“You stay here kid” he said he handed him a sharp knife “When we are out of sight, slash their tires”
**
Keith knocked on the door of a tiny, thatched cottage, that sat alone on a little green. A voice answered from the other side of the door. Drew and the others were pressed against the wall out of sight of any view hole on the door. Drew could not make out what was said he assumed from Keith’s reply he was asking who it was.
“John, it’s Keith let me in”
The old door creaked open and within a second Marcus moved away from the wall barged past Keith and without hesitating crashed his fist into John’s face obliterating his nose, the force of it knocking him over, he knocked his head heavily on the corner of a desk and he fell to the floor unconscious his face a bloody mess.
“Sorry John” Marcus sniggered.
He stepped over his body and into the tiny room, Drew followed. Matty and Dieter dragged John out of the way, and they shut the door behind them.
The room was tiny, there was the desk now and a notice board and that was about it.
It felt even more cramped with the amount of people in there.
“Where are the guns Keith?” Marcus demanded.
Keith moved the notice board out of the way, revealing a small door, he struggled through his pockets and pulled out a key, he turned the key and unlocked the door.
Drew walked through the door, there was a staircase it was dark, but as soon as he started descending the stairs, lights flicked on, motion sensors. He walked down, Frances following him. The stairs went down and wound back around. They stopped in their tracks. Greeting them were guns, lots of guns, wall to wall. Assault rifles, handguns, automatic weapons. Grenades. The works.
“Where did Sam get all of these?” Drew asked Frances
“There used to be so many army bases around here, he managed to take all the reserves” Frances answered.
**
Rocky was all alone. He stepped out of the station wagon; he had waited long enough.
He made sure no one was lingering around, it had all gone to plan so far, the Knights were eager to follow into the woods, they thought there was some substance to the story. Maybe they had had a run in with the people in masks themselves. He was nervous and anxious hoping not to screw this up. There was a lot riding on him. He held his hands together and blew into them to warm them from the cold night air. He pulled his black beanie down over his ears and got to work. He scurried over to the closest car to where he was, he crouched by the tyre held the knife in both hands and forced it into it, making a sawing action with the serrated blade. The air bellowed out, he was surprised how load the noise was, but he did not dally, the sooner he had cut all the tyres the sooner they would deflate.
He ran around all the vehicles, cutting the tyres, quick and sharp, each one making him more and more anxious, with the increased noise level. He had one more to go, then he planned on jumping in the driver’s seat of the station wagon and locking the doors.
He bent down behind the back of the last car. He froze, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He heard a click, clack, a shotgun, being cocked.
“What are you doing kid?” a menacing voice from behind him.
It was clear what he had been doing he had a split second to decide. He spun around keeping his head low, anticipating the man to be holding the shotgun at waist height, he lunged with the knife, ploughing the blade into the man’s leg. He was not quite quick enough. The man let off a shot with the shotgun.
Rocky screamed as the shot hit his left shoulder. Knocking him over, he rolled around on the floor clutching his wound. Someone must have heard the shot; he was a dead man he knew it. The man himself was in a deal of bother. The knife was dug deep into his leg near his femoral artery. He was trying to pull it out which may have been futile as it was currently plugging the wound. He gave up on it and picked the shotgun back up, he hobbled over towards Rocky, until he was stood over him pointing the gun at him. Rocky raised his blood covered hand to the man pleading for him to have mercy, to not pull the trigger.
In the corner of his eye Rocky saw another figure approaching and approaching at pace. The man with the shotgun noticed a change in Rocky’s focus as his head slightly turned to the side. The man with the shotgun pivoted on the balls of his feet.
The man fell to the floor. One single shot hit him between the eyes, he was dead before he would have felt it. Mitch shot out the tyres on the remaining car and scooped Rocky off the deck.
“Hang on son, we will get you to Doc James”
**
Chloe opened the door, Dominic and Becky were the other side. Keith had raised them on the walkie on their own secret frequency to meet him at the armoury. They had no idea what they were walking into, but they were willing to assist wherever they could. They check all around them before they walk in, it was still quiet outside.
Drew had just got to the top of the staircase carrying boxes of ammunition, he noticed the new faces in the room. He put the box down next to the pile of other boxes they had bought up from the basement. Chloe introduced him.
“How are you planning on getting all of this out of here?” the man with the ponytail named asked him.
“That’s where you come in, I hope” Drew answered “Chloe tells me that you have access to some vehicles, we want to load up and head out of the gates”
Before Dominic could answer Becky spoke.
“Yeah that is right, we are light on man-power so you should be able to sneak out easily enough” she looked at Drew “But you knew that, already didn’t you?”
Drew did not need to answer he stared ahead full knowledge in his eyes.
“If you could get us a van, a transit or a sprinter or something that would be great, and a few bog-standard cars, maybe four, enough to get us all out of here”
Dominic agreed but he needed to take a few of these guys with him to drive the vehicles back, Hameed, Omar, Tommy and Dieter agreed to go with Dominic, the sooner they could get the vehicles the sooner they could get back home. They headed out of the door and into the night.
Drew headed back downstairs; Chloe caught his arm.
