Nothing had stirred. The only sound to be heard was that of the incessant rain pounding on the building outside and the intermittent cracks of thunder.
As they reached the top floor Josh and Siobhan were understandably confident that they were indeed the only guests to have checked in today. Every door on this floor was locked, each room secure.
At the end of the long hallway stood a pair of large solid oak doors, two tall terra-cotta vases on either side which once would have created a warm, welcoming effect to new guests. Sadly now they only contained dead plants and weeds. Hardly welcoming at all. The doors were finely finished with intricate carvings and ornate metal handles that met in the middle to form a perfect circle. The words PENTHOUSE SUITE were emblazoned on a plaque on the door to the left.
Excited by what may be waiting for them behind the doors Siobhan took a deep breath and reached for the handle. Turned and opened. She pushed on the door with her shoulder. The corridor flooded with light. They braced themselves for an attack. None came.
Readjusting to the light Siobhan rubbed her emerald eyes and stepped inside. She followed the smooth marble stairs down into the suite, her jaw dropped as she stood gazing in awe at her surroundings. Josh followed her inside locking the door behind them. He too was captivated. Nodded with approval.
Lowering her sword she ran her hand down the bannister. “Wow,” she said slowly. “Amazing.”
Everything inside looked immaculate and appeared to be untouched. A large wooded dining table with eight leather seats was still set in readiness for an evening meal, complete with wine glasses and candelabras. Beyond that in a sunken lounge modern sofas and chairs looked as though they had not been sat in for some time.
A huge four poster super-king bed in the master bedroom was perfectly made with extra pillows and cushions placed tidily at the head of the bed. In the spacious bathroom towels were neatly hung and all condiments were fully stocked, giving it the impression that room service had only just left.
“So this is how the other half live,” said Siobhan. Her tour of the suite was completed when she came across the bar back in the main room. She ogled the full complement of wine stacked tidily on the racks.
Josh replied with a chuckle. “I guess so. It’s pretty damn nice.”
Outside the storm continued to rage, pelting the city with driving rain. As he stared out of the large floor to ceiling windows Josh couldn’t see anything but a watery blur. It was obvious that the storm had well and truly set in.
“Well, it looks like we’re going to be stuck here for a bit.”
“In that case, let’s have another drink.” Siobhan felt like getting pissed.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Josh was savoring every minute he got to spend with his Warrior Princess. He had felt something for her from the very first day he met her – the connection, the spark was immediate. His stomach was constantly ravaged by butterflies, rendering him relatively useless when it came to acting on those impulses. This was completely out of character for him. Never before had he been this timid around women and whilst he was perplexed by it, he was not yet prepared to admit that he was actually intimidated by the very woman he had such cravings for. That would just be ludicrous.
“I’ll just call it in,” he said, reaching for his radio. Hoped that it would take his mind off his impulses. Jon replied, telling them to hold tight and head back in the morning once the storm cleared. Josh took his glass of wine, smiled then guzzled down a mouthful.
All four men raised their heads and looked off into the distance. Thunder rumbled ominously. Over the past hour the sky above the Armstrong compound had taken a grim turn as a blanket of dark cloud had rolled in over the city. The outside temperature had dropped and after bathing in the morning sunshine the men now shivered in the cold. The first droplets of rain began to fall from the sky.
“What was the forecast on the television today?” Gerard asked, jokingly.
Eric was the first with a witty reply. “Fine all day apparently,” he said, with a smile. “Looks like they got it wrong yet again huh. Bloody weather forecasters.”
Laughter broke out.
Raj chimed in. “I feel for all those people with their washing on the line today.”
More laughter.
Jon rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He got the joke, but couldn’t help but reminisce about life before the turn and the little things he missed. The luxury of television. Being able to relax… so many things.
The group had previously cleared a path from the compound through adjoining properties to a large garage. Inside they had parked three getaway cars, each of which was refueled, packed with supplies and ready to leave at a moment’s notice. This was one of two similar escape routes designed to ensure their survival in the event that the compound was ever overrun. To date they had not faced a threat great enough to warrant fleeing, but they came close several times.
In the early days they had fought hard for their survival, repelling wave after wave of undead creatures. It was incredibly difficult at first for them to kill those who resembled anything human, especially as none of them had ever taken a life before. Their first kills were in self-defense and had troubled them deeply. Killing these creatures quickly became routine, a daily fight for survival they were forced to undertake in order to live.
For some, this still weighed heavily on their conscience, battling with the morality of what they were doing, questioning whether or not it was murder. These thoughts waned quickly, as soon as the next wave came upon them. They learned how best to kill their attackers and as a result most survivors hadn’t taken the time to revisit the moral dilemma they once struggled with. Death became the new norm.
Not once had the compound been breached, mainly due to the fact that up until now the only enemy they had faced had been the undead. This latest human threat had created a new state of urgency amongst the group and there was a heightened state of alert that they all shared. They had to be prepared for everything.
