Tyler had developed a very strong bond with his father over the years. Being the youngest child he had spent more time with Jon than his siblings, the two of them becoming best of friends. Their bond had grown much stronger when the word turned.
Half an hour later the bedroom door opened again. Rebecca and Olivia stepped out, exhaustion hung from their faces, as they slowly trudged down the hallway to the kitchen.
Tyler ran to his mother.
“He’s fine,” Olivia said, anticipating the question she knew he was dying to ask. “He’s lost a lot of blood, but he’s on the mend.” Gave a heavy tired sigh through an awkward smile. “You know your father, tough as an old boot he is.”
Balling his hands into two fists Tyler punched the air, then shook them vigorously in front of him. He immediately lit up like a Christmas tree inside and out as he embraced his mother in a loving hug.
“What about Colin?” asked Josh.
“He’s got a nasty concussion,” replied Rebecca. “He took a very heavy blow which knocked him for a six. He’ll be fine, just needs some rest.”
For a brief moment silence echoed loudly inside the room. Thoughts raced through everyone’s mind. Mixed emotions.
It was Gerard who finally broke the ice by asking the sixty-four thousand dollar question. “So, what the hell happened?”
Vacant stares appeared everywhere. Everyone had been trying to figure this out since arriving back at the compound. No-one knew precisely what had happened and until they could hear Colin and Jon’s versions of events, they had little to go on.
“All I know,” said Josh, stroking his chin, “is that they were attacked. Ambushed by the looks of things.”
“Ambushed?” Raj wasn’t sure if he heard correctly. “Ambushed by the undead?”
“This was certainly not the undead who did this. Dad was shot.”
Spines shivered. Everyone except the wounded men had now gathered around inside the lounge room to discuss what happened. Brows raised at the suggestion that other survivors out there, in the wastelands had tried to kill one of their own. This was a very disconcerting turn of events, perhaps the most important revelation since the world turned. They all knew there were others out there, they had caught a glimpse of a few during their travels beyond the gate and had come across many signs. They were definitely out there, naively everyone believed that they were all on the same side.
“Plus,” added Josh, “all the supplies... the weapons, medicine and ammo at that spot had been taken as well.”
“Taken?” Gerard could not believe it. “From which spot?”
“Yeah, taken. The bookstore on Central Parade.”
“So, what are you saying?”
“It’s too early to say anything, but it looks like someone out there lifted our supplies and did this to Dad and Colin. Hopefully, when they come around they can give us a better idea of what happened out there.”
Olivia turned on the gas and set about brewing another pot of coffee. “Well, you will have to wait until the men are better and in a fit state to share their story. This will all have to wait until tomorrow.”
A few murmurs filtered through the room until eventually everyone agreed. The delay however, was not going to stop any of them from formulating their own conspiracy theories.
In Jon’s absence Josh knew he had to step up. There had been a few times in the past he had to do so and he filled his father’s shoes admirably. “Seeing that we don’t know exactly who or what we are dealing with, I think we should run an around the clock watch for the next couple of days. Just to be safe.”
More nodding. There was total agreement.
Rebecca pulled out coffee cups to help her mother. As she looked up she caught a glimpse of the newcomer, gave her a warm smile. “I see you are still bringing girls home Josh,” she said winking at her brother.
As Josh’s face burned red, laughter filled the room at his expense. He realized that he had not yet formally introduced Siobhan to everyone.
“Umm...” Yet again, he was lost for words. What was it about this woman, he was frustrated that she had such a strong effect on him. He felt his cheeks burning.
“Sheesh, I’ll do it myself boyo,” the Irish girl said. “Hi everyone, I’m Siobhan,” She raised her hand and gave a wave as she introduced herself.
“Thanks for taking me in,” she said with the utmost gratitude in her voice, “it’s honestly so nice to be around people again. Friendly, warm, good people. It has been far too long I can tell you.”
“Welcome Siobhan,” Olivia said, warmly. “We’ll set you up in a room and get you settled right after a cuppa. How does that sound?”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you all so much, you’ve been so hospitable.”
Zoe leaned over and smiled. “You may as well camp in my room with me. There’s plenty of space and a spare mattress in there already.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Gave the short blonde-haired girl a wink. The thought of sleeping on a mattress again made her skin tingle.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted. This was one luxury Siobhan had missed sorely and craved so much. As she sipped her drink she leaned forward, picked up a family photo album from the coffee table and began to turn the pages. She was intrigued by the pictures and in no time at all a smile began to curl from the corner of her mouth. Zoe joined her and together they giggled at the photos of Josh when he was younger.
Twenty-four hours later the mood at the compound had changed. The two injured men had regained enough energy to begin sharing details about what had happened to them out on the road. Shocked at the revelations that were coming to light, everyone was on edge.
Jon was still groggy and could only manage sparse details as drifted in and out of consciousness.
He remained in his bed as he was still too groggy to be up and about just yet. Colin on the other hand was able to piece together a clearer, albeit more disturbing picture and what he shared left the others stunned.
