by Eden Darry
Chapter Fifty-Two
The head of the search party looked around. The girl and the others must have heard them coming. She’d told her team to keep quiet, but that had been an exercise in futility. Unlike her, they weren’t trained. They talked and joked and stomped about. The girl and her friends couldn’t have got far, though. And without their kit they wouldn’t last five minutes out here.
She ordered several of the others to look through the bags for any maps, for anything that might indicate which route they planned to take. Although, if it were her, she would change her plan.
“Diana?”
She turned to face one of the search party team. “Find something?”
“No. If they had maps, they took them. Everything else is here, though. Including dog food.”
They had a dog. That wasn’t great news. Dogs were dangerous, unpredictable. Of course it depended on the size of the dog.
“And a cat,” he said.
“What?”
“They have a cat too. Looks like they push them around in the pram. We didn’t find any sign of a baby.”
She looked over at the pram, parked tidily against a tree. What kind of weirdos were they? Pushing animals around in prams? At least she knew the dog couldn’t be very big. Assuming they only had one dog. But people who pushed their animals around in prams were not to be trusted, and she’d need to be careful.
“Right.” She addressed the rest of the team. “Let’s head through the woods. See if we can’t catch them up.”
One by one, the team made their way into the trees.
* * *
Ellery, Loveday, and Dani walked for two more days, drinking from streams when they found them and hoping they wouldn’t get sick. They found a few houses dotted about and scavenged what food they could, slept in the unmade beds. They were exhausted. Between them, they took it in turns carrying the pets when they became too tired to walk—Claude more than Rocky. Ellery thought some of that was due more to laziness than actual tiredness.
They walked until they couldn’t walk any more, desperate to stay ahead of the search party who were sure to be tracking them. The thing was still with them, jamming Loveday’s psychic signal so she couldn’t get a bead on them. Instead, they endured the cold, hateful eyes, the freezing temperatures, and the blisters.
They weren’t in good shape. They all knew it, but none of them said it out loud. They walked on. Towards what, they didn’t know, but certainly something worse than the people who hunted them.
Ben Nevis towered over them, looking much closer than it was. The mountain seemed to stretch for miles. It was fucking huge. The trees and woods had given way to bright green rolling fields and lakes. The rain had come again on the second day and didn’t stop. Ellery knew this was it. The end. They were almost at the start of the beginning.
“There hasn’t been a stampede for ages,” Dani said as they trudged along a dirt track of sucking mud.
“Maybe all the animals got north already,” Ellery puffed out.
“Maybe,” Dani replied.
“Just our luck,” Loveday said.
That was how their conversations went now. Short and disjointed. No one had the energy for more. At night, they tumbled into any bed they could find and fell into exhausted sleep. Even Rocky seemed lethargic.
The thing that followed them had finally gone. Ellery suspected it knew things were coming to an end now, that they were headed straight to Rosemary Decker where matters would be decided once and for all. For all of them. She could see the hangar in the distance with the Ark 2 inside, she guessed. A dot on the landscape at the moment. Ellery thought they were no more than two days away from it.
They walked on.
On the second day they met Rosemary.
* * *
For a moment, Loveday considered running. Her legs twitched and her feet itched to rise on their balls and take off. Rosemary Decker hadn’t seen them yet, and maybe they could get past her. In the distance, the hangar towered over them, sleek and covered in shiny metal. Loveday guessed the Ark 2 was inside. Maybe they could commandeer it. Go on a round-the-world cruise. Anything would be better than staying here and facing this and trusting an alien to come through for them.
“It’s okay,” Ellery whispered in her ear, her hand warm and sure on the small of Loveday’s back. And she guessed it was okay. Win or lose they would stand together. Somehow, she’d gone from untrusting loner to sidekick to the saviour of woman- and mankind. What they were about to do was lunacy, but fuck it. At least she’d go down fighting. At least she’d make a stand for once in her life.
