‘Come to gloat?’ I snarl, letting myself fall back into my hammock.
‘No,’ he says, taking a seat. I’m not chained up, so I could attack him, but he doesn’t look afraid. Either he’s sure I’ll leave him be out of fear of reprisal, or he’s confident that he could draw his gun and open fire before I got my hands on him.
‘Come to take my order then? Cool. I’ll have my brains fried, sunny side up.’
Barnes grins. ‘I’ll pass your request on to Coley.’
‘Where is your trusty sidekick?’ I ask.
‘Taking it easy. Having some fun.’
‘I thought he might be cowering behind you again.’
Barnes chuckles. ‘That wasn’t his finest moment. I haven’t brought it up with him yet, but I certainly plan to. I’m just waiting for the right time.’
‘This is all screwed,’ I mutter. ‘I don’t care what these guys are doing for you, nothing can justify this. You’ve sided with a pack of demons. Dan-Dan torments and kills children. How can you live with yourself, serving a beast like that?’
‘I don’t have to explain my motives to the likes of you,’ Barnes grunts. ‘You killed plenty of kids yourself, I’m sure, when you turned.’
‘That’s different. I couldn’t control myself. I can now. You can too. But you choose not to.’
‘Our choices are sometimes limited,’ Barnes sighs, then shakes his head and squints at me. ‘Enough of the soul-baring. I’m here to offer you a deal.’
‘This should be interesting,’ I sneer.
‘You’ve lost your sheen,’ Barnes says. ‘You’re slowing up. The constant fighting has taken it out of you. You’re slow to heal – if you heal at all – and your wounds are weakening you. Our lords and ladies have started to worry. They enjoy watching you in action. They don’t want to lose their prize plaything.’
‘Tell them if they love me, they should set me free,’ I say sweetly.
Barnes laughs. ‘I like you, Becky, I truly do. You’ve got more balls than most of the guys I’ve ever known. I want to help you if I can.’
I cock an eyebrow at the hunter. ‘If you’re looking to break me out, I’m all ears.’
Barnes smiles wryly. ‘I don’t like you that much. But I’ve come up with a compromise that might work. The Board want me to find other zombies like you, who can speak and think. They want to see you take on one of your own, someone who can mount a genuine challenge. They’ve instructed me to find a few of your friends, like the ones I saw you with in Leicester Square.’
I flash my teeth at him. ‘I don’t have any friends.’
‘Then you won’t mind if I find some of the gang you were with, bring them back here and force you to fight them,’ he says calmly.
I glare at him and don’t respond.
‘Or,’ Barnes says teasingly, ‘we can strike a deal.’
‘What’s this deal you keep going on about?’ I sniff.
‘Simple,’ he says. ‘Tell me where your colleagues are. I’ll round up the lot of them. Then we’ll set you free.’
I smother a laugh. ‘You expect me to believe you’d let me go?’
‘I’m not a liar.’
‘But you’re also not the main man here. Not even close. The lords and ladies of the Board would never sanction my release.’
‘They already have,’ Barnes says. ‘I took the offer to them before I came to you. Said I didn’t think you’d go for it, but that I wanted to know where they stood if you did. They voted four to two in your favour. I won’t tell you who voted against you, as I’d hate to sour the special relationship you have with them.’
‘What makes you think they’d honour their pledge?’ I ask.
‘Easier to do that than betray me. They might not think much of me as a man, but they respect me as a soldier. Besides, I’m useful to them. There will be other ways I can help them further down the line. You have my guarantee that we’ll make good on our promise.’
I don’t really have to think about it, but I give myself a minute to mull it over, just to be absolutely sure of my answer. When I’ve decided, I smirk and rock in my hammock. ‘Sorry, Barnes. Couldn’t help you even if I wanted. Like I told the Board, we moved around all the time. We don’t have a base. I’ve no idea where they might be.’
Barnes nods and stands. ‘I expected nothing more but felt I owed you the offer. I’ll find them anyway. Hunting’s what I excel at. I’ll track them down, subdue them and drag their sorry asses back here.
