by Haywood, RR
‘God,’ Marcy sighs, ‘she must have been in bits the next day.’
‘Didn’t show it,’ Pea says, ‘she was up first and working all day. The rest of us were blood knackered. We kept thinking she’ll slow down or stop in a minute but she didn’t. Just kept going. Honestly, the young have so much energy.’
I look past them to Roy who is eating his food but clearly listening to the conversation and bless him if he doesn’t give me a faint nod when he looks up, which Joan immediately clocks and tilts her head over questioningly.
I eat my food and think thoughts as Paula eats her food and thinks thoughts. Both of us look further down to the lads now surrounded by people drawn to their energy and wide smiles and more than a few young women are edging closer to Blowers, Cookey and Mo too, which makes me smile warmly. We ran miles today and yesterday we fought non-stop and no doubt tomorrow morning we’ll wake up without pain and full of energy again.
I watch Charlie eating. A girl with a cut like that and a chunk of her ear bitten off should be on morphine in a hospital bed but her jaws masticate without any sign that it causes her pain.
‘Fuck it,’ I mutter, ‘she needs to know,’ I go to rise but find a hand on my shoulder.
‘Later,’ Paula mouths, ‘she should come over to the house with us tonight.’
‘You know what would be lovely,’ Marcy says, leaning forward as though to share gossip with Pea and Sam, ‘if Lilly could stay with us in the house tonight. Think she’ll go for it?’
Fuck me that woman has the hearing of a bat. She is a bat. An actual fucking bat with sonar in her head.
‘How the fuck?’ Paula mouths at me. I shrug and finish my food while ignoring the glare coming from Joan.
‘Yeah?’ Marcy smiles, ‘let her have some time with Nick and the lads, they’ve missed her so much. Honesty, they’re all mad about her and it would be good for her to have some time with Charlie too. I think they’ll have a lot in common.’
It’s a done deal. You try and not be swayed or talked into something by Marcy and see how far you get. She’s not only Batwoman but also a fucking Jedi Master at conversation. She should have sorted out all that crap in the Middle East. She’d be smiling and cocking her head over while all the warring sides just nodded dumbly and signed bits of paper promising never to do anything naughty again.
The feeling of pressure comes back and we start getting ready to go with Paula passing a message of nods to Blowers who gets his lot up and ready, much to the displeasure of a young woman with dark hair making eyes at Cookey who, it appears, is blissfully unaware as he tells everyone how we found a penis on the floor today. He actually tells them too. He tells the penis story but with enough changes for it not to be quite so gruesome and just bloody funny. Even Blowers cracks up at the imitation of himself waving it about while screaming. We were all there and we saw it but listening to Cookey has us lot also laughing. His tone, his delivery and his own self-effacing smile all working in perfect harmony. Of course, for the purposes of the story the penis is a lot bigger and covered in hair as it gets thrown in fright from Nick to Mo to Blinky and round to everyone, with Cookey doing impressions of us all as he goes.
‘We need to make a move,’ Paula says as he reaches the natural end of the story. I watch the lads start getting up and think about telling them they can stay a bit longer. They need this time with people their own age with nice women smiling and making eyes at them and a young chap edging closer to Blinky who just glares at him suspiciously. I don’t though. We’ve got tomorrow and no immediate plans to rush off, unless we’re attacked by zombies in fighter jets of course, which will no doubt happen as soon I think about getting coffee in the morning.
‘What’s going on?’ Joan seeks me out as the plates and cutlery are taken back to the serving tables and the lads get ready to go.
‘Going on?’ I ask her and get a shrewd look in return.
‘Don’t fart about with me, Mr Howie,’ she says in that brisk clipped way. A pistol on each hip and her rifle held secure across her chest.
‘How do you that?’ I ask her, nodding at the chest strap.
‘Ordinary strap and a needle a thread,’ she replies without blinking, ‘now what’s going on?’
‘I don’t know you.’
‘I killed a handful of children for Lilly two days ago,’ she fires back, ‘her welfare is my primary concern so stop dithering and stalling and spit it out.’
‘Lilly is healing faster than she should.’
‘She has what you have.’ A statement not a question.
