Thirteen Roses Book Three: Beyond: A Paranormal Zombie Saga (6 page)

They looked bored. The apocalypse obviously wasn’t that big a deal for them. Luke wondered how they could be so casual. The zombies were gathering and looked like an audience at a film premiere, pressed up against the rope. Whatever the device that kept them away was pumping out, it pissed them off. They slavered and growled and snarled and beat their hands against their legs.
 

He and Alex reached the last column. It was a short dash down the stairs, but a far longer one around the side of the cathedral to safety.
 

He hunkered down and took a deep breath. If anyone came out of the entrance and looked straight to their right, they’d see them. But if they waited here until it was dark, they’d have a much greater chance of escaping. Right now they didn’t have any.
 

‘We wait.’

‘For dark?’

‘Yes.’

‘So we’re running out into zombie-infested London in the dark.’

‘I’ve got the device. We’ll be fine.’

‘What if it stops working? What if it runs out or something?’

‘We’ll be ready. And we only need to get out of the square and find an open door and we can barricade ourselves in.’

‘And then what?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Then what do we do? How do we rescue David?’

‘Do we have to?’

Alex grinned and shook his head. ‘I’d have to try, just because of the guilt. But you have to get home, right?’

Luke pressed his lips flat and scowled. ‘Thanks for the reminder.’

‘Any time. Seriously though, we can’t leave him in there.’

‘Or the others. I didn’t see them when we ran, but the chances of them getting out are pretty slim.’

‘How are we going to find them even if they do?’

‘Dammit. Right. We go to the hospital. There’s bound to be somewhere we can be safe. We’ll stay by the exit and see if they come out that way. We can’t do anything here tonight anyway. So we’ll wait there until morning and then figure something out.’

‘Are your plans always this comprehensive?’

‘Screw you. We wouldn’t need a plan if you hadn’t been so damned stupid as to make a virus like this.’

‘Thanks. I needed that, really.’

Luke gave him a bright smile and turned away. He was glad to be stuck with him and not David or Jackson, but he was still a human. There was a time when a human saying that to him would have had his head removed before he reached the end of the sentence. He sneered and checked around the pillar again.
 

The sun vanished an hour later and he stood, wincing at the unfamiliar aches in his calves and thighs. He had yet to find an upside to being mortal. The street lamps had come on and the front of St Paul’s was bathed in lambent yellow light. It did strange things to the zombies’ eyes. They glowed like they were lit from within and stood out from the rest of their face. Looking at the crowd was like seeing the fish that lived in the deepest parts of the ocean, eyes bobbing in blackness.
 

The soldiers left the trucks and headed into the cathedral. Luke held his breath as they mounted the steps and took Alex’s sleeve. As the soldiers came nearer they edged around the pillar, keeping it between them as much as possible. Finally the last soldier disappeared inside and the zombie horde climbed the first couple of steps.
 

Luke exchanged a look with Alex and the scientist nodded and rubbed his face. Luke didn’t know what tiredness felt like, not physically, but he thought the dull ache in his back and legs may well be it. They stepped clear of the pillars and the zombies saw them. Luke put his hand in his pocket and gripped the device, stomach churning.
 

The zombies couldn’t come closer. There had to be more devices inside St Paul’s, keeping them away. He was sorely tempted to stay within its shelter and curl up to sleep on the steps. But they had to go and they had to do it now, while there was no one on guard out here.
 

He took slow steps towards the zombies and, like he carried a really long stick, a channel opened up. The crowd spilt apart and they walked through. There was something Biblical about the parting of the crowd and Luke snickered. He’d liked writing that part. The Father hadn’t been so keen, but by the time he found out what they’d done, it was far too late. Humans had jumped on it, just like before, and the belief had taken root.
 

Alex was close enough that Luke could feel his breath on his neck so he wriggled his shoulders to push him back a little.
 

‘Take it easy. We’re fine, see.’

‘Fine means many things.’ Alex whispered. ‘Surrounded by zombies is not fine. What if it runs out?’

‘Why do you think it’s going to run out?’