‘I hope those conscious zombies truly aren’t your friends. Because soon you’re going to have to face them in the arena and kill or be killed. And there’s nothing worse than having to sacrifice someone you care about. Take it from one who knows.’
On that enigmatic note he leaves and, as I carry on rocking, I reflect bitterly on the fact that my future, as short as it was already given my dire situation, probably just got a hell of a lot shorter.
I’m marched down to see the children every day. They’re being held on the deck beneath mine. They sleep in bunk beds. The boiler room is nearby and that’s where they play and exercise. I usually view them there. They’re pale from lack of sunlight and haggard-looking, but they seem to be enjoying their respite and have been a bit cheerier every day.
There are fifteen of them, mostly boys, but some girls too. I never get to spend a lot of time with them and we don’t talk much. But at least I can see that they’re alive and being taken care of. For however long I might last.
It’s been nine or ten days since Barnes made his offer. Part of me wishes I’d accepted. I was telling the truth when I said I didn’t have any friends among the Angels. That was the advantage of keeping my distance. I could have sold them out, walked away a free girl, put this episode behind me and tried to forget about the Board and my treachery.
But, as bad as things get, I never really regret telling Barnes to get stuffed. I don’t want to see out the rest of my days as a Judas, especially given the fact that I might live for a few thousand years. There are some things you can never forget or forgive yourself for.
Mind you, I won’t have to worry about thousands of years in my current state. I’ve taken several severe hammerings over the last week. I’m getting sluggish. I can’t move as swiftly as I did, or react as sharply as I could at my peak. I’m running on willpower alone these days. If it wasn’t for the children, I’d give up the ghost. But I’ve got to buy them as much time as I can. A few days won’t make any difference to me, but it might to them.
I watch the children running round the boiler room, smiling softly to myself as they play hide-and-seek. I wish the guards would leave me here for an hour or two, but they never allow me more than a few minutes, just enough time to do a headcount and satisfy myself that they’re all as well as they can be given the wretched circumstances.
‘Aren’t they wonderful?’ someone murmurs behind me.
I glance over my shoulder and my smile disappears. It’s Dan-Dan. He’s wearing a fireman’s outfit today. It doesn’t fit him any better than his sailor’s costume.
‘Why don’t you get clothes the right size?’ I growl. ‘Nobody wants to look at your belly.’
‘I like looking at it,’ he giggles. ‘And I like my tight clothes. They feel much better when they’re cutting into me.’
He moves forward, careful not to get too close. My arms are tied behind my back and my ankles are shackled together, but I still pose a threat and Dan-Dan is all too aware of it. Keeping a safe distance, he stops at a railing and studies the children.
‘I miss them so much,’ he sighs. ‘You have no idea how lonely and scared I get when I’m by myself. I never have nightmares when I torture and kill. And the nightmares are so terrifying . . .’
‘Stop,’ I whimper. ‘You’ll make me cry.’
‘I don’t expect you to understand,’ he says. ‘Hardly anyone does. All I can tell you is that I bitterly regret the day I let you convince me to stop killing in order to watch you fight. The figh
ting bores me now.’
‘It doesn’t bore the others,’ I note.
‘Not yet,’ he concedes. ‘But their interest will wane soon, as mine has. They’ll discard you like a dull blade once Barnes returns with fresh, intelligent zombies. Even if he can’t find any, I don’t think you’ll enjoy their favour much longer. They’re tired of your face. Nobody likes watching the same person triumph all the time. We only endure your victories because they’ll make your ultimate defeat so much sweeter when it comes.’
‘Maybe I won’t lose. Maybe I’ll win every time, go on for years. What do you think of that, Fireman Dan?’
Dan-Dan shakes his head and smirks. ‘We can all see that you’re close to the end. It’s been fascinating, watching your energy ebb away. Educational too. We never knew a zombie could be worn down like one of the living. We’ve learnt a lot by studying you. I think we’ll push your replacements less strenuously, make them last longer.’
Dan-Dan turns and stands with his back to the railing. ‘By the way, they won’t let you die in the arena. When you reach the stage where you can’t fight any longer, they’re going to hand you over to me.’