The burly butcher told of how he and Jon had set out in the dark that morning to find the missing group. They had made their way slowly through the streets, following the direct route to the dump site. The two men had been cycling for some time, carefully negotiating all the obstacles in front of them and being mindful of the potential risks around them, trying as best they could to make as little noise as possible.
Despite their cautious approach somehow they had managed to ride straight into trouble. The creatures they encountered were easy enough to deal with and the first fight was over practically before it began. However, what it had done was two things – firstly it set them back time-wise, and secondly the sound of their gunshots most certainly alerted any and every living being in their immediate vicinity.
After the brief altercation with the creatures at the McDonalds, they had quickly got back on track, pushing on as dawn broke around them.
Colin sighed. This is where the story really got interesting.
In the morning haze something had caught Jon’s eye up ahead in the distance. At first he passed it off as nothing more than a passing shadow cast in the morning light by the rising sun, but Colin had seen it too and they decided to investigate it further. Together they edged forward, stopping in the middle of the road to get a better look.
Several hundred yards ahead of them in the center of the road the shadow came to life. The slightest of movement revealed a lone figure which at first glance the men took to be a creature. They had no cause to suspect that it may in fact be human. Squinting their eyes to glean a better look, they saw that the shape on the road was in fact one of them, human, a survivor. At the distance they were at Colin was unable to determine gender, but it appeared slim, perhaps female. Dressed all in black it wore a dark hood over its head, completely masking its face. A rifle was slung over its shoulder.
Colin remembered quite clearly the bookstore off to the side from where they were standing. He recalled seeing the large hashtag painted on the window out the
front, obscuring posters that hung inside advertising the latest offerings at the time the world turned.
“This was a cache location,” he said with a grimace, “so we felt quite safe at the time.”
Without warning or provocation a single gunshot rang out, piercing the morning air. Time froze. The bullet collected Jon just below the shoulder, the force of the blow knocking him clean off his pushbike.
Colin shared with the gathering how he had scrambled towards the bookstore, pulling Jon to safety. He had no idea where the shot had come from, but the person on the road hadn’t moved, which made him suspect that there must have been an accomplice. He staggered inside, stumbling and tripping over bookshelves as he dragged Jon towards the register in the center of the store.
No sooner had Colin reached the counter and taken cover, two shapes appeared above him, both wearing black.
The next thing he remembered was the rifle butt that bore down on him, hitting him on the head. Then everything around him went dark. He rubbed the lump on his forehead as he spoke.
The lounge room had gone completely quiet.
Up until this time those at the compound had believed that out in the wastelands, what was left of mankind, survivors were all fighting the same enemy, not each other. Mouths hung open at the very thought of other survivors trying to kill them. They were all in a state of shock.
All that is except Siobhan, for she knew different.
“I can’t believe it,” said Josh, shaking his head. “If the walkie-talkies were charged then things might have been different. This is so messed up.”
“Who the fuck would do something like this?” Tyler overflowed with anger and frustration.
Josh frowned. “I have no idea. Whoever they are they took all the supplies from that cache so I am guessing, and it is only a guess that their objective was our weapons and ammunition. Perhaps they saw dad and Colin as a threat and took them out so they could get what they wanted. I mean they could have killed them both if they wanted to, but they didn’t.” Turning to Colin he asked, “Is there anything else you can remember?”
There was a pause.
The thickset man glanced around the room, his eyes suddenly widening as if he had seen a ghost. Opening his mouth he spoke slowly. “They wore that!”
His finger pointed directly at the logo on the front of Siobhan’s t-shirt.
9
Revelations
Eric erupted and leapt to his feet. In his haste he nearly toppled his chair over.
“What did I tell you!” he exclaimed. At that precise moment he felt vindicated with his views that Siobhan was not to be trusted. “I knew she was trouble from the moment we met her,” he said, in a very accusation manner. He directed his attention towards the Irish girl sitting at the table and didn’t hold back, he didn’t care either.
“What the hell are you on about?” snapped Gerard.
“I’m sorry, but what do we honestly know about her.”
“Enough to know she is all good,” said Josh.
“How can you say that, you’ve only known her for a day? Less in fact.” Eric’s impatience usually got the better of him and it had done once again. He was often guilty of shooting his mouth off with a ready, shoot, aim approach with his outspoken personality grating on most of those around him. Having gained a reputation as a shit-stirring arsehole, contrary to the consensus he just believed that he was misunderstood.
Josh was getting riled up. “Listen Eric! I will gladly vouch for her. She was with us for the entire time, you bloody-well know that too.” He tried to stay calm. “I can guarantee you that she was not involved in anything, nothing at all.”
“She’s trouble,” Eric continued to argue. “And if she is involved in any part of this, with what has happened to Jon and Colin, then she’s not welcome here!”
“Now Eric,” said Gerard, entering the debate. “We don’t know that, in fact, we don’t know much at all. It is important that we play this whole thing as logically as we can in order to get to the truth. The real truth.”
“Exactly!” agreed Josh.
Most other heads nodded around the room.
