by Al K. Line
What could she do? Time to get back to the bus and come up with a seriously bloody good plan, and quick.
As they retreated she could hear the roar of the crowd, the screams of the young man as he was physically ripped to bits. The two infected still alive in the pit snarling and scratching at each other as they fought over the remains of the brains spilled on the hard paved floor of what was obviously a fight arena of the sickest and most depraved kind.
###
Nothing. She had nothing. She couldn't think straight and she had to come up with a plan fast.
Al, or Kyle, or both, could be next. She had to save them before they were either taken away never to be found again, or sent into the pit to fight against the infected.
"Well, guess our options are severely limited here Bos Bos old buddy. Time to go call on the alpha zombie I think, see if he can help. Shit, did I really say that." Ven smacked her forehead, she couldn't believe she was actually going to see if a man, zombie, whatever he was, could help her to save her friends. Now she knew for sure the world really was messed up. This abomination had eaten Joe, actually eaten him then stolen his cigars. She liked Joe. She remembered his firm bottom fondly on that hot summer's day months ago, when they fought side by side against the alpha zombie and his zombie horde.
Now it seemed that things were going to be somewhat different.
Ven capped her pen, sighed, and went outside to see if the alpha zombie fancied a bit of help, or if he fancied helping her, she wasn't sure which one it was. She had the feeling this was not going to be a pleasant experience.
She stepped out into the cool damp air with Tomas tight to the back in his carrier — he was getting way too heavy for this. Bos Bos was at her side, still more mud than actual dog.
Alpha Zombie stepped out of the woods, a ghostly figure materializing from the mist.
"You took your time. Thought you would have been calling for my help a little sooner. I guess you saw it too? What those fuckers are doing? Baiting zombies against people, killing my kind, chaining them up!" he spat out violently, voice rising to a shout, anger darkening his pale face, veins bulging angrily under the surface. Ven was sure she could actually see the blood moving sluggishly along the proud veins on his neck and face.
Ven sighed. Well, here goes nothing.
"Okay, what's the plan?"
"You mean you haven't got one? No plan on how to save your friends?" he said, making quotation notes in the air when he said his final word.
One of the strangest alliances was formed, albeit only as a temporary truce between what were now opposing species. Each sure of their right to dominance.
Surprise
"Surprise bitch," whispered Ven triumphantly, as she plunged her sword right through the neck of the female slaver as she tugged at the passenger door of the army truck. It went through clean, the disgrace to her sex was dead before Ven could pull the sword back out and say something else cool.
Ven grabbed her by slick hair, then roughly yanked her out of the way. She put a foot on the step up to the cab and was inside in a heartbeat, perching on the edge of the seat because of Tomas on her back.
"Turn it off you piece of shit, right now," she yelled at the slaver boss, pointing the sword right at his throat, drawing a bead of blood.
"Who the fuck are you? Is this your doing? If you think I—"
"Bos Bos? Now boy, now," shouted Ven.
A black flash sprang into the cab and flew across her lap. Bos Bos bit down hard on the man's arm, through the thick material, right down to bone. Bos Bos was not a stupid dog, he knew that this was a very bad man. He could smell the fear of Kyle and others on him like a huge warning beacon, and he knew he was to stop this man if Ven instructed.
He bit down harder.
The boss screamed out in pain, trying to shake off Bos Bos, dropping the knife he had grabbed off the dashboard. Ven pushed harder on the sword, back aching from leaning across the seats.
"One more move out of you and you are dog meat, you understand me?"
"I understand. Get this fucking mutt off me will you," he said, feeling the nerve damage Bos Bos had inflicted finally being received by his startled brain.
"Bos Bos, good boy. That's enough now, let go now," said Ven soothingly, praising him for his prowess, almost as amazed as he was that the Lab had done quite such a good job of disarming the man.
"Keys, give me the keys you sick psycho, right now." Ven shifted her position, pushing in the man's flesh at his throat, threatening to pierce right through.
He glared at her, hatred flaring on his face. "I don't have them. The girl, the one you just killed, she has them." He smirked, knowing Ven would have to get out if she wanted to recover the keys.
"Don't know what you think is so funny fucker. Think you're going to get away with the things you have done? To my friends, to the infected. What is wrong with you?" It wasn't a question she expected an answer to, and she didn't get one. She fiddled around at her waist, pulling out one of the small Tasers that she had got all those months ago, back when Joe was alive. She set it to maximum.
"You seem to like this kind of thing, so how about you get a taste of your own medicine. This is just what doctor Ven ordered," said Ven wickedly. Before the man had time to open his mouth in protest he was writhing around in the driver's seat, thrashing at the steering wheel and the windows, almost impaling himself on Ven's sword before she had a chance to move it out of the way.
She jumped down quick, patting the woman's pockets until she found keys hanging from a chain. She ripped them off, bringing a loop of trouser with them. With Bos Bos jumping around excitedly, running to the back and barking wildly, she sprinted around to the driver's side and pulled the still twitching man out of the cab roughly.
She gave him another shock, just for luck, then ran to the rear and ripped back the canopy.