‘What are you talking about?’ I snap.
‘I told them I couldn’t bear it,’ he giggles. ‘Said I was going mad, not being able to kill. I demanded access to my darlings. To keep me quiet, they’ve offered you to me instead of the children. When you run out of steam, the guards will drag you out of there before you’re killed. They’ll tie you up neatly and deliver you to my personal quarters. I have so many things I want to share with you before the end.’
‘You won’t get your filthy hands on me,’ I snarl. ‘I’ll let the zombies kill me first.’
‘You think so?’ Dan-Dan grins. ‘It won’t be easy. If they could slit your throat open and finish you off that way, you might stand a chance. But they have to dig through your skull and tear out your brain, chunk by chunky chunk. That takes time. We’ll shoot them before they rip you apart. Vicky and Luca will save you. For me.’
Dan-Dan’s grin fades and he takes a step closer. ‘You probably think you know pain intimately. But let me tell you, little girl, you don’t. I’m going to put you through a whole new universe of torment before I grant you blessed release. I’m in no rush, and you can take so much more than any of my darlings. I might keep you writhing around on a leash for weeks. Imagine that, weeks of delirious suffering, where every moment is agony redefined and writ large.’
‘Screw you,’ I moan.
Dan-Dan smiles again. ‘No,’ he says breezily. ‘You’re the one who’s screwed. I’m looking forward to working with you more closely, Becky. You will be my masterpiece. The one to whom I reveal the true, unfathomable depths of my twisted fury. When I set to work on you, the results might shock even me.
‘Toodle-pip!’
With a sick chuckle, he slides past and exits, leaving me in the boiler room with his darlings. Their excited cries as they search for each other don’t sound quite so cheery now. In fact they sound eerily like the screams of the damned.
I’m led into the arena for another gruelling bout. I keep hoping that the guards will grow careless. I’ve gone along with them meekly each time, acting as if my spirits have been crushed, obeying their every command, eager to please. Praying that they might stop regarding me as a threat. All I need is a small slip, a glimmer of a chance.
But so far they’ve followed their guidelines impeccably. They truss me up expertly, slip a collar round my neck and check the steel lead a few times before forcing me out of the mess. There are always extra guards around, guns cocked and aimed, ready to cut me down if I revolt.
‘Here’s our girl,’ Dan-Dan chortles as I’m guided in. He’s back in his sailor’s costume. The other zombies are already in place, still held captive by their guards. They always release us at the same time, so they can exit together.
‘How have you been, my dear?’ Lady Jemima asks, faking concern. ‘You were struck a nasty blow last time. We were worried about you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I mutter, trying to ignore the throbbing at the back of my head where I was clubbed in my previous fight.
‘You don’t look too lively,’ Justin says critically. ‘Perhaps you’d like to sit this one out? We can send you back to the mess if you’d prefer.’
I’d love a good rest but I’m wary. I don’t think I’ll be returned to the mess if they judge me too weary to fight. Once they reckon I’ve run out of steam, I figure I’ll be delivered straight to Dan-Dan’s quarters.
‘Nothing wrong with me,’ I sniff. ‘I’m all fired up and raring to go.’
‘Very well,’ Justin smiles. ‘Release the beasts.’
Our handlers taser us, set us free and retreat. Once I’ve recovered from the shock, I roll my arms around, limbering up, and check out my latest batch of opponents as they surge towards the glass and paw at the panels, trying to break through to the six smug humans on the other side.
There are seven zombies, five men and two women. Each looks like they had plenty of experience of fighting when they were alive. One of the women is wearing a karate outfit. She must have been training or taking part in a competition when she was attacked.
I’ve faced all sorts of opponents here, but most have been bruisers like this lot, especially in recent battles. The Board are pushing me to my limits, waiting for me to break.
‘I bet she comes undone this time,’ Lady Jemima says as she studies the muscles on the two zombies closest to her.
‘How much?’ The Prince asks.
‘This,’ she says, flashing a diamond ring at him.
