Jackson Kidd | Book 2 | Evolving

by West, Mark

  Chapter 56

  Nail

  William opens his eyes and groans. His head is pulsating and he’s having trouble getting his eyes to focus. Something heavy is resting on his legs. He lifts his aching head with his hand and looks down to see the Infected lying on him.

  William jerks his legs backwards and kicks the Infected away.

  ‘Will!’ Eden runs over to his side and kneels next to him. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Is it dead?’ he asks, trying to recall the last moments before blacking out.

  ‘Yeh. I think so. But he isn’t.’

  The Infected with the broken leg is scrabbling across the ground leaving a trail of black blood.

  William scans the ground around him. ‘Where’s the gun?’

  Eden turns and picks it up. ‘Here.’

  William takes the gun and gets groggily to his feet.

  ‘Perhaps I should save the bullets. The noise may draw some more.’ He pulls his knife from his hip, grateful it didn’t stab into him when he fell, and waves it at the Infected.

  He then knifes the Infected in the head before it has a chance to complain, pulling the knife free and inspecting the blade. Their blood seems to be much darker now, almost black.

  Eden stops by his side. ‘What is it?’

  He shows her the knife. ‘Check out their blood. It’s almost like oil. The red has totally disappeared.’

  Eden frowns. ‘Doesn’t all blood go kinda black eventually?’

  ‘Nah, I don’t think so.’ He moves the blade into the light. ‘This is strange. It’s like alien or something. It’s almost as if it’s mutating. I swear it used to be much redder.’

  ‘Don’t remember.’ Eden shrugs, appearing uninterested. She grabs the bags and hands one to William. ‘Can you still walk okay on that ankle?’

  William had forgotten all about his sore ankle. Yet the moment Eden mentions it, he feels a surge of pain under the bandage, dulling out the pain around his head.

  ‘I’ll be fine. Needs adjusting, that’s all.’

  William takes his bag and places it by his side, then leans down to adjust the bandage, which has slipped below the rim of his boot. Something in his skin catches his eye.

  He glances at Eden, who is busy checking her bag, and unwraps the top of the bandage a little further. He uses his fingernail to tease out the thing embedded just under the surface of his skin. The tiny fragment comes out with a trickle of blood.

  William holds it up to the light with his grubby fingers. The fragment is a sliver of yellow, hard almost bony-looking material. William looks over at the fingernails of the boy who had landed on him.

  Nah. No way!

  Chapter 57

  A rocky escape

  Victoria’s thoughts race as she runs for her life across the field.

  In her hand is a knife: short, worn tip with a timber handle – the one Travis had left behind the tree, along with half a bottle of water that she’d already drunk.

  The tree line is fast approaching – a line of hazy skeletons, dark and threatening. She has no idea what lies ahead. She only hopes she will find a safe haven.

  Behind her the house is lit up like a Christmas tree. Travis must have told the others some story of her escaping to cover his tracks, or else they would have found out he was involved. Whichever way, she is grateful for his help. She just needs to get away so it was not for nothing.

  A bat swoops low overhead, its dark-wings extended as it soars towards the trees and disappearing with a ghastly, high-pitched screech. It causes the hairs on Victoria’s skin to stand up.

  Her body is in overdrive, her heart jabbing at her chest with every stumbling step. The ground is taxing on her legs, uneven and rocky as hell. She has to be careful when she tries to pick up speed. If only she was more prepared. If only she had a torch.

  Shouts echo around her. She snaps around. A pair of headlights are now blazing across the field, lighting up an old gum. An engine grunts into life and the shouting increases.

  ‘They are coming for me,’ she gasps.

  Victoria runs faster, glancing back again to see the headlights sweep the shed and fence as the truck turns onto the drive. It stops at the gateposts and then, thankfully, goes off in the opposite direction.

  Victoria continues to sprint towards the trees, hoping she can get away before they realise their mistake.

