Spiteful (The Infected Book 3)

by Justin Gowland

  “Well, I thought seeing as you brought it up, I thought I would ask you about it.” I said.

  “Well, I could point you in the right direction and that Mike has a good head on his shoulders. This person must have made an impression and I would trust his judgment.” She said.

  I looked round the room before I answered her.

  “How is it here in the barracks?” I asked.

  “It’s a little noisy on a night with the children, and the snoring, don’t even get me going about the snoring.” She said laughing.

  I laughed along with her. Just sitting here and talking with her I felt better with the idea of asking for her help.

  “Well, anyway, like I said, Mike told me of someone who might be able to help with that problem you mentioned.” I said.

  “Young man, if you want to ask me if I would help out just ask me.” She said, smiling.

  “You are one smart cookie. Well, seeing as the cat is out of the bag, would you like to help me out?” I asked.

  “What are you wanting me to help you with?” She asked.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t really know.” I said.

  “How about I help out by arranging things for people to do?” She said.

  “That sounds great.” I replied.

  She just nodded.

  “There is one last thing that I wanted to ask you.” I said.

  “Go ahead.”

  “There are some rooms down on the fourth floor and I wondered if you would like to move in to one?” I asked.

  “Young man, the day I can’t put up with noisy children and snoring old men will be my last day on this earth.” She answered, smiling at me.

  “If you’re sure?” I asked.

  “I am.” She replied.

  Standing up, I held my hand out to her and she shook it.

  “Thank you, Ruby.” I said.

  Chapter Ten

  I left and headed for the dining room and Amy. She was leaning into the kitchen talking to Jennie when I entered. She waved at me and I walked over. Jennie was standing looking every bit the cook in charge. She had her hair tied back and was wearing chef whites.

  “Hey, Marc, want a coffee?” She asked smiling.

  “Yes, thank you, Jennie.” I said with the feeling that I had walked in on a conversation and it was all about me.

  “You two go sit down and I’ll get Maddie to bring some out to you.” She said, heading further into the kitchen.

  Amy took my hand lead me over to a table.

  “Quick question.” I said.

  “What’s that?” She asked.

  “You weren’t talking about me with Jennie by any chance?”

  She laughed and said “You’re not the only topic of conversation, you know.”

  I actually blushed and looked away. Which of course made her laugh even more. I was saved further embarrassment when Maddie appeared at the table with a pot of coffee and two mugs. She put them on the table and walked away with a small smile tugging at her lips. I had a suspicion that Amy and I where the topic of conversation in the kitchen. Pouring out two mugs, I slouched back in my seat. Once Amy had managed to get a hold of herself, she pulled a map out of a pocket and spread it out on the table in front of us. For the next couple of hours we went through all kinds of routes and scenarios. In the end, we settled for going in at night and using the night vision gear that we’d used the night before. The next decision to make was to use vehicles to get there or to travel the short distance there on foot. I was arguing the case for using the A.P.C. and Amy was for going in on foot. Both had their merits and both had their problems. I argued that we would have somewhere secure to fall back to if something happened. Amy’s argument was that they would hear us coming and they may even do a runner, and if they did that, we would have to chase them down again. We had been arguing back and forth for at least half an hour when David and the others walked into the dining room.

  Spotting us sat with the map in front of us they all headed over. I approved of Mike and Tessa carrying their rifles on tactical harnesses. Chris walked behind them with a stupid grin on his face.

  “Okay, Chris, what’s got you looking like the cat that got the cream?” I asked.

  But it was David who answered “That fucker just beat me out of a bottle of Jack Daniels.” He said, sullenly.

  “Well, you make stupid bets.” He said, grinning even more.

  “What have you two been betting on now?” Amy asked.

  “I bet him that Mike would get more shots on target than Tessa.” David said.

  “You had a bet between father and daughter?” I asked.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, she is a much better shot than I am.” Mike said, looking quite embarrassed.

  I laughed and said “Don’t take it too bad, David. He scams everyone.”

  “So what have you two been doing?” Chris said as they all sat down.

  Amy talked them through the plan pointing out the route through the village to the school where Tracy and her goons where holed up.

  “Okay, so how are we getting there?” Tessa asked.

  Chris leaned forward “The only way we get in and out of there without having to fight our way in and out would be to walk in over these fields.” He said, pointing at the fields on the western side of village and a direct route from where the bunker was.

  “See, I told you it was a better idea than just rolling up in the A.P.C.” Amy said, crossing her arms.

  “Fine.” I said.

  “Look, Marc, there is too much open ground around the village. If we took any kind of vehicle they would hear us even before we reached the village.” Chris said.

  I poured another mug of coffee and drank it before speaking.

  “The next question would be when?” I asked.

  “Well, Mike and Tessa have done great today. I’d like another day with them but I don’t think we should leave it that long. If we, say, work half day tomorrow and do the raid on the night.” Chris said.

  “How are you two with that?” Asked Mike and his daughter.

