Thirteen Roses Book Three: Beyond: A Paranormal Zombie Saga (7 page)

Etienne looked disappointed, like a father with a misbehaving child. Jackson flinched. It brought back old, blurred memories of his father. It was the only way he could remember him ever looking.
 

‘Not one of us is essential and you were one of the first and most vocal in support of that. We do God’s work and every one of us lives in service to him. Your death is your service this time.’

‘But what about the test subjects, what about the ladies in waiting?’

‘I hadn’t expected such naivety from you, Andre. Do you really believe we would enter this stage of the plan without back up in every area?’

He shook his head, tutting. Jackson narrowed his eyes. The guy was close to smiling, like the whole thing was a joke. David stepped closer. ‘What do we do?’

‘We run. They’re all around us, won’t shoot till we’re in the clear.’

‘What happens when we’re in the clear?’

‘They shoot us. So run fast.’

‘Where?’

‘You know where the vestry is?’

‘Nope.’

‘I do. So—’

The gun shot was horribly loud and the bang bounced around the cathedral like a ping pong ball. Andre’s body was heavy and limp in his arms, so he threw him forwards and ran for it. The world narrowed, to the stone beneath his feet, the blood thumping in his temples, and the sound of his and David’s shoes on the cathedral floor.
 

‘Shoot them, shoot them.’

The soldiers hesitated, just like he knew they would. They burst free of the circle, racing straight between outstretched arms. The gun shots came a few moments later but they were already out of the light and running close to the wall. Something sharp caught him in the shoulder and he swore, stumbling.
 

David bumped into him and they scrambled to stay upright. The wall saved him, then David screamed and bashed against him again. Jackson grabbed him and dragged him along. They ducked across the narrow space and in behind the walls that ran down the centre of the cathedral.

For a few brief moments the firing stopped and the sound of his breathing came back loud in his ringing ears. David gasped and coughed beside him.
 

‘You alright?’

‘Shot, in the side. Think I’m okay.’

‘Dammit.’

Mad boy got himself shot. Still running, though, so not that bad. They raced past the altar and into the vestry, the small chapel on one side of the centre of the church. Their line took them back into the open and the guns started up again. The soldiers were running and most of the bullets went wide, but a few were close enough to throw chips of stone into his face.
 

He could hear Etienne screaming, exhorting them to shoot the two of them. Then they plunged into the vestry and the gun fire petered out once more. They raced between the narrow pews to the end and searched. A small wooden door was tucked in one corner and Jackson grabbed the handle. It was, in predictable fashion, locked.
 

He stepped back and unleashed a blast of machine gun fire into the ancient wood. It shattered and buckled and his boot broke through the rest of it. The tunnel beyond was tiny and dark and he had to bend almost double to get through. His shoulders caught on the entrance and he grunted as the skin lifted. David hustled through behind him and they burst out into a tiny courtyard surrounded by trees.
 

The shouts and thumps of the soldiers came through the tunnel behind them. They dashed through the trees and found a gate in the black iron railings that encircled the cathedral. This one was already open and they piled through. He slammed it shut and aimed through the railings at the entrance to the tunnel.
 

A flash of grey was all he needed to fire off a few rounds into the darkness. At least one shout of pain graced his ears and no one came out. He waited until David patted his shoulder.
 

‘We should leave. We gotta go, come on.’

He raced off towards the stone gate that stood at the perimeter of St Paul’s and Jackson sniffed. He fired another volley into the tunnel and ran. They burst out onto the street and were faced immediately by a horde of zombies. He let rip, bullets tearing arms and legs off, blood spraying across the road.
 

The zombies still in possession of all their limbs attacked the wounded and a free for all erupted in the street. He swallowed down bile as he watched one zombie, legs blown away by the gun fire, drag itself to the body of its prone comrade and bite deep into its face. Seconds later it was hauled off the body by two other zombies intent on chowing down on its leg stumps.
 

David was already stumbling up the street, spitting as he went, and Jackson followed, shaking his head. The bastards they’d just escaped would pay. This was no more God’s work than what he himself had been doing before his awakening. Strange how his rebirth had coincided with what Etienne described as a rebirth for the entire world.
 