  Chapter 58

  Hold tight

  I stop the car after another hour of driving and check behind me in the mirror. The Infected chasing us are gone, but I suspect they are not too far away. We are in a newish area of Brisbane, just south of the city, which is tucked away from any major roads. If life was normal, I’d be heading for the Gabba to watch some cricket. By the looks of it on the map, we are only about a thirty-minute drive from the stadium.

  Back in the day I would watch most of the games played at the Gabba on television. There was nothing better than a few beers and cricket on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Victoria hated those days; I became a slob – drinking beer and eating crap all day long. Sometimes Rohan would come round and join me. He wasn’t a huge cricket buff, but he loved to drink and sit around. I supplied the snacks and he, of course, would bring the beers. A perfect combination.

  ‘Perhaps we can watch a game at the Gabba.’ I say jokingly, feeling relieved to be finally away from the horde.

  Amy just glares. She’s still pissed off at the secrets I keep.

  ‘I’m going to go look for a place to stay for the night. I’ll be back soon. You mind your kid.’

  She slams the door and storms up the road.

  I look at Isabelle in the mirror. ‘Females.’ Isabelle doesn’t respond. ‘Meh, what would you know?’

  I lock the doors and lean back in my seat, confident we are safe for the moment. I feel dead tired, and close my eyes and begin thinking.

  I don’t know how I feel about telling Amy my secret, but I guess I’m at a point where I now don’t have a choice. She knows something is up. It’s just a matter of time before she forces it out of me.

  Chapter 59

  Tootsie the cat

  He is lying to me. I know he is.

  Amy heads down the road, gun out, and rounds the corner at the end. She kicks at a few loose rocks at the side of the path and they go skidding into the bushes and rustle out a lizard. It makes her jump.

  Stuff him! And screw Lincoln for leaving me.

  She stops at a set of closed iron gates that are secured by a chain and padlock. Inside are tiny brick houses with tiled roofs, each one surrounded by a low hedge.

  She examines the wall encasing the complex. It’s about two metres high, brick, with a rendered finish and covered by shrubbery. To the left of the gate are eight mailboxes and a large, faded sign covered in shrubbery.

  By the looks of it, she will have to climb. She inspects the gates for a second time then follows the wall for a bit. She finds a tall shrub with thick branches and begins to climb, thinking back over what she had witnessed.

  It had been hard seeing Lincoln. She had loved him – still did. It had taken her months to come to grips with his death, and now to see him alive and one of them.

  But why the hell is he fighting with them?

  Amy grips the branch in anger, squeezing until her knuckles go white.

  ‘Screw Lincoln.’

  Tears well up in her eyes and she feels a pang of resentment. She doesn’t know what to think anymore. Everything is so confusing. And seeing Koda by his side as if nothing had changed … But Koda had changed. Koda was with the little girl – the one who killed Tyler. The dog had been such a wimp, running off and disappearing during the attack at the Block. Lincoln needed him then and he left. But here he is – savage, rogue. It’s as if he is another animal.

  Is he infected?

  Amy swings a leg over the top of the wall and straddles it while pondering the last few hours.

  Why is that woman so far north? And why is Lincoln following her?

 
‘Nothing makes fricken sense,’ Amy grumbles and drops to the other side.

  Tonight, she was going to get answers.

  Amy hides behind some bushes and checks the surroundings. Everything is quiet. Slowly, she moves through the garden, gun still out, ready for an unexpected attack. She knows she only has a few bullets left and must use it only if necessary, reminding herself of the knife strapped to her hip.

  A silent kill is a good kill.

  She approaches the first house, scanning the narrow road weaving in and out of the complex. Everything is still and quiet: no movement, no damage. It’s as if the place is locked in time: the hedges manicured, the gardens weeded, everything in a decent condition. Something doesn’t add up.

  What is this place?

  A white cat approaches her, coming from around the side of the house, its tail swishing about in a friendly manner. Amy smiles. She loves cats. In fact, she used to have one herself – a crazy rescue kitten named Beatrix, with a nutty attitude.

