Legion (An Apocalyptic Horror Novel) (Hell on Earth Book 2) (12 page)

“Me either. Guess I’ve been wrong all these years. I hope God hurries up and helps us, because I’m not sure I can do much on my own.”

“You’re not alone, Rich. There might be a lot of bad things going on, but you’ll never be alone. We’ll face this together. You, me, and Dillon.”

“Right now, that’s the only thing I’m holding on to.”

“Good, because I’m proud of you.”

He glanced at her. “You are?”

“Remember before we got married, when you joined the police force? We stayed in that hotel in Torquay—The Silver Fish.” 

“Oh yeah.”

“And we took a few beers onto the beach one night and spoke about our dreams for the future.”

“I remember. You stepped on a shell and cut your foot.”

She chuckled. “I did, didn’t I? Before that, though, you told me you wanted to join the police force and make a difference. You wanted to help people.”

“I remember.”

“But all you’ve done these last few years is complain about how all you seem to do is chase, punish, and lock up. Nothing has done any good. Nothing has changed.”

Richard sighed. His thoughts on the effectiveness of modern policing were often depressing. “Weed seizures and pub brawls. I’ve grown tired of it.”

“I know you have, honey. That’s why I’m proud of you, because you never let it jade you. Today you inspired a bunch of teenagers into helping out instead of punishing them for the sake of it because it wouldn’t have done any good. You gave them a chance to do something useful. You empowered those boys, and they broke their backs working for you tonight.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I got up in the middle of the night and watched you. Miles made me a cup of tea, and we shared a cigarette. He told me all about what happened at the police station.”

Richard had spoken at length to Reverend Miles about what was coming. The poor man had been awake the entire night, bringing Aaron and the others tea and coffee to keep them going. “The boys surprised me,” he admitted. “It was a reporter from the city who told me to enlist their help. Not sure I would have considered it myself.”

“You would have. You see the best in people, Rich. That’s why I love you.”

“I love you too, Jen. So much. If anything happens…”

She shushed him. “We’ll face it together. Get some sleep.”

His wife continued stroking his hair, and sleep was exactly what he did.

* * *

T
he refugees
at the church had swelled throughout the day, but the group grew unbalanced with children and elderly. Richard understood that most families were probably hiding out in their homes, but it was those young parents and teenagers that they needed. If this was to be Slough’s defensive force, they needed strong men and women. That was why Glen and the other officers had gone out in the squad car to spread word that there was sanctuary at the church. The only one to remain was Riaz.

Richard, meanwhile, had slept until a little before noon and then got right back to building defences. Aaron and his friends were back at the growing barricade and had been adding to it with chairs and tables taken from the storage room of the church. It now stretched from the sidewall of
J.Roberts Accountancy
right across the road to the
Fisherman’s Feast
chip shop. It was next to the chip shop where Richard spoke to Aaron.

“We’re going to need to get some munchies, boss. I’m starving, and I bet everyone else is too. If we’re all going to hang around the church, we can’t live on the vicar’s tea and biscuits.”

Richard felt his own tummy rumbling. It was almost three o’clock, and he hadn’t eaten since yesterday at breakfast time. “I know. We need to sort that out or people will begin to grumble.”

Aaron motioned to the chippie’s large glass window. “Could get the grills on in there. Mikey used to work at a takeaway and could probably get everything cooking. Would mean breaking in though unless we can find the owner.”

“Break it,” said Richard, surprised by how quickly he came to the decision.

Aaron smirked. “You sure, boss?”

“We need to feed everyone. This isn’t going to get cleared up in a weekend. We will have to do whatever we need to.”

“You’re a copper I can get on board with, you know that?”

“You caught me on a bad day.”

“Your mate was looking for you.”

Richard frowned. “Who?”

“The other copper. The Asian one.”

“Riaz?”

Aaron shrugged. “He was sat on the wall outside the church.”

Richard turned and crossed the road, heading back towards the church. Sure enough, he found Riaz sitting on his usual perch. “You were looking for me?”

He pulled out his phone and waved it. “I’ve been getting network coverage this afternoon. Allowed me to do some research online.”

“Great. Have you learned anything?”

“I started with the normal searches, reports from the BBC, etc. Things are as bad as I thought. It’s the end of the world.”

Richard sighed. There was nothing to be gained by making such grand statements, even if they were true. “Okay.”

“Then I went narrower, tried to find out how long we have left. The enemy is on the move, but they seem to be forming up around the country into several larger armies. Each army is being led by a giant.”

“Sorry,” said Richard. “Giants?”

Riaz huffed. “People online are calling them angels because of scars they have on their back that look like wings. There’s one in London. It was there during an attack on Hyde Park. The RAF hit it with missiles, but it didn’t even bleed.”

“And it’s coming this way?”

Riaz shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“So where did you learn all this?”

“
The Slough Echo
.”

“The newspaper down the road?”

“They’ve been gathering the facts and posting them online. That’s the reason I was looking for you. Apparently, the enemy has some kind of aversion to iron.”

Richard tilted his head and paid close attention. “Iron?”

Riaz nodded. “According to the
Echo
, the demons, or whatever they are, can’t cross a line of iron. Thought that might be useful for your barricade.”

“It’s
our
barricade, Riaz. We’re building it to keep us all safe.”

“You really think it will make the slightest bit of difference? We can’t fight what’s coming.”

Richard sighed. “Can we
beat
what’s coming, I don’t know, I admit it. But the least we can do is
fight
it.”

“Why fight when it’s pointless? Why not run and enjoy the time you have left with your family?”

“You think I don’t want to do that? Of course I do, but where would we be then?”

There was the nearby sound of glass shattering.

