Hellspawn (Book 6): Retribution

by Fleet, Ricky

  “That’s one of the reasons I came up here. Gloria made the suggestion we clear the zombies from the van and rescue the prisoners. Christina said she’d handle the… interrogation.”

  “That sounds dark?”

  “Yes, but I get the impression she’d know how best to extract the information.”

  “It would give us some valuable intel,” Kurt mused.

  “You don’t have a problem with it?”

  “One time I may have. Not anymore. The world we knew is gone, and only the strongest survive. I just hate what this is doing to the boys.”

  “They’ll adapt. Better they be prepared for the evil than fall to it.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Shall I say you’re in agreement?”

  “I trust your judgement, love. I’m behind it if you are.”

  Kissing him passionately, Sarah felt a bulge press against her rump. Shifting positions, the hardness was impossible to miss. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Kurt grinned. “I’m not sure. What do you think it is?”

  “A gun in your pocket.”

  “Nope, it’s just an average sized erection.”

  “There’s nothing average about it,” Sarah husked. It had been so long since she’d felt that connection with him, she was torn between jumping him there and then or waiting until later.

  “I’ll be waiting for you later,” Kurt said, easing her away.

  “That’s not fair.” She groaned.

  “Life’s not fair. Just think, we can both spend the day anticipating the pleasure for later. It’ll be the best forty seconds of your life.”

  “Forty? Have you been practicing when I’ve not been around?” she teased, giving the lump a playful squeeze.

  “Ok, that’s thirty five now.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you more.”

  “See you in a while.”

  “Happy torturing,” Kurt joked and Sarah glared back sternly.

  **********

  “Kurt’s behind this one hundred percent,” Sarah explained to the group atop the gatehouse.

  “How do you propose we go about getting them out of the van in the first place?” asked Denise.

  “We can draw them away with some bait.”

  “You’d risk one of us for them?”

  “I know it’s not ideal, but we need their knowledge if we’re ever going to save those people.”

  “Why don’t we just extract the information by shouting?” said Sam.

  “If they have anything worthwhile, they can tell us before we think about saving their sorry asses.”

  “Braiden!”

  “Sorry, miss,” he said.

  “Actually, I’ll let you have the A word. Just no Fs and Cs if you please.”

  “Ok, miss.”

  “It’s worth a shot. I don’t particularly want them inside with us,” Sarah agreed.

  “Do we let them go once we’ve got the information?” asked Jonesy.

  “We can toss a coin. I don’t care much one way or the other if I’m honest.”

  “Agreed. Who’s going to be the spokesperson?”

  “Would they respond better to a woman or someone like you, someone with more authority in their voice?” Sarah wondered.

  “God knows. I would say they haven’t seen a woman in years, but sadly we know that’s not the case with those bastards. Thinking logically, they won’t respond well to a man shouting threats. It’s their nature to fight back against the system.”

  “Ok, I’ll do it,” Gloria offered. “I can be quite persuasive when I need to be.”

  “We know,” moaned Braiden and the group laughed.

  The afternoon light was fading and the temperature was rapidly dropping. Almost an hour ago the van’s engine had coughed once, then died. Hopefully the dire situation would lend a certain seriousness to the proceedings.

  “You there, in the van. Can you hear me?”

  It was impossible to discern if there was any discussion between the occupants over the groaning of the dead.

  “I say, you there. Can you hear me?”

  The zombies below heard her loud and clear, growling around the red skeleton of the fully consumed truck driver. The more determined undead were gnawing at the bones to get at the hidden marrow.

  “Strong, silent types?” Gloria asked the group.

  “They might prefer to die than talk to us. They don’t like snitches.”

  “I’ll try a couple more times, then we can give them a night of pounding and freezing temperatures. It might be enough to loosen their tongues.”

  “Go for it.”

  “Unless you want to freeze to death, or wait until our friends smash their way in, I suggest you talk to me.”

  “Fuck off!” shouted a terrified voice.

  “That’s no way to speak to a lady!” Gloria called back.

  “You’re no lady!”

  “Well, what am I then?”

  “A monster! Craig told us what you people are like!”

  Sarah looked at her and frowned. “What’re they talking about?”

  “I have no idea, but it sounds like someone has been telling porky pies.”

  “I suppose it’s better that they’re a little afraid of us.”

  “Indeed,” Gloria agreed, returning her attention to the trapped prisoners. “Please enlighten us as to what we’re like.”

  “Murderers, psychos, cannibals!”

  “Cannibalism would make the issue of food a little easier,” Gloria said to the group who weighed up the positives of cooked human flesh.

  “Just leave us alone! Freezing to death is better than what you’d do to us!”

  “Now this is getting silly! What do you think we’d do?”

  “Mike told Craig how you killed a load of kids you found cowering in the hospital. How you cooked and ate them, and then stabbed him when he refused to eat it too!”

  “Do you seriously believe that a group of infants could’ve survived this hell untouched until we got there? They were zombies you fool!”

  “Bullshit! He showed us the wounds on his arse!”

  “I stabbed him for trying to hurt my dad,” Braiden shouted. “I’m going to finish the job next time I see him, I can promise you that!”

