“Whatever.” Drake sat down at the table and looked up at Bradley. “Is this the real reason why you’re here? Trying to fight Double D’s battles for him?”
“I was just saying...” Karen stopped and swallowed her anger. There was no point in arguing with Drake. His leadership style was more autocratic than John Lincoln’s, Lee James’s and Vince’s. She didn’t agree with his heavy-handed approach, but knew if he tried that shit with Vince or Pickle, especially Pickle, then he’d be getting a slap. She didn’t think that would happen. Drake picked his victims carefully and some days she liked him, whilst other days she didn’t.
She decided to change the subject. “Anyway, I wanted to speak to you about something else.”
“Oh?” Drake looked up, impatience scrawled all over his face.
“Your brother’s up to something.”
“Alan is always up to something.”
“No, I mean something strange is happening.”
Drake produced a long childish groan, and said, “Explain.”
“I bumped into Findlay. He said he was off to play cards. I followed Findlay and saw him meet up with Alan and a few others.”
“And?”
“There was about six of them, and they were there for some kind of meeting.”
Drake rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the chair. He thought for a moment and seemed annoyed. Karen guessed that Drake was more annoyed that a meeting had taken place without his knowledge and without an invite, and it hadn’t even occurred to him yet what the content of the meeting was about and whether it was counterproductive to his leadership.
“Okay.” He released a yawn and added, “Let me handle it.”
“And how are you gonna do that?”
“I’ll have a word with Alan,” Drake said. “If they are planning something, then I’ll be letting them know that I’m onto them. Maybe it’ll change his mind on whatever he’s planning.”
“And maybe he’ll continue with whatever he’s planning, but be sneakier about it.”
“Listen to us pair of paranoid fools,” Drake laughed.
Karen was satisfied that Drake was going to have a word, but she didn’t want any more hostility towards the people who used to live at Colwyn Place, Little Haywood, and said to Drake, “Do me a favour.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t tell them I followed them. It’ll cause unrest.”
“I hear you.” Drake nodded.
“Us Colwyn lot still aren’t the most popular of people,” said Karen. She didn’t have to explain. Drake knew the reason why Karen wanted him not to bring up that she followed Findlay.
“No shit.”
“I know you’re okay, because you’re the one that invited us here and that’s why I’m telling you this.”
“And because you have no one else to confide in with Pickle and co being away. Is that it?”
Karen nodded. “I’m not paranoid, Drake. I’m certain that something dodgy is happening.”
“Okay.” Drake nodded. “After my chat with Alan, I’ll keep an eye on things.”
“Thank you.” Karen was satisfied with Drake’s response and was about to leave the staff room. “Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes, sugar tits?”
“Leave Darren alone.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Vince and Mildred stepped back as soon as the door opened, and could see the outline of the dead coming towards them.
They ran out into the room, but the door they had come through was unintentionally blocked by the dead. Mildred was the first to put one down, swinging her bat at the side of its head.
Vince drove his blade through the face of the next advancing one, but it was enough to put it down with the machete going upwards and piercing the brain. The remaining four stumbled towards them simultaneously, and Mildred managed to ram the spike at the end of her bat into one of them before she was grabbed.
Vince put another down, the blade going through the skull, but was also grabbed and wrestled with the dead creature as Mildred was struggling with hers.
Vince’s machete was still embedded in the dead’s skull and was grabbed by a female ghoul before he had time to take it out.
Mildred’s bat had been dropped and pushed her dead assailant away to give her time to pick the bat up. She swiped at the creature, only knocking it over, then brought the bat down twice, cracking its skull and damaging the brain.
She stepped behind the remaining female Snatcher that Vince was still wrestling with and drove the spike into the back of its head. It stopped what it was doing and remained still for a few seconds before dropping to the floor.
“Well, that was easier than I thought,” Vince panted, trying to get his breath back.
“No wonder,” Mildred joked. “I did most of the work. I was still putting them down while you were dancing with Beryl.” Mildred pointed to the creature on the floor.
“Beryl?”
Mildred shrugged, “Whatever the fuck her name is.”
“I think it’s time to leave,” Vince sighed. “Not happy with Pickle, to be honest with you. I would have been up here ages ago.”
The two crept downstairs, both breathing heavily, and necks twisted constantly as they reached the ground floor and progressed through it.
They stepped outside and both stood and paused to get their breath back to normal. Vince was breathing heavier than Mildred and once they were ready to leave, he noticed another Snatcher stumbling towards them.
“That’s not good,” he moaned.
“It’s just the one,” Mildred laughed.
“I know. But how did it get past the van? Why didn’t Pickle or one of the others put it down?”
The two looked at one another and were thinking the same thing. Vince strolled towards the Snatcher that looked like it had turned many months ago. Half of its face had no skin anymore and its skeletal features were exposed. The clothes it used to have on were now torn rags, and the top half revealed the grey skin on its torso and ribs poking out. A lot of the dead these days looked bloated, which was either due to gases or eating victims and having the food nowhere to go. This one was different. This one was almost skeletal.
