For Those In Peril (Book 2): The Outbreak (42 page)

The
same thought had occurred to me. ‘Daz, if I’m not on the beach with Tom by
midnight, get on the boat and take it round to the far side of the island.
There’s a point there; you can’t miss it. Wait there until six o’clock tomorrow
morning. If Tom and I are still alive, we’ll meet you there: six hours should be
more than enough time for us to get there. If we’re not there by then, it means
we’re dead, and you need to leave. Take the boat and get as far north as you can
as quickly as possible. Head for an island called Handa. It should be beyond
their reach and no one lives there so there shouldn’t be any infected either.
Mitch will know where it is, and you’ll be able to find it on the charts. If
somehow we’re still alive, we’ll know where to find you, but they won’t.’

Daz
said nothing.

‘Daz,
promise me, please.’

‘Okay.’ There was a pause. ‘But you’d better make sure you’re there, because I’m
no’ too sure I can sail the boat without you.’

‘Daz,
you’ll be fine. Just remember what I’ve taught you. You’ve really got the knack
for it in the last few weeks. You know what you’re doing, you just need to have
a little faith in yourself.’

There
was another silence. Then Daz spoke again. ‘Thanks, Ben.’

‘For
what?’

‘For
givin’ me a chance.’

‘What
else could I do?’

There
was a rustle as Daz shifted his weight on his bed. ‘I know, but still … Thanks.’

‘You
know, you’re a good kid. None of us would ever have lasted this long without
you.’ I glanced at my watch again, it was now five past eleven. ‘I’ve got to
go.’

I
crept over to the door and listened: there were no sounds outside. I reached out
and turned the handle slowly before easing open the door. ‘I’ll see you on the
beach, Daz.’

‘Promise?’

‘I
promise. Just make sure you get Sophie and Claire there on time. Until then,
just sit tight.’ With that, I slipped through the door and into the empty
hallway.

It
took me twenty minutes to get out of the Big House undetected and make my way
across the uneven ground to the wooded area which Sophie had told me was
off-limits to anyone but the marines. I’d only gone a few yards up a path that
weaved between the trees when I saw the glow of arc lamps off in the distance. I
crept cautiously forward until I saw a small group of marines in a clearing lit
by portable lights set up around its perimeter. As I crouched down, trying to
make sure I remained hidden, I realised the men were standing around something I
couldn’t see. One of the marines said something I didn’t quite catch, but it
made the others laugh. I shifted to my left, trying to get a better look, and
glimpsed a figure lying on the ground, a black hood over its head. I recognised
the clothes instantly: it was Tom. Panic bubbled up inside me as I watched him
try to get to his feet, but he was hampered by the fact that his hands were
secured behind his back with a thick, black cable tie.

Suddenly, Nick stepped into the light and strode towards Tom. Without even
stopping, he kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. ‘So,
you’re finally awake …’

Nick
lashed out again and Tom yelped in pain as Nick’s boot smashed into his ribs for
a second time.

He
walked round to Tom’s other side. ‘What were you doing sneaking around in the
woods? You trying to spy on us?’ Nick gave him another well-aimed kick before
leaning down and pulling off the hood. I saw Tom’s face, and recoiled in horror:
both eyes had been blackened and there was blood running down one side. Nick
grabbed Tom’s hair and yanked him up onto his knees, yelling into his ear. ‘You
think you’re tough? Well, we’ll see about that.’

He
pushed Tom to the ground and dragged him by his tied arms across the ground. I
heard a pop as one of Tom’s arms separated at the shoulder joint and he screamed
in pain. As the marines moved aside to let Nick through, I could see the opening
of a large pit. He pushed Tom’s head over the side. ‘This what you were looking
for?’

Tom
recoiled and from within the pit I heard the unmistakable sounds of infected.
Tom tried to pull himself away, but Nick pushed his boot hard between Tom’s
shoulder blades, forcing him back onto the ground. Hands reached up towards him,
grasping the air just inches from his face. Around him, the marines laughed.