‘I don’t. I just don’t like the thought that it could, alright? You’ve never had a piece of machinery go wrong on you?’

‘Well, no actually. I don’t really use it.’

‘Yeah, well, now’s your chance to discover the wonders of modern engineering.’

‘You don’t get any stronger, do you. It’s fine. Come on, let’s get to the hospital.’

He ignored the unspoken whinge and set off before Alex could vocalise it. They stomped through the streets, heading north to St Bart’s, and the zombies stayed well back for the entire journey. For the most part they were hidden in shadows or highlighted momentarily beneath a street lamp, but if he half-closed his eyes and focused on the ground ahead, it could just be a quiet evening in London.
 

They reached the hospital and walked in through the electric doors. They would have to plan further ahead soon. The electricity wouldn’t last for very long, assuming it lasted at all. There were power plants and they would need maintenance. When the power went, things would feel very different.
 

The hospital was still busy. There were zombies in beds, some growling, others prostrate and staring at the ceiling. Others staggered around the hallways in backless gowns. A zombie doctor tried to approach and got knocked back by the device. It settled for falling teeth-first onto a patient who, upon meeting the barrier, fell and snapped its hand off at the wrist. The spray of blood was hoovered up by the doctor closing its lips over the stump.
 

Alex groaned and stopped, resting one hand against the wall. ‘God, half a day inside that bloody cathedral and I’d forgotten how revolting these things are.’

‘I can handle revolting. Let’s get to the garage.’

His calm died when they had to pass through the children’s ward. Something rose up inside him. It felt like a cliche, but he couldn’t find a better way to describe it. It started in his stomach as a dull ache, then climbed until his heart grew hot and his lungs felt like they would burst. He kept his eyes on his feet and walked as fast as he could. The sounds encroached no matter how loud he hummed and, for the first time since the Father sent him here, he experienced something other than frustration or amusement. He didn’t like it. But no matter how he reminded himself they were just humans, he couldn’t get rid of it.
 

He’d missed his chance to speak with Az. Perhaps that was for the best, because having seen this, the conversation would be very different when it came. Though conversation was no longer the right word.
 

He let out a long breath as they stepped back into the corridor and followed the hanging signs to the garage. They were most of the way there when he noticed it. The device in his pocket that had been gently warm went cold. Just like that, as though the power had run out. He smiled. Had the Father heard the contempt in his voice when he’d scoffed at Alex earlier? Bastard.
 

The zombie coming towards them down the corridor wasn’t stopping.
     

Jackson

The guns wavered. First they pointed at him, then at David, then back at him. They were scared. Their precious doctor was in danger and they didn’t know what to do. His lip curled and he showed some teeth.
 

‘Put the guns down. We’re leaving. Keep pointing them at us if you want the doc to die.’

He motioned with his head and was pleased to see David spring off the bed. ‘Grab a gun.’

His hands were shaking but he approached the nearest soldier. The man’s eyes were wide, staring at Jackson, so he squeezed the doc’s throat a little tighter and the soldier handed his gun over. ‘Is the safety off?’

David shrugged, holding the gun like he was on a first date with it. Jackson glared at the soldier. ‘Is the safety off?’

The man nodded, eyes widening even more. He backed away, hands held up in defence as Jackson came closer. He shoved past the soldier, dragging the doc along with him. David came close behind and they made it to the door before the doctor got his breath back.
 

‘You don’t have to do this. I wasn’t saying I didn’t trust you, I was just—’

Jackson tightened his grip and choked off whatever Andre was going to say next. He’d never understand. This had nothing to do with what he’d said and everything to do with what David said. These people killed God’s children by the million. Somehow, in all the horror of the last twenty-four hours, he’d forgotten that.
 

He’d allowed his lust and his greed to take control of him again, just as it had when he was a child. When Mam couldn’t buy him the things he wanted, he’d bullied and stolen until he got them. And he’d never changed, not until God saved him. How had he forgotten that?