  Mike looked at Tessa before answering “We’ll be okay.”

  “Okay then. So Chris will work with Mike and Tessa in the morning. The rest of us will sort out and check the gear we need. Then on the afternoon we’ll rest up. Just before sunset we’ll leave and if everything goes okay we should be back just before dawn.” I said.

  Everyone nodded.

  “Let’s get some food. Then I’m going to find Jake and ask if Tracy has been on the radio today. Chris, could you go and look in on our little guest after dinner?” I said

  “Shouldn’t be a problem. Here’s a thought. What are we going to do with Mr. Rat?” Chris asked.

  “I said if everything he said was true, then we would let him go with a small survival pack.” I replied.

  Everyone was quiet until David said “What if he tells someone worse that Tracy about this place?”

  “Look, we can’t just kill him just in case he meets someone and tells them about the bunker.” I said.

  “But aren’t we in this position because of the same situation?” Amy said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Well, you let Tracy go and it came back to bite us in the arse.” She said.

  I couldn’t fault her logic. It didn’t sit right but I could understand it.

  “Okay, what do you want to do with him then?” I asked.

  “There really is one answer.” Chris said.

  I shook my head.

  “I’ll sort it out.” Chris said.

  I couldn’t believe we were talking about the murder of another human being. Standing up, I carried the empty pot back to the kitchen and put it on the counter. Standing there I suddenly felt the need to get some fresh air. Quickly, before I changed my mind, I headed out of the dining room with my friends' voices echoing behind me. I knew that I couldn’t go outside so I headed for the one place in the bunker that was rarely used; the pool.
r />   I sat on the edge of the pool with my jeans rolled up to my knees and my feet dangling in the water. I had a lot on my mind. The room was almost quiet, the only noise being the lapping of the water against the sides. I knew sooner or later one of them would find me and was hoping for the later part. Life had changed a lot for me since the infected. I thought that I had become a harder person, but truth be told I had really headed the other way and now held all human life in high regard. The idea that we were planning on killing Bob in cold blood had shaken me.

  Sitting here watching the reflected light dance on the walls, thinking how could we survive this if we were willing to end someone’s life just in case they tell someone where we were. All these thoughts and so many others were going through my head when I saw Jake walk in. He headed over and proceed the take his boots off and roll up his trousers. Sitting beside me, he lowered his wrinkled feet into the pool.

  “Nice quiet spot you have here.” He said.

  I just nodded. I really didn’t trust myself to say anything.

  “You know they were looking for you?”

  Again, I nodded.

  “I was looking through the security cameras and I saw you sitting here. I told them where you were and Chris was going to come and talk to you but I told him that it might be better if I come and do it.” He said, looking at me.

  “Did they tell you what they want to do?” I asked.

  He nodded and said “Chris told me. While I don’t hold with killing in cold blood, I do understand why they feel it needs to be done.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Jake. I know why it needs to be done. I’m just having a hard time with it. After what happened with the women we rescued before you and the driver of the Land Rover….hell, I suppose that I’m getting sick of it all.” I said.

  “Right now you have all these people in here who are depending on your guidance. These people also rely on you and the others for their security as well. With those two jobs come a lot of hard choices. What you have to do is decide which choices you can live with and out of those choices which ones keep the group safe.”

  “This is what I mean, Jake. There are others in the group like you who can make those choices. I never wanted to be in charge.” I said.

  “That is why everyone thinks that you should be in charge. Yes, there are others in the group that can make hard choices, they can make them without worry.”

  “Thanks.” I said dryly.

  “Look, you are here because you feel that his life is in your hands. What you haven’t thought of is this. If you hadn’t needed a prisoner that night what would have happened to him?” He asked, swinging his feet forward and backward in the pool.

  “One of us would have shot him.” I said.

  “And do you think that if you set him free he would survive out there?”

  “To be honest, I would be surprised if he managed to survive for more than a week.”

  “Okay now let’s put it all together. We have a prisoner that was quite happy to suffocate women and children. A prisoner that would have died but didn’t because we needed the information. Lastly, we have a prisoner who, if released, would either die at the hands of the infected or possibly inform other non-sociable groups of our existence.”

  “Your point being?” I asked.

  “My point is that the prisoner is a major liability to any group and should be treated as such.”

  I sat there mulling over all the points Jake had made and decided that even though I wasn’t happy about the situation, the others were right. I had to start putting the needs of our group before my own. “Thank you.” I said simply.

  He laughed and said “It didn’t cost me anything.”

  “Has she been on the radio again?” I asked.

  “Who?”

  “Tracy or any of her goons?”

  “Oh her! Yeah, she was on early this morning wanting to talk to you.” He said smiling.

  “Why didn’t you come and get me?” I asked.

  “There wasn’t much need. I said that I needed to get you but she had a fit about it and signed off.”

  “If she does it again, let me know. I have feeling she is starting to unravel.”

  “I been thinking that since your conversation with her the other day. Anyway, my feet are turning to prunes and I’ve done what I set out to do.” He said, lifting his feet out of the water and standing up.