As the rain loomed overhead everyone pushed themselves to finish their tasks before the downpour arrived. They had already given the front of the property a complete makeover, camouflage making it appear more derelict and run down – deserted. Inside the house another full stock take had been undertaken. Bags and rucksacks had been stuffed with rations just in case they needed to leave in a hurry. It had been a very industrious morning.
Thunder cracked overhead. The rain had finally arrived.
Josh woke with a start. Everything around him was pitch black and it was deathly quiet. He peered through bleary eyes, had to blink slowly a number of times in order to focus both his vision and his brain. He struggled initially to recognize his surroundings. Eventually his memory jogged, thoughts came to him and he started to remember.
Hotel. Rain. Wine.
Catching a glimpse of the empty bottles on the side table he frowned. Rubbed his head. It ached from the inside.
Hangover.
Next to him, Siobhan lay naked baring her buttocks. A tattoo ran all the way from her lower back up to the nape of her neck along her spine. The sight of her beautifully tight body was too much for him and he felt a stirring in his groin.
Becoming aware of his own nakedness Josh reached for the blankets. Tried as best he could to recall the previous night’s events. His mind was a blur. He wondered whether or not they did it, totally hoped that they did. He was unsure, temporary memory loss due to overconsumption.
Siobhan stirred. Straightening her legs she stretched and then rolled over on top of him, leaning forward and kissing him passionately. Her perky breasts pressed against his chest, nipples erect. “Good morning lover,” she said, in a low, husky voice.
Josh smiled at the inference.
Wait! Lover? Did she just call me lover?
Pound for pound Josh was totally convinced that she was the most perfectly formed and well-proportioned female he had ever laid eyes on. Hers was a petite figure, tight, toned and fl
awless. Her soft skin had a milky white complexion, except for her arms, which were tanned due to constant exposure to the sun. Her long raven hair was still tied back in a ponytail exposing her attractive face.
“I want more of that, mmmmmm…,” she whispered, between kisses. She reached for Josh’s erection. “Mmmmmmm… much, much more.”
They made love until the sun came up.
Siobhan was very sexually aware, knew precisely what she wanted and how to get it. Her body writhed and shuddered in ecstasy for hours as they pleasured each other in every way possible. They forgot everything, the loneliness of the new world, the pain, the loss and the risk – everything. They were lost in the moment, lost in each other.
Outside the rain had stopped and the day had dawned to reveal a beautiful blue cloudless sky. The two lovers dressed slowly, savoring every moment of their intimate encounter. They ate breakfast together in silence, sampling from a selection they had stuffed into their backpacks the day before.
Josh laid out the large map that Jon had given him which now covered half the dining table. He plotted the quickest and safest route back to the compound, taking into account areas that had been highlighted on the map as high risk locations to be avoided at all costs. He struggled to concentrate, lost in lustful thoughts of his first sexual encounter with his Warrior Princess.
Committing the route to memory as best he could Josh folded up the map, packed up his supplies and contacted the compound on the walkie. Olivia’s voice brought him back to reality. She warned him of the dangers on the road and gave him instructions to stay safe, as only a loving caring mother could.
“Are you set?” Siobhan asked. “Let’s go boyo.”
Exiting the penthouse suite they made their way down to the foyer. Smiles covered their faces.
The city greeted the two travelers with a strange quietness that morning. There was a smell of freshness in the air as a result of the cleansing rain from the night before. Small pools of water lay scattered across the streets, glistening in the morning sun. A minefield of moisture.
Silence accompanied them as they meandered through the deserted streets. Josh was lost in thoughts as he stepped around puddles, his footsteps creating waves of tiny ripples. One of his many flaws was to overthink things and he was at it again. Despite the silence around him the noise inside his head was intensely loud. He had desired Siobhan from the moment he laid eyes on her, but found himself questioning if she genuinely liked him, or if he had just been used. It troubled him far more than it should.
So engrossed was Josh in his own thoughts that his foot slipped in a pothole causing him to trip and fall. He collided with a parked car banging his head against the door. The clatter of the collision echoed off into the distance, bouncing off walls and ignoring stop signs as it sped through nearby streets.
Getting to his feet quickly Josh brushed himself off and acted as if nothing had happened. He could not hide his embarrassment for his clumsiness and his face lit up like Christmas tree.
Sensing his predicament Siobhan took him by the arm. Spoke to him in a calm, quiet, sensual voice. “Listen, I like you. I really do. You’re a great looking guy and damn, you are an incredible lover Josh Armstrong.”
Redness covered his face yet again.
“But please, don’t get carried away with things.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We live in a different world now. A really fucked up world. Things aren’t like they used to be”
“Soooo… because of that we can’t have something meaningful?”
“Oh, we have something meaningful boyo, don’t you worry about that. But I wouldn’t run around advertising it ok. Let’s just keep this between us and on the down-low. We cannot let our feelings get in the way of surviving, our lives are complicated enough.”
Sighing, Josh leaned back against the car and folded his arms. He still had no idea exactly where they were at, but he was pleased to hear that they had something at least.
Siobhan leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “Now,” she said, “stop thinking with your dick or you’ll end up getting us both killed.”
