The Bitter End (17 page)

An hour after boarding they were washed and dressed in clean clothes. Martin and Alexander untied the ropes and the engine thrummed into life. They were off again and this time, Ben thought, infinitely more prepared.

The Threshers knew all about the dam. They had, in fact, discovered it independently of Aaron and Anthony as it blocked the course they had taken in previous years without trouble.

They hadn't known, or assumed, it was the work of vamps, however. It seemed most likely to be down to the village down river. Although why they would want to dry out their stretch of the river was a mystery but Joel had been determined to find out and took his family to do so.

As luck had it Aaron and Anthony had been on their way to the dam to show it to Daniel and the two groups met mid-way between the two points. Initial caution soon gave way to friendly conversation and eventually, as they worked out who must have built it.

The Threshers had been moored in the little village for more than six months which was longer than any of them cared to be tied to a single location. So they were happy to be on their way again. Ben, for his part was cautiously optimistic that they would be little more than two weeks aboard the smart boat.

Mrs Thresher cleaned and treated their wounds and forbade them from taking shifts at the tiller for at least three days. Under her watchful eye Ben had little to do during the long days except sleep and walk up and down the boat. In fact for the rest of the first day all he did was sit, drinking strong tea and watching his shattered ankle swell to twice its normal size.

On the second day he managed to sneak away from Mrs Thresher and go up on deck where he found Aaron and Joel talking at the tiller. He had something on his mind that he wanted to ask them about.

"Have you got a minute," he said as he walked towards them.

Joel turned towards him and then back to Aaron. "I need to check on the boys," he said and then shuffled away with the careless movements of someone who has spent most of their life on a boat.

Ben smiled at him as he passed and then hobbled over to Aaron.

"What's on your mind?" he said.

He had been thinking about it for the last twenty-four hours but out in the fresh air with the countryside rushing past he couldn't work out how to begin. So he said something else entirely. "What's Dan's story?"

"How do you mean?"

Ben shrugged. "I saw him crying in the church."

Aaron nodded and rubbed a hand over the brown and grey stubble growing on his chin. "He used to live in the village. He was the vicar."

Ben thought about the way Daniel had handled a gun, about how comfortable he had been killing people.

"Don't look so surprised," said Aaron. "None of us are who we used to be."

He supposed that was right. It was just different for him; he hadn't had a life before so he had nothing to compare himself to. For the first time he wondered what he would have become if the world hadn't ended. What would he be doing now if he didn't have to help save the village from vamps?

"We're not just getting weapons to fight the vamps, are we?" he said.

Aaron studied him and shook his head.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"When I trusted you enough."

It seemed strange that he had been taken this far if he wasn't trusted. "You don't trust me?"

Aaron shrugged. "The General's your brother in-law. You still trust him?"

Ben considered his answer carefully. He had trusted Nicholas, never particularly liked him, admittedly, but he'd always thought he had the best interest of Sanctuary at heart. But he hadn't wanted to do anything about the dam and he'd probably tried to kill them for doing it anyway. He shook his head, "not anymore."

Aaron smiled, apparently it was the right answer. "You don't know the half of what he's done," he said cryptically.

"Like what?" he said.

"You know he rigged the election?"

"How could he?"

Aaron shrugged. "His people counted the votes didn't they?"

Honestly Ben had no idea. He wasn't the least bit interested in politics. He hadn't even voted. "So you're going to overthrow him?

"A coup-de-tat," said Aaron.

"Which you need weapons for."

Aaron nodded.

"So what happens then? You take over as General?"

"Me? No way, I'm not a leader. We hold a proper election, let the people decide. We don't want to force anyone to do anything they aren't comfortable with; we just want proper democracy," he said.

It sounded reasonable to Ben. His ankle was starting to hurt and the mist was returning, falling low over the river and blocking his view of the countryside they passed through.

"What do you think?" said Aaron.

Ben realised this was it, he wondered what would happen if he gave an answer Aaron didn't like. Would he be thrown overboard? Left somewhere remote with no way of getting home and warning Nicholas. He realised he wouldn't have to find out. He nodded, "I'm with you." And that was the last time they discussed the matter.

Ben went back inside to rest his ankle. He found Mrs Thresher waiting with hot tea and a stern look on her face.

"I told you to stay off that leg," she said.

"Sorry Mrs Thresher," he said.

"And for god sake call me Sam, okay?"

He nodded and she handed him the cup of tea. He sat down in the chair and she helped him put his foot up on the stool.

"Do you want anything to eat?" she said.

He didn't, he was suddenly very tired. He had all the answers he needed now and he wanted to think about what they meant. "No thank you," he said and he closed his eyes and fell asleep. When he woke up hours later there was a fresh cup of tea on the table in front of him and a sandwich.

10

The days passed quickly aboard The Robinson Crusoe. Ben hardly saw the others as they moved like ghosts between his dreams. They all had work to do and shifts to take on the tiller except him and Anthony who was confined to his bed in a different room. Even Kris pitched in: the younger Thresher, Martin, took her under his wing and set about teaching her everything he knew about boats. She took to it gladly, Ben suspected she was glad to have something to take her mind off Sandra.

He dwelled on what Aaron had revealed to him, about Nicholas and the corruption of Sanctuary. There were vamps building a dam that would remove their watery safety. It seemed as if everything had changed now and he didn't know if he could go back to living that life.

