streaming out onto the floor. He grabbed the top of its head by the scraggly hair still clinging to its pink scalp, lifted it, then slammed it down to the floor. The zombie growled and struggled, but only for as long as it took to get its teeth back into the blood. Dave did it again and again and the creature finally dragged itself away from its feast and sat up.

  Its face was caved in, cheek bones flattened and nose pressed in. Nothing broken yet, though. With another howl, Dave rammed the head back into the floor and was gratified by the cracking sound. At that point, something pushed him from his precarious perch at the back of his brain and he spiralled down into darkness.

  The floor was hard. And cold. His hands were warm. It was silent, save for his breathing. Someone else was breathing too, far harder than he was.

  Where was he?

  What had happened?

  He scratched his face and his hand felt wet. He sniffed it and almost vomited. The stench of meat left out too long beneath a warm sun clung to his nostrils and climbed down into his gut.

  He blinked but it remained dark. ‘Where are we?’

  ‘In a cupboard. Please be quiet.’

  It sounded like Alex. Only he was terrified of something because his voice shook. ‘Are they nearby?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything for a while.’

  ‘Oh.’ What was he scared of? ‘How did I get in here?’

  ‘I dragged you.’

  ‘What happened to me?’

  ‘I hit you over the head with this pole. I’ll do it again if I have to.’

  ‘Oh. Why?’

  ‘Why? You really can’t figure that out?’

  ‘Of course not. I heard you shout and came to help. Did you mistake me for a zombie?’

  There was silence and Dave realised Alex was embarrassed. He didn’t really understand embarrassment any more, but in this instance, he thought that perhaps Alex should feel it.

  ‘It’s okay, really. I understand. When zombies are attacking the first instinct is to hit anything that moves. I don’t mind, really.’

  ‘Dave, do you remember what you did to help me?’

  What did he mean? ‘I don’t think I did help you.’

  ‘You just killed three zombies with your bare hands. I hit you after the third because there weren’t any left and I thought you were going to turn on me.’

  ‘Turn on you?’

  ‘Yeah, you know, throw yourself at me and rip my throat out.’

  Dave thought about laughing. He didn’t really know how to laugh but that sounded like something he would find funny. He tried it on for size and heard Alex gasp. The door cracked open and he saw Alex’s face in the light that spilled through. He was pale and had the metal pole raised protectively.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You. God, what the hell is going on with you? One minute you’ve gone all weird and brain dead and the next you’re a raving psycho.’

  Dave shook his head. ‘You aren’t talking about me. I’m fixed.’

  ‘Do you mean high? Because if you meant high, I’d agree. But fixed?’ He shook his head. Dave was about to respond when Alex sneaked out into the corridor. He poked his head back inside. ‘We need to get up to the ward. I need to make sure everyone’s okay.’

  Dave nodded. He needed to be near the action to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Az was very interested in what happened here. He kept texting to see whether anything new had happened. Dave wondered if he was disappointed. He seemed disappointed when he responded that nothing had happened. Not that it mattered. He was doing his job very well indeed and that was what mattered.

  They dashed down the corridor and up a flight of stairs, than back in the opposite direction. They didn’t see any zombies and the ladies were still in the rooms. A larger group were gathered together in the lounge area, sitting on the tables and talking in low voices. Dave watched Alex stroll over, metal bar close to the floor.

  He spoke to one of the women. Dave thought she was very beautiful. Her features were symmetrical and in good proportions. Beyond that, he didn’t have a clue. He had, once. He had the vaguest sense he’d once have been in heaven being in this room. Now, though, it was just another room.

  Alex came back, frowning and staring at the pole gripped tight in his right hand.

  ‘Everything alright?’

  Alex glanced up at him and then back at the pole. ‘Not sure. I don’t think it is. Where’s Bayleigh?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Let’s find her, shall we?’

  Alex walked straight past him without another word and out into the ward. Dave was about to follow when he glanced at the gathering of ladies. They were staring at him and the way their eyes glittered beneath the lights reminded him of something from before his change. He thought it was snakes, or maybe some other animals, gathered around prey. It would have been chilling, had there been any logical reason for it. Instead it was just interesting. Lots of things were interesting these days.

  He jogged after Alex, catching him as he went into the room they had unofficially dubbed the private area for anyone not a lady. Ed spent a lot of time in here, reading the magazines and books they’d scrounged off bedside tables when they were cleaning the place out. Right now, both he and Bayleigh were in there, Ed buried in a book and Bayleigh staring out of the wide window.

  ‘Bay, I think we’ve got a problem.’