‘Yes but…’
‘She has told everyone she had sex with Nick…’ I blink at an old lady using the word sex but she pushes on without hesitation. ‘Yes she had admitted to me that she has not actually had sex with Nick but I gather they have kissed.’
‘I don’t think it passes like that,’ I say and look down to the already healing cuts on my hands made by Dave as we bled into those bitten. Does it work like that? It can’t. It’s not possible. We’d just have to kiss everyone here and they’d all be immune and although I don’t know much I know sure as shit it can’t be that simple.
‘I see,’ Joan says, ‘and you are going to tell her.’
‘I think we should,’ I say quietly.
‘Good. Then tell her straight and don’t dilly dally. I can’t abide dilly dallying, Mr Howie.’
‘Okay,’ I say passively, ‘but maybe it’s best we don’t draw attention to the fact she is healing faster than she should be.’
‘Are you asking me not to repeat this conversation? If you are then say you are and don’t dither…’
‘Yes I am asking that.’
‘Good. Fine. I will bid you goodnight then, Mr Howie.’
‘Joan,’ I say as she goes to walk off, ‘those chest straps, are they hard to make?’
‘How many do you want?’
Bloody hell, she actually could be Dave’s mum, ‘they’d be very handy…’
‘Yes,’ she huffs, ‘they are very handy. How many do you want? One each? How many of you? Thirteen? I’ll have them ready in the morning. Night, Mr Howie.’
‘Er yeah, cheers, night, Joan.’
We wait for a few minutes for Lilly and Nick to come back. The pair of them strolling side by side with Nick waiting patiently when she stops to talk to people or share a few words. They look good together and I have to keep reminding myself she is only fifteen. Nick is a grown man. Lilly is still a child in the eyes of the law but then there is no law now and everything about the girl makes her seem so much older.
I step over to Clarence, Paula and Roy, ‘if Lilly was your daughter how would you feel about her being with Nick?’
‘Are you being serious?’ Clarence asks.
‘About them having sex I mean.’
‘And again are you being serious?’
‘What’s what?’ Marcy asks.
‘Howie was asking how we’d feel about Lilly and Nick if Lilly was our daughter,’ Paula says, ‘which is a bloody stupid question. It’s Nick. Any mother would be delighted with Nick. He’s a mothers dream.’
‘She’s fifteen,’ I say.
‘She killed nineteen people,’ Marcy points out.
‘No that doesn’t count,’ Roy says, ‘I see where Howie is coming from here. Killing is easy and it was life or death but the question is whether Lilly is able to handle a complex sexual relationship at her age.’
‘It’s Nick,’ Clarence says as though the conversation is entirely unnecessary, ‘I’d trust that lad with anything.’
‘I’m not on about if Nick would or wouldn’t…’ I go to reply but get shushed by Marcy and Paula as Nick and Lilly walk over towards us.
‘We just saw Pea and Sam,’ Nick says, ‘the said about Lilly coming over with us tonight.’
‘I would love to as long as you are sure I am not imposing,’ Lilly says.
‘Very sure,’ Paula says, ‘where’s Reggie?’
‘In the offices,’ M
o calls out, ‘want me to get him?’
‘Please, honey. Lilly, you ready to go?’
‘Thanks, honey,’ Cookey shouts as Mo runs off.
‘Cheers, honeypot,’ Blowers calls out.
‘You leave him alone,’ Paula says, ‘he is my honey.’
Cookey snorts, ‘just slightly jealous here. I thought I was your honey.’
‘I’ll come to you Charlie my love…’
‘Sod off, Marcy,’ Cookey laughs.
‘Lilly,’ Marcy says seriously, ‘you have to come so we can protect Charlie tonight.’
‘Protect Charlie?’ Cookey asks, ‘protect me more like, she kept looking at my willy earlier ow!’
‘Good shot, Charlie,’ Nick says.
‘Honestly, Lilly. I’m not safe from her…’
‘Are we leaving?’ Reginald asks, rushing from the offices with Mo running behind him.
‘We are, mate. You ready?’ I ask.
‘I am, Roy. May I make use of the van tonight? I fear the house will be rather full and I require a quiet place with sufficient illumination to continue my studies.
