Dead World Rising (Book 1): Staying Human

by Petrova, Katerina

  'Two of my men are dead, arrows to the head,' he said quietly.

  'Well, looks like you've made some enemies. Better sort that shit out, we'll be back in another month and you'd better have five this time,' Nathaniel demanded.

  'Yes,' Dave sputtered.

  'Yes what?' He replied fiercely.

  'Yes, sir,' I had no idea what to do now, it seemed that all hope was lost.

  Chapter 18

  Frankie

  As Nathaniel turned to leave, he paused for a moment as if thinking. He then turned back to Dave.

  'I'll be taking one more,' he said smugly.

  'Okay,' was all Dave could say. He walked straight up to a petite young woman, she looked to be in her early twenties. Her flaming hair flowed down her back, her grey eyes showed no emotion as she was pulled from the line up. She was a tiny woman, who appeared younger than her years, she gave a slight squeal as she was pulled from the clutches of her brown haired friend.

  'No, please don't take her. Take me instead,' her friend cried.

  'Sorry sweetheart, I've already helped the old woman out. I'm not running a charity here,' he said as he got back into his car.

  'Nooo,' the girl screamed as they drove away.

  I looked at Tamara who just sat there in shock, what the hell had just happened?

  'We need to strike now,' Tamara said quietly. I nodded knowing that she was right, there was only thirteen of his group left and I knew that Jade and Maggie would have gotten weapons to the other women somehow. We readied our crossbows as Dave was rounding the women up, we fired and hit two of his men in the chest. They fell to the ground with a thud, Dave and the other men were looking round to see where the arrows had come from. In the time it took for them to figure it out, we had shot another two of the men. Jensen and Finn appeared from the other side of the barn, weapons in hand.

  The women rose up to take on their captors, I lost sight of Dave as he grabbed a young girl and took her inside. 'Faye, no!' Finn screamed as he ran after them. I ran into the middle of the battle, I took out my knife not caring that they were human as I killed them. One, two, three down by my hand. I almost revelled in the fight, I felt not quite human as I took from them their lives. I could not think of anything as I fought my way through them, I saw that some of the women had been killed but I had to keep going.

  'Where's Finn and Jensen?' I shouted to Tamara.

  'They went after Dave,' she replied.

  'I think these lot can handle the rest of them, let's go,' I told her as I ran inside.

  We ran inside to find that there was not a soul in sight, I couldn't hear anything at first until we walked down one of the long corridors.

  'Get back or she's dead!' Dave shouted.

  'We need to help,' I told Tamara.

  She nodded as we entered the room that Dave, Faye and the lads were in.

  'Please don't hurt my sister,' Finn begged.

  I could hear the fear in his voice, the poor guy he must be petrified.

  'What do you want?' I asked him.

  'Well well, look who it is. I want you to let me leave in one piece, otherwise I'll gut the girl,' he replied angrily.

  'Hell no, because of you my sister is gone. I want payback,' Jensen growled.

  'Jensen no, don't be stupid. Faye is innocent, if you cause her death you'll never forgive yourself.

  Fine, you can go but first tell us about the other group, where are they living?' I asked with gritted teeth.

  'Ha, you'll never get through their defences. You think I'm bad, their leader is someone even I wouldn't mess with, but he's in Scotland not far from the town of Thurso,' he said almost laughing. I pulled Jensen away as we made a path for Dave to leave through.

  'You, follow me to the car and once I'm in it you can have this little bitch back,' he told me.

  I told the others to stay back as I followed him, I kept my knife out and my wits about me.

  'One wrong move and she's toast,' he said.

  'I get it, I won't do anything,' I replied angrily. He backed away slowly, still holding the long curved knife to Faye's throat. I didn't trust him one bit, he would either take her with him or I'd end up dead. I didn't care about myself though, too few people had family these days and I wasn't about the let Finn lose the only family he had left. I kept my cool and kept following him, once he reached the outside I saw the devastation. So many dead, strewn across the ground like bloody dolls just laying there frozen.

  I did not cry, for I would not allow Dave to see my human weakness.

  'I want what's left of my men,' he said angrily.

  I shook my head.

  'The deal was you for her, that's not changing,' I told him strongly.

  'Well last I checked, I was in charge of this deal. Now do as I say or I'll kill her,' he smiled smugly. I ran quickly over to the four men that were still standing and told them to run, I tried to explain to the women just why I was letting them go. I was fortunate that when they looked over at Faye, they all agreed to let the men go.

  I walked back over to Dave who was just getting into his car, he threw Faye at me. I caught her in my arms as I felt a sharp pain in my back, I fell to the floor with Faye in my arms. I couldn't think, or speak. I had been right, I knew I would not survive this fight.

  Chapter 19

  Jensen

  As we dragged the bodies out and burned them I felt sad for all the lives that had been lost.

  'This is just fucking shit,' Izzy said angrily as she help me with one of the bodies. Izzy was the girl whose friend had also been taken by Nathaniel, we learned that her friends name was Hayley. I felt her pain, she had told me how her and Hayley had not been apart in all the time they'd known each other.

