“Jill, if anything happens to Martin or anybody else because of him and you held back then that makes you partly responsible. So tell me, I know he’s your friend, but you have got to tell me.”
“He’s not a friend, I thought he was but things changed when he did what he did… When we were leaving the block, we had those things chasing us…I manged to make it to the buildings exit first, I held it open whereas Mark and Toni where behind me, they were only seconds apart from one another. Toni tripped over and twisted her ankle…She cried out for his help, he…he left her…. He rushed towards me, I tried to go back in but he wouldn’t let me…Those things got to her and just ripped her apart right in front of my eyes…She was my friend, our friend but he left her…There was time to head back, he could have easily carried her, she was only about eight stone… I just wish I pushed through and got her out but it was too late, he, he could have helped her but he didn’t and he stopped me from trying also as he was afraid going out there alone.”
Jill broke down in my arms, cuddling me, looking for a form of closure, something to ease her pain. Now I knew why she couldn’t sleep, the power of guilt/regret must have swollen her mind.
“That piece of shit…Jill…Hey… Look at me, you can’t blame yourself. You said it yourself you were holding the door, he was right there, she shouted to him, he was the one who left her not you. Just how he left you beside the car, is that why you were off with him early today? I could see it by the body language.”
“After me and you spoke in my room earlier, he started asking questions, it came up and we argued. He begged me not to say anything to anyone, that it was an accident, but I don’t trust him now not after what he did. I can’t let someone place their life in his hands just like what Toni done, that’s why I’m telling you now because I can’t see Martin getting hurt. I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened because of me.”
“I appreciate you coming to me like this; I know it couldn’t have been easy for you. But you’ve done the right thing opening up.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll speak with Martin tomorrow about him but as with Mark ill speak with him shortly, I don’t think I’ll tell David, not yet at least as I know what his reaction will be. Maybe wait till morning, however this can’t just be brushed under the carpet, I will be calling him out on this, in fact I’ll do that now!”
“No wait, what if he kicks off with me?”
I jumped from underneath my lush warm bag, there I swiftly reach out for my blue hoodie and black jeans which I dug out earlier.
I said, “Don’t you worry about Mark, if he so much as looks at you the wrong way I’ll be there! I know you’re worried, but don’t be. You’ve just potentially saved Martins life, you did the right thing telling me.”
“Can I stay here tonight? Just I don’t feel safe being alone especially now that you’re going to be having a word with him.”
I hesitantly replied, I mean I’ve not spent a night in the same room with another woman unless from my now potentially deceased girlfriend before in my life. This was strange for me, I felt as if I’d be betraying her by saying yes even though I think she’s gone, but at the same time what if that dick head out there takes out some kind of revenge against her for speaking out and something happened to her?
“Please, I’ll go and get my own bedding whilst you go out there to confront him. Please, I promise I won’t bother you.”
“Okay, okay you can stay just don’t steel my spot.” I nervously responded.
“I won’t, I promise.”
“I almost forgot, I should have asked, did you see Martin come back in?”
“Yes, yes I did, I hide behind the side wall of the school. Waited ten minutes or so before coming here to tell you what I knew.”
“That’s’ fine, now that I’m fully dressed ill head out. I’ll be back soon okay, try and get some rest and ill brief you in the morning.”
“Thank you, I’ll try but can’t promise anything.”
“Please Jill, your safe here, try not to worry.”
“Okay.”
Chapter: 24
“How’s it looking?”
Mark trembles on the height of my words; it was like witnessing someone having an outer body experience.
“Christ sake, don’t creep up on me like that, I almost had a heart attack. I can feel it smashing against me chest, you gave me such a fright!”
“Sorry I didn’t mean to frighten you, I couldn’t sleep so thought I’d come out and see who’s on watch duty, maybe provide some company, so how’s everything looking?”
“Okay; just let me know you’re coming next time yeah? But to answer your question it’s not that bad, it’s quiet. There was a flesh eater cluttering against the top right corner of the place but I tuck care of it by standing on a chair, placing myself above the fence. I just leaned over and split its head in two with Martins handmade spear, it was easy!”
“I’m glad you got rid of it, that thing would have drawn more if left unchallenged, Mind you try not getting too comfortable killing them that way, by the way since when did we have spears? When did that happen?”
“Calm down, I have no intension with coming face to face with one of those things anytime at all in fact!”
“Mark, you can’t think like that, you never know what might happen in the future.”
“Whatever, that a side a lot has happened whilst you slept. You’ve probably not even noticed if you’ve just came directly from the exit, but Martin actually managed to link up that dumpster you brought back earlier with the piles of buckets situated on the roof, he used that hose pipe you found by cutting it in four, linking one to each stack which now run to an old guttering system which he removed from another part of the building, at the bottom of that he placed a handmade filtering system, built from netting and so on. We cut a hole on the top of the now water tank lid so that the pipe just goes straight in. Mind you we spent a good hour or two scrubbing those things clean, on the other end of the tank Martin made some kind of tap using a piece of plastic, I’m not sure how he did it but he’s a genius!”