“I’m going to get Aubree” she said squeezing his bicep.
Drew shook his head profusely “We won’t have time; I need to get everyone out of here”
“And that is what I am doing, if I am not back, go without me” Chloe said “And what about Sarah, you will make time for her after we get the guns out of here”
Drew did not say anything, he had no intention of leaving until he had any information about Sarah’s whereabouts, but he was not planning on everyone still being inside the walls when he did so. He run his hands through his tangled greasy hair, reluctantly he caved in.
“Ok, but you take someone with you”
“Becky will come” Chloe smiled
“No, one of ours” Drew insisted as Matty arrived at the top of the stairs with a box of grenades “Take Matty”
38
The door was unlocked. No big surprise Chloe thought as they stood on the concrete doorstep of the building that for a while, was her home. She opened it, the house was more of a mess than she remembered, and it stunk abundantly. It was eerily dark and cold in the house as she tiptoed over the rubbish on the floor. Becky and Matty followed her being careful not to tread on anything.
She entered the communal living room, somewhere she had not spent more than ten minutes in before, but something peculiar on the coffee table it grabbed Chloe's attention.
She navigated past an upturned armchair. She slipped, and fell over backwards, she held out her hands down to brace herself. Her hands landed in something wet and gooey. She looked around behind her, she could just make out a lump on the floor under the armchair. Matty shoved the chair out of the way, a body was underneath, blood had spewed from its head and over the floor, right where Chloe had landed.
Becky had found a torch in a cupboard in the hallway, the lig
ht was dim, the batteries were fading. She shook it to try and improve the illumination, no use it was just as dim. She followed into the living room; she could see Chloe on the floor. Becky scanned the torch over the body in the upturned chair. A meat cleaver was buried into the head of the person all the way to where the steel ended, and the plastic handle began.
Chloe stood up quickly, in horror at what she had just seen, she looked at her hands, covered in blood, she could feel a horrible feeling in her stomach, and as soon as she had thought it she heaved she thought she was going to be sick, but she managed to suppress it, instead she swallowed the stomach acid back down, she looked at her hands once more and wiped them on her ripped jeans.
Becky moved the torch around the room. On the coffee table there laid an arm. Severed at the shoulder. Blood still dripping from it making a metallic sound as the droplets landed on the blade of a hacksaw below. Matty moved forwards to get a closer look. Next to the arm was a syringe, and a hurriedly scrawled note. Becky gave him the torch and Matty read out the note, loud enough that only three of them could hear.
MAC
Jambo got bit. I thought if I cut it out then he would be ok. I was wrong. I had to use some of the juice on him to calm him down. So, I will pay you double next time. I will make sure your bitch is ready for the next guy after I finish with her, but Just so your clear I am taking Jambo's go too.
Richie
Chloe yanked the knife out of the dead man's head full of rage, hoping she was not too late for what had inevitably taken place. She turned around and out of the room and run up the stairs two at a time. Becky and Matty chased after her. They got to the top of the stairs. Past Chloe's old room and to McCormack's door. Chloe was about to thrust it open. Matty pulled her back, he was going in first.
Matty could see light seeping out underneath the door. He pushed it open a fraction and stayed quiet trying to hear if anyone was inside. He was not sure, but he thought he could hear something, a faint muffled sound. He could not quite make it out, he was unsure whether it was someone in pain or crying or both. He listened some more; he was uncomfortable with what could be happening in there. He heard a man's voice. He could not make out the words they sounded slurry like someone who had over-indulged on alcohol, but from the tone he could tell it was derogative and aggressive.
Matty had heard enough. He barged through the door. He froze momentary as he took in what was happening. A young woman was on all fours on top of a filthy old mattress on the bare floorboards. She was stripped completely naked, shackled from her ankles to the wall, a gag made from an old rope across her mouth stopping her from screaming, the man was behind still in the act of forcing himself upon her, overpowering her. He was pulling her head up with her hair as he violated her viciously. A kerosine lamp was lighting up her face, Matty could see her forcing her eyes shut but she could not stop the tears streaming down her cheeks as she was enduring her ordeal.
Chloe and Becky stood behind Matty. The man had not noticed and was continuing his onslaught on her dignity. Chloe pushed past Matty to help young Aubree, the man was so intoxicated on whatever juice he had injected that he only realized there were other people witnessing this atrocity as Chloe forcibly removed him from inside Aubree. She grabbed his shoulders and threw him backwards, onto the floor. Pinning him down as Aubree retreated to wall, trying desperately to cover herself with her arms, she curled into a ball, her body was trembling from what she had just lived through.
Matty shook off his temporary paralysis and ran over and kicked the guy with his size eleven steel toecaps, cracking his ribs knocking the wind out of him, the rapist hollered in pain as Matty continued kicking. Chloe left him to it, Becky was trying to comfort Aubree, who was constricting herself even more trying to hide her shame and embarrassment. Chloe knew Aubree had nothing to be ashamed and embarrassed about, but in the mind of the victim they are the first thoughts that enter their frontal lobe. Chloe knelt next to her.
