Hell On Earth (Book 6): Rebirth

by Wright, Iain Rob

  Ted was flabbergasted, and he let it show on his face. “Is that some kind of threat? I knew you and your misfits couldn’t be trusted.”

  “Let’s calm down,” said Kamiyo. “Maddy, you’re right, we are good people. That’s why Ted has to be extra careful to keep everyone safe. You’re welcome here, of course, but your problems are not more important than Kielder’s survival. I think it’s safe to say that we can’t make you any promises if this General Thomas makes trouble. As for you, Nancy. You might think Kielder belongs to everybody, but no one has done more for this place than Ted has. Show some respect.”

  Nancy averted her eyes and turned away. Dr Kamiyo was a mild-mannered young man, which was what made his judgement so damning.

  Maddy moved in front of Ted and put her hands together, almost like she was pleading. “I promise we didn’t come here to cause you people any trouble. We just want to be safe.”

  “We’re decent people, too,” said Tosco, “and so are the people of Portsmouth. We only left because General Thomas gave us no choice.”

  Ted sighed. As much as he didn’t like it, he’d already made up his mind to let these people stay. “You’ll need to do your fair share of the work around here… do you hear me? Any nonsense and you’re gone.”

  Tosco nodded respectfully. “You have our gratitude more than you know. With that decided, we have another pressing issue to discuss.”

  Ted nodded. “Nancy’s daughter?”

  “I need to go get her,” said Nancy, almost hopping on the spot. “I want to leave right now.”

  There was no stopping a desperate mother, and Ted didn’t care to try. “You can take a vehicle and get going right away. I assume you’ll take your own people with you as protection? I’m sorry to hear you lost some of them on the road yesterday.”

  There were tears in Nancy’s eyes, and she was a bundle of emotions. “They were good men, but they died well. I’ll return here as soon as I can to help keep this place safe, but I can’t bear the thought of Alice being so close. I have to bring her here.”

  Ted smiled. “I look forward to meeting her.”

  Nancy beamed, then quickly exited. Kamiyo left, too, citing several patients in the infirmary that he needed to check on. That left Ted alone in the presence of strangers. “So, you all came here by boat? How many men do you still have on board?”

  “Not enough to threaten you,” said Captain Tosco, “if that’s what you’re asking. The Hatchet is fully armed but low on fuel. We took all we could from Portsmouth, but it might be the last we ever get. It’ll stay where it is for now, and with your permission, I’ll rotate teams back and forth between here and there. I’ll keep a skeleton crew on board to man the guns. They might come in handy should we ever need them.”

  Ted raised an eyebrow. “Your guns can reach here?”

  “No doubt. We outfitted our boat with several long-range mortars, but the aim won’t be precise enough to avoid casualties. If we find any demons in the surrounding areas, however…”

  “You’re right, that might be useful. You’ll have to tell me more about it later. For now, make yourselves at home. Rest, if you want, or make yourself useful with one of the work crews. They’re easy enough to spot.”

  “I’ll be heading back with Nancy,” said Tosco. “I’ll leave my team here though, if that’s okay? They deserve a rest.”

  Ted nodded and exited the tent. Having a bunch of armed sailors, along with whatever ship was berthed nearby, might end up being a well-needed advantage, but he couldn’t help worry about the ire of whoever this General Thomas was. He had images in his mind of rolling tanks and whizzing helicopters storming Kielder Forest. How much of what Captain Tosco and Maddy had said was true? All of it? None of it?

  I suppose we’ll find out.

  Right now, he needed to go see an ex-priest about some whiskey.

  “I come bearing gifts,” said Ted as he entered the last bedroom on the activity centre’s upper floor. When the woman saw the whiskey bottle she lifted herself up in bed until she was sitting upright. She licked her lips and said, “Bless you, sir. Miracles still exist. What do I have to do?”

  Ted frowned. “Nothing. Dr Kamiyo told me there was a risk of you killing someone if you didn’t get a drink. Usually, I wouldn’t indulge someone with a booze habit, but you’re a guest, and I imagine you’ve been through a lot recently. Is the whiskey medicinal or habitual?”

