'Its dinner time you lazy sods, get down here now,' he shouted, spitting on the floor.
The two men climbed down from their post and went into the big building just behind the barn, now was our chance we could get closer without being seen.
'They eat in the barn, the women are kept in the house at the back,' Finn whispered. We crept round the side of the large red and brown barn, there were three cars parked in front of the house so we had something hide behind I recognised one of them as the truck I'd seen when I'd gone looking for Jensen. I wondered if any of the other cars worked, we should find out in case we needed an escape.
'Me and Tamara will sneak up and look inside the windows, Tom I want you to check the cars and see if they work. Jensen cover Tom and Finn I want you watching us,' I whispered looking at Tamara.
They all nodded in agreement, as we crept towards the windows. The building was long and wide with another building connected to it on the left, we peered in through the front window and were shocked at what we saw. I could see Jade waiting on a big group of men, she was taking them food and drinks. She looked miserable and frightened, I could not see Maggie maybe she was being kept in one of the houses at the back. I did see Finn's sister, he had said that she was only twelve but I wasn't expecting her to look so young. She was average height for her age, but her face looked so innocent it was awful to see her with such a terrible group. We sat down under the window, and looked at each other.
'Now is our chance, we can go round the front and find Jade,' Tamara whispered, looking hopeful.
'Okay lets hurry before the men finish the food.'
We signalled the others to wait while we went round the front. Despite the building being quite large we got round it in no time, we caught Jade as she was walking out the front door.
'Jade, round here,' I said quietly.
She turned, looking happy to see us.
'I was beginning to think you'd never get here,' she said tearfully. 'Where's Maggie?' I asked concernedly. She told us everything we needed to know. The men stayed in the main building except when they wanted to abuse the girls, there were twenty men in total who held this base together. It would be difficult but not impossible to rescue the girls. Jade left us to go back to her room before the guards noticed her absence, we headed back to the others to let them know our plan. We went back to the pub to prepare for the attack, it was getting late and Finn wasn't there he had slipped out. He told the others that he had to go and do something but was quite evasive when they asked where he was going. Tom had told us that while the cars didn't work as they were lacking important parts, the truck did work but was out of petrol.
'Finn needs to hurry up, we have to leave soon.' said Tom angrily.
'I know, I'm sure he'll be back soon he wouldn't miss the chance to get his sister back,' I replied, hoping that I was right. As we got ready to leave Finn jumped through the window, he landed on his feet looking a little tired. He had a large backpack on his back, he flung it on the floor and opened it. He took out some weapons, smiling at us as he did.
'I thought we could use these, I got them from a nearby house where I had been storing things.'
We were glad to have the added weapons, but I wished he would've told us where he was going.
'These will do nicely, it will help us to be more stealthy when we attack,' said Tamara gratefully.
'Aye good job lad, clearly I underestimated you. You got these just when we needed them.' As I reached into the bag I grabbed a brand new crossbow, it was a Barnett Razor a very expensive and well made one. It had a reverse cam design for increased speed and accurate scoping, this was a beauty. There were even thirty Armex arrows with it that had specially made metal heads on, I remembered the company who made this they were pretty big before all this happened.
'This baby is mine,' I said taking it out of the bag and admiring the craftsmanship.
Tamara went into the bag next, she pulled out another crossbow which was the same as mine.
'These are brilliant Finn, I bet we can take most of those guys out before they even know what's going on,' I knew Tamara was happy she loved crossbows. Jensen pulled out a gorgeous hand crafted samurai sword, as he unsheathed it from the black leather case he looked in awe of the handiwork that had gone into making such an exquisite weapon. Tom went in last and to our joy he too pulled out a beautiful weapon, it was a Cold Steel Trench Hawk axe.
'Where did get these from Finn?' Asked Tom as if he had read my mind.
'My parents had a summer house not to far from here, it had a secret cellar that had loads of weapons and food in.'
He looked uncomfortable as he answered us, almost like he was hiding something.