"Aubree" she said as calmly as possible "It's Chloe, from next door. I have come back for you, like I promised. I'm just so sorry I was not here sooner"
Aubree uncovered her face, to look up and recognize Chloe, she cried some more but this time in relief, she may be released from this nightmare. Chloe slid the gag out of Aubree's mouth. Aubree flung her arms around Chloe.
"Thank you so much" She said gratefully.
"We are getting you out of here" Chloe reiterated "Where are your clothes?" She asked
Aubree shook her head "I don't have any" she whimpered
Chloe spoke to Becky.
"In my old room, Aiden kept me a case of clothes in an old suitcase at the back of the wardrobe"
Becky got to it straight away. Leaving the room swiftly.
"Where is the key?" Chloe asked
Aubree pointed at her attacker writhing on the floor in agony, as the relentless kicking to the abdomen continued "He has it"
Matty stopped kicking him, he let him go whilst he searched the man's pile of discarded clothes. he rooted through the pockets of the dirty beige cargo shorts and thankfully found the key without much trouble, he also found something tightly wrapped in clingfilm. It looked a little bit like sugar, it was hard to tell for sure but Matty was sure it was a substance like crack cocaine. He trod on the man on the floor, forcing his sole down as hard as he could whilst he took the key to Chloe.
Aubree flinched. Frightened at the sight of another unknown man near her, Chloe tried reassuring her.
"It's ok he is a friend" she said
Although Matty was practically a stranger to Chloe herself, as she had only met him a day or two ago.
Aubree relaxed a little, allowing Matty to unlock the chain around her ankle.
"I'm Matthew, I'm sorry about what has happened to you"
Aubree did not say anything. Chloe noticed a bottle on the floor, a wine bottle or prosecco something that was sealed with a cork but before she could do anything Aubree leaped up, the moment her shackles were released scooped up the corkscrew that lay beside the bottle. She paced over and jumped on top of the man who had attacked her and forced the corkscrew into him, repeatedly, like a pneumatic drill hammering into the surface, continually. It was puncturing his skin, but not inflicting to much damage. Chloe stood beside her and stopped her. She took the corkscrew away from her.
"Try this"
Chloe handed her the knife that she had removed from the man’s head downstairs, Aubree took it and continued her onslaught onto him, his blood spraying up onto Aubree's naked body as the blade penetrated veins, arteries and organs.
The man bled out on the floor as Aubree washed up and got dressed. The clothes were too big for her, but she did not mind. Matty and Becky helped Aubree out of the room whilst Chloe held the lantern and took one last look around the room for anything of use, she decided there was nothing, She turned the gas up full on the lantern then tossed it at the wall at the base of a window smashing the glass of the lantern. The flame burned on and flicked onto the dirty dry curtains hanging in the window. They ignited; it would not be long until the house was engulfed in flames.
They hurried down the hill back to the armoury. The others had successfully located some vehicles. Chloe was holding Aubree close to her as they approached. She could see the group hurrying back and forth carrying guns and crates of ammunition to a large black van, she did not know much about vans, but she noticed a Mercedes badge on it, there was two cars lined up next to the van.
Drew handed the case he was carrying to Dieter who was stood in the back of the van and was arranging them ready for transport. Drew looked up and noticed Chloe and the others coming back, he jogged over to them. He could see they had brought the young girl with them.
“You ok?” Drew asked panting a little from his quick jog
“Yeah we are ok, but we need to get out of here soon” Chloe answered
Drew agreed he looked at the selection of vehicles and crunched some numbers in his head, he still had to find out abo
ut Sarah, there were nine of them that went in under the fence, plus this young girl, and potentially Keith, Becky and Dominic and hopefully Sarah and Hannah. There were fifteen of them potentially in all, but only thirteen seats, five in the two cars and three in the van. They probably could get some in the back of the van if need be, he was hoping to leave one of the cars for himself, after he sent the others away. Now he was left with a decision.
“Matty?” Drew said, “Can you drive?”
“Of course, I can”
“Good, you need to get this girl to Mercia, they will take her in” Drew instructed “Take Chloe too, and Becky” he thought about the extra seat, “And Keith, he has been a great help we owe him a safe passage out of here”
“Just drive out the front door?” Matty questioned
“They will open the gate for me” Becky insisted “We should go now”
Matty acknowledged the instruction and hurried along to the car, Drew hoped that Becky could get the gate open for them, he really did not fancy a shoot-out.
“Find out where they are, bring them back to us, both of them” Chloe said before following Matty to the car.
Drew watched on as Matty turned left at the end of the road and towards the gates, there was nothing he could do for them now. He looked up at the night sky and could see bats wildly flying around, chasing bugs using sonar, their eyes unable to see. That is how he was feeling this precise second. Going forwards blindly. No longer any clear way out. He was going to concede his ride out, for the others. On the pretense of reinforcing the Knights who left the camp with Sam and his group, there was no way he could pull that off twice.
Marcus slammed the van door shut. Everybody was loaded up. Frances pleaded with Drew to let her stay with him.
“I got to do this without you, it will not take them long to figure out something has happened here and the very reason that we are here is because I put someone I cared about in danger, and I am not doing that again”
After The Turn: Redemption Page 23