His shame brought blood rushing up his neck and he flushed red. The piece of shit in his arms wouldn’t understand that. He called himself a soldier of God, yet he disrespected him with every move he made. Every choice came from a place of arrogance. He’d forgotten his humility and so had Jackson. But not any more.
 

He glanced at David and smiled and tried to say some of what he was thinking with his eyes. But the man was a little mad and he wasn’t sure he understood. It didn’t matter. Jackson knew and that’s what counted.
 

The corridor was empty. Whatever the soldier said into the walkie talkie hadn’t been enough to bring them running. He nodded, pleased with his quick reactions. He’d need them to win this battle, against the zombies
and
the soldiers of God. They were both vermin, both a curse to be wiped from the face of the planet.
 

The cathedral was quiet and the tent peaceful.
 

He longed to go in there and free the women, save them from their fate. But there were too many soldiers and only one of him. The way David held that gun didn’t fill him with confidence. So it was just him. They would escape, meet the others and plan how they could return and destroy what they had found here. And rescue the women. And repopulate the Earth.
 

He dragged Andre across the stone until they stood beside the tent. He spun him around and shoved the barrel of his gun under his chin. ‘All that white. Be a shame to stain it with your blood. Might bring the zombie’s running though.’

Andre glared at him, gritting his teeth. ‘You can kill me. You can kill all of us. It doesn’t matter. We are pieces in a puzzle, but the picture is already formed and you cannot stop it. The world is reborn. All we are doing is caretaking the rebirth.’

‘And that’s great. I don’t think you wanna die though.’ He pushed the gun into the soft flesh hanging beneath his jaw and Andre paled. ‘So, what’s the easiest way out of here?’

‘Through the front door.’

Jackson removed the gun and replaced it with his fist. Andre dropped to one knee, raising a hand to shield himself from further blows.
 

‘That was stupid. One of us has a gun and the other doesn’t. Why do you want to piss me off?’

‘I don’t, I wasn’t. I mean, the easiest way is through the front door.’

‘Where a bunch of soldiers wait to take us out the minute they see us.’

‘I didn’t mean that, I didn’t, I—’

Jackson rammed his boot into the bastard’s gut and he doubled over, coughing spit onto the stone. He grabbed him by the hair and hauled him upright. ‘Don’t believe you. I’ll ask again. Best way out of here?’

The doctor was heaving, close to vomiting. And he called himself a soldier. Jackson sniffed and glanced at David. His face was pale but he wasn’t arguing. Still holding the gun like a retard, though.
 

‘Well?’

‘There are the secret tunnels. There is also the service door behind the vestry.’

‘Where does that go?’

‘Straight out the back of the cathedral.’

‘Sounds good. Where is it’

Andre waved towards the back of the church and Jackson chuckled. He wrapped his arm around his throat and spun him in the right direction. ‘Lead the way.’

With a groan the doctor set off across the church. They’d gone only a few metres when soldiers emerged from the rooms in which they’d been imprisoned, appearing through the wall like ghosts. More came from behind the three of them, jogging around the tent with guns raised. With them came the man in the white robe, the Etienne guy he’d spoken to earlier.
 

Jackson paused, letting out a long breath as Etienne came closer, the soldiers lowering their weapons as he raised his hands. They formed a loose circle around them and a hush fell across the cathedral.
 

‘Jackson, what’s happened?’

‘Not much. Realised you were a bunch of wankers with nothing to do with God.’

‘We are his warriors. Have you forgotten that?’

‘You’re someone’s warriors, but not his.’

David cleared his throat. ‘You’re the warriors of your own egos. You’ve invented this whole religious thing and blamed it for being a bunch of psychos. You’ve killed the human race. How is that ever going to be God’s work?’

Etienne looked from one to the other and shook his head, frowning. ‘Well, that is a shame. I never expected to get you, but you, Jackson? I really did think we had something wonderful. That is a pity.’

He stuck out a hand and the nearest soldier handed him his weapon. ‘I’m sorry, Andre, but you are, as we all are, dispensable.’

‘My leader, please remember, without me you have no medical support. I am essential.’