She stood next to Ellery with Dani between them. Up ahead, Rosemary Decker looked up from her spot at a campfire. Loveday thought she was reading a book. Not that it mattered. The people Rosemary was with noticed them about the same time, and they all stood up. Loveday counted eight. They were outnumbered, but they already knew that. Rocky began to growl low in his throat.
“Rosemary Decker?” Dani called out.
“Yes. You finally arrived,” Rosemary replied, and Loveday almost laughed at how polite everyone was being.
Dani went to step forward and Loveday held her arm. “Don’t. Not yet. Let them come closer.”
“As you can see, you’re outnumbered. You…” Rosemary turned to Loveday, and Loveday shivered under her gaze.
“What?” Loveday said.
“I’ve got no quarrel with you—you can go. No one will stop you. Carry on north or head into the hangar, it’s up to you.”
Loveday felt Ellery’s eyes on her. She turned to meet them, fully expecting to see uncertainty in them. She was a coward, after all. Had been since the vanishing. Had been since she could remember. Of course Ellery would expect her to leave them.
Loveday braced herself and met Ellery’s eyes. What she saw took her breath away. Trust. There was nothing but trust. Something clicked inside her, the last piece she had been holding back. She wasn’t a coward, she wasn’t untrustworthy. They could rely on her. She wouldn’t leave them.
“Stick it up your arse, Rosemary,” Loveday called out in a pleasant tone, and Dani sniggered beside her.
“Very well, then. You’ll die with your friends.”
The group around Rosemary split in half, and Loveday could tell they would try to flank them.
“Ellery, we need to spread out. Stop them corralling us.”
Ellery nodded and moved away. Loveday and Dani followed suit, made almost a semicircle.
“What’s the point?” Rosemary asked. “You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”
Loveday ignored her and concentrated on keeping the others from flanking her. She dared a glance at Ellery and hoped for some sort of signal. Ellery wouldn’t look at her. She had her head cocked to the side, and Loveday realized she was listening. Suddenly, she dropped to the ground.
“What are you doing?” Rosemary asked.
Loveday watched as Ellery ignored Rosemary and held her palm flat against the dirt. Then she looked up and smiled. “It’s time.”
A low rumbling started. The earth began to shake, and Loveday almost fell over. The rumbling became a ferocious thundering, and several of Rosemary’s people fell to the ground. Loveday watched as they scrambled back up and hurried over to Rosemary.
“What’s happening?” Rosemary demanded. “What are you doing? Stop this. I demand that you stop this immediately.”
Loveday reached for Dani, grabbed her hand, and pulled her against her body. Loveday couldn’t help but laugh. The look on Rosemary Decker’s face was priceless. Shock, fear, and outrage appeared on her face in turn, like someone was cranking the handle on a one-armed bandit.
“You stop this now,” she screamed, but the deafening thunder only got louder. It rolled across the valley and shook the ground so violently that Loveday wondered if the force of it would split the earth.
“What is that?” Rosemary screamed. “What on God’s earth is that?”
Loveday didn’t turn to
look. She knew what it was, what was coming.
Rosemary turned and ran. Her people stood for a moment, looked around like lost sheep, and finally followed her. Loveday knew it was too late for any of them.
She turned in the direction Rosemary had been looking and saw it for herself. A huge cloud of dust—almost a fog—rolled towards them like a fist. It stretched to the horizon in every direction, and inside it she could just about make out the odd animal. Deer, horses, cows, and the odd dog. It was an army. Breathtaking. And they would never outrun it.
Loveday turned back again and saw Rosemary had come to the same conclusion. She pushed her people in front of her in an attempt to hide behind them as the stampede bore down.
Loveday held Dani tight, closed her eyes, and prayed.
* * *
Ellery stood, wiped her palms on her trousers, and took a deep breath. She faced the stampede, widened her stance, and held her arms out in front of her, sweaty palms up, fingers spread. She’d already died once, and she didn’t want to die again, but she had to trust that this would work. She had to.