They both laughed, hugged and then restarted their journey home. Josh felt like he was a kid in a candy shop. There was now a definite pep in his step.
21
Oasis
“Wait!”
Siobhan froze. Ahead of her in the distance a number of shadows danced across the road. Until now the two travelers had not seen or heard anything out of the ordinary on their journey home, they had been surrounded by peace and quiet all morning. Despite their slow, somewhat sluggish pace it wasn’t long before the silhouettes took shape. Four figures came into view shuffling and meandering forward.
Siobhan shivered when she saw them. The undead! She thought to herself.
All undead moved in a similar way and their seemingly haphazard behavior was totally predictable. These creatures were carnivorous, dined out on human flesh and thirsted for blood. Human survivors knew that they acted the same way animals do and treated them the same.
Since the world changed the undead hadn’t altered their state or form in any way. They were, for all intents and purpose lifeless beings. Living reanimated corpses. A single bite with their rotted, pus infested teeth was a guaranteed death sentence. Resurrection too was guaranteed; the deathly existence that followed.
No-one was able to explain the biological transformations these once human beings had undergone, few dwelled on it either. Everything happened so fast at the turn and survival was the only thing that mattered. As long as they knew how these creatures behaved survivors could manage them; kill them.
By the time Siobhan had drawn her sword Josh had already slung his rifle. He had drawn the two hockey sticks from the loops on his backpack and stood twirling them in his hands. The air around him made a whooshing sound.
Not for the first time the two stood in readiness to engage in combat. There was no cause for them to panic, there were only four shadows in front of them – hardly an intimidating force. That said, they were not about to take any chances. Siobhan raised her mighty sword and prepared to fight.
Neither of them raised a sweat as they dealt with their foe. Making short work of the creatures they dispensed with them quickly and effortlessly. Four corpses lay at their feet, skulls pulverized. Decapitated.
Each lifeless soul was dressed in a suit; the norm for most of the creatures found within this sector. Kneeling over one of the bodies Siobhan wiped her sword clean on a tattered Armani jacket. As she crouched in the middle of the road a sudden uneasiness came over her. It was a feeling she had felt before. They were not alone.
“What’s up?” Josh asked, sensing she was troubled.
“I’m not sure,” she replied eyeing her surroundings with caution. “Call it women’s intuition, but I’d say we’re being watched.”
Moments later the sound of a slow solitary handclap reverberated around them. Most definitely felt out of place and completely unexpected. As the clapping continued the two of them scanned the city-scape searching for the source. Came up empty-handed. The noise echoed through the streets like gunshots.
Josh looked at Siobhan and raised an eyebrow, she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. Neither of them had a clue as to who was taunting them right now, their thoughts racing back to memories of escape from the zoo. They feared the worst and braced themselves.
Abruptly the hand clapping ceased. As the echoes trailed off into the wastelands the streets went deathly quiet.
“Congratulations,” came a voice from the shadows. It was a deep manly voice, confident and strong. There was a husky tinge to it.
Footsteps. The street stirred, silhouettes moved in all directions. Josh immediately swapped his sticks for his rifle. Standing with his back to his Warrior Princess, the two of them anxiously awaiting their fate.
“Great show you put on there,” came the voice once again. “Wonderful viewing. A simply masterful performance.”
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Movement. Footsteps.
From the shadows stepped a tall man, dressed all in black. A long leather jacket draped below his knees and flowed behind him as he strode forward. Fingerless gloves covered hands cupped together, indicating that he was the source of the clapping.
Others appeared, stepping forward in unison to join him in the middle of the road. They were dressed similarly in black with something of a military appearance. Each carried a rifle that was now trained on the two travelers.
Siobhan tightened her grip on the sword as the group approached. There was tension everywhere. Josh raised his AR-15 semi-automatic, flipped the front sight and drew a bead on the man who had spoken, the hand clapper. He was obviously the leader and therefore the logical target.
Unclasping his hands the man signaled for a halt. Their superior firepower became apparent as they stood in the light only a few car lengths from the travelers. The man looked from side to side surveying his men, before turning back to face Josh and Siobhan.
“Ok,” he said, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender, “we give up. It looks like you’ve got us surrounded.” He spoke eloquently, with a plum in his mouth. A few in his group chuckled quietly.
“Who the hell are you and what do you want?” asked Josh. His rifle didn’t deviate from its original aim. “Tell us or I swear I will drop you where you stand!”
“Oh, of that I have little doubt. However if you shoot me, my men kill you and your pretty lady here in a flash. Then the creatures and crows will have you. Nobody wins except the vermin.”
Sweat formed on Josh’s brow. He allowed it to bead and drip, concentrating entirely on his target.
“Don’t you think the best weapon in a situation like this would be your brain?” Waving his hands to accentuate his mocking gesture of surrender, he continued. “Surely negotiation, or at the very least a discussion would be a better course of action than suicide; especially on a lovely day like this. Don’t go signing your death warrant now.”
Dark of Dawn 4Horsemen: Book one in the Dark of Dawn Series Page 22