Dark of Dawn 4Horsemen: Book one in the Dark of Dawn Series

by Sebastien Woolf

  Eric froze. Whatever lay behind the white leather couch in front of them occupied his complete attention.

  Moaning came. It was a sickening sound.

  Slowly the shadow took form, rising tall from behind the settee. A hideous undead creature stood there; a man, ghastly looking. Rotted skin peeled from his face revealing jaw and cheek bones beneath. His lip curled up in a snarl, exposing yellow teeth which gashed menacingly as saliva drooled from the corner of his mouth, dripping to the floor. He delivered a loud continuous roar.

  Tyler was unfazed and gestured with his chin. There was no response, Eric did not move.

  A second creature suddenly appeared rising up from behind the furniture then another, both of them females who looked like they were mother and daughter. Tyler saw them as nothing more than two undead creatures.

  “Come on you fucking retard!” Tyler yelled, angrily.

  Eric blinked then finally snapped out of his daze and raised his rifle but it was too late. The male creature lunged over the couch and was upon him instantly.

  Despite his hatred for this man Tyler did not hesitate to use his weapons. He swung savagely with his hatchets, striking the undead male in the neck. Blood gushed from the cut spilling onto the grey carpet. A second blow with the weapon in his other hand pierced his skull, snuffing out life instantly, the body falling forward over the couch landing on top of Eric, sending him toppling to the ground.

  Clenching his fits around the handles of his small axes Tyler took a step towards the two female creatures. Angrily he unleashed his frustrations upon them, stopping only when Josh emerged to drag him away. Dead faces that were covered in blood stared up at him as he was pulled clear.

  Eric pushed the dead creature off him. Realizing what he had done, he sheepishly got to his feet, totally embarrassed.

  “What the fuck are you playing at!” Tyler was furious.

  “Easy bro!” Josh said, comforting his brother.

  “I… I’m sorry guys,” Eric mumbled.

  Tyler did not care for the apology. Without hesitation he shamed the prick further, unleashing a tirade of abuse. He felt so much better making the man he hated so much feel even worse. It made him feel better, somewhat superior.

  Later, once the incident was forgotten the group settled in at the department store. Others decided to explore the surrounding area including Tyler and Josh who set off to investigate the liquor store. The two Armstrong boys set off with cheeky grins on their faces.

  “Come on,” said Zoe, taking Siobhan by the hand. She was excited, bubbling with enthusiasm. “Why should the boys have all the fun? Let’s go and explore too.”

  Siobhan agreed, allowing herself to be led away. The two girls wandered down the pavement passing a variety of shops, both of them wishing the café was open. Eventually Zoe stopped them outside the hairdressing salon.

  “Ha! I thought so.” Siobhan rolled her emerald green eyes, her perfect white teeth shone brightly though a cute smile.

  The buzz-cut blonde smiled back. “I know right!”

  Pushing the glass door open they stepped inside. Siobhan was still conscious of the risk and maintained her vigilance. Drawing her sword she became the protector and she checked each room carefully before giving the all clear.

  “Can you believe this place?” Zoe was clearly excited. She had died and gone to heaven.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

  “Hell yeah. Totes awesome.”

  Despite the layers of dust and cobwebs everything inside appeared untouched and intact. Hair product lined shelves, magazines lay on bench tops and each work station appeared ready for business. The interior was spacious and roomy, black and gold fleur-de-lis wallpaper and glass chandeliers giving the impression that this was once a stylish haunt of affluent and well-to-do clientele.

  Taking a hand towel Zoe wiped the dust from one of the large gold framed mirrors that hung grandly on the wall. The two girls stood there, momentarily transfixed by their own reflections, musing over their haggard appearances.

  “Shit oh dear!” Siobhan exclaimed. She could not believe what she was looking at. “It’s such a mess.” Her hair was still tied up in a pony-tail and was matted and dirty, a red bandana kept her fringe from falling across her forehead.

