“He won't, you won't will you?” I asked the scared soldier. David shook his head in fear.
“There,” I said. “See?” But Thomas’s gun remained on him.
“Thomas, think about what you're doing man, this aint it,” Hussain tried to persuade him to lower his gun, but he wouldn't, he kept it fixed on the poor guy, his grip growing tighter and tighter and tighter…
Kidnapped - Day 13 - Jess
I didn't know what day it was; I was trapped. All I remember is the car stopping, and a young man walking towards the car, etching closer and closer as I passed out from smacking my head against the wheel. It was my fault, I pushed the breaks way to hard, it was stupid of me. I looked around, I was on a bed, a clean bed, and I saw white clouds drifting in the sky. I could see another building parallel to mine. It was a tall building, I realised I was high up in a cold, damp smelling hotel room, wrapped in a towel on the bed. Where the hell was Lily? The children, they were gone!
I shook the towel off and marched to the door, but it wouldn't give, it said room 121, and pamphlets of the races and sports events were beside the table.
I looked then to the clothes on the floor, my shoes, socks and jacket. and this t-shirt. It was not the same one I had on when I was driving. Someone had undressed me! Gross. I froze. Who the hell would do that? Some pervert I reckoned, oh god! What if they’d done things to me while I was unconscious.At least I was alive I thought then, that was the main thing. And if I was alive, it meant whoever was in the road didn't plan on killing me any time soon, right?
“Hello!” I shouted after trying one more time to open the door. I even slammed myself against it with all my weight, there was no way it was budging, you needed a key I reckoned. I turned and drew back the curtains some more, and found fields and a main road with stranded cars at a dead traffic light junction. There was a dead person, walking, an infected woman, strolling along the path.
The airport was in sight in the other window, along with a crashed plane and a control tower. That must have been the explosion a couple nights ago! I squinted my eyes on the runway, seeing little black squares, hundreds of them, thousands in fact. Then my stomach churned as I realised they were body bags.
“Hello, are you awake? Are you in there?” Said a mature boy's voice from behind the door. I didn't know how to respond. Mentally I felt disgusted, but physically I felt rested, if not without a banging headache.
“Yes,” I said. “Who are you?”
“I’m Peter, Peter Bridgewalk, I’m the owner of this hotel,” he said.
“Did you undress me? Let me go, open the door,” I frantically spoke while pulling at the handle.
“I had to make sure you were not infected. I can't risk losing people here I care about, all the while saving others.”
“Saving others? We were fine and you came running in the middle of the road!” I exclaimed.
“That wasn't me that was my brother, he drove you home, I found you in the back seat.”
I slammed my fists against the door.
“I want my sister, and I want to leave,” I demanded in anger, but silence fell.
“I have fresh clothes here, if you want them. They are clean and smell nice.”
He was saying I smelt bad now. The cheek of it.
“I’ll open the door a tad bit, hand you the clothes. I would advise having a shower first though.”
I immediately turned around and looked for what I could use to incapacitate him. Then I heard him unlocking the door, so I jumped and lunged for the bedside lamp and hid it behind the door in my left right hand. The door opened up on the left, and I planned to run, that was right before my eyes fell on the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my life. Aside from ones I’d seen on the internet. He was bloody gorgeous. Tall, tanned, had curly hair and a thin, lean physique. But it was his big deep green eyes and his full lips and crooked nose that caught my attention. Everything about him was perfect aside from his nose, but his imperfection made him even more perfect. I was fangirling over my kidnapper? I’d heard of Stockholm Syndrome, but five minutes into the ordeal?
I took his clothes he had prepared for me in my left hand and looked at him awkwardly, our eyes meeting again. My eyelashes fluttered, just like my heart. I was being too obvious. What the hell was wrong with me?
