by Alex Kings
“Was it something I said?” she asked it.
No reply.
She wondered why she'd started to talk to it so much. Was it just a joke? Or was she really starting to see it as a companion? She wasn't sure herself.
She crawled out of bed and leaned against the wall, pressing the thumb and forefinger of her good hand to the bridge of her nose. The bag lay crumpled in the corner. It seemed to be staring at her. The events of the previous day – fighting, seeing Mason, arguing with Luke, infiltrating the incinerator, having Richard in her room – threatened to overwhelm her.
To stifle the feeling, she ran through a quick plan of what she still needed to do. Go talk to Patel, bring her the demon hand. That was the main thing. That was something she could do.
Then what? Well, the van should be arriving in the late afternoon. After that, she'd know the answer about Goat's Head, and she could talk to Luke about their plan to leave. She didn't want to , but it had to be done.
Also, she supposed she needed to talk to Richard at some point to clear the air. Better to have him as a friend than an enemy if nothing else.
First, though, the demon hand. Get that to Patel. She had a window of a few minutes before her shift.
She washed and dressed quickly, then stood for a moment looking about the room for some way she could get the hand to the infirmary without being too obvious. In the end, she settled on an old coat. It was cool enough for it outside. The hand, still wrapped in its bag, fit in the pocket without creating too much of a bulge.
All ready, she set off.
Yesterday, in the afternoon, there had been a sort of feverish activity. Everyone worked because it needed to be done, and because work was a way to take their mind off the attack and what it meant. Now, as Jess walked through the compound, she felt the atmosphere had changed. People had had the entire night to reflect on what had happened. She sensed gloominess and quiet anger – nobody paid attention to her, nobody chatted. They mostly ignored each other, or, when they did talk, stood in small groups muttering quietly but sharply.
She passed into the inner compound to the infirmary. One of the tents was being taken down by the nurses. She checked to noticeboard outside and saw another two injured had died during the night. Mason was still alive, though.
“Hello, Jess,” said Patel when Jess went inside.
“Can you spare a moment?”
“I think so, yes. For the moment we're just waiting. Have you come for another visit?”
Jess shook her head. “No, not that. It's a private matter.”
“Of course,” said Patel. She stood and locked the door to the office, then sat back down.
“I know this isn't great timing, but I've got you a present,” said Jess. She pulled the bag out of her pocket and dumped it unceremoniously on the desk. “Demon flesh to experiment on. From one of the ones who tried to get through the wall yesterday.”
Patel peeled back the bag and looked inside. “You're right,” she said. “This isn't great timing.” She looked up at Jess. “But I suppose you didn't have much choice.”
With a sigh she turned on her chair, opened a drawer from her desk, and pulled out a pair of thin plastic glove and another transparent plastic box. “The spider-leg I got out of you is still alive, by the way. Still eating, still producing venom,” she said as she put on the gloves and moved the severed demon hand into the box. “I've been collecting the venom separately.”
“Can I see?” said Jess.
As soon as Patel had pushed the plastic bag in the bin, she went to the storage cupboard and took out a jar filled with amber liquid.
Jess took it from her and tipped it back and forth. It moved like watery honey.
“Take the lid off,” said Patel. She moved over with a syringe. “May as well begin now.”
Jess did so, and allowed Patel to take a tiny amount of the venom. Then Patel, pulling out a knife, cut the smallest finger off the hand and injected it with the drop of venom. The finger she moved into a petri dish.
Together they watched the finger in its little dish. For ten seconds or so, nothing seemed to happen. Then, slowly, it began to change. It reminded Jess of sped-up footage of a wilting flower: The flesh discoloured towards an unhealthy-looking brown and began to shrivel, wrinkling and collapsing.
“I'd say that's a pretty spectacular result,” said Patel, looking up. She began to pack up the jar and venom and box holding the hand, leaving the petri dish till last. Over this time it shrunk to a little less than half its original size. Some thick fluid like brown jam oozed out of the stump.
Patel watched it for a little while longer before putting it away. “Can you come and see me again when we get news from Goat's Head? Just so I know what's happening.”
“Sure,” said Jess. “Actually, that reminds me.” She told Patel about the growth of the parasite and pulled back her sleeve to demonstrate.
Patel was concerned, but couldn't offer an explanation, and by then it was time for Jess to go to her shift. She promised she'd back back when she could, then headed to work.
Chapter 21
Through her next shift she found her eyes kept wandering to the clock. Stupid, really. It wasn't even midday yet, and the van was expected to arrive after four o'clock at the very earliest.
At last, though, the shift came to an end, and she went in search of Luke.