“I’ll get it,” said Vince.
Once it was put out of its misery, Vince turned and walked towards Mildred.
He stopped when her eyes widened, and before he could turn, she yelled at him to duck. He did just that. It was an instant reaction.
He was convinced that Mildred was going to whack or stab an advancing creature that somehow Vince hadn’t spotted or heard, but he was wrong.
Still crouching, he turned on his heels and couldn’t see anything, apart from the creature he had put down a few yards away.
“What was it?” he asked with confusion, now standing up.
“A wasp.”
“A fucking wasp?” He looked annoyed. “Is that it?”
“Ever been stung by one? Hurts like fuck.”
Vince shook his head, walked away and Mildred followed. They turned a corner and the pair of them were on the main road, but there was no van.
“I don’t like this,” Vince said.
“I thought it was strange that they never came looking for us,” said Mildred. “Do you think—?”
“He would never have left without us.” Vince scratched his stubbly chin in thought, and couldn’t fathom where his friend and other companions had gone.
“Can’t see any sign of a horde,” Mildred said. “I wonder what the piss happened.”
“Don’t know.”
“What shall we do now?”
Vince threw his hands in the air and elevated his shoulders. “No idea. We can wait a while, but we’ll need to head back to Stafford on foot. It’ll be too dangerous to hang around this place in the dark.”
“Better take a seat then.” Mildred sat on the grass bank.
“May as well.”
Vince sat next to her and his mind was plagued with worry for Harry Branst
on, David and Richard, and especially young Stephanie. She worshipped Vince and he loved her like a daughter.
“They’ll be fine.” Mildred rubbed Vince’s arm, noticing the concern on his face.
“I fucking hope so.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Gary said you wanted to see me.”
Drake looked up and saw his younger brother standing by the door of the staff room. Drake looked at his twenty-nine-year-old brother and noticed his dark hair was in dire need of a wash.
“Come in and sit down,” Drake ordered. He was already sitting down and reached his leg out, pushing a chair out at the opposite side of the table.
Alan was reluctant to sit down immediately. He hated being ordered about, especially by his bigger brother.
“I’m fine standing up,” said Alan.
Drake smiled at his brother’s stubbornness. “Just sit the fuck down. This is serious.”
Alan did as he was told and puffed out a breath; he folded his arms like a petulant child.
“I want to ask you a question,” Drake began, “and I want you to answer honestly.”
“Go on.”
“Okay.” Drake cleared his throat and asked his little brother, “First of all, when was the last time you had a wash? You look like shit.”
“Really?” Alan sighed. “You brought me in for that?”
“Actually, no.” Drake leaned back and asked his little brother, “What the fuck are you up to?”
Alan screwed his face and genuinely had no idea what his brother was talking about and told him so.
Drake tried to expand. “You had a meeting with Findlay and some others in the outpatients building.”
Alan sat up straight and asked, “How the fuck did you know about that? Have you had me followed?”
“Don’t matter about that.” Drake placed his hands on his thighs and leaned in, eyeballing his little brother. “You’re up to something.”
“It was just a game of cards.”
“Bollocks,” laughed Drake. “I’m warning you not to do anything stupid.”
“You’re warning me?” Alan laughed. “You think more of the new people than you do of your own.”
“That’s not true.” Drake shook his head. “Don’t forget, when you went on your one man rampage to Little Haywood, Pickle could have had you killed when he caught you. You still haven’t told me how you managed to get the dead in the back of that van. Somebody must have helped you. You didn’t do that all by yourself.”
Alan remained tight lipped. Drake had questioned him on this before, straight after he returned, and was told nothing, which was one of the reasons why the pair of them fell out.
“Anyway,” Drake sighed, knowing that he was getting nothing out of him. “I’m just pre-warning you. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Or what?” Alan revealed a devilish smile and added, “Or you’ll beat me up? Sleep with my girlfriend?”
“That’s ancient history. Why the fuck are you bringing that up?”
“Bringing what up? Beating me up, like you did ten years ago because I scratched your bike? Or when you fucked my girlfriend on my settee, while Coral was pregnant, while I was drunk and passed out on my bed upstairs?”
“Have you quite finished?”
“Is that it?” Alan huffed and mocked. “Am I free to go now?”
“I’m being serious, Alan.”
“So am I.”
“The people in this place have trust in me,” said Drake. “I will sacrifice anything and anyone to keep the people here safe.”
“Including me?”
“Yeah, including you. But I suppose it depends on what you’re up to.”
“I’m not up to anything.”
“Good.” Drake smiled. “If I find out you’re plotting something that affects the new people or cause unrest in any way, I will put you down. Got it?”
Alan’s face was one of annoyance and he refused to answer his older brother’s short query.
Drake snapped, “Got it?”
Alan remained quiet and glared at his brother.
Drake huffed, “Get the fuck out of my sight.”
Alan smiled, trying to annoy Drake, and slowly stood up and seemed to take an age to leave the room.
