Ward Z: Revelation (17 page)

“How do you know they're not in there?” Kirsty asked. “I mean, they probably aren't, but you can't be sure. We might be going up into, like, a nest or something.”

“I don't think they have nests,” Lizzie replied, staring up into the darkness, “but you're right, we
don't
know that they're not waiting for us. What we
do
know, though, is that in a few minutes' time they'll be through the door and this room will be crawling with the damn things.”

“We'd have no chance if they ambushed us in there,” Laura pointed out. “At least in here, we could take a few of them with us.”

“I haven't given up yet,” Lizzie continued.

“I have.”

Turning to Laura, Lizzie saw the sadness in her eyes.

“We're all dying anyway,” Laura pointed out, “so why are we desperately trying to get away just so we can go back to civilization and end up in some hospital bed somewhere? Am I the only one who thinks this is a chance to make our deaths count? We can go out in a blaze of glory and take these bastards with us. All of them. We can save the world.”

“You can't mean that,” Lizzie replied.

“Can't I?” Laura paused for a moment, as Todd continued to try breaking the door down. “The odds of us actually getting away are slim, and even if we did, there's nothing waiting for us except drips and needles and pain and then death. If we stay here, we can find a way to draw every last one of those fuckers toward us and then... boom!”

“Boom?” Lizzie replied nervously.

“We find a way to blow shit up.”

“Out of my way,” Crystal said, pushing Lizzie off the chair and climbing up, before reaching into the crawlspace and pulling herself up. “I'm not standing around here debating things while those monsters break through the door.”

“It's the only option,” Lizzie said, turning first to Kirsty and then to Laura. “I don't know about you guys, but I'm not ready to die yet.”

“Isn't that kinda selfish?” Laura asked.

“I want to see my family again,” Kirsty said, carefully getting onto the chair while trying not to put any pressure on her damaged foot. “I'm sorry, but I don't want to die here.” With a little help from Lizzie, she managed to get up into the crawlspace.

“It's not selfish to want to live,” Lizzie said, turning to Laura. “You can't give up.”

“That's what they told me in the hospital,” Laura replied. “The doctors, my family, the other patients... Always telling me not to give up. The truth is, I gave up six months ago when my latest batch of test results came through. I'm dying, but the one thing I
won't
give up on is the idea that my life might actually mean something. Maybe staying here and finishing these things off would be a way of actually achieving something.”

“There are other ways,” Lizzie told her. “Please, we have to get going.”

Laura paused for a moment. “Fine,” she said eventually, “maybe you're right. I fully reserve the right to bitch about the situation later, though. You go first, I'll bring up the rear.”

Pulling herself up into the crawlspace, Lizzie looked along and was just about able to make out Kirsty and Crystal up ahead, crawling through the narrow space. She made her way after them, before stopping and looking back at the panel.

“Laura!” she hissed. “Come on, we -”

Suddenly she saw a pair of hands reaching up and grabbing the panel before pulling it back into place.

“No!” Lizzie shouted, trying to grab the panel. She tried to pull it out, before finding that it was impossible to get it loose from inside the crawlspace. “Laura!”

“We each make our own decisions,” Laura replied from the other side of the panel. “I'm gonna stay here and buy you guys time, and I'm gonna take as many of those little fuckers with me as possible. This is what I want to do, and trust me, a
lot
of those bastards are gonna die before I'm done. Better than dying in bed, right?”

“Please,” Lizzie continued, with tears in her eyes, “don't do this.”

“Get going,” Laura told her. “Find that coach and leave, and make sure to tell everyone that I was a goddamn hero and that I basically single-handedly defeated an invasion of brain-sucking killer squid monsters. Tell 'em I want a solid gold fucking statue of myself, okay?”

“But -”

“Go! This door isn't gonna hold much longer! And make sure you don't turn your back on the suckers, not even for a second, 'cause I really think they might go straight for your butt.” She paused for a moment. “Seriously, Lizzie! Go!”

***

“Not bad,” Laura whispered to herself a couple of minutes later, as she looked at the curtains and other fabrics she'd doused in Kirsty's make-up products; the contents of various bottles and tubes had been spilled everywhere, creating a makeshift trap, and empty tubs and bottles of counterfeit make-up sat nearby. “Hopefully this fake Chinese shit is more flammable than the real stuff. If -”

Hearing a loud bang at the door, she looked over and saw that the wood had begun to crack. For a moment, she glanced up at the panel in the ceiling and considered going after the others, but finally she reminded herself that going back to a world of hospitals and pain held no appeal whatsoever. She turned back to look at the sheets and then reached into her pocket to take out the cigarette lighter she'd found in Crystal's drawer.