  Dave blinked. He’d spent most of the last four days strolling the corridors, counting things. He hadn’t heard Alex use that name for her. It was… surprising. Possibly. Bayleigh turned away from the window and nodded. ‘Yeah, me too. Harriet, right?’

  Alex blushed and Dave flicked his gaze back to Bayleigh. She was staring straight at Alex and maybe her cheeks were a little redder. He wasn’
t sure.

  Alex nodded. ‘That and more. Someone’s taken the device by the front door. I just, well, Dave and I just saw off four zombies but there’ll be more.’

  ‘Who’s taken it?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘No idea. Soldiers, I assume. It’s easy to do if you can find it.’

  ‘We should have hidden it better.’

  ‘Maybe. Doesn’t matter now. The hospital won’t be safe for much longer. I thought it had run out to start with. That’s going to happen soon.’

  All four of them nodded. It had been a reoccurring theme since they got here. It was why Luke and Krystal were out today. They needed supplies for the road, and a way to travel.

  ‘What about Harriet?’

  ‘I just spoke to her. She’s got the other girls in a flap about Luke. Apparently we’re—’

  ‘Being led by evil incarnate. Yeah, I had the same chat. She’s a bit of a bitch, actually.’

  Ed and Dave both started and stared at Bayleigh. She looked at them, eyebrows raised. ‘What? She is. She knows she’s hot and uses it to lead Alex around by the you-know-what and she’s stirring up trouble. Luke saved her life and she’s bitching about him. I can’t think of a better word to describe her.’

  That was a logical argument. Dave thought Bayleigh might be a bit jealous but he had no way of knowing. There was body language, some way of finding out what she really felt. He needed to do some research. That would be useful, to know what lay behind the words people spoke.

  Alex opened and closed his mouth a few times, face red, before he found something to say. ‘Anyone seen Jackson?’

  They all shook their heads before Ed spoke. ‘So what do we do?’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Everything. What do we say to Harriet to stop her being a bitch and what do we do about the device?’

  ‘I don’t think there’s anything we can do about the device. If it’s gone, it’s gone.’ Alex said.

  ‘Could maybe Harriet have taken it?’

  Alex’s face dropped at Ed’s words, and Bayleigh nodded. ‘She may well have. I don’t know what she’s planning, but if she thought she might be leaving, taking the device makes perfect sense. Do it now before anyone suspects you. Alex, was she with you at the front?’

  Alex hesitated. ‘Yeah, she was, but why would she go down there if she knew we might get attacked?’

  Bayleigh thumped a fist into her other hand. ‘It’s the perfect cover, isn’t it? Sneaky cow.’

  Alex opened his mouth as if to argue, then shook his head. There was a lot of logic in what Bayleigh was saying, perhaps too much for Alex to defend against. Dave smiled and left them to it. They would find whatever conclusions they wanted and act on them. He needed to text Az. These were the most interesting things to happen all week.

  He stomped away from the ward, finding a quiet corridor far enough away to be alone but near enough to still be inside the field made by the devices. He leant against the wall and started composing his text. He was halfway done when the sound of delicate footsteps distracted him.

  One of the ladies made her way towards him. She was beautiful as well and very nicely put together. She had a blouse on and he couldn’t help noticing the top couple of buttons were undone. By the way her breasts shifted beneath the material, he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. He had the vaguest understanding that people who were strongly Christian should be chaste and modest, but that didn’t always seem to be the case.

  The lady swayed up to him and for a moment he thought she wasn’t going to stop. When she did, her face was only a foot from his and he could feel her warm breath on his neck. He wondered for a brief second whether the plague had evolved into some covert strain. Then she spoke.

  ‘Dave, right? I’m sorry, I had to find out your name. I’m Julia.’ She stood on tiptoes so she could whisper in his ear. ‘I want to suck your cock.’

  He thought about explaining that the corridor was deserted so she didn’t have to whisper, then her tongue flicked against his ear lobe and he realised this was all part of the act. The act implied she wanted something. He was tempted to play along. There was something familiar yet exciting about all this. He glanced down, straight down her top to her smooth pale skin, and his heart skipped.

  He watched absently as his hand reached out and went around her waist, pulling her into him. She gasped at the sudden strength he used to haul them together. But she stayed where she was and her tongue grew more insistent, curling around the top of his ear. Something switched inside and his vision grew dim.

  He could hear her breathing and every muscle in his body was suddenly tense. His hand grabbed her arse and squeezed hard. She stiffened a moment, then softened and wrapped her arm around him. The other went to the front of his trousers and rubbed. He growled into her neck as his vision turned red, then he lifted her and carried her until they came to a door.