It only consolidated what he already knew. God had chosen him. He had forgotten it already today, but he wouldn’t again. He caught David and raced past him.
 

‘Pick it up, mad boy. We’re heading for the hospital.’

Bayleigh

The part of her that still didn’t believe in zombies and angels gibbered quietly to itself as it curled up in the corner of her mind. The rest of her watched with the same feeling you get when your car goes into a spin. Her stomach lurched and her mouth dropped open as the thick cloud coalesced into something both horribly human and frighteningly other.
 

It was human-shaped and stared at her with human eyes, but its arms were deformed, bulging with grotesque quantities of muscle. Dirty cream coloured horns sprouted from the top of his head and ran to a point at the tips. Wings emerged from behind its shoulders, covered in feathers that reminded her of London pigeons. They might once have been white or grey but were now stained and tatty. Its face was… well, actually, his face was quite attractive. His features were even and his lips full and sensuous. He was compelling, like watching a cheetah run down a gazelle.
 

As the cloud flickered and faded, his arms reduced in size, as did his chest until she found herself blushing and trying to find somewhere to fix her eyes. He wore a pair of jeans, which was fortunate, assuming the rest of him was as pretty as the bits she could see. The wings spread and beat twice, wind the flavour of iron assailing her.
 

He was an angel.
 

Luke was an angel. He was good looking in a thin sort of a way and she’d noticed the horn stubs threatening to break through his hair. But he didn’t look the part.
 

This guy looked the part. He really looked the part. His mouth was set in a sneer and he looked like he’d happily tear her head off at any moment, but she still couldn’t think anything bad about him. He was just so beautiful.
 

Then he smiled. She shivered despite the warmth rushing to her cheeks. She could imagine his hands, sliding over her sweat-soaked body, wrapping around her and pulling her in close. Her mouth opened and she panted, a quick in and outtake of breath. Krystal grabbed her hand and gripped it hard.
 

She glanced down and saw that her cheeks were flushed and her hand pressed protectively over her breasts. Beside her, Ed stared at the two of them, frowning and confused. The sight of him pulled her a little way back from the brink. She swallowed and kept her eyes on him until the heat diminished and she could breathe again. She dared a look at the angel before her.
 

He was still there and still gorgeous. He was also coming closer. She moaned softly and flicked the tip of her tongue over her lips.
 

‘Welcome to St Paul’s. Do you like what we’ve done with the place?’

‘Uh, um.’

Krystal’s hand gripped harder. Bayleigh closed her eyes. She had to snap out of it. She pictured Ali dropping to the ground, hands clenched in claws, and the heat fell away. She blinked and looked at the angel. He was still beautiful, but whatever enchantment he’d used, it no longer worked. She shook herself like a dog, trying to throw off the last vestiges of her lust.
 

‘Do you mean this mini church in here, or the real one upstairs?’

He laughed, the sort of sound whisky would make, if it could. ‘This is the real one. What, you think the Father wanted his power on show, for the whole world to see?’

‘Who’s the Father?’

‘Has Luke told you nothing?’

‘He hasn’t really had time. We’ve been fighting zombies non-stop before we came in here to rescue Krystal and since then we’ve just been running.’

‘Don’t forget killing Az’s baby. He won’t be pleased about that.’

‘It was a zombie. Who’s Az?’

The angel nodded, lustrous eyebrows coming together. ‘Yes it was, and didn’t we get that one wrong? Still, live and learn.’

‘Who’s Az?’ Krystal had recovered enough to ask a question and the angel blinked and looked at her. ‘Impressive. I understand Bayleigh having the requisite trauma to break free, but you should still be well under. Don’t you find me appealing to look at?’

‘You look like an arrogant dick to me. If you weren’t you wouldn’t have assumed I don’t have any trauma. I hate people who think kids have nothing to worry about.’

The angel smiled and inclined his head. There was something insufferably smug about him but caring at the same time, like he was fighting the desire to be friendly and nice. ‘Goodness, I am sorry. What are you doing here?’

