‘So many choices to choose from. Give me the car,’ she demanded.
Harry took a set of keys from his pocket and held them out. Hazel reached out to take them, Harry let them slip from his hand and clatter to the floor. She glared at Harry before bending towards them. She didn’t see the knee that Harry raised into her ribs. The force was strong enough to knock her onto her backside but not powerful enough to break any bones. She rubbed her side.
‘This little play is over, you’re going nowhere, neither of you. Hazel,’ he said firmly. ‘You will do all the things I have told you to do and Melanie be a good girl and stay fucking put.’
He stormed out of the house leaving the women alone. Melanie walked over to Hazel and offered her a hand up. Hazel looked up at her, blaming her for the current situation. ‘Fuck off,’ she said bluntly.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t – he made me,’ said Melanie just before she passed out and slumped next to Hazel.
‘Great, just fucking great.’
*
Melanie woke up gasping for breath. She was lying down on a huge sofa. She didn’t remember getting there, just babbling on then the world went black. Hazel was pressing a cold cloth across her forehead.
‘How do you feel?’ asked Hazel. ’You fainted.’
‘Like I want to throw up,’ she replied.
‘Me too,’ she smiled warmly. ‘That’ll be your pregnancy and all the excitement.’
‘Thank you.’
‘What for, being a bitch,’ the smile remained.
‘Most women would have dragged me outside, not put me on their sofa.’
‘Well you’re here and that isn’t going to change. And I suppose we have something in common.’
‘What’s that? Asked Melanie.
‘Duh, we both slept with the same prick,’ she said with a grin.
Melanie erupted into tears, distraught tears that flowed down her face. She sobbed so hard that she struggled to get out her words. Eventually she blurted them out, ‘I didn’t sleep with him, I’m so sorry.’ The crying continued.
‘What, you’re not pregnant?’ Hazel was confused, what type of game is the sick bastard playing now she thought. ‘If you’re taking the piss our little friendship is going to sour quickly.’
Melanie controlled her sobs; she took hold of Hazel’s hand. Hazel could see the fear in Melanie’s eyes; the heartbreak, the shattered innocence - before she spoke the words she knew.
‘I didn’t sleep with him, he raped me in his office. I told him I had a boyfriend, but he didn’t care. He called me a slut just like you did and said I was leading him on. I pleaded with him, said I hadn’t meant too and that I would leave. He kept calling me names while he was doing it, he wouldn’t stop. I cried but he still wouldn’t stop. He was enjoying my pain. Afterwards he said he was sorry and that he would look after me. I was too frightened to say anything.’
Hazel didn’t interrupt her, she just let her get it all out. ‘He won’t hurt you again.’ It was Hazel’s turn to cry.
Escaping had just become even more difficult, now there was two people that needed to get out.
*
Harry Flowers was sitting in the office of his club; Bull was standing in front of him.
‘What, that stupid fat bastard. Tell me he is still alive because I am going to strangle him till his eyes pop,’ screamed Harry as he reacted to the news about Belly Neill and his workshop.
‘I told you already boss that he is dead, well sort of,’ said Bull.
‘What the fuck does sort of mean, either he is, or he isn’t,’ raged Harry.
You need to calm down H or it’s your eyes that will pop,’ said Bull.
‘Tell me what happened again,’ he replied calmly.
‘Balmer and Tyson went to pick up your army as arranged, unfortunately for Belly and his thickhead brother in law things didn’t turn out as planned.’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘Tyson strolled in all cocksure of himself only to bump into Ste who was wandering about all dead eyed. Belly was scratching about the floor, his face had been eaten, his guts were following him and his left leg from the knee down was missing.’
‘Jeff and Dave?’ asked Harry.
‘The same thing, walking about dead.’
‘What about my armoured dead?’
‘Effective, I’d say,’ replied Bull.
‘Enough with your cryptic bullshit, it’s getting on my nerves.’
‘Sorry H,’ replied Bull. ‘Belly did a good job with them, the ones we could find anyway. Tyson picked a fight with one, got himself impaled and his nose eaten. Balmer retreated and radioed in for back up.’
