Isaiah frowned. “Fixed? What makes you think that?”
“Roman dropped the piece of paper. Lucy’s name wasn’t on it.”
“I don’t understand. Why would they fix the lottery?”
Anna swallowed. “Roman fixed the lottery to teach me a lesson. To punish me.”
“Punish you for what? You’re not making sense.”
Anna started sobbing. “Roman wanted to punish me because I refused to sleep with him anymore.”
“Sleep with him?”
“Oh, Isaiah, I’m so sorry. You were always so busy, and I was always alone. I didn’t… I don’t… I told him the affair was over, that I didn’t want to… but he wouldn’t listen. He fixed the lottery to punish me.”
Isaiah released his hold, letting Anna’s hand drop into her lap. “You mean you… and he… he…”
Anna nodded. “I’m so sorry, Isaiah. I meant to tell you… but I thought if I did, you’d confront him… and he would have had you arrested. Besides, there wasn’t time. I had to do something to stop him… to save Lucy.”
“Confront him? I’m going to fucking kill him.” Isaiah jumped to his feet and Anna grabbed his leg to stop him leaving. Before Isaiah prised her off, Zeke ran towards them.
“Have you seen Ben? I can’t find him. I’ve searched everywhere,” he said.
It took Isaiah a couple of seconds to realise what he was saying. “When did you last see him?”
Zeke shrugged. “I don’t know. A while ago.”
“You’re supposed to be watching out for him. How can you have lost him?”
“I’m not his keeper.”
Isaiah glared down at his wife. “This isn’t over. We’ll talk later.” He hurried away calling Ben’s name.
Isaiah traipsed through the bushes. “Ben. Ben, where are you?” He stopped once in a while, listened, then continued. The light of the moon was sufficient to see by, but he would have preferred daylight. “Ben, can you hear me? We need to get some rest as we’ll be moving out soon.”
He pushed through a bush and his fingers came away wet. Frowning, he lifted his hand and stared at his fingers, his jaw dropping when he spotted blood. It decorated the foliage in splashes. Isaiah’s heart sank and he shouted louder, cupping his mouth in his hands. He glimpsed movement up ahead and recognized his son from behind and his shoulders sagged with relief.
“Ben, thank the Gods. Where’ve you been?”
Ben turned around. Blood stained his clothes and a chunk of flesh was missing from his hand. Isaiah stumbled back.
Ben lurched for his father. Torn by the love for his son and his own safety, Isaiah turned and ran. He ploughed through bushes, ignoring the whip of the foliage that chastised him with every step until he stumbled into camp, almost running into his daughter.
“Dad, what’s wrong? Where’s Ben?”
“He’s… he’s gone.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
Before Isaiah replied, Roman strode across.
“What’s all the ruckus about?”
Isaiah stared at Roman and clenched his fists. He felt his blood pumping through his veins, throbbing at his temples. Overcome with rage, he ran at Roman but Lucy’s scream halted him in his tracks. He glanced back at his daughter and followed her gaze.
Ben lurched into camp, his expression feral, hungry. He lunged for his sister. Lucy shrieked and tripped over her feet as she backed away.
“What’s going on? Lucy? Isaiah?” Anna shouted.
The noise attracted the attention of the other people in camp and they ran across to see what was wrong, halting when they saw Ben.
One of the brethren crossed himself. “He’s not an ordained immortal. This can’t be right.”
Roman tutted. “Blasphemy.”
Isaiah ran back and pulled Lucy aside. Ben lunged for him, arms flailing, head cocked, mouth open in preparation to bite. He grabbed his father’s sleeve. Isaiah didn’t try to pull away. He stared into his son’s eyes, but they were empty, devoid of life and he knew that the son he loved was no more.