  Amy crouches down and makes a clicking sound with her tongue. The cat meows and does a small spin.

  ‘Come here, little fella,’ she coos, and places her gun in the back of her pants. ‘Come on, baby.’

  The cat edges closer and lets out a soft meow. Amy reaches out a hand, fingertips brushing the soft snow-white fur.

  ‘Almost there.’

  The cat nuzzles into her leg as she scratches it under its chin.

  ‘You look well-fed little thing. What’s your name?’

  She reaches around for the collar, pulling back a small metal tag.

  ‘Tootsie, the cat.’

  The cat purrs in delight as she continues to stroke its fur.

  ‘We have baby Isabelle in the car, if you want to meet her.’

  There is a click of a gun.

  ‘Do you now?’

  Chapter 60

  Trees to freedom

  Victoria reaches the line of trees. She can hear the hum of the truck in the distance and see the twin beams of its headlights shining in a faraway paddock. She knows she still has a long way to go before she is safe; they could turn around at any moment.

  She ducks under the first row of branches, half expecting to be mauled by the darkness. The air around her smells like eucalyptus. It’s darker amongst the trees, and the ground is full of twigs and loose rocks – much worse than the paddock. She trips and falls to her knees. Something digs into her shin and she finds herself removing a jagged rock.

  ‘Oh god.’

  She can feel a warm trickle of blood run down her leg. Quickly, she wraps the wound in cloth ripped from her clothes. The smell of blood could attract anything out there in the bush. She continues walking, ignoring the pulsating pressure where she hurt her leg.

  The bush comes alive the deeper she goes, slowing her speed. Every crackle and snap grabs her attention. At times it sounds like a rock concert, but without the after-effect of ringing ears. Here and there she can make out the moon through the canopy and is grateful for the cloudless sky, however she is still begging for dawn to arrive. Her feeble knife is useless against things she can’t see. Who knows what’s lurking around there.

  Victoria continues walking until she finds a large boulder. It’s a little bigger than a dining table. Carefully she climbs on top and lies down on her back. She feels exhausted and needs to rest, that and the mozzie bites all over are itchy as hell. The humidity in the bush feels as if it has tripled and her clothes are damp and covered in filth. She doesn’t like the humid climate, but it’s better than the icy cold down south.

  She stares up through the break in the trees, watching the stars.

  ‘Where are you, Jackson?’ she whispers, and closes her eyes.

  Something snaps nearby and Victoria’s eyes immediately open wide and her mouth clamps tight shut. She mustn’t scream. Carefully she draws out the knife, staying on her back as she tilts her head in the direction of the sound. She can hear more movement, like something being dragged through the bush, but can’t make out anything in the darkness, just shadows and silhouettes that look like enormous monsters.

  Whatever is making the noise is getting closer, coming right for her. She needs to decide what to do. Her skin is getting uncomfortably hot and itchy, and she can’t think with all the mozzies around her face. She can feel them biting and sucking but daren’t move.

  The movement unexpectedly stops. Victoria stays whisper quiet, besides her hammering heart, which feels as if it’s going to explode.

  There is still no movement, except for something crawling on her ankle. The silence is all around her. Even the mozzies have stopped. But Victoria doesn’t care for the silence anymore; her attention fixed on the thing that’s now working its way up the leg of her pants towards her undie line.

  She remembers hearing stories of creatures laying eggs in belly buttons. The thought makes he want to scream. She can feel the creature at the top of her leg, moving along the edge of her panties. It begins scratching at her skin. She can’t take it anymore.

  Victoria bursts upright, shrieking and swatting at her pants. Light erupts all around her.

  ‘There she is!’

  She leaps down from the rock and begins running. The beams of light follow her.

  More beams appear, coming from either side, but luckily none come from the direction she is heading. She can see a clear path within the trees. She just hopes no one is waiting to jump out.

