Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel(13)

Nick took a breath and tried to keep his focus despite the fact that his heart felt as if it was about to beat out of his chest. He backed up the car as much as possible before coming up against the other vehicles queued up behind him. Then he performed a U-turn into the opposite lane and began heading the other way. The duel carriageway was the quickest way to the hospital by far, but he had no choice now but to take the back roads. The main roads and highways were quickly becoming too dangerous, littered with pile-ups and bewildered pedestrians.

Not to mention the other people trying to rip them apart.

He pulled off the main road onto a country lane that he knew would eventually bring him out near the hospital. The housing estates and shops gave way to woodland and private cottages. These properties seemed undisturbed compared to the chaos of Nick’s own neighbourhood. The middle-class families that lived here were likely still sleeping soundly, while everywhere else had spun into madness.

The lane became clear up ahead and Nick stamped on the accelerator to pick up speed. He kept the car close to the verge, not wanting to collide with anybody coming the other way. Overhanging branches whipped against his wing mirrors.

Nick took the opportunity to check on Lara. He glanced back. “I’m heading for the hospital, okay? I need to get help for my wife. Your husband will need help, too. Not to mention you could probably use a doctor yourself.”

Lara did not answer him. She just moaned something that could have been an affirmative response. Blood leaked from all over her body and she slumped on the back seat.

A van pulled out of a nearby brickyard and Nick had to slow down to avoid crashing into it. Unbelievably, the driver nodded a polite ‘thank you’ as he passed by. The man would get the shock of his life when he entered the main roads and saw all the chaos and bloodshed. Part of Nick thought about warning the man but, by that time, the van had already driven too far in the opposite direction.

Up ahead, the country road widened into a crossroad intersection. Nick slowed down again as he spotted a pair of crunched-up saloons. The two vehicles appeared to have smashed into each other head-on at speed, reducing them to shattered wrecks of jagged metal and torn rubber, rather than the luxury automobiles they were designed to be. The two cars were blocking the centre of the road, but there was still room to get around them if care was taken.

Nick pulled the engine down into second gear and kept his speed below twenty. The last thing he needed was to add his own vehicle to the wreckage and having to walk to the hospital.

A shuffling behind him made him look around at the backseat. Lara was lying face down now and having some kind of seizure. Her blood coated everything and the smell of it filled the car. He was pretty sure she was dying.

He brought the car to a crawl and swivelled around. “Hey,” he shouted back to her. “Hey, Lara, are you okay? I’m going to get you some help, but you need to stay with me until I get there. You need to stay awake a little while longer.”

Lara managed to lift her head slowly and glance at him. Her seizures stopped.

Satisfied that his passenger was still conscious for the time being, Nick turned back to face the road. He got the car moving faster again, picking up speed cautiously as he approached the wreckage ahead. The two smashed-up saloons were close enough now to see that both were unoccupied. Seemingly the drivers involved had managed to walk away from the accident in better shape than their vehicles – luckily for them.

A groan made Nick turn around again. “Everything is going to be alright,” he told Lara. “Just hold-”

Lara lunged forward, diving through the gap between the front passenger seat and the driver’s seat. Nick was taken by surprise and both of his feet slipped from the pedals as he found himself shoved forward against the steering wheel. Lara climbed onto his back. She clawed at his coat and yanked at the wool of his collar with her teeth.

In the close-confines of the car, Nick was unable to fight back. He could not turn around and shove Lara off of him. The car was still moving forward, but losing speed as the engine idled. Nick was grateful he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt as he would have been held in place, helpless. It also made leaning down and shoving open the driver’s side door that much easier. It was his only chance of escape.

The road zipped by as Nick leaned down, the rough gravel only inches from his face. Against all instinct, he kicked out with his legs and managed to launch himself out of the car. He hit the road clumsily, cracking his elbow and grazing his face against the unforgiving surface. He tumbled and rolled for what seemed like forever, every split-second filled with agony.

Eventually, he came to a stop by the side of the road. He lay there, disorientated and staring up at the sky. His vision was muddled, but as he craned his neck he watched his car carry on without him. It was doing no more than fifteen miles an hour now, but it had been fast enough that the fall had hurt him badly.

The near-new Alfa Romeo collided with the smashed-up saloons in the middle of the road and seemed to hop slightly upon impact. It came to a sudden stop, letting out one last grumbling whine as the bonnet popped free and exposed the turbo-charged engine.

Nick blinked his eyes, trying to clear away the dizziness and flecks of gravel. There goes my No Claims bonus.

Wearily, he rose to his feet. His right cheek felt like it was on fire and, as he prodded his face, he discovered that a patch of skin the size of his palm had been shorn clean off. The wound stung ferociously and was accompanied by a tingling throb in his elbow. If he hadn’t been wearing his thick woollen coat, things might have been even worse.