The Undead Day Nineteen (45 page)

‘Move out,’ I whisper and start up the shore with Dave and Mo at my sides. We stay silent and move through the piles and mounds with eyes flicking to watch Meredith, the front and the sides.

Our vehicles have been moved down to the house down the bay. We get up onto the road and veer out to take the soft verges to avoid the sounds of boots on tarmac. We pass vehicles parked up. Vans, pick-up trucks and more dark shapes that loom and hold places for the infected to hide in.

Brian is outside the house with another bloke. The pair of them standing side by side with rifles held across the crooks of their arms.

‘Coming in,’ Dave calls ahead so we don’t startle them and get shot. They both twitch anyway but I think that’s got more to do with Dave than anything else. ‘Report,’ Dave demands as we get close to them.

Brian just panics and shuffles but the other guy who has close cropped hair pulls his feet together and straightens his back, ‘all quiet, Sir.’

‘I am not Sir. I am Dave. Mr Howie is Sir.’

‘Dave,’ the man nods smartly making it sound like
sarge
the same way the lads do, ‘all quiet. Nothing to report.’

‘Services?’ Blowers asks from behind me.

‘RAF regiment,’ the man replies.

‘Never mind,’ Clarence mutters from the back.

‘You?’ The man asks.

‘Para’s,’ Clarence says.

‘Marines,’ Blowers adds.

‘Oh,’ the man says as though that explains everything, ‘you two two?’ He asks Dave.

‘No,’ Dave says.

‘I er,’ he man hesitates as though unsure if he should proceed, ‘I did P company all arms course…’

‘Yeah?’ Clarence asks, ‘from the RAF?’

‘Knew a bloke who knew a bloke,’ the man replies with a wry smile, ‘few years ago now though.’

‘You pass?’ Blowers asks.

‘I did yeah,’ the man says without any hint of boasting, ‘had a couple of attachments too. Did a tour with your lot,’ he adds with a look to Clarence who strides forward to hold his hand out.

‘Clarence.’

‘Gary,’ the man says.

‘Blowers,’ Blowers goes next.

‘Alright mate, Gary. Alright lads,’ he adds with a nod past Blowers.

‘Hi,’ Cookey says

‘Alright mate,’ Nick says.

‘You serving when it happened?’ Clarence asks.

‘Just got out,’ Gary says, ‘like three months…got a CP course too before I left. Had a sweet job lined up in Baghdad.’

‘Ah mate,’ Clarence says with a sigh, ‘bad timing.’

‘Happens,’ Gary says with a shrug.

‘What’s a CP course?’ I ask.

‘Close protection,’ Gary says.

‘Gucci course, Boss,’ Clarence says, ‘you must have known some people then,’ he says to Gary.

‘You make contacts as you go,’ Gary says and like us, but unlike Brian, he doesn’t stare at the person he’s talking to but looks round constantly. Away into the distance then left and right. He’s lean too and looks physically fit. Cleanly shaven and he’s taken pride in his appearance with his long sleeve shirt tucked in and the sleeves rolled up neatly above his elbows.

‘When did you get here?’ I ask.

‘Yesterday afternoon,’ he says, ‘you the boss then?’

‘Mr Howie,’ Dave says.

‘Mr Howie, Sir,’ Gary nods that smart motion.

What a difference a day makes. He looks competent and switched on and I can imagine he would have backed Lilly up instantly when she fought back against the crews.

‘Gary, I’m Lilly,’ Lilly says, presenting herself with that cold politeness that exudes authority.

‘Ma’am,’ Gary says smartly, ‘Joan said you’re in charge of the fort.’

‘Yes I am,’ Lilly says, ‘I’m very glad to have you with us.’

‘Glad to be here, Ma’am.’

‘Brian, you take Gary back to the fort. We’ll be staying here tonight.’

‘Will do, Lilly.’

I get a look from Clarence and Blowers, both of them nodding at Gary and making eyes, ‘Gary,’ I say as he goes to walk off with Brian, ‘you about in the morning?’

‘Not going anywhere, Boss,’ he says with a smile.

‘I’ll come and see you,’ Clarence says.

‘Happy with that,’ Gary says, ‘night all, Boss, Ma’am,’ he adds and walks off.

