The Dust: Book Two - Pursuit Page 10

  ‘Thank you, I might have something for you too in my truck.’ He then smiled and revealed two black front teeth, the only ones it seemed left in his head. He giggled as he spoke. ‘I’m sure you will find it a pleasant surprise.’

  Gold led him into the hall, more intrigued than he wanted to be. He was just going to kill Firefly Freddie outright but he might amuse him for an hour or two, a last supper so to speak before sending him to his death.

  ‘Harry James, get this man a beer. Do we have any beers?’

  ‘Yes boss, I found some in a house over the road.'

  Gold smiled at Firefly Freddie, he was nearly as odious as himself. ‘The residents are very friendly in this village, they give us whatever we like.’

  Freddie laughed. ‘Yes, this new strange world does have its advantages.’

  Harry James came back out into the hall with a bottle of lager. He passed it to the new visitor. ‘Warm I’m afraid, electricity isn’t back on yet.’

  ‘You need a genny, and a jerry of fuel.’ Freddie swigged the lager and savoured the sweet taste.

  ‘Is that what you have in the back of your lorry, generators and fuel?’ Gold knew they would come in very handy.

  ‘Wait and see, wait and see.’ Freddie sniggered. ‘Something much more exciting than that.’

  Every nerve ending in Gold’s body just wanted to shoot Firefly Freddie stone dead, take the keys and get out of this shit heap but he kept to his plan and thought he might have some sort of important information he could prize out of him. ‘Do you fancy a little company Mr Firefly?’

  ‘You’re not my type, Mr Gold.’ Freddie giggled at his own joke, looking over at Archie. The young lad said nothing, he was certain his boss would cut his throat for such a quip.

  Gold forced out a small laugh. ‘Very funny, very funny.’ He then went very serious. ‘Would you like some female company?’

  Freddie looked around, he could see the ten or so women sat in a huddle. ‘Ah, so that’s your game.’ He nodded towards Gold. ‘The oldest industry known to man.’

  ‘The penny has dropped Mr Firefly.’ Gold then whispered over to Harry James. ‘Get the small dumpy woman, the grass.’

  Harry James looked confused.

  ‘The woman who pointed her finger at the young girl.’

  Harry James then remembered. He walked away from the small group and over to the women.

  ‘Why do they call you Firefly?’ Archie asked the truck driver.

  ‘Because I’m here, and then I’m there, I’m everywhere sonny.’ He waved his arms about laughing. ‘Always buzzing about from place to place, picking up this and delivering that.’

  ‘Very good.’ Lonny Gold was more interested where he had buzzed from and what he was keeping in his hive. ‘Have you met many on your travels? Or any of the mutants that seem to be roaming the land?’

  ‘Now that would be telling.’ Freddie chuckled. ‘You will see, all in good time.’

  Gold wanted to know now and was getting tired of all Freddie’s playful pretence. ‘Well, have you seen anyone?’

  ‘A few, a sorry state most of them I’m afraid. Those naked savages pick off most who have survived this dreadful curse. A few camps have been set up though.’

  ‘Camps?’

  ‘Army camps, in the loosest of terms mind. Some are trying to make something out of this mess.’

  ‘Think we will stay away from them.’ Gold laughed.

  ‘Well keep heading south, nothing down there apart from marauding crazies and anarchy.’

  ‘No camps?’

  ‘Nope, none that I have seen. Just mayhem, blood lust and good old fashioned savagery.’

  ‘The small chick, boss.’ Harry James reappeared with the woman in tow.

  ‘Give me two minutes please Freddie.’ Gold turned and led the woman in question away from the others. ‘My darling, what is your name?’

  ‘Elizabeth.’ She said in a lower tees accent, she looked up at Gold and flashed him a smile.

  ‘Well my dear, I would like you to do me a favour, would you do that?’ He slipped his arm around her and moved over to the window.

  ‘Well you have been really nice to us, saving my life and all that.’

  ‘At last, a bit of gratitude. You should try telling some of them.’ He motioned over to the women behind them. ‘Well, I would like you to show some of that gratitude to our new visitor, what do you think?’

  Elizabeth looked over at Firefly Freddie and wasn’t readily impressed. ‘I would rather show you some gratitude Mr Gold.’