Nick
knelt down beside Tom. ‘You know, I might have let you live if you hadn’t got so
bloody nosy.’ He put his hand on the back of Tom’s head and pushed it downwards.
Tom fought hard, twisting his head from side to side as fingertips brushed
against his cheeks, trying their best to tear into his flesh. The infected in
the pit screeched and howled, yet Tom remained just beyond their reach.

Nick
let go and stood up before walking a few feet from the pit. Tom squirmed away
from the edge and wriggled onto his back before trying to get to his feet.

Nick
turned to face him once more, ‘Just as well Samo had the tranq gun when he saw
you. If he’d had to shoot you properly, the noise might have got people asking
questions, especially that bitch of a doctor. She’s another one that’s been
sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong; asking questions she shouldn’t.
She’ll get what’s coming to her soon enough, and that daughter of hers, too.’
Nick took a step forward and kicked Tom hard in the side of the face. He fell
and his head lolled over the side of the pit, his long hair dangling within
reach of the infected, they roared with anticipation as they latched onto it. I
watched as Tom struggled desperately, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t
stop himself being pulled slowly towards the edge of the pit.

Suddenly, Nick grabbed Tom’s legs and pulled him away. ‘Not so fast! I’m not
finished with you yet. Don’t think for a minute that you’re not going to end up
in there eventually. It’s just not quite time yet.’ He turned and pointed
towards where one of the marines was cradling a long-barrelled gun. ‘That
tranquilliser gun turned out to be pretty useful really. It was Bucky’s idea,
you know, to use it to knock out infected. The pit was his idea, too, only he
wanted to study them, learn more about them and the disease.’ Nick laughed
coldly. ‘He just couldn’t see that there was a much better use we could put them
to. You fuckwits were never going to listen to us unless you thought you had no
other choice, so we had to give you no choice.’

Without warning Nick dropped down onto his knees, landing hard on Tom’s chest,
knocking the wind out of him. Tom struggled to breathe, but I knew there was
nothing I could do, not with so many heavily armed men around him. I had to look
at the situation logically: there was no point in me getting caught, too, and I
had to make getting Daz, Sophie and Claire off the island my top priority. Yet,
Tom was my closest friend, and I couldn’t just leave him, not in the hands of
someone like Nick. I hovered indecisively, knowing what I should do, but also
knowing I couldn’t leave Tom like this.

Nick
climbed back to his feet and Tom took a huge gulp of air. ‘That’s something they
don’t teach you in basic training, but it’s really effective when you want to
get someone to talk. Means they can’t breathe, and just when they think their
lungs are about to explode, you get off, and then,’ he dropped onto his knees
again, causing Tom to exhale sharply, ‘you do it again. You can keep it up all
night if you need to and it doesn’t leave a mark.’

Tears
of pain streamed down Tom’s face as the marine got up once more. Nick watched as
he struggled to get air into his lungs. ‘You lot have to learn I’m the one in
charge now; I’m running this game; I’m the one in control.’

Nick’s
attack had opened Tom’s old wounds and blood was starting to seep through his
shirt. Breathing heavily, Tom struggled onto his knees and spoke for the first
time. ‘Fuck you, Nick! They’re not going to let you get away with this, you
know. People will come looking for Claire, Sophie and me. Ben will be here
anytime now, and once he finds out, you’re in trouble. There are more people in
Tobermory than you can handle.’

A
cruel smile crept across Nick’s face. ‘Oh, sorry, did I forget to mention? Ben’s
already here, him and that lanky Glaswegian twat who follows him around like a
lap dog. They’re up at the Big House right now, thinking all’s fine and dandy.’

Tom’s
face fell as he struggled to work out if Nick was telling the truth or not.

‘That’s right. It doesn’t look like Ben’s too bothered about you after all. He
hasn’t even asked where you are.’ Nick stepped forward and kicked Tom in the
stomach, causing him to slump forward. ‘And don’t even think about anyone from
Tobermory coming to rescue you. You see, I’m the Big Bad Wolf: I might not have
blown down their house of straw, but I certainly burned it to the ground.
They’re all dead: I made sure of that. They had to go, just like Bucky and his
fucking morals. I’d love to have seen the look on his face when that infected we
locked him up with finally came round. He was looking pretty damn scared when we
left him in that lighthouse, tied up and all.’ Nick peered down into the pit
causing the infected to growl and snarl, their hands clawing at the edge.
‘Getting a bit low on numbers now. We need some more, or maybe the ones we have
are enough; maybe they just need to be fed.’ He turned to face Tom. ‘Either way,
you won’t last long down there: not as you at any rate!’

