Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel

by Iain Rob Wright

  Good for you. Hope you’re enjoying yourself.

  For some reason, seeing an animal so wild and free lifted Nick’s spirits. It brought him back slightly from the deep melancholy which had encased his soul for so many days. When Annaliese finally arrived at the scene, he had not taken his eyes off the animal once in several minutes.

  “Lily!” Annaliese put a hand on her mouth. “Wow!”

  Nick stood up off the ground and patted the dirt from his woollen coat. “Lily? Is that the monkey’s name?”

  “She’s not a monkey. She’s an ape.”

  Nick nodded. “Okay. So, where did Lily come from?”

  “This enclosure you’re standing right in front of. This was her habitat.”

  “How did she get out?”

  “I let her out,” said Annaliese. “Sort of.”

  “Is she dangerous?”

  Annaliese chewed at her lower lip for a second then said, “Could she be dangerous if she wanted to be? Sure. She could crush our skulls with a single swipe, but do I think we need to be worried? No. From what I know about her, she is very intelligent and sensitive. She’s lost her family just like the rest of us.”

  Nick glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

  “There was a mate in the pen with her, and an infant. You can see them, there, under the blankets. When the first infected people appeared, they flooded into the enclosure and attacked Lily and her family. She was the only one that made it.”

  “So, the infected attack animals as well?” Nick asked, his eyebrows raised.

  Annaliese shook her head. “They walked right past the other animals as if they weren’t even there. I’m guessing that a primate is enough like a human being to pass for a target. They must get confused.”

  Mike walked up to the both of them and looked up at Lily in the trees, like they were. “Why is she hanging around here?”

  “Only she knows that,” Annaliese said. “But I think it’s because she doesn’t want to be alone. The infected are as much a threat to her as they are to us. Maybe she’s been down the hill and realised that this is the safest place to be.”

  “She doesn’t seem to mind people,” Mike commented.

  “No, she doesn’t,” said Annaliese. She waved a hand in the air. Lily shocked everyone by waving right back. “She probably misses the safety of her enclosure. That’s why she’s stuck to being nearby.”

  “Should we feed her?” Nick asked.

  “I don’t think Shawcross would like that,” said Mike. “He and Dave are already kicking up a fuss about the daily rations being too high.”

  “Screw them,” Annaliese said. “We feed her what we can. Lily’s a part of this group, too. A survivor. Anybody has a problem with that, they can talk to me.”

  “Fine by me,” said Nick. “I think I’d like having her around, and feeding her is one way to ensure that.”

  Annaliese smiled at him. “How’s your head. Along with your various other wounds.”

  Nick felt the faint bump on his forehead. “It’s better. I still feel a bit sick when I first wake up, but the headaches have stopped. I’ve just been trying to rest as much as possible.”

  “I think you probably had a mild concussion,” she said. “Just keep resting up and you’ll soon be on the mend.”

  “I’m just lucky to have such a small brain. Otherwise I could really have been hurt.”

  Annaliese frowned at him. “Don’t be so silly. You and Mike are the only people I can talk any sense to. You’re both just the right amount of insane.”

  Nick looked at Mike who was giggling. It was ironic; Nick had never been a big valuer of friendships in his previous life, but it was comforting to have the trust of Mike and Annaliese. They were his comrades in arms. His buddies. It was nowhere near a replacement for the family he had lost, but it was something at least.

  “So, where are Shawcross and Dave?” Nick asked. Both men had been in a constant battle for authority over the last few days, trying to be the one that made all the decisions. The pathetic thing was that neither man had noticed how little the rest of the group cared who was in charge. It was a thankless job which no one else wanted.

  Like two bulls fighting over a marble.

  Annaliese answered the question. “They’re both back at the restaurant with Pauline and Eve. They’re working on a map of the park and marking it out with emergency weapon drops and food stashes. Dave doesn’t think it’s a good idea to have all our supplies in one place, in case something happens. Shawcross agreed with him, for once.”

  “Probably a good idea,” said Mike. “At the moment, we’re screwed if we lose the restaurant.”