Riaz leapt up off the wall. “Those little shits!”

Before Richard could stop him, Riaz was racing across the road towards the chip shop. Aaron and his three friends were currently putting through the large plate-glass window by throwing bricks.

Richard shouted after Riaz, but it did no good. The officer ran up behind Aaron and grabbed him around the collar, spinning the lad around. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Get your hands off me, pig!”

Riaz snarled. “I’ll drag you into a cell and guard you myself.”

“Riaz! Riaz, it’s okay.”

Riaz glanced sideways at Richard. “How is this okay? It was a bloody stupid idea leaving these trouble makers on the street.”

“I told Aaron to put through the windows,” said Richard.

“What? Why?”

“Because we all need feeding, and this chip shop is sitting here abandoned and full of food.”

Riaz released Aaron and shoved him away. The lad smirked but looked a little shaken in the eyes. Riaz glared at Richard in a way he did not like. “This is somebody’s business. What right do we have—”

“For Christ’s sake, Riaz! What the hell is the matter with you?”

“What’s the matter with me? I’m a police officer hearing that another police officer just condoned wanton destruction of property.”

Richard shook his head and pointed a finger in Riaz’s face. “No, it’s more than that. You’ve been in a foul mood since last night, which is fair enough considering the circumstances, but what I don’t get is how one minute you’re telling me we’re all doomed, then the next you’re trying to enforce the law as if everything is normal. What is going on with you?”

He slapped Richard’s finger out of his face. “I’m not having this conversation. You want to play at being Mad Max, fine, but it’s a waste of time.”

“Why is it?” said Richard. “Why are you so eager to give up?”

Riaz shoved past Richard and marched away. As he stormed off he shouted over his shoulder. “Don’t forget about the iron. It might just let you live a few minutes longer.”

“That guy is a dick, man,” said Aaron. 

Richard patted him on the back. “It’s my fault. I should have involved Riaz in what we were doing.”

“He don’t want to be involved. All he does is sit around stink-eyeing us.”

“I’ll talk to him. For now, just get those fryers on. I’ll go get you some volunteers from the church.”

Aaron took off his baseball cap and ran a finger through his hair. With a smile he said, “I always wanted my own business. Guess I’m in the fast food game now.”

“Well, be good at it or it’ll end up being a free for all.”

Richard headed back to the church, and when he announced that food was in the process of being delivered, an excited chorus of hungry moans broke out. Dillon sat on the steps up to the altar, so Richard went up to him and pulled out the item he’d tucked in the back of his trousers. It was a
Beano
comic he had taken from a basket outside of a charity shop. Dillon grinned at the sight of it.

“Dennis the Menace. Thanks, Dad.”

Richard gave him a hug. “You’re welcome.”

Jen came over. “How’s it going?”

“We have a decent wall up now. Riaz told me he’s learned that the demons can’t cross iron.”

“Demons? Are we calling them that?”

“Yes, and there’s giant angels too, apparently.”

She broke out in laughter.

Richard grinned. “You don’t believe me?”

She covered her mouth and stopped herself. “No, I do believe you. That’s the problem. Demons, angels… It’s just so absurd. Whenever I try to make sense of it, I start to go insane. I mean, we haven’t even seen these things. It all feels like a big practical joke, you know?”

“Let’s hope that it is. I would rather feel stupid than afraid.”

“Well, we’re okay for now at least. I’ll take Dillon to go get food at the chip shop. Maybe we can find a way to help out.”

The thought of his wife and son having a task to occupy them sounded good to Richard, so he told her, “Go ask for Aaron and say you’re my wife. He’ll be glad to have your help; I’m sure.”

She nodded. Before she left, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m still proud of you.”

Richard sighed. “Just let me know as soon as you stop.”

“Can’t see that happening.”

Richard stood in the church while most everyone filtered outside and across the road to the chip shop. Faced with a brief moment of peace, he sat down on a pew and stared up at Jesus who hung from a cross above the altar. Richard had never believed in him before, but he wondered now if the man had been real—in the sense he was God’s son and looked down on humanity. Was it truly demons stalking the earth, or something else entirely? Was Riaz right: that they would all perish without the slightest assistance from heavenly forces? Despite Richard’s atheist views, there was something fateful about ending up at a church. He felt somehow protected.

“Do you feel his presence?” asked Miles.

Richard started, but then settled back down. “Not sure I do. I don’t see any sense in this.”

“And yet, there is sense to be made. It’s happening for a reason, just not one we understand.”

Richard laced his hands together in his lap and took his eyes off Jesus and turned them to Miles. The man was still donning his cassock and collar. If it had been Richard, he would have changed into something more comfortable. “What is your take on all this, Miles? Is there a religious perspective?”

“There is a religious perspective on all things, not that it’s always helpful. In my opinion, for I cannot speak higher than myself, I believe this is a war that started somewhere else. I think forces above us are in dispute, and perhaps we are just a staging ground. Maybe we have been caught in the middle.”

“You mean like Heaven and Hell? They are fighting over us?”

“Earth is heavenly by its very nature, for it is of God. I imagine God’s enemies would like to see humanity fall. It would be the ultimate insult to him.”

“So we’re collateral damage?”

Miles nodded gently. “To believe we are anything more important would be vain.”

“I suppose you’re right. Does the bible say anything about this kind of thing?”

“Depends on which version you read. Some of the American sects would tell you this is a tribulation, that we are all being tested for worthiness of Heaven. They call it the Rapture. C of E is a little less dramatic. Perhaps the Antichrist has been among us, and we missed him. There is so much evil in the world it would be easy to dismiss him as just another tyrant or greed-monger. Maybe he brought war to us without us even noticing.”