Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel

by Iain Rob Wright

  Jan shook his head and huffed. “Guess, I should be used to being in a cell by now.”

  “Is that absolutely necessary?” Nick asked. “They really aren’t any danger.”

  “We had a deal,” Annaliese said.

  Jan cleared his throat. “Don’t sweat it, brother. I agreed to the terms. I’m not backing out.”

  “It may only be temporary,” Annaliese suggested. “Just while we get used to one another.”

  “Or we may keep you locked up until the police arrive,” Shawcross added.

  “Come on,” said Annaliese. “Let’s go inside. Then we can all introduce ourselves properly.”

  The two assembled groups headed over to the Big Dog restaurant and climbed a short flight of steps. The door was locked when they got there, but it seemed like something the other group were used to by now. Shawcross put through the window with a metal pole and cleared away the jagged shards from the edges of the frame.

  “Hope nobody minds climbing,” he said. “Doors aren’t getting as much use these days.”

  Everyone hopped up onto the window ledge, one after another, and funnelled through into the restaurant. It was very similar to how the Rainforest Café had been at the bottom of the hill, but a little better maintained.

  “Now, I haven’t been in here for a while,” Shawcross said. “The amusement park and zoo is separate to the manor house of which I am in charge, but, if memory serves me, there should be a soda fountain somewhere inside that we can use while there’s still power. We should also gather as much water from the kitchen as we can.”

  “Now that you mention it,” said Nick. “How come you guys still have power? It went off down below.”

  “A generator,” Annaliese explained. Shawcross said there’s one that can power the park for a couple of days if the grid goes off. Tell you the truth, I didn’t even know it had kicked in. The power’s out everywhere else, then, I take it?”

  Nick shrugged. “Not sure. It certainly went off down below. It set the alarms off.”

  “So that’s what that was. I thought I heard something last night.”

  Shawcross went and leant up against the bar. “Shall we get the introductions out of the way? Then we can get on to more important matters.”

  “Okay,” Nick said. “I’ve already introduced myself, but this big guy here is Jan, who, like I said, has already saved my life once. His companion is Renee, but he doesn’t talk. This is Pauline…” Nick continued to point around the group. “Cassie, Eve, and-”

  “Dave,” the man answered for himself. “I’m the one that got us all together in the first place.”

  “Well done,” Shawcross said. “I am responsible for our own little group. You already know myself and Anna, but may I introduce you to Mike, Michelle, Greg and Alan. There were more of us at one point but, well…”

  Everybody waved hello.

  “Should we be asking if anybody has any skills?” Eve asked. “That’s what they do in the movies, right?”

  Shawcross scratched his chin. “I suppose so. Annaliese would be our medic, for want of a better word.”

  “I’m a vet,” she said, “but I know my way around human tackle, too, more or less.”

  “I’m a builder,” said the moustached man called Alan. “Retired.”

  “I’m an accountant,” said Michelle, an attractive blonde woman. “So none of you need to worry about your tax returns.”

  Everyone giggled.

  “Anybody else do anything useful?” Shawcross asked.

  There was silence.

  “Well, it doesn’t seem that we’re in a great position to restart civilisation, so let’s just hope things improve.”

  Some hope, thought Nick as he took in his new surroundings. He wondered how long the dingy restaurant would end up being his new home.

  Don’t think I’ll get the sport channels here.

  Shawcross pushed off from the bar and headed for Jan and Renee. “The cellar is this way,” he said. “Are you both ready to settle in?”

  Jan shrugged. “After you, Warden.”

  Nick felt wrong as he watched Jan and Renee get lead away to their imprisonment. He understood where the other group were coming from – he’d felt the same way about the prisoners not long ago – but he now felt like he owed the men.

  They were watching our backs the whole time from Dash.

  “Can we bring them food and water every day?” Nick asked.

  “Of course,” said Annaliese. “It’s just a precaution. We’re not going to treat them like animals.”

  “I think that’s the soda machine, over there.” Cassie was pointing across the room. Sure enough, there was a wide vending machine with a line of taps.

  “Okay, great,” Annaliese said. “Cassie, is it? Do you want to start filling up all the cups with soft drinks and water? That’s unless you can find a way into the back of the machine. I imagine it’s locked, though.”

  Cassie headed off, seemingly glad for something to do.

  “I’ll help her,” said Pauline, heading off after her.

  “And what are we going to be doing?” Dave asked. There was an irritated tone to his voice that suggested he wanted to be the one giving orders.

  Annaliese sighed. “I don’t know, Dave. What would you like to do?”

  “How bouts me and Nick go take a root around the kitchen? See what food we can rustle up.”

  Nick shrugged. It seemed like a reasonable idea. He turned to Annaliese. “Would that be okay, Anna?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Great. I’ll get to work then.”

  Nick and Dave slid through a hinged entryway cut into the bar and headed through a staff door at the back. Inside was a woefully-kept kitchen that had grime on the floor and grease on the walls.”

  “Glad I never ate here,” said Nick.