Drake sat back in his seat and felt uneasy.
He was certain that Alan was up to something, but he didn’t know what.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Vince and Mildred reluctantly strolled away from the industrial estate, unsure if they were doing the right thing. They had no idea where Pickle and the van was, but a small part of them still felt like they were abandoning them.
They reached a part of the main road where there were woods on either side. Mildred and Vince were taking no chances and walked with their weapons out.
Strolling in the middle of the road, side by side, Vince was the first to speak.
“This is nice,” Vince sighed. “Being out in the fresh air, next to a hottie.”
“A hottie?” Mildred scoffed.
“Oh, sorry.” Vince held up his hands, machete in his right. “Don’t mean to be offensive. Are you one of those feminists?”
“No, not really,” Mildred groaned. “I mean, I’m not anti-men. I had a boyfriend.”
“I thought you said your partner was a she?”
“I’m bi,” Mildred laughed.
“So you swing both ways, bat for both teams?”
“You wouldn’t have got away with that five months ago,” Mildred said, smirking at Vince’s ignorance.
“Bisexual,” Vince scoffed. “Now, that’s just being greedy.”
“I can’t help the way I am.”
“When I was younger I felt like a man trapped inside a woman’s body,” Vince spoke with a smile. “And then I was born.”
“Was that piss poor joke supposed to be funny?”
Vince shrugged and said, “Kind of.”
Mildred smiled but never said anything.
“I have a feeling that this is going to be a long walk back.”
“It will if you come up with crap like that,” Mildred laughed.
“Right.” Vince sighed and added, “Let me tell you a secret.”
“Okay.”
“I’m seeing someone at the hospital,” Vince blurted out. “Her name’s Joanne. She’s really attractive and probably too good for me, if I’m telling you the truth.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“If I tell you something personal about myself, then you have to reciprocate. That’s the deal.”
“Okay.” Mildred brought her right arm up and rested her bat on her shoulder. “So it’s my turn?”
Vince nodded.
“I was very naive sexually. My first boyfriend asked me to do missionary and I buggered off to Africa for six months.”
Vince flashed Mildred a look and he knew right away that she wasn’t playing ball. “Is that right?” He groaned and added, “I’ll tell you something else and then you can try again. When I was a youngster, my dad got drunk and attacked me with a broken bottle.” Vince then pointed at his face. “Resulting in this.”
“Okay. My dad was an alcoholic, but he told us as kids that he just liked to collect bottles.”
“As a kid I was made to walk the plank. We couldn’t afford a dog.” Vince smiled at Mildred and winked at the woman. “Two can play at that game.”
Mildred adopted a serious face and said, “Maybe I don’t want people to know me.”
“Okay. We’ll walk in silence then.”
The two walked in quiet for a few minutes and it was Vince that broke the silence.
“What’s the most horrific thing you’ve seen?” Vince asked.
Mildred released an impatient sigh and said, “What do you mean? During the apocalypse?”
“Yeah.”
“Rats,” Mildred said.
“What? Rats?”
Mildred laughed a little and her vague answer needed a proper explanation.
Vince was taken aback by her comment and had seen no such thing in the three to four months of this disaster.
Mildred continued, “These rats were the size of cats, and I don’t think it had been the first one they had eaten. I was hiding behind a building and saw this lone creature staggering away, with dozens of rats attached to him and swarming around his feet, desperate to get a nibble. I nearly felt sick.”
“I’m not surprised.” Vince twisted his face in disgust. “Can’t be good for you, eating flesh that’s been rotten for days or weeks.”
“They’re rats,” Mildred laughed. “They don’t care what goes in their mouth.”
“That kind of reminds me of my ex.”
“Anyway,” Mildred ignored Vince’s comment, “That wasn’t the worst of it.”
“What was?”
“I saw the rats, one by one, leaving the walking corpse. There was a huge herd of them, if that’s the right word, and they ran along the road and I saw why they were doing what they were doing.”
Mildred had paused and Vince asked impatiently, “Which was…?”
“There was a guy in the middle of the road. He was on his own and had his back to them, unaware that they were heading his way.”
“Didn’t you call out and warn him?”
She shook her head. “Didn’t want them to head for me. Maybe in hindsight I should have. He could have outrun them. Rats can only get to a maximum speed of eight miles per hour.”
“And how do you know that?” Vince snickered.
“I just do.” Mildred looked to the side, at Vince, and added, “Anyway, they reached the man and they took him down. As you could imagine, the screams were horrendous and there must have been about fifty of those fuckers gnawing the poor bastard to death.”
“Jesus.” Vince puffed out his cheeks at just the thought of that scenario happening. “That’s probably worse than actually being eaten by the Rotters.”
“I know,” Mildred sighed. “It wasn’t quick, and to top it off, the dead walker that had the rats on him went over to the body of the man and also tried to get in on the act.”
“Talk about rotten luck.”
Snatchers (Book 14): The Dead Don't Hate Page 14