Kidnapped (9 page)

 No one attacked as he made his way to the stairwell and crept across the deserted foyer towards the back of the house.
 

Blood stained the carpet in large gruesome puddles, so large that Grayson knew whoever had been attacked could not possibly have survived. The whole place looked as though it had been ransacked, picture frames were knocked from their hangings, a large hole had been cracked in the plaster that looked as though a body had been slammed into it with too much force. A smashed vase of flowers completed the havoc; Grayson had to look away from the blood that splattered the strewn stems of rosebuds.
 

The suspense was nearly his undoing. As nothing continued to happen his nerves began to fray. Constantly expecting something to jump out at him was far worse than actual combat.
 

A scraping sound to his left had Grayson swinging his sword in that direction as his eyes searched the gloom. He saw a man with his back to him, garbed in footman attire, bent over the corpse of a scantily clad woman in a dark blue gown. The creature was greedily feeding off the remains, and Grayson crept forward as silently as he could and swung his sword with one angry heave, knocking the beasts head from its shoulders. Its body stayed squatting as it had been moments before its death until gravity took over and it toppled across the corpse of the savaged woman. Thankfully, this woman was not someone that Grayson had known in life; though it made it no less sad. Grayson shuddered and kept going. He quickly crossed a long corridor and found himself inside the kitchen. This area was foreign to him, and the fear of an attack in this unknown venue caused his skin to prickle in unease.
 

 A faint sound had him spinning to stare at a large wooden door that presumably led to a pantry. He really should just leave the creature in there and continue on his way… Grayson tried to talk himself into the most reasonable action, but he felt an overwhelming urge to kill as many of these bastards as he could find to avenge Laurie, Rose, and Darling and all the other innocent people he had seen slain on the street. Creeping to the pantry door; Sussex flung it open and dove inside, preceded by his sword.
 

A young maid gave a terrified squeal and shut her eyes tightly against the sting of the impending blade. It didn’t come. Grayson quickly noted her normal appearance and lack of white eye film and jerked his sword; twisting his hand at the last moment so that his sword lodged harmlessly into the wall beside her. The girl was still covering her eyes in terror, as though not being able to see the problem could protect her. It was a foolish notion, but he could see from the streaks of tears that escape between her fingers that the poor thing was terrified.
 

“Sorry about that.” Grayson spoke awkwardly reaching out he patted the woman on the shoulder in an uncomfortable effort to sooth her. She shied away from his touch.
 

“You aren’t one of those things?” The young woman asked suspiciously, pulling her hands away from her eyes to glare at him.
 

Grayson shook his head. Hadn’t this woman noticed the differences between those creatures and real people yet? Even he had, and he had only encountered three of
them. Swallowing his annoyance, Grayson reminded himself that she was young and a servant at that.
 

“Of course not.” He snapped, instantly regretting his waspishness and made a concerted effort to keep his tone even, in an attempt to sound reassuring. The girl visibly sagged in relief.
 

Grayson turned away, intent on resuming his mission back to his townhouse. He heard a faint rustle behind him and realized with a start that the girl was following him.
 

“Where are you going?” She asked boldly stepping further out of the pantry. She was younger than he had originally placed her. Perhaps twelve or thirteen and it made him wonder what a girl so young was doing in a den of iniquity like this? He only hoped her position here had strictly been serving in the kitchen.
 

“I have to get to my house across the square.” Grayson answered in a clipped tone, his eyes hastily surveying the room for any sign of an impending attack.
 

“Can I come with you?” She was already following him; why the hell not? Sussex decided and nodded his head for her to follow him. His conscious would not have allowed him to abandon the child anyway.
 

“Do you know how to get out of here?” It was beginning to feel like a rat’s maze, and Grayson was getting frustrated. He was relieved when she nodded and motioned to a doorway that led to a separate corridor.
 

Grayson followed her direction with the tiny blonde dogging his every step until they reached the door that led outside to the mews; there the girl hesitated.
 