  Placing a finger to her lips in a thoughtful pose, Zoe plotted. Grabbing a towel she wiped down the seat in front of the mirror and motioned for Siobhan to take a seat.

  “Let me give you a do-over babe. A shampoo, condition… maybe even a color.”

  With thoughts of their previous encounter on her mind Zoe’s impromptu client was a little reluctant at first. She was flattered that her friend had such an interest in her. It was reciprocated but given her relationship with Josh, whatever that was right now, coupled with the pain of her previous emotional bond with Lisette she was extremely hesitant.

  “Relax doll, I don’t bite,” Zoe said, with a cheeky grin, “… much.” Gave a wink.

  Darting to the rear of the salon Zoe fussed in the storeroom for a few minutes. Returned shortly afterwards with a collection of hair product under her arm which she laid across the bench top, she fussed some more until eventually everything was all set.

  Lifting a half-empty water cooler bottle Zoe filled the sink at the rinsing station. When she was done she indicated to Siobhan with a thumbs up that all was ready.

  Checking the locks on the doors Siobhan secured them safely inside the salon, placed her sword on the bench and sauntered over to where Zoe was waiting for her. Sliding onto the leather chair she untied her hair allowing it to fall free. She could not remember the last time she had washed her hair properly, let alone been pampered. Cool water on her scalp caused her to shiver.

  “Sorry babe,” whispered Zoe. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

  “Cross your heart and hope to die?”

  “God no.”

  They both giggled.

  Several rinses later Siobhan sighed as her friend began running her expert fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. It was heavenly. She found herself fast becoming lost in the moment, feeling more relaxed and chilled than she had been in a long time.

  “So,” whispered Zoe, slowing her kneading fingers, “tell me babe, what’s Josh like in bed?”

  Siobhan’s eyes widened. The question caught her completely off-guard.

  “Relax babe, it’s just girl talk. I’m just curious that’s all. I haven’t had a man, a real man for God-knows how long now and I have to say, I’m pretty jealous.” The scalp massage started to become more sensual.

  “Now, that would be telling wouldn’t it,” replied Siobhan, with a smile. “I don’t kiss and tell.” She knew she was being seduced, but couldn’t help herself and decided to play the game.

  “Well that’s a shame,” Zoe said with a whisper, placing her lips to the Irish girl’s ear. “I was kinda hoping you would.”

  Siobhan found her voice enticing, somewhat erotic. Water dripped from her hair with a plop to the basin as tense seconds ticked by.

  “Well?” Zoe asked, moving to straddle her friend, facing her on the comfortable leather chair. Slid her fingers through her hair, rinsing the product free. “Are you going to tell me?”

  Siobhan’s breathing became increasingly rapid, her mind was a confusion of thoughts. “He’s, ummm… amazing… truly amazing.” She felt a wave of desire washing over her.

  “More amazing than me?”

  Zoe’s finger touched Siobhan’s lips as she started to speak, silencing her. She leaned forward and kissed her full smooth luscious lips.

  There was something about this attractive short-haired blonde that Siobhan found intoxicating. Enticing. She reached up and placed her hand on the back of her neck, drawing her in closer, kissing her back as she slid her tongue inside her mouth.

  Clothes fell to the floor as the two girls were carried away on the wings of desire. Teeth nibbled gently, lips and fingers explored wildly as animalistic cravings took them both. They comp
letely lost themselves in the moment, in each other.

  Siobhan shuddered, her lover’s tongue was skillful causing her to close her eyes in ecstasy. Muscles tensed, breath shortened, nipples hardened. Her whole body trembled as an intense orgasm took her. She then plateaued, eventually relaxing her body, catching her breath.

  Their now naked bodies were sticky with sweat. They lay there panting, clinging to each other. Gently they ran fingers lovingly over each other’s skin.

  Zoe pulled her lover to her and kissed her tenderly. “So… amazing?” She asked.

  “God yes!” replied Siobhan.