This was unknown territory for the group. Despite living together in such a confined space, they all managed to get along well and given that their lives had been completely turned upside down, this was even more remarkable. Aside from the odd heated argument or minor disagreement, there had been little or no conflict amongst them. Never before had any doubt been cast over the integrity of anyone at the compound before.
Zoe, who was the last survivor to join the group shifted uneasily in her seat. She had been rescued by the Armstrongs from the back room of her hairdressing salon, starving and scared out of her wits. There had been no cause to question her character at all and she was welcomed with open arms. In no time at all she had become a valued member of the Armstrong clan. She, like most of the others was confused with all the fuss about Siobhan.
“We don’t know that she isn’t trouble either,” Eric continued, trying to defend his position. He could be incredibly cruel when backed into a corner, possessing a vicious tongue to lash out with. “I say she is nothing but a problem for us, a problem we don’t need. I don’t trust her.”
He had gone too far this time.
“Easy Eric,” warned Josh. Knuckles whitened as he squeezed his fists tight.
“Ok everyone, let’s just take a moment here,” said Gerard, calmly. He was a thinker, someone who asked questions in order to gather information, making informed decisions once he had analyzed the data. There was nothing impulsive about him.
Murmurs and whispers filtered through the room.
Gerard turned to Josh and spoke softly to him. “You have to agree that there is a huge coincidence here that we have to consider.”
Eric vomited another offensive comment. “I say again, she is nothing but trouble and we cannot trust her.”
“Enough!” shouted Siobhan, jumping to her feet, immediately getting everyone’s attention. Not tall by any stretch, she still cut an imposing figure in the middle of the lounge room where she cut a striking pose.
Her long, dark hair was tied back in a ponytail which accentuated her fine facial features. Thick, dark ink adorned her body with a number of tribal tattoos clearly visible on her arms and others that crawled their way up her neck. Piercings protruded through her right eyebrow, nostril and lower lip shining brightly in the morning light. Her Doc Marten boots gave her additional height, yet despite this she was still the shortest in the room. By the way she spoke, however she was clearly the tallest.
“I’m not listening to this crap any longer,” she said with an air of authority. “I came here freely and willingly, at your invitation. I was hoping that this was going to be a better place for me, but with this welcome I now have my doubts.”
“Well, what did you expect?” Eric’s sarcasm was evident to all. “Red carpet?”
Siobhan’s squinted, stared daggers at him. “I expected,” she said, slowly, “that same kind of welcome you got when you barged into my pad unannounced.” Paused with a sigh. “Instead, I get treated like this, accused of shite I didn’t do and wasn’t involved in.”
“Woah,” interrupted Josh. “No-one is accusing you of doing anything.”
Eric scoffed, started to speak. Siobhan stopped him in his tracks by thrusting a hand into the space just in front of his nose. She looked around the room at the group then continued.
“I am truly sorry for what happened to your friends,” there was the utmost sincerity in her husky voice. “You all need to realize that I had absolutely nothing to do with any of this.”
“I think,” said Gerard, in an attempt to gain some semblance of order, “we all need to dial this back a bit. Let’s just step back and look at this for a minute.” He was calm and concise, as always.
Momentary silence.
Inside the room the mood had changed, tension hung thick. Eyes darted everywhere as everyone attempted to read one ano
ther’s feelings whilst desperately trying to hide their own.
“Look,” said Colin, breaking the deadlock, “I never actually said it was her.”
Siobhan turned to look at him, then took her seat. She simply couldn’t wait to hear what came next.
“I am pretty certain though like I said before, whoever these guys were they wore the same shirt that our newcomer is wearing.”
Siobhan raised an eyebrow.
“Ok,” said Gerard. “You’re certain of that?”
“Yeah, one hundred percent.”
Gerard took a moment, began pacing the room. Sounding more like a lawyer than an accountant he presented what they all knew thus far. Carefully he went through the timeline of events, starting with when the truck left the compound and ending up with the moment Jon was shot.
“Don’t leave out the fact that whoever it was that did this, also took everything from that cache.”
“Indeed, a very critical point Josh and by the sounds of it, that could have been the motive for these people being there.” Turned to Siobhan. “So, I guess what everyone wants to know young lady, is whether it just a wild and crazy coincidence that you are wearing the same shirt, or is there something more sinister going on here.”
All eyes turned to the young, attractive gothic girl with the long dark ponytail. Siobhan could feel the burn as they all gazed at the 4Horsemen logo on her t-shirt.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” She had had about all she could take and snapped. “Would you listen to yourselves? Let me tell you straight, I had nothing to do with what happened, nothing at all. But... I have a fair idea who did.”
Boom! If she didn’t have their undivided attention before, she sure as hell had it now. The bombshell had landed.
Mouths hung wide open.
“Now,” she said, turning to Colin, tugging on her t-shirt. “Are you absolutely certain that the shirt you saw indeed had this logo on it? I need you to be sure.”
“I’m pretty certain, yes.”
“Pretty certain is good enough. Alright then, if that is the case, then that can only mean one thing – trouble.”
Dark of Dawn 4Horsemen: Book one in the Dark of Dawn Series Page 11