Josh stared at the group in front of him. He counted thirteen in total, including hand clapper. He knew what the man said made sense, but something inside him wouldn’t allow him to back down. For all he knew this could be 4Horsemen trickery and these were Martin’s scouts. If that was the case he knew it would be all on in a matter of minutes.
“Who the fuck are you and what do you want?” Josh asked defiantly.
“Woah! No need to be so uptight there young fella. My name is Vincent. Pleased to meet you both” He spoke in a calm and relaxed tone. “These are the Shadowmen and they have been tracking you for the past half hour. If we meant you harm we would have taken you out a long time ago. Trust me on that.”
Josh swallowed hard. “Why the hell should I trust you? What the hell are you doing out here?”
“How about we stop squabbling, put our weapons down and get acquainted?”
Josh thought for a moment. “What do you think?” he asked Siobhan, out of the corner of his mouth.
“Well,” she said, lowering her sword. “I don’t recognize any of them. Besides, it seems we don’t really have much of a choice do we.”
“Oh you always have a choice,” said Vincent. He turned to his men and signaled for them to lower their weapons. They complied without hesitation.
“Come on you two, it’s not safe out here. We need to get off the road. We can finish this conversation indoors.”
“No thanks,” replied Josh. “We need to keep going. We have a ways to go and cannot afford to stand around gas-bagging.’
“Suit yourself. You can either come with us and be safe for the afternoon, or stay out here with them.” Vincent pointed to the silhouettes up ahead that had emerged from the shadows and were heading straight for them.
“Arrrgh!” exclaimed Josh. He rolled his eyes, finally lowering his rifle.
Vincent nodded. “This way then.” He spun around and started to walk away, heading towards the building on the corner of the street ahead of them.
Once safely inside the large double doors were locked securely behind them. Several men tipped liquid from two containers under the doors so that it would seep out onto the street.
“Chlorine,” said Vincent, guessing that the two travelers might be curious. “It throws their scent off which means they pretty much leave us alone.
The strong odor of the chemical sent Josh immediately back to his childhood. He remembered swimming in the family pool with his siblings, diving, splashing and having fun. He recalled going to bed with the smell of chlorine on his skin after many long hot summer days.
“So, I’m Vincent.” A hand was thrust forth.
“Ummm…. Yer, Josh.” Handshakes.
“And I’m Siobhan,” the Irish girl said, insisting on a firm handshake also.
“Well, Siobhan and Josh, welcome to the Oasis.”
“Oasis?”
“Come, let me show you,” invited Vincent. He ushered his guests to the stairs. “I’m sorry, but the lift is out.” Gave a wry smile.
Stepping out onto the eighth floor they were greeted by a wall of graffiti in the reception area. The word ‘Oasis’ was sprayed across one wall in bright, colorful letters. Two palm trees had been added on each side.
“Welcome… to the Oasis.” Vincent invitingly opened the door to the office floor.
“What the…” Siobhan said, stepping inside.
Josh’s eyes boggled, jaw dropped. Before him was row upon row of office cubicles each of which had been converted into sleeping compartments and separated by partitions. Josh estimated there to be at least fifty of these makeshift bedrooms in front of him, complete with mattresses and bedding.
People congregated everywhere. Some were standing around in groups talking, others were engrossed in games of chess, card and other games. More still were simply laying around on their beds.
Peeling away from a group at the far end of the floor a tall slender woman approached. She walked briskly and gracefully to Vincent, kissed him on the cheek and gave him a loving embrace.
“Darling, allow me to introduce Siobhan and Josh.”
“Very pleased to meet you both,” said the attractive woman, shaking hands. “My name is Lily, Vincent’s much better half.”
Vincent nodded with a smile. “Honey, these two were just walking through town doing some shopping. We thought we’d offer them some hospitality.”
“Are you two on your way to the island too?”
“Island?” quizzed Siobhan.
Vincent frowned. Lily had obviously said something he did not agree with, but the frown was the only response.
“What island?” Siobhan quizzed further. She was immediately intrigued.
“Let’s go through to the boardroom and talk,” said Vincent, leading them away. He had obviously been caught off-guard.
The Shadowmen who had accompanied the newcomers headed back to their own cubicles. Some started to change out of their uniforms donning something more comfortable for inside wear. No-one seemed too bothered that new people had arrived. A few greeted them with handshakes as they walked through to the far side of the floor.
Vincent and Lily led the way through a maze of cubicles to a large room in the far corner. A dozen leather chairs surrounded a boardroom table littered with documents and maps. More maps were taped to the walls. Josh smiled, all this reminded him of his father and how he would work maps in a similar way. He gently tapped the pocket which carried the map Jon had given him.
“Please, take a seat,” invited Vincent. He and Lily sat next to each other across from their guests. “So, tell us about yourselves. How was it that you were simply meandering though the city?”
Leaning back in his seat Josh relaxed, feeling the soft leather mold to fit his body. Realizing there was no threat apparent it did not take him long to get comfortable in his chair and with the company. He began to share details of how his family managed to survive in their house on the other side of the city. He told of the night he found Siobhan after disposing of the remains of the creatures they had killed that afternoon. Talked about Martin and the 4Horsemen. Gave the long version.
