Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel(32)

Eve turned a slow circle, taking in their surroundings, and then shrugged. “I think we’ll be okay to take a fifteen minute break,” she said. “We’re totally alone.”

Dave shook his head. “We’re not stopping.”

“Who the hell put you in charge, anyway?” Nick intervened. “Margaret needs to rest, so we let her. There’s no argument to be had. She’s an old lady. Show some compassion.”

Margaret looked at Dave pleadingly. She seemed embarrassed that her age and weakness was causing a spat.

“Fine!” He huffed. “She can have ten minutes, but then we’re not stopping again until we find help. We can’t afford to be stuck in these woods once it gets dark.”

Nick checked his watch. It was just after two. It wouldn’t get dark till about 7PM, but Dave did have a point: they didn’t want to be wondering through the woods in the dark.

Margaret crouched down and eased herself onto a fallen log. Pauline sat down beside the old lady and rubbed her back. Dave, Cassie, Carl, and the three prisoners huddled together between the trees and began chatting.

“That Dave is starting to get on my tits,” said Eve in a whisper to Nick. “Talk about a power trip. He thinks he’s head boy scout or something.”

“I know,” Nick said. “I can’t believe how quickly his attitude has changed. To think he was driving around, picking people up and rescuing them, and then to just attack Kathryn the way he did.”

Eve knelt down and picked up a fallen pinecone. She ran her fingers over it for a couple of seconds, before placing it beneath her nostrils and taking in its scent. “I think that when we parked up the bus, the reality of the situation finally dawned on everybody. It was a bit like being in a cocoon when we were driving around; just watching all the chaos but not really being a part of it. Now that we’re on foot, I think we’ve all realised just how vulnerable we are, and how much the normal rules don’t apply anymore. Dave is just doing what he thinks is right, in a screwed up way.”

She tossed the pinecone into the distance.

Nick backed up against a towering poplar tree and looked up at the sky through its leaves. Birds fluttered overhead. “Are you doing okay?” he asked her.

“Who? Me? Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Just checking. You’re a young girl. This whole thing must be pretty frightening.”

“Yeah, to everybody, though, not just me. I’m an adult, same as the rest of you. Twenty-two doesn’t make me a child. It just makes me better looking than the rest of you.”

Nick laughed. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. Me and Margaret are the hottest people here.”

Nick laughed harder. “Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but the old dear does have something about her.”

Margaret peered over at them then and seemed confused by their stifled giggling. Perhaps she knew they were talking about her.

“Stop,” he said. “We shouldn’t chat about people behind their backs. Especially not a nice old lady like her.”

“I agree. We should look after her; she reminds me of my gran. Except my gran didn’t swear as much.”

They said no more as they enjoyed their ten minute rest. Nearby, Dave checked his watch every thirty seconds, keeping exact time of how long the group had left. He wore a constant look of irritation on his jowly face. The three prisoners stuck close to him; the trio of men seeming to move as one. Dash was constantly cracking crude jokes and laughing, while Jan wore an endless expression of disapproval. The third prisoner, Renee, stood completely still, watching all around him with a look of quiet interest.

That guy’s a mystery.

“Okay,” Dave said, checking his watch one last time. “Time to get moving. I think if we carry on in this direction it’ll only be a matter of time before we come out somewhere.”

“And then what?” Pauline asked. “What if there are more of those things?”

“We’ll remain in the treeline and check stuff out before we make any decisions. We can send a scout if need be.”

A scout, Nick thought to himself. Guy thinks he’s a field general or something.

There were no arguments, so everyone got moving. This time, however, instead of moving on ahead, Nick stayed back amongst the group; mainly so he could keep an eye on Margaret. The old lady had recently witnessed her friend being ripped apart and deserved their compassion, but right now she wasn’t getting it from the likes of Dave. Nick would have to make sure she was looked after.

***

Another half-hour went by before the woods thinned out. The dim sunlight started to slash the horizon, instead of just coming down through the tree canopy. The group slowed down as it became clear that the woods were coming to an end.

Dave hurried to the front of the group and put his hand up to stop them all. “We have to be careful,” he said. “We don’t know what lies up ahead. It’s quiet, so I don’t think it’s a motorway or anything, but it could still be dangerous.”


“We should send one person up ahead to check it out,” Jan suggested.

“Good idea,” said Dave. “Nick! Go see what we’re dealing with.”

Nick was surprised to hear his name. “Me?”

“Yeah, what’s the problem? Just stay low and keep out of sight.”