Thirteen Roses Book Two: After: A Paranormal Zombie Saga (18 page)

The hatch hung like a garage door in a darkened corner of the car park, blending in with the flat grey walls. He, Jackson and Alex got fingertips beneath it and hauled it upright. Jackson was a loony but could, at least, be useful. David just stood to one side, arms wrapped around himself as he eyeballed them.
 

The hatch opened and they plunged into the gloom that lay beyond. Luke tugged the hatch down behind them and they were smothered in total darkness. Ed was the first to crack.
 

'Can't we get some light or something?'

'Hold hands. The path is wide and flat. There's nothing to worry about because there aren't any zombies down here and we've got the blocker anyway. If any of the soldiers are down here, they'll have lights so we'll see them. If we don't have lights, they won't see us, understand?'

He was met with silence and, with a satisfied nod, set off. The walk back to St Paul's was quick and quiet and it wasn't long before they emerged into the huge cavern. Lights still burned in here and flickering shadows played across the walls. He gave them a few moments to gasp and act suitably amazed before he led them around the outside of the cavern towards the staircase.
 

The cave was quiet and there was no sign of life from the miniature St Paul's. How many soldiers of god were there, altogether? The plague had been unleashed in America and Russia and Europe, and various other places besides. It would have taken soldiers on the ground to do that.

All they had to focus on was getting Krystal out. He had to keep them alive so he could get home. That was the reason, the only reason. It didn't feel like that, though. It felt like he cared. He shuddered at the thought. The Father had done a number on him, slipped some compassion in during his conversion to mortality. It was either that or he was reverting back to his earliest nature, the way he was first born.
 

The thought made him want to spit. He sniffed and patted the stairs. His hiss sounded loud in the cavern. 'We go up as quickly as we can. If someone enters at the top of the stairs, we need to be ready, so no dawdling.'

He set off, using his hands as much as his feet on the steep, narrow steps. The climb was quicker going up than it had been coming down and he reached the top without any problems. The others were strung out down the wall. Bayleigh was doing well, but Ed and Jackson were struggling, further back than the others.
 

Ed would scramble up a few steps and stop, clinging to the stairs. Every now and then he'd look out or down and freeze, his entire body quivering. Luke groaned and rubbed his head. He settled himself against an outcrop of rock and waited. A few moments later, Bayleigh's head appeared above the lip and he reached out a hand to pull her up.
 

'That was exciting.' She said.

He gave her a wry smile. 'That, I imagine, was the easy bit.'

'Why did you kill my dad?'

He almost fell off the rock. Bayleigh blushed and put her hand on his arm. 'Sorry, I didn't mean it to come out quite like that. I just got thinking on the way up.'

Luke stammered. It wasn't something he could ever remember doing before. 'I, I… I thought it was what you wanted. It was certainly what he wanted.'

'Really?'

'Yes. The list tells me everything, stuff I could never find out on my own. He was very much ready to die.'

'Oh.' It came out like a mini explosion of air and Bayleigh sat abruptly on the flat rock, heedless of the drop six inches to her right. 'Oh. Well, that's good then.'

He turned away and cleared his throat as tears ran down her cheeks. Alex appeared at the edge and he pulled him up. The scientist raised an eyebrow and nodded towards Bayleigh. Luke indicated it was all right and they turned together to help David up. The moment he was on the shelf, David scrambled straight up to the next one and cowered beside the entrance to the tunnel.
 

Two left. Luke glanced down, saw Jackson a few metres below, and nodded. The first part was almost complete. It might have made more sense leaving some below, but he didn't trust them to not do something stupid. Still, they were nearly all here now. The next thing he heard made him want to punch himself in the face. He had no superstitions, they were meaningless when you knew how everything worked, but he couldn't help blaming his previous thoughts for the sound of boots crunching their way down the tunnel towards them.
 

David

His hands were shaking. All of him was shaking. His legs ached from the climb and his mind was still screaming from the moment near the top when his foot had slipped. He belonged on the ground, or in the sky. He was the wind. Down here was no place for the likes of him.
 

