The Monsterland Trilogy [Books 1-3]

by Whittington, Shaun

  Chapter Eleven

  Joan and the rest couldn't help themselves and peered, with their breaths held, at the infected individual. It was on its own and ironically wasn't running. It was strolling briskly through the trees, but kept on changing direction as if it hadn't a clue where to go and kept on changing its mind.

  All that were carrying knives had them out, Junior, Joan and Marvin. Lloyd had gone into his bag for his crowbar and yards behind him Gordon was holding his hammer with his sticky palms, the sweat running down and stinging his eyes.

  Gordon looked across at Kelly, who was crouched down by the tree next to him, and he whispered. “I thought you said you'd killed these things before.”

  “I have.”

  “Then where's your weapon.”

  Kelly was empty handed and sighed, “Okay, I lied. Sorry.”

  Gordon could see the guilt on her face and told her that it didn't matter. They had more pressing matters to deal with, and although no words had been exchanged with Lloyd, it appeared that the plan was to wait until the lone Runner had disappeared. With six of them, Gordon was certain that they could handle just the one, but could understand Lloyd's thinking. If there was a chance that the creature would leave on its own accord, then there was no point in putting anyone in any unnecessary danger.

  Gordon could see that the creature was going nowhere fast and kept on moving in different directions. He then heard Marvin and Lloyd in front of him whispering to one another; it sounded like they were having an argument.

  Joan was using hand gestures to get the two men to quieten down, and even Gordon tried to shush the two men, resulting in Marvin giving him the finger.

  “Oh, fuck this!” Marvin suddenly stood up, walked a few yards and released a whistle, attracting the attention of the creature that was some ten yards away. It turned, snarled, then ran at Marvin with everything it had.

  Even though Gordon had no love for Marvin, he feared for the man, but Marvin coolly waited for the creature with his knife in his right hand. Once it was close, he threw his hand at the creature, like a right hook, stabbing it in the neck. The thing fell to the floor, the assailant writhed whilst its neck poured out crimson over its clothes. It didn't squirm for long.

  Marvin retrieved his knife and gazed at the infected male. He looked to be in his twenties, was wearing a now-dirty suit, but had no shoes on his feet.

  Everybody was on their feet, and Joan, Junior, Kelly and Gordon watched as Lloyd stormed over to his brother. “What the fuck was that, man? I told you to stay down.”

  “It was just the one.” Marvin began to laugh, “Jesus. There's six of us and we're hiding from one Runner, really?”

  “If there's any way that we can avoid being attacked, then we should take that option.”

  “You've seen what happens.” Joan decided to get involved with the squabble. “One bite and you're infected within the minute. If you slipped or ... whatever, you would have been bitten and then we'd have two Runners to contend with, you and your friend down there.” She pointed at the corpse that was lying on the grass.

  Lloyd could tell that the penny had dropped with Marvin. His older brother had realised that his little fun could have turned into something a lot more sinister. The realisation was etched on his face and they could all see it, but he never backed down and never apologised for the rush of blood to his head.

  “Well,” he began. “It's fucking done now. Bunch of fucking pussies.” He then began to walk forwards, away from the group, forcing Lloyd to ask his brother where the hell he was going.

  “I need a shite!” he yelled, too loud for everyone's liking. Lloyd thought that he had done this on purpose, and hoped that his older brother wasn't pressing the self-destruct button.

  They all watched as Marvin went further than they thought he would go, and Lloyd could feel the eyes of the group on him. But what could he do? Marvin was older than him. He was, and always had been, a lone wolf that nobody could tell what to do. He had always been like that. Ever since he was expelled from school at the age of fourteen, he had been a loose cannon that Lloyd never missed in all the years they hadn't seen one another.

  “Shall we go after him, dad?” Junior asked.

  “And do what? Wipe his arse for him?” As soon as those words left Lloyd's mouth he stepped over to his son and put his arm around him, apologising for snapping.

  “Now what?” Gordon huffed. “Wait for him to finish then head that way?” He pointed to their left. “Deeper into the woods?”

