Seasons of Z (Book 4): Dead Fall

by Riva, Aline

  He leaned in, kissing her as she closed her eyes, pulling him closer as she returned his kiss with passion that made his heart race. Then shouts were heard from the beach and they broke off from their kiss abruptly, looking back towards shore where down below the entrance to the pier, people were running on to the sand to look at two zombies that were washed up and unmoving.

  “They're dead!” shouted one of three young men who had gathered as another poked a corpse with a stick and his friend laughed.

  “What's that?” said a female companion, and her shoes made tracks in the sand as she headed towards a lump of rags at the waters edge as the placid tide washed over it.

  “NO!” Alex yelled, “Don't touch it!”

  He turned back to Alice.

  “Beach patrols are changing shift, there's no one down there to stop them... we can't be sure those things are dead!” Then he broke into a run, heading for the entrance to the pier as Alice ran after him, as on the beach below, a scream cut through the air as the bundle of rags stood up, gave a roar and lunged.

  Chapter 4

  The young woman had been hurled to the sand, the rotting zombie in rags staggered closer, snarling down at its prey as the once curious onlookers backed off, eyes wide with horror as nearby the waves washed over the two dead zombies. The razor mouth was on its victim, pinning her down as she screamed again.

  “Alex!”

  He had heard Alice yell, but didn't look back as he leapt on to the zombie, grasping at its stinking, ragged clothing as he rolled with it and suddenly the snarling beast was on him. He heard a rip as bony fingers sliced through his shirt as he reached out in desperation, grabbed a small rock and slammed it into the skull of the zombie, hearing a crack as it fell limp. He rolled as the tide lapped at his hair, then jumped up and slammed the rock down again and again on the zombie's skull as bone caved in and blood flowed. Now the creature was dead. Alex was breathless as he dropped the rock and swept back his brine soaked hair, then he took off his jacket and placed it around the shoulders of the shaken young woman who had scrambled to her feet.

  “Take her to the cafe, get her warmed up, she's had a nasty shock,” he said, glancing to the stunned onlookers, “And as head of security patrol, I am telling you all to keep the fuck off this beach until it's officially safe! Yes, they're dying, but they're not gone yet!”

  Anger blazed in his eyes as he watched the young woman led away by her friends. Then he saw the morning watch had arrived and as they ran over, he gave orders to dispose of the corpses.

  “I want signs put up - no one else comes down here, it's too dangerous!” he told them, then he swept back his wet hair again as the breeze blew open his torn shirt and as the patrol men went off to drag away the bodies, he saw Alice was staring at him.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I'm fine. But people need to keep off the beach until we're sure the threat is gone. This can't happen again.”

  As he joined her on the dry sand away from the tide where threats still lurked, she was still staring at him.

  “I need to go home and get changed,” he told her, “After I get my jacket back... What's wrong?”

  Her gaze shifted to his chest, then she looked at him in alarm.

  “What happened to you, where did you get those scars?”

  He glanced down at his chest, then closed his shirt by two remaining buttons in an attempt to keep out the chill.

  “Oh, those scars? That's from my top surgery. I'm trans.”

  She looked at him. Her eyes went wide.

  “But you're a guy...”

  He laughed.

  “I've always been a guy, Alice. Just not biologically, not when I was growing up. My name was Anita. And it was misery. I'm Alex now. I have been for a long time.... what's the matter?”

  His heart sank as she looked at him in confusion.

  “And when were you going to tell me this?” she demanded.

  “On the pier, while we were talking just now, before the fucking zombies washed up and got in the way of the conversation!”

  Alice shook her head.

  “You're a girl?”

  “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, “No, Alice – I'm male. A fella, a geezer, a bloke! Always have been! I was born biologically female and I changed that because I've always been a guy, in my heart and soul, in my mind. My name is Alex and I'm a guy, that's all you need to understand because that's all there is to it.”

  “I have to go, I need to get my head around this...”

