Star Drawn Saga (Book 2): Lost Among The Dead Read online

  ‘Christ, girl! You think we’d have lasted this long if we couldn’t take care of ourselves?’ Dennis interrupted, with a derisive snort. ‘And if you’re such a shit-hot kung-fu master or whatever, then why’d you let the other two deal with Ray and his mates earlier… surely those wankers weren’t too much for you.’

  ‘Tom had insisted,’ she began, her eyes flicking to Tom; hopeful for a confirmation, ‘I’d been knocked out earlier in a fall… he thought it would be better if…’

  Despite the nod of agreement from Tom, she could tell from the look on Dennis’s face that he had already dismissed her words as nothing more than an excuse.

  ‘Hey, believe me, even with a bruised back I can still knock you on your arse, no trouble!’ she blurted out before she could think of what she was saying; the flush of anger in Dennis’ eyes causing her to instantly regret her outburst. ‘Look…’ she quickly continued, hoping to calm the rising waters before she was washed away in a tsunami of the man’s anger, ‘don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t a challenge or anything stupid like that… I… I was just stating a fact, nothing more… Dennis, I get it, you’re in charge here,’ she added, pandering to the man’s machismo and authority; despite knowing that he was little more than a puppet whose strings were not so subtly controlled by Emma, ‘and you’re just trying to keep this place safe and productive… well, let me help you. I can fight… I can…’

  ‘I think we should let her stay,’ Emma suddenly interrupted, her fingers softly brushing against Dennis’s arm as she spoke, ‘for now at least… she can always …go… if she turns out to be a dead weight.’

  ‘Well, that’s… that’s all I’m asking for… a chance,’ nodded Fran, a little unsettled not only by Emma’s turn of phrase but by the way she said it.

  ‘Okay… so it looks like you’re all staying then,’ concluded Dennis, as if he truly had the final say in the matter. ‘Tomorrow you start earning your keep. Kai, you and Grant will be on patrol… help clear the Dead from the forest in the morning. Fran, Sam, you’re working in the dome with Natalie and Sid,’ he went on to say, nodding to each person in turn. ‘Mike, you’ll start on your screens… I’ll tell Jimmy to give you a hand collecting what you need… and Tom, you’re with me and Brett. We’re going to pay Ray a little return visit… put an end to this bullshit once and for all.’

  ***

  ‘Kai, I don’t know that I like Tom getting involved in this Ray business,’ commented Fran later that evening as the two of them lay in bed, bathed in the soft glow of a single solar panelled lamp; the sort that would once have been used to highlight a garden path. ‘I mean, what do we really know about what’s been going on here… like, who the fuck is this Ray bloke anyway… and why was he trying to kidnap Wendy?’

  ‘He u…used to live here… a few years ago,’ stated Kai, twisting to plump up the pillows behind his head. ‘He fell out w…with them… he didn’t like the way things were being r…run or something… w…well that’s what Dennis said w…when he was checking us for bites.’

  ‘But why try to take Wendy now?’ Fran repeated, moving up the bed to nestle her head against Kai’s chest. ‘Certainly not for her personality… girl’s a grade ‘A’ bitch if you ask me… so was it revenge, ransom, what?’

  ‘Does it m…matter?’ asked Kai, idly running his fingers through her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

  ‘Hmmm… I don’t know, I guess I…’ sighed Fran, the sound of tinkling bells drifting into the tree house suddenly halting her words. ‘What the…’ she mumbled, more to herself than to Kai as she pushed herself up from his embrace, got out of bed and cautiously walked over to the window to pull aside the curtain. ‘Did you hear that… bells or something?’ she continued, glancing back at him.

  ‘Yeah. It m…means the Dead are down there,’ whispered Kai, the low volume of his voice almost instinctively adjusting to the presence of the Dead. ‘They have strings of bells and w…wind chimes hanging from the trees throughout the wood… sort of like trip wires or an early warning system… didn’t they tell you anything when you were checked for b…bites?’

  ‘I think Norma just wanted to get it over and done with,’ she replied, turning her attention once more to the dark shadows beyond their window. ‘I suppose I should be grateful though… they at least had her do it,’ she went on to mutter, her breath fogging up the glass in front of her face, ‘Sam and I could’ve got one those rancid Nash brothers… now, they would’ve taken their time, for sure.’