“I'm ready for you,” she said quietly, taking deep breaths as she listened to the door being broken down, although she flinched a little as she saw a section of wood falling away to reveal a shoulder on the other side.

Moments later, Todd peered through.

“How much longer are you going to keep this up?” he asked.

“As long as it takes,” she replied, trying to ignore the panic in her chest. “How much longer are
you
going to keep it up, bitch?”

“Where are the others?”

She glanced to the left and then the right, as if she was looking at things out of his field of vision. “Wouldn't you like to know?” she asked. “Maybe you should just give up and go find something else to do.”

Todd smiled, before taking a step back and then ramming the door once again with his shoulder. Another section of wood broke away, then another, and finally he kicked the rest of the door out of the way. Stepping through the gap, he was followed by a couple of other campers who had also been taken over by the creatures.

“Where's Beth?” Laura asked.

“Who?” He paused, standing on one of the make-up-soaked sheets. “Some of the others are making different arrangements,” he continued after a moment. “There are enough of us now that we can divide our work.” He glanced around the room. “Where are the others who were in here with you?”

“They're busy,” she replied, limping toward him on her crutches until she was just a couple of steps away, “making other arrangements.” Reaching into her pocket, she took out the lighter. “Shame. I really wanted Beth to be here.”

“You're a cripple,” Todd replied, looking down at her legs. “We'll use you for energy instead of taking your body.”

“Is that right?”

“There's no point controlling a body that has been damaged.”

“I guess you're right,” she replied, limping closer as she struck the lighter, bringing up a small flame. “Still, you guys aren't quite as smart as you think you are.”

“We're learning fast.”

She smiled. “Not fast enough.”

With that, she leaned down and pressed the lighter against the nearest of the soaked sheets. “God,” she whispered, “I hope this stuff is flammable. Come on, low quality Chinese brand-name knock-off make-up, don't fail me now!”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“What the hell is going on here?” Freeman muttered as he made his way toward the main building. “It's like a -”

Before he could finish, the building in front of him was torn apart by a fireball that blew out all its windows and shook the ground. Dropping down, Freeman stared in horror as an entire wall crashed down, and the building began to burn with furious intensity, despite the rain that was pouring down.

“No!” Karen shouted, rushing forward.

“Hey!” Freeman said, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her back. “You can't go in there!”

“They're dying!” she screamed, trying frantically to get free before turning to stare at the inferno, which lit her face with dancing shadows. “They're dead,” she added forlornly. “Three of them, anyway. Three of my brothers and sisters.”

“Not everyone's dead,” Freeman replied, getting to his feet as he spotted three dark figures running across the grass, making for the top of the road where the coach was parked.

***

“Laura!” Lizzie shouted, stopping and turning to look back for a moment. She watched as the building continued to burn, and for a few seconds all she could think about was their last conversation. “Laura,” she said again, this time with a whisper.

“Are you coming?” Kirsty asked, grabbing her by the hand.

“I should have saved her,” Lizzie continued, unable to stop staring at the flames. “I should never have let her sacrifice herself like that.”

“At least she didn't become one of them,” Kirsty pointed out. “Do you think she got them all?”

“I don't know, I -”

Spotting movement nearby, she looked over toward the cabins and saw that several figures were hurrying toward them.

“No,” she continued. “She got some, enough to buy us time, but not -”

“Then let's get going,” Kirsty replied, leading her by the hand as they made their way to the top of the road and then down toward the coach. Crystal was already well ahead.

“There should have been another way,” Lizzie continued, sniffing back tears. “No-one should have to die.”

“Maybe she made it out,” Kirsty suggested.

“No,” Lizzie said quietly, “she didn't. That was her final stand.”

As they reached the dark coach, they found that Crystal had already managed to get the door open and was up in the driver's seat, desperately searching for the key.

“Laura's dead,” Lizzie said as she and Kirsty climbed aboard.

“Tell me something I don't know,” Crystal muttered. “Where is the fucking thing?”

“She stayed back to buy us time,” Lizzie added, annoyed by Crystal's utter lack of concern. “She gave up her life to help us get away.”

“I told him to always leave the key in the compartment!” Crystal shouted, slamming the dashboard with her fist before starting to look through the pockets on the side of the seat. “Why does no-one ever just do what they're told?”

