Kill Tone

by Lance Winkless

  “What’s wrong?” Veronica asks Bobby.

  “I can’t tell where that screeching is coming from,” Bobby answers, moving his head around.

  “What screeching?” Veronica asks obliviously.

  “Listen.”

  Veronica stops to listen, as do Rose and Jack, but she can’t hear anything new. All she can hear is the same godawful noises that have been haunting them since the nightmare started.

  Bobby doesn’t need to use his experience to determine where an ear-piercing scream comes from as it travels up to him from the darkness beyond the exit, and neither does anyone else. Fear courses through him as a second scream echoes into the backstage area and Bobby takes a step backwards, away from the exit.

  “They’re coming, run!” Bobby shouts in a panic.

  Bobby turns to run, but he sees Rose who stands scared to death, not moving. Veronica is tugging at her, trying to get her to move and Jack is, in turn, pulling at Veronica.

  Bobby grabs Rose’s arm and drags her to move, relieved that she does snap out of her petrified trance and her legs start moving. Another screech sounds out from behind them, closer, and Bobby prays that Rose doesn’t freeze again. She doesn’t; she keeps going but where can they find refuge?

  Jack is out in front and he too is panicking, looking for somewhere safe to run to. He goes to head for the door that will lead them back into the VIP area, but what is that going to gain them? Something catches his eye from the top of the steps that rise up from the back of the main stage; someone is waving at him, waving them in. Is there a safe haven up there?

  He isn’t sure but decides to go for it. At least it is high ground.

  Jack reaches the bottom of the steps and turns to let Veronica go first. She doesn’t break her stride as her foot hits the first step. Jack follows her onto the steps, but then he stops and turns to Bobby and Rose who are lagging behind. Shockingly, they have chasing creatures right behind them.

  The grotesque creatures move quickly, baying after Bobby who is behind Rose, his sledgehammer swinging heavily in his hand. Jack’s nerves fry while he waits on the steps, pleading with Rose to move faster. He watches as Bobby’s run is impeded by the slower Rose. Bobby isn’t going to make it, Jack fears, and then Jack’s heart stops.

  The beast out in front, once a tall gangly man, jumps forward and into the air to land on Bobby’s back. Bobby cries out in fear and shock when the creature hits him in the shoulders, its long arms reaching around Bobby’s neck.

  “No!” Jack shouts as the beast hits Bobby, the force of the impact throwing Bobby forward and off his feet. As Bobby flies forward, Jack goes to descend the steps in a foolhardy attempt to go and help him. He doesn’t even register Bobby crashing into the ground. His arms reach out in a desperate reaction to break his fall. Bobby’s arms fail under the combined weight of the two bodies hitting the ground and his face hits the hard-baked earth.

  Jack’s descent is halted before it begins. Veronica pulls him back, grabbing onto his belt again. She is nearly dragged along and down the steps, but she manages to keep her footing and pull Jack back.

  “Let me go!” Jack shouts at Veronica.

  “You can’t help him, Jack, there are too many of them.”

  Jack’s head whips back around, knowing she is right. Rose’s feet hit the steps as the creatures pile onto Bobby in a frenzy, Bobby’s fall the only thing that saves her. Rose reaches Jack quickly and Veronica pulls at him again to move. Jack pulls his eyes away from the feeding frenzy enveloping Bobby, feeling sick to his stomach.

  Veronica runs up the numerous steps and almost reaches the top when Jack tells her to stop.

  “What is it?” Veronica asks, her face full of fear.

  “We don’t know what’s up here. Let me take a look,” Jack tells her.

  “They’re coming,” Rose says in a panic.

  Booby’s flesh isn’t enough for two of the loathsome creatures, who are rapidly coming up the steps behind Rose. Seeing the threat, Rose tries to push past both Jack and Veronica to get away from the oncoming creatures.

  “Okay, go, go,” Jack tells Veronica, deciding they have no option.

  A gunshot rings out above their heads as Veronica goes to move, and all three duck in reaction, their fear spiking again. Before they have a chance to recover, another shot fires and then somebody shouts, ‘move, move’, to them.

