As the Light Dies (86 page)

“
You said that you go shooting at the weekends
,”
he said.

David nodded
.“
Yea
,”
he said.

“
Can you put your hands on cartridges for that gun of yours if you need to
?
”

“
Uh, yea, why
?”
said David. Then before Dean spoke David blurted
,“
WAIT! I think I hear them. Listen! Yes, I can, i
t’
s them. The
y’
re trying to get their window open. I can hear them. The
y’
re gonna be ok
!
”

Dean thought otherwise. He could
n’
t see this going well at all. He turned to Gavin and told him to go and get Ann ready to leave, and to gather up Sara
h’
s things as well.

Gavin nodded and set to work straight away leaving him with David.

“
Hey
,”
said Dean
,“
do you have anything up here that we might be able to use to help them get over here
?
”

Before David answered Dean heard the sound of breaking glass
.
Here we go
,
he thought.

“
No
!”
David called back over his shoulder. He was leaning so far out of the window Dean worried he was on the brink of falling out so he grabbed hold of the big gu
y’
s belt.

“I’
ve got you
,”
he said.

“
Thanks
,”
said David, then he answered Dea
n’
s question
.“
All tha
t’
s up here is junk that I could
n’
t sell
.
”

Dean racked his brains trying to think up options when David nearly deafened him seeing his neighbours pop their heads out!

“GUYS!”
he shrieked as Samantha and Iain both looked over at him squeezing out through the mouth of their window.

Samantha looked at David wide eyed. Her face was pure white with panic, making her freckles stand out like black dots on a blank page. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears. She pressed her lips together attempting to smile but could
n’
t. She nodded at David and ducked back inside. David knew right then that she was
n’
t even going to try, the look on her face said that she knew her time was up, and she knew how she was going to go. There was simply no way that she was going to be able to make the crossing. Iain knew it too. All they needed was that quick glance and they both knew it was over for them. Both of them because neither one would be leaving without the other.

David called across
,“
You have to try, you have to,
c’
mon
!
”

Iain shook his head as a tear ran down his cheek.

“
Please
,”
said David
,“I’
ll help you.
I’
ll climb out my side and reach across
.”
He pushed himself out a little further and his big hand slipped on the cold roof tiles and he slid a little further out of the window. Dean only just managed to keep a hold of him. He tugged him back a little and said
,“
Careful Dave, yo
u’
re a big guy. I nearly lost you then
!
”

David inched back further. He knew that there was little chance of Iain and Samantha making the crossing, but he simply could
n’
t do nothing.

He called over again
,“
Do you guys have anything that might help you get across, anything at all
?
”
“
No
,”
Iain called back shaking his head
.“
All w
e’
ve got up here are boxes and piles of old books and magazines
.”
A loud bang made Iain jump, and Samantha cried out somewhere behind him.

Iain called over
,“
They broke in David. The
y’
re at the attic door
!
”

If their door’s anything like mine, it won’t hold for long
,
thought David.

Samanth
a’
s sobs were loud enough for David to hear over all the noise. She tried calling for Iain but could
n’
t even finish saying his name.

“I’
m coming Sammy,
I’
m coming
,”
he said glancing back in at her.

He looked back at David and swallowed hard
.“
We do
n’
t have a chance David. But you do, you and Sarah. We could hear her, and whoever else tha
t’
s in there with you. You still have a chance, all of you...
.”
He stopped and whipped his head around to look back in to his loft.

David heard why and so did Dean.

They heard the sound of creaking and snapping wood.

It reminded Dean of the flimsy fire-doors back at the leisure centre.

Samantha called again for Iain and managed to get his whole name out this time, practically wailing his name.

“I’
m coming Sammy
,”
he said as he turned back to David
.“
You guys go
,”
he said
,“
make a run for it while this lot are busy with us. Do it before the
y’
re finished with us. Go now before they even start, because the
y’
ll be straight after you guys. W
e’
ve seen what they can do. I do
n’
t know if they can smell or if they just listen or what, but either way they must know yo
u’
re in there now with all the shouting
.”
Then just as Iain said it, as if right on cue, the pawn sho
p’
s front shutters burst into action below as they started to get shaken. A sound David had gotten used to most Friday and Saturday nights.

“
Please
,”
Samantha managed from behind Iain.