  “Thanks for the chat, Jake.” I said.

  “Like I said before, it didn’t cost me anything.” He said, walking toward the door.

  Jake and Ruby were the type of old people who watch everything and only speak when they have thought everything through. That, and they are fucking smart.

  I pulled my feet out of the water and stood up. I bent down and picked up my boots and socks. Following Jake’s wet footprints I headed for the door. I looked down the empty hallway. Shrugging my shoulders, I headed for the lift. Standing in front of the doors I decide to head for my room. The lift opened and Chris looked up at me.

  “Do what you have to do.” I said.

  “Look, it’s the right thing to do.” He said defending the decision.

  I walked into the lift and pressed the fourth floor button before saying “I know it’s the right decision, but I still feel shitty about it.”

  “I’d be worried if you weren’t feeling shitty about it.” He said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  The doors on the lift opened on the fourth floor and we both headed for our rooms. Chris disappeared into his room and I went to walk into mine and I was bowled over by a white furry monster. God damn that dog weighs a ton. She sat on my chest licking my face. I gently pushed her off and stood up. She bounced around me as if I had the largest treat in the world hanging from my neck. This dog has way too much energy.

  “Come on then, let’s try and tire you out.” I said.

  Turning round I headed back to the lifts with the dog in tow. I headed for the gym on the second floor. Pushing the door open, we went inside. Seeing a broom in the corner of the room I went over and snapped about fourteen inches off the end.

  With stick in hand, I stood up and threw it as far as I could. The dog was off as soon as the stick left my hand. The stick sailed over the tops of the equipment and clattered off some weights near the back. She drifted in and out of the equipment and headed toward the stick. All I could see was a flash of white here and there between the equipment like some sort of spirit. That was it! The dog’s name, Spirit.

  I saw her heading back and I’d see if she would come to me if I called out her new name.

  “Spirit, here girl, bring the stick.” I said in a soft voice.

  Spirit stopped in the middle of the mats and gave me a ‘Are you talking to me’ look.

  Trying again, I said “Come on, Spirit, bring me the stick.”

  She didn’t move a muscle.

  I crouched down and said “Look, I need to call you something and Spirit sounds like it fits. So come on, Spirit, bring me the stick.”

  The she took a couple of steps toward me then stopped.

  “You’re really going to make me work for this, aren’t you?” I said.

  Spirit’s tongue hung out of her mouth in a doggy grin. This dog was laughing at me.

  “Come on, Spirit, please.” I said.

  To my surprise she brought the stick to me and dropped it at my feet. I couldn’t believe it was as simple as saying please. Picking up the stick, I tossed it and she shot off after it again.

  This time I just said “Can I have the stick, please, Spirit?”

  She trotted up and dropped the stick at my feet. I smiled and crouched down to ruffle her hair and she gave me a lick on the face.

  “Okay, Spirit, let’s have some fun.” I said and got another lick.

  For the next two hours I threw the stick and rolled around on the floor with her. When I thought she would come when called we set off back to our room. Spirit walked along beside me and we took the lift down to the fourth f
loor. Heading down the hallway I saw Chris talking with Tessa.

  “You okay, Marc?” he asked.

  I stopped and said “I’ve been giving Spirit some exercise.”

  Chris knelt down in front of Spirit and said “So we finally have a name for you!” Spirit licked him from his chin to his hairline.

  Standing up he laughed and said “So how are you?”

  “I’m fine. Not exactly happy about it but I know where you’re all coming from.” I said.

  Tessa said “I feel the same way, Marc, but we need to think about everyone we have here and how best to keep them safe.”

  “I know. We’ll sort out what we are going to do in the morning. I need to get some sleep so can we talk about it then?” I asked.

  “Sure.” Chris said.

  I continued down to my door and opened it for Spirit to go inside and followed her. The room was dark so I reached over a flicked the light switch.

  “Can you turn that fucking light off?” Amy said from the bed.

  “Okay.” I said smiling.

  Turning the light off. I slowly made my way round to the bed and only stubbed my toe a couple of times. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I took my clothes off and slid under the sheets. Amy wiggled across and cuddled into me. Her warm body pressed in close as she cuddled in.

  “Where did you go?” She asked, resting her head on my chest.

  “I needed to think about what we have to do. Jake helped me do that. Then I went and gave Spirit some exercise.” I said.

  “Spirit?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I gave dog a name. She seems to like it.” I said, watching the lighter shade in the darkness move toward the bed and lie down on my side. Dropping my hand over the side I stroked Spirit's side. I could feel a rumble and a low growl coming from her.

  “It’s about time she had a name. For some reason just calling her dog didn’t feel right and Spirit suits her.”

  “It sure does. I spoke with Ruby earlier and that is one sharp old woman.” I said trying to skirt around the subject that I knew she wanted to talk about.

  “What did she say?” Amy asked.

  “All she said was that she would help us out.” I said.

  “That’s good.” She said sleepily.