The stampede bore down. Dust filled her mouth and stung her eyes and clogged her throat. She lost her footing and scrambled to regain it—she couldn’t afford to fall. They were so close, and then a moment later they were upon her.
* * *
Loveday shielded her eyes from the dust and managed to make out the animals parting like a sea around Ellery. She almost cried with relief and, at the same time, couldn’t believe what she was seeing. They didn’t even touch Ellery, just moved around her without losing speed or momentum. They kept the gap in place as they approached her and Dani and left them untouched too.
The Keeper was right. It had told the truth. Loveday turned to see whether Rosemary would be spared as well. As she did, she tripped and fell.
Her knees hit the ground and she gritted her teeth against the pain. She scrambled backward out of the path of the animals but too late. She felt a heavy thump to the side of her head and the world went dark.
* * *
Ellery brushed back the hair from Loveday’s head. “Loveday? Loveday, wake up.”
Ellery was frantic. She couldn’t lose Loveday. Not now. Not when it was all over. She could still hear the thundering of hooves as the stampede moved away. “Loveday? Loveday, it’s me. Wake up.” God, she had to wake up. She had to. Ellery couldn’t go on without her.
“Please, Loveday. Please don’t leave me,” Ellery whispered.
Suddenly remembering her training, she felt for a pulse. She almost cried when she found it, strong and regular. Thank God, thank God. Tears blurred Ellery’s eyes. Now if Loveday would only wake up.
Loveday groaned, opened her eyes. Relief washed over Ellery in a tidal wave.
“Thank God. Are you okay?” Ellery asked.
“Dani?” Loveday scrambled away from Ellery and sat up. “I lost her. Where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Fuck. Ellery looked around. She got up and ran to where bodies of Rosemary’s people were scattered about, bloodied and trampled. Rosemary wasn’t among them. Nor was Dani.
“I think Rosemary Decker has her,” Ellery said. She felt sick. How could she have let Rosemary take her? What was wrong with her?
“It’s not your fault,” Loveday said and reached up to hold Ellery’s hand. “It’s not.” She kissed Loveday’s palm. “But we need to find her.”
“Come on, I think I know where she’s taken her.” Ellery stood and helped Loveday to her feet.
“The hangar,” Loveday said.
Ellery nodded and squeezed Loveday’s hand. “Come on.”
* * *
Rosemary carried the girl up the scaffolding. She didn’t have much time before the other two realized what had happened. She had to kill her quickly.
When the stampede came, Rosemary was buried beneath the bodies of her people. They were crushed to death, but she survived. It was another example of how God was protecting her, urging her onwards. Once she killed the girl and the girl’s friends, the storm would come. All sin would be washed away. All sinners cast out. The righteous would inherit the ear—
She slipped on the ladder and almost fell. Sweat dripped into her eyes and maybe blood. Her head hurt and she was positive at least two of her ribs were broken. God would look after her.
She hefted the girl into a better position on her shoulders and continued climbing. It was slow and arduous work, but she needed to get all the way to the top. God had told her—get to the top, and throw the child off. It was simple work, but Rosemary’s lungs ached and her throat was raw from the dust outside.
* * *
Inside the hangar, Ellery expected to be stopped. But there was hardly anyone there. Four or five people stood by the Ark 2, staring up. Ellery followed their gaze and her stomach lurched painfully when she saw what they were looking at.
Rosemary Decker was climbing the scaffolding, which wobbled and was detached in places. Shit. The thing looked like it would give way any minute. She had to get to Dani.
She hurried over to the small group gathered. “Excuse me, is there another way up?” she asked and pointed at the boat.
A woman turned to her. “There was a lift, but they’ve taken it away. I’d leave Rosemary to it if I were you, though—she’s fucking mental. We were going to get out with most of the others, but we’ve left it too late.”
Ellery ignored her and ran over to the scaffolding. She was running out of time. She had to get up there. She just hoped the scaffolding would hold her.
