Undead at Sundown (22 page)

   
 
Bill nodded. ‘I'll be there.’

     ‘Well, okay then. Its gonna be a hell of a night,
’
said Jack excitedly. He turned his horse and rode back towards town, his men following, a cloud of dust rising from the ground in their wake.

     Bill turned and went back into house, Gina had managed to rock the baby back to sleep.

   
 
‘Sounds dangerous.’ Was all she said.

   
 
‘Oh it’s dangerous alright. It’s a crazy plan that in normal circumstances a man would laugh at but these are crazy circumstances so I suppose a crazy plan is what’s needed. I don't know how else this can be ended. We have to give it a shot.’

     ‘I know you do,
’
said Gina a smile softening her face. ‘You are a brave man and just what the town needs. I hope we all get through this.’

     ‘Yep, me too darlin'’ Bill said. ‘Come tomorrow mornin' I guess we’re gonna know one way or the other.’

24

It was roughly an hour before sundown and Bill had left the house and made his way down to the sheriff’s office where he and Ken loaded up with ammo, both worked silently, each in his own thoughts.

   
 
‘Well, I have as much ammo as I can carry. I just hope I don't fall into no quicksand cause I'll sink faster than a lead turd in a river.’ Ken said, he smiled but Bill could see the nerves on the deputy’s face.

   
 
‘Yeah, I’m just about done too. You sure you wanna do this? I can make an excuse for you and you can stay with Gina and make sure things are okay here.’

     ‘I don’t want to do this at all!’ said Ken. ‘But want don't come into it. It’s my job to protect and that’s what I'm gonna do. If this thing carries on spreadin' then were all fucked anyhow.’

     ‘Whatever happens Ken it’s been fun workin' with you’ said Bill giving the deputy a smile and a pat on the back.

   
 
‘Don’t start all the sentimental bullshit Sheriff. We got some fightin' to do and you'll spoil the mood.’

   
 
Bill laughed. ‘Well, lets get to it then.’

   
 
The two men walked out of the sheriffs office and round to where the horses were kept. Luckily the undead creatures the night before hadn't managed to get to them but by the looks of the door they had tried. Cobb stood by the door oaf the barn and watched the men prepare their rides for the evening.

   
 
‘I can use a gun Sheriff Bill.’ Cobb said.

   
 
‘I’m sure you can but I would bet you look after horses much better than you do shoot given your young age. Just stay here and keep yourself safe.’

   
 
Cobb look dejected but nodded all the same.

     Once the horses were saddled, the men mounted them and rode slowly to the edge of town where Jack Blackwater and a group of around thirty men waited.

Bill saw that Jack looked dressed for killing in all black and now with a long black coat on. His men looked focused and the Japanese man was wearing a suit of armour the likes of which Bill had never seen.

   
 
‘This everyone?’ Bill asked.

   
 
‘It’s everyone that was willin' to embark on such a crazy mission. Can’t say I blame the rest but I gotta try this all the same. We need to get over to that cursed land now cause if I know my Joel, he is gonna be itchin' to get up out of that ground and cause some trouble. You ready to ride Bill?

   
 
‘As ready as I'll ever be,’  replied the Sheriff.

     Jack gave a loud tribal shout and then led the group away from the town and towards the forsaken ground.

25

The group had stopped around a hundred yards away from the burial ground. The sun was almost down now and nerves and excitement ran throughout the group.

      Jack, Bill and the big Apache Trent headed a little closer to the ground where Joel’s body had been buried, the rest of the men stayed on horseback and out of sight.

     The three of them had gotten as close as they could to the circular patch of ground without the risk of being seen if Joel did indeed rise from the dirt. Bill felt a sense of utter foreboding in the air and thought this might just be his nerves, but he fancied he felt something more.

     None of them spoke as they waited. Bill would glance towards Trent now and again and could see the fear in the big mans face. His own mouth and throat were dry and his balls felt like they had shrunk to the size of marbles. Jack on the other hand seemed to be excited. He couldn’t take his eyes of the ground where they had buried Joel and his eyes were alive but looked a little crazy and Bill could see that this man could still be very dangerous. Jack was a wealthy man who employed all kinds of tough types but he had the look of a killer in him and all the money in the world couldn't get rid of that, you either had it, Bill thought, or you didn’t.

    Soon enough the sun had gone from the sky and the men were surrounded by the night. Bill began to wonder what they would do if Joel didn’t emerge from the ground but he didn't have to think on it for too long.

   
 
‘There!’ Bill said, pointing.

     All three men looked towards the patch of slightly raised ground where the body of Joel had been placed. The ground seemed to be moving, shifting. It was hard to make out exactly what was happening with only the moon lighting the area but there was enough light for Bill to see something was definitely down there. He turned towards Trent and noticed the man was muttering under his breath. Bill then suddenly became aware of a drop in the temperature.

