Hellspawn (Book 6): Retribution Page 4
On that fateful morning, the Gypsies had all watched from the towers as the village was consumed. A young couple that had shown unwavering support for their cause were taken in, but everyone else was ignored. The residents swiftly joined the growing swarm of undead in the pit, victims of the defences which could have kept them safe if only they had kept quiet.
“We’re close,” said Billy, interrupting Lennie’s daydreaming.
“To the prison?”
“No. Where the bastard shot them.”
“How much further from there is it to the prison?”
“About a mile.”
“Good. We’ll be there by ten.”
“We can always set up a welcome party at the generator. He left it outside the walls.”
“They must be working on a way of getting it inside. I like that plan. We could snatch them and bring them back for questioning.”
Billy’s voice quavered when they reached the spot that had changed everything. Three zombies were trying to scratch any last morsel from between the cracks in the road’s surface. Jumping from his horse, Lennie removed the pickaxe handle and strode towards the dead. Steel spikes had been smelted and mounted on the carefully drilled threaded bar which protruded from both sides of the weapon’s head.
“That was my cousin!” he roared, crushing the skulls in quick succession. Scraps of hair and fragments of bone hung from the thick skewers.
Mounting up, he hung the dripping weapon from the saddle and ordered them forward. Even at this distance, the dull rumble of countless groans could be heard. At the half mile point, they cantered into an open field and left the horses to graze. If anything undead attempted to feast, they would gallop off to safety and wait. Any further threat and they were trained to make their way back to the campsite. It would mean a long walk, but their value was too great to lose to something as trivial as the mindless deaders.
“Which way?”
“If we follow this road, it takes us to the southern wall. He left the machine in the open, just out of sight.”
“Ok, lead on, Billy boy,” Lennie ordered. Staring at the back of his head, the greasy hair sticking to the leather jacket, Lennie felt pity for the poor guy. He was completely oblivious to the horror that waited for him once they returned home.
The men sneered at the houses either side of the road. Why would anyone want to limit themselves to a single dwelling, with no ability to strike out for newer pastures, when the feeling took hold? It was true that they all owned a variety of property back in Ireland, but never to settle down in. The bricks and mortar were a good way of hiding the illicit income, provided you knew the right solicitors. A lot of their legal contacts had also defended brothers and sisters in the IRA after the troubles, courtesy of that same income. Hefty donations from the Hampton family to the cause had ensured a lasting loyalty from the paramilitary forces. Right up to the apocalypse, they could call in favours to have someone badly hurt, or executed. Even now, Claire could read in the leaves that a lot of their old friends had taken her advice. They survived, and thrived. At some point efforts would be made to make contact once again.
“It was right here!” Billy muttered, finding the empty space where the generator had been left.
“It doesn’t matter, we’ll get him another day. Just show us the tunnel.”
“We need to use the gardens and stay out of sight,” he warned, leading them through the empty house he had used the previous day.
The thin shiplap boards of the rear garden fences were crushed into splinters from the movement of the zombies. Judging by the growth of grass between the mouldering timber, they had moved through many weeks ago.
“Keep your eyes open, there may be wanderers.”
“Did you want to see the prison entrance? It’s right across the main road opposite this place” Billy asked as they passed the eighteenth home.
“Sure. The rest of you stay here and keep watch.”
Following the youth inside, they moved through into the kitchen. The fridge door was wide open, revealing putrid contents. Grateful that the cold had at least slowed the decay and subsequent stench, Lennie closed it and moved to the window.
“What a fucking view. Not,” he spat.
“I don’t think I’d have liked staring out at ten foot prison walls either.”
The gates were broken, the yard filled with movement. Prisoners watched from the walls, the surrounding area teeming with the deaders. They looked dangerous, and bored.
“I can see why they don’t use the front door.”
“They have guards around the whole perimeter. The only way in will be through the tunnels.”
“So their way of leaving the prison safely is going to fuck them over? Seems like poetic justice to me.”
“They’ll be watching the tunnels too.”
“No shit. Come on, let’s see it.”
Mindful of the sentries, they carefully moved from the houses to an open area at the back of the shopping arcade. A farm shop sat off to the left, and a quick check showed it was clear. Billy pointed at a sheet of plywood and the dozens of footprints that stretched off in every direction.
“That’s it.”
“Good. Mark it on our map and we can head home.”
“Is it worth taking a look while we’re here? We don’t need to go right inside, but it’d be nice to know how they’re keeping watch.”
“No, we can worry about that later. Claire wants us back ASAP.”
“Don’t sweat it, we’ll only be a few minutes,” said Pat, moving the wood aside.
“I said no! Put it back!”
“Two minutes, tops,” he said, jumping down into the darkness followed by Ryan.
“Fucking hell!” Lennie grumbled. He understood their desire for payback, but it had to wait. Now all they had to look forward to was a beating back at the camp for disobeying his instruction.