'You should of told us, but we have more important things to deal with right now,' said Tom sounding a little annoyed. We all nodded in agreement, and set of for the base. As we headed down to the base I could not help but feel nervous, would we make it out alive or would we all be killed? The sky was dark and felt full of terrors as we marched like a small army across the fields. The heavens opened and rain poured, we looked at each other exchanging fearful glances. Tom fell to his knees dropping his axe on to the soggy grass, he cried out in pain clutching his arm. We raced to his side Tamara slid on to the ground, she wrapped her arms round him cradling him as he shook with pain. Tamara opened his plaid shirt and we could all see the veins spreading quickly up his neck.
'I'm dying, don't let me become one of those things please,' he begged looking at us with panic in his eyes.
'You can still make it, Jade will want to see you,' Tamara pleaded for him to carry on, just a little longer. I knew he was out of time, he would come back if we didn't do something. I felt numb, I hadn't known Tom as long as Tamara and Jensen had but I still didn't want to be the one to end him. Me and Jensen knelt next to Tom and held his hands, though we did not say it this was our way of saying goodbye.
'I'll do it,' Finn said, we were surprised but grateful.
It was hard to imagine that this was the last time we would see his rough, toothless face or hear his loud booming voice.
'Thanks lad, I'm glad its not them doing this,' Tom said as we walked away holding each others hands.
'They can't be the ones to do this, though I have not known them long I can tell that ending you would be too much for them,' Finn said with unexpected empathy.
'I'll be with my wife at last,' Tom replied sounding oddly tranquil.
Chapter 17
Tamara
There was not a thing that could ease my sorrow, Tom was gone; but I'd ensure that I got our family back. We crept to the edge of the compound, I saw the two men on watch and saw our chance. I looked at Frankie who nodded, we readied our crossbows. I took a deep breath, letting go of the sadness I felt over Tom.
We shot our crossbows simultaneously, I watched one man fell to the ground and the other fell backwards. We listened closely to make sure that no one had heard, after a few minutes we crept closer. In all my life I'd never felt so afraid, not even when I was almost forced to marry my da's friend. The family I had gained since the apocalypse were more of a family to me than my relatives, I would be damned if I'd let them suffer in the hands of those sick bastards.
We knelt under a window of the barn, we could hear the men laughing loudly. Frankie took a quick look in the window, given the look on her face what she saw couldn't have been good.
'We need to move fast,' Frankie said urgently.
'What did you see?' Jensen and Finn asked at the same time.
'It doesn't matter, but I want our friends out of there,' she replied angrily. The boys looked like they wanted to argue, but we hurriedly moved round to the other side of the barn. I could see two guys walking across to the barn, I looked at Frankie and nodded. We took them out quickly and quietly with our crossbows, the boys snuck across to move the bodies. Just as they were about to come out, we heard a car approaching. The boys hurried into the shadows to avoid being seen, we stayed by the barn du
cking in the bushes.
We watched as the men got out the car and began running in various different directions, we listened at the side of barn but couldn't make out what they were saying from where we were. We saw the look of panic on their faces and knew that there was only one thing that could inspire such panic, there must have been a herd coming.
'Get the women in line!' I heard someone shout. I looked at Frankie who seemed confused as well, I couldn't see Finn and Jensen and wondered if they were still in the same place. I watched as all the men gathered the women outside in the courtyard, I felt the fear rise within me, if it was not a herd what else could they be so afraid of? 'Come on, get out here now!' Dave shouted.
I saw Jade and Maggie walk outside with all the other women, I wondered if they knew what was going on. We stayed in the bushes as we listened to the men scurry about, I could hear some cars approaching but could not turn to see who it was.
'They're early,' cried one of Dave's men.
'I know, but we've no choice but give them what we can,' Dave said nervously. Was there really someone more formidable than Dave and his men? If they had him practically crying like a baby, then they were surely not people to mess with. We saw the headlights as the cars entered the compound, with each one that came through I felt my unease grow. There were seven cars in total, most of which had five people inside, as they pulled up and got out of the cars I noticed the look of terror on Dave's face.