  Lonny looked down at the podgy five foot two Middlesbrough lass and decided he would pass on her invitation. She was too old, too small and she actually smelt a little bit, or that could have been the stench coming from Firefly’s truck he wasn’t too sure. ‘I would be most honoured if you could do this for me, I can make it worth your while.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘Well I need a woman who I can rely on, a second lieutenant so to speak.’ He clicked his gold rings together on his hand and ran a finger down her cheek.

  This excited Elizabeth, she knew that to survive this living hell she needed to be on Gold’s side. ‘Okay, what do you want me to do exactly?’

  Gold smiled, the plan was coming together. ‘Take Mr Firefly outside around the back, don’t worry Archie will stand guard and make sure nothing bad happens.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Well, make him feel welcomed, make him feel special.’ Gold needed to buy time to brief Harry James in what to do when they returned, this was the ideal opportunity.

  ‘Go out the back and give him a blow job you mean?’ Elizabeth was fed up of going around the houses.

  Gold laughed out loud. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I want you to do my girl.’

  ‘Okay, but you will look after me won’t you?’

  ‘Of course I will.’ Gold, his arm still around her shoulders led her back to the small group of men. ‘Just a little blow job and then you and me can whip the rest of the women into shape, you, of course, will get preferential treatment.’

  'I like the sound of that.’ Elizabeth purred.

  Gold smiled, it was like having a pussycat lapping cream out of his hand.

  ‘Mr Firefly, let me introduce you to Elizabeth.’ He pushed the woman forward towards the truck driver.

  Freddie looked slightly disappointed, he then glanced over to the group of women who were now watching. ‘I would rather her.’ He pointed over to the much younger Naomi Hardcastle.

  ‘Sorry, out of the question.’ Gold answered instantly, stopping him dead.

  Freddie started to laugh. ‘Oh I see Mr Gold, keeping the sweetest candy for yourself.’ He grinned, his black teeth standing proud. ‘That’s okay though.’ He took Elizabeth by the hand and she led him out of the hall, Freddie turned around to look at Gold before he vanished into the backroom. ‘Any port in a storm.’ He laughed.

  ‘Archie, go and stand on top of the fire escape and watch over them, make sure no savages attack.’ It took every instinct in Gold’s body to stop him from ordering Firefly’s death, he really was a little worm.

  ‘Okay boss.’ He grabbed his gun and walked away.

  ‘And Archie.’ Gold called over.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘No peeking.’

  Gold then briefed Harry James on the plan and handed him the air rifle. ‘Don’t fuck up this time boy, you are already skating on thin ice.’

  Five minutes later, Firefly Freddie returned grinning from ear to ear doing up his zip. ‘Most agreeable Mr Gold, most agreeable.'

  ‘So young Freddie.’ Gold patted him on the back. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s so interesting about your cargo?’

  Freddie laughed. ‘Mr Gold, you have been very kind to me so, yes, I'll tell you.’ He moved ahead of Gold to the door. ‘Come on, follow me.’

  Gold followed Firefly Freddie out into the sunlight and they walked over to the truck without talking, Harry James followed closely behind.


  Freddie stood at the back of the trailer swirling his heavy key ring on his index finger. ‘Are you ready for this?’ He giggled. ‘It’s quite a show.’

  Gold looked behind to see if Harry James was there, he was.

  Freddie unlocked the back of the trailer and lifted the steel handle that opened the door. ‘Are you ready?’ He asked looking at Gold and Harry James. ‘Well? Are you?’

  Gold nodded slowly, unimpressed.

  ‘Welcome to the freak show.’ Firefly Freddie opened up the large metal door with a creak and both Gold and Harry James peered inside, they could see nothing, it was too dark.

  ‘Christ what a stench.’ Harry James held his hand up to his nose.

  Freddie opened the door wide to let the light in.

  ‘Jesus Christ.’ Lonny Gold shot back and nearly fell over as he did. ‘Are you fucking crazy?’

  Freddie sniggered. ‘Aren’t they beauties?’ He jumped up onto the trailer and pointed into the cage. ‘Look at the blonde, look at the big titted blonde.’ He jumped up and down. ‘I would ask her to suck your cock Mr Gold but I know for a fact she'll bite it clean off!’ He let out a huge belly laugh.

