Thirteen Roses Book Four: Alone: A Paranormal Zombie Saga (7 page)

He kept moving, searching for a quieter part of town. He finally found a closed alleyway and reversed in. There was just room for him to slide out the front door and down the side of the van to the back. The alley was home to a couple of bins and not a lot else. He opened the back of the van and took a step back as the stench escaped

The zombie growled at him, tugging against the restraints. He was glad they were padded. He’d thought it was over the top when he put them in, but the Chinese hadn’t liked getting kids with bruises and shit on their arms. Now it was only the padding that stopped the zombie tearing its own hands off.
 

He stepped closer and grinned as it tried to stand and throw itself at him. Its feet kicked futilely against the restraints. This would be fun. He stepped closer and punched it in the gut. It barely reacted, still growling and snapping its teeth. He pulled his knife from his belt and cut it across the arm. Blood ran out, thin and watery, and still the zombie showed no response.
 

Damn thing was an alien. Nah, aliens feel pain. Why didn’t it feel pain? He grabbed the waistband of its trousers and dragged his knife through it, pulling them off. Its dick was a shrivelled, dead thing. Still, worth a try. He didn’t want to get too close so he lashed out with the tip of the blade. It ripped open the bell end and blood sprayed out onto the floor. The zombie hesitated and their eyes met.
 

There was nothing in them, no sign that he’d just chopped the end off its manhood, but its face twisted, like it was trying to frown.
 

‘What’s that? Hurt, does it?’

The zombie growled and he thought it shook its head. He slashed again and there wasn’t much left as bits of half-rotted flesh hit the van floor. Again with the frown and again with no other response. If it didn’t respond when he chopped its dick off, it wasn’t going to respond at all. Unless…

He punched it in the face and, as its head snapped back, he hacked through its throat. Blood geysered and he leapt away, only just avoiding the spray. The sound of its growls changed, becoming thinner and pathetic. He grinned and ran his knife down the side of its face.
 

Now it really panicked, thrashing around inside the restraints and throwing its head from side to side. They knew what killed them. They knew what to be scared of. He lashed out and hacked its ear off. It screamed, a sound like sandpaper on metal, and he beamed, backing away until he sat on the bench opposite.
 

‘So you get it.’ He leant closer, speaking loudly and slowly. ‘Stop. Struggling. Or. I’ll. Put. This. Knife. Through. Your. Eye.’

It stopped moving, its dull eyes fixed on his. There was a brain in there. It had a brain and it knew what he was saying. He nodded. ‘If I let you out the restraints, can you sit still?’

No response. He laughed. ‘I’m not going to. You’re too screwed. No dick and no ear. Waste of time. But maybe I can train others.’

He nodded and smiled wider. His knife went through its eye while it was still staring at him and it went stiff and slumped in the restraints. He wiped the blade on what was left of its trousers, sheathed it and undid the restraints. The zombie went out in the alley along with all the spare bits of flesh he could kick out. He stared at the corpse for a moment, thinking only one thing. Bait.

He jumped down, grabbed the head and body, then dragged it down the side of the van. There were already zombies gathered outside the alleyway. Dumb fuckers couldn’t even get through the gap. He tossed the body out and it landed in a heap with a wet thud. The zombies fell on it and he watched and waited.
 

One near him looked in good shape, or as near to good shape as zombies got. He lunged, grabbed it around the arms, and dragged it straight back into the gap. Getting it down the side of the van that way was a struggle, and he had to bash it in the face a few times before it settled, but he soon had it around the back of the alley.
 

He hauled it up and had its hands in restraints before it went really crazy. Catching the legs took a while but he soon had it strapped up. He repeated the punishment to its head until it settled and then he sat back.
 

‘This is simple. I can kill you now. I want to kill you. You’re an aberration, a curse upon God’s Earth. He wants me to kill you and I do his work. But I think you can be used and God trusts me to make my own judgments. So. I’m going to take the restraints off and you’re going to sit still, or I’m going to cut your face off and drag your brains out. Understand?’

