✽ ✽ ✽
Supper had been a quiet affair. Emma and Tabby had picked at their food, neither having a great appetite since hearing the shots earlier. They had emptied their plates onto the compost pile and headed back inside to read a little before bed. Both of them were starting to drift when another noise carved a fresh horror through the evening.
“What’s that?” Tabby asked, her eyes widening to the size of ping-pong balls.
“It sounds … it sounds like a crash alarm,” Emma replied, more than a little perplexed.
“A what?”
“I once went on a school trip to an airport. We got to visit the airport fire service, and they hit the emergency siren they used for when a plane was in trouble. That’s just what it sounds like.”
“Err … okay, and the nearest airport would be?”
“Not anywhere near here.”
“So, what the hell is it?”
“I don’t know, Tabby, but it sounds like it’s coming from Kyle,” Emma replied, picking up one of the lanterns and heading into the bedroom.
Tabby ran after her with the other. “What are you doing?”
“Look, nobody sounds an alarm if everything’s okay. If they’re in trouble, I might be able to help them,” she said, grabbing her rucksack from the top of the wardrobe. She reached up again and brought down her shotgun.
“And the gunfire earlier on ... what about that? We could be heading into all sorts of shit. This is a bad idea.”
“There are a lot of decent people, a lot of families there. I can’t ignore a cry for help,” Emma replied, heading back out and taking the keys from the small dish in the kitchen.
Tabby slipped her boots on. “Okay, but I’m going on record to say that this is a really bad idea.”
“Duly noted.”
The sound of the siren was even more bone-chilling as they stepped out into the evening air. Suddenly, their noses began to twitch too. The pair of them stood for a moment, looking in the direction of Kyle, then they noticed a glow warm the sky about a mile south of the small town’s outskirts.
“What the hell is that?” Tabby asked.
“It looks like a fire.”
“But it’s nowhere near town. What could be burning there? And tell me I’m wrong, but it sounds like that’s where the siren’s coming from. I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either, Tabby, but I’m going to find out what the hell’s going on.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Raj and Talikha left the librarians’ house with Humphrey by their side, happily wagging his tail. On a trade mission to one of the Inner Hebridean islands, they had bartered some of Safe Haven’s produce for a vast collection of National Geographic magazines. Ruth, Richard and David had been ecstatic, and they had insisted on returning the favour by inviting Raj and Talikha to dinner. Although spending an evening with the librarians was not really their idea of a good time, the couple were far too polite to turn down the invitation, and as it turned out, they had more fun than they expected. However, they were happy to be out in the fresh air once more, heading towards the pier.
A low-pitched growl started in the back of Humphrey’s throat, and the Golden Lab froze, glaring into the darkness. The smiles immediately disappeared from Raj and Talikha’s faces. The blue stillness beyond was full of shadows.
“What is it, boy?” Talikha asked, nervously.
“Probably a fox or a badger,” Raj replied.
Humphrey’s growls intensified, and Talikha’s hand tightened around Raj’s. “I don’t think—Aaarrrggghhh!” The pounding feet, the demonic growl, the sprinting silhouette with outstretched arms appearing from out of nowhere sent a pang of fear through Talikha like no other she had ever felt. Raj shook his hand free from hers, ready to do whatever he had to in order to defend his wife and his dog, but as the fevered growls of the beast cut through the dying echoes of Talikha’s scream, it was Humphrey who made the first move.
The monster pounced, flying through the air like some giant bat, heading straight towards the figure that had let out the terrified yell. Talikha remained glued to the spot, unable to tear her eyes from the lunging shadow.
Humphrey sprang, his powerful leg muscles launching him like an acrobat being fired from a cannon. He clamped his jaws around the flying beast’s arm and twisted his head, knocking the creature off course. The pair crashed onto the ground, both rolling, before immediately gathering themselves once more.
Raj pushed Talikha. “The pub! Get help now!”