  ‘Are they going to be a p…problem?’ asked Kai, watching as Fran drew the curtain once more and began walking back to the bed, a strange look on her face.

  ‘What? Erm… no, no, I’ll deal with it… it’ll be fine,’ she replied, waving away his concerns as she suddenly stopped midway across the room; her mind clearly preoccupied with something else. ‘Ah, perfect…’she mumbled to herself, walking over to a heavy looking chest of drawers set against one wall. ‘Give me a hand… we’ll push this in front of the door,’ she continued looking back at Kai.

  ‘I thought we d…decided this p…place was safe?’ he stammered, reluctantly swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand.

  ‘Never… safe… enough,’ she strained, trying to push the heavy set of drawers across the thickly piled carpet. ‘Not with the Dead wandering about a few metres below us.’

  ‘Fran, stop that. You’ll hurt your b…back even more...’ tutted Kai. ‘Come on,’ he continued, physically moving her out of his way. ‘Just get b…back to bed. I’ll do it.’

  With a jerk of his head he shooed her away from the doorway and once he had taken hold of the piece of furniture himself, he started to push.

  ‘Guess M…mike’s screens can’t come f…fast enough?’ he grunted, his face turning red with effort as the chest of drawers slowly slid into positon, blocking the bedroom door.

  ‘Kai, I know there’s only one way up onto the walkways,’ began Fran, pulling back the covers on the bed, ‘but it’s all too new for me to relax just yet… and I… I can’t shake the feeling this place is just too exposed. You’ve got to admit it, it’s hardly what we’re used to… Just give me few days and I’ll get the lay of the land,’ she continued, sitting on the side of the bed to offer him the small concession of actually removing her boots before getting into the bed this time. ‘I just need to build up some confidence in the set up they have here… I’ll loosen up a bit then… you’ll see.’

  ‘Hey, I d…doubt there’s such a thing as too m…much p...paranoia… not these days,’ he admitted, once he had returned to the bed, casually lifting his arm up so she could reposition her body against him; the two of them taking a moment to shift positions until they were both comfortable again. ‘Fran, you know w…what you’re doing and let’s face it, you and Tom have k…kept me alive this long,’ he continued, relishing the presence of her body next to his as he reached past her to turn off the small light. ‘I … I just w…want you to be safe…’ he said, his heartfelt words filling the darkness around them, ‘to be happy.’

  ‘I am, Kai,’ she whispered in reply, closing her eyes as she desperately tried to blot out the ominous chiming of tiny bells rising up from the forest floor below them. ‘I am.’

  ***

  Fran stood with her chin in her hands, elbows resting on the handrail and looked out at the forest surrounding their new home. Bathed in the chilled light of the early morning sun, the air alive with birdsong, it seemed to her that the very trees themselves, dressed in their autumnal finery were trying their best to bring a warmth to the scene about her. But as the ominous mist circled about their trunks, shrouding the forest floor in mystery and promises of hidden dangers, she couldn’t help but surrender herself to the shudder that suddenly ran down her spine.

  ‘Cold?’ whispered Kai, stepping up behind her to wrap his arms about her waist; gently kissing the back of her neck while Bob explored the decking, seemingly for once disinterested in what his new found masters were doing.
r />   ‘No… well, yes it is a bit nippy but that’s not it,’ she replied, leaning back into his chest. ‘It’s… it’s this place,’ she continued, looking down to the forest below them to follow a darker patch of shadow as it slowly stumbled along the mist covered path. ‘They…’

  ‘Hey, I thought we w…were going to give this p…place a chance?’ he interrupted, turning her round to face him.

  ‘No… yeah… I am, I promise…’ she began, forcing a reassuring smile to her lips. ‘I just… Oh, look, it doesn’t matter,’ she went on to say, aware of the look of concern creeping into his eyes. ‘Just ignore me… honestly, it’s nothing… Come on, we’d better get going... we’ll call for Mike and Sam on the way.’

  And with that she slipped from his embrace, clicked her fingers for Bob to follow her and began to walk along the walkway towards the cabin she knew the small family had taken as their home.