‘We asked the question first, who’s Az?’ Ed blurted out.

The angel turned to him with a less-friendly smile. ‘You aren’t in the playground any more, little boy. It’s not about who asked first. It’s about who has the power to tear whose head off. And in case you’re confused, it’s me.’

‘So if you’ve got the power, what harm is there in answering the question?’

Bayleigh squeezed Krystal’s hand, inordinately proud. The angel looked from Krystal to Ed and back again. ‘I can see the Father made particularly annoying choices with you two. Az is my friend. He is a demon of the eighth level. I’m sure you’ll meet him soon enough. Especially now you’ve come to stay with us.’

‘We aren’t staying anywhere. We’re leaving just as soon as you get out the way.’

Bayleigh stepped forwards and pushed the kids behind her. She stuck her chin out and waited for the inevitable blow. The angel chuckled. ‘Very impressive. Let’s do this properly, shall we? My name is Seph. You are Bayleigh, Krystal and Edward and you are here because the Father is a tricksy and conniving being who takes great pleasure in torturing his son. I am here for reasons of my own which I won’t bother you with. Now, why are you in my church?’

‘We’re trying to escape. But the lights went out so we came here to get a torch.’

‘And just thought you’d take a look at my machine at the same time.’

Ed pushed past Bayleigh. ‘It’s really cool, what does it do?’

Seph didn’t seem to move, but suddenly he was right beside Ed, crouched down with an arm around his narrow shoulders. ‘Well, son, it is cool, isn’t it? Let me tell you all about it. On second thoughts, how about I don’t?’

He closed his hands around Ed’s head and lifted him from the floor. He screamed and lashed out with both feet before the angel threw him across the room. The crack of his body striking the wooden pews made Bayleigh cry out and rush to him. She saw his leg immediately, the bone jutting from the flesh and blood seeping into his trousers. She didn’t see anything else before the haze came down and she stomped back across the church.

She stormed towards Seph, fists raised. ‘How could you do that? You’re an angel, how could you do that?’

‘How could I do that? I’ve just masterminded the destruction of the human race and you ask how I could injure some little brat? Your priorities are somewhat misaligned, I must say.’

She slammed her clenched fists against his chest, which felt like hitting the ground. He grinned down at her and she noticed that his teeth ended in sharp points. He grabbed her wrists. ‘I have little patience. I love my brother and I need him, so I will spare your lives. Take a torch and get out.’

His voice was low and made her stomach twist, then he tossed her onto the floor and her teeth slammed together. She rested her forehead against the stone for a moment, taking deep breaths before she pushed herself up. Krystal was hovering around Ed, looking at him with frightened eyes.
 

When had she last slept? When had she last eaten anything? The headache that lurked behind her eyes was becoming an old friend and she wondered if it would ever leave. If they could just get back to the hospital they could lock themselves in a room and sleep.
 

Ed was bent at a strange angle over the benches and dragging him upright was harder than she’d expected. He was far heavier than she’d thought, but she hoisted him over her shoulder, grunting with the effort. Blood trailed from his leg and as she turned, his foot caught against one of the pews. He tensed and screamed, hands batting her in the face.
 

Seph watched them, eyebrows raised in a sign of mild interest, but nothing more. He didn’t care.
 

He was an angel.
 

‘How can you just stand there? You’re supposed to do good.’

‘I’ve done good for longer than you can imagine. My entire existence has been dedicated to serving others and making their lives better. But things change, Bayleigh. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching the human race all this time, it’s that things change. So why not me?’

‘But why does change have to be bad?’

‘Isn’t that what you think? Isn’t that what all you people think, scurrying around down here, chasing after routine, after safety and security? I’ve seen only a handful of you for whom change is a good thing, and even then it’s a struggle. Change is hard, Bayleigh, and difficult. But you will see, in the long run, that it is all worth it.’

She spat at him. It fell short and she stared at it in amazement. Her cheeks flamed up and she tried to stammer an apology but he cut her off.