‘What have you done with Tyson?’ asked Harry.
‘I bashed his skull in and had a couple of the lads bury him.’
‘Good, I know his mother, she’s an honest lady. Bung her a few quid and don’t tell her the truth,’ said Harry.
‘No offence H but what good will money do her now.’
‘You’re right, I wasn’t thinking straight. See what she needs and make sure she gets it.’
‘Will do,’ replied Bull. ‘Are you ok H, you look a bit preoccupied. Having all your hens under the one roof proving too much.’
Harry glared at him. ‘Don’t overstretch your familiarity with me Bull, say what you want about business but don’t ever concern yourself with my domestic arrangements.’
‘C’mon H, it was a joke, no disrespect meant. I was trying to lighten your mood; I know it must be stressful times for you.’
Harry eyed him suspiciously, ‘What do you know?’
‘About what?’ asked Bull.
‘I think Hazel is up to something,’ he said with a puzzled look.
‘Like what?’ said Bull.
‘If I knew that I wouldn’t be standing here with you discussing it.’
It was Bull’s turn to be puzzled. He suspected Harry was losing it. Two women under the same roof, business on the slide and his city under siege from the dead – and all of it his own doing. He tried a final time. ‘Why do you think she is up to something?’
‘She is being nice to me and I don’t like it, it makes me nervous when she doesn’t have an edge to her tone.’
‘Oh,’ said Bull.
‘Forget I said anything, I’ll sort it out. So, my army – where are they?’
‘Four were still crashing about the place when I arrived. We caught another seven wandering about close by. Balmer killed one which wasn’t easy, he ran it over in his haste to escape and punctured two tyres and another fifteen were rounded up from the surrounding areas.’
‘How many did he make?’
‘We only made one drop off to him. So forty at the most but we have no idea when it all went to shit. There could be more, or we could have them all,’ Bull shrugged his shoulders.
‘Tell the crews to stay on the lookout for more. We don’t want people seeing them or getting the same idea,’ said Harry.
‘I’m already on it,’ replied Bull. ‘Were do you want them?’
‘For now, keep them caged. Let us see how all this end of the world crap pans out. Could be the government do get control in the next few weeks and we don’t need them. If that happens, we’ll need to get rid of them quickly, we don’t want the new mayor of Manchester being branded a monster, do we?’ The question was more speculative than definite, but Bull felt obliged to answer.
‘No we don’t,’ he was even more convinced that Harry was going insane.
‘What did you do with Belly and his pig shit brother in law?’ asked Harry.
‘We tied them together,’ said Bull laughing. ‘Wherever Ste goes he will have to drag that fat bastard around with him.’
‘And the other two?’
‘We did for Jeff and Dave like we did for Tyson.’
‘Good, now go back and do the same to Belly and his brother in law.’
‘You serious H?’
‘Dead serious, there are enough of the dead without us adding to their ranks. I also want you
to secure the workshop, it may come in handy in the future.’
‘Consider it done,’ said Bull.
‘One more thing Bull.’
‘Yes H.’
‘How far along are we with the motorway barricades?’
‘Almost done. We have left the A roads like you said and posted patrols. We’ll know if anyone is coming into the city.’
‘Good,’ replied Harry.
*
The dead woman in the grey suit had to get home, she didn’t know why, it was just an urge. The need had taken over her craving for human flesh. Maybe it was because for the first time since she had turned there seemed to be less food on offer. After leaving the workshop she had wandered aimlessly like the rest of the dead, searching for food, who could be sure.
Her journey had taken her back into the heart of Manchester, her dead eyes recognising familiar surroundings, sparking a flicker of remembrance. Subconsciously if that is the right word to use for a mindless creature with a hunger for human flesh, she headed in the direction of home.
If she came across one of Harry’s patrols, she wouldn’t have the sense to hide, quite the opposite – she would attack and probably end up dead again. The four-man patrols had been told to pick off any stragglers, thin out the herd before they all emerge into one force.