‘I think we can say it’s our van now, Reginald,’ Roy says.
‘Oh gosh,’ Reginald stops to push his glasses up his nose, ‘well I am honoured, Roy. Truly I am and Lilly, your hospitality this evening has been most kind. The food was delicious…’
‘She’s coming with us, Reggie,’ Marcy cuts across him.
‘Oh don’t do that,’ Reginald says with perfect seriousness, ‘honestly, stay within the fort so you don’t have to listen to their crass jokes and constant references to orifices and appendages.’
‘We’re going,’ Paula says.
We move off down to the gates in a straggly line headed by Lilly and Nick. Lilly stops to share a couple of words with the gate guard then goes out onto the beach and chooses a couple of ribs moored up in the shallows. Nick, being gallant, drags them in and we load up with Meredith getting hoisted in by Clarence only to run to the end and jump straight out to swim about for a bit.
The boats get going, with Dave holding central position and the speed painfully slow until Meredith has finished splashing about and swims close enough to get lifted back in by Clarence where she proceeds to shake and drench everyone.
It’s a light hearted feeling travelling back to the shore. Low voices chatting and making jokes with me and Nick driving the boats side by side across a flat black sea and a sky full of a million stars that seem to shine so much brighter than they ever did before.
‘Seen that,’ I call out. They look round to see me staring up and join me looking at shining stars twinkling across the sky.
‘So many,’ Paula says, ‘Reggie, is it the lack of gasses making them brighter? Reggie?’
‘I’m sorry, what?’ He asks, startled from being engrossed in the journal open on his lap as he reads the pages by torchlight, ‘er yes, probably,’ he mutters.
‘Anything good?’ Marcy asks, ‘Reggie? Anything good in there?’
‘I am not sure,’ he replies with a huff at being distracted.
‘Brian. It’s Lilly. We’re coming to you now in two boats.’
‘Hello?’
‘Yes Brian, it’s Lilly. We’re coming to you now in two boats.’
‘Oh right. Understood. Is Dave with you?’ His worried voice asks through the radio.
‘He is yes,’ Lilly replies.
‘I thought someone said you didn’t put guards out here at night,’ Blowers asks.
‘For your vehicles and your horse,’ Lilly says, ‘Joan organised it.’
‘Very nice of her,’ Paula says.
We get into the shallows on the shore side and bump the fronts of the vessels up as we lever the propellers out of the water.
‘Switch on now,’ I call out softly thinking back to how shit a guard that Brian was earlier today. The beach is full of dark mounds with furniture and supplies stacked ready to be carried over. Across the way the plant machinery looms in the shadows and we hold still for a minute to listen and let our eyes adjust to the gloom.
I guess we’ve done this enough times now to organise ourselves without the need for words. Rifles are pulled round and held ready. Meredith rushes out ahead with her nose to the ground me, Dave and Mo taking point behind her. Clarence at the rear. Roy out to one side with his bow held with an arrow nocked. The lads central in a rough circle with eyes up to watch and scan, always watching, always scanning.
The transition from gentle conversation and quiet jokes in the boats to being organised and disciplined on the shore is smooth and easy. I turn round in a slow circle with my right hand showing a thumbs up to make sure everyone is ready. They nod back. Game faces on. Eyes wide. Ears listening. Paula guides Lilly in between herself and Marcy with the lads ranged out around them. Blinky catches my eye too. The way she stands so perfectly poised like a poster for the British Army. None of us are in army clothes or helmets or anything but it’s the essence of the stature and the look of absolute focus on her face. She catches me looking and nods like the perfect squaddie she is.
‘Move out,’ I whisper and start up the shore with Dave and Mo at my sides. We stay silent and move through the piles and mounds with eyes flicking to watch Meredith, the front and the sides.
Our vehicles have been moved down to the house down the bay. We get up onto the road and veer out to take the soft verges to avoid the sounds of boots on tarmac. We pass vehicles parked up. Vans, pick-up trucks and more dark shapes that loom and hold places for the infected to hide in.
Brian is outside the house with another bloke. The pair of them standing side by side with rifles held across the crooks of their arms.