I’d
seen all I could take; Tom had always been there for me, and I’d never have got
this far without him: I couldn’t let him think I’d abandoned him when he needed
me most. Not quite knowing what I was going to do, I stepped out of the trees
and into the light. Tom spotted me immediately and a broad grin spread across
his face.

Nick
looked confused. ‘What the fuck are you smiling about?’

Tom
nodded towards me. ‘You might not have it all your own way!’

As
Nick turned, Tom lunged, sending him sprawling backwards towards the pit. He
came to rest with his upper body hanging over the edge. For a moment, everyone
froze, staring, then two of the marines bolted forward and dragged Nick to
safety. Almost immediately, he leapt to his feet and strode over to Tom. He
pulled his pistol from its holster. ‘You little fucker!’

Tom
took one look at the gun and yelled. ‘Ben, run!’

I
remained rooted to the spot as Nick aimed at Tom and fired repeatedly, not at
his head, but into his stomach until Tom was rolling on the ground screaming in
pain. Only then did Nick turn to his men, waving his pistol at me. ‘Well, don’t
just stand there, grab him!’

No one
moved.

Nick
stared angrily at them. ‘What the fuck’s wrong with you? I said get him.’

Still,
there was no movement.

Nick’s
face was red with anger. ‘What the hell are you waiting for?’

One of
the marines stepped forward, ‘Nick, you’re bleeding ...’

Nick
glanced down and saw the ragged wound on his left hand. ‘It’s nothing; I must
have caught it on something.’ The colour drained from his face as he stared at
it. ‘Can one of you go get that smart-arsed doctor? Drag her up here if you have
to; she’ll know what to do.’

There
was no reply. Nick looked up just as one of his men tried to draw his gun but
before he could get it out of its holster, Nick had his pistol levelled at him.
‘No you don’t. I’m not going out like that. I can beat this. I just need the
doctor up here now.’

Another marine made a move, but Nick swivelled and fired before he could get his
machine gun into position. Instantly, he dropped to the ground, blood oozing
from a large hole his forehead. Nick stared at the remaining marines, a wild
look in his eyes as he swung his pistol back and forth. ‘After all I’ve done for
you, this is how you repay me? Are none of you going to help me?’

The
marines glanced at each other nervously, unsure of how to deal with the
situation. Then, one by one they started backing away, slowly at first, then
faster and faster, until they were racing down the path to the Big House.

Nick
stepped forward, yelling after them. ‘Come back, you fucking cowards!’ He
glanced down at his hand again. ‘Shit! I’ll just have to get the bitch myself.’
He spoke more to himself than to anyone in particular.

While
Nick was distracted I crept forward, trying to get to Tom, but before I could,
Nick remembered I was there. In a single movement, he raised the pistol and
pulled the trigger, but there was no shot, just a hollow click. At first, Nick
looked surprised and then he smirked. ‘Don’t think you’ve won.’

Before
I could react, Nick threw away the empty gun as he bent down and rolled Tom onto
his side. Then, with one last kick, he sent him over the edge of the pit before
sprinting off into the darkness in search of Claire. I ran forward, hoping
against hope that I still might be able to save Tom, but I heard his terrified
screams even before I was close enough to see the infected pull his intestines
from his open belly. I looked down into the pit, as they screeched and snarled,
fighting over Tom’s still-moving body. He stared up at me, pleading with me to
do something to end his pain, yet there was nothing I could do, but stay there
with him until he was finally gone.

For
what seemed like an age, I stood, staring into the pit, unable to believe what
had just happened. Then something snapped deep inside and an anger like I’d
never felt before washed over me. Wiping the tears from my face, I turned and
ran after Nick, not knowing what I’d do when I caught up with him, but knowing I
was going to make him pay for all he had done.