  “Nothing wrong with it,” Dave argued. “Dirtier the kitchen, the better it is. Bit of grease never hurt nobody.”

  “Think we’ll have to just disagree there.”

  Dave laughed and trotted forward. He reached out and grabbed a long bread knife from a wall hook. He let out a whistle. “Think I just found my weapon for the time being. You should grab something, too.”

  “Maybe later. I’m more interested in settling in with the new group first. I don’t think arming ourselves to the teeth is going to put them at ease.”

  “Arming ourselves is exactly what we need to do. That ginger tosser and the mouthy vet are going to be on our balls about everything, if we let them. I’m not going to spend the whole time here being treated like a guest. This place doesn’t belong to them, so why are they acting like it does?”

  “Because they were here first, and we would be dead if they hadn’t brought us up. I think we just need to take it easy and get along. They seem like nice people.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I just don’t fancy being defenceless if they decide to lock us up with the convicts. What the hell happened to Dash by the way?”

  “Long story. Now’s not the time.”

  “Well, like I said. I want to be ready if these new people start trying to strong-arm us. We’re outnumbered once they lock up Jan and Renee.”

  “I’m sure that won’t happen,” said Nick, still hoping that Jan and Renee would only be locked up temporarily. “They’re just being sensible until they know us better.”

  Dave huffed. “You sure ‘bout that? Because all I know is that the world has changed. It’s every man for himself now and I see a return to tribalism.”

  “Tribalism?”

  “Yeah, tribalism. People are going to start looking out for their own. The strong will take what the weak have. The only question is, which side you going to be on when the tribes begin to form?”

  Nick didn’t like the sound of it. He didn’t like the thought of people turning on one another after so much had happened. But maybe that was the exact type of scenario when people were the most likely to stand for themselves.

  “I’m not
picking sides,” he said. “I think we should all just stick together. If we don’t then we may as well feed ourselves to those monsters at the bottom of the hill.”

  “Those monsters at the bottom of the hill are the reason why I’m right about us turning on each other. What are we going to do if there’s a falling out or a disagreement, or frustration when we all begin to starve? Nobody can go anywhere, so the only option left is to fight for your point of view. We’re all going to be stuck on this hill together and there’s no longer the option for disagreement.”

  Nick blew air into his cheeks and then let it out in one big huff. “God, you’re negative. You don’t have a lot of faith in people, do you?”

  “When you’ve been a bus driver for twenty years, the one thing you start to know well is people. Especially desperate people with nothing to lose.”

  “Okay, well, let’s just play things by ear for now.”

  “Of course. I’m just being prepared. Now, how bout’s we go take a look in those fridges?”

  Nick glanced over at the refrigerator units and nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Inside, he was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Annaliese didn’t know what to make of the newcomers. Two of them were prisoners and one of them was a complete arsehole, but Nick seemed to be on the level, and the women in the group seemed to trust him. Still, she had a bad feeling that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  She hadn’t objected to Nick and Dave heading into the kitchen alone, but now she wondered if it had been such a good idea. She decided it would probably be wise if she went and joined them.

  Keep any eye on them.

  Before heading off, she glanced at Eve, Michelle, Greg, and Alan. They were all standing around aimlessly. They needed something to do.

  “Maybe you lot can gather up the furniture and make some sort of living space. It might be worth us having a barricade as well, just in case, you know?”

  The four of them nodded and got to work. Annaliese headed behind the bar and entered through the kitchen door. Nick and Dave were at the far end with their head in the fridges.

  “Found anything?” she asked them.

  Both of them spun around. Nick answered, “There’s not much we can use. Just some condensed milk and big jars of mayonnaise. Most of the food here is probably frozen.”

  Annaliese headed deeper into the room and pulled open a metal door against the far wall. She thought about the last time she had opened a freezer unit, and shuddered.

  Hopefully this one won’t be full of sick people.

  Inside was plenty of food to keep them going. Mostly burger patties, fries, and frozen hotdogs, but also boxes of artificial cheese and other odds and ends.

  “Well,” said Nick. “It’s not Michelin star, but it will do.”

  Annaliese closed the door again and turned around. “Best leaving it where it is for now. We’ll have to make a list of it all and plan out rations.”

  “I agree,” said Dave. “You’re a clever girl, you. I can tell.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “Must have been all those years at university.”

  “So, what’s next on the to-do list?” Nick asked her.

  “We’ll have to check with Shawcross. No doubt he’ll have an opinion on what to do next, but to be honest there’s not a lot we can do other than wait. When everyone is feeling up to it, we should start making a perimeter around the park, in case any infected people arrive.”

  Nick nodded. “Yeah, I like the sound of having fences between us and them. We should maybe look around for stuff to keep us warm as well. If the power goes off, it’s going to get cold.”

  “Good point. I’m not sure we’re going to come across any blankets, though.”

  “Let’s get to it, then,” said Dave. “No point hanging around.”