  “So what are Alan and Michelle doing?”

  Mike answered this one. “Before Lily made an appearance they were rooting through the warehouse next to the office building. Alan told me they found a bunch of fireworks in there!”

  “Don’t think there’s going to be much chance for a display,” said Nick.

  “No,” Mike agreed. “But they would be a perfect way to signal help if it ever arrives.”

  Nick didn’t think it was a possibility, but he could see the reasoning. “Anything else in there?”

  “Yeah, some gardening equipment; shovels and stuff. Alan suggested digging some pits around the edge of the park. Like booby traps, you know?”

  Nick nodded. “I like that idea. Over time we could probably dig quite a few.”

  “So what are you going to do for the rest of the day?” Annaliese asked.

  Nick shrugged his shoulders and then looked up at Lily in the trees. “I guess I’ll fill in where I’m needed. First thing I’m going to do, though, is go and tell Eve about the newest member of our group. She’s been pretty low the last few days – we all have – so maybe it will cheer her up a bit.”

  “Okay,” said Annaliese. Then she and Mike waved Nick off as he headed back for the amusement park area and the Big Dog restaurant.

  The restaurant was near the centre of the park and was now fronted by a minefield of plates, pans, and cutlery. The theory being that it would create noise if any infected people were to walk across it. The windows had also been boarded up permanently with table tops and chairs. Only a single window was left clear to act as an access in and out.

  Our very own Fort Knox.

  Heading up the few steps to the building, Nick could already hear the bickering voices of Dave and Shawcross inside. It sounded like they were discussing Jan and Renee, who were still imprisoned in the cellar. Nick had been popping down to see them a couple times a day, bringing them food, beers, and a pack of cards from the gift shop. But their good nature about the situation was beginning to sour and Jan had now expressed a growing desire to be let out. Nick didn’t blame the man at all. It must be mind-numbing having spent so long in that cellar.

  “They can help with the jobs around here,” said Dave. “They’re two strong men.”

  “They could kill us all in our sleep,” Shawcross rebutted.

  “They’re not murders,” said Dave.

  “What, because they told you so? You have no way of knowing what they were in prison for. The big one looks like a sodding serial killer.”

  Nick hopped in through the window and immediately joined in the conversation. “His name is Jan, and he’s a reformed bank robber. He told me how much he regrets his past and I believe him.”

  “Of course, he said that.” Shawcross folded his arms and sighed. “He probably had it rehearsed from all of his failed probation hearings.”

  Nick rolled his eyes and decided not to say anything more. There was no point getting caught up in the ceaseless bickering between the two men. Dave probably didn’t even care if Jan and Renee were released or not; he just liked undermining Shawcross at every corner.

  Eve and Pauline were sitting at a table nearby, sharing a cup of lemonade between them. Eve rolled her eyes as Nick approached them. “We were supposed to be working out our defences,” she said, “but then they just started a
rguing.”

  “Yeah,” said Pauline. “It’s been about twenty minutes so far.”

  “Best to just let them get on with it.” Nick took a seat and started telling them about Lily. It seemed to get a positive reaction, just like he hoped it would.

  “So, she’s just sitting there in the trees?” said Eve.

  Nick nodded. “Go see for yourself. She seems friendly; even waved to Anna.”

  “No shit? Soon as I’m done here, I’m heading straight to the zoo.”

  “What’s this supply map, I’ve been hearing about then?” Nick asked.

  “Dave’s idea,” replied Pauline. “We’re going to choose a few places around the park and drop off food and weapons, so that if something happens we can resupply. Good idea, I suppose. They’re just trying to work out whether or not to let Jan and Renee out to help. I think Shawcross has taken it far enough now. We should let those poor men out. Cassie told us about what they did to save you in the cable car.”

  Nick nodded. “Would be dead if not for them. Hey, come to think of it, where is Cassie?”

  The two women shrugged. “I haven’t seen her since this morning when we all woke up,” said Pauline.

  “Me either,” said Eve.