  Without looking to see whether there was anyone else in the corridor, without looking at anything at all, he kicked open the door of the room and took her inside. The red mist covered his vision and the world went away.

  Luke

  He almost laughed. They were faced by an army of movie-watching zombies. He squinted past them and saw a poster. The name of the film wasn’t clear, but the word Metallica stood out. He’d heard of them. This rabble had been watching Metallica and now they were going to eat Krystal and him. Perfect.

  Krystal gave him a look as they slowed at the top of the bridge. ‘Shall we try the next one?’

  He weaved back and forth, checking for gaps in the crowd. It was thick and showed no signs of breaking up. Something was driving them, keeping them together. Maybe it was the music, their love of metal forming some kind of unconscious bond. He laughed and shook his head. That was just daft. They were linked by the last thing they’d been doing, watching the movie.

  It was an interesting thing to consider. Or it would be once they got through them and away. Krystal was right, though. There was no clear way through and there was no reason to risk it. He gunned the engine and got closer but they were packed in together. With a shake of his head, Luke swung the bike around and headed back towards Krystal.

  She’d stopped, forgetting the first rule he’d taught her and already there were two zombies coming at her from behind. He pointed and she jumped, checking over her shoulder before hastily getting her bike moving. She was in time, though only just, and turned as he came past her. They raced together back to Embankment and around the front of the Houses of Parliament.

  He glanced at the huge building as they rode past. It was beautiful. And it was filled with zombies in suits. He wondered whether they were still in session, sitting in their silly chamber shouting, or growling at one another. He cracked a grin as they headed past and up to Lambeth Bridge.

  It was considerably quieter as they powered over the river. Krystal looked comfortable on the bike, just as she looked comfortable with the sword in her hand. She was wobbly in execution, but that would come soon enough. Between her, Bayleigh and Jackson, they had a half-decent chance of dealing with any zombies that attacked them on the journey out of town.

  He hadn’t discussed the entire plan with them yet. It meant more discourse and he couldn’t be doing with that. He knew what they needed to do and the endless discussion was tiresome. He was hoping the ladies would agree with him and the others would just be carried along.

  On the other side of the river they picked up the A2 and opened the throttles. The cars were piled thickly all the way down, crash after crash. This was something he still hadn’t figured out abut their escape. Every major road out of London would be crammed, and getting a vehicle big enough to hold everyone would make it tough to get through.

  On the bikes, it was a pleasure weaving through the cars. He lost himself in the movement, feeling how every lean transferred through the bike and into the wheels. He’d seen surfing and imagined it would feel like this, but never riding a bike. They never mentioned this sort of thing in th
e Flights.

  He was so intent on the movement, he didn’t see the zombie until way too late. It was leaning out of a car window, trapped but eager for freedom. The bike snapped off both arms and tore its head off, but the impact sent Luke flying.

  He flew off the bike, over the bonnet of the next car along, and slammed into the rear window of the next. The gentle thud as an arm followed him over made his stomach turn as his head threatened to cave in. He heard the distant screech of tires as Krystal stopped, before the corners of his vision went dark.

  He curled up on the floor, gripping his bruised skull, and lost himself in the hammering that made him want to vomit. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Five minutes ago he’d been criticising Krystal for not focusing and here he’d done exactly the same thing.

  The pain lessened enough for him to sit up and be grateful there’d been no zombies near enough to take advantage. He blinked, looked around, and his heart jumped into his mouth like a stupid angel taking a swan dive off a motorbike. A zombie’s face was pressed up against the window less than two feet from where he sat. Its lips were bared, exposed by cracked lips pulled back far enough for him to see the gums.

  Its teeth clicked against the window and he shoved himself back until he bumped into the car behind. He sneered and rose to his feet, embarrassed at his most human emotion yet. He’d come here a month ago ready to cause havoc and now he was scampering from a zombie that couldn’t even hurt him. He was weak and growing weaker every second.

  A motorbike gunned next to his ear and he jumped again. Krystal was on her knees, hands tiny against the handlebars of the BMW he was riding. But the engine was ticking over. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You alright?’

  ‘I feel stupid, but yes, I’m okay. There’s one you’ll have to deal with before we get moving.’

  He nodded past her and noticed the tight grin of anticipation on her face. He was also pleased to see her hand go straight to her sword. The zombie clambered over one of the cars towards the channel in which they both sat. Krystal stepped to meet it and as it put its hands on the bonnet, she hacked straight through both arms.