Talikha did not pause. She understood the danger of indecision better than most, and she began to sprint in the direction of the Haven Arms. Music was playing as it did most nights and a few well-placed lanterns lit the outside and the inside creating a welcoming beacon for all those who needed the sanctuary that Jenny’s pub provided. Talikha leapt over the wall and ran through the small wooded area, the blood rushing within her, blocking out the fear and worry for the twenty or thirty seconds it would take her to reach the pub’s doors.
The creature sprang to its feet, ignoring its canine assailant, it lunged towards Raj. Humphrey pounced again, and the two went cascading to the ground once more. Now the beast struck out at the dog attempting to loosen the Labrador’s vice-like grip. Raj had no weapons, and in the shadows, he could see nothing on the ground that could be used as a truncheon or bludgeon, but as his best friend was now at risk from the ghoulish monster, he began to kick and stamp like a mindless football hooligan.
The beast, now being attacked from two sides, lashed out more wildly. Raj suddenly felt fingers wrap tightly around his trouser leg. He knew only too well that if the nails of the monster penetrated the material and scratched his skin, Talikha would become a widow. He brought up his right foot high then thrust it down. Nose cartilage crumbled beneath his foot. There was a loud thud as the creature’s head crashed against the tarmac. Momentarily stunned, the beast stopped struggling, but Raj knew better than to leave a job half done. He raised his foot again and brought it down even harder. Then again and again. There was a loud crack as the RAM’s skull smashed open. The grasp around Raj’s leg immediately loosened and for a second the Hindu vet thought that the horrific ordeal was over, but then he heard more pounding feet and growls tearing towards him through the darkness and knew that the nightmare had only just begun.
✽ ✽ ✽
Mike grabbed a rock, marginally bigger than the average softball.
“What the hell’s that for?” Lucy asked.
“If these things escape into the night, half the bloody coastline could be infected by morning,” Mike replied.
“So what, you’re going to kill them with a rock?” Lucy asked.
“If you can shine my torch at those things, I should be able to pick them off with my crossbow long before they get to the sand,” Wren shouted.
“Get Sammy back home, get a gun and come back down here. We’ll be fine, trust me,” Mike said, grateful for the darkness so he couldn’t see Lucy’s eyes. He ran across to join Wren, and Lucy took Sammy by the hand, reluctantly doing as Mike asked.
Mike took the torch and cast the beam towards the nearest RAM as it made a beeline towards them. Wren loaded the crossbow, aimed and fired. At the same time, the creature stumbled, disappearing into the shimmering black blanket of sea.
“Did I get it? I didn’t see, did I get it?” Wren asked as she loaded another bolt into the bow.
“I don’t know; I didn’t see either.”
“I don’t see it. I didn’t see the bolt go in. I had it dead in my sights.”
“Well, there’s no sign of it. You must have done,” Mike said, panning the torch around to the next silhouette.
Wren fired again, and this time the bolt clearly disappeared into the beast’s forehead, and the creature collapsed forward into the water. Mike shifted the light beam once more as Wren cocked the loading lever. She pulled the trigger again, instantly stopping another advancing RAM. She took down two more in a matter of seconds, they we
re winning. This would all be over soon.
Mike shifted the torch to the next creature just as a volley of gunfire sounded in the distance. Wren looked at him, and he stared back in the diffused glow of the flashlight. “What the fuck is going on?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Mike, but I’ve got a really bad feeling in my gut.”
✽ ✽ ✽
The wheels of Emma’s car squealed as they left the long track from the cabin and hit the tarmac, it was another few hundred metres before they reached the A87, but then Emma threw whatever caution remained to the wind and put her foot down.
The tyres screeched again as they took bend after bend and she could feel Tabby tensing in the passenger seat beside her. “It’s okay, I’ve taken this road a thousand times, I know every—” She jammed on the brakes, and the vehicle began to careen across the tarmac.
“Aaaggghhh!” Tabby screamed while Emma frantically turned the wheel in the direction of the spin, desperate not to flip the car.