  Nick had a bad feeling. “I think maybe we should go find her. Nobody should be on their own.”

  Both women nodded. Nick could tell they were getting the same bad feeling that he was. All three of them stood up and moved away from the table.

  “Hey, you two,” Nick addressed both Shawcross and Dave. “We’re just going to go find Cassie and then we’ll be right back, okay?”

  Both men were so busy arguing that they barely seemed to notice. Nick shrugged, and he and the women each crept through the window and passed back outside. They were careful not to step on any plates as they headed into the park.

  “You don’t think she’d try to hurt herself do you?” Eve asked.

  “I don’t know,” Nick admitted. “But after all that has happened, I wouldn’t blame anybody for wanting to take their own life.”

  Nobody said anything for a while. The tense silence made it clear what they were all thinking.

  Up ahead was the office building. Annaliese had explained that there were bodies inside one of the rooms. It was the unofficial morgue, and not somewhere to visit otherwise. Beside the offices was an open warehouse with a large truck parked outside. Alan and Michelle were both milling about inside.

  “Hey,” Nick said to them as he entered the warehouse. He looked around at the various things piled up. Like Mike had said, there was a large stockpile of crated-up fireworks. There were also several cans of petrol, which seemed a little unsafe to be stored next to commercial explosives.

  Alan noticed Nick staring at the fireworks and grinned. His greying moustache pointed up at the corners. “Quite the collection, isn’t it? And with all this petrol we might be able to get the generator juiced back up if we need it.”

  “What were all these fireworks meant for?” Eve asked, picking up a blue and orange rocket and reading the label.

  “I don’t know,” Alan said. “Shawcross said the park used to hold firework displays at Halloween, and New Year, et cetera. I guess they brought in bulk.”

  “Makes sense, I guess,” said Nick. “I hear there’s been talk of using them as a signal if rescue arrives?”

  Alan nodded. “That’s what I’m doing now. Michelle and I are going to set up a crate of rockets at the edge of the hill so we can set them off if we spot anyone in the villages. We’ll cover them up with some tarps I found to keep them dry.”

  “Sounds good,” Nick said, then suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing. “Hey, have you two seen Cassie anywhere? Nobody has seen her for a while.”

  A look of concern crossed Michelle’s face. “No, I haven’t seen her. She’s okay, isn’t she?”

  “I’m sure she is,” said Nick. “Just need to check in with her, that’s all.”

  “Wish I could help you,” said Alan. “But I can’t say that I’ve seen her all day.”

  “Okay, then we’ll leave you to it.”

  That’s not good. Nobody has seen her since this morning. Where would she have gone for so long?

  On their way back out of the warehouse, Pauline made a suggestion. “Maybe, we’re overreacting. She might just need some alone time.”

  Nick thought about the possibility. Cassie had been fragile from the beginning, and even more so after what Dash had tried to do to her at The Rainforest Café. He didn’t see her as the type of person that would willingly seek solitude. She would be far too nervous to be alone.

  “I don’t think she would wonder off without telling anybody,” said Eve, echoing what Nick was thinking. “But I’m not sure she’d try to hurt herself, either.”

  Nick stopped walking and looked at Eve. “Really? What makes you so sure?”

  Eve shrugged. “I don’t know. The way she’s been talking the last few days, I suppose. She told me how glad she was that we were all safe and that she hoped rescue would arrive eventually. She was looking forwards, you know?”

  “Then where is she?” Pauline asked.

  “That’s what we need to find out,” said Nick.

  They carried on walking and explored the zoo area of Ripley Heights. The various animals all went about their enclosures in the same way they no doubt had before things went bad. For them life was still the same. The rabbits were still just rabbits and the chickens were still just chickens. Life was no more complicated for them than it ever had been. Nick envied them.

  Oh but to be a lowly badger.

  Up ahead, they were coming back around to the orang-utan enclosure. Nick looked up at the treeline and was disappointed to see that Lily was no longer there. He hoped it wasn’t the last he’d see of her.

  “This is where the orang-utan was,” Nick said.