“They're coming,” Kirsty said, looking out the front of the coach.

Following her gaze, Lizzie saw two figures running toward them.

“That's not them,” she said, “that's someone else.”

“What's going on up here?” a man shouted as he reached the door. “Crystal, where is everyone?”

“What are you doing here, Freeman?” Crystal asked. “Where's the fucking key to the fucking coach?”

“Right here,” he replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bunch of keys. “You want it?”

“Give it to me!” she shouted, hurrying out of her seat and lunging at him, only for him to push her back.

“How many people are hurt?” he asked.

“I don't know, just give me the -”

“How many?” he shouted.

“Almost everyone,” Lizzie said, her voice trembling with fear. “We might be the only ones who are left. They went through the cabins one by one, eating some and converting the others.”

“Converting?” he replied. “What do you mean?”

“Getting inside them,” she continued. “Controlling them.”

“It's worse than I thought,” he said, turning to look toward the camp, where the main building was still burning bright. “Whatever these things are, they're smart and they can adapt to the situation.”

“Give me the keys,” Crystal said firmly. “That's an order!”

“You're in no position to be ordering anyone about,” Freeman replied, climbing up and pushing her out of the way before taking the driver's seat. “You're lucky we don't toss you out there and leave you to get killed.”

“You have to hurry,” Lizzie explained. “They're going to find us soon, we have to be gone by the time they reach the coach.”

“Relax,” Freeman muttered, “we saw some of them just now, looked like they were heading down toward the lake. I guess they think you went that way.” Slipping the key into the ignition, he tried to start the engine, only for the vehicle to splutter and then cut out. “What the hell is wrong with this thing?”

“Are you coming?” Lizzie asked, making her way to the door and reaching out toward Karen. “There's not much time.”

She waited, but Karen was simply staring back toward the camp, her wide eyes reflecting the inferno.

“Those things are out there!” Lizzie continued. “You have to come with us!”

“She's my sister,” Freeman muttered as he tried yet again to start the engine, “of course she's coming with us!” He slipped the key out and then back in again, but the engine still refused to engage. “I don't get it, this damn thing was working fine just a couple of days ago.” Getting out of his seat, he hurried out of the coach and ran along the side. “I'm gonna check nothing's wrong back here! Keep an eye out, make sure those things aren't coming!”

“Cut the wires,” Karen whispered, still watching the flames.

“What did you say?” Lizzie asked.

“We cut the wires,” she continued, turning to her with a smile. “My brothers and sisters thought you might use this thing to escape.”

“She's one of them!” Kirsty shouted.

“Kill her!” Crystal yelled, grabbing the fire extinguisher from next to the driver's seat and lunging at Karen, striking her on the head and knocking her back down into the mud. Standing over her, she adjusted her grip and then brought the extinguisher slamming down, only for Freeman to stop her just as she was about to crush Karen's skull.

“That's my sister!” he shouted.

“She's one of the monsters!” she spat back at him, trying to wrestle the extinguisher free from his hands.

“The coach,” Karen whispered, struggling to get back to her feet. “They're at the coach. Come for them.”

“I know you're an idiot, Freeman,” Crystal continued, “but you're not suicidal. Your precious sister is one of these things now, you have to get rid of her.”

“No!” he said firmly.

“You'd rather put all of us at risk?”

“No-one's putting anyone at risk,” he replied. “I'm taking her with us, and I'll get her some help. Whatever's happened to her, it can be undone.”

“The coach,” Karen whispered again. “Great Memnon, we can't let them escape.”

“She's talking to someone,” Kirsty said, from one of the coach's steps. “Who's she talking to?”

“They can communicate somehow,” Lizzie replied. “Don't you remember? Beth said they were all somehow linked in their minds.”

“That's not possible,” Kirsty continued. “That'd mean -” Looking back toward the camp, she saw several dark silhouettes stumbling past the fire, heading straight for them. “They're coming!” she screamed, scrambling back up the steps. “We have to get out of here!”

“Everyone get onboard!” Freeman shouted. “I'll find out what's wrong!”

As the others climbed up the steps, Freeman ran around to the back of the coach and opened the hatch that covered the engine. Barely able to see a thing, despite the sun creeping above the horizon, he finally realized that several cables had been ripped away from the engine. Stuffing them back into their slots, he leaned around the side of the coach and saw that the distant figures were coming closer, while his sister was still struggling to get to her feet.