  ‘Come on, slow poke!’ she called back to Kai, the forced joviality in her voice sounding a little brittle, even to her own ears. ‘We don’t want to be late on our first day, now do…’

  She was about to finish what she was saying when, from somewhere in the mist enshrouded forest below them, one of the Dead answered her call; instinctively reacting to the sound of her voice with its own deathly and imploring moan.

  ‘Remember,’ she went on to say, changing the subject suddenly; all business and seriousness as the call of the Dead continued, ‘no heroics today… you aim for the legs and just get the job done. Don’t let that Grant Nash make you take any stupid risks… Him, I don’t care about; you, I do.’

  ‘I won’t, b...believe me,’ snorted Kai, quite matter-of-factly as he bent down to retrieve the crowbar he had left by the door. ‘I don’t know why Dennis chose me to do it anyway… you’d have b…been a much b...better b…bet.’

  ‘Oh, I think Dennis has certain ideas about how his world turns,’ she replied, shaking her head as Kai caught up with her on the walkway and slipped his free hand into hers. ‘You know… who’s capable of what and what roles people should play.’

  ‘But the w…world’s not like that anymore,’ commented Kai, giving Fran a look that confirmed he thought Dennis’ attitude was as outdated as she did, ‘p...people are different now... life is different now.’

  ‘No arguments here,’ muttered Fran as she finally paused to knock on Sam and Mike’s door, ‘but let’s face it,’ she continued, the sound of movement and a call that they were coming drifting to them from the room beyond the door, ‘with the heroes busy trying to save their own arses from getting eaten, those damsels in distress who couldn’t fight for themselves… well, they wound up pretty dead, pretty quick.’

  ‘Who’s a damsel in distress?’ asked Mike, suddenly standing in the open doorway wearing a leather tool belt about his waist and particularly ugly looking red jumper that looked to Fran like whoever had made it had done so more out of love than to show any actual skill or ability.

  ‘Oh, no one,’ replied Fran, smiling as she waved away his question, ‘I was just saying that the Dead really levelled the playing field when it came to the battle of the sexes, that’s all.’

  ‘Ah…’ nodded Mike, looking at Kai with a hint of sympathy. ‘A bit early in the morning to get into gender politics. What brought that up?’

  ‘Morning,’ interrupted Sam, appearing behind Mike; fiddling with the straps of the baby carrier slung across her chest.

  ‘Morning,’ echoed Fran with a nod and a smile, before answering Mike’s question. ‘Dennis.’

  ‘What about Dennis?’ asked Sam, looking up as she struggled to manoeuvre an unwilling Poppy into her carrier.

  ‘I was just saying that Dennis has some old fashioned ideas about what women are capable of.’ Fran replied, with a shrug of her shoulders.

  ‘Well… look at the type of women he’s managed to surround himself with so far,’ said Sam in an almost conspiratorial whisper as she reached for a bag of things she would need for Poppy. ‘Two sorry women that look like they would wet themselves if you slammed the door too loudly, another that quite frankly is far too old to be using sex as a bargaining chip and lastly he has a right pair of manipulative Lolitas … I mean, which of those is meant to challenge his world view?’

  ‘Exactly,’ smiled Fran, glad that Sam had come to much of the same conclusion as herself, ‘though I think you’re wrong in one respect,’ she continued, stepping aside so Sam and Polly could join them on the decking surrounding the tree house,. ‘If you ask me, one of those Lolitas is more Lady Macbeth than you think… You just watch Emma,’ she confirmed, as they all started walking along the next walkway on their way to the Hub, ‘just watch her and how Dennis always defers to her opinion... and you know she’s worked such a number on him, I don’t know if Dennis is even aware he’s doing it but believe me, it’s Emma… she’s the one that’s really in charge here.’

  As they walked along the rope-bridges, crossing from one tree house to the next, Fran and Sam continued to chat amongst themselves and as they did so it became apparent to Fran that she may have so far misjudged the young woman. Up until now the only point of reference Sam had expressed had been that of a mother, fearful for her child’s safety; but now, safe within the confines of White Oak Park, Fran was coming to realise there was more to this woman than simple motherhood. She found Sam to be a no-nonsense, to-the-point type of person, speaking her mind when she needed to yet at the same time astute enough to know when to hold her tongue; a talent Fran knew she herself was yet to master.