  “Both. Now give it!”

  Angela was clothed and lying on top of her covers, so Ted didn’t need to avert his gaze as he approached her. He offered the whiskey and she snatched it from his grasp, wasting no time in taking a hearty swig. With a gasp, she thanked him in a gravelly voice. “Ah, that burns. Cheers.”

  Ted plonked himself down in the chair to one side of the room. “To your health. So, Angela, tell me, what led to us finding you, alone and unconscious, on the road? You said you’d been through Hell.”

  “No, I said I’d been in Hell. I was speaking literally. I suppose I ended up there on account of being a muff diver. The church always warned me. I can’t say it didn’t.”

  “You’re saying you went to Hell because you’re gay?”

  She shrugged. “Them’s the rules apparently. Tell you the truth, I didn’t think God would be that petty. Then again, there were plenty of other reasons I might have ended up in Hell. Anyway, the place went kind of empty recently, and I found myself wandering around with nothing to do. Then a big window opened up in front of me and I could see the Earth. I threw myself through it, and the next thing I know I’m waking up here. Thanks, by the way.”

  “Say that I believe you – and to be honest I might as well – what did you mean when you said you came here to help us fight?”

  “Exactly that. I picked up a few things in Hell. Me and a few other misplaced vicars had a club there. We called it the Reservoir Dog Collars. There was Gay Allan and James the tithe thief, along with a few others. In Hell, you stick with your own. It’s a protection thing.”

  “You mean like prison?”

  “Yeah. You wanna see the North Korean gangs – a right strange bunch. They think Hell is paradise. Oh, and the guys that did nine-eleven keep asking where their virgins are. They don’t seem to get it. It’s a colourful place, overall.”

  “So you picked up some tricks from a social club in Hell?”

  “Yep. You gotta learn how to handle yourself down there or you’re gonna have a bad time.” She took another long swig of whiskey.

  Ted leant forward, finding this mad woman both intriguing and insane. “So tell me, what tricks did you learn?”

  Angela removed the whiskey bottle from her lips and grinned. “Just point me at the nearest demon and I’ll show you.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” Ted chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Angela.”

  Angela nodded and took another swig of whiskey.

  9

  Maddy went for a walk, enjoying the sight of trees after so long in Portsmouth. It still hadn’t sunk in that this place was real – an oasis hidden in the remnants of a shattered world. People, alive and well, deep in a forgotten forest. It made her wonder how many other people might still be alive somewhere, eking out an existence. The hope she had lost in leaving Portsmouth was starting to return. A little.

  Most breathtaking of all was the castle. Augmented by wooden scaffolds and rickety structures, the stone keep was an impressive sight. The archers peeking through the crenellations made Maddy feel like a peasant in some fat lord’s service. Next, they would all be riding out on horses, dispatching demons with their lances.

  Tosco exited the guest cabin and joined Maddy in the courtyard. “Some place, huh? One thing America doesn’t have is castles. I’ve never seen one before.”

  “Can’t say I’ve seen one up close like this, either, but if you think about it, what safer place is there to be? We should go round the country snapping them all up. We could even build catapults.”

  “Ha! I qu
ite fancy myself as a knight. Sir Tosco the brave.”

  Maddy smirked. “You’re definitely brave enough. Not sure about the chivalry though.”

  “That’s the knight’s code, right? It means being a gentleman and rescuing damsels in distress? I think I’ve covered that.”

  Maddy realised he was right. She had most certainly been a damsel in need of rescuing, and Tosco had been there for her without hesitation. “I suppose you do qualify. I wouldn’t be here without you, James. Thank you, I mean it.”