“I’m coming with you,” Loveday said.
“Loveday, no. You’ve been through enough, and I think you’re concussed.”
“But—”
“The more time I stand down here and argue with you, the further away Rosemary’s getting.”
She almost laughed at the furrow in Loveday’s brow.
“Fine. Go. Be careful.”
“I will.” Ellery planted a quick kiss on Loveday’s mouth and began to climb.
Rosemary had a good lead on her. She wasn’t far from the top. There wasn’t much time left. Why wasn’t there ever enough time?
The scaffolding was loose in places where it was being dismantled. Ellery tested the stairs as she made her way up. It felt like it was taking forever. But soon, she was running up them. They swayed and wobbled under her feet.
Sweat dripped into her eyes, and her legs burned. It was a long climb. How Rosemary was doing it carrying another person, she didn’t know.
As Ellery’s foot came down on a step, a piece of scaffolding came loose. She reached out, praying, and managed to grab hold of the next bit. Using all her strength she swung herself up and onto the next platform. There was a loud crash from below. Ellery didn’t dare look down. She kept climbing.
When she was almost near the top, she heard a scream.
Ellery looked up.
Rosemary was trying to force Dani over the edge. Dani was fighting and kicking, but it was clear she was losing the battle.
“Leave her alone,” Ellery shouted and sprinted the rest of the way up the stairs.
When she reached the top platform, she saw Rosemary had managed to get Dani over the other side and was trying to pry her fingers off the metal bar, the only thing stopping her from falling.
“Get away from her,” Ellery shouted.
Rosemary barely glanced up. She lowered her head, and Ellery saw she meant to bite Dani’s fingers.
Ellery moved quickly.
She gripped Rosemary around the neck from behind and tried to drag her backward.
Rosemary elbowed Ellery in the ribs, and she fought against the instinct to pull away. The pain was sharp.
Rosemary was strong, much stronger than she looked. She swung around and managed to land a punch on Ellery’s chin.
Ellery lost her grip and dropped to her knees. Her head swam, and she fought to stay conscious. It took everything she had. Ellery got unsteadily to her feet and made a lunge for Rosemary, swin
ging her arms out in the hope of grabbing something.
Rosemary cried out and Ellery realized she had hold of her hair. She yanked hard and Rosemary fell backward into her. They crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Rosemary was fast and focused. She jumped up and made straight for Dani. But Ellery was quick too. She reached for Rosemary again and grabbed her in a bear hug. She used all her strength to spin Rosemary around and push her to the floor.
Rosemary sprang up fast like a cage fighter and they circled each other.
“Give up and go away. I’ll let you live. I only want her,” Rosemary said.
“Never.”
“Then you’ll die too.”
Suddenly, Rosemary lunged at her and Ellery knew she planned to bundle her over the edge of the scaffolding. At the last minute, Ellery moved to the side. She used all the strength she had to push Rosemary in the back and help her over the edge.
Rosemary screamed, an angry sound, full of hate and fury.
Then she was silent.
Ellery looked over the edge of the platform. Rosemary had fallen all the way to the ground where her broken body lay sprawled.
Ellery went to Dani who had managed to climb back over and onto the platform.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Dani nodded. “I’m okay. We have to leave. We need to get to higher ground.”
Ellery grimaced. She was tired and dirty and the thought of more climbing almost did her in. Swiftly on the heels of that was the knowledge she’d just killed someone. Her legs buckled and she gripped the rail tight. She’d done it to save Dani, but a life was a life, and she had just taken one.
Ellery felt a hand on the small of her back. “I’m sorry,” Dani said.
“Can’t you bring her back? Like you did with me?” she asked.
Dani shook her head. “No. I’m sorry.”
Ellery nodded. “I understand.”
But did she? What made her life more valuable than Rosemary’s? Who had the right to decide which life was worth saving and which was best left in a broken heap on a cold concrete floor?
