Burden of Survival: Killing the Dead : Season Two (22 page)

Chapter 28

Lily

I ached everywhere but the worst of it was my back and buttocks. Each fresh blow of the leather belt raising welts on my naked flesh. Occasionally the belt buckle would split the skin and despite my desire not to, I would scream.

My people watched, afraid to look away as Marcus struck me again. His rage at the deaths of his men had increased at my refusal to beg for my life. I caught Becky’s eyes on me, full of pity and sorrow. I wanted to say I was sorry for failing, for not protecting them.

By the time I’d regained consciousness, they’d retaken control of the house. Four more of my people lay dead with gunshot wounds though one of his was wounded. He’d ordered them gathered together as I was dragged down the stairs by my hair, great clumps of it ripped out bloodily.

His men had kept their weapons trained on the crowd as Marcus held me. Amy wielded the knife that had cut away my clothes leaving me naked before them all. Anyone who looked away was struck with the butt of a rifle or kicked.

They hadn’t needed to bind me with ropes, words had been enough. Marcus had stood behind me, his breath hot on my neck as he spoke.

“You will be punished,” he said. “Beaten and abused until you beg me to stop. Fight me, struggle even and I will kill your people one at a time.”

His threat had been enough, I knew he meant it. Harry stood close by with the knife I’d cut him with in his hands and hate in his eyes. He just needed an order from Marcus and he’d use it.

I held out as long as I could before I screamed for the first time. I like to think Ryan would have been proud of me. As soon as I screamed though it seemed to excite him and he redoubled his efforts. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t keep it in.

Someone was weeping and I realised it was me, sobbing messily as I curled up as best I could on the floor. I cowered beneath each blow, my blood flowing freely and pooling around me. Marcus was growing noticeably excited by it all and I dreaded what would come next.

It took me a moment to realise the beating had stopped. My back was burning from the blows and I raised myself up on trembling arms, hair falling around my face as I tried to look up at him. If he was going to take me then I wouldn’t make it easy for him.

“Find out what that was,” Marcus ordered and I blinked. Something had happened.

“Will do,” Lucas said as he set off running up the stairs.

“Don’t worry sweetness,” he said as he turned back to me as he reached for his zip. “I haven’t forgotten you.”

“Maybe you should wait,” Amy said. Her eyes as they met mine were full of contempt and
envy?

“Why?” he demanded. “He’s probably just bored.”

“What if it’s her friends coming back?”

“If it was them it would have been more than one shot,” he snapped back at her.

One shot?
The sentry on the roof, he’d fired at something. That was what I’d missed as I screamed. It wasn’t much but maybe it was enough. I glanced around as I tried to concentrate through the haze of pain that surrounded me.

Harry had moved to the door that led to the stairs, Amy and Marcus were behind me and Harry had gone to check the sentry. If I could get my knife back from Harry then I would have a chance to die fighting at least.

Several more gun shots were fired from up above and then the unmistakable pop-pop-pop of an assault rifle being fired. All eyes turned to the stairs that led up as the guns fell silent. I pushed myself to my feet glad for the distraction and tried to run towards Harry only to collapse on the floor. My legs trembling from the exertion.

Harry laughed and looked at the knife in his hand. He tossed it to the floor just beyond my reach. “That what you want?”

A scream sounded from above before I could answer and Marcus snarled.

“What the hell’s going on up there?”

“I’ll check…” Harry began but broke off as Lucas came crashing down the stairs. “The fuck?”

The big man’s eyes were opened wide and a red gash crossed his throat. I didn’t even try to stop that laughter that bubbled up at the sight.

“What the hell are you laughing at?” Marcus demanded. I looked at him and smiled widely as I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Ryan’s back.”

“What’s she talking about?” Marcus asked as he pulled the handgun from where he’d tucked it in the back of his jeans.

“Her boyfriend,” Harry said and I thought I could detect a touch of nervousness in his voice. “A killer. We need to go.”