  “That’s not helping,” Gloria whispered.

  “Sorry, miss.”

  “I suppose Craig didn’t tell you about how his brother betrayed us and killed one of our friends? A beautiful young lady called Paige.”

  “He said you threw her from the hospital roof.”

  “No, that was a child murderer who fully deserved his fate. Our friend sacrificed herself when Mike and Debbie tried to betray us. We barely made it out alive.”

  “We don’t believe you!”

  “It doesn’t matter anyway!” cried another male voice.

  “Of course it matters. You may be prisoners who tried to kill us, but you’ll get a fair hearing. If you provide us with information, that is. It’s either certain death, or the chance to explain your actions and possibly survive.”

  “They’re not surviving,” said Sarah firmly.

  “I know, but let’s humour them.”

  “We’re not prisoners!” shouted the man.

  “Not any more, obviously. You’ve taken over the prison and killed most of the guards.”

  “No, we weren’t locked up at all! We went there seeking shelter.”

  The group looked at each other with uncertainty.

  “You’re not Craig’s men?”

  “No, Craig’s man’s dead. He was the one driving the truck.”

  “Bullshit!” shouted Sarah. It was their turn to discount the blatant lies.

  “It’s not bullshit. We were forced to come and bring him back so he could tell the story of how he killed the people at the castle.”

  “Why would you do that and not just make a break for safety along the way? Your van could outrun that truck easily.”

  “They
have our families!”

  The revelation was like a gong reverberating inside their minds. Of course they would try and use the innocents in place of the more useful prisoners. It was also likely they would pre-emptively try and poison the hearts of those individuals against the rival survivors as well.

  Sarah narrowed her eyes and chewed her lip in contemplation. “It could just be more lies.”

  “How could we tell?” Gloria asked the group who came up empty.

  “They won’t be wearing prison suits with a number across the chest like in the movies.”

  “That’s a shame. It would’ve made them easier to spot.”

  “They do sound scared witless.”

  “They’re surrounded by decomposing monsters, I don’t blame them.”

  “I mean they sounded scared of us. Asking to be left alone to die, does that sound like one of our hardened British criminals?”

  “That raises a good question,” said Sarah, turning to the wall. “If your families are in danger, why would you rather die than get back to them?”

  “Craig told us that if we don’t come back with good news, we don’t come back at all,” replied one.

  “We just have to pray he keeps his word not to hurt them,” shouted the other, teeth chattering between words. “Please, just leave us be. The cold will take care of things.”

  “They seem genuine,” Gloria said quietly.

  “After all that we’ve been through, can we risk letting them inside?”

  “They don’t want to come inside, that’s the point. They seem hell bent on freezing to death to protect their families.”

  “Dammit!” Sarah spat. “I want a show of hands on who feels we should let them in?”

  Nearly everyone else raised a hand. Deep down, all they wanted was some good news, even if that meant saving the lives of two previously imprisoned civilians who could turn out to be murderers in disguise.

  “You took a chance on me,” Winston said, slowly lifting his own with a nervous grin.

  “Do you think they’re average people?”

  “I’m no expert, but there’s none of the arrogance, the brashness, that the others had when I was at the tunnel,” Winston replied.

  “To hell with it, let’s put it to them. But they stay locked up until…” Sarah began, then looked at Winston who’d managed to charm his way free in only two short days. “Until we know what to do with them.”

  “We can always use the dungeon,” suggested DB.

  “And confirm their worst fears?”

  “Let’s just use one of the bedrooms near Kurt. They can be locked away and at the same time stay warm while we get to the bottom of this.”

  “What’ll we tell Kurt?”

  “You leave him to me,” said Sarah, returning her attention to the van. “I’ll say this only once, because I know you want to protect your family and I respect that. We can bring you inside the castle and keep you safe. You’ll be locked up of course, but you don’t have to die today. We’ve already made contact with someone in the prison and know about the tunnels. As soon as we can work out a plan, we’re going to return and try and save the civilians.”

  “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”

  “You don’t, but ask yourself this. Who’s more likely to be telling lies, the mass murderer at the prison, or myself, a mother with two young boys right by my side?”

  They could see shadows moving as the men stared through the tiny gap in the armour. Sam and Braiden held up a hand to say hi, and even Winston gave a merry little wave.

  “We’ve got young and old in here, weak and strong. Everyone’s welcome, no one gets turned away, much less eaten.”

  “And I’m a cop, sworn to protect the innocent,” Denise called out.

  “We’re proud members of Her Majesty’s army,” shouted DB and Jonesy.

  “You really shouldn’t listen to the lies of a career criminal who butchers people for shits and giggles,” Sarah finished.

  Hearing nothing, the group lamented the pointless loss and started to disperse back to their postings. Winston made a mental note to remember the hot chocolate for Pea who was watching patiently from above. As the only person to meet the prisoners in any real sense, she had insisted he go down and offer his own insights.

  “Wait!”

  “Well?” Sarah replied, a nugget of hope blooming inside.

  “What if they’re watching us? If they see us get out and help you, our children will be killed. He’s done it to others.”

  “You leave that to us,” DB yelled. “We’ll do it after nightfall and make sure there are no fires anywhere near you to give the game away.”

