The Undead Day Nineteen (38 page)

‘Lilly,’ Sam joins in.

Lilly nods and lifts her mug as she takes in the way Joan said the word execution. Joan, in return observes the manner of the girl seated opposite her and nods knowingly to herself.

‘I will start by saying this,’ Joan announces with a pause to make sure they’re all listening, ‘what was done yesterday needed to be done to prevent a greater tragedy taking place and now we are here. Everyone will wake up soon and they will need direction and focus. Lilly? Where are Maddox and Lenski?’

‘In the hospital. Maddox came round for a few minutes last night…’

‘Christ,’ Sam cuts in, ‘does he know?’

Lilly nods, ‘I told him, he knows.’

‘How did he take it?’ Pea asks.

‘I think he understood once I explained everything to him,’ she says carefully, ‘and I did tell him that if he harbours any desire for revenge then everyone here will ensure Mr Howie is told when they return.’

‘Ooh good move,’ Sam says with a tilt of her head.

‘Other than that he looked sick and weak,’ Lilly adds.

‘So ladies,’ Joan says, ‘it appears we are it.’

‘Looks that way,’ Pea says with a heavy sigh, ‘I wouldn’t know where to start though….Sam?’

‘God,’ Sam copies the sigh and stares down at her mug, ‘bodies I guess?’

‘What about the hole in the wall?’ Pea asks.

‘Or that,’ Sam says, lifting her mug of coffee.

Lilly thinks. Her face a mask that betrays the fast motion of her mind that processes each strand of thought as she stares at the paths ahead. Which one to take? Which direction to go?

Billy is the priority. His welfare comes before all else. After that is the welfare of every other child here, then the adults. To ensure Billy has the best chances there must be safety, security and welfare. His needs must be met with food, water and shelter. He must have clean clothes and bedding and he must have a
feeling
of being secure to encourage his mind to heal from the horrors they have all faced. Which path? Slip back and look to his immediate concerns and hope someone else makes the right decisions or commit now and make sure those decisions are the right ones.

‘Both,’ Lilly says choosing the path without realising until the words came out which direction that would be in, ‘we have to do both and more at the same time.’ She sits up straighter, taller and leans forward to rest her elbows on the table. ‘If I may I would like to suggest we do the following…’

The three older women look at each other but none of them show any reaction to Lilly being drawn out to take the bait of the challenge in front of them. Lilly started this and around her it must now flow. Instead they listen and drink coffee as the plan, which they each knew had already been processed in her mind, is laid out in words.

Twenty Nine

We use winding country lanes that veer east then west but all the time south. The motorway would take us there quickly but Reginald has chosen a route that would we would not be expected to use. I drive the Saxon. Clarence drives the minibus and Roy is back in his van towing Jess’s horsebox trailer thing. We did try and get Jess loaded up for Charlie but the horse wasn’t having any of it and fucked about more than Cookey when he’s had too much sugar and it was only when Charlie got to her that she calmed down and walked meekly into the box. Horses are weird.

When did we leave the fort? A couple of days ago? It feels like weeks, months even but then time is all fucked up now, magnified and moving faster or something. Either that or we just don’t have devotion to it we had in our previous lives and therefore the importance of it is slipping away.

‘What do you think it will be like?’ I ask Marcy.

‘What?’ She blinks from her own deep thoughts.

‘The fort.’

‘Oh, oh right…er…probably a big mess,’ she says and twists round to look down the back, ‘Nick, you nervous?’

‘Eh? What for?’ He asks.

‘Seeing Lilly again,’ she says.

‘Oh fuck…er well I wasn’t…’ He blurts and makes everyone chuckle.

‘You’ll be fine,’ Paula says, having chosen to travel with us to let Kyle ride with Roy and Reginald, ‘she’ll be thrilled to see you again.’

‘What’s the fort like then?’ Blinky asks, ‘is it big?’

‘It’s a fucking shitting death filled stink hole of wank,’ Blowers says.

‘Speak your mind, Blowers,’ Paula says.

‘Sorry but it is. Why are we even going back there?’

‘Survivors fucktard,’ Nick says.

‘So we dropping them off and going again yeah?’ Blowers asks, ‘drop and run…drop and fuck off…like we just leave the bus on the beach and go…’

‘Why’s that?’ Blinky asks.

‘Cos it’s shit,’ Blowers says, ‘And Maddox is a cunt…’

‘Simon,’ Paula tuts.

‘He is,’ Nick says.

‘We need a time out and somewhere safe to stay…’ Paula starts to say.

‘Safe? The fort?’ Blowers scoffs, ‘that’s the least safe place in the…shit, sorry, Nick.’

‘You fucking twat, Blowers’ Cookey mutters, ‘she’ll be fine, Nick.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ Blowers says, ‘Lilly will be fine but it’s still a cunt filled place of cu…’

‘Blowers,’ Paula says with a huff, ‘it’s not that bad.’