  'I didn't know any of these women, but I know what you mean. It seems like such a waste of life,' I replied sadly.

  I could see Tamara and the others dragging out more of the bodies, the look of sadness on their faces was awful.

  'I hope we won't wait too long before going to get our friends back, Hayley is all that I have left in the world,' she told me tearfully.

  'As soon as things are sorted here we'll leave,' I promised. We had retrieved Toms body and buried him next to Amber, eight women had died in the battle, many of them were pregnant. None of them had been killed by a head wound so we had to take care of them, two of them were close to giving birth so we had to cut them open and kill their unborn babies before they turned. Even I cried as I had watched Tamara and Jillian do it, none of the others to could bring themselves to do the terrible task.

  We stood together, all seven of us as Jillian lit the fire.

  'Goodbye fellow friends, I hope you find peace in heaven,' Jillian said sombrely.

  'Goodbye,' the rest of us said in unison. As the fire burned brightly we tried to let go of our anger and sorrow, while eight had died in the battle three had committed suicide, they could not cope with the thought of bringing a child born of rape into this world. The only comfort those who had lived with them had, was the fact that the women had gotten their revenge on those who had tormented them. Not counting those who had been taken by Nathaniel's group, we had saved only five of the women from those monsters.

  We had lost so much in this last week, our group had lost some of its original members and even though we had gained a few allies it could not replace what we had lost; we could still lose even more given that there was still five of Dave's group out there.

  My beautiful sister Maggie was one of those that we had lost, even though she was still alive we had no idea how to get to her. Nathaniel and his group had taken her to Scotland, from what the surviving women had told us they were not to be messed with. With numbers over sixty, we would be no match for them, even with the women who had volunteered to help us.

  We stayed at Finn and Faye's summer house, Tamara insisted that we visit Tom and Amber everyday. Finn was coming with us today as Faye had told him he needed to get out, though he didn't want to leave his sister he knew she
would be safe. After everything we had found out about him and Faye we understood why he was so hostile towards us in the beginning.

  His parents worked for Government in a secret science unit, they were researching an unknown virus that had swept over Iraq. One the test subjects had escaped, and so began the outbreak in the UK. They had a bunker built under their house a couple of years before the outbreak; it was stocked with food, weapons and instructions for what to do in case they didn't come home. Finn and Faye lived off that food for two years before they had to venture out, Faye was only seven when the outbreak happened and Finn was ten but he took care of her. All the years of his father teaching martial arts and taking him camping had done him the world of good, he fought off so many undead to protect her.

  We were thankful that the bad group hadn't found the secret basement, it was well hidden under the thick plush carpet of the downstairs bathroom. I couldn't help but be in awe when we went into the cellar, we could survive for a whole year on this stuff even with our added numbers, there were weapons and loads of medical supplies here that would surely come in useful. Despite our joy at surviving the battle we did not talk to each other much, I think we were all trying to process everything that had happened.

  We got as much as we could carry in our bags and headed back to our new base, Finn closed up the entrance and put the carpet back where it was. We could easily go back and get more when we needed. I knew that in the time to come we would all be thankful for the extra supplies, though we would run out eventually I thought sombrely.

  The talkie crackled and Tamara's voices came through.

  'Can you hear me?' Her crackly worried voice said.

  'We are here, what's up?' I replied.

  Jade and Finn stood with me listening for Tamara's reply. 'You need to get back here now, its Frankie!' She said sounding alarmed.

  'On our way.'

  We raced back upstairs.

  'I don't know if she will make it, she keeps burning up and going cold. I hope we made the right call guys, if not it was for nothing,' she cried. Faye knew that Frankie had fought so hard to rescue her, like the other's she couldn't help but sit by her bedside. I knew what Faye meant by that comment, if Frankie died then we had wasted medical supplies on trying to help her. I wanted to scold her for even thinking about that but I had to admit that I wasn't thinking rationally at that moment.

  One of the smaller men had got to her and stabbed her in the ribs narrowly missing any organs as he'd fled in the car with Dave. Jillian was a nurse before all this and did her best to save Frankie's life, the blade wasn't that big but a part of it had broken off and got stuck inside her. Fortunately in Finn's basement there were a lot of medical supplies so Jillian had good equipment to work with, but Frankie was still in critical condition.

  I put my head on her chest, I could hear that she was still breathing although it was very faint. I wanted to cry, we couldn't lose Frankie not after everything we had been through, she may not have known it but she was the reason we made it this far. She helped Tom when he needed her, she got us all working together and prepared for battle. She was by far the strongest person I had ever met, I didn't tell her but I was falling in love with her.

  From the moment Frankie had joined us she was kind and generous, she gave us food when she was running low. She had travelled miles to find us just to tell Jade that her husband had died, this cruel world had not made her cold like so many others. Tom had once told me in confidence that he thought she was just what our group needed, she was strong and wise.

  Before the others had been taken we had been been with her for three weeks, though it felt like I had known her for years. Even Maggie could tell I felt something for her, it wasn't until she saved me from a hidden walker on the canal that I really saw just how amazing she was.