“Don’t be a prick,” Marcus said all trace of his usual false humour gone. “He’s upstairs and we’re down here. We’ve got guns and hostages, what the fuck’s he gonna do?”

“Kill you all,” I said as I lunged for the knife.

My hand closed around it as Harry’s head positively exploded. I swung it around and stabbed that wickedly sharp claw like blade into Marcus’s ankle.

He screamed and turned his gun on me. I had a brief moment to look into the barrel and see my death approaching before Becky collided with him, knocking him to the floor, the gun flying from his hand. She was followed by three others who all piled on to hold him down while more of my people grabbed Amy.

I looked to the stairs to see Ryan walking down, the high powered sniper rifle that had been used to kill Jim was in his hands and a trail of blood ran down his face from a wound on his temple. His gaze took in my condition in one glance, his eyes flicked to the wide leather belt caked with my blood that lay on the floor and the man who had obviously wielded it.

Death filled his eyes as he placed the rifle down beside Harry who he’d killed with it just moments ago and he glanced to someone behind me.

“Get a blanket, the first aid kit and hot water. Now.”

He crouched before me and his finger touched the tears that had streaked my cheek, feather light but I could feel the tight control he had.

“Hello Ryan,” I said. An old greeting used many times and marred this time by a sob.

Without a word he settled down on the floor beside me as I lay my head down on his lap, taking a comfort in his just being there. I was hurt beyond measure and so very worried for my people but I knew that everything would be alright. He was with me.

      
      
      
      
****

I awoke in darkness, lying on my side, pain seemed to fill every inch of me and I gasped as everything rushed back in. I wondered if I had dreamt his return, if I was just going to be tortured once again. Then a hand found mine, taking a firm yet gentle hold.

“Hello Lily,” he said and the tears came unbidden.

How long I lay there in the dark weeping I couldn’t say. He didn’t speak, he didn’t need to. All the comfort I would ever need was from his presence. He sat beside me on the bed and held my hand, that one gesture of comfort more than he would ever be able to give to another. It meant everything to me.

As my tears finally came to a stop, I brushed at my eyes and tried to sit up. He pushed me firmly back down.

“Don’t,” he said. “You’ll open your wounds.”

“What happened?” I asked as I acquiesced to his instructions.

“You did impressive work,” he said and I could sense his smile in the darkness. He was proud of me. “A little messy perhaps but impressive work none the less.”

“I hated it,” I said. I was afraid the admission would disgust him, drive him away but I had to say it. Instead he laughed.

“Of course you did,” he said. “You care too much to ever enjoy that sort of thing. You did it anyway, to protect others. I’m still proud of you. I should apologise though.”

“Why?”

“Because I should have been here,” there was pain in his voice. He was genuinely upset that he hadn’t been here to protect us… or maybe because he missed out on killing a load of people. I wasn’t entirely sure.

“You were here when it mattered,” I said. “Where is everyone? What about Becky and the others? Cass?”

“Becky told me what happened,” he said. “She’s going to organise sending someone to bring them home.”

“Marcus and Amy?”

“Those two who survived are secured downstairs, I shall be dealing with them shortly.” I knew from his tone that it would be painful for them both. I also knew I should care but as I thought back to Michelle, Jim and the others they’d killed. I didn’t.

“Pat, Gregg, Gabby and Jenny?” I asked. “What happened to you?”

I listened in growing horror as he explained what they’d found at Coniston, their search for survivors and the feral zombies that had infected Jenny.

“That poor girl,” I said. “Maybe she’s immune. Michelle was.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said as he continued his story.

The zombies attacking in the darkness, the flight for safety and losing our friends. It all came out in a rush. He spoke briefly of his return home only to be shot at, the bullet passing close enough to his head to leave a flesh wound.

“What happened then?”

“I realised that something was wrong. The boats weren’t out, old bonfires and far too many bodies that had been burnt on them as well as someone shooting at me. I know I’m not well liked but none of our people would shoot me.”