I sighed, “Okay… No I didn’t but that’s bloody brilliant! I’ll probably take a look at it tomorrow, mind you lot didn’t wait around and it’s good to know you all managed to get it done pretty sharpish.”
“That’s not the only thing Martin made, as mentioned before about the spear, he’s actually made six in total, one dotted on each corner of this dump and two at the gate. Also he managed, with a little help from us to make a shower! Can you believe it?”
“That’s smart, just means there will always be a weapon at hand, a spear is an ideal weapon with many benefits if used in the right way. Err…How did he manage that, I didn’t bring that much stuff back?”
“He basically recycled an old tall wooden file cabinet by removing the wide draws and bottom. Then we split the draws into pieces before creating a box like shaped contraption that was combined to the top of the unit, but not before cutting a hole in the centre of the original top. Then he got a hold of a middle sized dry bag, I think that’s what he called it. Anyways he cut a hole on the bottom of the dry bag, then cut off the bottom of the squirt bottle we found, he placed that bottle into the hole made for the top of the unit and attached the other side to the dry bag, he duck tapped the outer of the bag around the outer bottle, then used some paracord I think and tied it around, basically stopping any leakage. That dry bag was placed and secured inside of that box like contraption which supported the bag, that bag was filled with water. But not before that bottle was nicely secured to the original top via that hole I mentioned earlier. He then split the other dry bag in half, stapled one end of the bag to the top of the unit, creating a curtain. It’s not the fastest of showers but it’s a shower! I don’t know where he gets the ideals from but I like it. Every time that shower runs out we just need to refill the bag. The top is still on the end of the bottle, so we just make sure it�
�s closed to stop water waste. He said we should use the filtered rain water for it though that’s when it rains of course.”
“Martin is a genius alright; with him here we’ll thrive. He’s been through so much Mark especially after losing his wife and kid. Yet he has given us his all. If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be in this place right now, I and David may have been dead by now, same with Jill. Who knows maybe even you!”
“Sounds like we all owe the man!”
“We do, which brings me to this. I know Martin approached you in regards to potentially occupying one of those helicopters from a nearby airfield, that’s if there’s any helicopters that is. Then fly him to Sunderland.”
“How do you know that?”
I stared at him with anger in my eyes.
“Have you been spying on me?”
“Word of advice, stay away from Martin. I know what you did to Toni; I will not have you do the same to him.”
“What…I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
Mark now pale white, gulping, sweat slips from his paws and panic in his eyes.
“I know what you’ve done and I know what sort of person you are. That’s why you’re not going to take Martin anywhere; I don’t trust you with him. In fact I don’t trust you at all; until you change and contribute to the group as a whole I won’t let you out of my sight.”
“You made her talk, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t make her do anything; she was concerned and rightly so. You can’t blame her or anyone else in fact. There’s only one person to blame and that’s you, be a man and admit to what you’ve done and take responsibility.”
“I did what I did to survive, I’m not a fighter!”
“No, you’re something else.”
“Peter I swear it won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t that’s why you aren’t going to take Martin anywhere, is that understood?”
“Yes, yes it is. Just please don’t tell the others?”
“You mean David and Martin?”
“I’ve seen the way David looks at me, if he was to find out he’d have me thrown out.”
“You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you out. If you so much as threaten Jill, or put a single soul in danger it’ll be the end of you!”
“Peter please, don’t do anything haste, I’m a pilot I can be of use to you and the group. I have skills which no one else here has. You need me.”
“No we don’t, we don’t need cowards who’d leave their own friend to be eaten alive!”
“Have you not made a mistake Peter? I don’t see you rushing back to South Shields in search of your family. Look at Martin; he’s willing to risk it all just to see what happened to his family for closure. You, you just don’t care, next you’ll be snuggling up to that Bitch!”
“Watch your mouth! South Shields is gone just like everywhere else, Sunderland will be also. You taking him back there would be a suicide mission!”
“For him maybe but not for me, I’d have a helicopter; able to go anywhere I want!”
“Mark! You’re pushing it!”
“Then don’t push me!”
I needed to walk away and fast, either that or I’d be reaching out for one of those spears he told me about earlier, then id split his head in fucking two, the arsehole.
“I’m going to walk away now and let you think about what you’ve just said, I’ll be thinking about what to do with you in the meantime.”
“Shit, Peter I’m sorry I was just annoyed that’s all, you pushed me. I didn’t mean what I said.”
“Yes you did…I’m leaving now before I do to you what you did to that flesh eater earlier!”
He stood there in silence, as I walked away. It was either that or kill him!
Chapter: 25
“What happened?”
I replied hastily on the removal of my hoodie, “I confronted him on everything, he tried denying it at first, made out he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, but I saw past him and he knew it!”
Jill trembles, “Christ, he’s going to have it in for me now.”
“Don’t worry I’ve warned him off, he knows that if he says a thing to you or put’s a single soul in harm’s way he’s gone. Saying that he’s going to be gone anyways, he showed me his true colours, a part of me wanted to give him a chance but no not now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mentioned it would be a suicide mission taking Martin to Sunderland, his response was, it would be for him not me as id have the helicopter.”