     Jack seemed to notice the change too and pulled the collar of his jacket up against his face. Then a sound came and it seemed to travel through the air and all around them. It was a moaning sound, low and drawn out. Bill listened closer and he thought it sounded more like a hundred voices rather than just one.

     The horses began to become unsettled and Bill held tight to the reigns in order to keep control.

   
 
‘This is very bad’ said Trent. Bill looked at the big Apache and saw his eyes were closed.

   
 
‘This is exactly what we came here for,
’
said Jack before his eyes widened and he spoke again. ‘My god!’

   
 
Bill looked towards the ground and saw, to his horror, a hand reaching up through the dirt. Then the arm was visible and soon the other arm was pushing it’s way through. Finally Bill made out the head of Joel Blackwater pushing upwards out of the ground.

   
 
‘My boy,’ Blackwater said his eyes filled with wonder. ‘My boy is back dammit.’

   
 
Neither Bill nor Trent spoke. Bill then began to feel like the air around them was filled with pure evil, he couldn't explain to himself why he felt that way but every hair on his body was up and he felt scared.

     Joel Blackwater stood hunched before stretching his arms upwards and then outwards. He then let out a scream which Jack thought sounded nothing like his son.

     The thing, which had been Joel, began to look around before seemingly sniffing the air. After doing this for a minute or so he began to move, awkwardly at first but then faster.

   
 
‘He’s on the move. Trent, Go and round up the men, we need to follow him.’

   
 
Jack looked towards the big Apache and the man did not react to Jack’s words. He was staring at Joel with a look of sheer disbelief on his face. ‘Trent goddammit!’ Jack said.

     Trent snapped out of his trance and nodded at Jack. ‘Okay’ was all he said and he turned his horse and rode towards the rest of the men.

   
 
‘Can you fuckin' believe what you are seein' here Sheriff?' asked Jack.

   
 
‘Well, I guess you have to Jack, it’s right there. But that doesn't change the fact it’s some seriously diabolical shit.’

     ‘Yep, you got that right’ Jack said looking back towards Joel. ‘But we are part of it now and we have to play that part.’

     ‘That we are and that we do’ replied Bill. ‘Though that makes it no less fucked up.’

   
 
The sound of hooves approached and soon the rest of the men had joined them. They all slowed as they reached Jack and the Sheriff.

   
 
‘Right’ Jack said. ‘It’s fuckin' crazy but my son has just clawed his way out of the ground and is on the move. I just saw it with my own eyes.’

   
 
The men began to mutter and mumble.

     Jack raised his hands before speaking ‘I know this is some freaky shit boys and I know some of you, if not all of you, must be shittin' your pants, but if you turn and run then you weaken us, and that makes it more likely for us to fail. If that happens then these things will continue to multiply until there is nowhere for anyone to hide, so even if you leave now, the chances are you will be in this situation again down the line only you might find yourself alone, maybe fightin' to keeps these things out of your home. It doesn't have to come to that as we have a chance to stamp this shit out right now, tonight. Anyone who thinks they don't have the coconuts for this can leave now.’

   
 
No one in the group reacted.

   
 
‘Right in that case we are gonna follow my boy as I believe he is gonna take us to his killer or killers so we need to ride slow and steady and until I speak again and that’s all you need to know. So lets ride.’

   
 
Jack winked at Bill and began follow Joel, riding slow to make sure he wouldn't catch up with his son.

26

The men had been following Joel for around three hours and as his speed had increased so had theirs to keep up with him. Bill thought on a few occasions that surely Joel had heard them but if he had, then he wasn’t interested. The undead Blackwater man seemed focused on something else and hadn’t bothered even once to look back.

   
 
‘Look at that.’ Ken said pointing into the distance.

     Bill could see what looked like a town with buildings lit up and that was the place Joel seemed to be heading for. Bill thought for a terrible moment he had lost his bearings and what he could see was Sundown. He was filled with the dread that the whole plan had backfired.

   
 
‘Apaches’ Jack said, a wide smile on his taught face.

     Bill looked again into the distance towards the lights but this time he could make out no buildings but tents, lots of tents. It was the Apache village.

   
 
‘So far so good Sheriff’ Jack said. ‘Things are goin' exactly as planned. Don’t you just fuckin' love it when that happens?’

    ‘Well, sure seems that way, lets just hope it continues’ Bill replied. An odd feeling of tightness building in his stomach.

   
 
‘Get ready boys.’ Jack called back to the posse of men. ‘We got a village of savages ahead of us and once we get down there the shit really is gonna hit the britches.’