  He reached out and squeezed her arm. “My pleasure. It all has to mean something, right? You know, before this, I wasn’t a man to be proud of. The only thing that mattered to me was my career. The whole time I served under Guy, I was eyeing his position. It nearly came to mutiny when he stole The Hatchet to go and find his kids.” He pinched the air with his thumb and forefinger. “I was this close to putting him in the brig and taking command.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “Maybe I wasn’t bold enough to go through with it. I kept telling myself to seize the opportunity, and I kept meaning to, but the right moment never seemed to arrive. Now I’m glad I didn’t. If this horrible existence has given us anything, it’s time to think about who we were and who we want to be. Guy Granger was a good man, and I’m proud to have helped him find Alice before he died. Today, I’m proud to help Nancy in the same way. If I had taken The Hatchet from Guy, things would have been different. I still don’t know why I didn’t, but maybe it was fate.”

  “Not fate, James. You didn’t betray Guy because, when it came down to it, you weren’t that man. Thinking about something – even planning on doing it – doesn’t make it a reality. Actions define us, and you supported your superior officer and helped him find his daughter. That’s what you did, that’s who you are. You gave everything up to help me too. When people need help, you’re always there.”

  Tosco looked at her and seemed to consider her words. A variety of expressions crossed his face, but it was a complete shock when he leaned in to kiss her. Maddy stepped back and dodged his affection. “I-I’m sorry, James. That’s not what I…”

  Tosco’s cheeks were already red, and when he looked at her again, he turned into a stammering boy. “I-I’m so sorry, Maddy. I-It was just the moment. The things you just said about me…” He shook his head, like he was trying to get a hold of himself. “I won’t ever do that again, I promise.”

  “No!” She reached out a hand to stop him from fleeing. “You don’t have to promise that. It’s okay that you… Jesus, I feel like a teenager. Look, James, I started the end of the world with a husband who I loved very much. I lost him, and it took a lot for me to open my heart again to… to…” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Amanda. It’s okay, Maddy. You can say it.”

  Maddy swallowed, a lump pulsing in her throat. “I’m still confused about the whole thing, to be honest, but I know I loved her. Then I lost her. Whatever happens next, it’s too early to—”

  “I’m sorry, Maddy. It was unsympathetic of me. I suppose, with the way things are, taking things slowly feels like a risk. All the same, I never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

  Maddy hugged him. “You’re the only person left who means anything to me, James, so please don’t think you don’t matter. I don’t want to lose you too.”

  “You won’t.”

  A crack of gunfire alerted them both. They ducked, but their weapons were stowed inside the guest cabin. More gunfire sounded and the archers on top of the castle started shouting. There was no ambiguity about the situation. Demons.

  “Shit,” said Tosco. “This place was supposed to be safe.”

  Maddy had a terrible thought. “You think we led them here?”

  “Damien drove us here after we saved his ass. If demons followed, it’s not on us. Come on, let’s make ourselves useful.”

  The men Tosco had brought with him from The Hatchet exited the cabin, all brandishing rifles. One man handed Tosco his weapon, and Sarah, the female sailor, gave Maddy her handgun. Tosco shouted commands and everyone headed off in the direction of the gunfire. It didn’t take long to find out what was happening.

  To Maddy’s surprise, a dwarf – although she knew that wasn’t the appropriate word – started barking orders at everyone in a broad accent. “Get on them walls, the lot of ya. Get on them walls.”

  “We’re new,” said Maddy. “What can we do to help?”

  The small man glared at her. “Didn’t yow hear me? Get on them walls!”

  The wall he was referring to was actually a wooden platform erected along the edge of the original stone structure. It was accessed by ladders, and Maddy hurried up one of them, with Tosco and his team following. Sarah took a stand beside Maddy and quipped, “Trouble seems to follow you around, Maddy.”

  Maddy didn’t know how to respond at first, but she could only agree. “I guess I just like to party, Sarah.”

  “Stone. Everyone calls me Stone.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s my surname.”

  “You’re not American like the others. You’re British.”

  The tough woman nodded. She was pretty and blonde, with smooth pink cheeks ruined by that long, thin scar on the left side of her face. “I served with Colonel Cross in Afghanistan years ago. He rescued me during an ambush – saved my goddamn ass. He knew I owed him a favour, so he told me what happened in Portsmouth and put me on Tosco’s boat to keep an eye on you.”

  “Wow, that’s… Thank you.”