I closed the door myself, then realised how stupid I was being as he locked it again. I had closed the door on my escape. This guy had Lily, my sister, somewhere in this hotel. Why were we separated? I smelt myself then, my scent falling on me as I fell on the door and leaned my forehead to it in defeat. I was giving up…
“Peter, you have hot water?” I asked him, knowing he was still standing outside.
“Yes, yes, of course,” he answered from the behind the door, then he left as I heard his footsteps walk away down the corridor. I breathed in a deep sigh and threw his clothes to the bed. I would play along with whatever this guy wanted, he didn't want to kill me, so that was a plus. I had a shower, the first shower I’d had for four days, since Susie’s house actually.
I felt good, clean again. The clothes he had gotten for me were tight I could tell, several sizes short of my size. He’d even gotten me a bra and underwear. As if mate. I kept my own, and only put on the t-shirt, leggings and fresh socks he’d supplied. He hasn't given me any shoes though, what a cheapskate. I put on my sneakers that had been white last week, now they were covered brown in the mud from when I buried my father.
I knocked on the hotel door and called for anyone. No one came. I was left alone with my thoughts. I thought about him, my father, as I sat with my legs crossed on the bed, and then my mother and brother. I wondered if they were alive. I hadn't seen much of what had happened in the world since we left home, but now looking across the expanse of dust and decay outside my window, I felt peace.
I saw something moving on one of the roads, a car, it was a car, weaving through dead traffic, driving into the airport. It was a blue jeep. People were alive down there! Suddenly the door to my hotel was unlocked and three men came barging in, with furious faces. My hair was still wet as I turned to face them. They grabbed me and pulled me off the bed and dragged me away and out into the hotel corridor.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing!” I protested.
“Shut up!” One of them ordered, he was a large stout man with long black hair.
I tried to stand and fight back but they walked so fast that I couldn't establish a foothold. They pulled me down a flight of stairs and into an open foyer at ground level. The cafe to the right of my vision had people in it, and an old lady gasped as she saw what they were doing to me.
“Stop fighting,” they told me, but I kept resisting.
“I'm going to search her,” said the long-haired bloke.
“Terrence, no!” Scolded the old lady.
“Stop, you dare rip my bloody leggings,” said a short blonde girl near the cafe holding a tray of food. These must be her clothes that Peter had given me!
“What on earth is going on here?” Asked a familiar voice. It was Peter, the so called owner of the hotel. I turned and witnessed him march up to them. He gave them death stares and then helped me to my feet as the angry men let go their hold of me.
“She is dangerous, she should not be here, throw her out!” The long-haired brute said.
“And what of the kid? Hm?” Peter said. I knew he was talking about Lily.
“Lily, where is she? I am her sister and I demand to know where she is!” I shouted.
“She is safe, I'm taking you back to your room,” he said, grabbing my arm.
“She needs to be thoroughly searched,” said the brute.
“I know how you search down new arrivals brother,” he gave him a knowing look, then pulled me away. By this point I was fed up of being pulled and pushed by these people.
“Enough,” I said, shrugging him off. He stepped back.
“Walk,” he ordered, and I obeyed. He gently led me back to room 121.I walked in
side and turned, before he had a chance to lock me in again.
“Tell me, is she truly safe? I love her more than anything, if you have harmed her i would like to know,” I said, tearing up. She was all I had left.
“She is safe, you will see her soon,” he told me. I didn't know whether to believe him or not.
“I will send Tracy up with breakfast in the morning,” he added, before quickly closing the door.
“Wait,” I said, but he had already locked me in.
“How long am I going to stay here for? When will I see her again? Please!?” I screamed and shouted. He left me alone, again. Night soon descended and I lay on the bed, looking out the window, my tears fell on the pillow. I glared at the pitch black of the night sky and the stars, now countless above with the dying of the world's lights.