‘Coming in,’ Dave calls ahead so we don’t startle them and get shot. They both twitch anyway but I think that’s got more to do with Dave than anything else. ‘Report,’ Dave demands as we get close to them.
Brian just panics and shuffles but the other guy who has close cropped hair pulls his feet together and straightens his back, ‘all quiet, Sir.’
‘I am not Sir. I am Dave. Mr Howie is Sir.’
‘Dave,’ the man nods smartly making it sound like sarge the same way the lads do, ‘all quiet. Nothing to report.’
‘Services?’ Blowers asks from behind me.
‘RAF regiment,’ the man replies.
‘Never mind,’ Clarence mutters from the back.
‘You?’ The man asks.
‘Para’s,’ Clarence says.
‘Marines,’ Blowers adds.
‘Oh,’ the man says as though that explains everything, ‘you two two?’ He asks Dave.
‘No,’ Dave says.
‘I er,’ he man hesitates as though unsure if he should proceed, ‘I did P company all arms course…’
‘Yeah?’ Clarence asks, ‘from the RAF?’
‘Knew a bloke who knew a bloke,’ the man replies with a wry smile, ‘few years ago now though.’
‘You pass?’ Blowers asks.
‘I did yeah,’ the man says without any hint of boasting, ‘had a couple of attachments too. Did a tour with your lot,’ he adds with a look to Clarence who strides forward to hold his hand out.
‘Clarence.’
‘Gary,’ the man says.
‘Blowers,’ Blowers goes next.
‘Alright mate, Gary. Alright lads,’ he adds with a nod past Blowers.
‘Hi,’ Cookey says
‘Alright mate,’ Nick says.
‘You serving when it happened?’ Clarence asks.
‘Just got out,’ Gary says, ‘like three months…got a CP course too before I left. Had a sweet job lined up in Baghdad.’
‘Ah mate,’ Clarence says with a sigh, ‘bad timing.’
‘Happens,’ Gary says with a shrug.
‘What’s a CP course?’ I ask.
‘Close protection,’ Gary says.
‘Gucci course, Boss,’ Clarence says, ‘you must have known some people then,’ he says to Gary.
‘You make co
ntacts as you go,’ Gary says and like us, but unlike Brian, he doesn’t stare at the person he’s talking to but looks round constantly. Away into the distance then left and right. He’s lean too and looks physically fit. Cleanly shaven and he’s taken pride in his appearance with his long sleeve shirt tucked in and the sleeves rolled up neatly above his elbows.
‘When did you get here?’ I ask.
‘Yesterday afternoon,’ he says, ‘you the boss then?’
‘Mr Howie,’ Dave says.
‘Mr Howie, Sir,’ Gary nods that smart motion.
What a difference a day makes. He looks competent and switched on and I can imagine he would have backed Lilly up instantly when she fought back against the crews.
‘Gary, I’m Lilly,’ Lilly says, presenting herself with that cold politeness that exudes authority.
‘Ma’am,’ Gary says smartly, ‘Joan said you’re in charge of the fort.’
‘Yes I am,’ Lilly says, ‘I’m very glad to have you with us.’
‘Glad to be here, Ma’am.’
‘Brian, you take Gary back to the fort. We’ll be staying here tonight.’
‘Will do, Lilly.’
I get a look from Clarence and Blowers, both of them nodding at Gary and making eyes, ‘Gary,’ I say as he goes to walk off with Brian, ‘you about in the morning?’
‘Not going anywhere, Boss,’ he says with a smile.
‘I’ll come and see you,’ Clarence says.
‘Happy with that,’ Gary says, ‘night all, Boss, Ma’am,’ he adds and walks off.
‘Well that wasn’t painfully bloody obvious,’ Paula says once they’re out of earshot, ‘you two practically wetting yourselves,’ she adds with a look to Clarence and Blowers.
‘He’s done P company,’ Clarence says.
‘Er he’s done All Arms course,’ Blowers cuts in across the big man, ‘Para’s ain’t everything.’
‘I knew we’d be having this conversation one day,’ Clarence says with a grin, ‘surprised you haven’t said anything before.’
‘Fuck off,’ Blowers says with a grin, ‘think I’m going to pick a fight with you?’
‘Are we taking him with us?’ Marcy asks.