"Surprise," said Ven, grinning at Kyle, glancing at the young woman shackled next to him, trying not to think too much about what could have been done to her. Now wasn't the time, so she quickly jumped in and unchained them both.
"Al, he's still out there. Did you see all the zombies? How did they get free?" asked Kyle, eyes wild, dreading to think what would have happened to Al by now.
"No time to talk now Kyle, and hi," she said to the girl. "Let's go get Al, we don't have long until the... um, agreement I made will run out."
Kyle looked at her quizzically. "Agreement? What's going on? And how did you make it through to us so easily?"
"Later Kyle, c'mon. I just Tasered the man that had you, it will be wearing off, so let's act fast."
"Tasered? You should have disemboweled the bastard. Slowly," hissed Kyle.
"Can't. Made a deal," panted Ven, trying to speed things along.
"What deal?"
Ven didn't answer, he wouldn't like it any more than she did.
They ran around to the front, the woman obviously in pain and unable to move too fast. Ven and Kyle grabbed the man, while Bos Bos helped by tugging on a trouser leg. It was just a shame he tugged in the opposite direction to the one they wanted to go. They dragged him to the back, Kyle jumped into the vehicle and yanked him up inside with some shoving from Ven and the woman. He then shackled him and they all climbed into the front cab, along with Bos Bos, as fast as they could. It was a bit of a mess, Ven had to get Kyle to unstrap Tomas so she could have him on her lap while they rode up front. Zombies, zombie slavers, and babies really didn't make for a good mix.
They managed to all squeeze into the cab. Kyle turned the key in the ignition and slammed it into gear, tires slipping before they gained traction as the heavy vehicle lumbered into life and he headed to the arena where he prayed Al was still alive.
"Oh shit, they are everywhere. Al is going to be mincemeat by now. Even the big guy can't deal with that number of zombies, however invincible he is." Kyle stared at the scene confronting them totally aghast.
"We're part of the hivemind, for now," said Ven.
> "Ven. What are you on about. Just what the hell is going on?"
"You'll see. But let's get our skates on. I don't trust the guy and who knows how long the zombies will be friendly."
"What guy? Friendly zombies? I really don't like the sound of this," said Kyle, getting a queasy knot in the pit of his stomach.
"I don't either, but I didn't have a choice really. Not if I wanted to save you guys."
I Have a Cunning Plan
Back at the bus, before the rescue mission began, a few things were discussed, at speed, with not a little arguing on both sides.
Ven was not at all happy with the deal, but she couldn't think of another way to at least have a chance of saving her friends. The problem being it was hard to trust a man that was a zombie but not a zombie, and would happily eat her brains given less than half the chance.
Well, beggars can't be choosers, she thought. Not believing a word of it, the deal she had just made forming a tight knot deep in the pit of her stomach.
Talk about selling your soul to the devil. It was doubtful it would go according to plan.
The discussions hadn't started out well.
"What possible reason have I got to trust you, and why the hell do you want my help anyway?" asked Ven, not quite understanding what he got out of it.
"Well, firstly, you haven't really got a choice. Unless you have an idea on how to save that woman, the other humans still alive in the vans, and your friends from slavery or probably death today or tomorrow at the latest. And secondly, I don't want your help, but I have a slight problem you see," said Alpha Zombie Alfred, holding up his hands. They began to shake.
"I can do most things, no problem, but I'm not so good with the real dexterous stuff. There is no way I am going to be able to unlock all the brothers and sisters using a key, it just won't happen." He looked none too pleased about admitting to any kind of shortcoming on his part.
"So, the alpha zombie, the all powerful, can't even use a key?" Ven couldn't help but look smug.
"Look, you bitch, if you are going to get funny then I will just eat you and your little baby right now, and be damned about what he could possibly be in the future."
"I don't want to hear that shit. He's fine. There's nothing wrong with him at all. And sorry, didn't mean to be rude," she purred, with mock coyness.
"Whatever. Look, you help me, I help you. You unlock the ones chained up, and I will deal with any humans that dare get in the way. I promise that if you do that I will help you to get away. I will help you get any remaining live humans and let you go."
"And how exactly are you going to stop hundreds of ravenous zombies from tearing us all to bits at the first possible sign of freedom they get?" said Ven dubiously.
"You just really don't get it do you? You don't understand at all." He sighed, realizing that it would take a little explaining, much as he didn't want to give such knowledge away.
"I can control them because I am the Alpha Zombie. I can feel the hivemind. They, we, are connected. I felt them missing, empty space in the heart of the dark crystal, shards breaking away, elements dissolving into the ether. We are one, and I can feel them all. My flock, my kind, my tribe, my pride. Mine. And I will protect them from your kind. Humans, doing this kind of thing for fun. You all deserve to die, you do know that?"
"Some are bad, some aren't. Doesn't mean a species should be wiped out."
"Well, I don't agree, and are you so sure that you truly believe that? No matter," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Point is, do we have a deal?"
"Wait a minute, what do you mean by hivemind? You mean you are all connected. You can feel each other? How does that help me and my friends?"