Nothing. He took a deep breath and undid one hand and then the other. The creature sat and stared at him and Jackson smiled through gritted teeth. It would work. He could train it. It would go out and kill its mates and he could sit back as they tore one another apart.
 

This was why God had chosen him. It was like Hen or Li had said. He was thinking big, thinking beyond the immediate future. It was what people did, when they had a world view. He nodded. He had a world view and God knew it.
 

He undid first one foot and then the other and they sat facing one another, man and zombie. This was the beginning of something, so much larger than—

The zombie lurched at him, teeth bared, and his hand moved before he thought about it. The knife went in its eye and the blood and liquid was warm on his hand. He snarled, opened the back door, and tossed the corpse onto the floor, spitting on it for good measure. He flicked the blood off his hand and onto the body. Damn bastard sneaky thing.
 

It was smart, smart enough to trick him. But not smart enough to be scared for its own life. It was, he knew, a bad combination. With another growl he leapt out and slammed the back door. He wouldn’t give up, not yet. There was potential here.
 

He turned on the engine and stared at the zombie trying to climb the front of his van. He didn’t want to go back to the hospital. Luke and Krystal wouldn’t be back till late and when they did they’d still chat and talk and waste time. No one wanted to make decisions.
 

He’d avoided thinking about the demon all week but he couldn’t avoid it any longer. They’d made a deal, of sorts. He was keeping the hostages alive, just like he’d promised, even if he hadn’t kept them in St Paul’s.
 

So they were in the hospital, surrounded by devices, and now Luke was going to take them out to the country. God wanted to keep them safe, and Luke was helping with that. But God wanted him, Jackson, to begin the re-population and that wasn’t happening. Maybe he should speak to Az about it. Maybe he could recharge the devices at the same time.
 

He put it in first and put his foot down, smiling at the crunch from beneath his wheels. Stupid bastards.
 

The reception area was still quiet when he sneaked in. They probably didn’t even know he’d left. He headed up the stairs and was about to enter the private room when loud voices drew him to the main room. He poked his head in and found maybe thirty of the ladies in a gaggle, all speaking at once.

They were fine to look at but he’d be so happy if they all shut up. One pulled herself free of the press and approached him. He hadn’t bothered learning names, but she was particularly fine, hips swaying back and forth. He should have learnt hers.
 

‘Hi, Jackson, my name’s Harriet.’ She stuck her hand out and he wrapped it up in his.
 

‘Hi, Harriet. What can I do for you?’ She wanted him. Her eyes were telling him quite clearly what he could do for her.
 

‘We’re leaving.’
 

His hand fell away and his mouth opened. For the first time in his life, he didn’t have anything to say.
 

‘Can you tell the others please?’ She sounded like she was in a church meeting, discussing next week’s bake sale. ‘We, as a group, feel unable to remain here while Lucifer is part of this. So we are returning to the cathedral where we feel we have a better chance of accomplishing something worthwhile in the new world.’

She turned and stomped away. He watched her arse and found his thoughts turning all sorts of ways. Then what she’d just said sunk in. She was right. Why was he still here? Why was he following Luke? He was a free man but he’d let himself be suckered by the smooth tongue of the great deceiver. God must be furious with him.

He ground his teeth together and approached the group. They quietened, recognising him as the leader already. ‘I can’t tell the others, I’m coming with you. You’re right, how could I be so blind?’

Harriet stepped closer. ‘You’re coming with us?’

‘I am. Unless…’ He worked hard to keep the smile from his face. ‘You’re right about Luke. But the men in St Paul’s aren’t any better. Trust me, I know. How about we take a couple of the devices and head out on our own?’

Harriet raised a perfect eyebrow and his eyes strayed from her face to her tits where they pushed against her t-shirt. He held his breath.
 

‘We will discuss it. I don’t like the thought of returning either so perhaps a new way might be best.’

She turned, dismissing him with a wave of her hand, and he watched her go again. He could watch her go all day. He needed to get ready and collect some devices. He would head down the tunnel, recharge, and speak to Az, then head out somewhere new. Just him and thirty of the hottest women he’d ever met.
 