**********
“If we can sneak up on one, we take the fucker. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” whispered Ryan.
“Lennie’s too cautious. I’d be burning the place to the ground if it was my cousins who’d got killed.”
“Exactly.”
“Did you bring your torch?”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, handing it over. “I wouldn’t use it though. They could see the light from the other end.”
“What do you suggest then, genius?”
“Use a lighter cupped in your hand. That way it won’t carry as far.”
“Ok, good idea,” Jimmy said grudgingly.
Striking the flint, the flame banished the shadows and they could see the supports placed every few feet. The smell of damp mud was a constant companion down the narrow passage.
“Can you see anything?”
Jimmy stared ahead, but the light was largely absorbed by the palm of his grimy hand. Un-cupping it, the weak, yellowed illumination jumped forward a few paces before being drowned in darkness again. Replacing his hand, the light shrank back instantly to their feet.
“Nothing yet.”
“Can you hear anything?” Ryan whispered.
Stopping dead, Jimmy cocked his head and listened. Nothing carried down the frigid tunnel.
“Nope.”
“Keep going. It can’t be much further.”
“Shouldn’t we be seeing daylight by now?”
“Dunno. It’s hard to sense how far we’ve gone when everything looks the same.”
Jimmy frowned and studied a set of chains that were tied to the overhead braces. “What’re they for?” he whispered.
“Shh,” Ryan cautioned. “Can you hear that?”
A sudden yell of warning shattered the silence and both men shrank away, expecting an attack. Removing the curled hand, the lighter revealed a steel door ten feet away.
“Fuck, they heard us,” Ryan grumbled, hearing the rapid retreat of footsteps through the small viewing hatch.
“Probably best if we don’t tell Lennie that we’ve cost them the element of s
urprise. He’ll cut our balls off.”
“Agreed. Let’s head back and pray he didn’t hear that.”
The retreating footsteps faded and were replaced by a shrill revving from an unseen engine. The truth dawned a fraction of a second before the chains went taut, tearing the overhead struts free. Buried beneath a thousand tonnes of falling soil, the men didn’t even have time to cry out before the life was crushed from their broken bodies.
**********
“What the fuck was that?” Lennie hissed, feeling the massive displacement of air rush up through the dark opening. The low rumble died away and everything went quiet once again.
“It sounded like an earthquake,” said Billy.
“Shit. We need to get out of here, right now. Billy, get down there and drag their asses back. I knew we should’ve just headed back.”
“You got it,” he replied, hopping down.
Two minutes later he returned. Walking slowly, his face was ashen.
“What is it? Where’re the others?”
“The tunnel’s gone. Jimmy and Ryan are buried in there somewhere.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It’s collapsed. They’re gone.”
In the distance a car horn started to screech incessantly. More alarms started to blare from around the perimeter of the prison.
“They know we’re here,” moaned Lennie.
“What do we do?”
“We get home and tell them the bad news. These bastards aren’t as daft as they might look.”
“What about Jimmy and Ryan?”
“Unless you want to dig them out, I suggest we leave them.”
“I fucked up again,” Billy groaned, holding his face.
“No, they fucked up. I told them not to go, but they did it anyway. This is on them.”
“How can I explain it to their ma and pa?”
You won’t need to, you’re going to be busy for the next few months, Lennie thought, but said, “I’ll tell them. I was meant to be running this thing.”
“Are you sure?” Billy seemed hopeful.
“I’m sure. Now let’s go.”
Chapter 7
“What’s with all the fucking racket?” Craig shouted, massaging his throbbing head. The vodka had gone down well the previous night, too well. And now it felt like his skull was two sizes too small for his brain. Striding from the bedroom, he came upon the guard at the door who just shrugged.
“It sounds like the tunnel alarm, boss. The car horn went first, I’m sure of it.”
“Shit! Follow me!”
Running from the governors wing to the central administration hub, the wall guards were already sprinting up the stairs to meet him.
“What happened?”
“The southern tunnel had to be pulled down. Vince heard voices and saw two men snooping about.”
“Where’s Vince now?”
“He’s just coming.”
Another set of running footsteps echoed down the corridor as the man came into view below the balcony.
“Who was it?” Craig demanded.
“No idea, boss,” Vince replied, taking the steps two at a time. “It might’ve been those fuckers from the castle.”
“You couldn’t see them?”
“Not really. They only used a lighter and it threw my vision off.”
“Well what were they saying?” Craig’s face was turning a deeper shade of red, a sure sign he was about to explode.
“I couldn’t hear them,” said Vince, anticipating the violence. “They were whispering.”
“You’re telling me you didn’t wait until you knew?”
“I’m sorry. I was only following the rules.” Vince started to splutter in fear.
“Ok,” said Craig. Some of the tension left his body and he stared around thoughtfully.
“What do we do?”
“There won’t be much left, but I want them dug out so we can identify them. If they’re part of the castle group, Mike will know.”