  The three of them exited the kitchen and re-entered the restaurant. Michelle, Alan, Greg, and Eve were moving the tables and chairs up against the windows and doors. They had also turned some sideways, creating private berths for people to lie down in. All in all, it was a job well done.

  Over at the far side, Cassie and Pauline were diligently filling up plastic cups with cola and placing them on the floor in rows. With a bit of luck, the machine would keep spitting out liquids for a while. People seemed a lot less tense when they were busy.

  “Our guests are secure and comfortable downstairs,” said Shawcross, who was marching towards them with Mike by his side. “Fortunately, the key to the cellar was still in the lock. You’ll also be glad to know that there are several barrels of both soft drinks and beer down there. We will need to bring those up, of course. Can’t leave them with the prisoners, lest they have themselves a party.”

  “Jan and Renee aren’t like that,” Nick protested.

  Annaliese was glad that the prisoners were secure, but she did wish that Shawcross would show a little more tactfulness in how he spoke about them. They were obviously well respected by Nick, and the man bristled every time his companion’s morals were called in to question.

  Guess the big bearded guy really did save his life.

  “We were planning to check out the perimeter,” Annaliese told Shawcross. “See if we can reinforce our position.”

  Mike laughed. “We sound like bloody soldiers.”

  “Sooner we accept that we are, the better,” said Dave. “I’m ready to go and check things out. Anybody want to join me?”

  Annaliese didn’t want the man to wander off alone, but she didn’t want to be stuck with him either. “Mike,” she said. “Could you get Greg and Michelle and go with him? I think more heads would be better.”

  He nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll get them now.”

  “I will start making an inventory of what we have,” said Shawcross.

  “Excellent,” Annaliese said. It was a job she was hoping he would volunteer for. It would keep him busy and out of the way. She turned to Nick. “Should you and I go look for bedding material?”

  “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Let me just check in with Eve and the others, so they know what’s happening.”

  Annaliese stood and waited while everyone separated. She watched Nick go over to each of the women in turn. He seemed to take responsibility for their welfare. She had a feeling, though, that he was just working hard to mask a deeper concern. Clearly something was eating at him, and he was trying to make it go away by remaining busy.

  Maybe he needs to talk to someone.

  After a few moments, Nick returned to her. He was holding a pint of coke and took a sip. Then he offered it to her. “Hope you don’t mind, but with all the excitement it feels like I might faint if I don’t take a drink.”

  She waved a hand. “Hey, you’re very welcome. We need to be tight with our supplies from now on, but you folks are more than entitled to a drink.”

  He lifted his arm in the direction of the window. “Shall we?”

  Annaliese nodded and they both headed for the broken window that would take them back outside.

  “So,” said Nick. “What’s the deal here? Does all of your group work here?”

  “No, actually. Just Shawcross. I’m a vet that was on call here. Everyone else was staying in Ripley Hall for a company function.”

  “Really? Wow. Do you think you would be alive if you hadn’t been called out here?”

  “I doubt it. Being here is probably the only reason I’m alive, if the news is anything to go by.”

  Nick’s eyes went wide. He helped her through the window quickly. “You’ve seen the news? What did it say?”

  “Not a lot. It went off soon after, but it was pretty clear that this is happening everywhere, all over the world.”

  Nick jumped out of the window after her and let his gaze drop to the floor. “Well, guess that’s that, then. This is the goddamn apocalypse, isn’t it?”

  Annaliese shook her head. It was crazy to use that word in a literal sense, but… “Yeah, I’m pretty sure t
his is the end of the world as we know it. The news did say there was military in some places, but didn’t say where, other than up north. Maybe if we hold out long enough, things will change.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  There was a brief silence as they walked along and Annaliese took the opportunity to probe her new companion. “I guess for some of us, it already feels like the world has ended.”

  Nick nodded and seemed to stare off into the distance. “Pretty much.”

  “You said you had a wife and child?”

  Nick looked away from her. “Yeah. Deana and James. They were both infected. I left Deana alive, but James…”

  Annaliese put a hand on his back. “It’s okay. I get it. You don’t have to say. I can’t imagine what you went through.

  Although, I pretty much can. I know what it’s like to lose a child.

  “But,” she continued. “The people in your group seem pretty glad to have you around. Most people are infected or gone, so I guess we should try and count ourselves lucky that we’re still here at all. Least that’s what I keep telling myself. Only thing that’s keeping me from going crazy, to be honest.”

  Nick glanced at her. “So, did you lose anybody?”

  “Yeah, I lost someone. But not because of all this. Guess I’m lucky that none of this horror has directly affected me like it has other people.”

  “I don’t think anybody is lucky anymore. I’m sorry for your loss, whenever it may have been.”

  Annaliese smiled glumly. “Thank you.”

  They came back to the midway games area and Nick came up with a suggestion. “We could use the plush toy prizes as pillows – some of them are pretty big and they look soft.”

  Following the same train of thought, Annaliese had an additional suggestion. “I think they sell wet weather ponchos in the gift shop, too. They could be good for bedding.”