Chapter Fifty Five
Vince could feel himself passing out. His eyes rolled as Theodore Davidson smiled and placed his kukri against Kindl's throat, his other large hand still choking him. Vince looked over Bear's shoulder to see a figure in the distance. He knew who it was, and he hoped that they would hurry up before the blade of Bear's weapon cut his throat open.
Bear jolted and released a cry of pain. His face screwed up, and his left hand went over his right shoulder to feel something at the top of his back. He turned around and Vince could see the arrow lodged into the right side of his assailant's trapezius. Theodore's knees buckled with the pain and Vince side footed Bear into his right knee, forcing him to collapse to the floor and drop his blade. Vince picked the kukri up and swung it at Bear's face. Bear kicked out at Vince at the same time, booting him in the shin, and moved his head as Vince swiped at him. Bear's own blade sliced the right cheek of his face, and the large man swiped Kindl's right leg, taking Vince off of his feet, making him drop the weapon. Bear then tried to reach for the arrow that was sticking in his trapezius. He managed to snap some of it off, then looked up to see the culprit that was responsible for his injury.
Twenty yards away, a young girl was aiming her bow in Bear's direction. It didn't take a genius to realise that she was Vince's companion and must have stayed in the caravan, only to be awakened by the melee outside. Bear stumbled to the side and cowered as another arrow was released, but this time it whizzed by his ear and landed harmlessly onto the concrete ground. Stephanie Perkins calmly took another arrow from her bag and aimed once more, forcing Bear to flee the vicinity on foot.
The big man grabbed his kukri and ran faster than what should have been possible for a guy with such an injury; his frame was seen disappearing around the bend of the road that led into Armitage. Vince lay down on the tarmac, panting, and once more was thankful to be alive after yet another near-death experience.
Stephanie made her way over to the exhausted man and stood over him, bow in her right hand, her black waterproofs on. She lifted the hood of the poncho over the head and put her shades on. "You okay? I heard a yell."
Vince looked up at her. "You took your fucking time."
"I couldn't get a decent shot." Stephanie held out her finger, pointing to the sky. "It's a bit windy this morning."
"You missed."
"I was aiming for his head, but..."
Vince sighed and thought about the people back at his old camp. "That brute butchered a woman in that caravan over there in front of my eyes." Vince pointed over in the direction of where the poor woman had met her unjust demise.
Stephanie looked shocked at the news Vince had just given her and shook her head. "He has an arrow in his back and a cut to his cheek. He's hurt, but it's not serious."
"No shit. We both just saw him run off." Vince was in no doubt that this beast was going to return, and after what had just happened he needed to get back to the camp as soon as possible. The people were now all in danger.
The assailant was just one man and had come off second best with a fourteen-year-old girl with a bow and arrow, and Vince knew that vengeance would be now on the man's mind.
Maybe he would try and gather an army. Maybe he would cause some damage all by himself. With revenge on the man's mind, Vince feared for the people at Sandy Lane.
"So what now?" Stephanie asked.
Vince shrugged and responded, "I guess we walk back to the camp."
"Walk?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Stephanie put her arm around Vince and said, "Come with me."
The pair of them walked back onto the site, passing the Spode Cottage on their left, and Stephanie and Vince stopped walking. Stephanie nodded over to the back entrance of the establishment where a vehicle was parked, and said, "We could walk. Or we could take the jeep."
"We need keys for it to work," said Vince with a groan. He then scratched behind his ear and said, "Hang on a minute."
Vince went over to the vehicle to find it was locked. He then walked into the Spode Cottage without uttering a word to Stephanie. She waited outside patiently, and smiled when Vince returned a minute later, shaking the keys in his hand. He now had a smile on his face. "Ready?"
He pressed the key-fob to unlock the vehicle and Stephanie was the first to jump in, throwing her stuff in the back. He climbed in and started the engine. Both persons never bothered with their seat belts, and Vince pulled the vehicle away from his old campsite, heading for Rugeley, heading for Sandy Lane.