“I’ll know what? What’s going on?” He wasn’t doing much better than his hungover sibling, as the red rimmed, squinting eyes attested.
“We’ve got a couple of pancakes for you to identify. Once we’ve dug them out that is.”
“Pancakes?”
“A couple of trespassers got mashed. I need you to tell me if it’s any of your old acquaintances.”
“The way my guts are feeling?” he groaned, the clammy skin becoming an even paler shade at the thought.
“You’ll be right as rain after a breakfast.” Craig grinned. Turning to the others, he said, “I want you to send out search parties of ten men minimum, fully armed. Bring back anyone you find.”
“How long should we look for?”
“Until nightfall.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Vince, you’re in charge of getting Rechtman and a team on the dig. I want those bodies in my office by dinner time.”
“No problem,” Vince replied, grateful to be away from the brothers and saying a prayer of thanks for escaping a beating, or worse.
“I fancy a drink, little brother,” Craig gushed.
“After last night? What’s the occasion?”
“Two of our enemy are dead. Crushed. Squeezed out like a tube of toothpaste.”
“How do you know they were part of Kurt’s group?”
“Who else would it be? He’s the only one who might know about the tunnels. Now let’s get that drink.”
Mike felt the gorge rise at the suggestion. “Just get me a coffee.”
“You’ve gone soft, little bro.” Craig chuckled, leading him towards the kitchen and the promise of caffeine.
Chapter 8
“What’s going on out there?” asked Dr Feeley, nervously. There had been the most almighty ruckus for the past ten minutes, with car horns, air horns, and all manner of bells ringing for an alarm.
“Fuck knows,” lied Hombre, pushing past him.
“I thought you were coming back yesterday?”
“Cut me some slack, I fell asleep. I’d been busting my ass out there to bring that fucking generator back for you lot. You’ll be happy to know it’s inside and being set up. No more working by candlelight.” For a day or two, anyway. The attack could only have one source and it meant time was short. The dead men must’ve been part of a wider group. How the hell they’d found the tunnel was another question entirely.
“I was only asking.”
“Well don’t. How is she today?” Hombre asked, peeking around the curtain.
“She woke up briefly last night.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’ve run preliminary tests and if all goes well she’ll make a near complete recovery.”
“What do you mean ‘near complete’?”
“Well aside from the cosmetic damage, it’s as I feared. She’s totally deaf.”
“Will her hearing ever return?”
“As much as I hate to say it, it’s unlikely. Her ear canals took the full brunt of the explosion. It’s a wonder she wasn’t killed outright, let alone awake after only a few days.”
“So it’s either we learn sign language or she learns to lip read?”
“I’m afraid so. The good news is everything else seems to be in order. Her blisters are settling down, I’ve removed the worst of the broken teeth to prevent a fragment from becoming a choking risk. Her swollen eye is responsive to light stimulus. It’s amazing.”
“She’s a tough one for sure,” Hombre replied proudly.
“Yes, she is. Anyway, in the meantime I took the opportunity to bring you this,” said Dr Feeley, handing over a pen and paper.
“Thanks,” he replied, snatching the writing implements.
“She still needs to rest. Please don’t take too long.”
“I’ll take as long as I want.”
Letting out a grunt of frustration, the doctor walked away.
“Are you awake?” Hombre asked quietly at the door. Gl
ancing down at the pad, he laughed at himself. “You dickhead, she’s deaf.”
Pushing through, the candles were burning low, casting gloomy shadows in the windowless recovery suite. Sensing movement, her good eye fluttered open.
“Hi,” said Hombre, adding a wave to the exaggeratedly spoken word.
She smiled, wincing as the bruises flared in pain. Her missing front teeth were surrounded by clots and scabs from the extraction and previous damage. Someone had taken the time to clean her, removing most of the soot residue from her skin. She looked beautiful, in spite of the injuries.
“You’re deaf,” Hombre said slowly, moving his mouth with emphasis.
Debbie continued to smile and shook her head.
“Ok,” Hombre grumbled, taking the paper and pen. He hadn’t written in years, and the pen felt alien in his grip.
You’re deaf.
She rolled her eye as if to say ‘You don’t say!’
I’m sorry they did this to you.
“And you,” she whispered. The voice sounded awkward from the lack of audible sensors.
I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped it.
“S’ok,” she sighed. She was extremely weak and Hombre felt guilty that he was putting her through the torture instead of letting her rest. With the recent attack, the writing was on the wall and he needed to make a decision about his, no their, future.
I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.
“Wozniak?” It came out Ogniak.
You fucked him up. He bled out instantly.
“Good.”
I need to ask you something.
Her frazzled eyebrow raised in question.
Would you come with me if I left this place?
“Why leave?” she asked.
Something bad is coming. I don’t want you to get hurt again.
“Craig?”
He’s on his own.
“Mike?”
It’s your call. I can kill him before we go if you want.
“How bad?”
What’s coming?
She nodded.