  “And in the morning when the zombies have walked off?”

  “It’s already below zero. They’ll just assume that you got your wish and froze. Besides, our lookouts are good and they’ve not seen a single bit of movement on the horizon.”

  “I don’t want to take the chance.”

  “And that’s why we’ll do it in the dark,” Sarah confirmed. “Are you in agreement?”

  A few seconds passed while the doubts went back and forth in the stranger’s mind. “I hope you’re telling the truth,” he sighed. “Yes, we agree.”

  “And I hope the same. If you’re lying to us, you’ll wish for Craig’s punishment. Do we understand each other?”

  “We do.”

  “Good. Stay warm and stay quiet. We’ll prepare.”

  Chapter 24

  Around the castle walls, fires roared in highly stacked braziers. Flames leapt into the dark sky, providing warmth and abundant light to the guards. All except for one section at the north-eastern fringe; the gatehouse. Further to the south, Denise led a group of survivors who were celebrating the rout. Drunkenly shouting and making merry at their victory. The wine bottles were filled with nothing more than water, and the noise was simply a distraction for both the living and the dead. Drawn by the raucous cheers, the zombies battered uselessly at the wall below. If anyone from the prison was looking on, it would hopefully hold their attention long enough for the extraction to take place.

  Shrouded in darkness, it was impossible to see the scramble of activity taking place at the gate. Those gathered at the battlements had stared at the gloom outside the grounds for an hour, nurturing their night vision as much as possible. It wasn’t perfect, but the effort provided a weak outline of the remaining monsters surrounding the van. Flights whistled as the students riddled the remaining undead with arrows. Propelled by bows far more powerful and accurate than the show models, the effect was devastating.

  “Is that it?” asked Jonesy, scanning the area.

  “That’s the last of them,” replied Pea, picking up the crossbow. If anything should shamble into view, the preloaded weapon would be far quicker at neutralizing the threat.

  “Last chance to change our minds,” said Sarah.

  “Let’s get them inside and we’ll see what we’ll see,” said Jonesy, switching off the safety on his pistol.

  Turning back to the wall, Sarah called as quietly as possible, “You’re all clear. Get to the wall and we’ll drop two ropes!”

  The seconds ticked by as the men within shivered and deliberated. At the fake party, some of the onlookers peeled away, seeming to sense that their previously inaccessible prey would soon reveal themselves. Sarah saw the slow shuffle and in the process ruined her night sight from the glare of the fire.

  “Last chance! I’m not wasting any more time on you!”

  Another second passed and both doors swung open. The men within, frozen, broken, rushed to the stone, rubbing their icy hands to generate some blood flow.

  “Take the ropes and climb!”

  The indistinct shadows grasped the hanging lifelines which went taut, creaking against the parapet. A strangled cry of quiet desperation came from the bottom of the second rope which lost all tension.

  “What’s the problem?” Jonesy said, leaning over.

  “I can’t hold on. I ca
n’t feel my hands,” moaned the terrified figure.

  “Fuck! Ok, hold on.”

  Rapidly pulling the cord back up, DB tied a bowline knot, leaving a sizeable loop on the end. Tossing it back over the merlons, it hit the ground with a dull thud.

  “Put it around yourself and under your armpits. We’ll pull you up.”

  “And if this is a trick, know that we’ll kill you slow,” warned Sarah.

  “It’s no… t… t… trick,” said the man, teeth chattering.

  Feeling the rope tense, Jonesy nodded to Winston and DB who started to grunt and groan as the stranger was dragged upwards. Gloria and Jonesy took a respectful pace backwards, guns aimed low but ready to be brought to bear in an instant. The creak of several bows could be heard as the fearless students also prepared their weapons.

  “Come on, you’re nearly there,” Sarah said to the climber. She would’ve given anything to see his face, what expression he was wearing. The indelible afterimage of the roaring fire concealed him completely, leaving the hidden visage nothing more than a white glow.

  “Help me,” he begged, holding out a hand.

  Sarah hesitated, staring at the ghostly limb sticking up through the embrasure.

  “Please, I can’t get myself over,” he groaned. Looking down, he could make out the gurgling specters of the returning zombies. “Please! They’re pulling on the rope.”

  “Damn it!” Sarah hissed, clutching the flailing limb. Placing a foot against the wall, she used both arms to pull. Rising over the top, he loomed large and fell on her in a tangled heap. Feeling a hand go for her throat, Sarah started to kick and punch, raking nails down his face.

  “I’m sorry! Stop it! Sorry!” he blubbered, rolling away.

  “What the fuck was that?” she shouted, jumping to her feet and massaging the painful patch on her neck.

  “I was trying to get off you. I couldn’t see a thing. I’m sorry.”

  “Stand over there!”

  “Yeah, sure,” he replied, backing away as the second man reached the top.

  “Take our hands,” DB grumbled to the human piñata.

  Clasping forearms, the massive soldier pulled him over as if he weighed no more than a child. Lunging for him, DB prepared to deliver a knee to the groin and a quick flight back to the ground below. Encircling him instead with a fierce hug, the man thanked him profusely for the rescue.