He sighed deeply. "It will help your friends because I can fucking control the others, that's why. You really are dumb you know. I told you, I am the Alpha. I can enter the hivemind, I can control them all. Well, those grouped together, and in need of help, certainly. Lots of them, even from afar. I can hack the hivemind, the same as someone hacked the Web and started all this."
Ven said nothing, not daring to give away her darkest secret to this... What was it now? Man? Zombie?
Negotiations continued, hurriedly but surprisingly thorough. The deal was that if Ven released the captured zombies then Alfred promised to stop any of them from eating her or her friends. Any other humans were fair game. Apart from the ones incarcerated in the van. Until now the property of the human slaver gang.
He would hold back the hordes and let the humans go, as long as she held up her part of the bargain.
"And one final thing," he said.
"What now?"
"That man? The boss? The one that is in charge of the zombie slaves. He's mine. You kill him and the deal is off. You give him to me, and the deal stands. No discussion, that's my terms."
"Fine, you just be sure to keep your promise," said Ven. She didn't trust him one bit.
Alfred exhaled a large puff of smoke, purposely mocking her as the tobacco was carried away by a crisp wind.
Ven wafted it away from her face, aiding it along on its journey into oblivion.
She looked at it wistfully.
###
"Don't tell me my business alright," whispered Ven to the thing next to her. It was hard not to gag, he smelled absolutely foul. Never mind that he said he had washed in the stream and even put new clothes on, there was something about him, an odor, something that permeated from his pores that was anathema to her, and she suspected to other humans too.
"Fine, just make sure you don't mess this up. There will be consequences if you do. Serious ones." Alfred was finding it hard not to gag. The stench of humanity was hard to cope with. They were much better when being ripped to bits — the insides smelled a lot better than the outside. Apart from babies of course, the small bundle of flesh at her back was almost irresistible, but already he could feel the tiny soul's presence. There was a hint of dominance there, something powerful waiting to be unleashed.
The future could be an interesting one, if the little bugger didn't get eaten in the meantime. It was always a possibility, growing up would not be without its hazards.
Alfred licked his lips and smiled — there never was a dull moment these days. He enjoyed his strange new existence more and more each day.
With Alfred's help they had skirted right around the perimeter of the main gathering of people and infected. Lookouts were fairly easy for him to detect, olfactory senses working more like Bos Bos' than a human's these days. A confused Bos Bos was none too happy about this pact, or truce, that appeared to contradict all he had been taught. He eyed the weird thing, his senses confused. He looked at Ven often for reassurance.
"Yes Boscoe, I know. You just be a good boy okay? We will get the guys soon, and then we can have some nice supper. How does that sound?"
Wag... wag. Bos Bos was not even reassured by the promise of a nice supper, he really was that stressed out.
"Um, hello? Back to the job at hand if you don't mind," said Alfred that was.
"Look, if Bos Bos isn't reassured then he could give us away, alright. I do know what I am doing. In case you don't remember it was me and the guys that kicked your ass months ago. Don't you forget it."
"Whatever. So, we gonna do this then?"
"Yep."
Ven and Alfred crept out from their hiding place just behind a small rise that looked down onto the main occupied area. They had gone all the way around the top of the land, skirting the back of the huge building then making their way over to the place chosen as the arena for battles and humiliations.
The scene below was daunting, but if they did it right then they should be able to free the infected easily enough. Once the slavers were dealt with by the zombies then the human slaves could be freed and Ven and the others could be on their way. What she was going to do with all the slaves she wasn't sure, but was certain that something would be worked out down the line.
It was actually a lot easier than they thought to get
fairly close to the beginning of the line of the infected. Most people were watching the spectacle unfolding in the mess that was once a beautiful garden. Those on sentry duty seemed more concerned with their smokes than with keeping watch. Understandable really, who is going to come and try to steal all your zombies from you?
"Want me to watch the baby for ya?" smirked the ex-postie.
"Ha, ha, very funny," said Ven, hiking Tomas up a little higher on her back to get the balance better. She silently prayed he would be quiet while she went and—
"Waah, waah."
"Shh, shh, shh. There's a good boy Tomas, you be good for mummy, it will all be over soon. Promise. Just have to go and unlock hundreds of zombies, no biggie," said Ven, saying what she thought was probably the stupidest thing she had ever said in her life, knowing herself that was a pretty tall order too.
The lines of infected were savage. Maltreatment had done nothing to improve their temper. Many had not fed for long intervals. The best fighters had fed often and repeatedly, others missing their turn as the boss didn't think there were suitable opponents for them. It meant that the basic characteristics of countless incarcerated had changed from what they were in life. Short skinny humans were now fat bloated zombies. Well built men in their prime now reduced to little more than skin and bones in their second life. Some were ravenous, others just hungry on the usual zombie scale. It was all just a matter of degree though — the craving for the zombie high was ever present, never leaving them, so all were clawing and howling at the injustice of sensing food that was teasingly out of reach.
Those in charge of controlling them knew there was no point trying to keep the infected quiet. The sounds slowly simply drifted from their awareness, a background noise they became accustomed to.
They paid little attention to the rising tide of frustrated wailing as Ven approached.
Then there was silence.
Not a murmur. Not a movement from a single infected slave.
Ven was totally and utterly spooked.