  Jack looks up to see a man at the top of the steps pointing a smallish pistol past them, aiming at the bottom of the steps. Veronica doesn’t hang about and is up and climbing the last of the steps in no time. Jack follows her lead and Rose doesn’t need a second invitation.

  The man pulls his pistol in and leads Veronica down the side of the main stage. Before he knows it, Jack is standing in a room, surrounded by a rainbow of brightly coloured costumes, his head spinning and his lungs heaving. He doesn’t know what is going on.

  Chapter 14

  “What the fuck is happening?” Jack pants, believing he is on another trip.

  “You’re okay, it’s secure in here,” the man with the pistol says in a well-spoken English accent while slipping the pistol into his smart suit blazer.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Jack demands.

  “Jack, this is Lady Kai’s dressing room,” Veronica says, from behind him.

  “Who… what, how the hell do you know that?”

  “Because this is Lady Kai,” Veronica says.

  Jack looks around to see what in God’s name Veronica is talking about. And there, sat in front of Veronica, dressed in a light pink tracksuit and white pumps is a pretty but unassuming woman, who looks just about as shit scared as Jack is. Veronica stares down at the woman as if she is a real life deity and she has come to pay homage.

  “This is Lady Kai?” Jack questions, unsure if Veronica is mistaken.

  “Yes Jack, she certainly is,” Veronica says in wonder.

  “Nice to meet you, Kai… erm, Lady…. erm, Lady Kai,” Jack says, unsure what to call her.

  “Nice to meet you too, Mr Jack,” the megastar jokes in a soft Latin voice, making a point. “Did you find Fiona or Jeremy, Kevin?” she asks the man in the suit.

  “I’m afraid not, Ms Kai,” he answers.

  Rose has sat down in another chair, all but buried into one of the racks of dayglow costumes and feather boas hanging around her. Her elbows are perched on her knees, her arms up, holding her head in her hands while her eyes stare blankly at the floor below.

  “Veronica, check on Rose while I see what is going on here, okay?” Jack tells Veronica.

  Veronica suddenly snaps out of her star-struck paralysis to go and tend to her friend. Jack watches her for a moment while she bends down, concerned, and he tries to gather his thoughts.

  “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Jack says, turning to Kevin.

  “Why don’t you tell me, Jack?” Kevin responds, eyeing Jack.

  A wave of panic goes through Jack; does this man see Jack’s guilt somehow, does he know what he has been up to today?

  “What do you mean?” Jack manages to say.

  “Well, you probably know what’s been happening better than I do. As soon as the violence broke out on the stage and in the backstage area, I brought Ms Kai in here, for her own safety.”

  “Oh,” Jack says, feeling foolish, of course, Kevin doesn’t know what he has been up to. “I thought fighting had broken out in the crowd in the beginning, but it turned into something different. It’s as if some of the crowd turned into…”

  “Zombies?” Kevin finishes Jack’s sentence for him.

  “Yes, zombies.” Jack agrees. “Our plan was to get to the car park. One of us had a van there, but he is dead and now we have lost the keys too,” Jack says, with images of Bobby hitting the ground tormenting his mind.

  “What are you planning now, then?” Kevin asks.

  “I’m still trying to work that out.”

  “We are, don’t you mean?” Veronica says.

  “Yes
, of course. We are,” Jack agrees, rolling his eyes. “And what about you, are you just planning to hole up here until it’s over?”

  “No, the situation is deteriorating and might get a lot worse. I plan to escort Ms Kai away from here,” Kevin says confidently.

  “And how do you plan to do that?” Jack asks, doubtfully thinking. Who does this guy think he is, James Bond?

  “I have sent two of my associates to check our exit route to Ms Kai’s helicopter, but they haven’t returned,” Kevin says as a matter of fact.

  “Helicopter?” Jack blurts out, looking at Kevin, wondering if in fact he is James Bond and Kevin is a fictitious name.

  “Yes, Ms Kai’s helicopter is waiting for her, close to the car park you were referring to,” Kevin reiterates. “I fear that my two associates have fallen foul of these zombies, however, and I can’t risk getting to the landing area alone with Ms Kai. I see that you all have weapons; would you consider helping me escort Ms Kai in return for you all flying out of here with us?”