‘Well that wasn’t painfully bloody obvious,’ Paula says once they’re out of earshot, ‘you two practically wetting yourselves,’ she adds with a look to Clarence and Blowers.

‘He’s done P company,’ Clarence says.

‘Er he’s done All Arms course,’ Blowers cuts in across the big man, ‘Para’s ain’t everything.’

‘I knew we’d be having this conversation one day,’ Clarence says with a grin, ‘surprised you haven’t said anything before.’

‘Fuck off,’ Blowers says with a grin, ‘think I’m going to pick a fight with you?’

‘Are we taking him with us?’ Marcy asks.

‘Dunno,’ I say, ‘Clarence and Blowers can speak to him tomorrow.’

‘Lilly needs good people here,’ Paula says firmly, ‘and unless he’s…well, unless he is…’

‘Unless he is what?’ Lilly asks.

‘Immune,’ Marcy says, ‘he wouldn’t last five minutes otherwise.’

‘Reggie,’ I get his attention from the book in his hands, ‘how can we tell if someone is immune?’

‘I am most flattered that you consider me able to answer every question you pose but short of having an infected host body bite him I do not know.’

‘Talking of which,’ Paula says, giving me a look.

I look at Lilly and take in the bruises on her face and again question how a fifteen year old girl can take such a beating and do what she’s done without any apparent side effects.

‘Lilly,’ I say. She frowns at the way Paula, Marcy and Clarence are looking at her and turns to face me.

‘You think I hold immunity?’ She asks with an intelligence that joins the dots far quicker than I would do.

‘You’re healing very fast for someone who took such a beating,’ I say.

‘Did Nick give it to me?’

‘I don’t think it works like that’ I say, ‘Reggie? I know what you just said but…’

‘I cannot say for certain,’ he says with a sigh, ‘but no, I do not think it works in that manner.’

‘Your hair,’ Marcy says with a kind smile, ‘your skin. You look so glowing and healthy.’

‘I have been outdoors for a few days,’ Lilly says.

‘Look at Charlie,’ Paula says, ‘someone with those injuries should not look like she does.’

‘Fit,’ Cookey says with a firm nod and a big grin.

‘Thank you,’ Charlie says, smiling at Cookey.

‘Do your injuries hurt?’ Roy asks, moving closer into the middle of the group as we stand in the dark outside the house on the shore opposite the fort.

‘A little,’ Lilly says.

‘May I?’ Roy asks, holding his hand out for her arm. She nods politely and holds it out as he gently touches the bruises and welts so clear on her skin. ‘Does that hurt?’

‘It’s tender,’ she says, watching his fingers gently push into a bruise.

‘You were kicked in the ribs and thighs?’ He asks.

‘I was.’

‘Several times I think they said,’ Roy says.

‘That is correct.’

‘No broken ribs?’

‘How would I know?’

‘A broken rib? You would know,’ Roy says confidently. ‘Do you wake up with energy?’

‘I have a lot to do.’

‘But you don’t feel as hungry or as thirsty as you used to do,’ he says.

‘I…I have not really noticed.’

‘May I ask you a question, Lilly?’ Charlie asks.

‘Of course.’

‘When you fought back, did you feel something inside? Like a rage?’

‘Well I was very angry yes but my brother was…’ she trails off with the memory of the event so clear on her face and just for a second I see a flash of darkness in her features. I close my eyes and make myself think of my sister. I make myself think of Lani and everyone we’ve lost. I summon faces and the essence of the infection and the darkness in me swims to the surface. I think of the battles we’ve fought and the never ending unceasing relentless hatred I have for the infection. Then I think of that girl screaming in the room
Mummy…Daddy…make them stop.
Rage inside that surges up with a searing pain that floods my mind. Meredith growls, pushing her nose into my open hand.

They are not here. Be calm.

‘Howie stop,’ Marcy says quickly.

Rage that pulses to send out a feeling that comes down on all of us. Jess whinnies in the garden of the house. Meredith’s voice joins her. A low whine, insistent and worried.

They are not here. There are no little ones. Be calm.

‘Howie, stop!’ Marcy grabs my hand.

I snap my eyes open to see Lilly glaring at her with a vein pushing out from her forehead and the cold blue eyes of a killer fixed and unblinking.