  Shadows move and twist as the beams of light dance through the trees. It’s difficult to see, difficult to know where to go. And the hunters are closing in, yelling instructions to one another.

  Victoria’s shoulder clips a branch and she stumbles. If she falls now it’s all over because one of the men is almost on her. She can hear his heavy breathing, see the light from his torch expanding all around her. It lights up a break in the bush ahead and she runs harder.

  She will not give up. She has come too far.

  Chapter 61

  Unexpected intentions

  ‘This way!’ A voice calls out as Victoria bursts through the trees.

  Travis is standing by a truck, torch angled at his feet, door open – the dark mulberry mohawk making him instantly recognisable.

  ‘Get in!’

  Victoria pauses and grips her knife, unsure of his intentions. Her hunter is fast approaching; she can hear his footsteps getting louder.

  ‘Are you going to hurt me?’

  Travis thumps the door. ‘We don’t have time for this. Get in!’

  Victoria looks around. There is nowhere to run, just open rocky fields with nowhere to hide. They are sure to catch her.

  ‘Promise me!’ she screams in a panic.

  ‘Fine, I promise. Get in.’

  Travis runs round to the driver’s side and starts the engine. Victoria sprints over to the truck. She could be making a huge mistake, but this is her only choice. She prays he’s not lying.

  A man bursts out of the bush, panting and snorting like a wild buffalo. He catches sight of Victoria and then sees Travis in the truck.

  ‘Travis, what the fuck!’

  He lifts his gun and opens fire, hitting the truck twice.

  ‘Stop her!’

  Victoria dives into the passenger seat without looking back and slams the door shut, locking in the smell of wet dog. Travis has one hand gripping the gear stick, the other firmly on the wheel. He shifts it into first and revs the engine.

  ‘Hold on!’

  He accelerates hard, jolting Victoria back against the seat and making her drop the knife.

  Gunfire rings out. The window behind her explodes, showering the inside with tiny pebbles of glass. Victoria ducks and Travis gets down over the wheel as he speeds across the open field. The truck bounces about recklessly, as they are riding the rapids.

  Travis suddenly swings the truck to the right.

  ‘The road is up ahead!’

  He flicks the headlights on. Up ahead Victoria spots the sheen of bitumen. She would never hav
e picked it in the darkness. They turn onto the road. After crossing the rocky field, it feels like riding on a cloud. The hunters are far behind them. They are safe for now.

  ‘Why?’ Victoria gasps, shaking with adrenalin.

  ‘Why what?’ Travis grunts, concentrating on the road.

  Victoria leans forward and searches for her knife amongst the filth at her feet. She picks it up and points it at Travis’ neck.

  ‘Stop the truck.’

  Travis glances at the knife and chuckles. ‘What?’

  Victoria moves closer, angling the knife just to the left of his protruding Adam’s apple, ready to slice his carotid artery.

  ‘I’m serious. Stop the truck.’

  ‘I just saved your life and you want to stick me?’ Travis questions nervously.

  ‘I said, stop the bloody truck!’

  Travis slams on the brakes. Victoria flies forward and hits the dash, once again dropping the knife.

  Travis leans over and picks it up and glares at her.

  ‘What the hell is your problem?’

  He waves the knife in her direction.

  ‘I save your life and you pull a damn knife on me!’

  Victoria looks at him groggily, head pounding from the impact.

  ‘And this is what I get for sticking my neck out for you?’

  Victoria blinks a few times, coming to her senses.

  ‘You were going to eat me.’

  ‘I wasn’t,’ Travis snaps. ‘I’m not like them. They’re not my people.’

  ‘Bullshit!’

  ‘I’m serious.’

  ‘You held me hostage! You fed me that woman’s leg!’ She folds her arms, glaring at the knife. ‘Go on, tough guy. Finish me off.’

  Travis shakes his head and throws down the knife.

  ‘I told you. I’m not one of them.’