‘It is,’ Cookey says, ‘I’m with cockbreath…we should ditch the survivors and go…or,’ he adds quickly, ‘we should ditch the survivors, grab Lilly and her brother and then go…’

‘Yes!’ Blowers says, ‘we should do that. Grab Lilly and get the fuck out of it.’

‘And Billy,’ Cookey says.

‘And Billy,’ Blowers adds, ‘and Milly.’

‘Hold the fuck on,’ Blinky cuts in, ‘Lilly and Billy and Milly? You taking the piss?’

‘Nope,’ Nick laughs, ‘you’ll love Milly…’

‘I don’t like children,’ Blinky says.

‘You’ve not met Milly,’ Cookey says.

‘I don’t want to go back,’ Mo’s voice suddenly joins the conversation bringing it to a sudden silence.

‘We have to go back,’ Paula says, her tone soft but firm.

‘What for?’ Blowers asks.

‘Hold the wheel,’ I say to Marcy and twist round.

‘Fucking hell, Howie,’ she launches over me to grab the wheel.

‘I had no idea you felt like that,’ I say to Blowers.

‘Howie, slide out,’ Marcy says, digging her elbow into my ribs.

‘We all do,’ he says, dropping his head to look down.

‘Howie,’ Marcy snaps, ‘slide out before we crash into the fucking hedge…’

‘Cookey? You the same?’ I ask.

He looks at Blowers and nods, ‘we hate it.’

‘Clarence is the same,’ Blowers says.

‘We won’t get to the bloody fort if you don’t slide out,’ Marcy says.

‘Is he?’ I ask the lads, ‘why didn’t anyone say anything?’

‘Just…shit,’ Marcy says as the Saxon starts weaving down the road, ‘slow down…’

‘Howie, maybe let Marcy drive?’ Paula asks.

‘Eh?’ I look back out the windscreen to see us weaving down a country lane, ‘just hold it straight.’

‘I’ll hold you straight you bloody…right slow down and let me drive.’

‘
What’s going on?’
Clarence’s worried voice asks through the radio.

‘We’re fine,’
Paula replies.

I start sliding out as Marcy starts sliding in and my world fills with her arse as she twists and curses for me to shift my fat backside over.

‘That’s my boob,’ she announces to the world when her breast thrusts itself into my hand trying to hold the wheel.

‘You put your boob in my hand.’

‘No, your hand found my…right move over…go on…’

‘I’m going,’ I get free and plop to the side on the passenger seat as she sinks down to put her foot back on the accelerator. ‘There, all done…’

‘Don’t speak to me. I am irritated right now,’ she plucks at her bra strap under her shirt and shifts in the seat, ‘it almost fell out,’ she adds with a huff.

‘Shouldn’t be so big then,’ I mutter which just earns me a dark look. ‘Anyway, you really feel that strongly about it?’ I ask the lads. ‘Mo?’

‘Fuck yeah, I mean yes.’

‘Nick?’

He shrugs, ‘Lilly is there so I’m happy to go back to see her but not the fort.’

I don’t need to ask Cookey or Blowers and if truth be told I feel the same way. The fort meant something once. Everything we gave for it but that’s the problem, we kept on giving and it never ended.

‘You feel the same,’ Paula says, watching me closely.

‘Yeah, yeah I do,’ I say and look to Charlie, ‘Charlie needs to see the doctor though and we need more ammunition and rifles, pistols too…grenades…hang on,
Clarence, you there?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘The lads just told me how they feel about the fort. You the same?’

‘Definitely, Boss.’

‘Roy?’

‘Whatever Paula wants.’

‘Reggie?’

‘I just need somewhere quiet to go through Neal’s books.’

‘Fair enough then,’ I say, ‘we’ll drop the survivors off, get Charlie checked over and grab what we need then go again.’

‘What about Lilly?’ Cookey asks on seeing the frown on Nick’s face.

‘We can’t run with children,’ I say, ‘Lilly yes but she won’t leave her brother. Nick?’

‘Yeah,’ he says quietly, ‘I know.’

‘Ah fuck it,’ Blowers says, ‘we can stay for the night…’

‘One night won’t hurt,’ Cookey says quickly.

‘Nah,’ Nick says, his face passive, ‘I…like…’

‘Go on,’ Paula says, prompting him gently.

‘Like, don’t take the piss but…’

‘We’ll always take the piss.’

‘Cookey shush,’ Paula says, ‘Nick, go on.’

‘Twat,’ Nick says looking at Cookey, ‘I want to see Lilly but I hate being there the same as everyone else.’

‘How about,’ Marcy calls out, ‘we see how everyone feels when we get there?’

I look at Charlie then at Nick and finally at Marcy. ‘We’ll stay for the night,’ I say firmly.

‘Boss,’ Nick says.

‘Charlie needs to be checked and we all need a rest. We’re staying for the night.’

‘Or,’ Marcy says, ‘we wait and see how everyone feels when we get there.’

‘You just said that.’

‘I said it again,’ she says bluntly, ‘is that okay with you?’

‘Alright pissy…’

‘Don’t start, Howie.’