  “Well, we're not going without him,” Lloyd said. “When you've got to go, you've got to go. Let's wait a few minutes.”

  They all sat down, apart from Kelly, and Gordon and Joan had put their weapons away. Lloyd kept his crowbar in his right hand and sat on the floor with his back straight as if he was meditating.

  “How well do you know this place, Lloyd?” Gordon asked, putting his forefinger up his itchy left nostril. “It'd be our pissing luck that we head into the woods and come across nothing but a bunch of Runners.”

  “Not well, man,” Lloyd sighed. “I've never been over here before. The only place I've travelled is along the main road when picking up shopping, supplies for the pub, or when me and Junior used to visit my sister and her son.” Lloyd paused and began to think about Kate and his little nephew, Connor. “I hope they're okay.”

  “I don't think Marvin has ever mentioned your sister before.”

  “Marvin only cares for himself. It's the way he's always been. He won't change now.”

  This time it was Joan's turn to speak and added to the conversation, “I can't believe you two are brothers. You look nothing alike.”

  “I'll take that as a compliment,” Lloyd snickered, then adopted a more serious tone. “Look, guys, I know he's a pain in the arse and he's the type of person that would fuck you all over just to make sure that he was safe, but...”

  “He's your brother. We understand?”

  “I mean, apart from being the same height ... we're opposites.”

  “Maybe you had different dads,” Gordon blurted out, then looked mortified once Lloyd narrowed his eyes at him. “Sorry, I wasn't suggesting that your mother was a tart or...” Gordon looked around for some moral support from Joan and Kelly, but the girls were also taken aback by his comment.

  Lloyd laughed, “Relax, man. I think I know what you're trying to get at.”

  Joan's head moved to the side and began to look in the trees. She sighed, almost looking disappointed, and all could see Marvin returning, slowly trudging his way through the greenery.

  “Well that feels better,” he blurted out and clapped his hands together. “I feel about two stone lighter.”

  They all got to their feet, one-by-one, and Joan told Marvin, “Please, spare us the details, will you?”

  “Had to wipe my arse on a few leaves,” he continued, ignoring Joan's plea. “Some bog roll would have been good. Funny the things you take for granted when shit likes this happens, no pun intended.”

  “Let's go,” announced Lloyd, trying to ignore his brother.

  He and Junior walked alongside each other with Joan and Gordon behind. Kelly scratched at her red hair and was at the back.

  “I hope we find something soon.” Kelly Bronson could see her white trainers had been stained green at the sides with the days of walking in this area. “I could sleep for a week.”

  “You know what the best remedy for sleep is?” Marvin was by her side, to her disgust, and she could feel him leering at her.

  She hunched her shoulders, not in the mood for games. “Booze.”

  “Cock,” he said bluntly. “Later on, I might let you feel it in your glory hole, if you play your cards right.”

  “No thanks.” She didn't want to rise to the bait, but deep down she was furious. “I'd rather fuck a horse.”

  “I could eat you out instead. If God didn't want pussy to be eaten, he wouldn't have made it look like a taco.”

  “You're a sad man, ar
en't you?”

  “You fucking want me, don't pretend that you don't. Come on. I'll let you suck my fingers.” He put his fingers to her nose and she immediately slapped them away after smelling the shit on them.

  “Fuck off,” Kelly snapped.

  Marvin laughed, clutching his belly. “What's up, Screw? Never tasted shit before?”

  “Carry on running your filthy mouth off and I'll put you on your arse again.”

  This time some of the group in front began to chuckle.

  Marvin stopped laughing and lost his smile. “It won't happen again. Go for me again and I'll put you down, Screw.”

  “Of course you will, Marilyn. Of course you will.”

  “Anyway, Lloyd,” Marvin called out, making his brother turn around. “You're going the wrong way if you're wanting to stay in that cabin tonight.”

  “What are you talking about, man?” Lloyd was baffled by his big brother's riddles and carried on walking through the greenery, sweat running down his back. “What cabin?”