“Shit, I knew it; no matter what happens we can’t let Martin leave with him. We need to keep an eye on him!”
I answered, “I think we need to have a conversation with the others, first thing come light. They need to know what he said and what his done. I need you to tell them everything, when you do you can’t blame yourself for the outcome. Only one person is responsible for what he has done and that’s him. You are not in the wrong here.”
“I will, but then I’d be responsible for his death, I know David will have him kicked out immediately and he wouldn’t last five minutes out there.”
“We don’t know that, Jill we can’t keep this from the others. Not after what he just said.”
“I know…”
“He is a potential danger to us all, I don’t feel comfortable leaving him out there on duty in case he ditches the place, that being said he won’t have the balls to leave, defiantly not at night, he’s too much of a coward for that.”
“He won’t leave; he will be pondering an excuse to give for his actions.”
“No matter what excuse he makes, I’d be very surprised if he managed to stay another night.”
“Damn it.”
“Jill it’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself.”
“Am I okay staying here tonight still, it’s just I don’t want to be alone just in case he came for me or something.”
“You’ve already got your gear Jill; I wouldn’t want to place you at risk by sending you back. He seems desperate; no doubt he’d have a go at you for speaking up as well as try to manipulate you into taking his side via a guilt trip. So yes you can stay.”
“Thank you for not changing your mind. I promise not to wake you.”
“It’s okay Jill, just try and get some rest okay and we’ll deal with it in the morning okay.”
“Thanks Peter, Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Jill.”
Chapter: 26
“Hey wake up, do you still want to head to Sunderland?”
“What…Is that you Mark?”
“If you want to head off to Sunderland, then I’ll take you but it has to be now.”
“Martin rushes to he’s feet and says, “You know I do, but it’s in the middle of the night, what about the others?”
“What about them? We’ll be back come morning, they wouldn’t know we left. Besides, this is a onetime deal only. So if your family means anything to you then it’s now or never! Grab your jacket and let’s get going, but let’s do it quietly, we don’t want to concern the others.”
“Okay, I’ll get dressed but I’ll leave a note just in case we get held up and don’t make it back on time before they wake.”
“Okay, try not to be long.”
Martin dashes for his pen and paper, he writes ‘Gone to the airfield, I’m with Mark. By the time you read this message we should be just about landing on the grounds, with my family with any luck! Don’t worry, I’ll see you soon!’
“Done.” Martin says.
“Brilliant, we better get going!”
“Wait a second Mark, we don’t fully know if those helicopters are there or if there’s a plane, if there’s only planes where will we land if Sunderland is overrun.”
“We’d find a way round it. With your brains and my skills we’ll figure something out. Worse come to worse we’ll drive there if needs be. If any one member of your family is alive we will get them out and bring them back here where i
t’s safe, you deserve that at least after everything you’ve gone through.”
“Wow Mark, I really appreciate this, out of everyone you’re the least person I expected to understand, I’m glad you decided to help me. I owe you!”
“What are friends for?”
“Right I’m all set, it’s probably best we travel to the airfield on foot, that way we don’t wake the others as suggested. Just that car is rather loud; on foot we can be stealthy and creep around any flesh eaters undetected.”
“Of course, they need their rest after all. Do you have torches? Before we head out there you should know, I’m no good when it comes to facing those things head on so I’d be relying on you to keep me safe.”
“I’ll worry about the flesh eaters; you just worry about the flying. Trust me I won’t let a single one of those things get to you!”
“Before we go, can I ask, who is it you’re hoping to find down in Sunderland that is?”
“My dad.”
“What makes you think he’s still alive?”
“I’ve not told anyone here this but my dad is disabled, he was unknowingly born with a rare disease called Becca Muscular Dystrophy, when I was younger it manifested, he must have been in his late twenty’s when it came apparent. He didn’t have a clue beforehand, he was a typical twenty year old man, he had a job he kept fit, but one day he noticed he was losing his balance when he walked, he started falling over a lot and he was losing fat around his legs. So he went to the doctors, they did their tests and at everyone’s surprise he was diagnosed with this life changing, incurable and destructive generic disease. Before then it laid completely dormant, right from birth as mentioned. The crazy thing is, it’s meant to be generic, there’s no record of anyone ever having it in the family. He got told it was a fluck, one in a million for it just to manifest like that without reason or cause. After being diagnosed, everything went downhill fast; before he knew it he was wheel chair bound, obviously devastating for him.”
“Sounds like it would have hit him hard.”
“It hit us all; as a result of his condition he turned to drink and self-pity, I can’t remember a day or night after the diagnoses where he didn’t have a can in his hand. I used to wake up at half six in the morning, ready for school, I’d come down stairs there he was just sitting on the sofa with a can in his hand, depressed. Thinking why the heck not, my life is fucked anyways. I know this as he told me that once. So instead of tackling his problems head on, being a role model and not letting this thing destroy him he ended up giving up instead. Every day I had to watch him drink himself into oblivion.”
The Northern Slayer Page 9