  Taking a towel Siobhan dried her hair, wiped the perspiration from her taut body and washed herself down with water from the cooler bottle. Zoe sat there in quiet admiration, smiling contently.

  “We should go,” Siobhan said, gathering up her clothes and dressing herself. “The others might start to wonder.”

  As the two of them were about to leave the salon Zoe grabbed her friend by the arm. “I like you Siobhan. A lot!”

  “I know. And I feel the same way.” Siobhan smiled. “We should keep this on the down-low though. People here probably won’t understand.”

  “I don’t care what other people might think!”

  “That’s understandable, but we kind of have to. These people, Josh and the others, they are our family now. We need to respect boundaries and shouldn’t do anything to create ripples, let alone make waves.”

  Zoe relented and nodded. She got it.

  They kissed passionately then stepped out onto the pavement.

  Josh smiled when the girls arrived back, he hadn’t been worried at all as he had been busying himself securing the building, reinforcing the entrances and exits. Vincent and Jon both agreed that this was a decent enough place to camp for the night, it was pointless to press on without knowing what might lie ahead, when they had just secured such a safe location.

  Siobhan was putting her hair up when she walked inside. Gave Josh a wink, told him of the hairdressing salon and how she had just been given another full treatment and been totally spoiled.

  Zoe gave a coy smile as her friend spoke. She knew that she had indeed given her the full treatment; it was a very pleasurable experience indeed.

  Tyler sat on his own in a recliner, sipping from a bottle of Jack. The trip to the bottle shop had netted a tidy loot which he and Josh had shared with the rest of the group. His mind had begun to wander back to the earlier encounter, the images of the mother and daughter troubled him deeply. For the first time since the world turned to crap he found himself questioning his actions. Drank himself into a stupor as he pondered it further.

  Night fell and an uneventful evening passed. While the others slept, Siobhan and Zoe lay awake for hours, consumed by lustful thoughts. Both girls smiled with contentment as they relived their experience over and over again in their minds, until eventually they too drifted off to sleep.

  With the sun still low in the morning sky the group departed, leaving behind them the department store, hairdressing salon and bottle shop. There was a briskness to the air that morning which they all found invigorating, evidenced by the quickness in their step. Out in front Beth and Lily set a cracking pace, which saw them cover a lot of ground rather rapidly that morning.

  Siobhan strolled along in the middle of the pack, an unusual for her as she much preferred to be at the front, ready to face the action. Occasionally she caught a glimpse of Zoe as she walked along, smiling coyly and blushing brightly when the two of them made eye contact.

  Up ahead in the distance dirty grey clouds started to cover the sky. Distant thunder rumbled. A storm was brewing, bearing down rapidly on the city and a brisk wind now carried with it the musty smell of rain. In no time at all the temperature had dropped several degrees, a stark contrast to the hot and humid conditions of the day before.

  “Did you not check the forecast this morning darling?” Rebecca joked with her husband. Those around her chuckled.

  Eric did not reply, merely gave a courteous smile to hide his inner thoughts. Did his best to mask the confusion he felt about why he froze in combat the day before. It irked him, caused him to question his worth to the group once again. Also to his wife. He vowed to prove himself, to win favor once again.

  Darkness enveloped the city as the tempest arrived. Lightening cracked high above, filling the sky with brilliant blue light.

  “One one thousand.”

  “Two one thousand.”

  “Three…”

  An almighty clap of thunder erupted from the heavens, so loud that it felt as though it was directly above them. Then the rain came, falling without pause for the rest of the day. The deluge continued right through the night, an unexpected obstacle in their journey, one they simply had to contend with. They hunkered down in a café out of the rain, huddling together for warmth.

  Josh took first shift. His jeans were soaking wet and heavy, hugging his legs as he walked the perimeter. He took up position in an alcove across the street and melted into the shadows, crouching down and training his sight on the café. It was the best he could do, it was almost impossible to decipher shapes and sounds amidst the deluge.