He was just finishing a guard duty shift near the front gate. When he saw her, about six feet away, he froze and looked at her. She looked back. For a few seconds, they remained like that, silent, watching each other like prey animals that had just heard a noise.
Eventually she pushed forward and walked up to him.
“Look,” she said, “I'm sorry, really, for keeping things from you. I know that's not enough, but … well, we can't hide from each other like this. If you want to leave me, I'll go it alone. If not –” She swallowed. Her voice softened. “I really miss you, Luke. And I really would appreciate your help.”
“I'm coming with you,” said Luke. “After everything we've been through, I'm not going to leave you now.” He looked away. “But let's leave the making up for later, alright?”
“Sure,” said Jess. “I can do that.” She took a step back, and was about to leave. “Will you walk with me, at least?”
Luke shook his head and turned away. “Let's talk after the van arrives.”
“Yeah,” said Jess. She turned and headed away.
Lacking any other plan, she walked slowly around the outer wall. If only the van would arrive. If only Mason would wake up, at least in time for Jess to say goodbye. Part of her didn't want to leave Paradise Compound, even though there was nothing more she could do.
Less than ten minutes after she'd spoken to Luke, just as she was ready to go back to another shift, he came running up behind her.
“They're looking for you,” he said as soon as he was close enough. He was panting, out of breath.
“Who?”
“Mike. Some of his friends.”
“What for?”
“I don't know,” said Luke.
That didn't sound good. Somehow Jess doubted they wanted to congratulate her. “Right,” she said. “We need to …” But she found she didn't know what they needed to do. She didn't know what they could do. They couldn't talk to Mayor Mason. She strongly suspected Richard was out. She didn't know if she had any allies.
Then Mike's voice came into earshot, a couple of buildings away. It was loud without being a shout, filled with a sort of swaggering confidence:
“Have you seen Jessica Monet? Anyone?”
The voice stopped. Jess moved past some houses, closer, so she could listen. Luke followed.
Someone else was talking to Mike. They asked something inaudible, but Mike's reply was clear. “She's been messing with demons. She might even be a demon.”
Another inaudible question came in reply.
“Yes, but we need to find out, don't we? You notice how she always keeps her arms co
vered?”
Jess retreated. She'd already made her decision. By the time she'd got back to Luke, she'd already pulled the keys from the back pocket of her jeans.
“What's going on?” hissed Luke.
“They know. Here.” She handed him the keys. “We need to leave now. You know the truck Foxglove used? It's just up there.”
“You want to steal the truck?”
“Yeah. Take it, and wait there for me.”
“Then where are you going?” said Luke.
“I need to warn Dr Patel.”
Mike was calling out her name again. He was getting closer.
“Come on,” said Jess. “Hurry!”
Luke stared at the keys in his hand, then looked up at her. “I'll tell Patel, you –”
“We don't have time to argue!” hissed Jess. Before her could reply, she turned and started running. Mike and his friends blocked the direct route to the infirmary, so she took a detour, trying to keep two block between them.
At the entrance to the inner compound, she stopped for a moment. She could still hear Mike's voice. That meant he was coming back. Was he following her? The thought came with a chill, but she realised it didn't sound like that. He was still looking for her, and she hadn't run into anyone on her way here, so nobody could tell him where she was.
The voices were coming closer, towards the gate. They were almost on top of her! She looked around. One house, almost next to the wall, had some shrubbery behind it – part of a back yard garden from before the fall that had been cared for since. It looked like the best place to hide, given the angle Mike was approaching from. She ducked behind it.
A moment later, Mike and his gang came round the corner. From her position, Jess could see them: Three other Dale supporters came with him. Two of them openly carried pistols. They paused by the gate and looked around. Jess retreated, back flat against the house wall, and listened.
“No fucking clue. You think she's gone into hiding?”
“I wouldn't be surprised.”
Mike spoke over them: “Even if she is, she can't hide for long. Come on, stop dicking around. Let's go.”
Footsteps. Jess peered round the building again, still hidden behind the shrubbery She saw them head into the inner compound and swore under her breath.
She could leave now, of course. With them searching the inner compound, it would be easier to get back to the compound safely. But that would mean leaving Dr. Patel behind, in danger.
She waited a few seconds, checked they were out of sight, then followed them inside.
A little way down the road to the infirmary, and Jess had to hide behind another house. The realisation came with a chill: Mike and his friends were heading to the infirmary too. And they were ahead of her.
She pushed ahead until she reached the infirmary and watched from behind a fragment of wall jutting out beside a house.
The two tents were still outside the front of the building. Mike's gang split up into two pairs and looked in each of them. A few moments later, they came out again, one accompanied by a young man on nursing shift.