The convoy of vehicles that were speeding towards them managed to stop just in time. Emma released her grip on the wheel. She could feel a thin layer of perspiration on her forehead as well as a few beads of sweat running down her back. The car had stopped at a diagonal, its front end inches away from the crash barrier that was the only obstacle between them and a sheer drop.
Figures began to emerge from the vehicles that had been coming towards them. They could not make out any details, other than some of them were most definitely armed. The familiar shape of SA80s cast long, frightening shadows as the half a dozen men and women walked into the full beams of the headlights.
“Shit,” Emma said under her breath.
“What do you mean shit? Get us out of here!”
“They’ll have blown us to pieces before I even get turned around.”
“Emma?” shouted a voice. “Is that you?”
Emma and Tabby looked towards one another before Emma tentatively opened the door. “Who is it?” she called, slowly climbing out.
“It’s Ryan and April.”
Emma let out a breath of relief and headed towards them. The siren was still blaring in the distance. “What the hell’s happening? We heard firing.”
“Infected. Lots of them. They were on us before we knew what was going on,” Ryan said.
“Infected, from where?”
“We think … the sea,” April said, barely believing the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“What?” Tabby asked, joining them.
“We think the infected came from the sea.”
“But how? And what’s with the siren?” Emma asked.
“This wasn’t an accident or some kind of freak occurrence,” Ryan said.
“I don’t understand any of this. What are you saying?” Emma demanded.
“Emma, most of the town has been wiped out. This was an attack. Kyle of Lochalsh is no more. It’s gone.”
chapter 3
Shaw and Hughes always carried their sidearms; once soldiers, always soldiers. As soon as Talikha had barged through the doors of the Haven Arms and announced that there was at least one infected in the village, they grabbed the nearest lanterns and ran to the door.
Shaw flung Jenny the keys to the arms store in the village hall. “Make sure everyone who knows how to use a gun has one,” he ordered before disappearing into the night.
There was a mad flurry of activity. The village had been at battle stations numerous times before and the good humour and cheer in the pub vanished in an instant as everything became about protecting Safe Haven. One of their own was in trouble; that was all that mattered.
Talikha, now armed with a poker from the fireplace, beat a fast path back to where she had left her husband as Hughes and Shaw followed. Both had been in the pub to have a quiet pint before calling it a night, but neither’s senses had been dulled.
They arrived on the scene to see one of the creatures already down, and Humphrey sat bolt upright, glaring into the darkness, growling. Both men placed the powerful lanterns on the floor and moved back in order to gain whatever small advantage they could from the lights. It was a few seconds before the first RAM emerged from the shadows. Shaw took aim, firing his Browning 13 and taking the beast down with a single shot. Another monster appeared, and before Hughes got a chance to fire, Shaw took the second beast down too. Another creature leapt out from the night and this time Hughes beat his friend to it, making a well-aimed headshot.
The monster’s body skidded across the tarmac to a halt. A fourth and fifth creature were dispatched in a similar manner then no more appeared. The five living, breathing warm bodies peered into the blackness, waiting, listening. Raj had hold of Humphrey’s collar, making sure the dog did not go off on his own to hunt down any further monsters.
A few more seconds passed, and Shaw and Hughes began to breathe a little more easily. “Where the fuck did they come from?” Hughes demanded, holstering his Glock 17.
Shaw was about to answer when more shots sounded at the far end of the village then more somewhere further up the coastline. The two soldiers looked towards one another in the light of the lanterns. Shaw reached for the radio that was clipped to his belt and hit the talk button. “Jen, are you there? Over.”
“Yes, I’m nearly done.”
“Jen, listen to me. Sound the siren. Sound the siren now.”
✽ ✽ ✽
“Shit!” Mike growled as the creature that had stumbled earlier reappeared in the shallows. With each stride the beast took its pace increased. “Hurry up, Wren, for Christ’s sake.”