He pushed the door open and froze. Bayleigh and Alex stood in the corridor, chatting in hushed voices. He needed to get out of here without them seeing him. Then Alex looked up and raised a hand.
 

‘Hey, Jackson, where’ve you been? The device is missing from reception. Can we talk to you for a minute?’

Bayleigh

Jackson strolled towards them. He looked casual enough, but his eyes remained fixed on the floor. She was always inclined to believe the best of people, but she struggled with Jackson. She struggled to believe anything good about him at all. The way he looked up, like a kid waiting for his parents to spank him, made it even harder.
 

How he could look like a little kid when he stood head and shoulders above her she didn’t know. But he was up to something. Fortunately, perhaps, Alex spoke first.
 

‘The device has gone from reception and we think the soldiers took it.’

‘That’s weird. I just checked and it was there.’

‘Just? When’s just?’

‘Like, five minutes ago.’

Bayleigh almost set off down the corridor to check herself. ‘You’re sure it was there?’

‘It was there, alright? I’m not blind.’

Bayleigh held her hands up. ‘Hey, easy, it’s fine.’ What the hell was happening? ‘Could Harriet have put it back?’

Alex shrugged. ‘Maybe. What was the point of it all though?’

‘To get you killed?’

Alex turned pale and put his hand on the wall. ‘I don’t think so. We’re been getting on pretty good. I mean…’ He trailed off, blushing, and she did a u-turn in her mind. He was supposed to be the good one, but with one look he’d become just another guy. Nothing unexpected really, but it still hurt. She went to ask about the device again but found different words coming out of her mouth. ‘Is she really all that?’

‘Uh, well, I mean—’

‘She’s all that. Trust me, she’s fine.’ Jackson nodded and smiled as he spoke. Bayleigh could imagine the crude gestures he’d be making with his hands if he thought he’d get away with it. Alex’s blush deepened and spread to his forehead. It was half cute and half really annoying.
 

‘Fine, whatever. She wasn’t trying to get you killed. So what was the point in stealing it then putting it back?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t think it was her. I know you don’t like her, but she wouldn’t do that.’ Alex sounded like he was pleading. Bayleigh sighed. ‘God help me. Being pretty doesn’t make you a nice person.’

‘Hey, I’m not saying she’s a shining example. I’m just saying, I don’t think it’s in her nature to do something that could get someone else killed.’

Bayleigh harrumphed, but he was quite possibly right. She didn’t know Harriet except as an annoyingly pretty woman with an unhealthy interest in God, but she hadn’t displayed signs of wanting to kill any of them.
 

‘You’re sure it’s back in the drawer?’

Jackson curled his upper lip and snarled at her.
 

‘Fine, fine, okay. How about the other four, when did we last check them?’ Shrugs all round. ‘Right, we check them and meet straight back here. Watch for any zombies that might have come in.’

‘There were four dead downstairs, who was that?’ Jackson asked. Like it mattered.

Alex raised a hand. ‘I did one and Dave did the other three.’

‘Dave bagged three zombies? Not bad at all. And you got one. About time.’ Jackson patted Alex on the arm and strolled away, smiling broadly. Bayleigh leant close to Alex.
 

‘You know how you feel about him? That’s how I feel about Harriet.’

She stalked away before he could reply. Stupid bloody woman with her perfect skin and boobs and every other bloody thing. It didn’t matter how pretty she was, she was perfectly capable of being a psycho.

Bayleigh’s device was where it should be and still warm. She wandered back to the private room, head spinning as she tried to sort through everything Harriet had said.
 

Could she really have that much of an issue with someone who’d saved her life? Apparently she could. That alone was worthy of the loathing and annoyance Bayleigh felt towards her. It was selfish and arrogant and those things didn’t sit well at all.
 

She reached the private room first and crept past to the door of the main room. Ten of the ladies were in there, reading magazines or chatting quietly. Sophie sat in the far corner with her feet up on the chair and her knees pressed into her chest. She held her phone at arms length beside her feet.
 

‘Hey, how you doing?’ Bayleigh said as she reached her.