‘I felt that yesterday,’ she says in a voice bereft of emotion, ‘last night when it got dark…I felt it then. Pack. I felt the word pack.’

‘That’s enough,’ Marcy says, ‘Lilly, you’re one of us. Stop it now, Howie. Switch it off I can’t handle that girl in my head…’

It ain’t that easy to turn it off though. I’ve never brought it on coldly like that before but now it’s here I can’t get rid of it. I shake my head but the pressure builds and grows.

‘Howie, fucking stop it,’ Marcy flashes at me.

‘I fucking can’t,’ I growl back.

‘You stupid prick, why did you do that?’ She shouts at me.

‘Get fucked,’ I snap back.

‘Safe, Dave,’ Mo says, his own voice choking with unspent rage.

‘Fucking hell,’ Marcy seethes and steps away with her hands clasped to her head, ‘why did you do that?’

‘To see if Lilly was…’ I go to reply with a voice hoarse and tight.

‘Well it fucking worked,’ Marcy says over me, ‘switch it off for fuck’s sake.’

‘I just said I fucking can’t.’

‘Everyone inside,’ Paula snaps, her eyes furious. We all are. Everyone is. The hive mind of battle coming on strong. Energy courses our bodies, urging us to give battle but there ain’t nothing to fight. ‘You two take first watch,’ she adds waving an angry hand at me and Marcy.

‘Fine,’ Marcy snaps.

‘Good,’ I growl. We stare at each other. We glare full of baleful hate. Her nostrils flare. My head tilts back.

‘Marcy,’ Paula shouts from the door, ‘switch him off.’

‘You fucking idiot,’ Marcy whispers at me.

‘I will apologise when I am not so fucking angry but until then you can fuck off…’

‘I fucking hate you, Howie.’

‘I fucking detest you, Marcy.’

‘SWITCH HIM OFF FOR FUCK’S SAKE,’ Paula shouts from inside the house.

‘Fine,’ Marcy’s face twitches. I glare at her. She shakes her head at me. I squint my eyes at her with my arms and legs shaking from the unused adrenalin pumping through my body.

‘NOW MARCY,’ Paula bellows.

‘Fine,’ Marcy marches at me. I stand my ground. She stops inches away with hot air blasting from her nose.

‘You’re breathing on me,’ I whisper angrily.

‘I have to kiss you,’ Marcy says with absolute pure fury in her eyes.

‘Yeah? Gonna use pheromones again?’

‘Cunt.’

‘Bitch.’

‘IF YOU DON’T START I WILL COME OUT THERE AND DO IT MYSELF…’ Clarence’s angry voice booms.

Her lips slam into mine. Fury and rage ramming into me. I stand my ground taking the impact and push my lips into hers. A hand comes up to grab a handful of hair on the back of my head. I push harder. Not yielding. Not giving ground. She drives in. Our eyes open and glaring.

‘Kiss me back,’ she hisses.

‘You kiss me,’ I counter.

‘I am you twat.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yes. Open your bloody mouth then.’

‘You open yours,’ I say, refusing to be controlled or manipulated.

‘Don’t tell me what to do,’ she says.

‘On three then,’ I growl.

‘Fine.’

‘One,’ I count.

‘Two,’ she pulses with rage that I can feel thrumming her body and never before have I hated someone so much.

We count the last second in our heads and the discipline of order kicks in. We both close our eyes. We both move in and we both open our mouth and that fury flows between us. From her to me and back to her. Round and round it goes as my hands reach up to cup her face and hers dig harder into the back of my head. The fury grows. We kiss harder. The pulsing rage screams to be used and like a switch it changes from something dark and nasty to something of light and beauty. I kiss her. She kisses me. I kiss her because I want to kiss her and now suddenly there is nothing else to do in the world other than kiss this woman.

She pushes into me. Her hands not digging now but pushing through my hair. My own hands feel the cheekbones under her skin and down to her slender neck and shoulders. We kiss and let that darkness slide away to be ready for another day. We let beauty and grace back inside and it spreads out like a gentle ripple on a lake. I can feel the others all settling too. I feel Lilly breathing slower. I feel Clarence’s fists unclenching. Blowers finally blinks. Jess stops snorting and tossing her head and Meredith’s hackles soften against her back.