As the Light Dies (90 page)

Ann thought she saw the outline of the Eastgate Shopping Centre emerging through the fog of polluted snow ahead of her. She prayed that it was, if only for Sar
a’
s sake.

Lightning flickered high up over head illuminating her murky surroundings, and it confirmed what sh
e’
d prayed sh
e’
d seen. The Eastgate Centre was just up ahead. Its form poked through the dirty snow at wide and narrow angles that fed off long clean lines.

Hope wanted to wash over her, but her heart jumped and pumped irregularly as a maddening panic tried to take over. Her mind told her that she was
n’
t safe. None of them were!

Close, but not nearly close enough
!
she thought.

Just ahead of them drawing closer and closer was their salvation.

But just as close. If not closer behind them, the black tide of death closed in. Slowly but surely reigning them!

Ann pushed on, both mentally and physically exhausted from running through the deep snow while trying to breathe through clogged up dust masks, and occasionally having to carry Sarah when she tired. She used every last ounce of strength she had left in her body to keep on going, practically dragging Sarah through the snow beside her when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. With one quick glance she saw figures coming out of buildings or standing up from behind abandoned cars. She did
n’
t look again, she just ran!

Behind her she could hear Sa
m’
s savage barking and the men shouting and screaming at each other, and the sound of Davi
d’
s gun. Every time he fired a shot her ears throbbed and above all that, she heard the squealing, gurgling infected. It sounded like there must be hundreds of them hunting them down like a heavily polluted wave coming to wash them away in their own blood, coming to rinse their bodies of their flesh.

Ann swerved around and squeezed between abandoned vehicles hoping to a God she did
n’
t believe in that she did
n’
t run in to an infected person hiding behind one of them, ending up dragging Sarah to her to her death. But she had no other option, the cars were blocking the road and they needed to get passed
,
ha
d
to get passed.

Ann went first, checking it was safe for Sarah before she followed. They were making good going until suddenly they came up against a road block. The road was walled off by a line of crashed cars.

“SHIT!”
Ann cursed glancing along the line of cars. There was no quick way around. Sarah whimpered by her side
.“
Do
n’
t worry sweetie, w
e’
ll go over,
c’
mon
,”
said Ann as she hurried Sarah towards one of the car bonnets knowing the
y’
d have to climb over.

Ann climbed on to the first crumpled bonnet they came to, and trying not to slip on the cold snow covered metal she checked behind the line of cars. It was clear. She reached back and lifted Sarah up on to the bonnet with her and they both climbed down on the other side together, then looking around, checking that they were still alone Ann stopped
.“
Wait
,”
she told Sarah, and she looked back, ducking behind the cars using them as a barrier.

Sarah crouched down and leaned against the ca
r’
s wheel doing exactly what Ann told her to. She did
n’
t look back. She dare
n’
t, she was terrified of what sh
e’
d see, so she leaned back against the wheel listening for Ann and staring in to the distance wide eyed with a scream on the tip of her tongue in case she saw any of the dark people.

Ann held back a gasp for Sara
h’
s sake as she looked back desperate to see how the others were.

She saw infected people bearing down on the three men and Sam from all sides. Gavin was the furthest ahead, and was
n’
t too far behind her and Sarah. He saw her and waved at her to go on, shooing her like a dog between glances over his shoulder yelling at the other two to hurry.

Dean and David were a little further back
.
Too far bac
k
, Ann thought, and she clenched her fists in to nervous balls. She noticed that Dean was carrying Davi
d’
s backpack as well as his own, trying to help the big guy keep up she thought. Sam bounded along beside them barking like a wild thing trying to ward off the infected but it had no effect on them. Ann was sure she saw the closer ones reach out for him when they got close enough to him. Then David spun around and fired in to the oncoming tide. Ann flinched at the noise even though she knew it was coming. She could
n’
t see what difference it made. She expected a couple of infected people to drop to the ground, but she did
n’
t see any fall.

Any tiny slither of hope she might have had disappeared and she reached out and gripped Sara
h’
s shoulder tightly.

As David turned back around and started running again the strap for his face mask snapped and it fell off. He let it go. He did
n’
t have time to stop and pick it up, and within a heartbeat it was trampled in to the dirty snow by the stampeding feet of the infected. Ann visibly shook seeing and realising how close the mottled people were. Gavin weaved through the cars like Ann and Sarah had until he reached the road block. He asked Ann between gasps why she had
n’
t ran, and before she could answer he told her to head for the overpass and see if they could get in to the Eastgate Centre before they all committed themselves to crossing the narrow overpass.

“
We do
n’
t wanna get trapped on that overpass if we ca
n’
t get in
,”
he said.

Ann nodded understanding and she grabbed Sara
h’
s hand.

“C’
mon
,”
she said
.“
W
e’
re going again
.”
And they started running again as Gavin climbed between the cars taking up her position and drew his sword. It was heavy, he had to hold it with both hands. He felt silly holding it. Holding a sword of all things and actually meaning to use it for defence.