  Gold and Harry James walked a little nearer to the trailer and carefully looked inside. There in a self-made cage were four naked infected humans. Gold shook his head, this man was as mad as a box of frogs. Three women all about the same age, twenty something and a young adult male. All were bleeding from continually attacking each other, all snarled and hollered as they clapped eyes on the three men studying them.

  ‘This is madness.’ Harry James concluded. ‘How the hell did you catch them?’

  Firefly Freddie danced about on the edge of the trailer laughing like a mad man. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, wouldn’t you like to know young 'un?’

  ***

  ‘Why horses?’ Jake asked Yanto.

  ‘Excuse me?’ Yanto slowed Thunderchild down.

  ‘Why are we riding horses, why not find a car?’

  ‘Because this is how we are going to evolve, we must go backwards before we can go forwards.’ Yanto took a swig from his canteen.

  ‘I understand that but at the moment, we need to get somewhere fast, so why don’t we drive?’ Jake just wanted to get back to Bradley Stoke as soon as he could.

  ‘This is quicker, we can ride as the crow flies. Plus, we are quiet. A truck or a van can be heard for miles around, and that brings the infected. Gone are the days when the noise of everyday life drowns everything else out.’ Yanto passed the canteen to Jake. ‘I find it bliss, peaceful even.’

  ‘You're actually enjoying this aren’t you?’ Jake took a sip and passed it back.

  ‘Well Butty Bach, what’s not to enjoy, you can do what you want, when you want and we are the makers of our own destiny.’

  ‘But the country is in ruins, most people are either dead or mad.’

  Yanto stopped him. ‘We aren’t though, are we?’ He patted Thunderchild’s neck to move him on. ‘Make the best of it sonny, before we get rounded up and given a number, then you'll wish for days like these.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Angel shot past on Chive

  ‘I can see it.’ Yanto followed.

  Jake looked, on the horizon were a few figures walking towards them. Not staggering drunkenly from side to side like the infected but in single file. Survivors. Jake dug his heels into Lola and followed the other two.

  Angel got there first dismounting before Chive came to a standstill. Stood in front of her were five weary figures, three men, a woman, and a teenage girl. ‘Oh my God, are you all okay?’ Angel enquired.

  The woman spoke first. ‘I’m Wendy, this is my niece Gillian.’

  ‘Do you need a drink?’ Angel could see they were weather beaten and thirsty.

  Yanto arrived with Jake just behind him. Water was given to all of survivors.

  The three men introduced themselves, Brian in his fifties, Carl slightly younger and Liam who at a stretch was mid-twenties, all looked as though they had been on one hell of a journey.

  ‘Which way are you heading?’ Jake could see they didn’t have many miles left in them.

  ‘The camp.’ Brian replied.

  ‘Anyway, but that way.’ Liam pointed behind him.

  ‘Why, what’s back there?’ Angel asked.

  ‘Them.’ The teenage girl answered.

  Yanto looked over at Brian to get some sense.

  ‘The savages, the naked lunatics that now own this once sacred green land, killing anything and everything in their way.’ Brian looked behind him. ‘They are everywhere, the green grass is now drenched red with our own blood.’

  ‘They killed several of our party.’ Wendy took another gulp of fresh water. ‘What you see here is what is left. Brian is quite right, back there it's bad, killing fields, those zombies stop at nothing.’

  ‘They are not zombies.’ Jack said grimacing slightly. ‘They are just sick! Human beings just like us.’

  ‘Yeah, right.’ Carl sneered.

  ‘Yeah, right.’ Jake could feel the hairs go up on his neck. ‘There’s no such thing as zombies, they, my friend are a myth, the dead that rise again. The infected humans have some sort of blood poisoning which has driven them insane. Hopefully, one day we can do something for them.’

  ‘Until that day though. Avoid them like the plague, that’s my advice.’ Wendy stepped back into the conversation to stop anything getting too heated.

  ‘And if you do come across them.’ Gillian added, she then drew a finger across her neck. ‘Kill 'em.’

  ‘Who told you about the camp?’ Yanto asked changing the subject.