Ben leaned in to take a bite and Isaiah readied himself for the pain. Without his son, what was the point of living? But Ben’s head suddenly flew back and he collapsed to the ground. Isaiah dropped his gaze and spotted a crossbow bolt protruding from Ben’s forehead. Lucy screamed. Isaiah’s jaw dropped. He saw Roman lowering a crossbow, and heart pumping he charged across and started punching and kicking in a frenzied attack, nostrils flaring, relishing in the sensation as each punch connected with Roman’s face.
“You bastard. You killed him.”
After a moment a couple of men grabbed Isaiah and pulled him off, pinning his arms up his back to restrain him. Roman straightened up, his face bloodied. He wiped his sleeve across his lips.
“He was damned. Everyone bitten outside of those ordained is damned.”
“He was my son.”
“Now he’s at peace.”
Isaiah slumped forwards and the men released their grips, allowing him to drop to his knees. He heard Anna shouting in the background, but her words were drowned out by the blood pumping in his ears. He looked across at Ben but couldn’t see him through the tears that blurred his vision.
CHAPTER 17
“He’s dead,” Isaiah said. “Ben’s dead and Roman killed him.”
Anna stared at her husband, her eyes wide, unblinking. She heard the words but didn’t want to believe them. Her baby boy, dead. This couldn’t be happening. It was a dream. A nightmare.
Isaiah’s eyes were red and puffy. He kept sniffling and wringing his hands in his lap.
This was all her fault. If she hadn’t taken her family out of Sanctuary, Ben would still be alive. But if she hadn’t taken them, then Lucy would be dead instead. She lost either way. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes and she sobbed loudly.
Isaiah grabbed her hand and squeezed. Anna leaned forwards and placed her head against his chest and he held her in his arms.
Roman would pay for this. She would make certain.
They spent the next couple of days making their way back to Sanctuary. Anna and Isaiah hardly spoke as no words would ease their pain. Zeke and Lucy were equally as morose. Even though they squabbled as a family, none of them wished to lose Ben.
Anna felt empty. She trudged along like one of what Jones called ‘the zombies’ and felt equally dead inside. With the death of her son, the spark had been extinguished from her life. The sight of Sanctuary in the distance only heightened her despair.
Roman entered the Governor’s residence without knocking. Isaiah, Anna and a couple of enforcers followed him in.
The governor, Carmichael sat at his desk eating some fruit.
“Governor, we have our offering back, and the bitch that took her.” Roman glared at Anna. She flinched at his words and noticed Isaiah’s cheeks reddened.
Carmichael waved a hand dismissively. “Very good. Now make arrangements for the offering to be remade. Out with the old, in with the new.”
“Very good, sir. What about the mother? She needs to be punished.”
Carmichael bit into an apple. “I’ll leave the situation in your capable hands,” he said while chewing.
Isaiah stepped forwards. “If I may have permission to speak.”
“What is it?”
“I realize my wife overstepped her bounds—”
“I didn’t overstep anything. This whole lottery, it’s a sham. My daughter wasn’t selected. Roman fixed it to teach me a lesson. And those aren’t Gods outside the walls. They’re men and women. Dead men and women given a semblance of life. Because of them, my son’s dead.” She glowered at Roman.
Carmichael struggled to his feet. “Silence. You’ll speak when I say you can.”
“You can’t silence the truth.”
“I said—”
A sudden explosion ripped through the wall, sending the people in the room flying.
CHAPTER 18
Jones sat in the saddle, gun propped on his kne
e. At his side, his men reloaded a large field gun and fired it, sending the shell blasting into the prison. His horse reared back a little and then settled. Jones smiled and puffed on his cigar as he watched part of the structure crumble. He heard screams emanating from inside the walls. The sound made him feel warm inside.
His men opened fire with their small arms, targeting the men in the towers while the field gun was reloaded and fired again, the shell exploding into the structure.
A moment later a soldier ran across. “Sir, things are getting a little hairy. All this noise is attracting the zombies. Look, they’re coming out of the trees from all directions.”