“Jessica Monet. You know her! She's here all the fucking time.”
“Yes, I know her,” said the nurse. “I don't know where she is now.”
“She's not inside?” Mike gestured at the infirmary.
“No! I … what's going on?”
“She's working with the demons. Patel too.”
The nurse looked from one of his interrogators to the other. “You're joking,” he said at last, in a voice so quiet Jess could barely hear it.
“Yeah,” said Mike. “I'm joking. This is my funny face.” He lifted his gun – no so far that it was pointing at anyone, but enough to bring enough attention to it. “Here's another joke. Maybe you're working with them.” He glanced over at one of his goons. “What do you think, huh?”
The nurse stared at the gun. He stepped back.
“Now, we're going in there,” said Mike. “It's your choice whether you want to stop us or not.”
The nurse stepped back and said nothing. Mike and his gang pushed past him and walked into the infirmary.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. The nurse stood around outside, looking uncertain. From inside came the sounds of shouting, but they were too muffled to make out. Jess wished she'd had the presence of mind to bring gun. Then maybe she could do something more than just hide like this
Gunfire rang out from inside the infirmary. One of the windows shattered. Something caught in her throat.
The nurse was already running. By the time Mike's gang came out, he'd gone. Mike looked around. “For fuck's sake,” he said. “At least we have proof now. Come on, let's go.”
The gang set off towards Jess. She ducked behind the house again and, as they passed, made sure she came out on the opposite side. She waited for a few seconds until, hopefully, they were out of sight, then ran over to the infirmary.
There were people inside the tents, calling for the nurse, asking what was going on. Jess stopped briefly, but realised – what could she say to them?
She went into the infirmary – through the foyer, into the main room. And there she froze.
Dr Patel sat slumped back in her chair, facing the door and staring at some point just above Jess's head. Blood soaked her clothes, the seat of the chair, and dripped slowly onto a growing puddle on the floor. Her mouth hung slackly open. Her right arm lay on the desk, and her hand looked like it was in the middle of grasping for something when it stopped moving.
The windows behind her had been broken by gunfire. They offered a view of a light but grey sky. Elsewhere, the drawers had been pulled right out of the desk and overturned by her feet. Bits and pieces lay scattered across the floor. Some of them lay in Patel's blood.
“Doctor?” Jess's voice came out like the squeak of a broken toy, so quiet it was almost silent. She wasn't expecting a response, and she didn't get one. Just the quiet drip of blood.
She clenched her fists. No time for mourning. If they came back, if some else came and saw her, any chance she had would be gone.
She went to the floor, searched among the contents. Blood smeared along the side of her hand. The egg was gone – the box it had been in lay broken in the floor. The bastards had taken it.
Then she saw the little container of venom. And the dish containing the spider-leg. They'd fallen under the desk when the drawers had been overturned. They were still intact! She scooped them up and stood.
The door beckoned. Was there anything else keeping her here?
Mason!
The door to the infirmary's back room had been left ajar. Jess pushed it open with her foot and looked inside.
Mason was still there, accompanied by two other patients. All of them were unconscious but alive. Jess leaned over Mason. “You need to wake up,” she whispered urgently. “You need to wake up and fix this. I can't stay. I'm sorry.”
No response. Jess turned back. Patel's body was still there, starting sightless towards the door. Jess pressed her lips together and left.
Outside. She moved quietly but quickly, listening out for any voices. She realised that carrying the venom and the spider-leg like this was a sure sign of guilt – anyone who saw her like this would side with Mike for sure. She smiled joylessly to herself.
And things were becoming more active now. Mike and his gang had talked to enough people; the nurse who had heard the shooting had probably gone to get help too. People were leaving their shifts, heading out into the compound.
Hearing footsteps, she ducked behind the gate of the inner compound and waited until they'd passed away, then headed onwards.
She could stay, she thought, and try and explain. Leaving would be taken as a sure sign of guilt by itself, never mind stealing the truck.
But the way things were going in the compound – her secret out, Andrew Dale's gang becoming more confident, other people becoming more scared, Mayor Mason unconscious – made it too dangerous to stay. So she pushed onwards.
Nearly at the truck now, but there were a gang of people coming. Jess moved between two houses and waited. They were talking about her – about how they had to find her. They weren't Dale-supporters, but they still didn't sound friendly.
Jess moved around the other side of the house to keep it between her and them. As they passed, she ran back to her path to the truck.
And she ran right into Richard.
He stared at her. “Jess. What the hell's going on? Everyone's looking for you.”
“I know!” she said. “I need to –” She stopped herself at the last moment from mentioning the truck.