  ‘Are… are you using something?’ Sam casually asked, glancing sideways to meet Fran’s questioning look, while Kai and Mike walked slightly ahead of them. ‘You and Kai, I mean… I assume you’re having sex… what are you doing about birth control?’

  ‘I… we…’ Fran started to reply, a little caught out by Sam’s directness.

  ‘Well if you’re relying on the rhythm method… don’t,’ warned Sam with a chuckle, ‘not unless you want a shit-scary birth to go through and another little mouth to feed at the end of it because quite frankly, it doesn’t work… well, it didn’t for me.’

  ‘To be honest,’ Fran began, finding it strangely welcoming to have another woman to talk to about such things, ‘my periods are a bit all over the place, so even finding their rhythm would be a bit tricky.’

  ‘Hmm,’ nodded Sam, ‘I know what you mean… that could’ve been my problem too. I suppose it’s not eating properly, you know, like on a regular basis… I guess our bodies have better things to do just trying to keep us alive.’

  ‘I’m not sure it works like that,’ said Fran, brushing an errant curl of hair behind her ear, ‘and anyway Kai and I, well, we haven’t been… well, of course we have… but not for very long…and… and anyway, we had some condoms!’ she finally blurted out, her words causing Kai and Sam to both glance back at them, wondering just what the two women were discussing.

  ‘Had?’ repeated Sam, raising an eyebrow questioningly; after she had waved Sam and Kai to turn back round.

  ‘Yes, had,’ confirmed Fran, with a shrug of her shoulders; knowing that when you lived your life with the threat of being ripped apart by the Dead at any moment, sometimes you lived for the moment and foolishly forgot about the consequences. ‘I…I guess we need to get that sorted.’

  ‘Hmm…yeah, I think you do,’ said Sam, smiling as she gave Fran a friendly elbow, a wink and nodded towards Kai’s firm behind. ‘You lucky girl… But seriously,’ Sam went on to say just as they began their stroll along the final walkway to the Hub, ‘about getting some sort of contraception… don’t leave it too late… you don’t want to have to deal with the consequences, believe me… Don’t get me wrong I love Poppy with all my heart,’ she continued, gently stroking Poppy’s back as the infant happily watched the world go by nestled against her mother’s chest, ‘but… but there are times… times when I wish for her sake that she hadn’t been born.’

  ‘Sam, you don’t have to…’ Fran started to
say, pained by the look of shame in the young mother’s face.

  ‘I mean, what chance does she really have?’ asked Sam, as if Fran could somehow see into the girl’s future. ‘What sort of life has my baby been born into? One built on fear, pain, death… is that a life any child should be forced to endure?’

  ‘But you’ve found this place now… perhaps…’ Fran tried to point out, wondering if White Oak Park could possibly offer the woman the one thing she needed; hope.

  ‘I remember those fist weeks and months, Fran,’ continued Sam, closing her eyes as dark and monstrous memories rose to the surface of her mind. ‘Parents determined to protect their children, fighting with all they had and… and still it wasn’t enough. They watched their children die, Fran. Watched them get torn apart in front of their very eyes... I… I would rather end her little life myself than let them get their hands on her… I swear I would.’

  ‘I know,’ was all Fran could think of to say, as Sam softly kissed the top Poppy’s head desperate to chase away the scene playing out in her mind.

  ‘But… but it’s not going to come to that, Sam… I promise… it’ll never come to that,’ said Fran, reaching out to touch the other woman’s arm, hopeful her reassuring words hit home, ‘not while I’m around, I promise.’

  ‘That’s not a promise you can make, Fran…’ sighed Sam in reply, shaking her head wearily. ‘I wish it were, but you and I both know… it’s simply not.’

  ‘You watch me!’ said Fran, the force and determination in her words causing a reluctant smile to break on Sam’s lips.

  ‘Yeah, okay, Rambo,’ smiled Sam, rolling her eyes. ‘If you say so.’

  ‘Uh, oh,’ said Mike under his breath, drawing both their attention to the end of the walkway where Dennis waited with his thick arms folded and an impatient look on his face; while behind him a nervous looking Natalie hovered back and forth, ‘looks like we’re late.’