‘Mr Howie?’ Charlie calls out, ‘may I ask a question?’

‘Yeah what’s up?’

‘You said the fort is on an island…how will we transport Jess?’

‘Oh,’ I say.

‘Good question,’ Paula says.

‘Might not be staying then,’ Marcy mutters.

‘I know!’ Cookey announces.

‘Oh fuck,’ Blowers groans.

‘Can I get out now?’ Nick asks.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Mo says.

‘Fuck off,’ Cookey says, bursting at the seams with an idea buzzing in his mind.

‘Cookey,’ I say with a look, ‘we haven’t had coffee today…’

‘No no, it’s a proper idea,’ he says getting to his feet with such a grin it makes Charlie start laughing.

‘Fucking won’t be,’ Blowers says.

‘It is!’ Cookey says so excited it sets Charlie off even more.

Paula looks at me. I lift my head. She tilts hers.

‘Don’t,’ Blowers pleads.

‘Fuck it,’ I groan, ‘go on then, Cookey…but, if it’s shit then Blinky can punch you in the leg.’

‘Fuck yes,’ Blinky sits up with a grin.

‘I will accept that challenge, Mr Howie,’ Cookey says, ‘because my idea is not shit. It is a good idea and in fact…’

‘Get on with it then,’ Blowers says.

‘Excuse me,’ Cookeys says with mock politeness at Blowers knowing he is making Charlie laugh, ‘I am so confident of my idea I shall transmit my idea over the radio network.
Ahem…Clarence, it is Cookey. Are you receiving me?’

‘Are you pissing about, Cookey?’

‘I am not. I have an idea.’

‘Is it stupid?’

‘No. It is wise and learned and…stuff. Roy? Can you hear me?’

‘Unfortunately.’

‘Reg?’

‘I will not answer to that name.’

‘Sorry, Reginald? Can you hear me because I have a…’

‘Fucking get on with it,’ Blowers groans.

‘Blinky, if he doesn’t tell us in thirty seconds you can…’ I call out.

‘One Two Three,’ Blinky counts fast.

‘Fine, this is my idea…do you all remember those nice houses by the beach where we stayed the night when we left the fort? Well…’

‘You fucking genius,’ Blowers says, ‘mate…that’s brilliant…’

‘Cookey,’ I say in shock.

‘Cookey that’s a bloody good idea,’
Clarence says.

‘I haven’t said it yet,’
Cookey says plaintively,
‘Let me say it…well, why don’t we stay there instead of the fort? That way…Blowers I haven’t said the whole of my idea yet…that way Jess can be with us, Lilly can visit and…er…and oh yeah, we’re not in the fort.’

‘The lad’s got some smarts,’
Clarence says, clearly impressed.

‘Reggie?’
I ask through the radio.

‘As much as I hate to admit it, his idea is actually…’

‘FUCK YES,’ Cookey booms, ‘I impressed Reggie…the regmeister…old Reg…I am an intellectual fucking genius.’ He sits down proudly and nods round at everyone, ‘so me and Charlie will have one house and the rest of you can…what? Is that a bad idea?’

Charlie doesn’t answer on account of the tears falling from her eyes at his performance. Her laugh is like a mini Clarence, all snorts and brays that makes us all grin.

‘Fine,’ he says glumly, ‘I’ll share with Blowers again….we ain’t spooning though.’

‘We are,’ Blowers says.

‘We ain’t.’

‘We are.’

‘I hate spooning Blowers,’ Cookey tells Charlie, ‘his willy digs in my back.’

‘Stop,’ she gasps, touching the cut on her face, ‘you’ll split my stitches…’

‘I said that to Blowers once but he didn’t stop,’ Cookey says with mock hurt, ‘just kept going the nasty brute.’

‘Switch on,’ Marcy calls out quickly.

‘What?’ I spin round to face the front as the laughing drops instantly, ‘arm up…
Clarence, we’ve got someone in the road ahead holding an assault rifle…’

‘Roger, easing back. Reginald. Get the camera’s on at the back.’

‘They’re on, the back is clear.’

‘Stop the vehicle,’ I say to Marcy. We’re only half a mile from the bay and I don’t recognise the person holding the rifle. An adult male who lifts his arm in greeting then speaks into a radio. ‘Anyone recognise him?’

‘Let me see,’ Paula says leaning over the back of the seats, ‘yeah I do actually…he’s from the fort.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah definitely, ask Dave.’

‘Dave, get eyes on this bloke ahead. Is he from the fort?’

‘Stand by,’
I open the door and look back to see Dave jumping from the bus with his rifle up and aimed down past the Saxon, ‘
he is, Mr Howie.’

‘He’s got a car,’ Marcy says, pointing past him to the back end of a blue mini parked round the bend in the road.

‘
Roy, I’ll go forward. Get Kyle to drive…can you give me overwatch.’

‘Yep, getting out now.’

‘Blowers, your team protect the bus. Everyone stay here, I’ll go forward with Dave. Dave,’ I shout out as I drop down, ‘with me.’