“I am hurrying,” Wren said, pulling the self-cocking lever on the crossbow, loading and firing. The increase in the approaching monster’s speed and its greater agility in the shallow water was something Wren could not account for in her shot. As the beast became more animated, the bolt only managed to cut a divot out of the side of its head before glancing off into the water.
Realising there would not be enough time to reload before the creature was on top of them Mike dropped the torch and charged out towards it. The rock he had picked up earlier was still held firmly in his hand, and as he leapt through the air towards the growling silhouette, there was a movement of light behind him. Wren had picked up the torch and was shining the beam directly towards them. The monster lunged as Mike landed. The water splashed high, almost creating a half cocoon around them. Mike smashed the rock against the beast’s head.
The creature paused momentarily, stunned by the blow. It brought its arms up again, reaching through the cool air towards its prey, but Mike brought the rock down again, harder, and this time he felt the sharp edge penetrate bone. The RAM was beyond dazed now, but Mike was not going to take any risks. He struck a third then a fourth time, over and over again until the creature dropped face down into the water. Suddenly, Mike was surrounded by darkness once more, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the torchlight move across the water to the final beast.
There was a momentary pause then a small explosion as a bolt entered its head before it too crumpled into the water. Mike slowly looked around, making sure there was no more movement, and then trudged the few feet back to the sand.
When he had managed to get his breath back, he placed a hand on Wren’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“There was no need for you to do that. I had time to reload.”
“You can’t take risks with these things.”
“Duh! Really? Having lived by myself out there for months, I never would have known that.
“Good job you were here to rescue me, Mike,” she replied, grabbing her jeans and putting them back on.
Wren’s feisty streak always managed to put a smile on Mike’s face. “I’ll trust you to make the shot next time.”
“Yeah, Mike Fletcher trusting someone. I’ll mark that day in my diary.”
“You keep a diary?”
She finished putting on her jeans and trainers then picked the crossbow up and held it in front of his fa
ce in the torchlight. “Do I look like the kind of girl who keeps a diary?”
Mike smiled again, but then the smile disappeared just as quickly. “Jake wasn’t among those things. What exactly happened here?”
More shots sounded in the distance, and both of them started to run across the sand. “John had only just turned,” Wren said as they continued to move.
“How do you know?”
“The blood was still flowing a little. I’ve seen enough of those things up close to know a long-termer from a newbie. I think they must have come around from the other cove. They were probably drawn by Sammy’s scream. They appeared fast, I know that.”
Mike stopped running. “The next cove,” he said almost to himself. The whole coastline was made of up rocky inlets and small beaches, an army could remain hidden unless someone happened upon them, but the fact that those half-dozen beasts had ventured towards the screams suggested that if there was anyone left in the cove, they were either hiding or dead … dead dead, not undead.
“What are you doing?” Wren said, stopping too.
Mike handed her the torch. “Get back to the house, tell Lucy where I am.” Without giving Wren a chance to respond, he turned and started sprinting in the opposite direction.
He had already started to scramble up the rocky incline at the far end of the small beach when Wren turned back to her original direction of travel, shaking her head. She began to climb too, casting one glance back towards the sea and the bodies washing onto the shore. She had no idea what was going on or where these things had come from, and all she wanted now was to go home and see her grandad, let somebody else deal with what was going on. As the mournful scream of the air raid siren started to make the very air around her bristle and vibrate, she realised that whatever was going on in Safe Haven was much bigger than she could imagine and the chances of her seeing her bed any time soon were diminishing more by the minute.
✽ ✽ ✽
Emma had led the convoy back to the cabin. There were six vehicles plus her own; thirty people, just a fraction of the Kyle population. They all crowded into the large kitchen diner, gathering around the lantern-lit table. The siren was sounding in the distance, and as they shot glances into the night, the inferno was still clearly blazing.
Safe Haven (Book 6): Is This The End of Everything? Page 3