They were on the road for just minutes and the camp wasn't very far away at all. It was going to be a short journey. The vehicle passed the Ash Tree pub and went over the roundabout, passing the lane that would lead to the golf course and Park Farm.
The feeling that Vince had was one of excitement; he was like a child on Christmas day, despite the threat that lingered over the camp with that injured mad bastard on the loose. He was going back. He had only been away for a week or so, but he missed Pickle, Karen and the others.
"Watch it!" Stephanie cried out.
Vince had snapped out of his short daydream, and the vehicle rammed into a lone ghoul that had quickly staggered out from a side street. The vehicle had ripped the creature in half, its legs going under it and the top half hitting the bonnet and windscreen, spewing out its insides all over the area. His vision was now impaired, so Vince hit the brakes, making the jeep squeal, and brought the vehicle to a stop.
"How did you not see it?" Stephanie reprimanded, her heart in her mouth.
"Give me a break." Vince rubbed his hands over his scarred face in exasperation. "I nearly died a few minutes ago ... again, being choked to death by some animal. So forgive me if I'm not quite with it."
He hit the wipers, but they struggled to clear the dark blood and rotten guts from outside of the windscreen. "Can't see a thing." He looked at Stephanie.
"What?" she huffed. "This is your fault. You get out and clean it."
"You're a proper little ray of sunshine this morning, aren't you?" Vince snickered. He tried the screen wash, which didn't help matters. "Be more use if I just pissed on the damn thing." He opened the driver's door and told Stephanie to sit tight. "I'm gonna see if there's any material in the boot to wipe this crap off, otherwise I'm gonna have to drive the rest of the journey with my head sticking out of the window, like Ace Ventura."
Stephanie scratched the side of her face and asked. "Who?"
"Don't start that shit again."
Vince stepped out and looked up to the dreary heavens. It looked like rain. He then looked in front of him. He was near the arches, near Horsefair, not even a quarter of a mile from Sandy Lane. His eyes screwed up as he began to witness five of the dead, shambling towards the vehicle from another side street. He had no idea whether the noise of the collision, or the screech of tyres, had attracted them to this area, or it was just bad luck. It appeared that Vince didn't have time to wash the screen. He had to go ... now!
He ran back inside, pulled the vehicle away and stuck his head out of the window so he could see where he was going. It was possible that another collision was going to happen, so he turned to Stephanie and told her to brace herself, just in case.
He thrashed the vehicle and swerved around the dead. He panicked as one reached out for him through the exposed window. He pulled the wheel to the left, and hit two of the dead. "Shit."
The vehicle veered right and went down a path, crashing through the large glass window of an Indian takeaway shop. "Bollocks." He slipped the vehicle into reverse and hit the accelerator, but the jeep that was halfway in the shop wasn't budging and smoke could be seen coming from the bonnet.
"What's up?" Stephanie asked. "Why isn't it working?"
"I don't fucking know. I'm not a mechanic."
Vince wound the window up, as he could see some of the dead stumbling into the shop and heading for the driver's side of the vehicle. His side.
"Can't you move it at all?" Stephanie cried.
<
br /> Vince shook his head and saw the rotten hands slap at the glass of his door. More slapped at the passenger side, making Stephanie shriek, and Vince took a quick glance in his rear view mirror to see a ghoul behind, and many more stumbling through the shop window, surrounding the vehicle. Vince tried to move again, but all the vehicle did was make an awful noise, possibly attracting more of the things.
"Get down," ordered Vince.
"What?" Stephanie looked perplexed, but did as she was told.
Vince locked the driver's door, which locked the rest of them, and sat down on the floor by the driver's seat, out of sight from the beasts, or so he hoped. He turned the engine off. He knew he wasn't far from the barrier, and wondered if he should sound the horn, to attract the attention of the guards. But would that just attract more of the dead? Possibly.
Vince confessed, "There's nothing else I can do. Just stay where you are, and hope they eventually go away." Vince was frustrated. He was about a hundred yards from the barrier, near the Globe Island, and this had to happen.