But they were here to save the girl and there was no greater purpose than that. He would grab her and fly, run like no one else until they were far away. Then he would put her down and she would smile and thank him and a zombie would eat her face. He shuddered and put his head in his hands, pressing his fingers into the side of his face until he thought his jaw would pop out.

Luke and Alex were talking, chatting away like they weren't hundreds of feet below ground in the lair of the enemy. He still wasn't convinced they were the enemy. The only proof he had was what the others had told him. Yes, they'd shot at them, but they probably thought they were being attacked. And they were soldiers, that was their job. It didn't matter now. They had sneaked in and become the enemy.
 

A sound made him freeze. His body stopped shaking for a brief moment while he listened to the click and scuff of boots on the stone floor of the tunnel. He poked his head over the edge and peered into the darkness. A faint shape materialised and he shook his head, backing away. He bumped into something and squeaked, the sound muffled as a hand covered his mouth. Luke's whisper was loud in his ear.
 

'Make another sound and I'll toss you over the edge, understand?'

He tried to nod but all he did was shake. Luke was obviously satisfied because he pushed him to one side and stepped closer to the tunnel. Bayleigh and Alex had already moved as near to the edges as possible. David glanced over his shoulder and looked straight down two hundred feet to the ragged stones below. Sweat broke afresh over his brow and he dug his fingers into the stone at his feet.
 

The footsteps drew closer until a face appeared at the exit to the tunnel. Luke moved fast, like a pouncing cat. His fist hit the guy in the throat and he tumbled forwards from the tunnel without making a sound. Luke caught him and lowered the body to the stone floor.
 

'Jim, what's going on, you alright?'

The sound was muffled, like the man had his hand over his mouth. David realised it was a gas mask just as the second face appeared. Luke repeated the trick, but this one was quicker and got his arm in the way of the blow. He unbalanced and also fell forwards, but he fought as he went.
 

He and Luke grabbed one another and grappled in silence, the peace of the cavern broken by their grunts and gasps. David covered his face, not wanting to watch. Alex had mentioned Luke's extra strength and speed, and it showed now as he pulled away from the soldier and struck him in the face. The gas mask exploded, burying plastic in the man's skin.
 

He pawed at his mouth, covering it as he held his breath. Everyone froze, staring at the soldier and his rapidly widening eyes. His breath finally gave out and he took a shallow sniff through his nose. David's toes curled inside his shoes.
 

It happened in horrible slow motion. His eyes went red and sunk into his face and his skin grew pale and pasty. His hands curled up, scratching his face as his nails grew ludicrously quickly. Finally, he toppled over and hit the stone, stiff and cold.
 

David wanted to scream. He bit his lip as hard as he dared, tasting blood and spitting it out onto the stone. Luke grabbed the body by the shoulders and tossed it off the edge of the platform. He couldn't help turning to watch, even as his gorge rose up. He wasn't the only one who saw the body hit the floor and the explosion of blood and organs that spread out around it.
 

A shout made him spin back around. He wasn't the only one distracted. Another of the soldiers had emerged from the tunnel and made a b-line for Bayleigh. Now he had his arm around her throat. David was about to leap forwards when he saw the knife pressed against her neck.
 

'Easy now, gentlemen. I've no qualms about killing women. Done it before, I'll do it again. You wanna find out if today is the day?'

They were silent but nobody moved.
 

'Good, wise choice. So, you're all immune like the little brat upstairs, are you? How convenient. Line yourselves up with your backs to me, facing the cavern. Near the edge as possible, please.'

David glanced at the edge and burst out laughing.
 

'This funny, is it?' The soldier pressed the tip of his knife into Bayleigh's neck and she squirmed and whimpered.
 

'I couldn't go near the edge if you paid me. Not a chance.' It was funny and he couldn't help laughing again. The soldier stepped around Bayleigh and lashed out at him with one foot. He dodged it but his laughter dried up. He sat, hands pressed carefully on his legs and looked up at the soldier.
 