Jones glanced around and puffed out another cloud of cigar smoke. “Good. More to kill.” He lifted his rifle, took aim and fired at an approaching zombie. The bullet struck the zombie in the head, sending the thing toppling back. “Bulls eye. Or should that be dead eye?” He chuckled to himself.
“Sir, I don’t know if we’ll have enough ammunition to hold them all off.”
Jones narrowed his eyes and glared at the soldier. “Then we’d better make sure each shot counts. Now keep bombarding the building. I want a door made in that wall.”
CHAPTER 19
Isaiah struggled to his feet, dislodging the bricks that had rained down on him. The room was a mess. Through a cloud of dust, rubble lay everywhere. One of the brethren slumped against the wall, blood streaming from his head. The other brethren sat near to the door, dazed.
“Anna! Anna!”
He heard bricks tumbling and saw Roman sit up, along with Carmichael. Carmichael coughed and spluttered.
“What the hell’s going on?” Carmichael asked.
Isaiah started rummaging through the rubble, moving planks of wood and bricks. “Anna, where are you?”
He heard another explosion outside, people shouting and screaming. Gunfire punctuated the noise.
“Anna, answer me.”
Movement caught his eye and bricks tumbled aside as Anna scrambled from beneath the debris. Blood ran from cuts on her face and hands.
Isaiah scrambled across and wrapped his arms around her. “I… I thought I’d lost you.”
Anna hugged him back.
Roman pointed an accusatory finger at Anna. “This is your fault. I said misfortune would befall us when you took the offering.” He turned to the enforcers. “Grab her.”
One of the enforcers struggled to his feet and approached Anna, but Isaiah barred his path.
“Touch her and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
The enforcer hesitated and glanced to Roman for guidance. More screams came from outside and the gunfire continued.
“I gave you an order.”
The enforcer started forwards again, withdrawing a knife as he moved. Isaiah grabbed a piece of broken wood and lashed out, catching the enforcer’s hand. He slammed the wood into the man’s face, sending him reeling. Then he grabbed Anna’s hand and pulled her towards the door, squeezing through the battered wood that was hanging off its hinges.
“Stop them,” Roman shouted.
Isaiah led Anna along the corridor. “We need to get the kids and my mother, and then we need to get out of here.”
The sound of gunfire was louder. People rushed along the corridor, in a state of panic. Shouts and screams rang out.
“And go where? You’ve seen what it’s like beyond the gate.”
“It’s either run or stay here and face Roman.”
A blast rang out.
“What’s going on out there?” she asked.
“I presume Jones and his men have found us. Don’t worry, Anna, we’ll find a way. I’ll find a way.”
They ran outside where the evidence of the attack was more noticeable. Smoke drifted from the main building and dead bodies littered the ground. Enforcers in the towers were firing sporadically with everything they had. Isaiah and Anna proceeded to the main building and wormed their way through the swarms of terrified people towards the room where the kids were being held.
Isaiah started to head down the hallway, but Anna stopped him with a hand on his arm. He turned and gave her an inquiring look.
“Isaiah… just in case we… you know… don’t make it.”
“But we are going to make it.”
“I believe you… but just in case. I want you to know how sorry I am. I would never hurt you on purpose.”
“It’s my fault. I neglected you… I’m the one who should apologise.”
Anna squeezed his hand. “No! Isaiah, no. You have nothing to apologise for.”
“My eyes are open now, that’s all. I love you, Anna… you and our… our children are my life. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He thought about Ben and tears filled his eyes.
A loud explosion ripped through the air, interrupting their conversation.
“Come on. We’ve got to get mother and the children and get out of here.”
They continued to the room where the children were being held, but when they arrived they weren’t there.
“They must have moved them when the commotion started,” Isaiah said.
“So where’ve they taken them?” Anna asked, the panic evident in her voice.
Isaiah shook his head. “I don’t know, but we won’t find them standing here. Come on, let’s go.”