  She put herself in danger to rescue me, she nearly fell in the canal but that didn't stop her from killing the thing. She had saved us many times when we got cornered and comforted us when we struggled to deal with the chaotic reality of this world. I had never thanked her taking care of me when Maggie had been captured, I was too upset. I told the others to go, I wanted to be alone with her I needed to be the one to end her if it came to that.

  I sat for three days by her bedside, I didn't eat or sleep the other's kept trying to get me to move but I would have none of it. I cried and screamed, if there was a God PLEASE BRING HER BACK!! I'd already lost my sister I just knew that if Frankie died that would be the end for me. I sat there remembering our time together, Tamara was so grateful to have her with us. She had told me how it was like having a sister when Frankie was around, she had assumed that Frankie was like a sister to me when in reality she was so much more. I never got the chance to talk to her about our moment at the supermarket back with Tom. The memory of being so close to her was hauntingly beautiful, I had dreamt of feeling her lips on mine again ever since. I never got to find out what that moment meant, was it just a fluke or did she feel something for me?

  Two weeks had passed since Tamara had told us to come back and nothing had changed, Frankie was still barely alive. We had her on a drip, Jillian came and changed it but we were running out. There was only half a bag left and I was feeling desperate.

  'Please wake up Frankie, I need you- we need you. Don't leave us,' I cried into her chest, I couldn't hold back the tears. I sobbed into her chest willing her to wake up, but she didn't move or say a word she just lay there barely breathing. Her normally pale face was even more drained of colour, her golden blonde hair stuck to her sweat soaked face. I kissed her on the forehead as a tear slid down my cheek and landed on her.

  I ached for her to wake up before it was too late, how could it be that she had done so much for us but we could not save her?

  'Jensen, I think we need to start thinking about what to do,' Tamara said softly.

  'I know what you are going to say and don't bother, she will wake up! Even if... she doesn't I will take care of her, got it!' I shouted glaring at her angrily.

  'Okay if that's what you want, I'll leave you alone. Please don't put yourself in harms way, if she does die don't let her come back,' Tamara squeezed my shoulder then got up and left me alone. I looked at Frankie after Tamara walked out, she looked like an angel so peaceful and beautiful it was as if she was sleeping. I never realized that I had fallen asleep but when I opened my eyes the morning sun was glaring through the tatty moth eaten curtains. I looked over to see that Frankie was in a different position than she was yesterday, she was sleeping and her breathing was more normal. Tamara walked in smiling, holding a tray of food for me. My stomach growled loudly at the sight of food even if it was only cold tinned tomatoes and an awful tasting energy bar.

  'She woke in the night, we tried to wake you to but you were dead to the world,' she sounded so chirpy it felt strange given all that had happened.

  'Thanks, tell everyone that I'm sorry for being an ass,' I said apologetically.

  'Its alright Jensen we all understand, just please get some food down you,' Tamara replied putting the food down and walking out the room.

  As I started munch on the food Frankie to began stir, I put the food down and took her hand. 'Hey stranger,' she said quietly while gently squeezing my hand.

  'How are you feeling?' I asked not letting go of her.

  'Not too bad, though it still hurts like hell,' she tried to sit up but I could tell that it hurt her to move. I got up and helped her, she looked so much younger than she had previously. She coughed and winced in pain. I went to get her some food, the others agreed that she should have more than the usual rations. So I took back, four tins of beans, four energy bars and four bags of crisps. We sat and ate our food, I wolfed mine down as I was so hungry but Frankie couldn't seem to eat much she was still very weak. I urged her to eat more than just one tin of beans but she couldn't manage it.

  'You need to rest, you should go back to sleep,' I said gently.

  'Will you stay with me?' She asked weakly.
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  'I won't leave you, I promise.' I lay next to her on the mattress, she fell asleep in my arms it was the closest thing to happiness I'd felt since this whole thing began. I had never loved anyone in a romantic way, it was a shock when these feelings came to me. I would love her for as long as I lived but I wouldn't put this burden on Frankie, I decided in that moment.

  The next morning I woke to find that Frankie was still asleep, her long blonde hair was clinging to her pale face. I put my ear to her chest, to find that her breathing was steady. I decided to leave her asleep, she could do with some rest after what she had been through.

  I got off the bed and tip toed out the room, I went to the main building where everyone was sat. Izzy was sat in the corner with Tamara laughing, Izzy's brown eyes twinkled when she laughed. They were reminiscing about amusing childhood stories. Tamara was our resident joker, smiling looked so natural on her. There was Gail, Jillian and Cammi who were among the women that we had saved.

  Gail was an older woman, she was in her fifties with short sandy coloured hair and hazel eyes. She was small and dumpy with a very wrinkled face, she had a fiery temper not to be messed with. She had known Jillian since they were teenagers, I could see that she cared fiercely for Jillian.

  Jillian was also an older woman, she was fifty with short tight curly hair. Although she was originally from Jamaica she had lived in Holmfirth since she was a child. Jillian was tall and round with the darkest brown eyes I had ever seen.

  Cammi was Jillian's daughter but was so different, she was tall and slender she was the calm to Jillian's storm. She was quiet and reserved, but now as I looked at them all laughing together I couldn't believe what they had been through.