“Very wise to dump those corpses,” Vincent said, thoughtfully. “We have a similar thing we do here too. Those creatures you killed on the road just now are being disposed of as we speak.” Turning his attention to Siobhan he enquired about the 4Horsemen.
Taking a deep breath the gothic Irish girl regurgitated her story. It was clear to everyone that the very thought of this group made her uneasy. “Well, put simply, they are a bunch of religious fundamentalists. They believe the world is coming to an end and their leader Martin is convinced that he is a servant of God.”
“The Lamb of God I think he calls himself,” Josh interrupted.
“He sounds like a right lunatic,” added Lily.
Siobhan nodded. “Girl, you have no idea. His philosophy is simple. You either join him in his religious quest or you are offered up as a sacrifice.”
Both Vincent and Lily looked on in dismay, they could not quite believe what they were hearing. It seemed inconceivable even in this fractured new world that a group of survivors were out there killing other survivors. It was even more bizarre to them that this was being carried out as a religious right. They became even more perplexed when Siobhan told them of their experience at the zoo.
An uncomfortable silence settled in the boardroom as the two hosts digested the information their guests had shared. After a few moments lost in thought, Vincent stood up and walked over to the wall of maps, picked up a red marker pen, placed a finger on a location and drew a circle.
“Ok, so this is where the zoo is,” he said. “It is quite a way out of town so not a direct threat to us. And…,” he looked for a spot on the map, “ahhh… here! This is where we found a freshly burned out truck last night.”
“That was us,” said Josh. “We stole one of their trucks and decided to dump it there, to throw them off our scent.”
“I do know this,”
Siobhan said, with a forlorn look on her face, “he won’t stop looking for us, especially after how badly we embarrassed him. He will be out for total revenge.”
“Well, to date we haven’t seen or heard of this 4Horsemen mob and we have been in the central city since the turn,” Vincent said, confidently. “That said; your description of who they are and what they stand for makes them a real threat to us. Torching that truck there means that we will more than likely cross paths with them sooner or later.”
Josh was about to apologize when Vincent thrust his hand up to stop him. “You weren’t to know,” said Vincent, sounding very sincere. “Honestly, it is what it is. This new life we live is all about adapting, overcoming and enduring and that is what we will continue to do.”
In an attempt to change to mood Siobhan joked. “A real life version of Survivor huh?” Laughter ensued.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Vincent. “Only in this game you play for keeps. So, whereabouts is your compound?” he asked, looking at the map again.
Josh picked up a marker pen and drew a circle around the intersection where their home was located. His thoughts went to his family; for some reason feeling concerned for their safety. There was no reason for him to do so, but it consumed him all of a sudden. Reaching for his walkie-talkie he excused himself, walked out of the room and radioed in.
A few minutes later he walked back in with a grin on his face. He felt so much happier that everyone at home was ok.
“Have you been here all this time?” Siobhan asked Lily.
“Pretty much,” she replied. “We got caught up in the initial mayhem and took refuge in several different locations before settling here. We have no idea whether our families survived or not and while we would love to find out, there’s no way of knowing. You are so lucky Josh that you have your entire family waiting for you.”
Vincent wrapped his arms around his wife. He had come to know when she needed comforting – this was one of those times. Resisting tears she composed herself and gently pushed him off, she needed to appear strong to in front of the newcomers.
Vincent continued on with the account of current circumstances. “We stumbled across a lot of people, many of whom have taken shelter with us over time. Most only stay for a short period on their quest to find loved ones, or something else of importance. Some don’t like it here and choose to keep moving. The rest, whom you see around you have opted to stay.”
“Sound like you’ve become a bit of a half-way house.”
“You could say that, said Lily. “We take in anyone and there is no obligation to stay. So, in that sense I guess you’re right.”
“So,” said Siobhan, in an inquisitive tone, “what’s all this about an island.”
Lily and Vincent froze in their seats. Stared at each other.
22
Shadowmen
“Rumors,” said Lily, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Siobhan frowned. “Rumors?”
“Yes, rumors. All we have heard have been rumors, nothing more.” Lily tried her best to shut down the conversation.
“What sort of rumors?” Come on, you have to give us more than that.”
Lily turned to her husband for support. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Look,” interrupted Vincent. “It was wrong of us to mention it. Rumors like this can give people false hope. We fell into that trap ourselves.”
“What do you mean?”
“All we have heard have been vague stories… of an island. Quite a few survivors who have passed through here have spoken of it, but nothing has been verified at all. So as far we are concerned it’s just unsubstantiated gossip.”
Blank faces.
“The problem for us,” Vincent continued, with a sigh, “is that each time a rumor surfaces it spreads like wildfire through our group, the very thought consuming people’s lives. As a result we end up losing more and more people as they head off in search for this supposed Utopia.”
“You sound cynical,” said Josh.