Through the days he watched Joel and Sam working with practiced ease to keep the boat running. He saw them as him and Mary and the boys as his boys. They could do it, he thought, for a few years at least. It would be good for Adam and Zack to experience something beyond Sanctuary. He could teach them to hunt and how to run a boat.

He spent many happy hours day dreaming about a new life on the river with only a nagging question about whether Mary would want to do it. Eventually, however, Mrs Thresher decided that his ankle was healed enough for him to be put to work and he had to adjust to living in the present again.

He clambered onto the deck to find Daniel, Aaron and Joel waiting for him. It was a dull morning, clouds hung low and threatened rain. There were buildings on either side of the canal, windows intact but covered in blue and red graffiti which Ben couldn't translate.

"What's going on?" he said, because it seemed like they were waiting for him to say something. The boat was drifting slowly with the current and he realised that the engine had been switched off.

"Food and fuel run," said Joel.

Ben's ankle gave a dull twinge at the very mention of the word 'run'. The swelling had gone down but it still hurt if he stood up for too long. He didn't say anything but nodded.

"The Thresher's have been coming here for years," said Aaron. "Don't worry, there won't be any trouble."

"Who's worried?" said Ben with a bravado that he didn't feel. The promise of there being no trouble did not fill him with confidence.

The boat stopped in the middle of the canal beneath a bridge which had once been painted black but was now a rusted brown. Mrs Thresher and Kris came on deck to wish them luck because Sam was a traditional woman and would under no circumstances allow Kris to go with them. Ben was pleased to see Kris looking healthier, she had colour in her cheeks and her eyes no longer seemed so vacant.

The two younger Threshers, with guns strapped to their backs, climbed up onto the bridge. They scanned the area and reported back that it was all clear.

Anthony, who was improving quickly now, had not received permission from Mrs Thresher, to leave his sick bed. He was the only one missing.

Joel turned to the three of them. He had a determined look in his eyes and Ben knew that he was serious now. "You follow me," he said. "You do as I say when I say it. Understood?"

They all agreed that they understood.

"I aim to come back to my family in one piece so if you get some foolish notion into your head keep it there until you’re not a part of my team."

No one said anything but Ben wondered what sort of foolish notion he was talking about. They were going for food and fuel and sure, it would be dangerous, what wasn't when you had monsters in the world, but they all knew that. He looked out at the place, a nondescript town, buildings that looked fifty years old and could have been houses or offices. The plants were overgrown but it could have been anywhere on the river.

The time for speculation ended. Joel climbed down the side of the boat and onto dry land. The others followed.

"Follow me," whispered Joel, "and keep your mouths shut."

They did as they were told. The ground was cracked and plants had begun to erupt from it. In places he could see thick blobs of white paint. In silence they followed Joel and stopped beside a car.

Joel ducked down and they did the same. The rusted metal was cool. It felt dead to Ben. He had been in a car before but not for more than twenty years and then only rarely. They had lived in London and his parents hadn't thought there was any need for a car. Occasionally he had gone somewhere with his friends's parents but mostly the only time he got to go in a car was the two or three times a year his parents hired one to go and visit grandparents.

Joel opened the drivers side door and got in. A moment later the engine was running. Daniel got in the front passenger seat, Aaron got in behind him leaving Ben behind the driver. They closed their doors and then they were moving.

It was warm in the car and the air was stuffy. Once they were on the road Joel opened his window and the others did the same.

"The roads aren't good," said Joel, "but it's still quicker than walking."

It was as well. Ben sat staring out the window as the world flashed by impossibly quickly. It was bumpy and he felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably.

Office buildings gave way to shops gave way to residential flats gave way to houses and then shops again. They were not alone. People were everywhere.

Joel turned off the engine and they drifted to a stop at the curb. Ben was vaguely aware that you weren't supposed to drive like that but he was too occupied by the people to give it much thought.

There was a clunk and when Scott tried to open the door it wouldn't. "Don't talk to them," said Joel, "and don't get too close."

"Are they dangerous?" said Ben.

"Not if you do what I tell you," said Joel.

Ben nodded, there was another clunk and he found that he could open his door.

The air was warm and moist. There was no breeze. Outside of the car he could hear a low pitched moaning that seemed to come from the direction of the people. He watched them while he waited for the others to get out of the car and join him.

Their faces were green beneath the pale surface, their skin pulled so tightly it looked as if it might snap. Their limbs were warped and twisted at odd angles that surely meant broken arms. Some of them had festering wounds that had turned black. Tiny black flies buzzed around them.

"What's wrong with them?" he said, to himself as much as to anyone else.

"Come on," said Joel and led them away down the pavement.

Ben took a final look back. One of them had fallen over and at first he thought the others were helping him up but they weren't. Black blood squirted lazily up at them as they tore into the flesh of the one who could no longer stand. Ben felt bile rise in his throat as he realised they were eating him.

"Ben!" said Aaron sharply and he turned away from the gruesome scene. The others were a few metres ahead of him and he jogged to catch up.

Ahead there was a petrol station. There were cars around it but they appeared to have crashed there rather than parked. Joel led them towards it.

They stopped around the corner and Joel held a finger to his mouth. Ben waited and watched. The shop was dark and he could detect no movement inside, the cars didn't move. He could hear insects. It started to rain.

"Lets go," said Joel and one by one they followed him across the road to the garage.