Friendly Fire - Day 14 - Blake
There was silence among the squad as we readied for our patrol. In the wake of the lieutenant’s demise, Thomas had assumed command of the fledgling camps. He acted like a sergeant of the light infantry, or what was left of us. The armoured battalion sergeant, Gunner Tom, continued to keep tabs on the motorway in his infantry tanks, the warriors. They had thermal vision, and had taken and sent back still images of the thousands of cars lining the motorway, highlighting the bodies locked in each car.
“Look,” Thomas gave me the images to see. It was a large group, a blur of white in the black. It was a herd of the infected, whether they were dead or not, it was creepy. This whole situation was creepy. Hundreds of them, all wading across the roads. David, Thomas’s new lackey, came in our tent then.
“Sir, night watchers just reported strange activity in the city, flashing lights, some sort of explosion.”
“Keep tabs on the radio, any commands from north I want to know as soon as you can inform me,” he told him. Thomas then gave me a look of worry as the boy went on his way.
“We haven't heard anything from anyone, aside from echoes, cries of help from other camps, squads and soldiers taking refuge,” he whispered.
“Nothing from the city centre?” I asked, knowing the armoured battalions had gone in to enforce the lockdown. Thomas left me with nothing but a shake of his head as he walked off. I put my boots on to go after him, but then I heard shouting from outside.
“Maddison! Maddison!” It was Jake crying out for help while carrying Mason. I ran out and found him collapsed on the ground.
“What is it?” Thomas asked, looking down on Mason.
“Sir, It's Mason, he's sick,” Jake told him as a crowd formed.
“What the hell is this?” Said Thomas, as he pulled away a bloody bandage and saw a nasty gash on his arm. The corporal pulled his gun out of the holder and pointed it ominously.
“Woah, man get back. Control yourself!” Jake shouted. “There's no need!”
“Is he infected!?” Shouted out an old man.
“Thomas stop this madness, you have not been right since the airport!” I said, trying to get him to see reason.
“He needs to be put down before things get tragic,” Thomo spoke moving his gun.
“Get back,” Jake warned.
“He could turn the whole fucking camp!”
“Thomas, no, please,” Mason struggled to say. “I'm not infected, I fell off the watchtower.”
I thought he was going to pull the trigger and kill Mason.
“You will back away,” I ordered, angrily.
“Oh, I see. I see,” Thomas turned back. “You're going to get us all killed is that it! Fine, but if he attacks anyone in this camp! Their blood is on your hands,” he said, pointing at me.
“Disperse!” He then commanded, before walking off to run the fence and seemingly, patrol the camp perimeter.
“Blake,” said Mason. I looked down and found him holding his bloody arm.
“Hussain told me about what happened with Richards, what really happened,” he said. I sighed, as there was nothing more to say, I had done what I’d done.
“What happened?” Jake asked.
“He killed the lieutenant, he stopped him from shooting Hussain too, fucking hero.”
I felt disgust at his admission.
“No, I’m not,” I said. “How the hell did you fall off the tower, pratting about?”
He smiled and laughed, confirming he wasn't very badly injured. It took a while for Maddison to come and treat him. He was not infected; he had no fever or rashes. It was just a gash and a lot of blood. Later on, as he and Maddison rested, me, Hussain and Jake patrolled the camp. I had no idea how much of the supplies were left, but I knew our stock was not being replenished anymore, Thomas had told me as much. Supply lines had been cut, as it was unsafe on the road, and there were not enough men to escort. Most of the good soldiers were sent into the city, and most had fled to save their loved ones.
“I’m going to go talk to Thomo, I’ll be back,” I said to the others.
“Be careful Blake,” Jake advised. I was going to be, but someone had to confront him about his behaviour. He was getting angry too quickly, hasty in his decisions and too dangerous to be around. I found him near the arena that had once served as HQ. It had been since been boarded up, as there were not enough men to guard all the entry points.
“Are we going to talk?” I asked, finding him in the car park, tents all around him. It was around midday, and many people were out scavenging and busying themselves with menial tasks.