  “The one that I spotted when I went over there and curled out a big steamy one.”

  Lloyd stopped walking, and everybody else did the same. He turned and said with a scowl, “You spotted a cabin?”

  Marvin nodded with a daft grin sitting under his nose.

  “Why didn't you say earlier?”

  Marvin teased, “You never asked.”

  “Fuckin' unbelievable.” Joan was the first to make a remark.

  Lloyd looked infuriated. He clenched his teeth together and the group could see a vein emerging across his bald head. “Honestly, Marvin. If you weren't my brother...”

  “But I am,” he cackled, then pointed to the left of them. “The cabin's that way.”

  “I'll believe it when I see it,” said Gordon. “It's probably one of his sick jokes.”

  Lloyd continued with his walk in the direction where Marvin pointed. The bag was almost breaking his back, but he never complained, and put his arm around his fourteen-year-old son. Junior had lost all his bravado and cockiness that he used to have, and now just looked like a scared boy.

  The journey had taken three minutes and there was still no sign of any cabin. Lloyd was about to scold Marvin for his lies, but suddenly the trees began to thin out and he could now see a small plot of land with a cabin present. A small barbed wire fence was around the area, but it was something they could easily get by.

  “I don't believe it.” Kelly placed her hands on her head and a wide smile emerged on her face.

  “Don't get too excited.” Lloyd didn't want to get their hopes up just yet. “There could be people inside that would not welcome our presence.”

  “There could be Runners inside,” said Gordon.

  “Nothing like being positive,” Marvin sneered, turned to the side and spat to the floor.

  Lloyd looked to the group and urged them to follow him. “Just be on your guard. And keep your weapons away. If there're people in there, they'll be scared. Six people, some of them tooled up, will not settle their nerves.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lloyd and Junior went to the front of the wooden-made house and decided to risk chapping the door, going for the normal approach of checking if anybody was in. Joan and Kelly were behind them, but Marvin and Gordon were told to hang back. The pair of them were still in the woods, and after what had happened back at his pub with the two visitors, Lloyd wasn't taking any chances. If they got into trouble somehow, they'd have Marvin and Gordon as back-up. Marvin had told both men that if they went in and weren't out in fifteen minutes...

  He didn't need to finish his sentence. They knew what they had to do.

  Lloyd looked round to Junior, Joan and Kelly, then said, “Remember, even if we feel threatened, keep your weapon in your pocket. If the worst comes to the worst, Gordon and Marvin will have to think of something to help us out.”

  “Uncle Marvin,” Junior scoffed in a whisper. “He's only out for himself. And as for that weedy bloke...”

  “That weedy bloke,” Joan intervened, knowing that Junior was talking about Gordon, “has killed a few of those things. When we were back at the guesthouse he was a rock while everybody else was in a mess.”

  “Okay,” Lloyd said gently, “that's enough.”

  “And,” Joan added, ignoring Lloyd's call for calm, “unlike you, he's not scared of the water.”

  Junior never responded and his father turned to Joan and asked her sarcastically if she was finished with her rant. She nodded and gave Lloyd a playful wink. He sighed, turned back round and knocked the door.

  “If there're people inside,” Lloyd's voice was low, but loud enough for all to hear, “don't tell them anything at first. We don't know who they are. Loose lips sink boats.”

  “Ships,” Joan corrected.

  “Whatever.”

  Lloyd knocked again, ten seconds after his first one. “We'll give it three knocks before we go in.” After receiving no answer after the second knock, he was convinced that the place was empty.

  “One more,” he said.

  He knocked and all four waited patiently for Lloyd's next move. He put his hand on the handle and pushed the door open. All four were surprised that it wasn't locked and looked at one another.

  “Maybe it's just a place that was used as a retreat, a holiday home,” Joan remarked.

  “Maybe,” Lloyd nodded. “But why is it unlocked?”

  “Who cares?” said Junior. “It's ours now.”

  Lloyd saw Junior take a step forward and stopped him from going in by placing his arm across his chest. “There could be people inside,” he warned him. “Let me go in first.”