  “Yes, we can do that!” Veronica announces before Jack has a chance to say anything. He looks around at her with a look of disbelief on his face.

  “Excuse my star-struck friend, she can get over-enthusiastic,” Jack informs Kevin before he is cut off.

  “Do you mind, Jack? Don’t patronise me, I am right here, you know,” Veronica says with a scowl.

  “I’m just saying that it will be dangerous, Veronica. I think we need a few more details before we agree to anything,” Jack insists.

  “What more do you want to know?” Kevin asks.

  “Well, exactly how far is this helicopter for starters?”

  “An eight-minute walk,” Kevin says precisely. “We need to go across the back of the stage, down the stairs positioned on the west side of it. Through the equipment storage area and then the landing area is beside and towards the back of the car park.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Jack points out.

  “I didn’t say it would be easy. I expect it to be far from easy; dangerous in fact, that is why I’m asking for your help, Jack,” Kevin says, sincerely.

  “Fair enough,” Jack says. “Is this helicopter big enough to take us all and where will it fly to?”

  “There is room for us all and we will be flying to the city’s main airport to rendezvous with Ms Kai’s jet. Would that be acceptable to you all?”

  “Anywhere is better than here,” Rose adds.

  “I can’t argue with that,” Jack agrees. “Okay, Kevin you’re on. How do we do this?”

  “I’ll lead the way and if you can cover the rear, Jack, is that agreeable?”

  “Yes, I will agree to that. I don’t suppose you have another gun?”

  “I’m afraid not, but if you need help, I will be close.”

  “Okay,” Jack replies nervously.

  “Is your friend Rose up to this? She doesn’t look too good?” Kevin asks.

  “Don’t worry about Rose; she can stick them good. Isn’t that right, Rose?”

  “Just get me as far away from here as possible,” Rose insists. She picks up her screwdriver off the floor and gets to her feet.

  “What about Ms Kai?” Jack asks. “She will need a weapon.”

  “No weapon for me,” Lady Kai tells Jack.

  “You’re going to need a weapon. You don’t want to get caught without one, believe me. Don’t you agree, Kevin?” Jack says.

  Kevin ponders for a moment, looking around the dressing room. He then turns to one of the rails of clothes behind him and reaches up to lift off the entire row of costumes hanging on the rail. He throws the costumes onto the floor underneath before reaching back up and lifting the pole the costumes were hung on out of its fixing.

  Kevin offers Lady Kai the thick-gauge steel pole that is about three feet long. Lady Kai looks at the pole and then rises to her feet to take the pole off her bodyguard. She grips the pole in her right hand and then whips it around in the confined space like a kung fu master, to bring it around and then up and under her arm. Jack is impressed with her skill and raising his eyebrows he looks at Kevin.

  “Ms Kai is an expert in self-defence,” Kevin informs Jack.

  “I can see, a handy skill in her position, I should imagine.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Are you two ready?” Jack asks Veronica and Rose.

  “As we will ever be,” Veronica replies, and Rose nods in agreement.

  “Shall we then?” Kevin asks.

  “By all means, lead the way,” Jack replies.

  Chapter 15

  Kevin’s pistol is back out of his blazer and gripped in his right hand, drawn in close to his body and pointing up. This man is definitely a professional, Jack thinks, standing behind everyone else and feeling like a caveman, with only a hammer for company. Kevin’s, no messing short-cropped hair, rugged good looks and stony expression don’t hide his trepidation, however. Jack sees the beads of sweat gathering on Kevin’s forehead as his hand reaches to open the door.

  Jack is feeling surprisingly calm, even if a kaleidoscope of butterflies is fluttering around in his stomach. Perhaps he should have more confidence in himself. He may only have a hammer, but it has already notched up two kills. He finds himself feeling proud of both Veronica and Rose, both standing with their weapons in hand, waiting to face whatever horror comes to meet them on their journey. They both have determined looks on their faces and Jack wouldn’t choose anyone else to meet this challenge with. The added bonus is that they are both drop-dead gorgeous and Jack admires them both once more, especially Veronica. Why not? He will most likely be dead before they get to the helicopter. He might as well enjoy himself while he can.