  “Alice!” he called, but she had turned away, confused by all he had said as she hurried off, leaving the beach.

  By the time Alex got home to get cleaned up and changed and then warm up by the fire, the house was empty. River was at the medical centre. Chris was at the school helping security clear away the zombie corpse and disinfect the corridor. Mickey and Poppy were out, and Angel had gone with them. Alex went through to the kitchen, made some tea and then went back to the front room, all the while his thoughts were on Alice. Of course she had not expected this, and he had not exactly had the chance to sit her down and tell her all about himself - the zombies washing in had got in the way of a deep conversation. He gave a heavy sigh as he sat there watching the firelight flicker, thinking of Alice as he hoped they would get another chance to talk, because he felt sure that was all they needed.

  As they walked through the fairground, it was filled with sights and sounds that made little Archie's eyes wide with excitement as he watched the big wheel turn and saw the carousels. He toddled alongside Carla as they made their way to a picnic area, and Joy and Angel sat down as Mickey went over to a hot dog stand. Today Carol was working at the medical centre with River and Bess, and Sage was missing Bess as she looked around the fairground, recalling the day she had imagined a zombie. But that was in the past. She didn't need to imagine them, she knew where they were - sometimes they washed up on the beach, and there were plenty beyond the barriers. But they were dying off now and soon, they would be gone. Even the scare at the school hadn't sent her into a spiral of panic, the kids had been well protected, and who better to take out the zombie than Chris, teacher and experienced zombie killer - the days of zombies hunting down the living were coming to a close. And it was in the air, a sense of optimism, it was everywhere in the faces of the families as their children enjoyed the fairground. Better times were on the way...

  They sat together at a picnic bench, Joy and Angel one side and Sage and Poppy on the other. Carla grabbed the table beside them as Archie scrambled up to his seat and thumped his tapered, gloved hands on the bench excitedly.

  “Archie want food!”

  “Everyone is getting food,” Carla reminded him with a smile.

  Mickey looked back from the hot dog stand.

  “I'll go over to the other vendor to get the hot drinks,” he said, indicating to a small covered area where hot beverages were available, “I can bring them over two at a time.”

  “No, I'll do it!” Joy called back, thinking, not with your hand, Mickey, recalling the times he had passed her hot drinks and his weak hand had tipped the cup spilling droplets all over the table.

  “Want some tea?” she asked Carla.

  “Yes please - and no sugar for me,” Carla replied with a smile.

  Joy got up and crossed the path, heading for the covered area where hot drinks were free.

  “I'll give her a hand,” added Sage, and she went off to join her as Poppy and Angel started to talk together about the fairground and their favourite rides. Little Archie looked at his mother.

  “Archie want food.”

  “You're going to have hot dogs,” she told him.

  “Archie wants candyfloss!” he protested.

  “I think I saw someone making candyfloss over by the entrance,” she told him, “Sit here with Angel and Poppy, I won't be a minute.”

  As she got up Mickey came over, handing hot dogs to Angel and Poppy, then he turned to the path, calling to Carla. As she
stopped walking, he hurried stiffly over to her, as the sea breeze blew back his dark hair and he buttoned up his long coat to keep out the chill.

  “Carla, I need to talk to you - it's important.”

  “What's this about?” she asked.

  He glanced about the fairground, then indicated further up the path to the spot where the route was quiet, leading to the entrance.

  “Let's just go up here, away from everyone. This is confidential.”

  “Okay,” she replied, looking mystified as she followed him, hurrying in black high heel shoes that matched her dark coat as the breeze picked up, ruffling the ends of curled fair hair that fell to her shoulders.

  “What's going on, Mickey?” she asked as they stood together in a quiet spot.

  Mickey glanced left and right, keeping his voice low in case they were overheard.

  “I keep getting crazy flashbacks about my accident. Could you think back and tell me if there's anything that you might have missed?”

  She thought of Brett and his threats to her son, feeling a flicker of panic as she looked back at him.