  She shrugged. “One place is as good as another. Just give me demons to shoot and I’ll be happy.”

  “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Here they come.”

  Maddy looked over the walls, and what she saw wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but nor was it good. A horde of demons sped towards the castle, but they were spread thin and caught out in the open. The tree clearance, along with multiple fortifications, pits, and booby traps, slowed their approach to a crawl. Those defending the walls with modern weapons peppered the demons with gunfire while those with bows rained down arrows. Demons staggered towards the walls like porcupines, thin wooden shafts sticking out of their bodies. Others limped along, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. Maddy didn’t expect to hit anything with her handgun, but she emptied a full clip to show her support.

  While those on the battlements were calm, others panicked in the courtyard below. Kielder had been preparing for war, but many of its people were clearly yet to be battle-tested. The small man was pacing the platform with a large shotgun in his arms. He shook his head at those cowering below. “We ain’t had time to stiffen ’em up yet,” he said, as if addressing Maddy’s unspoken concerns. “They spent the last year skulking in holes before we found ’em.”

  Maddy sighed. “They’ll fight once they realise they have no choice. I’ve seen it enough times.”

  “The name’s Frank. Here, take this. I’m too short to make much use of it.”

  Maddy took the long-barrelled shotgun and immediately felt empowered. “Thanks! I’m Maddy.”

  “Nice to meet you. Get shooting, lass.’”

  Maddy turned and leant over the wooden railing, holding the shotgun tight against her shoulder and squeezing the trigger. The weapon bucked like a bull, and flames erupted from the spout. To her astonishment, she struck a demon fifty feet away, buckling it at the knees. It wasn’t dead but could only drag itself along like a baby. She pulled the trigger again but nothing happened. She searched around for Frank, but he had already raced down the other end of the platform. She spotted a bucket at her feet, full of red and blue cartridges. This would be the first time she had ever loaded a shotgun, but she muddled through and eventually managed to fire a second shot. It hit nothing but the muddy ground. Beside her, Sarah Stone fired her combat rifle with far greater precision, and in the space of a few minutes, the woman had taken out a dozen demons. Stone was a warrior.

  “How’d you get the scar?” Madd
y shouted over the roaring gunfire.

  Stone side-eyed her, still picking out demons with her deadly aim. “Shrapnel from an IED. Almost took out my entire team, but we spotted it just in time. Made the bastards pay afterwards.”

  Maddy shuddered. “You scare me.”

  “Sometimes I scare myself. Now, concentrate.”

  Eventually, the gunfire became less frantic and more measured. Only a handful of demons still raced towards the castle walls, and it was staggering how quickly their brethren had been taken out. The open ground, paired with the fortifications, made the castle even easier to defend than Portsmouth’s docks. What these people had done here was amazing.

  But it was under threat.

  A fresh wave of demons broke from the treeline.

  The fighting continued for several hours, until the archers grew too tired to pull their bows back fully. The modern ammunition was being depleted every second. Great Britain had not been a gun-toting nation, and its small number of arms were becoming increasingly useless. It reaffirmed Ted’s belief that having Captain Tosco and his people would do more good than harm. So far, they had valiantly manned the south wall along with everyone else. Their help had been on the right side of needed.

  Not a single demon had fled the slaughter. Each had assaulted the castle until its death, and Ted estimated well over a hundred of their corpses now littered the open ground. Their stink made it almost unbearable to take a breath.

  He waited an hour before venturing out to deal with the aftermath, and he did so now only with a small team. A team with which he was not entirely comfortable, but with which there was a certain amount of sense. Sorrow was twice the size of a man and able to snap lesser demons in two. If any threats leapt up off the ground and attacked, the behemoth would have no issue protecting itself. Captain Tosco and Maddy were eager to make themselves useful, so why not let them? Then there was the mysterious ex-vicar, Angela. If Ted was going to risk people out in the open, he would rather it be people he barely knew. A cynical way to operate, but he could see no better way. The last person in the group was Damien, who Ted also knew little about. Again, better to lose a near-stranger over a friend.