“Since the doors were closed and I guessed them to be locked, I made my way through the trees around the island. I climbed a drainpipe to the roof which by the way is something we need to look at. If I can do it, anyone can.”

He paused and I sensed that he was wondering how much he should say. Finally he came to a decision and continued.

“I was sneaking up on the guy with the sniper rifle when the roof hatch opened behind me. Some big fellow raised the alert and all hell broke loose.” He said. “Sniper got off a couple of shots but I was too close for him to aim with the long rifle and sank my knife into his eye. As the other guy fired his gun at me I returned fire and hit him first.”

“He fell through the hatch, I followed and since he was still alive I asked a couple of quick questions. He answered me then I slit his throat and dragged him to the stairs. I threw his body down as a distraction then as I was moving slowly down, I saw you through the door.”

His voice roughened as though by anger and I smiled at him though he couldn’t see it. His concern for me, his protectiveness, was heartening.

“I shot the big fellow by the door and was taking a bead on the guy with the gun when a load of folk piled on him. That’s it I guess.”

“Thank you,” I said. “For coming back to me.”

“Anytime,” he replied and once again, I was sure I could sense a smile. Mine faded as I thought of my friends.

“What are we going to do about Pat and the others?”

“If they have any sense, which they do, they’ll be coming back here. You told Cass to watch for them so they’re probably with her already trying to figure out how to rescue you all.”

“You should go and get them,” I said.

“Why me?”

“All those zombies out there, those feral ones… it scares me. I’m worried and I know you’ll find them.”

“I’m not sure I want to leave you,” he said. “The last time I did you were hurt.”

“It will be fine,” she said. “We have extra guns and ammo now. If nothing else, that makes us safer than we were.”

“Well, I suppose I could go. I can take the prisoners with me.”

“Why?” I asked. Not that I wanted them here but for him to take them rather than just kill them was worrying. “We need to decide what to do with them as a group.”

“No,” he said. “I can take them with me or I can kill them before I go. Either way, they will die for what they did.”

“Then do it here,” I said. For once I felt no remorse at the idea of someone dying, they deserved it. “Why take them with you?”

“Even the condemned deserve a last meal,” he said with laughter in his voice.

Chapter 29

Ryan

The house was much as I’d left it if somewhat more crowded. The pigs were happy enough in their pen outside and despite the stench, Cass had kept everyone inside. Even Toby was with them.

It seemed that he was on his way back just as Cass and the others were taken to shore and abandoned. Since there were mainly children in the group he had stayed with them until they got to the house and then left to find some basic supplies.

It’d taken a day and a half but he’d returned with some edible food and fresh blood on his clothes. He didn’t say how many zombies he’d had to kill to get the food but I gathered it wasn’t a small number. Despite his trying to kill me that one time I had to respect his ability.

Cass had done as instructed and watched the roads for our return. I had ended up going a different route but she had found my other friends. A weary group of villagers led by Pat, Gregg and Gabby had been on their way to the island when Cass found them.

She’d quickly filled them in on the situation and they’d brought the thirteen surviving people of Coniston back to the house. It was a downhearted group that had been talking, trying to agree a plan of action when I arrived.

“What the hell?” Gregg said as I walked into what had been the living room.

I explained what had happened after we separated and what I’d found at the island along with what Lily had told me. Cass’s eyes widened in horror as I described Lily’s injuries and when I politely suggested Gabby and the others take everyone back to the island, I met no objections.

While the preparations were made I sat on the wall that formed the enclosure for the pig pen and waited patiently. My two prisoners were knelt at my feet, hands securely fastened behind their backs with pillowcases over their heads and gags over their mouths.

I had no desire to look at either of them and in all honesty, when I saw the man I was reminded of what he’d done to Lily. It was all I could do to stop myself from slowly killing him.

“Hey,” Gregg called as he left the house and approached where I sat.

He stared curiously at my prisoners as I nodded a greeting back to him. I had of course explained who they were and what they had done but not what I planned to do. They all seemed to assume I was going to kill them which suited me well enough.