Iain looked at David and nodded
.“
You guys go
.
Run
!
Get Sarah to safety until this thing blows over. Run and do
n’
t stop...
.”
He broke off for a second looking back in at Samantha.

Then turning back to face David he gently shook his head and said
,“
Thank you for trying. Thank all of you, now good-bye
.
”

Iain ducked back inside out of view.

“
IAIN! IAIN WAIT! PLEASE
!”
yelled David.

Dean gently squeezed Davi
d’
s shoulder to get his attention and said calmly
,“
H
e’
s right David, w
e’
ve gotta go. If we do
n’
t we could end up in the same situation
.
”

Then the attic door next door gave way with an almighty crunch and Samantha started to wail a mind numbingly loud moan that soon became a gut wrenching scream!

The gurgling rose up feverously and the footfalls sounded like thunder!

Then Iain started screaming!

“No, no, no!
”
pleaded David. He was frozen to the spot oblivious to Dean barking at the others to start moving. Dean told Ann to take Sarah and start heading back down to the shop. He told Gavin to do the same and to search the shop for anything useful that they might be able to use. They did as he said and headed down the stairs without question. Sam sensing what was happening darted in front of them and led the way, and instead of running ahead like before he stayed close to Sarah the whole time. Dean turned back to David. He wanted that shotgun loaded before they left and he knew that the
y’
d be leaving soon.

Samantha had stopped screaming, but he could still hear Iain. He was only grunting but Dean could still hear him. Dean dreaded the thought of what he must be going through right this second, just feet away and having just witnessed his partne
r’
s terrible fate.

H
e’
d tried putting up a fight. Dean had heard that much while he yelled at the others. But it was passed that now. Ther
e’
d never really been any chance for him.

“
David
?”
he said
,“
We have to go. You ca
n’
t try to deal with this right now, ther
e’
s no time. Ther
e’
s nothing anyone coul
d’
ve done. We did all we could, the grieving has to wait. Do you understand? We have to get the hell out of here while we still can
!
”

David did
n’
t respond
.
“NO
W
David!”
said Dean
.“
Go and load that gun of yours and le
t’
s get the hell outta here. Le
t’
s get Sarah to safety
!
”

David eventually nodded after what felt like ages and said
,“
Yea ok. Yo
u’
re right, of course you are, le
t’
s go,
I’
ll load the shotgun as we head back down stairs
.
”

Thank God for that,
thought Dean relieved
,
it’s about time
.

David began to shimmy back inside from the windowsill helped by Dean when Iain suddenly flew out of his window screaming at the top of his lungs hugging two infected people that were biting chunks out of him even as they fell.

Dean and David both flinched, and then watched completely helpless and amazed as the three of them landed with a dull thud four storeys below in the street silencing Iain once and for all. The two infected h
e’
d taken with him, unhindered by the fall continued pulling and tearing at his flesh, pealing him like a raw chicken. They disappeared in an instant, enveloped by the ash as the downdraught from their fall faded.

David felt vomit rising up his throat as Iain was obscured by the ash again as other infected people made visible only by the tops of their heads, rushed back out off the shop towards them. Dean reached for David to gently pull him away from the window knowing that they had to move when an infected woman suddenly jerked in to position around Iain and Samanth
a’
s window.

She looked right at them, opened her smashed-in jaw and bellowed at them!

As Dean stared at her, he was sure that he saw a glint of excitement in her bleak featureless black orb of an eye.

She reached out towards them with mangled hands and her slow gurgle sped up to a screech. David and Dean leaned back in shock and horrified. Her wounds were beyond horrific and yet she came at them as agile as a gymnast, despite her missing fingers and exposed skeletal bones. She was drenched in blood from head to toe. Some was her own, seeping from her wounds like molten tar and some was no doubt Iain and Samanth
a’
s that smeared her face colouring her bright red.

She climbed away from the window ledge and out on to the roof!

“FUCK!”
snapped Dean and then David fell back against him as he pushed back with fear.

Dean shoved him off quickly, trying to look out at the roof knowing they had to stop her from getting across. Looking back out he placed his hand on his cleaver as the infected woman fell against the steeply pitched roof and slipped off and fell out of sight. Davi
d’
s heart leapt with relief but before h
e’
d even taken another full breath another infected figure took her place. It was another woman. She climbed out quick and nimble like a sewer rat, and another quickly joined her from behind. They climbed out without any fear of falling. They thrust their wounded bitten hands towards the two men screeching their morbid call.