"What happens if they won't go away?" There was desperation in Stephanie's voice.
"They will." Vince didn't sound sure, and he could see the fright on the young girl's face as the slapping of hands grew louder against the glass.
"Do you think the windows will hold?"
"In this vehicle? Absolutely." Vince didn't look so sure. Please fucking hold.
They waited and waited, then both Stephanie and Vince looked with fright in their eyes, fearing the worst once more. Was this the end? Was it finally here?
Vince looked at the windows of the driver's and passenger's side and could see the decaying beasts slapping and scratching at the glass. Vince had no idea how many were around the vehicle, but if he had to guess he would say at least a dozen from what he could see through the three windows, including the back. He was unsure how they were going to get out of this mess alive. If only there was a sunroof. That could give us half a chance.
"We're fucked." Stephanie looked crestfallen, and put her hands over her ears to drown out the groaning and slapping. "We're both totally fucked."
"Hang in there, kid. Don't lose it now."
"What's the point?"
Vince and Stephanie then both jumped in unison as a gunshot could be heard close by. Another loud bang was heard and Stephanie said to Vince, "What's happening out there?"
Vince never responded verbally, he just shook his head. He didn't know.
*
Pickle was taking a walk along Sandy Lane and was heading for the barrier, near the Globe Island. He knew Bentley was on the barrier. As he approached the HGV, he could also see Rick Morgan and Sheryl there. Bentley was sitting inside the cab, whereas Rick and Sheryl were sitting on it.
"How're you doing?" Rick Morgan was the first to spot Pickle.
"I'm alright," Pickle responded and stuck his thumb up. "How long yer got before yer all finished?"
"Any minute now. Just waiting for the next lot to show up."
"You're still here then," Sheryl said with a straight face.
Pickle nodded and joked, "For now. Until they vote me out."
Sheryl responded quickly. "It won't come to a vote. Even if it did, and they wanted you out, there'd be a revolt."
"I don't think I'm in Lee's good books."
"Fuck him!" sniffed Sheryl, and wiped her nose by dragging her forearm across it. "Lee thinks he's in charge, but he's not."
"Anyway," it was Rick Morgan's turn to speak up. "I'd feel safer if you stayed. I certainly wouldn't vote you out. You know what they say..."
"What?" Pickle waited impatiently for Rick to finish his sentence.
Rick Morgan looked confused and appeared to have forgot what he was about to say. "I don't know, I—"
A screech of tyres in the distance distracted all four, including Bentley, who was sitting in the cab with the windows down. Smothered with intrigue, Pickle climbed through the cab and he and Bentley jumped out at the other side. They took a hesitant stroll to the roundabout, opposite the barrier, and could see that a vehicle had ploughed into a shop. Sheryl and Rick had now left their posts and were standing next to Pickle and Bentley. All four could see the back of the jeep sticking out of the takeaway shop, and eleven Snatchers were spotted, heading towards the vehicle. More followed behind.
"Where did they come from?" Rick Morgan looked angered and perplexed at the same time. "We see the odd stray now and again, but..."
Pickle pulled out his machete from his belt and nodded at the shotguns that Bentley, Sheryl and Rick were holding. "I hope those guns are loaded."
"What?" Rick look scared.
"I'm not gonna stand here while there're people in that vehicle. It could be a family in there."
"Wouldn't the guns attract more of them?" Rick Morgan quizzed.
Pickle ignored Rick and pointed up ahead. They could all see more of the dead along Horsefair, slowly joining the others that were surrounding the jeep, desperate to get in.
Pickle led the way and urged the others to follow him. Most of the dead were near the vehicle, but three of them had clocked their presence and stumbled over in their direction. "I'll take these pricks." Pickle turned and spoke to Rick, Sheryl and Bentley. "While I take these out, yer go past me and blast the others that are by the jeep from behind. Take as many out as possible, then finish the rest off with yer blades or the butts o' your guns."
They all nodded.
Pickle ran over to the three Snatchers, with the group still behind him, and took out the first female ghoul with a two-handed strike to the side of the head, but was struggling to remove the blade. "For fuck's sake!"