As ferocious as she was in death, she would not be a match for four of them on her own. The blonde dead woman was not on her own. Behind her was a small army of eleven heavily armoured dead monsters. When she stopped to look around, they stopped.
It would be some time before Harry knew where the rest of his army was and by that time it would be too late.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Outskirts of Manchester, Central UK.
Laura and Eddie had barely spoken since getting in the car. Eddie was mainly thinking about his dead brother. Laura was plotting on how to get away from Eddie. She was hoping there would be some kind of order being re-established and she may be able to get assistance from the police or army. What she was witnessing as they drove through the streets didn’t give her much hope.
Lots of people roamed the streets, mostly dead. Pockets of individuals and small groups scurried about. Laura noticed barricaded windows, cars across paths – the people were planning on riding it out until help came. She couldn’t help thinking it was going to be a long wait.
While she may have disliked Eddie she knew he could handle himself, she didn’t doubt for one minute that when it came to a life or death situation he would leave her, she also knew she would do the same. She did suspect that Eddie didn’t want to be alone especially now that his brother was dead. She felt as though she needed to find another ally because when they got to Eddie’s friend’s house the dynamics would change in his favour. She held the hammer tightly in her grasp.
Eddie noticed her grip. ‘You look like your about to whack a dent in some poor sods skull,’ he said with a grin.
‘I can’t drive,’ she replied flatly.
‘What’s that got to do with anything,’ she raised her eyebrows. ‘Hang on a minute, I thought we had put our issues behind us and we are now in a trusting relationship.’
‘Partnership, not relationship,’ she corrected. ‘How long will the trust or respect last when we meet up with your friend?’
‘I told you before, you’ll be more welcome than I will. You and his missus will get on great.’
‘Why doesn’t she like you?’ she said looking directly at him.
‘Why don’t you like me?’ he asked.
‘She thinks you’re a cunt as well.’
Eddie touched the brakes just enough for them both to jerk forward. ‘Remember, you can’t drive,’ he said to her.
‘So I’m right,’ she said looking forward, the faintest smile creeping across her lips.
Eddie drove fast along the roads only slowing at the corners. He would drop the gears down as he took the bend then accelerate into the new road. He clipped a few dead people on the way, letting a wild roar as they bounced across the hardened ground.
‘Slow down, you’re going to wrap us around something,’ snarled Laura.
‘Don’t get your underpants in a twist,’ he replied. ‘I know this area like the back of my hand.’
‘Maybe so but it’s the first time you’ve had to dodge dead people and I don’t want to be lying upside down in a burning wreck, being barbequed for these dead cannibals.’ She flicked her head towards a bunch of the dead who reached out as they raced by.
‘I could have been a pro rally driver,’ he replied. At the next corner he bumped the kerb. ‘Whoooo,’ he screamed.
Laura let out her own scream. ‘You’re an arsehole.’
‘Whoooo,’ as he bumped another kerb.
He sped up as he shot into the next street and pushed the accelerator pedal further down. Parked cars on either side whipped by as though they were travelling in the opposite direction. At the corner he touched the brake and shifted the gears down. The tyres squealed and the car rocked, Laura thought they were going to roll over. The car hopped and bounced then settled into its rhythm again as they cleared the corner and she was pushed into her seat as the speed increased. Eddie continued like this for the next couple of corners until he had to stop hard. The most direct route to his friends was blocked by a horde of dead.
The dead turned as one as they heard the squeal of the tyres. Eddie and Laura gawped at the mass of dead people before them.
‘That’s a lot of fucking dead people,’ Eddie said.
‘No shit,’ replied Laura. ‘What the fuck are you waiting for, turn around and lets go.’