“Bout what?” He replied. “I'm trying to keep you all safe, all it takes is one mistake from some stupid bastard and this whole thing is over.”
“You were going to kill Mason?” I said, putting the cold hard facts in front of him.
“I would kill myself to secure the safety of this camp,” he answered then.
“Then maybe you should, because you're the only threat I see,” I told him. And then I regretted saying it. It was one of those thoughts in the back of my mind that I would never say out loud, alas, unfortunately this one had made it past the sieve of my brain.
“Bullshit,” he responded. A man from the eastern gate on the motorway came running to him.
“Corporal Thomas, Sgt. Gunner Tom and his company have arrived back,” he informed us. I walked with Thomas to the fence gate where they were. It was Gunner Tom and his armoured company alright, with a large crowd of people following them, wanting entry into the camp.
“What happened?” Thomas asked them as he approached through the fenced gate on the road.
“They came out of nowhere,” said the sergeant. “We barely got out alive. We lost two warriors, we only have one left, and one on the motorway with a small squad.”
“What of Eden squad?” Thomas asked of one of his squads he’d given to help them.
“Dead,” he answered. “Field hospitals along the college, there's a big group of dead going down on the moor, hundreds, thousands. But the bigger question is… Who are you? And where's Lieutenant Richards?”
There was a silence that followed his question.
“The lieutenants, well, he's dead.” answered Thomas. “And I am Corporal Thomas of-”
“What?! How!” The sergeant interrupted him, demanding to know.
“He was shot,” I said.
“By who?” Gunner Tom asked.
“It doesn't matter,” Thomas told him. The sergeant stepped to him.
“Yes, yes it fucking does,” he said in a no nonsense tone. “I served two tours with that man.”
“He was forcing us to shoot civilians, something had to be done!” Thomas said, in front of everyone in the camp. He had said it in front of the soldiers of the camp, the soldiers of the sergeant’s company and the hundreds of civilians that watched on from around them.
“Fucking treason! Did you help do it; did you shoot him?” Gunner Tom asked him, just as a full-blown war was about to break loose.
“No, I did it!” I announced. “Of my own volition.”
“And I did,” said Jake, stepping forth.
“And I
did as well,” Mason said as well, as Hussain held his rifle in his hands beside him. I looked around at the fence, the watchtower, where men supposedly loyal to Thomas stood watch.
We had nine squads of light infantry in the camp, just over fifty men, The sergeant had half that, but he had two warrior tanks, one here and another on the motorway on the other side of the camo. Thomas leaned in to speak a few words with the sergeant.
“Look you said it yourself on the radio, command is gone. We have more pressing issues to focus on right now. We need every man we have to pull through this. He was a monster.”
One of his men held his rifle to me.
“Can't let you do that. Can't let you shoot a man from my company,” Thomas whispered, pulling his gun from his holster.
“Your company? Are you going to shoot me? You know what, this company, is fucking over!” Tom sourly said, before turning back to his men.
“Load up the 50,” he then ordered to the tank crew.
“Sergeant?” Thomas asked, unsure of what he was doing.
“What? We got people here, let them through,” said Gunner Tom, gesturing to the small crowd that hid behind their armoured jeeps behind the fence. I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought the sergeant was going to unload on us with his tank for a moment there, and so did Thomas by the sound of the fear in his voice.
The crowd came forth and the gates were opened. Maddison was among the medics shaking the new arrivals down, as the armoured company made their way through the camp. They stared at me from atop their vehicles.
All of a sudden, as I sifted through the crowd, I heard a familiar voice, one that I had known since I was eight years old. I smiled, it was nostalgic, echoing back from a time that seemed a lifetime ago, a time when Jess’s friends would sleepover at ours. It was Susie, Jess’s best friend. She locked eyes with me and we both sprang a wide smile, that was, before hers faded into sadness and despair, and I knew something was wrong.
Find Lily - Day 15 - Jess
World Down: A Zombie Novel Page 18