“Come on,” he muttered, turning back to the engine and twisting the wires in an attempt to make them stay in place. “If there's a god of engines, I hope he's smiling on us right now.” Closing the hatch, he hurried back around the coach until he reached Karen and hauled her up.

“They're at the coach,” she whispered. “They're trying to repair the engine.”

“Get up there!” Freeman shouted, pushing her onboard before following her up the steps and then using the manual override to make the door slide shut. Clambering into the driver's seat, he turned the key in the ignition, but again the engine merely spluttered. He tried a couple more times, cursing under his breath, before realizing that one of the wires must still be loose or disconnected. Turning toward the door, he began to climb out of the driver's seat -

Suddenly a hand appeared on the other side of the door, as the first of the dead campers stepped into view, followed by several more.

“How do we get rid of them?” Kirsty whimpered. “Please, there has to be a way...”

“They killed our brothers,” Karen said, leaning toward the door's emergency release. “They burned them and -”

“Nice try,” Crystal said, grabbing her and pulling her back.

“You know we're coming inside,” Beth said, pushing gently against the door from the outside. “How long do you think you can last in there?”

“She's got a point,” Lizzie said, looking back along the dark coach. “Unless you can get this thing moving, we're stuck.”

“I never met an engine yet that I couldn't fix,” Freeman muttered, climbing out of the seat and hurrying toward the back of the vehicle. “There has to be another way to get down there.”

“Your friend was very brave,” Beth continued, trying to force the door open as the other dead campers began to make their way around the sides of the coach. “Her gesture was futile, but self-sacrifice is an admirable human trait. We learned a great deal from seeing how she acted. Next time, we shall factor such possibilities into our thinking.”

“She didn't have to die,” Lizzie replied, her voice trembling with fear. “No-one had to die!”

“Except us,” Beth pointed out. “Humans have been trying to kill us for centuries.”

“You're cancer,” Lizzie continued. “When you grow in us, we die!”

“And when you die, we emerge and live. When our children emerge in your bodies, they have to eat, do they not?”

“That's not how it works,” Lizzie told her. “You're just growths, tumors, there's nothing good about you!”

“We are life,” Beth replied. “Life is always good.”

“Try the engine!” Freeman shouted from the back of the coach. “I managed to reach down and reconnect some more wires!”

Climbing into the driver's seat, Lizzie turned the key. The engine spluttered into life for a moment and started to turn over, before cutting out.

“Hang on!” Freeman shouted. “I've got another idea!”

“You can't get away,” Beth continued, taunting them through the sealed door. “None of you can. Soon we'll spread from this place and begin to take our proper place in the world. More brothers and more sisters are already aware of our awakening. Did you really think you could hold cancer back forever? This is evolution at its most pure.”

“He's in the engine,” Karen whispered. “Stop him.”

“She's telling them what we're doing!” Kirsty shouted. “She's a spy!”

“Try the engine again!” Freeman yelled

Turning the key, Lizzie felt the engine engage for a moment before it died. She tried again, with the same result, before pausing for a moment.

“This is hopeless,” she whispered. “We can't go anywhere.”

“Please God,” Kirsty said, her voice trembling with fear, “I believe in you, I swear. Just get us out of here!”

Turning to look at Beth, Lizzie saw the smile on the dead lips of her former friend, and slowly she felt a sense of defiance rising through her chest.

“Go to hell,” she continued, before turning the key again and again, each time bringing the engine to life for a few spluttering seconds before, finally, she tried again and this time the entire coach shuddered as the engine engaged.

“Are we moving?” Kirsty asked, her voice suddenly filled with hope. “Is it working?”

“Hang on,” Lizzie replied, pulling the gear level back before slamming her foot on the accelerator.

The coach lurched forward, almost knocking Beth down before Lizzie turned the wheel and began to drive across the bumpy road.

“Where do I go?” she shouted.

“Turn it around and head down!” Freeman yelled.

Driving forward, Lizzie saw a couple of undead campers stumbling straight toward her. Instead of swerving to avoid them, she kept going and closed her eyes as she ran straight over their bodies, causing the coach to bump for a moment as she drove past the top of the road and onto the muddy field. Opening her eyes again and turning the wheel, she began to drive in a circle until the coach finally faced the road again, and this time she drove forward, wincing as she knocked down a few more of the creatures. Up ahead, Beth was standing in the middle of the road, but Lizzie kept her foot down until, at the last moment, Beth stepped aside to let the coach go past.