  With zero hesitance, Lloyd stepped inside. It was a basic place. The kitchen and the living room were on the ground floor and there was a staircase at the end of the living room. Lloyd took the stairs and saw that a toilet and a bedroom was all that was on the first floor. He went back down the staircase, back to the ground floor, and threw his arms in the air, telling the three of them that the place was clear. He then took his bag off and placed it by the side of the couch.

  They stepped inside and immediately Joan and Junior went straight into the living room to sit on the couch. Lloyd and Kelly went into the kitchen and began checking the cupboards to see if the person or persons that were staying here had left anything. There was no food or water. The cupboards were bare.

  Lloyd pointed into the kitchen and said to Kelly, “Get yourself a weapon. You're the only one not carrying.”

  Kelly went into the kitchen drawer and pulled out a cleaver. It fitted perfectly in her deep pocket. She looked up and could see Lloyd staring at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Are you sure about that?” he queried her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don't forget what we told you. These things are human, they can die like me and you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Lloyd moaned, “This isn't Night of the Living Dead. You don't have to destroy the brain. A simple stab wound would suffice. I know Gordon has a hammer, but one strong blow from that can kill them. If you take the cleaver, you'd have to make sure that blade goes right through, every time you attack one of those things.”

  “I've done alright so far, being unarmed.”

  Lloyd smiled and said with confidence, “That'll change. Trust me.”

  “I'm happy with this.” She patted her pocket, her tone suggesting that she didn't want a patronising lecture from Lloyd Dickinson. She opened the kitchen drawer and pulled out a sharp knife. She placed the knife into her other pocket and looked over to Lloyd. “Just to shut you up.”

  He smiled at her and forced himself to look away, knowing that if he stared too long then he'd make her feel uncomfortable. She was gorgeous, he thought. But it should have been the last thing on his mind with what was happening.

  He walked past Kelly and went for the main door.

  “Where're you going?” she asked him.

  “Gonna
let Gordon and Marvin know that the coast is clear.”

  “Oops,” she giggled. “I forgot about those two.”

  Lloyd popped his head outside, released a sharp whistle and the two men soon reached the place. Gordon walked with his heavy bag, Marvin walked beside him. Once they were in they looked around, both unimpressed, but it was a place to stay for the night. If they stayed any longer than a day they would be sitting in a cabin, all six of them, with no supplies. They all knew that they needed to move on by the morning.

  Gordon and Marvin both went upstairs. They returned and Marvin said, “Just the one bedroom.” He went into the kitchen where Kelly was standing and gave her a playful wink. “That's where we're sleeping tonight.”

  “I don't think so,” she snorted.

  “Aw, come on,” Marvin began to giggle. “You don't know what you're missing.”

  “Marvin!” Lloyd called over, now sitting on the couch inbetween Joan and Junior. “Give it up, will you? You're getting on my fucking nerves, man.”

  “Just having some fun.”

  Joan began, “Look, we're all knackered, frightened ... your unpleasant remarks are not helping.”

  “It's okay.” Kelly began to laugh and pointed at Marvin. “I've met guys like this before. All talk. They already know they have no chance with someone like me, but do it anyway to act like the big man.”

  “Ooh, get you,” mocked Marvin and began to snicker. “You're full of yourself, darling, aren't you?”

  “Not really. But you are middle-aged, ugly, and have an unpleasant personality, so I think it's fair to say that I'm out of your league.”

  Joan smiled and looked over to Kelly. “I think me and you are going to be good pals.”

  “It's gonna be like that then, is it?” Marvin purposely scratched his crotch and got the response that he wanted as both women looked at him with disgust. “I've got a joke for you all,” he announced. Before anyone could respond, Marvin said, “Why was the woman crossing the road?”

  Nobody reacted to Marvin's joke. All were too tired and irritable to be in the mood for lame gags. Seeing that they weren't in the mood, he answered his own joke, “Never mind that, what is she doing out of the kitchen?”