Eddie could barely hear her words, he heard a noise, a voice but her words did not sink in. He was mesmerised by the amount of dead people blocking his path. All types of people, young, old, fat, thin, tall, small, upper class, middle class and no class all mingled together. There was no discrimination in this group, all cultures socialised together as one. Their eye colour and skin was now the same, they would share the same smell and their goal would be mutual. It had only taken the fall of mankind for equality to rise triumphantly. Eddie wondered what drove these creatures to tear somebody apart and shove their organs into their greedy mouths. He still had thoughts of his brother and how he had become one of these monsters. Eddie fought the guilt inside for killing his brother, he knew he would never have lived with himself if he had allowed Tommy to walk about as a brainless creature. That’s what he was telling himself but his eyes told him that Tommy was at the head of the horde and he was making his way towards him.
He was mistaken Tommy wasn’t dead, he was alive and injured. He was limping and trying to get away but the dead behind were gaining. He placed his hand on the door handle and moved to get out.
Laura placed her hand on his arm, ‘What the fuck are you doing?’
He looked at her blankly, ‘Tommy, I’m going to get him.’
‘What…Tommy is dead, he died back at the house.’
She followed Eddie’s arm as he pointed towards the dead. ‘No he isn’t, he is there.’
She had to admit there was a resemblance to Eddie’s dead brother. ‘It’s not him Eddie,’ she said gently.
‘It’s not,’ he asked.
Laura was freaked out by Eddie’s behaviour. She put it down to delayed shock and the look-a-like stumbling towards them. ‘No Eddie.’ She had two choices, get out of the car and make a run for it. She had no idea where to run to. Or, snap Eddie out of it but whatever she decided it would have to be quick, the dead were half a dozen car lengths away.
‘Eddie look at me,’ he turned towards her. ‘Your brother is dead, you planted a machete in the top of his head. He was one of those things but you stopped it, do you remember.’
‘I killed Tommy,’ she wasn’t sure if he was asking or telling her.
Three car lengths away.
‘Listen to me you thick twat, you killed your fucking brother, not the first time but the second. You are having some sort of delayed
breakdown. Now I don’t have the time to go into a full therapy session but if you don’t wake the fuck up in the next five seconds you will end up just like your brother.’
Two car lengths away.
He was about to speak but she could still see the blank stare in his eyes so she swung her fist. She surprised herself with her power. She caught Eddie square on the chin with enough force to knock him sideways. Unknown to Laura, Eddie had released the door mechanism.
‘Oh fuck,’ she screamed as Eddie slid out the door. The good news was that he was now awake.
The bad news – one car length away.
Tommy’s lookalike slammed his hands against the bonnet of the car. Eddie lay sprawled half in half out of the car. It was only the steering wheel that had prevented from toppling out on to his head. He was trying to right himself but he was at an awkward angle. Laura reached out across to pull him back in but her seatbelt prevented her from stretching far enough to make a difference. Eddie was watching the world from an upside down view. He could see legs shuffling towards him, dozens of them.
Laura snapped the seatbelt open and reached across to grab his flailing arm. The lookalike moved around towards him. He felt the soft flesh of Laura’s hand wrap around his, he instinctively tightened his grip and pushed up with his other hand. The dead were moving in.
Laura pulled with everything she had; Eddie pushed just as hard. He came hurtling back into the car with just as much speed as he went out of it. Laura bumped into her door and felt the vibration as a dead hand slapped against her window, she recoiled back. Eddie was sitting upright in his own seat; he reached for the door and began pulling it shut just as the dead lookalike reached out. It grabbed the top of the door and gave Eddie some resistance.
‘Shut the fucking door,’ screamed Laura.
‘I’m trying,’ he squealed back at her.
He gave the door a hard tug and slammed it shut. Three of the lookalikes fingers severed at the knuckle and fell into Eddie’s lap. ‘For fucks sake I’ve got dead fingers on me.’ He was flapping about in his seat trying to shift the digits without touching them. He tossed them into the foot well and stamped on them. He looked back at the dead face staring in at him, the lookalike. This close he didn’t really see a resemblance anymore; he just saw another dead creature trying to eat him. He flicked him the middle finger and grinned. Laura’s face had gone pale, he looked at her and was about to ask what her problem was.
The Good, The Bad & The Dead | Book 1 | Once Upon A Time In An Undead World Page 28