As the men got out of the cars, there was one who stood out among the rest. He looked to be only in his early thirties, he was dressed in a black shirt, with tight fitting dark jeans and steel toe capped boots. The brown leather jacket he wore seemed to make his pale blond hair and piercing blue eyes stand out more, his intimidating stature was made more frightening by his ghastly complexion and the fact that he was 6'6. His slender build only made him seem taller than what he was, he was formidable indeed. He waved his hand as if to tell his men to stand back, he walked up to Dave and looked and him as if he were a bug on his windscreen.
'You're early,' Dave stammered.
'Well after our last meeting I wouldn't have thought you'd be lax in getting me what I asked for,' his voice was filled with arrogance and overconfidence.
Judging by Dave's face, this man was not one to mess with.
'I-I did my best Nathaniel, this is what I have,' he stuttered.
'Out of my way, let me have a look,' he commanded.
He walked the length of the line of women, eyeing each one up as he did. He stopped at Maggie and paused, looking at her more fondly than the others.
'What's your name?' He asked almost gently.
'M-Maggie,' she sputtered. 'You're a beautiful one aren't you?' He said lustfully.
'T-thank you,' she replied not looking at him.
'I'll take this one, Maddox put her in with me,' he shouted. A man almost as tall as the leader appeared, the other guy was as dark as Nathaniel was pale. He looked to be about the same age as Nathaniel, and was almost as tall. Maddox had long black dread locked hair that came to his waist, his almost black eyes seemed empty of emotion, his muscular build made him look just as frightening as Nathaniel. He gently took Maggie by the arm and put her in a large, black Jeep.
I saw the annoyance on Dave's face, but he said nothing as Nathaniel took Maggie from him.
'Wait,' Jade said as she stepped forward.
'Can I help you with something?' Nathaniel asked, seeming to not be surprised my Jade's sudden speech.
'Please don't take the ginger girl, take me instead,' Jade replied calmly as she looked Nathaniel straight in the eyes.
'Who is she to you?' He asked softly.
'She is my family, I look at her as if she were my daughter. I ask that you either take me instead or take us both, I have my uses too,' she told him.
'Hmm, you're a brave woman indeed. Very well, I accept please get in the car,' he gestured to the car and Jade gladly followed his instruction. Nathaniel walked along the line of women again, this time he stopped at the woman who had been next to Jade. She was a small woman with long pale brown hair and dark blue eyes, who looked to be in her forties. If they were like Dave's group then what did they want with an older woman?
'This ones the doctor, isn't she?' Nathaniel demanded.
'Yes but-,' Dave tried to say. 'I want her, Maddox put her in with me as well please,' he said softly. 'I need two more, what else do you have for me?' Nathaniel asked, resuming his previous tone of voice.
'This is all we have,' Dave stammered.
'Tut tut, and after I spared your men you bring me nothing of use?' He shouted.
'I'm sorry, we just need more time,' Dave pleaded.
'You've had one month, now your time is up. Maddox, Byson, Cyrus take two of his men, whichever ones you want and chain them to the cars please.' Byson was in his late twenties, he too was tall and muscly although he didn't quite match up to Maddox. His hair was short but his brown fringe kept getting in his eyes, the pale brown eyes of his seemed to absorb the scene before him as though it were any other day.
The other man called Cyrus looked to be the youngest in his mid-twenties, he was a good nine inches shorter than Nathaniel with short jet black hair and dark blue eyes, he was just as slender as his leader but his smile looked somewhat less sadistic.
I saw the evil smile cross Nathaniel's face as Dave begged for mercy, they took one of Dave's older men who looked to be in his fifties. I actually felt sorry for the guy who was being dragged to the car, he looked almost old and frail, with wispy grey hair, dark green eyes and a look of pure terror on his face. The other guy was about forty, he was a small dumpy guy with dark blue eyes and a mop of jet black hair. They pulled the guy by his black beard to the rear of the same car as the other one.