  “Like what?”

  “I don't know, any small details that you might have forgotten at the time?”

  She shook her head slowly.

  “I don't know, Mickey, I told you everything at the time, everything I remembered.”

  “Just go through it one more time, please?” he said, “Tell me what happened on the day I almost died.”

  And just out of sight Brett listened, stood up close to the caravan that served as the main office as he peered cautiously around the corner, saw Mickey looking intently at Carla as she spoke to him and his fears rose... What was she saying? Then she shook her head.

  “Sorry, that's all I remember,” she added, and then she turned away.

  Brett ducked out of sight as she went on towards the candyfloss stand as Mickey turned for the picnic area. Then Devan ran down the path, calling to Mickey, and said something about an incident on the beach. This was something that Brett would normally want to take charge of, but right now all he could think was if he didn't remind Carla to keep her mouth shut, there was a risk she might tell Mickey everything...

  Joy was still waiting for the rest of the drinks. Then she had heard quick little thumps as his shoes sounded on the path.

  “Up!” said Archie as he raised his arms.

  “I'm getting the drinks, sweetheart. Go and sit down with Angel and Poppy,” Joy told him.

  Archie hurried off. He looked to the table where Poppy and Angel were watching as a big ride spun around nearby, then he saw Sage placing two hot drinks on the table.

  “Up, up!” he said hopefully.

  “Sit down and wait for the food, Archie!” said Sage, and then she went back over to join Joy.

  Archie looked around, missing Mummy. Then, while no one was looking, he turned to the path and toddled off to find her...

  Archie caught sight of Mickey talking to Devan and hurried over.

  “Up!” he said, but Mickey didn't hear him as concern filled his gaze and he glanced in the direction of the pier and then back at Devan.

  “That girl was lucky she wasn't killed! Is Alex okay?” he was saying, and then Devan spoke again.

  Unnoticed, Archie toddled on his way, crossing the path just as he bumped into someone familiar. He looked up at Brett.

  “Up, up, Mummy's friend!” he said brightly.

  “Up, up?” exclaimed Brett as he picked up the heavy child, “Okay, let's go, Archie... Where's Mummy?” then he walked off, carrying Archie with him.

  Moments later, Carla came back down the path carrying a bag of candyfloss for Archie. She passed Mickey and Devan, heading for the picnic area, and as she reached it and looked in she felt a flicker of panic: There was Joy and Sage and Poppy and Angel were with them... but Archie wasn't there... She turned back, feeling dizzy as she looked to the fairground where many kids were enjoying the rides and the good weather, he was nowhere to be seen... She dashed back down the path.

  “Archie?” she called out.

  “Are you looking for your son?”

  She turned around to see Devan standing beside Mickey, who seemed distracted as he glanced over at the pier, his thoughts on the incident with the washed up zombies.

  “Yes, have you seen him, have you seen my son?”

  Now Mickey heard her, and he turned his head in time to see a look of panic on Carla's face as Devan spoke again.

  “Yes, I saw him just now - he was with Brett, I think they went in the office.”

  That look of fear increased as her eyes went wide.

  “Brett took him?” she said in horror, “Archie? ARCHIE, where are you?” she yelled, then she ran for the office as Mickey looked intently at her, thinking, What am I seeing here? Why is she so afraid to leave Brett with her son?

  Then Brett stepped out of the office carrying a smiling Archie.

  “Here he is,” Brett said, setting him down on the ground, “Safe and sound, Carla. There's no need to panic, he's not hurt... we want to keep him safe, don't we...”

  She reached for her child with fear in her eyes as her hands closed protectively about his shoulders, then she looked up at Brett as Mickey looked on, trying to figure this out...

  “Come on Archie, we're going home, it's getting cold,” she said, and she took him by his tapered hand, leading him quickly towards the field and the road that led to home.

  Devan was speaking again. Mickey was distracted as he told him all about how Alex had killed the zombie with the rock and got this clothing torn up in the process.