“What’s your name?” He asked distractedly scanning the courtyard through the window, for any sign of the creatures.
 

“Celia…” He noticed the girl’s voice was shaking nearly as much as her entire body and Grayson felt a sudden kinship with this girl. So far she was the only live person he had come across; perhaps they were the only two human beings left? The idea filled him with despair.
 

“You are going to have to be terribly brave Celia. You cannot scream once we get out there, it will most likely attract those creatures.” Celia nodded her head, her eyes going wide as her anxious gaze swept the courtyard for signs of the beasts and Grayson felt a little better, she seemed to comprehend the danger.
 

“We have to reach my gray charger Pegasus; he is being stabled in the mews. He is large enough that we can both ride him without trouble.”
 

At his words, Celia let out a whimper causing Grayson to look at her sharply.
 

“You have ridden before?” His heart sank as she shook her head no.
 

“That’s alright.” He hastily reassured her, for her face had blanched in obvious fear that he would leave her. “It will be easy; you must simply hold onto my back and not let go.” He instructed. Celia looked uncertain.
 

“I am afraid.” She confessed, and Grayson once more had to stamp down on an irrational urge to snap at the girl. God, she was only a child.
 

“The horse is the least of your problems.” He informed her matter of factly, wincing inside as he saw her pale further at the harshness of his words.
 

He probably should have reassured her that he was afraid too, but that just wasn’t his style; instead of saying anything further Grayson eased the door open, ignoring the labored breathing at his side from Celia.  Sussex kept to the shadows. He was relieved that Celia had decided to follow him. He was not sure if he could have left her behind had she balked. They made it across the yard without notice, for the back yard was deserted of creatures; they were too busy pillaging the square out front. Reaching the stable he bolted the door behind them.
 

 “Stay close to me.” He ordered Celia as they heard a low, breathy rattle coming from a darkened corner of the stable. The sound had Celia shrieking and clinging to his back like a leech, despite his previous warnings for her to remain silent. Grayson spun sword at the ready and sure enough a soulless creature came charging clumsily out of the darkness. Grayson swung more easily this time, using his previous experience as a guide; he aimed for the neck, as it appeared to be the only way to kill them.  One cut had the beast slowed, the second he was immobilized and by the third; the man, a stable hand by the look of his uniform, was beheaded completely and laid on the ground blood spurting from the space where his head had been.
 

Celia was sobbing uncontrollably; staring at the decapitated figure in the straw. Grayson reached out and pulled her along with him as he took off at a half run down the deserted aisle searching each of the stalls trying to find the one his prized stallion had been stabled. He found Pegasus serenely munching hay as though the world was not going to hell around them all.
 

Grabbing the bridle that was hanging on a hook outside the stall Grayson entered the sweet smelling, straw laden stable pulling Celia in after him. He did not want Celia lingering out in the aisle where he would not be able to reach her in time if she needed his protection.
 

 Pegasus whinnied a gentle greeting; snuffling his palm expectantly as he slipped the bit into the horse’s mouth and the head piece over his ears. Not bothering to lead him from the stall he swung easily onto his back despite the lack of saddle.
 

Celia was staring wide eyed up at him now as though she expected him to leave her standing there and ride away. Leaning down low over the massive horse’s mane Grayson extended his hand to Celia and grasping her thin wrists inside his own, much larger hand he pulled her easily up behind him; she weighed next to nothing. Her arms encircled his waist instinctively, and he nearly coughed as her grip tightened uncomfortably across his ribs.
 

Kicking Pegasus into a walk Grayson ducked his head down as the large horse walked through the stall door. Behind him, he could feel Celia’s terror radiating off her body as she burrowed her face uncomfortably into his spine.
 

Grayson had had to make certain that the doors of the stable were shut tightly to keep the zombies from swarming them but thankfully the long aisle way that separated the
stalls on either side offered an escape. The aisle led to the end of the barn that was entirely open though blocked by a high gate. Pegasus was a prime jumper and Grayson prayed that he would live up to his name and sprout wings large enough to carry them safely over the tall bit of fence.
 