  “Where is she now?” Eve asked excitedly.

  “Looks like she’s gone. Sorry.”

  “That sucks.”

  Pauline sighed. “Isn’t Cassie our main concern right now?”

  Nick nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  Suddenly, Mike came speeding around the corner, right towards them.

  Instantly, Nick assumed the worst. “You’ve found Cassie, haven’t you?”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah, she’s at the restaurant. I came to come and get you.”

  “At the restaurant?” Pauline frowned. “But we just came from there.”

  “She was in the cellar,” Mike explained.

  Nick sighed. He suddenly felt very weak. “How did she kill herself?”

  Mike frowned in confusion. “Kill herself? She’s not dead.”

  “Then why have you come to get us?”

  “Because she’s broken Jan and Renee out. Your prisoner friends have escaped.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “Cassie, what are you doing?” Nick had climbed through the window back into the restaurant and was surprised to find Cassie with Renee and Jan. All three of them were brandishing knives. Standing opposite, and also armed, were Dave and Shawcross. Mike, Eve, and Pauline decided to stay outside, not wanting to make a tense situation even worse.

  Cassie stared at Nick. She was shaking like a leaf, but seemed firm in her actions. “We can’t keep Jan and Renee locked up like animals anymore. They deserve better. Jan saved me. He saved you, too, Nick. I’d feel safer with them both free.”

  Nick nodded. “I agree. I never thought they needed to be locked up in the first place.”

  “Well, it’s not your decision,” said Shawcross. “You made a deal when we let you stay.”

  “Bullshit,” Jan spat. “We showed you good faith. We could have forced you to take us in, but we trusted in you being good people. But enough is enough. Me and Renee aren’t staying locked up a moment longer. It’s been weeks.”

  Shawcross shrugged his shoulders. “Then you’ll have to leave.”

  Jan shook his head. Renee stood unwaveringl
y beside him. “Leave? Are you crazy? There is no leaving here. We’re all stuck.”

  “You’re not a part of this group,” said Shawcross.

  “Yes, they are,” Cassie argued.

  “Just put the knives down, Jan,” Dave said. “This isn’t how we do things.”

  “Really,” said Jan. “Is that what you were thinking when you were trying to bash Kathryn’s skull in? Seemed like you were pretty willing to use force then.”

  “If you’d let me then Carl would probably still be alive.”

  Nick stepped forward, his hands out in front of him. “Come on, everyone. Let’s just calm down. We’ve been together a long time now. We can discuss this calmly like adults.”

  Shawcross shook his head. “We discussed it already. The prisoners stay locked up or they leave.”

  “I think the jury is still out on that one,” said Dave. “You know I think we should let them out.”

  “Who cares what you think?” Shawcross spat.

  Dave turned sideways, no longer pointing his knife at Jan and Renee, but at Shawcross. “You know something? I’ve had about enough of your attitude, you pompous sod. I don’t know why I’m even arguing with you.” Dave turned back to look at Jan and Renee. “You two are free to join the rest of us. Lower your knife, Jan, and relax. We’re done taking orders from this dickhead.”

  Shawcross’s face went bright red and twisted in a furious scowl. He pointed his finger in Dave’s smug face. “How dare you! I am in charge here. I am the manager of Ripley Hall.”

  Dave turned his back on Shawcross and walked away, laughing. “You ain’t shit, mate. Just a sad no mark who thinks he’s important.”

  “Do not speak to me that way. You have no right! No right!”

  Nick watched in detached bewilderment as Shawcross raised his knife in the air and rushed at Dave. Dave had his back turned and didn’t see the danger.

  “Look out,” Nick screamed.

  Dave acknowledged the warning just in time. He half-turned and managed to sidestep the attack by a hair’s breadth.

  Shawcross raised the knife again, prepared for a second attempt. This time Nick managed to unglue himself from the spot and do something. He leapt forward and caught Shawcross on the point of the chin with a swinging haymaker. The smaller man went twirling to the floor, his elbow bumping a table on the way down and spilling two pints of lemonade all over him.