  The latest member of his harem—he wishes—Lady Kai, is standing between Veronica and Rose. She still holds the clothing rail professionally under her arm, like it is a fighting staff, which to all intents and purposes it is. She has a quiet, determined demeanour which also gives Jack confidence. Dressed in her pink tracksuit and with her fighting staff under her arm, she almost looks like a martial arts master preparing to start training.

  As Kevin starts to ease the door open, Jack’s head switches to concentrate on the task at hand. His determination to survive swells inside of him when he thinks of his daughter waiting to see him again. Veronica’s head turns to look back at him as if checking to see if he is still there, or maybe she is after a confidence boost. Jack gives her a reassuring smile as if to say, ‘we have got this’.

  The door opening allows the sounds of terror from beyond into the dressing room to try and intimidate them. The now familiar hideous screeches and terrified screams combine with the general noises of chaos to vaporise any notion they may have had that this is going to be a walk in the park. They are not deterred, however, and once he has checked to see that the immediate area outside is clear, Kevin steps out, his pistol lowering to point ahead of him.

  Lady Kai follows Kevin out of the dressing room without hesitation. She steps purposefully and daintily behind him, her pumps not making a sound on the ground as she steps to follow. Rose is next out and Veronica quickly follows, stepping quickly until she is positioned beside her friend. Jack takes a breath and moves to take up his rear gunner posting, his hammer at his side and ready for action.

  What a motley crew they make, Jack thinks as he guards their rear. A bodyguard, a superstar, two of the most beautiful and determined women you are ever likely to meet, and him. Jack isn’t sure how to pigeonhole himself. He definitely doesn’t want to be remembered as the drug dealer responsible for causing a zombie outbreak, though. But maybe that is a fair assessment of him right at this moment in time, he has to admit to himself.

  A body lies on the floor on the left as they leave Lady Kai’s dressing room, drawing Jack’s attention. The twisted figure could be male or female; the light from the opening at the side of the main stage doesn’t quite reach far enough to illuminate it enough to see clearly. The body festers in the shadows.


  Jack’s attention is momentarily diverted past the body. He looks out over the stage and he glimpses the brightly lit, doomed crowd beyond. The area is still busy but the majority of the audience has dispersed. Whether they have run off to safety, lie on the ground dead or dying, or they have turned, he doesn’t know. The figures Jack does see look inhuman, barbaric wretches waiting to feed. His skin crawls and a chilling tingle slowly works its way down his spine. Jack has to avert his eyes; he cannot bear to look. He’s also dropping behind the others who are already entering the dark space behind the stage to get to the other side.

  Jack catches them up, his eyes adjusting to the darker walkway where computer monitors sit with an array of images on them, next to rows of guitars that stand in racks. Both have been made redundant, and the show will not go on, not tonight.

  They tread carefully through the enclosure, an area that must help run proceedings under normal circumstances. Jack walks sideways on so that he can keep a watch out behind. Near silence encompasses them as they approach the middle of the passageway. Jack gets spooked, half expecting something lurking to reach out to grab him from one of the dark corners that are everywhere he looks. Suddenly, agreeing to take the rear position, he feels exposed and detached from the others.

  Not a moment too soon, they near the end of the passageway and familiar sounds build again. He struggles to understand how he takes any comfort in hearing those awful tones, even if they do accompany emerging out of the eerie passageway.

  Kevin does not rush. When the exit opening is finally reached, his pistol scans the way forward before he contemplates leaving cover. Jack’s eyes are fixed, peering into the darkness behind him in case anything moves, his palm sweating against the rubber handle of his hammer. He switches the hammer to his other hand, wipes his palm against his top before switching it back again and retaking taking a firm grip of his weapon.

  As satisfied as he can be that the path forward is clear, Kevin steps out into the open. The stairs down that he is aiming for are away to the right, past the towers of idle black speakers and the storage area behind them, piled high with flight cases and other equipment.