‘Nice.’ The Prince whistles. ‘If you throw in the rest of the rings on that hand, I’ll wager my crown.’
‘Done,’ Lady Jemima smirks.
‘I didn’t think you would risk so treasured a possession,’ Vicky Wedge notes.
The Prince shrugs. ‘There will be plenty of crowns to choose from when the world is ours.’
I decide to get things under way. I move forward wearily and make a nuisance of myself, angering the zombies, luring them away from the glass, focusing their attention on me.
We begin our waltz of death. Once they’re riled up, I manipulate every last section of the arena, buzzing around like a fly, grabbing poles and whipping myself into the air, utilising the walls and ceiling as much as the floor. I know this area inside out and I use that knowledge to my advantage.
I jump and grab hold of one of the overhead pipes as two of the men charge towards me. From that position I can lash out at both of them at the same time with my feet.
A couple of poles are set close together in one zone. I grab the woman in the karate outfit and propel her towards them, then angle her head down and ram it between the poles, jamming her in place. I leave her there, stuck, to finish off at the end when I’m done with the others.
I barge one of the men into a wall at a point which I’ve identified as a possible weak spot. The steel panel always shakes when someone is thrown against it. I keep hoping that it will tear loose completely one day, but no joy so far. Today it rattles as usual but holds.
The members of the Board keep up a running commentary. They’re sipping champagne, casually discussing the battle, their plans for the future, what they fancy for dinner. They’re a boring, self-obsessed lot. I’d rather total silence, but I can’t tell them that or they’d talk all the louder just to spite me.
The other female zombie snags the hole in my chest with her fingerbones and tears five nasty channels through the flesh down towards my belly button.
‘Yowzers!’ Dan-Dan howls happily as I roar with pain.
‘That’s got to hurt,’ Lord Luca chuckles.
I kick the woman away and flee to the far side of the arena, gritting my teeth. I quickly examine the wounds to make sure no guts are spilling out. Then I leap over the head of one of the onrushing men. But I don’t get as much height as I thought I would. He clips my legs and drags me to the ground, then bellows an
d smashes a fist at my face. The bones jutting out of his fingers glint in the light. If he connects, it’s game over and at least I won’t have to worry about ending up in the clutches of Dan-Dan.
But it’s impossible to lie still and let myself be killed. My defences kick in automatically. I knock the man’s hand aside and twist my head in the opposite direction. His fist slams into the floor and instead of breaking my skull, he breaks a few of the bones in his fingers.
I scramble to my feet and stagger away from the other reviveds, who are all closing in on me, except for the trapped woman. A long strip of ducting runs the length of what was once the dining hall. I jump and haul myself up, wedging myself between the ducting and the ceiling. There’s just enough space for me. I’ve squeezed in here before when I’ve needed a rest.
The zombies punch the base and sides of the ducting, trying to grab hold and pull me down. But they can’t get at me, except to scratch the sides of my arms and legs. If a few of them climbed up, the ducting would come crashing to the floor, leaving me at the mercy of my foes. But thankfully they aren’t smart enough to work that out.
‘No fair,’ Dan-Dan shouts, slapping the glass. ‘I hate it when she does that. Why can’t we take that ducting out of there?’
‘Now now,’ Justin tuts. ‘We have to give her a reasonable chance. It’s more fun this way. She can’t stay up there forever.’
I’ve tried crawling through the ducting at either end, but both exits have been sealed. Still, when I’m up here, I usually creep to one end or the other to hurl a few blows at the bolted-on steel plates, just in case there’s any give.
I start pulling myself along like an injured snake. The zombies follow beneath me, scraping at the ducting, gurgling furiously. I wonder if they hate me more than the humans, if they see me as a traitor to the undead cause.
As I’m mulling that over and trying to tune out Dan-Dan’s jeers, the sound of gunfire echoes down from the deck above. Nobody takes any notice of it at first. The guards on the upper deck often fire at passing zombies, or even at corpses floating down the river, for practice. But this time it doesn’t stop after a few seconds as it normally does. It’s sustained. Then, moments later, mingled in with the gunfire, I hear what might just be the sweetest noise ever.