"Just move!" Sheryl yelled from behind.
Pickle turned around and could see Sheryl, Bentley and Rick moving forwards with their shotguns. With the two dead gaining, Pickle retreated without his machete.
Bentley ran at one of the two that were moving towards them and took it out with the butt of his gun. The remaining one received the same fate, but this one took two blows to be destroyed by Bentley.
Pickle tried to free his weapon whilst his three pals were getting closer to the gang of the dead that were around the jeep. Sheryl was the first to fire a shot and Rick was next. Pickle could see two heads explode, and just hoped that they didn't accidentally shoot anyone inside the vehicle. If they had any sense, whoever was inside would be down on the floor.
The two blasts had turned the attention of the dead to what was behind them. Every single one moved away from the vehicle, some were in the shop and on their way out.
Sheryl told Bentley and Rick to hold off until they got closer, and once they did the guns were unloaded, causing another three kills. One of Rick's blasts had taken half a face away, but the thing was still moving. There was still many left, and the three used the butts of their guns to take out the remaining ones, rather than using their blades.
Pickle had finally got the machete free, ran over, and began helping out his friends.
He used the ramming method, hoping it would prove better results, and took three out. Only four remained, and Pickle was now near the driver's side of the vehicle. The windows were smeared with blood, and he put his hand on the door handle, ready to open it. Pickle turned to see Sheryl and Bentley taking out two more, and Rick was approaching the other two, but looked to be tired. He took one down and was helped out by Sheryl with the other.
A hand grabbed at Pickle, making him jump back and drop his machete to the floor, and he turned around to be face-to-face with a male beast that must have come from inside the shop.
Pickle grabbed the putrid thing by the throat to stop himself from being bit, and both Pickle and the infected being were standing two yards from the driver's door of the jeep, whilst grabbing each other's throats. Pickle was about to call someone over to give him a hand, but he heard the door of the jeep open, and a piece of metal came out from the ghoul's forehead, making Pickle hold his breath.
Once the crowbar was removed, the
creature dropped to the floor. Harry Branston could now see that the driver had left the car once the crowd had dispersed, and it was he that was responsible for ramming the crowbar into the back of the creature's head. The driver's door was open and the man from the vehicle stood with a grin on his features, still holding the bloody crowbar. But it wasn't just any man.
Pickle narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Vince?"
Chapter Fifty Six
"Where the fuck are the guards?" Lee was with Jon Talbot, and looked aghast that the HGV near the Globe Island had been abandoned. "Have these fuckers forgot what happened to Nicholas Burgess ... to Kyle Dickson?"
Jon Talbot never answered. He was speechless.
"Follow me." Lee opened the door of the lorry and went through it, to the other side of the barrier. Lee stepped out onto the Horsefair road—sometimes classed as Horse Fair—by the Globe Island and looked to his left. There were two roads to his left. The nearest one was the Western Springs Road that went by Elmore Park; it continued up to the roundabout by the Stag's Leap pub and restaurant. The second road to the left was Elmore Lane which would lead an individual to the bus station, the entrance of Elmore Park and Market Hall. Going by these places would take them to a small roundabout near St Augustine's Church. But it was an incident to the right of Lee James that had caught his attention.
Many of the dead were scattered along the floor, defunct, and coming towards him and Jon Talbot was a weary Harry Branston, Bentley Drummle, Sheryl Smith and Rick Morgan. Beside them, forcing a smile to develop on Lee James' face, was Vince Kindl. There was also a young girl with them, but he had never seen her before.
Lee walked over to the group to meet them, and held out his arms to greet his old friend. Vince and Lee hugged for a few seconds, stopping everybody from walking, and then Lee pulled away and shook his head. "But how?"
Vince smiled. "Tell you later."
Bentley put his arm around the young girl and said to Lee, "This is the young lady that helped me out when I was lost at the industrial estate. She's an absolute star."
Snatchers (Book 8): The Dead Don't Pray Page 25