As they made their way through the main building, they asked everyone they passed whether they had seen Lucy or Zeke. Most people were running around like headless chickens, but of those who did reply, nobody had seen them and the pain in Isaiah’s heart grew more pronounced. When they reached Mother Charles’ cell, she wasn’t there either. Isaiah slammed his palm against the wall. “This is useless. We’re not getting anywhere.”
Anna put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find them.”
Isaiah forced a smile. He wished he felt as confident.
They made their way back outside where the panic and confusion seemed even more manic. Isaiah spied a young boy crouched in the courtyard, cradling his mother in his arms. From the amount of blood that had pumped out of the deep wound in her chest, she was dead.
“There, over there,” Anna shouted.
Isaiah turned to where she was pointing and saw Roman and his priests dragging Lucy and Zeke towards the gates.
Isaiah charged across the courtyard. “What are you doing with my children?”
Roman turned and gazed at Isaiah with a supercilious expression on his face. “The Gods demand their sacrifice.” He motioned his enforcers and a couple ran forwards and intercepted Isaiah, tackling him to the ground.
Anna ran forwards, but another enforcer stepped out and trained a gun on her, bringing her to a halt.
“Those aren’t your damn Gods attacking. You can’t send us out there. I wasn’t picked by the lottery,” Zeke said.
Roman snorted. “It’ll take more to appease them now.” He stared at Anna, eyes narrowed.
“You’re crazy,” Lucy said.
The men opened the gates, and Roman and his men frog marched Lucy and Zeke towards the exit.
But before Roman could get them outside, Mother Charles appeared from behind the building and scurried towards him.
“Get your hands off my grandkids,” she shouted, waving an arm in the air.
Roman laughed but a scream from the gate distracted him.
Isaiah looked across and saw that a man had lumbered through the entrance. More people were shuffling towards Sanctuary. The man lurched towards Roman, his skeletal looking hands extended. Roman backed away and reached into his robes, withdrawing a pistol. He started to aim, but Mother Charles reached him first and grabbed his wrist.
Roman wrestled her aside and pushed her to the ground, but by now the man had reached him. Roman started bashing him with the butt of the gun, but the man sank his teeth into Roman’s neck.
“Shoot him,” Roman gurgled as he fought to pull the man off.
The enforcer who had trained his gun on Anna turned and aimed at the God, but he appeared h
esitant.
Another man stumbled inside and grabbed Roman’s arm, causing him to drop the gun.
“Don’t just stand there. Help me,” he screamed.
The brethren started chanting and the men holding Isaiah released their grip and stood up, allowing him to stand. He watched Anna run across and drop to the ground. Next second she stood back up with Roman’s gun in her hand. She aimed the weapon at Roman.
“You can’t kill me. I’ll become a God,” Roman said, the trace of a grin on his lips despite the pain he must have felt.
“You’re not ordained. The sentence is death.” Anna pulled the trigger.
The bullet smashed through Roman’s head and he flopped within the arms of his Gods who continued to feast unperturbed.
Isaiah ran across to his wife and put his arms on her shoulders. She was shaking. He turned to see that the enforcers had run away and the remaining brethren were too busy praying to pay them any attention. Anna pocketed the gun then ran across and hugged her children. After a moment she turned, took hold of their hands and started towards the exit.
“Isaiah, come on, we’re going.” She looked at Mother Charles. “You, too, Mother. It’s time to leave.”
Mother Charles smiled, nodded, and headed towards the gate.
CHAPTER 20
Outside the walls Anna spotted Gods swarming in from all directions. She now knew they weren’t really Gods, but it was hard to call them anything else. Jones and his men had set up a perimeter and were both attacking and defending on all fronts. A few enforcers that had remained in the towers were still shooting, but their efforts seemed ineffectual.
People were everywhere, either dead or alive and she couldn’t see any way through.
Lucy pointed, her face a mask of terror. “Jones. He’s coming for us.”
Anna glanced up and saw Jones galloping across the field towards them. She quickly withdrew the gun and fired a couple of rounds that missed their target. Gods swarmed towards her, barring the path.
Dead World Page 7