Looking back, he saw that David had caught up to his brother and that the
y’
d both picked up their pace
.
Probably able to breathe easier without the mask
,
he thought. It was good, but still not good enough.

“C’MON!”
Gavin screame
d
. “RUN!”

He saw new figures coming through the dirty snow from just about everywhere. They just seemed to emerge from nowhere!

He called after them again screaming so hard he hurt his throat
.
“HURRY UP, THEY’RE FUCKING EVERYWHERE!”

Dean heard his brother, he knew things were bad. He drew his sword on the run and without knowing he even meant to, he swung the heavy blade blindly to his left. It was like a nervous kick as his nerves got the better of him, and the tip of the overly long blade swiped right passed the nose of an infected man he had
n’
t realised was even there. He did
n’
t have time to react. He kept on running.

David fired another shot, and this time the damage caused was obvious.

An infected person came out of nowhere and headed straight for him. The gun was already primed. All he had to do was point and shoot. The muzzle flared bright orange and yellow, and the approaching figure flew backwards threw the air as the buck-shot blasted them point blank in the chest dissolving his rib cage. David did
n’
t look twice, he kept on running trying to keep pace with Dean and he primed the shotgun again ready for the next murderous flesh greedy infected person who got too close. He was relieved when he heard the next cartridge enter the chamber; h
e’
d lost count of how many shots h
e’
d fired since his last reload but either way he knew he had at least one in the chamber.

Gavin saw an infected figure appear just off to Dea
n’
s left. He yelled at Dean warning him, and Dean swung his sword with both hands. He did
n’
t even aim, he simply swung trusting his brothe
r’
s judgement and he smacked the figure he had
n’
t seen right across the chest sending it stumbling backwards and off their feet. But the sword had hit the figure flat sided not causing any lasting damage and before the momentum from Deans swing had even dissipated the discoloured infected man was back up in a second and coming after him again!

They’re getting faster
,
thought Gavin, when a noise behind him suddenly grabbed his attention!

He spun around half flinching horrified to see an infected dog like the blackened abominations h
e’
d fought earlier flying through the air straight towards him!

Gasping he instinctively lifted his sword and pointed it towards the mutilated dog. The dog flew in to the end of the sword and the blade pierced through the flesh between its front legs at the base of its neck. Half of the blade disappeared in an instant as it sliced deep inside the dog, and i
t’
s weight forced Gavin to lower the sword, letting the dog back on to the ground. The dog was completely unfazed by the wound. It snarled and snapped its jaw ferociously, spraying black spittle everywhere. Gavin could
n’
t believe what was happening. He held the swor
d’
s thick handle with white knuckles staring at the infected dog completely terrified as it crazily bucked and kicked, thrusting itself up the blade towards him. It pushed against the blade, straining as if it was pulling against an invisible lead. It was strong! It forced Gavin backwards as it inched further up the blade, working its way closer and closer to Gavin! As Gavin backed up he tried twisting the blade, trying to kill the infected dog but it had no effect, the terror dog kept on pushing. Gavin backed up until he bumped against the side of an abandoned van. He was trapped!

The dog forced onwards bucking and kicking using its weight and kicking hard with its powerful back legs to thrust itself further up the blade closer to Gavin.

Gavin could feel himself starting to panic. H
e’
d lost control of his breathing and was only just able to keep a hold of the swor
d’
s handle as the monstrous looking dog continued bucking and twisting like a fish out of water threatening to tear the handle from his hands.

Gavin searched frantically for his torque wrench that h
e’
d wedged between his back and rucksack.

He reached around as fast as he could, feeling for it for a split second before grabbing a hold of the sword again. His fingers brushed over the end of it a couple of times but it was wedged in tight.

He shimmied around pushed up against the van grabbing for it until he was sure he had it, and he did, for a second before it slid from his grasp and dropped to the ground.

*****

Ann ran over the overpass without looking back. Simply hearing it all was more than enough.

She and Sarah reached the glass doors that fed in to the shopping centre only to find that they were locked.

No big surprise
,
she thought as she wiped the filthy ash covered glass and peered through.

The place was in darkness. There was no sign of life.

She quickly rubbed another area of glass trying to get a better look, trying to keep her faint glimmer of optimism alive.

It looked normal, like it had only just been locked up for the night. She could
n’
t see any sign of reinforcements or barricades
.
Nothing
!

Definitely not a rescue centre
,
she thought feeling that sinking feeling start to wash over her.

Through the doors there was a short entrance and amenities corridor. Ann could see vending machines just along from the me
n’
s and ladie
s’
toilet doors. Further along was a third door marked staff only that stood opposite an open stairway that lead both up and down to different levels of the multi-storey car park and beyond that and the end of the corridor she could just about see in to the shopping centre proper through another set of glass doors. It was too dark for her to tell if they were barricaded or not. She did
n’
t think they were.