  ‘We came across a small army garrison. They were doing what they could to rid the place of those monsters and told us about a camp being set up near Nottingham.’

  ‘They were right, I have been there.’

  The group looked at each other with wide smiles, a weight was lifted from their shoulders.

  ‘Thank God for that.’ Carl said. ‘We weren’t sure if it would still be there, or if it existed at all.’

  ‘Oh it’s there alright.’ Yanto then gave Brian and Wendy directions on an old map to find the camp In Ruddington.

  ‘Are you sure you won’t come with us? Wendy asked.

  Jake who had now got back on his horse shook his head. ‘No, we are heading south. I need to find my little girl.’

  ‘Well, may your gods be with you.’ Brian replied. ‘Down there the place is crawling with them, it’s hell on earth, please be safe.’

  Angel’s eyes met Jakes, neither liked what they heard.

  ***

  ‘Go on, throw them a sausage.’ Firefly Freddie egged on Lonny Gold who was now stood beside him on the edge of the trailer. ‘They go fucking ape shit!’

  Gold was intrigued, why and more importantly how had this lunatic caught these naked savages? What could possibly be the advantage of having these in your cargo?

  ‘Why?’ Gold asked.

  ‘They love sausages and it’s showing them who the boss is.’ Freddie flung a raw sausage through the bars and the infected humans went mad trying to get it, ripping it from each other snarling and spitting.

  ‘No, not why do they like fucking sausages, I mean why have you got them, here, in your truck?’ Gold watched as the blonde won the battle and rammed the meat into her bleeding mouth.

  ‘Why not?’ Freddie laughed. ‘I can train them up. They will do whatever I tell them.’ He got closer to Gold and whispered. ‘Kill whoever I tell them to kill, steal whatever I get them to steal.’

  Gold shook his head, these savages couldn’t be tamed. ‘How the hell did you catch them?’ This is what he really wanted to find out.

  Before Firefly Freddie could reply a blast came from the road and he flew across the trailer surface and into the steel bars.

  Gold turned to see Archie stood there with a smoking gun. ‘Why did you do that?’

  ‘It was part of the plan, boss.’ Archie sniffed.

  ‘
He was just about to tell me something important!’ Gold yelled. ‘You idiot.’ He walked over to the tattered body of Freddie who was very much dead. The young adult male inside the cage noticed a large part of Freddie’s skull was missing and he ran over to bloodied bars and started scooping the brains out to eat.

  ‘Oh Jesus.’ Gold turned away in disgust.

  ‘Harry James said you wanted him dead.’ Archie protested, seeing his boss was losing faith in the two boys.

  ‘It’s done now.’ Gold weighed up his position and his options and realised he had acquired a new vehicle and a few savages to boot. The two lads were becoming a liability but they were loyal, he didn’t have the time or the energy to look for more staff. Should he destroy the cargo though? They could come in handy somewhere down the line. He turned to the two boys. ‘Let’s round up the women and get out of this shit hole.’

  Within seven minutes all the women were lined up next to the back of the truck. The lads had gathered all their belongings and some of the supplies they had scavenged. Gold had been in the trailer to clean up. Firefly Freddie had been no idiot. In the cage he had installed two compartments, a smaller back compartment where he had caged the savages by using sausages and other cuts of rancid meat thrown onto the floor. Gold then dragged Freddie’s body into the front compartment for the naked beasts to strip bare when they were let back in. This had caused great frenzy with them screaming and howling and rattling the bars, now they could see their former master being presented to them like a suckling pig. Gold had even snarled back at them to show them who the new boss was.

  ‘Right ladies this is our new mobile home.’ Gold emerged from the side of the truck smiling at the disheartened group. ‘You will be sharing it though with some interesting new members of our family.’ He flung the back doors open to reveal four naked bodies tearing apart the dead body of Firefly Freddie.

  All the women recoiled in horror and nearly all screamed. ‘I’m not going in there.’ One shouted. And they started to back away from the lorry.

  ‘That’s fine! If you want to walk away, then carry on. You won’t last five seconds out there but carry on.’ Gold looked on as the group of women held on to each other watching in horror as the once very alive truck driver was reduced to bones in minutes.