“I’m somewhat skeptical yes. It certainly sounds quite unbelievable. As the story goes, there is an island off the coast to the south which is untainted, free from infection and it is claimed that it is a haven for the living with none of these undead creatures roaming there at all.”
Josh and Siobhan were now completely mesmerized.
“It is said that those who land there never want to leave. The island is reputed to be completely self-sufficient if you ask us. An abundance of food, water, safety, shelter and everything humanity needs to start again. It all sounds too good to be true.”
The very thought of a world without fear had Josh and Siobhan hooked. Vincent was right – very consuming. They leaned forward further in their seats desperate to hear more, it all sounded like the most amazing dream possible. The looks on their faces urged Vincent to continue.
“As the rumor goes, every few weeks or so a ship arrives at the docks to take people to the island. We have been led to believe that they have a very strict quarantine policy and they vet everyone they take there. If you have so much as a sniffle of a cold you won’t even make it off the dock.”
Turning to her husband Lily nodded. “No-one knows if any of this is fact or fiction,” she said in a soft tone. “There is no proof of any island, of a boat, or anything for that matter. All we have to go on are rumors.”
There was a momentary silence as the two newcomers took everything in; it was a lot to digest. Their eyes were as big as saucers as they sat, lost in thought. Josh chewed on his lip whilst Siobhan raised her closed fist to her mouth, began gnawing on a knuckle.
Vincent was slightly annoyed with himself. He had seen this type of response many times before, each recollection of this story was always the same. He saw the same reaction time and time again etched onto people’s faces, the same feeling of hope. What he hated more than anything was giving false expectations to anyone.
“We have watched the docks ourselves on and off and had our people report back. To date, we have nothing at all to go on. Certainly nothing to substantiate these rumors at all.”
Josh continued to chew on his lip. Smiled. “Well, I do have to admit, my mind did wander a bit. All I could think of was white beaches, surf and sun. Hard not to.”
“Yeah,” agreed Siobhan, “same here. It all sounds quite perfect to be honest.”
“Our greatest fear is that that people will run off chasing this dream and fall off the pier like lemmings. Or worse still,” Vincent sighed, “in their haste to find this Promised Land, fall victim to the infected.”
“Let me be honest,” said Josh, “the thought that somewhere like that might actually exist does fill one with hope. Absolutely. It would be bloody awesome. But faith can be fickle, we found that out with the 4Horsemen. Without any proof, this is nothing but a pipe dream. I tend to agree with you Vincent - this has the potential to be quite damaging for those with well, let’s just say lesser will-power.”
“That is why we try to keep it under wraps,” Lily said, in an apologetic tone. “Or at least under control. I am truly sorry for bringing it up. We misjudged you, I misjudged you, thinking that you two were travelers, passing through on this quest. It was wrong of me to do that.”
“Hey it’s cool,” Josh replied, calmly. “It is always good to have hope.”
Lily stood up and stepped over to her husband, tucked her arm snugly under his clasped his hand and intertwined fingers. They made a striking couple giving off the appearance of two people madly in love with each other. Josh’s thoughts turned to his Warrior Princess, he wondered whether they too might end up like this in the future.
“You guys have a pretty amazing set-up here.”
“Thanks Siobhan.” Lily smiled. “We have worked hard to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone. Why don’t we show you around?”
“Yeah, that’d be cool.”
They spent the next hour touring the Oasis. As they walked each of them shared various sto
ries of survival, giving a brief account of how they came to be here at this place at this time. It did not take long for them to warm to each other, quickly becoming more trusting, more understanding.
Lily led the way as the tour guide. She was incredibly proud of what they had put together and how well it all worked, given their limited resources. It became obvious to Josh and Siobhan how much she genuinely cared for the residents here, introducing each one by name to the newcomers as they passed.
There was clearly a sense of order that had been maintained at the Oasis. All personal possessions, bedding and clothing were all kept tidily within the confines of each cubicle space. Lily would later explain the tenants by which everyone agreed to live by in order to maintain peace and harmony. It all made sense and it obviously worked.
“How many do you have here at any one time?” asked Josh.
“Numbers fluctuate,” replied Lily. She sounded very articulate. “We have had as few as forty and as many as two hundred all crammed in here. People seem to come and go, it can be very transient.
“We have just started work prepping the ninth floor,” added Vincent. “We felt it important to be able to cater for bigger numbers, just in case they come again like they did in the beginning. We are a lot wiser now, smarter and much better resourced. Totally prepared.”
Siobhan, having survived for so long on her own, grew curious. Not suspicious, merely interested in how they managed to sustain such numbers. Lily decided not to answer her directly, instead leading the pair up though the stairwell to show them. As she flung the door open to the twelfth floor Siobhan’s jaw dropped. She gasped in awe at the sight before her.
“Welcome to the greenhouse,” said Lily, beaming from ear to ear with pride.
The entire floor was covered with row after row of garden plots. From the rich soil on a polythene base grew plants, small fruit trees, vegetables and rice. Bags of fertilizer and compost sat in the center, next to a large table and a rack which housed every conceivable gardening implement.
Dark of Dawn 4Horsemen: Book one in the Dark of Dawn Series Page 23