“Hold on tightly.” He shouted back to Celia as he spurred Pegasus into a dead gallop. His hooves clattered loudly on the hard floor, and he could feel the mighty horse’s muscles bunch beneath his legs as he prepared to jump. He felt a moment of apprehension; he had never before jumped bareback… But it was too late to rein him in now. Pegasus was gaining momentum; ever closer to the looming fence and Grayson did the only thing he could do.
 

Bending low over the stallion’s neck Sussex grasped the bridle and a large fistful of mane in his hands and squeezed tightly with his legs. A moment later they were in the air. Pegasus, living up to his name, his back legs didn’t even tap the top board of the six foot high fence as they sailed easily over.
 

Grayson felt Celia begin to slip but thankfully she managed to right herself, her clinging grip tightening even more across his abdomen but Grayson didn’t mind it at all; he was too grateful that she hadn’t fallen off. They landed with a heavy thud on the opposite side of the fence, but Grayson did not allow the horse a moments reprieve before kicking him into a dead gallop. Aiming him towards the grassy center of the square where he hoped he would be able to shorten the distance of their ride considerably.
 

All the creatures milling about turned hungrily towards them with their horrible death rattles as they began moving in the direction of the horse. Grayson noted, with a prayer of thanks to the heavens, that they did not appear to be any faster than a regular human and the horse easily outdistanced them. The distance between them spanned, and Pegasus being no stranger to battle, for he had accompanied Grayson in the battle of Waterloo, was not fazed by the large amount of people like creatures rushing at them from every side.
 

There were four creatures standing directly in their way and Grayson braced himself for battle as they approached the first. Swinging wide with his sword he managed to strike the creature across the throat as the horse thundered past. Hazarding a glance backwards Sussex saw the beast down on the ground, struggling to get back up, but still maimed was better than nothing. Two more approached at once, and Sussex was glad to see his horse had not forgotten his battle training as Pegasus bared his teeth and snapped at a creature. The horses speed did not slow though Pegasus managed to sink his vice like jaws into the neck of an unlucky zombie as they galloped on. Pegasus’s teeth tore into the creature ripping out its throat and Grayson finished the job with a swing of his sword while Pegasus kicked out; knocking the creature that was quickly approaching from the rear back several feet. Grayson nudged his charger back into a dead run; if they stayed still too long neither Pegasus’s strength during battle or his own prowess with a sword would save them from being swarmed from all sides.
 

The horse took off like a shot, and Grayson saw his townhouse approaching as they left the grassy shrubbery of the middle of the square. They hit the cobbled road, and a lone creature standing directly their way fell victim to Pegasus’s sharp hooves as the horse came out of his jump straight onto the zombie.
 

Grayson rode the horse right up the front steps swinging down off his back before the horse had come to a complete stop. He motioned Celia to stay put when she made to follow him, and she sent him a terrified look, but Pegasus stood still as a statue for her. Grayson tried the door, but it was locked. Shit, he had not considered this. A glance back at the rapidly approaching hoard of creatures had the Duke pounding on the door with both hands.
 

“Jackson! Cook, Opal, anyone? Open the damn door.” He bellowed at the top of his lungs hoping that someone inside would hear him and still be human enough to comply. The first creature was already mounting the bottom step when Grayson heard the lock sliding slowly out of the bolt, and it was the most jubilant noise he had ever heard in his life.
 

Grayson pulled Celia from the back of the big war horse pressing her behind his back, in between him and the door, before turning to fight the creatures that were nearly upon them. Swinging his sword high the Duke met the filmy eyed creature while it was still climbing the stairs; giving him full advantage of higher ground and he quickly hacked away at its neck. Another replaced the first and adrenalin pumping like crazy Grayson stabbed it in the eye, kicking it in the chest to push it off his sword tip he watched it stumble back into another creature and they both fell down. The creatures lumbering forward to attack were growing larger, and Grayson knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold them off for much longer. From the corner of his eye, he spotted his valet Jackson tentatively open the door.