  Dawn broke and with it came respite. The storm had broken and the sun had begun to peek through holes in the scattered clouds above.

  Resuming their journey the group set out after a quick breakfast of dried cereal and jam, which was all they were able to salvage from the café. For the next few hours they meandered through the abandoned streets, without sighting a single creature. No-one noticed.

  It was mid-afternoon when Beth stopped abruptly, halting the group. Her bony fingers traced the map, decided on a route and then folded it and placed it back into her satchel. She whispered quietly to Vincent and Lily. Heads nodded.

  “What is it?” asked Jon.

  Vincent turned and smiled. Waited for the stragglers to catch up then announced, “We’re here!” He pointed into the distance where six large light towers rose up from a stadium into the now blue sky. It looked close enough for them to reach out and touch it.

  “Tent city,” uttered Beth.

  There was a collective sigh.

  32

  Tent City

  Flanked by four armed guards the group were escorted through the gates into the stadium. Having reached their destination they were all relieved their journey was over. Beth smiled contently in the knowledge that she had navigated the wastelands successfully, guiding them all to this new safe haven.

  The group were led straight down into the lower concourse where they strolled along the cement floor beneath row upon row of concrete seating deep in the bowels of the stadium. There was quite a din coming from the arena which gave off the feeling that there was a game on today. Their already heightened levels of excitement escalated to fever pitch.

  As they proceeded onwards they passed through rows of stalls where countless tables contained a wide array of merchandise on display for all to see. These market bench tops were covered in an assortment of food, drink, weapons, armor, clothing and other wares that were on offer for a fee. Everything here came at a price.

  Merchants dressed in colorful garb stood muted as the weary travelers passed by, only raising their heads out of curiosity. Eyes that had long ago become accustomed to the gloom in these murky shadows followed the new arrivals as they wandered through this mesmerizing underworld emporium.

  Perhaps the most bizarre stall they came across was one that was offering a macabre selection of jewelry that appeared to have been crafted from human bone. On display were fragments of skull, necklaces made of teeth along with expertly carved figurines and ornaments. Some of the group winced and stepped away, which caused immediate offense to the elderly merchant and he abruptly pulled the hood of his dark cloak over his head with a snarl.

  At the head of the escort one of the armed guards, a huge muscular man with well-defined features and a chiseled jaw was providing a running commentary. It had begun when th
e group were met at the gate and had continued unabated right through the markets. His name was Ted Sinclair, but he preferred to be called Goliath. This was the sporting nickname he had been tagged with during his pro-football career, one which he like and believed that totally suited him. He was after all a mountain of a man.

  In every sense a tour guide Goliath shared with the group the purpose of the markets as they strolled through the bazaar. There was a barter system in play here and the traders were central to the ongoing survival of the community. Since the fall of modern society all forms of monetary trade instantly became null and void. The markets were a cashless society in the traditional sense of the word and it was up to each merchant to determine the appropriate fee of exchange for goods they had on offer and for consumers to haggle for the best deal. Barter was now king.

  Each of the newcomers were fascinated by everything around them. It seemed surreal for most that they could all wander out of a barren wasteland to discover a thriving hub of commerce in this, the most unlikeliest of places.

  Opening a door marked PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS ONLY Goliath ushered his guests inside. All the way along the short hallway were a number of changing rooms, the group were ushered inside the largest of these and took a seat around the room on the wooden benches. At their backs were lockers which had player names and numbers painted across the top. The team logo was emblazoned on walls everywhere, the same logo that was visible on the shirts worn by Goliath and the other three guards.

  No sooner were they all seated when a tall blonde woman entered the room. Attractive and well groomed she appeared to be very intelligent and charismatic. She carried with her a clipboard and a look of steely determination, her gait suggesting that she meant business. Adjusting her Versace spectacles she glanced at her notes before clearing her throat and addressing the gathering.

  “Welcome,” she said, “my name is Ashley and my role here is to take you through the induction process. As you are all new here, it is important to run you through our protocols and procedures.”