'I'm really not kidding. I can't do it.'

'Just turn around then. Come on, get on with it.'

David turned slowly, seeing Luke do the same. David waggled his eyebrows frantically, to ask why he wasn't doing anything. Luke looked his usual weird brand of calm and David swallowed. He didn't like the calm Luke any more than he liked the angry Luke.
 

'Right, anyone like to tell me what you're doing here?'

The soldier was met with silence.
 

'I'll put this knife through her jugular and then we can talk, I'm not fussed.'

'Wait, don't…' David spun to face the soldier, lurching to his feet. The soldier reacted, taking the knife from Bayleigh's neck for a moment. Luke muttered something and all the blood drained from the soldier's face. The knife clattered to the floor. David went for it and as he bent, saw Jackson's hand appear over the edge of the rock.
 

David left the knife where it was and grabbed Bayleigh's hand instead. He gripped tight as Jackson wrapped his huge mitt around the soldier's ankle and yanked. The soldier was in no state to resist and the sound of his gas mask smashing against the stone floor made David's stomach turn.
 

Jackson hauled the body off the stone and out into space, and they watched it tumble down. David didn't let go of Bayleigh's hand, but stood staring at her, both of them taking deep breaths.
 

'You having trouble up here?' Jackson said.

David and Bayleigh both nodded vigorously while Luke shrugged. 'Nothing we couldn't handle, but thanks for the help.'

Jackson grunted and turned back to the edge of the rock. Ed was a few steps down but he froze as the big man reached a hand to him. David saw their eyes lock as they stared at one another and something passed between them. Then Jackson rose and stepped away.
 

'Someone gonna help him up?'

Alex was already on his knees by the steps, and moments later the last of their number was on the shelf.

'We need to move. They'll expect those men back.' Luke said.

'We killed them.' All eyes turned to Bayleigh at the sound of her tremulous voice. 'We killed them. Did we have to kill them?'

Luke coughed. 'What other choice do we have?'

'We give them a chance, don't we? They're the only humans left alive. We can't just kill them all.'

'Why not?' Jackson asked. 'We got enough of us here to repopulate.'

'Repop—? I'm sorry?'

'You know exactly what I mean. They're the people who did this. And they worship a false god. They made a very bad choice and now they have to live with the consequences.'

'Oh, like you're doing I suppose?'

'Listen, you have no idea what I did and what I went through so ju—'

'ENOUGH.' Luke took a deep breath and lowered his voice. 'That's more than enough. Bayleigh, in this sort of situation, it's either them or us. Deal with it.'

'Yeah, I know, I just… there has to be another way. Can we try to find a different way, please?'

Alex nodded and David found himself nodding along as well. He didn't actually care one way or the other. He thought he should, but all he could find in his mind was the sound of laughter and the flapping of his trousers in the wind. He was the wind, the petty lives of humans meant nothing to him. He giggled. The others were looking at him, Bayleigh with a furrowed brow and a sad sort of mouth.
 

Luke nudged his way through and headed into the tunnel. David waited until Jackson went in and followed after. He was the last and kept looking over his shoulder as the light dwindled. Soon it was too dark to see the broad back in front of him and then he couldn't see his hands in front of his face.
 

He kept walking, focusing on the sounds of breathing that floated back. They walked for a long time, far longer than he thought they would. His feet were aching from the climb in the cavern and he was flagging. He paused for a moment and listened. The breathing was gone.
 

'Hello?'

No reply. He dashed through the darkness, hands stretched out before him like the creatures outside. There was no one there. Where were they? He flailed around and his hand struck the wall hard enough to bring tears to his eyes.
 

'Hello, anyone?'

He didn't dare shout but he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself. He was the wind and he was trapped down here, deep underground. He should be outside, beneath the blue and green. He ran some more, the sound of his blood thumping in his ears drowning out the scuff of his feet on the stone. His hands were still out in front so it was them that caught the worst of the wall when he ran into it.