  “And I think he went home after that,” added Devan.

  “I'll let Joy and the others know what's happened, then I'll go home and check on him,” Mickey said, and he made his way back to the picnic area, unaware that Brett was already across the field, and quietly following Carla as she and Archie made her way back home.

  As Mickey explained about Alex taking out the zombie, Joy and Sage listened in alarm.

  “He wasn't even armed?” Sage exclaimed.

  “And it's his day off!” Mickey told her, then Joy looked about the picnic area.

  “Where's Carla and Archie?”

  “They went home,” he replied, keeping back the part about the panic he had seen in Carla's eyes when she had learned Brett had her son. Maybe he was wrong about all of this, maybe she had just been frantic over her son going missing, perhaps his lack of recall regarding the accident was causing all this unproven suspicion about Brett... Mickey wasn't sure of anything yet.

  “I'm going home to check on Alex,” he said, “You stay with the kids and have fun, I'll catch up with you later.” Then Mickey left the picnic area and walked off, heading for the pathway that led out of the fairground.

  As they went inside, Archie ran along the hallway to his bedroom, calling to Fluffle who chattered his teeth and made a purring growl of joy as his little friend returned to greet him. Now the door was shut and they were home, Carla felt the worst of her fears subsiding. Clearly Brett had intended to scare her - but Archie was safe, and he was all that mattered...

  She went through to the kitchen to make some tea, smiling as she heard Archie talking to Fluffle in his bedroom as the Evolved chattered and purred loudly. Then she heard a key scrape in the lock and she left the kitchen, guessing Carol must have finished work early, as she went back to the hallway just as the door opened.

  “I've just put the kettle on...”

  She stopped, freezing in fear as the door closed heavily and Brett Norton stood there looking at her intently.

  “Despite Mickey's best efforts to take away my authority, I do still have spare keys to many properties around here - including this one,” he said darkly as he walked towards her, “And now I'm here, Carla, I need a chat with you. What did you say to Mickey? I heard him ask you about the accident!”

  She caught her breath as Brett grabbed her by the throat, shoving her through the open doorway to the front room.
Fear had left her powerless as her back hit the wall. Her mind was full of thoughts of Archie, she had to keep him safe and Brett was looking at her with a cold gleam in his eyes as he gave her throat a squeeze and then shoved her to the sofa.

  “What did you tell him?” he said in a low voice.

  Just then Archie toddled up to the open doorway.

  “Mummy?” he said in confusion as he touched the tips of his tapered hands together, drawing them to his chest in fear.

  Brett glared at him.

  “GET OUT!” he yelled, and slammed the door with force as Archie stood crying in the hallway.

  “Mummy!” he yelled.

  “LEAVE MY SON ALONE!” she screamed, and Brett lunged, pinning her to the sofa as he held her down.

  “Tell me what you said to Mickey!”

  “Nothing, I swear I said nothing! PLEASE GET OUT!” she yelled.

  There was no chance to struggle as he pinned her down, a hand tight to her throat as he reached down, tugging on his zip.

  “Don't scream,” he said in a low voice, “Just be nice... you don't want Archie seeing this, do you? I think it's time you and I became friends, Carla... really good friends...”

  His hand was off her throat as he ran it down her body. Carla screamed.

  Alex had heard shouts, then a scream, and as he rushed out of the house and across the road, Mickey had heard it too, and he ran stiffly towards the bungalow as Alex got there first, leaping over the gate and rushing up to the closed front door. He stepped back, looked to the window, saw Carla pinned down and Brett on top of her as she gave another cry that was muffled as he put a hand over her mouth. Mickey pushed open the gate and ran stiffly up the path as Alex turned to him in panic.

  “Brett's got Carla pinned down, I think he's trying to rape her... I can't get in!”

  Mickey grabbed a brick from beside a wonky old plant pot and went up to the window.

  “Yes you can!” he said, and smashed the glass.