'This is what happens when you disappoint me, now boys,' he said almost laughing. Frankie and I watched in horror as the men arms were chained up to two cars, Maddox got one car while Byson and Cyrus got in another. I knew what was coming, but it did not make the sight any easier. At first they very slowly drove the cars apart until the men were stretched out and in agony, I could hear their skin tear.
'Maybe next time you'll learn, not to disappoint me,' Nathaniel laughed. The cars pulled away so fast that the men were ripped apart, their screams filled the air as the blood splattered across the ground. I made the mistake of not pulling my eyes away as I saw their flesh tore from their bodies, but the cars did not stop until the men's bloody remains lay in pieces on the ground, yards apart. I felt sick having witnessed it, but neither I nor Frankie dared scream.
'No, dad!' A lad in Dave's group screamed. 'Well, looks like I killed your old man. What are you going to do about it kid?' He was goading the lad, that much was clear.
Dave looked at the ginger lad as if with his eyes trying to tell him not to do it, but the lad didn't listen and kicked Nathaniel straight in the stomach . Nathaniel didn't even flinch, either he was exceptionally strong or the lad was very weak.
'You know the rules, anyone gets out of line and someone else pays the consequences,' he smiled sadistically as he looked at the women.
Oh no, I thought. He's not going to kill one of the women is he? I looked at Frankie who seemed to be thinking the same thing, we gripped each others hand as we continued to watch. He walked over to a young woman in her twenties, she was a tiny woman who could not have been more than 5'4. She had a round, pale face with light freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her dark blond hair and blue eyes had watched as Nathaniel spoke to the ginger lad, I noticed the small smile on her face as did.
'What's your name?' He asked gently.
'Molly,' she replied calmly.
'Do you know that lad?'
'Yes, he was my captor,' she told him.
Nathaniel smiled sadistically again, he struck me as strange man. He was being overly harsh on Dave and his group, but almost nice to the women. What was his game, I wondered?
'I bet you'd like to see him suffer, wouldn't y
ou?'
'Yes,' she growled angrily.
'Maddox, pass me the corpse crusher,' he commanded.
Maddox got out the car carrying a large wooden bat with home made metal spikes on, he gave the bat to Nathaniel who asked Molly to step forward.
'Take it, and do what you want to him,' he told her while smiling. For a moment the girl looked confused, she took the bat but did not move.
'It's alright love, go ahead,' he said gently. Maddox and Cyrus held the guy back while Molly stepped forward, she smiled at the lad as he begged for mercy. She raised the bat and paused for a moment before bringing it swiftly down upon his head, I watched in horror as the girl proved to be as sadistic as her captors. She did not stop nor pause until the lad lay dying on the floor, I felt myself flinch at the sight of him. His beaten, bloody and crushed body lay still on the floor, he was not yet dead though as I heard him gurgling.
'Do you not want to finish him off?' Nathaniel asked her.
'A quick death is too good for him,' she replied as she spat on the lad.
'Ha ha, good girl,' he told her happily.
'Serves the prick right,' she said triumphantly.
'Have you all learned your lesson?' He asked smugly.
'We have,' Dave replied pleadingly.
'How many of you lot are there?'
'There's twenty of us men and sixteen women,' he told him.
'Where's the rest of your men then?' Nathaniel demanded.
'I-I don't know,' Dave stammered.
'I do hope your not playing tricks with me,' he warned Dave.
'I'm not, I swear,' Dave pleaded.
'Go and fetch your men, now!' Nathaniel shouted. Dave gathered a few of his men to go and find the rest of them, I looked at Frankie with panic in my eyes. If the lads were discovered, we'd never have the numbers to fight Dave's group. I looked around, being careful not to be seen. I could just make out Jensen and Finn's shape, they were going the long way round but would end up just outside the wall near to where we'd killed the two on watch. Dave's men returned a few moments later with two of their fallen comrades, I could see the fear on Dave's face as he presented them to Nathaniel.
Dead World Rising (Book 1): Staying Human Page 14